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 2023-24 supplementary additional estimates appropriations bills. They are Appropriation Bill (No. 5) 2023-2024 and Appropriation Bill (No. 6) 2023-2024. These bills underpin the government's expenditure decisions made since the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook that relate to the 2023-24 financial year. Appropriation Bill (No. 5) 2023-2024 seeks approval for appropriations from a consolidated revenue fund of $2.1 billion. This would ensure that there is sufficient appropriation to cover estimate variations relating to existing programs—for instance, changes in the costs for demand driven programs. These bills also pave the first-year costs of measures that were announced in the 2024-25 budget.

The bill provides funding to support the following significant items. The Department of Social Services will receive over $1 billion, with the majority of the funding for the National Disability Insurance Agency to provide reasonable and necessary supports for the National Disability Insurance Scheme participants. Services Australia will also receive over $93 million to support the delivery of government payments to Australians. The Department of the Treasury will receive $525 million to facilitate the increase in the grants composition of the $1 billion provided for social housing under the National Housing Infrastructure Facility in 2023-24, with the funding to be targeted towards crisis and transitional accommodation for youth and for women and children fleeing domestic violence. The Department of Defence will receive over $92 million, and this is primarily reflecting the funding required to support defence capabilities prioritised in the 2024 National Defence Strategy and major defence operations that have been undertaken in 2023-24. The Department of Health and Aged Care will receive over $77 million, including over $37 million to support access to opioid dependence treatment and $20 million to support older Australians in receiving appropriate care.

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

Debate adjourned.