Aug 4, 2026 – 5.37pmA former top adviser to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government has all but abandoned economic growth as a policy priority and its spending largesse has undone the budget reforms of the Hawke and Keating Labor governments.Alex Sanchez, who served as a senior economic adviser to Albanese between 2019 and 2024, also said the government’s focus on redistribution over a pro-growth agenda could end up destabilising Australia’s social welfare system altogether.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles