Untitled document

Financial Management Amendment (Gender Responsive Budgeting) Act 2024

No. 21 of 2024

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

Section  Page

1Purposes

2Commencement

3Principal Act

4Definitions

5New section 8A inserted

6Principles of sound financial management

7New Division 4A of Part 5 inserted

8Section 27E substituted

9New section 40AA inserted

10Regulations

11Repeal of this Act

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Endnotes

1      General information

Financial Management Amendment (Gender Responsive Budgeting) Act 2024

No. 21 of 2024

[Assented to 4 June 2024]

The Parliament of Victoria enacts:

1Purposes

The purposes of this Act are to amend the Financial Management Act 1994—

(a)to include in the principles of sound financial management a requirement to consider and promote gender equality and inclusivity in the pursuit of spending and taxing policies; and

(b)to provide for a statement of the gender impacts of the budget to be prepared in association with the budget for each financial year; and

(c)to provide for the Minister to request a gender impact assessment in relation to any matter under that Act.

2Commencement

This Act comes into operation on the day after the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

3Principal Act

In this Act, the Financial Management Act 1994 is called the Principal Act.

4Definitions

In section 3 of the Principal Act insert the following definition—

"gender equality has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Gender Equality Act 2020;".

5New section 8A inserted

After section 8 of the Principal Act insert—

"8A   Guidelines

The Minister may issue guidelines in relation to—

(a)statements of the gender impacts of budgets under Division 4A of Part 5; and

(b)gender impact assessments under section 40AA.".

6Principles of sound financial management

(1)After section 23D(1)(d) of the Principal Act insert—

"(da)consider and promote gender equality and inclusivity in the pursuit of its spending and taxing policies;".

(2)After section 23D(2) of the Principal Act insert—

"(3)The consideration and promotion of gender equality and inclusivity referred to in subsection (1)(da) includes taking into account, where possible, that gender inequality may be compounded by other forms of disadvantage or discrimination that a person may experience on the basis of Aboriginality, age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation and other attributes.".

7New Division 4A of Part 5 inserted

After Division 4 of Part 5 of the Principal Act insert—

"Division 4A—Gender equality and the budget

23OStatement of gender impacts of the budget

(1)The Minister must prepare a statement of the gender impacts of the budget for each financial year in association with the budget for that financial year.

(2)A statement of the gender impacts of the budget must be laid before each House of the Parliament in accordance with section 27E.

23PPurpose of statement of gender impacts of the budget

The purpose of a statement of the gender impacts of the budget is to recognise and describe the expected impact of the budget on gender equality and inclusivity.

23QContent of statement of gender impacts of the budget

A statement of the gender impacts of the budget must set out—

(a)the expected impact of the budget on gender equality and inclusivity; and

(b)such other information as the Minister determines.".

8Section 27E substituted

For section 27E of the Principal Act substitute—

"27E   Release of statements

(1)The Minister must cause the documents set out in subsection (2) to be laid before—

(a)the Legislative Assembly on or before the day on which the second readings of the annual appropriation Bills for that year are moved; and

(b)the Legislative Council on the same day that they are laid before the Legislative Assembly or, if the Council is not sitting on that day, on the next sitting day of the Council.

(2)For the purposes of subsection (1), the documents are—

(a)the estimated financial statements for a financial year; and

(b)the accompanying statement prepared in association with that set of estimated financial statements; and

(c)the financial policy objectives and strategies statement prepared in association with the budget for that financial year; and

(d)the statement of the gender impacts of the budget prepared in association with the budget for that financial year.".

9New section 40AA inserted

After section 40 of the Principal Act insert—

"40AA   Gender impact assessments

(1)The Minister may request a gender impact assessment in relation to any matter under this Act.

(2)A gender impact assessment under this section must comply with section 9(2) of the Gender Equality Act 2020.

(3)Compliance with section 9(1) of the Gender Equality Act 2020 in relation to a policy, program or service is sufficient compliance with a request under subsection (1) in relation to that policy, program or service.

(4)Nothing in this section limits the operation of the Gender Equality Act 2020.".

10Regulations

After section 59(1)(i) of the Principal Act insert—

"(ia)statements of the gender impacts of budgets prepared under Division 4A of Part 5;

(ib)gender impact assessments under section 40AA;

(ic)without limiting paragraphs (ia) and (ib), prescribing any other matter for the purposes of Division 4A of Part 5 or section 40AA, including, but not limited to, the form, content of, or requirements (including timing) in relation to, statements of the gender impacts of budgets or gender impact assessments;".

11Repeal of this Act

This Act is repealed on the first anniversary of its commencement.

Note

The repeal of this Act does not affect the continuing operation of the amendments made by it (see section 15(1) of the Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984).

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ENDNOTES

1   General information

See for Victorian Bills, Acts and current authorised versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.

Minister's second reading speech—

Legislative Assembly: 7 May 2024

Legislative Council: 15 May 2024

The long title for the Bill for this Act was "A Bill for an Act to amend the Financial Management Act 1994 in relation to gender responsive budgeting and for other purposes."