Last year’s message from Treasurer Scott Morrison was that the Coalition’s government is trying to strike a balance between positive measures to promote economic activity such as increased spending on infrastructure and business incentives, while offsetting this with modest cuts to previously locked in recurrent spending on welfare, universities, and elsewhere.
Last night’s Federal Budget reflects a ‘turning of the corner’ as tax receipts are now being boosted by a slowly accelerating economy, allowing for some well targeted tax relief to the mass of middle-class Australian’s impacted by slow wages growth, while also targeting a budget return to surplus a year earlier than expected (2020). <<Read more>>
Federal Budget 2019 Paving the way to an election
By Banksia Partners on April 3, 2019
This entry is filed under Economic Commentary, General, Investment, Latest News.
While last nights’ Federal government Budget is all about playing to the Coalition’s economic strengths and setting up for the forthcoming election, it does confirm that Australia’s finances have finally turned the corner after 12 years of ongoing budget deficits.
Delivered two years earlier than originally expected back in 2017, tax receipts are now being boosted by the resources export boom – resulting from the resources investment boom that went from 2007 through to about 2017 – and has also benefited from continuing higher iron ore, LNG, coal, and other commodity export prices than was originally expected.
The increased financial flexibility as a result of returning to a budget surplus means the government can target tax relief for the lower and middle-class Australian’s impacted by slow wages growth and the rising cost of living (specifically energy bills) earlier than it otherwise might have been able to do – it just has to get re-elected to be pass the budget measures into law! <<Read More>>