ANTHONY ALBANESE MP LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY MEMBER FOR GRAYNDLER
E&OE TRANSCRIPT TELEVISION INTERVIEW SKY NEWS AFTERNOON AGENDA WITH KIERAN GILBERT TUESDAY, 31 MARCH 2020
SUBJECTS: Coronavirus; Coronavirus JobKeeper wage subsidy package; Labor working constructively during the coronavirus crisis.
KIERAN GILBERT, HOST: Anthony Albanese, thanks so much for your time. You have been calling for a worker income guarantee. It has been delivered to the tune of $130 billion. Are you satisfied with the scope of this plan?
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Look, it is a good plan. It is a positive plan. And what we have been saying since the Parliament sat, and indeed beforehand, was that without a wage subsidy, we would see hundreds of thousands of Australians join the Centrelink queue. And that is what we needed to avoid. We need to keep the relationship between workers and employers. I am very hopeful that this scheme will do this. It is a positive scheme. I think it has been well-targeted. We will look at the detail, of course, to make sure that no one has missed out. But we are supportive of this principle. And we are glad that the Government changed its mind and adopted the principle.
GILBERT: We’ve seen a massive amount of interest from businesses registering already their ABNs with the tax office for this package. So, that really says it all in terms of how well it has been designed because the demand is very much there, isn’t it?
ALBANESE: Well, business was telling us that this is what they wanted and indeed what they needed. This is what unions have been telling us. And I pay tribute to the fact that unions and employers, last week there was a joint release from the Shop Distributive Association, one of Australia’s largest unions, and the retailers, all on the same page. That is a good thing. And it is good that the Government has been prepared to listen to Labor, to unions, to employers, to the community, and take this action. I think it will make a fundamental difference to the strength of our economy as we go out of this downturn. We need to make sure that those relationships are in place. And it is a very positive thing. And I certainly hope that it is taken up as widely as possible.
GILBERT: Well, the Government has been flexible in this in working on it. They've said they've done an Australian-suited program as opposed to something like the UK. It's got its own approach. Do you think that they've got that approach right in terms of using existing mechanisms through the tax office and so on?
ALBANESE: Look, I think they've got many of the principles right. I think the flat rate ensures basically that it's a progressive system. We know that a lot of the areas of high unemployment that's occurred over the last couple of weeks is in the low-paid industries. And they are precisely people who will benefit. This will pay up to in some cases 90 plus per cent of the income, in some cases just about all of it. That's a good thing. And what it will do, employers have been telling me for the last period that we had got it right. They were telling us to stick with it. I think it's a vindication, also, of Labor's constructive approach here. We are determined to make a real positive difference. We are determined to be constructive. We are determined to be positive and be supportive of the Government wherever possible. But to make suggestions that improve the lives of Australians. Because at the end of the day, whether it's health or the economy, this is about people. And what these changes will do is make sure that more Australian households stay in work. It'll make sure that employers benefit by keeping that relationship with their workforce. And it'll make sure that the entire economy can emerge from this crisis much stronger.
GILBERT: Your approach has been welcomed from within the Government. I know this morning, having spoken to a number of people who've said to me that the fact that Labor is on board with it means the tax office can start working on this already before the legislation is approved and passed by Parliament. When would you expect that parliamentary sitting to happen and in what form?
ALBANESE: Well, I spoke to the Prime Minister yesterday morning. I kept that confidential until he announced it. It was a private discussion. But it was very constructive. By then, it was clear the direction that the Government was going in. And I welcomed it. And indicated that just as we did when Parliament last sat, we would facilitate passage of legislation. It may well be that we have amendments. Last time around when Parliament sat, we proposed amendments that have allowed for the changes to income support to be much broader for two-income families where someone has lost their job. That is increasing, of course, from $48,000 up to $79,000. That will make an enormous difference to people in our suburbs. We also ensured that 230,000 additional people got support, whether they be Abstudy, Austudy or Youth Allowance recipients. And we proposed increasing the amount to which the Finance Minister had discretion but with the approval of the Shadow Finance Minister as well, up to $40 billion. So, we made a practical difference. We'll look at this legislation but we're sure that it can pass hopefully within one or two days. It's not finalised yet when that parliamentary sitting will be. It'll be in the usual fashion in Canberra. There will be lower numbers. We facilitated changes to the standings orders, which means that there won't need to be 76 members between the Government and the Opposition there on the floor of the House of Representatives. So, there can be a lower number. So, I'd expect there would be somewhere in the order of 40 to 50 Members of the House of Reps. And it will most likely be either towards the middle of next week or perhaps even the week after. But the outcome in terms of the fact that there will be a scheme, it's important that we give that certainty. And that's one of the things that I've been determined to do, and I've asked for, is clarity and certainty are the key.
GILBERT: When it comes to a few other things, I want to get your thoughts on the banks. They're deferring loans for six months for businesses, but not deferring the interest. Would you like them to do that as well? To defer the interest so that doesn't accrue for businesses who need that deferral?
ALBANESE: Well, look, I would like them to consider that. And at the very least, I think they could consider that on a case by case basis. We know that the cash rate is minimal. It is 0.25 per cent. So, essentially, the cost of purchasing money is just about free. So, I think the banks need to bear that in mind. The banks have played a constructive role. That's got to be said. And I hope that they do everything possible, because it's in the banks' interests for businesses to survive. Because then they remain their customers. If businesses disappear, then that's a customer disappearing for the banks as well. And they need to bear that in mind.
GILBERT: Virgin is requesting a $1.4 billion Government loan. If it's not repaid, Government would take equity in the airline. What's your take on this? And do you think that Australia must have two airlines at the end of all of this crisis?
ALBANESE: Look, I think that two major airlines is an important principle. It arose out of, essentially, the white paper that was done when I was the Aviation Minister in 2009. We have one of the world's best aviation systems, with essentially two airlines with a full service in Qantas and Virgin and their respective budget arms in the form of Jetstar and Tiger. And then we have good regional airlines like Rex as well. It is very important that we continue to have a competitive and dynamic aviation sector in this country. I think one of the things that the Government could consider, if it does give any support, financial support, it can consider that in the form of equity. And then it could, of course, sell that down at some future date. There will be, across the world, a whole lot more state interventions in terms of aviation. Why does that occur in particular? Because aviation has a great role in terms of foreign policy and in the national interest of nation states that's recognised around the world. Indeed, just about most airlines have some form of government involvement in them.
GILBERT: So, just basically, you want the Government to be positive about that? To support Virgin through a difficult time?
ALBANESE: Well, look, I'm not in a position given that I haven't seen the specific proposals to say precisely what should happen. But I do think that the Government should consider any proposal from a sympathetic point of view and should consider it in the form of the long-term. There's a lot of capital has gone into building up our aviation system here in Australia. And I want to see that continue as it has done in recent years to serve the nation well.
GILBERT: Just finally, you've said, a number of times, words to the effect that if we're going to do something next week, that we know we're going to do, we're better off doing it today. That's been read in many ways as you and Labor wanting the Government to go harder and faster in terms of shutting down, social distancing and that sort of thing. Do you think they've got the balance right now in terms of their social distancing measures? And are you encouraged by some of the health numbers that we've seen over the last 24 to 48 hours?
ALBANESE: Well, that comment, of course, Kieran, goes to a range of issues. It goes to testing, which is now being stepped up. That's a very good thing. And the fact that there is new technology enabled, essentially, for it to be a bit like a pinprick, and to be able to get some immediate response within a short period of time, is very good indeed. The wage subsidy issue, Kieran, we argued that should have been put in place the last time Parliament met. That should have been a key component of the package. If that have had occurred, many people who were laid-off in the ensuing period wouldn't have been laid-off. That's what employers are saying. So, I think we've been right in saying that if we know something is necessary to do in a week or two, there's got to be a good reason why you don't do it, or at least give an indication that's occurring. There has been a considerable strengthening of the social distancing rules and that's a good thing that has occurred. There is a far greater consensus now, amongst the medical experts, that it's getting close to where the more stringent advocates say it should be. But Kieran, the fact that people were able to walk through the airport without even a temperature check is something that I was raising. I remain concerned that occurred. I think that was a wrong decision. And it's the job of the Opposition to be constructive and to be bipartisan. But bipartisanship doesn't equal silence. And the fact is on a range of measures, be it the no evictions, the wages, the stepping up of the testing, the mental health plans, the Telehealth plans, all of these are measures that we have called for, that have subsequently down the track been adopted. And I see that as a vindication of the position that Labor has taken. We will continue to be constructive. We will continue to put forward our ideas. No one has a monopoly on knowledge, whether the Government or Opposition. And the fact is in a range of areas, we've worked constructively. The Parliament worked very effectively when we last sat. And I am very confident that we will work effectively in the national interest in either next week or the week after when we come together. Because that is what this crisis requires. It requires us to put aside partisan issues to work together in the national interest.
ENDS
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