Federal budget

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Liberal MP Phil Thompson and his daughter Emery, who has been assisted by NDIS early intervention support.

‘Families feel like their child is an inconvenient dollar figure’: The MP, his daughter and the NDIS

Liberal MP Phil Thompson’s political instinct tells him to support budget repair on the NDIS. But as a father of a five-year-old autistic child, his heart says otherwise.

  • Natassia Chrysanthos

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NDIS Minister Mark Butler announced changes to the scheme on Wednesday.

NDIS costs will still need to be reined in, but this autism plan is a good start

The government had no choice but to attempt to rein in the costs of the NDIS. This week’s initiative, while not perfect, is a step in the right direction.

  • Sam Bennett
Treasurer Jim Chalmers speaking after the final day of the economic roundtable.

Chalmers revs up road user tax as he cites quick wins from roundtable

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has revealed plans to slap EV drivers with road-user charges within months – and dozens of other reforms that might come from the roundtable.

  • Paul Sakkal, Shane Wright, Millie Muroi and Nick Newling
NDIS.

Seven in 10 new people joining NDIS for autism

Analysis of government data reveals that 56,000 of the 78,600 participants who entered the scheme between June 2024 and June 2025 shared diagnosis.

  • Natassia Chrysanthos
Illustration by Simon Letch

Roundtable will fix nothing unless we can all park our self-interest

Sadly, I’m not expecting much progress from the much-heralded economic roundtable. Why? Because our democracy has devolved into a self-interested fist-fight.

  • Ross Gittins
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said all proposals for improving productivity at the productivity roundtable next month must involve no net cost to the budget.

How Chalmers can square the budget circle despite stagnant productivity

Repairing the budget and improving productivity aren’t easy, but there are measures the treasurer can look at that offer less political risk.

  • Ross Gittins
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Illustration by Simon Letch

Trump wants us to spend a bomb on defence. We should think twice

We’re told that our defence spending must be greatly increased. But if Trump and the gleeful defenceniks have their way, we’ll be poorer and no safer.

  • Ross Gittins
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says he wants tax proposals that either leave the budget no worse off or lift overall revenue.

If you want tax cuts, find ways to raise more revenue: Chalmers

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned those who want tax cuts that they have to find ways to improve the budget bottom line to fund them – but a GST change is unlikely to be one of the measures.

  • Shane Wright
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned US turmoil is affecting global markets.

There used to be five big risks to the Australian budget. That’s grown

For the first time, the treasurer has flagged the risk posed by US government bonds, which are a cornerstone of the global financial system.

  • Shane Wright
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has signalled his ambition to go beyond Labor’s election promises.

Treasurer opens the door to fresh tax cuts

Labor’s personal tax cut pledge helped it win the election, but Jim Chalmers has signalled the party could use a summit in August to go further.

  • Millie Muroi