45th Parliament · Session 1
Bill C-24: An Act for granting to His Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027
Appropriation Act No. 1, 2026-27
Introduced
March 24, 2026
Current Stage
RoyalAssentGiven
Last Updated
March 26, 2026
Sponsor
Shafqat Ali
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Bill C-24
Thu Mar 26 2026
An Act for granting to His Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027
Impact Rating
1/5
Short Summary
This routine bill authorizes the federal government to spend $86.4 billion to keep public services, departments, and programs running for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
This bill is a routine financial measure known as an Appropriation Act. It authorizes the federal government to withdraw approximately $86.4 billion from the public treasury to fund federal departments, programs, and services for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. This funding acts as an interim advance based on the government's Main Estimates, ensuring public administration continues running smoothly while Parliament debates the full annual budget. It does not introduce new taxes or policy changes, but simply pays the bills for operations already approved or planned.
Why does this bill exist?
Origin (Routine Update)
This is a mandatory, routine legislative procedure done every year to ensure the government has the legal authority and cash on hand to operate before the full fiscal budget is finalized.
Authorizes the withdrawal of $86,422,679,148 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Acts as an interim funding measure to ensure government operations continue without interruption while the final budget is debated.
Grants fractional amounts of the government's total planned budget to cover immediate expenses.
Does not create new laws, programs, or taxes; it only funds existing and planned federal public administration.
Includes standard accounting rules to allow the government to reconcile its books after the fiscal year ends.
Everyday Citizens
(Neutral)
Will experience no interruption in routine federal services like employment insurance, pensions, or passport processing.
Federal Workers
(Neutral)
Ensures that federal payroll and departmental budgets are funded so they can continue their jobs without a government shutdown.
Business Owners (Government Contractors)
(Neutral)
Ensures the government has the funds to pay existing contracts for goods and services on time.
Provincial Impact
Provincial Impact
This bill solely funds the federal government's own public administration and departments. It does not force provinces to change laws, train staff, or spend their own money.
Benefits & Pros
Ensures essential government services, like processing passports, issuing benefits, and national defense, do not shut down.
Allows federal employees and government contractors to be paid on time.
Maintains economic stability by ensuring the government meets its financial obligations.
Beneficiaries
Risks & Cons
Approves large blocks of spending rapidly, leaving detailed scrutiny of individual program costs for other parliamentary committees.
Contributes to overall public expenditure, which may be scrutinized by opposition parties concerned about national debt.
Does not provide transparency into specific departmental line items within the text of the bill itself.
Affected Groups
Before & After
Currently, the government needs parliamentary permission to access funds for the new fiscal year starting April 1. Under this bill, permission is granted to withdraw $86.4 billion to keep departments running.
Real World Scenario
Currently: If the new fiscal year starts and no supply bill is passed, the government cannot legally pay its employees or operate services, resulting in a government shutdown. Under this Bill: The government gets an advance of $86.4 billion to ensure payroll and services continue normally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sponsor
Member of Parliament
House of Commons
First reading
Completed on March 24, 2026
Second reading
Completed on March 24, 2026
Consideration in committee
Completed on March 24, 2026
Report stage
Completed on March 24, 2026
Third reading
Completed on March 24, 2026
Senate
First reading
Completed on March 24, 2026
Second reading
Completed on March 25, 2026
Third reading
Completed on March 26, 2026
Royal Assent
Royal assent
Completed on March 26, 2026
Abuse Potential
Because this is a routine supply bill, the potential for direct abuse of power within the text is very low. The bill strictly limits the funds to the specific purposes outlined in the government's estimates. However, Appropriation Acts grant massive sums of money in broad categories. The primary risk lies in parliamentary oversight. If opposition members and oversight committees do not adequately review the Main Estimates before passing this bill, funds could theoretically be allocated to inefficient or mismanaged programs without proper public debate. The law itself, however, restricts the executive branch to spending only what is expressly authorized.
Implementation Risk
There is virtually no implementation risk. This is a standard, recurring financial mechanism used every year to transfer funds within federal accounts so departments can pay their bills.
Broad Economic Impact
Indirect. It keeps government money flowing into the economy through federal operations and salaries.
Everyday Life
Minimal impact. It simply ensures that the government services you already use do not suddenly shut down.
Admin Burden
Automatic. Citizens do not need to do anything.
Timeline
Immediate upon Royal Assent to fund the fiscal year starting April 1, 2026.