A big Budget 'cut' to his waistline! How Jim Chalmers has lost a staggering 17kg since Boxing Day - as he thanks Peter FitzSimons for inspiring him

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 07:43, 12 May 2026 | Updated: 07:51, 12 May 2026 Treasurer Jim Chalmers dropped an incredible 17kg in the months leading up to tonight's Federal Budget. During an interview with Peter FitzSimons last month, the journalist commented that the Treasurer looked 'like a different man'. 'I've dropped almost 17 kilograms now, which I'm proud of because I was just way too heavy at the end of last year,' Chalmers said. 'I think, like almost every Australian, you wake up on Boxing Day and you think, "I'm probably heavier than I need to be".  'I want to be in the best nick I can be to do a great job for people, and that means making sure you've got enough energy.' Chalmers said '90 to 95 per cent' of his weight loss was down to 'sorting the food out' but admitted he'd picked up lap swimming as well. 'And grog? How much grog have you had in the last three months?,' FitzSimons asked. Chalmers answered by praising FitzSimons for inspiring him to give up alcohol, saying: 'I haven't had any grog for six years.'  Treasurer Jim Chalmers (pictured in March 2025) revealed he's lost 17kg since Boxing Day Chalmers (pictured on Tuesday) will deliver the Federal Budget at 7.30pm 'I was telling you before, Fitz, that book that you wrote about slimming down, giving up grog and getting fit really did have a big influence on me. I thought it was a cracker,' the Treasurer said. 'I turned 48 the other day. You want to get on top of things before it's too late. You want to set a good example for your kids on this front.  'Just before New Year's, I really decided to try and get on top of things, and I'm proud of the progress I've made.  'I thought if I got into slightly better nick, then I would be in a better place to kind of deal with the rigours of the day.' Chalmers has dropped the kilos just in time to front cameras at Parliament House at 7.30pm for the release of this year's Budget.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.