Mr STIRLING - 1997-02-26
The implementation strategy plan for Training Network NT was estimated and accepted as requiring an ongoing operating cost of $2.1m each year. Can the minister explain why he then cut $0.5m from the budget of this important training network, and does he take responsibility for the resultant damage to the training of Territorians?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I have not cut any money from any budget. I am not in a position to advise on internal arrangements in relation to the specific allocation to the network, but hopefully I will be very shortly. Having had time only to start reading one of these memos, it would seem to be self-explanatory. Obviously, the member for Wanguri failed to read the memo himself. From its contents, it is clear that a new officer in this area was not very familiar with the estimate review process. That officer failed to pursue matters appropriately. I will not be, and I certainly do not intend to have the opposition, putting the heavies on any officer of a department or authority ...
Mr Bailey: You cut $0.5m from last year's budget. You stuffed up.
Mr FINCH: ... now that the matters have been resolved.
I will take up the comment of the member for Wanguri who chooses to use coarse language in a public broadcast - not to mention in the presence of young primary school students in the gallery. The secondary school students have gone home. They have had enough.
The point is, what is the situation today? That is the relevant point, not what happened in the budgetary process where money might have been dropped off inadvertently, not increased or the new baseline might have been drawn. That is not the question at all. The question is whether sufficient and adequate resources are in place today. The answer to that question, as far as I understand it, is yes, and yes plus.
I now have the figures for honourable members. At the end of 1996, 1883 people were in training compared with 1386 the year before, an increase of 500. The total is expected to grow further, and the full-year effect of that $0.5m in 2 years time will be probably $1.25m for the extra training input from this CLP government, which is proud to support jobs in the Territory.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I have not cut any money from any budget. I am not in a position to advise on internal arrangements in relation to the specific allocation to the network, but hopefully I will be very shortly. Having had time only to start reading one of these memos, it would seem to be self-explanatory. Obviously, the member for Wanguri failed to read the memo himself. From its contents, it is clear that a new officer in this area was not very familiar with the estimate review process. That officer failed to pursue matters appropriately. I will not be, and I certainly do not intend to have the opposition, putting the heavies on any officer of a department or authority ...
Mr Bailey: You cut $0.5m from last year's budget. You stuffed up.
Mr FINCH: ... now that the matters have been resolved.
I will take up the comment of the member for Wanguri who chooses to use coarse language in a public broadcast - not to mention in the presence of young primary school students in the gallery. The secondary school students have gone home. They have had enough.
The point is, what is the situation today? That is the relevant point, not what happened in the budgetary process where money might have been dropped off inadvertently, not increased or the new baseline might have been drawn. That is not the question at all. The question is whether sufficient and adequate resources are in place today. The answer to that question, as far as I understand it, is yes, and yes plus.
I now have the figures for honourable members. At the end of 1996, 1883 people were in training compared with 1386 the year before, an increase of 500. The total is expected to grow further, and the full-year effect of that $0.5m in 2 years time will be probably $1.25m for the extra training input from this CLP government, which is proud to support jobs in the Territory.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016