Clare: antisemitism and Islamophobia ‘just as bad as one another’
Circling back to the education minister Jason Clare’s interview on ABC News Breakfast:
Asked about Islamophobic graffiti in Sydney’s west at the weekend, Clare said that antisemitism and Islamophobia was “just as bad as one another”.
He told the program that children “aren’t born racist” and this is a “parasite that eats away at people and our community”:
As community leaders and in the media we’ve got to call this out when it happens, and we’re the best country in the world because we’re made up of people from all backgrounds living in harmony and this is the opposite of that.
A Jewish friend of mine contacted me and he wanted me to know his little boy’s best friend, before 7 October, was a Muslim boy called Mohammad. He still wanted me to know he’s still his best friend … Next year is his little boy’s bar mitzvah and Mohammad will be there. That’s what is happening in our communities.
It’s brain-dead morons writing things on walls on the streets of Sydney like this that undermine all of that. That’s why we need to call it out and … why we need to do everything we can at the moment to keep our country together.
Asked if there should be a national approach to stopping protests outside of places of worship, Clare said they should be “sacrosanct”.
They’re not the places you want to see protesting let alone people burning them down.
Key events
Chalmers says he is not aware of any deals with Indonesia regarding release of remaining Bali Nine
Jim Chalmers was also asked about the returning Bali Nine members – will Indonesia be expecting any favours into the future because of the deal? The treasurer responded “not that I’m aware of.”
I think this was an act of cooperation and compassion from President Prabowo, and I’m very grateful and the government is very grateful to President Prabowo for his cooperation and his commitment to working with Australia in this instance.
A reporter notes that compassion for drug smugglers isn’t something that Indonesia has shown much of in the past – what’s different here? Chalmers said this was a question for Indonesia.
At our end, you know, we respect Indonesian laws, we respect the Indonesian system, we’re grateful to President Prabowo for this act of cooperation and compassion. We don’t deny that these Australians did the wrong thing, but it was time for them to come home and I’m very pleased they have come home.
And asked if there should be fast-tracked visas granted for any family members of the five men, Chalmers said he wasn’t aware of those sorts of considerations.
Chalmers says he is ‘optimistic’ about future of WA’s resources sector
The treasurer has been asked about the forecast downgrading of mining exports by $100bn in the mid year budget update, amid slower growth in China – how will this impact Western Australia?
Jim Chalmers said he was not “pessimistic about the future of the resources sector”.
This just reflects the reality of less demand out of China, largely, and a couple of other less substantial factors … I’m very optimistic about the future of our resources sector. I see it playing an absolutely central role in our economy. The people, and industries of WA do so much of the heavy lifting in our national economy …
Chalmers said he was monitoring developments in China very closely.
Reserve Bank should be ‘beyond party politics’: Chalmers
Jim Chalmers has been asked about efforts to ensure the RBA appointments were as bipartisan as possible. He began by responding:
My preference all along, as you know, was to include the other big governing party. When that became impossible, when Angus Taylor’s party room had a different view to him, I had to play the cards I was dealt with in the Senate, but I still intend to ensure that the future of the Reserve Bank is beyond politics.
Chalmers said he has “done my best to be as consultative as I can, you know, going all the way back to July”.
I won’t go into the conversation but I can say that we provided those names to him, and three of the four names in the governance board. And so people should expect that type of consultation to continue because the future of the Reserve Bank should be beyond party politics.
Chalmers praises Tim Pallas and says state treasurer has ‘earned the right to go and do something else’
Back to Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas’ resignation, Jim Chalmers was asked whether Victorians would be as “effusive” towards him, given that he leaves the state with a downgraded credit rating and upgraded debt.
The federal treasurer said he wasn’t going to “have a shot of him on the way out the door”.
I’m focused on my budget and the budget update that Katy [Gallagher] and I will update on Wednesday.
I won’t give the Victorians free advice. All of us have got pressures on our budget. The pressures on the Victorian budget are well known.
My experience of Tim has been a very dedicated person, very intelligent person, somebody who I have enjoyed working with, and so I see no point in trying to run him down as he exits after 10 years and 10 budgets. I think he’s earned the right to go and do something else.
Chalmers forecasts new opportunites for RBA board to ‘explain to Australians how they’re thinking’
Jim Chalmers has now been taking questions. He highlighted one outcome of the RBA review being that there would be more opportunities for the governor, deputy governor and others to “explain to Australians how they’re thinking is evolving when it comes to monetary policy, but also to the economy more broadly”:
I think that’s a really good development and I think most of you, if not all of you, would agree that the press conferences on board decision days are especially informative and useful to people. We want to build on that.
Michele Bullock has said … when the board meets in March [she would like] to begin a conversation with the new boards about the best way to go about that – whether it’s the public commentary and speeches from new and existing members … That’s now a conversation which is most appropriately had by the new boards when they meet in March.
Chalmers says travel advice for Fiji has been updated after suspected alcohol poisoning incident
Jim Chalmers also said be was very concerned about the news out of Fiji that four Australians have been hospitalised over the weekend with suspected alcohol poisoning.
He said this was no doubt a distressing time for the families and Dfat officials are providing consular assistance.
Fiji police are investigating to determine the cause of the illnesses and we’ll try to keep people updated as that investigation continues. Dfat has updated its travel advice for Fiji with some extra information, and Australians who are travelling this summer should always check Smart Traveller to make sure they have got the most up-to-date information.
Beyond that, people who are affected by this are entitled to their privacy, so we won’t say more about their particular situation until or unless it’s OK with them.
Commenting on Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas’ resignation, as we just reported, Jim Chalmers said he has known Pallas for some time and considers him a friend and a “person of great intellect.”
He’s made an enormous contribution to the state that he loves. He’s wonderful company and I’ll be sad to see him go. From time to time, we butt heads about issues – that’s fine, that’s to be expected – but nobody could doubt his commitment over 10 years and 10 budgets and all of his experience before then, he has been a huge contributor to the state of Victoria … I’ll be sad to see him go, but I can understand that after 10 years and 10 budgets, he’s earned the right to put his feet up. So, Tim, I wish you well, mate, and all the best for the future.
Chalmers says mid-year budget update will show ‘biggest-ever positive nominal turnaround’
Jim Chalmers has also spoken about the mid-year budget update, to be released by him and the finance minister, Katy Gallagher, on Wednesday.
He said it would show that over the first two and a half years of this government, “we have seen the biggest-ever positive nominal turnaround in a budget on record.”
We have delivered the first back-to-back surpluses in the best part of two decades. [There has been] very substantial investment and that’s saving the Australian people tens of billions of dollars when it comes to debt interest.
Chalmers said there were pressures that need to be accommodated in the update, with the estimated variations to be “very substantial.”
Slower growth in China will also have a substantial impact on the budget. What you’ll see in Wednesday’s figures is that we are downgrading mining exports by more than $100bn as a part of that, or as a consequence of that. Company taxes will be down $8.5bn in the budget update. That’s actually the first downgrade in company taxes since 2020.
Global economy is uncertain and that’s weighing on our own economy and weighing on our budget. Some of these pressures on our budget are intensifying. Global volatility is a big part of the story and you’ll see that in the mid-year update.
Chalmers speaks on ‘robust and consultative’ aspect of RBA board appointments
Jim Chalmers has also spoken about the “robust and very consultative process” of the appointments, which ran over a number of months.
He said the RBA’s review process included a panel of three people; he consulted his cabinet, and the shadow treasurer in July (five months ago) and again last week.
I wanted to make it clear that the two new members of the monetary policy board were the same names that I proposed to the shadow treasurer in July and almost all of the governance board nominees as well … You would know just how much effort and work we tried to make this as bipartisan as it could be and that extended to the way that we consulted in a genuine way.
Chalmers says RBA board appointees adds continuity
Jim Chalmers has been outlining the new board appointments at a press conference in Canberra, and said:
These are first-class, first-rate people with the right skills and with decades of relevant experience. What we’re announcing today means that we get some continuity on both boards, and not just on one of the boards.
Chalmers said he was proud that women would make up the majority on both boards, with six of nine on the governance board and five of nine on the monetary policy board.
RBA’s new monetary policy to include former central bank reviewer, ex-bank CEO
Peter Hannam
The Albanese government has revealed its two appointments to the Reserve Bank’s new specialist monetary policy board – Renée Fry-McKibbin, who was one of the three panelists on the RBA review, and Marnie Baker, an ex-commercial bank chief executive.
Fry-McKibbin, a professor at the Australian National University, helped lead the RBA review that was launched soon after the government took office in May 2022. The review made 14 recommendations, including creating “an expert monetary policy board with diverse perspectives and knowledge”, separate from a governance board.
Fry-McKibbin will be joined by fellow newcomer Baker, also on a five-year term. Baker brings 35 years of experience in the financial services sector, including recently stints as CEO of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank and deputy chair of the Australian Banking Association.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, had offered existing board members the opportunity to switch to the new unit specialising in monetary policy along with automatic appointees the RBA governor, Michele Bullock, the deputy governor, Andrew Hauser, and the treasury secretary, Steven Kennedy.
Four of the remaining six board members took up the offer to serve on the monetary policy board: Carolyn Hewson, Ian Harper, Iain Ross and Alison Watkins. The other two – Carol Schwartz and Elana Rubin – agreed to serve on the governance board as deputy chair and member, respectively.
Also named to the new governance board are Jennifer Westacott, David Thodey, Danny Gilbert, and Swati Dave.
The new boards are scheduled to commence from 1 March next year.
Benita Kolovos
Victorian premier Jacinta Allan said she’s been friends and colleagues with Tim Pallas for 25 years and thanked him for his service:
One of the foundations of our relationship, whether it’s been as MP to a premier’s chief of staff, ministerial colleagues, as treasurer and premier, one of those foundations has been our shared firm belief in strong Labor values. That we are here to serve our communities. Victorian families rely on Labor governments to support them to have good, secure jobs.
Benita Kolovos
Pallas to leave midterm, outlines decision to resign
Tim Pallas is explaining why he’s resigning:
The answer is, I think, simple. In fact, after 10 years [and] after being the longest serving standalone treasurer the state has ever had, having recently worked with the premier and landed the economic growth statement, and recently the mid year budget update – I think we can look back on the body of work and say the economy is solid, the fiscal position is improving and sound, and ultimately there’s no great time to leave the the great honour that is high office.
He said he doesn’t have “exclusive tenure” of the role of treasurer and it’s time for “renewal”:
We do need to present the opportunity for renewal, a new treasurer, new perspective, new insights, all of those things I think are important. Good governments know that they have to renew themselves.
Pallas just confirmed he will be living midterm, which will trigger a by-election in his seat of Werribee.
