Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, I present the committee's report entitled Parliamentary Budget Office review 2016-17: report of the independent review panel.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—On behalf of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, I present the independent review of the Parliamentary Budget Office. Commissioned by the committee after the 2016 election, the independent review explored the operations of the PBO in the period since its establishment in 2012 with a focus on how it could build on its work so far. The Parliamentary Budget Office in just five years has established itself as a key parliamentary institution in Australia. The PBO provides independent, high-quality analysis of the budget cycle, fiscal policy and the financial implications of proposals.

The independent review was chaired by Dr Ian Watt, AC, a former secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Mr Barry Anderson, a former deputy director of the US Congressional Budget Office, was the other member of the review team. In their review, Dr Watt and Mr Anderson described the PPO as 'a successful institutional development in Australian governance which has filled a significant gap in Australia's public policy landscape'.

This latest review follows a 2014 Auditor-General's report into the administration of the PBO, which found the PPO after its first two years of operation was:

… well regarded as an authoritative, trusted and independent source of budgetary and fiscal policy analysis.

I thank Dr Watt and Mr Anderson for their work and also the staff who supported the review team.

The report has given the committee much to think about in its role of overseeing the operations and resourcing of the PBO. The review canvassed for feedback from a variety of stakeholders as part of its deliberations, including parliamentarians, Commonwealth government agencies, external think tanks, journalists and others. The review made a total of 16 recommendations across themes including a level playing field for costings, accuracy of policy costings, transparency in public understanding of budget and fiscal policy settings, and governance and resources. This report is particularly timely given that Mr Bowen, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, completes his term in July and the Presiding Officers are in the process of appointing a new Parliamentary Budget Officer. The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit will further consider the report as part of its role in providing ongoing oversight of the Parliamentary Budget Office.

I note that the committee in undertaking this work will not have the benefit of the long-serving committee secretary Mr David Brunoro, who is sitting in the adviser box. I think you have been with the committee for nine years. You are going on to bigger and better things. I know that all members of the committee have appreciated your service over many years.

I commend the report to interested members who may have any comments on it to raise with me or other members of the committee in the coming weeks.