Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026; Third Reading

Summary

The government is asking Parliament to approve extra spending on top of what was already budgeted for 2025-26, covering new policy decisions made since the original budget was handed down. This appropriation applies to various government agencies and payments to states, territories, local councils, and administered programs — essentially authorizing the release of additional taxpayer money for government operations beyond the regular annual budget. The spending is structured under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and sits alongside earlier supply and appropriation bills for the same financial year, meaning Parliament has now split the year's funding into three separate authorization bills to comply with constitutional requirements that ordinary expenses be approved separately from special or extraordinary expenses. This matters because it allows the government to fund urgent priorities and changed circumstances discovered after the budget was finalized, while still requiring Parliament's approval and public scrutiny through tabled portfolio statements that detail where the money goes.

What happens at this stage

The final vote in this chamber on the bill as a whole, after all amendments have been considered. If it passes, the bill moves to the other chamber to go through the same process. If both chambers have already agreed to identical text, the bill proceeds directly to Royal Assent.

Next: The other chamber, which runs the same process from First Reading, or Royal Assent if both chambers have already agreed