Statement 13:  Historical Commonwealth data
Contents
Historical Commonwealth data	13-3

Table 1:  Commonwealth general government sector cash receipts, payments and surplus(a)

(a)	There is a break in the series between 1998‑99 and 1999‑00. Data for the years up to and including 1998‑99 are consistent with the cash ABS Government Finance Statistics (GFS) reporting requirements. From 1999‑00 onwards, data are derived from an accrual ABS GFS reporting framework, with receipts proxied by receipts from operating activities and sales of non‑financial assets, and payments proxied by payments for operating activities, purchases of non‑financial assets and net acquisition of assets under finance leases. Due to associated methodological and data‑source changes, time series data which encompasses measures derived under both cash and accrual accounting should be used with caution.
(b)	Following recent changes to the Australian National Accounts standards, the surplus measures in this table, from 1998‑99 onwards, incorporate payments by the general government sector in respect of accumulated public non‑financial corporations (PNFC) superannuation liabilities. These payments are not incorporated prior to 1998‑99.
(e)	Estimates.
(p)	Projections.
na	Not applicable, due to a structural break in the series.

Table 2:  Commonwealth general government sector cash taxation receipts, non-taxation receipts and total receipts(a)

(a)	There is a break in the series between 1998-99 and 1999-2000. Data for the years up to and including 1998-99 are consistent with the cash ABS GFS reporting requirements. From 1999-2000 onwards, data are derived from an accrual ABS GFS reporting framework. From 1999-2000, the category ‘Non‑taxation receipts’ includes many large items that were netted off payments in outcomes prior to this time, namely ‘receipts from sales of goods and services’, ‘receipts from sales of non-financial assets’ and ‘other receipts’. From 2000-01, the category ‘Non-taxation receipts’ also includes  ‘GST input credit receipts’. Due to associated methodological and data-source changes, time series data which encompasses measures derived under both cash and accrual accounting should be used with caution.
(e)	Estimates.
(p)	Projections.
na	Not applicable, due to a structural break in the series.

Table 3:  Commonwealth general government sector net debt(a) and net interest payments(b)

(a)	Source:  ABS Cat. No. 5513.0, 5501.0, Commonwealth Final Budget Outcomes and Treasury estimates.
(b)	In 2005-06, there are some one-off factors leading to a marginal increase in estimated net cash interest payments, including the recognition in cash terms of the capital growth on inflation indexed bonds maturing in this year and repurchase premia on nominal bonds repurchased in earlier years and held to their maturity in this year. 
(e)	Estimates.
(p)	Projections.

Table 4:  Commonwealth general government sector revenue, expenses, net capital investment, fiscal balance and net worth(a)
(a)	The fiscal balance is equal to revenue less expenses less net capital investment. Net worth is calculated as assets minus liabilities minus shares and other contributed capital.
(b)	There is a break in the net worth series between 1998‑99 and 1999‑2000. Data up to 1998‑99 are sourced from the Commonwealth’s Consolidated Financial Statements based on Australian accounting standards. Data beginning in 1999‑2000 are based on the GFS framework. For the general government sector, the major change across the break in the series is an improvement in net worth.  This is primarily due to the move from valuing investments in public corporations at historic cost to current market value (which is calculated using the share price for listed corporations). This is partly offset by defence weapons platforms no longer being recorded as assets.
(e)	Estimates.
(p)	Projections.

Table 5:  Commonwealth general government sector accrual taxation revenue, non-taxation revenue and total revenue

(e)	Estimates.
(p)	Projections.
na	Data not available.

Table 6:  Commonwealth cash receipts, payments and surplus by institutional sector(a) 

(a)	There is a break in the series between 1998‑99 and 1999‑00. Data for the years up to and including 1998‑99 are consistent with the cash ABS GFS reporting requirements. From 1999‑00 onwards, data are derived from an accrual ABS GFS reporting framework, with receipts proxied by receipts from operating activities and sales of non‑financial assets, and payments proxied by payments for operating activities, purchases of non‑financial assets and net acquisition of assets under finance leases. Due to associated methodological and data‑source changes, time series data which encompasses measures derived under both cash and accrual accounting should be used with caution.
(b)	Following recent changes to the Australian National Accounts standards, the surplus measures in this table, from 1998‑99 onwards, incorporate payments by the general government sector in respect of accumulated PNFC superannuation liabilities. These payments are not incorporated prior to 1998‑99.
(e)	Estimates.
(p)	Projections.
na	Data not available.

Table 7:  Commonwealth accrual revenue, expenses and fiscal balance by institutional sector(a)

(a)	The fiscal balance is equal to revenue less expenses less net capital investment. Net capital investment is not shown in this table.
(e)	Estimates.
(p)	Projections.
na	Data not available.