Australia Opposition to Give Budget Response Speech

Australian Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese will deliver a speech today in response to the Coalition Government’s 2023-23 budget.

Today’s budget reply will set the stage for the May Federal election. After weeks of factional infighting plaguing the Labor Party following the death of Senator Kimberley Kitching, Mr. Albanese will use his budget response to refocus attention on the government’s failures while unveiling his own economic agenda.

With an election looming the government introduced a budget on Tuesday mired with political considerations. Mr. Albanese’s speech will likewise aim to attract votes. Notably, Mr. Albanese will use the platform to boost Labor’s national profile to undecided voters and to promote an economic agenda aiming to please voters in key marginal seats, especially electorates in Queensland.

While Mr. Albanese will emphasize the budget’s impact on real wages and the cost of living, his party will likely pass the fuel excise—the household payments and the expanded tax offset for 10 million workers announced in the government’s budget in the short-term—to appease current voter dissatisfaction with living expenses. Mr. Albanese will likely campaign heavily on the shortcomings PM Scott Morrison’s leadership and mishandling of COVID-19 and natural disasters, rising costs of living and health care concerns.