The caretaker period is governed by the Guidelines on the Caretaker Conventions (the caretaker conventions), issued by the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) in June 2026.
The caretaker conventions provide that government and non-government political parties, including independent MPs and candidates, may seek the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) to undertake a costing of their own election policies. DTF will undertake costings in conjunction with relevant departments, subject to the conditions outlined in the caretaker conventions.
To provide more information and guidance to parties about this process, DTF has prepared the Cost verification advice for Victorian political parties and candidates.
Where a party requests DTF to undertake a costing of its own election policies, DTF will use this web page to publicly release the party's costing request and associated DTF costing, consistent with the process and timelines outlined in the guidance.
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