‘An Old Stunt’: Treasurer Dismisses Opposition Call for Government Spending Review

The Coalition said a cross-party taskforce could deliver spending restraint, but Chalmers argued that Taylor should be ‘nowhere near a budget.’

Treasurer Jim Chalmers addresses the chamber in Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Feb. 3, 2026. Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has dismissed a new push from Opposition Leader Angus Taylor to set up a bipartisan budget taskforce to deal with high government spending, calling it “an old predictable stunt.”

Taylor wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the weekend urging the government to create the cross-party group to review spending and identify areas for restraint before the official budget is handed down