Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Government Services) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to thank all senators who have contributed to the debate on the Supply Bill (No.1) 2022-23, Supply Bill (No.2) 2022-23 and Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No.1) 2022-23. These supply bills seek authority from the parliament for the appropriation of money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the first five months of the year 2022-23. The total of the appropriation sought through these three supply bills is just over $91 billion.

These bills must be passed in this session to ensure funding is available to all entities from 1 July 2022, thereby ensuring the continuity of program and service delivery in the early months of the next financial year. I also wish to emphasise that these bills only seek to appropriate money to fund government expenditure on an interim basis, until the annual appropriation bills have passed. Accordingly, no new measures for the 2022-23 budget are included in these bills.

In relation to Senator Patrick's second reading amendment that calls for petrol indexation relief for 15 months, I would say this in response: we are cutting it to six months, consistent with what the budget and the Treasury have estimated for the duration of fuel price pressure. By the time we have got to the end of September this year, they're expecting the oil prices to have fallen. In New Zealand, by way of contrast, they have done it for the next three months—not six months as we have here. We think it will take longer than three months, and that's why we have kept it over the six-month period through when the fuel price increases are forecast, at this stage, to abate. Our excise cut halves the rate, which is currently 44c. This is broadly consistent with the reduction proposed by Senator Patrick, and for these reasons the government does not support the proposed amendment.

Once again, I thank all senators for their contributions and I commend these bills to the Senate.