THE HON BILL SHORTEN MP LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION MEMBER FOR MARIBYRNONG

E&OE TRANSCRIPT DOORSTOP INTERVIEW MELBOURNE SUNDAY, 16 MARCH 2014 SUBJECT/S: Croatian cultural festival; state elections; foreign aid; WA Senate by-election BILL SHORTEN, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: Welcome everyone to the Croatian Cultural Festival, its the 5th annual year, just emphasises the ongoing benefits of multiculturalism to Australia. But overnight weve also seen the results of two state elections. First of all let me just congratulate remiers !ay Weatherill an" outgoing remier #ara $i""ings on the campaigns theyve fought. %ifficult elections, & just wish to recor" our gratitu"e for the wor' theyve "one as remiers up until the election yester"ay. (he secon" point which &" li'e to ma'e about the state elections, in particular with )outh Australia, is that we have seen jobs an" cuts to e"ucation an" healthcare front an" centre in that election. (he Abbott $overnment has "esperately trie" to hi"e their *++ page report , the Commission of Au"it, the Commission of Cuts, hac'ing into healthcare an" e"ucation an" other nasties. (heyve got the report, theyve wont release it, they "eliberately "i" not release it before these state elections because they were worrie" that voters woul" not vote #iberal on the basis of the propose" cuts which the Abbott $overnment are hi"ing. What is really interesting about the )outh Australian result, in what & thin' everyone , "oesnt matter if youre #iberal or #abor or not aligne" , it was an upset result last night in )outh Australia. What we saw is a sign of hope for people all across Australia who were worrie" by what the Abbott $overnment will "o. Clearly )outh Australian voters became increasingly wary of the Abbott $overnment in the course of that state election, an" there is no "oubt in my min" that the lac' of the Abbott $overnments in"ustry policy, the inability of the Abbott $overnment to fight for jobs,

the e-treme "esire of the Abbott $overnment to cut health an" e"ucation, was a factor in the upset result last night in )outh Australia. & thin' that the Abbott $overnment shoul" have the "ecency now to reveal their *++ page Commission of Cuts report. (hey nee" to clearly tell Australians before the West Australian )enate by.election what the Abbott $overnment has in store for the mi""le class of Australia. /appy to ta'e 0uestions. REPORTER: 1r )horten, "oes the result in (asmania highlight the "angers for #abor forming an alliance with the $reens2 SHORTEN: (han's for your 0uestion 3achael. &ve ma"e it clear that & can foresee no set of circumstances that in the event that #abor was electe" to government nationally, that we woul" go into a formal alliance with the $reens. Cannot see that happening with me as #abor lea"er, full stop. REPORTER: At a state level, woul" you "iscourage state #abor governments from "oing the same2 SHORTEN: 4es. REPORTER5 &n terms of the result overall, is it a wa'eup call for #abor2 SHORTEN: (heres no "oubt that #abors got a long roa" bac'. & thin' though that the )outh Australian result has surprise" the e-perts, its surprise" the boo'ma'ers, its certainly surprise" the #iberals in )outh Australia an" nationally. !obs are a big issue, 'eeping jobs, creating jobs, that is a big issue. (he mi""le class of Australia, they "o the heavy lifting, they pay the ta-es, they "o e-pect to have a government in Canberra who is on their si"e when it comes to fighting for jobs an" opposing "eep an" "amaging cuts in e"ucation an" healthcare. & "o believe that the #abor arty has got a long roa" bac', but & thin' that people across Australia who are worrie" an" wary that the Abbott $overnment has got nasty surprises in store for them shoul" ta'e some hope that it is possible to fight bac'. REPORTER: &n (asmania Bill, specifically, is that a wa'eup call2 SHORTEN5 &n (asmania the #abor $overnment ha" been in for 67 years. (hats a very long time. (heres no "oubt that #abor having a relationship, a formal coalition with the $reens, was mar'e" "own by (asmanian voters. What & "o believe is that #abor is at its best when it prioritises creating jobs an" maintaining jobs. When mum an" "a" have a job, then the familys o'ay, 'i"s can go to school, theyve got the fees to be able to be pai" , youve got the ability to pay off your house. !obs is the most important issues that #abor can tal' about in this country. REPORTER: $iven that you sai" jobs was such a 'ey issue in )outh Australia, "o you thin' that is perhaps maybe a goo" sign for what might happen in 8ictoria in 9ovember for the #abor arty.

SHORTEN: & thin' the 8ictorian #iberals are very concerne" that the Abbott $overnments e-treme i"eology of just leave everything to mar'et forces an" not stan" up for jobs is greatly "isturbing. (here are more people who wor' in automotive jobs in 8ictoria than there were in )outh Australia. We saw the Abbott $overnment gracelessly rush out a "efence announcement, we ha" the remar'able scene of a rime 1inister of Australia not stan"ing up with the remier of a state to announce it, but rather stan"ing up with the #ea"er of the :pposition. )o & thin' that #iberals privately 'now that jobs an" cuts are big issues, how else coul" we e-plain the Abbott $overnment hi"ing *++ pages of nasty cuts an" surprises2 REPORTER: 1artin Ferguson has calle" for a re.e-amination of #abors values to ensure the party has economic an" social cre"ibility. %oes he have a point2 SHORTEN: (he #abor arty always has to be true to its values, an" we nee" to be constantly mo"ernising how we e-press our values. & am confi"ent though, that #abor when it stan"s up for jobs, creating a schools an" e"ucation system which encourages jobs, by having pro"uctive infrastructure which allows people to get to an" from wor', by having a priority on 'eeping jobs an" also creating new jobs through innovation an" science. & believe that #abor is on the right trac' when it tal's about the jobs of the future, shoul" be goo" jobs. An" in"ee" & thin' that the )outh Australian surprise result shows there is an un"ercurrent of concern, that )outh Australian voters "o not trust (ony Abbott, an" & thin' (ony Abbott has cost the )outh Australians an outcome which they might have otherwise got in terms of a #iberal government. REPORTER: !ust on !ay Weatherill, "o you thin' he shoul" now "o a "eal with the in"epen"ents to form a minority government2 SHORTEN: &m not in the business of giving )outh Australians political a"vice about the state of )outh Australia. (here are still votes to be counte". (heres no "oubt though that people were not e-pecting Fri"ay night, for #abor to be in the hunt )un"ay morning. An" !ay Weatherill has proven to be a tough campaigner, an" hes got the interest of creating an" 'eeping goo" jobs in )outh Australia. REPORTER: :bviously Fe"eral #abor forme" a coalition with the in"epen"ents, if we want to call it that, !ay shoul"nt "o the same2 SHORTEN: &f &" wante" to be a state politician in )outh Australia &" have run for politics in )outh Australia. (he last thing that )outh Australians nee" is fe"eral politicians trying to bully )outh Australians into what shape their government shoul" loo' li'e. (heres no "oubt though that there was a clear fe"eral message in the )outh Australian election. !ay Weatherill articulate" the importance of jobs, opposing cuts an" of course ma'ing sure that peoples basic con"itions li'e penalty rates werent automatically on the chopping bloc'. (hey were live issues in the )outh Australian election an" they are part of the story about why #abor is still in the hunt in )outh Australia.

REPORTER: (his wee'en" weve seen thousan"s of people gather at "estinations as part of the 1arch in 1arch, rally series & guess, "o you thin' thats significant, an" also will you bring a notice of no confi"ence to the $overnment tomorrow2 SHORTEN: eople are allowe" to e-press their views. & an" #abor are not formally involve" in that, so there is little more & can a"" to that. But & "o get that people want to e-press their views, its a free country.

REPORTER: &n terms of the foreign ai" bu"get, why "oes #abor want the ;<.5 billion that the $overnment is cutting out of that bu"get =inau"ible> SHORTEN: Well Australia has got a role to play in the worl". &f our neighbours are "oing it har" then Australia "oesnt benefit. )o & thin' that just simply hac'ing an" slashing all forms of our engagement overseas "oesnt help the long term national security, economic or in"ee" humanitarian interests which Australians ta'e with the rest of the worl". REPORTER: But #abor in government alrea"y cut that bu"get =inau"ible> SHORTEN: !ust because were an islan", "oesnt mean we shoul" stop putting out bri"ges to the rest of the worl". &ts important that our region is safe an" secure. ?conomic growth benefits all people inclu"ing Australians. REPORTER: Are there any implications for Western Australia out of these two results this wee'en"2 SHORTEN: &n Western Australia the Barnett $overnment is not popular, an" no one wants to see a rubber stamp in the )enate for (ony Abbotts cuts. (ony Abbott is hi"ing *++ pages of valuable information for Australians an" for Western Australians. (ony Abbott "oes not have a high opinion of voters if he 'nows that hes got ba" news but wont tell people for fear that these people will mar' him "own. (he election in Western Australia is about the sort of country we want to have. &ts about jobs, its about opposing cuts, its ma'ing sure the mi""le class in Australia, the people that "o the heavy lifting, pay the ta-es, "ont have their stan"ar" of living just choppe" away. 9o state, no nation, an" Australia certainly cant cut its way to being a better country. (han's everyone, have a lovely afternoon. E!"S