Minister Shorten Press Gallery Doorstop

E&OE TRANSCRIPT

SUBJECTS: Gaza; RBA; Bluesfest; NAPLAN

JOURNALIST: We've just heard from Peter Dutton on Sky news in the last hour, saying that no one from Gaza should be allowed to come to Australia. Do you think that that is a reasonable position to have?

SHORTEN: I am disappointed in Peter Dutton. All reasonable people know that not all people in Gaza are members of Hamas. We know there's a lot of innocent people caught up in a war not of their making. The nation has accepted some people on temporary visas already. Mr. Dutton didn't say anything about that. We use national security checks. It doesn't matter what country you come from, you get vetted. We use exactly the same processes Peter Dutton had when he was Minister. What he's really saying is he doesn't have confidence in a system which he's overseen. I don't think it would be humane to send people here on temporary visas back to a war zone. I mean, I wouldn't support sending back Ukrainian people, back to Ukrainian war zones either. So, you know, I probably think it's a disappointing development.

JOURNALIST: What do you think an incoming anti-islamophobia commissioner would have to say about these comments? And how far along are we on that process?

SHORTEN: We don't hire an Islam and anti-islamophobia commissioner and then do their job for them. Um, no. I just think that, you know, I'm sympathetic to, uh, the right of Israel to exist behind strong borders. I desperately want Hamas to return those hostages, but I'd also like to see the tanks out of Gaza. I worry about what's going to happen in coming days. I mean, I think Iran has been a terrible actor in all of this. I think they have the Iranian foreign policy as being carried out across Yemen with the Houthis. Syria. Iraq. Hezbollah. Hamas, but an ordinary Gazan shouldn't be treated in the same way. And I think our nation I think I don't know if he's looking for attention today or if there's some other issue he doesn't want us thinking about. I think this is a hastily thought out proposition.

JOURNALIST: Do you think Peter Dutton is at odds with the advice from ASIO boss Mike Burgess, because he did not express concern about a refugee coming from Gaza when he did an interview on Insiders on Sunday.

SHORTEN: Yeah, I think, um, I think this is an ill thought out policy. We absolutely prioritise national security. If there are people coming to this country who our security agencies think is a risk, we don't let them in. It's it's all of that. Nothing has changed. Um, I just I don't know if the if the opposition has got nothing to talk about on a Wednesday, but we've got national security checking. It's the same that Mr. Dutton had. I think Mr. Dutton is trying to. You know, I wish he'd come back and talk about cost of living. What people are concerned about is their wages, their mortgages. Um, they're worried about intergenerational equity. Will the kids get a house? They know we've got good security agencies. Are the number of refugees coming is a tiny proportion, and our agencies keep us safe. And unless Mr. Dutton thinks that the agencies aren't doing their job. Um, I just think we should get back to what's important, which is cost of living for every day.

JOURNALIST: On another topic, the, um, the opposition says the future Made in Australia legislation is a smoke screen. Does this give you much confidence it's going to pass?

SHORTEN: We learnt during Covid that when you depend on global supply chains, you're vulnerable. I think we relearned the importance of making things in Australia. Uh, manufacturing industries have been the source of working class people being able to get good paid pay jobs and get into the middle class. So for the people, for our national sovereignty, for our industrial capability, for companies who employ apprentices here, we should be making our future in Australia. I do not know why the coalition just have this pale, stale vision of Australia being a bank and a mine and nothing else. And I think that most Aussies want to see more things made in Australia. We do. And, um, the problem with the Mr. Dutton's coalition is they won't lead, they won't follow, and they won't get out of the way.

JOURNALIST: You mentioned the cost of living a moment ago. The RBA said last week that the economy is running a little bit hot. Does the economy feel a little bit hot to you and what are you going to do? More on the cost of living.

SHORTEN: The RBA is independent, but that doesn't mean that they're immune from being disagreed with. Perhaps if we disagreed with the former governor's statement that interest rates were going to remain historically low. For years, some people wouldn't have been in the financial predicament they're in now. I do not believe the economy is running hot for most Australians. There are some Australians who are doing very well, but for most Australians we're seeing their savings being reduced. We're seeing the cost of living pressures. The way to deal with it, though, isn't to push this nation into recession with higher and higher interest rates. Um, I, you know, I accuse the coalition and some conservative commentators of being recession makers. They have only one sort of very old fashioned view that the only way that you fight inflation, it's important, crucial to fight inflation is to drive the economy into a brick wall. The economy is not hot, and anyone who thinks it is hot should get out and start talking to a whole lot of small businesses in the high street of the of the suburbs and regions of Australia.

JOURNALIST: Just a number of Australians in not a number of Australians. There's another a number of people in Gaza who have Australian humanitarian visas who aren't able to get out because they have to pay a significant money to an Egyptian company to cross the border. Is the government aware of that, and are they doing anything to support those people with visas to get out of Gaza?

SHORTEN: I'm across most issues. I'm not across what's happening with an Egyptian company and the border charging policies. I know that the Australian government is extending all consular assistance to Australians or people with visas entitled to Australian assistance. It is a dreadful situation.

JOURNALIST: Just on another issue, Bluesfest has announced that this year is going to be their last festival. What do you think this says about the Australian arts industry? And in particular, do you think that cost of living is impacting Australians ability to spend on artistic endeavours?

SHORTEN: A Bluesfest is an iconic Australian music festival. I think it's a shame if it's this last one. I've never had the chance to go there, but you know, I'll have friends who are music and jazz aficionados who'll be heartbroken. I think the pressures on live music festivals are varied. It may be that people have less disposable income. That's true. Which again would contradict the argument the economy is running hot. But also I think insurance is a big issue. I know that the Minister for the Arts is Tony Burke. He's doing a lot of policies to rejuvenate Australian arts, but it is a shame that it's the last Bluesfest festival.

JOURNALIST: 20 million children are not doing well according to NAPLAN results. What's the government going to do to turn that around?

SHORTEN: Well, Jason Clare has been working day and night to get a reform agreement with the states. I think the NAPLAN results put wind in the sail of Jason's argument that more needs to be done. As a confession, though, as a parent of a child who did NAPLAN, I must admit that when I got my child's results, I got the two numbers wrong. So I thought my child was well below every outcome and I just got the dots reversed. That's my way of saying sorry to my daughter on national TV. Thanks everyone.

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