He said that Australia faces many challenges including fighting inflation, tackling climate change and securing water, making our workforce the most highly skilled in the world, lifting workforce participation and productivity in the face of an ageing population, delivering modern infrastructure and a world-class broadband network, and ending the blame game between federal and state governments.

Mr Swann is seeking submissions on priorities for the 2008-2009 budget.

If you want to give the Government the benefit of your advice, let them know by 18 January 2008.

Lengthier submissions should ideally include an executive summary of no more than two pages, and be accompanied by an electronic version, either on disk or CD, or emailed in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format.

Submissions should be forwarded to the address below:
Address for Submission:
Budget Policy Division
Department of the Treasury
Langton Crescent
PARKES ACT 2600
Or email to: prebudgetsubs@treasury.gov.au

Contact officer: Penny Sirault
Telephone: (02) 6263 3725