Economy
Gillard came to office in the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2007–2008. Government receipts fell during the international downturn and the Rudd Government had employed pump priming expenditure. Upon taking over as leader of the ALP on 23 June 2010, Gillard said she could "assure" Australians that the Federal Budget would be in surplus in 2013. The Government continued to promise this outcome until December 2012. Gillard initially ruled out a "carbon tax" but said that she would build community consensus for a price on carbon and open negotiations with the mining industry for a re-vamped mining profits tax. Following the 2010 hung parliament election result, the ALP elected to adopt the Australian Greens preference for a carbon tax to transition to an emissions trading scheme, establishing a carbon price via the Clean Energy Bill 2011. The government also introduced a revised Minerals Resource Rent Tax and the Queensland Flood Levy.
The Gillard Government stressed a need to return the Federal Budget to surplus for the 2012–13 financial year, and Gillard said that there would be "no ifs no buts" about this promise and that "failure is not an option here and we won't fail".In his 2012–13 Budget, Treasurer Swan announced that the government would deliver a $1.5 billion surplus.The government cut defence and foreign aid spending. In December 2012 Swan announced that the government no longer expected to achieve a surplus, citing falling revenue and global economic conditions.
Health
Like her predecessor Rudd, Gillard had said that health is a priority in her agenda. She announced during the 2010 election, that there would be an increase of 270 placements for emergency doctors and nurses and 3,000 extra nursing scholarships over the following 10 years. She also said mental health would be a priority in her second term, with a $277 million suicide-prevention package which would target high-risk groups. As the election delivered a hung parliament, a $1.8 billion package was given to rural hospitals, which was agreed to by the independents to support her re-election.