Estimates 16 June 2009
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ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS - 16 JUNE 2009 The Estimates Committee of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly convened at 8.30 am. Mr CHAIRMAN: Good morning, everyone. As Chair of the Estimates Committee 2009, I formally declare open this public hearing of the Estimates Committee of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory on Tuesday, 16 June 2009. I extend a welcome to everyone present. This is the eighth year of the Estimates Committee, process and procedures adopted throughout the sittings have become accepted practice. There are a number of areas regarding the conduct of the public hearings I intend to place on record. I table a copy of the resolution of the Legislative Assembly dated 10 June 2009, which refers to the Schedule of the Appropriation Bill 2009-10 and related budget papers to this committee. The role of the committee is to now examine the report on the estimates proposed expenditure contained in that bill. As in previous years, membership of the Estimates Committee is the same as the Public Accounts Committee. However, the terms of reference allow for other members of the Assembly to participate in the public hearings, provided the composition to the committee never exceeds seven members. The membership shall always consist of three government members, three opposition members and one Independent member. The Assembly has recently passed a motion providing for alternate membership of the Public Accounts Committee, which now sits as a resolution of the Assembly. This does not impact on the composition of the current Estimates Committee. It will only come into effect if, during these public hearings, there is a requirement for the core membership of the Public Accounts Committee to adjourn for a deliberative session. To assist Hansard, I will advise the membership of the committee at the commencement of every session. I will also acknowledge for the record when there is a change of membership of the committee throughout the hearings. I also report that at the first meeting of the Estimates Committee, the member for Nhulunbuy, Ms Lynne Walker, was appointed as Deputy Chair of the Committee in accordance with paragraph 8 of the Terms of Reference. As has been the practice in the past year, the committee has accepted the Standing Orders Committee’s suggestion that a minister shall restrict their opening remarks to a maximum of five minutes. Members will be in a position to question the minister on issues that may have been raised within the opening remarks and, where an issue can be directly related to a particular output within the budget, that matter can only be addressed through the process of the interrogation of individual output groups as they relate to the appropriate portfolios of the agency. I believe it is important to clarify any issues that could be considered as contentious and the matter of relevance of questioning has been raised a number of times throughout previous estimates public hearings. I intend to follow the lead of the Senate, which adopted a report for its Procedure Committee in 1999, in which the following test of relevance was determined: any questions going to the operations or financial positions of the departments and agencies which seek funds in the estimates are relevant questions for the purpose of estimates hearings. Representatives of the media are present during the hearings and are able to report and rebroadcast proceedings of the process, having obtained written permission from the Speaker in accordance with paragraph 32 of the Terms of Reference. To clarify the operations of the committee over the next four days, I advise that, in accordance with the resolution of the Assembly, particulars of proposed expenditure contained in the Appropriation Bill 2009-10 will be considered on an output group by output group basis and, within each output group, output by output. A total of 45 hours has been scheduled for ministers and agency officers to appear before this committee. I take this opportunity to remind all members that it is incumbent on them to maximise their time over the next four days so that all agencies are provided a time frame which enables thorough investigation of specific issues within their particular output groups. The order of the output groups has been set out in the Schedule of Ministers Appearance, which has been provided to all members. Over the next four days of public hearings, we will work through this document as the agenda for the Estimates Committee. It should also be noted that to allow questions to be addressed to ministers ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS - 16 JUNE 2009 with principal administrative responsibility for particular portfolio areas, it has been necessary to set out the schedule so that it varies somewhat from the listing of agencies in Budget Paper No 3. Where a minister will be available for questioning for output groups that sit within other portfolios, these have been clearly identified in the schedule. I will be reinforcing the fact that questions regarding those particular output groups need to be addressed at the time the minister is appearing before the committee, as once an output group has been completed, it will not be revisited. The previously accepted method of allocating questions throughout public hearings has worked well in the past and the same process will be adopted during these Estimates Committee hearings. I propose to invite shadow ministers to ask their questions first, followed by members of the committee, Independent members and, finally, members addressing electorate issues. Procedures for dealing with questions on notice are contained in the Estimates Committee Information Manual 2009, copies of which are available at the back of this room. I take this opportunity to reinforce the importance of the process I will be adopting when a question is taken on notice. When a minister or the Speaker indicates they are unable to answer a particular question during the committee process, or they will provide an answer at a later time, I will immediately request the member who raised the matter to clearly and precisely restate the question. This will allow agency officers who are present to note salient points of the topic at the same time the question is being relayed to the minister. This process will also assist Hansard and the committee secretariat staff when they come to processing the formal question for the Chairman’s signature. I will then ask the minister if he or she accepts the question taken on notice. If it is accepted, I will immediately allocate a portfolio-specific number which will clearly identify that particular question. Agency officers and ministerial staff should take note of the question number and ensure that it is clearly identified in any response tabled by the minister during the public hearing process or at some later date. Half-hour meal breaks only are allowed over the period of the public hearing. We will be breaking between 1 pm to 1.30 pm for lunch and 6 pm to 6.30 pm for dinner. The schedule of questioning will be strictly adhered to. In the event that questioning of a portfolio concludes before the allocated time, the next minister will not commence before their scheduled time. There are many agency officers involved in these hearings and the last thing Estimates Committee wants to be responsible for is a feeling of uncertainty at to when officers may be called to assist their minister during the questioning process. Witnesses should be aware that evidence given to the committee is protected by parliamentary privilege. However, I also remind witnesses that the giving of false or misleading evidence to the committee may constitute contempt of the Legislative Assembly pursuant to the powers and privileges legislation. Officers should also be aware that when they are requested by their minister to provide answers to questions, they are not required to comment on matters of policy. For the purposes of the official recording of Hansard, I request that ministers introduce those officials who are accompanying them at these hearings. In addition, when a minister refers a question to an officer, that officer needs to clearly identify themselves at that time for the Hansard record. We have some matters of housekeeping before we start. I have received a letter from the Chief Minister to Madam Speaker. Pursuant to Sessional Orders providing for alternate membership of the Public Accounts Committee, the Chief Minister has nominated the following government members as alternatives for Dr Chris Burns: 10.30 am to 6 pm Tuesday, 16 June 2009, the member for Barkly; 8.30 am to 1 pm on Wednesday, the member for Stuart; 1.30 pm to 6 pm on Wednesday, the member for Macdonnell. The committee will now proceed with consideration of the estimates for proposed expenditure for the Department of the Legislative Assembly in accordance with the schedule. DEPARTMENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS - 16 JUNE 2009 Mr CHAIRMAN: Madam Speaker, welcome. Would you like to introduce the officials accompanying you and make any opening remarks? Madam SPEAKER: I introduce the staff of the Legislative Assembly who are accompanying me: the Clerk, Mr Ian McNeill; Deputy Clerk, Mr David Horton; the Director of Parliamentary Services, Ms Vicki Long; and the Chief Finance Officer, Ms Coralee Holland. In the fiscal year 2008-09, I am advised my department has again achieved its programmed outcomes within the budget allocation, adjusted throughout the year to compensate for the range of variations imposed through salary increases and members’ entitlements under the Remuneration Tribunal Determination. In respect of the agency budget, the allocation of funds for members’ salaries and entitlements remains guaranteed as non-discretionary funding, leaving the balance for salaries and operational expenditure.