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1. What was proposedLeanne CastleyLiberal · Opposition
   Read the original wording (310 words)

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) section 11(5)(a) of the Financial Management Act 1996 requires the Treasurer to prepare an annual budget taking into account the principles of responsible fiscal management, unless the Treasurer issues a statement as required under section 11(6)(b); and (b) the second principle, established by section 7 of the Act, applies if the Territory’s liabilities are at prudent levels, and requires the Budget to ensure “that, on average, over a reasonable period of time, the total operating expenses of the Territory do not exceed its operating income levels”; (2) additionally notes that: (a) the Treasurer has not issued a statement as required under section 11(6)(b), and is therefore required to comply with the principles in section 7; (b) the Treasurer agreed with a question asking if the Territory’s levels are at prudent levels at an Estimates hearing on 7 August 2025, and is therefore bound by the second principle; (c) the 2025-2026 Budget Outlook does not comply with the second principle, as the relevant measure, the Uniform Presentation Framework Net Operating Balance in Table E.1, is in deficit across the Budget years; and (d) the relevant measure may have been in deficit since 2007-2008, which suggests it is not possible to produce a surplus “on average” or “over a reasonable period”, as required by the second principle; (3) further notes that when questions about these matters were put to the Treasurer at an Estimates hearing on 7 August 2025, the Treasurer failed to address the concerns or to provide the committee with an assurance that the Budget has complied with the obligations established by the Act; and (4) directs the Treasurer to make a statement to the Assembly after the presentation of papers on Thursday 4 September 2025, explaining how, or if, the Budget has met its obligations under section 11(5)(a) of the Financial Management Act 1996.

2. Proposed changeChris SteelLabor · Minister2 September 2025

   Removed the paragraphs saying the budget did not comply and the Treasurer had failed to assure the Assembly. Our summary, review in progress

   The exact wording of this change

   Omit paragraphs (2) and (3). Debate continued.

   Agreed in a recorded vote, 12 to 7. Agreed. It only took words out, so there's nothing to find in the final text.

   Ayes 12

   • Yvette Berry, Chris Steel, Tara Cheyne, Rachel Stephen-Smith, Caitlin Tough, Taimus Werner-Gibbings, Michael Pettersson
   • Shane Rattenbury, Andrew Braddock, Jo Clay, Laura Nuttall
   • Thomas Emerson

   Noes 7

   • Chiaka Barry, Peter Cain, Leanne Castley, Ed Cocks, James Milligan, Mark Parton
   • Fiona Carrick
3. What the Assembly decidedAgreed

   Decided on the voices: no individual votes were recorded, so this doesn’t show that every MLA agreed.

   Final agreed wording

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) section 11(5)(a) of the Financial Management Act 1996 requires the Treasurer to prepare an annual budget taking into account the principles of responsible fiscal management, unless the Treasurer issues a statement as required under section 11(6)(b); and (b) the second principle, established by section 7 of the Act, applies if the Territory’s liabilities are at prudent levels, and requires the Budget to ensure “that, on average, over a reasonable period of time, the total operating expenses of the Territory do not exceed its operating income levels”; and (2) directs the Treasurer to make a statement to the Assembly after the presentation of papers on Thursday 4 September 2025, explaining how, or if, the Budget has met its obligations under section 11(5)(a) of the Financial Management Act 1996.

   Original and final wording compared

   taken out put in

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) section 11(5)(a) of the Financial Management Act 1996 requires the Treasurer to prepare an annual budget taking into account the principles of responsible fiscal management, unless the Treasurer issues a statement as required under section 11(6)(b); and (b) the second principle, established by section 7 of the Act, applies if the Territory’s liabilities are at prudent levels, and requires the Budget to ensure “that, on average, over a reasonable period of time, the total operating expenses of the Territory do not exceed its operating income levels”; [taken out: (2) additionally notes that: (a) the Treasurer has not issued a statement as required under section 11(6)(b),]and [taken out: is therefore required to comply with the principles in section 7; (b) the Treasurer agreed with a question asking if the Territory’s levels are at prudent levels at an Estimates hearing on 7 August 2025, and is therefore bound by the second principle; (c) the 2025-2026 Budget Outlook does not comply with the second principle, as the relevant measure, the Uniform Presentation Framework Net Operating Balance in Table E.1, is in deficit across the Budget years; and (d) the relevant measure may have been in deficit since 2007-2008, which suggests it is not possible to produce a surplus “on average” or “over a reasonable period”, as required by the second principle; (3) further notes that when questions about these matters were put to the Treasurer at an Estimates hearing on 7 August 2025, the Treasurer failed to address the concerns or to provide the committee with an assurance that the Budget has complied with the obligations established by the Act; and (4)][put in: (2)]directs the Treasurer to make a statement to the Assembly after the presentation of papers on Thursday 4 September 2025, explaining how, or if, the Budget has met its obligations under section 11(5)(a) of the Financial Management Act 1996.

   Compared word by word by computer, ignoring punctuation. It shows what differs, not which change made each difference; the steps above show that.