1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: The Australian government released its twenty twenty five budget last night. 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: Key focuses on the cost of living. Australians are getting 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: tax cuts seventeen billion dollars set to return to their pockets. 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: Are the winners where healthcare, student debt holders, energy bills. 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: Treasurer Jim Charmers says this is a budget for a 6 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: new generation of prosperity, despite the fact he's got ten 7 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: years of deficits, and he says this is happening in 8 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: a new world of uncertainty. Trade disruptions are rising, China's 9 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: growth is slowing, war is still raging in Europe and 10 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: a ceasefire in the Middle East is breaking down. Well, 11 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: that's inspiring. Australian correspondent Leslie Yeomans is covering it for 12 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,200 Speaker 1: us and joins us now and she's got up very early, Leslie, 13 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 1: Good morning to you. 14 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 2: Hey, good morning Andrew. 15 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: So is this what people wanted? 16 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 2: Well, I guess some people will think it's okay what 17 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 2: we have to put into into our minds here though, 18 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 2: that this is basically an election near budget. We're going 19 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 2: to be going to the polls sometime soon and this 20 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 2: is given tried to give everyone a little bit of everything, 21 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 2: I guess, but it is only just a little bit. 22 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 2: As you mentioned, there's seventeen billion dollars worth of tax cuts, 23 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 2: which sounds like a lot, but that's probably going to 24 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 2: work out too about for the average for the average 25 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 2: income earner, probably about five dollars a week possibly, and 26 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 2: then they won't be coming into effect until the new 27 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 2: financial year. What else, sort of similar to last year's 28 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 2: budget to the cost of living relief, some extra money 29 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 2: for education, they'll be strengthening medicare, building more homes, and 30 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 2: people will also be getting a little bit of help, 31 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 2: more help with their rising energy bills. Those energy rebates 32 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:45,960 Speaker 2: they've been extended to the end of this year and 33 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 2: they'll be giving households around one hundred and fifty dollars 34 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 2: extra a year now. Also with students still the people 35 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 2: with HEX debts UNI students who are still trying to 36 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: pay off their HEX debts, they're going to be helped. 37 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 2: Their debts are going to be cut around twenty percent, 38 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 2: and there'll also be a different way that they'll be 39 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: able to pay it back. They won't have to that 40 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,239 Speaker 2: the actual earning rate is going to be lifted so 41 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 2: that when their actual payoff payments cut in will be 42 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 2: higher now. And one of the things it's interesting to 43 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 2: trying to appeal to people who have been trying to 44 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 2: buy a home. The government's going to ban foreign buyers 45 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 2: from purchasing existing homes in Australia for the next two 46 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 2: years and that will start next month. And it's just 47 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 2: a bid to try and get more people to be 48 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,959 Speaker 2: able to purchase an existing home here. 49 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: Which is the complete opposite of what we're doing. Funnily enough, 50 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 1: and as you mentioned right at the begetting you guys 51 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: are heading to the polls shortly, so do you think 52 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: this will sway people's decisions at all or is it 53 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: a bit underwhelming? 54 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 2: I think the government's hoping it will sway people's decisions. 55 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 2: Whether it will or not, who knows. I mean, it's 56 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 2: really hard to tell. The government's been in a situation 57 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 2: over the last few months. When you read some of 58 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 2: the social media comments and even look at some of 59 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 2: the polling. The polling hasn't been super bad for the government, 60 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 2: but a lot of comments you see from people saying 61 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 2: that the government's just been underwhelming. Absolutely, that it sort 62 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 2: of keeps telling you that it's doing stuff, but it 63 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 2: doesn't show or sort of actually a show to is 64 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 2: what it is doing. There's a lot of talk and 65 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 2: there's a lot of defensive people sort of saying, yes, 66 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 2: we're doing this, that and the other thing, but you 67 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 2: don't actually see a lot of stuff. A lot of 68 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 2: people have been underwhelmed and disappointed by the government because 69 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 2: it was saying when it first came into power, but 70 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 2: it was going to get all these things done, and 71 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 2: then very little happened or appeared to happen. So it's 72 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 2: just been you just have to wait and see who knows, 73 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 2: who knows what can happen between now and polling day. 74 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: There's are the omens from Australia. I thank you for 75 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: your time. Beer drinkers, by the way, we'll be happy. 76 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: They're going to freeze the draft beer excise indexation. That 77 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: means the government misses out on two hundred million dollars 78 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: in tax revenue, but it's a win for beer drinkers, 79 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: brewers and hospitality. 80 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 2: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live 81 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 2: to News Talks it be from five am weekdays, or 82 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 2: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.