Dutton’s huge claim about budget

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says federal Labor’s budget will do little to help Australians struggling with the rising cost of living.

The Liberal leader handed down his budget reply to the House of Representatives on Thursday night, two days after Treasurer Jim Chalmers outlined the government’s economic plan for the nation.

The budget will be back in black for the first time in 15 years with a short-lived but slim surplus of about $4bn this financial year, achieving what the Coalition was unable to do in its nine years in power.

However, Mr Dutton argued in his speech that the budget would do little for “millions of middle Australians” who “have every right to be disappointed with this government”.

“As a result of the government’s policies, inflation will only stay higher for longer, continuing to grind down real incomes of households,” he said.

The Opposition Leader blamed Labor for the rises in mortgage repayments, gas and electricity bills, supermarket and petrol station receipts, and insurance premiums.

“International factors feed into inflation – like the war in Ukraine – but the main ingredient is the domestic factors,” he told parliament.

He also took aim at Labor’s attempts to bring down power prices, saying it was “being deceptive with its energy policy”.

More than five million eligible households and one million small businesses will get relief applied directly to their power bills under a deal with the states outlined in the budget.

Eligible people who are on the pension, are senior card holders or a recipient of family tax benefits A and B will reap the benefits of the scheme.

Those efforts are not enough to bring down power prices, according to Mr Dutton, who slammed the government’s commitment to renewable energy and its moves on coal, gas and nuclear energy.

Mr Dutton also said the predicted population increase from net overseas migration will increase by 1.5 million people over five years, which will cause the housing and rental crisis to worsen.

“The government is now proposing to bring in almost 6000 people per week, which will make a bad situation worse,” he said.

Also in the firing line were the government’s tax choices, criticising the decision to scrap the low-and-middle-income tax offset saying that “around 10 million Australians earning under $126,000 will now be up to $1500 worse off”.

The Coalition also urged the government to lift the income-free threshold so that individuals can take up part-time work without losing benefits.

Mr Dutton argued that employment decisions made in the budget “risks creating a generation of working poor Australians”.

More than 1.1 million of the most vulnerable Australians will benefit from a $40 per fortnight boost to their welfare payment from September if parliament agrees.

The raised base rate will be applied to people receiving JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment (partnered), ABSTUDY, Disability Support Pension (Youth) and Special Benefit.