Cabinet agrees budget amid leak concerns

THE cabinet reached agreement yesterday on the bulk of what is expected to be the harshest budget since the late 1980s.

After a string of meetings in the past 10 days to discuss both the budget and the bank bailout scheme, the cabinet will not meet again until 8am next Tuesday, the day of the budget.

It is the surest sign that all the key decisions have now been agreed. But the Department of Finance is understood to be angered that several of the measures under discussion have already leaked.