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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-11-19 Daily Xml
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VICTIMS OF CRIME FUND

The Hon. R.D. LAWSON (15:22): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Lawson has the floor.

The Hon. R.D. LAWSON: —the Leader of the Government, representing the Attorney-General, a question about the Victims of Crime Fund.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.D. LAWSON: I refer to a media release issued yesterday by the Attorney-General. In this media release, the Attorney-General describes the Victims of Crime Fund in the following terms:

A fund which is unable to meet its outgoings from current levies and which relies partly on taxpayers.

The last report of the Auditor-General for the year ended 30 June 2009 contains the following information concerning the Victims of Crime Fund. The Auditor-General says that the fund received $18.35 million in levies from offenders required to pay that levy. It also received $1 million in recoveries from offenders and an additional $1 million in recoveries from criminal assets compensation, and the amount paid out of the fund to victims was some $13 million. So, the fund received $18.35 million, and it paid out $13 million. The amount paid out over the past five years has, on average, been about $13 million, and the amount being paid by levies has increased substantially.

For the forthcoming budget, the state government budget papers show that it is estimated that the fund will receive $25.5 million in levies this year and that, if payments continue at the same level as they have for the past five years at around $13 million, there will be a substantial surplus of levy overpayments. My questions are:

1. Will the Attorney-General withdraw and correct the public record in relation to the Victims of Crime Fund?

2. Will he explain to the public of South Australia why he is misrepresenting the fact that victims of crime levies will exceed $25 million this year while payments are likely to be at the level of $13 million?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (15:25): I will refer those questions to the Attorney in another place and bring back a reply.

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