The world trade system, and our ability to trust our biggest defence ally, is all gone to hell. What will Labor prioritise in the 2025 federal budget in such an uncertain global environment?

Ahead of next week’s federal budget, it is time to remind you of my budget commandment: “Everything is affordable if the government chooses to care about it.” There has never been a true priority of a government, or an emergency, or urgent expense which has not been paid for because the government could not afford it, because it had to “live within its means”.

I point this out because we are going to hear a lot about budget decisions and deficits and I want you all to realise that every single thing done and not done in the budget is because of a choice made by the government. Nothing happens “just because”.