Minister Plibersek doorstop interview in Sydney

E&OE transcript

MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, TANYA PLIBERSEK: Thanks very much for coming out this morning. And before I start, I just wanted to say a few words about the continuing impact of the terrorist attack in Bondi just a few short weeks ago. There are, of course, still families who are grieving the terrible loss of life. We still have people in hospital here in Sydney who are suffering catastrophic injuries, and of course, our Australian community has been permanently impacted by the horror that we saw on the shores of Bondi. In recent days, we've also seen some terrible drownings and some extreme weather events in Queensland, and our thoughts are obviously with the families that have been impacted by those events as well.

We do have a bit of good news to start the year with. From the first of January this year, almost a million Australians are better off as their social security payments have been indexed. We see almost 700,000 Australian carers will see an increase in their carer allowance, and over 290,000 students, apprentices and job seekers will see an increase in their fortnightly payments. We know that Australians have been doing a tough and wherever the government can assist, we are very eager to do so. This is an important benefit for Australian young people in particular. There's 290,000 Australian apprentices, job seekers and students benefit from increased social security payments, but they benefit in a range of other ways as well. We've seen around 725,000 young Australians take advantage of fee free TAFE so far. That's a huge investment. We also see apprentices benefiting by around $10,000 in that Key Apprenticeship Program to encourage more Australians to undertake an apprenticeship, particularly in the building trades and in the renewable energy sector, where the jobs are booming. We also, of course, have seen a 20% cut in HECS debts for Australian students. That's benefited those students by an average of around $5,000 per person. That's a really significant improvement to the bottom line for those Australian students. And we know that one of the biggest challenges for young Australians in recent years has been affording a place to rent or buy. We've seen Commonwealth Rent Assistance increase by around $1,800 a year, but we're also making it easier for young Australians to get into a home of their own with our 5% deposit program. This is the first time in years and years that young Australians have felt the confidence that they might be able to own a modest home of their own the same way that their parents and grandparents were able to in previous generations. And it's making a world of difference to many young Australians. Wherever the Australian government can help, we want to do that, and from the first of January, we've seen a range of new measures kick in that will really assist Australians. Our health system is one of the biggest areas of change with the introduction of 1800Medicare. That's a phone service where you can ring up and get advice straight away about whether you need to go to the GP, whether you should go straight to emergency at the local hospital, whether you can do an online appointment with 1800Medicare. We've also seen the introduction of the Medicare mental health check online. I had a look at this myself yesterday, and I have to say it really is a terrific first step for Australians who are feeling stressed or anxious or depressed. I really encourage people to have a look at that Medicare mental health online check. We're making medicines cheaper from the first of January. Of course, medicines go down to $25 per prescription and $7.70 if you're a pensioner or concession card holder. Now, the last time medicines cost $25 was more than two decades ago. It is such a huge change to Australians, making it a bit easier to afford medicines. The last thing in the world we want to see are Australians not getting their prescriptions for them because they can't afford their medicine. So, more bulk billed GP visits, cheaper medicines, more services on the phone and online, make our health system stronger and more available to Australians from the first of January. Thanks very much. Any questions?

JOURNALIST: Can I just ask you about the Bondi massacre? What is your personal view on whether there should be a Royal Commission or not?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, we have made it clear as a government that we want to see answers and we want to see them swiftly. The Prime Minister has pointed out on multiple occasions that there are four processes already underway. The Richardson inquiry will give us answers in a matter of months, not years, about any security and intelligence improvements that we need to see coming out of the shocking event at Bondi. And we've also, of course, got the New South Wales Royal Commission. Premier Chris Minns has made it very clear that, as well as looking at any policing improvements that need to be made, any security improvements that need to be made, the New South Wales Royal Commission will look at issues around antisemitism, and I very much support that. I think it is really important that as a country, we examine the growth of antisemitism that has led to this shocking attack at Bondi and a whole range of attacks in the lead up to the Bondi, the Bondi Beach, the horrific events at Bondi Beach, as well as the New South Wales Royal Commission that we will work hand in hand with the New South Wales Government on as well as the Richardson inquiry. Of course, we are implementing the recommendations of Jillian Segal in her report. That's a very important contribution to reducing rates of antisemitism in Australia. There will be, obviously, court processes to go through to hold the perpetrators of this atrocity to account. There's a Law Enforcement Conduct Commission report in New South Wales, and I expect there'll be a coronial inquest in New South Wales once the legal processes have been concluded, once they've gone through the courts. Every single Australian wants answers. We want to make sure that nothing like this can ever happen again. There is no place for antisemitism in Australia, and we want answers about how this attack was able to happen at Bondi beach. Every single one of us wants that, and what we want to ensure is that this happens in the fastest and most efficient way possible. And New South Wales is currently saying that they will have a Royal Commission, the federal government will work hand in hand with the New South Wales Government on.

JOURNALIST: But at this stage, the former Chief Justice, Robert French, the former Army Chief Peter Leahy, former AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty, the families of more than of 11 victims, you have more than 200 silks, more than 100 business leaders, Jewish leaders, national security experts, the Catholic Archbishop, even back benches from your own party, are all calling for a Commonwealth Royal Commission. Are you saying all these people are wrong by refusing to call one?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: No, I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that people can want the same outcome, but think that there are different ways of achieving [inaudible] that might be more efficient. I completely understand that when the worst terrorism atrocity ever committed on Australian soil happens, people are rightly demanding accountability. They're demanding accountability from the shooters. That means all of our legal processes have to occur in the normal way, they're also demanding accountability from governments, and it's right that they should do so, and it's right that we should examine our security and intelligence systems to see what more we could have done. It's right that we should be strengthening our laws. Of course, our government has already invested tens of millions of dollars extra into our Australian Federal Police, into strengthening the physical protections around synagogues, around Jewish businesses and other institutions. It's right that we should make that extra investment. We're upgrading the fantastic Jewish Museum here in Sydney, so that we can have better community education. There's a range of things that we are doing. Can we do more? Should we do more? Of course, we should, and the government is prepared to do that-

JOURNALIST: But on that-

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: -it's also right that we look at our laws. It's this government that, for the first time, banned the Nazi symbol here in Australia. It's our government that's introduced stronger hate speech laws. The previous government, if you recall, actually wanted to weaken protections against racial hate speech in the Racial Discrimination Act. We fought that off when we're in opposition. We have already introduced strong laws. Can we do more? Should we do more? Yes, and those laws are being drafted as we speak. We're already looking at what stronger powers we can use to prevent hate speech, to prevent incitement, to deport people who are engaging in it, to cancel visas of hate preachers. We've already, of course, removed the Iranian Ambassador because of the engagement of the government of Iran in fermenting hate in Australia. We've taken strong measures to date. Can we and should we do more? Absolutely, we should and we will. We want to make sure we're doing that in the way that is fastest, that delivers the best change, most quickly. The New South Wales Government has a Royal Commission. They've already announced it, and we will work absolutely hand in hand with the New South Wales Government on that.

JOURNALIST: When you talk about accountability, though, I mean, how can justice be seen to be done in the face of overwhelming and numerous calls for you to do more? I mean, you're saying you want to do more, surely you follow the guidance that's in front of you, unless you believe these views don't have merit.

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Oh no, I 100% understand why people are calling for greater accountability. This is the worst terrorist atrocity on Australian soil in our history. And of course, people are demanding accountability for that. They should demand it quite rightly, from the two shooters, the man who did this, but also it is right to ask questions about what our institutions, government, security, intelligence, what more we could have actually done. What we want to do is make sure that those answers are available as quickly and as efficiently as possible, and we've already asked Dennis Richardson, preeminent Australian, to begin that investigation, to advise the federal government and to feed into the New South Wales Royal Commission. We will absolutely support the New South Wales Government, we'll work hand in hand with them. We will respond in any way they require of us or request of us to support the New South Wales Royal Commission. We'll continue to implement the recommendations that Jillian Segal has given us. There's a David Gonski inquiry as well into how we better teach our students to reduce the risks of antisemitism in our educational institutions, there's the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, there'll be the court processes, there'll be a coronial inquiry. All of these things must give us answers to make sure that nothing like this can ever happen in Australia again. I understand why so many Australians feel passionately that we need to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. And can I say this, as some of you would know, I have spent a lot of time since the massacre at Bondi with the Jewish community in my electorate, and the one thing that all of the victims and their families say is they never want to see this happen again. They never want any family or any community to suffer in the way they have suffered. Of course, they want answers, and as a government, we will work hand in hand with the Jewish community, with the New South Wales Government, and through the inquiries that are afoot right now to give them those answers. They want to prevent this ever happening again. So do we. That is 100% the priority of our government.

JOURNALIST: But what about the Jewish community in Victoria, in Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland? We've seen fire bombings in Victoria. We've seen a man arrested in Western Australia for alleged antisemitic conduct. I mean, what does a New South Wales Royal Commission that's supported by the federal government do for those people? Where do they have the opportunity to have their voices heard, to have these views scrutinised, to get answers on this, on this issue that your Government describes as ancient?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, I think it is really important and valuable that we're having this conversation as a nation right now. You've mentioned those incidents, and I think most Australians have been shocked to hear those incidents reported in your newspapers and on the airwaves. It's a very important conversation for us to be having, and it's the reason that we will strengthen our laws. Our parliament will have debates about strengthening the laws, as we propose to do, and we'll have the opportunity through those parliamentary debates, each one of us as members of parliament to say what more we will do, how we will take responsibility as members of parliament to make sure that we do our bit to reduce antisemitism in this country, to reduce hatred, to reduce and eliminate the risk of anything like this ever happening again.

JOURNALIST: Most recently, the Prime Minister and Tony Burke said that a Royal Commission shouldn't be held because it would platform some awful hate speech. As the Social Services Minister, if the Prime Minister said to you, we're not going to do a Robodebt Royal Commission because it might platform negative views about people that are on social services, would you accept that?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: I'm not going to give you a chapter and verse response on everything that every other member of parliament, including the Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs has said. We have made a decision as a cabinet that we will cooperate absolutely fully with the New South Wales Royal Commission. We've established the Richardson inquiry, we've established the Gonski inquiry. We're responding to Jillian Segal's report. There will be court processes. There will be a coronial, there is already a Law Enforcement Conduct Commission inquiry in New South Wales. I understand why people want answers. We are determined as a government to give them those answers.

JOURNALIST: We've obviously heard, you know, from so many leaders and members of the community the case for holding a Commonwealth Royal Commission. Can the government provide any details on the experts that have told them not to hold a Commonwealth Royal Commission?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, again, that would be a question for the Prime Minister and the members of the National Security Committee. Those discussions are quite rightly held on a need to know basis, and I'm not on the National Security Committee, so I'll leave that to members of that committee to answer.

JOURNALIST: Can I just ask you about a separate matter? Just from Canberra, the Chinese president has released a New Year's message, says reunification with Taiwan is unstoppable. Given China's military exercises around Taiwan this week, is the government concerned about that?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: We have expressed concerns to the Chinese government about some of the military exercises that have been conducted, and I would also say that we have consistently said that we don't support any unilateral change in the status across the Taiwan Strait.