CANBERRA: Australia’s conservative government pulled a surprise income tax cut out of a healthy, post-Iraq war budget yesterday in an apparent bid to sweeten voters and keep the economy moving forward as the world economy dawdles.
Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as prime minister-in-waiting, used his eighth budget to shift the focus back on to domestic issues after 18 months dominated by war and terror that began when hijacked aircraft slammed into New York and Washington on Sept 11, 2001.