Jim Chalmers

This week and this government is all about higher wages and lower taxes for workers, and a fair go for first homebuyers.

This week is all about higher wages and lower taxes for workers, and a fair go for first homebuyers.

We’ve introduced laws today that are all about cutting taxes for workers, making it easier to buy a first home, and better aligning the tax treatment of labour and tax income.

Labor is delivering five tax cuts in three different ways. Tomorrow we’ll introduce historic legislation to deliver more tax cuts to Australian workers. If the Coalition votes against our tax cuts, they will be voting – yet again - for higher income taxes for millions of Australian workers.

We know that WA is a really important powerhouse of our economy and that’s why we’re delivering for WA workers, small businesses and first homebuyers in this Budget.

Getting compliance costs down for builders was a big focus of our Budget and we’re making access to building standards free. Instead of paying up to $1600 a year to access the standards, tradies will get them for free.

For too long the intersection of the housing market and the tax system has shut whole generations of Australians out of the dream of home ownership. That’s why we’re leveling the playing field to help more young people buy a home of their own.

Behind the scenes: a busy week delivering this Budget with the team. It’s all about supporting people through this global oil shock at the same time as we reform the tax system and our economy for the future.

Covered a lot of ground with Tom McIlroy and Patrick Commins on The Guardian Full Story podcast, including housing and tax reform and the economic context and priorities underpinning the Budget.

BREAKING: We’ll put more money into the pockets of 13.3M workers with a new $250 Working Australians Tax Offset.

Our Budget makes the tax system fairer and stronger for workers, businesses, first home buyers and future generations. We're responding to the pressures of the here-and-now while embracing our intergenerational responsibilities.

A very busy week finalising the Budget with the team. It will be a really responsive Budget, all about resilience and reform.

Labor's fuel package in the Budget will be all about more fuel for Australian motorists and industry, and more fuel security for Australia's economy.

Labor will save more than we spend in the Budget we hand down next week, while we continue to fund things that Australians need and deserve like Medicare, aged care and cost-of-living relief.

It’s getting harder for young people to get a toehold in the housing market and that’s driving some of our deliberations as we finalise our Budget.

Another day another clanger from Tim Wilson whose horror start continues. For this shadow treasurer it’s just one humiliation after another. Everyone gets a number wrong from time to time but Tim Wilson seems incapable of getting anything right.

Lest we forget.

Today NZ Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I convened leaders from some of the industries hardest hit by disruptions to fuel and energy supply chains, including representatives from the aviation, agriculture, banking, food and grocery, and transport sectors.

6.2M workers will benefit from Labor's $1,000 instant tax deduction, with a maximum saving of $470, and an average saving of $205. This is all about helping workers cut back on the paperwork and saving them time and money at tax time.

An early start here in Washington DC ahead of an important day of meetings with counterparts from countries supplying half of our diesel and 3 quarters of petrol and jet fuel imports.

I’m heading to Washington DC today to engage with economic ministers at meetings of the G20 and the IMF and World Bank.

Today’s Politics in the pub was back at the Browns Plains Hotel again and all about what this ongoing oil shock in the Middle East means for our people and local communities, our economy and country. A big thanks to everyone who gave us part of their Sunday for some very welcome conversations.

Thanks to Michael and the team at Bunnings for meeting with Ged Kearney and me this week. Really busy end to the week consulting with CEOs and workers in fuel, supermarkets, technology, logistics, mining, banking and building supplies sectors about the fallout from conflict in the Middle East.

Supporting and fast tracking important investments in biofuels and electric heavy vehicles is all about making our supply chains more reliable and our economy stronger and more resilient.

Labor’s fuel tax cut has kicked in. We’re helping motorists with the cost of living at the petrol pump.

Happy Easter from me and my loved ones to you and yours.

This deal brings our total fuel excise relief to 32c per litre every time you fill up.

The Reserve Bank is ending surcharges on credit and debit cards from October, getting rid of fees which annoy a lot of Australians.

Labor is halving the fuel excise which will cut 26.3c a litre off the cost of petrol and diesel, and dropping the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero.

Real pleasure to sit down with Alan Kohler for the first episode of his new podcast That’s Business. We covered a lot of ground: consequences for our economy and our budget from the war in the Middle East, the energy transformation as a matter of national security, and the technological revolution

We're not immune from global instability but we’re confronting these challenges from a position of genuine relative economic strength - with faster growth, stronger jobs growth and lower debt than every major advanced economy.

We understand Australians are under pressure and that’s why we are working hard to address issues in fuel markets, rolling out cost of living relief including two more tax cuts, and managing the budget in a responsible way.

Fuel suppliers and retailers have been put on notice by the ACCC. If they do the wrong thing, we expect the ACCC to throw the book at them.

We know Australians are concerned about petrol and diesel prices and supply and that’s why we are working with industry and regulators to make sure there’s enough fuel and that the suppliers and retailers aren’t doing the wrong thing by people.

This will be an ambitious budget framed by an ambitious government, in difficult and uncertain times.

Really pleased to be delivering more CCTV to help keep our local community safe. The Albanese Labor Government’s latest $800,000 investment in surveillance and safety cameras across Logan City is already making a meaningful difference to the efforts of police and emergency services.

We're doubling penalties, ramping up surveillance of suspicious fuel price spikes, and helping industry and regulators coordinate supply to regional areas.

Labor won’t cop big fuel corporates and servos treating Australians like mugs.

Really important day as Labor's reforms that boost the superannuation savings of 1.3M low-income workers are likely to pass the Parliament tonight. These changes will help make the super system fairer from top to bottom.

Big thanks to everyone who joined our full day of discussions with private sector economists, as we work towards our fifth Budget in May.

Joined Sally Sara on ABC Radio National to discuss yesterday's positive National Accounts which show the strong position we are in as a country as we confront more global economic uncertainty together.

Really encouraging numbers out today showing ongoing recovery in the private sector, with our economy having the strongest annual growth in almost three years.

Labor is rolling out cost-of-living help including two more tax cuts for 14 million workers, which Angus Taylor and the Liberals said they’d repeal.

Labor’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program is all about helping locals like Keith and Coral to get cheaper and more reliable energy. Thanks for having me over for a chat and to check out your new batteries, Keith and Coral.

This is the new leader of the Liberal Party. He went to the election promising higher taxes for every taxpayer as well as bigger deficits and more debt.

New data out today shows that there are now more than 3400 bulk billing practices across the country – more than ever before. That includes 30 fully bulk billed clinics in our community, up from 17.

Labor is helping to deliver a secure retirement for more than a million Australians with our increase to the low-income superannuation tax offset.

This government is improving the budget position at the same time as we're helping with the cost of living by cutting taxes for all 14 million taxpayers a second and third time this term.

Waitangi Day celebrations today a really cherished opportunity to say thank you to our local Māori whanou for the big contribution it makes to our community.

Inflation is higher than we’d like and we know that puts Australians under pressure, that’s why we're taking action by rolling out cost-of-living help including two more tax cuts, and getting the budget in much better condition than we inherited.

Labor is helping families and small businesses get cheaper and more reliable energy through our Cheaper Home Batteries Program.