Sky News PM Agenda with Laura Jayes
E&OE
Journalist:
Welcome back to PM Agenda, joining me now is the Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, who is here in the studio. Thanks very much for your time.
First of all I wanted to ask you about Malcolm Turnbull’s speech overnight in Washington, largely for an American but also for a domestic audience as well.
He said that ISIS has nothing to do with Islam but not to say there is not a problem within Islam – but all Muslims should not be tagged with the crimes of a tiny minority. Is that the right balance that he’s struck? You’ve talked about this in the past – has he got it right here?
Assistant Minister:
This is the appropriate balance, and I think the Prime Ministers language really goes to the heart of the issue. There are millions of Muslims around the world, and of course here in Australia we have about half-a-million people of Muslim faith in Australia. The overwhelming majority of them are getting on with life and wanting to have a better life for themselves and their children.
The reality is that there is a negative perception about Islam, as I have said before it’s really important that negative perception be addressed by the Muslim communities. I think the language that the Prime Minister is using is very much the appropriate language.
Journalist:
Is it being addressed, and what changes have you seen since Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister? Has there been a different approach and has there been progress in that sense?
Assistant Minister:
It’s been very clear from my discussions with the grass roots of these communities, and I spend a lot of time in discussion with them. There definitely is a change in attitude, and a change of attitude within those communities themselves. As I’ve said in the past, they really need to not just acknowledge the problem but own the problem and be part of owning the solution – and I think that is happening.
We’ve seen some changes in those communities and I think we will continue to see changes. I think that as I have indicated before, they are communities that are at the crossroads and they now need to make decisions about how the Australian public sees them and sees their religion – and the public’s perception and understanding of that religion.
Journalist:
He also in his speech last night, did make special note that we shouldn’t talk us ISIS – it’s not this existential threat, it is being contained and he was really talking about the concerns involved in, I guess, the media reporting this as such. But also, I think politicians talking ad nauseam about how big a threat they are. How big a threat do they remain here, and how should we be discussing it?
Assistant Minister:
Well, it’s very important the language that is used, because the language that is used feeds into the narrative that is being used to brainwash the young people. I’ve had the opportunity to talk to young people, and to talk to people that are working with those young people. So that’s why the language that is used publically, the language that is used by the body-politic, language that is used by the media, does influence and does feed into the language that ultimately can be then used or manipulated by those who wish to influence those young people and influence them to take a fatal course in their life.
Journalist:
I know you’ve also had a strong focus on helping to resettle the 12,000 refugees that will come from Syria. Late last year we saw a family resettle in Perth – has there been any update on that special humanitarian intake?
Assistant Minister:
We’ve had a few people – a few more families – arriving, there sort of trickling in. As we’ve indicated in the past, this was going to be a slower process than what we anticipated. Obviously, there are some security issues that we need to address and it’s important for the Australian public to ensure that the appropriate checks and balances are undertaken.
But Minister Porter welcomed the first family last year to Perth, and bit-by-bit we’ve had families come in, but naturally we’ve had to respecting the privacy of the families and for that reason we’ve left it entirely up to them to decide if they wish to make public statements or talk to the media.
Journalist:
Looking more at internal issues now, this is the preselection for the New South Wales Liberals – that opened this morning. There has been plenty of reports around, I’m sure you’ve seen them. My first question to you is: are there moves afoot to remove you?
Assistant Minister:
There is always lots of posturing at preselection processes. I led the Senate ticket in 2010 and I seek that honour again for the next federal election.
Journalist:
So do you think that honour will be given to you once again in the upcoming election.
Assistant Minister:
Well, I think in any preselection it is important – as my former boss, the late Jim Carlton use to say to me preselections are a very good period of time, particularly when people to stand against you because it affords you the opportunity to talk about all the good things that you’ve done.
In my case, I’d like to thing that I have plenty of positive things to talk about that I have done in terms of my work as Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs. I do work in three different portfolios in key areas, some of which we have spoken about today. At a particular time when we are facing challenges in those very areas not just here in Australia but abroad.
But also the work that I have done in the past in relation to things like the HSU – Senator Abetz yesterday in his piece reminded us of some of that work, but also things that I’ve done in the past when I was responsible for Health in the Senate – the so called health reforms and what turned out to be Dr Rudd and Nurse Roxon travelling around Australia.
Journalist:
It has been reported today and in recent days that there is a push for generational change, but there is a factional element to this; some of the more moderate factional bosses trying to push more moderate candidates into these conservative seats. Is that happening?
Assistant Minister:
We are a broad church; the Liberal Party of Australia has always been a broad church – with its liberal component and its conservative component.
Journalist:
Does this threaten to upset that balance?
Assistant Minister:
I think it’s very clear that the change of leadership at the federal level – and I think these comments have been made in the public arena, in the Australian editorial yesterday – that doesn’t necessarily translate to a purge of the conservatives around Australia.
I think when preselection starts there is always a positioning and always a lot of posturing, but I think the Prime Minister has made his views very, very clear, and that’s publically. At this particular point in time it’s very important to ensure stability and certainly after Prime Minister Turnbull became Prime Minister I and other conservatives went to people in the Liberal Party and made it very, very clear that it was important for the sake of the Liberal Party…
Journalist:
So if it does come down to this though, and factional bosses in New South Wales such as Michael Photios or whoever else is behind it is starting to push this – would you expect Malcolm Turnbull to step in and make sure there isn’t, what could be quite a blood bath in New South Wales.
Assistant Minister:
The Prime Minister has indicated, and we welcome that, his support for sitting members.
Democratic processes are very important, but what is also very important in New South Wales is to ensure that there is a sound democratic structure in place for good democratic processes to occur. And conservatives like myself have been pushing for a reform of the New South Wales Division and a reform of the processes – in particular plebiscites and again yesterday Senator Abetz made the important observation that he shepherded those reforms through the Tasmanian Division.
What those of us in New South Wales who are seeking reform of the New South Wales Division is to align New South Wales with other States around Australia. So democracy is very important in any political party, but in New South Wales in the Liberal Party this needs to go a long way towards a much more democratic process so that the grassroots of the Liberal Party do have a say, and that’s why I think it’s very important – I come back to the point I made earlier, in a broad church both those views are present in all the different structures of government and the party.
Journalist:
Let’s look at the scandals, around Bronwyn Bishop for example over the past six month and then she voted against Tony Abbott – who stuck by her. Do you think it’s time for her to go, is it time for her to leave politics?
Assistant Minister:
That’s a matter for Bronwyn; it’s a matter for her to make decisions about her future.
Journalist:
But is it a good enough excuse or reason for her to stay in politics where she says as a backbencher she’s staying in politics to protect national security.
Assistant Minister:
Well that’s a value judgement that Bronwyn, who has many years of experience in politics, will no doubt make, and I’ll leave those decisions to Bronwyn.
Journalist:
What about Philip Ruddock, he is the Father of the House; there are reports around that Julian Leeser might have the numbers to challenge him. Should he be given the opportunity to make the decision on his own, or do you think Julian should afford him that opportunity?
Assistant Minister:
My focus is on the Senate but that’s a matter for Philip to make that value judgement.
Journalist:
And also for Julian, right?
Assistant Minister:
And anybody else who wishes to challenge Philip, in terms of his history and the contribution that he has made, again that is an issue for Philip and the people of Berowra.
Journalist:
And just finally Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, can I ask you does this threaten to be a problem for Malcolm Turnbull if it does look to be, even as an optic, the views of the public if there is some unseating of some conservative members like yourself?
Assistant Minister:
I think it’s very important that we have stability in New South Wales, and indeed Tony Abbott himself at the last State Council when he addressed State Council, he said we’ve had five Prime Ministers in five years – let’s not make it six.
And he advocated, and in particular addressing his conservative supports in that audience advocating for support of Prime Minister Turnbull. So I think it is very important for us to heed that request by Tony, for stability in the New South Wales Division so that we can win the next federal election.
Journalist:
And you expect to be number one on that Senate ticket, not number three. You’re not willing to concede that spot to Hollie Hughes?
Assistant Minister:
Well, I think number three is going to be the National Party.
Journalist:
I thought number two was the Nationals?
Assistant Minister:
Under the Coalition Agreement the Liberal Party has positions one and two.
Journalist:
Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, thank-you for joining us.