Coalition recruits trio to check costings August 17, 2013 - 9:20AM The opposition has recruited three economists and former public servants to give the coalition's election costings the tick. Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey has revealed former head of the prime minister's department Peter Shergold, former Queensland auditor-general Len Scanlan and co-founder of Access Economics Geoff Carmody have been helping the coalition with its figures for the past seven months. "All three members of the panel have outstanding credentials," Mr Hockey said in a statement. Mr Hockey confirmed the men were being paid for their efforts. No other opposition has ever put more effort into ensuring the numbers are correct, he said. At the last election the coalition resorted to an accountancy firm to conduct their costings which were later found to be out by $11 billion. A tribunal later ruled the two accountants involved had breached professional standards. Asked if this panel was an admission that the coalition's costings strategy at the last election was a failure, Mr Hockey said: "No no, not at all." Mr Hockey was tight-lipped on when the costings would be released. He had confirmed on Friday the coalition would wait until close to the end of the campaign to release its policy costings. Treasurer Chris Bowen is likely to respond to this announcement at a press conference later on Saturday in Sydney.