The 2012 budget was finally passed tonight after the joint opposition excised $20B of its original $192.8B.
Passage came after days of acrimony and heated debate after it became clear that the opposition would use its one-seat majority to make deep cuts.
Just prior to passage of the budget, the opposition voted to cut a massive $18.394 billion in Low Carbon Development Strategy funds.
It argued that this money was intended to come from the Norway-financed GRIF fund but that the monies were yet to be received. The opposition said that once the money was received the requisite appropriations could be made. Sixteen billion of this allocation is meant to be the state’s equity in the controversial Amaila Falls Hydro project.
