Topics: More Giles immigration fails exposed; CFMEU legislation; AUKUS; gambling advertising reform;
07:55AM AEST
13 August 2024
Simon Birmingham: A couple of quick ones. Can I firstly just want to reflect on the revelations in today’s media in relation to the detainee releases that occurred under the Albanese Government. You’ve got a government that has now been exposed as just how woefully they mismanaged detainee releases, appears to have misled the Parliament in the process. And Andrew Giles was simply moved, moved into the skills and training portfolio like somehow skills and training in Australia deserves a minister as incompetent as Andrew Giles. Well, Anthony Albanese should have sacked a minister like Andrew Giles, who mismanaged the immigration portfolio, who mismanaged the detainee situation and who appears to have misled the parliament in the ways in which he did. The fact that he has been saved shows that it’s the factions and others who drive a weak Anthony Albanese, rather than a prime minister who is able to show strength in the way he manages his team.
I want to say, in relation to the legislation that’s come before the parliament around the CFMEU. This shows once more that Labor is having to manage its own mismanagement of the trade unions over the years. That they have turned a blind eye to, and in doing so facilitated some of the most egregious behaviour by trade unions, affiliated unions of the Labor Party. Labor, of course, have fought tooth and nail against every type of piece of accountability that the Coalition ever brought to the Parliament in this space. We’re keen to make sure that the CFMEU is cleaned up and cleaned up properly, and that’s why we’ll make sure this legislation gets the scrutiny it deserves, and which will include a short, sharp, focused Senate inquiry. So, that we can scrutinise the legislation, hear from the experts and make sure that this is going to clean up the CFMEU.
Journalist: The government does say that having a review will just delay any action on the CFMEU. Do you think that the Coalition is delaying action that the government could be taking?
Simon Birmingham: Anthony Albanese has spent years with his head buried in the sand when it’s come to the CFMEU. And yet now he suddenly proclaims a sense of urgency. It’s laughable. We’ll deal with this quickly, but we won’t shortcut scrutiny. We will make sure that we have the type of scrutiny necessary to ensure that the lawlessness, the thuggery of Labor’s CFMEU, is actually cleaned up, and that the Albanese Government’s legislation isn’t just a cover up job to let the CFMEU continue on its merry way of destroying productivity and opportunity in the Australian economy.
Journalist: Are you concerned about the one year opt out clause for the US and UK in the AUKUS agreement?
Simon Birmingham: What this demonstrates is just how important it is for all of us Labor, Liberal, Coalition to ensure that we maintain strong bipartisanship for AUKUS here in Australia and across the US and the UK. This is always going to be an undertaking that requires a maintenance of political support across all aisles in all countries, and that has been clear all along. We should take confidence from the fact that the US and the UK have been sharing nuclear submarine technology for more than 60 years, and it is that partnership that after much hard work and much scrutiny, they agreed to extend to Australia under the Morrison government. And we need to make sure that every goal is a winner and every ounce of support is given to this program.
Journalist: Just on gambling reform, we saw Bill Shorten on Q&A last night talk about the reliance that commercial media has on gambling advertising and the revenue that comes from that. Do you think that is a legitimate consideration when it comes to these gambling reforms?
Simon Birmingham: Well, I think the Albanese Government has dragged its feet on gambling reforms, has shown great weakness and indecision in the way they have gone about considering this. We were clear cut in terms of policy positions and brought legislation to the parliament to restrict gambling advertising, which Labor and the Greens blocked in the Senate and voted against. Labor should have been able to address these issues sooner. There are always complex issues to be considered in terms of the media landscape, the sporting landscape. But ultimately for Anthony Albanese to explain why it’s taken him so long to even get to this point.
Journalist: Does there need to be a total ban like the Murphy review recommended?
Simon Birmingham: Well, we outlined our position and our position in the legislation we brought forward, which is a ban in relation to live sports. We’ve been clear cut and Peter Dutton led in that space. We’ll now look at the government’s legislation if and when they finally get around to releasing it.
Journalist: So, your legislation was not a total ban. So, you’re saying that a total ban isn’t necessary?
Simon Birmingham: Well, we outlined a policy position and led in that space ahead of the parliamentary report, ensuring that we were clear cut in driving the agenda for tighter regulation of gambling advertising in Australia. We’ll see now what the government is proposing if and when they finally get around to releasing legislation.
Journalist: So, it needs to be tighter as opposed to a total ban?
Simon Birmingham: As I say, we will see it. We will scrutinise it and we’ll have our consultations in terms of the policy. It’s for Labor to explain why it’s taken them so long. Thank you.
[ENDS]