Sep 7, 2026Politics165 words1 min read

Australia's Next Election Will Focus on Superannuation, Says Treasurer

Australia's treasurer is Jim Chalmers. He says the next election will be about superannuation.

Superannuation is money for when people stop working. In Australia, workers save this money over their whole life.

A political party called One Nation has a new plan. The leader of One Nation is Pauline Hanson.

Hanson says people could take some of their superannuation money now. They could use up to a quarter of it.

People could use this money if they pay rent or a mortgage. A mortgage is money you borrow to buy a house.

Hanson calls this a 'pay boost'. It means more money now, but less money later.

Chalmers does not like this plan. He thinks it will hurt people when they are old.

In other news, the city of Sydney will get a new solar farm. A solar farm makes electricity from the sun.

This solar farm will be in the city, not the countryside. This is unusual for Australia.

Vocabulary15 words

treasurer: the government person who controls money
superannuation: money saved for after you stop working
election: when people vote for a new government
party: a group of people with the same political ideas
rent: money you pay to live in a house that is not yours
mortgage: money you borrow from a bank to buy a house
boost: something that makes an amount bigger
retirement: the time when a person stops working, usually because they are old
solar farm: a big place with many solar panels that make electricity
electricity: power used for lights and machines
plan: an idea for what to do in the future
leader: the main person in charge of a group
government: the group of people who run a country
save: to keep money for later, not spend it now
unusual: not normal; different from most times

1. What does Jim Chalmers say the next election will be about?

2. Who leads the One Nation party?

3. Where will the new solar farm be built?

1. Superannuation 2. Pauline Hanson 3. In Sydney

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

Australia's treasurer is Jim Chalmers. He says the next election will be about _____.

A political party called One Nation has a new plan. The leader of One Nation is _____.

Hanson says people could take some of their superannuation money now. They could use up to a _____ of it.

People could use this money if they pay rent or a _____.

Hanson calls this a 'pay boost'. It means more money now, but less money _____.

Chalmers does not like this plan. He thinks it will hurt people when they are _____.

In other news, the city of Sydney will get a new _____.

A solar farm makes electricity from the _____.

This solar farm will be in the city, not the _____.