Page 1324 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 June 2020
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The annual presentation, scrutiny and debate on the budget is an obvious process that happens every year like clockwork—except for this year, of course, which is why we have the bill—but I suspect that many people in the community are not aware that it is actually an important independent accountability measure. Presenting an annual budget does not happen in all countries. There are countries around the world where the government does not need to release a budget, because it appears to be accountable, certainly on a day-to-day basis, to nobody. There are countries where a budget is released but it is a fictional propaganda document.
This year, around Australia, the important tradition of accountability through presenting a budget for scrutiny has changed. The federal government has delayed its budget, as have New South Wales, Queensland, the ACT and so on. This is not something which has been done lightly. It has been done through a national cabinet agreement because of the COVID crisis.
The Greens are strong believers in government accountability. We do not lightly support delaying the budget. We have done so this year because it has been necessary at a time of crisis, but we believe that next year the process should return to normal. As soon as possible, the process should return to normal.
When I and the Greens were considering whether to support this bill, we were looking for two key things: first, whether the changes would apply only to this year and without any permanent reduction in accountability; secondly, whether the legislative changes were kept to a minimum. This bill receives the Greens’ support because it meets both of these tests. It is restricted to the 2020-21 financial year. It is also very limited in scope and size. Rather than creating a whole new arrangement, it utilises an existing process that we use every year to allow the budget to be passed in August, after the financial year has already commenced.
The annual budget is an important accountability tool and it should not be delayed lightly. This year COVID-19 has forced governments around Australia, including the ACT government, to delay their budgets. However, we must be very careful in how we implement the delay to make sure it is a one-off delay. This bill is limited to this year only and makes no broader changes to the budget process. The Greens will therefore support it.
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Social Inclusion and Equality, Minister for Tourism and Special Events and Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment) (12.00), in reply: As we have heard, the bill provides a straightforward change to the legislation which ensures that the government can continue the provision of continuing functions and critical services. This approach is consistent with the actions taken by all other state and territory governments to provide a larger than normal supply period, in recognition of the delayed commonwealth budget and the significant impacts experienced due to COVID-19.
The bill increases the amount of appropriation available to agencies from 1 July to 100 per cent of the amount of both appropriations acts in the 2019-20 fiscal year. It limits the increase, as Ms Le Couteur pointed out, of the available appropriation just
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