Push to block fossil fuel funding
Greens senators tried to use amendments to stop any public money being spent on fossil fuel projects, especially the Beetaloo Basin drilling program, arguing public funding should not support that activity.
Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2022-2023
Current status
This bill became law on Nov 3rd, 2022.
Policy area
Government & democracy
What does this bill do?
The Act provides $155.107 million for parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office., giving Parliament’s support agencies money to keep operating and delivering services.
Why was it introduced?
Parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. needed interim funding to keep operating in 2022-23 while the rest of their annual appropriations were handled separately. This bill provides that temporary supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. from the Consolidated Revenue FundThe main federal money pool that Parliament authorises spending from in this bill. so the Senate, House, parliamentary services and budget office can keep delivering their work.
Broader context
Earlier supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. legislation had already funded parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. for roughly the first five months of the 2022-23 financial year, but Parliament still needed fresh authority to keep the Senate, House of Representatives, Department of Parliamentary ServicesThe department that provides shared services for Parliament, such as building, security and information support. and Parliamentary Budget OfficeAn independent parliamentary office that provides budget and fiscal analysis for parliamentarians. operating while the main annual appropriations were dealt with separately. The bill responded by providing temporary additional supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. for the remainder of 2022-23, and after Parliament passed it in late October 2022 it received Royal Assent on 3 November 2022 so those support services could continue without a funding gap.
Key criticism
The main criticism was not about funding Parliament’s own departments, but that the bill was used by Greens senators to press for a ban on any public money supporting fossil fuel projects, especially Beetaloo Basin drilling. That objection appears to have been limited to the Greens and did not become broader opposition, with the Senate defeating both the second-reading amendment and the committee-stage request.
Who supported it?
Minister MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.
Introduced in House 25 Oct 2022
Passed House 25 Oct 2022
Passed Senate 26 Oct 2022
Became law 03 Nov 2022
Did it become law?
Yes
Became law 03 Nov 2022
Final passage
Passed without a counted vote
2 recorded amendment or procedural votes were found, but no counted vote on the bill itself was recorded.
Passage speed
9 days
From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step
Meaning
What does this bill do?
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The Act provides $155.107 million for parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office., giving Parliament’s support agencies money to keep operating and delivering services.
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The Department of the SenateThe support department that helps the Senate run its business and provides services to senators., the Department of the House of RepresentativesThe support department that helps the House of Representatives run its business and provides services to members., the Department of Parliamentary ServicesThe department that provides shared services for Parliament, such as building, security and information support. and the Parliamentary Budget OfficeAn independent parliamentary office that provides budget and fiscal analysis for parliamentarians. can use their departmental allocations for their own operating costs.
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Parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. can spend outcome-based funding on activities that match the results set out for them, so money can be used for the work tied to each department’s stated goals.
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If a parliamentary department’s appropriationA legal authority for government money to be spent for a stated purpose. covers a special accountA separate government account that money can be credited to and spent from for a particular purpose. purpose, money can be moved into that special accountA separate government account that money can be credited to and spent from for a particular purpose. so it can be spent through that account.
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The Act automatically ends on 1 July 2025, so this funding law is temporary rather than ongoing.
Show source excerpts
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The total of the items specified in Schedule 1 is $155,107,000.
Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 2) 2022-2023 final Act text -
The amount specified in a departmental item for a Parliamentary Department may be applied for the departmental expenditure of the Parliamentary Department.
Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 2) 2022-2023 final Act text -
(1) The amount specified in an administered item for an outcome for a Parliamentary Department may be applied for expenditure for the purpose of contributing to achieving that outcome.
Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 2) 2022-2023 final Act text -
If any of the purposes of a special account is a purpose that is covered by an item (whether or not the item expressly refers to the special account), then amounts may be debited against the appropriation for that item and credited to that special account.
Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 2) 2022-2023 final Act text -
This Act is repealed at the start of 1 July 2025.
Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 2) 2022-2023 final Act text
Context
Broader context for this bill
Earlier supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. legislation had already funded parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. for roughly the first five months of the 2022-23 financial year, but Parliament still needed fresh authority to keep the Senate, House of Representatives, Department of Parliamentary ServicesThe department that provides shared services for Parliament, such as building, security and information support. and Parliamentary Budget OfficeAn independent parliamentary office that provides budget and fiscal analysis for parliamentarians. operating while the main annual appropriations were dealt with separately. The bill responded by providing temporary additional supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. for the remainder of 2022-23, and after Parliament passed it in late October 2022 it received Royal Assent on 3 November 2022 so those support services could continue without a funding gap.
- 2022-23
Earlier supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. covered the first part of the financial year
The government said the first five months of 2022-23 had already been funded by SupplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. Act (No. 1) 2022-23, leaving later funding for parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. to be dealt with separately.
Hansard ↗ - 25 Oct 2022
Government says more supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. is needed for the rest of 2022-23
In the second reading speech, the government said the additional supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. bills were needed to facilitate the continuation of ongoing government business for broadly the last seven months of the financial year.
Hansard ↗ - 26 Oct 2022
Senate told the bills must pass that week to avoid a funding gap
The government told the Senate the bills had to pass in that sitting week to provide certainty of supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. for the remainder of 2022-23 and ensure continuity of program and service delivery.
Hansard ↗ - 26 Oct 2022
Parliament passes the bill
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, clearing the way for the extra appropriations for parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. to take effect.
Parliamentary timeline ↗ - 03 Nov 2022
Royal Assent turns the bill into law
Royal Assent made the temporary supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. law operative so parliamentary support agencies could keep functioning under the new appropriationA legal authority for government money to be spent for a stated purpose..
Parliamentary timeline ↗
Legislative route
How did it move through Parliament?
House Senate
Introduced 25 Oct 2022
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
Second reading opened 25 Oct 2022
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
House second reading agreed 25 Oct 2022
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
House third reading agreed 25 Oct 2022
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
Introduced 26 Oct 2022
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
Second reading opened 26 Oct 2022
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Second reading debate 26 Oct 2022
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate third reading agreed 26 Oct 2022
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
Passed both houses 26 Oct 2022
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Finally passed both Houses
Assent 03 Nov 2022
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.
Key criticism
The main case against this bill
The main criticism was not about funding Parliament’s own departments, but that the bill was used by Greens senators to press for a ban on any public money supporting fossil fuel projects, especially Beetaloo Basin drilling. That objection appears to have been limited to the Greens and did not become broader opposition, with the Senate defeating both the second-reading amendment and the committee-stage request.
No party represented in the debate opposed the bill itself; the recorded criticism was narrow and policy-linked.
Further sources
Votes
Recorded votes
How the bill itself passed
The bill passed both chambers on the voices. The counted divisions below were about amendments or procedure, not final passage.
Passed House passed the bill
House agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed
House passed the bill
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Passed Senate passed the bill
Senate agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.
Passed
Senate passed the bill
Passed on the voices
In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.
Amendments at a glance
Recorded amendment and procedural votes grouped by chamber. Expand a vote to see the party breakdown.
Senate
Defeated Call to stop Beetaloo funding
Defeated 12 to 28. Support came from Greens. Opposition came from Labor, Liberal Party, Nationals, and One Nation.
Defeated
Call to stop Beetaloo funding
The bill itself still passed second reading, and the Greens' call to withhold funding for Beetaloo was rejected.
Party Aye / No
Labor 0 / 20
Greens 12 / 0
Liberal Party 0 / 6
Nationals 0 / 1
One Nation 0 / 1
Defeated Remove Beetaloo drilling funding
Defeated 12 to 31. Support came from Greens. Opposition came from Labor, Liberal Party, Nationals, and Jacqui Lambie Network.
Defeated
Remove Beetaloo drilling funding
The chamber refused to change the appropriations in committee, so the supply billA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. reported without amendments.
Party Aye / No
Labor 0 / 19
Greens 12 / 0
Liberal Party 0 / 9
Nationals 0 / 2
Jacqui Lambie Network 0 / 1
These are amendment votes, not the final passage vote on the bill itself. The bill passed both chambers on the voices.
Parliamentary debate
Who spoke, and what they said
Start here — lead voices
Sponsor speech Unclear
Minister
The minister moves the second reading of the bill, but this extract gives no substantive explanation of the bill's purpose or any argument for or against it.
Read in Hansard ↗ Lead supporting voice Supports
Stephen Jones
Stephen Jones supports the bill, saying it provides the funding needed to keep the parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. operating for the rest of the 2022-23 financial year.
Read in Hansard ↗ Lead voice Supports
Jenny McAllister
McAllister supports the bill and says it is needed to keep the parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. funded and the Parliament operating through the rest of 2022-23.
Read in Hansard ↗ Lead voice Supports
Dean Smith
Smith says the opposition will support the bill and the related supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. measures so government functions can continue without delay, while noting the budget still deserves close scrutiny through estimates.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
Labor
2 speakers · 3 contributions · 2 support
Labor
2 speakers · 3 contributions · 2 support
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Stephen Jones ★ Stephen Jones supports the bill, saying it provides the funding needed to keep the parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. operating for the rest of the 2022-23 financial year.
“The Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2022-2023 provides appropriations for broadly the last seven months of the financial year for the operations of the Department of the Senate, the Department of the House of Representatives, the Department of Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Jenny McAllister ★ 2 contributions McAllister supports the bill and says it is needed to keep the parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. funded and the Parliament operating through the rest of 2022-23.
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Jenny McAllister on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
McAllister supports the bill and says it is needed to keep the parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. funded and the Parliament operating through the rest of 2022-23. She frames it as routine supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. that provides certainty while excluding new October 2022 budget decisions.
“The Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2022-2023 provides appropriations for broadly the last seven months of 2022-23 for the operations of:”
Read this contribution in Hansard ↗Second reading speech
McAllister supports the bill and says it is needed to provide ongoing supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. and continuity of government for the rest of 2022-23. She rejects the Greens' amendment and commends the bills to the Senate.
“I note that the Greens have moved a second reading amendment. Labor will not support that amendment. Once again, I thank all senators for their contributions and commend these bills to the Senate.”
Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Coalition
2 speakers · 2 support
Coalition
2 speakers · 2 support
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Dean Smith ★ Smith says the opposition will support the bill and the related supplyA temporary appropriation bill that keeps departments funded until the main annual funding laws are dealt with. measures so government functions can continue without delay, while noting the budget still deserves close scrutiny through estimates.
“In keeping with convention, on the basis of discussions between the government and the opposition, the coalition will support the passage of these supply bills this morning. I also note that two amendments have been circulated in the chamber by the Australian Greens, and the coalition will be opposing both.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Stuart Robert Robert says the opposition will support the bill’s passage in accordance with convention, so government functions and parliamentary departmentsThe four support bodies covered by this bill: the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. can keep operating.
“I'll be very brief. Considering the lateness of the hour, I rise to speak on the cognate debate on Supply Bill (No. 3), Supply Bill (No. 4) and Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2022-2023. The opposition will support the passage of the bills, in accordance with convention. It's important that the appropriate functions of government continue and departments are resourced to effectively carry out their duties when the examination of the appropriation bills through parliamentary processes means there is the inevitable delay of their passage.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Unknown
1 speaker · 1 unclear
Unknown
1 speaker · 1 unclear
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Minister ★ The minister moves the second reading of the bill, but this extract gives no substantive explanation of the bill's purpose or any argument for or against it.
“That this bill be now read a second time.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
Full record
- Act title
- Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 2) 2022-2023
- Act number
- Act No. 46, 2022
- Became law
- 03 Nov 2022
- Takes effect
- The whole of this Act 03 Nov 2022
- Registered
- 03 Nov 2022
- Administered by
- Department of Finance
- Final law metadata was collected from the APH progress table; commencement rows were parsed from the bill text.
- Status
- Act -- Collected from the APH bill page.
- Originating house
- House of Representatives
- 25 Oct 2022
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
- 25 Oct 2022
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
- 25 Oct 2022
House · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
- 25 Oct 2022
House · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
- 26 Oct 2022
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
- 26 Oct 2022
Senate · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
- 26 Oct 2022
Senate · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
- 26 Oct 2022
Senate · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
- 26 Oct 2022
Parliament · Finally passed both Houses
Passed both houses
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
- 03 Nov 2022
Assent · Assent
Assent
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.