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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-10-16 Daily Xml
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STATE BUDGET

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (15:11): My question is to the Treasurer. How much of the $335 million in contingency funds remains unspent in 2008-09, and will he reveal how much of these underspent funds will be used to cover up revenue losses and beef up the budget balance? Contingency funds are unallocated funds which help the Treasurer to pay for things such as blow-outs in capital works projects and blow-outs in public servants and ministerial staff. The Auditor-General reveals in his report that the Treasurer has three separate contingency lines—employee entitlements, investing contingencies and other payments—which can be allocated to any purpose the government chooses.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:12): If we agreed with the member for Unley there would be no contingencies left for wages. He would give it all to the teachers—and a lot more.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: That's fine; I don't care. I am not in this business for popularity. As long as 50.1 per cent of people in Port Adelaide, Parafield Gardens, Mawson Lakes, Rosewater, Ottoway, Gillman, Wingfield, Dry Creek and St Kilda like me, that's good enough for me.

Ms Portolesi: Is that near Andamooka?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No, it's not: it's in the Coorong.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer will answer the question.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Thank you, sir. We answered this question in estimates. We keep a large contingency for appropriate wage outcomes in any given year. That was a practice that the former treasurer adopted. We do not put in there 'contingency for wage increases'. You actually try—

Mr Griffiths interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I do not know what you did in the council, whether you just put on a notice board, 'We have $20 million put aside for wage increases so come and get it.'

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Just put it in a jar.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, just put it in a jar. 'It's all yours, stick in your hand and have what you like.' We try to keep secret exactly how much money we think we will have to pay for wages. It is a good negotiating tool. Minister for Industrial Relations, do you think that is a good negotiating tool?

The Hon. P. Caica: Yes.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Unley will come to order.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The member for Unley has said, 'Go out there and pay them what they want.'

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: How about paying your creditors?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the Attorney-General!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: We try to keep that information confidential. The honourable member suggests that the money is somehow used to fatten up the bottom line. The budget is transparent. We have an open book.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I give up; they are talking amongst themselves.

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