[Greens-Media] Budget indefensible without the Functional Review

[Manderson, Roland]

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ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey MEDIA RELEASE
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15 Aug 06


Budget indefensible without the functional review

ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey - in additional comments to the Budget estimates report released today - has argued against passing the budget until, at the very least, the Functional Review is publicly released.

"Throughout the Budget Estimates process, Government Ministers and officers were unable to explain the details or implications of funding cuts" Dr Foskey said today.

"The whole budget cutting exercise had been driven by the Functional Review, kept secret by a few people at the top."

"Given the ACT Government has just returned a record surplus, one might have thought the massive cuts to schools, emergency housing and environmental protection - could have been avoided."

 "At the very least, it is obvious to all of us that the ACT Government  - rather than slashing and burning - ought to have taken a more collaborative and careful approach to this purportedly unavoidable realignment."

"I would have had support from the majority of the Committee last Friday recommending that the budget not be passed at least until the Functional Review was released."

"Unfortunately the two Labor members available refused to allow that meeting to proceed." 

"Karin Macdonald MLA then had to rush back to Canberra from a holiday so that my recommendation would fail on the Monday."

 "Of course, an Assembly Committee report does not bind the Government, and I have no doubt this budget will be passed - with or without the release of the Review."

"That final recommendation not withstanding, I believe this is a good report. It raises many unanswered questions about how this budget will affect the well being of Canberra people, and the lack of any considered social and environmental impact analysis" Dr Foskey said.

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Roland Manderson   Media Advisor
ACT   Greens    MLA  Deb  Foskey  
Legislative Assembly for the ACT 
ph(02)62050551      m 0412241379
==== www.act.greens.org.au ===== 
  
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