Budget policy duck hunt

First-home buyers get early access to super for house deposit

First mentioned: 22nd Feb as potential policy, but the proposal has been around since the Keating government introduced superannuation.

Date killed: 21st March, with Scott Morrison discarding the proposal in Question Time, but it continues to be raised as an option in leaks to the media. Tertiary education changes

First mentioned: 1st May, leaked initially to the Australian newspaper and confirmed by Simon Birmingham on the night after rapid advisory meetings with universities and student groups.

The policy:
• Students to begin repaying HECS debts on earnings over $42K, rather than $55K.
• Universities subject to 2.5% efficiency dividend on Commonwealth Grant Student payments in 2018 and 2019.
• Course fees to rise by 7.5% by 2021. All pensions below $20.02 a week to be scrapped, along with their concession cards

First mentioned: 19th March, leaked to News Ltd papers as being potentially costed for the Budget.

Date killed: 19th March, dead on arrival and officially rebutted by Malcolm Turnbull on Twitter just hours after being published:
"A report today that the government is cutting the aged pension is false and we outright reject it." Work for the dole to be axed

First mentioned: 10th April, leaked to media as under consideration by "razor gang".

Date killed: 11th April, with Michaelia Cash saying, "The Government will not be abolishing work for the dole - any suggestion to the contrary is simply incorrect."
Infrastructure Minister Darren Chester has called for the policy to be reviewed in the future. Medicare rebate freeze to end in staged roll-out

First mentioned: 23rd Feb, reported by the ABC and linked to Coalition backbenchers being concerned about Labor's so-called "Mediscare" campaign in last year's federal election.

The policy:
• Freeze on rebates on concession card holder GP visits to end from 1 July 2017, and for all others from July 2018 - linking increases to inflation for the first time since Labor introduced the measure in 2013.
• Specialists and procedures to follow in the coming budget years, for a cost of $1 billion over four years. Stapled securities to tax to be doubled

First mentioned: 25th March, with the Australian Financial Review reporting that the tax rate could be doubled for so-called "stapled securities" - entities that combine multiple investment assets like shares or trusts to minimise the taxable income.

Date killed: 4th May, with a Treasury review not due to report on any restrictions until July, but could be implemented at a later date. Restrict negative gearing to a single property

First mentioned: 18th April, the Australian Financial Review reported that the government was considering the measure for the Budget.

Date killed: 3rd May, with Scott Morrison confirming that any changes to negative gearing or capital gains taxes were off the table. PBS changes

First mentioned: 11th April, leaked to News Ltd papers in reasonable detail.

The policy:
• A reduction of cost for consumers for the most expensive drugs on the scheme (especially to concession card holders), as well as savings across the board for a cost of $1.8 billion over five years. Cutting or capping work-related tax deductions for individuals

First mentioned: 8th April, with Fairfax papers reporting that commonly claimed deductions (like non-complusory uniforms) may be cut for a single $500 or $1000 deductions, or otherwise cut.

Date killed: Never specifically addressed by the Treasurer, but did not make its way into the Budget. Bond-aggregator model for community housing: give the private sector access to cheap capital in return for funding community housing

First mentioned: 1st December 2016, reported by Australian Financial Review in advance of the meeting of state and territory treasurers, confirmed on March 9th by Scott Morrison as being explored.

The policy:
• $63.1 million over four years to establish the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation - a bond aggregation body to fund cheap, longer term finance for community housing. Badgerys Creek Airport funding

First mentioned: 21st December, when the government confirmed it would not subsidise infrastructure if Sydney Airport its first right of refusal to build the new airport in Western Sydney, and would fund the airport if the private sector would not.

The policy:
• The government confirmed it would be funding the airport on May 2nd, and in the budget announced $5.3 billion in equity funding towards new commonwealth company that would proceed with the first stages of a second airport for Sydney, to open in 2026. Extension of $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses

First mentioned: 10th January, with Small Business Minister Michael McCormack writing to the Treasurer and informing the media that he was hoping the scheme would be extended beyond 30th June 2017, when it was due to end. Restated by McCormack on 5th May.

The policy
• Extended until the end of the 2017-18 financial year. "Gonski 2.0"

First mentioned: 2nd May, when policy was announced with full detail.

The policy:
• Government to increase recurrent schools spending from $17.5 billion in 2017 to $30.6 billion in 2027, a 75% increase (but less than promised by Labor under original Gonski plan).
• A new revamped version of the needs-based funding model - with David Gonski returning to conduct the review to inform the model - which will see 24 "over-funded" schools on the east coast lose funding, with independent and Catholic schools most likely to see funding decrease.

	Dropped or leaked policy
	Policies that made their way into the Budget