Chalmers Unveils Budget for Intergenerational Equity as 700,000 Gen Z Voters Loom
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 17
Chalmers Unveils Budget for Intergenerational Equity as 700,000 Gen Z Voters Loom
4 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 17
Jim Chalmers’ budget is framed as a fairness push aimed at younger Australians, with Labor using its 94-seat position to tackle intergenerational inequality rather than protect older asset holders.
700,000 additional Gen Z voters are expected by the next federal election, making millennials and Gen Z half the roll and giving Labor a strong electoral reason to shift policy toward wages, housing and tax fairness.
The package still stops short of a full overhaul: negative gearing is grandfathered, wage tax cuts are modest and delayed, and there is no new tax on gas exports.
That partial approach still puts the Coalition in a difficult spot, as opposing changes to investor concessions risks tying it to older, wealthier voters while One Nation gains among disaffected regional and outer-suburban Australians.
A March YouGov poll of 1,502 people found 50% backed cutting property-investor tax concessions and 28% opposed, suggesting Labor sees political room for a longer-term fairness agenda.
Will Labor's budget win over Gen Z, or will it fuel the rise of populist parties?
Do these housing reforms offer real hope for first-home buyers or just a minor market tweak?
Can tweaking property taxes fix inequality while a multi-billion dollar gas tax is ignored?