Interview with Samantha Armytage, The Today Show, Channel Nine

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE, HOST:    Pauline Hanson has ignited debate after barring multiple media outlets, including the ABC, The Age, and TheGuardian from the launch of One Nation’s Victorian election campaign. Joining us to discuss today’s headlines is Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth, and New South Wales Opposition Leader, Kellie Sloane. Good morning to you both.

Amanda, is Pauline Hanson taking a leaf out of the Trump playbook in calling out this fake news?

AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS:    Well, I don’t know what her plan is, but she says often she has nothing to hide. As a politician, you have to turn up and answer questions. And so by saying you've got nothing to hide, I don't know why she would want to bar ABC, The Age, The Guardian. I'm not sure who was left at her press conference. But quite frankly, you need to be accountable. You need to turn up. Sometimes the questions are uncomfortable. She's been caught out a few times when it comes to things like her position against paid parental leave. But you've got to turn up and be accountable.

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:    Well, often the questions are uncomfortable and that is the sport of politics, isn't it? Kellie, Nine Papers are this morning saying that there's been lavish fundraising dinners at Gina Rinehart's Brisbane River Mansion. It sounds like One Nation has their own Mar-a-Lago.

KELLIE SLOANE, NSW OPPOSITION LEADER:    They do, and you know, look most people would say good on her. I don't care if she has lavish fundraising parties, just so long as she stays connected to the people she's supposed to represent. And this idea of, you know, not allowing media to turn up, to travelling overseas while Barnaby manages the bad press in Australia, I don't think is going to float well after a while.

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:    Amanda, do you think that fundraising dinners like this require much better transparency? Because we know that Albo was recently at a Point Piper mansion of a Chinese billionaire and had nothing to say on that.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Well, firstly I would say that political parties do do fundraising. The important thing is that things are declared that you do declare in line. The AEC has very clear rules and they have become more transparent and importantly, make sure that, you know, people know where the money's going. So it is important that she declares that. That's a matter for her.

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:    What about Albo?

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Well, of course, political parties should declare in line with the AEC rules, That is very important. Every political party should do so, and it's incumbent on her to do that.

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:    [Talks over] I don't know.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    I'm not sure dinner with Barnaby Joyce and Pauline Hanson's my idea of a good night out.

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:    I reckon it'd be quite wild. All right, moving along. Property values have officially fallen by $230 billion in a once-in-a-generation housing slump. Amanda, developers are warning of an outright supply crisis. Homeowners are facing the prospect of negative equity. You must have seen this coming.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Well, firstly, I would say that when it comes to house prices, it is a fluctuating market depending on a range of different factors, including, of course, interest rates and supply. And we have seen in recent past, for example, in 2022, there was, when interest rates went up, there was a fall in house prices over the short term. Over the long term, Treasury is very clear that there will be a sustainable increase in house prices. And the Reserve Bank has said that less than 1 per cent of borrowers actually are facing any sense of negative equity.

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:    Really? There might be people out there that disagree with you. Kellie?

KELLIE SLOANE:    Yeah, I disagree because let's face it, this is a pure act of genius by Albo. Like a vanishing act that Houdini would be proud of. Property prices are vanishing and supply is vanishing. This is purely and simply because of Labor's bad policies, and it's happening at federal level and it's happening at state level where New South Wales, the biggest state in the country, can't keep up with even the other states. The tax levers are wrong. Our construction companies are disappearing as well. So, you know, this is time we need to get serious about an issue that is causing intergenerational harm. Our kids are going to suffer because of this.

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:    The federal government wanted to slow the housing market. They've done that quickly and a lot. What would the Coalition do here? Do you want to see property prices go back up?

KELLIE SLOANE:    No, so we don't, but you can't have supply disappearing as well. So this is a government that has brought in record migration at a rate that housing can't keep up with. This is a government in New South Wales that is taxing construction companies more, adding taxes to the cost of every new dwelling in New South Wales, talking a big game on housing but the economy is shrinking in New South Wales. So, we went from the top performing state in the country in New South Wales to the bottom in three short years under Labor. That's because they can't manage your money and they tax you more.

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:    Really quickly, I just want to get your thoughts on this. Aeroplane etiquette. New research has revealed the number one most irritating thing on a plane is having your seat kicked from behind. Amanda, what's your biggest flying bugbear?

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Well, for me, it's definitely someone watching their movie without their earphones on. I'm not interested in watching a repeat of Friends, as much as I like that. I don't need to hear someone else's enjoyment of Friends on a plane.

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:    I can't believe people would do that.

KELLIE SLOANE:    They do. And I'm so on board with Amanda on this. And if someone, quite frankly, is watching their episode of Friends on loud without their earphones, then maybe a child deserves to kick their seat I'm just saying.

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:    I would go and kick their seat if they were listening without their headphones. You two might not agree on much, but you have dressed identically today.

KELLIE SLOANE:    I know, great taste, Amanda.

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:    Thank you. Well done. Ladies, nice to chat.