E&OE transcript
JOURNALIST: Mr. Shorten, how important is this initiative between the Salvos and Diabetes Australia, and what impact do you think it will have?
BILL SHORTEN, MINISTER FOR THE NDIS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICESHORTEN: Diabetes is a giant problem for Aussies. 1.9 million of our fellow Australians have been diagnosed with diabetes. Someone's going to get a diagnosis every five minutes in Australia. For diabetes, the burden of it falls particularly on First Nations people, and also people who live in insecure housing or are in fact homeless. So today, for the first time, we've partnered up Diabetes Australia with the Salvation Army, Project 614 in Bourke Street in Melbourne. And what we're going to see is that at long last, people living at the margins of Australian society won't be forgotten citizens when it comes to getting a diagnosis of diabetes and the treatment that's required, because this is a preventable illness.
JOURNALIST: Were you quite shocked with some of the statistics you heard today about just how prevalent, even over the past ten weeks, how much they've found of it on the streets of Melbourne?
SHORTEN: Diabetes is one of the invisible killers of Australians but is preventable. Sometimes in life stuff happens you can't stop. Diabetes can be treated. Now, at long last, courtesy of the Salvos, Diabetes Australia and a bit of help from a friendly federal government, we are going to see homeless people are get this sort of assistance which some Australians take for granted.
JOURNALIST: And would you like to see this expanded? Obviously, it's for the Salvos at the moment, but would you like to see it expanded into other areas as well?
SHORTEN: There's a big challenge in Australia and the way we deliver government and health services. Not everyone is a digital warrior who can go online. Not everyone is able to just pop down to the local health office or Services Australia office. Governments and health systems have got to go to where the people are. A lot of our people in Australia are not doing so well and so we have to go to the people. And today, I hope this is an example all over Australia, that where the government and health system goes to the people, we don't wait for the people to come to us.
JOURNALIST: Okay. On the Anti-Corruption Commission now looking, reviewing its decision about not investigating Robodebt. Do you welcome that?
SHORTEN: Labor set up the National Anti-Corruption Commission. It was long overdue to be set up. The organisation is completely independent of government. The Inspector General has made a recommendation that the decision by the National Anti-Corruption Commission not to take proceedings further, be reviewed. So now the decision will be reconsidered, whether or not people referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission should in fact be investigated again.
JOURNALIST: Do you welcome that decision? I mean, you campaigned long and hard, didn't you?
SHORTEN: The decision of the Anti-Corruption Commission today by the Inspector General to review an earlier decision not to proceed with matters against people involved in the Robodebt scandal that is up to the independent body. For me, it's all about justice for the victims of Robodebt. We can't invent a time - we haven't invented a time machine to take us back before Robodebt happened. That would be the best outcome. The class action, the Royal Commission, internal public sector, that's all been putting pressure on the authors of Robodebt. I still am very keen to see the sealed section, listing some of the people that the Royal Commission identify released that's still under consideration.
JOURNALIST: Okay. Now on the Prime Minister, do you concede, given its cost of living, do you concede it is a bad look what he did?
SHORTEN: Prime Minister has done everything within the rules that exist. He has diligently for two decades declared any particular benefits which he's received. He's adhered to the rules. That's where I think the matter is at.
JOURNALIST: But do you concede, though, it's a bad look given there is a cost-of-living crisis. So many Australians, so many Australians are struggling, and yet you have a transport minister ringing up the CEO of Qantas saying give me the upgrades?
SHORTEN: Well, first of all, the Prime Minister has explained exactly what's happened, and these matters go back in some cases up to 20 years ago. Labor is focused on cost of living. If we want to fix cost of living, it's not whether or not a politician catches a plane. It's how do we help them with tax cuts? Tick, we've done that. How do we help them with their energy bills? Tick, we're doing that. Cost of living is a major pressure on Australians. We've got more to do, and this government and the Prime Minister and everyone else has been focused on tax cuts, energy relief, more Medicare support, more bulk billing. I mean, times are really tough. And that's where our focus is not on a particular news story.
JOURNALIST: So, this is a, this is a big distraction though isn't it, when this is happening?
SHORTEN: Oh, I'm not distracted. I'm focused on making sure the crooks in the NDIS are caught, making sure that people are getting value for money who are disabled. I certainly am focused on making sure that people at the margins of our society are accessing healthcare. No, I think we're focused.
JOURNALIST: Claire O'Neill says it's all a beat up. Do you agree with her?
SHORTEN: Well, I'm just focused on my day job and that's what I know the Government is. Our day job is to make sure, in the example of health services, that people, regardless of how much money they've got in the bank, can get to see their doctor or get the medical support they require. I'm focused on making sure that people have, the hard-working people who earn, you know, as cleaners or workers, aged care workers, disability, that they're getting pay rises along with our nurses. So, my eye is on the ball, the government's eye is on the ball. It's about helping people get through this very difficult time of cost, living pressure and high interest rates.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Dutton says he wants to refer this matter to the Anti-Corruption Commission. What's your reaction?
SHORTEN: I wish Mr. Dutton was focused on the cost-of-living issues of everyday Australians. I mean, he's not shy about catching a plane with billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart. I don't think he's proposing to refer himself. So, I think that what Australians want is for the politicians to stop bickering amongst themselves and get on with looking after the everyday people. That's what we're doing today.
JOURNALIST: We've just got a couple of questions from SBS just back on the NACC. Has the NACC failed at the very first hurdle?
SHORTEN: Oh, the NACC is independent of Government. The National Anti-Corruption Commission is independent of Government. I think the smartest thing that a parliamentarian can do is not comment adversely about the operations of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. They've got to do their job. The very fact that we've established one is something which was long overdue. The Liberals never did that. The very fact that in the system that we set up, that there's an inspector general who can review decisions and then send them back if he didn't agree, shows the system is actually working.
JOURNALIST: Should Commissioner Brereton keep his job?
SHORTEN: Oh, absolutely not the province of a politician to start picking and choosing, you know, saying he should go, he should stay. The NACC is doing its job. The system is actually worked in that the Inspector General has said, hey, you need to go back and redo this decision for various reasons. Have relook at it. That's actually the system working. For Robodebt victims, it should never have happened. I mean, illegal and immoral scheme. I've helped run the class action we helped do the parliamentary or the Royal Commission. We're making sure that never again can our poor people be welfare shamed and treated as second class citizens by a government. That's where my focus is. I wish it had never happened. I'm sorry that they were let down by the government, and we're making sure that just because you're disadvantaged or down on your luck doesn't mean you get treated like a second class Australian.
JOURNALIST: Should the independent statutory review of the NACC be brought forward?
SHORTEN: That's a matter for other Ministers. I'm interested in how someone can get an analysis for diabetes and get treated. The review of whatever to do with the NACC. I'll leave to other people. My eye is on the ball. Thank you.