To learn more, hover over and click areas of the Budget Flow Chart below.
Routine proceedings are suspended and the Budget Speech begins soon after the House is called to order.
The Speaker recognizes the Minister of Finance, who then moves the Budget Motion:
"Speaker, I move, seconded by the Premier, that this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the government."
The Minister of Finance then delivers the Budget Speech, which articulates the budgetary policy of the Government.
There are no time limits on the Budget Speech; the Minister can use as much time as required.
Following the Budget Speech, the Minister moves adjournment of the Budget debate.
Following adjournment of the budget debate, the Minister of Finance informs the House that a Message (the Royal Recommendation) has been received from the Lieutenant Governor.
The Message contains the amount of the Estimates for the new fiscal year, which is the sum of Interim Supply and Main Supply. The Message is provided to the Speaker, who reads it to the House.
The Minister of Finance refers the Message (the Royal Recommendation) and the Estimates to the Committee of Supply, following which the House resolves itself into Committee of the Whole on Supply.
Budgetary documents are distributed to all Members, then the debate in Committee is adjourned.
Committee of Supply appears on the Order Paper the following day and remains on the Order Paper until the Estimates process is concluded.
The Speaker calls Notices of Motion once the Committee of the Whole on Supply rises and reports progress.
The Minister of Finance gives notice of any bills required to give effect to measures contained in the budget.
Other notices of motion may also be given at this time if necessary.
The Speaker will recognize the Government House Leader, who will do the following:
Any heads of expenditure not referred to a Standing Committee are debated in Committee of the Whole on Supply in the House.
Each head of expenditure listed in the Estimates is referred to either the Standing Committee on Government Services, Resource or Social Services.
Standing Committees meet and conduct a line-by-line review of each head of expenditure. They have 15 sitting days to conclude their reviews and report back to the House.
A minimum of three hours is deducted from the 75 hours allocated for the budget process for each head of expenditure. If the Committee uses more than three hours, then the actual time is deducted from the total allocated time.
If the Committee does not finish its review within the time allocated and wishes the entity to return, the entity must comply.
Meetings cannot be held while the House is sitting unless leave is given (refer Standing Order 73(4)). The Standing Orders allow for virtual meetings, if required.
Audio of proceedings are available live and archived on the House of Assembly website. Hansard is produced, but is not immediately available.
The galleries are open to the media and the public.
Committee members may ask any questions within the competency of the head of expenditure the Committee is reviewing.
The minister of the department or agency in question or their delegate (i.e. another Minister), appears as a witness before the Committee.
The minister determines which, if any, officials attend and can direct questions to them.
The Committee votes whether or not to recommend approval of the Estimates for that head of expenditure to the House.
The Committee can recommend the Estimates be decreased, but cannot recommend an increase.
Once the Committee concludes reviewing and voting on the Estimates of the heads of expenditure referred to it, a report is prepared and tabled by the Chair of the Committee in the House, recommending those Estimates to the House.
Once the report is tabled, a Concurrence Motion is deemed to be before the House, which sets up the Concurrence debates.
All reports of Standing Committees reviewing the Estimates must be concurred in by the whole House; the Committee can only recommend approval of the Estimates to the House.
The Chair of each Standing Committee presents the report to the House during Routine Proceedings in Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
The report of each Standing Committee reviewing the Estimates generates a Concurrence Motion to be debated. The Concurrence Motion for the Estimates reviewed by that particular Committee appears on the Order Paper the next day.
A maximum of three hours is allocated for each Concurrence debate, which is nine hours in total for three Standing Committees. The full time may not always be used, but three hours for each head are deducted from the 75 hours.
Speaking times are as follows:
The House votes on the Standing Committee's recommendation once debate concludes or the time allocation is reached.
Once each Concurrence Motion is passed, the Estimates recommended by that particular Committee are passed.
At this point in the process, the review of Estimates, Concurrence debates and debate on the Budget Motion must be concluded. Generally, the 75 hours allocated under the Standing Orders to the Business of Supply have been exhausted.
A bill is required to enact financial measures approved by the House (Estimates, Concurrence and Budget Motion).
Main Supply requires a resolution and a bill, which are referred to Committee of the Whole on Supply.
Notice of Main Supply Bill is given prior to Budget Day.
The Minister of Finance will advise that the Royal Recommendation has been received and move that the House resolve itself into Committee of the Whole on Supply to consider the Main Supply Resolution and related bill.
The Committee of Supply (the House) will vote on the resolution and the components of the bill without debate, then the Committee will rise and report.
Royal Assent on the Annual Supply Act concludes the Budget process. The Lieutenant Governor may come to the Legislature, or the Speaker and the Clerk may visit the Lieutenant Governor at Government House.
Debate is not time bound. The time spent is not included in the 75-hour allocation for Business of Supply.
The choice and order of Members speaking is a caucus decision.
Debate is wide-ranging, but must be relevant to public expenditures and/or fiscal policy.
The Standing Orders allow for one amendment and one sub-amendment to the Budget Motion, which are traditionally moved by the Official Opposition and considered motions of non-confidence.
Main Budget Motion:
Amendment:
Sub-amendment
Amendments to the Budget Motion, if passed, could be expressions of non-confidence in the Government.
Sub-amendment
Amendment
Main Budget Motion
Some heads of expenditure may not be referred to a Standing Committee, but may be reviewed by the Whole House.
For example, Estimates of the Legislature are approved and recommended by the Management Commission, which comprises Members of all caucuses. The line-by-line review of the budget is completed by the Commission.
Heads of expenditure not referred to a Standing Committee are reviewed in Committee of the Whole on Supply.
The Committee can utilize whatever time is remaining after the following times are deducted from the 75 hours: