E&OE
Senator Cash
Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is fantastic to have the Deputy Federal Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia joining us here in Western Australia. As I often say to people Sussan Ley is a great friend to Western Australia. We do joke that the electorate’s of O’Connor and Durack obviously are slightly bigger than the electorate of Farrer. But as someone who has been a farmer for 17 years, who has a pilot’s license, who’s been a chef in the farming industry, I have too say that to have Sussan here on the ground talking our language is absolutely fantastic. As the Shadow Minister though, for Employment and Workplace Relations, I do have to make comment on the Albanese government and the way they are behaving in relation to the abolition of the Australian Building and Construction Commission. Each day that this government is in office, it becomes clearer and clearer and clearer, the Albanese government receive donations which come in from the CFMEU – and policy goes out. Quite frankly, they should hang their heads in shame. They are prepared to put the interests of the most militant union in Australia, first and foremost at the expense of the interests of the Australian people and at the expense of the Australian economy. I asked the Minister representing Minister Burke in the Senate, what consultation had been had in relation to the Australian Building and Construction Commission’s abolition, I should not have been surprised with what was reported back.
Consultation with the CFMEU, consultation with the AWU and consultation with the ACTU. That is the contempt with which the Albanese government hold business and industry in this country, consultation with the unions and none with the construction industry. What is worse, is the announcement today that one of his key industrial relations advisors, Mr Albanese has appointed Alex Bukarica, a former Construction Division Assistant Secretary of the CFMEU. Let us not forget the High Court judgment after judgment have found that this is the most recidivist law-breaking union in our country. Only yesterday we saw the announcement by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia in Queensland, they had to impose the maximum penalty on the CFMEU and two of its officials for breaches of right of entry. But not only that, for disgusting homophobic slurs. And what’s Mr. Albanese’s response? It’s to bring the CFMEU into the heart of his government.
Let us be clear with the Australian people. There is only one accord now in this country. Donations come in, policies go out. That is the Albanese government serving up policy for its paymaster the CFMEU. They should hang their heads in shame. But ladies and gentleman, I also have as you know, the Deputy Leader of the Federal Liberal Party here with me today. And I’d love Sussan leads to make some comments, Sussan.
Sussan Ley
Many thanks indeed Michaelia. It’s terrific to be here with you as the Leader of our WA Liberal team and so many of my fabulous colleagues. I’ve got a packed program, I’m always put to work when I come here, and I love it. So I’ve met with the resources sector yesterday, I’ve got meetings with the tourism industry, with small business and with women and with rural and farm associations. I said when I became Deputy that I would be a voice for rural and regional Australia and no issue concerns me more at the moment than foot and mouth disease and the possibility of entering our country. And I was bewildered and in disbelief by the comments of Alannaha McTiernan, suggesting that somehow this might assist prices to go down every day that Alannaha McTiernan sits in Mark McGowan’s cabinet is a day of shame, for the great state of Western Australia and I really mean that. When I talk to my colleagues like Rick Wilson, Melissa Price, when I talk to the farmers that have driven for hours to come to sit in this room, passionate about the future of what they do and you consider the implications of FMD on their enterprises, on the reputation Australia has, we have with the highest red meat prices in the world because of the brilliant product that we produce. So the Opposition are absolutely going to take it up to Albanese and ask what are you doing? Why are you talking about a social media campaign and a few mats at airports and so much is at stake? In fact, Albanese, hasn’t had a great start, as my colleague Senator Cash has described. He has put the CFMEU and what they want, as a priority within his government’s agenda. That’s just not good enough. So its great to be here and great to hear about all the challenges that small businesses face here, but also to be, as I always am when I come to the west, energised, excited, and optimistic about the future, your businesses, the future of your industry, and the future of your amazing people.
Journalist
Why is Peter Dutton not here today?
Senator Cash
Peter, like most people have sometimes, in life, you do have personal commitments. And I think we all accept that. Peter does have a personal commitment in Queensland. And I think the reality is also flights are obviously quite difficult to get at the moment. But I have to say it is fabulous to have the Deputy Leader of the Federal Liberal Party of Australia joining us here today.
Sussan Ley
Remember, we had our first Shadow Cabinet here and he has been here twice. Both of us have committed to continue to come here. So it won’t just be high profile visits with a whole bunch of cameras, it’ll also be real quiet visits, seeing what needs to be done. It’ll be listening and we’re both happy to continue to do that.
Journalist
You said the Party is committed to the GST deal. Can I ask you personally, does that mean, you disagree with the New South Wales Premier, and treasurer and what they’ve said about the GST distribution?
Sussan Ley
Well, I absolutely disagree with them, because I fully agree with the position that the previous government fought so hard for against the Labor Party. the Labor Party in government now Is the party that may well walk away from this deal, not us.
Journalist
Prime Minister, is at Garma today announcing a referendum seeking support the changes through enshrined Indigenous Voice to Parliament, What do you think about that?
Sussan Ley
I found it disappointing that this issue was politicised by the Prime Minister last week. It’s not a vanity project, constitutional reform has to be considered, it has to be careful and it has to be consultative. So headline statements or questions to get that media grab fine, but you know, we’ll take our time to look at the detail we need to.
Journalist
What do you make of the wording?
Sussan Ley
As I said, it’s a broad general question that I understand will be proposed. I haven’t actually heard it from the Prime Minister yet but what I believe we need to do as an Opposition, as with all measures that the government produces is to consider them carefully to look at the detail and just not accept something. As I said, this is constitutional reform and it needs to be done carefully and it needs to take into account a range of different points of view, some of which were heard in the Senate this week.
Senator Cash
Anybody who hasn’t yet had the opportunity to view Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s maiden speech can I genuinely encourage you to do this. Her mother is Bess Price. I think everybody knows Bess Price’s story. Her mother had her under a tree in the Australian desert> Senator Nampijinpa Price made it very, very clear – there is no consensus amongst the indigenous communities in relation to the voice. She actually called on the Prime Minister of Australia to listen to the voices of indigenous people and those voices include Senator Jancinta Nampijinpa Price. As our Deputy Federal Leader has said -this is not a vanity project, Mr. Albanese, this is serious constitutional reform. And the details need to be made crystal clear.
Journalist
In principle, can the party could support it though.
Senator Cash
I think the Federal Deputy Leader has been very, very clear. We need to see the details and again have you had the opportunity to view Senator Nampijinpa Price’s speech?
Journalist
No.
Senator Cash
Can I just say when you go home and do it. Honestly, it is one of the best speeches you will ever see in this country. For anyone who has the opposing idea really listen carefully to what she had to say.
Journalist
Is the Coalition’s position that the referendum question should spell out exactly how it would work?
Sussan Ley
It’s too early for us to describe what the Coalition’s statement would be. But we do need to know how this body would work, and one headline question proposed by the Prime Minister is not giving us the answer to that. How would the body be constituted? Who would participate in it? How would it work in practice? And how would it address the real issues that indigenous women are calling for the government to deal with the real issues that were articulated by Jacinta Price this week, and other indigenous women in parliament. it needs to do many things.
Journalist
Just taking a step back from that, do you personally support individual voices?
Sussan Ley
I want to see the detail. I want to see something that unites Australians and doesn’t divide them. It’s something that has been discussed. In fact, the previous government allocated I think, $30 million to provide a detail of a regional voice so we can actually hear from communities. So we didn’t just make one single statement that we then highly politicised but we actually heard from people, we actually spent the time bringing all of that together. So the previous government was committed to doing a lot of work around this issue. Let’s see if Mr. Albanese is up to doing the same amount of work.
Journalist
Should flights from Bali be cancelled?
Sussan Ley
This isn’t an easy issue to address. But what Peter Dutton said last week, and I wholeheartedly endorse, is if you cannot give farmers the confidence that you are doing the things that you need to do to address FMD then maybe you do have to consider the suspension of flights and a range of other biosecurity measures. It has been hopeless watching Murray Watt, the Agriculture Minister, absolutely hopeless, listening to him faff around, sit on his hands and take three and a half weeks to actually come up with anything. And then what is something? It’s a social media campaign, it’s an appeal to Australians to do the right thing, And it’s floormats at the airport. Anecdotally we’re hearing that’s not happening. So the government has to do better on this.
Journalist
What’s your assessment of the state of the WA Liberal Party?
Sussan Ley
I was pleased to meet who liberals last night and this morning in between the other engagements I have around small business and tourism. And I wish the party well in the deliberation at it’s State Conference.
Senator Cash
If we want to talk about WA matters I am are more than happy to answer
Journalist
How concerned are you to see your party members trashing each other through the media? And what does that do to the Party’s brand here?
Senator Cash
Well, I think the people of Western Australia have given us a very, very clear message reform or pay the price.
I had made my position this morning in my speech to the State Conference very, very clear. I am supporting reform, full stop. That is it. I’m actually positive today and I’m hearing clapping coming out of there. Now. I am positive today that that our party understands there is only one way forward. And that is to reform the processes within our party. And the point that I made to the WA Liberal Party Conference was this. Under the leadership team of Peter Dutton and Susan Ley, there’s no six year plan. There is a three year plan, a three year plan to ensure that we are returned to Government and that we have the Australian people and the West Australian people backing us every step of the way. As Susan and I have both said, within the first few weeks, not years, few weeks of being in government, the Albanese government’s priorities have become incredibly clear to put the CFMEU at the heart of industrial relations policy in this country, to show Australians that the only accord that now exists is with the CFMEU – donations come in, policy outcomes come out. As Susan Ley has said, their lax attitude in relation to Foot and Mouth Disease entering this country.
We have to reform our party. We have to today show the Western Australian people we have listened and we have learned because we need to hold the Albanese government to account. That is our job internal reform must be done.
Journalist
Then will you vote for the reform with or without the amendment and will you be speaking for them? Then when will you be backing the amendment?
Senator Cash
This is very much a matter for the Liberal Party of Western Australia. I know what I’m doing, I’m backing reform, I’m backing the amendment. If it gets up, I’m backing reform. If it doesn’t get up, I am backing reform.
Journalist
But will you be actively lobbying for the amendment?
Senator Cash
I have been working quietly behind the scenes, but as you also know, I am someone who doesn’t play internal affairs out within the WA public. They don’t need to see that. My message today though, because today is D Day is very, very clear. I am supporting reform.
Journalist
Just to be clear, you said you’re backing the amendment?
Journalist
If the amendment doesn’t get up, then has that message been heard? And will the public accept?
Senator Cash
Yes, I’ll back the amendment as well. And if it doesn’t get up, I’m still backing reform. Full stop. Again, I’m backing reform that is now up to the WA Liberal Party as to what that reform looks like. But the WA people have sent us a very clear message.
The Liberal Party is continuing to reforming our processes within the WA Liberal Party. I think that what is also clear is we’ve made it clear to the party reformed in does continue. This is very much reform in relation to how we pre select our candidates, we need to give every single member of the Liberal Party in each division, the opportunity to have their say, we will achieve that today. I hope we indeed listen. We need to.
Journalist
Do you think you didn’t attract high quality candidates because of its pre selection process?
Senator Cash
I stand by all of our candidates. I think we have a fantastic federal liberal team. And in particular, the colleagues that join me in the shadow cabinet that into shadow ministry. But again, not about looking backwards. The Western Australian people don’t want us to do that. They’ve sent us a message. Simple as that they sent us a message. We need to listen to that message we need to reform our processes. And when we leave here today, we need to be able to hold our heads high and say to them, we listened we learned let’s get on with holding in my case, the Albanese government to account Thank you very much.
ENDS
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