Kieran Gilbert
Let’s go live now to Perth. I’m joined live by the Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Michaelia Cash. Thanks for your time. Are you encouraged by the ongoing strength of the labour market the unemployment rate down to 3.4% today?
Senator Cash
Look, and certainly that’s good news for the Australian people. But when you actually look behind the unemployment rate, which is really just a headline rate, it is concerning, Kieran. 86,000 full time jobs lost, the participation rate 66.8% down to 66.4%. I mean, alarm bells should now be ringing for the Albanese Government. I’ve, in fact, just come from talking to a small business. And when you say to them, “how’s it going?”, the answer is pretty obvious “I cannot get access to the labour I need”. So whilst yes, the headline figure is a good figure, and I have to say, is still because of many of the policies that were put in place by the former coalition government what you are now seeing though, is the pendulum’s swung the other way – businesses need access to labour, and the Albanese government today has done absolutely nothing other than say they’re going to have a Jobs and Skills Summit. Well guess what? Peter Dutton has already announced a policy – our veterans and pensioners workforce policy – which would allow veterans and pensioners to work an extra day per week without affecting their pension. And Peter Dutton has been upfront – Mr Albanese could have introduced this yesterday, and we would have welcomed it. So look, always a great headline figure when you say the reduction, but looking behind it, alarm bells should well and truly be ringing for Mr. Albanese and his government.
Kieran Gilbert
We’ll see if they take up that that policy. They’re not ruling it out – the proposal that you’ve put forward. The Jobs Summit coming up in a couple of weeks. But are you worried when you look and you talk about the legacy of the former government and the strength of the labour market as being part of it, are you worried that it’s being tarnished somewhat by the scandal around the secret ministries that the former Prime Minister swore himself into?
Senator Cash
And again, Scott Morrison addressed the media at length yesterday. Scott gave the reasons for his decision. And the one thing that I’m very proud of as a former cabinet minister in the coalition government, is what we did achieve, and you cannot take that away from the coalition government. Treasury, were estimating at the height of COVID-19, it was March 2020, you could see unemployment reach 15%. As I stand here, today, it has dropped 3.5 down to 3.4. And guess what, I don’t think Treasury ever anticipated that you would actually now have a lack of labour in Australia as the issue that businesses are facing. The decisions we made on the basis of health advice saved around 40,000 lives. And then of course, you have the JobKeeper policy. I still today walk into businesses who say to me, “if it wasn’t for JokKeeper, I would not be here today”. So I’m really proud to defend the legacy of the former coalition government. Scott Morrison did address the media yesterday, he was right to address the media yesterday and he apologised. There is now as you know, there’s a process in place.
Kieran Gilbert
He’s apologised to his colleagues but not apologised to the Australian people for these activities in office by secretly being sworn into greater powers. Should he have been upfront to the Australian people as well?
Senator Cash
Well, I think you know, Scott has made it very, very clear. In hindsight, obviously, he should have told the relevant ministers. But again, I go to, they were unprecedented times, decisions were being made at a very rapid rate. There is now a process, though, and on Monday, the government will receive the advice from the Solicitor General. I’m going to await the outcome of that advice. But as I said, Scott has apologised to the ministers concerned. And he should have done that. He said he should have done that. And he has now done that. But when it comes to the issues that I’m confronted with now, as someone in opposition, who gets to go out every day and talk to Australians and in particular businesses, I can assure you there are two things they raised with me. The first is they need labour, and they need it as of yesterday, and so many now say to me, “why won’t Mr. Albanese implement the policy that Peter Dutton has announced?” Well, that’s for Mr. Albanese to say why he hasn’t implemented it. But the other one, Kieran, when you’re just talking to the average person in the street, “why has Mr. Albanese walked away from his promise that I relied on the $275 or bring a power price down?”. I’m out there everyday talking to people and they are the issues that they are raising.
Kieran Gilbert
But do you also, do you accept the concerns that others have about a slippery slope potentially where a leader takes on additional powers in secret?
Senator Cash
Well, again, Scott has been very upfront and said in hindsight, of course, he should have told the relevant ministers. But the other point that Scott made was he never exercised any function in relation to those portfolios. But as I’ve said, he’s apologised. He should have apologised. He has apologised. He admitted he got it wrong. But there is a process now in place. The Solicitor General at the behest of the government is now looking at this situation and I’ll await the outcome of that process, which I understand is the legal advice will be provided to the government on Monday.
Kieran Gilbert
Just only a minute left, but it can you explain why some of your colleagues are so angry, like Karen Andrews says that he should leave the parliament? Is it because they feel like they weren’t trusted in terms of carrying out their responsibilities?
Senator Cash
Well, again, they were the ministers that were directly affected by the swearing in, or should I say by the assignment to their portfolios. I think Karen has said, though, she’s drawn a line in the sand. She is moving on. As I think, again, when I’m out there everyday [Shadow] Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, the issues being raised with me are access to labor and the cost of power. But again, there is a formal process in place. This process will play out and the Solicitor General will provide, I understand, the advice to government on Monday
Kieran Gilbert
Michaelia Cash, Shadow Minister for Workplace Relations, joining me live from Perth. I appreciate your time.
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