I don't really care what Jim Chalmers thinks about me, but for his benefit, here's what I do know about the Australian economy... I know that our planet's health is non-negotiable. Ignoring climate change for short-term profit is economically disastrous. Yet, Labor's policies are far more about appeasing their mates in the gas industry than protecting Australians and the environment that sustains us all.

The RBA has just put up interest rates for the 12th time in 13 months. This is an absolute shocker of a decision that will see renters and mortgage holders getting smashed yet again.

The RBA has gone rogue and Labor is culpable because of its refusal to intervene. The RBA admits that inflation is predominately supply side driven yet stubbornly insists on a demand side response. Labor has completely succumbed to central bank orthodoxy and is sitting back and refusing to intervene.

I just read Treasury Jim Chalmers' 6000 word piece in The Monthly on "remaking" capitalism.

Labor's 40 year tradition of trying to put lipstick on the pig of neoliberalism is alive and well, it seems. Ditching the stage three tax cuts and ending the massive handouts for fossil fuel corporations are absolutely essential if Dr Chalmers is even halfway serious. Handing over tens of billions of dollars in tax cuts to the wealthy isn't remaking capitalism, it's turbocharging it.

Welcome all to the first Budget Translation of the new Government. It’s a service we Greens provide to help you all understand the Neoliberal language. Follow along below! “Speaker, this is a responsible Budget that is right for the times and readies us for the future.”

Translation: People who voted for change will be very disappointed.

Good evening everyone. While the Treasurer makes his budget speech, I thought it would be useful to translate what he actually means. Join me below 👇 “In the face of a once-in-a-century pandemic, the Australian spirit has shone through.... Team Australia at its best.”

Translation: Team Australia excludes Australian citizens and permanent residents who we have abandoned in India. We’ll send them to jail if they come home.

Michael McCormack's actions over the last two days are an attempt to take Australia down the dangerous path of post-truth politics. The facts are simple. The Black Lives Matter movement is a push back against racist policing and politics. In contrast the Capital riots were because the far right didn't want to accept the results of a fair and democratic election.

Last week, the Government introduced the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify And Disrupt) Bill. It gives security agencies massive new powers to access data on people’s computers and devices, and they are trying to rush it through Parliament. This Bill creates three new types of warrants that would allow officers to modify, add, copy or delete information on people’s devices, and in some cases, take over people’s accounts.

So as Treasurer Josh Frydenberg delivers his budget speech, and outlines the Liberals’ plans to make Australia less fair and the climate crisis worse, here’s a helpful translation of his speech. Frydenberg: “Australians have been tested like never before. Flood, drought, fires, and a global pandemic.”

Translation: “Floods, droughts and fires are made worse by the climate emergency, which we are actively making worse by doubling down on coal and gas.”

Since Labor absolutely insists on talking about the CPRS vote in 2009, rather than focusing on the present or the future, I thought I'd give them a list of some of the people they should invite to their pity party. Firstly, former Labor MP Martin Ferguson. He thought the CPRS was great. Entirely coincidentally, Martin now works for the oil and gas industry.

So the AFP has apparently dropped its investigation into the leaking of a confidential Home Affairs briefing that was based on ASIO advice. This was the Simon Benson story in The Australian on February 7, shortly before the Medevac Bill came before the House of Representatives.