Inside the budget Chalmers never really wanted to deliver

Ronald Mizen, John Kehoe and Michael Read

Mar 13, 2025 – 6.43pm

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The Federal Labor Business Forum, a pay-for-access scheme for lobbyists and executives, began selling tickets to budget night events in Canberra in early February – but no one seriously expected the lucrative fundraising soirees to go ahead.

“Who is going to ask for a refund?” one lobbyist joked a few weeks ago when asked what would happen if Anthony Albanese called the election for April 12. The long-speculated polling day was significant at that time because it meant a March 25 budget would be cancelled.

Ronald Mizen is the Financial Review’s political correspondent, reporting from the press gallery at Parliament House, Canberra.

John Kehoe is economics editor at Parliament House, Canberra. He writes on economics, politics and business. John was Washington correspondent covering Donald Trump’s first election. He joined the Financial Review in 2008 from Treasury.

Michael Read is the Financial Review's economics correspondent, reporting from the federal press gallery at Parliament House. He was previously an economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia and at UBS.