Opinion

Escalating outbreak puts another nail in budget numbers

Victoria's mistakes have already undermined the timeline for national economic recovery and the return of jobs, but Scott Morrison is more concerned with ensuring the Andrews government doesn't compound the errors.

Jennifer HewettColumnist

Jul 27, 2020 – 3.16pm

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For all Victorians, it’s yet another grim daily COVID-19 record – well over 500 new cases.

For the Victorian who’s also federal Treasurer, that number looks like another nail in the coffin of his hopes for the opening up of the state’s economy mid-next month. That means the budget numbers Josh Frydenberg produced last Thursday are starting to smell more out of date than fish sold the same day. The pungent odour of panic emanating from Melbourne keeps rising.

Jennifer Hewett is the national affairs columnist. She writes a daily column on politics, business and the economy.