Television interview – Sky News Australia

KENNY HEATLEY, HOST: The legislation to see the Voice for Parliament referendum held later this year has just passed the Senate. Joining me live are Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman and former Liberal MP Jason Falinski. Thanks so much for joining us. First of all, it was an overwhelming majority, 52 to 19, to pass the Constitution Alteration Bill, meaning there will be a referendum later this year. It was a packed gallery in the Senate. There was a standing ovation from the Labor side at the end. Just some reaction, first of all. First to you, Jason.

JASON FALINSKI: Look, Kenny, I think that this is a great day for Australian democracy. The people will have a say in terms of moving reconciliation forward in Australia. My hope is that this brings Australians closer together and not divides us more. And let’s hope that this is yet another step along that long path to Australia reconciling itself with its history, so that we can enjoy a better future together.

HEATLEY: Patrick, it was a historic moment in the Senate there.

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, well, I remembered how it felt when it went through the House of Representatives, which was excitement that this idea that has been put to the Government of Australia for the last six years will finally, this year, in 2023, be put to the Australian people. So, I thank all of the senators who have worked incredibly long hours to make sure that we got this piece through this sitting week. It does clear the way for the referendum to be held and for 18 million Australians to have their say on this incredibly important question, which is about constitutional recognition. 122 years, we haven’t had the First Nations of this country properly recognised in our Constitution. When people walk in to have their say in the referendum, they have to write three letters. Y-E-S; yes. And that will actually change the Constitution of this country. And most excitingly, it will change the course of our future.

HEATLEY: Jason, there were some passionate speeches in the Senate this morning leading up to the vote. Senator Murray Watt called on the No side to throw out what he expects to be a misinformation campaign, which was jeered by those opposite. He pointed to some examples of what he said were scare campaigns. Is that what we can expect now leading up to October and December is a scare campaign from the No side?

FALINSKI: Look, Kenny. It’s fair to say that, sadly, what we can expect from this point forward is instead of this being a moment that brings Australians together, that it could be very divisive. And I amongst many others, including Julian Leeser, have called on the Government to do more to bring people along on this process. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened. And so I fear, along with Murray Watt, that there will be a number of people asking questions which will be described as misinformation, but frankly is because people just don’t know. I think the way for these – history tells us that the only way that our Constitution gets changed is when we respect all Australians. So far, I don’t think this debate has been very respectful, but there is still time for that to change, and it is my great hope that it will.

HEATLEY: Well, Patrick, from today, the campaigning for the Yes and No vote of the referendum will intensify, including Yes and No side pamphlets, which will be written by politicians who support either side. It’s not fact-checked. So, politicians can choose what goes in there. Nationals Leader David Littleproud says about 30 politicians will have an input on the No pamphlet. One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson wants the No pamphlet to include: ‘the Voice is a smokescreen to establish an Aboriginal state within the nation.’ What’s your thoughts on that?

GORMAN: Well, I’ll expect all of those senators and members who are engaged in the writing of the No pamphlet to take that responsibility very seriously. It would be very disappointing to see a pamphlet that is paid for by Australian taxpayers having misinformation or any form of hate within it. But, just to the point that Jason made earlier around this being a divisive campaign, well, that’s in the hands of the No campaign. They can choose how they engage in this debate. And what I think Australian people want to see is a respectful debate. They want to see a debate about our future. I remember I had chat to Robert Isaacs, who’s a fantastic West Australian who’s been very deeply engaged in this. And I said, ‘what’s the most important thing for you about why you’re voting Yes?’ He said, ‘it gives our kids a chance at a new future.’ And for me, that says it all. I don’t need 2000 words to convince me. This is about the future. And we’ll see those pamphlets put out, we’ll see that information put out. But ultimately, the Australian people I have great faith in, they will make the right decision when this is put to them later this year, because it’s simply about two things. It’s about recognising our First Australians, it’s about listening to them. And that makes a lot of sense.

HEATLEY: Okay, just moving on to the other big issue of the day, potential votes on the Australia Housing Future Fund. I’ve just received a text here, Jason, that says, the Greens are moving to delay the Housing Bill in the Senate until after the National Cabinet report on rental reform. So, the Greens are still choosing to block this initiative. For now, though, what’s your thoughts on that?

FALINSKI: Disgrace, Kenny. The Greens are just absolutely a disgrace. Normally, I give time over at this point to Patrick to make those points about the Greens, but when it comes to people like Clover Moore and the Greens, they talk the talk, they won’t walk the walk. There is one person who is more responsible for housing unaffordability in Australia than any other and her name is Clover Moore. And what the Greens are doing at the moment in the Federal Parliament is creating yet more blockages to Australians being able to afford their home. Let there be no doubt, this country was one of the things that this country was founded on was the idea that all of us could own a piece of our land because we had come from a settlement, being the English, where there was the landed gentry, and we wanted equality in this country, which meant everyone got to own the piece of land on which they live. The Greens disagree with that. The Greens want to introduce more inequality into Australia, just as Clover Moore has done in Sydney. So, I call on them to actually stand up to the principles and values that they claim to be elected on. If they want to ease rents, if they want to lower the prices of housing, then pass this bill and get on with creating more supply in Australia and stop talking about it and do it.

HEATLEY: Patrick, the Greens have been calling for a rent freeze, a two year freeze following a 2% cap on rent increases and also an end to no grounds eviction, in order for their support for the Albanese Government’s $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund. The Albanese Government has thrown in another $2 billion to the states to upgrade and build new social housing, to try and get the Greens over the line. And now within this Fund, there’s a guarantee of 500 million per year. And it seems like the Greens are still blocking it going through or trying to delay it until another rental report comes out. What do you think?

GORMAN: Well, the really disappointing thing about the Greens is that all of these policies that they’re now demanding are not the policies which they took to an election, particularly when it comes to rent freezes and some of those other ideas that they’ve grabbed onto in the last few months to support their door knocking and social media campaigns. The reality is the plan that is in front of the Senate right now we took to the Australian people 395 days ago and they voted for it. The ideas that the Greens are now using to hold up a good piece of policy have never been put to the Australian people. And I think it’s also worth noting like the Greens housing spokesperson – he wasn’t their housing spokesperson at the last election. He didn’t develop any of the policies they took to the election and that’s why he’s trying to throw other things on the table now. This is good policy. What the Senate is being asked to do is to vote in favour of $500 million a year or more being spent on social and affordable housing and that any Greens Party member, or indeed any Coalition member, can walk into that Senate and say they don’t think that that is worth voting for, they will need to explain that to the people they represent. Because this is good policy; it’s been to an election, the Australian people voted for it and the Senate should respect that.

HEATLEY: Patrick Gorman and Jason Falinksi, thanks so much for your time today. Really appreciate it.