Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I appreciate the minister’s answer and I would appreciate it also if he could provide more information on notice in relation to the earlier parts of the question. I would like to ask the minister about something I noticed in the budget papers which I would have thought was unusual; I would ask for the minister’s clarification if he is able to give it. In relation to the AusLink strategic regional program supplementary funding—in particular, the allocation of $250 million in 2006-07 for the AusLink strategic regional program—the budget paper says this:

The Programme provides funding for road, rail and intermodal projects in Australia’s regions that will support the growth of regional industry, respond to structural change, or strengthen local social and economic opportunities. The fiscal impact over three years, 2007-08 to 2009-10, is due to funds being fully expensed as projects are completed.

It could be that that is all perfectly normal and maybe I have misunderstood it, but if I have read that correctly—I mean that genuinely—that would put the cash and accrual accounting mechanisms out of kilter which I would have thought would be very unusual. Is the minister aware of the issue? If cash and accrual have been put out of kilter, what approval processes were put in place for this and was the National Audit Office consulted?

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