A one-off $250 payment is expected to be among the budget sweeteners announced by the federal government later today as the Coalition focuses on easing cost-of-living pressures.
The payment is suspected to be made available to low-to-middle income earners,and reportedly in lieu of an extension to the $1080 tax offset,however this has not been confirmed.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has spruiked “temporary,targeted measures to relieve cost-of-living pressures” ahead of tonight’s budget speech.
“There are real pressures right now on Australians. It’s the number one topic around the kitchen tables,” Mr Frydenberg told media this morning.
A cut to the fuel excise is also expected to be announced tonight.
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham told ABC television this morning the tax offset would still be paid out from July 1.
Asked about a $250 one-off payment,Senator Birmingham repeated Mr Frydenberg’s position that the government was “acting in a way that is responsible and targeted”.
“These are temporary pressures we’re seeing in terms of the huge spikes in oil prices as a result of the war happening in Europe right now. And,so we’re responding in targeted,responsible ways,” he said.
Opposition treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers accused the Coalition of misfiring on wage growth forecasts,saying it had been wrong most of the time.
“So I think Australians are a little tired of the government pretending that there will be wage growth after almost a decade now of wage stagnation,” Mr Chalmers told Sky News this morning,adding the government couldn’t take full credit for a forecast unemployment rate of 3.75 per cent.
“So despite falling unemployment,despite skills shortages,we’ve still got real wages going backwards,and that’ll be the reality in tonight’s budget.”