Partly true2026-04
What is circulating
“In a Channel Nine interview, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said: "The coalition went to the 2025 election promising higher debt and deficits." Prime Minister Albanese and Environment Minister Murray Watt made similar claims.”
Claimed by Jim Chalmers, Treasurer of Australia · news report
The facts
AAP FactCheck rated the claim a Mixture. Parliamentary Budget Office costings show the coalition's policies would have cut deficits by $6.6 billion over the four years to 2028/29 and net debt by a cumulative $49.9 billion. Beyond that, the policies would have worsened the budget, with deficits $162.4 billion larger from 2031/32 to 2035/36.