Home›Questions on Notice›QoN 6501

❓ Dr. Honey questions the Treasurer about a $292 million increase in government salaries reported in the 2019-20 budget compared to earlier estimates. The Treasurer attributes the increase primarily to COVID-19 related expenses in health, education, and emergency response.

AnsweredQoN 6501Legislative Assembly

Asked

15 October 2020

Member

Dr D.J. Honey

Portfolio

Treasurer

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to table 1.1 Appendix 1 of Budget Paper No. 3, being the Operating Statement for the General Government sector, which shows Salaries cost of $12.887 billion in 2019-20 being $292 million higher than the estimated result published in the 2019-20 March Quarterly report of $12.595 billion with the Salaries cost for the June quarter expected to be $3.096 billion, yet the final result was $3.388 billion for the quarter, and ask: (a) Can the Treasurer please provide a breakdown and explanation for the $292 million increase in Salaries cost?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

17 November 2020

Response time

10 days

(a) Excluding rounding, Appendix 8 of the 2019-20 Annual Report on State Finances (ARSF) details the $293 million difference in salaries outcomes relative to the 2019-20 Mid-year Review. Table 8.1 in that appendix (p. 238) shows that $279 million (or approximately 95%) of the total change is associated with five agencies. As noted on page 2 of the ARSF, the higher than expected recurrent spending outcome for the year ending 30 June 2020 incorporated the State’s immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic which had a material impact on State finances in the June 2020 quarter. This includes labour-related responses to the pandemic (e.g. emergency treatment and testing by the health sector, increases in cleaning staff (particularly in schools) and the cost of overtime and other allowances related to the emergency response.

View on Parliament of WA