Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Assistant Minister for the Public Service
PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE: What we’ve seen over the winter sittings is that this Parliament has achieved a lot. We have seen the Budget handed down. We have seen $2 billion for social housing. We have seen our plan for cheaper medicines bought into the Parliament. We have seen record investment in Medicare bulk billing. A 15 per cent pay increase for aged care workers. We have seen huge investments in TAFE and fee-free TAFE. And we’ve seen the energy price relief that was promised to Australians being delivered because of the actions of this Parliament.
But there’s one thing that this Parliament cannot address. And that is the gross injustice of the Taylor Swift Eras World Tour schedule, which has dismissed both the great state of Western Australia and the great state of Queensland, represented by so many in this Parliament including my friend on the other side, Andrew Wallace, the Member for Fisher. What this Parliament can’t do is determine where international touring artists go. But people power can change that. People power and the Swifties of Australia can unite. And they can say it is a Cruel Summer when there is Sweet Nothing for Perth in the Taylor Swift Eras World Tour. And if I think about Western Australia, we have proudly hosted the Grand Final; we can host a concert of this magnitude. The Gabba has also hosted a Grand Final; it can host a concert of this magnitude. And it will give both an emotional and economic boost to the great states of Western Australia and Queensland. I’ve got to say though, for the Queenslanders, I mean they can just drive down the road to Sydney. I’ve done that drive myself and I know that the Swifties of, particularly, southeast Queensland we would just do that for their absolute love of Taylor Swift’s fantastic music. But for those of us in Western Australia: three day drive.
We need the Eras World Tour to come to Perth. The Premier of Western Australia backs it, the Deputy Premier of Western Australia backs it. I back it, the Swifties of the Perth electorate back it. And – I’ve checked – Optus Stadium is available on the dates where, otherwise, the Eras World Tour will be flying over Perth and onto Singapore. So this can happen. And like I said, this Parliament has achieved a lot over the winter sittings. But this is something that will rely on people power and the people of Western Australia to unite. To make sure that, whatever your musical tastes, this big, exciting event can happen in Perth in 2024. And I would also note; they won the State of Origin last night. Queensland’s had a win. It’s time for WA to have a win.
If I could also note though, that it is the final day of sittings, and it’s been particularly cold in Canberra this week. It’s probably the reason we’ve seen Peter Dutton and Adam Bandt cosying up so much. We saw them cosying up again yesterday, where they voted together to block the Nature Repair Market Bill. But this is becoming all too regular. What we’re seeing in this place, which is the Liberal Party and the Greens Party colluding to block action. They’ve blocked action on climate change together in the past, they sought to block action on Nature Repair yesterday, and as we know, they have been blocking action on affordable housing. Now, you know, they seem to be very excited about petitions, but not very excited about building partitions. They seem to be very excited about Tiktok, but not so excited about housing stock. And what the Greens Party needs to do is to justify why it is okay that they continue to vote with the Liberal Party to block 30,000 affordable homes for Australians. They have never offered an explanation to that to my electorate of Perth where they’ve been doorknocking.
And I note that the Greens housing spokesperson has said that the reason they are blocking these measures is so that they can doorknock. Now, I would have thought, particularly at a time where you have so many opportunities for if they want to doorknock, there’s the Yes 23 campaign. I’d suggest that those Greens volunteers who’ve been out there spreading false information about our housing plans actually find something that can actually unite this country where they should go and doorknock for. Again, it’s not too late for Adam Bandt to break away from his toxic relationship with Peter Dutton. It is not too late for Adam Bandt today to come out and show some leadership. To stand here in this place and say that he will support 30,000 affordable homes for Australians, stop the political games, stop the blocking, stop the toxic relationship with the Liberal Party and actually get on with delivering the Housing Australia Future Fund that Australians voted for. Thank you.
JOURNALIST: Only one question – will you refuse to buy a Tay-tay ticket if she does not go to Perth? Will you buy a ticket to Sydney or Melbourne? Is this a full-on commitment to the battle?
GORMAN: I am the Member for Perth. I know that all the great parts of Australia happen in Perth, I know that I’m not giving up hope. I’ll only buy a ticket – and not just for Perth, I’m backing the Queenslanders too here – if we get Queensland and Perth on the bill, I’ll buy a ticket. Otherwise, I will donate to someone in my electorate who’s having to spend that large amount of money having to travel over to the East Coast, I will find a way to support someone in my electorate to get to something that is probably more important to them than it is to me.
JOURNALIST: That’s quite a sacrifice.
GORMAN: Well, this isn’t about sacrifice for me. This is not about sacrifice for anyone. This is about the performance of the Eras World Tour, and Taylor Swift herself, being able to perform in the best stadium in Australia. I want her to have the opportunity. She’s performed there before. And it was a magnificent concert, I’m told by my constituents who attended. It is an opportunity to get one of the best performing artists in the world in the best city in Australia at the best stadium in Australia. This is a match made in heaven, and we should make it happen. Thank you.
