Book 8 - Parliament of Victoria

PAPERS
1598 COUNCIL Wednesday, 1 June 2011
It is important to note that the report covers some of the
key aspects of the budget, and given that we are in the
process of the budget debate during this sitting week, I
do not intend to make a budget speech now. Some of
the highlights that the report identified include the fact
that the government has noted the challenge of
maintaining the sustainability of Victoria’s financial
standing and that the budget forecasts an operating
surplus of $140.4 million in the 2011–12 year, which is
in line with the fiscal target of a minimum surplus of
$100 million. This forecast is $731.5 million lower than
the initial budget for 2010–11 and $109 million lower
than the latest revised budget for 2010–11.
The government states that the delivery of the
government’s November 2010 election commitments is
a special feature of the budget. Funding was allocated
up to 2014–15 for output commitments totalling
$4.4 billion, and $1.1 billion was allocated for asset
commitments. The government has expressed its
intention to fully fund the remaining commitments
during its current term.
While I am frustrated at not having sufficient time to
fully summarise 54 hours of estimates hearings, I thank
the house for its attention. I particularly thank members
of the committee, including members of the opposition,
for their relative cooperation during the estimates
process.
Hon. M. P. PAKULA (Western Metropolitan) — I
also rise to make some brief comments on part 1 of the
budget estimates hearings reports. As the committee
chair has pointed out, we had 54 hours of hearings this
year, which was occasioned by the fact that we had two
additional ministers and a different break-up of
portfolios.
It is a good innovation of the committee that we are no
longer reproducing great slabs of transcript. A few
rainforests will probably appreciate that. The transcript
is still perfectly accessible, not just to members but to
any member of the public, via the Public Accounts and
Estimates Committee (PAEC) website. It has also
allowed us to get the part 1 report into the Parliament a
little earlier than has previously been the case.
I just want to make a couple of points. I make the point
that in terms of the substance of the PAEC reports, I
suspect that the committee chair and I will have more to
say and we might contest ideas a little more fiercely
when the part 2 report is tabled. There was a bit of an
issue with some departments being somewhat tardy in
their response to the questionnaires. The committee
chair made that clear during the hearings. In relation to
the audiocast, we had evidence that at least one person
was listening to the audiocast because that person was
able to notify the committee during the hearing that we
were being heard.
In the 23 seconds that I have left I want to pay tribute to
the work of the PAEC secretariat, including Valerie
Cheong, Melanie Hondros, Vicky Delgos, Christopher
Gribbin and all the other staff of the PAEC secretariat
for the amazing work they do, both in preparing the
reports and in putting up with the attitudes and
occasional histrionics of members of the committee.
Motion agreed to.
Laid on table by Clerk:
PAPERS
Auditor-General’s reports on —
Indigenous Education Strategies for Government
Schools, June 2011.
Management of Major Road Projects, June 2011.
Office of Police Integrity — Improving Victoria Police
discipline and complaint handling systems: A progress report,
June 2011.
MEMBERS STATEMENTS
Country Women’s Association of Victoria
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria) — I recently had
the pleasure of saying a few words on behalf of the
parliamentary Labor Party at the annual general
meeting and state conference of the Country Women’s
Association of Victoria. Most people associate the
CWA with its fine baked goods and participation in
local agricultural shows, and people may have stumbled
upon its fantastic recipe books, but the CWA should be
equally famous for the work it does in fundraising and
supporting a great deal of community activity right
across regional Victoria.
The CWA is the largest women’s organisation in
Australia, with a membership of around 25 000 people
in 1500 branches around the states and territories. Its
aim is clear — to improve the conditions for women
and children and to make a better life for families,
especially those living in rural and remote Australia. It
does this in a number of ways. During the recent floods
CWA members put together pamper packs of toiletries
for those affected. Each year it has a Thanksgiving
fund, which has its origins dating back to World War II
and is made up of donations and money raised from
fundraising activities. It is then given to a chosen