Treasurer Jim Chalmers has shut down any suggestion he would leapfrog Richard Marles and step up as prime minister if Labor wins the next federal election.
Chalmers responded to an opinion piece penned by Nikki Savva in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age which claimed Anthony Albanese should retire to give Labor a chance to “regenerate”.
The treasurer told ABC Radio National today his party has every ability to regenerate under the same leader.
“My expectation and my hope is, if we do win the election next year, that Anthony Albanese serves a full term and runs again, that’s what I would expect to happen,” Chalmers said.
“The best version of that for me is to continue being the nation’s treasurer.”
Chalmers said his focus, along with the current PM’s, is to maintain economic stability and weather the cost of living storm to a positive end.
“I’m focusing on my part of the job,” he said.
My part of the job is rolling out these tax cuts which are playing a helpful and meaningful role, rolling out this cost of living help.
“I certainly anticipate and expect and hope that if we win the next election, that Anthony will be around for as long as possible.”
Chalmers fronted media at a press conference today and spoke about the country’s economic slump following a grim national accounts report.
He said Australia was making headwind against the tide of inflation but admitted there’s still work to be done.
“We don’t pretend people aren’t doing it tough… But efforts to boost wages, get inflation down and invest in Medicare and housing and in other ways, we are starting to see some welcome and encouraging progress,” he said.
“The economy is weak and people are under very substantial pressure.”
