ON THE MONEY
With Treasurer
Josh Frydenberg set to deliver his second COVID-19 budget today, a final round of pre-budget drops has revealed:
Better-than-projected projected post-COVID jobs figures will slash the forecast budget deficit from $213.7 billion to $161 billion, and funding for mental health services will be lifted by more than $500 million a year
A workforce plan will include ‘‘intensive support’’ for retraining Australians and more funding for job service providers who already made out like bandits during the pandemic to provide digital skills training. The Morrison government has also asked officials to “look at ways to communicate with every young person on income support to tell them of education programs in their area”, raising the prospect of requirements for not just job applications but training