Australia politics live: Chalmers prepares to deliver budget as economist says it won't ‘shift the dial' on interest rates
Good morning and welcome to our live politics blog, and happy budget day! I'm Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it'll be Emily Wind with the main action.
Jim Chalmers will deliver his budget today with the message that although the debt burden has continued to grow and 'there's more to do', Labor are on the right track with lower unemployment and interest rates buoying the country's economic fortunes. We have the initial reaction from Westpac's chief economist coming up, plus loads more reaction as the news day kicks off.
We have an exclusive story this morning on how Liberal backbenchers are urging the Coalition not to cut foreign aid to pay for a potential $15bn increase in defence spending and other big-ticket election promises.
Back to Labor, and the party says it is planning to establish a federal environment protection agency if it wins the election, just weeks after the 2022 election promise was controversially shelved in what appeared to be a backing down in face of a political and industry backlash in Western Australia. The renewal of the idea looks calculated to help Labor MPs facing a strong challenge from the Greens at the upcoming federal election.
The public commitment will help placate Labor MPs anxious about the party's green credentials after the government pushed ahead with laws to protect Tasmania's salmon industry from legal challenge over its impact on the endangered Maugean skate. The bill is expected to go before parliament as early as today. Share
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