Public Accounts Committee
Budget Briefing 2014-15
Report No. 5August 2014
Legislative Assembly Parliament of Western Australia
Legislative Assembly Tel: (08) 9222 7494
Parliament House Fax: (08) 9222 7804
Harvest Terrace Email: [email protected]
PERTH WA 6000 Website: www.parliament.wa.gov.au/pac
Published by the Parliament of Western Australia, Perth.August 2014.ISBN: 978-1-925116-17-5
(Series: Western Australia. Parliament. Legislative Assembly. Committees.
Public Accounts Committee. Report 5)
328.365
Committee Members
Chairman Mr S.K. L’Estrange, MLAMember for Churchlands
Deputy Chairman Mr B.S. Wyatt, MLAMember for Victoria Park
Members Mrs G.J. Godfrey, MLAMember for Belmont
Mr W.J. Johnston, MLAMember for Cannington
Mr M.H. Taylor, MLAMember for Bateman
Committee Staff
Principal Research Officer Mr Tim Hughes
Research Officer Ms Michele Chiasson
Public Accounts Committee
Budget Briefing 2014‐15
Report No. 5
Presented by
Mr S.K. L'Estrange, MLA
Laid on the Table of the Legislative Assembly on 21 August 2014
Contents
1 Budget Briefing 2014‐2015 1
Background 1
Appendices 3
1 Treasury’s Budget Briefing: 2014‐15 Budget Western Australia 3
2 Response to Questions on Notice taken during the briefing 39
3 Committee’s functions and powers 43
1
Chapter 1
Budget Briefing 2014‐2015
Background
1.1 On Tuesday, 13 May 2014, the Public Accounts Committee (the Committee)
hosted a briefing on the 2014‐2015 Western Australian State Budget. The
briefing was offered to all interested members of the Western Australian
Parliament and was delivered by the following senior officials from the
Department of Treasury (Treasury):
Mr Michael Barnes, Acting Under Treasurer;
Mr Michael Court, Acting Deputy Under Treasurer;
Ms Kaylene Gulich, Acting Executive Director, Infrastructure and Finance;
Mr Alistair Jones, Acting Executive Director, Performance and Evaluation;
and
Mr Richard Watson, Acting Executive Director, Economic.
1.2 As has become customary, the annual briefing was held in the week
immediately following the Treasurer’s presentation of the Appropriation Bills
in the Legislative Assembly and the delivery of his Budget speech. The briefing
included a PowerPoint presentation that outlined key elements of the Budget
and provided an opportunity for all members to acquire detailed knowledge,
and to question senior Treasury officials, on the economic forecasts for the
year ahead and the impact of the Government’s income and expenditure
proposals on the State’s bottom line.
1.3 During the briefing the Acting Under Treasurer received questions from the
floor, five of which he took on notice.
1.4 Treasury subsequently provided responses to the questions taken on notice
and the Committee forwarded these to all the members who were present at
the briefing.
1.5 The material provided by Treasury is highly informative and the Committee
sees value in extending its distribution beyond the confines of the Parliament.
Consequently, the Committee resolved to table this short report, which
includes the PowerPoint presentation used by the Acting Under Treasurer at
Chapter 1
2
Appendix One and Treasury’s response to the questions taken on notice at
Appendix Two.
1.6 It is the intention of the Committee to continue this practice with the
remaining Budget Briefings it hosts during the rest of this term of Parliament.
1.7 The Committee would like to express its gratitude to Mr Barnes for his
cooperation in this process and for the presentation. Similarly, the Committee
would like to acknowledge the input of Mr Court, Ms Gulich, Mr Jones, and Mr
Watson.
MR S.K. L’ESTRANGE, MLA
CHAIRMAN
Treasury’
’s Budget
App
Briefing:
3
pendix O
2014‐15 B
One
Budget Western Auustralia
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
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21
22
23
24
25
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37
Responsee to Quest
App
tions on N
39
pendix T
Notice take
Two
en during the briefing
40
41
42
43
Appendix Three
Committee’s functions and powers
1.8 The Public Accounts Committee inquires into and reports to the Legislative
Assembly on any proposal, matter or thing it considers necessary, connected
with the receipt and expenditure of public moneys, including moneys allocated
under the annual Appropriation bills and Loan Fund. Standing Order 286 of the
Legislative Assembly states that:
1.9 The Committee may ‐
1 Examine the financial affairs and accounts of government agencies of the State
which includes any statutory board, commission, authority, committee, or
trust established or appointed pursuant to any rule, regulation, by‐law, order,
order in Council, proclamation, ministerial direction or any other like means.
2 Inquire into and report to the Assembly on any question which ‐
a) it deems necessary to investigate;
b) (Deleted V. & P. p. 225, 18 June 2008);
c) is referred to it by a Minister; or
d) is referred to it by the Auditor General.
3 Consider any papers on public expenditure presented to the Assembly and
such of the expenditure as it sees fit to examine.
4 Consider whether the objectives of public expenditure are being achieved, or
may be achieved more economically.
5 The Committee will investigate any matter which is referred to it by resolution
of the Legislative Assembly.