CANBERRA, ACT, March 18 -- The Treasurer of Australia issued the following transcript:
Note
Subjects: the budget, cost-of-living relief, early childhood education
Sarah Ferguson:
Treasurer JimChalmers joins me now from Parliament House. Treasurer, welcome to 7.30.
Jim Chalmers:
Thanks for having me back on your show, Sarah.
Ferguson:
Now, you've described the $1.2billion hit from Cyclone Alfred as a quote, 'big new pressure' on the budget. As important as this is, with government spending forecasted about $730billion this financial year, is emphasising this a form of misdirection ahead of the Budget?
Chalmers:
Of course, it isn't. What makes it a big new pressure on the budget is that most of the announcements that we made over th...