Parliamentary Budget Office

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Parliamentary Budget Office
Agency overview
Formed23 July 2012 [1]
JurisdictionAustralia
Headquarters Canberra, Australia
Agency executive
  • Stein Helgeby, Parliamentary Budget Officer
Website www.aph.gov.au/pbo

The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) is an agency of the Australian Parliament whose purpose is to "inform the parliament by providing independent and non-partisan analysis of the budget cycle, fiscal policy and the financial implications of proposals". [2] [3] It was established by the Gillard government following minority government formation negotiations. [4] [5] Following that commitment, a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Parliamentary Budget Office was convened, chaired by John Faulkner. [6] The PBO's independence is enshrined in legislation. [7]

In 2013, Treasurer Wayne Swan introduced legislation requiring the PBO to conduct a post-election audit to cost political parties' electoral commitments. [8] [9]

In its first independent report, the PBO noted that the Australian federal budget had an underlying structural deficit, caused in part by Howard government personal income tax cuts. [10]

See also

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References

  1. "Case study - Parliamentary Budget Office". National Archives of Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  2. "Australia" (PDF). OECD Journal on Budgeting. 2015 (2): 31–48. 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  3. Parliamentary Service Act 1999 (Cth) s 64B
  4. Mulgan, Richard (13 September 2011). "Costing the promises: what is a Parliamentary Budget Office?". The Conversation. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  5. Taylor, Lenore; Murphy, Katharine; Pankhania, Madhvi; Bennett, Christian (27 June 2013). "Julia Gillard: a life in politics". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  6. Burgess, Verona (31 March 2011). "PBO a no-brainer for Abbott". Australian Financial Review. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  7. "The Functions and Impact of Fiscal Councils" (PDF). IMF Policy Paper. International Monetary Fund. 16 July 2013. p. 47. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  8. Holmes, Brenton. "Hard days and nights: the final 147 days of the Gillard Government". Research Papers 2013–14. Parliamentary Library (Australia). Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  9. Swan, Wayne. "Press Release - Parliamentary Budget Office amendments pass the Senate [20/06/2013]". Treasury Portfolio Ministers. Australian Government. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  10. Griffiths, Emma (22 May 2013). "Hockey defends Howard government tax cuts". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 18 January 2019.