Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the federal budget will “fight inflation” without “smashing” the economy.  “It won’t be a smash and grab budget because people are hurting and the economy is slowing,” Mr Chalmers said during a media conference on Friday. “But there will be a premium on responsibility and restraint. “There will be savings in the budget, there’ll be spending restraint in the budget so that we can get the budget in much better nick to make room for our priorities.” The Albanese government is set to hand down its federal budget on Tuesday next week.

Cato Institute Latin America Policy Analyst Daniel Raisbeck discussed the controversy around El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s battle against crime. This comes amid released footage showing the El Salvador President announcing to his cabinet they are all under investigation for corruption. “El Salvador has been, during the last few decades, one of the most violent countries in Latin America and in fact in the world,” Mr Raisbeck told Sky News host Gabriella Power. “This changed with Bukele who came to power around 5 years ago. He has … made El Salvador from one of the most violent countries in the world to one of the least violent in the region. “This has been done by violating all types of due process. “There is already several instances of Bukele really installing the early stages of an autocratic regime. “On the one hand, he is tremendously popular, he has definitely solved the issue of crime for the time being, on the other hand, he has used very questionable methods.”

Cato Institute Latin America Policy Analyst Daniel Raisbeck says there will probably be more arrests of El Salvador government figures. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele announced to his cabinet they are all under investigation for corruption, already arresting one of his advisers. “Bukele wants to portray himself not only as the victor in the war against crime but also the war against corruption,” Mr Raisbeck told Sky News host Gabriella Power. “In a certain sense, Bukele has won because there hasn’t been very many times the president of El Salvador is discussed outside of Central America or in the region, let alone across the Anglo-speaking world. “On the other hand … his tactics have been very heavy-handed. “The question is to what extent there can be any rules or checks on his power.”

The federal government will establish a specialised committee into social media in a bid for more transparency and accountability. A Joint Parliamentary Select Committee will investigate Meta ending its financial deals with news media companies in Australia. It will also examine the consequences of countering misinformation on digital platforms. The Committee is expected to report on the impacts of harmful content on users' mental health. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland says the inquiry will provide an opportunity to hold social media giants accountable.

CommSec’s Tom Piotrowski says the ASX 200 is expected to kick off in positive territory after hope “revived” in the Northern Hemisphere with interest rates. “We’re going to kick off in positive territory this morning. It will only be a modest gain up by around 0.2 of a per cent,” he told Sky News Australia. “But slightly more encouraging is the tone we saw in the Northern Hemisphere because of the fact that we saw a movement lower, where interest rates were concerned both in Europe and the United States. “Hope has revived somewhat after recent weeks of doubt that interest rates are not that far off.” Presented by CommSec.

Sky News host Paul Murray says there was a survey put out to Australians asking them about their “sense of belonging” to the country. Mr Murray said the results show people that feel they belong to Australia to a great extent is under 60 per cent in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The results suggest people with ‘only slightly or not at all’ selected are 10 per cent of Sydney, 13 per cent of Melbourne and 11 per cent of Brisbane. “The number of people between the ages of 18-29 who believe that they have a sense of belonging to a great extent is just 26 per cent, a quarter of young people in Melbourne. “33 (per cent) in Brisbane and in Sydney.”

Sky News Australia host James Macpherson says Joe Biden has just “spooked” all US allies with a threat to withhold weapons from Israel if they invade Rafah. “Doesn’t this decision spook every US ally? “Here we are down under thinking you know what if China attacks, the US will come to our rescue. “Joe Biden has just informed all of his allies, domestic politics trumps our commitment to allies. “So you’d be thinking twice before you rely on America wouldn’t you.”

Robert F Kennedy Jr on Tuesday has reignited calls to debate former US president Donald Trump at the upcoming Libertarian Party convention. In a post to X, Kennedy wrote; "I'd like to make you an offer. We're both going to be speaking at the upcoming Libertarian convention on May 24 and 25". "It's perfect neutral territory for you and me to have a debate where you can defend your record for your wavering supporters;. "You yourself have said you're not afraid to debate me as long as my poll numbers are decent. "Well, they are. In fact, I'm the only presidential candidate in history who has polled ahead of both major party candidates in head-to-head races. "So let's meet in a couple of weeks and show the American public that at least two of the major candidates aren't afraid to debate each other". Turning Point USA contributor Erin Elmore joined Sky News Digital Presenter Gabriella Power to discuss whether the debate between the pair is likely to happen.

Sky News Australia host Caleb Bond has responded to the Hunter Valley Grammar school replacing their Mother’s Day gift stall with an ‘inclusive’ Family gift stall. “It’s the same as the whole war on Christmas,” Mr Bond said. “How many people have you met who are actually offended by Christmas? “Zero, right? “I am willing to bet a lot of money that not a single parent at Hunter Valley Grammar complained about their being a Mother’s Day gift stall.”

‘To Di For’ podcast host Kinsey Schofield has reacted to Netflix editing out Kim Kardashian being booed at Tom Brady roast. The reality television star was intensely booed by the audience during the Tom Brady's roast for Netflix. “This woman is still so powerful it’s the only thing that was removed from the Tom Brady roast,” Ms Schofield told Sky News host Rita Panahi. “That’s the only edit that was made after the live broadcast they reuploaded it without the booing of Kim Kardashian. “So why? Who requested it? That’s wild to me.”

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan has opened up about his experiences in federal politics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Canavan admitted he would “cut politicians some slack in 2020” when the virus first arrived in Australia. “It was novel then,” he explained to Sky News host Sharri Markson. “But a year or so later in 2021, we kind of knew about the virus very well. The Nationals Senator admitted he “became very critical” of the government’s approach to the pandemic as knowledge of the pandemic increased. “Anyone who did was pilloried as a grandma killer.”

Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie has labelled America's decision to pause weapon shipment to Israel as “very problematic”. “This war has to end and only ends when Hamas is destroyed both as a military and political force and if that’s the objective then Israel and its allies must be doing everything they can to reach that objective,” Mr Hastie told Sky News host Sharri Markson. “So, this war can end and we can enter into negotiations for a peaceful settlement. “My fear is that this move by the US government slows that process down. “It slows the march towards defeat of Hamas and that’s why on the face of it this is a very problematic decision.”

Sky News Australia host James Macpherson has responded to Brisbane police being told to consider alternative options to arresting criminals. The Brisbane city watch house is running at half capacity due to water works which has triggered the bombshell memo to police. “Like what do you give him a stern talking to?” Mr Macpherson said. “Do you glare at him? “Do you say to the criminals look normally we’d arrest you but today we’re going to get you to tell us what you think should happen to you. “You could not make this up.”

Sky News host Rita Panahi looks at the latest trans agenda “craziness” with a book for toddlers explaining why their new baby brother or sister is really a “they”. A social media user has reviewed the book, ‘It’s a They!’, by, Lindsay Herriot. “This book is all about welcoming a new baby into the family and not knowing how that baby will identify when they grow up,” he said. “So we’re not going to be assuming their gender.” Ms Panahi said she’s “fascinated and horrified, all at once”. “Good lord but even this craziness isn’t crazy enough for some. The book reviewer thinks this little book is too preoccupied with gender,” she said.

Comedian Josh Ocean Thomas has brutally mocked an audience member who admitted to working for the Biden administration. “Is your job to wake him up?”, the comedian said. “What a s**tshow of a job you have – I can’t believe you admitted that in front of all these people. “You have the freedom to lie – you could have said you were a hooker and I would’ve been prouder of you. “Are you ready to be unemployed, or what’s your vibe?”

Sky News host Peta Credlin says “bureaucrats” are closing the gates to national parks over concerns of non-Indigenous access and damage to sacred sites. “This significant High Court judgement, that has ruled Australia’s National Parks Authority can be criminally prosecuted for damaging sacred sites in the NT,” she said. “What concerns me here is we have already got a whole lot of bureaucrats who run our national parks closing the gates now. “Worried about … rock climbers and damage to sacred sites. “Shutting down our access if we are not Indigenous Australians, won’t this make the national park bureaucrats even more reluctant to keep the parks open as they are now?”

Australia is seeing a “transfer of management” and responsibility of national parks to Indigenous groups which could be “fraught” with bureaucracy, The Australian’s Environment Editor Graham Lloyd says. “We are seeing a transfer of management and responsibility of national parks over to Indigenous groups,” he said. “We are seeing a lot of lawfare in the area to try and prosecute issues of land management. “This is a very fraught area for any bureaucrat to make a decision. “If it is backed up with potential criminal charges if they get it wrong, I think they are going to be very wary.”

Former Labor MP Michael Danby highlights the anti-Israel side of the Labor government ahead of the UN vote on Palestine. Labor is facing pressure to vote down a resolution which would admit Palestine as a full member of the United Nations. “It’s genuflection to the dominant socialist left element in the government,” Mr Danby told Sky News host Chris Kenny. “You’ll never hear that political analysis that this Labor government is different from previous Labor governments on the ABC, you’ll only hear it on Sky unfortunately. “That’s the really serious shift in Australian policy, whether it’s on the environment, or industry, or industrial relations, but particularly in foreign policy. “The New South Wales right are very anti-Israel, and pro-China.”

Author Douglas Murray has slammed university students calling for Intifada as “either sinister or silly”. Mr Murray wrote a piece in the New York Post earlier this month called, ‘College idiots calling for ‘Intifada’ have no idea how many innocents have died from that word’. “It’s extraordinary, isn’t it,” Mr Murray told Sky News host Rita Panahi. “You effectively see, once again, something you and I have talked about in a number of contexts, which is people who must either be sinister or silly. “The sinister ones know what they’re talking about when they chant for Intifada. “The silly ones are chanting a slogan they clearly don’t understand. “Let me speak to the second ones for a moment … if you call for Intifada, you should know what an Intifada is. “There was an Intifada when I was growing up in the late '90s… but the Second Intifada included suicide bombings against Israelis of the most gruesome type.”

Former foreign minister Alexander Downer has called for the Albanese government to “exercise power and authority” after China’s flare stunt or Beijing will think Australia is “a pussycat and can pushed around”. A Chinese fighter jet dropped flares in front of an Australian Navy helicopter in international waters off the coast of South Korea on Saturday evening. Defence Minister Richard Marles has labelled the incident ‘both unsafe and unprofessional’. “This is a serious issue and one that should be taken up by the government,” Mr Downer told Sky News host Chris Kenny. “I’m not sure about the prime minister, but certainly, the foreign minister and the defence minister should be making very strident representations to the Chinese government. “The trouble is if you don’t, if you let these things pass, as happened with the sonar incident, well, China thinks Australia is just a pussycat and can be pushed around. “China understands power, and it understands authority, and Australia needs to exercise power and authority in relation to these incidents so they don’t happen again.”