Key facts
- Environment Minister Murray Watt said he wanted an end to undermining and leaking against Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
- Watt said Chalmers was doing an excellent job and that many economic features were outside any treasurer's control.
- Cabinet's expenditure review committee met on Monday to discuss savings for next month's mid-year budget update.
- Resolve Political Monitor polling put Labor's primary vote at 28 percentage points, down from 34.6% at the last election.
- A Redbridge poll put Labor's primary vote down 2 percentage points to 26%.
- Watt said the Coalition is blocking the government from saving $10 billion in measures before parliament.
Environment Minister Murray Watt urged ministers to stop undermining Treasurer Jim Chalmers, as the Labor government struggles to sell its budget and considers cutting clean energy subsidies to help fight inflation. Cabinet ministers met again on Monday to discuss potential budget savings for next month's mid-year update, part of efforts to reduce spending and ease pressure on the economy.
Asked about speculation of tension between Chalmers and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and whether he would like to see an end to "undermining and leaking" against the treasurer, Watt said: "Yes, I would." He said Chalmers was doing an excellent job in difficult economic times and that many features affecting the economy were outside any treasurer's control. Watt conceded Chalmers was being undermined from within Labor, saying: "It's pretty obvious that there are all sorts of people making all sorts of comments."
A new round of opinion polls added to Labor's political pain on Monday. The Resolve Political Monitor in the Age and Sydney Morning Herald showed Labor's primary vote falling to 28 percentage points, down from 34.6% at last year's election. The Coalition also dropped one point to 22%, while One Nation was steady at 25%. A Redbridge poll in the Financial Review showed Labor's primary vote slipped 2 percentage points to 26%, while the Coalition's jumped 4 points to 25%. One Nation was down 1 point to 28%.
Monday's meeting of the expenditure review committee of cabinet came after last week's interest rate hike from the Reserve Bank. Governor Michele Bullock said while it is up to governments to manage their budgets independently of the RBA, public and private spending had caused "excess demand" in the economy.