Jim Chalmers
Rankin · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“It's why we have delivered and are delivering an ambitious budget defined by reform and resilience and responsible economic management. We've been delivering for the Australian people while the member for Hume has been destroying the Liberal Party. We've been delivering for Australians. He's been destroying the once great Liberal Party.”
“I acknowledge the member for Gellibrand and thank him especially for his work on Asian capability and the big report that he has just released as the chair of the education committee. Today is obviously a very important day.”
“We don't just acknowledge those challenges; we are addressing them. That's why we are delivering more tax cuts for Australian workers, more pay rises for people on awards and the minimum wage and a fairer tax system for first home buyers.”
“It's because every time the Australian people need them to vote to help them with these real pressures that they face, they vote to make things worse rather than better. They leave this parliament today more divisive and more divided than ever. We leave this parliament today delivering for the Australians who sent us here.”
“On Friday, we learned that the deficit for the year just finished will be smaller than anticipated at budget time, and we know from the AOFM this week that our debt will be $200 billion less than the trajectory we inherited from those opposite. If those opposite had their way, there'd be bigger deficits and more debt.”
“The member for Macquarie is a wonderful representative of workers and small businesses and families in her beautiful part of Australia. Today is a really important day, as the Prime Minister said a moment ago. We are delivering tax cuts.”
The complete record
Every one of 706 lines we hold for Jim Chalmers, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 15.
“We brought forward the release of Australia's National AI Plan in response to the urgency of some of the most contentious and most important policy issues. Here I want to acknowledge the really important work in our team by the member for Parramatta, who brings an extraordinary amount of intellectual horsepower to these questions, and also Minister Tim Ayres, the minister for industry in the other place. The member for Parramatta works very closely with Minister Ayres on these key questions. Together they released our AI plan on 2 December last year. It is a comprehensive road map to build an AI enabled economy that harnesses the full potential of artificial intelligence for the benefit of all Australians. The National AI Plan, which our colleagues released on behalf of the government, really has three goals.”
“Thank you to the member for Wentworth for her question and also for participating in the government's reform roundtable towards the end of last year where artificial intelligence was a big focus of the discussions because we know how important that is to the future of our economy. Of course, I would contest the inference in her question to how long it's taken the government to get our thinking together on this. We've been working on some of these really important questions and making, I think, some substantial progress. The honourable member knows, as every member on this side of the House knows, that AI is a transformational technology, and we want to make sure that Australians are the biggest beneficiaries of this change rather than victims of this change.”
“The reality is that we go as quickly as we can, but we're also consulting where we need to and making sure that we get it right. But, at every turn, what we're trying to do is to strengthen the arrangements as soon as we can because we know that supermarket transparency and supermarket competition are potentially a big part of this challenge, and that's why they're a big focus of the government.”
“Thanks to the honourable member for her question. As we've acknowledged in other answers, we know that Australians are under financial pressure and a lot of that pressure does come at the checkout, and that's what's motivated a lot of our efforts when it comes to our competition policy suite. I acknowledge Assistant Minister Leigh and Minister Mulino for the work that we do together to try and make sure that our supermarket sector is as competitive as it can be, and also that we have the price transparency that we need and that we're cracking down on price gouging wherever it pops up. I acknowledge the honourable member's interest in all of that work. I know that her question is about bringing forward the start date of some of those really important measures.”
“The living standards measure in today's national accounts went up. They also went up through the year. We know from the OECD that growth in annual per capita incomes in Australia is more than twice the average of the major advanced economies. When we came to office, living standards were falling sharply. We've been able to recover some of that lost ground, including by eight of the last nine quarters having seen real wages growth. Real wages fell five consecutive quarters in the lead-up to the 2022 election. If those opposite really cared about living standards, they wouldn't have appointed a guy as shadow Treasurer who wants to privatise Medicare or end work from home, or dismantle superannuation, or end the dual mandate so that there are higher interest rates and higher unemployment—”
“I thank the honourable member for his question. He asks me about living standards and public spending in the economy. There are two very important developments in today's national accounts that I want to bring his attention to and I want to bring the House's attention to. Given it's Wednesday and that appears to be 'economy day' and they're asking us about the economy at last, you would think that, having taken a three-day run-up to ask a question about the economy, they would have some understanding of what's happening with living standards. I refer those opposite—”
“Private demand grew faster and contributed over three times more to economic growth than public demand, in annual terms. Within a year, annual private demand growth more than tripled but annual public demand growth more than halved compared with 2024.”
“But it's the composition of that growth which is especially encouraging because there's more growth in business investment, there's more growth in dwelling investment and there's growth in market sector productivity and also in consumption—even though consumption came in a bit weaker than we expected. These are encouraging numbers which provide a really robust foundation to confront the intense global economic volatility which has been dialled up by escalation of the conflict in Iran and the Middle East more broadly. We have very serious challenges in our economy, but these numbers show that we have very substantial advantages as well. We are very well placed to deal with what's coming at us from around the world. What these numbers show is that 2025 is all about the big recovery in the private sector in particular.”
“(): I acknowledge the immense contribution the member for Hughes is already making in this place. I also acknowledge his predecessor in the public gallery, as I'm sure he would like me to do. We've got some good news in the economy today. Our economy grew 0.8 per cent in the quarter and 2.6 per cent through the year. This means that growth in our economy is now stronger and broader, and it's very welcome. This is faster growth than every major advanced economy. It means per capita growth is now the strongest in more than three years. It's the strongest GDP growth in almost three years.”
“That's all underpinned by mandatory transparency and reporting requirements, and that transparency is how we make sure ministers and the government are accountable to the Australian people for the quality of the appointments that we make. We put in place a new system of appointments that will get the best people into the right roles so that government bodies can deliver for Australians. That means real accountability to cabinet, to parliament and to the Australian people—as it should be. We welcome the honourable member's scrutiny on government appointments, but we think that the best model is to have ministers responsible and accountable, in this way, to the Australian people for the appointments that we make.”
“This government did commission the Briggs review, as the honourable member knows, and in response we've instituted whole-of-government reform through the new framework that the honourable member refers to. Our framework actually goes further than the Briggs review itself recommended. We're extending it beyond government boards to cover departmental secretaries, agency heads and statutory office holders across the Commonwealth. The seven principles of the framework establish that all appointments must be made on merit in the public interest, with ministers fully accountable for each decision that they make. Under the framework, appointments must reflect Australia's diversity, uphold integrity and high standards, and be made through flexible, proportionate processes that are informed by rigorous skills and capability assessments.”
“Thanks to the honourable member for her question, which I'll answer in my responsibility for representing Minister Gallagher in this place. We take our responsibilities to appoint the best people we can very seriously. Certainly, the appointments that I've made in the Treasury portfolio are appointments that I'm very proud of. We have reformed the system of appointments to make them more about merit and the national interest. When we came to office, ministers had virtually unchecked power to reward people and fill boards with political favourites. By the end of the previous government, we saw some particularly shameless behaviour in terms of jobs for mates.”
“This government has made it clear, and the Prime Minister and other ministers have made it clear, as do I, that we don't consider it appropriate to mourn the death of the Ayatollah. We have made our views about his brutal and oppressive regime very clear, repeatedly, in recent days and before that as well.”
“This is what happens when you bring together the worst minister in the Morrison government and the most extreme shadow Treasurer in memory—working people would be worse off while they work and also when they retire. This side of the House is delivering tax cuts, more super and fairer tax breaks to help deal with intergenerational issues in the tax system. Those over there are the same old Liberals who haven't changed a bit and haven't learned a thing.”
“It means more super for people with the lowest balances and more sustainable tax concessions for people with the biggest balances. It means 1.3 million Australians will get a super boost—mostly women and mostly young people. This is opposed by the same old Liberal Party who will vote for less super for people on low incomes and bigger tax breaks for people with tens of millions of dollars in superannuation. The shadow Treasurer wants to go even further—he wants to completely dismantle compulsory superannuation in this country. That's what he told Andrew Bolt on the B olt R eport . They hate superannuation over there, and he hates super the most. Workers would pay the price for their extreme ideology.”
“Tomorrow, we'll get a good sense of how our economy finished the year when the December national accounts are released. We know from partial data already to expect the recovery in GDP growth to continue. We expect the data will confirm the story of 2025 was a handover from public- to private-led growth, and we expect that to continue even with the strong defence spending we saw in today's public demand figures. All of this will inform our plan, which is all about making sure that more Australians can earn more and keep more of what they earn, and retire with more as well. Our tax cuts are important there, as are our changes to superannuation. Our reforms to super will make the super system fairer from top to bottom.”
“The member for Bennelong plays a very influential role in our economic policy and our team. I appreciate it, and our team appreciates it as well. The economic plan that we advanced in the government's fifth budget is focused on three key challenges: the near-term pressures on inflation, the longstanding challenge we've got with productivity and also this global economic uncertainty that we are dealing with. The global economy was already volatile before the dramatic escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, and inflation was already higher than we would have liked. But the conflict will exacerbate both of those challenges and could weigh on global growth. We're monitoring developments very closely in oil and gas markets and fertiliser markets and in transport and insurance as well.”
“If you think about all the foundations of a decent society in this country, they are Medicare, superannuation, decent pay, the ability to balance work and family responsibilities. They are the foundations of a decent society, and I think it's worth the parliament understanding that the new shadow Treasurer opposes all of those things. Of the three shadow treasurers that I have faced in the last nine months, this one is easily the most extreme and the riskiest of the lot. This is a guy who has called for the privatisation of Medicare. He has said that superannuation should be dismantled, and he's described working from home as apartheid.”
“I thank the member for Deakin for all the great work that he's doing as the newish member for Deakin and also for his question. We saw in the data last week that headline inflation was steady in January: much lower than it was under the Liberal Party but still higher than we would like. And that's why it's so important that we're getting the budget into better condition and also, at the same time, rolling out cost-of-living relief for people who are doing it tough. We've got income tax cuts coming this year and next year. We're boosting superannuation for people on lower incomes. We've got student debt relief, cheaper medicines and also more bulk-billing, because we know that more bulk-billing means less pressure on families.”
“If the new opposition leader had his way, Australians would not be getting a tax cut this year or next year, and deficits would be bigger in both years as well. He was the shadow Treasurer responsible for their policy of higher taxes for every taxpayer, bigger deficits and more debt. Not content with being the worst minister in the Morrison government, he was also the worst shadow Treasurer in memory, so they made him the Leader of the Liberal Party. This is why they can't release their election review. I've seen it. I refer you to page 21 of the unreleased election review, which says—”
“Annual inflation was steady in January—much lower than we inherited but already higher than we'd like, because of a combination of temporary and more persistent pressures. That's why we are helping with the cost of living in ways that those opposite don't support, and it's also why we are improving the budget in ways that they were incapable of. We've found $114 billion in savings. We've delivered two surpluses. We've got their debt down by $176 billion. We improved the budget position in the MYEFO in December, but we do know that there is more work to do. We are strengthening the budget at the same time as we are cutting income taxes for all 14 million taxpayers. Because of our combined tax cuts, the average taxpayer will keep an extra $50 a week to help with the cost of living.”
“There is no finer local member in this parliament than the member for Blair. I thank him for his question and, on behalf of his friends on this side of the House, I send my best wishes to Carolyn, as well, as she recovers from some of her health challenges in recent times. This government is hard at work putting our fifth budget together. There will be a major focus on inflation in the near term and productivity over the medium term and also on making our economy more resilient at a time of extreme global uncertainty. Developments in the Middle East are an important reminder of volatility in the global economy right now, and we are closely monitoring implications for oil prices in particular.”
“That's especially relevant today, because it was the member for Hume himself who told David Speers, only in March, 'The best indicator of future performance is past performance.' That's what the member for Hume said. It should send a shiver up the spine of every Liberal and every Australian. That sense of entitlement that defines the member for Hume is matched only by the cloud of incompetence that surrounds him.”
“We have made progress on policies to boost productivity. But, once again, we know there's more work to do, including in the next budget. And we're helping with the cost of living, because we know that people are still under pressure. We were reminded of that in recent data. That's why we're boosting bulk-billing. It's why we're boosting superannuation for low-income earners. It's also why we are rolling out two more tax cuts for 14 million Australian taxpayers. From 1 July, every one of those taxpayers gets another tax cut, and they will get another one the year after as well. Those are the tax cuts the member for Hume opposed and said he would repeal if he got a chance. It was part of the member for Hume's election platform for higher income taxes, bigger deficits and more debt.”
“Thank you, once again, to the outstanding member for Moore for his question and for his focus on the big issues in our economy and in our society. This is a government that is focused on the big challenges in our economy, even if those opposite are not. Even though inflation is much lower than when we came to office, we know it is higher and more persistent than we would like it to be. We know productivity has ticked up a bit in recent quarters, but for two decades now our economy has not been as productive as we need it to be. And we know the global economy is unpredictable and volatile as well. So these three challenges guide our economic plan. They're guiding our work on the budget as well. As I said in an earlier answer, we have made progress on budget repair—getting the Liberal debt down. But we know there is more work to do.”
“Thanks very much, Mr Speaker, and to the honourable member for her question. I will speak to colleagues about that specific parcel of land that the honourable member refers to. I know that you've raised it with us in good faith, and we will check it out. On our approach to social housing more broadly, we've built about 5,000 social and affordable homes already. There are another 25,000 in planning or construction. That's because, unlike our predecessors, we are taking this housing challenge very seriously. We know that in different communities around Australia there are different opportunities to build more social and community housing. As we go about that important task, we'll be as consultive as we can be.”
“This is why Peter Costello told Troy Bramston: At the last election, they got themselves into a position where they were proposing to increase income taxes, run bigger deficits, no real plan to—”
“I know, from engaging with the member for Melbourne on a whole range of issues, what a wonderful advocate she is for the people of that great city. Really the biggest difference at the last election was on economic policy, because we had a plan to cut taxes, to help with the cost of living, to repair the budget and to invest in the future, and those opposite had a policy for higher income taxes, bigger deficits and more debt. That's what their election document made clear when the member for Fairfax and his nuclear reactors got together with the economic incompetence of the member for Hume and together they nuked the opposition's economic credibility. That's one of the reasons why sensible Liberals like Malcolm Turnbull have said that those opposite have run off into la-la land.”
“Thank you to the honourable member for his question. I wanted to begin my answer by putting him at ease. He shouldn't read anything into the fact that the member for Goldstein got all the early questions today or that the member for Hume has had a haircut. He shouldn't read anything into any of those things. When it comes to the substance of his question—”
“On this side of the parliament, a tax cut for every taxpayer; on that side of the parliament, because of the economic genius of the member for Hume, every single taxpayer would get a tax increase. I notice the Leader of the Opposition is not leaping to his defence. The point that I am making is this: whether it's bulk-billing, whether its superannuation, whether it's tax cuts that we're rolling out for the second and third time in the life of this parliament, this side of the House is delivering more super, more tax cuts and more bulk-billing. That side of the House is divided, and they look like a total shambles.”
“If those opposite vote against that legislation, they'll be voting for less super for people with low balances and bigger tax breaks for people who've got $20 or $30 or $40 million in their superannuation accounts. That wouldn't be the first time that they have voted against people on low and middle incomes in this parliament. Perhaps the most egregious example was when, just before the election, when we legislated our tax cuts, those opposite, at the urging of the member for Hume, not only voted against those tax cuts but said if they got the opportunity in government, they would repeal those tax cuts. That would mean higher income taxes for every one of the 14 million Australian taxpaying workers in this country.”
“I pay tribute here to the Minister for Health and Ageing, the PM and my colleagues for the work that we have put into lifting bulk-billing in this country, because we understand that when there's more bulk-billing there's less pressure on families. It's a really important way that we're helping to ease the cost of living, but it's not the only way that we're going about that. We're also making sure that people on lower incomes can get a boost to their superannuation balances. Just today, we introduced legislation into this parliament to make superannuation fairer from top to bottom by boosting superannuation for people on the lowest incomes and funding it by making the tax concessions for people with the biggest balances still concessional but more sustainable. That's what today's legislation is all about.”
“What an absolute champion the member for Lalor is for her community and for our team here, in Parliament House. The member for Lalor knows—we all know—that people are under pressure, but, more than acknowledging that and recognising that, we're acting on it. We're delivering when it comes to more help with the cost of living. On that front, today is a really, really important day, because we've got this new data out which shows that Australians now have access to more bulk-billed GP clinics than ever before—with something like more than 3,400 practices across the country, which is also more than ever before.”
“I move: That the bill be now read a second time. Today I am also introducing the Superannuation (Building a Stronger and Fairer Super System) Imposition Bill 2026. This bill works in conjunction with the Treasury Laws Amendment (Building a Stronger and Fairer Super System) Bill 2026 to make our super system stronger, fairer and more sustainable. For all of the reasons I outlined in my speech on that bill, I commend it to the House. Full details, once again, of the measure are contained in the explanatory memorandum. Debate adjourned.”
“We're paying super on government paid parental leave to help close the gender gap in retirement savings. We've legislated payday superannuation starting from July this year. We've expanded the coverage of the superannuation performance test from around 80 products to more than 800. We've legislated to align financial reporting requirements by funds with those of public companies. We've also announced mandatory service standards and we're reforming the retirement phase of superannuation as well. And today we're introducing this legislation to better target superannuation tax concessions and increase the LISTO. Our superannuation system is the envy of the world. And these changes will make it even stronger and even fairer so it continues to deliver a more secure retirement for millions of working Australians today and into the future.”
“Together, these changes will maintain concessional tax treatment for super across the board. They make the system more sustainable by better targeting concessions for the biggest balances to help fund more super for people with the smallest balances. Voting against this bill would be a vote against a fairer super system. It would be a vote against more super for Australians on the lowest incomes. And it would be a vote for bigger tax breaks for those who already have millions in their super. The Australian Labor Party built our superannuation system. And this bill is another important part of our agenda to make it stronger and fairer and more sustainable. It's why we've legislated the objective of super—to provide income for a secure retirement. We've increased the superannuation guarantee so it's finally reached 12 per cent.”
“Earnings corresponding to balances below $3 million will continue to be taxed at 15 per cent in the accumulation phase, and earnings will remain tax free in the retirement phase. The concessional rate applying to future earnings on balances above $10 million will be 40 per cent. Both the $3 million and the $10 million thresholds will be indexed. These reforms maintain the concessional treatment of superannuation, but ensure it is provided in a more equitable and a more sustainable way. Here, I want to thank the superannuation industry and the broader community for their engagement and feedback on this legislation. And I want to thank my colleagues in the Treasury ministers here and behind me in our team for all of the work that has gone into these important changes.”
“The LISTO eligibility threshold and maximum payment amount will also automatically adjust in line with any future changes to income tax thresholds and the superannuation guarantee rate. This will ensure low-income workers receive a fairer tax concession on their super contributions to align with the government's third round of tax cuts taking effect in 2027. The other part of this bill reduces tax concessions available to individuals with total superannuation balances above $3 million. This measure will affect less than half a per cent of all Australians and will take effect from July this year. It will mean the concessional tax rate applying to future earnings on balances between $3 million and $10 million will be a combined headline rate of 30 per cent.”
“Secondly, the legislation will reform super tax concessions, so that they are better targeted for large balances. From July next year, we will increase the maximum LISTO payment by $310 to $810, and raise the eligibility threshold from $37,000 to $45,000. These reforms will help deliver a more secure retirement for 1.3 million Australians, the majority of them women. It will mean the total number of Australians eligible for the LISTO will increase to 3.1 million people. Our changes will benefit all workers with incomes between $28,000 and $45,000, with an average increase in LISTO payments of $410. These workers could receive a benefit at retirement of around $15,000, depending on an individual's income over their career.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Today, we are really proud to be introducing the Treasury Laws Amendment (Building a Stronger and Fairer Super System) Bill 2026 to the House. This is all about making Australia's super system stronger and more sustainable. We are making superannuation fairer from top to bottom to help disability and aged-care workers, retail and hospitality staff, and early childhood educators and nurses get the secure retirement that they need and deserve. This bill does two key things. Firstly, it boosts the low-income superannuation tax offset, or LISTO. This will make sure low-income workers receive a fairer tax concession on their super contributions. It's another important part of our government's plan to help low-income workers earn more, keep more of what they earn and retire with more as well.”
“We take our responsibilities to every Australian seriously, and we know that right now, when they're under pressure, we need to do more than acknowledge that; we need to act on it, and that's what we're doing.”
“On this side of the House, we do acknowledge and we do understand that this inflation is putting extra pressure on people in the community you represent and in the communities that we all represent as well. But, more than acknowledging that, we are acting on it as well. There will always be a range of views about the best way to go about addressing this challenge, but I think the three ways that the government is going about it strike the best balance in the most responsible way that we can. This inflation is higher than anyone would like. The interest rate decision which accompanied it puts extra pressure on millions of people with a mortgage as well.”
“Thank you to the honourable member for her question but also for the constructive way that she goes about engaging with the big challenges in our economy. Inflation, which is higher than anyone would like, is a major challenge in our economy and a major focus of this government, and our plan to deal with this tick-up in inflation is to help people with the cost of living in the most responsible way that we can, primarily through the tax system but also in other ways, which other ministers have spoken about today; to continue to get the budget in better condition—we've made some progress there, but we know that there's more work to do; but also, over the medium term and the longer term, to lift the speed limit on the economy so that it can grow more quickly without adding to these pressures on inflation.”
“They haven't changed a bit since they came after Medicare and pensions in government and still never delivered a surplus in nine attempts. They haven't learned a thing from an election where they ran on higher income taxes, bigger deficits and more debt to pay for nuclear reactors. As I said a moment ago, two members were more responsible for that election debacle than anyone—the members for Fairfax and Hume. That's why flicking the switch from the member for Farrer to the member for Hume will make their lack of economic credibility worse, not better. We saw in the election campaign and we've seen in the last few days that the member for Hume is not very good with numbers. We've seen that again this week. They are divided. They are divisive, but we are not distracted.”
“Even in the few months since the reform roundtable, we've sped up approvals, paused the construction code, legislated better environmental approvals, passed a better regulation bill to cut red tape, processed hundreds of ideas for better regulation in the finance sector and released a national AI plan, as well as started another round of tariff and FIRB reform. So we've made some progress, but we know that there is more work to do. This is a government which is working together and is focused on inflation, productivity and global uncertainty. And that's what the budget will be about. Those opposite, at a time when we have these pressing and persistent economic challenges, are in complete and utter shambles.”
“That's why economic reform will be a central feature of the budget in May. Already, we're getting the budget in better shape. We're rolling out tax cuts to help with the cost of living. We're reforming our economy to make it more modern and competitive, and we've taken substantial steps already with the biggest competition policy reforms in 50 years, FIRB reform, payment system reform, abolishing non-compete clauses, federation reform through the Productivity Fund, energy market reforms, reforms to income tax, the PRRT and multinational taxes, and we've abolished nuisance tariffs.”
“Thanks to the member for Bass for her question but also for the way that she represents her Tasmanian community in our team and in this place. Australia has got lower unemployment and stronger growth than most of the major advanced economies. We've got faster jobs growth and less debt than all of the major advanced economies, and our economy hasn't gone backwards in any quarter under this government like theirs have. But we do know that we've got three big pressing and persistent challenges, and they are an uptick in inflation, decades of underperforming on productivity and also this extreme global uncertainty. We know that the best way to deliver higher living standards for more people is to lift the speed limit on the economy so it can grow faster with lower inflation.”
“The other half have met him, and they know that when it comes to their lack of economic credibility, the member for Hume is part of the problem, not part of the solution. If they flick the switch this week, as they might, from the member for Farrer to the member for Hume, that will mean that they have less economic credibility, not more.”
“If they cared about cost-of-living pressures, they wouldn't have gone to the last election with a policy to increase income taxes on every single one of the 14 million taxpaying working people in the Australian economy. For that, for this total lack of economic credibility over there, two people are more to blame than any others: the member for Fairfax, who wanted to borrow hundreds of billions of dollars to build nuclear reactors, which would push energy prices up; and, of course, my old mate the member for Hume, who went to the election with a policy for higher income taxes, bigger deficits and more debt. The reason those opposite are in a real bind is because half of the partyroom supports the member for Hume and the other half have met him.”
“Those opposite said that they would repeal those tax cuts. That's why we delivered surpluses and we're demonstrating spending restraint and banking upward revisions to revenue in ways that would be unrecognisable to those opposite who didn't do any of those things. I'm happy to compare my record against our predecessors any day, whether it's on managing the budget in the most responsible way that we can or on rolling out cost-of-living help. If those opposite really cared about inflation and the cost of living, they wouldn't have run for the best part of a decade a policy of deliberate wage stagnation in our economy. If they cared about cost-of-living pressures in our economy, they wouldn't have opposed the cost-of-living help.”