❓ Mr Birney questions Attorney General McGinty about budget overruns for the royal commission into police corruption. McGinty acknowledges budget implications due to extended timelines, but doesn't confirm specific figures.
AnsweredQoN 949Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Government’s royal commission into police corruption and ask - (1) Can the Attorney General advise whether the royal commission has exceeded its budget of $5 million for this financial year, despite the fact that hearings have not even begun? (2) Can the Attorney General confirm that the royal commission has requested additional funds this financial year, totalling many millions of dollars? (3) Can the Attorney General also confirm that the royal commission budget allocation for the next financial year will exceed the $10 million outlined in the forward estimates from the last budget? Mr McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) I cannot confirm most of the details asked for by the member for Kalgoorlie. It is not my understanding that the budget for the current financial year has been exceeded to the extent indicated. I will answer in a more general sense, rather than address the specific questions asked by the member. When the Labor Party was in opposition, it estimated that a 12-month royal commission would cost about $15 million. When the present Government came to power it set up the royal commission last December, and appointed Mr Geoffrey Kennedy, QC as the royal commissioner. The royal commission senior staff were appointed in the few months following that. The royal commission staff reported to the Government that, because the original period of 12 months had been extended to 18 months and the royal commission was to report in August 2003, there would be obvious budgetary implications, since the term was now 50 per cent longer than had been indicated in the indicative budget. The Government then told the royal commission staff to develop a full budget containing all the costs of the staffing, including different levels of staffing for different levels of the royal commission. The royal commission staff presented the expenditure review committee with a budget in excess of the $15 million, which was what the Government expected. The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
(1) Can the Attorney General advise whether the royal commission has exceeded its budget of $5 million for this financial year, despite the fact that hearings have not even begun? (2) Can the Attorney General confirm that the royal commission has requested additional funds this financial year, totalling many millions of dollars? (3) Can the Attorney General also confirm that the royal commission budget allocation for the next financial year will exceed the $10 million outlined in the forward estimates from the last budget? Mr McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I cannot confirm most of the details asked for by the member for Kalgoorlie. It is not my understanding that the budget for the current financial year has been exceeded to the extent indicated. I will answer in a more general sense, rather than address the specific questions asked by the member. When the Labor Party was in opposition, it estimated that a 12-month royal commission would cost about $15 million. When the present Government came to power it set up the royal commission last December, and appointed Mr Geoffrey Kennedy, QC as the royal commissioner. The royal commission senior staff were appointed in the few months following that. The royal commission staff reported to the Government that, because the original period of 12 months had been extended to 18 months and the royal commission was to report in August 2003, there would be obvious budgetary implications, since the term was now 50 per cent longer than had been indicated in the indicative budget. The Government then told the royal commission staff to develop a full budget containing all the costs of the staffing, including different levels of staffing for different levels of the royal commission. The royal commission staff presented the expenditure review committee with a budget in excess of the $15 million, which was what the Government expected. The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
(2) Can the Attorney General confirm that the royal commission has requested additional funds this financial year, totalling many millions of dollars? (3) Can the Attorney General also confirm that the royal commission budget allocation for the next financial year will exceed the $10 million outlined in the forward estimates from the last budget? Mr McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I cannot confirm most of the details asked for by the member for Kalgoorlie. It is not my understanding that the budget for the current financial year has been exceeded to the extent indicated. I will answer in a more general sense, rather than address the specific questions asked by the member. When the Labor Party was in opposition, it estimated that a 12-month royal commission would cost about $15 million. When the present Government came to power it set up the royal commission last December, and appointed Mr Geoffrey Kennedy, QC as the royal commissioner. The royal commission senior staff were appointed in the few months following that. The royal commission staff reported to the Government that, because the original period of 12 months had been extended to 18 months and the royal commission was to report in August 2003, there would be obvious budgetary implications, since the term was now 50 per cent longer than had been indicated in the indicative budget. The Government then told the royal commission staff to develop a full budget containing all the costs of the staffing, including different levels of staffing for different levels of the royal commission. The royal commission staff presented the expenditure review committee with a budget in excess of the $15 million, which was what the Government expected. The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
(3) Can the Attorney General also confirm that the royal commission budget allocation for the next financial year will exceed the $10 million outlined in the forward estimates from the last budget? Mr McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I cannot confirm most of the details asked for by the member for Kalgoorlie. It is not my understanding that the budget for the current financial year has been exceeded to the extent indicated. I will answer in a more general sense, rather than address the specific questions asked by the member. When the Labor Party was in opposition, it estimated that a 12-month royal commission would cost about $15 million. When the present Government came to power it set up the royal commission last December, and appointed Mr Geoffrey Kennedy, QC as the royal commissioner. The royal commission senior staff were appointed in the few months following that. The royal commission staff reported to the Government that, because the original period of 12 months had been extended to 18 months and the royal commission was to report in August 2003, there would be obvious budgetary implications, since the term was now 50 per cent longer than had been indicated in the indicative budget. The Government then told the royal commission staff to develop a full budget containing all the costs of the staffing, including different levels of staffing for different levels of the royal commission. The royal commission staff presented the expenditure review committee with a budget in excess of the $15 million, which was what the Government expected. The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
Mr McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I cannot confirm most of the details asked for by the member for Kalgoorlie. It is not my understanding that the budget for the current financial year has been exceeded to the extent indicated. I will answer in a more general sense, rather than address the specific questions asked by the member. When the Labor Party was in opposition, it estimated that a 12-month royal commission would cost about $15 million. When the present Government came to power it set up the royal commission last December, and appointed Mr Geoffrey Kennedy, QC as the royal commissioner. The royal commission senior staff were appointed in the few months following that. The royal commission staff reported to the Government that, because the original period of 12 months had been extended to 18 months and the royal commission was to report in August 2003, there would be obvious budgetary implications, since the term was now 50 per cent longer than had been indicated in the indicative budget. The Government then told the royal commission staff to develop a full budget containing all the costs of the staffing, including different levels of staffing for different levels of the royal commission. The royal commission staff presented the expenditure review committee with a budget in excess of the $15 million, which was what the Government expected. The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
(1)-(3) I cannot confirm most of the details asked for by the member for Kalgoorlie. It is not my understanding that the budget for the current financial year has been exceeded to the extent indicated. I will answer in a more general sense, rather than address the specific questions asked by the member. When the Labor Party was in opposition, it estimated that a 12-month royal commission would cost about $15 million. When the present Government came to power it set up the royal commission last December, and appointed Mr Geoffrey Kennedy, QC as the royal commissioner. The royal commission senior staff were appointed in the few months following that. The royal commission staff reported to the Government that, because the original period of 12 months had been extended to 18 months and the royal commission was to report in August 2003, there would be obvious budgetary implications, since the term was now 50 per cent longer than had been indicated in the indicative budget. The Government then told the royal commission staff to develop a full budget containing all the costs of the staffing, including different levels of staffing for different levels of the royal commission. The royal commission staff presented the expenditure review committee with a budget in excess of the $15 million, which was what the Government expected. The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
(1) Can the Attorney General advise whether the royal commission has exceeded its budget of $5 million for this financial year, despite the fact that hearings have not even begun? (2) Can the Attorney General confirm that the royal commission has requested additional funds this financial year, totalling many millions of dollars? (3) Can the Attorney General also confirm that the royal commission budget allocation for the next financial year will exceed the $10 million outlined in the forward estimates from the last budget? Mr McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I cannot confirm most of the details asked for by the member for Kalgoorlie. It is not my understanding that the budget for the current financial year has been exceeded to the extent indicated. I will answer in a more general sense, rather than address the specific questions asked by the member. When the Labor Party was in opposition, it estimated that a 12-month royal commission would cost about $15 million. When the present Government came to power it set up the royal commission last December, and appointed Mr Geoffrey Kennedy, QC as the royal commissioner. The royal commission senior staff were appointed in the few months following that. The royal commission staff reported to the Government that, because the original period of 12 months had been extended to 18 months and the royal commission was to report in August 2003, there would be obvious budgetary implications, since the term was now 50 per cent longer than had been indicated in the indicative budget. The Government then told the royal commission staff to develop a full budget containing all the costs of the staffing, including different levels of staffing for different levels of the royal commission. The royal commission staff presented the expenditure review committee with a budget in excess of the $15 million, which was what the Government expected. The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
(2) Can the Attorney General confirm that the royal commission has requested additional funds this financial year, totalling many millions of dollars? (3) Can the Attorney General also confirm that the royal commission budget allocation for the next financial year will exceed the $10 million outlined in the forward estimates from the last budget? Mr McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I cannot confirm most of the details asked for by the member for Kalgoorlie. It is not my understanding that the budget for the current financial year has been exceeded to the extent indicated. I will answer in a more general sense, rather than address the specific questions asked by the member. When the Labor Party was in opposition, it estimated that a 12-month royal commission would cost about $15 million. When the present Government came to power it set up the royal commission last December, and appointed Mr Geoffrey Kennedy, QC as the royal commissioner. The royal commission senior staff were appointed in the few months following that. The royal commission staff reported to the Government that, because the original period of 12 months had been extended to 18 months and the royal commission was to report in August 2003, there would be obvious budgetary implications, since the term was now 50 per cent longer than had been indicated in the indicative budget. The Government then told the royal commission staff to develop a full budget containing all the costs of the staffing, including different levels of staffing for different levels of the royal commission. The royal commission staff presented the expenditure review committee with a budget in excess of the $15 million, which was what the Government expected. The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
(3) Can the Attorney General also confirm that the royal commission budget allocation for the next financial year will exceed the $10 million outlined in the forward estimates from the last budget? Mr McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I cannot confirm most of the details asked for by the member for Kalgoorlie. It is not my understanding that the budget for the current financial year has been exceeded to the extent indicated. I will answer in a more general sense, rather than address the specific questions asked by the member. When the Labor Party was in opposition, it estimated that a 12-month royal commission would cost about $15 million. When the present Government came to power it set up the royal commission last December, and appointed Mr Geoffrey Kennedy, QC as the royal commissioner. The royal commission senior staff were appointed in the few months following that. The royal commission staff reported to the Government that, because the original period of 12 months had been extended to 18 months and the royal commission was to report in August 2003, there would be obvious budgetary implications, since the term was now 50 per cent longer than had been indicated in the indicative budget. The Government then told the royal commission staff to develop a full budget containing all the costs of the staffing, including different levels of staffing for different levels of the royal commission. The royal commission staff presented the expenditure review committee with a budget in excess of the $15 million, which was what the Government expected. The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
Mr McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I cannot confirm most of the details asked for by the member for Kalgoorlie. It is not my understanding that the budget for the current financial year has been exceeded to the extent indicated. I will answer in a more general sense, rather than address the specific questions asked by the member. When the Labor Party was in opposition, it estimated that a 12-month royal commission would cost about $15 million. When the present Government came to power it set up the royal commission last December, and appointed Mr Geoffrey Kennedy, QC as the royal commissioner. The royal commission senior staff were appointed in the few months following that. The royal commission staff reported to the Government that, because the original period of 12 months had been extended to 18 months and the royal commission was to report in August 2003, there would be obvious budgetary implications, since the term was now 50 per cent longer than had been indicated in the indicative budget. The Government then told the royal commission staff to develop a full budget containing all the costs of the staffing, including different levels of staffing for different levels of the royal commission. The royal commission staff presented the expenditure review committee with a budget in excess of the $15 million, which was what the Government expected. The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
(1)-(3) I cannot confirm most of the details asked for by the member for Kalgoorlie. It is not my understanding that the budget for the current financial year has been exceeded to the extent indicated. I will answer in a more general sense, rather than address the specific questions asked by the member. When the Labor Party was in opposition, it estimated that a 12-month royal commission would cost about $15 million. When the present Government came to power it set up the royal commission last December, and appointed Mr Geoffrey Kennedy, QC as the royal commissioner. The royal commission senior staff were appointed in the few months following that. The royal commission staff reported to the Government that, because the original period of 12 months had been extended to 18 months and the royal commission was to report in August 2003, there would be obvious budgetary implications, since the term was now 50 per cent longer than had been indicated in the indicative budget. The Government then told the royal commission staff to develop a full budget containing all the costs of the staffing, including different levels of staffing for different levels of the royal commission. The royal commission staff presented the expenditure review committee with a budget in excess of the $15 million, which was what the Government expected. The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
The full extent of the increased budget - this is from memory, so the member should not hold me to these figures - is about proportionate to the increased time involved. An additional amount, on top of the $15 million, will be provided for in next week’s state budget. To the best of my understanding, there has been no blow-out in the current year of operation, but an additional amount will be allocated to the overall operation of the royal commission, which will continue throughout next financial year and into the financial year beyond that.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.