Topics: NDIS, Newspoll, UOMO bill
Chris Kenny: Sarah, appreciate your time. I want to get your thoughts, firstly on the economy because we keep hearing about stagflation in this country. We all know we’re facing cost pressures and inflation but there’s just no economic growth to go with it?
Senator Henderson: Well, Chris, good afternoon and the government has a very big job to do, to rein in its reckless spending, to bring inflation under control. I don’t think a lot of Australians have got a lot of confidence that the government can do that. When you look at the mad spending under Labor, including, of course, the NDIS, $50 billion – and they’re tinkering at the edges. $5 billion alone in fraud, imagine how people with disability feel knowing that so many billions of dollars is being defrauded when their needs, perhaps, are not being met. So frankly, rather than impose more taxes on Australians, the government must rein in its spending.
Chris Kenny: No doubt about that. In fact, we’ll focus on some details of the NDIS in the program tomorrow night. Let’s have a look at some of what Jim Chalmers had to say today.
Jim Chalmers: We’re obviously considering a whole range of changes in the tax system but we haven’t changed those policies. We haven’t taken any decisions on those policies, whether the specific ones you mentioned, there’s more work to do on our options for tax reform in this budget and that we do think that there is intergenerational unfairness in the tax system and in the housing market.
Chris Kenny: Sarah Henderson, Labor’s idea of tax reform worries me. It usually means tax increase, which is hardly reform and what Labor is considering when it comes to the housing crisis, all amounts to increased taxation on housing investment, surely that’s hardly going to help the problem?
Senator Henderson: Well, Chris, more taxes on housing is less houses for Australians. I don’t think this Treasurer understands that. This economy is tanking. And I have to congratulate you on running excerpts of Liam Bartlett’s story on Spotlight last night. If you look at the mismanagement of the energy economy in this country by Labor, it is frightening. I really have very serious fears for the future of this country under Labor, the economy is out of control and we have no confidence that this government is prepared to do the hard work to rein in spending which, of course, means that we can rein in inflation. We’re looking at very high inflation. We’re looking at a real housing crisis. And of course, we’ve got a fuel crisis in this country. Energy security is economic security. We are seeing more and more businesses moving offshore. They’re fleeing like no tomorrow from Victoria. So this country is in a terrible state and that’s why under Angus Taylor, we are very focused on the fundamentals, getting this country back on track with responsible economic management, getting rid of net zero and delivering for all Australians.
Chris Kenny: Well, let’s go to something that might give you a little bit of comfort, a little bit of encouragement. And that is the latest opinion polls. Two major polls out today. They both show that support for One Nation is coming off a little bit just ahead of the Coalition in News poll and level pegging in the Resolve poll, small shifts there, not far outside the margin of error I would have thought but here’s Barnaby Joyce explaining why One Nation might have come off the boil.
Barnaby Joyce: I look at the polls and I suppose that there’s was a little bit of bad press, especially around one of our former staffers and I understand that. People say, I don’t watch the polls. Of course, we all watch the polls. The poll is still higher than the Coalition, by the way.
Chris Kenny: Barnaby Joyce there, referring to Sean Black, the convicted rapist who’s now no longer working for One Nation. Bur surely also Angus Taylor has hardened up Coalition stance on some key issues, including net zero and immigration?
Senator Henderson: Well, absolutely. Angus has made a very important announcement about our Australian values immigration policy. We are going to be very tough on who comes to this country and who stays in this country. We will not tolerate anyone coming to this country who hates Australia, who does not subscribe to our values. So we’re working very quickly. We know we have got a lot of hard work to do. And certainly the edge has come off One Nation. The hiring of a convicted rapist, which was a decision by Pauline Hanson, was a pretty poor decision and I think One Nation is paying the price for that. That does not build confidence in One Nation’s priorities, in my view. But we don’t understate the very tough job that we’ve got to do to stand up for all Australians on every issue. It’s the management of the economy, management of immigration, net zero, and of course, what I’ve been doing today, Chris, which is prosecuting the case for regional Australians.
Chris Kenny: I wanted to get your thoughts on that. There are still problems with the rollout of mobile reception around the country in 30 seconds or less. What needs to be done?
Senator Henderson: Well, the government has a Universal Mobile Outdoor bill, which provides very little guarantees. It’s very big on promises but it doesn’t include mandatory mobile roaming, which we think is pretty essential. Every regional Australian deserves the very best regional connectivity. And of course, the government has slashed and burned on regional connectivity funding including the black spots program. So they really have abandoned regional Australians in so many respects when it comes to regional comms which, as we know, is essential for safety, it’s essential for families and to do business right across the country.
Chris Kenny: Thanks for joining us. Sarah. Appreciate it.