The battle over the cutbacks highlights the severe electoral risks for any government trying to rein in spiralling recurrent expenditure and demand-driven schemes.

The battle over the cutbacks highlights the severe electoral risks for any government trying to rein in spiralling recurrent expenditure and demand-driven schemes.

Any delay to the reforms could come at a significant cost to the budget, with Treasury estimates showing a one-year pause would wipe out about $17 billion in expected savings.