Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson is slamming the airwaves, and Treasurer Jim Chalmers, floating "Pyro Jim" as a nickname to highlight his view that, because inflation has not reduced, Chalmers is "pouring petrol on the inflation bonfire" through government spending. Right there is 'Tricksy Tim's' first trick – he quietly goes on to conflate state spending with federal spending to make his case. He then promises to cut income taxes, which is inflationary. He also opposes reducing the capital gains tax discount, which adds to inflation via housing costs. Even though 60% of this discount goes to the top 1% of income earners, he then talks about addressing 'generational inequity' while proposing the opposite. Asked on Radio National where he would cut government spending, he talked about the CFMEU and the NDIS, claiming that past CFMEU corruption is inflationary because it added $15bn to the cost of (Victorian) infrastructure projects. Again he conflates state and federal, not to mention that $15bn is chickenfeed in the national budget. It's a glib Trump-like approach disguising the core Liberal 'values' which are 1. Win at all costs and 2. Make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
#auspol #TimWilson #Liberals #JimChalmers