Appropriation (Parliament) (Supplementary 2024-2025) Bill 2025
Plain English Summary
Overview
This bill provides formal parliamentary approval for $5.407 million in supplementary funding for Queensland Parliament that was spent during the 2024-25 financial year. The Queensland Constitution requires all government spending to be authorised by Parliament, so this bill retrospectively approves unforeseen expenditure that has already occurred and been reviewed by the Auditor-General.
Who it affects
This is a procedural bill that affects Queensland Parliament's budget. Taxpayers benefit from the transparency it provides over how public money was spent.
Key changes
- Authorises the Treasurer to pay $5.407 million in supplementary appropriation for the Legislative Assembly and parliamentary service
- Covers unforeseen expenditure incurred during the 2024-25 financial year beyond the original budget
- The entire $5.407 million is allocated to departmental services, with no equity adjustment or administered items
- Expenditure has been reviewed by the Auditor-General in the Consolidated Fund Financial Report
Bill Story
The journey of this bill through Parliament, including debate and recorded votes.
▸Committee30 Oct 2025View Hansard
Referred to Governance, Energy and Finance Committee
The Governance, Energy and Finance Committee examined both the Appropriation (Parliament) (Supplementary 2024-2025) Bill 2025 and the Appropriation (Supplementary 2024-2025) Bill 2025 jointly. The committee recommended that both bills be passed. It noted that while the $5.75 billion in unforeseen expenditure for 2024-25 represented a reasonable portion of the original $90.57 billion appropriation, it was a considerable decrease from the previous financial year's level of over $9 billion.
Key findings (4)
- Unforeseen expenditure of $5.75 billion represented 6.34 per cent of the original appropriation for 2024-25
- The level of unforeseen expenditure was a considerable decrease from the 2023-24 financial year, which exceeded 11.5 per cent of original appropriation
- After accounting for lapses, the net impact was $4.76 billion more than originally approved
- Unlike previous years, the unforeseen expenditure was contained in a single set of supplementary appropriation bills rather than multiple sets
Recommendations (1)
- The committee recommends that the Bills be passed.
Committee report tabled
▸Second Reading25 Mar 2026View Hansard
▸23 members spoke22 support1 mixed
Confirmed Labor's support for the supplementary appropriation bills as routine governance, but used the debate to criticise the government for scrapping cost-of-living relief measures such as electricity rebates and failing to act on the fuel crisis, health waitlists, and the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme.
“For that reason, of course, the Labor opposition will be supporting the supplementary appropriation bills.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
As Treasurer, moved the second reading of the cognate bills, framing the $5.746 billion in supplementary appropriation as a consequence of the former Labor government's hidden project blowouts and underfunded frontline services, while noting the 2024-25 figure is down from over $9 billion the previous year.
“The purpose of these bills is to provide for supplementary appropriation for unforeseen expenditure that occurred in the 2024-25 financial year... I commend the bills to the House.”— 2026-03-25View Hansard
Supported the bills, arguing the supplementary appropriation was necessary to fix the former Labor government's hidden cost blowouts and underfunded services. Highlighted government achievements in primary industries, biosecurity, housing, and local electorate projects.
“What Queensland and the Treasurer have uncovered little by little since coming to government is the deception of the former Labor government, and the numbers make very clear just how deceptive they all were.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Supported the bills as a responsible opposition ensuring the machinery of government functions, but criticised the government for walking away from cost-of-living relief, failing to meet its consultants savings cap by $1 billion, and presiding over a negative credit rating outlook.
“The opposition supports the bills because we believe in the proper functioning of government, but let us be equally clear. We do not support the direction this government is taking Queensland.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Indicated Labor will support the bills as a constitutional requirement, but used her speech to criticise the Treasurer's budget strategy, the LNP's failure to meet its consultant cap by $1 billion, the scrapping of electricity rebates, and the risk of a credit rating downgrade.
“These bills fulfil that requirement and for that reason, of course, the Labor opposition will be supporting them, but I note the Treasurer's commentary around previous supplementary appropriation bills.”— 2026-03-25View Hansard
Supported the bills, framing the $5.7 billion in unforeseen expenditure as the consequence of the former Labor government designing a budget to survive an election rather than serve Queenslanders. Highlighted local delivery including 50-cent fares, housing initiatives, and community safety measures in Pumicestone.
“This bill tells a very clear story—a story of a former government that hid the truth, underfunded essential services and left Queenslanders to pick up the pieces.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Stated Labor would not oppose the bill but criticised the government's health record, including cutting hospital expansions at Prince Charles and the Queensland Cancer Centre, record ramping, and rising specialist outpatient waitlists. Attacked government spending on taxpayer-funded propaganda while claiming insufficient health funding.
“Labor will not oppose the bill because supplementary appropriation bills serve a formal purpose, but Queenslanders are entitled to judge the priorities of the government behind the bill.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
As chair of the Economics and Governance Committee, supported the bills, characterising the supplementary appropriation as evidence of Labor's fiscal mismanagement, including project blowouts such as the Coomera Hospital, and praised consolidating appropriation into a single set of bills.
“This bill is the latest chapter in the sorry story of Labor's fiscal deception and mismanagement. In its 2024-25 budget the Miles Labor government hid its project blowouts and underfunded key frontline services.”— 2026-03-25View Hansard
Supported the bills, highlighting the shift from neglect to delivery in the Redlands electorate, including permanent 50-cent ferry fares, vehicle ferry subsidies, the Weinam Creek precinct, youth crime initiatives, hospital improvements, and school investments.
“The contrast is clear. The former government delivered delay; this government is delivering progress.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Supported the bill as a procedural necessity but criticised the government for fiscal mismanagement, stalled infrastructure projects in Far North Queensland despite available federal funding, inadequate Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme rates, and failure to deliver cost-of-living relief.
“This supplementary appropriation bill reflects more than unseen expenditure. It reflects the unforeseen consequences of poor planning, broken commitments and a failure to understand the realities facing Queenslanders.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Supported the bills, highlighting Central Queensland investments including 3,600 new land parcels, the Rockhampton TAFE Excellence Precinct, social housing construction, the health sciences academy, sports precinct upgrades, and Great Keppel Island infrastructure.
“What Queenslanders needed to see—what they wanted to see—was a government that delivered, and this government is delivering for the people of Keppel and for the people of regional Queensland.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Supported the legislation as the right thing to do for good governance, praised Labor's 50-cent fares initiative as a cost-of-living relief that the LNP claimed credit for, advocated for teacher wage increases, and called for FairPlay/Play On! vouchers to be extended to more dance schools.
“Those opposite can take credit for our 50-cent fares, but never in a million years do I think the LNP would have done that first.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Supported the bills, arguing they demonstrate the government cleaning up Labor's fiscal mess while delivering for Queenslanders. Highlighted local projects including the Bribie Island breakthrough, new Banya primary school, Beerwah fire station, Caloundra Congestion Busting Plan, and the new TAFE centre of excellence.
“These bills are important because they do more than simply authorise unforeseen expenditure. They tell the real story of the financial position this government inherited and they show the work the Crisafulli government is doing to clean up Labor's mess.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Supported the bills as a routine appropriation process but criticised the government for the absence of tangible cost-of-living relief, rising electricity, housing, and fuel costs, and failure to support affected sectors including tourism, fishing, agriculture, and trucking.
“If they can find billions in funding for the additional expenditure that is in these bills, surely they can find support for families.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Supported the bills, detailing government investments in Nicklin including a Nambour police beat and CCTV upgrades, road safety improvements, housing crisis responses with HOME outreach teams, the Everyday Foundation low-cost supermarket, school accessibility upgrades, and emergency services equipment.
“Budgets are not just numbers; they are statements of priority. They show what a government values, whom it is listening to and whether it is prepared to tackle real community problems with practical solutions.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Supported the bills as fulfilling responsibilities for unforeseen expenditure, but attacked the government on cost of living, citing surging electricity prices, rising rents and housing costs. Highlighted the fuel crisis and referenced the OzHarvest report on food insecurity, criticising the government's inaction compared to other states.
“Do you reckon that the couple I spoke to, who go without meals every night so they can give their kids three meals a day, said, 'Di, can you make sure we get a dashboard? That would really help.' No person said that ever.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Spoke in strong support of the bills, arguing they represent the necessary clean-up of a decade of Labor failures. Highlighted local delivery in Thuringowa including Townsville University Hospital expansion, youth crime measures, Jabiru Park upgrades, and Thuringowa State High School air-conditioned hall.
“This legislation is not some dry accounting exercise; nor is it simply a routine adjustment of the state's books. In reality, it is the necessary clean-up of a decade of Labor failures.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Supported the bill as a constitutional requirement but criticised the government for failing to deliver cost-of-living relief, noting 80 per cent of Inala residents experience housing stress. Highlighted the government's failure to fund MND Queensland and the missed consultants savings cap, warning of consequences for the state's credit rating.
“Supporting the passage of this bill does not mean supporting the priorities of this government, because at a time when Queensland families are under pressure this government is underperforming and has failed to deliver with this bill.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Supported the bills, arguing the $5.7 billion in unforeseen expenditure exposed the reality of the former government's budget that was never designed to last. Highlighted the impact on Mackay's hospital system, housing, and community safety, and praised the government's methodical approach to budget repair.
“What we are doing here is not just approving past expenditure; we are exposing the reality of the former Labor government's budget that was never designed to last.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Stated the opposition was not opposing the bills but criticised the government for removing cost-of-living measures like electricity rebates and rego discounts, rising fuel prices without government response, inadequate public transport investment in growing communities, and failure to deliver promised consultants savings.
“While the opposition is not opposing these bills, let me be very clear: not opposing the passage of appropriation legislation does not mean that we support the performance of this government.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Supported the bills, highlighting government investment in police resources including Taser 10s, body worn cameras, and radios. Praised the delivery of 165 new overnight beds at Townsville University Hospital, the professional foster care pilot program, and housing initiatives including the Residential Activation Fund.
“I googled the word 'funding' and it comes up as a verb. The example used was 'a government funding its promises'. That is the difference between this side of the chamber and that side.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Supported the bills, emphasising the need for responsible budgeting and long-term fiscal discipline. Highlighted investments in Southport including social housing projects for those fleeing domestic violence, affordable housing units, and youth foyers for young people transitioning from foster care.
“A budget is more than a financial document; it is a reflection of the government's priorities, its discipline and its vision for the future.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard
Replied to the second reading debate as Treasurer, defending the government's fiscal record and attacking the former Labor government's budget as a 'clown show'. Highlighted the government's permanent funding of 50-cent fares, Play On! vouchers, increased first home owner grants, and housing investment while criticising Labor for unfunded commitments.
“The last budget of the former Labor government was described by the Financial Review as a clown show. The contributions from those opposite over the last few periods of debate have again shown us that they have learned nothing.”— 2026-04-23View Hansard