6PR Perth Live With Oliver Peterson 15 January

OLIVER PETERSON, HOST: I'm joined in the studio by the Labor Member for Perth and the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister. I speak, of course, of Patrick Gorman. Happy New Year. Good to see you.

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: Good to see you, Oly. And Happy New Year to your listeners.

PETERSON: And a very big hello as well to the Liberals' Leader in the Senate, Michaelia Cash. Joining us via the phone today. Senator, good afternoon.

SENATOR MICHAELIA CASH, LIBERAL PARTY LEADER IN THE SENATE: Good afternoon, Oly. Happy New Year to both you and Patrick and, of course, Happy New Year to the 6PR listeners.

PETERSON: Now, Patrick, are we already in election mode?

GORMAN: Well, it is an election year. Some people thought it was going to be an election year last year. It wasn't. We do have two very important decisions for the people of Western Australia to make. Who do they want to lead their state government? And who do they want to lead their nation?

PETERSON: And I'm going to guess I know what your answer is going to be.

GORMAN: Well, I would think that most reasonable people would say that the Cook Labor Government deserve re-election, and most reasonable people would say that Peter Dutton's not up to the job of being Prime Minister.

PETERSON: Michaelia Cash, I'm sure you disagree.

CASH: Well, this election is a choice about Australia's future. And I mean, Anthony Albanese proclaimed to Australians prior to the last election, I'll say this very clearly, 'Australians will be better off under a Labor government.' So the question I would pose to all Australians is, you need to ask yourself: are you better off today than you were when Mr. Albanese was elected? And the bad news for Australians is the facts don't lie. Australians are worse off under Mr. Albanese.

PETERSON: Patrick, what do you say to Senator Cash?

GORMAN: Well, Senator Cash would know that wages are growing again. She would know that the deficits that were left have been turned into Labor surpluses. She would know that we've got record investments in Medicare, and she'd know that we've got some of the big problems that were left on the table when they walked out of the Cabinet room two and a half years ago, including challenges when it comes to housing. We've started to take serious action to make sure we've got the homes that Australians need. To make sure that we've got the Medicare and health services the Australians deserve, and also to finish the job on some things have just taken too long, like the NBN. I mean, here we are, some 15 years later, still having to roll out fibre because we went on that crazy copper diversion when Michaelia and her colleagues were last in power.

PETERSON: Now talking of the NBN, Michaelia Cash, obviously a big announcement made by the Prime Minister yesterday, pumping another $3 billion into completing the NBN project. Is this a waste of money?

CASH: Well, we've said we'll support the investment. We've seen similar equity investments in other government-owned enterprises, such as, you know, the Western Sydney Airport. So yeah, we'll support the investment. What it doesn't do, though, is solve the problems, in particular, in terms of the fact that the NBN under Labor is a disaster. It's hemorrhaging customers. But worse than that, it's hemorrhaging taxpayers' cash. NBN Co is bleeding funds. In fact, I think last year, there was a negative cash flow of $1.4 billion in the last financial year. Customers are leaving at a rate of knots. They're also paying more. So whilst, yes, while we support the investment, it doesn't actually solve the fact that under Labor, the NBN is a disaster, as evidenced by those statistics.

PETERSON: So when it's completed, Patrick, will we get to a situation where it'll be outdated technology? That things like Starlink might take over and take some of the market? And can we even, you know, improve and boost, for example, the capabilities to regional West Australians, who, since the 3G network's been cut off, they've had their businesses or their phone calls that they want to make, cut off as well. They're finding life difficult.

GORMAN: What we know and what the experts know, and what all of your listeners know, is that there is nothing faster than a fibre optic cable when you want to pump data around the world. So getting fibre optic cables to more houses in Western Australia is what is going to make the difference. And it's going to be great for those people who run businesses from home, for those people who've got kids studying at home, all of those things. The announcement that we made this week will actually mean an extra 100,000 Western Australian homes, predominantly in the regions, will get access to that fibre to the home. That means that you get all the benefits of being able to be connected to the world, and it is the infrastructure of the 21st century. I don't know many people who've gone on to the fibre network from copper, which was what was being rolled out by Malcolm Turnbull and other Liberal prime ministers, I don't know anyone who says, 'I want to go back to copper.' Now, if you've got some listeners who say, 'I'm on the super fast broadband network with fibre, but I want to go back to the old copper technology,' I'm very happy to hear from them. I don't think there's many people like that around.

PETERSON: 133 882, Question Time with Patrick Gorman and Michaelia Cash. What do you think is the top of the election issues? For you, Senator Cash, what are you going to be focusing on? Because for me, it's health, health and health.

CASH: Oh, look. As I said, it's a choice about Australia's future. And Australians need to ask themselves, 'can you afford to continue down the current path?' I mean, the issue we currently have is this is a cost of living election. But it's a cost of living election brought on because of the policies of the Labor government. I mean, nearly three years on, inflation remains high. Economic growth is stagnant. It is a fact, Oly. And this is a disappointing fact, that Australians' living standards have seen the largest collapse on record. And Australians know that every single day when they go into, you know, the shopping centre, food is up 12 per cent. Health is up ten per cent. Education is up 11 per cent. You know, it just goes on and on and on. And as I said, you've got to go back to, Mr. Albanese said 'you'll be better off under a Labor Government.' Australians need to ask themselves, 'am I better off?' You have a record number of businesses closing under Mr. Albanese. You have labour productivity, very dangerous, collapsing by seven per cent whilst, and this is angering Australians, the public service has grown by 20%. Economic growth is at a standstill, and Labor appears to only have a plan for a big Australia, big government, big immigration and big spending. And as I said, the next election for us, it is a cost of living election. There's no two ways about that, but it's also a choice about Australia's future.

PETERSON: So Patrick, I'll let you respond to that. But on the health points, because I did see Mark Butler was out January 1 saying 'there will be an announcement about an announcement' when it comes to, hopefully, there being more bulk billing appointments made for Australians to go and see their GP. And I don't think it matters where you live, how much money you earn or how little money you earn. We've got to be able to have access to healthcare on our doorstep at a timely manner. We can't have people like Rochelle who called up before and said she's got to make a decision between food, medication or paying for a GP's appointment.

GORMAN: Yep. Oly, when we came to office, bulk billing was about to fall off a cliff. So we put in a tripling of the bulk billing incentive. That's meant that more Western Australians, some 340,000 more Western Australians, are going to be able to get a bulk billing appointment with a GP. We also knew there was far too much pressure on our emergency departments, including here at Royal Perth. That's why we implemented the Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. We've opened eight of them in Western Australia alone since we came to office; 124,000 Western Australians have walked through the door of those Medicare Urgent Care Clinics in Rockingham, Midland, Perth, all around, even Bunbury. To make sure they can get the healthcare they need. And what we just saw, heard from Senator Cash was this suggestion that the Government spent too much, and they're going to cut things back. They're going to cut 36,000 public servants, chop them, send them into the unemployment queues. And they're going to cut those Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. One of the things on the chopping block is the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic that services my community in Morley. It's served more than 12,000 people who've had urgent medical needs, otherwise they'd be in an emergency department. It's going to get closed under Peter Dutton, and that's the fact.

CASH: Oly, just on that. That is wrong. Patrick is making things up. But more than that, again, I'd say to your listeners, the facts don't lie. The front page of The West Australian was very clear in relation to Labor's record on health. Under the former Coalition Government in our last year, the GP bulk billing rate, this is a fact, was 88.3%. It has now fallen under Labor to 77.3%. That is an 11 per cent decline, and listeners know it, because they experience it every single day. Another fact, because I'm only going to deal in facts in the lead up to this election, Oly. Under Mr. Albanese, 41 million fewer free GP services are bulk billed under Medicare. Again, that is a fact. And your listeners can ultimately decide for themselves. They can listen to the spin. And I'm happy for Patrick to put spin out there, that, that's fine. But ultimately they're going to know. When they go into a GP, they know, (a) how difficult it is to get an appointment. But more than that, the bulk billing rate. They know they're not being bulk billed, and that is a fact, because under Labor, we've now seen the 11 per cent decline.

PETERSON: All right, so Patrick, a quick reply to you. Because I want to move on with a couple of other issues before we wrap up our first Question Time.

GORMAN: Well, here's a fact that even your listeners can verify, Oly. We've been going for ten minutes. We haven't heard one new idea, one policy proposal from the Liberal Party to fix any of the problems they're talking about. Very good at identifying problems. Very bad at identifying solutions. And I'll tell you why Senator Cash wants to talk about the last year they were in office, is because the first year that they are in office, when Peter Dutton was Health Minister, they tried to introduce a $7 GP co-payment tax. They cut $50 billion from Australia's hospitals, including the hospitals right here in WA. And Peter Dutton was voted as the worst ever Health Minister by Australian Doctor magazine.

PETERSON: Okay, a couple of other issues. Mel wants to know, Michaelia Cash, what are the Liberals' stance, still on WA, when it comes to the GST?

CASH: I am so proud on this, and thank you for that question. To be part of the Federal WA Liberal team that actually delivered our fair share of the GST. I think that is one of the greatest achievements of the WA Federal Liberal team. We worked with Scott Morrison when he was Prime Minister, and that is what we delivered. And I can assure you, you're going to hear a lot from Labor in terms of that. But over my dead body, will we ever be denied our fair share. Because I was one of the senators that worked so hard to get it, and that is something that I am so proud of.

PETERSON: Okay. Patrick, Cameron wants to know, with all this NBN investment, will it be cheaper?

GORMAN: Well, what we want to do is make sure the NBN stays in public hands. We know that when things are owned by the government, when it comes to electricity and water, there's a reason that our essential services here in the West are cheaper than some of our friends over in the East Coast. What the Australian Government wants to do is to stop the option to privatise the NBN and sell it off to some foreign owner. We're going to keep it in public hands. That means that Government keeps control on the wholesale costs of the NBN. But I'd also always encourage people when it comes to telecommunication services, shop around. If you've been with a provider for a while, they might be ripping you off, and you need to teach them a harsh lesson and switch to a cheaper provider.

PETERSON: Okay, we're both dealing in fact. You've both been very respectful of each other. But are we getting into the territory where it's getting very personal between your leaders? Obviously, Peter Dutton pointing out that Anthony Albanese is weak, the Prime Minister yesterday, calling Peter Dutton nasty. But Michaelia Cash, are we getting into the gutter?

CASH: Well, I can tell you, we aren't. But one thing we are getting into is being proudly Australian, and I think that's what Peter Dutton has been out there doing, talking to Australians about how he's a proud Australian, how he's made clear that Australians should not be ashamed of celebrating Australia Day on January 26. About how he is, he wants to unite our country, and in particular, under one flag. He's made the point that, quite frankly, Australians are sick of being shamed to be proud Australians. So, hey, I'm a proud Australian. Peter Dutton's a proud Australian, and that's what we're talking about at the moment. Celebrating our national day, standing under one flag and uniting this country and reminding ourselves as Australians, what is so good, Oly, about living in Australia. I genuinely do believe it is, and I think your listeners know me well enough to know, this is the greatest country in the world, and I'm proud to be an Australian.

PETERSON: Would you agree with that Patrick?

GORMAN: Of course, I'm proud to be an Australian. And the suggestion that anyone isn't proud to be a citizen of this wonderful country is just some of the silliest politics that we hear. I mean, I'm proud to be an Australian. I'm actually the Minister responsible for the National Australia Day Council. Unlike Peter Dutton, I'll be at the National Citizenship Ceremony in Canberra next week. Cheering on our newest Australians, and also there for the Australian of the Year Awards. This is undoubtedly the greatest country on Earth. That's not because of anything inherent in where we are in the world. It's because of our people. It's because of our people who make this a great country. It's because our people who get out there and actually work hard every day to make sure they continue to build up this country. And that's what I want to do, that's why I got into politics, is to build our future.

PETERSON: Patrick, Michaelia, we are out of time for today. That's our first Question Time. We'll do it again very soon. I appreciate both of your time.

GORMAN: Thank you.

CASH: Thank you. Thanks so much.