Jobseeker must be substantially raised in the budget – and there’s a simple way to pay for it

Jobseeker and the 2023 federal budget: ‘Labor can, if it chooses, keep its 2022 promises and still do what is needed to address Australia’s real problems.’ Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Angela Jackson: walking the tightrope

Tonight, the treasurer has a difficult tightrope to walk in his first “proper” budget after coming to office (last October’s mini-budget didn’t really count). Notwithstanding whether this budget delivers a surprise surplus or not, it must balance the management of challenging economic times while laying the foundations of the government’s legacy.