❓ Mr. Buswell questions the Health Minister's claims of balanced health budgets, citing past budget overruns. The Minister accuses Mr. Buswell of misrepresenting financial information and lacking basic accounting knowledge.
AnsweredQoN 201Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH BUDGET
I refer to the minister’s assertions in the house yesterday that budget discipline has been returned to the health system and that, for the third year in a row, the government will deliver a balanced budget for the health system. I also refer the minister to the government budget papers, which show that over the past four years spending on health has exceeded the budget by $63 million in 2001-02, $41 million in 2002-03, $34 million in 2003-04 and $75 million in 2004-05. Why does the minister insist on misrepresenting the facts and continue to claim that he delivers balanced health budgets? Mr J.A. McGINTY
I refer to the minister’s assertions in the house yesterday that budget discipline has been returned to the health system and that, for the third year in a row, the government will deliver a balanced budget for the health system. I also refer the minister to the government budget papers, which show that over the past four years spending on health has exceeded the budget by $63 million in 2001-02, $41 million in 2002-03, $34 million in 2003-04 and $75 million in 2004-05. Why does the minister insist on misrepresenting the facts and continue to claim that he delivers balanced health budgets? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. What we saw yesterday was a very good example - as all members of the Liberal Party know - of why the member for Vasse cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers! The member issued a quite remarkable press statement in which he got it 100 per cent wrong. He is the shadow Treasury spokesperson but he cannot even read a balance sheet. I will tell the house how he got it so horribly wrong. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition produced some accounting tables provided to him by the Department of Health. He claimed in a media statement - An initial budget commitment by the North Metropolitan Area Health Service of $1.032 billion was $51.8 million more than the figure actually provided by the Labor Government. I will give the member opposite a basic lesson in accounting to explain why he has made a very embarrassing gaffe to compound his recent woes. The figures provided to the opposition shows that at the beginning of the 2005-06 year, the North Metropolitan Area Health Service had an allocated budget of $1.097 billion, consisting of $64 million of its own revenue and $1.032 billion in appropriations. Included in the $1.032 billion appropriation is an amount of $51.8 million held in a central health department account and disbursed during the year as certain things such as mental health and winter demand strategies are delivered. The member for Vasse gave a completely wrong statement that the $51.8 million held in the central account for disbursement throughout the course of the year was somehow or other a deficit. Why on earth did the member think that was a deficit? I will tell him what a balanced budget is: it is coming in within the approved expense limits. That is what it means in respect of each of the agencies for every year I have been the health minister, including this year. We are living within approved expense appropriation, which is something that members opposite could never do. They should ask the member for Darling Range because he never did it. He could not do it; he blew it every year. Anyone with the most basic knowledge of accounting would know that the $51.8 million was not a deficit but simply money held in an account to be disbursed during the course of the year. It was an allocation that had been made as part of the overall budgetary provisions. We have a shadow Treasurer who cannot read a balance sheet. There is no deficit in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service, as members of the Liberal Party know only too well. I point out the extent of the deceit by the member for Vasse in this issue. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for the question. What we saw yesterday was a very good example - as all members of the Liberal Party know - of why the member for Vasse cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers! The member issued a quite remarkable press statement in which he got it 100 per cent wrong. He is the shadow Treasury spokesperson but he cannot even read a balance sheet. I will tell the house how he got it so horribly wrong. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition produced some accounting tables provided to him by the Department of Health. He claimed in a media statement - An initial budget commitment by the North Metropolitan Area Health Service of $1.032 billion was $51.8 million more than the figure actually provided by the Labor Government. I will give the member opposite a basic lesson in accounting to explain why he has made a very embarrassing gaffe to compound his recent woes. The figures provided to the opposition shows that at the beginning of the 2005-06 year, the North Metropolitan Area Health Service had an allocated budget of $1.097 billion, consisting of $64 million of its own revenue and $1.032 billion in appropriations. Included in the $1.032 billion appropriation is an amount of $51.8 million held in a central health department account and disbursed during the year as certain things such as mental health and winter demand strategies are delivered. The member for Vasse gave a completely wrong statement that the $51.8 million held in the central account for disbursement throughout the course of the year was somehow or other a deficit. Why on earth did the member think that was a deficit? I will tell him what a balanced budget is: it is coming in within the approved expense limits. That is what it means in respect of each of the agencies for every year I have been the health minister, including this year. We are living within approved expense appropriation, which is something that members opposite could never do. They should ask the member for Darling Range because he never did it. He could not do it; he blew it every year. Anyone with the most basic knowledge of accounting would know that the $51.8 million was not a deficit but simply money held in an account to be disbursed during the course of the year. It was an allocation that had been made as part of the overall budgetary provisions. We have a shadow Treasurer who cannot read a balance sheet. There is no deficit in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service, as members of the Liberal Party know only too well. I point out the extent of the deceit by the member for Vasse in this issue. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
I thank the member for the question. What we saw yesterday was a very good example - as all members of the Liberal Party know - of why the member for Vasse cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers! The member issued a quite remarkable press statement in which he got it 100 per cent wrong. He is the shadow Treasury spokesperson but he cannot even read a balance sheet. I will tell the house how he got it so horribly wrong. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition produced some accounting tables provided to him by the Department of Health. He claimed in a media statement - An initial budget commitment by the North Metropolitan Area Health Service of $1.032 billion was $51.8 million more than the figure actually provided by the Labor Government. I will give the member opposite a basic lesson in accounting to explain why he has made a very embarrassing gaffe to compound his recent woes. The figures provided to the opposition shows that at the beginning of the 2005-06 year, the North Metropolitan Area Health Service had an allocated budget of $1.097 billion, consisting of $64 million of its own revenue and $1.032 billion in appropriations. Included in the $1.032 billion appropriation is an amount of $51.8 million held in a central health department account and disbursed during the year as certain things such as mental health and winter demand strategies are delivered. The member for Vasse gave a completely wrong statement that the $51.8 million held in the central account for disbursement throughout the course of the year was somehow or other a deficit. Why on earth did the member think that was a deficit? I will tell him what a balanced budget is: it is coming in within the approved expense limits. That is what it means in respect of each of the agencies for every year I have been the health minister, including this year. We are living within approved expense appropriation, which is something that members opposite could never do. They should ask the member for Darling Range because he never did it. He could not do it; he blew it every year. Anyone with the most basic knowledge of accounting would know that the $51.8 million was not a deficit but simply money held in an account to be disbursed during the course of the year. It was an allocation that had been made as part of the overall budgetary provisions. We have a shadow Treasurer who cannot read a balance sheet. There is no deficit in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service, as members of the Liberal Party know only too well. I point out the extent of the deceit by the member for Vasse in this issue. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition produced some accounting tables provided to him by the Department of Health. He claimed in a media statement - An initial budget commitment by the North Metropolitan Area Health Service of $1.032 billion was $51.8 million more than the figure actually provided by the Labor Government. I will give the member opposite a basic lesson in accounting to explain why he has made a very embarrassing gaffe to compound his recent woes. The figures provided to the opposition shows that at the beginning of the 2005-06 year, the North Metropolitan Area Health Service had an allocated budget of $1.097 billion, consisting of $64 million of its own revenue and $1.032 billion in appropriations. Included in the $1.032 billion appropriation is an amount of $51.8 million held in a central health department account and disbursed during the year as certain things such as mental health and winter demand strategies are delivered. The member for Vasse gave a completely wrong statement that the $51.8 million held in the central account for disbursement throughout the course of the year was somehow or other a deficit. Why on earth did the member think that was a deficit? I will tell him what a balanced budget is: it is coming in within the approved expense limits. That is what it means in respect of each of the agencies for every year I have been the health minister, including this year. We are living within approved expense appropriation, which is something that members opposite could never do. They should ask the member for Darling Range because he never did it. He could not do it; he blew it every year. Anyone with the most basic knowledge of accounting would know that the $51.8 million was not a deficit but simply money held in an account to be disbursed during the course of the year. It was an allocation that had been made as part of the overall budgetary provisions. We have a shadow Treasurer who cannot read a balance sheet. There is no deficit in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service, as members of the Liberal Party know only too well. I point out the extent of the deceit by the member for Vasse in this issue. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Anyone with the most basic knowledge of accounting would know that the $51.8 million was not a deficit but simply money held in an account to be disbursed during the course of the year. It was an allocation that had been made as part of the overall budgetary provisions. We have a shadow Treasurer who cannot read a balance sheet. There is no deficit in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service, as members of the Liberal Party know only too well. I point out the extent of the deceit by the member for Vasse in this issue. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for the question. What we saw yesterday was a very good example - as all members of the Liberal Party know - of why the member for Vasse cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers! The member issued a quite remarkable press statement in which he got it 100 per cent wrong. He is the shadow Treasury spokesperson but he cannot even read a balance sheet. I will tell the house how he got it so horribly wrong. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition produced some accounting tables provided to him by the Department of Health. He claimed in a media statement - An initial budget commitment by the North Metropolitan Area Health Service of $1.032 billion was $51.8 million more than the figure actually provided by the Labor Government. I will give the member opposite a basic lesson in accounting to explain why he has made a very embarrassing gaffe to compound his recent woes. The figures provided to the opposition shows that at the beginning of the 2005-06 year, the North Metropolitan Area Health Service had an allocated budget of $1.097 billion, consisting of $64 million of its own revenue and $1.032 billion in appropriations. Included in the $1.032 billion appropriation is an amount of $51.8 million held in a central health department account and disbursed during the year as certain things such as mental health and winter demand strategies are delivered. The member for Vasse gave a completely wrong statement that the $51.8 million held in the central account for disbursement throughout the course of the year was somehow or other a deficit. Why on earth did the member think that was a deficit? I will tell him what a balanced budget is: it is coming in within the approved expense limits. That is what it means in respect of each of the agencies for every year I have been the health minister, including this year. We are living within approved expense appropriation, which is something that members opposite could never do. They should ask the member for Darling Range because he never did it. He could not do it; he blew it every year. Anyone with the most basic knowledge of accounting would know that the $51.8 million was not a deficit but simply money held in an account to be disbursed during the course of the year. It was an allocation that had been made as part of the overall budgetary provisions. We have a shadow Treasurer who cannot read a balance sheet. There is no deficit in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service, as members of the Liberal Party know only too well. I point out the extent of the deceit by the member for Vasse in this issue. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
I thank the member for the question. What we saw yesterday was a very good example - as all members of the Liberal Party know - of why the member for Vasse cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers! The member issued a quite remarkable press statement in which he got it 100 per cent wrong. He is the shadow Treasury spokesperson but he cannot even read a balance sheet. I will tell the house how he got it so horribly wrong. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition produced some accounting tables provided to him by the Department of Health. He claimed in a media statement - An initial budget commitment by the North Metropolitan Area Health Service of $1.032 billion was $51.8 million more than the figure actually provided by the Labor Government. I will give the member opposite a basic lesson in accounting to explain why he has made a very embarrassing gaffe to compound his recent woes. The figures provided to the opposition shows that at the beginning of the 2005-06 year, the North Metropolitan Area Health Service had an allocated budget of $1.097 billion, consisting of $64 million of its own revenue and $1.032 billion in appropriations. Included in the $1.032 billion appropriation is an amount of $51.8 million held in a central health department account and disbursed during the year as certain things such as mental health and winter demand strategies are delivered. The member for Vasse gave a completely wrong statement that the $51.8 million held in the central account for disbursement throughout the course of the year was somehow or other a deficit. Why on earth did the member think that was a deficit? I will tell him what a balanced budget is: it is coming in within the approved expense limits. That is what it means in respect of each of the agencies for every year I have been the health minister, including this year. We are living within approved expense appropriation, which is something that members opposite could never do. They should ask the member for Darling Range because he never did it. He could not do it; he blew it every year. Anyone with the most basic knowledge of accounting would know that the $51.8 million was not a deficit but simply money held in an account to be disbursed during the course of the year. It was an allocation that had been made as part of the overall budgetary provisions. We have a shadow Treasurer who cannot read a balance sheet. There is no deficit in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service, as members of the Liberal Party know only too well. I point out the extent of the deceit by the member for Vasse in this issue. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition produced some accounting tables provided to him by the Department of Health. He claimed in a media statement - An initial budget commitment by the North Metropolitan Area Health Service of $1.032 billion was $51.8 million more than the figure actually provided by the Labor Government. I will give the member opposite a basic lesson in accounting to explain why he has made a very embarrassing gaffe to compound his recent woes. The figures provided to the opposition shows that at the beginning of the 2005-06 year, the North Metropolitan Area Health Service had an allocated budget of $1.097 billion, consisting of $64 million of its own revenue and $1.032 billion in appropriations. Included in the $1.032 billion appropriation is an amount of $51.8 million held in a central health department account and disbursed during the year as certain things such as mental health and winter demand strategies are delivered. The member for Vasse gave a completely wrong statement that the $51.8 million held in the central account for disbursement throughout the course of the year was somehow or other a deficit. Why on earth did the member think that was a deficit? I will tell him what a balanced budget is: it is coming in within the approved expense limits. That is what it means in respect of each of the agencies for every year I have been the health minister, including this year. We are living within approved expense appropriation, which is something that members opposite could never do. They should ask the member for Darling Range because he never did it. He could not do it; he blew it every year. Anyone with the most basic knowledge of accounting would know that the $51.8 million was not a deficit but simply money held in an account to be disbursed during the course of the year. It was an allocation that had been made as part of the overall budgetary provisions. We have a shadow Treasurer who cannot read a balance sheet. There is no deficit in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service, as members of the Liberal Party know only too well. I point out the extent of the deceit by the member for Vasse in this issue. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Anyone with the most basic knowledge of accounting would know that the $51.8 million was not a deficit but simply money held in an account to be disbursed during the course of the year. It was an allocation that had been made as part of the overall budgetary provisions. We have a shadow Treasurer who cannot read a balance sheet. There is no deficit in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service, as members of the Liberal Party know only too well. I point out the extent of the deceit by the member for Vasse in this issue. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : I am telling members opposite all about it. Withdrawal of Remark The SPEAKER : Order! To imply that the member has perpetrated a deceit is unparliamentary. The minister should withdraw the comment. Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : I withdraw. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr J.A. McGINTY : I will tell the house how disgraceful the behaviour of the member for Vasse has been. In the information provided to him by the health department was a letter that stated that a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service is expected. Is that reflected in the press release put out by the member for Vasse? He asked what the health blow-out was going to be. He claimed there was a potential $69 million health budget blow-out caused by mismanagement. Zero is the answer to his question. The member knows that because the information was provided to him by the health department, which told him in the information provided to him under the freedom of information request that there would be a balanced budget in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service. The member got it wrong because he cannot read a balance sheet. That is his problem. In any agency that delivers within its approved expense limit, that is a balanced budget. That is where we are up to in the North Metropolitan Area Health Service and the budget as a whole. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : The member has shown us all recently that he cannot be trusted when it comes to numbers. That now applies to his knowledge of accounting and finance.
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