TRANSCRIPT - DOORSTOP INTERVIEW - PARLIAMENT HOUSE - TUESDAY, 12 MAY 2026
PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: It is good to be here to deliver a budget on behalf of the Australian people, a budget that has Labor values at its core and Australian values at its core. Values of the fair go, values of sharing opportunity, and values of believing that our best days are ahead of us, not behind us -
JOURNALIST: What about values of staying by your commitments from the last election? You're under siege from the Opposition, who says this is a budget of broken promises?
GORMAN: At election time, and in between elections, it's important that the decisions that we make when it comes to policy, we explain to the Australian people. Now what you'll see is all of the government's measures in the budget handed down in less than 12 hours. It is then that myself and all of my colleagues will be out talking to our communities about the initiatives that we have and make sure we make the right decisions for Australia in the circumstances which we face.
JOURNALIST: We know the changes on negative gearing and capital gains tax discount are coming though, right? Nobody denies that they're on the way, and they run counter to commitments that were given at the last election - isn't that a problem?
GORMAN: Of course, it's just 12 hours - less than 12 hours - until the budget measures are released. I am not going to get ahead of the Treasurer or the Finance Minister. What I am going to do, though, is say the decisions we will make will be in the national interest. The decisions that we make will be about making sure that we have the things that many generations of Australians have wanted, that is, the opportunity to either have a secure roof over their head or a place to call home. The opportunity to go and get a good education and a good job, by locking in things like our Free TAFE measures. And making sure that we lock in the other things the Australian people have endorsed - now at two elections - like Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.
JOURNALIST: Lots of talk about intergenerational equity - do you expect to see, or are there some surprises likely in this Budget to try and balance between the generations?
GORMAN: I always believe that budgets should focus on the next generation more than they focus on the next election. That is about making sure that you are looking for the long term. The stewardship that we have over the Australian economy is about making sure we get the decisions right, not just for the next week or the next news cycle. But getting decisions right for the long term. That is how we hand down a fairer deal to the next generation of Australians.
JOURNALIST: A profound budget?
GORMAN: I would say this is a budget of reform about sure that we have got more economic resilience here in Australia. And as every budget has been under the Albanese Labor Government, a budget that has relief for working families.
ENDS