This bill became law on Mar 27th, 2025.
Government & democracy
The Act provides about $139.5 million to keep the Department of the SenateThe part of Parliament that supports the Senate, including its administration and staff., the Department of the House of RepresentativesThe part of Parliament that supports the House of Representatives, including its administration and staff., 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 Parliament office that provides budget analysis and costing help to members and senators. operating for the first five months of 2025-26.
Parliamentary departmentsThe four Parliament-run bodies funded by this bill: the Senate department, House department, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. needed money to keep operating for the first five months of 2025-26 before the main annual appropriationLegal authority from Parliament to spend public money for a stated purpose. bills were passed. This bill provides that interim funding, excludes new budget measures, and allows limited urgent extra spending if estimates are missing or unexpected events arise.
Parliamentary departmentsThe four Parliament-run bodies funded by this bill: the Senate department, House department, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. were already funded through the normal annual appropriationLegal authority from Parliament to spend public money for a stated purpose. cycle, with 2025-26 estimates built from the 2024-25 base and earlier adjustments including decisions reflected in the 2024-25 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook. As the new financial year approached before the main budget appropriationLegal authority from Parliament to spend public money for a stated purpose. bills could pass, the government used this bill to provide about $139.5 million for the first five months of 2025-26, exclude new budget measures, preserve a capped $1.9 million urgent spending backstop, and secure that funding through passage and Royal Assent in late March 2025.
The main recorded criticism was not about this bill’s interim funding itself, but a broader Senate complaint that the 2025 budget process was rushed and fiscally unsound. That concern appeared in a defeated second-reading amendment in the Senate, so the criticism was limited rather than a broad case against the bill.
Stephen Jones MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.
Did it become law?
Yes
Became law 27 Mar 2025
Final passage
Passed without a counted vote
1 recorded amendment or procedural vote was found, but no counted vote on the bill itself was recorded.
Passage speed
2 days
From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step
Meaning
The Act provides about $139.5 million to keep the Department of the SenateThe part of Parliament that supports the Senate, including its administration and staff., the Department of the House of RepresentativesThe part of Parliament that supports the House of Representatives, including its administration and staff., 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 Parliament office that provides budget analysis and costing help to members and senators. operating for the first five months of 2025-26.
The Act gives interim funding only, so it does not add any new 2025-26 budget measures for parliamentary departmentsThe four Parliament-run bodies funded by this bill: the Senate department, House department, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. before the main budget appropriationLegal authority from Parliament to spend public money for a stated purpose. bills are passed.
The Presiding OfficerThe parliamentary office holder who can approve urgent extra spending for a parliamentary department under this bill. for a parliamentary department can authorise extra urgent spending during 2025-26 if Schedule 1 missed something, understated it, or unexpected events arise.
Extra urgent spending under this Act and the matching 2025-26 parliamentary appropriationLegal authority from Parliament to spend public money for a stated purpose. law is capped at a combined total of $1.9 million.
The Act lets parliamentary departmentsThe four Parliament-run bodies funded by this bill: the Senate department, House department, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. transfer appropriated money into a special accountA legally separate account that can hold appropriated money for a specific purpose when the bill allows it. when that account can be used for the same purpose.
The Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) provides appropriations for the first five months of financial year 2025-26 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. The bill seeks approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of $139.5 million.Minister's second reading speech
As with other supply bills, I wish to emphasise that the bill only seeks appropriate funding on an interim basis until the budget appropriation bills have been passed. Therefore, no new measures for the 2025-26 budget are included in this bill.Minister's second reading speech
Subclause 11(1) enables the responsible Presiding Officer to allocate additional amounts for expenditure when satisfied that there is an urgent need for expenditure in the current year that is not provided for, or is insufficiently provided for, in Schedule 1 either because of an erroneous omission or understatement, or because of unforeseen circumstances. The allocated amount is referred to as the Advance to the responsible Presiding Officer (APO).Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 explanatory memorandum
Subclause 11(7) provides that, should both the Bill and the Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 be enacted, the amounts specified in subsections 11(3) to (6) of the Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 1) 2025‑2026 are to be disregarded. Instead, the amounts specified in subsections 11(3) to (6) of the Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 1) 2025-2026 are the total amounts available to be determined under both APO provisions. The practical effect is that if both Bills became Acts during the term of this Parliament, then the APO under those respective Acts cannot be granted beyond a total of $1.9 million.Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 explanatory memorandum
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. 1) 2025-2026 final Act text
Context
Parliamentary departmentsThe four Parliament-run bodies funded by this bill: the Senate department, House department, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. were already funded through the normal annual appropriationLegal authority from Parliament to spend public money for a stated purpose. cycle, with 2025-26 estimates built from the 2024-25 base and earlier adjustments including decisions reflected in the 2024-25 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook. As the new financial year approached before the main budget appropriationLegal authority from Parliament to spend public money for a stated purpose. bills could pass, the government used this bill to provide about $139.5 million for the first five months of 2025-26, exclude new budget measures, preserve a capped $1.9 million urgent spending backstop, and secure that funding through passage and Royal Assent in late March 2025.
Existing parliamentary funding settings carried into the 2025-26 estimates
The interim amounts were built broadly from the 2024-25 base with economic, program and other estimate adjustments including decisions already reflected in the 2024-25 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 explanatory memorandum ↗Government introduces interim funding for parliamentary departmentsThe four Parliament-run bodies funded by this bill: the Senate department, House department, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office.
The second reading speech said the bill would appropriate $139.5 million for the first five months of 2025-26, exclude new budget measures and keep a $1.9 million advance for urgent unforeseen spending.
Minister's second reading speech ↗Parliament passes the bill
Both houses passed the bill in the same form, clearing the way for the interim appropriations to take legal effect before the main annual bills were enacted.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Royal Assent makes the interim funding law
Royal Assent turned the bill into an Act so parliamentary departmentsThe four Parliament-run bodies funded by this bill: the Senate department, House department, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. had legal authority for early-2025-26 spending while waiting for the full-year appropriationLegal authority from Parliament to spend public money for a stated purpose. legislation.
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 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 recorded criticism was not about this bill’s interim funding itself, but a broader Senate complaint that the 2025 budget process was rushed and fiscally unsound. That concern appeared in a defeated second-reading amendment in the Senate, so the criticism was limited rather than a broad case against the bill.
No party represented in the debate opposed the bill itself; criticism went only to a broader budget complaint.
Broader budget process and fiscal settings
A Senate second-reading amendment argued the wider 2025 budget was rushed and should be withdrawn and redrawn so spending better matched revenue. That was a criticism of the government’s broader budget approach rather than a direct objection to this routine interim supply bill.
Further sources
Votes
The bill passed both chambers on the voices. The counted divisions below were about amendments or procedure, not 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.
Recorded amendment and procedural votes grouped by chamber. Expand a vote to see the party breakdown.
Senate
Defeated 3 to 42. Support came from One Nation. Opposition came from Labor, Greens, Liberal Party, Australia's Voice, and minor parties and independents. Minor-party and independent votes were split.
It was a second-reading statement vote, not a direct change to the bill text. The Senate defeated the amendment 42-3, so the bill proceeded to its second reading unchanged.
These are amendment votes, not the final passage vote on the bill itself. The bill passed both chambers on the voices.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Jones supports the bill, saying it provides interim funding for parliamentary departmentsThe four Parliament-run bodies funded by this bill: the Senate department, House department, Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Office. until the main budget appropriations are passed.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
1 speaker · 1 support
“As with other supply bills, I wish to emphasise that the bill only seeks appropriate funding on an interim basis until the budget appropriation bills have been passed. Therefore, no new measures for the 2025-26 budget are included in this bill.”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 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.
