Thank you, Madam Chairperson. To answer the last question the Member asked first, it is my understanding that the Deficit Elimination Act does not apply to the 1999-2000 budget, however, as I said in the Budget Address, we have brought forward a budget that, while it has a deficit in it, we have sufficient monies in the accumulated surplus to cover the annual deficit that we are projecting this year. What are we going to do to try and ensure that we do not exceed the $34 million projected deficit? Madam Chairperson, I have advised all Ministers and departments that it will be very difficult to have funding added to supplementary appropriations, and we will expect departments to ensure that we live within the supplementary reserve that we have put into this year's budget. Now going back to the first part of the Member's question which had to do with the difference between the $16 million and the $11 million that was shown in the Main Estimates; it should be pointed out that that difference in $5 million was actually lapsed so that $5 million was, if you want, sitting in the bank on March 31st. It had not been paid for capital projects that were underway simply because they had not reached a stage that required the payment. So, it was not as if we had to find extra money for those projects. That was money we had thought would be paid out in capital projects by March 31, 1999, but, in fact will not be paid out until some future date, or some of them may be ready to be paid now, because the project was not as far along as we had expected. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Charles Dent on Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on May 13th, 1999. See this statement in context.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 12th, 1999
Page 596
See context to find out what was said next.