As the May Budget inches closer, Treasurer Scott Morrison is preparing Australians for what will be in it.
So far, further debt is an absolute certainty.
In this year's Budget, the way that debt is reported will change.
Indeed, so-called bad debt will be linked to borrowing for everyday expenses such as health and welfare.
And so-called good debt will relate to assets that can generate income, like transport or energy infrastructure.
Scott Morrison has likened it to the difference between taking out a mortgage or putting expenses on a credit card.
The Turnbull Government hopes the move will reassure voters and credit-ratings agencies by better showing which parts of the budget are to blame for the country's rising debt.
In opposition, the Coalition persisted with attacks on the then Labor Government for racking up a huge amount of debt.
When the Coalition took power in 2013, net debt was just over $200 billion.
Last year, it hit more than $300 billion, and it is projected to peak at more than $360 billion within three years.
Opposition Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen says the Government's move to change how debt is reported is nothing more than a distraction.
The Government's plan will allow it to borrow more money for major infrastructure projects.
The spending will show up in the nation's gross debt but will not blow out the deficit, which means the Government can still promote its way as a path back to surplus within a few years.
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