NSW state budget as it happened:Stamp duty to be phased out amid $16 billion state deficit;Dominic Perrottet delivers speech to Parliament

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Stamp duties warping our approach to property

Now,a little on stamp duty from one of our economics gurusShane Wright,who says the aim of moving from stamp duty to a property tax is twofold.

"The first is to get rid of a clear economic disincentive while also giving the state a more balanced tax base. This is a big change. There are about 200,000 property transactions a year that account for the state's stamp duty revenue.

"NSW Treasury believes once the move to a property tax system is fully in place,3.5 million properties will be liable

"That's a lot of people who don't pay tax now being hit with an annual impost. But in structuring it as an opt-in system,Perrottet is hoping to avoid sticker shock as he looks for a long-term economic payoff. That payoff could be substantial."

Find the rest of his analysishere.

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And that's a wrap

ByLucy Cormack

That's all for our live budget coverage today!

Thanks for staying with us and be sure to pick up a copy of The Sydney Morning Herald tomorrow and check back in with the SMH homepage for plenty more news and analysis.

Today's budget highlights

ByLucy Cormack

As we bring our coverage to a close,a little reminder of the big features in this year's historic NSW budget:

Welcome to tough government:analysis

State political editorAlexandra Smith led theHerald's coverage in the budget lock-up today.

She has covered every state budget Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has handed down,and she has this to say about this year's offering:

"The Coalition has never known tough government. After its landslide win in 2011,the Liberal and Nationals in NSW have been the beneficiary of good times. That is not to say their positive run has been entirely due to luck.

"NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and his predecessors have delivered successive budget surpluses and the funds raised by their bold privatisation program,particularly the sale of the electricity poles and wires,left NSW’s finances in excellent health."

Read the rest of her analysis here.

$30 billion to fight COVID-19 over five years

ByKate Aubusson

In case you missed it earlier,NSW will commit $29.6 billion to a COVID-19 health and economic package over the next five years following unprecedented emergency health spending to weather the pandemic.

Treasury forecasters are working on an assumption that a vaccine will be available by mid-next year,with an estimated 20 per cent of people in NSW vaccinated by October.

Social distancing restrictions are likely to be maintained until a vaccine is widely available and most of the population are immunised.

Up to $1.6 billion of the COVID-19 response budget will be used for 2020-2021 health programs,including $500 million to support COVID clinics,quarantine programs,extra pathology testing and contact tracing.

More than $458 million will used to speed up elective surgeries delayed by the pandemic and $20 million will accelerate COVID-specific research and clinical trials.

Your say on the proposed stamp duty reform:poll

A little update on the stamp duty poll we took earlier this afternoon. (More than 3000 of you responded and I thank you kindly for your participation.)

Asked if you would prefer to pay a one-off stamp duty payment upfront or opt to pay a smaller annual land tax:

Budget fails to guarantee jobs:Labor

Our transport reporterTom Rabe heard earlier from Opposition Leader Jodi McKay at Parliament House. She described today’s budget as a short-term solution that fails to guarantee jobs for NSW workers.

NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay.

NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay. Rohan Thomson

Ms McKay questioned why the government had decided to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars while also pursuing its controversial asset-recycling program,including the sale of its remaining share of WestConnex.

"There are a lot of short-term measures announced in this budget,but beyond March when we see that JobKeeper cliff,what is going to happen to people in this state - the 300,000 people - who are looking for long-term secure jobs? There is nothing for them in this budget,"Ms McKay said.

"It’s cutting workers'wages;it’s privatising public assets."

Winners and losers

ByLucy Cormack

It's been labelled a budget for the ages,ending the year of the bushfires,drought,the global pandemic and more. As ever,its long and full of numbers.

So if you're looking for the"too long,didn't read"version - i.e. the"winners and losers"- we've got you covered.

From hospitality venues and employers,to art galleries,hotels and suburban stadiums;the list of winners and losers is plentiful and we have collated it for youhere.

For a quick overview of the budget today,our state political editor Alexandra Smith has filedthis snapshot.

$107 billion infrastructure spend

ByTom Rabe

The NSW government will push ahead with its mammoth infrastructure pipeline despite a record deficit,promising to spend more than $107 billion over the next four years to spur economic growth.

An extra $7 billion was allocated to state infrastructure in Tuesday’s budget,with the government allocating billions to Sydney Metro West and allocating cash for pre-construction works on the Western Harbour Tunnel.

"This state-building pipeline will drive our recovery and strengthen our state,so we can stand tall today and lift future generations even higher,"Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said.

Rather than diverting cash from the $107 billion pipeline to fund more immediate"shovel-ready"projects,the government will instead take advantage of low interest rates to borrow the money needed to fund them.

$50 milllion for new cell and gene therapies

Let's cross back to our health editorKate Aubusson,who has pulled some of the bigger numbers out of the health pages of the budget.

First up there will be $66 million over three years beginning in 2021-22 to fund additional specialist mental health clinicians,while $56 million over four years will go to end of life and palliative care,including 5000 additional non-clinical End of Life Support packages.

Almost $50 million will fund access to lifesaving new cell and gene therapies,including CAR T-cell therapy for children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and adults with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

A $17 million pilot program will provide in-home care for pregnant women suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness),and Tresillian and Karitane centres will receive more than $10 million over four years to extend virtual residential parenting services.

There will also be $10 million over four years to plan and undertake a NSW stroke ambulance pilot project geared towards rapid diagnosis and treatment of strokes.

Stamp duties warping our approach to property

Now,a little on stamp duty from one of our economics gurusShane Wright,who says the aim of moving from stamp duty to a property tax is twofold.

"The first is to get rid of a clear economic disincentive while also giving the state a more balanced tax base. This is a big change. There are about 200,000 property transactions a year that account for the state's stamp duty revenue.

"NSW Treasury believes once the move to a property tax system is fully in place,3.5 million properties will be liable

"That's a lot of people who don't pay tax now being hit with an annual impost. But in structuring it as an opt-in system,Perrottet is hoping to avoid sticker shock as he looks for a long-term economic payoff. That payoff could be substantial."

Find the rest of his analysishere.

Lucy Cormack is a journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age,based in Dubai.

Mary Ward is a reporter at The Sun-Herald.

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