Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I thank senators for their contributions to this debate on the supply bills. In particular I thank Senator Wong, in her position, and Senator Whish-Wilson and the Greens for their support for the bills. These bills seek appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for proposed expenditure for the first part of 2016-17, broadly until about the end of November. The provisions in these bills are generally based on five months of the estimated 2016-17 annual appropriations, with special provision where necessary for entities with a disproportionately high level of expenditure early in the financial year—for example, the Australian Electoral Commission.

These bills seek provision only for appropriate money to fund government expenditure on an interim basis until the appropriation bills have passed. They do not include budget measures from the 2016-17 budget. These arrangements allow for the budget appropriation bills to be passed in 2016-17 by the next parliament. The total of the appropriations being sought through these three supply bills is just over $41 billion. These supply bills must be passed in this session to ensure funding is available to all entities from 1 July 2016, thereby ensuring the continuity of program and service delivery and of the operations of the parliament. I commend these bills to the Senate.

Question agreed to.

Bills read a second time.