The Wire

The government and the opposition are scratching around for savings as they try to fund election promises. But the nation’s peak welfare body says it can see a whole lot of places where money could be found, starting with the tax treatment of private trusts.

The Australian Council of Social Service has today proposed changes to the federal budget that could save the government almost $6 billion dollars.Private trusts, capital gains taxes, and cuts to health insurance and seniors rebates are a few examples of means to raise revenue, with savings funneled into raising the Newstart allowance and to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.