Jim Chalmers has cautioned the opposition against engaging in politics during next month’s productivity summit, stating that shadow treasurer Ted O’Brien has not learned the lessons from the election and his approach may remind others of Peter Dutton rather than Scott Morrison.
The treasurer said the summit would focus on themes of resilience, productivity, and sustainability, reflecting challenges such as technological shifts, energy transition, geopolitical shocks, and demographic changes. He emphasized that the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, and O’Brien face a key test with the 19-21 August talks at Parliament House, which will consider tax reform and ways to lift living standards.
Chalmers warned that if O’Brien treats the reform talks as an extension of question time, it will not be well received. He also said that the commentary from O’Brien and Ley is generally not constructive or collaborative.
The Reserve Bank governor, Michele Bullock, will address the talks’ first day, followed by interventions from the productivity commissioner, Danielle Wood, and the treasury secretary, Jenny Wilkinson. The government has already extended invitations to trade unions and business groups, and sought submissions from regulators and government departments.
O’Brien will represent the opposition at the talks, which will inform Labor’s second-term agenda, covering topics including skills, the net zero energy transition, workforce pressures, and the care economy. Chalmers believes that regular economic volatility has become the norm, replacing structural predictability.
He made these comments during an interview on The Guardian Australia’s Australian Politics podcast, which was released on Tuesday.
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Chalmers will meet G20 finance ministers in Durban, South Africa, later in the week, with discussions to focus on US President Donald Trump’s growing trade war and geopolitical tensions around the world. Chalmers is expected to hold one-on-one meetings with counterparts from the UK, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Indonesia.
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