The most common words in Treasurer Joe Hockey's budget speech (SBS)
Mr Hockey and his Coalition colleagues hit the media circuit hard to sell their budget measures for families and workers, but abolished agencies and increased fees failed to get much of a mention.
Government bodies abolished
A number of bodies in the Agriculture portfolio abolished, including:
- The Aquaculture Committee
- The Community Consultative Committee
- The Industry Liaison Committee
- The National Decision Making and Investment Working Group
- The Statutory Fishing Rights Allocation Review Panel
Other bodies - the Freshwater Invertebrate Pests Subcommittee and the Invasive Plants and Animals Committee – will be merged.
The Administrative Review Council, under the Attorney-General’s Portfolio, will also be abolished and further costs will be saved by outsourcing security for the National Gallery of Australia.
The ABC Splash Strategic Advisory Group is also set to be abolished, while the following environmental bodies have also been axed or ceased operations:
- The Water Act Expert Panel
- The Emission Reduction Fund Expert Reference Group
- The River Murray Water Committee
The government also cut its own Green Army, slashing the funding by $73.2 million over the next four years.
Graduates targeted over university debts
Australians who have moved overseas will be targeted over unpaid university debts as part of the Abbott Government’s second budget.
The government plans to save more than $140 million over the next decade by extending the repayment framework for the Higher Education Loan Program to people in debt who now live abroad.
The government also axed the final year of the Seatbelts on Regional School Buses program, saving $1 million.
But there were also under-reported wins for education – the Abbott Government allocated $5.4 million over the next two financial years to support Indigenous students from remote communities complete their education at boarding schools.
Passports and citizenship fees
Australians will soon face new passport fees under measures outlined in the second Abbott Government budget.
The plans to impose separate fee categories for emergency passports and increase charges for fees such as priority processing are expected to raise $17.1 million over four years.
The changes are set to include:
- A separate fee category for emergency passports
- An increase in the priority processing fee
Additional fees for replacing stolen or lost passports will be axed.
New Australians are also set to face more costs, as part of a $437 million savings measure.
The Abbott Government is set to adjust the visa application charge from July, and move to “full cost recovery” for citizenship costs from January 1.
It’s expected to raise $437.1 million over four years.
Boost for migrant language lessons
The Abbott Government has allocated $14.5 million in the coming financial year to expand the Adult Migrant English program, to include refugees who hold temporary substantive visas.
Budget documents state that the program provides 510 hours of English language tuition to eligible migrants.
No more sweet tooth
The Abbott Government has lost its sweet tooth, cutting $16 million over three years to Cadbury.
The funding cuts follow the withdrawal of grant application from Cadbury, which had called for funding for the upgrade of its Tasmanian factory.
Treasurer Joe Hockey has also lost that loving feeling, axing the Stronger Relationships trial.
The government will continue to provide $200 subsidies for couples counselling until June 30, 2015 for people who registered prior to February 9.
The cuts are expected to save $17.2 million over two years.
Other funding measures
The Abbott Government allocated $79.6 million over two years to continue the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, as well as
- $9.4million to support scientific projects in Antarctica
- $20 million for the Royal Flying Doctor Service over two years
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