Doorstop Interview, Parliament House, Canberra

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: Six months ago, Australians voted for a better future. They voted to build Australia's future with an Albanese Labor government. And on the 3rd of May, people backed our plan. A plan to make Medicare stronger with the biggest boost to bulk billing in Australia's history. A plan to slash student debt so that students can keep more of what they earn. A plan to protect penalty rates, that makes sure that people can get that money they rely upon when they are working those unsociable hours. A plan to back Free TAFE that has now resulted in some 685,000 new TAFE courses starting. Where you have got 685,000 Australians in those TAFE courses, learning the skills they need to back the Australian economy and to back themselves.

We saw Australians vote for Labor's plan for lower taxes and reject the Liberals' plan for higher taxes. We saw Australians vote to invest in a renewable energy future and reject a $600 billion plan that was championed by Sussan Ley and Ted O'Brien that would have seen $600 billion of taxpayer subsidies pushed into risky nuclear reactors. And we saw Australians vote for a government that will deliver the Environmental Protection Agency, and that is exactly what myself and Jody Belyea are here to argue for this week in Parliament.

Now, those of us on the Labor side are here to make sure we are focused on the Australian people. Here to make sure that we are actually delivering every week we come to Parliament. But what we have learned when we pick up the newspaper today, in The Australian, that after a completely wild weekend of radical policy shifts, including a new policy from the National Party to inject billions of dollars of taxpayer funds into ageing coal fired power stations, we see that there are some in the Liberal Party who want to, quote, 'talk about a divorce.'

They want to separate from the National Party. That they have seen, the Nationals have just gone too far, and the Liberals cannot handle it. And they have got some really choice words about one another.

One Liberal MP said breaking up the Coalition was, quote, 'a viable option.' Now this is very interesting that we have had six months ago, the National Party wanting to separate from the Liberal Party, and now six months later, we have got the Liberal Party wanting to run away from the National Party. And they have got this quote - this is what a Liberal said to a published newspaper about the National Party. Quote - they are, quote, 'parasites,' describing the National Party as a party, quote, 'trying to kill your host.' 

Now that tells you everything you need to know about what is happening inside the Liberal Party and the National Party right now. And I think the Australian people, when they look at the Liberal Party and they look at the National Party, know that they are entirely focused on themselves, not focused on the Australian people.

And if you want a classic example of a senior Liberal entirely focused on themselves and not focused on the Australian people, then you need to look no further than Tim Wilson's Facebook page. Getting out there on Facebook, not to promote a policy, not to talk about anything other than to whinge that he has to come to Parliament when the Melbourne Cup is on.

Now, I am happy to come and do my job while there are sporting events happening in this country. Tim Wilson has said that parliamentary sitting days on the Melbourne Cup will, quote, 'never happen under a Wilson Government.'

So he has managed to, in a single sentence, undermine his leader and complain about doing his job on Melbourne Cup Day. He is, according to the Financial Review, quote, 'furious' that we have got a sitting week.

Now, I would have thought that if you stood for parliament - and this only happened six months ago, that he got re-elected - if you stood for parliament, you would be happy to come to Parliament and do your job. And you wouldn't be running around on Facebook and the Financial Review complaining that you are not allowed to have a few glasses of champagne, when the parliament is here, debating important legislation like the EPBC reforms.

Now the National Party on the weekend, spent the week weekend debating whether climate change was real or not. Tim Wilson, senior shadow minister, spent the weekend complaining about having to work during the week when Parliament is scheduled to sit.

The Labor Party did something very different. We are out there celebrating the investment we have made in Medicare. And across this country, our investment in Medicare has made sure that more Australians can see a bulk billing doctor for free, and it's even happening in the great seat of Dunkley. I will hand over to Jodie.


JODIE BELYEA, MEMBER FOR DUNKLEY: Thanks, Patrick. I recently went to the Young Street Medical Clinic in Frankston. It is one of the many fully bulk billed clinics that has opened up in the last few months. Very excited to be there, and for those constituents of Dunkley that have been asking me for a list of the other GPs; my team are working on it, and there'll be a post on my Facebook page where you can get that information later on in the week.

I would also like to acknowledge that Minister White announced last week that we have the Women's Health package with more reproductive medicines on the PBS so that women can get access for menopause, endometriosis and birth control. Very exciting announcement last week. Thank you.

GORMAN: Hear, hear.