New Treasurer Calls for Community Input into Budget

Today I call on families, individuals, business and community groups to submit their ideas for the Government's first Budget, as we go about meeting the big economic challenges Australia faces.

These challenges include fighting inflation, tackling climate change and securing water, making our workforce the most highly skilled in the world, lifting workforce participation and productivity in the face of an ageing population, delivering modern infrastructure and a world-class broadband network, and ending the blame game between federal and state governments.

They are challenges that can only be met by focussing squarely on the future, and investing in the productive capacity of the economy – that's our priority.

Community views are critical considerations for the Government when forming its policies.

That is why I am seeking public submissions regarding priorities for the 2008-09 Budget.

In order to allow views to feed into the Budget process, I ask that interested parties lodge submissions as soon as possible, and before Friday, 18 January 2008.

Lengthier submissions should ideally include an executive summary of no more than two pages, and be accompanied by an electronic version, either on disk or CD, or emailed in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format.

Submissions should be forwarded to the address below:

Budget Policy Division
Department of the Treasury
Langton Crescent
PARKES ACT 2600
Or email to: prebudgetsubs@treasury.gov.au

Contact officer: Penny Sirault
Telephone: (02) 6263 3725

CANBERRA
4 December 2007