Australians tell ABC's Your Say the budget lacks bravery and long-term vision

There was one thing Grant Astill wanted to hear in Tuesday night's budget speech but it was missing.

"I'm disappointed that the treasurer did not take the opportunity to pitch a better future more explicitly," the Illawarra man said.

"I'd love to have heard something like, 'We've done well, but we can and will do better by making real and substantial improvements to the nation's economic position.'"

From the Illawarra region of NSW, Mr Astill said this could include establishing new and stable partnerships abroad, leveraging Australia's reputation as a stable and reliable trading partner, diversifying our existing goods and markets, and developing a value-add economy.

"Over the past few years, Australia has been shown its vulnerabilities by our largest trading partner and our largest ally," Mr Astill said.

"[There is] not enough trade diversification and not enough self-reliance and it appears that our political leaders are not overtly moving to protect the nation."

He also said there was no real focus on wealth inequality in the treasurer's offerings on Tuesday night.

Mr Astill is one of thousands of Australians who have responded to the ABC's Your Say campaign, asking our audience what matters to them at the upcoming federal election, and about their response to the Albanese government's pre-election budget.

Many of those who have contacted the ABC said they wanted to hear more from the treasurer about inequality in and how to address it.

They wanted a budget with long-term vision and brave commitments to restructure the economy, following the emergence of Donald Trump's America.

Teens' bleak view of the future

Holly Roberts teaches teenagers.

The 28-year-old English and history teacher from South Australia says she is no economics expert but one thing she has been paying very close attention to is the tone politicians use when discussing increasing global instability.

Ms Roberts wants a future her students can look forward to but what she hears from them is a bleak view of war.

"Myself and many of my peers are more than frustrated at the inability of the government to respond in clear language about the rising possibility of the US becoming more hostile, which would ultimately impact the everyday Aussie in a multitude of ways."

She said that while everyday Australians would be happy with the budget's buzz words — tax cuts, more bulk billing and education support — she heard nothing about the $368 billion AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, which would see Australia build nuclear submarines in SA.

"I am concerned that the more positive aspects of this budget are going to distract our community from this issue … South Australians have a right to be concerned about the lack of transparency about AUKUS," Ms Roberts said.

Desire for tax reform

While there were modest tax cuts announced, some who contacted the ABC — like Hobart man Tony Haigh — lamented the fact that there was nothing about more long-term tax reform.

"The budget has nothing in it about dealing with the structural deficit the nation has … there was nothing about increasing the proportion of tax paid by big business … there was no commitment to a base tax rate of 15 per cent taxation for multinational companies," Mr Haigh said. 

He said while expenditure announced in the budget such as investment in early childhood education and public schools, fee-free TAFE, cuts to HECS debt repayments and increased income for aged care workers were welcome, there was nothing about increases to the lowest of social security payments.

He was disappointed about the failure to address Australia's energy transition to renewables.

"An energy bill relief of $150 over the second half of the year is a minor one-off payment that does not do anything about the transition. Surely the Black Summer fires, the floods and the ex-cyclone hitting South East Queensland should have woken up the politicians from their slumber?"

Mr Haigh said Tuesday night's budget would not change his mind about how he would vote come polling day.

Just another sugar-hit budget

Adrian Sim would like to see "a brave and forward-looking politician who is willing to take Australia on a journey to improve the lives of all Australians".

The Gold Coast retiree described Tuesday night's announcement as a "retail budget" — full of sugar hits that made people happy for a short time, and then it was time for another budget and another sugar hit.

"I think Australian budgets lack long-term vision and brave commitments to restructure the economy to prepare itself for the future. I am thinking tax reform, market-shattering reforms in the electricity market, the insurance industry, child care industry and grocery markets," Mr Sim said.

And there was, he said, nothing in the budget about renewables. 

"Maybe the government don't want to give the LNP ammunition for the coming election?"

Not much for housing

Peter Vincent is a 29-year-old utilities engineer living with his scientist partner in a rented share house in Melbourne. 

After moving house four times in the past seven years, he said his housing did not feel secure. 

This was "scary", Mr Vincent said, as he was still several years away from a house deposit.

Tuesday night's budget contained little in relation to housing, he said.

"The few things that were there are so limited that I don't think they will have any meaningful impact on making homes more affordable," Mr Vincent said.

"They seem like they are only there to give MPs a talking point when asked about housing.

"I like the 'Help to Buy' scheme; there are just so few places. I like the freeze on foreign investment; it's only for two years. I like building more social housing; it's a small investment on the scale of Australian housing.

Mr Vincent said he was an undecided voter.

"This hasn't been a compelling budget for Labor. The LNP have not yet put up a single policy that I think will benefit me or my peers."

What the LNP have to say will be revealed on Thursday night.