Insiders ABC News

Highlights of Insiders Budget Night special

The Treasurer has a two-word slogan in his pre-Budget pitch. He says this one will be about “relief” and “reform”.

Most economists see Tuesday's budget as an opportunity to rein in spending and bring down inflation — not Ken Henry.

With less than a week until Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivers his third budget, David Speers sat down with the former boss of Treasury, Ken Henry, to discuss the state of the Australian economy and whether the government should use the budget to try and crimp stubborn inflation.

The longer-term challenge for the Treasurer lies in re-shaping the economy as it transitions to a net-zero future – and re-shaping the Budget to be more sustainable as spending pressures rise. The government's Future Made in Australia industrial policy will be a key feature of those plans, but Dr Henry remains unconvinced about the merits of taxpayers subsidising Australian manufacturers.

Last weekend – demands for more action to keep women safe – spilled onto the streets.

Barely a week goes by when the great energy transition isn’t making news of some sort. This week the government announced feasibility licences for a bunch of developers to work on plans for Australia’s first offshore wind zone in waters off Gippsland in Victoria.

At the same time, Energy Minister Chris Bowen was talking up the need to seek new supplies of gas to support renewables. The government’s been making all sorts of announcements under its new Future Made in Australia policy – to subsidise the local manufacturing of solar panels and other green technology. While the Coalition continues to talk up its plans for nuclear energy – even if it’s unclear when those actual plans will be unveiled or whether the opposition will make any sort of commitment to a new emissions target. And this week we also saw a concerning report from the Grattan Institute – warning the great energy transition is “not going well”. So – are we on the right track? And how bumpy is it likely to get?

David Speers interviews Kerry Schott, chair of the Carbon Market Institute and AGL board member, among many things, in the latest episode of Insiders: On Background.