Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney-General
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
TRANSCRIPT
Press Conference – APH, Mural Hall
19 September 2024
TOPICS: labour force figures, cost of living, RBA interest rates, Nature Positive laws
E&OE
Senator Cash
Well, the unemployment figures for August have been released today and whilst the unemployment rate in Australia remains steady at 4.2%, when you look behind the figures, it is quite disturbing for the Australian people. What the unemployment figures show today is that the economy is shedding full-time jobs. This is a government, the Albanese government, that lauds its commitment to creating full time jobs in Australia and yet what we have seen is the shedding of full time jobs in the employment figures today. We’ve also seen the creation of part time jobs. That just reflects more and more Australians, because of the cost of living crisis, having to undertake an additional job taking on those extra hours because literally they cannot afford life under the Labor Government. Dark clouds are unfortunately ahead for the Australian people, and this is in particular reflected in the comments that are now being made by the business community across Australia. The business community in particular, Mr. Bran Black has said, the Labor Party just cannot manage the economy. Their industrial relations changes are having a chilling effect across Australia. You’ve seen now since Labor was elected, 19,000 small businesses in this country have gone insolvent. They are literally drowning under the red tape that has been imposed on them by this government. And then of course yesterday, we saw in Sydney and Melbourne, our two largest capital cities quite literally closed down for a period of time. Why? Because the CFMEU and the construction sector basically said they were stopping work. Again Mr. Albanese – where was he yesterday? Murray Watt, where was he yesterday condemning this behavior? But a few weeks ago across Australia, we saw rolling stoppages in the construction sector. Mr. Albanese is losing control of the Australian economy, and the people it ultimately impacts are Mum and Dad Australia. They are working longer hours, they are having to take on additional work to make ends meet under an Albanese government. And then, of course, we have the ETU saying that in Victoria, they will next week, be running 72 hours of wildcat strikes. Again, where is Mr. Albanese condemning this behavior? Where is Mr. Albanese saying to his Employment Minister Murray Watt, you actually need to go down to the Fair Work Commission and actually intervene to bring this to a head now. The economic impact of stopping the construction sector from working cannot be underestimated. And ultimately, who pays the price? Mum and Dad Australians, it’s their schools, it’s their houses, it’s their hospitals and it’s their roads that are either not being built or alternatively, they are paying a lot for. So unfortunately, as the business community are now openly saying, Mr. Albanese, the policies that your Government have put in place are quite literally having a chilling effect on businesses across Australia. But more than that, they are having a detrimental impact on our economy. Any questions?
Journalist
Senator, The Economist is saying that the jobs data is actually quite strong and more jobs added than expected. So how does that sit with you?
Senator Cash
Well again. Let’s have a look at those jobs figures. You actually saw the economy shed full time jobs. That is not good. You actually want to see full time jobs created. One of the big issues with the jobs figures under this government now is job creation in the public sector it is outstripping job creation in the private sector. In other words, the jobs that have been created are government funded jobs. You don’t want to see that. You want to see our employers across Australia creating the jobs. They are just not doing that. What the jobs figures also show, there is an increase in the number of hours work, that is just Australians who are having to do more hours to make ends meet. But put the jobs figures aside. What do Australians know? What they know is they got up this morning and life is not easy under Mr. Albanese, it is as simple as that.
Journalist
Senator Cash, on another matter, Tanya Plibersek has ruled out a climate trigger. The Government’s only hope of passing the legislation appears to be the support the Coalition. Have you finalized your position and are you willing to agree to deal with Labor?
Senator Cash
Well, let’s be very clear. We have said we would negotiate with Labor in good faith. But this is bad legislation, and we don’t pass bad legislation. But I’ll put this to you, has Tanya Plibersek actually ruled out a climate trigger because Murray Watt yesterday at the Press Club belled the cat on Mr. Albanese and his second term government, or even worse, a government with the Greens. Murray Watt very clearly said, in answer to a very reasonable question, governments take certain things to an election, and then after elections, they deliver extra things. So as far as I’m concerned, you can’t trust Tanya Plibersek, you can’t trust Anthony Albanese and Murray Watt himself. A reasonable question to which he gave a considered answer, and the considered answer was, beware a future Labor Government. Beware our future Labor-Greens government. They will be delivering to Australia a whole lot of extras that the Australian people will know nothing about before the election.
Journalist
The Senate has agreed to inquiries on the government’s privacy and hate crimes bills to report back in mid-November and mid-December. Can I please get your views on those bills, and are you concerned that the hate crimes bill might not be passed this year, maybe not before the election?
Senator Cash
Well again, at this point in time, we are going through the bills. In terms of the hate crimes bill that has been considerably stripped from what Mr. Dreyfus had originally put forward to stakeholders. The opposition has continually said that we need to do more combating in particular anti-semitism in this country, and the way that you do it is to review the Criminal Code, to work out why the current provisions are not working. We are working through that process. In relation to privacy again, Mr. Dreyfus had put on the table a bill that would have destroyed small businesses in this country. He has significantly paired it back, and we will work through that process with our stakeholders. But again, beware what Murray Watt said yesterday. Mr. Dreyfus has already shown to stakeholders, two bills that are significantly different to what he has now tabled in the parliament. That can only mean one thing. The Labor Party are trying to look reasonable before the election. But as Murray Watt said yesterday, governments take certain things to an election, and then they deliver additional things afterwards. Well, I’m going to put money on the fact that those additional things are actually reflected in the original bills that Mr. Dreyfus had shown to a select number of stakeholders, while requiring them to sign non-disclosure agreements.
Journalist
Senator Cash, just on the breakdown between public and private sector jobs. Given the surge in public sector jobs, do you think that’s making it harder for the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates?
Senator Cash
Well, the first thing I’d say is, look at the announcement in the US today. That does not bode well for Australia, because it confirms yet again that when it comes to inflation, in particular, Australia is literally at the back of the pack. You also look at the reasons that the committee have announced in the US for taking the decision that they did. They are looking at inflation, and they are seeing it trending down. That is not what the Reserve Bank here has said in Australia. The Reserve Bank have made it very, very clear that the inflation problem that we have in Australia is home grown inflation. What does that mean? In basic terms it means, the policies that the Albanese government are implementing are causing inflation to remain above that where it needs to be. So look, the Reserve Bank itself is independent. The economists, now that the labour force figures have come out, they are saying it will make it much harder for the Reserve Bank to lower interest rates. But even if they lower interest rates, there’s been 12 interest rate rises under this government. Food – every time an Australian walks into a shop, they come out, the basket’s got smaller but the price has got bigger. It doesn’t matter what you touch under Mr. Albanese, it is costing you more. And the problem with this government is it refuses to accept whatever the economists are saying. It is their policies that are now contributing to this. So until the government actually listens and learns, I don’t know if there’s going to be too much good news for Australians.
Journalist
Is that policy though of pumping up public sector, is that making it harder for the RBA?
Senator Cash
Well again, the RBA will look at a number of factors. But in relation to the creation of public service jobs, one of the things I’ve always said when I was the Employment Minister – governments don’t create jobs, employers do. Governments put in place economic frameworks under which employers can either prosper and grow and create more higher paying, sustainable jobs for Australians or… The business community across Australia are now saying you are in the ‘or.’ The jobs figures are reflecting you are in the ‘or.’ The jobs that have been created are in the main in the public sector. That is more taxpayer funding. That is not where you want Australia to be, you want to see a flourishing private sector creating jobs, growing, being more prosperous. But as I said, creating more, higher paying, sustainable jobs for Australians. Thank you all very much.
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