With his reputation and confidence already badly dented, Treasurer Joe Hockey has been further damaged just two days before delivering his second budget.
Social Services Minister Scott Morrison and Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced a $3.5 billion child care package.
AAP/Paul Miller
The government estimates its proposed $3.5 billion child care package will encourage more than 240,000 families to increase their involvement in paid employment, including almost 38,000 jobless families.
China should be a source of major opportunities for the Australian services sector, but these elude us.
Image sourced from www.shutterstock.com
In our final piece on the five pillars of the economy, we look at services. It’s the great economic hope - but opportunities in the burgeoning Asian market elude us.
Joe Hockey, pictured arriving for the Liberal leadership spill in February, would not be delivering his second budget had Tony Abbott lost that vote.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
In just a year, the Abbott government has gone from a radical nation-changing budget to promising a ‘dull’ one. Are we to believe the ideological zeal is gone, or has the survival instinct kicked in?
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has run shotgun on this second budget, knowing his political life depends on it.
AAP/Bohdan Warchomij
Here we are with the budget almost upon us and Tony Abbott has had to assure the public, and Joe Hockey, that the Treasurer won’t be sacked if it’s a flop.
When Treasurer Joe Hockey presents the budget next week it will be worth reviewing the language he and Prime Minister Tony Abbott use about government spending.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Despite the rhetoric that Australia needs to reign in government spending, we’re actually out of step with other developed economies.
Social Services Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that the government has abandoned its 2014 budget plan to cut back the indexation of pensions.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Against the grim outlook of a continuing massive deficit, Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten are both seeking to frame the debate ahead of Treasurer Joe Hockey bringing down his second budget next week.
As economic growth in China moderates, so will its demand for Australia’s raw materials.
AAP Image/Alan Porritt