Television Interview - Patricia Karvelas, ABC Afternoon Briefing

PATRICIA KARVELAS, HOST: So, let's bring in our political panel for today. Patrick Gorman is the Assistant Employment Minister. Garth Hamilton is the LNP MP for Groom in Queensland, who sits in the Liberal Party room. Welcome to both of you.

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: Thanks for having us. 

GARTH HAMILTON, MEMBER FOR GROOM: Thank you.

KARVELAS: Ok, so on reunification, Colin Boyce didn't win today. You're not in the Nationals, but you are in the LNP. So, you sit in this kind of hybrid area, don't you, Garth, where you are sort of with the Nationals in Queensland? Do you think there should be a sense of urgency to reunify, even by tomorrow?

HAMILTON: I think there should be an urgency to reunify, absolutely. But I appreciate that needs to go through a process. I think there is - look, if I'm really blunt and honest, I think we probably have gone a bit too far in making commentary on each other's leadership. And if I have one disagreement with Mr. Littleproud, it would be that. I'm not going to make comment on the Nationals' leadership, and I don't think he should have on ours.

KARVELAS: Ok, so you think he made a big mistake by criticising Sussan Ley the way he did?

HAMILTON: I think he potentially went a bit too far on that. And we have to work together. A coalition relies upon trust. We have to stand side by side, eventually. How we get back to that, I think we're going to have to have a little bit of blood, sweat and tears to get through that process.

KARVELAS: So, what do you think, just one more question - I'll come to you, Patrick - about the idea, some moderates believe there should be a longer period of separation? There should be no rush.

HAMILTON: I disagree with that view. I think we should put in every effort we can to resolve those issues. And I point out there's not a single policy difference going forward between either party right now. So, there's nothing that should be holding us back, but a full and frank discussion of what we've been through, I think is important.

KARVELAS: Okay. Patrick, this is a week where the Government will be having to focus on some pretty big issues. Obviously, you know, the ‘Married at First Sight’. Is that what it's called? Clearly, I'm not very cool.

GORMAN: It's not on the ABC. I don't watch it.

KARVELAS: Same here.

HAMILTON: Don't pretend you don't watch it.

KARVELAS: Same here. Sounds great. But it's obviously a theatre that is sort of easy for the Government to have some time away from scrutiny. That means that it seems like maybe the foot's off the accelerator. What's on the agenda this week?

GORMAN: We have got the Tertiary Education Commission work that's going through. That will be debated in Parliament this week. Copyright Act reform. We have got legislation to support the administration of veterans’ entitlements going through the Parliament and they are just the things that are on the agenda. I cannot talk about the things that the Government may or may not introduce later in the week. And then of course, on scrutiny, we have got Senate estimates next week. So, that is, you know, one of the proud Australian traditions where members of the Senate from every party can come and ask questions of - 

KARVELAS: Sure. But to be fair, some of the bills you mentioned, ok, I'm not saying that there's no merit to them, but like, we haven't come back for a big agenda, have we?

GORMAN: Our big agenda, you have seen rolling out, as the Prime Minister said in the bits of the remarks you did not play. He talked about our cheaper medicines coming through on the 1st of January. He talked about our work for the Three Day Guarantee for early childhood education and care. We had the third birthday of free TAFE. These are big things and they make a real difference to people's lives. I accept that people are very distracted by what is happening in the two Coalition - they are not Coalition anymore - in the Liberal Party room and the National Party room. But even I am getting a bit sick of it. I am a little bit over it. I kind of wish that they would sort out what is going on for them so we can get back to a normal political debate where we are focused on the Australian people.

KARVELAS: Well, even if Labor's sick of it, when they should be enjoying it, shouldn't they? I mean, you're the Opposition. What do you need to do to resolve - what's the red line? Because it seems that the Nationals want the three frontbenchers that they essentially lost, they offered their resignation, Sussan Ley said, ‘ok, I'll take them’, restored. Will they be restored? Should they be restored, in your view?

HAMILTON: Well, look, as a humble backbencher, you may be asking a question well beyond my purview. But what I would say, I think we need to do is focus on the one little thing that my good friend Pat missed out in his response, which is the economy and the threat of interest rate rises that we're going to see this week, which I hope will be on Labor's agenda. And I'm sure it will be front and centre coming forward. That's what we need to be talking about. And when we have that resolved, to make that our issue. To go back to our economic credentials and say this is something that's important to us, we see the pain that's playing out throughout Australia and we're going to put that above our various little differences. That's what will bring us back to - 

KARVELAS: Do you just do it for one day though, tomorrow, and then you're back on?

HAMILTON: Well, we've done it for the best part of 80 years. We're going through a little period now. I'd like us to get back on track very quickly and make that a commitment, a firm commitment.

KARVELAS: I have to ask. I mean, I just can't not ask. You were a supporter of Andrew Hastie's. He's pulled out of the leadership race. Are you disappointed?

HAMILTON: Oh, look, I think he'll continue to play a role for the Liberal Party long term. I think a lot of people feel that about him. I think it's an important thing that we do look at the generational change that is clearly happening in the Liberal Party and that we ensure that we prepare ourselves for the future.

KARVELAS: Are you worried that the party's not ready and not competitive under the current leadership?

HAMILTON: I'm not going to pretend that the polling we're seeing isn't a concern and something that we need to address. I think that's something that we can address with good policy and we have been going through that and to Sussan's credit, she's led us through some very difficult policy debates, and I think that that's an important thing to remember.

KARVELAS: Would you support a spill later this week?

HAMILTON: Look, I'm not looking for that. What I'm looking for is to push through, firstly our Coalition agreement and then to continue this debate we're having on immigration before the start of the summer.

KARVELAS: I have to ask; do you support fully Sussan Ley?

HAMILTON: Of course. Sussan's our leader. I'm a member of the party and that's the important thing for every party member to do.

KARVELAS: But would you consider voting for a spill motion?

HAMILTON: Look at this stage, no. And that's not put in front of me, so no.

KARVELAS: At this stage? Ok, we'll go with this stage. Let's go to the polling. Because he makes a point about the polling and I know we're a couple of years away from the election. But yes, that's an issue for the Coalition with the rise of One Nation. But I've got to ask you, the rise of One Nation, and the polling we're seeing, that demonstrates, doesn't it, that people are really disgruntled and they're not happy with what they're seeing? I mean, that reflects on the Government too, doesn't it?

GORMAN: There will be plenty of people who come here and analyse those polls. I have sat on panels like this throughout the last term where - 

KARVELAS: I'm not asking you to analyse polls, I'll get someone to do that. But the sentiment.

GORMAN: You've got excellent people to do that. 

KARVELAS: I do. The sentiment of people being disgruntled about their economic circumstances and their circumstances, that's real, isn't it?

GORMAN: I think people will always want their economic circumstances to be that little bit more secure and that little bit stronger. I do not think that One Nation provides many answers to any of those problems. You know, these are people who opposed our Same Job, Same Pay laws, that actually make sure that people earn a bit more. They have never been a fan of increasing penalty rates or protecting penalty rates. They have never been ones to champion increasing the minimum wage. All things that only Labor governments do. I think as you start to look more and more - well, what does One Nation actually offer the Australian people? Now, I can sit here and talk about over the last - Pauline Hanson's been in parliament 30 years, I think she comes up on her anniversary in about a month's time. I can talk about what Labor governments have achieved over that 30 years. NDIS, free TAFE, Medicare, Urgent Care Clinics, all the rest. You cannot think of a single thing that One Nation have actually achieved throughout 30 years in federal political debate and policy making. I mean, that says something about the ineffectiveness and the inauthentic way in which One Nation runs its politics.

KARVELAS: Do you agree? 

HAMILTON: Look, I think there's a strong set of action on the right of politics in Australia at the moment. And one thing we should never discount is people raising the problem. I think we saw that with the Teals, wanted to raise some problems earlier on, and whether I agreed with their solutions or not, I think it's important for us to listen to what they're saying because they represent a lot of people. We're seeing the same thing happen on the right at the moment. Now, as with every party, I'll have different solutions to that. But I think it's important to take people's concerns properly, but then provide them with credible policy solutions to address issues. And I think that is something that certainly the Liberal Party is very proud of its history of doing.

KARVELAS: Do you expect more defections to One Nation? There's been reporting Alex Antic might do it. Are you worried about it?

HAMILTON: No, no. It's a season for that sort of story, but I think most of its just speculation trying to feed newspapers. I don't think that's going to be a big feature of what's to come.

KARVELAS: Okay, tomorrow's interest rates decision. If interest rates go up, surely that's an indictment on the Government's handling of the economy and on inflation.

GORMAN: Well, I'm not going to prejudge the decision the Reserve Bank makes. That would not be a responsible course - 

KARVELAS: But people are right to feel pretty cranky if interest rates go up and inflation is baked in? 

GORMAN: I would say that even now we have seen a number of interest rate decreases. I know that there are people who are doing it tough and I do not want to pretend that is not happening. And I do not want to pretend whatever decision the Reserve Bank makes tomorrow, I do not want to pretend there are not people in Australia who are doing it tough. We will keep doing what we have done for the last three and a half years, which is look at practical ways to support household budgets without adding to inflation and without doing some of the slash and burn that we have seen from the Liberal Party.

KARVELAS: Thanks to both of you. Been a good panel, first day back for Afternoon Briefing. What a good panel to have. Thank you.

GORMAN: Good to be here.

HAMILTON: Thank you.

ENDS