Anemic growth forecast strengthens case for NSW budget restraint

June 23, 2026 — 7:30pm

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The Minns government’s fourth budget, delivered on Tuesday, is a restrained one, considering NSW voters head to the polls in nine months.

The main sweetener – a $560 million transport affordability package that will reduce the weekly road toll cap and freeze public transport fares – is temporary and fairly modest as pre-election handouts go.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has preached fiscal discipline since Labor took office in 2023 so the ongoing pressure on the state’s finances left him little scope for largesse.

The restraint suggests Labor is confident it can hold office at the election next March without a big spending budget.

Even so, the budget papers show NSW will have an........

© The Sydney Morning Herald