Doorstop interview

SUBJECTS:  Melbourne car attack; F/A-18s returning home; Bobby Goldsmith Foundation Christmas appeal; Labor’s plan to end HIV transmission; Tax policy; ALP Senate candidates; Chinese students; Snowy Hydro cost blowout.

NICK LAWSON, CEO, BOBBY GOLDSMITH FOUNDATION : [audio cuts in] we would just like to remind Tanya and to everyone that at this time of the year, probably more than half of our clients, people who are HIV who are in such a vulnerable situation, really are suffering from discrimination and isolation and stigma, and we would encourage people to approach our Christmas appeal and to give generously to people who are having a much more difficult time this Christmas than perhaps many of us are. Thanks very much and welcome Tanya.

TANYA PLIBERSEK MP, ACTING LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: Thanks very much Nick and I'll say a few words more about the appeal in a moment, but I did want to start with the terrible scenes that we've seen overnight coming out of Melbourne.  It is really shocking to all Australians to think that people just walking along the street, minding their own business, can be the subject of this sort of violence, this sort of unpredictable, unexpected violence. And of course all of our thoughts are with the people who are still in hospital and those who have been injured, bystanders who would of course be traumatised by this, all of the friends and family of those affected, and also most particularly to our first responders.  First responders were there within minutes and they do such an amazing job in such difficult circumstances, so our heartfelt thanks go to those first responders.

I also wanted to say a couple of words about news this morning that some of our defence personnel will be returning from Iraq. I'm sure that this is very welcome news to many families waiting at home here in Australia hearing that their loved ones will be returning, is probably the best Christmas present that they can have. Our personnel have done magnificent work in Iraq. They were there, people should recall, at the invitation and request of the democratically elected Government of Iraq to help protect the people and the territory of Iraq from the murderous rampage of IS. Our people have done fantastic work and we are very proud of them, and I am delighted to hear that they will be coming home.

Turning now to this visit to the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation. I've come today because it is the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation's appeal, their Christmas appeal to raise funds to help people who are isolated, living with HIV, in many cases discriminated against and struggling financially. It's a time of the year, as I said at the Wayside Chapel the other day, when it's just as important to give as it is to receive and a great opportunity to teach our children as well that, instead of just thinking about what Santa might be bringing them, they should think a little bit about what they can do for others. The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation does a fantastic job with people who are HIV positive throughout the year and it's an opportunity for the Australian community to support this organisation and many organisations like it who do great work throughout the year, so if you can give please give a little to support the charity of your choice.

One of the reasons I wanted to come to the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation in particular is because Labor recently announced $53 million with an aim of ending new HIV transmissions in Australia. In the 1980’s Australia lead the world when it came to our response to HIV and AIDS, and because of that we have by international standards very low numbers of people living with HIV. Also, because of our excellent health care system, people are living longer with HIV. It's become a chronic disease rather than a death sentence. We should all be proud of that. But we have an opportunity to have another world first, to be a global leader again when it comes to ending new transmissions of HIV by combining regular testing and treatment as prevention and adding in an expansion of the pre-exposure prophylaxis program - PrEP as it's known - we can end new transmission of HIV in Australia and wouldn't it be fantastic, wouldn’t it be brilliant, to be the first country in the world to do that.  That's why our health spokesperson, Catherine King, with our Leader Bill Shorten, made that commitment recently.

Thank you. Any questions?

JOURNALIST: Scott Morrison said that big business is going to go overseas if Labor doesn't reverse their position on his tax cut policy. Just wondering could I get your reaction to that?

PLIBERSEK: Well it's another hysterical overreach from Scott Morrison. I mean, honestly, earlier this week we've seen the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook that shows that the big problem in the Australian economy continues to be low household consumption because of a lack of confidence from ordinary working people. They've seen their wages stagnating and now the Government is proposing a new $44 billion tax on low and middle income earners in coming years with this increase to the Medicare levy. So people on as little as $21,000 a year are actually going to be paying more tax. And why this new $44 billion tax and why the cuts to health and cuts to education? It's apparently to fund a big business tax cut and a tax cut for people earning more than $180,000 a year. So if you're an ordinary working person, you pay more tax under Scott Morrison. But if you're earning a million bucks a year you get a $16,400 a year tax cut from Scott Morrison. We know the problem with the economy is stagnant wages growth and low confidence leading to low household consumption and he's doing exactly the wrong thing to fix that problem. Now people like to compare us to other tax jurisdictions overseas, but most of those jurisdictions don't have dividend imputation. We're often compared with tax rates overseas that aren't including state taxes and other taxes, and don't forget we actually live in an environment where many of our largest companies pay little or no tax. They're not paying the headline tax that you read, they're actually paying little or no tax in some cases. What Scott Morrison wants to do is give the big banks and multinational companies a tax cut and make ordinary working people pay more. There is no-one who has been Grinchier this Christmas than Scott Morrison.

JOURNALIST: Tony Sheldon's name's been thrown into the mix amongst Kristina Keneally's to replace former Senator Sam Dastyari. Will you back either of them?

PLIBERSEK: I'm going to let the democratic processes of the great Australian Labor Party run their course. They are both excellent candidates. There may be other candidates that emerge. We have strong democratic processes within our party and they should be able to operate freely. They're both fine people, they're great candidates, let's just see what our membership says.

JOURNALIST: There's been a warning extended from the Chinese embassy to students in Australia, warning them about potential racially motivated attacks against them. Do you have a message to Chinese students in Australia?

PLIBERSEK: I have a strong message to Chinese students in Australia - you are welcome. Our overseas students are a fantastic contributor to the Australian domestic economy, billions of dollars a year of support into our domestic economy, including into our fine universities. We want to make sure that overseas students feel safe and they feel welcome, not just because of the economic contribution they are making to our nation right now, but also because of the message they take to the world about Australia. We want to be seen as an open, safe, inclusive country. We want visitors from around the world, uni students and tourists, we want them coming here and supporting our domestic economy. Let's make sure they feel welcome and they feel safe.

JOURNALIST: On the Snowy Hydro cost blowout, the Government is apparently willing to buy out NSW and Victorian Governments at a cost of potentially $12 billion. Do you think this is a good deal for the Commonwealth?

PLIBERSEK: Well I actually am gobsmacked by the reports in the last couple of days. Of course Labor supports investment in renewable energy. Australia needs more renewable energy in its energy mix, but the best, most effective, cheapest way to do this is to put a price on carbon pollution. Instead we've got a Prime Minister who is desperate for an announcement a couple of days before the Newspoll, wants a nice photo backdrop so he goes down to the iconic Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme and says we're going to do a feasibility study into whether we can expand it. They release a feasibility study with sections of it redacted or not released. Well that's curious in itself. Then the reports we have is it's going to take longer and cost more. Well what does that remind you of? Reminds you of a Prime Minister who when he was Communications Minister on the one hand virtually claiming to have invented the internet, and on the other hand completely stuffed the roll-out of the NBN, meaning that people who are getting the NBN are saying they are getting a worse service than they were getting before. It's taken longer, it's more expensive, the speeds are slower, it's just been a debacle. We're going to put the same guy in charge of a multi-billion dollar Snowy Mountains Hydro expansion. It makes me a little nervous, I've got to say.

Thanks everyone.