Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That these bills be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speeches read as follows—

APPROPRIATION BILL (NO. 3) 2017-18

Today, the Government introduces the Additional Estimates Appropriation Bills. These Bills are:

Appropriation Bill (No.3) 2017-2018

Appropriation Bill (No.4) 2017-2018

These Bills underpin the Government's expenditure decisions.

Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2017 -2018 seeks approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of approximately $1.4 billion.

I now outline the significant items provided for in this Bill.

First, this Bill would provide the Department of Home Affairs with approximately $576 million, including for further support for regional processing arrangements and additional support for processing increasing numbers of visa applications.

Second, the Department of Education and Training would receive approximately $95 million. This includes just over $69 million for enhancing the current National Computational Infrastructure supercomputer at the Australian National University to bring it to current world-class standards.

Third, the Attorney-General's Department would receive approximately $70 million. This includes approximately $38 million in 2017-18 for the Royal Commission into misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services industry.

Details of the proposed expenditure are set out in the Schedule to the Bill and the Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements tabled in the Parliament.

I commend this Bill.

APPROPRIATION BILL (NO. 4) 2017-18

Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2017 -2018, along with Appropriation Bill (No.3) 2017-2018, which was introduced earlier, are the Additional Estimates Appropriation Bills for this financial year.

This Bill seeks approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of just under $133 million.

I now outline the significant items provided for in this Bill.

First, this Bill would provide the Department of Education and Training with just over $27 million. This includes approximately $24 million for payments to the States and Territories to implement national reforms in the non-government school sector and to help schools facing funding reductions transition to the new schools funding arrangements. This forms part of the additional funding for the Quality Schools reform package.

Second, the Department of Human Services would receive just under $16 million in 2017-18 including capital funding of around $11 million to implement three projects being brought forward to Tranche Two of the Welfare Payment Infrastructure Transformation program. This program will progressively replace Centrelink's ageing technology platform.

Third, the Office of National Assessments would receive approximately $12 million in capital funding as part of the establishment of the Office of National Intelligence.

This Bill also proposes the repeal of 15 old annual Appropriation Acts from 2012-13 and 2013-14. This is simply a house-keeping measure, as the appropriations in these Acts either have been exhausted or are no longer required.

Schedule 3 of the Bill provides a list of the annual Appropriation Acts proposed for repeal.

Details of the proposed expenditure are set out in the Schedules 1 and 2 to the Bill and the Portfolio Additional Estimate Statements tabled in the Parliament.

I commend this Bill.