Watt urges colleagues to stop undermining Chalmers as budget savings loom

Environment Minister Murray Watt has urged his ministerial colleagues to stop undermining Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Watt said he would like to see an end to undermining and leaking against Chalmers, according to The Guardian. He said Chalmers was being undermined from within Labor.

The comments came as cabinet ministers met on Monday 9 November 2026 to discuss potential budget savings. Those savings are meant for the mid-year budget update, which is expected in the middle of December. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that public service spending will be scrutinised as the government looks for savings.

Watt said the Coalition is blocking $10 billion in government savings measures before parliament. Spending on Labor's $7 billion home battery subsidy and on electric vehicle purchase incentives could also be reined in. The home battery program was announced in April 2025 and was originally designed to cost about $2 billion. More than 600,000 battery systems have been installed under it.

The political backdrop is difficult for Labor. The Resolve Political Monitor poll put Labor's primary vote, the share of voters who name the party first, at 28 per cent. That is down from 34.6 per cent at the 2025 election. The same poll had the Coalition on 22 per cent and One Nation on 25 per cent. A separate Redbridge poll had Labor on 26 per cent, the Coalition on 25 per cent and One Nation on 28 per cent.

Inflation had jumped to 4.3 per cent over the 12 months reported on 9 November. Earlier this month, Watt went on ABC Radio National Breakfast to defend the federal government's economic management. The government said it was making "serious attempts" to ensure spending was not contributing to rising inflation figures.

The Guardian reported that Labor was struggling to sell its budget in November as it looked to cut spending.