The Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998 outlines arrangements under which the Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary of the Department of Finance may be requested to cost election commitments during the caretaker period for a general election.
In accordance with the Act, the Government, the Leader of the Opposition, or a Minority Party with at least five members in the Parliament may request through the Prime Minister for the Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary of the Department of Finance to cost election commitments. Election commitment costings completed by the Treasury and Finance will be posted on this site.
The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) will prepare election policy costings upon request from a Parliamentary party or a sitting Independent Member of Parliament seeking re-election. Costings prepared by the PBO are published on the PBO website. Parties with fewer than five members in either House of Parliament and Independent members of Parliament can have their policies costed by the PBO.
All costings will be prepared consistent with the Charter of Budget Honesty Policy Costing Guidelines, issued by the Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary of the Department of Finance.