2012

THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY FOR THE
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

APPROPRIATION (OFFICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY) BILL
  2012-2013

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Presented by
Mr Andrew Barr MLA
Treasurer

APPROPRIATION (OFFICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY) BILL 2012-2013

The Appropriation (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Bill 2012‑2013 is the mechanism for the appropriation of monies for the 2012‑13 financial year.

Under Section 58 of the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988, public money may not be issued or spent except as authorised by law.  Under Section 6 of the Financial Management Act 1996 (FMA), no payment of public money may be made unless it is in accordance with an appropriation.  Section 8 of the FMA provides for separate appropriations to be made under an Appropriation Act in respect of each directorate.  The FMA also provides for appropriation units, being a class of outputs, or a group of output classes, for which an appropriation is made by an Appropriation Act.  The Bill satisfies the provisions of each of these Acts.

The Bill provides for appropriations for:
(a) the provision of outputs by Office of the Legislative Assembly;
(b) capital injection to be provided to the Office of the Legislative Assembly; and
(c) any payments to be made by Office of the Legislative Assembly on behalf of the Territory.

Monies are appropriated to the Office of the Legislative Assembly as established under the Legislative Assembly (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Act 2012.

APPROPRIATION (OFFICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY) BILL 2012-2013

Clause 1 cites the short title of the Act as being the Appropriation (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Act 2012‑2013 as it relates to the 2012‑13 financial year.

Clause 2 provides that the Act commences on 1 July 2012.

Clause 3 refers to the legislative basis for making appropriations.

Clause 4 deals with definitions for the purposes of the Bill.

Clause 5 deals with interpretation for the purposes of the Bill.

Clause 6 provides for the appropriation of $14,434,000 for the net cost of outputs, capital injection and expenses on behalf of the Territory, in the 2012‑13 financial year.

Clause 6(1) provides for appropriation to the Office of the Legislative Assembly for the corresponding outputs identified in Clause 7.

Clause 7 identifies, in accordance with the FMA, classes of outputs for the purposes of the Bill.

Clause 9 gives effect to Section 17 of the FMA, which allows for on-passing increases to Commonwealth grants identified in the Budget Papers.  This clause applies Section 17 of the FMA to the Office of the Legislative Assembly as identified in Table 6.
 
Clause 10 gives effect to Section 17A of the FMA, which allows for an increase in a specified appropriation to make payments to the Commonwealth for the provision of a service.

Table 6 details the amounts appropriated in the 2012-13 financial year for:
(a) the net cost of outputs;
(b) capital injections; and
(c) payments on behalf of the Territory
for the Office of the Legislative Assembly.

Section 7 identifies the Office of the Legislative Assembly as a class of outputs for the Financial Management Act listed in Table 6.