THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
SUNRISE
MONDAY, 28 APRIL 2025

SUBJECTS: FEDERAL ELECTION; CAMPAIGN SPENDING.

NATALIE BARR: To federal politics now, and both leaders have faced off in their final debate, showdown with 7 news last night with Anthony Albanese declared the overall winner by a jury of 60 undecided voters with 50 per cent compared with Peter Dutton’s 25 per cent but 25 per cent still undecided. The Prime Minister was also favoured by the jury with issues such as the cost of living, housing and tax cuts, while Peter Dutton gained more support for defence and Indigenous affairs. For their take, let's bring in Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce. Good morning. Well, one of the biggest hot button issues discussed was an indigenous welcome to country. Peter Dutton said they are overdone, and the significance is actually getting cheapened. While Anthony Albanese says they're a matter of respect, they're up to individual organisations, and each organisation should decide. Tanya, do you think they're overdone?

TANYA PLIBERSEK, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER: Well, the first thing I'd say, Nat is that anybody who boos anyone on Anzac Day, as that guy did in Melbourne, is just a scumbag. And the second thing I'd say about welcome to country, what the Prime Minister said is right, it's up to the individual organisations. But as someone who attends a lot of events, I really like learning about the history and culture of the area that I'm visiting. So, I'd say I enjoy it, and I really, I don't see it's any skin off anybody's nose to show that respect.

BARR: It seems you are in the minority, though, according to a recent poll, which said 60% want them cut all together. 25% at least want them reduced. So, Barnaby, the PM says they're a matter of respect, Peter Dutton says they're divisive. Do you think we need to at least look at them?

BARNABY JOYCE, MEMBER FOR NEW ENGLAND: First thing is I want to agree with Tanya. I was at a ceremony in the ACT at the Australian War Memorial and someone screamed out free Palestine in the middle of the silence. You haven't got a right to scream out anything for any political reason during Anzac Day, you just shut up and respect the day. There's other days for the political debate. Now going on to the next issue. Yeah, I do think they're overdone. I think people are starting to feel awkward at them, and awkward goes to anger at times, and that's something we don't want. We don't want to go to an event where there's people show the disrespect or start voicing their disrespect. I certainly don't want to be welcomed back to my own hometown by plane. I think veterans have a real, genuine concern if they've signed on the dotted line to die for this nation, they don't believe they need to be welcome to it. They've absolutely proven their loyalty to this nation. And, you know, I think there's, there's time and place for everything, but we've got to be a lot more discerning about how we do this, cause there is an aggravation that's building up in the community, and the best thing to do to avoid that is to be a lot more discerning about when you do welcome to countries.

BARR: Yeah, at least a wider discussion that does feel like that's the mood of the community, according to the polls. Moving on, we want to talk spending, because both parties have announced some major commitments with big price tags. The Daily Telegraph has been tracking the commitment since the beginning of the campaign, Coalition promising nearly $45 billion according to them, Labor pledging nearly $28 billion. Tanya, how are we going to pay for all this?

PLIBERSEK: Well, it's very obvious how Labor is paying for everything. We've released budgets. We release mid-year economic updates. We release costed policies. What's not obvious is how Peter Dutton is going to pay for his $600 billion nuclear plan, and he's already said he's going to cut $350 billion of government spending. And he's said he won't tell you what he's going to cut until after the election. Millions of Australians have already voted, and they voted without Peter Dutton telling them what he's going to cut. This is from the guy who, when he was the Health Minister, cut hospital funding by $50 billion, tried to introduce the $7 GP co-payment, put up the cost of medicines by $5 so, you know, you've got to wonder what he would cut if he was Prime Minister.

BARR: Barnaby, there is concern that we are putting all this on the tab for future generations, though.

JOYCE: Well, let's go through the facts. When we left government, there was about $850 billion on the Australian government securities outstanding. Now we're heading towards $1.3, $1.4 trillion worth of money on Australian government securities outstanding. Your interest bill is heading towards $40 billion. So judge the Labor Party by exactly what they've done. They've taken our debt through a trillion dollars. The next thing, I'll just go to another –

PLIBERSEK: We've paid off your debt.

JOYCE: No, you haven't Tanya, look at the Australian government securities outstanding.

PLIBERSEK: $177 billion paid off.

JOYCE: No, that's just as much, just as incorrect. It’s just as much an untruth as your $600 billion nuclear power statement, which is also not the truth.

PLIBERSEK: Budget papers.

JOYCE: Okay, you've got one power plant there at first, a first of pipe, and you've multiplied it by six to mislead the Australian people. And if you go back to Australian government securities outstanding, AOFM, ladies and gentlemen, you can Google it right now. AOFM, Australian Office of Financial Management, it was at $850 billion left. It's now heading towards $1.4 trillion and that is under Labor, I think it's getting very close to a trillion dollars right now if you look, ladies and gentlemen.

PLIBERSEK: Lower every year. Deficits lower every year.

BARR: Okay, there's been a lot of mudslinging on both sides. So, all week, we are asking the politicians on our forums to say one nice thing about the other person. Tanya, what is one nice thing you have to say about Barnaby?

PLIBERSEK: Well, there's lots of nice things about him, but I'd say that he has a really colourful turn of phrase that really sticks with people.

JOYCE: Aww.

BARR: Well, that's nice, I think. Barnaby, what's your nice thing to say about Tanya?

JOYCE: Jumps right off the page. Tanya's a wonderful mum, and when you have the privilege of meeting her beautiful daughters, you can just see in their eyes that they love their mum and that's the best recommendation in life, be a good parent and Tanya's definitely one.

PLIBERSEK: Thanks Barnaby, I really appreciate that.

BARR: Aww well isn’t this a nice way to start the week? I can feel the next six days of the campaign is just going to be just dandy. Thank you very much. Happy campaigning and we'll see you next week.

ENDS