Chris Pearce (Aston, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Shortland for her question. I am very happy to do that; I will have a look at that and come back to you. But I want to make the point—following on from my very distinguished colleague, the member for Hinkler—that it is important for people to understand that the work that the ABS does is critically important to how we move forward in this country. Government decisions at all levels—not just at Commonwealth level but at state and territory levels—use ABS data for almost all their appropriations and a lot of their decisions. Local government rely on ABS statistics. Industry itself relies on ABS statistics to inform it about how it may lobby governments. It is critically important. I think they do a marvellous job. I am happy to take that on board and I will come back to you.

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