DOORSTOP INTERVIEW WITH MEMBER FOR BENNELONG, JEROME LAXALE | SYDNEY
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
SUBJECTS: The Albanese Government delivering cheaper child care and a pay rise for early childhood educators; International student caps; migration; Census; CFMEU; The Greens on economic policy
MEMBER FOR BENNELONG, JEROME LAXALE: Thank you, G’day. I’m Jerome Laxale, the Member for Bennelong. We’re here at Goodstart Early Learning Centre in West Ryde, on this wonderful Sydney day. I remember, just before the election, we had Prime Minister Albanese here, and we went to the election with some really important policies to boost early childhood education, and we said we wanted to boost wages as well. Well, we’re back here today having delivered cheaper childcare for families right across Australia, an 11 per cent reduction in the Sydney basin, and we’ve recently delivered a much needed 15 per cent pay rise for our early educators. This is what Labor governments do, and it’s really great to welcome the Acting Prime Minister here today so that we can go meet some children inside, we can talk to some early educators and ask them how this wage rise- to be delivered on the first of December will change their lives. I’m sure the Acting Prime Minister will have a few things to say about it, but it’s great to welcome you here today, Richard.
ACTING PRIME MINISTER, RICHARD MARLES: Well, thank you. And it’s a real pleasure to be here with Jerome Laxale, Labor’s wonderful member for Bennelong. And to be here at the Goodstart Early Learning centre in West Ryde, where there are 34 Children who are literally getting the best of starts in their educational journey. We went to the last election promising more affordable childcare, and as of the first of July last year, that came into effect. And as we stand here today, there are a million families around Australia who have benefited from more affordable childcare- 410,000 of those families are in New South Wales. More than 9,000 of those families are in the electorate of Bennelong. And this is making a real difference in terms of the accessibility of early learning, but it’s also making it much more affordable. But a key part of this is to make it fairer for those who work in early learning centres, which is why we’re really proud to be funding a 15 per cent wage increase over two years for those workers in early learning centres. And the first of those increases will occur on the first of December, and it’s going to be really important in terms of attracting more people to this area of work, to early childhood education. This is one measure that we have in place in terms of dealing with the cost of living, and we are really aware of the pressures that every Australian is facing right now. Times are tough, and making childcare more affordable is an important step. It is just one step, but we know there is a lot more that needs to be done, and we are very focused on other ways in which we can alleviate the cost of living. But perhaps the most important thing we can do is to fight that war on inflation, which of course, is why we have delivered two surplus budgets, something which the Liberals never did during their almost ten years in office. But it’s a real pleasure to be here. My father was a lifelong educator, and I remember him very distinctly saying to me at the end of his career that he felt having spent a lifetime in education, that the single biggest determinant on how a student finishes their educational career is the way in which they start. And that start is happening in early childhood education centres right around the country. It’s happening right here at Goodstart in West Ryde, and we’re really, really pleased to be here today. Questions?
JOURNALIST: Minister in a cost of living crisis, why has the government chosen to threaten the viability of the fourth largest industry, tertiary education, by looking to impose a cap on international students?
MARLES: Well, tertiary education is a really important part of our economy. It’s a very important part of our exports, but it’s also really important that we are managing immigration. I mean, we still are in something of the wake of the aftermath of the pandemic. Immigration was at an unsustainable level, and we needed to put in place measures to make it more sustainable and one of the single biggest means by which people come to Australia, and come to Australia with work rights, is through being a student. So, you cannot manage immigration without managing student visas, and so that’s why we’ve put caps in place. But what’s important from there is that we’re making sure that those caps are implemented in a manner which is fair across the tertiary sector, and that’s what we’re doing as well. And we’ve obviously worked very closely with universities around the country as to how to implement this. And there are some who will be less happy than others, but we want to make sure that those caps are imposed in a way which is fair across the tertiary sector, and we’re comfortable we’ve been able to do that.
JOURNALIST: So if there is that concern about housing and migration, why target this sector specifically?
MARLES: As I said, if you look at immigration more broadly, how people come to this country, the issuing of student visas is a huge component of that. You cannot manage immigration without managing the issuing of student visas. It’s as simple as that, in terms of the sheer size of that component to our immigration system. Now we absolutely recognize the importance of the tertiary sector. We absolutely recognize the importance of having overseas students come to Australia, and what this represents as an export industry, and also what this represents as a means by which Australia can play its part in the world and the region. But caps are an important part of managing this, and in doing that, we want to make sure that it’s done fairly across the sector. And certainly, Jason Clare, as Education Minister has been consulting deeply and widely across the tertiary sector as to how to make sure that’s done.
JOURNALIST: Why has the government decided to scrap adding the five extra topics to the next census, especially considering all the testing preparation was done?
MARLES: Look, we are taking, in broad terms to the next census, the set of questions that went to the last census. And we are doing that because we do not want to open up divisive debates in the community now. We have, again, spoken widely in relation to this, but what we are intending to do is, in broad terms, take forward the same set of questions in the next census as we have to the last.
JOURNALIST: Why would questions of, sexuality be a divisive topic?
MARLES: Well, again, we don’t want to open up a divisive debate in relation to this issue. We’ve seen how divisive debates have played out across our country, and the last thing we want to do is inflict that debate on a sector of our community right now. That’s why we are taking, in broad terms the set of questions that went to the last census.
JOURNALIST: Doesn’t that undermine government to gather data and- [inaudible]
MARLES: We are bringing science to bear here in terms of how best to gather data. And we’re confident that in taking forward the questions which went to the last census to the next. that is the best way which we get the most accurate picture across the board of the Australian society.
JOURNALIST: What do you say to your suggestions about that decision was a political one ahead of an election?
MARLES: I don’t accept that at all. The decision is the terms that I’ve described; we don’t want to open up a divisive debate here. We want the census to be gathering as much useful data for our country as possible. And we see this as being the best way forward.
JOURNALIST: Minister, was it appropriate yesterday for Greens MP, Max Chandler-Mather to attend the CFMEU rally, one where there was a makeshift coffin with the Prime Minister’s face on it.
MARLES: Well, we certainly saw a lot play out yesterday, which was pretty unpleasant. Let me just say, more broadly, the government’s stance on this is very simple and very clear; there is no place for criminality or corruption or thuggery within the trade union movement. The trade union movement is fundamentally important for this nation. The trade union movement plays an incredibly powerful role in bringing fairness and equity across our workplace. It has a proud history. But there is no place in the trade union movement for criminality, for corruption, for thuggery- it has to be stamped out. I really commend the ACTU for its leadership in relation to this. That’s why we’ve taken the steps that we have in relation to the construction division of the CFMEU. That’s why we have put an Administrator in place. And the demonstrations happened yesterday, but nothing changes the fundamental proposition of the government- and I might say the broader union movement- that there is no place within the union movement for corruption, for criminality, for thuggery. And indeed, construction workers deserve to have a union which is free of that. Now you know, we saw the Greens participating in this as well. I think we’ve seen, not only on this instance, but across the year, the Greens throw their lot in with thuggery. And ultimately it is a matter for the Greens. But the government’s position is very clear; there is no place for this behaviour within the union movement and we will take the steps necessary to stamp it out.
JOURNALIST: Speaking of the Greens, they’re outlining their new proposal to put 40 per cent tax on excessive profits of big corporations, including big banks and supermarkets. Is that a realistic thing to do?
MARLES: Well, there’s nothing about Green’s economic policy which is realistic. Indeed, economic policy is far from the Greens strong suit, and they have the luxury as a party that has never governed and never will, to say whatever they like. But, I make this point, the Labor Party is not about doing deals with the Greens. We are focused on winning a majority at the next election in our own right, and doing so, so that we can manage the economy for all Australians, and we are seeking to win that majority based on what we’ve done in delivering a tax cut, tax cut across the country, what we’ve done in terms of delivering two surpluses in a row, what we’re doing in terms of making sure that we are providing for our nation’s security. That is what we are focused on. We are focused on taking that message along with all that we are doing in fighting the battle against inflation, helping families deal with the cost of living crisis, which is really what they are facing. That is where the government is focused, and we are focused on that and telling that story at the next election to win a majority at the next election.
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