Portfolio — 2 March 2026

In Question Time, Treasurer Chalmers used the fifth budget as the centrepiece of the government's economic narrative, framing near-term inflation control and medium-term productivity as twin priorities. He announced a broad cost-of-living package — income tax cuts for 14 million taxpayers, superannuation increases for lower earners, student debt relief, and expanded bulk-billing — and positioned these alongside surplus delivery and debt reduction as mutually reinforcing.

Chalmers sharply attacked the incoming Opposition's shadow Treasurer, citing public-record positions on Medicare, superannuation, and work-from-home as defining contrasts heading into the budget cycle.