Interview with Natalie Barr, Sunrise

6 March 2024

NATALIE BARR: Aussie football legend Robbie Slater says it's unacceptable Kerr didn't tell her employer. Slater says Football Australia should have been informed, but why they weren't is a question for Sam and her advisor. For more, let's bring in Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil and Liberal Senator Jane Hume. Good morning to you, Clare. This story, Sam's photo is on the front page of every newspaper it is leading, every news bulletin. She is our most loved sports star, you could argue. What do you think of Socceroos legend Robbie Slater's comments? Should Sam Kerr have told Football Australia about what was going on?

CLARE O’NEIL: Well, it's a bit devastating. I think many Australians would have felt shocked when they read these reports. Sam Kerr is an Australian icon. She's, uh, you know, loved by millions of Australians and I know there's so many girls just around my community who play soccer just because of her. I think this story is just sort of emerging and we're learning a little bit more about the detail. So I can't comment on the specifics at this stage. But yeah, it's really awful to see this playing out.

NATALIE BARR: Yeah. And Jane, no one likes a pile on. And I think there are a lot of them these days when something goes wrong for somebody. But at the same time, she is one of our most iconic sports stars. Football Australia have commented and said, you know, we want to find out more about this because we are her employer and we only just found out about these charges that were laid in January.

JANE HUME: Look, this is between Football Australia and Sam Kerr. But what I would say is you're right, we do tend to have a pile on, particularly the media piles on. There must be enormous pressures on Sam Kerr right now we have very high expectations of the behaviour of our sports stars. They're held up to be role models for, children and adults alike. And, I think that we should be mindful of that at this time, that sometimes our expectations are perhaps a little too high.

NATALIE BARR: And you know what? She will have her day in court, which she has not had yet. So we'll wait for that health insurance premiums are going up again, this time by an average of 3%. Clare, the government has been holding off on announcing this for months and a few days after a by-election on the weekend. The by-election on cost of living. Here we are. Is that just a coincidence?

CLARE O’NEIL: Well actually, Mark Butler has been pushing and negotiating with those health insurers to push those premium increases to as low as is humanly possible. And I just remind people that 3% increase is lower than inflation, lower than wages growth, lower than pensions went up this year. So for Australians who are worried about the cost of living, health insurance should take up less of your money for this forthcoming year. I just want to remind people too, we are doing everything we can to bring down the cost of healthcare and medicines. We are fiercely committed to Medicare, and that means we want every single Australian to be able to access the health care that they need, no matter what their credit card looks like and what's in their wallet. So remember cheaper medicines, where we've brought down by half the cost of a lot of prescription drugs, those big increases to bulk billing incentives that are seeing health. So seeing more Australians be able to get bulk billing at the doctor. So this is a really important part of our cost of living plan. And don't forget for all of your viewers at home, if you're a taxpayer, every single one of them is going to get a tax cut. As of 1st July this year.

NATALIE BARR: Yeah, but Claire, I asked the Prime Minister this last week and he kind of laughed. And I said, are you holding off on this until after a very important by-election? He kind of laughed at us. And here we are a few days later and there's an increase in private health.

CLARE O’NEIL: Yeah. That's not my understanding Nat. So I think Mark Butler has been really pushing those health insurers and in negotiation with them about trying to get that premium as low as they possibly can of the increase. You probably would have read those. You probably would have read those. Health insurers were trying to get an increase of 6% like the one that they got under Peter Dutton when he was health minister. Mark Butler instead has been fighting for Australians and trying to get those premiums as low as possible.

NATALIE BARR: Yeah Jane, Clare's right. They did want more. But what do you think about the timing of the announcement?

JANE HUME: Well, they always have wanted more Nat. That's pretty consistent from the health insurance industry. In fact, in the last two years of the Coalition government, health insurance premiums only went up by 2.7%, and we managed to negotiate that before December when it was announced under a Coalition government. It's been three months later and of course, it has coincided with a by-election. I think to look at this in any other way other than when purely cynical glasses is naive.

NATALIE BARR: Okay, speaking of money, moving on, senior Labor Minister Tony Burke is under fire this morning for the amount of taxpayer moolah he spent on a four day trip to the US The Employment relations minister forked out $57,000 on the trip. It included $44,000 on business class flights for him and a staffer, 8000 on hire cars, 4000 on accommodation and food. Clare, can you justify this?

CLARE O’NEIL: Look Nat, as federal politicians, we do have to travel constantly. And you, probably your viewers at home, notice that Jane and I are often joining you on a Wednesday morning from a different part of our nation. International travel is a part of that, and it is really important that our federal politicians can represent us overseas. Minister Burke's trip was a really important one that he was doing to the US So I recognise absolutely the cost of these things. But it really is important for our country that our nation get represented overseas. And that's what Minister Burke was doing.

NATALIE BARR: Yeah Jane, it sounds like $44,000 on business class flights. We googled Qantas flights to Washington DC are $20,000 return. That's how much they cost. If we were going in a few weeks, $8,000 on hire cars for four days, though, that it sounds like you could get premium Ubers for a lot cheaper than that. What do you think?

JANE HUME: Not only was it very expensive for a four day trip, but it was almost double the expense of the defence minister, whom we know has to travel overseas on a regular basis. Tony Burke has a very domestically focused portfolio and yes, it is important that we are well represented overseas, but I think it's very important too, that our ministers and our parliamentarians justify their expenses when they travel. And of course, Tony Burke will have to do that himself.

NATALIE BARR: Clare, eight grand on hire cars for four days. Do you reckon we could maybe do some fancy Ubers or something? Because that's a lot that taxpayers are paying. One had to wait for ten hours. Apparently one private car for ten hours. Is that right? Just sitting there.

CLARE O’NEIL: Yeah, thanks, I haven't seen that detailed breakdown. And I'll certainly take that suggestion back with me, Nat. But, yeah, I just, you know, I understand how this is received by the public. I would just say that genuinely, it is so important that we have our country represented overseas.

NATALIE BARR: Sure.

CLARE O’NEIL: So much of our defence, of our trade, of our national security depends on these close relationships that we have-

JANE HUME: He doesn't do any of those.

CLARE O’NEIL: and that does require overseas travel. That's what Minister Burke was doing.

NATALIE BARR: Defence?

JANE HUME: Workplace relations.

NATALIE BARR: Employment relations Minister.

JANE HUME: Manager of government business. That doesn't really sound very internationally focused.

CLARE O’NEIL: Yeah so-

NATALIE BARR: Look, we understand you have to travel, just don’t want you to take the mickey.

CLARE O’NEIL: Okay, so almost all federal ministers, almost all federal ministers will go overseas. Yeah I understand Nat. All federal ministers do have to go overseas from time to time, no matter what their portfolio is. Those engagements are really important. I'd say really politely to Jane. I'm sure if I went through and trawled through all the records, I could find plenty of examples of people on all different sides of politics taking these sort of trips. It is important for our country, but I recognise people are reading about this may feel those costs are significant.

NATALIE BARR: And you're probably right And, you know, maybe we need to get some auditors in, you know, who are like normal people who go, hang on a second. It's a bit rough. Anyway, interesting topic from both sides of politics. Thank you, we’ll see you next week.