WENDELL HUSSEY | Cadet | CONTACT
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is today basking in the glow of one of the greatest budgets the nation has ever seen.
Handing down his 3rd version of the nation’s financial plan, Chalmers now looks set to enter the Labor Hall of Fame alongside figures like Curtin, Chifley, Whitlam and Gillard.
Faced by a cost of living crisis, growing job insecurity for millions, an inflated housing bubble which will continue pushing more and more people into poverty, flagging health and education sectors, energy insecurity, and uncertain futures for a raft of industries that made Australia strong – Jim Chalmers has decided to lean into his Labor values and tackle the monumental task in front of him head on.
Outlining an extraordinary vision for ordinary Australians, Chalmers has revealed historic plans to give power companies $300 for every single Australian household and small business.
The groundbreaking policy will ensure that rather than price gouging Australians directly, the energy sector will price gouge Australians through the taxes they pay to the government.
Chalmers said the measure was designed to ease pressures on the cost of living, citing the war in Ukraine as the generic reason why power prices have been pushed up.
However, rather than seeking to pull the ‘trigger’ to ensure multinationals don’t send all our gas overseas which allows power companies to then jam up the price of electricity because they are unregulated as part of the ‘free market for large corporations’ mantra we run the country on, Chalmers said he’d rather just give the sector taxpayer money.
“It’s a vision for the future to ensure the nation has a cheap and reliable energy source,” explained Chalmers.
“Think of it as an investment, that has no return and does nothing other than slightly lower the heat being turned up on average Australians.”
While criticised for the inflationary nature of the stimulus, Chalmers has seemingly dodged any criticism of the fact it’s a short sighted handout to giant corporations.
Chalmers was then recited the famous words from Ben Chifley in the post-war years;
“I try to think of the Labor movement, not as putting an extra sixpence into somebody’s pocket, or making somebody Prime Minister or Premier, but as a movement bringing something better to the people, better standards of living, greater happiness to the mass of the people. We have a great objective – the light on the hill – which we aim to reach by working the betterment of mankind not only here but anywhere we may give a helping hand. If it were not for that, the Labor movement would not be worth fighting for.“
Pausing for a short time to consider his role as the money man in the Australian Labor movement, Chalmers shrugged.
“Sounds like leftie shit to me.”
More to come.
