Gunner mum on budget overruns

TERRITORIANS will need to wait until at least next month to know which departments blew their budgets last financial year and by how much

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said there was a “big workload” for departments to work through budget fgures. Picture: KERI MEGELUS

TERRITORIANS will need to wait until at least next month to know which departments blew their budgets last financial year and by how much.

But Chief Minister Michael Gunner said there was a “big workload” for departments to work through before those figures were ready to be released.

“It’s not as simple as saying ‘overspending’. You’re looking at what (departments) are doing and how that all comes together,” he said.

Former West Australian under-treasurer John Langoulant’s review of the Territory’s finances found that in order to get the NT’s debt under control, a cultural change away from the notion that budgets were “nothing more than an estimate that can be broken” was needed.

At the time, Mr Langoulant warned overspending department heads could be sacked.

Mr Gunner hinted at a budget overrun at the new Palmerston Regional Hospital.

“We do know demand (at PRH) has been greater than initially anticipated,” he said.

“It’s a popular hospital and it’s well built and well run.”

Deputy Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro yesterday called for the Labor Government to be upfront with Territorians about which departments had overspent.

“We still have no clear idea what this government is doing to rein in its spending and deal with this fiscal crisis,” she said.

“We are very keen to see how the Government is tracking with its efficiency dividend.”

A request made late last month by the NT News to Treasurer Nicole Manison’s office to reveal which departments had overspent and which had received treasurer’s advances was rejected. A spokeswoman said that information would be contained in annual reports to be made public in October.