{"id":"F2020L00220","name":"Advance to the Finance Minister Determination (No. 1 of 2019-2020)","slug":"advance-to-the-finance-minister-determination-no-1-of-2019-2020","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":100768,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2020L00220-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Advance to the Finance Minister Determin","sectionType":"section","heading":"Advance to the Finance Minister Determination (No. 1 of 2019‑2020)","content":"###### Advance to the Finance Minister Determination (No. 1 of 2019‑2020)\n\nI, Mathias Hubert Paul Cormann, Minister for Finance, being satisfied of the matters set out in subsection 12(1) of Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2019‑2020 (the Act), make the following determination under subsection 12(2) of the Act:\n\nThat the Act have effect as if Schedule 2 of the Act were amended so that the item described in Column 1 of the Table, for the Entity listed in Column 2 of the Table, were increased by the amount listed in Column 3 of the Table.\n\nTable\n\n|      | Column 1                                 | Column 2             | Column 3     |\n| ---- | ---------------------------------------- | -------------------- | ------------ |\n| Item | Appropriation Item                       | Entity               | Amount       |\n| 1    | Administered assets and liabilities item | Department of Health | $100,000,000 |\n\nDated: 4 March 2020\n\nMATHIAS HUBERT PAUL CORMANN\n\nMinister for Finance","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"Column 3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Column 3","content":"###### Column 3","sortOrder":1}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The instrument changes the scope of the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2019–2020 only in numeric terms: it increases the amount shown in Schedule 2 for a single appropriation item (the Department of Health's 'Administered assets and liabilities item') by $100,000,000 (Table, Column 3). It does not change the identity of the entity or the label of the appropriation item, nor does it, within the text of the instrument, alter any other provisions of the Act. To determine the broader legal or budgetary implications of that numerical increase (funding source, offsets, timing), one must consult the Appropriation Act and related budget documentation referenced by the statutory cross‑references (first paragraph)."},"complexity_factors":["Single, narrowly targeted amendment: increases one Schedule 2 appropriation line by a fixed dollar amount (Table, Item 1).","Relies on cross‑reference to the Appropriation Act (subsections 12(1) and 12(2)) to understand the legal authority and limits (first paragraph).","Administrative effect is mechanical but requires accounting and record updates in appropriation schedules (Table).","Instrument records executive satisfaction of statutory preconditions but does not disclose underlying facts, creating a transparency/discretion point (first paragraph).","Does not describe funding source or offsets within the text, so full fiscal impact requires reading the parent Act and budget materials (first paragraph).","Labels such as \"Administered assets and liabilities item\" are used without definition in the instrument, so readers must consult the Act for scope of the line item (Table)."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument is a Finance Minister’s determination (4 March 2020) that treats the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2019–20 as if Schedule 2 were amended to increase one line — the Department of Health’s administered assets and liabilities item — by $100,000,000.  \n\nIt therefore raises that appropriation amount, affecting Health’s budgetary ceiling; it records the Minister’s statutory satisfaction but gives no explanation of funding sources or wider fiscal trade‑offs."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This determination operates exactly within its original intended scope. Section 12 of Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2019-2020 was specifically designed to allow the Finance Minister to make urgent budget adjustments via determination. The document uses this power for precisely that purpose — a single urgent funding increase to a specific entity. There is no scope creep or expansion beyond the statutory authority."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (under 300 words)","Only 1 defined term (\"the Act\")","Single operative provision with straightforward tabular amendment","No cross-references beyond the empowering provision (subsection 12(2))","No conditional logic or exceptions — just a direct monetary increase","Standard legislative template format with minimal variation"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this document does:**\n\nThis is a formal decision (called a \"determination\") made by the Finance Minister, Mathias Cormann, in March 2020. It increases the Department of Health's budget by **$100 million**.\n\n**How it works:**\n\nUnder Australian law, Parliament passes \"Appropriation Acts\" which set out how much money government departments can spend. Sometimes, unexpected needs arise between budgets. Section 12 of the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2019-2020 gives the Finance Minister special power to add extra money to these budgets without waiting for Parliament to pass a new law — but only if urgent and unforeseen circumstances exist.\n\n**What changed:**\n\nThe determination adds $100 million to the Department of Health's \"administered assets and liabilities\" budget. This is money for things the Department manages on behalf of the government (like grants, subsidies, or purchasing assets), rather than money for running the Department itself (like staff salaries).\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nThis type of determination is typically used when the government needs to respond quickly to emergencies or urgent needs. The timing (March 2020) and the recipient (Health Department) strongly suggest this was early COVID-19 pandemic funding — allowing the Health Department to access significant extra funds immediately while Parliament prepared larger appropriation bills.\n\n**Key takeaway:**\n\nThis is a **budget top-up** using emergency ministerial powers, giving the Health Department an extra $100 million to spend on administered programs."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/advance-to-the-finance-minister-determination-no-1-of-2019-2020","history":"/api/acts/advance-to-the-finance-minister-determination-no-1-of-2019-2020/history","analysis":"/api/acts/advance-to-the-finance-minister-determination-no-1-of-2019-2020/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/advance-to-the-finance-minister-determination-no-1-of-2019-2020/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/advance-to-the-finance-minister-determination-no-1-of-2019-2020/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/advance-to-the-finance-minister-determination-no-1-of-2019-2020/documents"}}