Parliamentary Service Act 1999
64JRequests for costing of policies during caretaker period
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64J Requests for costing of policies during caretaker period
(1) This section applies during the caretaker period for a general election. (2) An authorised member of a Parliamentary party may request the Parliamentary Budget Officer to prepare a costing of a publicly announced policy of the Parliamentary party. (3) A request for a costing of a policy of a Parliamentary party is not to be made under subsection (2) before polling day if a member of that party has, during the same caretaker period, requested the preparation of a costing of that policy, or a substantially similar policy, under clause 29 of Schedule 1 to the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998. (4) A request for a costing of a policy of a Parliamentary party is not to be made under subsection (2) on or after polling day if a member of that party has, on or after that day, requested the preparation of a costing of that policy, or a substantially similar policy, under clause 29 of Schedule 1 to the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998. (5) An independent member may request the Parliamentary Budget Officer to prepare a costing of a publicly announced policy of the independent member. (6) A request under subsection (2) or (5) must: (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. (7) If the Parliamentary Budget Officer needs more information to cost aspects of a policy, he or she may, in writing, ask the person who requested the costing for that information.
Note: The Parliamentary Budget Officer may also obtain information from Commonwealth bodies for the purpose of costing a policy in response to a request under subsection (2) or (5) (see section 64KA).
(8) An authorised member of a Parliamentary party may, by notice in writing, withdraw a request made under subsection (2) on behalf of the Parliamentary party. (9) An independent member who made a request under subsection (5) may, by notice in writing, withdraw the request.