Parliamentary Budget Office
Agency overview
Formed23 July 2012[1]
JurisdictionAustralia
HeadquartersCanberra, Australia
Agency executive
  • Stein Helgeby, Parliamentary Budget Officer
Websitewww.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

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.


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