PM Transcripts

. PRIME MINISTER.' Press Statement No. 585
October 1975
. ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS
The Prime Minister announced that the Administrative
Arrangements Order had today been amended to transfer the
administrative responsibility for the procurement, purchase
. and disposal of goods from the Minister and Department of
Administrativ6 Services to the Minister and Department
of Manufacturing Industry.
In the appropriations for the Supply period passed
last May, funds for the salaries of persons employed on
the purchasing and-associated activities were provided for
the Departments of Manufacturing Industry and Special
Minister of State which both had functions relating to
Government purchasing. When the purchasing functions
of those departments were later transferred to the Department
of Services and Property ( now the Department of Administrative
Services) the necessary allocations were provided in the
Appropriation Bill ( No. 1) 1975-76 which is being delayed
by the Opposition in the Senate.
The formal, but temporary, transfer of administration
of the purchasing functions will enable the personnel
concerned to be transferred temporarily to the Department
of Manufacturing Industry and to be paid at least until the
end of the Supply period from the appropriations originally
allocated for them. Only a small numiber of the staff were
earlier transferred from the Department of the Special
Minister of State, and they too are being transferred to the
Department of Manufacturing Industry rather than to their
former department under this temporary arrangement.
The administrative action that has been taken is in
keeping with the statement the Prime Minister made on
24 October that the Government will not act other than
strictly in accordance with law in attempting to preserve
administrative services and maintain wage and salary
payments. The action is a consequence of the steps that
have been taken to ensure that wage and salary payments will
be maintained through the Supply period.
CANBERRA. A. C. T.