Chalmers curbs enthusiasm on reform summit as tax debate gets too big for Labor
In quiet talks in Parliament this week, the government has been sending a clear message: excited observers should curb their enthusiasm.
Cabinet had become concerned about the huge expectations being attached to this month's three-day roundtable, including that it could lead to major tax changes that economists argue may be good for the country but might frighten voters.
When unions unveiled a demand for Bill Shorten-era wealth taxes on Sunday, several government sources said it added to a sense in Labor that Chalmers needed to erect guard rails for what has been positioned as the launchpad for a tranche of bold policies to kickstart the economy.
According to three well-placed Labor sources, the idea for a roundtable came from the prime minister and his office. Albanese first raised the idea in a meeting with the Business Council of Australia in February, one source said.
Chalmers took the idea up with gusto. From the day after the May 3 election in an ABC Insiders interview, the treasurer was talking about how the government 'will do more' on reform.
He naturally became the point-person for the gabfest and opened the door to a wider debate, particularly on tax, than Albanese had planned.
The prime minister, sometimes blunt with his frustrations, let his views be known on Monday as the drumbeat of speculation about the summit jarred with his focus on delivering popular and less contentious election policies.
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