TAX cuts for more than 10 million workers, close to $18 billion in reforms to aged care in response to the damning findings of the royal commission, and multi-billion dollar pledges for jobs, health and childcare are the big ticket items in Josh Frydenberg’s second pandemic budget, handed down on Tuesday.
The Treasurer’s cash splash – and a forecast $161 billion record deficit – is designed to distance us from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and steer the country on a path towards recovery.
“Jobs are coming back,” Mr Frydenberg said. “The economy is coming back.”
Politics, of course, is never far beneath the surface of any budget and, with the odds of a federal election before the year is out narrowing rapidly following his speech, we can speculate on the motives behind some of the handouts.
Nevertheless, with “recovery” the catchcry, Mr Frydenberg’s spending spree is one of debt-defying extravagance compared to the austerity model pursued by the government prior to COVID.
But what does it mean to you – the people we are so privileged to call our readers? In The Guardian today, we speak to local people associated with some of the key sectors impacted by the budget – and two families who have generously agreed to air their thoughts.
But we are only a small team, and we acknowledge there are many more opinions out there we are unable to gather.
So please, if you have strong feelings about how you, your family or your prospects are affected by this year’s federal budget, do let us know. Send your comments and suggestions to edit@theguardian.com.au, or post them to our Facebook page.
We value your opinions most of all. Thank you.
