6PR Gary Adshead
GARY ADSHEAD:
Thanks very much for your time, Minister.
MINISTER MORRISON:
Good to be with you Gary.
ADSHEAD:
Alright, just explain to us the significance of this, what has prompted it?
MINISTER MORRISON:
What is means is there are changes that are happening in the financial markets, that means people may not be earning as much as they were before and so we have adjusted how we assess all that and that means that part-pensioners in particular, more than 700,000 people across the system will get on average an extra $3.20 a fortnight. Now I know that is not the earth and it is a small increase but it does cost over $200 million and I think that just goes to demonstrate that even the smallest changes in this area carry a very big bill.
ADSHEAD:
Ok, why now?
MINISTER MORRISON:
Because of the change that has been occurring in the markets and how peoples incomes are being assessed, this is something that happens on a regular basis and my department looks at those and from time to time changes those, what are called deeming rates, which is what people are deemed to earn from their investments in assessing peoples eligibility for the pension and how much pension they get. So we have changed that to reflect the change in economic circumstances and we are very attuned to that as we are with cost of living pressures. It is great that petrol prices have come down as much as they have and the carbon tax led to a significant decrease in power prices but we need to do everything we can where we can.
ADSHEAD:
Alright, obviously you’re a government that needs to be saving money at the moment. Is this sort of just softening up the electorate a bit?
MINISTER MORRISON:
No, these things have happened before. It is a mechanism that is used to reflect the changes in economic conditions particularly in financial markets so people get a fair go. So this was under consideration for some time after I became Minister and we have now acted on it. It will come into effect in March but you have got to be able to do things that you can accommodate. Bill Shorten is running around with all this unfunded empathy identifying with everybody but paying to fix none of it. If he has got some solutions I would like to hear them and even more importantly if he knows how he is going to pay for them I would like to hear that too because I have heard none of that.
ADSHEAD:
So when will people see the benefits?
MINISTER MORRISON:
20th of March is when this comes in and that will be in addition to the cost of living adjustment that comes in in the pension in March and September of each year. So it is simply not true for the opposition to say that pensions are falling, they are not. They are increasing, they will be increasing as a result of this decision and they will increase in March again as a result of the adjustment that is made then. You can’t go around scaring pensioners, you have got to actually do things that help them and that is what we are doing. Bill Shorten just wants to scare them by telling them that their pension is going down, it is just not.
ADSHEAD:
Ok, can I just ask you if you don’t mind. There is a report in the front of the Aus in relation to dual citizens, dual nationals their passports being targeted if they are suspected or engaged in any terrorism. How – I know the Prime Minister has got to make an announcement Monday week but how could that actually work. Who would be the targets of such an investigation, I mean you would have to have some proof obviously?
MINISTER MORRISON:
The subject I would assume is in other places other than Australia, like in the UK and there are tests around what qualifies and they have a system a bit like that. This idea has been around for a while it was actually debated in Parliament last year. One of the government members actually brought forward a motion to bring about [inaudible] change. Where people are dual citizens then obviously a citizenship could be technically withdrawn and not leave them stateless. Where people basically don’t measure up to the obligations of being a citizen that would potentially include a very serious treasonous offence, which terrorism frankly is, then you know the government can obviously consider those options. But it is not for me to sort of second guess the Prime Minister on this, I am no longer on the National Security Committee. These are issues that have been around for a while. What he is trying to do is address, I think, this perception which has some reality to it around the benefit of the doubt. When I was Immigration Minister we introduced legislation to remove the benefit of the doubt for people who couldn’t prove who they were and who had come on boats and documents had been thrown away. Now that bill sits in the Parliament because the Labor party won’t support it. That is one of the obvious and classic areas where the government has been trying to move but frankly we haven’t had the support that we really should get on these sorts of measures.
ADSHEAD:
I know the name Hizb ut-Tarir keeps getting mentioned as far as the federal government’s concerns over that organisation and there are people there that speak very openly here in Australia. Are you saying those sort of people their dual citizenship could be looked at?
MINISTER MORRISON:
It requires another jurisdiction in other places where this is done – a pretty high bar and in terms of convictions and things of that nature.
ADSHEAD:
Yeah sure.
MINISTER MORRISON:
The government has many other remedies to deal with people who are and that is part of the package of measures that is currently going through the Parliament, and some have already passed, to be able to crack down on groups like Hizb ut-Tarir. I make no apologies for the government doing that and neither is the Prime Minster and I have seen what those characters have been up to and frankly it is not in the national interest. So they should be very prepared to be attracting the attention of the federal government as we pursue our national security.
ADSHEAD:
I suppose that is the example I am giving you. If you knew that someone who was speaking out regularly and saying the sort of things that they have been saying has actually got dual nationality is that where you – could you go to someone like that and say well you are also an Iraqi national or you are a Kuwaiti national, you know go back there?
MINISTER MORRISON:
Well there are a couple of things, there are people who are already overseas now if you are overseas and fighting with Daesh then if you remain a citizen of this country even if we cancel your passport you have a right to enter and remain in Australia. Now you know they would have to go to one of our consular posts or something like that to arrange their return to Australia and they wouldn’t be able to do that quietly. So there are those who are over there who frankly once they are gone you never want to see them back in the country again. But then the other things you are talking about I suppose are on a spectrum, I mean to what extent. Cancelling someone’s citizenship is a pretty big deal and shouldn’t be done lightly and there needs to be some really clear tests for it but look that’s I think part of the debate that has been taking place. It is not new, it has been going on for a while but the message I take out of it is I think all Australians want to say if you want to be Australian well you don’t go around supporting or encouraging or inciting people to do us harm. That is just not on.
ADSHEAD:
Ok, to the Bali two if I can. Look it is imminent by the look of it there is a meeting today we understand it where Australian diplomats have been called to a meeting. We don’t know what is going to come out of it at this stage but can I ask you is there anything else the Australian government can do?
MINISTER MORRISON:
We will continue to do everything we can I think is the answer and I know Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and the Prime Minister and our officials and everyone has been doing everything they can and the government appreciates the support of the Opposition and all parties on this. This is a very distressing thing that is occurring; it is deeply unsettling for all Australians and particularly for them and their families. They are two young men who did the wrong thing and if there has ever been a case of rehabilitation this I think clearly ticks it. I thought that is what it is supposed to be all about but no one wants to say or do anything at this very sensitive stage that could impede anything that might be able to be achieved and I just wish all of our officials up there godspeed.
ADSHEAD:
I notice the Prime Minister is already talking about possible action against Indonesia if it goes ahead or is that too premature?
MINISTER MORRISON:
I will leave it to the Prime Minister to discuss those matters. Australians as I said I think will be very upset by this and it is important that at this particular sensitive time we all just remain focussed on one thing and that is ensuring we seek to get that clemency and if we can achieve that, that would be great but the signs aren’t looking good but there is always hope, there is always hope.
ADSHEAD:
And just finally if I can, Philip Ruddock I am sure you know him well. Has he been badly treated by the PM because he may not have helped the PM avoid what we saw last week?
MINISTER MORRISON:
I am not going to get caught up in all the commentary on that other than to say this and that is Philip Ruddock is the best Immigration Minister that this country has ever had and I can say that with some personal knowledge.
ADSHEAD:
Was he the best Chief Whip though?
MINISTER MORRISON:
Well look I don’t think Philip Ruddock was hanging around for 40 years to become the Chief Whip in the Parliament. Philip will do any job you ask him to, for the party, for a government and he has always been very loyal and dedicated in his service in those things and I believe that is what he sought to do and it is for others to make the judgements about who should serve in those roles, that is for the Prime Minister but Philip is deeply regarded and respected by all of his colleagues including the Prime Minister. He sought to I think underscore that and it really shouldn’t be suggested that I think the Prime Minister would think anything less of Philip Ruddock than he always has. He is a great Liberal, he is a great Australian, and we really appreciate what he continues to do for all of us.
ADSHEAD:
He had to go in order for the Prime Minister to reconnect with his backbench, is that it?
MINSITER MORRISON:
You would have to ask the Prime Minister about that, he makes those choices not his Ministers that is something for him to determine. As far as Philip is concerned he is no lesser regarded by any of his colleagues and as always he has handled this matter with very well-polished dignity.
ADSHEAD:
Thanks very much for joining us Minister.
MINISTER MORRISON:
No worries, good to chat.