Interview with Natalie Barr, Sunrise

28 August 2024

NATALIE BARR: To federal politics now, and thousands of construction workers have protested against the forced administration of the CFMEU across Australia. Workers have slammed the move as an attack on the construction union, which occurred after the revelation of corruption allegations. Protesters even took out their fury directly against the Prime Minister.

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NATALIE BARR: The PM now put on notice ahead of the next election for their take. Let's bring in Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth and Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume. Good morning to both of you. Amanda, what was your response to this?

AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, firstly, I would say that having unions that are doing the right thing for their members is critical in this country, and that's why the government has taken these strong steps because of the allegations of corruption in the CFMEU means they can't work in the best interests of their members. So this has been a big step, an important step, a strong step from the government. But it's been the right thing to do to make sure that we can put an administrator in place and make sure that any allegations of corruption are stamped out and the union can get on with representing its members.

NATALIE BARR: What about the Albanazi?

AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, look, people say a lot of very rude things in politics and very offensive things in politics, but people have the right to protest as well. And you know, the right to protest within the law is something that we respect.

NATALIE BARR: Really, you respect? Because the Jewish groups are pretty angry about this. So do you respect that form of protest?

AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, no. What I said I respect protests within the law, but it's pretty offensive. I've said that it's pretty offensive. But, you know, politicians get called offensive things all the time.

NATALIE BARR: Jane, what was your response?

JANE HUME: To tell you the truth, I didn't find it at all surprising. I actually got caught up in these protests yesterday. They overtook Melbourne CBD and it was quite menacing.

I think that the use of that language is entirely unacceptable. It's something that the CFMEU have aimed against Liberal politicians for many, many years, and Labor have condoned it. But let's remember that these protests are actually protesting stamping out corruption and alleged criminality in these unions, corruption and criminality that has been allowed to run rife in the CFMEU for many, many years, and it's costing Australians every day. It costs Australians when they build a house, it costs Australians when they buy a house. It costs Australians when they pay their taxes to pay for roads and public transport and infrastructure. In fact, infrastructure costs have gone up by about 30% and the idea that the CFMEU haven't had anything to do with that is nonsense. So taking a tough stance on the CFMEU has come finally, but it's too little and it's too late.

NATALIE BARR: But now both sides seem to be on a unity ticket there. Moving on. Australian households are being warned to brace for cold showers and higher energy bills after new modeling showed Australia's East Coast is facing a prolonged period of gas shortfalls. A vital Queensland pipeline is already running at capacity over the winter of mid ongoing renewable droughts and production disruptions in Victoria. Amanda, why don't we have enough gas?

AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, firstly, we've been working very hard to secure our future gas, and that's why we've put together our gas strategy going to 2050, and beyond. But of course, we got to keep working to make sure that we secure the supply. That's what we've done through our gas code. So it's really important that we keep ensuring that we have the gas for Australia, but equally, it's important that we get new sources of energy into the mix, and that's what we've been doing through encouraging the construction of new energy supply that complements gas in this country, importantly brings on more generation. Of course, that needs to happen now, not in the future.

NATALIE BARR: Really, because Australia's largest natural gas infrastructure business, APA, says Labor's intervention in the market in 2022 actually reduced investment. So it had the opposite effect to what you wanted. We are the world's largest exporter of gas, and by their accounts, we may have to import it.

AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, look, the Labor Party and the government made a very conscious decision that there were very high gas prices in this country and that there needed to be some intervention to actually ensure that householders did weren't experiencing very high gas prices. Of course, part of those arrangements was ensuring that there was enough supply in the domestic market. So we've been working very hard. But of course, we've also been working hard to fix what was an investment drought under the previous government, to actually make sure that more energy generation infrastructure is brought online, and we've seen an increase in that energy generation infrastructure and more energy into the grid, and that is critically important.

NATALIE BARR: Jane, are we going to get cold showers and bigger bills because because of an investment drought under the Coalition?

JANE HUME: There’s certainly an investment drought, and as the gas industry are now saying, that Labor's energy interventions have made the situation worse. In fact, there's now 600 Australians every single week going on to hardship programs with their energy supplier, and that's because prices have gone up so much. Gas has gone up over 25% in the last two years alone. Under Labor, you seem to be paying more and getting less. I don't think those cold showers are going to be cold comfort to anybody.

AMANDA RISHWOTH (interrupts): Jane you wanted them to pay more. You didn't, you didn't support us when we wanted to bring down the cost of gas.

JANE HUME: We want more supply into the system. Amanda, the only way that you're going to decrease prices is to increase supply. So you need to make sure that those approval times come down. And yet the energy market itself, the energy suppliers themselves, are saying that new investment has dried up because of the interventions that you made.

NATALIE BARR: Okay, look, we're going to have to go. We're out of time. Thank you very much. We'll see you next week.