ALLY LANGDON, HOST: Will she or won’t she? That is the big questions and in a few hours’ time we’ll
find out if the Queensland Premiere, Anastasia Paluszek will reopen the states border with NSW.
It is a huge call on the eve of the election and to discuss,
I’m joined by Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud, and from Canberra,
Northern Territory Senator, Malarndirri McCarthy. Good to see both of you this morning.
David, keeping the borders shut has proved very, very popular in regional Queensland.
I mean she’s not going to risk losing those votes just one sleep before the election, is she?
DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP: No, she’s not. This is all about parochial politics. I mean that’s been her
own message to the people of Queensland, is that she’s kept Queensland safe. Well the message to
the Premiere is that’s business as usual, that’s what every politician is paid to do,
but what Queenslanders have to decide is how we’re going to pay for all this. Even Peter Beattie has
got this right. We actually have to think past lines on a map that were put there 120 years ago,
and start to think about how we do this properly and evolve past Federation and those lines on
a map. And have localised lockdowns and say to other states that we trust your science,
we trust your contact tracing and if you get it right then we only have to lock down suburbs
or particular areas. And Queensland did that themselves up here. We locked down
particular parts of Brisbane and the Darling Downs while the rest of the State could keep
on moving and that’s why Federation has to evolve past these lines on a map.
Paluszek’s just using this as a political football and it’s her only selling point to the people of
Queensland but that’s just business as usual. If she can’t do that then she shouldn’t be premier.
LANGDON: Malarndirri, it is a selling point
that has worked so far. What do you think she should do?
SENATOR MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Well firstly Ally, I’d just like to pick up on what David just said
there about being a political football. Seriously, we know the Prime Minister and just about every
Coalition member in the Federal Parliament, has used this opportunity to really hammer and
criticise the Premier of Queensland who actually has done an incredible job for the Queenslanders.
I certainly know from talking to people certainly in Far North Queensland as well,
that they’ve felt really, really strong that they’ve been able to keep safe
throughout this whole time, and the fact that Queensland could open up, I mean, we just saw
the AFL game played there on the weekend. I mean they have done a
tremendous job and the people of Queensland are going to make their decision tomorrow.
LANGDON: And you know what, politicians playing
politics; it’s kind of in the job description isn’t it? You all do it.
MCCARTHY: Absolutely. Absolutely.
LANGDON: Queenslanders will go to the polls tomorrow.
LITTLEPROUD: But you’ve got to pay the bills. You’ve got to pay the bills. We had the worst
unemployment rate before the COVID came along and we’ve got the worst after it, I mean
I get it gives people the comfort of feeling safe but we can do that as a
nation if we work together rather than just working on Federation that was put in 120
year ago. Back yourself with the science, that’s what the Prime Minister’s said.
LANGDON: In a word, who’s going to win, David?
LITTLEPROUD: Look, I’m an optimist. I think Deb Frecklington’s done enough. I think Queenslanders
look past what Paluszek has done or lack of therefore, what she’s done over the last
four years, and we couldn’t have been scared enough to go for another four years of it.
LANGDON: I don’t know, I’m thinking, Malarndirri,
that maybe a Labor-Greens kind of deal is looking likely. What do you think?
MCCARTHY: Look, it’s going to be tight. Yeah, Ally, it’s certainly going to be tight and that’s
what I’m hearing from people on the ground there. But I must point out as we all know that the jobs
factors as David keeps raising, I mean we don’t know what the LNP is going to do. We know that Deb
Frecklington was in the Campbell Newman Government who cut so many jobs. Thousands of jobs.
LANGDON: Aw come on Malarndirri, I don’t know if you can put that one on her.
That was two terms ago, and she was a first term MP.
MCCARTHY: Come on, come on. She was in that Government. She was in that Government,
Ally, and people have long memories.
LANGDON: I think there’s plenty to criticise Deb on, I’m not sure if that’s one you should
be pulling up. But I want to move on because State of Origin and the anthem.
What happened yesterday! First announcing that it would not be played,
then two hours later reversing the decision, after the PM got involved. Guys, of course,
as you know this came about after the protest last year by Indigenous players who opted
to stay silent during Advance Australia Fair. Malarndirri, what do you make of this backflip?
MCCARTHY: Yeah, yeah, look, I was certainly surprised when I heard it, Ally. I was in the
middle of Estimates and then saw the news story come through. I mean, as you said, 12 months
ago we did see our First Nations players raise their concerns around it. I do have to commend
V’landys for actually trying to do something here. I don’t think this was the right decision,
and clearly he’s changed his mind on it, but I do think there needs to be a conversation about
the national anthem and how people are feeling and he was obviously listening to his players.
But I would also like to point out too Ally that maybe it’s time to actually talk about
what kind of anthem we should have. I mean Judith Durham from the Seekers
and Kutcha Edwards put together a really beautiful anthem
and maybe it’s time to have a look at that and see if we can improve on what we’ve got.
LANGDON: Well, we’ve certainly reached the point where our anthem is controversial unfortunately.
And I think, as you say, what V’Landys was trying to do was avoid controversy, but in
fact what he got was more. David, was the Prime Minister right to get involved?
LITTLEPROUD: Yes, he was. We appreciate there are wrongs of the past that need
to be righted for our First Australians, but we need to find ways to do that that brings us all
together and the national anthem is there for all of us and while I appreciate some
may have an aversion to it, most Australians don’t and I think we need to find those
areas where we can come together. We need to right those wrongs from what we’ve done to
our First Australians in years gone past but lets find the ways that we can do that, unite and
make real meaningful change on it but I think the Prime Minister was right. I think the NRL’s right
and I think its now time for us to focus on Closing the Gap and making
sure right those wrongs and get on with the football and watch Queensland tear up NSW.
LANGDON: Yeah, in your dreams, David, but you just, you hold onto that, whatever gets you
through the night I say. We are running a poll on our Facebook page so jump on board and give
us your thoughts and we’ll be speaking to the NRL Chairman, Peter V’landys in the next half hour.
Now a big question for you: who’s responsible for tackling climate change? Is it the Government of
Big Business because the ANZ Bank has enraged the Nationals, haven’t they David, after warning it
will axe some of its largest customers unless they come up with plans to adopt a more climate
friendly approach to business? I mean, David, why are you upset? Isn’t this a good thing?
LITTLEPROUD: No, I mean, deadset, are we going to have Australian banks become
the moral compass and arbiters of our society?
LANGDON: So what, should we leave that up to politicians?
LITTLEPROUD: Yeah well that’s what we call democracy, Ally,
and that’s what the Australian people---
MCCARTHY: Well, if they’re listening to their shareholders.
LITTLEPROUD: This isn’t about whether we should reduce emissions or not. This is
about allowing Government, who has a policy, to do that through technology not taxes do it.
Rather than someone, an organisation that has a privileged position in our society,
to provide capital, to keep the economy going. To come in and think they know best, just
some well-heeled CEOs and boards that have a philosophical view , want to impose that
on our economy, that’s not their place to do that, they’re place is to lend money.
LANGDON: But come on David, I mean it is their place isn’t it? They’re only
talking about the top 100 companies. If they don’t like it, they can go to another bank.
And more of the companies they’re talking to are on board, including the Farmers Federation,
the Grain Growers, they’ve all endorsed the plan
because I think they think reducing emissions is a good thing, isn’t it, Malarndirri.
MCCARTHY: Well absolutely. I mean Ally, one of the things that I note with this and
just obviously looking into the issue this morning, that this is again another reason why the
Coalition seem to not what to believe in any of the changes that have to happen
in relation to Climate Change and I think in terms of the banks, looking at this closely,
it also comes back to the shareholders and the conversations that they’re having. I mean this
isn’t something that would have been made in isolation to the conversations that they’re
having with their members and shareholders. LITTLEPROUD: We have a clear policy on climate
change. I think there’s two or three different ones within the Labor Party.
There’s Joel Fitzgibbon, then there’s Albo, I mean we have a cogent policy to go forward.
So we’re saying lets us do. Let the Government do it. Big Business needs to stick to their knitting.
MCCARTHY: Oh no David, we want to look after country, you know. Let’s care for country.
LANGDON: This discussion could get a little out of control on this one. Alright guys well,
nice to see—Malarndirri can you explain t me what’s happening behind you there.
Have you been feeing the birds or something? There’s a frenzy going on.
MCCARTHY: Yeah, and you know, great to see Parliament House and our workers here
are cleaning up after the seagulls, Ally, so can you get the shot there behind me?
LANGDON: We can see them.
MCCARTHY: Anyway, I don’t think there’s any pollies here today.
LANGDON: You and David are there. You can catch up for a cup of coffee later.
Guys go and enjoy Halloween this weekend. We’ll talk to you next week, thank you.