Appendix B: Data
The information in this statement is consistent with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Government Finance Statistics (GFS) reporting framework for the public sector.
Data are presented both by level of government and institutional sector. ‘Level of government’ refers to the distinction between the Australian and state/local governments. When combined, the Australian Government, state/local governments and universities, are referred to as the ‘consolidated public sector’.
The clear policy intent of the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Reform of Commonwealth-State Financial Relations is that the GST is collected by the Australian Taxation Office, as an agent for the states, and appropriated to the states. The Australian Government accrual revenue and expenses and cash receipts and payments measures included in this statement therefore differ from ABS GFS measures by treating the GST revenue as state tax revenue.
Data are sourced from the ABS 1997-98 Government Finance Statistics (Cat. No. 5512.0) and 2003-04 Government Finance Statistics (Cat. No. 5512.0), Australian Government Final Budget Outcomes and jurisdictions’ 2004-05 mid-year reports and, for Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory only, 2005-06 Budgets. As indicated in Budget Paper No. 1, Budget Strategy and Outlook 2004-05, Statement 12, a review of the accrual time series data by the ABS, in consultation with all Treasuries, has been occurring. The review is resulting in improved quality in the time series data and has resulted in some changes to the series. Further revisions are expected over the next year.
Since the move to accrual budget reporting, cash surplus data from the cash flow statements are used. Cash receipts are now proxied by receipts from operating activities and sales of non-financial assets, and cash payments are proxied by payments for operating activities, purchases of non-financial assets and acquisitions of assets under finance leases. Due to methodological and data source changes associated with the move to an accrual accounting framework, time series data that use measures derived under both cash and accrual accounting should be used with caution.
Consistent with the revised GFS treatment announced by the ABS (ABS Cat. No. 5501.0, released October 2002), the Australian Government general government surplus measures in this statement, from 1998-99 onwards, incorporate the interest component of superannuation-related payments by the Australian Government general government sector in respect of accumulated public non-financial corporations’ superannuation liabilities.
Net debt data are sourced from the ABS 1998 Public Sector Financial Assets and Liabilities (ABS Cat. No. 5513.0), the ABS 1999-2000 Government Finance Estimates (ABS Cat. No. 5501.0), 2003-04 Government Finance Statistics (ABS Cat. No. 5512.0) and Statement 13. Net debt numbers from 2004-05 are taken from jurisdictions’ 2004-05 mid-year reports, 2005-06 budgets and Australian Government Treasury estimates.
Australian Government budget aggregates, including net debt for 1999-2000 onwards, have been revised relative to the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2002-03 and the respective Final Budget Outcomes to incorporate changes associated with the market valuation of net debt.