NSW opposition and minor party MPs will lose access to costings for their policy ideas, apart from election time, under a recommendation to the government they claim will ”stifle democracy”.

Coalition MPs believe year-round access to the Parliamentary Budget Office is a waste of taxpayers’ money. A parliamentary inquiry into the office has recommended to the Premier, Barry O’Farrell, that access to costings by the office be restricted to the six months before the next state election in March 2015.

Under existing legislation, introduced by the departing Labor government late last year, all MPs can submit policy ideas for economic analysis any time within the four-year parliamentary term. This service is predicted to cost $12 million in the next four years, while approving the proposed cut would save $8 million of this.

The recommendation was passed by six Coalition MPs, with four opposition MPs and one Greens MP voting against it.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/opposition-loses-access-to-policy-costings-until-ne…