Remote Aboriginal Housing

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (14:29): Supplementary question based on the original answer: will the minister advise whether the $37.5 million provided by the commonwealth was contingent on the state matching that funding?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:29): As I have indicated before in relation to the negotiations, the discussions with the commonwealth reached a stage where they made us an offer, and I am not going to go into all the detail. I put on the public record that we rejected that particular offer, and we left it. I think I placed on the record that the federal government, through the Minister for Finance's office, I think it was, came back only very recently with a changed position, and we have subsequently negotiated.

All the discussions that have been going on at officer level have been on an understanding of matching funding from state and federal governments in relation to the situation. That was the nature of the discussions. As I have placed on the public record, there had then been a change in negotiation position from the federal government. We rejected that position, and said we would not sign an agreement. Subsequently, there was another changed position from the federal government, and there's been an exchange of letters. I am absolutely confident, from the discussions Treasury officers have had in recent days with commonwealth officers, that the $37.5 million will be paid to the state in this financial year.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter, another supplementary?