Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to this debate on the Parliamentary Budget Office and the member for North Sydney's amendment (2). As we all know, this was a policy first proposed by the coalition back in 2007. It is wonderful that the government has embraced this initiative and put forward this bill. But as it stands today it is nothing more than a toothless tiger, warm and fuzzy and designed to give you warm feelings, but that is about it. That is why the member for North Sydney has moved this amendment to give the Parliamentary Budget Office some power to gather information.

It surprises me that we have had interjections and objections from the member for Chifley and the member for Throsby because, as we know, a government's job is to make sure the opposition do not find out about information and do not get access to costings. That is their main goal in life. It is a bit like Agent 86's cone of silence in that they have their cone of secrecy.

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