Oct 27, 2026 · 43 min · 10 segments
The treasurer's position is known to be one of, if not the, most difficult spots in any Australian cabinet in modern history, and the current climate is no exception. On the domestic front, interest…
Jim ChalmersGuest
Paul SakkalHost
Shane WrightPanelist
This is a left field, just to finish up, Treasurer, but the Western Sydney Airport will open and there's more than $5 billion of federal taxpayers' money in that.
It's the first time that the country's actually had competing airports, major airports, in the same capital city I'm just wondering you've talked about productivity you've talked about competition whether the fact that Western City Airport's opening will put downward pressure on airfares into Sydney in particular or provide an outlet for some more competition to our Qantas slash Virgin duopoly on the domestic market
Well, I mean, it certainly means more competition in terms of it gives the good people of Sydney another option and obviously freight options and all the rest of it as well.
So it can only be a good thing for competition and for the economy more broadly.
I mean, it's A long time coming, again, for a time incredibly contentious and controversial.
Some of my colleagues and counterparts in other parts of Asia raised it with me in the course of the last couple of weeks.
It's a really great thing for the economy of Western Sydney, which is massive and growing in very welcome ways.
Now, when it comes to the particular elements around ticket prices and freight charges and all the rest of it, we'll see how that plays out.
But more than that, a good development for that really important part of our national economy.
I didn't know Shane was going to jump to airline competition quite so aggressively.
This is a left field, just to finish up, Treasurer, but the Western Sydney Airport will open and there's more than $5 billion of federal taxpayers' money in that.
It's the first time that the country's actually had competing airports, major airports, in the same capital city I'm just wondering you've talked about productivity you've talked about competition whether the fact that Western City Airport's opening will put downward pressure on airfares into Sydney in particular or provide an outlet for some more competition to our Qantas slash Virgin duopoly on the domestic market
Well, I mean, it certainly means more competition in terms of it gives the good people of Sydney another option and obviously freight options and all the rest of it as well.
So it can only be a good thing for competition and for the economy more broadly.
I mean, it's A long time coming, again, for a time incredibly contentious and controversial.
Some of my colleagues and counterparts in other parts of Asia raised it with me in the course of the last couple of weeks.
It's a really great thing for the economy of Western Sydney, which is massive and growing in very welcome ways.
Now, when it comes to the particular elements around ticket prices and freight charges and all the rest of it, we'll see how that plays out.
But more than that, a good development for that really important part of our national economy.
I didn't know Shane was going to jump to airline competition quite so aggressively.
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