Subjects: Ceasefire agreement; disgraceful attacks on the Jewish community overnight in Dover Heights; Australia Day; Mr Shorten’s Dame Nellie Melba run of farewells finally come to an end on the Today Show.
E&OE.
SARAH ABO:
Well, not even 24 hours after news of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas broke, there’s been another anti-Semitic attack in Sydney. Two cars torched and offensive graffiti spray painted on a suburban street in the city’s east.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
For more, we’re joined by Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton, and Bill Shorten, who joins us for the last time as Minister for NDIS.
Good morning to you guys, nice to see you.
SARAH ABO:
‘Morning guys.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Bill, first up, whatever state and federal Labor is doing doesn’t seem to be having any effect right now. Pete was pushing for mandatory sentences for these attacks, you guys didn’t recall (National) Cabinet to do that. Bill, do you think he should have?
BILL SHORTEN:
No. But the cowardly hoons who are doing this are certainly criminals. I am going to leave the policing to the police. They will catch these fools. These people are spreading anti-Semitism and fear. It’s vile, it’s sickening, and be under no doubt that the Government, state and federal – not that I speak for the state, but I know them – will do everything they can to apprehend these crooks and put them in jail, where they belong.
SARAH ABO:
There’s no point behind these, right? It doesn’t actually achieve anything, and in fact, it just angers the broader population as well. Pete, the PM has put in a special envoy to combat anti-Semitism. Is that a sign he’s taking it seriously enough?
PETER DUTTON:
Morning, Sarah. Well, this envoy was put in a long time ago, and every suggestion that she’s made has been ignored by the Prime Minister. So, I think there is an incredible frustration and anger within the Jewish community, and I think it’s completely understandable. We wouldn’t tolerate this sort of targeting of people based on their religious belief or the colour of their skin or their religious creed in any other segment of our society, and somehow, over the last 14 months or so, the Government’s allowed the level of anti-Semitism to rise by some 700 per cent.
I agree with the sentiment that Bill just expressed, but these people aren’t hoons, these people are terrorists, and they are targeting people to intimidate them, to scare them. They’ve got armed guards now at Jewish schools and synagogues, and the threat against the community is real.
The Prime Minister has walked both sides of the street, unfortunately, on this issue, and there just hasn’t been the strong enough leadership that’s required, and I think as a result, we’re seeing these sort of incidents again and again and again, and it continues to escalate.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Bill, what would have been wrong with mandatory sentences?
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, the issue of mandatory sentences is whether or not it then suppresses people coming forward, but mandatory sentences is one tool.
I actually accept Peter’s point where he said about they’re more than just hoons. They are people sowing fear. I know I was the first politician in Australia to call out the anti-Semitism at the Opera House on your show. I know I was at the Adass Synagogue, which was firebombed, hours after it happened, and I attended the Caulfield Central Synagogue the week after in solidarity when idiots and thugs turned up to intimidate the congregation the week before.
I just want to make clear to anyone who has any sympathy for any of these issues, you are so wrong. This is about using an excuse, about an argument in the Middle East, to dislike and intimidate and put fear into Australians of Jewish heritage.
I want to say to Australians of Jewish heritage: the vast, vast majority of all other Australians are on your side, and I’m really sorry that there are cowards at night – terrorist-leaning-inclined, as Peter says – doing this to you. Believe me, it’s not just the politicians. I have many other Australians come to me every day and say, ‘we are on the side of Australians of Jewish heritage’. You are not alone.
SARAH ABO:
Yeah, let’s hope this ceasefire will put an end to anti-Semitism. It is a fragile ceasefire deal, it seems it’s a fragile sentiment here as well.
Well let’s move on now, and look, it’s the annual debate that, quite frankly, everyone is getting pretty sick of it. Should we celebrate Australia Day on Jan 26? Pete, you want to force councils to hold Australia Day events on that day? This is a free country, what’s wrong with giving people a choice?
PETER DUTTON:
Well Sarah, it’s a federal act, and the law before Anthony Albanese changed it was that it required the local councils to have a citizenship ceremony because it’s a delegated responsibility. The responsibility is actually with the Federal Government to induct people, or swear people in as citizens. Part of that agreement with the councils was that they couldn’t boycott Australia Day as a political statement. What we’ve had over the last couple of years is just this very quiet, no fanfare, the Prime Minister didn’t say anything publicly about it, he just changed the act and that allowed the councils to conduct these political campaigns.
I think we live in the best country in the world, and I think we should be celebrating our national day as any other democracy does. We accept the good and the bad of our history. We have an incredible Indigenous history in our country, but we also have a great migrant history. There are millions of Australians who came here post the Second World War without a dollar in their pockets, and they’ve gone on to have kids and grandkids who are now in the media, who are doctors, who are scientists, who are police officers and nurses, and we should celebrate that great migrant story. For them, January 26 is sacrosanct and that’s why we should celebrate it.
We should do everything we can for Indigenous Australians but we can’t be divided as a country any longer. We can’t pretend that segregating people into groups or tribes is working. It’s not. All of the health indicators and education indicators for Indigenous Australians is going backwards. So let’s be smarter about the way that we do things and unite as one people. If we do that, we can be a better country.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Alright, Bill, on your last day here on the Today Show as Minister, you’re going to completely and utterly unreservedly agree with what Pete’s saying, yeah?
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, hold your spoon with your Weet-Bix on it. Pete, I’m going to miss you…
SARAH ABO:
Awwwww!
BILL SHORTEN:
…But one of the things I’m going to miss about you is how you predictably lose your mind just before Australia Day every year. Last year, you were doing the one man comedy show, ‘Boycott of Woolies’. This year, now you’ve gone to war with the sandal wearing inner city Mayors. I don’t know, next year, are you going to make it a law that the Big Issue sales people have got to wear an ‘I love Australia’ badge?!
I mean, yes, I celebrate Australia Day on 26th of January, but the truth of the matter is that the only fight we should be having is the fight against cost of living. The culture wars don’t help reduce the price of goods or help people get into housing.
I mean, and just the last bit of free advice, Pete, which obviously it’s free, so you can do with it what you want, is this gold plated nuclear taxpayer funded fantasy yours – I’ve been doing the maths in my head last night…
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Oh, Bill!
BILL SHORTEN:
…There are children not yet born. Children not yet born who are going to have to pay taxes for the next 50 years to pay Comrade Dutton’s nuclear power plants.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Bill, Bill, I thought we were going to get a nice farewell!
SARAH ABO:
I know! He’s lobbing them, isn’t he?
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Yeah! What the?!
SARAH ABO:
Oh, Billy boy!
KARL STEFANOVIC:
You go, Pete, just finally and quickly.
BILL SHORTEN:
Ohhhh, I know you like the touch up, Pete!
SARAH ABO:
A nice farewell message?
PETER DUTTON:
Hey, Bill. Well, the Festival of Bill continues. I mean, how many goodbyes to Bill do we have to have? We had hugs and kisses last year…
SARAH ABO:
That’s true.
PETER DUTTON:
…now it’s Bill’s last day as Minister, next it’ll be his first day as the Chancellor…
BILL SHORTEN:
There will be!
PETER DUTTON:
Bill, look, when you get to the university and the lecturers are there telling you that the rest of the world has got nuclear power and their electricity prices are a third we’re paying here, hopefully they can give you a bit of an education on it, but…
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Yeah, alright.
PETER DUTTON:
…but mate, we wish you all the best and another farewell and, you know, good luck, and we’ll be back next week doing it again, I guess?
KARL STEFANOVIC:
No, no, for sure.
BILL SHORTEN:
Pete, I know there’ll be no tears on your pillow the night before you have to come up against me on the Today Show, so that’ll be good too. Cheers mate, take care.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
No, no, exactly. Well, you’ll all be back, you’ll all be back.
Now, thank you so much, Bill, for being part of the show.
SARAH ABO:
Yes, congratulations.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
I have a feeling we’ll see you again on the show. So, thank you so much for being with us.
BILL SHORTEN:
No worries, Sarah, Thank you, Karl.
SARAH ABO:
Thank you. Thanks, Pete.
[ends]