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Parties baulk at PBO costings

Political parties have stopped submitting costing requests to the Parliamentary Budget Office during the election campaign.

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Source: AAP


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No political parties have asked for official policy costings since the federal government went into caretaker mode.

The Parliamentary Budget Office was set up in July 2012 to provide independent costings for parties and independent MPs.

It's required to publish requests for costings and responses once the government enters the caretaker period after an election is announced.

However, the PBO website hasn't published any requests by Labor, the coalition, the Greens or independent MPs - which confirms no requests have been lodged.

The PBO is still working on a number of costings requested by parties before Prime Minister Kevin Rudd travelled to Canberra on August 4 and named the September 7 election date.

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A spokesman for the PBO told AAP on Wednesday 800 policy costings had been completed since the office started work in July 2012, but wouldn't confirm how many were outstanding.

The parties are required on September 6 - the day before the poll - to give the PBO a list of their election commitments that have budget impacts.

The PBO then publishes the list the day after the election.

Three days after the end of the caretaker period, the PBO will publish a list of policies it intends to include in its post-election report.

And within 30 days of the end of the caretaker period the PBO will publish its final report on costings.


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