Sponsor speech Supports
Jim Chalmers
Chalmers supports the appropriation bill and says it is the budget plan for cost-of-living relief, stronger Medicare, more homes, and investment in education and productivity.
Read in Hansard ↗Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026
Current status
This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.
Policy area
Budget, tax & economy
What does this bill do?
This bill would let the Australian Government withdraw money from the Consolidated Revenue FundThe main pot of Commonwealth money that Parliament must authorise before the government can spend it. to pay for its ordinary yearly operations.
Why was it introduced?
Government operations for 2025-26 needed authorised funding, including new Budget measuresNew spending items or savings decisions announced in the Budget and funded through the bill. and extra 2024-25 spending agreed after additional estimatesA later budget update where Parliament agrees to extra funding for the rest of the financial year.. This bill lets money be drawn from the Consolidated Revenue FundThe main pot of Commonwealth money that Parliament must authorise before the government can spend it., sets spending limits for departments, and gives the Finance Minister limited flexibility for urgent gaps or unexpected events.
Broader context
Australia’s ordinary annual government services already depended on parliamentary appropriation before money could be drawn from the Consolidated Revenue FundThe main pot of Commonwealth money that Parliament must authorise before the government can spend it., and for 2025-26 the government also wanted to fund new Budget measuresNew spending items or savings decisions announced in the Budget and funded through the bill. and extra 2024-25 spending agreed after additional estimatesA later budget update where Parliament agrees to extra funding for the rest of the financial year.. This bill was introduced to set those spending limits for departments and provide a limited contingency advance, but it lapsed when Parliament was dissolved before it could complete passage and become the legal authority for that funding.
Key criticism
No significant public case against the bill is recorded so far, beyond the usual caution that appropriation bills give the government broad authority to spend large sums as set out in the budget. in publicly available sources available here, only Treasurer Jim Chalmers is recorded speaking on the bill, so any criticism appears limited or unrecorded rather than a clear public campaign against it.
Who supported it?
Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP introduced this bill. Speeches supporting it came from Labor.
Introduced in House 25 Mar 2025
Failed in House 28 Mar 2025
Did not reach Senate —
Did not become law —
Did it become law?
No
The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.
Final passage
No final passage
The bill has not completed passage and is no longer proceeding.
Time before failure
3 days
From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding
Meaning
What does this bill do?
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This bill would let the Australian Government withdraw money from the Consolidated Revenue FundThe main pot of Commonwealth money that Parliament must authorise before the government can spend it. to pay for its ordinary yearly operations.
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This bill would provide most of the government's planned 2025-26 ordinary operating funding up front, plus funding for new budget measuresNew spending items or savings decisions announced in the Budget and funded through the bill. and some extra 2024-25 spending agreed after additional estimatesA later budget update where Parliament agrees to extra funding for the rest of the financial year..
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This bill would fund Australian Government departments and other non-corporate Commonwealth bodies by setting aside specific amounts for their spending.
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This bill would let the Finance Minister add up to $400 million for urgent spending during the year if the original budget left something out, underestimated it, or unexpected events arise.
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This bill would allow budget amounts to be adjusted later for GSTThe tax referred to here because some appropriations are later adjusted to net off GST amounts that can be recovered. recoveries and for machinery-of-government changes when functions move between departments.
Show source excerpts
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The main purpose of the Bill is to propose appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) for the ordinary annual services of the Government.
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 explanatory memorandum -
The Bill proposes appropriations broadly equivalent to 7/12ths of the estimated 2025-26 annual appropriations for the ordinary annual services of the Government, plus 2025‑26 Budget measures. The Bill also includes appropriations for expenditure in the remainder of 2024-25 agreed since the 2024‑25 Additional Estimates.
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 explanatory memorandum -
The Bill provides for the appropriation of specified amounts for expenditure by Australian Government entities, primarily being non-corporate Commonwealth entities (non-corporate entities) under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act).
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 explanatory memorandum -
Subclause 10(1) enables the Finance Minister 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 Finance Minister (AFM).
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 explanatory memorandum -
Items may be adjusted to take into account the transfer of functions between non-corporate entities, in accordance with section 75 of the PGPA Act. It is possible that adjustments under section 75 may result in new items and/or outcomes being created in an Appropriation Act.
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 explanatory memorandum
Context
Broader context for this bill
Australia’s ordinary annual government services already depended on parliamentary appropriation before money could be drawn from the Consolidated Revenue FundThe main pot of Commonwealth money that Parliament must authorise before the government can spend it., and for 2025-26 the government also wanted to fund new Budget measuresNew spending items or savings decisions announced in the Budget and funded through the bill. and extra 2024-25 spending agreed after additional estimatesA later budget update where Parliament agrees to extra funding for the rest of the financial year.. This bill was introduced to set those spending limits for departments and provide a limited contingency advance, but it lapsed when Parliament was dissolved before it could complete passage and become the legal authority for that funding.
- 25 Mar 2025
2025-26 Budget seeks funding for ordinary government operations
In his second reading speech, the Treasurer said the Budget would fund the government's next stage of activity, including ordinary annual servicesThe government's regular day-to-day spending, such as running departments and delivering ongoing programs. and new measures.
Hansard ↗ - 25 Mar 2025
House introduces the main annual appropriation bill
The bill was presented to authorise withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue FundThe main pot of Commonwealth money that Parliament must authorise before the government can spend it., set departmental spending caps and allow a limited Advance to the Finance MinisterA reserve of money the Finance Minister can release during the year for urgent or unexpected spending needs. for urgent gaps or unexpected events.
Parliamentary timeline ↗ - 27 Mar 2025
Second reading debate tests the 2025-26 funding plan
The bill reached second reading debate, putting the government's proposed ordinary annual servicesThe government's regular day-to-day spending, such as running departments and delivering ongoing programs. funding and related Budget appropriations before the House for argument on principle.
Parliamentary timeline ↗ - 28 Mar 2025
Bill lapses when Parliament is dissolved
The bill lapsed at dissolution, so this version did not complete Parliament and could not itself become the authority for 2025-26 spending.
Parliamentary timeline ↗
Legislative route
How did it move through Parliament?
House Senate
Introduced 25 Mar 2025
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 Mar 2025
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 27 Mar 2025
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Lapsed at dissolution 28 Mar 2025
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Key criticism
The main case against this bill
No significant public case against the bill is recorded so far, beyond the usual caution that appropriation bills give the government broad authority to spend large sums as set out in the budget. in publicly available sources available here, only Treasurer Jim Chalmers is recorded speaking on the bill, so any criticism appears limited or unrecorded rather than a clear public campaign against it.
No significant public case against the bill is recorded so far.
Votes
Recorded votes
No recorded votes were found before this bill stopped proceeding.
Parliamentary debate
Who spoke, and what they said
Start here — lead voices
All speeches by bloc
Labor
1 speaker · 1 support
Labor
1 speaker · 1 support
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Jim Chalmers ★ Chalmers supports the appropriation bill and says it is the budget plan for cost-of-living relief, stronger Medicare, more homes, and investment in education and productivity.
“This budget is our plan for a new generation of prosperity in a new world of uncertainty.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
Full record
- Status
- Not Proceeding -- Collected from the APH bill page.
- Originating house
- House of Representatives
- 25 Mar 2025
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 Mar 2025
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.
- 27 Mar 2025
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
- 28 Mar 2025
House · Lapsed at dissolution
Lapsed at dissolution
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.