Aug 21, 2026 – 4.00pmJim Chalmers is no different from most other politicians in that he is a confidence player. However, his colleagues note, his peaks and troughs tend to be more pronounced.As in, when he is having a rough trot, such as being sent out by Anthony Albanese last year to water down his contentious Division 296 earnings tax on high-value superannuation accounts, he subsequently becomes noticeably withdrawn. Sullen even.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Phillip CooreyPolitical editorPhillip Coorey is The Australian Financial Review’s political editor based in Canberra. He has covered federal politics since 1998, beginning at The Advertiser before serving as a New York correspondent for News Corp and later as chief political correspondent at The Sydney Morning Herald. A two-time winner of the Paul Lyneham Award for press gallery excellence, he joined the AFR in 2012 and writes the weekly Canberra Observed column. He is a regular commentator on ABC TV’s Insiders program.Fetching latest articles