Parker David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeParker David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 11 July 2013. Volume:692;Page:11972. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour)to theMinister of Finance: Does he take responsibility for the composition of Budget 2013?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance):I am responsible for the Budget and presenting it to the House. Cabinet is collectively responsible for the policy decisions taken for the Budget. Treasury is responsible for the fiscal and economic forecasts because it is required by statute to be independent as it is with reporting the Crown accounts the physical preparation and printing of Budget documents.Hon David Parker: In his Treasury documentEstablishing the Future Investment Fund  dated 2 April 2012 did he agree with Treasury that “any new capital expenditure will count against the Fund” so Treasury followed his instruction by appropriating $100 million for Solid Energy from the Future Investment Fund in 2013?Hon BILL ENGLISH: No I do not agree with that characterisation of it. As we pointed out the Government has contemplated support for Solid Energy. It has not been required. The form in which it was contemplated was a secured repayable loan which would not count against the Future Investment Fund. The Budget documents give a misleading impression of Cabinet’s decisions.Hon David Parker: I seek leave to table that Treasury report dated 2 April 2012 which included the Minister’s—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Is it included in the Budget documents?Hon David Parker: No. It is not a Budget document. It is the direction dated 2 April 2012 of the Minister of Finance agreeing that any new capital expenditure will account—Mr SPEAKER: Order! No I think it is well enough described. I will put the leave. Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.Hon David Parker: Does he really expect the public to believe that he and all of his staff Ministers Joyce and Ryall the Secretary of the Treasury and all his staff and thePrime Minister were so incompetent that they all made a $100 million error and mistakenly appropriated $100 million from the Future Investment Fund for Solid Energy recovery facilities or is he once again covering up for the Prime Minister who does not want to associate the Future Investment Fund with mismanagement of Solid Energy?Hon BILL ENGLISH: No I do not agree with the questioner. But I am surprised that he thinks the public thinks it matters an awful lot just how Treasury accounted for a Cabinet decision. What the public want to see is growth jobs and better incomes. We are focusing on that while he is focusing on whether Treasury got its accounting right.Hon David Parker: Is it correct that he has caught the same disease as the Prime Minister which has rendered him unable to comprehend his own officials or read and recall his own Cabinet directives to Treasury and Budget documents?Hon BILL ENGLISH: No. I fully understand the Cabinet decision on this matter and Treasury’s treatment of it as one that does not reflect the Cabinet decision. As I said the Government spends a good deal more time on trying to help create jobs and grow incomes and a good deal less time than the member might presume on the details of public sector accounting which is actually a job for Treasury which it needs to do in a way that reflects Cabinet decisions.Hon David Parker: I seek leave to table the A3 document that was presented to Cabinet calledFinalising the Budget 2013 Future Investment Fund Package  which included the $100 million allocation to Solid Energy.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that. Is there any objection? Yes there is.