Federal Budget
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Hockey ready for tilt at tax office
Shadow Treasurer says elected coalition government would review operation of ATO, pursue closer ties with business.
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PBO report paints mixed budget outlook
Parliamentary Budget Office expects structural deficit to persist until 2016-17.
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Coalition urges aged-care reforms
Opposition says wages funding should be de-linked from workplace agreements.
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Coalition must disclose policies: Wong
Labor says Parkinson comments remove opposition's excuse for withholding election policies.
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Treasury backs budget forecasts
Parkinson says govt had no influence on his dept's number, which were 'best estimates'.
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Low cash rate to support shrinking mining investment: Parkinson
Treasury Secretary says increase in mining production not sufficient to offset declining investment.
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Price forecasts stumped us: Treasury boss
Martin Parkinson says his department was 'genuinely surprised' by weakness in prices over past year.
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Weatherill warms to SA Gonski deal
Premier says model will give state more funding, hopeful on June 30 deadline.
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Latest budget notes a downward trend in IT spending
Government spent less on IT than last year and 2010, according to reports.
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PM brushes off post-budget poll
Gillard says she remains committed to 'things that matter' despite weak polling.
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Coalition threatens double-dissolution
Plan calls for parliament to abolish tax within five months or fresh election would be called.
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Govt running tax scare campaign: Hockey
Shadow Treasurer says $28 bn in cuts available from 2012 budget that Coalition could implement.
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Hockey lashes 'culture of regulation'
Shadow treasurer says small business capabilities should provide benchmark for regulation.
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BUDGET 2013: ACCI welcomes oppn super plans
Coalition plan to delay increase in super payments friendly to small business says Anderson.
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BUDGET 2013: Abbott sidelines super to bankroll carbon tax sweeteners
Oppn leader pledges delay super guarantee hike to fund tax cuts, benefits tied to carbon tax compensation.
The Spectators
Stop the rot on Treasury forecasts
Jessica Irvine 31Wayne Swan could have better explained the role of Treasury forecasts, but Joe Hockey's undermining of confidence in the department is just as bad.
Stripping off the 'real budget' disguise
Phil Lewis 13Reports by the Parliamentary Budget Office and Treasury confirmed Labor has blown out a structural budget deficit that began under John Howard's government, and the next government has quite a job on its hands.
The apolitical factors that tripped up Treasury
Bernard Keane & Glenn Dyer 17Martin Parkinson has provided some insight into how Treasury muffed its forecasts and cornered the treasurer, citing dollar behaviour, Asian growth mix-ups and miner optimism.
Educated hopes for Gillard’s Gonski reforms
Michelle Grattan 15Barry O'Farrell's support gives some hope for the Gonski reforms, but Labor’s message is diminished by what's now generally assumed to be its terminal position.
Debt that goes bump in the night
Stephen Koukoulas 62Phobia of government debt is becoming an unjustified epidemic in Australia. Our debt is being portrayed as a redback spider when it's really a daddy long legs at worst.
A subtle shift for Abbott's razor gang
Mitchell Neems 9After months of campaigning against 'wasteful' Labor management, Tony Abbott will be aware similar scrutiny will apply to his government, should the Coalition win.
WEEKEND ECONOMIST: Slip, slipping away
Bill Evans 9The federal budget revealed a worrying trend for the Australian economy, with disinflation a factor in the revenue slippage that led to the deficit.
EDITOR'S PICKS
Jackson HewettIn this week's essential reading guide Kohler says Swan's budget savings won't show til he's gone; Gottliebsen explains what the budget did to the dollar; Koukoulas tips a surplus after seven years; and Bartholomeusz breaks down Virgin's failed earnings calculations.