Commonwealth of Australia Explanatory Memoranda

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CHARTER OF BUDGET HONESTY AMENDMENT BILL 2005

2004-2005

The Parliament of the
Commonwealth of Australia

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES



Presented and read a first time




Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment
Bill 2005
No.           , 2005
(Mr Tanner)




A Bill for an Act to amend the Charter of Budget
Honesty Act 1998, and for related purposes

Contents
            1      Short title ...........................................................................................1
            2      Commencement.................................................................................1
            3      Schedule(s) ........................................................................................1

Schedule 1--Amendment of the Charter of Budget Honesty Act
            1998                                                                                                         2




                Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment Bill 2005                                 No.       , 2005          ii

 1   A Bill for an Act to amend the Charter of Budget
 2   Honesty Act 1998, and for related purposes
 3   The Parliament of Australia enacts:
 4   1 Short title
 5              This Act may be cited as the Charter of Budget Honesty
 6              Amendment Act 2005.

 7   2 Commencement
 8              This Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal
 9              Assent.

10   3 Schedule(s)
11              Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or
12              repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule
13              concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect
14              according to its terms.



                        Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment Bill 2005   No.   , 2005   1

     Schedule 1 Amendment of the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998




 1

 2   Schedule 1--Amendment of the Charter of
 3         Budget Honesty Act 1998
 4


 5   1 Subclause 2(6) of Schedule 1
 6          Repeal the subclause, substitute:
 7           (6) The Government or the Opposition may ask the Secretaries to the
 8               Departments of the Treasury and Finance to prepare a costing of
 9               any of its policies during the period from within 12 months of the
10               last day for issue of the writs for a general election to the end of the
11               caretaker period. The costing will then be publicly released (see
12               Part 8).

13   2 Part 8 of Schedule 1 (heading)
14          Repeal the heading, substitute:

15   "Part 8--Costing of policy commitments".
16   3 Clause 29 of Schedule 1
17          Repeal the clause, substitute:
18           (1) During the period from within 12 months of the last day for the
19               issue of the writs for a general election to the end of the caretaker
20               period:
21                 (a) the Prime Minister may request the responsible Secretaries to
22                     prepare costings of Government policies; and
23                 (b) the Leader of the Opposition may request the responsible
24                     Secretaries to prepare costings of Opposition policies.
25           (2) A request is to:
26                 (a) be in writing; and
27                 (b) outline fully the policy to be costed, giving relevant details;
28                     and
29                ( c) state the purpose or intention of the policy.
30           (3) A request by the Prime Minister or by the Leader of the Opposition
31               is to be given to the responsible Secretaries.



     2      Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment Bill 2005   No.   , 2005

                         Amendment of the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998 Schedule 1




 1            (4) The Prime Minister may, by writing, give directions to the
 2                responsible Secretaries about the level of resources to be allocated
 3                to the costing of Opposition policies.
 4            (5) The responsible Secretaries must ensure that all communications
 5                with the Opposition in relation to the costing of Opposition
 6                policies, remain confidential.
 7            (6) The Prime Minister or the Leader of the Opposition may, at any
 8                time, withdraw a request that he or she has made. A withdrawal is
 9                to be by notice in writing given to the responsible Secretaries.
10

11   Note:    The heading to Clause 29 is replaced by the heading "Requests for costing of policy
12            commitments".

13   4 After subclause 30(1) of Schedule 1
14            Insert:
15           (1A) The responsible Secretaries must provide to the person requesting a
16                policy costing, details of the information and assumptions used to
17                prepare a costing before it is complete.

18   5 Subclause 31(1) of Schedule 1
19            Omit "As soon as practicable", substitute "Subject to subclause (1A), as
20            soon as practicable".

21   6 After subclause 31(1) of Schedule 1
22            Insert:
23           (1A) A responsible Secretary must not publicly release a policy costing
24                until it is complete.

25


26




                          Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment Bill 2005        No.    , 2005        3
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