good morninghappy Sunday! Today on #Insiders are Guardian politics editor Katharine Murphy, ninefax (AFR) economics editor John Kehoe and ninefax (Age) economic corro Shane Wright.
The interview is with shadow Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers.
I block snitch-taggers.

the “build up” (strategic government leaks) to the budget has even overshadowed by “stranded Australians” stories, Speers opens. #Insiders

the Treasurer does not like it being called a spend-a-thon, Speers tells us gullibly, but the threat of jail is drowning out his messaging (which is telling targeted voters the government will give them free money). #Insiders

the montage is lots of clips of Morrison contradicting himself and reporters and opposition politicians contradicting one or more of the positions Morrison has taken. Slats gets a run #insiders

#MakingNews - the indefinite closed borders “announcement” has been fleshed out in a Morrison interview with murdoch operative James Campbell in the Hun #Insiders

budget leak on DV funding; ALP reply will include renewable energy jobs. Abetz dropping to no 3 on the Liberal Senate ticket in Tas is mentioned. #Insiders

there are some who think it’s important to keep covid out at any cost, says Speers. The criminal sanctions have been in the Act all along, says Murphy. She mistakes the 2015 passing of the Act with the March 2020 GG emergency declaration #Insiders

India is a humanitarian crisis, says Murphy. We get a clip of Hunt rationalising their “hard line approach on Aussies being stuck there” as Speers describes the infamous midnight press release. #Insiders

Kehoe says you have to get quarantine right. Wright points to the political dividend reaped by Labor premiers - Andrews and McGowan. His point seems to be that lefties objecting to jail terms for returning citizens is inconsistent? #Insiders

they had one job, says Murphy. She sounds incredulous that quarantine and vaccine have been so comprehensively stuffed up. What ties citizenship mean? Asks Wright. Kehoe says closed international borders are a de facto stimulus. #Insiders

Speers says we will come back to the government getting “addicted” to [people spending at home as de facto stimulus]. More generally, the shift - “risk aversion” - is discussed. Murphy says risk tolerance is informed by community sentiment. #Insiders

Kehoe raises international students. If the border remains closed it will ultimately be a drag on economic recovery, all seem to agree. Kehoe also raises foreign workers. Back to Morrison’s latest framing of the jail terms thing from Speers. #Insiders

none of these journos seem too fussed at the way Morrison verballed them about the press release. Naughty media says Wright, flippantly. He says there is disunity in the Liberal Party. Speers repeats the “why say it then” line. #Insiders

even tho Speers has returned to the meaning of citizenship several times, we are no further informed. There is no right of return, the federal court will look at that, what does it mean there is a legal challenge, what does it mean. #Insiders

closed borders is a practical pragmatic decision says Kehoe. Maybe at some point they have to do a covid flight to repatriate infected citizens, he suggests. Hmm very difficult decisions says Speers. #Insiders

segue to Chalmers interview with a clip of Albanese saying citizenship must mean something. Speers asks Chalmers if there should be a right of return? It is a reasonable expectation, says Chalmers. #Insiders

the point is that quarantine needs to be fixed, let’s get the big pieces right like vaccines, says Chalmers. Speers pushes for a bit on whether right of return should be “fixed in law”. Chalmers stays on vaccines and quarantine. #Insiders

moving on to the federal budget. Chalmers says we do not need another trillion dollar band aid patch it up lmao he captures the way Morrison throws money around perfectly #Insiders

jobs. The government has been around eight years, says Chalmers. They have no excuse. They should be more ambitious on full employment. There are problems with underemployment and casual labour to be fixed he says. #Insiders

structural issues. Childcare and participation, labour hire, long term unemployment. The government is talking about cyclical stuff and sure let’s get more people in jobs, but structural changes also required - Chalmers. #Insiders

wages in the aged care sector, which is a disgrace, says Chalmers. So what do you do about it asks Speers, his stock question to shadow ministers. Well what the royal commission said, points out Chalmers. #Insiders

without any context on the billions and billions the Morrison government has given employers including billionaires who trousered our cash, Soeers asks if “taxpayer funded wages subsidies” are on the table or off the table oh dear #Insiders

levy then? Will you accept an aged care levy? Speers is very keen on inserting Liberal Party economic management lies into his implied premises here. #Insiders

the [future Morrison government] tax cuts? Have you reached a view? What about increased tax on multinationals? Chalmers says multinationals should pay their fair share of tax. #Insiders

we will not be taking lectures on fiscal management from the Party of #SportsRorts and dodgy land deals and billions to employers says Chalmers. Our fiscal position will be responsible unlike this budget which is weighed down with waste, he says. #Insiders

was it wrong to end [the wages subsidy paid to employers]? Chalmers says we want to see other jobs and opportunities in the labour market. He says casualisation needs to be fixed and 2 million Australians can not get work or enough work. #Insiders