Mr BALCH - 2000-10-11
Earlier in Question Time today, the Leader of the Opposition and shadow treasurer, made allegations that there was a $100m error in the Treasurer’s quarterly financial report to 30 June, and that revised budget information was not tabled in the Assembly. Was there an error and were revised budget details tabled?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I indicated that I would get a fulsome report having had a look at what questions the Leader of the Opposition and shadow treasure asked. I did that because in the past she has either been deceitful and misrepresented the facts or deliberately tried to make mischief.
In relation to the $100m error can I say that the honourable Leader of the Opposition and shadow treasurer is wrong and has either mischievously presented the matter as such or deliberately tried to create unnecessary concern in line, I guess, with how she started out as ‘Martin starts in the old fashion way’ we all know about and consistently performing to those levels.
Can I say that her incompetence in this area has now reached new heights. Schedule 1.1 are the gross outlays in receipts and schedule 1.7 which are net outlays and receipts are done according to the ABS requirements. Now, the Leader of the Opposition clearly does not understand these matters. I am more than pleased to offer her a briefing from Treasury officers so that she can sit down with them, go through the documents with which she is provided and hopefully be taught how to understand them because she doesn’t. She is incompetent and she has again demonstrated that today.
You can look mystifiedly and dreamily at the page. I know you don’t understand it. It is no good sitting there saying, ‘What does this mean?’ She has to do her job a bit better than that. It is no good trying to get the answer to bounce out at you. You have to be a little bit more competent.
Can I move to the other matter that the Leader of the Opposition raised and this is even a bigger demonstration of galactic proportions of her incompetence because she accuses me of saying that I tabled revised budget information in the August sittings but in fact did not do so. So in this case she needs to, and I will arrange this with the kindergarten at an appropriate primary school near her home, to have a briefing as to how to read a book. This book is called the Parliamentary Record and the Leader of the Opposition contributes to the production of this book as she takes part in debate in this House on matters in this book and she also has documents tabled in this House which are supposed to be to her benefit, and worse, she is supposed to show an interest in them because she is the shadow Treasurer.
So I turn her mind to 17 August, Parliamentary Record page 766, in which there are nine line items which explain to her, or should do, precisely what is in fact tabled in the House and has been tabled in the House and which she said today had not been tabled in the House.
Now for her benefit, I will give her yet another copy of these documents. I will give her yet another copy of these documents so that she is aware of what is happening before her very eyes. So I table that for the benefit of the honourable the Leader of the Opposition. It is not quite complete, there are still some copies coming off the fax.
In relation to $100m, because there are, to which I referred in the schedule, the two schedules, there is an in and an out in relation to the two schedules and you have to learn how to interpret that. So Treasury will give you a briefing in relation to that matter and the kindergarten of your choice will be asked to give you a briefing on how to read the parliamentary Hansard. Please, please, if you are going to be the shadow treasurer learn how to understand what is put before you and at least comprehend when documents are tabled in the House and don’t allege that they haven’t been at a later date.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I indicated that I would get a fulsome report having had a look at what questions the Leader of the Opposition and shadow treasure asked. I did that because in the past she has either been deceitful and misrepresented the facts or deliberately tried to make mischief.
In relation to the $100m error can I say that the honourable Leader of the Opposition and shadow treasurer is wrong and has either mischievously presented the matter as such or deliberately tried to create unnecessary concern in line, I guess, with how she started out as ‘Martin starts in the old fashion way’ we all know about and consistently performing to those levels.
Can I say that her incompetence in this area has now reached new heights. Schedule 1.1 are the gross outlays in receipts and schedule 1.7 which are net outlays and receipts are done according to the ABS requirements. Now, the Leader of the Opposition clearly does not understand these matters. I am more than pleased to offer her a briefing from Treasury officers so that she can sit down with them, go through the documents with which she is provided and hopefully be taught how to understand them because she doesn’t. She is incompetent and she has again demonstrated that today.
You can look mystifiedly and dreamily at the page. I know you don’t understand it. It is no good sitting there saying, ‘What does this mean?’ She has to do her job a bit better than that. It is no good trying to get the answer to bounce out at you. You have to be a little bit more competent.
Can I move to the other matter that the Leader of the Opposition raised and this is even a bigger demonstration of galactic proportions of her incompetence because she accuses me of saying that I tabled revised budget information in the August sittings but in fact did not do so. So in this case she needs to, and I will arrange this with the kindergarten at an appropriate primary school near her home, to have a briefing as to how to read a book. This book is called the Parliamentary Record and the Leader of the Opposition contributes to the production of this book as she takes part in debate in this House on matters in this book and she also has documents tabled in this House which are supposed to be to her benefit, and worse, she is supposed to show an interest in them because she is the shadow Treasurer.
So I turn her mind to 17 August, Parliamentary Record page 766, in which there are nine line items which explain to her, or should do, precisely what is in fact tabled in the House and has been tabled in the House and which she said today had not been tabled in the House.
Now for her benefit, I will give her yet another copy of these documents. I will give her yet another copy of these documents so that she is aware of what is happening before her very eyes. So I table that for the benefit of the honourable the Leader of the Opposition. It is not quite complete, there are still some copies coming off the fax.
In relation to $100m, because there are, to which I referred in the schedule, the two schedules, there is an in and an out in relation to the two schedules and you have to learn how to interpret that. So Treasury will give you a briefing in relation to that matter and the kindergarten of your choice will be asked to give you a briefing on how to read the parliamentary Hansard. Please, please, if you are going to be the shadow treasurer learn how to understand what is put before you and at least comprehend when documents are tabled in the House and don’t allege that they haven’t been at a later date.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016