Minister Shorten interview on the Today Show with Sarah Abo and Karl Stefanovic
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
SUBJECTS: Gaza ceasefire and Antisemitic attacks; Australia Day; farewell Bill.
SARAH ABO, HOST: Well, not even 24 hours after news of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas broke, there’s been another anti Semitic attack in Sydney. Two cars torched and offensive graffiti spray painted on a suburban street in the city’s east.
KARL STEFANOVIC, HOST: For more, we’re joined by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Bill Shorten, who joins us for the last time as Minister for NDIS. Good morning to you guys. Nice to see you, Bill. First up, whatever State and Federal Labor is doing doesn’t seem to be having any effect right now. Pete was pushing for mandatory sentences for these attacks. So, you guys didn’t recall Cabinet to do that? Bill, do you think you should have?
BILL SHORTEN MINISTER FOR THE NDIS, AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES: No, but the cowardly hoons who are doing this, are certainly criminals. I am going to leave the policing to the police. They will catch these fools. These people are spreading Antisemitism and fear. It’s vile, it’s sickening. And be under no doubt that the Government, State and Federal, not that I speak for the States, but I know them, will do everything they can to apprehend these crooks and put them in jail where they belong.
ABO: There’s no point behind these, right? It doesn’t actually achieve anything and in fact it just angers the broader population as well. Pete, the PM has put in a special envoy to combat Antisemitism. Is that a sign he’s taking it seriously enough?
PETER DUTTON, LIBERAL PARTY: Morning, Sarah. Well, this envoy was put in a long time ago and every suggestion that she’s made has been ignored by the Prime Minister. So, I think there is an incredible frustration and anger within the Jewish community and I think it’s completely understandable. We wouldn’t tolerate this sort of targeting of people based on their religious belief or the colour of their skin or their religious creed in any other segment of our society. And somehow over the last 14 months or so, the Government’s allowed the level of anti Semitism to rise by some 700%. And you know, I agree with the sentiment to that Bill just expressed, but these people aren’t hoons, these people are terrorists and they are targeting people to intimidate them, to scare them. They’ve got armed guards now at Jewish schools and synagogues and the threat against the community is real. And the Prime Minister has walked both sides of the street, unfortunately on this issue and there just hasn’t been the strong enough leadership that’s required. And I think as a result we’re seeing these sort of incidents again and again and again and it continues to escalate.
STEFANOVIC: Bill, what would have been wrong with mandatory sentences?
SHORTEN: Well, the issue of mandatory sentences is whether or not it then suppresses people coming forward. But mandatory sentences is one tool. I actually accept Peter’s point where he said about they’re more than just hoons, they are people sowing fear. I know I was the first politician in Australia to call out the Antisemitism at the Opera House on your show. know I was at the Adas Synagogue, which was firebombed hours after it happened, and I attended the Caulfield Central Synagogue the week after in solidarity when idiots and thugs turned up to intimidate the congregation the week before. I just want to make clear to anyone who has any sympathy for any of these issues, you are so wrong. This is about using an excuse, about an argument in the Middle East to dislike and intimidate and put fear into Australians of Jewish heritage. I want to say to Australians of Jewish heritage, the vast, vast majority of all other Australians are on your side and I’m really sorry, but there are cowards at night, terrorists leaning inclined, as Peter says, doing this to you. And believe me, it’s not just the politicians. I have many other Australians come to me every day and say we are on the side of Australians of Jewish heritage. You are not alone.
ABO: Yeah, let’s hope this ceasefire- let’s hope the ceasefire would put an end to anti Semitism. It is a fragile cease fire deal. It seems it’s a fragile sentiment here as well. Well, let’s move on now. And look, it’s the annual debate that quite frankly, everyone is getting pretty sick of. Should we celebrate Australia Day on January 26th? Pete, you want to force councils to hold Australia Day events on that day. This is a free country. What’s wrong with giving people a choice?
DUTTON: Well, Sarah, it’s a Federal act and the law. Before Anthony Albanese changed it, was that it required the local councils to have a citizenship ceremony because it’s a delegated responsibility. The responsibility is actually with the Federal Government to induct people or to swear people in as citizens. And part of that agreement with the councils was that they couldn’t boycott Australia Day as a political statement. And what we’ve had over the last couple of years is just this very quiet, no fanfare. The Prime Minister didn’t say anything publicly about it, he just changed the Act and, and that allowed the councils to conduct these political campaigns. I think we live in the best country in the world and I think we should be celebrating our National Day as any other democracy does. We accept the good and the bad of our history. We have an incredible indigenous history in our country, but we also have a great migrant history. There are millions of Australians who came here post the Second World War without a dollar in their pockets. And they’ve gone on to have kids and grandkids who are now in the media, who are doctors, who are scientists, who are police officers and nurses. And we should celebrate that great migrant story. And for them, January 26th is sacrosanct. And that’s why we should celebrate it and we should do everything we can for indigenous Australians. But we can’t be divided as a country any longer. We can’t pretend that segregating people into groups or tribes is working. It’s not. All of the health indicators and the education indicators for indigenous Australians is going backwards. So, let’s, let’s be smarter about the way that we do things and unite as one people and if we do that we can be a better country.
STEFANOVIC: Alright Bill, on your last day here on the Today show as Minister, you’re going to completely and utterly unreservedly agree with what Pete’s saying.
SHORTEN: Well, hold your spoon with your Weetbix on it. Pete, I’m going to miss you.
ABO: Awwww.
SHORTEN: But one of the things I’m going to miss about you is how you predictably lose your mind just before Australia Day every year. Last year you were doing the one man comedy show boycott of Woolies. This year now you’ve gone to war with the sandal wearing inner city mayors. I don’t know, next year you’re going to make it a law that the Big Issue salespeople are going to wear an “I Love Australia” badge. Yes, I celebrate Australia Day, on the 26th of January. But the truth of the matter is that the only fight we should be having is the fight against cost of living. And the culture wars don’t help reduce the price of goods or help people get into housing. I mean, and just last bit of free advice, Pete, which obviously it’s free so you can do with what you want is this gold plated nuclear taxpayer funded fantasy of yours-
STEFANOVIC: Aww Bill!
SHORTEN: I’ve been doing the maths in my head last night. There are children not yet born. Children not yet born who are going to have to pay taxes, taxes for the next 50 years to pay for Comrade Dutton’s nuclear power plan.
STEFANOVIC: [crosstalk] Bill! Bill I thought we were going to get a nice farewell! You go Pete. Just finally an
d quickly.
SHORTEN: I know you liked the touch up, Pete.
DUTTON: The festival of Bill continues. I mean how many, how many goodbyes to Bill do we have to have since Christmas last year? Now it’s Bill’s last day as Minister. Next, next, next it’ll be his first day as the Chancellor.
SHORTEN: It will be!
DUTTON: Look, when you, when you get to the university and the lecturers there are telling you that the rest of the world has got nuclear power and their electricity prices are a third we’re paying here. Hopefully, hopefully they can give you a bit of an education. But we wish you all the best and, and another farewell and you know, good luck and we’ll be back next week doing it again I guess.
SHORTEN: I know for sure that there’ll – Pete, I know there’ll be no tears on your pillow the night before you have to come up against me on the Today show, so.
STEFANOVIC: No, no, exactly. Well, you’ll be back. You’ll be back now, you hear. Thank you so much Bill for being part of the show.
ABO: Yes, congratulations.
STEFANOVIC: I have a feeling we’ll see you again on the show. So, thank you so much.
SHORTEN: No worries, Sarah. Thank you Karl.