Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney-General
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
TRANSCRIPT
Seven National News at Noon
TOPICS: Trump adviser, Workplace Relations, YouGov Poll, real wages, Labor lies, National Portable Long Service Leave
1 May 2025
E&OE
Natarsha Belling
Well, with more on the election campaign, we’re joined this afternoon by Senators Murray Watt and Michaelia Cash. Good afternoon to both of you, thanks so much for joining us. Senator Cash, if I can start with you. Firstly, those allegations about Mr Trump’s campaign chiefs, one of them visiting Australia to advise the Coalition and Mr Dutton at the start of the election campaign, is that correct?
Senator Cash
No, it’s not. And we’ve been very, very clear on that. Our sole focus is the Australian people and ensuring that when they’re going into their polls, they’re asking themselves the question: Am I better off today than I was three years ago when Mr Albanese was first elected? And can I afford another three years of Labor?
We have a positive plan put forward for the Australian people, and that is our clear focus, nothing more and nothing less.
Natarsha Belling
Can I ask, why would that adviser make those allegations then?
Senator Cash
Well, you would need to speak to that adviser. As I have said, those allegations are not true. Our clear focus is the Australian people, and the simple question they need to ask themselves as they are walking into that polling booth: Can I afford another three years of Labor, given in particular the crash in living standards? The fact that I was at a shop recently, I walked in, and I spoke to people, and as they said to me, “Michaelia, under Mr Albanese, my basket has got smaller, but the price has got bigger.” I was with a small business earlier this morning, they were telling me about the increase in their energy price under Mr Albanese. So, our clear focus is our positive plan for the Australian people. But in particular, that simple question that all Australians need to ask themselves: Do you feel better off today than you did three years ago when Mr Albanese was first elected? Overwhelmingly, the response from the Australian people is no.
Natarsha Belling
Minister Watt, if I can move on to you, The Australian is today claiming that Labor will revive its national portable long service leave scheme. Now, some employers are arguing that that will be an $18 billion hit to our economy and a “cash cow” they’re alleging for unions. Can you confirm whether the Labor Party will introduce this?
Murray Watt
G’day, Tarsh. Well, we paused consultations about that proposal last year, and they remain paused. As we go into this election, our 100% focus when it comes to wages is how we can continue to lift them. We went into the last election under a Coalition government with wages falling compared to inflation. We go into this election, as a result of Labor’s changes, with wages rising above inflation for 15 months in a row under Labor, a complete mirror image of what we saw under the Coalition. Now, we saw throughout this term, the Coalition voted against every change that Labor made to workplace laws which has lifted people’s wages and helped them with their cost of living pressures. We go into this election, and the commitments we have made have been to support a real wage increase for the lowest paid, which the Coalition has not supported. We have also said that we will legislate to protect people’s penalty rates from being stripped from awards, which again, the Coalition has not supported. And we have got the Coalition saying that they want to take away rights, like the right to disconnect after hours, so that your boss can contact you after hours, even if it’s at an unreasonable level. So, there’s a very clear contrast between the parties this weekend when it comes to wages and jobs. Labor is lifting wages. Labor is creating more jobs. Under the Coalition, we saw them deliberately keep wages low, and they’re talking about taking rights away and cutting people’s pay if they win this next election.
Senator Cash
That’s more Labor lies. What Murray Watt conveniently does not tell the Australian people is this: under the term of the Coalition government, real wages increased. It is a fact that under the term of the Albanese government, real wages have decreased. That happens to be a fact, which Murray Watt conveniently, every time he opens his mouth, has a difficulty with the truth. He does not tell the Australian people. But Natarsha, if I was every employer in Australia today, based on what Murray Watt has just admitted, you are about to be hit with, in the event that Mr Albanese is re-elected on Saturday night, an $18 billion compulsory union tax. Think of payroll tax, because that is what Mr Albanese is about to do to you. Every employer in this country, regardless of your size, Murray Watt has not ruled out implementing this. And quite frankly, every employer in this country should be scared. $18 billion a year, as Tania Constable said, a compulsory union tax. But let’s face it, it is something, Natarsha, the unions have been begging for, for how long now? This is a government with a history of implementing a union agenda, and Murray Watt has just been clear, a re-elected Labor-Greens government, or a re-elected Labor government: a compulsory union tax.
Natarsha Belling
If I can just interrupt, regarding what the latest poll says in regard to the Coalition. The latest YouGov poll says the Coalition is looking at their worst result in 80 years. You made some points earlier in this interview saying cost of living crisis, we’re worse off now than what we were three years ago. So why are people going to vote for Labor then?
Senator Cash
And I’d cast you back to 2019 and what the polls were actually saying then. Certainly, for us, the only poll ultimately, Natarsha, and we all know this, that counts is on election day. The polls are saying one thing; what I’m seeing on the ground is another thing. But I can tell you what the one consistent is, it’s this: Do you feel better off today than you did three years ago when Mr Albanese was first elected? The answer is no. Even the Prime Minister yesterday, when questioned by Andrew Clennell, he couldn’t admit that Australians were not better off. He couldn’t even utter those words, because he knows what the reality is.
Natarsha Belling
Sorry, if I can just interrupt. We need to make this fair. Minister Watt, what are your responses there?
Murray Watt
Yeah well, I mean, as I say, Tarsh, the only party that is going to this election with a proposal to cut wages and conditions is the Coalition under Peter Dutton.
Senator Cash
It’s another Labor lie, Murray, you’ve got to stop lying.
Murray Watt
Michaelia, I didn’t interrupt you. Maybe you could just let me have a,
Senator Cash
No, but you’re lying, Murray.
Murray Watt
No, Michaelia,
Senator Cash
You’re lying. You shouldn’t lie.
Murray Watt
Yesterday, you shouted over these throughout an interview. Today, maybe you can give me a chance to talk.
Senator Cash
You shouldn’t lie to the Australian people.
Natarsha Belling
Michaelia, if we can just please let the Minister finish.
Murray Watt
Thanks, Tarsh. The Coalition and Peter Dutton have said they will get rid of the right to disconnect if they win this election. They have said they will wind back casuals’ protections. No one really knows where they stand on working from home, because their Shadow Finance Minister has just said that their policy was the wrong time. So maybe after the election is when they want to bring it back. The choice that Australians will have this weekend is whether they want to re-elect a Labor government that is focused 100% on relieving cost of living pressures, with tax cuts that Peter Dutton is going to repeal, with energy bill relief that Peter Dutton has opposed. And of course, we want to strengthen Medicare as well. So, a choice between a Labor government investing in Medicare and delivering cost of living relief, or Peter Dutton, who always wants to cut things.
Natarsha Belling
Minister, we’ll leave it there, I think that’s fair.
Murray Watt
That’s the choice people have got.
Natarsha Belling
We appreciate both of your times this afternoon. Thank you so much, wishing you both the best for the week.
ENDS
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