Public Governance, Performance and Accountability (Section 75 Transfers) Amendment Determination 2020-2021 (No. 11)

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013

Public Governance, Performance and Accountability

(Section 75 Transfers) Amendment Determination 2020‑2021 (No. 11)

Purpose of the determination

Section 75 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act) enables the Finance Minister to determine that one or more Schedules to one or more Appropriation Acts are modified in a specified way in relation to the transfer of a function from one non-corporate Commonwealth entity to another. The power in section 75 recognises that the Executive Government will from time to time choose to reorganise the administration and delivery of its functions with commensurate transfers of resources, including appropriations, between entities.

Subsection 75(7) of the PGPA Act provides that a determination made under subsection (2) is a legislative instrument, but that section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislation Act 2003 does not apply to the determination. The Explanatory Memorandum for the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Bill 2013 provides (at paragraph 370) that determinations made under section 75 are exempt from disallowance as the changes effected by determinations made under section 75 are in the nature of administrative changes only, relating to the Executive Government’s decisions about the allocation of functions to particular entities.

Under section 107 of the PGPA Act, the Finance Minister has delegated the power to make determinations under section 75 to the Secretary of the Department of Finance. Under section 109 of the PGPA Act, the Secretary has, in turn, subdelegated this power to certain officials within the Department of Finance.

The Public Governance, Performance and Accountability (Section 75 Transfers) Amendment Determination 2020‑2021 (No. 11) (the amendment determination) amends the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability (Section 75 Transfers) Determination 2020‑2021 (the principal determination) to reflect the final transfer of appropriations between the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water due to the transfer of functions resulting from the Administrative Arrangements Order, which commenced on 1 July 2022. The amendment determination does not change the total amount appropriated by the Parliament.

The principal determination modifies the 2020-21 Appropriation Acts to, among other things, increase or decrease appropriation items for affected entities due to the transfer of functions between them.

The 2020-21 Appropriation Acts include:

• the Supply Act (No. 1) 2020-2021;
• the Supply Act (No. 2) 2020-2021;
• the Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2020-2021;
• the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2020-2021;
• the Appropriation Act (No. 3) 2020-2021; and
• the Appropriation Act (No. 4) 2020-2021.

The amendment determination is a legislative instrument for the purposes of section 8 of the Legislation Act 2003.

Commencement

The amendment determination commences on the day after it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.

Statement of compatibility with human rights

A statement of compatibility with human rights is not required for the amendment determination.

Subsection 9(1) of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011 requires a statement of compatibility with human rights for all legislative instruments subject to disallowance under section 42 of the Legislation Act 2003. A determination made under subsection 75(2) of the PGPA Act is exempt from disallowance under subsection 75(7) of the PGPA Act. As such, a statement of compatibility with human rights is not required.

Consultation

Consistent with section 17 of the Legislation Act 2003, the affected entities were consulted in the preparation of the amendment determination.

Summary of amendments

1. Item 1 of Schedule 1 to the amendment determination adds new subsection (1B) to section 6 of the principal determination, which modifies the Supply Act (No. 2) 2020‑2021. New subsection 6(1B) has effect as if Schedule 2 to the Act included an other departmental item (equity injections) for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
2. Item 2 of Schedule 1 to the amendment determination adds items 3 and 4 at the end of the table in subsection 6(2) of the principal determination and has effect as if appropriation items in Schedule 2 to the Supply Act (No. 2) 2020-2021 were increased or decreased in accordance with the table included in the subsection. If an appropriation item exists only because of the principal determination, the increase is from a nil amount.

Note: A positive amount reflects an increase in an appropriation item and a negative amount reflects a decrease in an appropriation item.

3.      Item 3 of Schedule 1 to the amendment determination amends subsection 8(1C) of the principal determination, which modifies the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2020-2021.  Amended subsection 8(1C) has effect as if Schedule 2 to the Act included an other departmental item (equity injections) for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

4.      Item 4 of Schedule 1 to the amendment determination adds items 7 and 8 at the end of the table in subsection 8(2) of the principal determination, which has effect as if appropriation items in Schedule 2 to the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2020-2021 were increased or decreased in accordance with the table included in the subsection. If an appropriation item exists only because of the principal determination, the increase is from a nil amount.

Note: A positive amount reflects an increase in an appropriation item and a negative amount reflects a decrease in an appropriation item.