3.2 Cabinet Budget Review Committee

The CBRC is a core Standing Committee that has a primary role of considering matters with financial or budgetary implications for the government. Initiatives or proposals that cannot be funded from existing appropriations must be directed to CBRC in the first instance for consideration. At the direction of the Premier or Cabinet, CBRC may also consider other issues that require dedicated or longer-term scrutiny or otherwise might best be considered in the Committee environment. Refer to Section 3.1.1 for CBRC membership.

Generally stakeholder Minister(s) will be invited to meetings to provide input into deliberations on submissions. CBRC may decide that following its deliberations on a matter, it should be referred to Cabinet for consideration of wider policy components by the full Ministry.

• 3.2.1 Financial information to be agreed by the Treasury Department
• 3.2.2 Matters to be considered by the Cabinet Budget Review Committee
• 3.2.3 Consideration of major communication campaigns
• 3.2.4 Consideration of public sector enterprise bargaining matters

3.2.1 Financial information to be agreed by the Treasury Department

Given the pre-eminent role of CBRC in considering financial matters at whole of government level, it is essential that financial information supporting the Committee's deliberations is comprehensive and reliable. The provision of unreliable or incomplete financial information will significantly impact on CBRC's ability to make appropriate and informed decisions on proposals.

Consequently it is essential that the Treasury Department's expertise is sought on financial information within submissions to give CBRC a high degree of confidence in the primary information underlying its decisions.

In drafting CBRC submissions involving financial considerations, originating agencies must consult closely with the Treasury Department and agree on costing information in the submission. Where the submission arises or follows on from earlier CBRC consideration, and costing information has been amended since the original submission, it must also be agreed with the Treasury Department and a comprehensive explanation on the changes given within the submission.

CBRC will not consider the proposal if the prior agreement of the Treasury Department to financial information has not been received and reflected in a proposed submission.

3.2.2 Matters to be considered by the Cabinet Budget Review Committee

Matters that would typically be considered by CBRC include:

• matters that would have a significant budgetary impact;
• cyclical whole of government budget deliberative processes including those involving operational budget
  determination and mid year budget reviews;
• governmental or departmental negotiating positions and outcomes on significant industrial relations issues. Refer to Chapter 3.2.4 "Consideration of public sector enterprise bargaining matters";
• proposals that would require funding supplementation beyond that of the normal approved budget allocation to the originating portfolio;
• approval of all major, sensitive, controversial, major impact, and/or television or equivalent advertising campaigns, for Queensland Government agencies. This includes in-flight videos, inserts and publications into state-wide or interstate publications. Refer to Chapter 3.2.3 "Consideration of major communication campaigns" for further information on this matter;
• key intergovernmental agreements with financial implications for Queensland; and
• all proposals for Public Private Partnerships with an expected capital value in excess of $30 M or a whole of life present value of $50 M.

Should there be doubt as to whether a matter should be considered by CBRC, advice should be sought from the relevant Policy Division contact officer or the Cabinet Secretary.

3.2.3 Consideration of major communication campaigns

CBRC is responsible for ensuring communication campaigns undertaken by departments are professionally conceived and executed, meet whole–of-government standards, take into account community expectations, and represent value for money.

The Department of the Premier and Cabinet will submit a CBRC submission attaching an advertising plan that outlines departmental campaigns over the financial year.

Departments are then required to submit campaigns through relevant advertising approval processes managed by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Details are listed on the Department of the Premier and Cabinet GovNet website at http://premiers.govnet.qld.gov.au/policies/index.html.

CBRC considers a number of elements of a proposed communication campaign from a whole-of-government perspective to ensure that each campaign:

• meets the requirements of the Advertising Code of Conduct (also available on the GovNet website at http://premiers.govnet.qld.gov.au/policies/index.html);
• reflects relevant policy initiatives;
• undertakes whole-of-government consultation (where applicable);
• is professionally conceived, executed and justified;
• represents value for money; and
• reflects market research on community attitudes and behaviours.

The process applies to core government departments only.

Further information on advertising approvals and CBRC requirements for communication campaigns is available on the Department of the Premier and Cabinet GovNet website at http://premiers.govnet.qld.gov.au/policies/index.html or can be obtained from Communication, Services, Department of the Premier and Cabinet (email gacc@premiers.qld.gov.au).

3.2.4 Consideration of public sector enterprise bargaining matters

CBRC is responsible for considering public sector enterprise bargaining negotiating positions and outcomes. The Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Division of Public Sector Industrial and Employee Relations centrally manages these negotiations through its Central Bargaining Unit.

Given the responsibility the Industrial Relations portfolio has for overseeing and coordinating public sector enterprise bargaining processes (including the implementation of the requirements of the good faith protocol) the Minister for Industrial Relations shall be joint signatory on all CBRC submissions directly relating to these matters.

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