Peter Dutton will attempt to counter Labor’s marginal tax cuts by committing to halving fuel excise rates in a move the Coalition believe will convince voters on greater cost-of-living relief.
Jim Chalmers has set up a tax fight with Peter Dutton weeks out from the May election after unveiling $17.1bn in modest relief, which was rejected by the Coalition as a ‘cruel hoax’.
Jim Chalmers’ debt outlook has worsened amid a pre-election spending spree of more than $67bn in three months, as Anthony Albanese sprays pre-election funding in marginal seats across the country.
Jim Chalmers’ budget next week will include bullish forecasts around dwelling and business investment, as the government expands its housing plan to $33bn in a bid to woo first-home buyers.
Welfare levels of working-age Australians are higher than inherited by Labor after the 2022 election, as more people rely on JobSeeker payments despite historically low unemployment rates.
Builders are collapsing at record levels amid a spike in strikes following Labor’s abolition of the building watchdog, with 47,100 days lost to industrial disputes on construction sites last year.
Anthony Albanese will lower the cost of medicines to no more than $25 in an election-eve play for millions of votes, as the government lifts its cheaper medicines funding to almost $10bn since 2022.
The size of Australia’s federal and state government debt compared to its economy has risen 3.8 times in the last two decades, according to analysis of OECD data by The Australian.
Australia is set to fall short of the ambitious 1.2 million national Housing Accord goal by more than 400,000 homes, which risks pushing average rental prices up by nearly $100 a week.
Jim Chalmers will use new forecasts to amplify major risks to Australia’s economic recovery, with the Treasurer to take aim at Donald Trump’s tariffs as the OECD warns global inflation will stay higher for longer.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/geoff-chambers/page/15