BUSINESS ENTERPRISE CENTRES

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (14:51): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Small Business a question about business enterprise centres.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: I note today's ministerial statement from the minister following my question on Wednesday about business enterprise centres. I quote from the second dot point in the statement:

In terms of the funding agreements, between the Minister for Small Business and each of the BECs, the payment of the funds will be made in instalments of $150,000 at the beginning of each financial year during the term of this agreement but not before receipt of a valid tax invoice.

Apparently, past practice has seen this funding paid in the last week of each financial year. My questions are:

1. Will the minister confirm that BECs were told by DTED not to submit tax invoices before 1 July?

2. Is it just a coincidence that payments were made to BECs the morning after my question was asked?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:52): The answer to the latter question is no, because by the time I would have got through to the department to raise this matter things were already in place.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: Rubbish!

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Let me read it:

...the payment of the funds will be made in instalments ...at the beginning of each financial year...

It is now Friday 17 July, about two weeks into the new financial year, and they all have their money. I would have thought that many other areas receiving government funds would be delighted to have their funding within two weeks of the start of the financial year.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: The information I have been provided with, and the answer is in the statement, which states:

In terms of the funding agreements, between the Minister for Small Business and each of the BECs, the payment...will be made...

That is the terms of the funding agreements, that they will be funded at the beginning of each financial year but not before receipt of a valid tax invoice. When the honourable member asked his question I promised him that I would follow it up with the department straightaway after question time. I did that. I was told, at that stage, that some invoices had not been received.

By the time we got to answer this question they had all been received, and so, as I said in the statement, those payments have all been paid, except for one. If the funding agreement states that they will be paid at the beginning of each financial year, but not before receipt of a valid tax invoice, then that is what will happen. I would have thought that payment within two weeks is well within government guidelines.