Interview with Stacey Lee, FIVEAA Afternoons
STACEY LEE, HOST: Let's head on to the state campaign trail with a couple of our influential federal politicians. We have Amanda Rishworth who's Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations; and Senator Anne Ruston, Shadow Health Minister - one from Labor, one from the Liberal Party. Good afternoon to you both.
ANNE RUSTON, SHADOW HEALTH MINISTER: Hey there.
AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS: Good afternoon. Great to be with you.
STACEY LEE: Thank you for joining us again. We didn't have too much of a disaster last week, so I appreciate you coming back. We were just talking about downsizing and some things you might need to consider, and it's a big topic of conversation here in Adelaide and South Australia because both parties have put forward downsizer policies this election campaign. I think they both have pros and cons. Let's start with you, Minister. Labor's policy, it would only kick in at the age of 60, whereas the Liberal policy kicks at the age of 55. But Labor's policy also abolishes stamp duty, whereas the Liberal would be a discount of $15,000. So as I say, pros and cons there. One thing I do like, though, about the Liberal plan is that it's 55, not 60 years old. Surely they could have brought it down by five years?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, Stacey, I'd say that one of the key differences of the two policies is that one, and that's the Labor one, is adding to supply. So, if you look at the policy, It is a discount value up to $103,000, which is a lot more generous than the $15,000 that the Liberal Party is offering. So, there's a question about, is it even worth your while to downsize with such a small amount that the Liberal Party’s offering. But I think what's really important is they must be newly built and off the plan homes. And the reason why that's so important is we don't want more policies that just add to demand. Have a downsizer competing against the first homeowner and outbidding that first homeowner. So, what's important about this is it’s about adding to supply and that includes very generous stamp duty abolishing, but at the same time adding to supply.
STACEY LEE: And I can understand that argument in general, but I wonder if downsizers are willing to wait for a new house to be built. Do they, you know- I'm just thinking of my parents and how long it might take to build a house, a year, two years. Are downsizers the right demographic for that?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, I think most people are, as they get older, thinking about when they move and how they might move. And I think new housing coming on all the time. You can also buy off the plan. So I think they are the demographic that starts planning this, you know, without having to do it quickly. As they realise that the old family home is just getting a bit too hard, then people do start planning ahead. So, I don't necessarily think that is something that would hold people up to do this. And as I said, a very generous discount value of abolishing stamp duty, which can be up to $103,000, I think is a really good incentive.
STACEY LEE: I might bring you in here, Senator Anne Ruston. That is a good point. Labor's policy is a total abolition of stamp duty up to that amount for properties worth $2 million. The Liberal plan will give you a $15,000 discount, and for a property that's valued up to $1.2 million. So, there's a big difference there in the property value and the discount that you can get.
ANNE RUSTON: Look, there is, and I'm glad that you said $15,000 because I think Amanda was saying it was $1,500 and I just wanted to make sure the record was absolutely corrected there. But I think the most salient point in this whole debate is around, you know, how many older Australians want to actually be buying off the plan or a new home construction? I mean, it's at the time of your life often when a circumstance changes your situation and that's the catalyst for the decision to decide to downsize. You know, it may be an illness, a frailty, a fall or something like that. And it really, at that time, I don't think the average older Australian really wants to, you know, go and start looking at houses off the plan or carry out a construction and the risks that are associated with that, and the time that's associated with that at their time in their life. But I also take up on the point that Amanda raised in relation to supply. I mean, there are many other levers that the Liberal Party and Ashton Hurn have put into the market around trying to make sure that we increase supply - making sure that the $10,000 bonus for apprentices so we can get more tradies on the tools to build more homes; obviously, encouraging young Australians by helping them get into the market by scrapping stamp duty for first home buyers because we want to make sure that they've got easier access. So, I mean, the idea that this one policy should be the only policy in terms of housing, there is a broader policy suite that's been put forward. And, you know, quite frankly, I have to say, you know, housing is an incredibly important issue across the whole nation. And in South Australia it's probably more acute because we're the second least affordable state to buy and the sixth least affordable city in the world, so that's not a great sign here for South Australia. But, you know, Labor promised to fix ramping at the last election so the idea that, you know, we should have confidence that they're going to fix the housing market going into this election, probably I'll leave that for South Australians to decide.
STACEY LEE: I think both parties have had a particular focus on housing this time around and the workforce to try and build those houses. I know both of them have been out this week with housing policies and policies try and attract more workers into the industry as well. So, yeah, I think it’ll shape up to be the biggest issue this election and I think it will be one that a lot of people will vote on as well. I wanted to move on now to one particular seat, and that is the seat of Black. Amanda Rishworth, this is sort of in your neck of the woods.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, Black is in my federal electorate, and Black is also where I live. So I know this area very, very well.
STACEY LEE: There you go. And so there is every expectation that David Speirs, former state Liberal leader, will be putting his hand up to run again in the seat of Black as an independent. He's got until Monday to do that, so I'm expecting an announcement over the weekend. We'll have to wait and see of course. I haven't spoken to him about it this week, so we'll see if he does make that decision. But all expectations are that he will announce his candidacy. Will he get your vote, Minister?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: No, he won't get my vote. And I think there's been a lot of commentary about David Speirs running as an independent. I think it's still not clear from the Electoral Commission whether he is eligible to take a seat up in the Parliament. But, you know, from my perspective, and I think I speak on behalf of a number of people, I think there's a lot of disappointment in what some of the things around David Speirs having to resign from Parliament. But also, I mean, at the time when he was faced with these accusations, he said it was a deep fake. It was then the deep state. So, you know, I think there's been a lot of chaos. There was a by-election. We now have Alex Dighton, who has been an excellent local representative, really delivering on the ground, including a 24/7 pharmacy. I actually think people will start to look at the record of Alex and say, yeah, we want more of that and we want a whole lot less chaos.
STACEY LEE: It could be pretty embarrassing if Labor lose the seat to David Speirs who's been convicted in a court of drug offences.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, there'll be a question, I think, for the people of Black, I know how I'm going to vote. But I would say, I mean, there's a question for the Liberal Party as well they haven't said whether they are going to do a deal with David Speirs. I mean this was the leader of their party who had to resign after having a conviction around drug supply. We now have the Liberal Party being coy about whether they're even going to preference him. So are they going to do a deal with him? I don't know. But we've been clear as a party and I think Alex Dighton's been clear about what he stands for. And we're just not going to get the chaos that came with David Speirs.
STACEY LEE: I might bring in Senator Ruston now. Do you have any oversight about whether or not the Liberal Party will be preferencing David Speirs if he chooses to run?
ANNE RUSTON: Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. We don't even know whether he's intending to even put his hand up to run. And quite frankly, that's a matter for David. He's not running for the Liberal Party. In fact, we have a fantastic candidate in Ruth Bishop who is a local in the community and has been out there on the campaign trail talking to the people of Black about the issues that are most important to them. And everything I'm hearing back is that it's all about the rising cost of living and the worsening situation in terms of our hospitals. So we're pretty focused on making sure that Ruth gets all of our support down there and matters for independence are matters for independence.
STACEY LEE: I think if David Speirs runs and wins, it'll look badly for both parties. I mentioned that Labor would obviously lose the seat that they won in a by-election, but for the Liberal Party Anne Ruston it'll be another former Liberal in the Parliament with a criminal history. With Fraser Ellis, Nick McBride, who's accused, that's alleged at the moment, and Troy Bell, who's no longer in the Parliament because he's been sentenced and is in prison. It doesn't look good for the Liberal Party all these former party members in the Parliament with criminal records.
ANNE RUSTON: Well, I mean, obviously the action and the necessary action has been taken against each of the individuals you raised. But this is a matter for them as individuals to explain themselves to the electorate and why they think they're worthy to represent the electorate and in this this instance the electorate of Black. I don't think in any way is an issue for the Liberal Party. They're not running for the Liberal Party, they don't stand- they're not standing for the Liberal Party, and the relationship that they have is one directly with their electorate. And quite frankly, it's a matter for the people of Black to decide who they want to have representing them in the South Australian Parliament, and I've always been a great believer that the electorate always gets it right.
STACEY LEE: This person on the text line, I'm not sure if voter in the seat of Black or not but they say why not vote for him? He's young, we all make mistakes, people in glass houses cannot throw stones. So I guess we'll have to wait and see if he does announce his candidacy this weekend and then what happens from there. Given I have both of you here this week and we're talking to- as federal politicians, but we're talking about the state election campaign, we had Angus Taylor in town this week and it got me thinking, do federal politicians actually help state leaders on a campaign trail? I sort of made a joke the other weekend, Anne Ruston, that if I was Ashton Hurn and got a phone call from Angus Taylor and he said, oh, I'd like to come on the campaign trail, I would have said, oh, I'm a bit busy, actually. Thank you. Are you free after March 21, though? Because I'm not sure they actually help. What do you think?
ANNE RUSTON: Look, I mean, I think whether a federal politician helps or not in a campaign, it definitely depends on the individual politician themselves. And I certainly know that there was a very positive response to Angus coming into town earlier in the week. And he's very focused on a message to Australians, and it equally applies to South Australians, about we need to be focusing on protecting Australians' way of life and restoring our standard of living. And if you listen everything that Ashton is saying, she's saying exactly that, and that is that you can talk about all these other things, but at the end of the day, South Australians want you to know that their politicians are focusing on the things that matter to them. And first and foremost, there is nothing that matters more to South Australians than the fact that when they open their bills, they are really worried about whether they can pay for them or not. And one of the other issues that is acutely aware in the electorate is the failure of our healthcare system. And, you know, the big bold promise of that Peter Malinauskas and his team, we want to reduce ramping, end ramping, and the complete opposite has been the case. So I think it's about consistency of message and making sure that South Australians understand that whether it's our federal team or our state team, that we are focusing on them and the issues that are important to them, and that's exactly what both Angus and Ashton are doing.
STACEY LEE: Minister Rishworth, will we be seeing the Prime Minister back in South Australia for the official election campaign?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, look, I would say that the Prime Minister's already been here twice in the last month, once for a housing announcement and then for an AUKUS announcement. He's never a stranger to South Australia. There's been a really good partnership between the Prime Minister and the Premier. Whether it's saving Whyalla; whether it's our focus on Defence; whether it's been agreements to build more houses here; whether it is through skills, there's been a good partnership between the Commonwealth and the State Government and no doubt that will continue through the election campaign.
STACEY LEE: Alright. Well, we'll have to wait and see on that one as well and we'll see if Angus Taylor comes back into town before March 21. Thank you both for your time. I know we'll probably be seeing both of you out on the campaign trail as well. So I appreciate you taking the time to speak to us today.