Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 12-Feb-25

Shadow finance minister Jane Hume has criticised the federal government for getting Treasury officials to undertake costings for the Coalition’s proposal to give small businesses a tax deduction of up to $20,000 a year for business lunches. The major political parties have traditionally not costed each others policies since the independent Parliamentary Budget Office was established. Hume says public servants must not engage in ‘political activities’ as part of their employment, and she has urged Public Service Commissioner Gordon de Brouwer to emphasise this in the lead-up to the federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION