Treasurer Jim Chalmers wants to take on Angus Taylor three times during the campaign and put the state of the economy at the centre of the coming election.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers wants to take on Angus Taylor three times during the campaign and put the state of the economy at the centre of the coming election.
By Shane Wright
March 2, 2025 — 8.36am
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has challenged his Liberal opponent Angus Taylor to at least three public debates in the coming election campaign, saying the state of the economy would be central to the poll’s outcome.
As he described Ukraine Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky as a democratic leader who would go down in history for his courage, Chalmers called on Taylor to take part in a rolling series of debates that would be a major departure from previous election campaigns.
The Coalition on Sunday promised to buy an additional squadron of F-35A stealth fighter jets. The extra 28 aircraft, which would take the nation’s fleet to 100, would cost “an initial $3 billion”.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said negotiations for the extra aircraft would start immediately, with the aim to buy the planes in a “timely manner” which he described as within the next five years.
But Chalmers said there was no indication of where the money for the aircraft would come from or how the Coalition would cover the cost of the extra personnel and support services to maintain and fly the jets.
He said it was another example of the Coalition failing to outline its economic plans to the voters ahead of an election that is due by May 17.
Speaking on Sky News, the treasurer said there should be at least three debates between him and Taylor to explain the economic issues facing the country.
“I hope the economy is the central focus of the election campaign whenever it’s called,” he said.
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“I challenge the shadow treasurer to a series of debates about the economy. He’s had almost three years now and he still has no costed, coherent or credible economic policies.
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“I would have thought at least three formal debates between the treasurer and the shadow treasurer would be appropriate given how important the economy is.”
There was a single debate between Chalmers and then-treasurer Josh Frydenberg during the 2022 election, held at the National Press Club more than a fortnight out from polling day. In 2019, there was also just a single debate between Frydenberg and then-shadow treasurer Chris Bowen.
Pressed on the extraordinary argument between Zelensky, President Donald Trump and Vice President J. D. Vance in the White House at the weekend, Chalmers would not be drawn on US policy towards Ukraine.
But he said Australia’s support for Zelensky and Ukraine had not changed.
“I think President Zelensky is a hero. He is the democratically elected leader of a very courageous country standing up to Russian brutality and aggression,” he said.
“We support the leader and the people of Ukraine and we salute their really remarkable bravery.
“This is a brave and courageous country. It has a democratically elected leader who will go down in history for the bravery of his position and his leadership, and we support him and his country without reservation.”
Shadow defence spokesman Andrew Hastie described the White House incident as “very heated”, reiterating that Australia stood with Ukraine against an “unjust” and “illegal” invasion by Russia.
Hastie said the incident highlighted the approach taken by Trump to key issues.
“(We’re seeing) a very different US approach to security and trade. That has implications for Australia,” he told Sky News.
“We need to demonstrate a strong hand. I think he wants to know his allies have a strong hand.”
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Shane Wright – Shane is a senior economics correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via Twitter or email.
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