Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson has criticised Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ management of the economy, accusing the government of relying on borrowing and rising tax revenue.
Speaking on Sky News, Wilson said Chalmers had built what he described as a “house of credit cards” economy, repeatedly using the phrase to characterise the government’s fiscal approach.
The comments came as petrol prices increased across Australia and concerns grew about the potential economic impact of escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Wilson raised the issue of fuel excise, noting that when petrol prices rise the amount of excise collected by the federal government also increases.
He said the treasurer has the ability to reduce the fuel tax if he chooses but stopped short of saying whether the Liberal Party would support such a measure.
Instead, Wilson said the opposition was continuing internal discussions about how to respond to rising fuel costs and broader economic pressures.
He argued that the government was benefiting from higher tax revenue as prices increase, while accusing the treasurer of relying on additional revenue to manage government spending.
