How this typical family will be affected (including housing worries)

Lucy Dean, Joanne Tran, Ryan Cropp, Tom McIlroy and Campbell Kwan

Mar 25, 2025 – 8.30pm

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The budget has sought to turbocharge Labor’s re-election bid by delivering voters tax cuts and cost-of-living help designed to lock in momentum for Anthony Albanese and put Peter Dutton on the back foot.

Labor had not intended to hand down another budget before seeking a second term in office. But Albanese’s delay in calling the election because of ex-cyclone Alfred meant the government needed a package that was both modest on the budget bottom line and impressive to voters.

Lucy Dean writes about wealth management, personal finance, lifestyle and leisure, based in The Australian Financial Review's Sydney newsroom.

Joanne Tran is a markets reporter for The Australian Financial Review in the Sydney newsroom.

Ryan Cropp is an energy and climate reporter at The Australian Financial Review based in the Canberra bureau.

Tom McIlroy is the Financial Review’s Canberra bureau chief based in the press gallery at Parliament House. He was previously the AFR’s political correspondent.

Campbell Kwan covers commercial and residential real estate for The Australian Financial Review, based in the Sydney newsroom. He was previously the breaking news reporter.