Jim Chalmers and Angus Taylor trade barbs, appear surprised by suggestion they could run the country

Jim Chalmers and Angus Taylor clashed on issues affecting Aussie voters, but it was only a minute into the Sky News Treasurers’ Debate when it took a highly unexpected turn.

It was only a minute into the Sky News Treasurers’ Debate when it took a highly unexpected turn before either participant had even begun to speak.

Introducing Jim Chalmers and his shadow counterpart Angus Taylor, moderator Ross Greenwood suggested that next time they met they could be debating each other “as Prime Minister and Opposition Leader”.

It was unclear who was going to be which in this future exchange but it’s fair to say the sudden on-air promotion came as a surprise to both men.

However in a model of restraint they both managed to remain as stony as an Easter Island statue in response and the contest began in earnest.

Chalmers used his opening minute to make the usual “more to do but heading in the right direction” pitch and Taylor used his response to make the usual “who do you trust to manage the economy” pitch.

Clearly this was a soup in need of some spice.

Enter, as always, one Donald J Trump — as big a presence in this election campaign as either party.

Asked about the government’s response to Trump’s tariffs after a fiery exchange in the US Senate overnight, Chalmers accused the Coalition of being full of “DOGE-y sycophants” who were planning to cut services to ribbons. Expect to hear that line again.

Taylor responded by accusing Chalmers of living not in the past but in the future.

“We want someone to manage the economy not forecast it,” he said.

Jim Chalmers v Angus Taylor at the Sky News Treasurers’ Debate. Picture: Sky News

Indeed, managing the economy was something Taylor came back to again and again, showing that while he might not be across all the detail of being Treasurer he was at least across the job description.

And so how would he deal with the impending economic crisis from the Trump tariffs? By managing the economy!

“The way you get through tumultuous times is to manage the economy,” he said.

Asked how in particular he would manage the economy, Taylor said by generating private sector growth, to which an at times exacerbated Greenwood replied: “There’s no growth in a downturn — that’s the definition of the term.”

And herein Taylor’s punchy performance started to look like he was throwing haymakers, with Chalmers at one point declaring: “You just made those numbers up.”

Taylor had plenty of lines of attack — as you would expect in a cost-of-living crisis with a trade war on the way — but his solutions were little more than soundbites.

Chalmers by contrast might not have a great story to tell but at least it is a story he appears to understand.

Originally published as Jim Chalmers and Angus Taylor trade barbs, appear surprised by suggestion they could run the country