Transcript - Television Interview - Sky News with Danica De Giorgio - Monday, 21 March 2022
DANICA DE GIORGIO, HOST: Now it is time for our political panel, joining us is Liberal MP Jason Falinski and Labor MP Patrick Gorman, to discuss some of the big issues at the start of the week. Great to see you both, thank you very much for joining me. So let's get straight into it. I want to begin with the South Australian election result. Jason, Labor now in power in that state, are you worried heading into the federal election as to what that might mean for the Coalition?
JASON FALINKSI, LIBERAL MP: Yeah, I mean, I'm paid to be worried, Danica, and I'm obviously worried about any time Labor wins anywhere. I mean, I worry for the people of South Australia, but they've made their decision. And I think when we look at what occurred in that election, it would seem that a lot of people over 65 are still very worried about COVID and the health implications of COVID. Steve Marshall took the very brave, and I think in Sir Humphrey Appleby's terms, courageous decision, to reopen that state to the rest of the world, to do the right thing by businesses, small businesses, employees. But that obviously had a large amount of concern for people who are older and feel more vulnerable to the disease.
DE GIORGIO: What does this mean for Scott Morrison, do you think? I mean, we are now in March, we're six weeks possibly away now from an election, have voters sent him a clear message?
FALINKSI: I think the clear message that I'm taking from the result is that we can't, obviously, take the election for granted. We need to make sure that we are speaking to all Australians, that we are reassuring them that we have their back, both as a government and I think as a community. And that when we undertake decisions that we make, like to reopen the country, to ensure that the hope and opportunity that everyone wants for all citizens of this nation is exceeded, and can advance forward. That we explain to people why that's happening, and making sure that they feel safe and secure in those decisions that are being made. Being in government at the moment is not easy. It's not easy anywhere in the world. We don't shy away from that. That is something we lean into and making difficult decisions is something that we've never worried about doing.
DE GIORGIO: Patrick, you are in a state that has had been closed for quite a long time throughout this pandemic. What do you make of this South Australian election result and the potential implications of reopening early, as Jason had mentioned?
PATRICK GORMAN, SHADOW ASSISTANT MEMBER FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Well, first, congratulations to Peter Malinauskas and the entire South Australian Labor team, including my very good friend Nadia Clancy, who is the new Labor member for Elder. It was a huge achievement for the South Australian Labor team, I'm always cautious about reading too much into the federal implications of election results, but I do think there are a few similarities that are worth noting. First, if you look at that constructive approach that Peter Malinauskas took in Opposition, I see a lot of similarities with how Anthony Albanese has approached things during the pandemic. If you look at how there's been a focus on constructive policy, again, it was a very policy-driven win for the South Australian Labor team. And when it comes to supporting the Premiers, as I've said on this program many times, Labor has always backed the Premiers when they've acted on health advice. I've been a strong supporter of Mark McGowan and his efforts to keep Western Australians safe during this pandemic, and I'm sure that the new Premier Peter Malinauskas will continue his focus on the health of South Australians. As we saw with the very strong campaign they ran, around improving health services for South Australians.
DE GIORGIO: What lessons, do you think, can Labor take, though, from the South Australian election result? Both sides are reflecting on it now, but what lessons can Labor learn from this as we head into a federal election?
GORMAN: You haven't won until every single vote is counted. That's the lesson, I'm a bit like Jason, you're not here to be comfortable or think that things are inevitable. You have actually got to get out there and work. I went out doorknocking twice on the weekend, making sure I'm out there talking to my community. That's my message to every Labor MP and candidate across the country is get out there and work, because you earn election wins. They don't just happen. And I'll just say, while I think it's great news for South Australia, and I think there are a lot of similarities in terms of the issues that South Australian voters were concerned about in that state election, as voters, I hear a concern with the approach of Scott Morrison and the Liberal Party. You can't take anything for granted.
DE GIORGIO: Jason, if we look at New South Wales at the moment, there's a number of seats where the Coalition hasn't even named candidates. When are they going to get their act together and put out a plan?
FALINKSI: We should have candidates in those states by the end of this week, if not early next week. We have a plan, we've been executing on that plan, and I think that what the people of New South Wales will find in seats like Parramatta and seats like Reid, and seats like Bennelong, seats like Banks, Lindsay, Richmond, I mean, the list goes on and on. There are candidates from Sarah Richards, Nell McGill to, you know, a whole bunch of people. What they will find is that those people will have a very strong choice and decision to make, whenever the election is. And that's what this is all about. I mean, it's all about giving people a choice, about communicating your ideas for a better future for Australians, and for people who want to come to Australia. So that's what our party is doing. We're all about hope and opportunity for the future. They're the decisions that we'll be putting to the Australian people. And don't you worry, we'll be very competitive and we'll be making those arguments very strongly when the appropriate time comes.
DE GIORGIO: Jason, there's been some reports that senior Liberals have sent out an SOS to Gladys Berejiklian, the former Premier, to try and help save seats in New South Wales. Have you heard that? Can you confirm that?
FALINKSI: I cannot confirm that. I don't know where those reports are coming from, other than maybe the fervid imagination of the journalist involved.
DE GIORGIO: OK, but is that a sign of desperation though?
FALINKSI: Who would imagine a journalist trying to cause trouble, Danica?
DE GIORGIO: Well, that's the question, though. Is that a sign of desperation? If Gladys Berejiklian is potentially being called back here to help save seats, how desperate is the Coalition getting?
FALINKSI: We're not desperate at all. I mean, the only thing we're desperate for is the future of all Australians. Making sure that all Australians have as much hope and opportunity as they possibly can. There is no doubt that Gladys Berejiklian, despite the behaviour of the New South Wales Independent Commission against Corruption, is one of the most popular politicians in Australia. And the reason for that was that she focused on people's hopes and aspirations, to make sure that government was not about telling people what to do, but giving the chance for them to make the choices that they want about their future. It wouldn't surprise me that there are a lot of Liberal Party candidates who want Gladys to come and visit their seats because she, in both her life story, in the way that she conducted her government, and the unfair way that she was treated by the Independent Commission against Corruption in New South Wales, is an exemplar, frankly, of all the things the Liberal Party talks about and delivers in government.
DE GIORGIO: Patrick, how worried should Labor be in the event that Gladys Berejiklian is called upon here to help New South Wales? We know that she was a popular Premier, we know that she is still popular now, even though she's left politics, would Labor be worried?
GORMAN: Look, if the Liberal Party wants to wheel out former leaders to help save their election prospects, then that's within their rights. Of course, we saw that Steven Marshall tried that just a few days ago with John Howard. He was running around South Australia with John Howard. I don't know that it made much of a difference, because I think people don't want to just see leaders out there, they actually want to see what you're going to do for the future. I heard a lot of noise from Jason about what they're going to do for the future, but I don't think this Liberal government actually does have a plan for the future. What we've always seen from Scott Morrison, and when I mentioned Scott Morrison, I notice that Jason didn't mention Scott Morrison-
FALINKSI: Is the Labor Party going to mention a policy between now and the election, Patrick? Would you like to announce one today?
GORMAN: Jason, you get to write opinion pieces and policy papers, I get to do the same, but we leave it to our leaders to announce policies. I'm sure Scott Morrison will be in your electorate campaigning hard for you in the weeks ahead.
DE GIORGIO: Well, speaking of Scott Morrison campaigning, Patrick, last week we saw Scott Morrison visit Western Australia for the first time since the border reopened, he was side-by-side with Mark McGowan. It has been reported that some within the Labor Party, some senior figures, were disappointed by what they have described as a lovefest between the two.
FALINKSI: It was quite a bromance.
DE GIORGIO: Was it a lovefest, Patrick?
GORMAN: I think it was two people doing their job. And what I know is that Labor didn't win the 2019 election and as a result, Scott Morrison is Prime Minister. My focus is making sure that when Mark McGowan stands up with the Prime Minister of Australia in June of this year, he's standing next to Anthony Albanese. That's my focus.
DE GIORGIO: But Anthony Albanese spent some time in WA as soon as the border reopened, but didn't do anything side by side with Mark McGowan. Is that potentially damaging for Anthony Albanese?
GORMAN: I think everyone knows Anthony Albanese and Mark McGowan's relationship goes back many, many years, from Anthony's time as Infrastructure Minister and all of those great projects that he delivered here in Western Australia, including in my electorate with the Perth City Link, something that really transformed Northbridge and the Perth CBD. So look, I know from what the Premier himself said, he'll be out campaigning with Anthony Albanese. We've got a budget ahead of us. We'll jump into campaign mode, if Jason wants to call the election today, then I'm sure by the end of the week, we would have Mark McGowan and Anthony Albanese out there campaigning in Western Australia once we get into that formal campaign.
DE GIORGIO: All right, Jason, I want to ask you about this, about Scott Morrison side-by-side with Mark McGowan last week. Two very different COVID policies throughout the last two years, as such. Should Scott Morrison have just come out and been upfront in the support of Mark McGowan? I mean, we're talking very different policies here. What's your take on it?
FALINKSI: I'm not entirely sure what you mean, Danica, but I guess what I would say is that, Scott Morrison-
GORMAN: Jason, do you want me to tell you all of the time that Scott Morrison differed with-
FALINKSI: Sure.
DE GIORGIO: Talking about the border, I mean, the border has been closed for two years, and Scott Morrison has been campaigning to have families reunited over that time. So now he's gone to Perth and is backing Mark McGowan, would you like to have seen him come out and be upfront?
FALINKSI: Being upfront about what, Danica? Sorry.
DE GIORGIO: Well, the border closed for two years is what I'm trying to say, and Scott Morrison has been asking for family reunions for two years?
FALINKSI: Yeah, that's quite true. I mean, look, as you know, I've been on this program for two years saying that I thought it was literally cruel, what people like Annastacia Palaszczuk and Mark McGowan were doing in terms of separating families, not on the basis of health advice, but just on the basis of political advice. But Scott Morrison had a federation to run. A lot of these policies actually sit with the State governments, and he had to coordinate an approach over a global pandemic. And at the end of it, Danica, look, we have the lowest death rates in the world, with the highest vaccination rates. We have the lowest unemployment rates, with the highest growth rates. So we can all quibble about what Mark McGowan versus Gladys Berejiklian was doing. And historians no doubt will determine which person did the better job, but at the end of the day, when you look at the results for the Australian people, virtually the rest of the world, in fact, I can't think of any other country in the world, that doesn't look at Australia. I mean, even Bill Gates said, why can't everyone just do what Australia's done? Whether you agreed or disagreed on the edges, the results of what we have for the Australian people, which is all that matters, have been pretty good.
DE GIORGIO: All right. Well, unfortunately, we have to leave it there. Another eventful episode with the both of you, Patrick Gorman, Jason Falinski, great to chat. Thank you very much for joining us this afternoon. Thank you.