Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. Minister, what changes have been made to the budget rules since the budget?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I presume that Senator Colbeck is referring to the Australian Financial Review article. As you know, the BPORs, the budget process operational rules, are released after each economic update or budget. That is a commitment of transparency that we put in place. They are available online on the Finance website. In relation to future budget processes, we will release them in accordance with the way that we have done after the first three.

We run a very tight budget process. Prime ministerial approval is sought to provide authority for proposals to come forward, and nothing has changed in that regard.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, on a point of order: if I heard the minister correctly, she seems to simply be referring Senator Colbeck to a website. This is on direct relevance. Senator Colbeck was clearly seeking to understand if there have been any changes to any of the budget rules since the budget. Is Senator Gallagher, the finance minister, able to clearly address that particular part of the question?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the minister is clearly addressing the question. I will continue to listen carefully.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I am. We are continuing the process we put in place, which is that we release the budget process operational rules once an economic update or budget has been finalised. I did that after the last budget. They are on the website. I will release the BPORs after the next economic update, which would presumably be MYEFO. I am sure they are obsessed with the story in the Australian Financial Review

Opposition senators interjecting—

You're obsessed enough to ask a question about it rather than about cost of living. But, anyway, I've been clear. We've run a very tight fiscal approach to the budget. We have found savings. We have reprioritised spending. We have ensured that we are paying less interest on the debt that we inherited, and we are delivering surpluses. That is because we have a very strict set of budget process operational rules. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Colbeck, a first supplementary?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will take that as a yes. Are reports in the Financial Review correct that the Prime Minister has given himself the power to unilaterally scrap budget decisions taken in the budget process?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry, I didn't hear the question; I thought it was a statement.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will get Senator Colbeck to repeat the question.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will repeat the question. Are reports in the FinancialReview correct that the Prime Minister has given himself the power to unilaterally scrap budget decisions taken in the budget process?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I appreciate the question. In terms of our approach to the budget, the Prime Minister leads that, as he does other areas of policy work across the government. The Prime Minister provides authority, as I imagine your prime minister did. Well, your prime minister had ministerial responsibility for five portfolios, so I guess he didn't have to talk to himself about that. But the Prime Minister provides the authority for consideration of policy priorities within the government. He's always had that. He continues to have that. I think the contrast in our approach to budget management is pretty stark. You had deficits; we have surpluses. We're paying—

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, a point of order on direct relevance: Senator Colbeck was asking not about the Prime Minister's authority to allow the bringing forward of new policy proposals but instead whether the Prime Minister has given himself the power to unilaterally scrap budget decisions. Can the minister address this question? A simple yes or no will suffice.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe the minister is being correct. I note that you repeated the question, and I think she is exploring the Prime Minister's responsibility in relation to the budget. But I will continue to listen carefully.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. I know it must come as a surprise to those opposite that we run a traditional government of good process where the Prime Minister has ultimate authority. We have ERCs; we have proper process, unlike those opposite. We know what happened under them. They didn't even get a say. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Colbeck, second supplementary.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think we've had two 'yes's so far. Is it correct that the Prime Minister has made changes to give himself more flexibility in shifting budgeted funding to different projects? Why would the Prime Minister need such flexibility? And what obligations are there for the Prime Minister to consult you, as finance minister, of any actions he's taking to rewrite the budget?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was a lot in that, Senator Colbeck. It might come as a surprise to you, but our Prime Minister is not the finance minister, and he's not the Treasurer and he's not the health minister and he's not the resources minister and—what else was there? So—surprise, surprise; shock, horror!—here it is, breaking news on the floor of the Senate: the Prime Minister talks to the finance minister about budget matters. Wow! Guess what? He also talks to the Treasurer about these matters. There's a shock, isn't it, because they're three different people, in our government. They're not one person; they are three different people, and you actually do have to go and speak to each other about it. So, that's what happens. We run a traditional, proper government process when we put our budgets together, and they are always focused on cost of living, which is what matters to the Australian people. (Time expired)