JIM CHALMERS MP
SHADOW TREASURER
MEMBER FOR RANKIN

 

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW
LOGAN 
MONDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2021

SUBJECTS: Economic recovery; The economy and the next election; Morrison and Frydenberg always claiming credit but never taking responsibility; Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd; Scott Morrison’s failure to manage international relationships; Election timing; More attacks on wages, super and Medicare and more rorts if Coalition re-elected.

JIM CHALMERS, SHADOW TREASURER: The Australian economy is recovering despite the Morrison Government, not because of it.
 
When the economy was bleeding billions of dollars a week, Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg were nowhere to be found, but now that it seems to be recovering, they want to take credit for it. Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg never take responsibility when times are tough, but they always take credit when things are looking up.
 
We want the Australian economy to recover strongly but it's not a recovery if ordinary working families miss out. What we've seen for the last eight years of this Liberal National Government is wage stagnation, insecure work, precarious employment and underemployment, weak business investment, weak productivity, weak growth, and a budget which is riddled with rorts and waste and mismanagement.
 
If this Government wants to have an election, on eight years of stagnant wages, underemployment and insecure work, and a budget riddled with rorts, waste, and mismanagement then we say bring it on. If this Government wants to spend an election campaign talking about its failures on the economy, when it comes to wages, employment, investment, economic growth, and rorts and waste in the budget then that would be a good thing and we would welcome that.
 
This is a government and this is a Prime Minister who is always there to take credit when things are going well but never there to take responsibility when times are tough. We see that in the economy and we see that with the vaccines rollout as well.
 
Never forget, when the Australian economy was bleeding billions of dollars a week not that long ago it was because of the Prime Minister and Treasurer's failures on vaccines, quarantine and economic support. When Australians were doing it tough, and when the economy was bleeding billions of dollars, Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg didn't take responsibility. But now that it seems to be recovering, they're there to take credit.
 
The Australian economy is recovering because of the hard work of the Australian people who've done the right thing by each other throughout this pandemic to limit the spread of the virus. The Australian people have looked out for each other and looked after each other and done the right thing. They deserve the lion's share of the credit for the recovering economy.
 
This recovery in the economy will not be worth it if ordinary working families are left behind. What we need to see is a recovery where working families share in the benefits. Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg think it's enough for there to be a recovery back to all of the wage stagnation and insecurity which defined the last eight years.
 
This election needs to be about whether this country, its economy and our society can be stronger after COVID than it was before. Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg might be content to go back to all of that wage stagnation and all of that insecurity but Labor and the Australian people know that we can do much, much better.
 
So if they want to have an election on stagnant wages, bring it on. If they want to have an election on a budget which is riddled with rorts, waste, mismanagement and defined by a trillion dollars in debt with not enough to show for it, then we would welcome that opportunity.
 
If they want an election on the economy it needs to be an election, about the whole economy and how working families are faring in that economy. If they want an election about the economy, it has to be focused on those stagnant wages, that insecure work, that weak investment and a budget which is absolutely riddled with Liberal National rorts, waste and mismanagement.
 
JOURNALIST: Do you agree with senior ministers that journalists were to blame for exacerbating tensions with France?
 
CHALMERS: Of course not. Scott Morrison is to blame when it comes to the mismanagement of our key international relationships. We wouldn't be in this mess if Scott Morrison had taken responsibility and done his job. If he wanted to change the way that Australia was investing in future submarines, then there was a competent way to do it and an incompetent way to do it. As always, instead of taking responsibility for the mess that he has made of the relationship he is trying to blame journalists. It's not journalists’ fault that we don't have a Prime Minister capable of going overseas for a week without trampling our key international relationships, without stomping on our national interest or without treating international leaders like he treats the Premiers.
 
JOURNALIST: Do you think it's appropriate for Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd to continue to intervene in the public debate today? Do you think they will play a part in the next election?
 
CHALMERS: Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd, like the rest of us, want the best for this country. They genuinely want Australia to succeed on the world stage and to succeed here at home. If Scott Morrison hadn't spent a week, trampling on those relationships and stomping on the national interest and treating foreign leaders liking he treats the Premiers, then there'd be no need for this kind of criticism. The criticism being made by Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd is warranted. The criticism being made by Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd is shared by all of the objective observers who have seen Scott Morrison go overseas, trample those relationships, stomp on the national interest, and treat foreign leaders like he treats the Premiers.  The problem with all of that is it sells the national interest short. It would be better from all of our points of view, for every Australian, former Prime Minister or not, Opposition too, if the Prime Minister was capable of taking responsibility for our foreign policy and executing it competently.
 
JOURNALIST: Josh Frydenberg was pretty cagey this morning talking about when an election might be called? When would Labor like to see an election called?
 
CHALMERS: We'll be ready for the election whenever it's called. If it's an election about the economy then it needs to be an election about stagnant wages and living standards, and a budget riddled with debt, rorts, waste and mismanagement. Whether the election’s in March or May it won't change the fact that this government has presided over eight years of working families finding it harder and harder to get ahead. That should be one of the central considerations of this election. The election needs to be whether or not Australia can have a stronger society and a stronger economy after COVID than before, or whether we have to go back to all of that wage stagnation that has characterised the last eight years of this government. If Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg are re-elected there will be more attacks on wages, more attacks on superannuation, there will be more debt, rorts and mismanagement and more attacks on Medicare. It's that simple. And the election should be about that no matter when it's held.
 
Thank you very much.

ENDS