The projected surplus has been revised down from A$7.1 billion at budget time to $5 billion for this financial year.
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe (right) says he needs government help to boost the economy. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is yet to provide it.
Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Peter Martin, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Every one of the 13 economists surveyed by The Conversation thinks more stimulus is needed. None think it should all come from the Reserve Bank. Most think the budget surplus can wait.
Bill shocks are the flipside of a surplus built on higher tax collections and tighter access to support payments.
Shutterstcok
It is widely believed that compulsory super saves the government money on pensions. It does, but nowhere near enough to pay for the accompanying tax concessions. Lifting compulsory contributions will make things worse, for a century.
It’d be wise not to get too bamboozled by figures when watching the leaders’ debates, especially this one.
Shutterstock
Yes, the ABC received A$43.7 million to continue funding its ‘enhanced news gathering’ operation in the 2019 budget, but this is a drop in the bucket compared to how much it stands to lose.
The median out-of-pocket expenses for breast cancer treatment is A$4,192.
ESB Professional/Shutterstock
Labor’s cancer care package is bound to be popular. But with around one-third of cancers preventable, both sides of politics need to invest in reducing cancer in the first place.
Much of what’s been promised would have had to happen anyway.
Shutterstock
Shorten will say that under his government some 10 million people would receive the same or bigger tax cut, with nearly three million low paid workers getting a bigger tax cut.
Jim Chalmers on Labor’s budget reaction.
CC BY16.8 MB(download)
Shadow Finance minister Jim Chalmers said Labor was looking for ways to make things fairer for low-income earners who were "largely left behind" in the government's budget.
Dancers perform a scene from the Sydney Dance Company’s WOOF: the arts are one of the ways we make sense of our place in an increasingly confusing, and confused, world.
Joel Carrett/AAP
Frydenberg said the decision was made at a meeting on Tuesday night of Morrison, Cormann and himself. He indicated it was about smoothing the passage of the measure through the parliament.
If your’re wealthy you’ll be able to put more money into super without even working.
Shutterstock
If you’ve got money and are in your mid-60s you’ll be able to funnel more into super without even working under a budget plan that makes a mockery of super.
Skat was the name of the Danish tax agency. It’s also a term of affection.
Shutterstock