The budget was extraordinary in many ways. It is an abandonment of restraint on taxes by a liberal government. It is nakedly populist and it also acknowledges that government debt can be productive.
Total government spending has increased over time. But the pressure on the budget under a Turnbull government is more acute now than ever before, because spending is outpacing revenue.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has asked the Medicare review taskforce to consider increasing the number of subsidised mental health sessions for those with eating disorders. Why is that necessary?
The Turnbull government is desperately trying to develop a more convincing economic narrative around good economic management, nation-building and fairness.
The political legacy of Abbott’s broken promises contributed to Malcolm Turnbull’s near-death experience at last July’s federal election. ThisTurnbull government budget will be largely about burying the legacy of its predecessor.
Scott Morrison has a lot on his plate ahead of Tuesday night’s federal budget, including Catholic schools unhappy at how the school funding changes will affect them.
When people do downsize, financial incentives are generally not the big things on their minds. And so most of the budget’s financial incentives will go to those who were going to downsize anyway.
The 30% subsidy for private health insurance was predicted to be a bad and costly policy many years ago. And 20 years later, the only thing that’s changed is the $6 billion-plus hole in the budget.
Because the budget is a very difficult means of carrying out targeted fiscal policy, it’s become more important as a centrepiece for the government’s economic strategy.
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne