Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says he believes the Morrison government's budget deficit to be 'in excess of $100 billion' but given the circumstances, 'you would expect that'.
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Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says he believes the Morrison government's budget deficit to be "in excess of $100 billion" but given the circumstances, "you would expect that". Mr Clennell said Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will hand down the budget deficit to the House on May 12. Mr Frydenberg will rise to his feet in the House to deliver the figures on the same day he would have handed down the budget, which has since been delayed to October due to COVID-19.
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Frydenberg to hand down $100 billion budget deficit | Sky News AustraliaTreasurer Josh Frydenberg is expected to hand down a budget deficit in excess of $100 billion to the House on May 12, Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says. \n\nMr Frydenberg will rise to his feet in the House to deliver the figures on the same day he would have handed down the budget, which has since been delayed to October due to COVID-19.\n\nMr Clennell said the update was pushed by Labor in private talks with the government. \n\n'You would expect these deficits, of course, given we have had stimulus packages spread over 2019-20 and 2020-21 years of $17 billion, $66 billion and $130 billion, the last being the JobKeeper package,” Mr Clennell said. \n\n'But the size of the deficits will not just be because of the amount of money the government has spent on this coronavirus crisis, it is the decline in revenue from tax that the shutdowns and the loss of jobs has created that will fuel this budget result.”
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Government push to return to school sending a 'double message' to Australians | Sky News AustraliaAustralian Education Union Federal President Correna Haythorpe says the government’s push to send children back to school appears to send a “double message here about the social distancing requirements”. \n\nThe prime minister has urged parents to send their children back to school, maintaining that the health and safety of children will not be compromised in the classroom. \n\nMs Haythorpe told Sky News that social distancing requirements for those within school property and those outside are inconsistent. \n\n“Our members are very, very concerned about their own health and safety but also concerned about continuing to provide a high quality education,' she said. \n\n“It is important that governments work together with unions, that’s the way we are going to achieve the best results for everybody as part of this crisis.\n\n“I really don’t think there is any need for us to rush this in terms of a full return to face to face teaching, let’s get the provisions in place, let’s make sure the schools can safely deliver education and keep, not only children, but the adults who work in them safe throughout this crisis.”\n\nImage: Getty
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COVID Safe app set for mass downloads | Sky News AustraliaAustralians have rushed to download the government's COVID Safe mobile phone app to assist health authorities with tracking cases of coronavirus.\n\nThe government says some social restrictions could be lifted if enough people take up the app.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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‘Historically low’ oil prices an opportunity to top up ‘strategic reserve’ | Sky News AustraliaEnergy Minister Angus Taylor says the “historically low” oil prices will “create an enormous opportunity for us to build a strategic reserve” for rainy day scenarios.\n\nOn Wednesday, the government announced it would spend $94 million to boost current crude oil supply levels which will be stored in the United States.\n\nMr Taylor said Australia is a “significant consumer of liquid fuels” and demand is particularly high among farming and mining operations and commuters across the country.\n\nThere have been disruptions to the supply chain in the past which meant “we did not have the reliable supply we needed,” he told Sky news host Paul Murray.\n\n“Putting this strategic reserve in place will ensure we will have that supply when we really need it” at a price “which will provide value for taxpayers”.\n\nPreviously a number of Australian politicians were concerned by reports Australia had only 30 days worth of oil in strategic reserves.\n\nMr Taylor said the decision to increase Australia’s strategic oil supply represented a move by the government to take oil security more seriously and over time the government would work increase storage capacity.\n\n
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