Appropriation Bill (No. 5) 2023-2024 and four others

The majority voted against an amendment introduced by Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe (Independent), which means it failed. The amendment would have added the text below to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea).

Amendment text

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate:

(a) notes that:

(i) the Independent Review of the National Legal Assistance Partnership 2020-2025 (NLAP) found that current funding is far below what is needed for critical legal assistance services to meet growing demand,

(ii) the NLAP made 39 recommendations for significantly increased funding for legal assistance services and changes to the way funding is delivered which the Government has not yet responded to,

(iii) the May budget allocated $41.4 million to legal assistance services, with just $15.4 million of that earmarked for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services sector, which was calling for $229 million in funding to meet increased demand and operational costs; and

(b) calls on the Government to provide the full amount of recommended urgent funding for legal assistance programs to provide lifesaving support services".