WARNING:
This Digest was prepared for debate. It reflects the legislation as
introduced and does not canvass subsequent amendments. This Digest
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Bill.
CONTENTS
Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 1997-98
Date Introduced: 29 October 1997
House: House of Representatives
Portfolio: Finance
Commencement: Royal Assent
To authorise the Minister for Finance to issue an additional
$509 973 000 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in addition to the
funds allocated under the Appropriation Act (No. 2)
1996-97 for proposed expenditure on capital works and services,
payments to the States and Territories and other services.
The reader is referred to the Digest for the Appropriation Bill
(No. 4) 1997-98.
Outline of Major Additional Appropriations
The major additional appropriations effected by this Bill
are:
- Department of Primary Industries and Energy - $128 085 000. Of
that total $58 159 000 is for rural adjustment under the States
Grants (Rural Adjustment) Act 1988 and the Rural
Adjustment Act 1992, $22 010 000 is for payment to the
Tasmanian State Government under the Tasmanian Regional Forest
Agreement and $16 638 000 for the Farm Family Restart Scheme
(FFRS). The rationale given by the Minister in the Second Reading
Speech to the Bill for the amount relating to rural adjustment is
that it is '... largely as a result exceptional circumstances
increases (for South Burnette, Gippsland, and extension of drought
relief in parts of Queensland and NSW) and a transfer from the
Integrated Rural Policy Package for the repayment of interest rate
subsidies commitments under Rural Adjustment Scheme'.
- The FFRS was announced on 14 September 1997 as part of the
Government's rural policy package entitled Agriculture -
Advancing Australia. Key features of the FFRS are detailed in
the Digest for the Farm Household Support Amendment (Restart and
Exceptional Circumstances) Bill 19997 (Bills Digest No. 59
1997-98).
- Department of the Treasury - $96 650 000. Of that total $96 100
000 is for payments to State Government in lieu of stamp duty on
Airport Sales. The rationale given by the Minister in the Second
Reading Speech to the Bill for the payment is the effect of a
recent High Court decision The reference to a recent High Court
decision is a reference to Allders International Pty Ltd v
Commissioner of State Revenue [1996]186 CLR 630. In that case
the High Court held invalid the imposition of State stamp duty on a
lease covering parts of a Commonwealth place on the grounds that
section 52(i) of the Constitution gives the Commonwealth exclusive
power to make laws with respect to Commonwealth places.
- Department of Social Security - $58 135 000. Of that total $29
475 000 is for acquisition of computer equipment and $28 660 000
for compensation to the States and Territories for extension of
fringe benefits to pensioners and older long-term allowees and
beneficiaries.
The effect of clause 3 is to authorise the
Minister for Finance to issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund an
additional $509 973 00 for the year ending 30 June 1998 (Schedule 2
gives a portfolio and program breakup of the proposed
expenditure).
Clause 4 deals with payments to the States.
Schedule 2 deals with payments to the Sates and Territories by each
Department. Payments to States details in Schedule 1 must be made
on the terms and conditions determined by the specified
Minister.
Ian Ireland
17 November 1997
Bills Digest Service
Information and Research Services
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ISSN 1328-8091
© Commonwealth of Australia 1997
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Published by the Department of the Parliamentary Library,
1997.
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Last updated: 18 November 1997
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