Senator Forshaw to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following matter be referred to the Finance and Public Administration References Committee for inquiry and report by 19 October 2006:

The transparency and accountability to Parliament of Commonwealth public funding and expenditure, including:

(a)

the impact on the Parliament’s ability to scrutinise, approve and monitor proposed and actual expenditure of:

(i)

outcome budget appropriations and reporting,

(ii)

multiple sources of funding including special appropriations, advances to the Minister for Finance, annual departmental carry-over surpluses, revenue retained under section 31 of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997, special accounts and goods and services tax appropriations, and

(iii)

the use of ordinary annual services to fund activities including non-annual services;

(b)

options for improving the transparency and specificity of budget papers and related documents; and

(c)

other measures to improve the Parliament’s oversight of proposed and actual Commonwealth funding and expenditure.