EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Issued by authority of the Treasurer

Parliamentary Service Amendment (Parliamentary Budget Officer) Act 2011

Proclamation

Section 2(1) of the Parliamentary Service Amendment (Parliamentary Budget Officer) Act 2011 (the Act) provides that Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to the Act commence on a single day to be fixed by proclamation.  However, if the provisions do not commence within a period of 6 months of the date after the Act receives Royal Assent, then those provisions commence on the day after the end of that period.  The Act received Royal Assent on 4 December 2011.

The Proclamation fixed 15 February 2012 as the day on which Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to the Act commence.

The Act amends five Acts to establish the position of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (the Officer) and the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), and expands and clarifies arrangements for election policy costings.

Schedule 1 to the Act amends the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 to provide for the appointment and functions of the Officer and the establishment of a PBO.

Schedule 2 to the Act amends the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998 (the Charter) to allow a leader of a Parliamentary party with at least 5 members to access the election costings provisions of the Charter and to explicitly allow for the costing of election policies where the caretaker period for a general election continues beyond polling day.  Schedule 2 also clarifies the definition of caretaker period to make it consistent with the definition provided in the Act and clarifies the responsibilities of the Secretaries of the Departments of the Treasury and Finance and Deregulation.

Schedule 3 to the Act makes consequential amendments to the Freedom of Information Act 1982, the Long Service Leave (Commonwealth Employees) Act 1976 and the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973 to encompass the position of the Officer.

All Departments of State and agencies under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 have been informed of the commencement date.