Skip to main content

Search TrendsNew Ads Appearances Podcasts API

We value your privacy

We use cookies to understand how you use our platform and to improve your experience. Click “Accept All” to consent, or “Decline non-essential” to opt out of non-essential cookies. Read our Privacy Policy.

Grattan Institute

Grattan Institute

Budget 2026: The Grattan Verdict

May 14, 2026 · 27 min · 12 segments

On Tuesday, 12th of May, Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down his fifth budget under the Albanese government. What did Grattan's experts make of this year's Budget, and what was left on the…

On Tuesday, 12th of May, Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down his fifth budget under the Albanese government. What did Grattan's experts make of this year's Budget, and what was left on the cutting room floor? The Grattan Podcast is produced by the Grattan Institute, an independent think tank focused on Australian public policy. Subscribe for expert analysis on the issues shaping Australia's future.

On Tuesday, 12th of May, Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down his fifth budget under the Albanese government. What did Grattan's experts make of this year's Budget, and what was left on the…

Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Amazon Music Website

Speakers: Aruna SathanapallyGuestSam BennettGuestAlison ReeveGuestErin Lee BrownHost

Top entities: National Disability Insurance Scheme×14 Jim Chalmers×6 Government budget×2 Alison Reeve×12 Australians×7

Show signals: SuitabilitySafeBiasCenterAudience≈23k followers

First impressions: a sprawling budget and broader agenda1:57 – 3:14

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

1:57

Look, even though we had a heads-up, there were a lot of things that got announced before the night.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:03

My first impression when I got the budget papers was that it was a huge budget.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:07

There's a lot there.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:09

Normally, you have this luxurious six hours.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:12

You've got nothing to do but to read a stack of budget papers.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:15

This time around, I'm not confident I'd be able to really get through the detail in the six hours.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:20

It felt like there wasn't quite enough time to kind of get across the full breadth of what the government was putting forward, and some part of that was just because of the sheer amount of work that went into this budget relative to a typical budget.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:32

This budget was really kicked off by the post-election period.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:36

Straight into it from June, the big economic reform roundtable process where all the ministers were set to work to gather productivity enhancing ideas.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:45

And so you could really see in the budget papers that long period of preparation, which culminated in this budget, which has many of the hallmarks of a traditional budget, but also contains a really broad, overarching economic agenda.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:59

A lot of those things aren't typical budget measures.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

3:00

They're not really about spending.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

3:02

They're about regulatory changes or other levers the government has, but it's all rolled up for us in this budget in terms of giving us a sense of what the government is seeking to achieve in terms of economic reform.

National Disability Insurance SchemeOrganizationGovernment agency
98%14 mentions
Jim ChalmersPersonTreasurer of Australia
94%6 mentions
Government budgetEntity
90%2 mentions
Alison ReevePerson
85%12 mentions
AustraliansEntityEthnicity
81%7 mentions
Electric vehicleEntityAutomotive class
77%3 mentions
Grattan InstituteCompanyThink tank
73%3 mentions
Mark ButlerPersonMinister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme
69%6 mentions
PodcastEntity
65%2 mentions
Middle EastAdministrative AreaRegion
60%3 mentions
TreasuryEntity
56%4 mentions
CountryEntity
52%2 mentions
Capital gains taxEntity
48%3 mentions
Peptide receptor radionuclide therapyEntity
44%2 mentions
AustraliaCountryCountry in Oceania
40%15 mentions
National Defense Industrial AssociationCompanyChain
35%3 mentions
InstagramSoftware ApplicationSocial networking service
31%2 mentions
LinkedInSoftware ApplicationSocial networking service
27%2 mentions
TreasurerEntityOrganization committee title
23%1 mention
First Nations in CanadaEntityPeople
19%1 mention
GadigalEntityAboriginal group
10%1 mention
NgunnawalEntityPeople
10%1 mention
WurundjeriEntityPeople
10%1 mention
DonationEntity
2%1 mention

Society
Economic ReformEconomics
Budget AllocationFinance > Public Finance > Government Spending
Energy PolicyEnergy
PoliticsGovernment
Public FinanceFinance
Government SpendingFinance > Public Finance
Disability ServicesSociety > Social Welfare
Government InitiativesEconomics > Economic Reform > Productivity
Economic PolicyGovernment > Politics
Fiscal ResponsibilityFinance > Public Finance > Government Spending > Budget Allocation
Tax ReformGovernment > Politics > Economic Policy > Budgeting
ProductivityEconomics > Economic Reform
Energy SecurityEnergy > Energy Policy
Long-term PlanningEconomics > Economic Reform > Productivity > Government Initiatives
Oil PricesEnergy > Energy Policy > Energy Security
Sustainable FuelsEnergy > Energy Policy > Energy Security > Oil Prices
NDISSociety > Social Welfare > Disability Services
Policy ReformsSociety > Social Welfare > Disability Services > NDIS
Economics
Government
Energy
Finance
Social WelfareSociety
BudgetingGovernment > Politics > Economic Policy

First impressions: a sprawling budget and broader agenda1:57 – 3:14

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

1:57

Look, even though we had a heads-up, there were a lot of things that got announced before the night.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:03

My first impression when I got the budget papers was that it was a huge budget.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:07

There's a lot there.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:09

Normally, you have this luxurious six hours.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:12

You've got nothing to do but to read a stack of budget papers.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:15

This time around, I'm not confident I'd be able to really get through the detail in the six hours.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:20

It felt like there wasn't quite enough time to kind of get across the full breadth of what the government was putting forward, and some part of that was just because of the sheer amount of work that went into this budget relative to a typical budget.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:32

This budget was really kicked off by the post-election period.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:36

Straight into it from June, the big economic reform roundtable process where all the ministers were set to work to gather productivity enhancing ideas.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:45

And so you could really see in the budget papers that long period of preparation, which culminated in this budget, which has many of the hallmarks of a traditional budget, but also contains a really broad, overarching economic agenda.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

2:59

A lot of those things aren't typical budget measures.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

3:00

They're not really about spending.

A

Aruna SathanapallyGuest

3:02

They're about regulatory changes or other levers the government has, but it's all rolled up for us in this budget in terms of giving us a sense of what the government is seeking to achieve in terms of economic reform.

Sign up to see more

The rest of this transcript — segmented and speaker-labeled, so you land on the exact moment something was said
Search every transcript — by keyword, by phrase, or by meaning, across every show Radar indexes
Trends — what is surging across podcasts, measured against its own baseline
Alerts — when a name you follow appears in a newly indexed episode

Create an account Already have an account? Log in

No account is needed to search Radar.