Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey is being urged to restore government revenue by reducing wasteful tax arrangements rather than by cutting spending.
In its 2015/16 budget submission, the Australian Council of Social Service says this budget must be a lot fairer than the last one on the path back to a surplus.
“The way this can be achieved is by seriously targeting wasteful spending at the top end … instead of pursuing policies that shift the burden on to people on the lowest incomes,” ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie says in a statement.
ACOSS has identified more than $13 billion of potential savings in the next financial year, rising to more than $18 billion in 2016/17 through measures that restore the integrity of the tax system.