Politics with Michelle Grattan
News:Politics
Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers says it's time to change Australia's economic course “in a responsible and affordable way which doesn't jeopardise the surplus”.
Chalmers predicts the budget outcome for last financial year, forecast to be a deficit at budget time, could possibly show a surplus, because of high iron ore prices and other factors including an underspend on the NDIS.
He argues the government can have both a more stimulatory policy and a surplus going forward, given the various boosts to the budget's bottom line. “I don't think the government has come to a fork in the road where it's a choice between a surplus or doing something responsible to stimulate the economy.
“As it stands right now it's possible to do both and we think the government should do both”.
The government should boost Newstart, Chalmers tells Michelle Grattan, although he wouldn't oppose it first holding “a short sharp review” to examine interactions with other payments.
On Labor's way ahead, now being debated within the party, Chalmers says “we'd be mad not to learn the lessons” of the election result.
With some of the opposition's most controversial election policies in his portfolio, notably on franking credits and negative gearing, Chalmers is already consulting widely.
There's agreement on two things, he says. “Nobody expects us to finalise our policies three years before the next election […] and nobody expects us to take an absolutely identical set of policies to the 2022 election”.
Additional audio:
A List of Ways to Die, Lee Rosevere, from Free Music Archive.
Image:
AAP/ Joel Carrett
Stephen Duckett on what's gone wrong with the rollout
Linda Burney on the treatment of Indigenous Women
Sussan Ley on being a woman in politics
Zali Steggall on Monday's march and Scott Morrison's response
Fleur Johns on the rule of law
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Patricia Sparrow on the Royal Commission into Aged Care
Former MP Kate Ellis on the culture in parliament house
David Littleproud on The Nationals and net zero
Anthony Albanese on his new frontbench, Joel Fitzgibbon, and Labor’s imminent workplace policy
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on promising budget figures
Chief Scientist Alan Finkel on climate, energy and emissions
Asia-Pacific expert Bates Gill on China’s endgame
two views on increasing the super contribution
Defence expert Allan Behm on the background to the Brereton report
Joel Fitzgibbon on Labor climate policy and leadership
economist Danielle Wood on Australia’s ‘blokey’ budge
a budget for a pandemic
Chris Richardson on what Tuesday’s budget will and should do
New Zealand’s Helen Clark on the pandemic inquiry and avoiding election ‘cat fights
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Angus Taylor on the 'gas-fired' recovery
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free