Australia unveils tax cuts in pre-election budget

Australia unveils tax cuts in pre-election budget
(Image: Getty)
AFP
Canberra – Australia's left-leaning government will cut income tax, slash student debt and hasten defence spending under an annual budget released Tuesday, courting voters as it readies to fight a tight general election.The Labor government – due to announce the election date by the end of the week – booked a spending deficit of US$17 billion (NZ$29.6b) as it unveiled a swag of surprise tax cuts and pre-poll sweeteners.It pledged to overhaul the country's creaking military and set aside almost US$2b to catalyse a homeg...

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