TRANSCRIPT - Sky News Newsday with Kieran Gilbert

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

SKY NEWS NEWSDAY

23 JULY 2024

Kieran Gilbert: We go live to the Manager of Opposition Business, Paul Fletcher. Paul, what do you make of Zali Stegall there? She says that Mister Falinski is clearly taking the cue from his electorate, Tim Wilson's not doing that, having another crack at Goldstein. But has the Liberal Party more broadly taken the cue from the electorate on the issue of climate change, which the member for Warringah says you haven't?

Paul Fletcher: Well, the Liberal Party at the next election will be focused on the issues that are of concern to Australians. Number one, clearly, cost of living. Cost of living is out of control and Australians are, rightly very worried about it and we will have a clear plan to reduce cost of living, reduce inflation, get interest rates down, improve housing affordability.

These are the things that Australians are concerned about. Of course, we've also announced a clear policy direction to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 using a mix of nuclear power, natural gas and renewables, in contrast to Mister Bowen and Mister Albanese’s plan, which clearly is running into more and more difficulties and Australians are rightly suspecting that Labor is simply incapable of executing on this plan and indeed many other plans.

So there will be a clear contrast at the next election, and what we'll be putting to Australians is clear plans to address their concerns and the knowledge that if they vote for a Coalition government, they'll be voting for a government that can actually deliver.

Kieran Gilbert: Peter Dutton had a red hot crack at the teals yesterday, asking what have they done? They've done nothing in the parliament and saying they're more like greens than they are independents. Do you agree with his assessment?

Paul Fletcher: There was a lot of talk at the last election when this group of candidates, backed by a Melbourne billionaire's son, materialised. And I think Australians will rightly ask at the next election, well, what have they delivered compared to all of the rhetoric? But I think Australians might also ask themselves this.The last time that we saw a minority government in Australia, 2010 to 2013, it was very bad news for Australia. And so that's one of the things that people will need to think about as they cast their vote. If you vote for an independent, you are likely voting for an unstable minority government.

If you vote for your local Liberal or National candidate, you're voting for a candidate who will be part of a government with clear plans to get cost of living under control, to reduce interest rates, to make it therefore easier for people to pay their mortgage. And of course, with a clear plan for affordable and reliable energy through a mix of renewables, natural gas and nuclear and achieving Australia's net zero emissions target by 2050.

Kieran Gilbert: Your colleagues at the state level, Damien Tudehope, the Shadow IR (Industrial Relations) Minister in New South Wales, has referred the CFMEU to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). Isn't that the right location or the right jurisdiction, I should say, to oversee and scrutinise some of the allegations made around that union as opposed to that building watchdog federally, which many say didn't have the teeth necessary whereas ICAC would?

Paul Fletcher: I think we need to use every tool at our disposal. Certainly a referral to ICAC makes sense, but we absolutely need to restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission. Bear in mind, we legislated it twice, it operated to oversee the activities of the CFMEU and brought a number of prosecutions. It's no coincidence that the first thing Labor did when they got into power was get rid of the Australian Building Construction Commission because Anthony Albanese, Tony Burke, the whole crew are, dancing to the tunes of their union masters and particularly the crooks and thugs of the CFMEU.

Let's be clear, it is union officials, union bosses, who determine the preselections of Labor Parliamentarians. It is union bosses who provide the flow of donations, some $6 million from the CFMEU to Labor over the past few years. It is the union bosses who are making sure that Anthony Albanese right now is doing the absolute bare minimum he can do to be seen to be responding in some half-hearted way to the shocking revelations of criminality and thuggery that we are seeing around the CFMEU.

If Australians are worried about the role of this thuggish building union, and they rightly should be, and indeed the impact on the cost of housing, then the next election is the opportunity to do something about it.

If you vote for Labor, you are restoring the protectors of the CFMEU. If you vote for the Coalition, you can be confident that we will be doing everything possible to get the CFMEU under control.

Kieran Gilbert: Paul Fletcher, thanks as always. Talk to you soon.

 Paul Fletcher: Thank you.