Australians have given Treasurer Josh Frydenberg the green light to borrow big in next month's federal budget to pull the country out of recession and help the nation's unemployed while businesses want a higher GST to pay down government debt.
The Reserve Bank, in the minutes of its September meeting released on Tuesday, argued all levels of government could increase their borrowing levels to boost the economy."In an environment of record low borrowing rates and significant spare capacity in the economy, this meant fiscal policy was well placed to continue to support the recovery," the minutes said.
By August, the number supporting long term borrowing had climbed to 48.3 per cent while those opposed had dropped to a survey-low of 23 per cent. About 29 per cent were still unsure. Almost two-thirds of the survey, including a majority of Coalition voters, supported an increase in the JobSeeker payment of at least $75 a week. The coronavirus supplement to those on welfare such as JobSeeker is due to start being reduced later this month.
A report last month by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office found the GST, described as a "growth" tax when it was introduced in 2000,Support for targeting corporate tax avoidance or the nation's highest paid individuals dropped by 10 percentage points between February and August. But support for GST changes grew about a third to almost 20 per cent.
swrighteconomy Why not you lot put us in the worst recession we have had since the Great Depression of the 1930s disgraceful this is something we expect from a Labor Government not a Liberal Government just wait till this recession kicks in and the people realise what you have done to us
swrighteconomy Pump it up! We're only at 40% debt/gdp. Fiscal Stimulus to 11 now! Step on it! That's what the Greens and Labor want anyway, right?
swrighteconomy Hooray. Pumping super expensive gas everywhere. FixedIt