Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Commonwealth Consolidated Acts(1) If, apart from this subsection, the Commonwealth does not have power under this Act to pay an amount (the relevant amount ) to a body purportedly as a payment under subsection 15(1), 23(1), 26(1), 27(1), 44(1), 48(1), 54(1) or 58(1), then the Commonwealth may pay the relevant amount to the body.
Debt
(2) If a payment is made under subsection (1) to the body, the relevant amount:
(a) is a debt due to the Commonwealth by the body; and
(b) may be recovered by the Minister, on behalf of the Commonwealth, by action in a court of competent jurisdiction.
Set - off
(3) The Commonwealth may set off the whole or a part of the relevant amount against a later payment the Commonwealth must make under this Act to the body.
(4) The debt under subsection (2) is reduced by the amount of the set - off.
Appropriation
(5) The Consolidated Revenue Fund is appropriated for the purposes of making payments under subsection (1).