E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
SKY NEWS AFTERNOON AGENDA
FRIDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2021
SUBJECTS: Political Panel with Andrew Wallace MP; AUKUS; Vaccination Mandates; COVID Safe Work Sites; Christian Porter Blind Trust.
DANICA DE GIORGIO, HOST: Time to discuss the day's top stories with our political panel, joining us are Liberal MP Andrew Wallace and Labor MP Alicia Payne. Great to see you both, let's get straight into it. Let's begin with the historic AUKUS announcement. Andrew, it's certainly, as predicted, angered China, it's called it extremely irresponsible. Should we be worried about any ramifications from China?
ANDREW WALLACE, LIBERAL MEMBER FOR FISHER: Well, China, what China does is a matter for China, we can't control what China does. What we will do is concentrate on doing what's right for Australia and Australians. And yesterday was an historic day, it's the day that, where three countries, three allies got together and provided for an enhanced arrangement, an enhanced partnership, which we'll ultimately see in the construction of nuclear-powered submarines for Australia. And that, I think what really needs to be driven home, is that is the first time since the 1950s, since the United States has provided those crown jewels, the, their very top secret technology that they use to power their nuclear-powered submarines. And they haven't done that since the 1950s with the UK, and it's demonstrative of the trust that they have in Australia, as close allies, and obviously also with the UK. So it's a very important step in our arrangement and in our relationships. And you know, what China does is a matter for China.
DE GIORGIO: It's certainly a huge step in the relationship with both of those countries. And you mentioned nuclear as well, Alicia does Labor offer full bipartisanship support on this?
ALICIA PAYNE, LABOR MEMBER FOR CANBERRA: Well, Labor is looking forward to this deepening of the partnerships with our closely aligned allies, and this is something we've been calling for. We did put three really important conditions around our support of this, which are important parts of Labor's National Platform, which is that the nuclear submarines won't require the development of a domestic civil nuclear industry, that there will be no acquisition of nuclear weapons. And that it's all done within the requirements of the non-proliferation treaty. And the Government have assured us that these conditions can be met, and we'll be holding them to account on that.
DE GIORGIO: The Greens made interesting comments this week, calling nuclear submarines "floating Chernobyls", Andrew, is there a fear about the use of nuclear technology in Australia?
WALLACE: I think the day where we start to listen to the Greens would be a sad day. No, look, the these nuclear-powered submarines are very safe. They are tried, proven and tested, not just in the United States, but also in the UK. Whether we end up adopting the US Virginia class or the UK Astute class, there have been no instances in either country's history of any meltdowns in the reactors or any problems with the reactors. There's never been any safety issues for the broader civilian population or the crews on those boats. So we are very confident that the UK and the US nuclear submarine technology is very safe. And it'll be just as safe for us here in Australia.
DE GIORGIO: I want to move on to the topic now of mandating vaccines. Alicia, the Victorian Government is considering mandating vaccinations for construction workers, and also banning tea rooms due to a heightened risk of transmission, or so it says. What do you make of this decision?
PAYNE: Well broadly Labor supports a vaccination well, you know, sort of requirements around vaccinations that are fair and efficient, given that everyone will have had the opportunity to get vaccinated, and I think that's a really that's the really key point. It makes sense in certain industries, such as aged care. And these, it's not new in these sorts of industries for people to have vaccination mandated, for example for the flu or something like that. But we really have to make sure that people working in these industries have had the time to get these vaccinations. And that is where the supply issue has meant that many of these people might still be waiting and have not had that chance. And that's really the key, the key point.
DE GIORGIO: What about banning tea rooms due to a heightened risk of transmission? Is that the right move, to ban lunch rooms?
PAYNE: Well, I assume you're referring in particular to the protests we've seen in Melbourne today, with the construction industry.
DE GIORGIO: Correct.
PAYNE: I do you think, you know, everyone has a right to protest, and I do think though, that obviously tea rooms the health advice is this is a sort of a dangerous point of transmission and that we've seen that happening. And therefore, we need to be following that health advice and doing the right things. Many industries, people can't work at all at the moment. And so where we can make restrictions that enable people to keep working, we probably should be following those.
DE GIORGIO: Andrew tea rooms, is it the right decision?
WALLACE: Well, Danica, you know once upon a lifetime ago, I used to be a carpenter and joiner on building sites in Melbourne. And, you know, look, I have some sympathy for the guys operating on building sites. However, I want to say this: the men and women who are working on building sites across Australia have been given a very special privilege to be able to continue to work. There are many Australians in locked-down cities who simply are unable to go out and work because of those lockdowns. They have been one of those chosen industries that have been protected by state and territory governments across the country. I think, to lose your access to your tea rooms, is a very, very small price to pay for you being able to go out and work essentially, as you've you've done prior to the pandemic. So I would call on men and women working in the building industry construction sector to, you know, to really consider that they are privileged to be able to work and this is a small price to pay and get back to work. And really, they shouldn't be, you know, this is not this is not a huge issue for them, they should be thankful that they have actually got the opportunity to work.
DE GIORGIO: Well, it's yeah, it's an interesting way to look at it, absolutely. I want to move on now to our final topic, of course, Christian Porter. Alicia, the Prime Minister is seeking advice as to whether the Minister breached ministerial standards by using money from a blind trust to help cover legal costs in regards to his defamation case against the ABC. Is his position tenable?
PAYNE: So I don't think the Prime Minister should be seeking advice on this, I think it's very clear that the Minister's position is not tenable. I mean, it is a key part of our democracy that we need transparency around political donations. And the fact that a minister thinks it's okay in any way to accept a million dollar donation and either not know or not disclose where that has come from, it just simply beggars belief. And it only is that way because of the culture within the current Liberal party that Scott Morrison has allowed to go on where ministers are keeping their jobs in spite of all kinds of scandals. But this, a million dollar donation and not knowing where it's from or not disclosing it, that is not okay in anyone's book and I think that he needs to go.
DE GIORGIO: Andrew, does he need to go?
WALLACE: Well, I think Alicia's representation of of the situation is ill-founded. Christian has, in fact, identified and listed on his Parliamentary pecuniary register that he has received this benefit, and it's a benefit that, quite frankly, the Australian taxpayer hasn't paid. The ABC received taxpayers funds to mount and fight the case, the defamation case against Christian. Someone, I don't know who it is clearly, someone or some people have been prepared to donate a significant sum of money to Christian and you know, that's, that's good for Christian but the end of the day, he's declared that that benefit. Now, I think this is a storm in a teacup in some respects because and there are calls for Christian to return the money, well clearly, I don't know who people expect, or the media expect Christian will return the money to when you don't know who's made the donation, or made the gift to him.
DE GIORGIO: Does there need to be changes then to the disclosure system, Andrew?
WALLACE: Well, I mean, the disclosure system, the Prime Minister has very clearly said that he's getting some advice on whether Christian has abided by the ministerial code of conduct. I mean, the Labor Party and Alicia is now repeating it today that you know, there should be no investigation there should be a summary execution. Well, I mean, once upon a time we, we thought that if someone did something, or potentially did something wrong we should at least look into it and determine whether there has been an offence committed. Now according to Alicia and the Labor Party, they're all into summary execution, so
DE GIORGIO: Alicia- I'll just give Alicia the chance. Does it, Alicia, does the system need reform? I'll ask you.
PAYNE: Thank you, Danica. My point is that you shouldn't need advice around whether or not it's okay for a minister to accept a million dollar donation and not disclose where it is from. Like that is completely not okay.
WALLACE: But what about if you don't know where it's from? That's the whole point, Alicia.
PAYNE: And this is exactly why we need a Federal Integrity Commission and why a Labor Government would implement that, an Integrity Commission with teeth, if elected.
WALLACE: But Alicia, that's the whole point. If you don't know where the money's come from, how can you disclose where it's come from?
PAYNE: You shouldn't be accepting it, you shouldn't be accepting it. Simple.
WALLACE: How do you dis- how do you disclose where the money's come from if you don't know where it's come from? And that's what Christian has said.
PAYNE: Well you shouldn't have accepted it, you shouldn't have accepted it. That's the point, like, you know, imagine accepting a million dollars not knowing where it was from. Imagine accepting any donation, a political donation and not knowing the source of that donation. It just, it doesn't, it doesn't meet community standards. It's not how democracy works. You can't accept money and not know where it is from or not disclose where it is from.
DE GIORGIO: Alright, swell. Look, I'm sure this topic certainly does have legs, but we have to leave it there, we've run out of time. Andrew Wallace, Alicia Payne, great to chat as always. We'll see you again next week. Thank you.
PAYNE: Thanks very much.
WALLACE: Thanks Danica.
ENDS
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