The Coalition would add publicly funded nuclear power plants to the federal government’s growing list of “off-budget” funds, even as experts called on both sides of politics to stop funnelling taxpayer money into loss-making investments.

The Australian Financial Review revealed on Thursday that Labor was forecast to outlay a record $87.1 billion “off budget” over the next four years due to student debt cancellation and a massive rise in outlays through investment vehicles such as the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund (NRF).