In short:
The Coalition’s budget bottom line would be $7.9 billion worse off than Labor’s in the first two years of a Dutton government, and $21.8 billion better off in the following two years.
Most of the budget improvement comes from a $17.2 billion public service cut, and a $3.6 billion vaping tax, but migration cuts will cost the budget $4.2 billion and nuclear power will have an eventual $118 billion “off-budget” cost.
What’s next?
The Coalition has not offered a timeline for a return to surplus, but Angus Taylor says it would be achieved “faster than Labor”.
Besides the obvious massive cost of the nuclear plan (which would certainly blow out to much more than anticipated) I feel this actually is a pretty good look for LNP. Dangles a carrot in the form of a cost of living payment, uses Labor’s clearest policy failure to its advantage (vaping reform) to the degree that Chalmers responds by directly comparing apples to oranges; relying on vibes (return to surplus “faster than Labor”) will probably work well for them.
God help us.
I don’t know. They are behind and losing out to teals. Ow they are against tax cuts and labour look like they will manage the budget better. It’s a bad look for them. All they have left is racism and one nation will outflank them on that.
