The Federal Commission of Audit, containing 86 recommendations to save billions of taxpayer dollars, has been released.

It argues the big savings can be made in funding health, the ageing and education.

Celeste Skinner reports.

TRANSCRIPT

If the Abbott Government followed all the Commission’s recommendations an estimated $123 billion could be wiped from the projected deficit.

Joe Hockey, Treasurer: “There are a number of recommendations that would be described as courageous, to use a term familiar to some in Canberra, there are some recommendations that represent common sense.”

Among them, the cuts to the paid parental leave grants, foreshadowed yesterday.

Major cuts to government agencies are recommended which could see 15,000 public servants, mostly middle managers, face the axe.

The Commission also says there should be reforms to health and education, with the audit proposing the commonwealth to be kicked out of school funding.

Australians with a disability might have to wait longer for the complete roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme the Commission recommends a slower roll-out schedule.

And people will have to work longer, and face tougher barriers to getting a pension.

Joe Hockey, Treasurer: “We’re not going to turn this ship around overnight, but we are going to turn it around. Because we must.”

The Commission says its report is designed to get the country back to surplus within a decade.

We’ll know in less than a fortnight, which recommendations make it to Budget night.

Celeste Skinner, QUT News.