CHAIR (Senator Faulkner) —I declare open this first public hearing of the Joint Select Committee on the Parliamentary Budget Office and welcome all committee members, witnesses, staff and others who are present. The committee is tasked with inquiring into and reporting on the appropriate mandate, structure, resourcing and protocols for a parliamentary budget office, which of course will include examining a range of issues including probable functions, lines of accountability, oversight, reporting requirements, access to information, disclosure of its work and also its relationship with existing institutions and agencies, and like matters.

Today our committee will hear from the Department of Parliamentary Services, the Clerk of the Senate, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Treasury, the Department of Finance and Deregulation, the Auditor-General and Mr Stephen Bartos. As committee members would be aware, we have received additional submissions that have been listed and circulated to members of the committee. I would appreciate it if a committee member could move that submissions nine to 16 and submission 18 be received and authorised for publication.

Senator JOYCE —So moved.

CHAIR —Thanks, I appreciate that. There being no objection, it is so ordered. I will deal with submission 17 at a later stage.

[9.07 am]