Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to 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. 5) 2023-2024

Today, the Government introduces 2023-24 Supplementary Additional Estimates Appropriation Bills. They are Appropriation Bills 5 and 6. 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 5 seeks approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of $2.1 billion. This would ensure there is sufficient appropriation to cover estimate variations related to existing programs, for instance, changes in costs for demand driven programs. These Bills also pay for the first-year costs of measures 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 funding for the National Disability Insurance Agency to provide reasonable and necessary supports for 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 women and children fleeing domestic violence, and youth.

The Department of Defence will receive over $92 million. This primarily reflects the funding required to support Defence capabilities prioritised in the 2024 National Defence Strategy and major Defence operations 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.

APPROPRIATION BILL (NO. 6) 2023-2024

This bill seeks approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of $453.5 million for the 2023-24 financial year. These appropriations will support the following significant items. The Department of Defence will receive close to $453 million, reflecting a reclassification from operating to capital, to support the delivery of capabilities prioritised in the 2024 National Defence Strategy. Full details of the proposed expenditure are set out in the schedule to the bill, the explanatory memorandum and the portfolio supplementary additional estimates. I commend this bill to the chamber.

APPROPRIATION BILL (NO. 1) 2024-2025

This Bill, Appropriation Bill 1, along with Appropriation Bill 2 and Parliamentary Departments Appropriation Bill 1, are the principal Bills underpinning the Government's Budget. Together, they provide annual appropriations for 2024-25.

Appropriation Bill 1 seeks approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of $162.6 billion. Funding provided through this Bill will support the following significant items.

The Social Services portfolio will receive over $45 billion, with most of the funding provided for the National Disability Insurance Agency to provide reasonable and necessary supports for National Disability Insurance Scheme participants. Services Australia will receive close to $5.5 billion to ensure the delivery of government payments to Australians, extend its emergency response capability, enhance safety and security for staff and customers, sustain the myGov platform and support other government agencies to deliver Government priorities.

The Defence portfolio will receive close to $44.8 billion, including just under $42 billion for the Department of Defence to implement the 2024 National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program, including for nuclear-powered submarines and prioritising partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. The Australian Signals Directorate will receive close to $1.7 billion to continue to deliver on the Government's foreign signals intelligence and cyber security objectives.

The Department of Health and Aged Care will receive over $16.7 billion to implement various programs to ensure the current and future health needs of all Australians are met through the delivery of evidence-based health policy, improved access to comprehensive and coordinated health care, and protection of the health and safety of the Australian community. Funding includes over $5.7 billion to provide support for older Australians with everyday living and other needs; $1.9 billion for the health workforce; $1.5 billion for mental health; over $1.2 billion for First Nations people health and $1.0 billion to support access to medicines and vaccines.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will receive over $7.2 billion to advance Australia's international strategic and security interests, provide development assistance overseas and consular assistance to Australians abroad. Funding will support enhanced engagement across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with the aim of increasing trade and investment opportunities, protecting international rules, and keeping our region safe.

The Treasury portfolio will receive over $6.5 billion, with over $4.3 billion provided for the Australian Taxation Office to administer the taxation and superannuation systems, including major tax compliance taskforces. This includes new funding for the Counter Fraud Strategy, and to implement the Government's policy for Digital ID.

The Department of Home Affairs will receive over $5.7 billion to implement various programs to ensure Australia's security, prosperity and unity by safeguarding national security interests and improving cyber security and security of critical infrastructure assets, enabling economic growth and maintaining Australia's cohesive multicultural society. The funding will also enable the Department to continue to reform the migration framework and maintain the integrity of the migration system, sustain visa processing capability, provide settlement services to refugees and migrants and protect the Australian border.

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations will receive just under $4.8 billion, including approximately $2.4 billion to support employment services and $2.2 billion to support vocational education and training.

Consistent with 2023-24, Appropriation Bill 1 also contains an Advance to the Finance Minister (AFM) provision of $400 million to provide the Government with the capacity to allocate additional appropriations for urgent and unforeseen expenditure.

Full details of the proposed expenditure are set out in the Schedule to the Bill, the Explanatory Memorandum, and the Portfolio Budget Statements.

I commend this Bill to the chamber.

APPROPRIATION BILL (NO. 2) 2024-2025

This Bill, Appropriation Bill 2, along with Appropriation Bill 1 and Parliamentary Departments Appropriation Bill 1, are the Budget Appropriation Bills for 2024-25.

Appropriation Bill 2 seeks approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of $24.6 billion, incorporating decisions from the 2024-25 Budget. I now outline the most significant items provided for in this Bill.

The Department of Defence will receive close to $10.6 billion to support the implementation of the 2024 National Defence Strategy, including through major investments in military capabilities, as well as enabling ICT capabilities and infrastructure.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts will receive approximately $4.6 billion, including funding for Government Business Enterprises to continue to deliver projects, including the Australian Rail Track Corporation for the Inland Rail Program, WSA Co for Western Sydney International Airport, the NBN Co for the election commitment to Boost Fibre and Fast-Track the NBN Repair Job and funding for the Roads to Recovery program.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will receive over $2.5 billion, including $1.6 billion to Snowy Hydro Limited to support continued construction of Snowy 2.0. Close to $650 million for Rewiring the Nation will be provided to continue expanding and modernising Australia's electricity grids at lowest cost, unlocking new renewables and storage capacity and driving down power prices.

The Department of Finance will receive over $1.5 billion, including additional equity for Comcover and Australian Naval Infrastructure and a Snowy Hydro Limited construction loan.

The Department of the Treasury will receive over $1.5 billion to provide funding for concessional loans to support social and affordable housing.

The Australian Signals Directorate will receive over $1 billion to deliver major capital investments in foreign signals intelligence and cyber capabilities.

Consistent with 2023-24, Appropriation Bill 2 also contains an Advance to the Finance Minister (AFM) provision of $600 million to provide the Government with the capacity to allocate additional appropriations for urgent and unforeseen expenditure.

This Bill also sets debit limits for payments under the Federal Financial Relations Actthat will apply in 2024-25 and they are:

Full details of the proposed expenditure are set out in the Schedules to the Bill, the Explanatory Memorandum, and the Portfolio Budget Statements. I commend this Bill to the chamber.

APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENTARY DEPARTMENTS) BILL (NO. 1) 2024-2025

Parliamentary Departments Appropriation Bill 1 provides appropriations for decisions taken by Government in the 2024-25 Budget for the operations of Parliamentary Departments.

This Bill seeks approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of $326.7 million. Funding provided through this Bill will support the following significant items of Parliamentary Departments.

The Department of Parliamentary Services will receive over $257 million to support the work of the Australian Parliament, through services to parliamentarians and as custodians of Parliament House. This includes additional funding to modernise ICT systems, including broadcasting, and undertake building upgrades at Parliament House.

This Bill also includes an Advance to the responsible Presiding Officer of $1.9 million.

Full details of the proposed expenditure are set out in the Schedule to the Bill, the Explanatory Memorandum, and the Portfolio Budget Statements.

I commend this Bill to the chamber.

Debate adjourned.