Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison.Credit:
For all the attention on the household measures in this budget,such as the cut to fuel excise,these retail moves are just one part of a much broader spend-a-thon that offers targeted programs for key election battlegrounds.
The regional programs,for instance,promise $1.3 billion for broadband and mobile coverage projects in locations yet to be announced,which means voters may find out more during the campaign. The “regional accelerator” program offers $2 billion for employers in places unknown,setting up more announcements before election day.
The Stronger Communities Program gets $29.2 million for another round of grants while the Safer Communities Fund gets $50 million to build projects for local governments and community organisations – a scheme that helped Liberal MPs campaign in the past.
In short,parts of this budget are the 2019 election battle plan all over again. Three years ago,the Prime Minister and Treasurer set up funds worth about $5 billion in the budget to wage a seat-by-seat fight during the campaign.
That will keep the Auditor-General busy.
The political calculations are no surprise but the generosity comes when the Commonwealth debt was $866.1 billion on Tuesday and is due to keep climbing. The interest bill on gross debt will be $17.9 billion next year,more than forecast for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and just short of the amount for people with disability.