Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Today, the government introduces the 2022-23 additional estimates appropriation bills. These bills are the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2022-23, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2022-23 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2022-23. These bills underpin the government's expenditure decisions made since the October 2022 budget that relate to the 2022-23 financial year.

Appropriation Bill (No. 3) seeks approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of $5.5 billion. This would ensure that there is sufficient appropriation to cover estimate variations related to existing programs—for instance, changes to costs for demand driven programs. These bills also pave for the first-year costs for measures announced since the October 2022 budget.

The bill provides funding to support the following significant items. The Department of Defence will receive $1.8 billion. This primarily reflects the reclassification of $1.3 billion from capital to operating funding, reflecting updated expenditure requirements and supplementation of $172.3 million for foreign exchange losses incurred during 2021-22. The Social Services portfolio will receive over $1 billion, with the majority of funding provided for the National Disability Insurance Agency to provide reasonable and necessary supports for National Disability Insurance Scheme participants. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations will receive just under $1 billion, primarily to support apprentices and employers through the boosting apprenticeship commencements wage subsidy. The Department of Health and Aged Care will receive close to $900 million, including $207 million for vaccines and logistics, $182 million to reimburse aged-care providers, a direct cost relating to managing the COVID-19 outbreaks, and $166 million for administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will receive over $235 million to meet the surge in demand for passports following the reopening of international borders and for the design and construction of the Australian pavilion at the Osaka World Expo.

Full details of the proposed expenditure are set out in the schedule to the bill, the explanatory memorandum and the portfolio additional estimates statements table in the parliament earlier today. I commend the bill to the chamber.

Debate adjourned.