Federal budget 2015: Winners and losers

PENSIONS AND WELFARE

• Young unemployed will have to wait four weeks instead of proposed six months to access the dole.
• Young people between 22 and 24 will have access to higher Newstart payments (instead of Youth Allowance) until July 2016.
• Jobseekers over 50: Employers will receive up to $10,000 over 12 months, up from 2 years in the previous budget if they hire and keep an older worker.
• Widows: $900,000 over four years to exclude people who get the Widow Allowance from a one-week waiting period.

Losers

• Welfare system defrauders: $1.7 billion saved from increased fraud prevention and debt recovery.
• Rich pensioners: $2.4 billion saved over five years by increasing asset test threshold and taper rate for the pension.

FAMILIES

Winners

• Shift workers and nannies: $246 million over two years for a nannies trial
• Disadvantaged families: $327.7 million extra over four years to help vulnerable and disadvantaged kids access childcare
• Adoptive parents: $33.7 million for a national support service for people adopting from overseas

Losers

• Anti-vaccinators will no longer qualify for family and childcare benefits
• Big families will lose the Family Tax Benefit A large family supplement, saving $177.3 million
• New mothers: Almost $1 billion saved by stopping women accessing work and government PPL schemes

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

Winners

• Scientific researchers: National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy refunded for two years at $300 million
• Car manufacturers: $105 million to flow in industry assistance  

Losers

• University graduates living overseas will have to repay HECS debts
• The Australia Council: Arts funding cut and redirected to Attorney-General's Department
• Screen Australia: Cuts

BUSINESS

Winners

• Small business: Tax rate cut from 30 per cent to 28 per cent or a tax discount of up to $1000 for small businesses not run as companies.
• Small businesses with turnover less than $2 million will be able to claim $20,000 tax deduction for every item they purchase. 
• Employees in start-ups will get access to tax breaks on shares they receive as part of their pay.
• Retailers: To benefit from end of fringe benefits tax on portable electronic devices for small businesses
• Northern Australia will get a $5 billion infrastructure concessional loan scheme
• Car makers will receive $783 million due to reversal of previously announced cuts

Losers

• Offshore retailers/consumers: GST will be charged on goods sold to Australians
• Long lunchers: Fringe benefits tax for meals and entertainment capped at $5000 per person.
• Foreign backpackers will no longer qualify for the $20,000 tax free threshold.
• Remote workers face a tax crackdown

HEALTH

Winners

• Medical researchers receive $400 million for research projects
• Living organ donors: Recovery leave extended from 6 to 9 weeks
• Women: New cervical cancer test means less frequent pap smears
• Cancer patients: New drugs for bowel and breast cancers and melanoma

Losers

• Anti-vaccinators lose childcare subsidies and family benefits if children aren't vaccinated
• Chronically ill: Will have to spend more to qualify for free scripts
• States: Hospital funding shortfall remains

FOREIGN AID AND IMMIGRATION

Winners

• Cambodia, Nauru and Papua New Guinea are largely spared from aid cuts
• Australian borders: Bolstered surveillance and patrolling of Australia's borders
• Townsville and Sunshine Coast Airports: Gain permanent border clearance services worth $26 million

Losers

• Refugee Council of Australia: Government funding of $140,000 has been cut
• Africa: Aid cut by 70 per cent
• Indonesia: Aid cut by 40 per cent

INFRASTRUCTURE

Winners

• Northern Australia businesses and states get access to $5 billion in loans
• South-west Sydney motorists: $2.9 billion in upgraded roads
• Businesses eyeing privatisation of interstate rail tracks

Losers

• Public transport users, after Tony Abbott refuses to fund urban projects
• Victoria facing demands to hand back $1.5 billion of East West Link cash
• Sydney residents hoping for a rail link to new airport 

DEFENCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY

Winners

• The Australian Secret Intelligence Service: $296 million for new IT systems.
• Diplomats: New building for Australia's embassy in Washington, new diplomatic posts elsewhere.
• Phone and internet firms: $131 million towards cost of keeping customers' "metadata" for at least two years.

Losers

• Jihad propagandists: Government to spend $22 million combating online extremism.
• Office of National Assessments: $7.6 million to the office that advises the Prime Minister on national security.

ENVIRONMENT

Winners

• Great Barrier Reef: Extra $100 million over four years
• Climate Change Authority: $6.1 million over two years
• Farmers: $70 million from July 2016 for depreciated water facilities, storage and fencing

Losers

• Green Army $73.2 million in savings over four years
• Clean Energy Finance Corporation: No new money
• Landcare: $12.3 million cut from National Heritage Trust over five years