Powers of the Senate to amend

The Senate may not amend proposed laws appropriating money for the ‘ordinary’ annual services of the Government. The Senate may, however, return to the House of Representatives any such proposed laws requesting, by message, the omission or amendment of any items or provisions (section 53 of the Constitution).

The Senate may amend proposed laws appropriating revenue for purposes ‘other’ than for the ordinary annual services of the Government, if it does not ‘increase any proposed charge or burden on the people’ (the Constitution, s. 53).

Conceivably, the Senate could amend an appropriation Bill for the other services of Government to, for example, redirect the proposed appropriation to another purpose, or reduce the proposed appropriation to nil. The Senate may also request that, if new measures are included in a Bill for the ‘ordinary’ annual services of Government, the Bill be returned to the House with a message requesting those new measures be omitted from the Bill.