Topics: Made in Australia Act, Steven Miles’ jobs for the boys, Recognition of a Palestinian state

E&OE

SARAH ABO:

Anthony Albanese has put forward his vision for Australia's future which would see big investors offered big incentives to manufacture on home soil. Joining us to discuss, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor and commentator Jane Caro, in the studio. Good to see you both. Angus I'll start with you. Now, the PM has thrown down markers for a second term. This isn't necessarily a new idea, but you'd agree securing more local jobs is a good idea?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Of course, and we want to see more manufacturing in Australia. But Sarah, you don't beat a cost of living crisis, you don't address a cost of living crisis by throwing hard earned taxpayers' money around. And that's exactly what Albanese is proposing here. We haven't seen any of the details, I should say, and we'll look at those closely as they come in. But you don't solve a cost of living crisis by throwing hard earned taxpayers' money around. And that's what we're seeing from this government. And it's clear, we're going to see a lot more of it.

SARAH ABO:

I mean Jane, we are going to get more detail this morning when the PM announces it. I guess the issue is that one that Angus raised - it's the investment isn't it, how much you actually pay people to start this up again.

JANE CARO:

Well actually, history indicates that you do solve cost of living crisis by throwing taxpayers' money on the New Deal. Franklin D. Roosevelt pulled America out of the depression by investing in that, just this kind of nation building. I think Australia's been waiting for the government to do something like this. I think this is why there was a change of government at the last election. I think that leadership is badly needed. We have a climate crisis. Doing something in terms of setting the guidelines for that, getting business on board setting certainty for everyone, making sure that the government is taking the lead here and saying this is the way Australia is going to be in the future. Markets are not going to solve the climate issue. It has to be done by governments working together across the globe. Hallelujah.

SARAH ABO:

Market certainty is definitely needed, isn't it, Angus?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well look, you know, the last time we had a lot of inflation in this country, I remember it was the 70s and 80s, and we didn't solve it with big government. We solved it by getting government out of the way. By getting rid of the red tape, by letting small businesses get on with the job of doing the things that they do. And right now they're being crushed. Look, the country that's been going down this path fastest is the United States. And we learn overnight that their inflation is going up, not down. It's not working. This approach doesn't work. It won't work. Australians need a solution to the cost of living crisis. But this isn't it.

SARAH ABO:

Well let's see what he does have to say when he makes that announcement in Brisbane this morning, the PM. It's also the state where the Premier - moving on now - is accused of handing out jobs for boys with tradies receiving significant perks while female dominated industries such as nursing and teaching, for example, are overlooked. Angus, the trade sector has the lowest number of females of any industry. They say the culture is toxic and have accused the Premier of a toxic masculinity. Does something need to change?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, I think it does. We all want to see higher real wages for all Australians, for every single one. But you don't get there through extortionist demands from Union officials. And that's what we're seeing here. I do think we need to see higher real wages for absolutely everyone. But you get there through a more competitive, more productive, stronger economy. This is not the way to do it - putting union officials in charge of the workplace. I want to see a country where we're building more things, Sarah, and this is not the way you do it. We're going to see extortionate increases in the cost of construction. That means less houses, less schools, less hospitals, less roads. We need all of that.

SARAH ABO:

I mean Jane, some of these conditions make you wonder what we're doing wrong with our jobs, right? I mean, getting paid for rain, all these sorts of issues. You know, up to 50% could be the increase for these male dominated industries like trading, and then teachers and nurses are languishing with single digit rises.

JANE CARO:

Which is outrageous, but often seems to be the way - we just don't value women's work in the way that we value men's work. And we show that by how much we pay. But I would say this. Again, I go back to history, after the plague. Serfdom ended, workers started agitating for more money, guilds began - the precursors of unions thank goodness for them - and the Lords of the Manor in those days, now business owners, fought it. Fought it hard, they lost it, because if there's a shortage of workers, if there's a shortage of people to do the work, and anyone who's trying to do any building work at the moment knows that's true, it's supply and demand. And supply and demand, unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on which side you're on, works both ways. It doesn't just work for business over workers. When supply of workers is tight, it works the other way too.

SARAH ABO:

I think nurses and teachers deserve a bit more...

JANE CARO:

So do I. So do I.

SARAH ABO:

All right, well, let's move on to our final topic. And Peter Dutton has slammed Foreign Minister Penny Wong, labelling her calls for a Palestinian statehood reckless. Angus, he said it's the most rash diplomatic move in decades but nothing's actually going to change off the back of what she said really, is it?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well I mean, she's not doing what needs to be done, which is saying what Hamas is doing, despite the tragic circumstances in...

SARAH ABO:

Well that's not true. The Prime Minister is of course calling for those hostages to be returned.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, but the precondition for getting to what Penny Wong is asking for is the hostages to be returned, the terrorist infrastructure to be dismantled, a good faith negotiations and agreement on borders, a knowledge that both sides will be able to be secure under the new arrangements and we are nowhere near any of those things. So talk about putting the cart before the horse. This is reckless. It's inappropriate. We need to, we all want to see peace. We all want to see peace. But this is not the pathway to get there.

SARAH ABO:

Just very quickly, Jane obviously, a comment like this was always going to be a bit contentious.

JANE CARO:

Look, she's setting the, she's setting again a sort of roadmap. It's not going to happen for a while. Congratulations to Penny Wong for saying this. What's going on in Gaza is outrageous. What Hamas did was, it was outrageous too, but the response has been devastating. And they're just creating a new lot of terrorists by this action. It's really dangerous stuff. Two state solution is the only way for Israel to be safe.

SARAH ABO:

All right, thank you both so much for joining us today. Appreciate it.

ENDS.