Doorstop interview - Parliament House

BASEM ABDO, MEMBER FOR CALWELL: It's great to be here. I just wanted to mention how, it was great having Patrick down in our electorate in Calwell last week for an employment services forum. We're looking at the reforms, that we're introducing to parliament. We're a young community, a growing community, and a diverse community. So, employment reform and a focus on jobs is important for communities like mine, and reforms that actually reflect the social and economic profile of communities and the industrial changes that have happened with communities like mine over the last decade or so. Also, we're seeing in our community, the delivery of Labor's national priorities taking effect in our community. We're seeing that in the GP clinic rates that are having - people having access to primary health care. We're also seeing that over 95 per cent of people fully bulk billed and over 90 per cent of GP clinics fully bulk billing in our area. We're also - in our community in Calwell, have amongst the highest rates of the 5 per cent deposit scheme for first home buyers, and that uptake is in our community. So, this is a Labor government delivering for working people on the ground in communities like mine.

JOURNALIST: I might just ask you a question. How are small businesses in your community reacting to these changes to CGT?

ABDO: Well, I've met with small businesses in my community, in local round tables, and in my office. What they see is - there is a concern for small businesses around ensuring that our economy responds to having the right economic settings for small businesses, and the changes we're doing are responding to that.

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Basem. It truly was great to have been in your part of the world, in Calwell last week, talking about employment services reform, which is really about making sure that Australians can get a job. We spend a lot of money as a Commonwealth on supporting employment services, but we want to see more Australians into work, so they can get all of those benefits of, not just the economic benefits of work, but also the social benefits.

We are a government unashamedly that believes that we should be able to earn more and keep more of what they earn. That is why this week and next week we are fighting for tax cuts for working Australians. We have got a bill in the Parliament right now that will make a significant difference with new tax cuts for Australians, on top of the top-up tax cuts that kick in on 1 July this year.

We believe in delivering for the Australian people. Just one example, is Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. Some people opposed them. Some people said we shouldn't have them. Some people just last year wanted to close them all down. Labor has now opened all 137 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics that we said we would open, and they are helping people across Australia and taking pressure off our emergency departments.

Now, the other one that I think has made a real difference for working families is paid parental leave. Next week, paid parental leave goes up to six months. This bill, that Labor brought in, delivered that, and not everyone supports paid parental leave in this building. Just like not everyone is going to support tax cuts in this building. But Labor will always look for ways to help working Australians earn more, keep more, and have a little bit of support when they're doing that important work of raising a new bub.

But just on one other matter, as a Western Australian, I will just say very quickly, obviously we've seen some incredibly concerning news over the last few days about the outbreak of Avian Flu in Western Australia. This is of huge concern to Western Australians, and I just encourage all Western Australians to keep their eye out. Do not touch any animals that you see, you may think they have been affected by bird flu. And there is a hotline. If you see an animal that you think needs to be inspected, call 1800 675 888, and you can report those animals and make sure that we all do our part to contain this outbreak.

JOURNALIST: Minister, should house prices go down?

GORMAN: We have got a market economy when it comes to house prices, and prices of houses are determined by buyers and sellers. What we want to see is more people into the market, owning a home of their own. We make no apology for that. We want to get more Australians into a home of their own. It is the Australian dream but slipping out of reach for too many people.

Our policies will see that - with the policy that we're debating this week and next about getting a fairer tax regime for working people and for home buyers. We will see some 75,000 more Australians into a home of their own. And indeed, the modelling that underpins that policy says that house prices will continue to grow, but just at the slower rate.
 
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned that if auction clearance rates can continue to decline, there'll be less supply, people less likely to put their houses on the market and potentially invest in new builds, because the financial incentive isn't there?

GORMAN: People will make decisions about their lives and what housing is right for them, and when they choose to sell their home and move around, that really is for the market. I come from the side of the country in Western Australia where you don't have a lot of auctions, you have a lot of private treaty sales. That is the more common way in the West.

But what we know is that, again, I just refer to the modelling that say that house prices will continue to increase, but at a more manageable rate, so more first home buyers can get into the market. And I think we all know that we want people into homes of their own, and we want a housing market that's accessible to more Australians, not fewer Australians.

JOURNALIST: The WA Government seems to be running a fairly conservative campaign to try and get the mining industry carved out of the CGT changes. What do you think about that?

GORMAN: A range of state governments will put a range of different views about a range of policies. I am comfortable that the sorts of incentives that we have put into the economy, such as the critical minerals production tax credits, is the right path when it comes to supporting growing parts of the resources industry. And when it comes to making sure that we have a fair taxation system, I want to see as a system where the explorers can do well.

And they have got a good environment in Western Australia to go and start an exploration company. We have got very well regulated corporate settings here in Australia. But we will listen to those views. But I have already voted for the bill in the form that it passed the House of Representatives, so that expresses my view.