Legislative Council Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Career Employment Services Funding Career Employment Services Funding The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN Legislative Council Career Employment Services Funding The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:40): I thank the minister for the answer. So what criteria was used to determine that these programs were going to be cut—and by 'these' I mean the Jobs First Employment Projects and Career Services programs? What criteria was used to determine they would be cut, and will the Treasurer confirm what the savings figure for the Minister for Industry and Skills' department is? The Hon. R.I. LUCAS Legislative Council Treasurer Career Employment Services Funding The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:40): When the budget's released, I'll certainly be in a position to be able to indicate. But certainly in relation to the savings program of not only the Minister for Industry and Skills but all ministers, a very significant component of that will be clearly identified as a Labor efficiency dividend that had to be implemented post the election irrespective of whichever government was elected. All agencies, when the new government arrived, advised me, as the new Treasurer, that these were the efficiency dividends the former Treasurer and the former government had left with us that we had to implement post the election for the 2018-19 and forward estimates years. It will be quite clear in terms of the documentation available that some of the savings tasks that agencies are confronting at the moment will be as a result of the new priorities of the new government, which we outlined at the time of the election, and clearly that will have an impact in terms of the funding priorities; but also some of the savings that agencies like industries and skills will have to implement are as a result of efficiency dividends, the most recent of which was implemented in the last weeks before Christmas last year in the Mid-Year Budget Review, when the former Labor government initiated widespread efficiency dividends that had to be implemented in all agencies post the election. They were clearly documented by the former government and the former Treasurer. So any efficiency savings that are being implemented, at least in part, have been generated by decisions taken by the former Labor government—as a result of efficiency dividends that are required. In relation to the detail of savings programs for all agencies, including industries and skills, again I'll resist the kind invitation to outline all of that detail now. They are issues which will be released at the time of the budget.