3 June 2024
Topics: Fair Work Commission minimum wage increase, Kooyong preselection, detainee fallout
E&OE
Kieran Gilbert:
Let’s go back to politics. I’m joined by the Shadow Environment Minister Jonno Duniam. He joins us from Hobart. Senator, thanks for your time. What’s your read on this number out of the Fair Work Commission today? Do you welcome it?
Senator Duniam:
Well, obviously we respect the independence of the Fair Work Commission and no doubt there will be many Australian households that are grateful for a little bit extra, but I suppose the headline takeaway for me in all of this is the forecast that show that real wages will be 1.8 per cent lower than they were in 2022, the middle of 2022, so two years on. We’re not seeing things getting better overall. But of course to hear the Fair Work Commissioner say in his reasons for making the decision that they did that productivity is in no way picking up to where they want to see it, which is holding back their capacity to support low paid workers. But it points to the policies of this Government – high energy costs, which are not being brought down by their policies, in fact held up, and of course cost of doing business. The red tape that small business find themselves wrapped up in as a result of their IR laws all stifling productivity. They’re things the Government can fix and that would help low paid workers and more broadly, improve productivity. So, they were the takeouts for me. As I say, it’s probably good news for many households across the country but at the end of the day government policy is holding them back from where they could.
Kieran Gilbert:
Do you believe though that it was measured to the extent that it won’t put added pressure on inflation right now, which is the last thing we want.
Senator Duniam:
Well, the Fair Work Commissioner did point to the reasons why they didn’t go any further, and of course, as I’ve already said, productivity was a key factor in that and the fact that it hasn’t picked up in the last four years and only just returned to growth. But yes, they do have to take into account whether or not a decision will drive up inflation and they’ve got it in that target band that the RBA have set with regard to inflation. So, while there is a little improvement for low paid Australians, of course there are other things holding Australians back and they are Government policies that are keeping the cost of living high and the capacity to earn more down.
Kieran Gilbert:
Some talk about Josh Frydenberg potentially reconsidering his move after the draft redistribution was released. What’s your view on that? Do you think he should?
Senator Duniam:
Well, Josh obviously had made a massive contribution to Australian politics in his time as the Member for Kooyong and as Treasurer and various ministerial roles that he occupied. I note that he hasn’t committed to putting his hand up. It is very much a matter for the rank and file members of the Victorian Liberal Party to make a decision about who their candidates are. I note they have a terrific candidate in Amelia Hamer already endorsed in the seat of Kooyong and it is important to note also that the boundaries that have been put out, that’s just a set of draft boundaries, a suggestion from the AEC, so there’ll be a process to go through. But as for preselections in Victoria, as a Tasmanian Senator I won’t be commentating on that but note that we’ve got a fantastic candidate there.
Kieran Gilbert:
Jeff Kennett has said that Josh Frydenberg should put up or shut up. The challenge if he were to do it looks to me to be the transactional cost as you rightly point out, Amelia Hamer in her early 30s, a young woman, don’t want to be seen to be stopping a career just as it’s starting as a middle aged man surely, that if you put yourself in some of the reaction to this, I think Monique Ryan would have a field day with it.
Senator Duniam:
How Monique Ryan intends to campaign not having achieved a great deal for her electorate is probably a matter for her. At the end of the day, this is all speculation. Josh has not confirmed that he intends to run. We don’t know where his head’s at. I haven’t yet met Amelia Hamer, I’m looking forward to getting out and door knocking with her, and I’m sure the Victorian Liberal Party members, whatever happens, will make the right decision about how best to win the seat of Kooyong back because I’ll tell you what Australia needs it and we need to return to Government to fix some of the problems we’re seeing across the country.
Kieran Gilbert:
The Immigration Minister’s moving quickly, just finally, to cancel or re-cancel as many visas as possible. That’s now over twenty. Do you do you appreciate and welcome that urgency?
Senator Duniam:
Well, the urgency would have been good right at the beginning and in fact, it would have been great for the Minister for Immigration and indeed the Prime Minister to heed the warnings of the Department of Home Affairs, including in relation to direction 99, where they warned the Minister that direction 99 might see an increase in the number of overturned decisions by the AAT by 25 per cent. It’s great for them to be trying to cover their tracks and make up for all the problems they’ve caused now, but they should have done their job properly at the beginning. It’s Australian community safety that they should be looking after here, sadly, it’s their own political backsides they’re looking after and I think it’s too little, too late. And the fact that this Minister is still somehow in this gig defies belief frankly, and the Minister, the Prime Minister rather, has some serious questions to answer. No amount of ducking or weaving is going to get him away from the debacle that he has presided over.
Kieran Gilbert:
Senator Duniam, appreciate it. We’ll talk to you soon.
Senator Duniam:
Thanks Kieran.