✦ Plain-English Summary

Appropriation (Coronavirus Economic Response Package) Bill (No. 2) 2019-2020

What it does

This bill releases additional government money from the national budget to pay for coronavirus-related economic support measures. It's one of several spending bills the government passed to fund JobKeeper, cash payments to households, and other pandemic relief programs.

Why it matters

Without bills like this, the government can't legally spend money on emergency support. This one funded the actual cash that kept businesses and workers afloat during lockdowns and economic shutdowns in 2020.

Key details

• The money comes from: Australia's general government budget (called the Consolidated Revenue Fund)
• When it started: The moment it received Royal Assent (formal approval from the Governor-General)
• Who gets it: Mix of direct payments to individuals, support to businesses, grants to states and territories, and funding for government services to handle the crisis response

The bill itself is mostly procedural—it's essentially Parliament signing off on how much money goes where. The Schedule 1 document (not fully shown here) would have listed the exact dollar amounts for each type of support.

Committee Referrals

Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills

No formal division recorded

This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.

No votes yet.

No votes were recorded for this bill.