Australian Labor Party’s leader Anthony Albanese has avoided questions regarding whether his party’s cost of living packages will continue to deliver benefits to households in one-year’s time amid rising interest rates that are expected to hinder the benefits from the proposals.
It comes as handling the household budget becomes one of the most important election issues, with the Coalition recently announcing its plan to offer a $250 (US$176) welfare payment to vulnerable Australians. The caretaker government has also revealed a plan to give low- and middle-income Australians a one-off $420 (US$296) offset at tax times in order to tackle the soaring cost of living.