The Morrison government continues to roll out pre-budget funding announcements, but the details of what could be Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's centrepiece looks set to remain under covers until Tuesday night
The treasurer says his third budget will include an aged care pledge that will be bigger than the $10 billion over four years previously speculated.
It will include reforms to home care and residential care, and governance, as well as skills and training initiatives.
"It is a very significant commitment designed to deal with what the royal commission has found to strengthen our system and ensure that older Australians can retire, can live with dignity, respect and with safety," he told the Nine Network.
Mr Frydenberg told AAP, on his way to Treasury on Sunday morning, he would not be releasing any more details of the package until the budget.
Health and Aged Care Minister Greg Hunt was equally shtum on the subject.
"This will be the most significant investment in aged care in Australian history and its our watch and our time and our responsibilities," was all he would tell reporters in Melbourne.
However, the signs are that the $10 billion-plus figure isn't enough for what has been neglected area for many years.
The Health Services Union will hold an aged care rally outside Parliament House on Monday.
Meanwhile, Mr Hunt and Minister for Women Marise Payne did announce a $353.9 million health package for women spread over four years, which includes extra funding for cervical and breast cancer.
Labor's spokeswoman for women Tanya Plibersek welcomed any extra support in these health areas.
"I'm not sure if there is anything in this announcement that is highly innovative, but we will look at the detail over the next few days," she told reporters in Sydney..
Mr Frydenberg says the budget will include a separate women's statement on women's economic safety and health issues.
"You would have to go back more than a decade to see anything equivalent from that," he said.
There were also media reports that funding for domestic violence prevention will more than double to at least $680 million, while country doctors will be paid extra under a $65-million bid to tackle GP shortages in remote and regional Australia.
Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers hopes the budget isn't another of missed opportunities.
"It can't just be another trillion-dollar political patch-and-paint job," Dr Chalmers told ABC's Insiders program.
"It can't be the type of budget which is just geared towards the next election and not the next decade."
But Mr Frydenberg insists the budget is primarily aimed at protecting the economy from the ongoing pandemic and securing jobs.
"It is a pandemic budget. We are still in the middle of pandemic," he said.
"The budget is about people staying safe with a series of health measures and ensuring more people get into work because we have got the unemployment rate down to 5.6 per cent but we want to drive it back to where it was in the early stages of that pandemic which was 5 per cent."
Australian Associated Press
