The government has previously made much of its "targeted" cost of living relief, so Tuesday's budget headline – a $300 energy discount for every household – came as a surprise.
The discount will be applied as a rebate directly to energy bills in the 2024-25 financial year. One million small businesses will also get a discount, of $325.
This will first require legislation, which the Coalition is not likely to oppose.
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The total price tag — $3.5 billion, most of it spent in the short-term — made it the largest spending item in the budget and a key feature of Treasurer Jim Chalmers' budget night speech.
