The federal opposition has accused the Turnbull government of "completely politicising" the Department of Treasury by getting it to cost Labor policies and then leaking the findings.
Treasury officials were quizzed during a Senate estimates hearing whether they had been requested to cost changes to negative gearing, the capital gains tax and dividend imputation, all Labor policies that were rejected outright by the government.
"Treasury costs what the government asks us to cost," deputy secretary of Treasury's revenue group Maryanne Mrakovcic told the hearing on Tuesday.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said it would have been "nonsensical" for the government not to act.
"It was in the public interest for the public to know what the negative impact would be of $220 billion of higher taxes for the economy," Senator Cormann told the hearing.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Labor senator Jenny McAllister argued this was a "complete politicisation of Treasury".
"So you think we should not be aware of what the impact would be for the economy, families and jobs in relation to policies you say should be adopted?" Senator Cormann responded.
Treasury secretary John Fraser said it was no different to what he experienced when he was with the department in the 1980s.
