Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been in overdrive recently arguing that things are looking up. He is good at scene-setting, but I hope he knows there is more to do. By the next election Lucky Jim hopes to have a budget surplus, rising real wages and inflation falling.

People are suffering from higher interest rates, higher taxes and needing two jobs to make ends meet. Yet Industrial Relations Minister Tony Burke is trying to kill the gig economy and second jobs, while Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen is attacking our most efficient industries and pushing up inflation. For Jim’s luck to hold he needs lower services inflation or interest rates will stay high, and his dreams will be dust.