JIM CHALMERS MP
SHADOW TREASURER
MEMBER FOR RANKIN

 

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC RN BREAKFAST
WEDNESDAY, 23 MARCH 2022

SUBJECTS:. The most wasteful government since Federation can’t be taken seriously on Budget responsibility; When it comes to the economy the Morrison Government has got no record to stand on, they've got no credibility to draw on, and they've got no plan for a better future to build on; Cost of living pressures on Australian working families didn't begin when Russia attacked Ukraine, they began when the Government started attacking wages and job security; Everything is going up except wages; Passing of Kimberley Kitching; Andrew Charlton.
 

PATRICIA KARVELAS, HOST: Federal Labor is promising to deliver its own Budget later this year, in line with its own spending priorities if it wins government. Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers joins us now. Jim Chalmers, welcome.

JIM CHALMERS, SHADOW TREASURER: Good morning, Patricia.

KARVELAS: The Government says the Budget would set up the election contest between the Coalition and Labor as a choice between targeted support to address cost of living pressures and reckless spending. How will you tackle the charge that you will overspend at a time of record debt?

CHALMERS: I think taking lectures from these characters on Budget responsibility is like taking lectures from the Three Stooges. Nobody takes Larry, Curly and Moe seriously on the Budget and nor should they take Morrison, Frydenberg and Birmingham seriously. Not after they've behaved as the most wasteful government since Federation, the party of car park rorts, and sports rorts, and robodebt, and tens-of-billions of dollars sprayed around for businesses that didn't need it. We won't be taking lectures from them.

There is an important contest in this election about responsible economic management - the party that ran up a trillion dollars in debt with nothing to show for it versus the party that wants to invest in the future of this country, the future of the economy, so that the economy and the recovery works for everyone. The Budget should be about setting Australia up for a better future not setting Scott Morrison up for a fourth term. But these guys have got form. They see Budgets as political playthings. It should be about getting Australians through uncertain times, not about just getting the Coalition through another election.

KARVELAS: Simon Birmingham says you're committing to reckless structural and ongoing spending promises, including virtually free child care - he says - free TAFE, or huge increases in paid parental leave, and also refugee intakes. All which have ongoing, he argues, and structural implications to the Budget. Are you baking in ongoing spending and is that dangerous right now given record debt?

CHALMERS: We've made it really clear what our priorities are. They're responsible and affordable priorities. Whether it's responsible investments in child care, or in TAFE to address skill shortages, or in cleaner and cheaper energy, these are the sorts of things that the economy needs. These are the sorts of investments that have gone missing for the last decade of missed opportunities and Australians are paying a price.

KARVELAS: But it is a structural issue isn't it, it does bake-in this spending in the long term?

CHALMERS: Our commitments in these areas are long-term commitments. That's true. But so is some of the damage, unfortunately, which has been done by the wasteful spending of this government. The reason that we have a structural challenge in the Budget is because we've got a Budget which is absolutely chockers with rorts, and waste, and mismanagement. We've got generational debt without a generational dividend. We've got a trillion dollars in debt with barely anything to show for it. That's the legacy of this Government. What we've said, we make no apology for saying it, is what really matters here is the quality of your investments not just the quantity of your investments. These guys have shown over a decade now that they don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to Budget responsibility. They've got no record to stand on when it comes to managing the economy, they've got no credibility to draw on, and they've got no plan for a better future to build on. That's the difference between the two parties.

KARVELAS: Jim Chalmers, do you support a temporary cut to fuel excise as a sort of bowser fix to cost of living pressures?

CHALMERS: We expect to see something like that in the Budget, I think as you do and all of the commentators who watch the Government closely. I think that there will be something in the Budget along these lines.

KARVELAS: Do you think it's wise?

CHALMERS: Let's have a look at what they propose, let's make sure that it's responsible. I think people would be thoroughly unsurprised if the Government tried to push this problem to the other side of the election, that's generally how they do things. We've shown a willingness I think to be constructive over the last few years, in particular when it comes to providing cost of living relief. 

But the Government shouldn't pretend that the pressures on working families only started building when Russia invaded Ukraine. The cost of living pressures on Australian working families didn't begin when Russia attacked Ukraine, they began when the Government started attacking wages and job security.

That is the source of so much of the pressure in this economy. Everything is going up in this economy except wages. That means Australian working families are falling further and further behind under this government. Petrol is a big part of the story, but it's not the only part of the story. Child care costs, rent, power bills, all of these sorts of things make up the family budget. We've already said we've got some priorities there when it comes to getting the power bills down, getting the child care bills down and getting real wages growing again. Real wages are going backwards under this Government.

KARVELAS: OK, I want to just ask you about a couple of other things before I let you go Jim Chalmers. Former Labor MP Michael Danby claims terrible things were done to Kimberley Kitching and has called for an ALP inquiry, including into actions taken by your Deputy Leader Richard Marles, after she'd reportedly made bullying complaints. Will you support an inquiry to try to get to the bottom of this?

CHALMERS: I think as we've said now for a few days, the priority should be mourning a really substantial colleague. I think that the funeral on Monday was a fitting farewell to somebody who was very courageous, very tenacious, a very valued colleague, respected right across the political spectrum. What our Leader has said, and what all of us have said in one way or another - is that the claims that have been made have been refuted in the statement issued by Penny and Kristina and Katy, I think at the end of last week - and there are ways for us to make sure that our processes are continuously under review, so that they can keep up. We've made changes to our process in the last twelve months or so, so that if people have got legitimate complaints to make that they can make them.

KARVELAS: Well, she clearly had a complaint. I don't know if it's legitimate or not because it hasn't been tested. Don't you need an inquiry?

CHALMERS: I think we need to make sure that our processes allow for people to raise issues and that's why they should be continuously under review - and they are. We've reviewed and updated our process in the last twelve months.

KARVELAS: OK, but why not a specific inquiry into this? Why?

CHALMERS: To be honest, I think what Bill Shorten said at the funeral was a really important point to make. He said that Kimberley would want us focussed on the task ahead, which is to campaign together in unity for a change of government. It fills us all with immense sadness that Kimberley won't make it to the end of that journey, but we owe it to her I think to come together, to get around each other at a really sad time, to be there for each other, but also to be there for the nation and to do what Kimberley would have wanted, which is to campaign vigorously and rigorously for a change of government.

KARVELAS: I don't think Bill Shorten has said - he hasn't said either way - that he doesn't support an inquiry?

CHALMERS: No, but I think he gave a very moving and very fitting tribute to his close friend. They were like brother and sister, as you know.

KARVELAS: I do.

CHALMERS: Incredibly close. That interview that Bill did with you, I think moved everybody. Same for his eulogy at the funeral, which was a brilliant and beautiful eulogy. One of the points that he made is that Kimberley would want us to unite, to get around each other, and to focus on the task at hand.

KARVELAS: There are reports the Labor Party is moving to install the former high-profile Labor staffer Andrew Charlton into the Western Sydney federal seat of Parramatta, igniting what's really anger amongst local branches and multicultural communities given the sort of demographics here. Do you support the parachuting of Andrew Charlton into this seat?

CHALMERS: Well, first of all, I don't have a say in it. It's in the New South Wales branch, it's not something I've been involved in.

KARVELAS: Well, what do you think?

CHALMERS: I'm getting to that, Patricia!

KARVELAS: Good, good, good.

(LAUGHTER)

CHALMERS: Andrew is a very close friend of mine, someone for whom I have an immense amount of regard and respect. I have always thought that Andrew would make a terrific contribution to the national parliament. Whether it's this opportunity or another opportunity, I'm incredibly supportive of him. I think he is an absolutely first class intellect. As somebody I've worked with very, very closely in government and outside of government, he commands respect across a whole range of communities. I don't have a role in this, I don't have a say in it, I've not been involved in it, but I think the Parliament would be strengthened and our team would be strengthened to have somebody like Andrew in it.

KARVELAS: We're out of time. Jim Chalmers, thanks for joining me.

CHALMERS: Thanks Patricia.

ENDS