64MBPost‑election report of election commitments—information‑gathering

#### 64MB Post‑election report of election commitments—information‑gathering (1) If the Parliamentary Budget Officer needs more information about an election commitment of a designated Parliamentary party for the purpose of preparing the post‑election report required by subsection 64MA(1), the Parliamentary Budget Officer may ask any of the following for that information: (a) an authorised member of the Parliamentary party that made the election commitment; (b) any other person who the Parliamentary Budget Officer believes, on reasonable grounds, has been associated with the calculation, review or announcement of the financial implications of the election commitment. (2) To help the Parliamentary Budget Officer to prepare the post‑election report, the Parliamentary Budget Officer may request the Head of a Commonwealth body to give information to the Parliamentary Budget Officer. (3) The Parliamentary Budget Officer may make a request under subsection (2) during the period beginning at the start of the caretaker period for the election to which the post‑election report relates and ending on the day on which the post‑election report is publicly released under subsection 64MC(1). (4) If the Head of a Commonwealth body receives a request under subsection (2), the Head must comply with the request in time to allow the information to be taken into account in preparing the post‑election report, unless: (a) it is not practicable to do so; or (b) it would be unlawful to do so; or (c) it would require the Head to disclose confidential commercial information; or (d) it would require the Head to disclose information that could prejudice national security. (5) If the Head of a Commonwealth body gives information to the Parliamentary Budget Officer in response to a request made under subsection (2), the Head may request that some or all of the information be kept confidential. > Note: For confidentiality obligations relating to requests made under this subsection, see subsections 64V(4A) and (4B). (6) As soon as practicable after the end of the caretaker period for the election to which the post‑election report relates, the responsible Secretaries must give the Parliamentary Budget Officer any policy costings that have been prepared during the caretaker period under Part 8 of Schedule 1 to the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998. (7) If: (a) a policy costing is given to the Parliamentary Budget Officer under subsection (6); and (b) the policy is an election commitment that is to be included in the post‑election report; the Parliamentary Budget Officer may include the policy costing in the report. The Parliamentary Budget Officer is not required to prepare, but is not prevented from preparing, a new costing of the policy for inclusion in the post‑election report. (8) Nothing in this section is intended to limit any other power of the Parliamentary Budget Officer to obtain information or documents from a Commonwealth body for the purpose of preparing the post‑election report. > Note: The Parliamentary Budget Officer may obtain information or documents from a Commonwealth body in accordance with an arrangement in force under subsection 64F(1). (9) Nothing in this section creates rights or duties that are enforceable in judicial or other proceedings.