JOURNALIST:
What’s at the top of the agenda today?
JIM CHALMERS, TREASURER:
Well, there’s a new government in Canberra and there’s a new approach to dealing with the states and territories. We want to see what we can achieve together.
For much of the last decade, there's been too much conflict. We won't agree on absolutely everything but we can agree that we've got big economic challenges at the moment. We give ourselves the best chance to rise to the occasion if we work together, and that's what today's meeting is all about.
It's the first meeting of the state and territory treasurers since the government changed hands. I think half the meeting are new treasurers to this gathering and so, we'll get to know each other.
But most of all, we're looking for ways to work together. We've got a job to do for the Premiers and Chief Ministers and most importantly for the Australians that we represent together. We will do our best to work together to meet these challenges that we've got - whether it's high and rising inflation or labour shortages, or the impact of interest rate rises, all at the same time as we're constrained by having pretty difficult Budget situations.
We're all in the same boat. We're all in it together. And let's see what we can achieve together.
Thanks very much.