Each West Australian household will get a $400 credit towards their power bill in Thursday’s budget, with cost of living expected to form a major part of state government spending.

The $400 credit echoes a $600 power bill giveaway in late 2020, months before Mark McGowan’s landslide State election victory.

The WA Premier and Treasurer is expected to hand down another multibillion-dollar surplus far exceeding expectations of $2.45 billion for the 2021-22 financial year, buoyed by a booming iron ore price, employment and bigger GST payments.

While the government’s books are flush with cash, family budgets are strained by an inflation rate of 5.1 per cent, while wages have increased only 2.3 per cent from March 2021.

The opposition called for cost of living support and McGowan on Wednesday said he would deliver.

“Western Australia is leading the nation economically and financially and that gives us the capacity to do more in terms of cost of living but we’ll reveal those details tomorrow,” he said.

The Budget comes nine days before a Federal election dominated by cost of living and is a timely boost for Labor leader Anthony Albanese, with Liberal-held seats in Perth critical to his party’s chances on May 21.

The Premier said Thursday’s Budget would show the federal electorate that Labor could manage the economy.

“I think what it does is show that Labor can manage money and that we have the capacity to manage the economy and manage money at the same time,” he said on Wednesday.

Pre-Budget announcements, including $500 million for the health system, have already been unveiled ahead of the Premier’s appearance on Perth Live with Oliver Peterson after 3pm today and 6PR Breakfast with Gareth Parker at 6.45am on Friday.

Press PLAY below to hear a preview of what’s expected in today’s State Budget