THE TODAY SHOW INTERVIEW

SUBJECT/S: Opposition Record; Investing in our Apprentices; Anti-Semitism; Australia Day

HOST, KARL STEFANOVIC,: In fresh new polls from Resolve to discuss, we’re joined by the Deputy PM Richard Marles and Opposition leader Peter Dutton in Adelaide. Cue Peaches and Herb, 1978. Do you feel it? Richard?

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, RICHARD MARLES: Lovely to see you, Karl. Peter, Happy New Year.

STEFANOVIC: There you go. You know, it’s actually been a while since you and Peter were together on the show. Since then, the Opposition Leader’s popularity has absolutely skyrocketed Richard.

MARLES: Well, as we all know, what obviously matters is what occurs on Election Day later in the year. So, let’s see what occurs then. No doubt that Peter is feeling a little smug this morning as he wakes up in the new year. But let’s also not forget, you know, when Peter was the Health Minister and he was trying to introduce a GP tax, he was voted back then as the worst Health Minister that GPs in this country had ever seen. There’s a long way to go on the judgement of Peter Dutton.

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, PETER DUTTON: I’m feeling emotional.

STEFANOVIC: You’re back in the house, Health Minister. Let’s have a look at the graphic that shows this only too well, compiled by the good people at Karl doodles. A graphic eight months ago, this is Pete languishing in the doldrums, then woosh, the Shorten bluster hits and hey presto, we could have a new PM. Peter, you worried now that Richard is back, that’s the end of your stellar run?

DUTTON: I’m very worried now that Richard is back, yes. That’s a short answer to your question, but I’m excited and I’m emotional about it because he was banned for a long time and he’s broken out and now he’s back and Australia is a better place for it. So, I look forward to speaking with Richard. He’s a good man and we’ve got a lot to talk about. But on the health issue, just quickly, I meant to respond to that. When I was Health Minister, the bulk billing rate was 84%, it’s now 77%. We increased hospital funding every year, so hardly going to take a lecture from a failed government on what we should be doing on health.

STEFANOVIC: I’m going to climb straight into it. Look, the PM announced today $10,000 bonuses to new apprentices. Richard, you’ve got 1.2 million houses to build. It’s going to take a whole lot more than apprentices to get that done.

MARLES: Well, it’s a big challenge, but the country needs it and this government’s got a plan to provide that supply of housing. We all know that the supply side is really what we need to do to get the housing issue under control.

STEFANOVIC: How many have you built so far?

MARLES: Well, we are well on the way to doing this, but what we need to be doing is making sure that we have the workers in the construction industry and that’s what this incentive will do. And a $10,000 incentive is going to encourage people into what is a fantastic industry with a lifelong well paid job. And I think since we’ve come to power, our free TAFE policies have seen a half a million Australians go into TAFE. What that says is that when you provide these incentives, Australians take it with both hands.

STEFANOVIC: So, I don’t think you are well on the way to building 1.2 million houses, that’s the issue. You wouldn’t happen to have that number or is that a cruel question?

MARLES: That’s a cruel question. I’d expect nothing less from you, Karl.

STEFANOVIC: Well, roll on. Pete, just in terms, I think the quest to build is a good one. We have to do it. Will apprentices make up that shortfall?

DUTTON: They will in part. But 80,000 apprentices have dropped out since the government’s been elected. So, they’ve brought in a million people over two years. The biggest number of migration in our country’s history. We’re at an 11 year low in terms of building approval. So, they’ve created this crisis. I tell you what, Karl, if your house was on fire, you wouldn’t want Anthony Albanese to be the fireman. He turns up to events two days late and this government’s on the eve of going to an election and all of a sudden they say that there is a problem which they’ve denied so far. So, we support a programme that’s going to get more apprentices into the system, but we’ve got a housing crisis that Labor’s created. And to answer Richard’s question of the 1.2, close to 0 have been built. They promised 1.2 million. It just hasn’t happened. And that’s why people are feeling the crunch. They can’t rent a house, they can’t buy a house. And people are right to be angry on the subject.

MARLES: But Karl, since we have put in place free TAFE what we have seen is consistently Peter and his Opposition opposing all of those measures. I mean, Peter can sit on the sidelines carping, but at the end of the day, he has done nothing to support new people into the industry, nor has he support anything to see more housing approvals, to work with the states and local government to get that happening.

STEFANOVIC: On the subject of late to the party, Richard, we’ve seen some highly offensive graffiti, burnt vehicles, even a child care centre set alight. The PM waited until the final hour to call a cabinet meeting, only to come out of it with a database to track these criminals in relation to anti-Semitic behavior. You could have circled the wagons three months ago, but didn’t. I just don’t understand, why not?

MARLES: Well, firstly, I don’t accept what you said. But to be clear, anti-Semitism is in a place and on the rise in a way that I’ve not seen in my lifetime. And there is much that needs to be done to stand with the Jewish community in this country to see anti-Semitism brought to an end. We’ve actually, since being in power, criminalised more hate crimes than has ever happened before. We have criminalised the Swastika, we’ve criminalised the Nazi salute. We have provided funding to the Jewish community to provide security for schools and other community facilities. We established Operation Avalite with the AFP to particularly look at anti-Semitism back in December. It’s been working with its state counterparts around the country already. For example, in New South Wales, we’ve seen 40 arrests. Like there has been significant action here, but we get that it is both action and words and we will stand resolutely with the Jewish community to stamp out anti-Semitism in this country. It has no place.

STEFANOVIC: Pete, you’ve been vocal on it. Pete, just quickly on that before we move on.

DUTTON: Well, Karl, Richard says all the right things, but the problem is that that’s not the reality. And the reality is that there’s a 700% increase in anti-Semitism. We’ve got kids going to Jewish schools being protected by armed guards. And as a result of the Prime Minister’s inaction, the university campuses, the protests went on for months and months and months and the Prime Minister sat on his hands and he’s created yet another disaster.

MARLES: But Karl, let me just finish with this. Peter was part of a government which said that Australians have a right to be bigots. Now it is that which underpins all form of bigotry and anti-Semitism in this country. It was Peter who was part of that government for nine years in which nothing happened. I don’t get why we’re trying to politicise the issue of opposing anti-Semitism. I get that Peter is opposed to it, we are opposed to it. This is a moment actually where governments and oppositions need to come together and stand with the Jewish community against anti-Semitism rather than try and score political points on it.

STEFANOVIC: Ok, look, it’s going to be a political hot potato, there’s no doubt about that, regardless. Okay, we know, Pete, what your thoughts are on that. And in response, I just want to finish with the latest survey of Aussies on a much lighter note, fellas Australia Day is back, baby. Richard, are you going to be jumping into your budgies and listening to the top 100 in your pool?

MARLES: I won’t be doing that because that would be a scary thing for everyone in Geelong. But I will be in Geelong this evening at the local council. Every year around Australia Day, I present the Geelong Young Person of the Year award, which is part of my Australia Day celebrations. I mean, we need to be obviously sensitive to our history, but this is a great country. Australia Day is the day on which we celebrate it. Australians are right to do so. And that’s what I’ll be doing over the course of the weekend and Monday.

STEFANOVIC: Peter, are you a banana hammock kind of guy?

DUTTON: You know, it’s easy getting in, it’s getting out that’s a problem. So, probably as long as one of the kids is around to try and pull me out. But look, I think this is a fantastic result. I just think it says that our national pride can be something that we celebrate again and be respectful to everybody. But these companies who are boycotting Australia Day, boycott them. And let’s celebrate being the greatest country in the world. Let’s get the national pride back.

STEFANOVIC: Alright, Good to see you. Thanks for being on, guys. Good to have you back.

 

ENDS