Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Assistant Minister for the Public Service, Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General
TOM CONNELL, HOST: Well, the Prime Minister has attended a $100,000 fundraising dinner with campaign donors despite his government's criticism of the Opposition Leader for doing the same. According to The Nightly, Anthony Albanese, last night, attended a $10,000 a head dinner at the upscale Aria restaurant, it overlooks the Sydney Opera House. He was reportedly one of ten guests at the dinner. The Prime Minister's staff had rescheduled the fundraiser to Sunday evening from its original date two weeks ago, that was due to Cyclone Alfred. Labor was heavily critical of Peter Dutton for leaving Queensland before the cyclone made landfall to attend a similar dinner at hospitality billionaire Justin Hemmes home in Vaucluse. Why don't we bring in Assistant Minister the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman and former Liberal MP, Jason Falinski. I'll start with you here in the studio, Patrick. Is this just going to be the uncomfortable reality of campaigning and fundraising, these, you know, lavish dinners and champagne? I think Krug was served, which is expensive champagne. Is that going to be difficult to sort of square during a cost of living crisis?
PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll tell you, Tom, the last time I caught up with the Prime Minister was Friday night in Perth in my electorate, in Mount Lawley at the Mount Lawley Bowling Club. A nice, great community venue where everyone was enjoying themselves. When it comes to the realities of political fundraising, as I think you know, and as I think Jason knows, and many of your viewers know, we as the Albanese Government have taken some really serious steps to try and reduce the influence of big money in elections. We put that through the Parliament just a month ago, and it's a good thing we did, and I also give credit to the Coalition for their work in making sure that we can have a more robust, higher integrity electoral system for the future. Members of Parliament and senior leaders do go to fundraising dinners. That's the nature of how we fund elections in this country. It's what funds the political ads that will soon litter Sky News for weeks and weeks on end.
CONNELL: Yeah, there's your way to sweep me. Look, so this one was delayed. What wasn't was the fundraiser on the same day. So Peter Dutton flew out from Queensland to go to one on the fourth. Murray Watt in particular, had a lot to say about Peter Dutton and criticised him. And Anthony Albanese also had a fundraiser on the fourth. Wasn't it hypocritical of Labor to criticise Peter Dutton when they would have known the PM had a fundraiser that day, March 4, as well?
GORMAN: Well, I understand why Murray Watt was very critical of another Queenslander and Peter Dutton for making that decision to leave Queensland at that point in time, and that is a different scenario.
CONNELL: He delayed going there. Isn't that a similar sin?
GORMAN: As you've just explained to your viewers, Tom, very different scenario from leaving your electorate in your home state to go and attend. I think Peter Dutton is now the new Mr. Harbourside Mansion when it comes to how he conducts himself. When it comes to the Prime Minister, he lives here in Canberra, but he also spends a lot of time in Sydney, which is where his electorate is. That's pretty normal.
CONNELL: Jason, I know you're always the star attraction when you're out for dinner. So, you know you're good at the fundraising aspect.
FALINSKI: Who have you been talking to Tom?
CONNELL: What have you made of this? I mean, did Peter Dutton make an error leaving Queensland? Is there a difference there in optics, compared to going to a fundraiser and then flying out from Sydney later on, which is the March 4 date we're talking about?
FALINSKI: Well, yeah. Well, just to be clear, Tom, he was back well in time to be shovelling bags of sand for people in his electorate who might have been overrun by the cyclone that that Queensland had or faced, so to say that he somehow abandoned his electorate in its time of need is just an absolute absurdity. And I think Murray Watt actually owes him an apology, one that will not be forthcoming. And frankly, Patrick, who I love -
GORMAN: Love you too, Jason!
FALINSKI: His argument that only non-Queenslanders were allowed to hold fundraisers on that day is as absurd as it sounds. So why don't we just dispense with the stupidity of this argument. Political parties raise money. They do that by holding fundraising dinners.
CONNELL: On that note, what would you say about Anthony Albanese in a $100,000 dinner with 10 people? Is this just the reality of what's constantly happening behind closed doors, or something you criticise him for?
FALINSKI: I feel sorry for the people who had to have dinner with him, much less the fact that they had to spend $10,000. But there is one question that I still want to know the answer to, what is the price of Krug at Aria more or less expensive than at the bowling club that Patrick took him to in Perth?
CONNELL: Bit of Great Western, probably at the bowling club, or was this the pot and palma, Patrick? Was he ushered out to the VIP room?
GORMAN: Firstly, let me give a huge credit again, to the Mount Lawley Bowling Club, excellent institution in my electorate. There is no VIP room. We don't have pokies in Western Australia -
FALINSKI: Never misses a chance!
GORMAN: We are very fortunate in that regard. And I hope it's forever the case that the club and committee are able to keep running a sustainable community organisation, without relying on gambling.
CONNELL: Alright. You are relentless, the way you can speak about your electorate. We're talking about the club and the committee at the bowlo. Alright. Let's move on to something else. Income tax cuts. Alright, Jason, this sort hits from your side of politics, they better offer something. What cohort do you think would be the next logical one to offer an income tax cut to if this is indeed where they're going?
FALINSKI: Tom, as you know, I'm on the record for quite some time that Australians are not so much overtaxed, as government overspends, and that's what creates our tax and debt problem in Australia. But look, the biggest thing that we need to do when it comes to the tax system, besides lowering rates, is actually have a tax system that people can understand. At the moment, we have one of the most complex tax systems in the world. We run social policy through our tax system rather through our welfare system. And the best and brightest in this country, instead of going and doing something useful, often end up as tax accountants, or, worse still, tax barristers. It is a massive misallocation of human capital, and I would hope that my side of Parliament actually takes the opportunity at this election to outline how they're going to streamline and simplify the tax system, so it is a fairer and simpler tax system.
CONNELL: Patrick, indication to Labor that they're not going down this path. So what we've had that those long, drawn out tax cuts and bracket creeps, taking out money all along the way but you're done for a while on tax cuts?
GORMAN: Well, what I point people to is our record when it comes to tax cuts. We are the ones that reshaped the plan that the Coalition had left in place, made sure tax cuts went to people on lower and middle incomes. That was the right thing to do. We were open and transparent about it, also being really clear about the tax cuts that we don't support. We don't support a tax cut of $1.6 billion for bosses to go and have a long lunch. Now, I think that's ridiculous. And actually, if you look at it, you know Angus Taylor says he's running around the country doing his marginal seats tour. He's not coming West, but I didn't expect any less, but Angus Taylor is saying that he's going to go and talk more about tax cuts. He's only got one tax cut on the table, and it's a tax cut for bosses to go out for lunch. That's not tax policy.
CONNELL: Let me ask you this finally. Okay, so -
FALINSKI: Well, no no no no no, Patrick. No no no no no, Tom. Tom. Tom. I mean, there's only there is only one thing more ridiculous than that answer -
CONNELL: Go on, highjack away, Jason.
FALINSKI: Thank you very much. There's only one thing more ridiculous than that answer-
GORMAN: And that's what's about to follow.
FALINSKI: And that is the costings. That is the costings of $1.6 billion. Australians are absolutely and utterly unaware that they have one of the highest marginal tax rates of anywhere in the world, when you include the super guarantee surcharge as well, and it cuts in at the lowest rate of anywhere in the world. We are predominantly relying on income tax and large corporate taxes in this country to fund our government.
GORMAN: If Jason gets to hijack, I get to hijack too. We've got to be fair and even handed here on the Sky. Jason, you just whinged about the complexity of Australia's tax system? Can you explain in clear, simple terms how the tax cuts for this bosses have long lunches policy works. How does it work? Explain how it works?
CONNELL: Thanks, Jason, because you can't do it here. One word answer from each of you. Four day working week, yes or no. Patrick?
GORMAN: No.
CONNELL: Jason?
FALINSKI: No, unless it's for me.
CONNELL: I guess I better be a no. My bosses are watching. Alright, I'll talk to you both next week.
