The Gillard Government has welcomed today's passage of amendments to Parliamentary Budget Office legislation through the Parliament.
The amendments mean the Parliamentary Budget Officer will publish a report of election commitments of designated Parliamentary parties and the total combined impact of those policies.
Political parties must now submit their election policies for costing at least one day before an election is held.
If a party refuses to cooperate, the PBO will undertake its own costings of announced policies, meaning there will be nowhere to hide
The Gillard Government believes political parties should be open and accountable for how much their policies cost.
In contrast, Mr Abbott and the Liberal Party are using every trick in the book to avoid releasing their costings.
Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey even said earlier this month:
"I think you've got to be careful about exactly how far you go in your policies and how conditional commitments are".
The Conversation – 11 June 2013
It's clear that the only reason Mr Hockey refuses to release any polices and costings is because they want to keep the savage cuts they plan to inflict on everyday services secret until after the election.
That's why Mr Abbott and Mr Hockey hide behind the Campbell Newman-style Commission of Cuts they would implement after the election.
We already know the Liberals have committed to cutting billions from our schools and slashing the superannuation savings of 8.4 million Australian workers.
But these cruel cuts are just the tip of the iceberg – it's the Liberal way to always cut too hard and always cut in the wrong places.