Question regarding the Delta communications and technology program (DCAT) budget shortfall and lack of forward funding by the previous government, leaving the current government in a difficult position.

AnsweredQoN 71Legislative Assembly
Asked
29 May 2001
Member
Portfolio
Police

QuestionView source ↗

POLICE SERVICE, DELTA COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
(1) What was the estimated cost of establishing the Police Service’s Delta communications and technology program? (2) What budget provision has been made to meet this cost? Mrs ROBERTS

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The original cost of the Delta communications and technology program, otherwise known as DCAT, was $124 million over five years. To date $70 million has been spent on this project over two years. Unfortunately, no provision was made in forward estimates for further spending on the project - not a cent in capital funding or in recurrent expenditure. No money was earmarked by the former Government to fund this huge project after the first two years. (2) At present there is an $84 million gap in the budget for this project alone. The Government is therefore left between a rock and a hard place. If we do not fund the program, it will be terminated after expenditure of $70 million. If we proceed we must find more than $80 million that has not been budgeted for. The Leader of the Opposition tried to tell us last week that we had been left with a “clean set of accounts and a clean surplus”.
(2) What budget provision has been made to meet this cost? Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The original cost of the Delta communications and technology program, otherwise known as DCAT, was $124 million over five years. To date $70 million has been spent on this project over two years. Unfortunately, no provision was made in forward estimates for further spending on the project - not a cent in capital funding or in recurrent expenditure. No money was earmarked by the former Government to fund this huge project after the first two years. (2) At present there is an $84 million gap in the budget for this project alone. The Government is therefore left between a rock and a hard place. If we do not fund the program, it will be terminated after expenditure of $70 million. If we proceed we must find more than $80 million that has not been budgeted for. The Leader of the Opposition tried to tell us last week that we had been left with a “clean set of accounts and a clean surplus”.
Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The original cost of the Delta communications and technology program, otherwise known as DCAT, was $124 million over five years. To date $70 million has been spent on this project over two years. Unfortunately, no provision was made in forward estimates for further spending on the project - not a cent in capital funding or in recurrent expenditure. No money was earmarked by the former Government to fund this huge project after the first two years. (2) At present there is an $84 million gap in the budget for this project alone. The Government is therefore left between a rock and a hard place. If we do not fund the program, it will be terminated after expenditure of $70 million. If we proceed we must find more than $80 million that has not been budgeted for. The Leader of the Opposition tried to tell us last week that we had been left with a “clean set of accounts and a clean surplus”.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) The original cost of the Delta communications and technology program, otherwise known as DCAT, was $124 million over five years. To date $70 million has been spent on this project over two years. Unfortunately, no provision was made in forward estimates for further spending on the project - not a cent in capital funding or in recurrent expenditure. No money was earmarked by the former Government to fund this huge project after the first two years. (2) At present there is an $84 million gap in the budget for this project alone. The Government is therefore left between a rock and a hard place. If we do not fund the program, it will be terminated after expenditure of $70 million. If we proceed we must find more than $80 million that has not been budgeted for. The Leader of the Opposition tried to tell us last week that we had been left with a “clean set of accounts and a clean surplus”.
(1) The original cost of the Delta communications and technology program, otherwise known as DCAT, was $124 million over five years. To date $70 million has been spent on this project over two years. Unfortunately, no provision was made in forward estimates for further spending on the project - not a cent in capital funding or in recurrent expenditure. No money was earmarked by the former Government to fund this huge project after the first two years. (2) At present there is an $84 million gap in the budget for this project alone. The Government is therefore left between a rock and a hard place. If we do not fund the program, it will be terminated after expenditure of $70 million. If we proceed we must find more than $80 million that has not been budgeted for. The Leader of the Opposition tried to tell us last week that we had been left with a “clean set of accounts and a clean surplus”.
(2) At present there is an $84 million gap in the budget for this project alone. The Government is therefore left between a rock and a hard place. If we do not fund the program, it will be terminated after expenditure of $70 million. If we proceed we must find more than $80 million that has not been budgeted for. The Leader of the Opposition tried to tell us last week that we had been left with a “clean set of accounts and a clean surplus”.

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