Bills Digest No. 218 1997-98
Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 1998-99
WARNING:
This Digest was prepared for debate. It reflects the legislation as introduced
and does not canvass subsequent amendments. This Digest does not have
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the subsequent official status of the Bill.
CONTENTS
Passage History
Purpose
Background
Main Provisions
Endnotes
Contact Officer and Copyright Details
Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 1998-99
Date Introduced: 12
May 1998
House: House of Representatives
Portfolio: Finance
and Administration
Commencement: On
Royal Assent.
To appropriate $4 171 699 000 from the Consolidated
Revenue Fund (CRF) for expenditure on:
- capital works and services
- payments to the States and Territories
- expenditure on any new programs not covered by other legislation for
the 1998-99 financial year.
This Bill forms part of a three-part package relating
to government finance and covers expenditure for the items mentioned above.
The other parts of the package are:
- Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 1998-99 which covers expenditure for the
ordinary annual services of the government
- Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill 1998-99 which covers
expenditure on the five parliamentary departments.
Introduction
Refer to the Digest for Appropriation Bill (No.1)
1998-99.
Outline
The Bill appropriates a total of $4 171 699 000 for capital
works and services, payments to the States and Territories and expenditure
on new programs not covered by other legislation for the 1998-99 financial
year.
Schedule 2 of the Bill deals with proposed allocation
of expenditure. Each government department has funds specifically allocated
for each specific purpose.
Over half the total funds appropriated go to two departments
- the Department of Health and Family Services ($1 409 930 000) and the
Department of Social Security ($1 163 477 000).(1)
Significant spending measures for the Department of Health
and Family Services include:
- Capital Works and Services:
- $17 500 000 - capital advance for the Commonwealth Rehabilitation
Service
- $5 000 000 - capital advance to Australian Hearing Services
- $1 249 000 - health infrastructure for indigenous communities (no
previous expenditure in 1997-98 estimates)
Payments to the States and Territories
- $338 064 000 - assistance for people with disabilities
- $147 528 000 - for health advancement
- $144 599 000 - for health care access
- $500 200 000 - for home and community care.(2)
Significant spending measures for the Department of Social
Security include:
- Capital Works and Services:
- $44 119 000 - for acquisitions, buildings, works, plant and equipment
(drops by $45 305 000 on expenditure in 1997-98 estimates)
- Payments to the States and Territories
- $151 891 000 - for compensation for extension of fringe benefits to
pensioners and older long-term allowees and beneficiaries
- $964 368 000 - for Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (expenditure
under the Housing Assistance Act 1996).
The Budget increases payments to the States and Territories by $146 049
000 from the Department of Social Security's 1997-98 estimates.(3)
Other notable spending measures include:
- Attorney-General's Department - $42 894 000 cut from payments to the
States and Territories for the provision of Legal Aid from expenditure
in 1997-98 estimates(4)
- Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs -
$52 400 000 establishment costs for Employment National Ltd(5)
- Department of the Environment - $186 940 000 cut from payments to
the National Heritage Trust of Australia Reserve from expenditure in
the 1997-98 estimates.(6)
Clause 4 authorises the Minister for Finance to issue
$4 171 699 000 out of the CRF for services in respect of the year ending
on 30 June 1999. The money is to be spent according to a detailed list
in Schedule 2 of the Bill. The Schedule lists the spending breakdown by
department and program.
Clause 5 deals with payments to the States and
Territories. These payments must be made in accordance with the programs
listed in Schedule 2. The terms and conditions of these payments are determined
by the relevant Minister.
Clause 9 deals with the advance to the Minister
for Finance and Administration. The Minister may charge any excess expenditure
on a specified item to any other item listed in Schedule 2. Alternatively,
the Minister may appropriate money for a non-specified item from any other
item listed in Schedule 2. However, the Minister cannot appropriate money
in excess of the total amount appropriated for the year ending June 1999.
- Budget Paper, No.4 1998-99, 199.
- Ibid., 217.
- Ibid., 227.
- Ibid., 205.
- Ibid., 210.
- Ibid., 212.
Ross Kilmurray
25 May 1998
Bills Digest Service
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ISSN 1328-8091
© Commonwealth of Australia 1998
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Published by the Department of the Parliamentary Library, 1998.
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