Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 1) 2020-2021

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Legislation au C2020A00032 Not in force Act

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Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 1) 20202021

 

No. 32, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

An Act to appropriate money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for expenditure in relation to the Parliamentary Departments, and for related purposes

 

 

 

Contents

Part 1—Preliminary

1 Short title

2 Commencement

3 Definitions

4 Portfolio statements

5 Notional transactions between entities that are part of the Commonwealth

Part 2—Appropriation items

6 Summary of appropriations

7 Departmental items

8 Administered items

9 Administered assets and liabilities items

10 Other departmental items

Part 3—Advance to the responsible Presiding Officer

11 Advance to the responsible Presiding Officer

Part 4—Miscellaneous

12 Crediting amounts to special accounts

13 Appropriation of the Consolidated Revenue Fund

14 Repeal of this Act

Schedule 1—Services for which money is appropriated

 

 

 

Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 1) 2020-2021

No. 32, 2020

 

 

 

An Act to appropriate money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for expenditure in relation to the Parliamentary Departments, and for related purposes

[Assented to 24 March 2020]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

Part 1—Preliminary

 

1  Short title

  This Act is the Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 1) 20202021.

2  Commencement

 (1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

 

Commencement information

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Provisions

Commencement

Date/Details

1.  The whole of this Act

The later of:

(a) 1 July 2020; and

(b) the day this Act receives the Royal Assent.

1 July 2020

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.

 (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.

3  Definitions

  In this Act:

administered assets and liabilities item means an amount set out in Schedule 1 in relation to a Parliamentary Department opposite the heading “Administered Assets and Liabilities”.

administered item means an amount set out in Schedule 1 opposite an outcome for a Parliamentary Department under the heading “Administered”.

current year means the financial year ending on 30 June 2021.

departmental item means the total amount set out in Schedule 1 in relation to a Parliamentary Department under the heading “Departmental”.

Note: The amounts set out opposite outcomes, under the heading “Departmental”, are “notional”. They are not part of the item, and do not in any way restrict the scope of the expenditure authorised by the item.

expenditure means payments for expenses, acquiring assets, making loans or paying liabilities.

item means any of the following:

 (a) a departmental item;

 (b) an administered item;

 (c) an administered assets and liabilities item;

 (d) an other departmental item.

noncorporate entity means:

 (a) a noncorporate Commonwealth entity within the meaning of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013; or

 (b) the High Court.

Note: Each Parliamentary Department is a noncorporate Commonwealth entity for the purposes of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

other departmental item means an amount set out in Schedule 1 in relation to a Parliamentary Department opposite the heading “Equity Injections”.

Parliamentary Department means any of the following:

 (a) the Department of the Senate;

 (b) the Department of the House of Representatives;

 (c) the Department of Parliamentary Services;

 (d) the Parliamentary Budget Office.

Portfolio Budget Statements means the Portfolio Budget Statements 201920.

portfolio statements means the Portfolio Budget Statements.

President means the President of the Senate.

responsible Presiding Officer means:

 (a) in relation to the Department of the Senate—the President; or

 (b) in relation to the Department of the House of Representatives—the Speaker; or

 (c) in relation to the Department of Parliamentary Services—the President and the Speaker together; or

 (d) in relation to the Parliamentary Budget Office—the President and the Speaker together.

Speaker means the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

special account has the same meaning as in the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

4  Portfolio statements

  The portfolio statements are declared to be relevant documents for the purposes of section 15AB of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901.

Note: See paragraph 15AB(2)(g) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 which provides that the material that may be considered in the interpretation of a provision of an Act includes any document that is declared by the Act to be a relevant document.

5  Notional transactions between entities that are part of the Commonwealth

  For the purposes of this Act, notional transactions between noncorporate entities are to be treated as if they were real transactions.

Note: This section applies, for example, to a “payment” between noncorporate entities that are both part of the Commonwealth. One of the effects of this section is that the payment will be debited from an appropriation for the paying noncorporate entity, even though no payment is actually made from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. This is consistent with section 76 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

Part 2—Appropriation items

 

6  Summary of appropriations

  The total of the items specified in Schedule 1 is $150,514,000.

Note 1: Items in Schedule 1 can be adjusted under Part 3 of this Act.

Note 2: Sections 74 to 75 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 also provide for the adjustment of amounts appropriated by this Act.

7  Departmental items

  The amount specified in a departmental item for a Parliamentary Department may be applied for the departmental expenditure of the Parliamentary Department.

8  Administered items

 (1) The amount specified in an administered item for an outcome for a Parliamentary Department may be applied for expenditure for the purpose of contributing to achieving that outcome.

 (2) If the portfolio statements indicate that activities of a particular kind were intended to be treated as activities in respect of a particular outcome, then expenditure for the purpose of carrying out those activities is taken to be expenditure for the purpose of contributing to achieving the outcome.

9  Administered assets and liabilities items

 (1) The amount specified in an administered assets and liabilities item for a Parliamentary Department may be applied for expenditure for the purpose of contributing to achieving any outcome specified in Schedule 1 for the Parliamentary Department.

 (2) If the portfolio statements indicate that activities of a particular kind were intended to be treated as activities in respect of a particular outcome, then expenditure for the purpose of carrying out those activities is taken to be expenditure for the purpose of contributing to achieving the outcome.

10  Other departmental items

  The amount specified in an other departmental item for a Parliamentary Department may be applied for the departmental expenditure of the Parliamentary Department.

Part 3—Advance to the responsible Presiding Officer

 

11  Advance to the responsible Presiding Officer

 (1) This section applies if the responsible Presiding Officer is satisfied that there is an urgent need for expenditure in relation to a Parliamentary Department, in the current year, that is not provided for, or is insufficiently provided for, in Schedule 1:

 (a) because of an erroneous omission or understatement; or

 (b) because the expenditure was unforeseen until after the last day on which it was practicable to provide for it in the Bill for this Act before that Bill was introduced into the House of Representatives.

 (2) This Act has effect as if Schedule 1 were amended, in accordance with a determination of the responsible Presiding Officer, to make provision for so much (if any) of the expenditure as the responsible Presiding Officer determines.

 (3) The total of the amounts determined under subsection (2) for the Department of the Senate cannot be more than $300,000.

 (4) The total of the amounts determined under subsection (2) for the Department of the House of Representatives cannot be more than $300,000.

 (5) The total of the amounts determined under subsection (2) for the Department of Parliamentary Services cannot be more than $1 million.

 (6) The total of the amounts determined under subsection (2) for the Parliamentary Budget Office cannot be more than $300,000.

 (7) A determination made under subsection (2) is a legislative instrument, but neither section 42 (disallowance) nor Part 4 of Chapter 3 (sunsetting) of the Legislation Act 2003 applies to the determination.

Part 4—Miscellaneous

 

12  Crediting amounts to special accounts

  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.

13  Appropriation of the Consolidated Revenue Fund

  The Consolidated Revenue Fund is appropriated as necessary for the purposes of this Act, including the operation of this Act as affected by the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

14  Repeal of this Act

  This Act is repealed at the start of 1 July 2023.

Schedule 1—Services for which money is appropriated

Note: See sections 6 and 13.

 

Abstract

 

Department

Total

 

$'000

 

 

Department of the Senate

 13,983

Department of the House of Representatives

 14,686

Department of Parliamentary Services

 116,865

Parliamentary Budget Office

 4,980

 

 

Total

 150,514

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPROPRIATIONS

 

 

 

 

 


SUMMARY

Summary of Appropriations (plain figures)—20202021

Actual Available Appropriation (italic figures)—20192020

 

Entity

Departmental

Administered

Non
operating

Total

 

$'000

$'000

$'000

$'000

 

 

 

 

 

Department of the Senate

 13,983

 

 

 13,983

 

 23,853

 

 

 23,853

 

 

 

 

 

Department of the House of

 14,497

 189

 

 14,686

Representatives

 25,649

 319

 

 25,968

 

 

 

 

 

Department of Parliamentary Services

 82,247

 5,148

 29,470

 116,865

 

 141,719

 11,565

 50,632

 203,916

 

 

 

 

 

Parliamentary Budget Office

 4,980

 

 

 4,980

 

 8,258

 

 

 8,258

 

 

 

 

 

Total: Parliamentary Departments

 115,707

 5,337

 29,470

 150,514

 

 199,479

 11,884

 50,632

 261,995

 


PARLIAMENT

Appropriation (plain figures)—20202021

Actual Available Appropriation (italic figures)—20192020

 

 

Departmental

Administered

Total

 

$'000

$'000

$'000

DEPARTMENT OF THE SENATE

 

 

 

Operating

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outcome 1

 

 

 

Advisory and administrative support services to

 13,983

 

 13,983

enable the Senate and Senators to fulfil their

 23,853

 

 23,853

representative and legislative duties

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total: Department of the Senate

 13,983

 

 13,983

 

 23,853

 

 23,853

 


PARLIAMENT

Appropriation (plain figures)—20202021

Actual Available Appropriation (italic figures)—20192020

 

 

Departmental

Administered

Total

 

$'000

$'000

$'000

DEPARTMENT OF THE HOUSE OF

 

 

 

REPRESENTATIVES

 

 

 

Operating

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outcome 1

 

 

 

Advisory and administrative services support the

 14,497

 189

 14,686

House of Representatives to fulfil its

 25,649

 319

 25,968

representative and legislative role

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total: Department of the House of

 14,497

 189

 14,686

Representatives

 25,649

 319

 25,968

 


PARLIAMENT

Appropriation (plain figures)—20202021

Actual Available Appropriation (italic figures)—20192020

 

 

Departmental

Administered

Total

 

$'000

$'000

$'000

DEPARTMENT OF PARLIAMENTARY

 

 

 

SERVICES

 

 

 

Operating

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outcome 1

 

 

 

Support the functions of Parliament and

 82,247

 5,148

 87,395

parliamentarians through the provision of

 141,719

 11,565

 153,284

professional services, advice and facilities and

 

 

 

maintain Australian Parliament House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total: Operating

 82,247

 5,148

 87,395

 

 141,719

 11,565

 153,284

Nonoperating

 

 

 

Administered Assets and Liabilities

 

 

 29,470

 

 

 

 50,632

Total: Nonoperating

 

 

 29,470

 

 

 

 50,632

Total: Department of Parliamentary Services

 82,247

 5,148

 116,865

 

 141,719

 11,565

 203,916

 


PARLIAMENT

Appropriation (plain figures)—20202021

Actual Available Appropriation (italic figures)—20192020

 

 

Departmental

Administered

Total

 

$'000

$'000

$'000

PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE

 

 

 

Operating

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outcome 1

 

 

 

Inform the Parliament by providing independent

 4,980

 

 4,980

and nonpartisan analysis of the budget cycle,

 8,258

 

 8,258

fiscal policy and the financial implications of

 

 

 

proposals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total: Parliamentary Budget Office

 4,980

 

 4,980

 

 8,258

 

 8,258

 

 

 

 

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 23 March 2020

Senate on 23 March 2020]

(50/20)

 

Overview

The Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 1) 2020-2021 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia on 24 March 2020 to address the need for appropriate funding for the Parliamentary Departments for the 2020-2021 financial year. The Act provides for the appropriation of money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for expenditure in relation to the Parliamentary Departments, including the Department of the Senate, the Department of the House of Representatives, the Department of Parliamentary Services, and the Parliamentary Budget Office. The policy objective of the Act is to ensure the effective functioning of the Australian Parliament by providing the necessary resources for these departments to deliver their mandated services. The total appropriation for these departments amounts to $150,514,000, which is to be applied towards their respective departmental, administered, and other expenses as specified in the Schedule to the Act. This Act is intended to ensure that the Parliamentary Departments have the necessary financial resources to carry out their functions effectively, including the provision of advisory and administrative support services, the maintenance of Parliament House, and the delivery of independent budget analysis. By appropriating funds directly for these purposes, the Act aims to provide certainty and predictability in the funding of these essential services. The Act also includes provisions for the adjustment of appropriations in cases of unforeseen or urgent expenditure needs, subject to certain limits. This measure ensures that the departments can respond to unexpected circumstances without compromising their ability to fulfil their core responsibilities.

Scope and Application

The Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 1) 2020-2021 applies to the four parliamentary departments: the Department of the Senate, the Department of the House of Representatives, the Department of Parliamentary Services, and the Parliamentary Budget Office. These departments are non-corporate Commonwealth entities as defined under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013. The Act facilitates the appropriation of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for expenditure related to these departments for the financial year ending on 30 June 2021. Notably, this Act does not apply to corporate Commonwealth entities or to any entities outside the Commonwealth. The Act extends its application to notional transactions between the non-corporate entities mentioned, treating them as if they were real transactions for appropriation purposes. Additionally, the Act allows for adjustments to appropriations through determinations made by the responsible Presiding Officers, subject to specified monetary limits for each department. The Act is repealed at the start of 1 July 2023, and any subordinate instruments made under this Act do not fall under the disallowance or sunsetting provisions of the Legislation Act 2003.

Key Provisions

The Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 1) 2020-2021 is structured into four main parts, each serving distinct purposes. Part 1 provides preliminary information, including the short title, commencement date, and definitions of key terms used in the Act. For example, section 3 defines terms such as "administered item," "departmental item," and "Parliamentary Department." Part 2 outlines the appropriation items, detailing the allocation of funds for the Parliamentary Departments, including the Department of the Senate, Department of the House of Representatives, Department of Parliamentary Services, and the Parliamentary Budget Office. Section 6 summarises the appropriations, while sections 7 to 10 detail the specific items for each department. The Act imposes several obligations on the parties and entities it governs. For instance, section 7 allows the application of departmental items for the departmental expenditure of the respective Parliamentary Departments. Section 8 permits the application of administered items for the purpose of contributing to achieving specific outcomes, as indicated in the portfolio statements. Similarly, section 9 allows the use of administered assets and liabilities items for achieving any specified outcomes. Furthermore, section 10 permits the application of other departmental items for departmental expenditure. The Act also delineates the consequences of breaches, although it does not specify particular offences or penalties. However, it is noteworthy that the responsible Presiding Officer can make a determination under section 11 to provide additional funding if there is an urgent need for expenditure not initially provided for in Schedule 1. These determinations are treated as legislative instruments, exempt from disallowance and sunsetting provisions. Additionally, section 12 allows for the crediting of amounts to special accounts if they serve purposes covered by the appropriated items. The Act is repealed at the start of 1 July 2023, as stated in section 14.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.