Federal budget likened to flashy ‘show bag’ devoid of substance

The looming federal budget is already being dismissed as a ‘show bag’ full of flashy pre-election announcements lacking substance.

The Morrison government remains tight-lipped on whether Tuesday’s federal budget is the last before the next election and insists its already announced $10bn infrastructure cash splash won’t be used for pork-barrelling.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack was repeatedly asked on Monday if it was a pre-election budget.

“Australians aren’t worried about elections, they are not even talking about that at their barbecues, around their dinner tables, and around the water cooler,” he told Sky News.

“They are talking about jobs, they are talking about their future.”

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said it was a good budget. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

Asked again if it was the last budget before the next election, Mr McCormack said that was up to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

“He has that ability to go to Government House and to talk to the Governor-General, but we are not looking at an election,” he said.

“We are looking at making sure we can secure Australia’s recovery (from the coronavirus pandemic).

“We are certainly not out of the woods yet.”

Mr Morrison has previously declared himself a “full-termer”, however, the federal election could be called as early as August 7 or late as May 2022.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham was also asked how much of the $10bn infrastructure spend, which the government says will support an additional 30,000 jobs nationwide, could be used to target seats the Coalition wants to win at the polls.

Senator Birmingham said the investments would be made on their merits.

“They are investments that have been worked out overwhelmingly with state and territory governments, who have identified the priority to deliver these types of infrastructure projects,” he told the ABC.

Federal opposition leader Anthony Albanese dismissed the budget as ‘flashy’ and without substance. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jono Searle

But Labor leader Anthony Albanese said he was concerned that the budget contained “lots of band-aids” to fix the government’s political problems in the lead up to an election.

“This is like a show bag budget,” Mr Albanese said.

“A budget that looks pretty flashy, but when you take it home, only lasts a few days or a few weeks.

“The fact is there is no lasting legacy from this government except for a trillion dollars of debt.

“No substantial economic reform, no plan to deal with stagnant wages, no plan to deal with living standards under real pressure and the costs that families have.”

Labor backbencher Joel Fitzgibbon accused the government of playing “catch up” with borrowed money after underspending on childcare, aged care and women’s initiatives.

“It is about to rain money here in Canberra,” Mr Fitzgibbon told Sunrise.

“(It is) very much a pre-election budget. Let’s just hope that the money is spent wisely and drives productivity.”

Nationals backbencher Barnaby Joyce said funding included in the budget for women showed the Coalition was taking them seriously.

He thanked the mining sector, particularly iron ore, for giving the budget a $40bn boost.