ACOSS to appear at Senate Inquiry into Commission of Audit

ACOSS will appear before the Senate Inquiry into the Commission of Audit at 2.30pm today (Tuesday 18 February) in Canberra.

CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie will tell Select Senate Committee members that the Commission of Audit is an important opportunity to review Commonwealth expenditure with a view to long-term structural reform to put the budget on a sustainable footing.

However, she will argue that the Commission will be a missed opportunity if tax expenditures are off the table and if the process is done behind closed doors, with a view to short term savings.

Dr Goldie wants to see the Commission of Audit focus on identifying current waste in the Federal Budget in the form of generous tax breaks and poorly targeted programs, and avoid recommending cuts to funding that is already well-targeted to low income and vulnerable communities.

In its submission to the Commission of Audit, ACOSS has cautioned the Federal Government against relying on a ‘quick fix’ of spending cuts to restore the Budget, pointing out that the deficit is mainly due to falling revenues, and proposes this be restored to pre-GFC levels to raise an additional $23 billion a year.

ACOSS will outline its concerns about the scope and process of the commission, which it maintains should be conducted in an open and transparent manner with active community participation.