Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, , 9:06:08 to 9:11:15
Discussion on the Expenditure Review Committee's role in reviewing the ATO's surcharge policy and the associated costings provided by Treasury.
Topics: Government spending, Procurement
Speakers: Hon Jane Hume, Anthea Harris, Dr Louise Rawlings, Senator Steph Hodgins-May, Unknown Speaker, Dr Steven Kennedy, Ms Anthea Harris, Speaker 46
As Miss Harris said, Senator, we provided advice in the context of expenditure review committee
the expenditure review committee was the 9th of October. Is that correct?
>> That's what the prime minister has publicly indicated.
>> And that was the day that the prime minister received the information from
I I'm not sure, Senator. We don't have information on um when this when the prime minister had communications um with Aki. Um but uh it is in the public domain that that the ERC met on
It was Tuesday the 13th of October at the academ. The prime minister said Andrew M. McKela to text me last Thursday morning and by Friday morning we had an announcement. So Thursday morning was the 8th of October and Friday morning was the 9th of October. ERC was on the 9th of October. Is that
>> That's what the prime minister indicated in question time, Senator.
>> Right. Okay. So before that time the prime minister had no idea that this had occurred or did PMNC know and not tell the prime minister or did PMNC advise the prime minister but he forgotten or
what happened? Again, Senator, unfortunately, any advice that we provided was in the context of an of ERC consideration and I we're not in a position to be able to go into the information that uh any advice that we
>> Okay. So, again, you said that you first found out about this in late September and any advice that you gave the prime minister was in the context of ERC, which didn't occur until Friday, the 9th of October. Is that correct?
was in uh in the context of uh ERC considerations. That's right. Um Senator.
>> Okay. So the ban had had already come >> on the 1st of October.
>> Yes, that's right, Senator.
So the prime minister received a text from Aki about this issue on the Thursday. The ban had already been in effect for a week. He did something about it on the Friday, which was when ERC was. So, he didn't know about it before then. You hadn't briefed him other than an ERC paper.
Uh again, Minister um we can take on notice um to just double check that there was no further communications but um my understanding is that the only advice we have provided on this matter was in the context of an ERC consideration.
>> Okay. So was there a costing done before then?
again Senator um that would be a matter for ERC consideration
>> and a matter for Treasury Senator they they do the costings they bring the advice forward I think you're you're best directing your questions to when matters um were considered and costed to
so there was no work done by PMNC other than an ERC brief on this issue Is that
>> So, Senator, um the government government agencies started working through the implications of the RBA's announcement to stop search charging um from the time of announcement in March 2026 to the ban coming into place in October 2026. But PMNC had continual engagement with other agencies including Treasury. But as the secretary says, the detailed questions around costings and policy are best directed to Treasury.
>> Okay. Why why did ERC not consider the cost of this because it was obviously $200 million until after it had been implemented?
Senator, that's not something that we can really comment on. That's a matter of cabinet deliberations.
>> It's just that normally decisions of that magnitude would be made before the announcement rather than afterwards.
Again, Senator, that's not um fortunately that's not something that we
>> All right. Um that AI speech and last question on this issue. Yep. Uh the uh Aki speech, the prime minister's speech is yet to appear on his official website. Is there a reason for that? >> It's very unusual. Normally they go up
>> Not that I'm aware of, Senator, but I can look into the reason for the delay.
>> That would be Thank you.
Thank you, Senator B. >> Thank you. I'm going to return to my um questions on diesel and um Dr. Kennedy, if you please do contribute given your expertise if you see fit. Um