Submitted to | House of Representatives |
---|---|
Presented | 9 May 2023 |
Parliament | 47th Parliament |
Government | Albanese government |
Party | Australian Labor Party |
Treasurer | Jim Chalmers |
Total revenue | A$668 billion [1] |
Total expenditures | A$684 billion [1] |
Surplus | A$4.2 billion [1] |
Debt | 35.8% (A$923 billion) [1] |
Website | budget |
‹ 2022 2024 › |
The 2023-2024 Australian federal budget is the federal budget to fund government services and operations. The budget was presented to the House of Representatives by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on 9 May 2023. It was the second budget handed down by the Australian Labor Party since their election to government at the 2022 federal election.
Inflation was still well above the Reserve Bank of Australia's 2-3% target band. In the first quarter of 2023, the annual inflation rate slowed to 7.0%, from 7.8%. [2] The International Monetary Fund had recently warned Jim Chalmers about the coming slow-down in the global economy. [3] Concerns remained with the last two interest rate rises causing hardship for some households and the broader economy. [4]
The budget was delivered during a period in which the rental market was described as a crisis. On 27 April 2023, Anglicare Australia released its annual report on rental affordability. Just 345 rentals (0.8%) were considered affordable to renters earning minimum wage. [5] Homelessness Australia wanted the Commonwealth to increase rent assistance by 50 per cent. [6]
300 signatories signed an open letter urging the government to increase the rate of the JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and other payments in the next budget. [7] The letter was co-signed by academics, business leaders, economists and politicians including Labor backbenchers. [7] Prior to the budget's release the Australian Council of Social Service made calls to increase JobSeeker to $76 a day. [6]
The Australian Medical Association called attention to emergency department and essential surgery waiting times in the lead up to the budget's release. [8]
The budget is forecast to deliver a surplus of $4 billion, the first in 15 years. [9] The change in forecast is due to high commodity prices, a strong jobs market and a rise in net migration. [9] A return to a $13.9bn deficit is expected in the following financial year. [10] Another deficit of $36.9bn or 1.3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is forecast for 2025-26 and then a decline to $28.5bn in the following year. [10]
The budget delivered a surplus of $22.1 billion (equivalent to 0.9% of Australia’s GDP), which was well above the government's forecasted surplus of $4.3 billion; this is Australia's first budget surplus in 15 years, and the largest ever Australian budget surplus. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]
A$11.3 billion over the next four years is to be spent on aged care. [17] Around 250,000 aged care workers will receive a 15% wage rise from 1 July 2023. [17]
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme undergoes a major change, with the cost of prescription drugs set to halve as dispensing rules were changed. [18] It is estimated this will save $1.6bn for patients over the next four years. [18]
$4bn was allocated to the Australian Defence Force's missiles to expand their long-range strike capabilities and to establish domestic manufacturing of guided weapons. [19] The measure aims to modernise the force and make Australia self-reliant. [19]
To stem a decline in new apprenticeships, the government will fund an overhaul of services and non-financial supports to apprentices. [20]
The budget included an increase of $40 per fortnight in the JobSeeker allowance for most people, and $92.10 extra for long-term unemployed 55- to 60-year-old people. [21]
A total of A$10.5 million has been allocated to improve mental health services for Indigenous Australians in the lead-up to the September/October 2023 referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament: $500,000 for ANU's Mayi Kuwayu research team to monitor the well-being of communities, and the rest to the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. [22]
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (April 2023) |
Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton withheld support for the JobSeeker increase in his budget reply speech, instead suggesting that welfare recipients should be allowed to earn more before their payments are reduced. He supported some of the proposed welfare and cost-of-living relief measures, but criticised the level of migration and Labor's stance against any form of nuclear power. [21]
The United Workers Union praised the decision to raise aged care workers pay. [17]
Reaganomics, or Reaganism, were the neoliberal economic policies promoted by U.S. President Ronald Reagan during the 1980s. These policies are characterized as supply-side economics, trickle-down economics, or "voodoo economics" by opponents, while Reagan and his advocates preferred to call it free-market economics.
Anthony Norman Albanese is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since 2019 and the member of parliament (MP) for the division of Grayndler since 1996. Albanese previously served as the 15th deputy prime minister under the second Rudd government in 2013. He held various ministerial positions from 2007 to 2013 in the governments of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.
The Future Fund is an independently managed sovereign wealth fund established in 2006 to strengthen the Australian Government's long-term financial position by making provision for unfunded superannuation liabilities for politicians and other public servants that will become payable during a period when an ageing population is likely to place significant pressure on the Commonwealth's finances. As of December 31 2023, the fund has $272.3 billion in assets under management.
The 2009 Australian federal budget for the Australian financial year ended 30 June 2010 was presented on 12 May 2009 by the Treasurer of Australia, Wayne Swan, the second federal budget presented by Swan, and the second budget of the first Rudd government. Swan commented that the budget would be tougher than in previous years. "Projected government revenue has fallen by $200 billion since the last budget because of the global economic crisis."
The Australian government debt is the amount owed by the Australian federal government. The Australian Office of Financial Management, which is part of the Treasury Portfolio, is the agency which manages the government debt and does all the borrowing on behalf of the Australian government. Australian government borrowings are subject to limits and regulation by the Loan Council, unless the borrowing is for defence purposes or is a 'temporary' borrowing. Government debt and borrowings have national macroeconomic implications, and are also used as one of the tools available to the national government in the macroeconomic management of the national economy, enabling the government to create or dampen liquidity in financial markets, with flow on effects on the wider economy.
The 2012 Australian federal budget for the Australian financial year ended 30 June 2013 was presented on 8 May 2012 by the Treasurer of Australia, Wayne Swan, the fifth federal budget presented by Swan, and the second budget of the Gillard government. The budget was described as a "battlers" budget with benefits geared towards families and low income earners. It forecast a surplus of $1.5 billion in the financial year ended 30 June 2013.
The early 1990s recession saw a period of economic downturn affect much of the world in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The economy of Australia suffered its worst recession since the Great Depression.
The 2013 Australian federal budget for the Australian financial year ended 30 June 2014 was presented on 14 May 2013 by the Treasurer of Australia, Wayne Swan, the sixth federal budget presented by Swan. The 2013 budget estimated total revenue of A$387.7 billion and spending of A$398.3 billion, a deficit of A$18 billion, with a return to surplus expected in the 2015 Australian federal budget. Some of the measures in the budget had been announced by various Ministers before the budget.
James Edward Chalmers is an Australian politician. He has been Treasurer of Australia in the Albanese government since May 2022. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has served as a member of parliament for the division of Rankin since 2013.
The 2014 Australian federal budget was the federal budget to fund government services and operations for the 2014/15 financial year. The 2014 budget was the first delivered by the Abbott government, since the Coalition's victory in the 2013 Australian federal election. Treasurer Joe Hockey presented the budget to the House of Representatives on 13 May 2014.
The 2015 Australian federal budget was the federal budget to fund government services and operations for the 2015/16 financial year. The 2015 budget was the second and last submitted by the Abbott government, since the Coalition's victory in the 2013 Australian federal election. Treasurer Joe Hockey presented the budget to the House of Representatives on 12 May 2015.
The 2016 Australian federal budget was the federal budget to fund government services and operations for the 2016–17 financial year. It was presented to the House of Representatives by Treasurer Scott Morrison on 3 May 2016. It was the third budget to be handed down by the Liberal/National Coalition since their election to government at the 2013 federal election, and the first to be handed down by Morrison and the Turnbull government.
The 2018 Australian federal budget was the federal budget to fund government services and operations for the 2018–19 financial year. The budget was presented to the House of Representatives by Treasurer Scott Morrison on 8 May 2018. It was the fifth budget to be handed down by the Liberal/National Coalition since their election to government at the 2013 federal election, and the third and final budget to be handed down by Morrison and the Turnbull government.
The Morrison government was the federal executive government of Australia, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison of the Liberal Party of Australia, between 2018 and 2022. The Morrison government commenced on 24 August 2018, when it was sworn in by the Governor-General of Australia. It was composed of members of the Liberal–National Coalition and succeeded the Abbott (2013–2015) and Turnbull (2015–2018) coalition governments in office, competing against the Australian Labor Party as the major Opposition party. Nationals Leader Michael McCormack was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia from the formation of the Morrison government until June 2021. He was replaced as Leader of the Nationals and Deputy Prime Minister by Barnaby Joyce.
The economic policy of the Joe Biden administration, dubbed Bidenomics, is characterized by relief measures and vaccination efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, investments in infrastructure, and strengthening the social safety net, funded by tax increases on higher-income individuals and corporations. Other goals include increasing the national minimum wage and expanding worker training, narrowing income inequality, expanding access to affordable healthcare, and forgiveness of student loan debt. The March 2021 enactment of the American Rescue Plan to provide relief from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was the first major element of the policy. Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law in November 2021 and contains about $550 billion in additional investment. His Inflation Reduction Act was enacted in August 2022.
The GST distribution dispute is an ongoing political controversy concerning the distribution of goods and services tax (GST) revenue amongst the Australian states and territories and the federal government. The dispute was originally based upon Western Australia's (WA) dissatisfaction with its low returns, which led to reform in 2018. The 2018 reform guarantees all states and territories a minimum return on their contribution.
The March 2022 Australian federal budget was the federal budget to fund government services and operations. The budget was presented to the House of Representatives by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on 29 March 2022. It was the ninth budget to be handed down by the Liberal/National Coalition since their election to government at the 2013 federal election, the fourth budget to be handed down by Frydenberg and the Morrison government and the last budget to be handed down by the Morrison government prior to the 2022 Australian federal election. It was the first of two federal budgets to be handed down in 2022; a second budget was delivered in October by the successive government.
The Albanese government is the federal executive government of Australia, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of the Australian Labor Party. The Albanese government commenced on 23 May 2022, when Albanese and an interim ministry of four other Labor MPs were sworn into their relevant ministerial portfolios by the Governor-General of Australia. The government is composed of members of the Australian Labor Party. The party initially governed with 77 seats on the floor of the House of Representatives, enough for a two-seat majority. Albanese succeeded the Scott Morrison-led Liberal/National Coalition government (2018–2022), which became unable to continue in government following their defeat in the 2022 federal election. This is the first Labor government to be in office at the federal level since the second Rudd government was defeated by the Coalition at the 2013 election. Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles is serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Australia.
The October 2022 Australian federal budget was the federal budget to fund government services and operations. The budget was presented to the House of Representatives by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on 25 October 2022. It was the first budget to be handed down by the Australian Labor Party since their election to government at the 2022 federal election. It was the second budget to be handed down in 2022, with the preceding budget being delivered in March by the prior government.
The 2024–25 Australian federal budget will be delivered on budget night at 7:30pm on Tuesday, 14 May 2024 by Treasurer Jim Chalmers. The budget will dictate how the Australian Government will distribute an estimated A$715 billion across the federal government, and to the state and territory governments. It will be the third federal budget handed down by the Labor Party since their victory in the 2022 Australian federal election.