• A budget for Labor’s battlers

    Michelle Grattan     |      May 10, 2023

    A big incentive for doctors to bulk bill, a modest $40 a fortnight rise in JobSeeker and extra rent assistance are highlights of a Labor budget that juggles targeted cost-of-living relief with containing inflation.

  • Budget politics

    Michelle Grattan     |      April 15, 2023

    The economic backdrop for the May 9 budget is grim, although when it comes to the budget itself, things are probably not as dire as the Federal Treasurer sometimes paints them.

  • Steady as she goes, but rocky times ahead

    Michelle Grattan     |      October 26, 2022

    Jim Chalmers’ inaugural budget plants its feet as solidly as possible in the shifting sands of difficult and unpredictable international and local conditions.

  • Labor’s muted budget reply

    Stephen Bartos     |      April 1, 2022

    Opposition leader Anthony Albanese’s Thursday night budget reply shows the differences between the parties lie not in macroeconomic settings or in the amount of spending, but in what it is spent on.

  • A cash for votes budget

    Michelle Grattan     |      March 30, 2022

    All governments attempt to bribe electorates with their own money in the budget before an election – before pleading austerity as soon as they’re elected. The current coalition follows this well-trod pack at unprecedented scale.

  • Contrasting budgets in Australia and New Zealand

    Stephen Bartos     |      May 25, 2021

    On the surface there are similarities between the recent budgets in Australia and New Zealand, but differences emerge in how the budgets are framed and what they try to deliver.

  • The post-election reckoning ahead

    Michelle Grattan     |      May 15, 2021

    The Coalition ditched its mantra of ‘fiscal responsibility’ during the pandemic, but a financial reckoning may be on the horizon – as soon as the next federal election is won.

  • Frydenberg shakes the money tree

    Michelle Grattan     |      May 12, 2021

    In addition to the boosts to women and aged care, many individuals and businesses will be scrutinising the budget for what it says about opening Australia back to the world when the pandemic ebbs.

  • A big spending budget ahead

    Richard Holden     |      May 2, 2021

    Low inflation and interest rates as well as booming mining royalties give the Morrison government scope to ignore the “deficit daleks” in the next Federal budget.

  • Generation debt

    Remy Davison     |      October 7, 2020

    Coronavirus measures have plunged Australia into recession after 20 years of growth. How will the Budget help Australia recover from the greatest economic shock in living memory?

  • The 2019 Budget verdict – Part 1

    Open Forum     |      April 4, 2019

    From the politics and macro numbers, to infrastructure and domestic violence, University of Melbourne experts dissect the government’s election budget in part one of our special coverage.

  • The 2019 Budget verdict – Part 2

    Open Forum     |      April 4, 2019

    What does it mean for the unemployed? Refugees? Indigenous Australians? Climate change and education? University of Melbourne experts assess the Federal budget in part two of our coverage.