Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Treasury and Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Indeed. Whilst there are great challenges ahead, may your contribution in this place continue for a long time. I want to thank you for your service, Senator Macdonald, and thank you for your great contribution. To Lesley and all of your supporters: thank you. Thank you very much.

I conclude by thanking all senators who have contributed to the debate on Supply Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020, Supply Bill (No. 2) 2019-2020 and Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020. These supply bills seek authority from the parliament for the expenditure of money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the 2019-20 financial year. The total of the appropriations sought through these three supply bills is just under $45.7 billion. The bills must be passed in this session to ensure funding is available to all entities from 1 July 2019, thereby ensuring the continuity of program and service delivery.

The appropriations proposed in these bills are based on five-twelfths of the estimated 2019 annual appropriation as presented at the 2018-19 budget, adjusted for economic and program-specific parameters, and the effects of decisions announced as part of the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook or included in the 2018-19 additional estimates appropriations bills. Therefore, this funding will last through until the end of November.

I wish to emphasise that these bills seek provision only to appropriate money to fund government expenditure on an interim basis until appropriation bills have passed. This arrangement allows for the budget appropriation bills, or similar bills, to be passed in 2019-20 by the next parliament, if necessary. Once again, I thank all senators for their contributions and commend these bills to the Senate.