JIM CHALMERS MP
SHADOW TREASURER
MEMBER FOR RANKIN
 

E&OE TRANSCRIPT 
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW

PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA

THURSDAY, 2 DECEMBER 2021

SUBJECTS: Morrison Government finishes the year like a clapped-out clown car; Horror year for Australians and their economy; National Accounts; Religious Discrimination legislation; Voter-suppression legislation; Final sitting day of parliament.

JOURNALIST: Would Labor vote on religious discrimination before the parliament rises, if it comes to a vote today?

JIM CHALMERS, SHADOW TREASURER: We're not sure yet what the Government's proposing. Obviously, there'll be discussions throughout the day. We've said that our preference is for the committee process to run its course and then for us to finalise our position. If there are other conversations to be had today, they'll be had with the relevant Shadow Ministers. We've always said that we want to make sure that kids aren't discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality, that's been an important principle for us all along. That's one of the issues that we think that the parliamentary committee process should be looking at. We've said that we would finalise our position after that. If there are other proposals that the Government is putting to us through the course of the day then obviously we'll engage constructively, but our principles and our position has been clear all along.

JOURNALIST: What's your message to religious people around Australia who might be feeling disappointed that this legislation hasn't been able to get up and is probably unlikely to get through before the next election?

CHALMERS: I think the whole country shares their disappointment with this Government. This Government has got a whole range of unfinished business, a whole range of unfinished legislation. They only want to sit for a handful of days in the first two thirds of next year. That's because it's a government that chases headlines but doesn't chase outcomes. So I think that disappointment is broadly shared. Specifically to the communities of faith, I think that they appreciate that Labor, all along, has been engaging as constructively as we could to try and get the right outcome here -to make sure that people can freely practice their faith without discrimination, and that any changes don't impinge on the discrimination of other important groups in our society and in our community. What we're trying to do is to do our best to make sure that this legislation strikes the best balance. We think the parliamentary committee process is a good way to do that. If there are other conversations to be had today, then we'll engage with that.

JOURNALIST: Why did Labor support the Government in their bill to put more administrative burden on charities when it comes to declaring their donations in political campaigns?

CHALMERS: Our record on charities - and I pay tribute to my friend and colleague Andrew Leigh here -  we have been the chief defenders of charities in this country. When the Government again, and again, and again, has come after charities we have been the last line of defence. We've had some big wins on charity legislation in the last little while. We always try and strike the right balance to be constructive where we can, to agree where we can but disagree where we must. This Government has prosecuted a war on charities for much of their eight years and we've been the last line of defence.

JOURNALIST: (inaudible)

CHALMERS: Beg your pardon?

JOURNALIST: (inaudible)

CHALMERS: I would describe our votes on charities as striking the best balance, agreeing where we can and disagreeing where we must. I think - right across the board, for some time now - we've been the last line of defence for Australian charities and I think they understand that.

JOURNALIST: Do you think that you've sacrificed charities to kind of trade on the voter ID laws?

CHALMERS: No.

JOURNALIST: How confident are you for your prospects now that Greg Hunt and Christian Porter are retiring at the next election, in each of those respective seats?

CHALMERS: The Government finishes the year as a clapped-out clown car.  The wheels have fallen off, there's smoke coming from under the bonnet. They're weighed down by defections, and disunity, and dishonesty, and desperation, and I think these resignations are part of that. The Government limps to the end of the year and who knows if there are other Ministers or other Members of the Government who are looking to get away. They finish the year as a clapped-out clown car. Whether it's these resignations, whether it's the fact that they can't get their legislation through, all of these issues point to the same conclusion - it's time to put this Government out to pasture. They've had the best part of a decade now. They limp towards the end of another year. It's been a decade of missed opportunities and Australia deserves better.

JOURNALIST: You probably had a better chance of winning Pearce though with Christian Porter there?

CHALMERS: Look, I'm not sure if that's the case or not. I know that we've got an absolutely outstanding candidate in Tracey Roberts, the Mayor of Wanneroo, one of the best candidates in Australia. I'm confident she could have beaten Christian Porter or whoever they pre-select to replace him. She is one of Australia's outstanding candidates and we have a good story to tell in the West. We've got a great West Australian team here already and we want to make that much bigger and much stronger, and Tracey Roberts is a big, big, part our plans.

JOURNALIST: Are you looking forward to the break, Jim?

CHALMERS: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

CHALMERS: I think the whole building is looking forward to the end of the year, and all of Australia. It's been a really tough year for Australians, as you know. It's been, in lots of ways, a horrible year - the false dawn in the economy at the start of the year, cruelled by the Government's mistakes on quarantine, and vaccines. The lockdowns and the third-biggest downturn that we've seen in the history of the National Accounts - the downturn that we didn't have to have. The fact that we've got the worst performing economy in the OECD. That has a real impact on real people in real communities. It's been a difficult year for everyone. I think in regards to the parliament, this parliament should be a contest of ideas, it's not always, hopefully we can do better next year with a new government.

JOURNALIST: Charities have accused Labor of selling them out in relation to a deal that you've done for the religious discrimination - sorry , for the voter ID bill. What do you say to that?

CHALMERS: We are the defenders of charities in this building. We have a long, proud, record of being the last line of defence for Australian charities when it comes to this Government's attacks. We have had a number of victories when it comes to holding back this assault on charities. What we've said this morning, is that we always have to strike the best balance when it comes to the legislation that the Government puts forward. If you consider our record on charities, we have been the chief defenders of charities in this building. This Government comes after charities again, and again, and again, and there have been times when we've been able to hold them back.

JOURNALIST: Charities don't seem to feel like you're the best defender of them though in regards to this bill. Was it really worth the trade-off for voter ID?

CHALMERS: Charities are entitled to their view. One of the things that we've actually been fighting for is the ability for charities to express a view. For the eight years that we've been in Opposition, and before that, that's an important principle for us. When it comes to voter-suppression, let's just be blunt about this. The Government was trying to disenfranchise the most vulnerable voters in Australia and that is shameful. I'm pleased to see the back of those voter suppression laws. That is American-style, voter-suppression, which is designed for one purpose - to disenfranchise the most vulnerable people in our community. I'm pleased to see the back of those laws. Thanks very much.

ENDS