This bill became law on Feb 14th, 2025.
Budget, tax & economy
The Act approves about $7.03 billion in extra federal spending for 2024-25 through Schedule 1The part of the bill that lists the actual dollar amounts being appropriated..
Government decisions made after the 2024-25 Budget left the existing appropriation Acts short of funding for those ordinary annual services. This bill provides extra 2024-25 spending authority, restores the Finance Minister's urgent reserve to $400 million, and cuts matching amounts to avoid double funding.
The May 2024 federal budget set the original funding for 2024-25, but later government spending decisions during the same financial year, including decisions reflected in MYEFOThe later fiscal update that can change spending plans and is referred to here as part of the reason extra funding was needed., meant the existing appropriation Acts no longer covered all ordinary annual services. Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2024-2025 was introduced in February 2025 to top up about $7 billion in annual services funding, restore the Finance Minister’s urgent spending reserve to $400 million and prevent double funding, then quickly passed both houses and received Royal Assent.
The main criticism was not that government services should go unfunded, but that this extra $7 billion sat inside a broader pattern of wasteful spending, wrong priorities and a larger public service that critics said was delivering worse results. Most Coalition speakers still said the bill had to pass to keep government operating, so the case against it was limited and largely framed as a criticism of Labor's spending and management rather than the appropriations mechanism itself.
Stephen Jones MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.
Did it become law?
Yes
Became law 14 Feb 2025
Final passage
Passed without a counted vote
Members called out ‘aye’ or ‘no’ — no individual votes were recorded.
Passage speed
10 days
From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step
Meaning
The Act approves about $7.03 billion in extra federal spending for 2024-25 through Schedule 1The part of the bill that lists the actual dollar amounts being appropriated..
Australian Government departments can use their departmental allocations to cover their own operating costs.
The Act restores the Finance Minister's urgent spending reserve to $400 million for the rest of the financial year, even if some of it was already used earlier.
If urgent reserve money was already used for the same purpose, this Act cuts the matching appropriation by that amount so the same spending is not funded twice.
The total of the items specified in Schedule 1 is $7,034,632,000.Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2024-2025 as-passed bill text
The amount specified in a departmental item for a non‑corporate entity may be applied for the departmental expenditure of the entity.Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2024-2025 as-passed bill text
Note: This means that, after the commencement of this Act, the Finance Minister has access to $400 million under section 10 of the Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2024‑2025, regardless of amounts that have already been determined under that section.Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2024-2025 as-passed bill text
Subclause 10(2) prevents appropriations for the same expenditure from both the AFM and the Bill. It provides that if the Bill appropriates an amount for particular expenditure but prior to the commencement of this Bill as an Act, the Finance Minister allocates an amount from the AFM for the same expenditure (the advanced amount), then the appropriation in this Bill, once enacted, will be reduced by the amount of the advanced amount. The appropriated amount cannot be reduced below nil.Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2024-2025 explanatory memorandum
Context
The May 2024 federal budget set the original funding for 2024-25, but later government spending decisions during the same financial year, including decisions reflected in MYEFOThe later fiscal update that can change spending plans and is referred to here as part of the reason extra funding was needed., meant the existing appropriation Acts no longer covered all ordinary annual services. Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2024-2025 was introduced in February 2025 to top up about $7 billion in annual services funding, restore the Finance Minister’s urgent spending reserve to $400 million and prevent double funding, then quickly passed both houses and received Royal Assent.
2024-25 Budget sets the year's original funding
The 2024-25 budget established the initial appropriations that later had to be supplemented for the same financial year.
Hansard ↗Government says post-budget decisions have outgrown existing appropriations
The minister said the bill was needed because expenditure decisions made since the 2024-25 budget, including MYEFOThe later fiscal update that can change spending plans and is referred to here as part of the reason extra funding was needed. decisions, required extra spending authority for the rest of the year.
Hansard ↗House passes the bill
The House agreed to the bill at second and third reading, advancing the extra appropriations needed to keep services funded through the remainder of 2024-25.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Parliament passes the bill
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary approval for the additional 2024-25 spending and restored urgent reserve.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Royal Assent turns the bill into law
Royal Assent made the measure operative as an Act, allowing the extra appropriations and reserve restoration to take legal effect.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
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
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
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
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Finally passed both Houses
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.
Key criticism
The main criticism was not that government services should go unfunded, but that this extra $7 billion sat inside a broader pattern of wasteful spending, wrong priorities and a larger public service that critics said was delivering worse results. Most Coalition speakers still said the bill had to pass to keep government operating, so the case against it was limited and largely framed as a criticism of Labor's spending and management rather than the appropriations mechanism itself.
No party represented in the debate clearly argued services should be left unfunded.
More spending without better results
Critics argued the bill added to a spending approach that had expanded the public service and overall outlays without improving service delivery, pointing to longer waits, fewer claims processed and weaker productivity as signs the money was not being used well.
Extra appropriations reflected broader economic mismanagement
Several opposition speakers said the bill was necessary only because Labor had let spending grow without the right priorities, worsening inflation and cost-of-living pressure. Their concern was that approving more money would reinforce a budget approach they said was already making households and communities worse off.
Further sources
Votes
The bill passed both chambers on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage.
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 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.
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 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
Start here — lead voices
Stephen Jones supports the bill, saying it is needed to fund expenditure decisions made since the 2024-25 budget and to cover changes in program costs and new measures.
Read in Hansard ↗Fletcher opposes the appropriation bill, using it to attack Labor’s expansion of the public service and arguing that more staff has produced worse service for Australians.
Read in Hansard ↗James Stevens says the opposition will support the bill because it ensures the government has funding to keep operating through the election period and into the transition to a new government.
Read in Hansard ↗Violi treats the appropriation bill as necessary and says spending must be appropriate and well targeted, which indicates the opposition will not oppose it.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
1 speaker · 1 support
“Appropriation Bill (No. 3) seeks approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of $7 billion. This would ensure there is sufficient appropriation to cover estimate variations related to existing programs, for instance, changes in costs for demand driven programs. The bill would also provide funding for the 2024-25 financial year costs of measures announced since the 2024-25 budget.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
10 speakers · 8 support · 2 oppose
“I rise to support the passage of the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2024-2025, as well as the Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2024-2025 and the Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2024-2025, as we all do on this side of the chamber. It's very important that we make sure the government has the funding that it needs to get through the election period and support the commencement of a new Dutton government before a budget can be passed by that new government at a later stage this year, so we very much support ensuring that the resources are in place for that important transition that is almost upon the Australian people because we desperately need a change in this country.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“These appropriation bills, Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2024-2025, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2024-2025 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2024-2025, are important, because they bring together government spending, and we always need to make sure that that is appropriate and well targeted.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The opposition supports this legislation to ensure the smooth operation of government and the uninterrupted provision of services that the Australian people rely on. However, while we support these bills as a matter of necessity, we must also use this opportunity to highlight the grave economic mismanagement that has led us to this point and put Australians under so much cost-of-living pressure.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I say to the House: we have seen a collapse in productivity and a collapse in performance at Services Australia under Bill Shorten. More public servants have been employed, but waiting times have blown out and the performance of Services Australia has collapsed. Australians have been grossly let down as a result, but it also gives the lie to this claim, made by union officials and other supporters of this government's agenda, that, somehow, more public servants means better services to Australians. The data shows exactly the opposite.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2024-2025 and Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2024-2025 are necessary appropriations to ensure the continued delivery of essential government service funding decisions made since the 2024-25 budget, which was announced in May last year.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Now, of course the coalition supports these bills to ensure the smooth operation of government and the uninterrupted provision of services that Australians rely on.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Why is this important for the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2024-2025 and the related bills? Because it is absolutely vital that government gets its spending right so that it actually benefits communities, grows communities, makes communities stronger and benefits the whole nation.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This set of appropriation bills— Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2024-2025, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2024-2025 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2024-2025—seeks appropriations for a combined $12.1 billion. We on this side of the House care greatly about how taxpayers' money is spent, and an incoming Dutton and Littleproud government will have the nation's first minister for government efficiency, in the form of Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, alongside the future assistant minister for waste reduction, James Stephens. I cannot wait to see them run the ruler over every agency and find efficiencies and, of course, inefficiencies.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The coalition supports this legislation to ensure the smooth operation of government and the uninterrupted provision of services upon which Australians rely.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The coalition supports these bills because we believe in ensuring essential services continuing but we cannot and will not ignore the shocking economic failures that have made this spending necessary.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
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.
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.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
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.
House · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
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.
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.
Senate · 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.
Senate · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Parliament · Finally passed both Houses
Passed both houses
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.
Assent · Assent
Assent
The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.
