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Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998
24Contents of pre‑election economic and fiscal outlook report—economic and fiscal information
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#### 24 Contents of pre‑election economic and fiscal outlook report—economic and fiscal information
(1) A pre‑election economic and fiscal outlook report is to contain the following information:
(a) updated Commonwealth budget sector and Commonwealth general government sector fiscal estimates for the current financial year and the following 3 financial years;
(b) the economic and other assumptions for the current financial year and the following 3 financial years that have been used in preparing those updated fiscal estimates;
(c) discussion as to the sensitivity of those updated fiscal estimates to changes in those economic and other assumptions;
(d) an updated statement of the risks, quantified where feasible, that may have a material effect on the fiscal outlook, including:
(i) contingent liabilities; and
(ii) publicly announced Government commitments that are not yet included in the fiscal estimates referred to in paragraph (a); and
(iii) Government negotiations that have yet to be finalised;
(e) a debt statement.
(2) The information in the report is to take into account, to the fullest extent possible, all Government decisions, and all other circumstances, that:
(a) may have a material effect on the fiscal and economic outlook; and
(b) were made, or were in existence, before the issue of the writ for the general election.
(3) The report is to:
(a) be based on external reporting standards; and
(b) identify, in general terms, the external reporting standards on which it is based and any ways in which the report departs from those standards.
(4) If particular information required to be included in the report is unchanged from information set out in full in an earlier budget economic and fiscal outlook report or mid‑year economic and fiscal outlook report, the report may instead summarise the information and state that it is unchanged from what was set out in the earlier report.
(5) The report does not have to include information that the responsible Secretaries consider should not be included because:
(a) it is confidential commercial information; or
(b) its disclosure in the report could prejudice national security.