Jim Chalmers accuses Coalition of ‘downward envy’ as Dutton refuses to commit to jobseeker increase in budget

‘There’s a generosity inherent in the Australian character that says if you are doing it the toughest, you need the most help,’ treasurer Jim Chalmers told the National Press Club. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has accused the Coalition of “downward envy” as the opposition considers whether to oppose Labor’s modest increases to welfare in Thursday’s budget reply.

Speaking at the traditional post-budget National Press Club lunch on Wednesday, Chalmers reminded the opposition that “the broader Australian community … funding help for the most vulnerable” is “the whole basis of social security”.