2014

THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY FOR THE
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

APPROPRIATION (OFFICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY) BILL
  2014-2015

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Presented by
Mr Andrew Barr MLA
Treasurer

APPROPRIATION (OFFICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY) BILL 2014-2015

The Appropriation (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Bill 2014‑2015 is the mechanism for the appropriation of monies for the 2014‑15 financial year for Officers of the Legislative Assembly.

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 the Auditor-General, the Electoral Commissioner and the Office of the Legislative Assembly in relation to:
(a) the provision of outputs;
(b) capital injections; and
(c) payments to be made on behalf of the Territory.

Monies are appropriated to the Officers of the Legislative Assembly as established under the Officers of the Legislative Assembly Amendment Act 2013.

APPROPRIATION (OFFICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY) BILL 2014-2015

Clause 1 cites the short title of the Act as being the Appropriation (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Act 2014‑2015 as it relates to the 2014‑15 financial year.

Clause 2 provides that the Act commences on 1 July 2014.

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 for the net cost of outputs and capital injection appropriation of $2 786 000 to the Auditor-General in the 2014‑15 financial year.

Clause 7 provides for the appropriation of $2 711 000 for the net cost of outputs and capital injection to the Electoral Commissioner in the 2014‑15 financial year.

Clause 8 provides for the appropriation of $15 414 000 for the net cost of outputs, capital injection and expenses on behalf of the Territory to the Office of the Legislative Assembly in the 2014‑15 financial year.

Clause 9 identifies the Auditor-General, the Electoral Commissioner, and the Office of the Legislative Assembly as a class of outputs for the Financial Management Act listed in Tables 6, 7, and 8.