When asked this week about whether he was considering “big tax reform” as part of the Albanese government’s second-term agenda, Treasurer Jim Chalmers argued it was difficult to undertake big-ticket items when “modest” changes to the way large superannuation balances are taxed attract criticism. “It doesn’t augur well for bigger, broader tax reform, when such a modest and methodical change (like the super tax on unrealised gains) is being resisted in some quarters”, he said before following up with a dig at this masthead and The Australian.

“We should resist the temptation to think that, because overwhelmingly two media outlets don’t like this change, that we should assume that that concern is broadly and deeply felt in the Australian community.”