There are two broad types of appropriation mechanism: annual appropriations, which are the subject of the Appropriation Acts tabled on Budget night and special appropriations, which are found in other legislation. This guide explains further.

The Commonwealth budget is typically the most important annual policy statement by the federal government. This guide identifies information and key concepts that are used in the budget papers and related materials.

The aim of this briefing is to provide some context for the 2019-20 Budget based on the latest economic and fiscal forecasts released at the 2018-19 MYEFO in December 2018. The figures are current at the time of publication but the government’s economic and fiscal forecasts will be updated with the release of the 2019-20...

This brief provides some background data on domestic and international economies. It includes summaries of recent economic data, their underlying drivers, and discussion of the key issues and concerns arising from interpretation of these data.

This paper examines the impact of growth in government investment funds on net debt. The focus in this report is conceptual—whether the long-standing frameworks that define net debt would benefit from review in light of the growing use of investment funds—and suggests that increased transparency around these impacts is warranted.