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Budget night for Australians – waiting for what the government has for its people.
While facing the reporters in Canberra, the Prime Minister said this budget will help Australians “realise their dreams”.
Treasurer Scott Morrison prepares to deliver his second budget, which he promises will be a practical budget — relief on the housing affordability crisis, infrastructure spending.
Just for our readers:
- The Treasurer presents the budget on budget night, which since 1994 has been the second Tuesday in May.
- An exception was made in 1996, as there was an election and a change of government in March and the budget was brought down in August.
- Between 1901 and 1993 the practice was for the budget to be brought down in August, on the first Tuesday night of the Spring session.
- Another exception was made in 2016 when it was held on the first Tuesday in May to allow the government to potentially call a double dissolution election following the presentation of the budget.
- On budget day but before the presentation of the budget, the Treasurer spends the day behind locked doors briefing media and interest groups on various aspects of the budget. This is known as the budget lock-up.
- Because of the market sensitive nature of some of the information which they are being provided, those invited to attend the briefings are not allowed access to the outside world until the budget has been presented in Parliament by the Treasurer, which normally commences at 7.30 pm.
- In modern times, the budget has been broadcast live from Parliament House on the ABC and Sky News Australia. It is hosted on the ABC, without interruption from 7:30 pm to 8 pm, normally followed up with a report by a panel assessing the changes, benefits and flaws in the budget.
- Additional budget documents and materials are available on the government budget website for other interested parties.
- A convention in Australian politics is that the Leader of the Opposition is given a “right of reply”, which they deliver in Parliament two days after the government’s budget speech, and which is also broadcast on television.
Follow the developments in further stories.