Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Assistant Minister for the Public Service
TOM CONNELL, HOST: Big week in politics. We say that a bit, but it certainly has been this week. Let's thrash it out with Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman and the NSW Liberal Party president, Jason Falinski. Although, as I say, that that's still your role Jason? I know you're tapping the mat? Sort of only lasted a few months, you're like a millennial worker with your concentration levels. Are you still in that position?
JASON FALINSKI, NSW LIBERAL PARTY PRESIDENT: Well, Tom, I am proud to be compared to a millennial worker, let me tell you that. But no, in the next month or so, my reign of terror ends so everyone can sleep easily.
CONNELL: Okay I don't know why I said millennial anyway. I'm technically a millennial, believe it or not. Whats the future, are you going to fight for the beaches again?-
FALINSKI: Pat, do you think Tom looks millennial? Doesn't behave like a millennial.
PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE: I think Tom's a millennial with a very old soul. I'm also a millennial, but I'm what they term, in the official Internet lingo, a 'Geriatric Millennial'. That means I'm at the particularly old end of the millennial cohort. So, I think Tom's probably not a geriatric millennial, but he's just an old soul.
CONNELL: I think that's a compliment, old soul? I'm not sure… I'll look that one up. Before we dive back into the rest of it Jason, the rest of the of the office is pressuring. They said, 'You've got to ask him, is he running again in McKellar, are you going to fight in the beaches again?'
FALINSKI: Well, Tom, as you know, I'm going to keep fighting for lower taxes. I'm gonna keep stopping, you know, fighting for no Pep-11. And I'm going to keep fighting for a fairer, freer world for all Australians to live in.
CONNELL: All right.
GORMAN: He's got to keep us guessing. That's what he's going to do. He's got to keep us guessing.
CONNELL: Yeah okay, I'll let you get away with that one Jason-
FALINSKI: I'm just trying to keep the ratings high through intrigue.
CONNELL: Yeah, no, that's true. We've got week by week. We'll give an update week by week. We might get a sting up. 'What's Jason doing?'
FALINSKI: You should have a shot clock, Tom. You know, 24 hours to go.
CONNELL: We love a countdown. Don't give people ideas. What about you, Pat? We know you're running because what would the wine bars in Perth do without you? What are they saying? What's your feedback when someone says to you, I'm sure it's happened. 'Hey, mate, your Prime Minister broke a promise.' What's your response to them?
GORMAN: What I've had is really positive feedback from my community about our changes to the tax regime this year. That will start on the 1st of July. People have said, we get why you did it. Some people have been asking us to do that for a period of time, as the cost of living pressures have increased. I think people really appreciate that.
We've been upfront about it. We've put it out there with lots of time so people can see all of the detail. You will expect that I did have a prop for you today, Tom, and indeed I do. I'm writing out to my community telling them that they can scan this QR code to get the detail of the tax cut, on what they'll save, that's the right thing to do.
So I've had very positive feedback and, even I've had people who, will maybe still get a large tax cut, but not maybe as large as they would under the old Morrison and Dutton plan. They've said, 'We get it, we know that people in our community are hurting. People need some extra support'.
Because it's not just about individuals. We all live in the same society. We all, as Jason will tell you, go to the same wine bars. You want to make sure that everyone gets a little bit of support, that you're not just targeting to one area. That's what we're sort to do.
CONNELL: Okay There's the spiel out of the way. You even got your prop up. But come on, what do you say if someone buttonholes you? Apparently it must be very nice, these Perth wine bars, when everyone's just saying, 'Hey, mate, even though I got less money, that was great. Thanks for doing that.' That's the extent of the response over there, is it?
GORMAN: I think people across Australia, and it's been the case ever since we've had elected government in Australia, people are always engaged in our democracy in a pretty robust way. I get strong feedback about a range of different things, but I'm always happy to explain to people why we do it. I'll be doing my normal Parliament in the Park next Saturday to make sure I listen to people get their feedback. That's my job. People can come down. I think it's at Joondana Reserve, tell me why they think I'm doing a good job or a bad job-
CONNELL: Geez listen to the plugs.
GORMAN: - but I'll always be accountable for how I vote in the Parliament and I'll be voting for these tax cuts.
CONNELL: Tell you what, if you're not a fan of this, get down there. Because apparently all Patrick's had in the state that brought us the 'State Daddy' is positive feedback.
FALINSKI: I know its amazing.
CONNELL: Lets get serious here. Jason -
FALINSKI: Hey Tom. Hey Tom should we get Patrick to put up the QR code so people know where to go?
CONNELL: That's just taking to the government website, mate, to show them how much money they're getting.
FALINSKI: Oh sorry.
GORMAN: I'll give it to you, Jason. Jason, I know you're a bit analogue-
FALINSKI: How dare you -
GORMAN: You're probably more of a typing than a QR kind of guy. It's Treasury.gov.au. Treasury.gov.au Go there, you can find out what tax, teachers, nurses, the police officers-
CONNELL: We should be paid I'm going need to send an invoice for this show Patrick Gorman. The planes are coming in. All right, Jason, let me ask you this-
FALINSKI: Where are you, Patrick? Are you in some train station or something?
GORMAN: I'm at the wonderful Perth International Airport, about to greet the Foreign Minister of India, who's here for the Indian Ocean Conference.
FALINSKI: Are you going to take him to a wine bar or?
GORMAN: We will take very good care of all 17 Foreign Ministers who are coming to Perth this weekend. It's really exciting that we've got so many from the Indian Ocean region here talking about shared interests for our part of the world and shared challenges including climate change.
CONNELL: I'll just wade in there. You are watching Afternoon Agenda with Jason Falinski at the moment, but I'll get a couple of words in. Jason, let me ask you this.
FALINSKI: Yes, Tom.
CONNELL: I know that you're hoping the stage three tax cuts, that you'd know that you'll reheat it and maybe it'll get a few of the so called Teal voters excited about the Liberals. Do you think the Liberal government can win back, Liberal Party can win back some of those Teal seats with the current, well, environmental and renewable policy, but also rhetoric. Is that going to cost you really winning these seats back?
FALINSKI: Are you referring to the National Party rhetoric on renewables?
CONNELL: Well, yeah, there's a policy to come, but the Nats have been a big part of it this week, haven't they, around renewables and wanting- some of them want a whole moratorium on major projects.
FALINSKI: Look, Tom, I think that all seats. Every Australian wants to have an energy grid that is more efficient, costs less and has reduced emissions. The simple fact of the matter is that since the Teals got elected and you specified them, emissions have gone up, energy costs have gone up by 33% and we're not seeing a lot of investment in new energy sources. There's a massive fight going on around distribution networks. We've got Snowy Hydro 2, where there's been a massive blowout under this government and the Minns Government is refusing to plug it in by building transmission lines. The current Government's energy policy, which is being cheered on by the Teal's is an absolute mess. And Tom, not enough people know this. I mean, the Labor party was pretty blunt, to be fair, and said we're going to spend about $2 billion keeping prices down by giving $2 billion to some of the most profitable coal companies in the world. The Teals voted for that. I don't think that a lot of people have actually held them to account on that-
GORMAN: Let me the just fill in picture there, Jason. Let me just say that it's also worth noting to the viewers of Sky that when it came to energy price relief, all of your former colleagues, including the Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, voted against lower power bills, voted against giving people cost of living relief-
CONNELL: Let me jump in-
GORMAN: Worth noting when you tell that story.
CONNELL: And I'll end it there with, you wanted this one Jason-
FALINSKI: To which the obvious retort, is energy prices went up 33% and you still gave $2 billion to the most profitable coal companies in the world. The Teal's have to answer for that one.
CONNELL: Wrapping it on up there, but I'll let you finish with this one Jason. You wanted this, your one-word reaction to Nemesis watching it the last couple of weeks?
FALINSKI: You know, typical ABC. Is that 2 words?
CONNELL: You couldn't even do one word. That was your question -
FALINSKI: I know, I know well whats Pats Answer?
CONNELL: I weep for the future. No, he doesn't get one, we got, we're way over time.
FALINSKI: Pardon me.
CONNELL: Pat, Jason, see you next week.
