Amid all the debate in Federal Budget week, government spending on some of Australia's leading industries is one of the focuses.
New research from the Australia Institute finds that federal and state government subsidies to fossil fuel producers have increased, which the study says appears to be hampering efforts to move toward a more climate-friendly economy.
Meanwhile, mining and gas organisations continue to warn investment, productivity, tax revenues and regional jobs are under threat unless the Labor Party backs the gas industry.
