Views on Australia’s pre-election budget

Spending boost: Shoppers walk past stores on Degraves Street in Melbourne. A one-time A$420 tax offset for low and middle-income earners in Australia’s budget benefits retailers exposed to low-income groups. — Bloomberg

SYDNEY: Australia’s government has unveiled a stimulatory budget ahead of this year’s federal election, with measures expected to underpin short-term consumer demand, according to analysts.

A fuel-tax cut, one-off cost-of-living cash payments and infrastructure spending are among policies seen supporting Australian equities.