29Requests for costing of election commitments

#### 29 Requests for costing of election commitments (1) During the caretaker period for a general election: (a) the Prime Minister may request the responsible Secretaries to prepare costings of publicly announced Government policies; and (b) the Leader of the Opposition may, subject to subclause (4), request the responsible Secretaries to prepare costings of publicly announced Opposition policies; and (c) the Leader of a minority party may, subject to subclause (4), request the responsible Secretaries to prepare costings of publicly announced policies of that party. > Note: If a request to prepare a costing of a policy of a Parliamentary party is made under this clause, and a member of that party makes a later request, under subsection 64J(2) of the Parliamentary Service Act 1999, to the Parliamentary Budget Officer to prepare a costing of that policy, or a substantially similar policy, the Parliamentary Budget Officer must not prepare a costing of the policy under that Act: see section 64K of that Act. (1A) A request for a costing of a policy of a Parliamentary party is not to be made under subclause (1) before polling day during the caretaker period if a member of that party has, during the same caretaker period, requested the Parliamentary Budget Officer to prepare a costing of that policy, or a substantially similar policy, under Division 2 of Part 7 of the Parliamentary Service Act 1999. (1B) A request for a costing of a policy of a Parliamentary party is not to be made under subclause (1) on or after polling day during the caretaker period if a member of that party has, on or after that day, requested the Parliamentary Budget Officer to prepare a costing of that policy, or a substantially similar policy, under Division 2 of Part 7 of the Parliamentary Service Act 1999. (2) A request is to: (a) be in writing; and (b) outline fully the policy to be costed, giving relevant details; and (c) state the purpose or intention of the policy. (3) A request by the Prime Minister is to be given to the responsible Secretaries. (4) A request by the Leader of the Opposition, or the Leader of a minority party, is to be given to the Prime Minister, who may then agree to refer it to the responsible Secretaries. The responsible Secretaries are not obliged or authorised to take any action in relation to the request unless the Prime Minister has referred the request to them. (5) The Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition or the Leader of a minority party may, at any time, withdraw a request that he or she has made. A withdrawal by the Prime Minister is to be by notice in writing given to the responsible Secretaries. A withdrawal by the Leader of the Opposition, or the Leader of a minority party, is to be by notice in writing given to the Prime Minister, who is to notify the responsible Secretaries of the withdrawal.