Subjects: Visit to Ryan; the Coalition’s plan to crack down on youth crime and online notoriety; Labor’s immigration detention shambles and border security crisis; AUKUS Pillar II; Food and Grocery Code of Conduct Review; the Prime Minister’s cost of living crisis; nuclear power; Labor’s energy policy shambles; Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin (Rtd); the Treasurer’s budget blunders and lack of an economic plan.
E&OE.
SENATOR PAUL SCARR:
Hello everyone. I’m Senator Paul Scarr and it’s wonderful to be here in the federal seat of Ryan, one of the most marginal seats in Queensland. We’re here today with, of course, the Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, but also our tremendous candidate, who’s just recently been preselected, Maggie Forrest, who’s an outstanding young professional, a barrister, a mother, of the local community and an outstanding candidate who has helped bring today together. So, over to Maggie.
MAGGIE FORREST:
Thanks very much, Paul.
As Paul said, I’m the newly endorsed LNP candidate for Ryan, and it’s wonderful to have the Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton and Senator Scarr in Ryan today. We’re really grateful to Donald, the owner of the cafe, for hosting us today and speaking to us about the cost of living pressures he’s experiencing, and also to the local residents, who spoke to us about their experiences with crime in the area and rising crime rates. So, I’ll throw over to Peter.
PETER DUTTON:
Maggie, thank you very much. Thanks, Paul, for being here as well.
Donald, thank you for hosting us today. This is a small business, like tens of thousands around the country at the moment that are really doing it tough, where you’ve got an increase in every input cost.
As we know, a record number of small businesses are closing under this Government, not just because of the industrial relations changes, but because of the Government’s energy policy, which is driving up people’s electricity costs. It’s not just in your own household budget, but it’s small businesses, like this, where power prices are spiking, and ultimately that needs to be passed on to consumers through a price increase in coffee or the meal that you’re consuming when you go to a local cafe. That’s feeding inflation, which is why interest rates are staying higher for longer under this Government.
I want to say thank you very much to Maggie for sticking her hand up. She’s been a great local community advocate for many, many years. She’s been immersed in her local community, she has worked hard, she’s raising a young family, she’s a professional woman, and I’ve known Maggie and she’s been a dear friend for many, many years, and I’m really excited that she’s now our endorsed candidate for the seat of Ryan.
Thank you, of course, to Senator Paul Scarr, who’s doing amazing work in a number of areas at the moment, in particular engaging with our multicultural communities here in Queensland, but around the country as well.
A couple of issues to concentrate on today. Firstly, I want to say thank you to the local residents we met with before. Their story is similar to many stories across South East Queensland, but across the country at the moment where people are going to bed of a night time and waking up to a window being smashed, a door being jemmied open, car keys being stolen, their goods being ransacked and the car being stolen and ending up on social media. One of the things that we know now is that young people are seeking to post their story online, the video online, either on Insta or Snapchat or Facebook, whatever it might be, and we know that the media companies here have an incredible responsibility that they’re not yet meeting. We know that the companies should be taking that content down because the glorification that kids seek online, that young offenders seek online, by posting this material is actually a motivation to go out and commit the next crime. It’s not about stealing money for food. It’s not about anything other than glorification online, and we should be starving them of that trophy. That’s why we’ve drafted a Private Member’s Bill that David Coleman’s put together, after consultation with the media companies.
It’s obvious to all Australians at the moment that Meta and the other digital companies just aren’t living up to expectation. They’re ripping billions of dollars out of the Australian community, and they’ve got a moral obligation to give back to our community. The best way that they can give back to our community at the moment is to make sure that they take content down so that these young offenders don’t get the publicity that they’re seeking.
Our Private Member’s Bill will give the police that tool in their toolkit, will give Julie Inman-Grant and others involved in what is a very important piece of work at a federal government level, the law enforcement agencies and others to defeat this scourge. Because at the moment, a lot of people are living in fear and they’re worried about whether they’re going to be broken into again. It’s devastating, it’s confronting to have somebody coming into your bedroom or coming into your living area, particularly when you’ve got young children. So, I think there’s a lot that the companies can do, and I hope that they can do that sooner than later.
Also, it’s important, I think, for us to note that in less than two years now, the Government’s had 311 people arrive on at least 13 boats. Now, it shouldn’t come as any surprise to Australians because Anthony Albanese was the Deputy Prime Minister to Julia Gillard when there was a last disaster on our borders. But the Government has weakened Operation Sovereign Borders, they’ve removed key elements of Operation Sovereign Borders, they’ve reduced aerial surveillance by 20 per cent, and they’ve reduced the on-water days being conducted by Australian Border Force by some 12 per cent. So, we don’t want to see people drowning at sea again. We don’t want to see boats restart. We want to make sure that we’ve got an orderly migration program and that’s the responsibility of the Government.
Another issue, obviously, that is very important at the moment is national security. I’m very pleased to see the inclusion of Japan in the AUKUS Compact Pillar II. The whole idea of the AUKUS agreement, when we negotiated that with the United States and the United Kingdom was that it could make us safer as a country in a very uncertain period.
Japan and India, through the Quad, are likeminded nations. We know that Japan has a significant contribution to make and it’s a great outcome to see them included in Pillar II. The work that’s been done around space, the work that’s been done in AI, all of that, Japan can contribute to significantly. We’re very lucky to have them as a trusted partner and ally. We will support the Government in what they’re doing to make sure that we can stay safe today and for decades to come, in what’s a very uncertain period in world history.
I’m very happy to take any questions.
QUESTION:
There appears to be some disunity about whether the Opposition supports divestiture laws that would break up big supermarkets. Does the Coalition support introduction of divestiture powers?
PETER DUTTON:
We’ve been very clear and consistent with our position in relation to this. We’ve got a situation at the moment where Australians are paying more and more every time they go to the supermarket, and people know that when you hand over $100 at the supermarket now at the checkout, you’re getting much less today than you were 12, 18 months ago. One of the big reasons for that is that the Government’s renewables-only energy policy is contributing to an increase in cost. So, farmers are paying more for their cold storage. We know that farmers are paying more for their fertiliser, which is energy-intensive. We know that people right along the supply chain are paying more and more for their energy bills, and ultimately that’s all passed on to consumers.
So, people are feeling it when they go to the supermarket, and that’s all as a direct response to the decisions made by the Albanese Government. Mr Albanese promised to reduce power prices by $275. People know that that hasn’t happened, and their power prices and their electricity prices, their grocery prices continue to go north.
We have said that where there is market concentration and it’s resulting in higher prices being paid by consumers, particularly when they go to a Coles or Woolies outlet, that that is something that we should consider in detail. The US, Canada, the UK has divestiture powers, so it’s not unreasonable for Australia to have a look at it.
We know that Coles and Woolies now have their own development branches, property development branches. So, we know that they’re holding blocks of land to squeeze other competitors out of that marketplace. To the extent that that is causing an upward pressure on prices and consumers are paying more and more for their groceries when they get to the checkout, of course it’s something that we’re looking at, and we’ve been very open and frank about that. Where there’s a market concentration in a particular geographic location and that is resulting in an increase in prices at the checkout, we should be prepared to look at it.
Instead, what we’ve got at the moment is a Government with a predetermined outcome for a review conducted by Craig Emerson – you may as well have asked Wayne Swan to conduct the review. The review was written, the results were dictated by Jim Chalmers, and I think this is a Mickey Mouse review that’s been conducted by a Labor mate with an outcome predetermined by the Treasurer.
There’s not going to be any price relief here for consumers, because Mr Chalmers and Mr Albanese know that their policies have directly contributed to higher prices, not just when people are paying their mortgages. Interest rates have gone up on 12 occasions under this Government. We know that the $275 power decrease has not eventuated, and we know that people are paying more for their insurance, more for petrol, and more for every other cost of living item in your budget. That’s why families are really hurting and I don’t think that Australians can afford three more years of this Labor Government.
QUESTION:
Are you concerned fines on big supermarkets could lead to higher prices at the checkout for consumers?
PETER DUTTON:
Look, there’s nothing revolutionary in saying that they’re going to increase fines, and if that’s the best that the Labor Party’s come up with then, frankly, Australian consumers have got no hope of prices coming down.
We support appropriate sanctions, we support appropriate outcomes where people aren’t getting the best deal at the moment, but I don’t think Australians are going to see any reduction in their prices at the checkout under what the Labor Party’s proposed, and the recommendations that Mr Emerson’s provided just aren’t going to be the solution that consumers are looking for.
QUESTION:
James Paterson said a targeted divestment power is necessary [inaudible]. Is it necessary? Do you think that’s a necessary part of getting [inaudible]?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, again, we announced that Angus Taylor and David Littleproud, a subcommittee of the Shadow Cabinet, are looking at this very issue at the moment for the reasons that I outlined earlier. If you’ve got concentration of market power, if you’ve got a situation where consumers are being ripped off, if you’ve got a situation where suppliers are being crunched, then we need to have a look at the appropriateness of the settings. That’s the course that we’re on at the moment.
QUESTION:
Mr Emerson said that divestiture would only lead to foreign ownership or greater concentration in regional areas. Would you still back it despite these concerns?
PETER DUTTON:
Well Mr Emerson and the Treasurer are at odds with the Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. That’s the reality. The ACCC has pointed out that the divestiture power would be a handy tool in the toolbox. We’re of the same view that it should be looked at, and if it’s adequate, if it’s appropriate, and if it’s going to deliver cheaper prices for consumers, then we’re very happy to consider it.
But it’s the case in the United Kingdom and the United States and other comparable markets that divestiture power exists, and so why would Australia not look at it? I think what we’re talking about here at the moment is a political response, from a political mate of the Labor Party, and I don’t think anybody would be surprised about the fact that Mr Emerson’s views line up with the instructions he was given by Mr Chalmers.
QUESTION:
On nuclear power, one of the impediments to open nuclear power in Queensland is there’s not just a federal ban, there’s also at the state level, and David Crisafulli said repealing that law is not a priority. Have you spoken to the Opposition Leader in Queensland to talk about this?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, we’ve had many conversations. A couple of points. I mean, first is that 90 per cent of baseload power goes out of the system by 2034. Now, the Government at the moment, here in Queensland, in Victoria and elsewhere, is negotiating with coal-fired power stations to extend their life. At the same time, they’re telling Australians that they want to reduce emissions. The preparatory work hasn’t been done by the Government, and that means that we’re going to see disruption to supply, which is why you’re seeing manufacturers move offshore now to an area where they can get cheaper electricity and they can get reliable electricity.
What I want is a firming up of baseload power. So, to talk in layman’s terms, that means I want to see the ability for lights to stay on 24/7, and nuclear, at the moment, is being used by or has been committed to by 19 of 20 G20 nations. Just consider that for a moment. So, of the top 20 nations, economies in the world, Australia is the only one that hasn’t signed up to, or is not currently utilising nuclear power to firm up renewables in the system. This Government is embarking us on a programme with their renewables-only policy that is going to leave us with unreliable power – so not 24/7 power. They’re going to leave us with more expensive power and it’s not going to be greener. Our proposal is to look at how you can have 24/7 power, how you can use renewables and firm up renewables when the solar panels don’t work of a night-time, or on a still day when the wind turbines aren’t turning. How can you provide the 24/7 power? You can do it with zero emissions, latest technology nuclear, which is what 19 of 20 countries are doing in the world that have the biggest economies and the comparable economies to ours. That’s why we should have a conversation about it. I believe that state Premiers will look favourably at it in due course when we can have a mature conversation.
At the moment, look, the Prime Minister, I think, doesn’t have a clue as to what he’s doing with the economy, doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing with energy policy, and at the moment, people know through their power bills, the prices aren’t coming down under Labor, they’re going up. The Government’s got a $1.3 trillion bill to pay to roll out 28,000 kilometres of poles and wires across the country, which is not going to happen, and if they don’t do that, they can’t distribute their renewables coming into the system. So, they have us on a train wreck that is, you know, you don’t have to have a great imagination to understand where Labor is taking us. Ninety per cent of baseload is going out of the system by 2034. The new system is not ready. They’re negotiating for coal-fired power stations that were due to come to a close to be extended. They were against gas and they’re now in favour of gas. All I’m saying is that we should have a modern system of energy. We should have zero emissions because we need to meet our international targets, and what we know of Labor’s policy is that they are not going to meet their zero ’50 target. We are proposing a credible path forward, and that’s exactly what we’re rolling out to the Australian people at the moment.
QUESTION:
Just on that air strike that killed aid workers in Gaza last week. What access do you expect Israel to give Mark Binskin?
PETER DUTTON:
Firstly, in relation to Mark Binskin, I’ve worked very closely with Mark Binskin. He’s been a great contributor to our country for many decades, he’s served our country in uniform, and he’s a fine person. He’s been given mission impossible by the Prime Minister, because this is about a political outcome for the Prime Minister, I’m sorry to say. The death of this young aid worker, the seven aid workers, is a tragedy, and Israel has taken responsibility. Unlike Hamas, they’ve said that there’ll be an investigation and that there’ll be transparency.
What the Prime Minister is doing here in appointing Mark Binskin, is not hoping for some discovery of a silver bullet or some thing that’s being hidden by the Israelis. What the Prime Minister is doing here is trying to find a pathway through what’s obviously a torn ALP. The Caucus of the Australian Labor Party is split at the moment, and frankly, the Prime Minister’s response to people who are living in fear in Jewish communities in our country at the moment has been deplorable.
Nobody wants to see the death of any individual, but what we’ve seen here by the Prime Minister is a political response. Frankly, whilst Mark Binskin is an excellent public servant and is beyond reproach, an incredible individual, he’s been given mission impossible by this Prime Minister, because the Prime Minister is after a political outcome for, what is, obviously a lot of angst and difficulty within the left wing of his Labor Caucus. That’s the reality and it should be called out. He’ll express outrage, of course, but that’s the reality of what he’s done here, and I think the Jewish community continues to remain shocked by the Prime Minister who seeks to walk both sides of the street.
QUESTION:
Do you think that [inaudible] against international law when they [inaudible] that convoy?
PETER DUTTON:
Well again, those matters can be investigated, but the Israelis have committed themselves to an open investigation. It’s a tragic, tragic loss of life, I’ve been very clear about that, and of course, the day before the Hamas attacks, there was a ceasefire, and the Hamas terrorist group still holds 40 people captive that they abducted on October 7. Those people should be returned back to Israel, and people should be able to enjoy peace in the Middle East, but they won’t whilst Hamas continues down their terrorist path. Don’t forget that Hamas is a listed terrorist organisation in our country and in other Western countries around the world.
So, I think the Prime Minister here needs to stand up and to show leadership. He needs to support the Jewish community. All of us have expressed outrage and shock at the tragic loss of life of Australian citizens, and of course, as James Paterson pointed out this morning, this is not the first Australian who lost her life in this terrible circumstance, and I believe that the Prime Minister here is seeking a political outcome. I think our country deserves more from our Prime Minister than what we’re getting at the moment.
QUESTION:
The Treasurer said this morning that tax cuts would be the central cost of living relief in the budget. Is that enough or do you think the Government should be offering more direct support to households and struggling businesses?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, the Government’s spent over $200 billion extra over the course of the last two years, and that’s what’s driven up inflation and therefore interest rates. People are talking about interest rates coming down this year – I hope they do, but that’s not the indication we’re getting from the Reserve Bank at the moment.
I just don’t think that Anthony Albanese understands how to manage the economy. Every decision he makes is driving up the price of electricity, it’s driving up the price of every cost of living pressure that families are experiencing at the moment. The softening in retail and in hospitality, that really is having a negative impact because families are struggling to pay their bills under this Government.
I just don’t think Anthony Albanese has a clue what he’s doing when it comes to managing the economy. This will be their third budget. The first two have contributed to higher interest rates and higher cost of living pressures. I hope for the sake of families and small businesses around the country, that the Government can do better in their third budget in May.
Thank you very much.
[ends]