Australia’s finance minister has ruled out raising the base rate of the JobSeeker payment, although she acknowledged that those on the support program are doing it tough.
Minister Katy Gallagher also hinted that the government would slightly increase taxes on oil and gas companies while standing by its decision to deliver the stage-three tax cuts.
Speaking to ABC Insiders on Sunday, the finance minister said the budget has been “booby-trapped” in various areas with a total of $1 trillion (US$669 billion) of debt.
Amid demands for a cash boost by at least $76 a day to Centrelink Jobseeker in the upcoming federal budget to assist Australians coping with the cost of living crisis, Gallagher said the main challenge is balancing the budget….