Big-spenders abound as poll race tightens

2026-01-25 - 22:05

With only two weeks to go before the Feb 8 general election, the battle over economic policy has intensified into what many observers describe as a full-blown "populism war". Major political parties are locked in a contest of ever more generous handouts, welfare schemes and cash-based incentives, each attempting to outbid the other to secure votes.