Transcript - Television Interview - Sky News with Danica De Giorgio - Monday, 4 April 2022
DANICA DE GIORGIO, HOST: Well, with the election set to be called this week, let's bring in our political panel, Labor MP Patrick Gorman and Liberal MP Jason Falinski. Hello to you both, great to speak with you, thanks for joining us. I want to get straight into it and begin with the latest Newspoll overnight. Labor's primary vote falling three points. Patrick, how concerned are you?
PATRICK GORMAN, SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA: What we know is that these polls always do jump around. But what we also know is that we're going to see a lot more of these polls over the next few weeks. What I'm concerned about is standing up for my community, and standing up for Western Australia. Making sure that we put forward our plans, so that when people do go and vote in a few weeks time, they know exactly what it is that Labor plans to do to fix aged care, to make childcare more affordable, and to make sure that we continue to invest in Medicare. And in terms of what individual poll says , as they say, there's only one poll that matters, and for me, that's the poll here in Perth on the 14th of May. And Jason, if you can just get your mate to actually call the election, I think the nation would be grateful.
DE GIORGIO: Jason, I'll let you respond to that.
JASON FALINSKI, LIBERAL MP: Well, look, I agree with Patrick. I think we'll all be grateful once this election's out of the way. But look the real danger here is cliches. You know, there's only one poll that matters, that's on the day, so I think that's what we'll be watching. Look, there's no doubt that we are behind, we're the underdogs. It's gratifying to see that so many Australians responded positively to the Budget, but the issues that kept coming through on all these polls are cost of living, national security, and obviously net zero and getting to net zero by 2050. So they're going to be issues that I'm focused on, as well as some local issues like traffic congestion and preserving and protecting our bushland. The Council in my area currently has a proposal to build 480 houses on that piece of land called Lizard Rock, which I just can't believe is being supported.
GORMAN: Jason, it's a federal election. If you want to run for Mayor of the local Shire, all the best to you.
FALINSKI: But hang on, just a minute ago you were saying you care about what your local community is talking about. Now all of a sudden you don't? It doesn't matter?
DE GIORGIO: The election hasn't been called yet, but we're here today, with all of the argy bargy.
FALINSKI: Can you imagine how much worse it's going to get, Danica?
DE GIORGIO: Oh boy, it's only just begun, hasn't it? I've got to ask you, Patrick, how big of a role do you think Western Australia will play in this federal election? I note today the Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, he's actually in your electorate of Perth speaking today. Do you think WA will almost be a kingmaker for the election?
FALINSKI: Come on, he's going to say yes.
GORMAN: The votes of Western Australians are worth just as much as the votes of any other state. And what I'm really proud of, the Treasurer is over here today, and good on him for coming over here, he's going to have a little bit of explaining to do about why he, as Treasurer, gave $1,000,000 of WA and other taxpayers money to help fund Clive Palmer's court case. But, you know, I'm really proud of the candidate that we're putting forward, and I think this is going to be a competitive state at this election. Indeed, we saw a fabulous profile in The Australian today of Sam Lim, Labor's candidate for Tangney. We've got strong candidates like Tracey Roberts, standing in Pearce, an electorate that the Liberal Party is effectively abandoned. I think West Australia is going to be important and I know that West Australians are keen to have their voice heard at this election.
DE GIORGIO: We've seen some interesting comments this week from Zali Steggall. She suggested that if it does eventuate to be a hung parliament and it comes down to her, then she may consider backing the government, but only if Scott Morrison steps aside. If that was the condition to secure government, Jason, do you think that the Prime Minister should stand aside?
FALINSKI: Look, I'm not indulging this nonsense. Zali Steggall and the Climate 200 candidates, most of whom are former Labor members, are backing the Labor Party in the instance of a hung parliament. Can we just stop the pantomime? I mean, Zali Steggall voted for the Labor Party in 2011. She's admitted that. In 2011, in the State Government elections against Mike Baird, who is one of the most (inaudible) Liberals you will ever find, both as Premier and as the member for Manly. So in that instance, she still voted for Kristina Keneally and, as I recall, what ICAC described as the most corrupt government since the Rum Corps. So if you can't even support Mike Baird in 2011 in the seat of Manly, there's no way that she's voting for anyone other than the Labor Party in a hung parliament. And the same goes for all the Climate 200 candidates, most of whom, by the way, which until very recently were members of the Labor Party.
DE GIORGIO: Questions have also been raised, Jason, this week about Scott Morrison's preselection in 2007. He's been accused of racially vilifying his opponent during that campaign. It's something he denies, he says he's willing to sign a statutory declaration rejecting it. But this is just the latest accusation targeting the Prime Minister's character. Is this going to be a problem heading into the election campaign?
FALINSKI: Well, I don't think so Danica, because we've seen in history on both sides of politics that when people undertake these sort of political hit jobs and the politics of personal destruction, it only ends up hurting one person. And that's the person waging those wars. What I can say is, it's not just him who's now denying it, you've got Bruce Baird denying it, you've got members of the Lebanese community in Australia denying it. I was vaguely involved in that preselection. I never heard Scott Morrison say it. I have never heard Scott Morrison say anything to denigrate someone on the basis of their religion, it's just an absurd proposition that he would ever do that, or on the basis of their race. And that's an equally absurd proposition. The Prime Minister has, you know, he's not a perfect person-
GORMAN: I agree with the Jason. The Prime Minister is not perfect.
FALINSKI: Oh, yes, but you think Albo is perfect, do you?
GORMAN: I think on the character test, which is one of the big questions of this election, yes. I'd put Anthony Albanese's character up against the Prime Minister's character any day of the week.
FALINSKI: Okay, if you're going to tell me that Albo is perfect, that's great, we'll revisit that. The Prime Minister is not a perfect person, in fact, none of us are. But I have never once, not a single time, heard him criticise or critique anyone on the basis of their religion or ethnicity.
DE GIORGIO: All right, Patrick, do you think that this is a hit job? This is what Jason is saying now, what are your thoughts on that?
GORMAN: I think there's some really deep problems in the New South Wales Liberal Party, which Jason's obviously been knee-deep in the mud fight in the Liberal Party, all the way back to that pre-selection in Cook in 2007. And what I worry about is you've got the Prime Minister and the senior members of the New South Wales Liberal Party firing statutory declarations at one another, and people in my electorate here in Perth go, well that's like pretty weird priority to have right now, whether you're Senator Fierravanti-Wells, or whether you are the Prime Minister, to be stuck in this fight when we've got a crisis in aged care. I've got a childcare centre in the Perth electorate that is closing down in a few months time. We've got challenges where people are paying up to $7 more out of pocket for Medicare, than they were paying when this government was elected. And so, it's just so self-indulgent of the Prime Minister to be off writing a stat dec when he should actually be running the country.
FALINSKI: Well, thank God the Labor Party doesn't indulge itself in this. Andrew Charlton, of course, from Bellevue Hill, has been running hard in the seat of Parramatta. And of course, Kristina Keneally, in Scotland Island, has been running for the seat of Fowler. But oh yeah, it's just the Liberal Party who has candidate problems. I mean, seriously.
DE GIORGIO: Well, we'll find out in the coming weeks, won't we, how all this plays out. I want to ask you Patrick, Anthony Albanese, he's promising not to raise taxes on anyone except for big multinationals. Should Labor win in May. Can you really rule out tax increases when you're inheriting a mountain of debt, close to a trillion dollars?
GORMAN: Look, I share the concerns of your viewers and people in my electorate about the huge debt that this government has built up. Every year that Scott Morrison has been Treasurer or Prime Minister, six years now, he's made the debt bigger and bigger and bigger. And unfortunately, if there is a change of government, which is not something liked by Jason's friends, they are supremely confident that they are going to win the election, I believe that it's actually a decision for the people of Australia. But if there is a change, Labor is going to inherit that trillion dollars of debt that Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg and Malcolm Turnbull all kind of contributed to. But we've said where are we going to take action on that, by looking at making sure that multinationals who operate in Australia and take money from Australians, pay their fair share of tax. I think that's a good place to be. The Government could be doing more on this. The Prime Minister hasn't called the election yet, so allegedly, he is still governing, but he's choosing not to. And that's fine. That's his choice.
DE GIORGIO: Coming in to an election campaign though Patrick, the public want to know, are they going to potentially face higher taxes should Labor get into power?
GORMAN: No, look, we've been very clear. We've obviously voted-
FALINSKI: You will. You will, you will raise taxes. You've already announced you'll be raising taxes on superannuation. You've already announced you're raising taxes on Family Trust.
GORMAN: In terms of the legislation that was brought forward last week, we voted for the tax package last year, and on the question of taxes, we've been very open saying we do not plan to have any new taxes, but, we will take strong action on multinationals who are not paying their fair share of tax. I think that's a very reasonable threat and something that I know Jason agrees with-
FALINSKI: We already have a multinational avoidance law, anti-avoidance law. What is it, what more will Labor do? The Tax Office at the moment can ascribe a profit to a multinational in a low tax regime. What more do you want to do ? I mean, we are now collecting an extra three and a half billion dollars a year from multinationals. Per year. Where are we missing this money that you guys are talking about? And by the way, you've already announced taxes on superannuation, increased taxes on superannuation and on Family Trust.
GORMAN: Jason, calm down. Calm down.
FALINSKI: Well you have. I mean, you want to do the character test, you're not answering the question. You have already announced higher taxes.
GORMAN: Take a chill pill, Jason.
FALINSKI: No, no. Answer the question.
GORMAN: We will outline what we intend to do on multinational tax avoidance in coming months. We've been very clear about that.
FALINSKI: We're weeks away from an election and you're still playing the, oh we're going to do it.
GORMAN: In this interview, and it's not me it's you who was out there, just a few weeks ago, suggesting that we should have all sorts of new taxes. You were the one in the Financial Review putting out new taxes. I read it in the paper.
FALINSKI: Oh, you read it in the paper, it must be true. Anthony Albanese denied it, it must be true.
DE GIORGIO: All I can say is, we haven't even got to an election yet, goodness me, this is going to be an interesting campaign. We are running out of time, but I want to ask you both, quick prediction, we'll start with you, Jason. Date of the election, what do you reckon?
FALINSKI: Look I reckon May 14, but the odds of May 21 are pretty good. So, I was saying to Timmy Gilbert on the weekend, I'll take the odds on the 21st of May.
DE GIORGIO: Alright, 21st of May for Jason, Patrick, I'll throw it over to you.
GORMAN: Look, I think the Australian people should be given a chance to have their say on this Government as soon as possible, so May 14.
DE GIORGIO: All right. There we go. Well, you're both at odds, as always, and we'll see which one of you comes out victorious. Patrick Gorman, Jason Falinski, always lovely to speak to you, no matter how much you both argue, appreciate your time. Thank you very much.