AFR · Ronald Mizen, Phillip Coorey · Tuesday 24 March 2026
The Treasurer warns CEOs not to price in Middle East peace too early, conceding Australia's economic exposure depends entirely on the duration and aftermath of a conflict it has no influence over.
Chalmers telling CEOs not to get ahead of themselves on peace is like a bookie advising punters not to celebrate before the third leg of the multi — technically sound, professionally obligatory, and entirely beside the point when the real problem is that Australia's entire economic strategy is a bet slip written in someone else's handwriting. The degree of damage doesn't depend on how long the war lasts. It depends on how long we keep pretending exposure to every global shock is an act of God rather than a policy choice.