Interview with Sarah Abo - Channel Nine, Today Show

SARAH ABO, HOST:    Well, Anthony Albanese will this morning join 93 Labor MPs for the first day of the 48th Parliament, while 43 shell-shocked Coalition MPs prepare for an uphill battle. Joining us to discuss today’s headlines is Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth, and Deputy Liberal Leader Ted O’Brien. Good morning to you both on this first day back at school. Amanda, finally back to business, and apparently a year of delivery on the way. So basically, Labor’s going to use its record majority to make major reforms and so on.

AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS:    Well, what we're going to do, Sarah, is get on with what we promised. We are going to deliver our first piece of legislation, 20 per cent cut in people's HECS debts, something we made very clear during the election. We're introducing legislation to protect people's penalty rates, something that we made, again, a commitment in the election. So, we're getting on with the job, really still supporting people with cost of living. We know people are doing it tough, bringing down inflation and getting on with what we promised.

SARAH ABO:    It's going to be hard to block a lot of those, hey, Ted. I mean, Sussan Ley says there'll be no blank check, particularly on tax increases, but an SMH poll shows that voters do want you to kind of work a bit more closely with the government. Is that likely to happen? You don’t have much of a choice.

TED O’BRIEN, DEPUTY LIBERAL LEADER:    Well, we've actually made it really clear already that our plan is to be constructive where we can and we'll also be critical where we must. You know, yes, an election has come and gone, but as of today, the Australian people are hurting even more than they were two months ago. And that's because the cost of living continues to go up.

SARAH ABO:    But you haven't given them much of an alternative voice, have you? What was it, 93 to 43? I mean, what were the words that Sussan Ley imparted on your team yesterday to motivate you, to get you going?

TED O’BRIEN:    Well, I think it's just reminding us that there were millions of Australians who voted for the Liberal Party and the National Party, and we have a job to do. We respect the fact that the Government has won a big majority, but they are also a Government that can't stop spending. And the last thing we're going to give them, therefore, is a blank cheque.

SARAH ABO:    Alright, well, we’ll see how that plays out.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Well, let's be clear, I just want to make the point that there was only one party that went with more spending than the Labor Party at the last election and that was you.

SARAH ABO:    Do you know what else you went with, Amanda, during the pre- election campaign was of course the promise to fulfil the Medicare, the strengthening of Medicare. That was a big one. Let's have a quick reminder of it.

[CLIP: MEDICARE]

SARAH ABO:    Amanda, it turns out nearly a quarter of clinics say they won't pass on the savings. So now what?

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Well, firstly, I would say that we have spent our first term investing in Medicare and we will spend our second term continuing to strengthen Medicare. When we look at the investment that we are proposing to make, it's the largest investment, $8 billion of investment into our system.

SARAH ABO:    Alright, so it doesn't matter if the clinics don't pass it on.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    No, we are very clear that we want to see an increase in bulk billing. We expect to see 9 out of 10 services bulk billed by 2030. That's our aim.

TED O’BRIEN:    Oh, come on.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:     But we are turning round what was an absolute decade of neglect. You can't turn that round overnight. We’re getting on with the job.

TED O’BRIEN:    That’s untrue.

SARAH ABO:    Turns out you're going to need more than your Medicare card then.

TED O’BRIEN:    Can I just say, Sarah, that is so untrue. Bulk billing dropped by 11 per cent under Labor. And let us not forget, as you just showed, the Prime Minister went to the election telling the Australian people all they need is one of these. After the election, they find out, actually, you also need one of these. This is the problem. Labor says one thing before an election, delivers something else after the election.

SARAH ABO:    I mean, it’s true, Amanda.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    That's not the case. We made it very clear that we were cleaning up your mess when you left government, Ted.

TED O’BRIEN:    Bulk billing's down 11 per cent, Amanda. Bulk billing is down 11 per cent.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    We are getting on - go and experience an urgent care clinic, Ted.

TED O’BRIEN:    [Talks over] 11 per cent, it’s down.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Half your members want an urgent care clinic because we're seeing bulk billing, better services than those. We are turning around the system, strengthening…

TED O’BRIEN:    [Talks over] No one argues, Amanda, about - no one argues about the importance. Amanda, no one argues about the importance.

SARAH ABO:    You two are fired up on the first day of school. Gold star to each of you. May your day go well. Thank you so much for joining us. We'll catch up again soon.