Mr WOOD - 2005-05-03
I believe three reports have been completed for or about St John Ambulance. Have any of these been made public and, if not, why not? Could you please say what these reports recommended, and can you find in the budget anywhere that funding will be boosted for the ambulance service so that cutbacks to the service - for example, providing call-out crews the same as happens with the fire brigade - are not required?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. There have been two reports into the financial affairs of the St John Ambulance Service: one by Walter Turnbull, which is a financial report; and the other is a service report by the New South Wales Ambulance Service. They were reports which we, as a government, facilitated to ensure there was an independent assessment of financial and operational issues within the ambulance service. Both of those reports were mutually agreed to by St John and the government and, for that reason, we are respecting the confidentiality of them because St John is also depending on that confidentiality.
In respect of what the reports showed, the report on the fiscal situation of St John says that it needs more money. My CEO has already put on the table a very substantial offer of money to St John. However, quite rightly, he has linked the provision of that money to settling continuing problems we have with the fiscal management and internal organisation of St John. That would be the same set of criteria we would apply to funding any NGO within the community and we cannot make an exception in the case of St John. The money is on the table, sufficient to cover the requirements identified in the consultancy report.
The Commissioner for Business Affairs is now investigating the fiscal position of St John, as he must do under his statutory obligations. He will come back in the near future with an outcome from that investigation. We will then be able to see a way forward.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. There have been two reports into the financial affairs of the St John Ambulance Service: one by Walter Turnbull, which is a financial report; and the other is a service report by the New South Wales Ambulance Service. They were reports which we, as a government, facilitated to ensure there was an independent assessment of financial and operational issues within the ambulance service. Both of those reports were mutually agreed to by St John and the government and, for that reason, we are respecting the confidentiality of them because St John is also depending on that confidentiality.
In respect of what the reports showed, the report on the fiscal situation of St John says that it needs more money. My CEO has already put on the table a very substantial offer of money to St John. However, quite rightly, he has linked the provision of that money to settling continuing problems we have with the fiscal management and internal organisation of St John. That would be the same set of criteria we would apply to funding any NGO within the community and we cannot make an exception in the case of St John. The money is on the table, sufficient to cover the requirements identified in the consultancy report.
The Commissioner for Business Affairs is now investigating the fiscal position of St John, as he must do under his statutory obligations. He will come back in the near future with an outcome from that investigation. We will then be able to see a way forward.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016