E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Topics: Sex offenders banned from ADF; Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide; Defence culture and recruitment; Prime Minister and Minister Plibersek; Brain rot; Social media.
SYLVIA JEFFREYS, HOST: Welcome back. This morning, in a major overhaul, sex offenders will be kicked out of the Australian Defence Force under sweeping new changes to combat the alarming rates of suicide in the military. Joining us to discuss today's headlines is Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth and Senator Bridget McKenzie. Morning to you both. Amanda, I'll start with you this morning. It comes, of course, after shocking figures revealed almost 1700 defence personnel took their own lives between 1997 and 2021. Is this overhaul a step in the right direction?
AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: This Royal Commission was really a very important piece of work and I'd like to really extend my thanks to the commission for the work that it's done. I know that as a Government, we've taken this report very seriously and our response demonstrates that with the vast majority of recommendations being accepted. When it comes to sexual misconduct, this was a theme of the report and something that the Government has identified that we will respond to immediately. Not only with, of course, people being dismissed from the Defence Force if they are, for example, convicted of sexual misconduct, but importantly, have a broader inquiry into how we change the culture in Defence. This is one of the recommendations. Another is an immediate Defence Personnel and Services Commission to be set up. That's a really key recommendation of the Royal Commission and that's something we're immediately proceeding with as well.
SYLVIA JEFFREYS: When you read this morning that victims and survivors of sexual assault were being forced to work in the same department alongside their alleged abusers, it's no wonder, Bridget, is it, that there is a huge recruitment problem in the Defence Force. Do you think this will be enough to help?
BRIDGET MCKENZIE, SENATOR: Well, it's a start. You know, our ADF personnel serve our nation with bravery and honour. They've been calling for a long time for a royal commission into veterans suicide after the horrific numbers we saw in past decades. So, obviously, the federal Coalition will be working with the Government to expeditiously roll out these recommendations as soon as possible for the sake of our veterans and future retention and recruitment opportunities for the ADF.
SYLVIA JEFFREYS: And the way we treat and support our veterans when they leave the Defence Force is so crucial. So, this is all definitely a long time coming. Also making news this morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has denied speculation of an internal feud between himself and Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. It comes following reports that the PM blocked a deal between Plibersek and the Greens on the Government's environmental reforms. Amanda, does Tanya have a right to be cranky with the PM over this?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: The Prime Minister has already addressed this. This looks like this is an issue that the media is looking for a story for. But I think when we look at what the last week – we had 45 bills passed through the Parliament. Of course, that included housing, bills that included cost of living relief, that included a pay increase for our childcare workers that do an amazing job looking after our children. Of course, we had to work a lot with the cross bench and that is because the Liberal and National Party decided to be blockers for the vast majority of those, including help for people, to get into a house.
SYLVIA JEFFREYS: So, no beef between Albo and Tanya?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Look the Prime Minister has addressed this and he said that this is, you know, trying to find a story where there is not one. I think the bigger story is that we were able to get 45 bills through the Parliament, many that help with cost of living and many that actually set Australia up for the future and ones that help people into houses. This is working for Australians.
SYLVIA JEFFREYS: Bridget, what do you make of this?
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: Well, I'm here in WA where the Nature Positive bill is absolutely toxic for the Prime Minister and for the Labor Party. Western Australians see it as anti-jobs because it's a bill that's anti-mining. And you can listen to Amanda all you like, but the fact remains that Tanya Plibersek and Anthony Albanese have been in left wing factional wars since they were both at Sydney University. And this is unfortunately the latest casualty in that war. The Prime Minister has clearly overruled Tanya Plibersek on this. You've got Labor MPs coming out recently saying they're just going to bring this bill back next year. We know that this is actually a bill that hasn't been scrapped, that it's just been put in the bottom drawer, bought back at its earliest convenience because it's still Labor Party policy. So, the Prime Minister can't have it both ways. He's made a political decision to overrule Tanya, one, because he wants to keep winning seats here in Western Australia, and two, because she's his biggest factional rival for leadership.
SYLVIA JEFFREYS: Look, very quickly before we go, we've all fallen victim to scrolling endlessly on TikTok and Instagram, right? But now, there is a word to describe it. Thank goodness. It's called ‘brain rot’. And it is the Oxford University Press's latest word of the year. Which means the deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state due to overconsumption of material considered to be unchallenging. My feed is full of viral cleaning TikToks at the moment. Amanda, what is causing your brain rot?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I have to say that Wicked, sort of sketches, are absolutely in my feed at the moment and is causing a little brain rot from time to time. The music's very uplifting, but I'm not so sure for some of the (meme) acting.
SYLVIA JEFFREYS: Oh whoa, brutal. Bridget, what about you? And don't say the Albanese Government.
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: No, no, I won't. I'm confessing on live TV that it's cooking. Probably because I don't get home enough to do it. And also three-day events. Equestrian.
SYLVIA JEFFREYS: Oh wow.
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: But I do try and get my Wordle in. I do try and get my Wordle in. So, my brain doesn’t rot.
SYLVIA JEFFREYS: Very good. Exactly. See, it's all about balance. Right?
BRIDGET MCKENZIE: Yeah.
SYLVIA JEFFREYS: Thank you both.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I do as well. I do as well.
SYLVIA JEFFREYS: Very good. Well, I haven't done it yet, so don't spoil it for me today. You both have a great day. We'll see you again next week.