The annual budget sell is well underway and Prime Minister Julia Gillard has slammed Opposition allegations her Government is trying to ‘buy back’ public support.

The big three expenditure items welfare, health and education came through clear winners in this year’s budget.

Rebecca Cox reports.

TRANSCRIPT

For Julia Gillard, it was the dawn of a new era as the budget was served up.

And the Government wasted no time attacking Opposition plans to oppose the potential $5-billion giveaway in Parliament.

Julia Gillard, Prime Minister; “This is about one thing and spreading the benefits of the mining boom to the Australian community.”

So who will benefit?

Parents who qualify for Family Tax Benefit A are the lucky ones.

From next year they will get $300 for one child and $600 for two or more.

That’s on top of next month’s Student Bonus $410 for Primary School, $820 for High Schoolers.

Wayne Swan, Treasurer: “This budget is not about the next election or the oppinion polls or anything like that it is about doing the right thing by the country.”

There’s $1-billion over four years to kick off the National Disability Insurance Scheme and half a billion for a blitz of dental waiting lists.

Lin Hatfield Dodds, UnitingCare Australia: “This is a fair budget. It’s delivered for low wage Australians.”

On the other side of the ledger big cuts and more to come.

Defence spending down by $5.4 billion including cutting 1,000 civillian jobs.

The Company Tax cut was canceled worth $4.7 billion and almost $3-billion slashed from Foreign Assistance.

Innes Wilcox, Australian Industry Group: “This is going to be a very hard blow for businesses to take in the current environment.”

The surplus is slim $1.5 billion but the opposition doubts it will be achieved.

Tony Abbott, Opposition leader: “The only reason he can deliver this cook the book surplus next year is because of the extraordinary fudging of the figures.”

The Government is relying on good economic growth of three and a quarter per cent.

Rebecca Cox, QUT News.