NEIL BREEN: Scott Morrison is on the line. That’s what’s happened in this Budget, isn’t it Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: That’s spot on Neil, and the only thing I’d add is it’s their money. But what we’ve predominantly got here is to address the very real cost of living impacts. And that’s what’s driving this. The need to deal with petrol prices going up, which affects not only what you pay at the bowser, but what you pay at the checkout as well, because everything’s got to get put on trucks and moved around the country. But what we’re doing is letting people, ensuring that they can keep their own money. So we’ve halved the fuel tax, over 22 cents, we’ve halved it and we’ve done that for six months. We’ve increased the income tax offsets, so people again, tax cut, keeping more of their own money. And we’ve also for those who are on those fixed income payments like pensioners, $250 to help them. But the reason we’ve been able to do it is exactly as you’ve said, kept the economy strong, got people off welfare into work, $100 billion strengthening to the budget, which means we can responsibly do this because it’s targeted and temporary. You know, during the pandemic, Labor would have spent an extra $81 billion. They said we were wrong to stop JobKeeper when we did, well, we were right. And the reason we did that means we could do what we did last night because we know when to start. We know when to stop. And we’re very disciplined about that.
BREEN: So people earning one under $126,000 will get a $1,500 bonus in their tax return. If you’re a couple, you can get $3,000. We know that pensioners et al will get $250 put into their accounts. I had the ACTU president Michelle O’Neill on before, she thinks there it’s a waste of time, it’s all about real wage growth. Will there be real wage growth in the Australian economy? Because wages have been stagnant, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, we will see that, and the Governor of the Reserve Bank has said the same thing. We are seeing, as we handed down that Budget last night, unemployment falling, underemployment falling, wages increasing and growth strengthening. And Australia’s economy stronger, both in jobs and in growth, than the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada. Australia is in the Premier League when it comes to advanced economies in the world, and that means we can do what we did last night. Because you’ve got a strong economy, that means a stronger future. And the future plans that we announced last night, I totally understand why there’s a lot of focus on what this means at the bowser and what this means in income tax over the next few months. But the plans that we outlined for regional investments last night, and Queenslanders know this. They know that what we dig out of the ground in Queensland, what we grow on the farms in Queensland, what we manufacture in the regions and places like Gladstone and so on, that pays for Medicare. It pays for the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Disability Insurance Scheme. It pays for our defences, particularly the big investments that I commend Peter Dutton for the great job he did, pulling together those new investments in cyber defence and offence to keep Australians safe. But to pay for it, we’ve got to invest more in our regions, in the dams and the ports and the infrastructure that is needed to unlock the wealth in the regions, which is what ends up paying for the things that we need to do to guarantee the essentials that Australians rely on your own.
BREEN: You were on earlier with my colleague in Sydney, Ben Fordham, and a lot has been made of this. You mentioned mid-May federal election, so everyone seized on May 14. How are they going?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, the speculation on this has been going on for months. I’ve always said we’d go full term as a government. We were elected to do a job over a full term of parliament, and that’s what Australians expect and that’s exactly what we’ll do.
BREEN: So what, that’s full term, May 28?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we’ll announce the election date when we’re ready to call the election.
BREEN: I’m trying to trick you up. I’m trying to trick you up.
PRIME MINISTER: I know. The election will be on the date that it’s called for and it’s always going to be in May. And you know, last year they were saying are you going to call it this year and no, I’ve been saying, I could not have been more open about …
BREEN: No you were, you were open about that. I’ve ruled out May 7 because Mother’s Day is the next day. How’s that? Can I rule it out?
PRIME MINISTER: Again, the number of options are obviously condensing as each day passes. But you know, our focus has frankly been on dealing with these cost of living pressures in pulling this Budget together. Because, you know, when when we do things, particularly the Treasurer and I, you know, we don’t do them in a knee-jerk way, we think them through. We work on how can we responsibly go and provide support to people when they need it. Because the Australian economy is coming back strongly, but we don’t over assume on that. We know Australians are still doing it tough and we, as they’re getting to their feet, we didn’t want them to be knocked down again by what’s happened with the terrible war in Ukraine. And so this shield we’ve given in this Budget to shield them from these cost of living impacts mean they can keep planning to keep boldly stepping out in Queensland and all around the country. So Australians have worked really hard for this Budget. They’re the ones who put the work in, together with us as a government, to be able to do what we’ve done, but also building for the future.
BREEN: Prime Minister yourself, the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, all the ministers will hit the road now and sell this Budget and then obviously an election will be called at some stage. Unfortunately, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, unfortunately for you, last night, has taken some oxygen out of it with some heavy criticism, personal criticism of you, particularly that you’re not fit to hold the office of Prime Minister. Now we know that she slipped down the Senate ticket to fourth and she can’t win her seat, but comments like that last night have got to be disappointing to you.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I understand that Connie is disappointed. 500 members of the Liberal Party came together on Saturday and they made their choice. I wasn’t there. And they made their choice about who they wanted to be on their Senate ticket, and Marise Payne is number one on that ticket, and Jim Molan was the second one selected. And, you know, in previous times, Connie has had very strong support, but you know, when she’s been disappointed, I know my predecessors have also felt those sorts of remarks and, you know, politics has its disappointments. So I know she’s feeling about that. So I tend to just get on with the job.
BREEN: It must be hurtful when she says things like you use religion as marketing.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course, that’s not true, and I think people understand my views on those issues and where they come from. And frankly, you know, my faith is between me and God. And that’s what it’s about. And I don’t judge other people’s faiths and, you know, I don’t think it’s a place for others to judge my faith.
BREEN: Is it personally offensive that she’d say that?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, in this job, you don’t have the luxury of being offended, being disappointed. Australians don’t back you to be all wounded. They back you to make decisions. Occasionally, I’ll make decisions, my predecessors have made decisions about who you put in the ministry, who you don’t, that result in disappointment. But more importantly, you’ve got to make difficult decisions about, you know, when you start spending and when you stop, the relief that was applied and how long. You make decisions about cancelling submarine contracts with the French. I mean the Labor Party bagged me for that and they joined the pile on of countries overseas who attacked me. Well, whose side are they on? It was the right decision for Australia and I don’t shy away from making those tough calls. Sometimes I have to say no to Premiers, and sometimes they don’t like it either. But you know, if you want to do this job, you can’t be precious and you can’t be a petal.
BREEN: Fair enough. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, well, you won’t be a petal then when the new team, the Dolphins take Nicho Hynes off the Sharks?
PRIME MINISTER: Now you’re talking about something that wounds.
BREEN: That would hurt. He’s been a superstar.
PRIME MINISTER: I was up with the President of the Dolphins the other day, and Luke Howarth has had me out at Dolphin Stadium on many occasions because, you know, he’s invested, he’s encouraged us in the facilities there, and I know that’s played a key role. JobKeeper also really helped the Dolphins, and that’s really exciting for the NRL. I think it’s great that there’s a fourth team now coming into the NRL in Queensland. And look, Queensland teams are going really well in the NRL so far this year. I know the Broncos had a loss in the weekend, but the Cowboys, they’re going off.
BREEN: They were good, and the Sharks have been good with Nicho Hynes. Okay, we’re not going to pinch him. Good on you Prime Minister. He’s a good signing.
PRIME MINISTER: Good on you Breenie.
