Australian news and politics live: Treasurer Jim Chalmers defends Budget and Labor’s sense of progress

WA Premier Roger Cook has declared “gas is crucial” to the State’s future and urged the Albanese Government not to delay a controversial decision on the North West Shelf a third time, after it was pushed back until after the Federal election.

Jess Page reports a second extension to Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s deadline, until May 31, has sparked anger from the Opposition which has accused Labor of “cynical political manipulation”.

The State Government approved Woodside’s proposal for a 50-year project extension in mid-December, after a six-year process.

“We look forward to the Federal process concluding promptly after the Federal election,” the Premier said on Wednesday.

“Gas is critical to meeting the energy needs of Western Australia, which has both the strongest economy in the nation and the fastest growing population in the nation.

“Gas is crucial to supporting renewables in our clean energy transition, which includes exiting coal ahead of any other Australian State.”

Read the full story

Industry groups say Labor’s ban on non-compete clauses for some workers is a “heavy handed” measure that could harm small businesses.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers outlined a crackdown on the anti-competitive labour practice for workers earning under $175,000 annually in the Federal Budget on Tuesday, saying it would allow better job mobility.

The clauses are often used in as a scare tactic in contracts by firms to stop employers

However, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar said the ban was a policy measure and it was “strange” that it was unveiled in the Budget.

“We think it’s heavy-handed. If you look at these so-called non-compete clauses, around one per cent of employees in practice are affected by these,” he said.

“So it’s a very, very small number of people. In most cases where they’re put in place, they’re probably not enforceable.”

He said small businesses could be harmed after investing, training, and equipping a employee who could now take all their intellectual property and client lists to create a new competing business.

“That’s just a setback for the business concerned,” he said.

Read Caitlyn Rintoul’s story

Leonardo DiCaprio has isued an urgent plea to save the Maugean skate from extinction.

In a Facebook post th Hollywood A-lister says Australian government is set to decide the fate of Macquarie Harbor which he says is an opportunity to shut-down “destructive industrial non-native salmon farms”.

“This shallow estuary off the Tasmanian coast is one of the most important places in the world - now designated as a #KeyBiodiversityArea - which means it’s essential for the planet’s overall health and the persistence of biodiversity.”

Angus Taylor wants the Albanese government to guarantee its migration program won’t blow out.

“I refer to the government’s increase the migration program of 1.8 million people over five years. Will the Treasurer guarantee it will not go higher than 1.8 million?” he asked.

Tony Burke points out that it was good to get a question on net overseas migration because “if there is ever a gap between their rhetoric and what they have done, it is on this issue”.

“The latest figures that came out last week showed a 31 per cent fall in net overseas migration year on year. 31 per cent. And what measure that had been a particularly fast growing area of net overseas migration had been student visas.

“The government’s action on student visas, also a 31 per cent fall.

“When we put that measure to the Parliament, which way did they vote on student visas? They voted for student visas to be unlimited.”

Senator Hanson Young received a rap over the knuckles for her dead salmon stunt.

After asking Labor “On the eve of an election have you sold out your environmental credentials for a rotten, stinking extinction salmon?”

Senate president Sue Lines told her to remove the prop “immediately”.

In a stunt worthy of Pauline Hanson, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young has waved a dead salmon around in the senate to protest salmon farming.

Hours before the Budget, and weeks out from an election, the Federal Government on Tuesday introduced a bill that could water down Australia’s main nature laws by removing the environment minister’s ability to revoke some past decisions.

AAP reports that the reforms are aimed at preserving the Tasmanian salmon industry in Macquarie Harbour, where approvals have been under review by the environment minister since a 2023 challenge from conservationists.

Intensive fish farming in this area has caused oxygen levels to plummet, posing an existential threat to the Maugean skate, an ancient species of fish that is only found in two estuaries on Tasmania’s west coast.

If passed, the bill would prevent the minister from changing a decade-old decision, allowing salmon farming to continue in the electorate of Braddon, held by retiring Liberal MP Gavin Pearce on an eight per cent margin.

Question Time is on and a very pleased with himself Jim Chalmers has kicked it off by roasting the Opposition for failing to vote for the tax cuts outlined in last night’s Budget.

Triggered by a question from shadow treasurer Angus Taylor citing the 70 cents a day cuts as an indicator the Budget was designed for the next five weeks not the next five years, Chalmers let fly.

“It hasn’t dawned on the shadow treasurer that he is asking that question on the same day that he voted against tax cuts for every Australian worker.

“If the shadow treasurer...cared about cost of living pressures and living standards in our economy he would have voted for our tax cuts but instead, he voted against those tax cuts.

“This was the consequence of the brain snap that the shadow treasurer had in Budget lock-up yesterday, when he decided in the face of these cost of living pressures, to recommend to his backbench that they vote against a tax cut for every Australian worker to help them with the cost of living.

“That is why they’re all looking at their phones and their shoes because they know, once again, that the Shadow Treasurer’s been found out and he has been found wanting.

“This is why one of them described the Shadow Treasurer to The Australian as a “dead weight’. I couldn’t agree more.”

Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers are still hopeful Australia will get tariff exemption relief from the Trump administration in coming months.

“The direct impact on our industries and workers and businesses is obviously a big concern, we want to make sure we don’t trade away or give away the sorts of things that we cherish.”

“We don’t want to see these escalating trade tensions make things worse.

“We will continue to engage where we can, will continue to speak up for Australia’s interest, and I’m sure that the outcome of President Trump’s deliberations will be known before long.”

Jim Chalmers has addressed the growing issue around tobacco excise, organise crime and illegal cigarettes.

“Look, we’d rather give tax relief to every Australian taxpayer than to provide tax relief for smoking.”

“We don’t think that’s the best way to go about this problem that we acknowledge. There is a substantial problem in the Budget when it comes to tobacco excise.

“There are two ways it comes down. One is a good way and one is a bad way. The good way is more people give up the darts. We want that.

“The bad way is that more people avoid the tax and we’re seeing in organised crime and other ways there’s been an increase in that kind of often violent tax evasion.

“What we’ve done in the Budget, recognising and acknowledging that there is a serious problem when it comes to that revenue line is to invest another $157 million in enforcement and compliance.”

Peter Dutton and Opposition Treasurer Angus Taylor’s plan to bring Australia into the nuclear energy age has been attacked by Treasurer Jim Chalmers in his press club address.

“It beggars belief that a Liberal Shadow Treasurer can recommend to his party and walk into the Parliament and vote for higher taxes on Australian workers,” Mr Chalmers said.

“But that’s what happened today.

“Australians would be much worse off if Peter Dutton had his way and they will be much worse off still if he wins.

“Peter Dutton says that he will make hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts but he won’t tell Australians where those cuts are coming from.

“There’s only one reason for that, and people should know about it. That’s because they can’t find the $600 billion - the Coalition can’t find the $600 billion they need to fund their nuclear reactors without coming after Medicare once again.”