Less than three months ago, Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas was happily assuring he would deliver a 2020/21 budget in surplus.
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Little did he know that a global pandemic would throw his plan off course.
By mid-March, the treasurer said the health crisis meant he could neither confirm nor deny whether a surplus was on the way.
On Tuesday - the day he was due to hand the budget down before it was pushed back to October or November - the reality was far more stark.
The treasurer found himself announcing another $491 million-worth in relief measures for households and businesses, bringing the state government's support for its coronavirus response beyond $3 billion.
The state's budget will be transformed by the measures.
"Essentially, the state will be running deficit positions. I don't think there's much surprise about that," Mr Pallas told reporters.
"Every jurisdiction on the planet will be running deficit positions and ultimately it's a question of where our priorities lie. At the moment, it's about helping people and helping businesses through this economic event."
The latest relief measures include exempting businesses participating in the federal government's JobKeeper scheme from coughing up payroll tax or WorkCover premiums for staff they have stood down.
More than 80,000 businesses are participating in the national program or have expressed interest in doing so.
Some fines and fees - including those for drivers licences, vehicle registration and the fire services property levy - will also be frozen.
In March, the state government announced a $1.7 billion survival package, including payroll tax refunds for small businesses and a $500 million fund to help people find jobs.
It also deferred landfill levy increases and another $500 million has gone towards tenancy reforms agreed to by federal, state and territory leaders.
Mr Pallas said nobody is taking any joy in the crisis that has unfolded, but governments are judged by how they deal with the "difficult jobs" not the good times.
"This is a government that is demonstrating its mettle and its willingness to well and truly get involved in the heavy lifting of improving the economy and helping the community through," he said.
"I'm very much relishing the prospect of being part of the solution, not part of the problem."
Australian Associated Press
