Interview with Karl Stefanovic, The Today Show, Channel Nine

KARL STEFANOVIC, HOST:    Australia has become the first Commonwealth nation to support Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s removal from the line of succession. Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth and Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg joins us now to discuss. Good morning, guys. Amanda, first up. I’m not sure what difference Albo’s letter will make, but it’s a spectacular bit of PR.

AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS:    Well, firstly I’d say there’s pretty serious charges. And of course, anyone should face the full brunt of the law. The UK Government has signalled it was considering this. Of course, we would have to be part of that. And what the Prime Minister’s done is made a clear statement that he would look to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    He hasn’t been charged yet. 

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Well, look, as what was very clear is these are really serious allegations. Anyone should face the full brunt of the law. But I think it’s incumbent on us to make our intentions clear to the UK government if required.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    No objection from you, Andrew, I take it?

ANDREW BRAGG, LIBERAL SENATOR:    Well, Karl, I think most Australians would look at this foreign family and say, what have they got to do with our government in Australia? So, if he can be moved on, I think it probably makes sense. But it’s also a reminder that we have elections in Australia, and there’s no guarantee that Tony Burke or Jim Chalmers will be in the line of succession to replace Mr Albanese. They’re both obviously breathing down his neck.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    The award of the day for longest reach.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Oh, Andrew.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    I like it, Andrew. I like how you’re thinking.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    That was a very long reach.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    I was here for it though. Hey, look, Amanda, let’s go back to the ISIS brides. Chris Minns seems to have known an awful lot last year, late last year, nailing that New South Wales would be resettling a group of about 12. Now we hear most will go to Victoria. Is all that true?

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    It shouldn't be a surprise that both state security agencies and federal agencies plan for any return of ISIS brides. Indeed, they've been doing this since 2014. This is an issue that we've been dealing with as a country since 2014 under Tony Abbott, under Malcolm Turnbull, under Scott Morrison, and indeed the previous government put the laws in that we are dealing with. Of course, the government is not providing any assistance. If people choose to make it back here and choose to come back here and they have participated in illegal activities, they will face the full force of the law.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Okay, so the Prime Minister wrongly claimed that up to 40 terrorist fighters returned home under the Morrison government when the vast majority did so more than a decade ago. Was he wrong to do that?

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Let's be clear, the Coalition government, 40 returned under the Coalition government. You know, whether it's the Abbott, Turnbull, Morrison government, there were three prime ministers, so if Andrew wants to talk about the cycling of Prime Ministers, but under that government there were 40 ISIS fighters and others that came back to Australia.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Okay, Andrew?

ANDREW BRAGG:    Well, I mean, the job of the government is to keep Australians safe, and I think these people have effectively undermined their oath to Australia, especially if they are naturalised citizens, and they have basically voted not to be part of Australia anymore and to stand against everything that we stand for here. So Mr Albanese's job is to keep Australians safe. He should do everything he can to keep the door shut. And frankly, if these people do get in the back door under Mr Albanese's government, then we should be prepared to sanction these people. I mean, we shouldn't be stuck with people who have sought to destroy humanity. I mean, it's just not a reasonable thing for the Australian community to have to put up with.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Doesn't pass the pub test, there's no way about that. OK, Amanda, Peter Costello this morning says you're softening young Aussies up for a tax hike. Is that true?

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Peter Costello isn't the first former leader that thinks life was great under him and, of course, he was the treasurer that gave a tax hike to all Australians with the GST. But, look, you will see the budget when it comes out. Of course, we haven't changed our policy in terms of the tax that he's talking about. But, quite frankly, for Peter Costello to talk about tax...

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Are you going to change it though? Are you going to change it?

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    You will see the budget, but as the Prime Minister and the Treasurer have said, we haven't changed our policy.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Okay, Andrew?

ANDREW BRAGG:    The government are looking for new taxes to pay for their unfunded spending. The budget is absolutely stuffed in Australia and people can see this new tax coming on housing. At the moment we're doing the hearings into the capital gains tax discount. 2.2 million Australians are currently providing rental stock to other Australians, and the government seems to want to change their tax concessions, increase taxes on them, and then get their mates and the super funds to come in and be landlords for Australians. I mean, these guys have got no idea what to do with the budget, no idea what to do on housing. It's pretty ugly stuff.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Alright, Amanda, we’ve greenlit, we learned this morning, Trump Tower on the Gold Coast, without getting a deal on tariffs… maybe that could have been the negotiating tool that we needed?

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Well, it's a very big tower.

ANDREW BRAGG:    [Talks over] Well, if he’s able to get…

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Go on, Amanda.

ANDREW BRAGG:    If he’s able to get 200 or 300 houses- 200 or 300 apartments, then that’s more than Mr Albanese’s built with his $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, so I think it will be welcomed.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Well, I would say Andrew, you have fought against all the houses we want to build and we are getting on with the job…

ANDREW BRAGG:    [Talks over] You’ve built no houses. No, you’re not. You’re building fewer houses.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Well, that's absolutely not the case, Andrew.

ANDREW BRAGG:    It’s true, 30,000 fewer houses each year.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    We're getting on with the job. We are the first Commonwealth government to be interested in houses.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Alright, I’ve got Dickie breathing down my neck, guys, and that's a very uncomfortable position to be in at eight minutes to seven in the morning. I appreciate your time this morning.