E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Topics: Social media ban and Airline divestiture
KARL STEFANOVIC, HOST: Welcome back to the show. Great to have your company. Today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will commit to landmark legislation enforcing age limits on social media. Joining us to discuss today's headlines is Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth and Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie. Both in Canberra, but separated by studios. Good morning, ladies. Amanda, you’re first up. A little behind the states here. When does it all get done?
AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Firstly, the Prime Minister has been really clear that he wants to see this legislation introduced to the Parliament and I think it would be welcome by so many parents across the country. We know that social media, particularly for young people, is having a really negative effect and so being very clear that we're going to legislate this, informed by the work done by Justice French and of course, informed by our age of assurance trials, we want to make sure parents are supported. That they're supported, and that the onus really is on social media companies to do the right thing.
KARL STEFANOVIC: We don't even need to debate it. But what is the age limit?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: The age of assurance trials at the moment are looking at between the ages of 13 and 16. Of course, we're going to consult around the specific age, but we know that's a particularly vulnerable age and so that will be set out in the legislation.
KARL STEFANOVIC: Ok, Bridget, you flagged it some time ago. You'll support it. What sort of punishment should we dish out to these platforms?
BRIDGET MCKENZIE, NATIONALS SENATOR: As strong as possible. I think, you know, the work of Premier Malinauskas in South Australia has led the way on this and obviously the coalition's been on this page for a long time. We'll be legislating the age of 16 in the first hundred days of a Coalition government. But every single parent knows how difficult this is and the hold that social media platforms have over our young people and the harm that's being done, I don't think we can set an upper bar. I'll be really interested to see what the government puts forward, because we really need to hold them to account for the damage that they do.
KARL STEFANOVIC: All right, that's a no brainer for me. Let’s get it done. Bridget, yesterday you proposed the breakup of Qantas and Jetstar, but shadow cabinet hadn't approved the breakup policy. According to David Littleproud. Did you tell anyone, or was it a little McKenzie thought bubble?
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: Oh, Karl, look, I'm on the side of the Australian traveller, as is the…
KARL STEFANOVIC: I know, but did you tell anyone?
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: Well, we've got a policy we actually put forward last year in the Qantas inquiry, a set of recommendations, one of which included that we needed to do a competition review that was holistic, that actually looked at divestiture laws. My opinion piece. My opinion piece, Karl, went to the fact that Jim Chalmers has done nothing in two and a half years whilst airfares have gone up 50 per cent.
KARL STEFANOVIC: So, David Littleproud. David Littleproud. Had a little brain fade, did he?
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: [Laughs] I’m just going to say that I am on the side of Australian travellers and the Coalition is. And I want to know, Amanda, what is Jim Chalmers doing about it? And why is Catherine King been silent?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: After this answer that was a great deflection. A great deflection…
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: [Interrupts] What are you doing about it? What are you doing Amanda. Two and a half years…
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Great deflection Bridget from having announced a policy, you’ve then walked away from it by lunchtime. I mean, this is the kind of chaos policymaking that we have that we have.
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: [Interrupts] So on brand for Labor. Play the woman, not the ball…
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Don’t blame me Bridget for making a mistake.
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: I’m blaming you for high airfares.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: You’ve got to take some responsibility here, Bridget. But of course, what we are doing is we have launched our aviation white paper…
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: [Interrupts] Which says nothing about competition.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: …Which is about consumers, competition. We've already taken reform on slots, we've already taken reform on slot allocation, which you failed to do. Don't get angry at me, Bridget, when you've made a mistake.
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: [Interrupts] Please.
KARL STEFANOVIC: No, no Bridget. You have to let her answer.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: So, look, quite frankly, we've had just absolute chaos from the Coalition in terms of this policy. This could actually not help with competition. We're getting on with the job. We've got an aviation white paper which clearly sets out the rights for consumers. My focus is on the Australian people and the Australian air travellers. That's what our government's focused on and we’ve done slot reform as well to help with competition.
KARL STEFANOVIC: I just want to finish on that because. Because obviously what is happening? People are still getting ripped off. So, there's more work that needs to be done. But Bridget, do you, do you agree with, with communist. Sorry, populist demands to intervene with the open market?
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: Karl, like competition experts, Professor Fels, Rod Sims, the current ACCC chair, when they gave evidence to that senate inquiry last year, they all backed having a look at divestiture powers. I’m saying…
KARL STEFANOVIC: But it’s never going to happen right?
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: Karl, Amanda ran through a list of things that her Government has “done”. The reality is the white paper was silent on competition and airfares are still going up. Jim Chalmers now has to pick up what Catherine King has let go and do something. Put a plan in place to increase competition and I'll support it. I just haven't seen anything yet.
KARL STEFANOVIC: All right. Good to talk to you ladies. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.