James Stevens MP Media Release: Interview Transcript - ABC 891 - Cost of Living, Small Businesses, Immigration, Net Zero

Interview Transcript - ABC 891 - Cost of Living, Small Businesses, Immigration, Net Zero

24 January 2025

TRANSCRIPT

24 January 2025

E&OE

Topics: Cost of Living, Small Businesses, Immigration, Net Zero


Rory Mcclaren

Now it's 27 minutes to 10, and in the lead up to the federal election, which we know is due before the middle of May, we will regularly catch up with South Australian MPs here on ABC Radio Adelaide. Today we'll be talking to the members who hold the State's two most marginal electorates, Boothby in Adelaide's South and Sturt, across the eastern suburbs, which their respective political opponents have very firm eyes on flipping when it comes to election day. Now joining us is the Liberal member for Sturt, James Stevens, good morning.


James Stevens

Good morning to you, Rory, and to all of your listeners.


Rory Mcclaren

And the Labor MP for Boothby, Louise Miller-Frost. Good morning, Louise Miller-Frost.


Louise Miller-Frost

Good morning, Rory.


Rory Mcclaren

First to you, Louise, you clearly have a fight on your hands to retain Boothby don't you? As we speak, opposition leader Peter Dutton is headed for Brighton. Your seat is clearly in the Liberal sights. How do you hold it?


Louise Miller-Frost

Well thank you for the heads up there Rory. Look I've never taken Boothby for granted. When I won it at the last election, it had been in Liberal hands for 73 years, so it's a marginal seat, but my entire life has been about working for my community, whether it was in health, in local government, or through, Vinnies and Catherine House. So I just work for my community that's what I'm focused on. That's what I think that my electorates want. That's what people need, somebody who's there for them, who will work for them, who will listen to them. So I'm very much focused, as I have been the whole way through on my community.


Rory Mcclaren

You also have a former MP for the electorate wanting her seat back.


Louise Miller-Frost

Ah, yes. Well, not her seat.


Rory Mcclaren

Well it was her seat. 


Louise Miller-Frost

It was.


Rory Mcclaren

James Stevens, how worried are you that in four months time you'll be looking for a new job?


James Stevens

Well, Rory, I certainly don't take my seat for granted. And yes, we'll have a very spirited contest in the seat of Sturt, as we will across the country. But I think the proposition is clear to people, do they feel they've had a good three years under Labor? The answer to that, that I'm getting out door knocking is resoundingly no, it's been a tough three years. People are struggling to make the household budget stack up as they had in the past. They've had to make sacrifices, and they're really feeling that they're going backwards under Labor. So I'll be out there pounding the pavement and making sure that I take every opportunity to engage with people on the things that they're concerned about. But fundamentally, this will be a election about the cost of living, the household budget, and which party is better to turn things around for them. And obviously, as the Liberal candidate, I'll be making the point that you don't want three more years of Labor, much like you've had over the last year.


Rory Mcclaren

What are some of the other issues that are coming up when you are meeting with your constituents, James Stevens in Sturt?


James Stevens

The cost of living, I know I've mentioned already is one, two and three Rory, and it expands within that topic to issues like housing. People are worried about their energy bills. They're worried about their mortgage and their rents. They're worried about the grocery bills. So I think the broad topic of cost of living has a lot of elements within it, and that's what people are raising. They're really finding it tough. They're really feeling that over the last few years, their household has gone backwards.


Rory Mcclaren

Okay, let's go back to Louise Miller-Frost. Is cost of living one of the key issues that's being brought up with you in Adelaide South?


Louise Miller-Frost

Yeah, cost of living is certainly there. I'm talking to people about the sorts of things that they can do. So for instance, we have a website called Energy Made Easy, which enables people to actually make sure that they're getting the best deal they can for their electricity. The ACCC says 80% of Australians are paying more than they need because it's so hard to find out the information you need. So that's a really easy way for people to actually make a difference. Some people are saving hundreds of dollars on their bills, but I throw back to James. We don't see any cost of living measures coming from the from the opposition. They have no policies on this whatsoever. They have some  statements about making everything better, but no detail. We have nothing about actually what they will do or how they will do it. They have voted against every single cost of living measure that we have put up. They voted against people getting tax cuts. They voted against people getting energy relief. They voted against every single cost of living measure. So what would they actually do? James has no idea, other than free lunches for bosses.


Rory Mcclaren

We will come to that proposal shortly Louise Miller-Frost, but James Stevens to you, how do you respond?


James Stevens

Well, I'm not sure of what tax cut I've ever voted against in my entire career so Louise can clarify what she means by that comment, but we've obviously put very substantial policy announcements out there like our plan for nuclear power and the $260 billion of savings that will flow from that over the years ahead, if we are successful at the next election. Anyone that's picking up their electricity bill isn't thankful for Louise's website, they're asking for governments to actually do something to reduce the cost of wholesale electricity in the grid, and we have a plan to address that. We've got major announcements around housing infrastructure and accessing superannuation to help first home buyers get into the housing market which are supply and demand measures in housing. But the worst thing about Labor that has to be addressed is the dramatic, reckless spending that is driving inflation. Everyone knows that inflation is running hot in our economy, and everyone from the Reserve Bank Governor down knows that Labor's policies are contributing to inflation and keeping interest rates high. If you want your interest rates to fall, you've got to vote out this Labor government.


Rory Mcclaren

That is, that is the voice of James Stevens, who is the Liberal member for Sturt. I'm speaking with James Stevens as well as Louise Miller-Frost, who is the Labor member for Boothby which are the State's two most marginal seats. It's 21 minutes to 10, James Stevens and Louise Miller-Frost, let's talk about some of the policy announcements that have come this week. Louise the ALP and the government has promised $2 billion to help make so called green aluminium. Now that's good for different parts of the country, but what about cash for green steel in Whyalla.


Louise Miller-Frost

So we are very focused on ensuring that we have things made in Australia. We know that the former Liberal government basically drove manufacturing offshore. We heard about that with the car industry. South Australians know what that's like. We need jobs to be here. We need money to be going into helping these sorts of industries transition to what is going to be the market around the world. So people do want green steel, green copper, green aluminium and our future is having them on shore. But Rory, I'm going to have to deal with some of what James has just said, which is very incorrect. So we know, and James well knows that inflation has, in fact, come down from 6% to within the Reserve Bank band of 2 to 3%.  He knows that under the Liberal government, we inherited 6.2% inflation. So inflation has come down. The tax cuts he voted against were the expansion of the stage three tax cuts so that people on low and middle incomes actually also got a tax cut as well, not just the wealthy. That was what James and the Liberal Party voted against. Nuclear power will actually drive up energy bills by $1,200, it won't come on board until 2040 and it will be about four to 10% off the grid. So they think that we're going to be using less electricity in 2050, 40% less than we actually do. One more, superannuation for housing will drive up prices. I say that as somebody who works in the housing and homelessness sector, it's been widely panned by the entire sector. It is not a plan.


Rory Mcclaren

Let's go back to James Stevens, can I pull you back to the green aluminium announcement that was made earlier this week? Do you think there needs to be money from either the federal government or from your party and the Coalition when it comes to green steel in Whyalla, considering we've obviously got a pledge for green aluminium in other parts of the nation?


James Stevens

Well Rory, the green aluminium policy that Louise didn't seem to want to talk about is essentially saying, because it will not be sustainable for the aluminium industry to exist under a future Labor government, we have to subsidize your production in order to keep your doors open. We have a very different position in the Liberal Party, whether it's aluminium or to your question about green steel. Now our plan for base load, reliable, zero emissions, nuclear energy means that industries from steel to aluminium and all throughout the economy can plan with certainty that they've got reliable and affordable energy. And the announcement from Labor is essentially saying you won't be able to afford to operate under us. We have to subsidize you from the taxpayer, because if we don't under our own plans, you won't be viable into the future, and that's a really sad outlook for Australian industry under Labor.


Rory Mcclaren

Let's talk about a Coalition policy announcement this week with regards to tax breaks for small businesses around meals and entertainment. How is that actually going to deliver a benefit?


James Stevens

Well, it means that businesses will spend money in their local economy and support the hospitality industry, which is on its knees under Labor. We saw ASIC figures around insolvencies released recently, I think, at the start of this week, that showed that there's been a 70% increase of insolvencies in the hospitality sector, so they desperately need help. You can see it when you walk down the streets of the Adelaide CBD. And what this does is give businesses an incentive to spend money in our local economy. So it will be a great shot in the arm for the hospitality sector at a time when they desperately need it.


Rory Mcclaren

Louise Miller-Frost, do you agree with James Stevens' view there, with regards to the Coalition's policy on tax breaks for small businesses?


Louise Miller-Frost

Look, I think it's like back to the 1980s isn't it? Long lunches for bosses on the taxpayer dollar. I mean, what a joke.


Rory Mcclaren

Well, they're not taxpayer dollars. Louise Miller-Frost,


Louise Miller-Frost

It's a tax cut. Money has got to come from somewhere, if it's not the businesses paying for it who is? ABS data showing that hospitality businesses in South Australia have increased opening by 5.1% and it's leading the nation. So yes, absolutely, there are businesses doing it tough out there, but the stats are showing that actually we are getting more hospitality businesses opening. I just don't think that of all the things that we can be doing to help moms and dads and families at home, giving bosses a free lunch or free golf day is really a serious policy. And I actually wondered if this was one of Peter Dutton's kind of, you know, he gets under pressure in front of media and makes an announcement, and then the party has to run around behind and quickly make a policy out of it, so it doesn't look too embarrassing.


Rory Mcclaren

Have you got any sort of proof for that Miller-Frost, have you actually got any proof that that's what happened here?


Louise Miller-Frost

No I’m speculating. I'm saying, I wonder if this is one of those things, like when he announced that he wasn't going to have a 2035 target for the Paris Agreement.


Rory Mcclaren

I've actually got a question for James Stevens on that. James Stevens on Paris. We've obviously seen the decision that has come out of the United States with regards to Donald Trump and the incoming President's decision with regards to the Paris Climate Accord. Has the Coalition got a position on that?


James Stevens

Our position is that we will be getting to net zero by 2050 and we'll be honouring our Paris Accords. And now we've heard that Labor won't be making a 2035 commitment. And I suppose that's in response to the election of the Trump administration. Louise can explain that, but it's the Labor Party that have changed their policy on Paris, we made it very clear before the last election, and since the last election, what our position was on that, Labor at one point said they would be announcing a 2035, target before the next election. And now they've jumped. And that's an explanation I would love to hear from Louise and Anthony Albanese as to why they now have a different position on what they're going to do to reduce emissions in this country.


Rory Mcclaren

Louise Miller-Frost, I'll give you an opportunity to respond to that.


Louise Miller-Frost

Sure. Well, I'm sorry, James doesn't understand this, but what we had said was that we would take advice from the relevant bodies, and then we would make that decision. That has not changed. That advice has not come through yet. When that advice has come through, we will make an informed and considered decision we have, at no point walked away from it, unlike Peter Dutton, who did.


Rory Mcclaren

It's 13 minutes to 10, we're speaking with Louise Miller-Frost, the Labor member for Boothby and James Stevens, who is the Liberal MP for Sturt in the Adelaide eastern suburbs. Louise Miller-Frost, can I ask you about the Prime Minister's decision to call a National Cabinet meeting this week with regards to handling the problems that we're particularly seeing in the East Coast, with regards to anti-Semitic attacks? Was that decision made too late?


Louise Miller-Frost

There has been a lot of work being done around antisemitism, and I think this reflects what a serious concern this is, I mean, when I grew up, it didn't need to be told that being a Nazi was a bad thing. It was, self evident, and to see the antisemitism that we have, particularly, we're seeing a lot of things happening in the eastern states, but even here, I hear from my community that they're scared, they are concerned, and that they feel under pressure. We have done a number of things around this. We have the Avalite taskforce which was set up with the AFP specifically to address antisemitism. They laid their first charges last week. We had the anti-doxing laws. I hear from the Jewish community, and certainly, what we see in the media is that we've seen terrible doxing within the Jewish community. The Liberals voted against that we have hate crimes before Parliament at the moment, I'm hoping that they will vote for them. We've banned the Nazi salute and display of Nazi symbols, and we've put millions of dollars into securing places of worship, which includes some funding that went to the synagogue in James's electorate of Sturt.


Rory Mcclaren

Can I go back to James on this now? James Stevens, is there a danger here that both the major political parties are at risk of playing politics with what is clearly a very sensitive issue?


James Stevens

Well, I don't want to be playing politics with this issue, and I would hope that no one in the Labor Party do either. We shouldn't have any moral ambiguity around calling out antisemitism in our community, and I would be very disappointed if people were making politically motivated decisions around what should have complete moral clarity. So I want to work with everyone in our parliament to address antisemitism. It's been difficult, if not impossible, to work with the Greens political party on this issue, and that is to their eternal shame. But I stand ready and want to work with everyone in the Australian community, more broadly, to address and call out antisemitism. What we've seen in the eastern states is appalling and abhorrent. Louise is quite right. The Jewish community here in South Australia are feeling at times that they don't recognize their own country, and that is just absolutely appalling. So we need to do a lot more than we're already doing. We've obviously outlined a number of things that we would like to see the government do, and we stand ready to support them, if they will take up the suggestions that we've made to make Jewish Australians in particular feel safe in this country again.


Rory Mcclaren

It's 10 minutes to 10 you're listening to ABC Radio Adelaide mornings with me, Rory MccLaren in the host chair. I'm speaking to James Stevens, the Liberal member for Sturt and Louise Miller-Frost, who is the Labor member for Boothby. Tanya has called hello Tanya


Tanya

Morning, so this is just a question for both of your guests. I want to know whether or not the amount of immigration that's coming to this country over the last three years has been an issue within the community.


Rory Mcclaren

Tanya, thank you. Let's go to you. Louise Miller-Frost.


Louise Miller-Frost

Yes, I do hear about that from the community. We do have a bit of a rebound happening. So a number of the people coming in are, in fact, overseas students. We know that they all went offshore, along with the backpackers during COVID. So there has been a bit of a rebound there. But yes, I do hear that from the community. We have seen a reduction in immigration recently, and we did actually put up some legislation late last year, to cap numbers of immigrants coming in, which was unfortunately defeated in the Senate.


Rory Mcclaren

Okay, let's give James Stevens an opportunity to respond here to, James Stevens.


James Stevens

Well, my answer to your caller, is yes, it's a serious issue. The dramatic number of people that have come into this country putting an enormous amount of pressure on the housing industry, in particular, and that's keeping young, first home buyers out of the housing market. We've obviously made our announcement about a reduction in the migration rate. If elected, Labor seem to be continuing with this unmitigated rate of migration into the country, which is driving these issues. So there's a very clear difference between the two parties, and for people that are concerned about it, they'll have an opportunity to vote one way or the other at the next election, whether they think the rate's been too high under Labor and it needs to be reduced, or whether they want to keep that going. But I'd certainly make the point that it is putting enormous pressure on Australia's infrastructure, and particularly on the housing market.


Rory Mcclaren

James Stevens, thank you for your contribution this morning, and thank you to Louise Miller-Frost as well for your time today. There's lots of door knocking, which I think has to be done as the weather is a little bit milder in both your electorates, and we'll be checking in with you again soon as the Federal Election becomes even closer.


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