Speaker 1: The state's budget for the next year will be handed
Speaker 1: down in a couple of weeks time. And just like
Speaker 1: most of us, the government's under extreme financial pressure. The
Speaker 1: half Yaly Review was released a few months ago, back
Speaker 1: in December, and the deficit has grown to five billion dollars.
Speaker 1: So the government is spending more money than it receives
Speaker 1: in tax in other revenue, and that must mean I
Speaker 1: would assume that the Treasurer, Daniel Mookie, is going to
Speaker 1: have to make some cutbacks or put up tax. Well,
Speaker 1: let's find out. Daniel Mookie joins me in studio.
Speaker 2: Hello Treasurer, Hello Clinton, thank you for having me in.
Speaker 1: Well, you're going to take some questions from our listeners
Speaker 1: as well, So if you've got a question for the Treasurer,
Speaker 1: and bear in mind he doesn't come armed with reams
Speaker 1: of paperwork, so he'll be using his brain here if
Speaker 1: you do have questions one, eight, seven, three, and I've
Speaker 1: got a few questions that have been sent to us
Speaker 1: as well. But this is your opportunity. If there's a
Speaker 1: particular question about government spending, if there's something you want
Speaker 1: to see in the budget, an area of spending that
Speaker 1: you believe is essential for our city. Give me a
Speaker 1: call out one three one eight seven three. You can
Speaker 1: send messages zero force zero eight seven three eight seven three. Okay,
Speaker 1: deficit you're revealed in December. It's five billion dollars a
Speaker 1: couple of weeks until your hand down the budget.
Speaker 2: Will it come down?
Speaker 3: Well, you'll have to wait and see for budget Day.
Speaker 3: But I can definitely make the point that yeah, you're right,
Speaker 3: the budget is under pressure. When I became Treasurer, I
Speaker 3: inherited a budget deficit of roughly fifteen billion dollars last
Speaker 3: year New South Wales I had twelve point six billion
Speaker 3: dollars of GST income taken off us for the next
Speaker 3: four years. So we're under pressure and we have to
Speaker 3: be very careful with every single dollar that we're spending,
Speaker 3: and that's not changed in this particular budget. Every single
Speaker 3: dollar that we are collecting from people through taxes or
Speaker 3: we're getting from the Commonwealth, we have to make sure
Speaker 3: that it's getting a good return for the public.
Speaker 1: Are you going to have to make some cuts?
Speaker 3: There's no broad cuts coming in the budget. We have
Speaker 3: been very disciplined in our spending since we got here
Speaker 3: in and formed government now nearly two years ago.
Speaker 1: Can we keep that on tape. The Treasurer has said
Speaker 1: there will be no broad cuts in this.
Speaker 2: Bar No, of course, there's not any broadcuts coming.
Speaker 3: What we are absolutely doing, though, is we are making
Speaker 3: sure that every dollar is being well spent. If we
Speaker 3: think a program is not returning, we are absolutely clear
Speaker 3: about the fact that we will move the money. If
Speaker 3: we think that a money can be put to a
Speaker 3: better use, we absolutely will put it to a better use. Absolutely,
Speaker 3: I want to be very clear about that, Clinton, and
Speaker 3: that's what you would expect me to do. On behalf
Speaker 3: of the people of New South Wales. I will say
Speaker 3: when I came to power, I inherited from my predecessor
Speaker 3: expresse growth that was about twenty four percent per year.
Speaker 3: That was Matt Keane's last budget. It's come down quite
Speaker 3: significantly like that. We made it very clear at the
Speaker 3: time that it's going to take time to repair the
Speaker 3: state's budget position. But I'm confident when people see the numbers,
Speaker 3: they'll see that we've been very careful. We've been very disciplined.
Speaker 3: Our debt numbers are stable. The budget is under pressure.
Speaker 3: The budget's particularly under pressure right now for two reasons.
Speaker 3: Workers comp and disasters and that will be clear on
Speaker 3: budget day.
Speaker 2: I'll ask you.
Speaker 1: About workers in particular in a moment, because it's some
Speaker 1: significant action next week in that. But whenever I talk
Speaker 1: about the public service and we discuss pay rise as
Speaker 1: a fair bit, because your government has been involved in
Speaker 1: dispute after dispute with different arms of the public service,
Speaker 1: I keep hearing from our listeners saying why can't the
Speaker 1: nurses get a decent pay rise?
Speaker 2: Now?
Speaker 1: I know this is before the Industr Relations Commission, but
Speaker 1: will there be some joy in the budget for nurses?
Speaker 3: Well, already we are rolling out things like safe staffing
Speaker 3: levels for our nurses, which was our key election commitment
Speaker 3: and was working closely with the nurses union. And when
Speaker 3: it comes to nurses pay, we already have delivered nurses
Speaker 3: the biggest pay rise they've received in more than a decade.
Speaker 2: But they're telling me.
Speaker 1: The Nurses MIDWAFS Association says that those in Queens that
Speaker 1: have paid I think seventeen percent more and that nurses
Speaker 1: are leaving New South Wales to move to Brisbane.
Speaker 3: Yeah, but I also just point out the stats which
Speaker 3: is we are seeing that nurse recruitment and retention levels
Speaker 3: are now higher than they were pre COVID, and we've
Speaker 3: recovered a large part of our attention issues. And equally
Speaker 3: we are record enrollments in nurses joining New South Wales Health.
Speaker 3: We very much respect the Nurses Association, we very much
Speaker 3: respect the state's nurses. But I'll also just point out
Speaker 3: we brought back an independent umpire for our nurses. We
Speaker 3: didn't say to our nurses that you have to agree
Speaker 3: with us. Unlike the previous government which had used the
Speaker 3: force of law to restrain nurses' wages for a decade,
Speaker 3: we have brought back an independent empire and our nurses
Speaker 3: and the Nurses Union is using it so from our perspective.
Speaker 3: Yet we'll always look to see what more we can
Speaker 3: do with the nurses, but we're not going to hide
Speaker 3: the fact that, of course it remains an issue in dispute.
Speaker 3: Just final point, Clinton, you're making the point about the
Speaker 3: broader workforce. We have reached agreement now with pretty much
Speaker 3: the rest of the public sector, and we are obviously
Speaker 3: waiting to see some further decisions today from Fair Work
Speaker 3: about the rail dispute. But if that's now largely resolved,
Speaker 3: people will see that the investment we have been making
Speaker 3: in essential services does mean that we are investing more
Speaker 3: in our central workers, and that is leading to lower
Speaker 3: class and cancelations, more police signing up at the academy,
Speaker 3: and better public services for the community.
Speaker 1: The one sector of the workforce that people keep saying
Speaker 1: to this program that they want helped is the nurses.
Speaker 1: So for why is it You've managed big increases for teachers,
Speaker 1: big increases for police officers. And I'm not suggesting particularly
Speaker 1: with the police officers because it's a cential. You had
Speaker 1: a recruitment problem, there's a centially, you address that, But
Speaker 1: why is.
Speaker 2: It the nurses?
Speaker 1: If you can just explain it simply, why can't the
Speaker 1: nurses get an increase of the same size as the
Speaker 1: teachers and the police.
Speaker 3: Well, with the teachers and police, we negotiated hard bargains.
Speaker 3: We did find abundance of resources that allowed us to
Speaker 3: be redirected towards their pay, which is also the reasons
Speaker 3: why we'd be able to sign up more teachers and
Speaker 3: more police, which is leading to more kids having teachers
Speaker 3: and more cops in our stations. When it comes to
Speaker 3: the nurses, though, I can't duct the fact that we
Speaker 3: worked with the nurses Association pretty tightly on their number
Speaker 3: one priority, which is safe staffing levels, and we've been
Speaker 3: calling that out and we absolutely have made a critical
Speaker 3: investment in safe staffing levels as well as nurses wages
Speaker 3: as well. Of course, the nurses Union is doing their
Speaker 3: job of always arguing for more. We remain determined to
Speaker 3: see whether we can narrow the differences with the Nurses' union.
Speaker 3: But at the same token, we're being pretty upfront. That's
Speaker 3: why we brought back an independent umpire.
Speaker 1: Some questions from our listeners now on this particular issue,
Speaker 1: Anthony says, you've got plans for the new rouse Hill
Speaker 1: Hospital minium eight hundred staff if they want to operate,
Speaker 1: the use the two hundred beds and operate twenty four
Speaker 1: to seven. Since he doesn't want to pay the nurses
Speaker 1: a wage, how's that going to.
Speaker 2: Work rouse Hill Hospital?
Speaker 3: Well, at rouse Hill Hospital, we're putting more money into
Speaker 3: the rouse Hill Hospital project.
Speaker 2: In this particular party.
Speaker 1: You're going to have the nurses to staff it. No, no banks,
Speaker 1: you made an announcements this week and thinking about banks twn.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we also made a big investment in Bankstown Hospital
Speaker 3: and look, I just simply point out the facts we
Speaker 3: are enrolling a record a number of nurses that are
Speaker 3: joining the new South Wales Health Service. Equally the same
Speaker 3: time we are retaining our nurses as is, and that's
Speaker 3: a good thing. And when it comes to places like
Speaker 3: rowse Hill Hospital, we're really pleased that we're making a
Speaker 3: critical investment in that hospital, particularly because the community of
Speaker 3: rowse Hill has promised that hospital at three separate elections
Speaker 3: under our predecessors, they're entitled to say, well, we want
Speaker 3: to see it being built and in this particular budget
Speaker 3: that community will see real progress and real dollars being
Speaker 3: put behind the project.
Speaker 1: To detail on this question from Sandra, it's something she's
Speaker 1: passionate about. Could we ask mister Mooky, is it possibly
Speaker 1: increase funding to the Adoption Information Unit. It's part of
Speaker 1: the Department of Communities and Justice, so that all birth
Speaker 1: mothers affected by forced adoption can receive information in regards
Speaker 1: to adopted children. Is that an area that you might
Speaker 1: be able to find money for.
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, again, I'm well and truly across the fact
Speaker 3: that lots of people are wanting to see that service improve.
Speaker 3: I am working with the Minister to see what we
Speaker 3: can do there to ensure that people can get access
Speaker 3: to those records. Quicker, I haven't got an announcement for
Speaker 3: you today on that, Clinton, but you're right to say
Speaker 3: that this is something that's on our radar and we
Speaker 3: are looking at it.
Speaker 1: Michael asked a question here, should the federal government so
Speaker 1: you might be able to flick this down to Canberra,
Speaker 1: Should the federal government fund the revitalization of Cockatoo Ireland
Speaker 1: given its naval history.
Speaker 3: Well, when it comes to money from Canberra, I'm never
Speaker 3: going to say no, So that's a yes. I welcome
Speaker 3: Commonwealth contributions to lots of our different projects, but I'll
Speaker 3: simply say when it comes to cutting money from Canberra,
Speaker 3: I'm always going to accept money for the people in
Speaker 3: New South Wales.
Speaker 1: Now, we've been covering extensively in the last couple of
Speaker 1: weeks the workers compensation fight on the station through our programs.
Speaker 1: Mark Speakon was on my show on the day that
Speaker 1: he voted for an inquiry, teamed up with the Greens
Speaker 1: to do that. The inquiry is next week. Now, I
Speaker 1: understand you have had some meetings with MP's taking part
Speaker 1: in an inquiry in the last twenty four hours.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I have the opportunity to provide a briefing to
Speaker 3: that committee. Of course, it's a private briefing, so i
Speaker 3: won't go into the particular details, but I'm looking forward
Speaker 3: to appearing in that committee as well next week. My
Speaker 3: message to the Liberal Party is this is not an
Speaker 3: issue in which we should be playing politics.
Speaker 2: I mean the choice to team up with the Greens.
Speaker 3: They're going to need to explain that decision to the
Speaker 3: three hundred and forty thousand odd small businesses that are
Speaker 3: facing the prospects of a thirty six percent increase in
Speaker 3: premiums over the next three year, and that's if those
Speaker 3: businesses have no claims. This system is not working for
Speaker 3: injured workers, it's not working for small businesses, and it's
Speaker 3: not working for the state.
Speaker 2: And this isn't something new.
Speaker 1: And I've seen data about the historic funding ratios and
Speaker 1: the days date back to even the days I think
Speaker 1: when Dominic Perrote was the Treasurer.
Speaker 2: It does clinton.
Speaker 3: When I came into Parliament, the private sector insurance scheme
Speaker 3: had a dollar thirty two in assets for every dollar
Speaker 3: they have in liabilities. It's now at eighty two cents.
Speaker 3: The scheme now has eighty two.
Speaker 1: So does that mean the scheme is broke, The scheme
Speaker 1: is in a deficit.
Speaker 2: The scheme is in a deficit.
Speaker 3: The scheme is going backwards five million dollars a day,
Speaker 3: and it's not helping people get back to work. It's
Speaker 3: not helping people get back to health. And the people
Speaker 3: who are paying the for it are the people who
Speaker 3: are paying premiums, which is overwhelmingly small business.
Speaker 1: And it's going to mean premiums go up. So hopefully
Speaker 1: the Coalition will do the right thing by their constituents.
Speaker 1: At some point, we want to get to a quick
Speaker 1: call from Christian about nursing. Hello Christen, Hi, It's Kirstin.
Speaker 1: Hello christ Just a quick question with nursing. First of all,
Speaker 1: yes or no? Are they going to get a pay rise?
Speaker 1: Yes or no?
Speaker 2: And second of all, we're.
Speaker 3: Going to find all the nurses to feel the new
Speaker 3: banks Down Hospital.
Speaker 1: All these sorts of things.
Speaker 2: They're not interested in working in these as well as anymore.
Speaker 3: So, as I've said, we have given nurses a pay rise.
Speaker 3: We've given the nurses the best, the best payerrise have
Speaker 3: had more than a decade and they deserve absolutely every cent.
Speaker 3: And when it comes to making sure the hospital has
Speaker 3: been at Lidcomb, Bankstown be at Rouse Hill. We are
Speaker 3: signing up a record number of nurses each year and
Speaker 3: we are retaining them.
Speaker 1: So it's now up to the Industrial Relations Commission what
Speaker 1: the payrolls is going to be.
Speaker 3: Well, the Industrial Relations Commission is arbitrating, which is why
Speaker 3: we brought back an independent umpire. And it's important point
Speaker 3: to make here Clinton. For twelve years, nurses didn't even
Speaker 3: have the right for arbitration.
Speaker 1: I've got more messages about nursing in particular, and Kathy's
Speaker 1: making the point. Imagine if teachers had to pay for
Speaker 1: parking at schools like nurses have to at hospitals. Now,
Speaker 1: I know that's an issue for the health Miss Ryan Park,
Speaker 1: but it does seem and I know there was special
Speaker 1: rules drink COVID, but it does seem harsh.
Speaker 3: Yeah, but at the same token, we do provide other
Speaker 3: benefits for our health care workers, not just nurses as well.
Speaker 3: And you're not going to hear from me anything other
Speaker 3: than respect for our health care workers. We understand how
Speaker 3: much pressure people are under right now, and we are
Speaker 3: looking to see what everything we can do to make
Speaker 3: sure that people are being respected at work. And that
Speaker 3: does mean and continuing to engage with the nurses' union,
Speaker 3: which we will do, but we're not going to Clinton.
Speaker 3: I can't pretend that this is an easy issue to resolve.
Speaker 2: Now.
Speaker 1: I appreciate you coming in the studio. You've left your office.
Speaker 1: You've been preparing the budget now for weeks. I understand
Speaker 1: you listen to a fair bit of music while preparing
Speaker 1: the budget. So I would have assumed it was aDNA,
Speaker 1: But apparently it's not Adba. Apparently it's this fellow. We
Speaker 1: can't need it, Homus Doges, life goes on home baby,
Speaker 1: So that's Kendrick Lamar. Your staff tell me that you
Speaker 1: listen to Kendrick Lamar while doing the numbers.
Speaker 2: I do. He's a well I mean, he just did
Speaker 2: the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1: Like, can only play part of that song there because
Speaker 1: it does go into some graphic detail a little later.
Speaker 3: Yeah, look, Clinton, I'm not going to hide the fact
Speaker 3: that I'm a hip hop fan. My first two budgets
Speaker 3: I also have quite the hip hop soundtrack. We will
Speaker 3: reveal the soundtrack of this budget closer to budget day.
Speaker 3: But Kendrick Lamar is coming to Sydney. He's coming to Australia.
Speaker 3: He's one of the world's biggest stars. He led the
Speaker 3: super Bowl coverage super Bowl Halftime Show, which I'd strongly
Speaker 3: recommend all your listeners if they're interested to have a
Speaker 3: look at. So from our perspective, yes, I've been listening
Speaker 3: to quite a lot of Kendrick Lamar.
Speaker 1: You got me there, Daniel Lookie.
Speaker 2: Thank you.
Speaker 1: Hopefully you can help the nurses out in the budget.
Speaker 1: Thanks Clinton the Treasurer, Daniel Lookie