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Chalmers ends energy rebates as budget bites
The $7 billion Energy Bill Relief Fund will end as cost-of-living support shifts to permanent tax cuts and healthcare changes, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.
- On Dec. 8, Treasurer Jim Chalmers in Canberra announced the federal government will not extend electricity bill rebates beyond Dec. 31, 2025, ending the scheme after that date.
- Facing fiscal pressure, the Cabinet said the decision recognised budget strain, noting the Commonwealth spent almost $7 billion on rebates with states and territories adding one and a half billion, and emphasised relief via Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
- The Fund, introduced in mid-2023 or 2024, delivered three credits including a $300 subsidy in 2024–25 and a $150 top-up from July, with $1.8 billion added this year to extend payments.
- All households will lose the $75 per quarter electricity discount and some small businesses that qualified will also lose direct bill support, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers acknowledging it was a tough decision.
- The Labor government plans to make support permanent through tax cuts, Medicare, and PBS, with all scheduled from July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2027, as officials said.
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No Further Electricity Bill Relief After 2025, Government Says
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has confirmed there will be no further rounds of electricity rebates after December 2025, ending a major plank of Labor’s cost-of-living support. “The Cabinet decided this morning not to extend the electricity bill rebates,” Chalmers said on Dec. 8, calling the move a “difficult” decision but stressing the program was never meant to be ongoing. The Energy Bill Relief Fund has provided three successive credits: a universal …
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources18
Leaning Left6Leaning Right5Center0Last UpdatedBias Distribution55% Left
Bias Distribution
- 55% of the sources lean Left
55% Left
L 55%
R 45%
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