Two payments of $50m will boost Ukraine’s air defence and munitions supply. Follow today’s news live
• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has defended the federal government’s adjustments to its controversial capital gains tax (CGT) changes, rejecting claims that Labor was forced into a humiliating backdown by furious business groups.
Appearing on ABC’s 7.30, Chalmers faced intense questioning from Sarah Ferguson after announcing the turnover threshold for small business exemptions would lift from $2m to $10m. The $475m tweak effectively carves out 98% of active Australian businesses from the new tax dragnet.
Ferguson suggested the carve-out exposed a hurried policy and a government whose commitments were built on “shifting sands”. Chalmers said the concessions were the result of “meaningful consultation” rather than a capitulation to industry backlash.
“We have chosen the harder road of reform rather than the political path of least resistance,” he said, arguing the broader policy was vital to help young first home buyers.
Chalmers also ruled out resurrecting a previously floated gas export tax, insisting the government was “entirely focused” on legislating its current, highly contested tax agenda over the next fortnight.
When pressed on whether Australia’s Asian trade partners could trust his word that a gas export tax was permanently off the table given recent pivots over other policies, Chalmers said:
I understand that people will level that charge against us, but then it’s more important to us that we get the substance right rather than the politics right.
