The State Liberals will move to re-establish an important Parliamentary Committee, after a five month hiatus.
“Today the State Liberals will move a motion in Parliament seeking to re-establish the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee,” Shadow Minister for Finance Rob Lucas said today.
“Evidence presented to the Budget and Finance Committee over the last three years has demonstrated the importance of its existence as CEOs and senior public servants have been called to account for the Government’s budget and financial management.
“Consistent with the practice in most other Upper Houses, some key Legislative Council Committees are now chaired by a non-Government member.
“It is the State Liberals’ view that the Budget and Finance Committee should continue this practice and monitor all budget related issues.
“This will increase the power of the Budget and Finance Committee to extract answers from departmental executives and to keep the Rann Labor Government accountable.
“This powerful Committee has held the Rann Labor Government to account on budget and finance matters, including funding for consultants for public-private partnership projects and massive departmental budget blow-outs.
“The Committee has over the past three years met every fortnight and non-Committee MLCs have also been able to attend and ask questions of witnesses.
“The State Liberals will seek a formal vote on the motion in two weeks and, if approved, seek to have its first hearings sometime next month.”