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Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2023-2024

Current status

This bill became law on Jun 28th, 2023.

Policy area

Budget, tax & economy

What does this bill do?

The Act provides $314.465 million from federal revenue for the parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. in 2023-24.

Why was it introduced?

Parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. needed legal authority to spend money on their 2023-24 ordinary annual servicesThe routine day-to-day services and existing programs that are funded through this yearly appropriation bill. and existing programs. This bill appropriates money from the Consolidated Revenue FundThe main federal government account that this bill authorises money to be drawn from for parliamentary spending. for those departments and lets them meet their scheduled expenses.

Broader context

Parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. already needed annual legal authority to fund their ordinary services and existing programs, and the 2023-24 budget also provided extra support for practical pressures including accommodation constraints at Parliament House and ICTThe computer, network and digital systems funding mentioned in the context as part of the parliamentary departments' pressure points. services across the parliamentary network. The bill responded by appropriating $314.465 million from the Consolidated Revenue FundThe main federal government account that this bill authorises money to be drawn from for parliamentary spending., letting departments use their operating money across their work and giving the Presiding OfficersThe parliamentary leaders who can approve certain extra payments for the parliamentary departments under this bill. limited power to top up urgent shortfalls, with Royal AssentThe formal step that turns the passed bill into an Act. For this Act, commencement still waited until 1 July 2023. locking in that spending authority for 2023-24.

Key criticism

No significant public case against this appropriationA legal approval to spend public money for a stated purpose and amount. bill is recorded so far, and the main plausible concern is simply that it gives parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. limited flexibility and small top-up powers that still need to be used carefully. In the recorded debate, no party represented in the debate opposed the bill, and no substantial criticism beyond ordinary spending oversight concerns was identified.

Who supported it?

Stephen Jones MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.

Introduced in House 09 May 2023
Passed House 15 June 2023
Passed Senate 22 June 2023
Became law 28 June 2023

Did it become law?

Yes

Became law 28 June 2023

Final passage

Passed without a counted vote

Members called out ‘aye’ or ‘no’ — no individual votes were recorded.

Passage speed

50 days

From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step

Official record

View on APH

Parliament of Australia bill page

Meaning

What does this bill do?

  1. The Act provides $314.465 million from federal revenue for the parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. in 2023-24.

  2. Parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. can use their main operating funds across their departmental work, rather than being locked to the notional split shown against each outcome.

  3. The Presiding OfficersThe parliamentary leaders who can approve certain extra payments for the parliamentary departments under this bill. can add extra money during 2023-24 if a parliamentary department faces urgent costs that were missed or underfunded in the schedule.

  4. Extra urgent funding is capped at $300,000 each for the Senate, the House of Representatives and the Parliamentary Budget Office, and $1 million for Parliamentary Services.

Show source excerpts
  1. The total of the items specified in Schedule 1 is $314,465,000.
    Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2023-2024 as-passed bill text
  2. Departmental items involve costs over which a Parliamentary Department has control. Departmental appropriations can be used to make any payment related to the functions of the Parliamentary Department including on purposes covered by other items whether or not they are in the Act for a Parliamentary Department. Expenditure typically covered by departmental items includes:
    Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2023-2024 explanatory memorandum
  3. The responsible Presiding Officer will only consider issuing an amount under subclause 11(1) if satisfied there is an urgent need for expenditure that is not provided for, or is insufficiently provided for, in Schedule 1, because of an omission or understatement, or because of unforeseen circumstances.
    Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2023-2024 explanatory memorandum
  4. Subclauses 11(3) to 11(6) provide the total amounts that can be determined under the APO provisions in the Bill, once enacted, are:
    Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2023-2024 explanatory memorandum

Context

Broader context for this bill

Parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. already needed annual legal authority to fund their ordinary services and existing programs, and the 2023-24 budget also provided extra support for practical pressures including accommodation constraints at Parliament House and ICTThe computer, network and digital systems funding mentioned in the context as part of the parliamentary departments' pressure points. services across the parliamentary network. The bill responded by appropriating $314.465 million from the Consolidated Revenue FundThe main federal government account that this bill authorises money to be drawn from for parliamentary spending., letting departments use their operating money across their work and giving the Presiding OfficersThe parliamentary leaders who can approve certain extra payments for the parliamentary departments under this bill. limited power to top up urgent shortfalls, with Royal AssentThe formal step that turns the passed bill into an Act. For this Act, commencement still waited until 1 July 2023. locking in that spending authority for 2023-24.

  1. 09 May 2023

    2023-24 budget funds parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. and targets accommodation pressure

    The second reading speech said the budget allocated over $314 million for parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office., including extra funding to ease accommodation pressures at Parliament House and support ICTThe computer, network and digital systems funding mentioned in the context as part of the parliamentary departments' pressure points. services for other parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office..

    Hansard ↗
  2. 09 May 2023

    Bill introduced to authorise 2023-24 spending for parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office.

    The government introduced the bill to seek parliament's approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue FundThe main federal government account that this bill authorises money to be drawn from for parliamentary spending. for the operations of the parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. in 2023-24.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗
  3. 22 June 2023

    Parliament passes the bill

    Both houses passed the bill in the same form, clearing the way for the appropriations and urgent top-up powers to take legal effect.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗
  4. 28 June 2023

    Royal AssentThe formal step that turns the passed bill into an Act. For this Act, commencement still waited until 1 July 2023. turns the bill into an Act before its 1 July start

    Royal AssentThe formal step that turns the passed bill into an Act. For this Act, commencement still waited until 1 July 2023. made the bill an Act on 28 June 2023, but the Act commenced on 1 July 2023, when the spending authority for 2023-24 took legal effect.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗

Legislative route

How did it move through Parliament?

House Senate
Introduced 09 May 2023

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 09 May 2023

A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.

Second reading moved

Sent to Federation Chamber for debate 22 May 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Referred to Federation Chamber

Second reading debate 24 May 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Second reading debate 25 May 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Second reading debate 30 May 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Second reading debate 31 May 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Second reading debate 01 June 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

House second reading agreed 15 June 2023

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

Returned from Federation Chamber 15 June 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Reported from Federation Chamber

House third reading agreed 15 June 2023

The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.

Third reading agreed to

Introduced 16 June 2023

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 16 June 2023

A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.

Second reading moved

Senate second reading agreed 22 June 2023

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

Senate third reading agreed 22 June 2023

The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.

Third reading agreed to

Passed both houses 22 June 2023

Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.

Finally passed both Houses

Assent 28 June 2023

The Governor-General gave Royal AssentThe formal step that turns the passed bill into an Act. For this Act, commencement still waited until 1 July 2023., turning the bill into an Act.

Key criticism

The main case against this bill

No significant public case against this appropriationA legal approval to spend public money for a stated purpose and amount. bill is recorded so far, and the main plausible concern is simply that it gives parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. limited flexibility and small top-up powers that still need to be used carefully. In the recorded debate, no party represented in the debate opposed the bill, and no substantial criticism beyond ordinary spending oversight concerns was identified.

No significant public case against the bill is recorded so far.

Votes

Recorded votes

How the bill itself passed

The bill passed both chambers on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for 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.

15 June 2023

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.

22 June 2023

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.

Parliamentary debate

Who spoke, and what they said

Start here — lead voices

Sponsor speech Supports

Stephen Jones

Australian Labor Party • MP 09 May 2023

Stephen Jones supports the bill, saying it provides the parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. with the funding needed for Parliament House operations, services to parliamentarians and ICTThe computer, network and digital systems funding mentioned in the context as part of the parliamentary departments' pressure points. support.

Read in Hansard ↗
Lead voice Supports

Jenny McAllister

Australian Labor Party • Senator 16 June 2023

McAllister supports the bill, saying it provides the 2023-24 appropriations needed for the operations of the parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. and the work of Parliament House.

Read in Hansard ↗

All speeches by bloc

Labor

2 speakers · 2 support

  1. Jenny McAllister ★ McAllister supports the bill, saying it provides the 2023-24 appropriations needed for the operations of the parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. and the work of Parliament House.
    “Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill 1 provides appropriations for decisions taken by Government in the 2023-24 Budget for the operations of Parliamentary Departments.”

    Australian Labor Party • Senator • 16 June 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  2. Stephen Jones ★ Stephen Jones supports the bill, saying it provides the parliamentary departmentsThe departments that support Parliament itself, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. with the funding needed for Parliament House operations, services to parliamentarians and ICTThe computer, network and digital systems funding mentioned in the context as part of the parliamentary departments' pressure points. support.
    “Full details of the proposed expenditure are set out in the schedules of the bill, the explanatory memorandum and the portfolio budget statements tabled in the parliament earlier today. I commend this bill to the House.”

    Australian Labor Party • MP • 09 May 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Record

Full record

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