Chalmers Confirms Surplus as Critics Question Budget’s Structural Integrity

As Treasurer Jim Chalmers prepares to announce the budget later today, which is expected to deliver a surplus, speculation is rife in the corridors of power. In an interview with ABC Radio, he confirmed that a surplus will indeed be announced. “The key to these two surpluses is the fact that when we’ve had upward revisions to revenue, because the labour market’s been stronger, or our exports have performed well, we’ve banked almost all of those,” Chalmers said. He added that without government spending restraint, the surpluses would not have been possible. However, recent GDP figures show government spending has increased by 1.4 percent....