Hon Patrick Gorman MP on Sky Politics Now

TOM CONNELL, HOST: Alright joining the panel now, the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and surely some sort of Cabinet Minister for Props, that's Patrick Gorman who, unbeknownst to me, apparently he was asked by us to bring in these scissors. And they're real.

ANDREW CLENNELL, HOST: How do you get those through security?

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: I asked myself the same question, Andrew, but I'm only -

CLENNELL: I'm starting to get worried about security.

CONNELL: Pass holders are allowed.

CLENNELL: You can just bring in-

CONNELL: I brought in a very large bread knife the other day and a loaf.

CLENNELL: Really!

CONNELL: Members of the public aren't.

GORMAN: I'll just say I looked high and low across Australia for the largest pair of scissors I could find. These are from Hire King in Canning Vale, a great West Australian business, and these are the largest scissors I've been able to find anywhere in Australia for the big cuts that Peter Dutton is planning to make.

[SNIP]

Pension, Medicare, fee-free TAFE.

CLENNELL: Where's this evidence he's going to do all that? I mean, come on, that's a load of garbage, really.

KIERAN GILBERT, HOST: You guys are just gilding the lily aren't you?

GORMAN: You've already seen confirmation from the Coalition that they do plan to cut things like the Housing Australia Future Fund.

CLENNELL: And public servants, but not Medicare, pensions, really?

GORMAN: Now, this is not a figure that I generated, Andrew, this is a figure that the Coalition generated, $315 billion, that they said-

GILBERT: A figure that Jim Chalmers generated, but anyway.

GORMAN: - was unnecessary spending. Now, if they think that's unnecessary, that means that they're cutting fee-free TAFE, cutting the aged pension. All those things that they've said were unnecessary spending, which we now know is actually helping people.

CLENNELL: I thought their figure was $100 billion. Where does the 315 come from?

GORMAN: That's a figure that came from the Shadow Finance Minister talking about $315 billion of Labor's spending, and that includes things like the regular every six-monthly indexation of the pension.

CLENNELL: She didn't say she was going to cut the whole lot. All she would have been saying was, 'that's how much extra spending you've got' or something.

GORMAN: Well, they could. I'm sorry to say, cut to the chase and actually tell us what they are planning to cut.

CLENNELL: So you're trying to smoke them out.

GORMAN: Well, I just want to know. If they think that I am so wrong, then they could tell us what programs they do and don't want to continue. We know they voted against the energy bill relief that actually is helping households right now. Again, if they don't want to see that, they should say so. And I think it's pretty reasonable that we're getting very close to the business end of the cycle where we start to expect-

CLENNELL: Are you worried? Some of this stuff smacks of you guys are pretty worried at the moment.

GORMAN: I think you know, and I hope my good friend Tom Connell knows, that when it comes to engagement on the public debate, I take the issues really seriously. But I also think you can have a little bit of fun on the way through. I never take anything for granted in politics, I think that's always a mistake. I hope, and I will work every day to ensure the re-election of a majority Albanese Labor government. That's what I think is in the best interests of Australia. But I do respect the people of Australia. I don't seek to prejudge what they will decide on Election Day. I seek to earn their support. I think that's the appropriate way for anyone in politics to conduct themselves.

CLENNELL: Sure. Can I ask you about these hate speech laws? I understand Mark Dreyfus is going to introduce them tomorrow. I know you can't give us the specifics, but what's this about? If you could explain to the viewers.

GORMAN: When it comes to further legislation to strengthen our hate crimes regime in Australia, it's about protecting people from just that - hate speech. Now I know you'd like me to give the details. Tomorrow morning in the house, the Attorney-General will introduce that legislation. I encourage people to tune in to the House of Representatives between nine and ten am on a Wednesday and Thursday, that is normally when we introduce legislation. The Attorney will introduce this Bill then. He's flagged that, but I don't want to steal his announcement. I also respect the parliament, normally we release those final details of legislation when we pop it into the Parliament.

CONNELL: A lot of talk today about social media, so restricting social media for people under 16. Would this need to be something that Government does in some way? So you designate an app, and then there's some sort of government age ID verification? Or would big tech companies have to do it?

GORMAN: We're obviously working through the shape of that legislation that the Prime Minister has announced. We will introduce it this year. What's important in this social media reform is about making sure that children are protected from the worst bits of the internet. Helping parents who want to make sure that their kids are out playing, helping parents who want to make sure that their children have a childhood. When it comes to how you do it, I think we all have a role to play. Government has a role to play, and we're doing that through the $6.5 million assurance trial that Minister Rowland is working on. Social media giants, these big multinational, multibillion dollar companies. They've got to do more too.

CONNELL: Will they? Do you really think they will? Is the evidence anywhere that they enforce the existing age restriction, for example, that's in place in some of them?

GORMAN: I've read parts of former Chief Justice Robert French's report, which does outline that some social media giants are better than others when it comes to enforcing those rules. I think we've got to lift the standard across the board. It's really important that they do their job, and we can have higher expectations of these social media multinationals.

OLIVIA CIASLEY, HOST: When it comes to these laws, do you think Labor's been a bit late to the party on this, and are you confident that legislation will be able to be passed prior to the next election?

GORMAN: We have said we'll introduce legislation. Where it goes from there is obviously up to the Parliament, but I think from the conversations I've been having over the last day since we announced this, there is broad support in the community to get this done. I'd like to see it get through the Parliament this term, of course. You know where I'm going to vote. I'm going to vote for the Government's legislation. Where others vote, they'll reveal their position over time.

CAISLEY: We're also seeing a push from, especially from the likes of Independent Senator David Pocock, for a clamp down on AI generative videos when it comes to election campaigns. Do you, is that something that you'd support? Because, I mean, we've seen how quickly this is developed. It can be used to nefarious ends. Do you think more needs to be done, especially prior to an election?

GORMAN: There are risks when it comes to artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence generated content, especially in elections. And I think one of the things that's really important is that we actually talk about that so that when viewers are seeing things, whether it be on their screens or on their phones, they're viewing it with a critical eye. That not everything you see now is necessarily legit or real. That's probably the best way that we preserve democracy for the long run. In terms of other actions the government will take around truth in advertising and other things when it comes to elections, I'm not in a position to announce any further initiatives other than the ones that Minister Farrell has already outlined.

GILBERT: You're a former State Secretary of the State Labor Party in WA and we saw a poll this week. Ashleigh Gillon was reporting a bit earlier in the week, where the Cook Government's still well ahead. How's the Labor brand holding up? Mia Davies was on the program earlier. It's a three-cornered contest in the seat of Bullwinkel. Are you feeling sanguine about where Labor's at in WA?

GORMAN: I just said before to Andrew that I don't ever take any vote for granted, be that in my own electorate, or in Western Australia, or Australia at large. You've got to get out there and always argue your case for re-election. That's what I do. When it comes to how Labor will perform at the next election, and how the Liberal Party, and indeed the National Party - who are looking to re-enter the Parliament for Western Australia, into the Federal Parliament with Mia's candidacy - it's going to be interesting. And I'm always pleased there's lots of attention for the great state of Western Australia.

GILBERT: But it hasn't fallen off a cliff, the Labor brand?

GORMAN: We had myself, the Prime Minister and Premier Roger Cook, we were out at Mount Lawley High School last week announcing a really significant investment in fully funding our public schools in Western Australia. We continue to deliver for WA and to make sure that WA is a central part of our National Government. Again, what I just want to note on, you mentioned Bullwinkel but I think it's really interesting, and this hasn't had enough attention. Bullwinkel, Curtin and potentially more, the Liberal party's got a lot of three-cornered contests in Western Australia. That's going to be an interesting challenge for them, as they're trying to fight between Labor, Independence, Nationals, the whole lot. It's going to be interesting.

CONNELL: We'll leave it there, Patrick Gorman, delving into a bit of psephology. Be careful with the scissors too, they terrify me those things.

GILBERT: Yeah, me as well.