Australia\u2019s embattled government amended its annual budget on Wednesday, 12 hours after it was unveiled, extending an energy rebate to the unemployed after criticism it\u2019s pre-election budget failed to adequately help those without a job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prime Minister Scott Morrison\u2019s conservative government on Tuesday unveiled a 2019-20 budget ahead of an expected May election it is forecast to lose, promising a voter sweetener of $158 billion worth of tax cuts over the next 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The budget also contained a one-off cash rebate for pensioners of A$75 for an individual and A$125 for couples to assist with rising energy costs, but those on unemployment benefits were excluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeing told you aren\u2019t eligible for the same help with bills as others receiving income support is outrageous and must be remedied immediately,\u201d Ian Yates, chief of the Council on the Ageing, said in a statement on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Opinion polls suggest the government is facing a heavy defeat at the election, due in May but not yet called, and it is banking on the budget and tax cuts to woo voters.
\n\u201cLast night, the prime minister, the finance minister and myself discussed the issue and we thought it was appropriate to extend it,\u201d Frydenberg said in a National Press Club speech on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Haydon Manning, a professor of political science at Flinders University in South Australia, said the move was aimed at deflecting criticism of the budget which will be a major campaign platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe government needs clear air, particularly this week when voter attention is on them. They are so far behind in the polls, they can not afford to be seen as confused,\u201d said Manning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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