WEBVTT - Inside Labor’s courting of the teal independents

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<v Speaker 1>From Schwartz Media. I'm Ruby Jones. This is seven AM.

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<v Speaker 1>Politics was changed at the last election in a way

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<v Speaker 1>the major parties are still grappling with now. The record

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<v Speaker 1>crossbencher delivered looks set to grow even more. With a

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<v Speaker 1>hung Parliament looking ever more likely in the lead up

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<v Speaker 1>to the next election, Labor is courting the teals, knowing

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<v Speaker 1>the relationship could be crucial to forming government and keeping

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<v Speaker 1>coalition MPs out of inner city seats. Today, chief political

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<v Speaker 1>correspondent for the Saturday paper Karen Mallow on Labour's plan

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<v Speaker 1>and the fight that could derail it. It's Tuesday, September ten.

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<v Speaker 1>So Karen, thank you for joining us. You've been looking

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<v Speaker 1>into the relationship between the major parties and the independents

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<v Speaker 1>who are sitting on the cross bench. How has the

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<v Speaker 1>government treated those independents since they joined parliament?

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<v Speaker 2>It did have a rocky start.

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<v Speaker 3>Independents are threatening to block and stall labor legislation in

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<v Speaker 3>Parliament following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's decision to cut their

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<v Speaker 3>staff resources. Sixteen Lower House and eighteen senators will have

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<v Speaker 3>personal advisor teams trimmed from four people to one a PM.

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<v Speaker 2>Now, some of that did get returned.

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<v Speaker 4>But look, they've managed while not having the balance of

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<v Speaker 4>power in the House, They've managed to have a constructive relationship.

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<v Speaker 4>It's been in some cases a warm relationship. There's individual

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<v Speaker 4>cabinet ministers who've got on very well with these independents.

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<v Speaker 4>At the same time, you know, Labour's obviously dealing with

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<v Speaker 4>some serious you know, antagonism from of course the Opposition

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<v Speaker 4>and the Greens, and so I guess in some ways,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, there are a lot Labour's a lot nicer

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<v Speaker 4>with the Independence. How would you describe your relationship with

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<v Speaker 4>the ALBERNIESI Labor government.

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<v Speaker 5>I think it's very business like and it's quite productive.

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<v Speaker 6>There's certainly an open door policy in terms of collaborative

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<v Speaker 6>discussion around improving legislation and policy positions.

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<v Speaker 4>So there's been high level, regular meetings with this broad

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<v Speaker 4>new influx of independence, this cross bench in this parliament.

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<v Speaker 1>And the Independence. They have now been in their roles

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<v Speaker 1>for more than two years. So what have they said

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<v Speaker 1>to you about what it's been like for them in

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<v Speaker 1>canber and about what they have managed to achieve in

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<v Speaker 1>that time.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, this is something that is a core attack

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<v Speaker 4>line now from the opposition leader that what have they achieved?

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<v Speaker 4>Have they achieved anything? Will they tell me that? I

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<v Speaker 4>absolutely have despite not having the balance of power. So

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<v Speaker 4>the big win, the first win was the net zero

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<v Speaker 4>target of forty three percent being a floor not a ceiling.

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<v Speaker 4>That was something that pretty much all of the independs

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<v Speaker 4>will tell you that was a big win.

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<v Speaker 2>Helen Haynes, she can point to the.

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<v Speaker 4>Die Review, which is getting more community consultation over renewable

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<v Speaker 4>energy infrastructure developments. So you know, she tells me that

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<v Speaker 4>the labor has a real blind spot with rural and

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<v Speaker 4>regional areas.

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<v Speaker 5>When I go interrogating legislation closely, that's where I always

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<v Speaker 5>see the gaps and that's what I frequently take to them.

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<v Speaker 4>And so she's assisted that. Manique Ryan would point to

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<v Speaker 4>reducing the Heck's indexation. That's seizing the burden on students.

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<v Speaker 4>So that's something that came from public pressure.

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<v Speaker 7>I've got two amendments which will would make a real

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<v Speaker 7>difference to people's experience of HEX and what one's about

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<v Speaker 7>the timing of indexation now, other's about rolling back some

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<v Speaker 7>of the job ready graduates program. They're both things that

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<v Speaker 7>the governor has acknowledged it needs to do, but it

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<v Speaker 7>said that it has no intention of addressing.

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<v Speaker 2>Right now the House.

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<v Speaker 4>Independents say that the government they don't know how to

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<v Speaker 4>deal still with this record cross bench, they don't know

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<v Speaker 4>how to deal with some of the members. It's difficult

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<v Speaker 4>for them and sometimes they get woken up. And one

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<v Speaker 4>of the examples that a Legras Spender gave me was

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<v Speaker 4>the recent example of the census question.

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<v Speaker 8>Is out there going okay. Labour thought it was fighting

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<v Speaker 8>with a coalition on this and this is why it

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<v Speaker 8>behaves like this, But actually they forgot that it was

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<v Speaker 8>actually fighting the community and it would and also a

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<v Speaker 8>whole bunch of the cross bench work and I let

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<v Speaker 8>it go quietly.

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<v Speaker 1>Either and I think that And you mentioned the Opposition

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<v Speaker 1>has been attacking some of these independents, but some of

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<v Speaker 1>them have also ramped up their attacks on Dutton as well.

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<v Speaker 1>We heard Zali Stuggle recently calling him racist over his

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<v Speaker 1>handling of the Palestinian visa situation. But just as Labor

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<v Speaker 1>may need the tills if there is a hung Parliament,

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<v Speaker 1>surely the Coalition would as well. So what are they

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<v Speaker 1>doing about that?

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<v Speaker 4>Look, obviously the inner City Independence and the Coalition are

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<v Speaker 4>opponents but can I tell you at the same time,

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<v Speaker 4>when we talk about the weekly or parliamentary briefings that

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<v Speaker 4>go on between the Labor government and the cross bench,

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<v Speaker 4>the coalition holds its own fortnightly briefings during parliament with

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<v Speaker 4>the cross bench as well.

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<v Speaker 9>The Prime Minister if he's in a minority government in

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<v Speaker 9>the next term of parliament. It will include the Greens,

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<v Speaker 9>It'll include the Green Teals, it'll include Muslim candidates from

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<v Speaker 9>Western Sydney. It will be a disaster.

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<v Speaker 4>But we're getting this continuing narrative that we're headed towards

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<v Speaker 4>the hung parliament. So lines are being laid down now

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<v Speaker 4>via the opposition leader about how they're Green Teals and

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<v Speaker 4>how they're going to be working with the Labor government

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<v Speaker 4>and minority and it's going to be a disaster for

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<v Speaker 4>the country.

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<v Speaker 1>Coming up after the break, the big fight that could

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<v Speaker 1>rail Labour's relationship with the Independence Karen the Abenezy government,

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<v Speaker 1>we know it's currently working on a package of electoral reforms.

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<v Speaker 1>Independent MPs. They are worried about that, about what might

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<v Speaker 1>be coming and how they could be affected. So tell

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<v Speaker 1>me how this fight is shaping up.

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<v Speaker 4>One of the main planks of the Independence getting elected

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<v Speaker 4>was integrity and electoral reform and looking at the issues

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<v Speaker 4>of donation spending and Labor has gone with that and

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<v Speaker 4>promised reform, but there's an absence of the Independence the

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<v Speaker 4>cross Bench being involved in the negotiations with the government,

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<v Speaker 4>which is causing the cross bench's major concern. They believe

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<v Speaker 4>it's being set up for a stitch up, a two

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<v Speaker 4>party deal between the Labor government and coalition. So the

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<v Speaker 4>electoral reforms are a major speed bump between the Independence

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<v Speaker 4>and the Labor government.

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<v Speaker 10>The government has a long standing commitment to real time

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<v Speaker 10>disclosure of political donations over one thousand dollars, but this

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<v Speaker 10>hasn't happened because the government has indicated at once opposition

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<v Speaker 10>support on electoral reform. Time is running out to implement

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<v Speaker 10>transparency before the next election. Why won't the government make

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<v Speaker 10>good on its promise and pass this legislation immediately with

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<v Speaker 10>cross bench support in both houses. We need transparency now.

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<v Speaker 4>So what the independents are particularly concerned about is spending

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<v Speaker 4>caps because they want to level playing field. At the

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<v Speaker 4>same time, they were largely funded by the Climate two

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<v Speaker 4>hundred funding vehicle, and that was also from individual donations

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<v Speaker 4>plus some very high investors also putting their money there,

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<v Speaker 4>and the money that was made available for certain candidates

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<v Speaker 4>did actually dwarf some of the major candidates in some electorates,

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<v Speaker 4>and there's a concern they're in the major parties that

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<v Speaker 4>that is going to impact on some of the fights

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<v Speaker 4>going forward.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's talk a little bit about the Greens, because obviously

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<v Speaker 1>there is a situation where they could have the balance

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<v Speaker 1>of power in the Senate. What are their chances.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, separate from chances, I think I would immediately say, well,

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<v Speaker 4>they've got some high ambition for what it could get

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<v Speaker 4>in the House, and they are eyeing off the balance

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<v Speaker 4>of power in the House as well. They currently have

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<v Speaker 4>four MPs in the House, which is their best result ever,

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<v Speaker 4>and they're looking to build on that. They're going hard

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<v Speaker 4>on issues such as housing. They want to be the

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<v Speaker 4>party of mortgage holders, of people who are renting, and

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<v Speaker 4>they're getting some great responses out in the field.

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<v Speaker 2>This election.

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<v Speaker 11>We will be running the biggest campaigns in Green history

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<v Speaker 11>to win lower House seats too. There are at least

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<v Speaker 11>I have new seats across the country where we believe

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<v Speaker 11>we're in with a strong chance.

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<v Speaker 4>Look, I've spoken to Labor strategists who say, well, that's

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<v Speaker 4>absolute bluster. They've said it every single time their polling

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<v Speaker 4>has remained the same. But Labor was elected in twenty

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<v Speaker 4>twenty two on a historically low primary vote and that

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<v Speaker 4>hasn't improved for them. So Cosamaris from Redbridge, he's a

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<v Speaker 4>former Labour strategist, he says, well, it's now looking like

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<v Speaker 4>a deeper hung Parliament than even what we were predicting

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<v Speaker 4>earlier in the year. So it wouldn't just be the

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<v Speaker 4>independence the House independence that Labor might have to deal with.

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<v Speaker 4>It still might be the Greens and that will be

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<v Speaker 4>a problem for them. But the Prime Minister would say, well,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, when it comes to the crunch, it will

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<v Speaker 4>tighten up and they're in with a chance. He actually

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<v Speaker 4>thinks that they can actually build on some of the

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<v Speaker 4>seats that they have at the moment. So you know

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<v Speaker 4>that's still talking majority government, but you know that's an

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<v Speaker 4>election that's possibly like eight nine months away.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, So Karen, both the Coalition and Labor, they'd obviously

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<v Speaker 1>lack to form a majority government in their own right,

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<v Speaker 1>but as you say, that is looking increasingly unlikely. So

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<v Speaker 1>how do you think that that is going to affect

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<v Speaker 1>the messaging around the upcoming election campaign. What are we

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<v Speaker 1>going to start to hear from people like Peter Dutton

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<v Speaker 1>and Anthony are but easy.

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<v Speaker 2>We're starting to hear it now, So things are changing.

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<v Speaker 4>So for the Coalition, they're saying publicly that they're aiming

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<v Speaker 4>for majority government, we're not seeing much of an attempt

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<v Speaker 4>to take back the seats in the inner city that

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<v Speaker 4>they need to. So it does feed in with this

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<v Speaker 4>narrative that Peter Dutton's actually going for a two term

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<v Speaker 4>strategy to win back government. To basically write down Labor,

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<v Speaker 4>Labor is going for majority. Will we keep saying that

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<v Speaker 4>it's going for a majority in its own right. It

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<v Speaker 4>did that last time. It has to, but it will

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<v Speaker 4>have to change the way that it messages the voting population.

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<v Speaker 4>We have to see from all parties re energize sort

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<v Speaker 4>of volunteer base out there on the ground, much like

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<v Speaker 4>how the Independence did for the twenty twenty two election.

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<v Speaker 4>So I think you know, we have they have to

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<v Speaker 4>be face to face more and we'll see a lot

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<v Speaker 4>of bypassing of the traditional media. Anthony Albanezi loves to

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<v Speaker 4>have a chat on commercial radio. I think that will

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<v Speaker 4>continue it seems to like doing that, but whether people

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<v Speaker 4>get challenged in any of these political discourses is another matter.

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<v Speaker 4>So I think we're going to see, you know, boosts

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<v Speaker 4>on the ground fight and it's going to get very interesting.

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<v Speaker 4>Zoe Daniel, the former ABC Foreign correspondent. She says that

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<v Speaker 4>the two party system is a threat to itself and

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<v Speaker 4>it's up to them to be more ambitious and after all,

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<v Speaker 4>they're all fine for everyone's votes.

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<v Speaker 5>I think the two party system is a threat to itself.

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<v Speaker 5>It's up to them to change their behavior. It's up

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<v Speaker 5>to them to show more accountability. It's up to them

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<v Speaker 5>to show more vision for the country. It's up to

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<v Speaker 5>them to be more ambitious. It's up to them to

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<v Speaker 5>stop bickering with each other. It's up to you the

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<v Speaker 5>Liberals to demonstrate what their principles and values are and

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<v Speaker 5>it's up to Labor to follow their principles and values

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<v Speaker 5>without pandering to politics is here. That's all up to them,

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<v Speaker 5>but you know, my role is to try and force

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<v Speaker 5>them to do that.

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<v Speaker 1>Karen, thank you so much for your time.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you.

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<v Speaker 1>Also in the news today, the final report of the

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<v Speaker 1>Royal Commission into Defense and Veterans Suicide has been handed

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<v Speaker 1>to the government after a three year inquiry. The commissioner's

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<v Speaker 1>final report attains one hundred and twenty two recommendations, one

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<v Speaker 1>of which is establishing a new body to monitor progress

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<v Speaker 1>on addressing the high rates of suicide among military personnel

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<v Speaker 1>and the Albanesi government is still locked in negotiations with

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<v Speaker 1>the Coalition and Greens over a new environmental protection agency.

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<v Speaker 1>Last week, the Prime Minister offered to weaken the bill,

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<v Speaker 1>removing a role for the EPA in project approvals to

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<v Speaker 1>try and earn the support of the resources industry and

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<v Speaker 1>the coalition, but National's leader David little Proud has stated

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<v Speaker 1>that his party will not support the legislation. I'm Ruby

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<v Speaker 1>Jones seven am. We'll be back tomorrow