Australia

House of Representatives

Political system
Parliamentary system
Structure of parliament
Bicameral
IPU membership
Yes

Budget

Data on parliament’s budget role and activities

Parliamentary powers to amend the budget
Other

Notes:

For appropriation bills in the House of Representatives, a message to the House from the Governor-General recommending the purpose of the appropriation in accordance with section 56 of the Constitution must be announced before the bill is introduced. A further message must be received before any amendment can be moved which would increase, or extend the objects and purposes or alter the destination of, a recommended appropriation. This requirement in effect prevents private Members from moving such amendments. However, a private Member may move to reduce the amount of a proposed expenditure or may move to omit items.

Section 53 of the Australian Constitution states that:

The Senate may not amend proposed laws imposing taxation, or proposed laws appropriating revenue or moneys for the ordinary annual services of the Government.

The Senate may not amend any proposed law so as to increase any proposed charge or burden on the people.

The Senate may at any stage return to the House of Representatives any proposed law which the Senate may not amend, requesting, by message, the omission or amendment of any items or provisions therein. And the House of Representatives may, if it thinks fit, make any of such omissions or amendments, with or without modifications.

Parliament has a specialized unit to conduct budgetary analysis
Yes

Notes: The Parliamentary Budget Office

Number of staff working in the specialized budget unit
52
Date when parliament received the draft budget from the government, per year
09 May 2023
(2023)
Date when parliament adopted the budget, per year
15 Jun 2023
(2023)
Number of days between receiving the draft budget and its adoption in parliament, per year
37
(2023)
National currency
Australian Dollars (AUD)
PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) conversion factor
1.390
(2023)
State budget, per year
700,622,000,000 AUD
(2023)
State budget, per year in PPP
483,187,586,207
(2023)

Historical data for IPU membership

Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No