TRANSCRIPT - 2GB Sydney Ben Fordham Live

PAUL FLETCHER MP

Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts

Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy

Manager of Opposition Business in the House

TRANSCRIPT

2GB SYDNEY BEN FORDHAM LIVE

13 AUGUST 2024

Ben Fordham: Now on the issue of spending money, you would think that Bill Shorten would be really careful at the moment as the minister for the National Disability Insurance scheme, which is in all sorts of financial trouble. But Bill has spent $40,000 of taxpayers money on a ritzy event for bureaucrats.

The 40 grand was spent on a senior executive service leadership forum at Canberra's five star Hyatt Hotel. This was in April. Documents obtained by the Opposition reveal what the money was spent on. $22,000 on hiring the venue, $16,000 on audio visual travel costs for guest speakers, $830, $150 on decorations, $150 on an online polling platform, and $880 on a Welcome to Country.

The Shadow Minister for Government Services, Paul Fletcher, is calling out the ridiculous spend and he's on the line right now. Paul, good morning to you.

Paul Fletcher: Good to be with you, Ben.

Ben Fordham: Why did they book into a five star hotel?

Paul Fletcher: It's an excellent question, over $40,000 for one day with Bill Shorten and his senior public servants. You know, they had morning tea with banana cake and croissants and seasonal whole fruit. They had lunch with chickpea salad, pasta salad, chicken baguette, roast lamb, potatoes, glazed carrots, dessert slices. Then they had afternoon tea, cake, quiche and seasonal fruit.

Look of course there's no problem with having planning meetings, but there are plenty of cheaper venues to do it. Services Australia has its own big headquarters building in the southern suburbs of Canberra. I've been there. They could have easily held it there, or they could have gone to a services club or a lot of much cheaper places. But Bill shorten chose to take them to a five star hotel.

Ben Fordham: Yeah, the five star Hyatt Hotel in Canberra is an iconic venue, but it's only a stone's throw from Parliament House or from one of those other government services headquarters. You could have had the meeting anywhere.

Paul Fletcher: Well that's absolutely right. There's lots of rooms in Parliament House that could have been used for this, including some big rooms. But no, they've gone to a five star hotel. But this is from the same guy who has got a speech writer that we've also found out through estimates costs $620,000.

And, you know, the great irony is he gave a speech at this event where he told the bureaucrats, there is “zero appetite for wasting money”. Those were his exact words. Those were his words while he was doing the opposite. And the other thing is, this is while Services Australia is seeing the service levels that it provides to Australians plummeting.

You know, under us, if you applied for the Age Pension, it took 35 days for it to be processed, it now takes 60 days. Disability Support Pension used to take 40 days, now takes 81 days.

So what they're actually doing, their day job of serving people, they're getting worse at under Bill shorten, and he's off taking them for a $40,000 day at a five star hotel.

Ben Fordham: And a Welcome to Country isn't cheap. It's almost $1,000.

Paul Fletcher: Look that's right, and this is all happening at a time when there's a cost of living crisis, when we know that the cost of electricity is up 22% since Labor came to government, food and groceries is up 11%. So you really would think that a senior minister like Bill Shorten would have a relentless focus on not wasting money.

He talks the talk, but if you look at what he's actually doing, $40,000 of taxpayers money taking his bureaucrats for a day long retreat at a five star hotel.

Ben Fordham: Very, very strange. Thanks for alerting us to it and we appreciate you jumping on the phone.

Paul Fletcher: Thanks Ben.

Ben Fordham: Paul Fletcher, the Shadow Minister for Government Services. So if you’ve been to the Hyatt Hotel you'll know. I mean, it's the ducks nuts in Canberra when it comes to hotels. I've never stayed there, but I've been to events there before when dignitaries are in town and it's the place to be.

So why would you choose a five star hotel when Bill Shorten allowed spending on the NDIS to get so out of control that now they're trying to rein things in and you've got people with legitimate disabilities who have been told, sorry, we can't afford to fund that anymore? And meanwhile, you’ve got bureaucrats wasting 40 grand in one day at a five star hotel.