Subjects: Labor’s parliamentary chaos; election date speculation; the Coalition’s plan to protect children from online harm; Labor’s energy policy shambles; man hugs and farewell to Bill Shorten.
E&OE.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Welcome back to the show. Well, it’s been a chaotic end to the parliamentary year with the Government ramming through 32 bills, laying serious groundwork in the lead up to the election. Jacqui was cranky.
[excerpt]
JACQUI LAMBIE:
This Government has had more guillotines in its first three years than what the Coalition did in nine. Absolutely shameful, and then last night, last night at 8:30 p.m., Labor sent all of our senators, the mother of all guillotines. That’s right, around 40 bills, 40 bills! So much for the right to switch off for our employees – ‘don’t answer your phone’. Ask them how they’re going this morning, because they haven’t slept!
[end excerpt]
KARL STEFANOVIC:
For more, we’re joined by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Bill Shorten in Canberra, because they haven’t slept – but they’re together! You guys, good morning. What a hot mess that all was, Billy.
PETER DUTTON:
‘Morning, Karlos.
BILL SHORTEN:
Obviously, I like Jacqui Lambie, but when she’s cranky, she does cranky very well. Actually, what happened last night was that the Labor Government got through a lot of new laws. Listen, what it really means for your listeners this morning, if you rent, if you’re a childcare worker, if you’re worried about social online trolling of under 16s, if you’re someone who wants to see a future made in Australia, you were the winner last night.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Alright. You hate the Greens so much, though, Billy – it’s delicious to watch. You flicked them $500 million just as a sweetener. I mean, I’d love to be your enemy!
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, that’ll never happen, Karlos.
In terms of the Greens – listen, they exist. They’re in the political spirit. We would always like to negotiate sensibly. On some matters, Peter here, we were able to do a deal with, on others, the Greens gave in.
PETER DUTTON:
Jeez, that hurt you to say that then!
KARL STEFANOVIC:
It does.
BILL SHORTEN:
Nah, it’s Friday. It’s the end of Parliament, you’re alright.
PETER DUTTON:
The words eventually came out, but he was struggling!
BILL SHORTEN:
No, no, we did some arrangements with the Libs and that’s politics. In terms of the Greens, the Greens basically caved on a lot of stuff and we were able to – for us it’s about getting things done for the people, mate, and the Senate, it’s a bit like making a sausage. You don’t always want to see how it’s done, but it’s about the end product, isn’t it?
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Pete, can you come in there? Any comments on making sausages in Parliament House?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, I just think that was the best spin that I’ve ever heard, because basically what we saw in the Senate last night was a going out of business sale. It was like just everything discounted and whatever it takes to clear the shelves.
Frankly, the Albanese Government’s sort of running on three flat tyres at the moment and they are limping to Christmas, they’re just getting out of this Parliament. They spent a motza of taxpayers’ money to get the Greens across the line in a pretty unholy alliance, and I think people see through it. I think the Government will be glad to get through the Parliament and I’d be surprised if we come back next year. I think the PM’s in a pretty desperate state.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Are you ready for the election?
PETER DUTTON:
We’re ready, we’re ready. Bring it on. I said to him yesterday, call the election and put Australians out of their misery and get a good Government in so we can get the country back on track.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Billy?
BILL SHORTEN:
The only trouble with Pete calling it on yesterday is he’s going to give us an election on New Year’s Day, which not one would thank us for.
What it means last night for the people of Australia is that a lot of the things which we think are important and a lot of the promises we made were delivered. I mean, the reality is that we’re supporting 3 million people who’ve got HECS debts and we’re going to write off 20 per cent of it. That was done.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Billy, I mean, sure there are achievements there, but the question remains. Billy, are you better off now than you were three years ago?
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, the fact of the matter is that the global economic circumstances have been tough. People are doing it tough, but I’ll tell you what – if it hadn’t been for Labor, we just wouldn’t have seen real wages moving, we wouldn’t have seen the energy rebates, we wouldn’t have seen the revival of Medicare and bulk billing. So, in tough circumstances, there’s been some really solid achievements – more than 100,000 fee free TAFE places. So yeah, things have been getting done, even though it is a very tough circumstances for Aussies.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
The social media reforms are historic, Pete. We still don’t know how it’s going to all work. What are you relying upon with that bill?
PETER DUTTON:
Well Karl, I think it’s a cracking outcome and we pushed the Government to this position. We announced in June that we would do this in our first 100 days in government, and I think it’s something that most parents around the country would give a head nod too, because these big tech companies only see our kids as a profit-making venture. They don’t care about the content that they’re seeing online, the grooming that takes place, the sharing of information of an adult nature. We’ve spoken to parents who have lost their kids to suicide because of the social media intrusion. The companies have the technology now, without collecting any of your data, they can identify your face as being under or over 16, and they should deploy that technology, as they do across a number of their other platforms. That way, hopefully, we can keep young kids – young, impressionable minds – off Snapchat and other social media platforms like that.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Alright. New South Wales power grid barely scraped through this week, even though temperatures weren’t particularly high in the city, I mean, temperatures not unusual for an Aussie summer. Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen, he gets the star of the week, he’s pinning the problem on coal – the only thing keeping the system going at the moment – and Chris Minns, the Premier, saved the State by asking everyone not to wash their dishes. I mean, it’s like a Monty Python skit, Bill.
BILL SHORTEN:
No, Karl. By the way, with the online safety, I want to congratulate Michelle Rowland and the Labor Government for doing it. I agree with what Peter said about big tech needs to smarten up here and stop pocketing profits off the back of kids’ data.
In terms of the coal, did you know – fun facts here – that in the last quarter of the Coalition Government, 36 times the regulator said that there had to be a notice to watch out for a drawdown on supplies and in the third quarter of the Coalition Government happened 55 times. In the time that Albo’s been in charge, it’s happened once. The reality is that five coal stations closed under the Libs – they did nothing. The problem is that the coal industry, the people who make the money out of coal power stations, aren’t interested in running coal power stations. We have to move to renewables. It’s not renewables that caused the blackouts. What happens is these old coal plants break down, the companies who own them won’t reinvest in them and so what we’re doing is we’re making sure that we’ve got renewables in the future.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Alright. Quickly on that Pete?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, Karl, two things: one is they’re not investing in coal because all of the government subsidies being provided to renewables – and we need renewables – but we need 24/7 power, which is what coal and gas provides us, and that’s the reality. So, the Government’s removed any incentive for investment into that space. Second point, as importantly, put firewood on your Christmas list this year. Buy your family or buy your cousins at Christmas Day, a bag of firewood at the local servo because soon we’ll be cooking over an open fire and keeping warm next winter with the use of wood and fire, Bill. I mean, is that what the Government’s got in mind here? We’re going backwards.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Finally, you’re talking to each other!
BILL SHORTEN:
No, talk to the hand! No, in all seriousness, we’ve had climate change. The problem is that, why don’t the Libs just accept there’s science that the planet is getting hotter and that climate change is happening?
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Oh, I don’t want to go down this! That’s a big long debate. Billy, it’s your last cross…
BILL SHORTEN:
Oh! Oh no!
KARL STEFANOVIC:
No, it’s your last cross! It’s your last cross…
PETER DUTTON:
Come on Bill, it’s 7 o’clock in the morning!
BILL SHORTEN:
Why is it? Why is it…
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Hang on, it’s your last cross, Bill, of the year, potentially forever because we’re going to go to an election early next year. Pete, would you like to say something nice about Bill ahead of Christmas?
PETER DUTTON:
I just want to say how good Bill’s looking this morning.
BILL SHORTEN:
Yeah, well, I’m not too dusty.
PETER DUTTON:
Side-on not as good as the front-on shot, so I just want to share that with the viewers…
KARL STEFANOVIC:
I’ve got an idea! I’ve got an idea! I’ve got an idea!
PETER DUTTON:
We said…
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Here we go.
PETER DUTTON:
Fire away.
BILL SHORTEN:
I’ve got such a line here but I won’t use it!
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Here we go! Hug it out, guys.
[You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ plays – man hug ensues]
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Hug it out, it’s Christmas!
PETER DUTTON:
Come in. Oh no, there you go. That’s it. Was that the most awkward hug ever?
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Come on, hug with gusto Pete!
BILL SHORTEN:
Yeah it was, yeah.
PETER DUTTON:
Come on, come in, come in, come in.
BILL SHORTEN:
There you go. Like a pair of guys who bonded in the wrong bar in Oxford Street! Anyway.
PETER DUTTON:
It’s been a rough night when you’re embracing Bill in the morning! That’s all I’ll say, Karlos!
BILL SHORTEN:
I’m nowhere near as dusty.
SARAH ABO:
Oh, look at them!
KARL STEFANOVIC:
I’m getting emotional.
SARAH ABO:
Look at the two of them!
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Beautiful stuff, guys.
PETER DUTTON:
That’s it, that’s done.
BILL SHORTEN:
I think some of the viewers have just vomited up their Weetbix too. So, I’d like to apologise to any children watching.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
There should be more of it.
Congratulations, Bill, on a great career and we’ll see you next year, hopefully in a different role. But for you and Pete, have a great Christmas to you and your families. Stay well.
PETER DUTTON:
Thanks to you guys, too. Thank you.
BILL SHORTEN:
That was emotionally draining.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
For all of us!
PETER DUTTON:
Have a great Christmas. Thanks, guys.
BILL SHORTEN:
See ya.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
What a moment on Australian television, Sars.
PETER DUTTON:
Thanks mate. See you.
SARAH ABO:
Karlos, it was the bromance we didn’t know we needed. Oh look! They’re going to go for a third hug!
KARL STEFANOVIC:
They’re going back in. They’re going back in.
PETER DUTTON:
No, no. We’re done!
BILL SHORTEN:
We’re done. Now it’s getting freaky.
SARAH ABO:
That was brilliant.
[ends]