Estimates 11 June 2014
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ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – Wednesday 11 June 2014 The Estimates Committee convened at 8.30 am Madam CHAIR: Good morning everyone. Before commencing questions this morning I would like to make a statement about the admissibility of questions and conduct at these hearings. Estimate hearings provide a valuable opportunity for members to question ministers about any matters related to the budget. They are an opportunity to obtain information; however, standing orders do not allow questions to make inferences or imputations about any person, or for members to attribute unbecoming conduct or motives to another member. To assist openness and the free flow of questioning, I have allowed significant latitude in the asking of questions. However, when it comes to making imputations or attributing unbecoming conduct my tolerance has been exhausted. I encourage members to ask questions relating to the budget, and warn members that questions outside the standing orders will not be allowed. For the benefit of Hansard we have Nathan Barrett, member for Blain; Gary Higgins, member for Daly; me, member for Drysdale; the Opposition Leader and member for Karama, Delia Lawrie, the member for Nightcliff, Natasha Fyles; and the member for Nelson, Gerry Wood. I welcome you Chief Minister, and invite you to introduce the officers accompanying you today. CHIEF MINISTER’S PORTFOLIOS AUDITOR-GENERAL’S OFFICE Mr GILES: Thank you very much Madam Chair, and thank you to the PAC. I would like to welcome Frank McGuiness, Auditor-General and ask that any questions be directed to me or Frank in regard to the Auditor- General. Madam CHAIR: Chief Minister, I invite you to make an opening statement of no more than five minutes. You may also choose to table answers to written questions. I will then call for questions relating to the statement. The committee will then consider any whole-of-government budget and fiscal strategy-related questions before moving on to output specific questions, and finally non-output specific budget-related questions. I will invite the shadow minister to ask questions first, followed by committee members and, finally, other participating members may ask questions. The committee has agreed that other members may join in on a line of questioning pursued by a shadow rather than waiting for the end of the shadow’s questioning on the output. Chief Minister, do you wish to make an opening statement? Mr GILES: No, I would just like to introduce Frank McGuiness. Agency-Related Whole-of-Government Questions on Budget and Fiscal Strategies Madam CHAIR: Thank you very much. The committee will now consider the estimates of the proposed expenditure contained in the Appropriation Bill 2014-15 as it relates to the Auditor-General’s office. Are there any agency related whole-of-government questions on budget and fiscal strategies? Ms LAWRIE: Chief Minister, you received written questions tagged WQ 147 in relation to the Office of the Auditor-General. Are you able to table those answers? Mr GILES: I do not know if I received written question 147 for the Auditor-General’s office. We have whole-of-government questions for Chief Minister. Ms LAWRIE: Are you able to table that? Mr GILES: What was the question number? Ms LAWRIE: Number 147. It says: Please provide full details of all government advertising and breaches identified by the Auditor- General in the past financial year. 1 ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – Wednesday 11 June 2014 It requests some breakdowns. Mr GILES: Question 147 should be directed towards the Minister for Public Employment. Ms LAWRIE: It was to you, Chief Minister, and we received no advice it should go to the Minister for Public Employment. Mr GILES: I am advising you it should go to the Minister for Public Employment. Ms LAWRIE: All right. Mr GILES: The question was: Please provide a list of forced redundancies across agencies, an explanation for each redundancy and why it was necessary to breach the CLP’s election commitment that no public servant would be sacked. Ms LAWRIE: It also went to the Auditor-General question as well. You are not able to provide an answer? Mr GILES: No, that will go to the Minister for Public Employment. Ms LAWRIE: Even though it was an Auditor-General’s question? Mr GILES: No, you were talking about public service employees. Ms LAWRIE: No, I am sorry. I will point to question number 1: Please provide full details of all government advertising and breaches identified by the Auditor- General in the past financial year. Mr GILES: Is that 147? Ms LAWRIE: It is number 147 question 1. Mr GILES: Do you have number 147.01? Mr McGUINESS: I do. Ms LAWRIE: Thank you. Mr McGUINESS: Madam Chair, I am happy to respond to that. I received one referral during the year in relation to an advertisement that dealt with the government’s decision not to take up the funding flowing from the Gonski report. I looked at the advertisement. I also sought data from the Department of Education, and having looked at the data and the response I decided what was in the advertisement was factual and had not contravened the Public Information Act. However, during the course of the year two agencies approached me seeking advice before advertisements went to press. It is rarely the circumstance where advertisements are placed with photographs of all members, and you may have seen a brochure recently advertising the Glenti function containing two advertisements. Advice had been sought from me on one, and I advised in regard to a literal reading of the Public Information Act the reference to political parties should be removed. The second one, no advice was sought and the members might have noted one included the logo of the party in question. The first one, perhaps I was taking too narrow an interpretation of the act. I though a conservative approach was probably better in the circumstances. A second proposed television advertisement was put to me a couple of weeks ago. I again said I could find nothing to suggest the act would be contravened. In relation to the Public Information Act, I think it has been a quiet year. Ms LAWRIE: Thank you very much for that response Auditor-General, I appreciate that. Chief Minister, I take it the response regarding global questions you will take after the statutory officers? Mr GILES: Yes. 2 ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – Wednesday 11 June 2014 Ms LAWRIE: Chief Minister, can you please advise on the process to replace the current Auditor-General when his term expires, which is shortly I believe. Mr GILES: The process is we will start looking for a new Auditor-General. Ms LAWRIE: Has that commenced? Mr GILES: A process has commenced. Ms LAWRIE: What is the process? Mr GILES: In the process to identify a new Auditor-General there is advertising, identifying the right person and appointing the right person. We will do that at the right point in time. Ms LAWRIE: Who is on the selection panel for the Auditor-General? Mr GILES: The best person to speak to about the selection panel for the Auditor-General is the CEO of the Chief Minister’s department, because I do not get involved in that process. Ms LAWRIE: You are Chief Minister, you would be aware. Mr GILES: The best person to ask would be the CEO of the Chief Minister’s department, and when we get to the Chief Minister’s portfolio area we will ask that question. Ms LAWRIE: It will not be ruled out of order, Madam Chair? I seek clarification because it is pertinent to the question. Madam CHAIR: I will not rule it out of order. If the Chief Minister says it fits in that portfolio, I take his word for it. Ms LAWRIE: I am surprised, Chief Minister, you are not aware of who is on the selection panel for the Auditor-General. I am that previously … Mr GILES: This is a bit different to Labor; we do not appoint our mates. We have an arm’s length approach to who is Auditor-General. Ms LAWRIE: You have a pretty good record of that. Are you aware previously the opposition was a participant on the selection process for the Auditor-General? To refresh your memory, I wrote to you about it. Mr GILES: What is your question? Ms LAWRIE: Are you aware that previously the opposition of the day has been on the selection process for the Auditor-General? Mr GILES: No, I am not aware. Ms LAWRIE: I wrote to you about it and you replied to me. Mr GILES: Yes, but I am not aware of you being involved in the process at this stage. Ms LAWRIE: Cute. Are you aware, given that I wrote to you, in the past the opposition has been represented in selecting the Auditor-General? It is an important, independent and statutory position. Mr GILES: In regard to selection of a new Auditor-General, those questions will be undertaken throughout the process of the Chief Minister’s whole output area. This is an opportunity for you to question Frank McGuiness, the Auditor-General, about any investigations or otherwise he may have undertaken in his role throughout the year as Auditor-General. In regard to replacing the Auditor-General, I am happy to take those questions in the Chief Minister’s portfolio. If you have no more questions for Frank McGuiness … Ms LAWRIE: I do, but you do not have to start off so rude so early. Let yourself slip into it a bit. 3 ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – Wednesday 11 June 2014 Auditor-General, questions have been raised about the awarding of water licences prior to water allocation plans being formalised.