❓ Question regarding the timing and transparency of a 5% efficiency dividend imposed on government trading enterprises (GTEs). The Treasurer's answer is somewhat evasive, focusing on overall savings and criticising the opposition's record.
AnsweredQoN 345Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GOVERNMENT TRADING ENTERPRISES EFFICIENCY DIVIDEND — TREASURER’S INSTRUCTION
I note that it is only 16 days until 30 June. The Treasurer’s instruction to government trading enterprises is to provide a plan for a five per cent efficiency dividend. (1) When were government enterprises informed of the need to find a five per cent efficiency dividend, and was it after they finalised their 2011–12 budgets? (2) Will the Treasurer provide Parliament with each of the government trading enterprise plans to reach this efficiency dividend? (3) Does the Treasurer guarantee that the $515 million target will be met? Mr C.C. PORTER
I note that it is only 16 days until 30 June. The Treasurer’s instruction to government trading enterprises is to provide a plan for a five per cent efficiency dividend. (1) When were government enterprises informed of the need to find a five per cent efficiency dividend, and was it after they finalised their 2011–12 budgets? (2) Will the Treasurer provide Parliament with each of the government trading enterprise plans to reach this efficiency dividend? (3) Does the Treasurer guarantee that the $515 million target will be met? Mr C.C. PORTER
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) When was the instruction given? Under the term of this government—not under the term of the last government—we will save the taxpayers of Western Australia $515 million! I will work back across the member’s questions. Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
(1) When were government enterprises informed of the need to find a five per cent efficiency dividend, and was it after they finalised their 2011–12 budgets? (2) Will the Treasurer provide Parliament with each of the government trading enterprise plans to reach this efficiency dividend? (3) Does the Treasurer guarantee that the $515 million target will be met? Mr C.C. PORTER replied: (1)–(3) When was the instruction given? Under the term of this government—not under the term of the last government—we will save the taxpayers of Western Australia $515 million! I will work back across the member’s questions. Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
(2) Will the Treasurer provide Parliament with each of the government trading enterprise plans to reach this efficiency dividend? (3) Does the Treasurer guarantee that the $515 million target will be met? Mr C.C. PORTER replied: (1)–(3) When was the instruction given? Under the term of this government—not under the term of the last government—we will save the taxpayers of Western Australia $515 million! I will work back across the member’s questions. Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
(3) Does the Treasurer guarantee that the $515 million target will be met? Mr C.C. PORTER replied: (1)–(3) When was the instruction given? Under the term of this government—not under the term of the last government—we will save the taxpayers of Western Australia $515 million! I will work back across the member’s questions. Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER replied: (1)–(3) When was the instruction given? Under the term of this government—not under the term of the last government—we will save the taxpayers of Western Australia $515 million! I will work back across the member’s questions. Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
(1)–(3) When was the instruction given? Under the term of this government—not under the term of the last government—we will save the taxpayers of Western Australia $515 million! I will work back across the member’s questions. Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
(1) When were government enterprises informed of the need to find a five per cent efficiency dividend, and was it after they finalised their 2011–12 budgets? (2) Will the Treasurer provide Parliament with each of the government trading enterprise plans to reach this efficiency dividend? (3) Does the Treasurer guarantee that the $515 million target will be met? Mr C.C. PORTER replied: (1)–(3) When was the instruction given? Under the term of this government—not under the term of the last government—we will save the taxpayers of Western Australia $515 million! I will work back across the member’s questions. Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
(2) Will the Treasurer provide Parliament with each of the government trading enterprise plans to reach this efficiency dividend? (3) Does the Treasurer guarantee that the $515 million target will be met? Mr C.C. PORTER replied: (1)–(3) When was the instruction given? Under the term of this government—not under the term of the last government—we will save the taxpayers of Western Australia $515 million! I will work back across the member’s questions. Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
(3) Does the Treasurer guarantee that the $515 million target will be met? Mr C.C. PORTER replied: (1)–(3) When was the instruction given? Under the term of this government—not under the term of the last government—we will save the taxpayers of Western Australia $515 million! I will work back across the member’s questions. Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER replied: (1)–(3) When was the instruction given? Under the term of this government—not under the term of the last government—we will save the taxpayers of Western Australia $515 million! I will work back across the member’s questions. Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
(1)–(3) When was the instruction given? Under the term of this government—not under the term of the last government—we will save the taxpayers of Western Australia $515 million! I will work back across the member’s questions. Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr E.S. Ripper : Until when? You haven’t answered when. Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : I am getting to that; I will work backwards. Can I guarantee that we will save every single cent of that $515 million? It is always difficult to give that sort of guarantee. However, what we set our targets on with the three per cent efficiency dividend across the public sector was $1.6 billion worth of savings. So far, we are on track to find and make $1.46 billion worth of savings. That is $1.46 billion worth of savings to taxpayers that would not have eventuated had the policies of members opposite been in place. Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : The reason is that members opposite opposed every individual initiative that we engaged in through the three per cent efficiency dividend. They have fallen into that great trap of opposition of simply opposing everything. Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected. Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : Were we successful with the three per cent efficiency dividend? We were successful to the tune of more than 90 per cent. Would it be a good thing to be successful in saving 90 per cent of $515 million? I would say so. I think that we will do even better than 90 per cent with that $515 million. The reason is that I, like many of the ministers who have government trading enterprises under their ministerial auspices, sat down with two of the large ones for which I have responsibility—the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the Government Employees Superannuation Board. Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr T.R. Buswell : Easy! Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Does the member know what they said to me? I said, “Is it going to be a problem?” and they looked me deadset in the eye and said, “Not really.” Does the member know what that says to me? It says that there is fat on those organisations and that those organisations might just be able to come up with some savings, which means that the taxpayers of Western Australia will save money under this government that they would not have under the former government. When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
When did notification go out for the three per cent efficiency dividend? It went by letter the day before the budget was tabled and arrived on the day the budget was introduced into this place. The GTEs have until the end of this financial year to find that five per cent. Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : Sixteen more days? Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : They obviously did not do that before they were notified because they did not know about it then. The GTEs are now in the centre of a planning process in which they will come to each of the responsible ministers and they will provide us with their plans; and, like we did with the public sector, if we do not like the plans, we will send them back and ask them to plan again. If they come back with further plans, we will look at them again. That process will continue until we refine the process and they show line-item savings which we consider warrant the ministerial tick of approval and which save Western Australian taxpayers money. I understand the interest of members opposite in cost savings and how that all works, because they have never had the experience of them. Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : What a load of rot! You’ve got 36 per cent expense growth. Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : Indeed! Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : You’re the ones out of control. You’ve got debt out of control and expense out of control. You can’t lecture us! Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
Mr C.C. PORTER : As a government we have saved $1.46 billion through a three per cent efficiency dividend. Now that we have turned our sights on GTEs, with the clearly cooperative and collegiate conduct of those organisations we will find further savings. If the member would like to explain to me how that is bad news for the taxpayers of Western Australia, I am all ears.
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