E&OE TRANSCRIPT
ANDREW CLENNELL, HOST: Joining me live is the Social Services Minister, Amanda Rishworth. Amanda Rishworth, thanks for your time from Adelaide there. I wanted to start with an announcement I understand you're happy to make on the program about what the increases will be in social security payments – the pension and rental assistance – when indexation kicks in in September. Can you take us through that?
AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: As you know Andrew, indexation happens twice a year on things like the pension and Jobseeker. We're able to announce the new rates that will come into effect on 20 September. Those rates include, and I just want to get them right, a single pension will go up by $28.10 a fortnight, taking their pension to $1144.40. And a couple on a pension will get $42.40. Jobseeker will increase by $15.30 and as a result of this increase, along with our base rate increase, Jobseeker has gone up $135 since we've come to office. But of course, legislation passed through the Parliament also has gone through to rent assistance. People will be getting an extra $23 in their rent assistance at the maximum rates because of our 10 per cent increase, along with indexation. So, this is real cost of living relief for people. Indexation is a very important part of keeping our social security system keeping up with the cost of living. It has been disappointing in recent months, we’ve seen Angus Taylor question the benefit of this indexation, but we're proudly saying that indexation is important to ensure those on social security keep up with the cost of living.
ANDREW CLENNELL: I guess indexation obviously requires a percentage increase and we've seen inflation vary from seven per cent to three per cent. What is the actual percentage increase for these payments?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: The percentage increase is looked at over the preceding six months. There's a 2 per cent increase for Jobseeker and the pension is a 2.6 per cent increase. Obviously, when it comes to rent assistance, that is the inflation, the 2 per cent plus the 10 per cent that we put through the Parliament as well, to increase the maximum rate. They are the figures that we are working on. But it is every six months and it's an important adjustment to support people with the cost of living.
ANDREW CLENNELL: It says something about the cost of living, don't you think, that basically the dole now is $22,000 a year and the single parent pension is $25,000 a year?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, we obviously need to support people with cost of living. Of course, Jobseeker is an important payment helping people to get back on their feet and get a job. Of course, the pension and Single Parenting Payment is something quite different. That is something to support people who are not able, when it comes to Single Parenting Payment, to get back into the workforce because they are raising a child. And the pension, including the Disability Support Pension and the Age Pension, are in recognition that people aren't actually working and need that support. It is important that these payments keep up with cost of living. Like I said, it was disappointing to see Angus Taylor question this as somehow unrestrained spending. It's an important feature of the social security system.
ANDREW CLENNELL: Has an inflationary effect been modelled in terms of what these increases will do? Because we know people on these low incomes, the money just goes out the door straight away.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Oh, look, our changes, whether it be to rent assistance in particular, actually have downward pressure on inflation. The impact across the board on rents, if it had not been for our Commonwealth Rent Assistance, rents would have been higher. So, when it comes to something like Commonwealth Rent Assistance, that's really, really important. Of course, other increases to indexation are really important to support people, but we're talking about a small overall, small group in our economy. Of course there's wage earners, there's many other sources of spending in our economy, but this is an important cost of living measure. That’s what we've been doing, Andrew, through our whole budget, is working out how we can responsibly deliver meaningful cost of living relief at the same point as putting downward pressure on inflation.
ANDREW CLENNELL: Let me ask now about another area of your portfolio, the gambling reforms being proposed. You actually have main carriage of this, although Michelle Rowland, the Communications Minister, has carriage of the gambling advertising aspect, which has got the most publicity. We had this parliamentary committee led by the late Peta Murphy, which of course recommended gambling advertising be banned, but it had 31 recommendations in all. One of them was a national online gambling regulator to be set up. Will you be setting up that regulator and what would their role be?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Firstly, I would say that 21 of the [31] recommendations involved in the Peta Murphy report directly impact states and territories and involve states and territories, because there is joint responsibility. Obviously, any national regulator would involve states and territories handing over their powers to the Commonwealth. So, look, as Minister, I'm working very closely with my state and territory counterparts to look at what we can do in a coordinated fashion.
ANDREW CLENNELL: Do you think they'll do that? Do you think they'll hand over those powers?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: No, I'm not suggesting they would hand over those powers. What I'm suggesting is, the essence of that recommendation was about better national coordination. That's at the heart of the recommendation. So the National Consumer Protection Framework was one of those examples that states and territories and the Commonwealth worked together on. We brought in our activity statements, we have got more responsive taglines that send people to get support and help if they've got a problem. BetStop is another example of what was in that consumer framework. And so the question now that the consumer framework has finished, is what comes next? How do we work together with states and territories, as a Commonwealth who have joint responsibilities in this space? And I've had very good conversations with my state and territory counterparts about the framework and what comes next to ensure that the essence of that recommendation, which is national collaboration, coordination across the country, can move forwards.
ANDREW CLENNELL: Would you like to see that national regulator and would gambling companies be levied to pay for it?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I would say that I have been working very well with my state and territory counterparts. We have together brought in a number of reforms, really important reforms, and have worked really closely together. There are some things that are in the Commonwealth’s jurisdiction, like banning the use of credit cards for online gambling, and that's something really important. There are other areas such as training for people that work in online gambling areas, how they get the best training, that's really best placed with states and territories. So, look, there is a dual responsibility here and I know there is a real desire from states and territories to work with the Commonwealth on how we continue to make progress, to minimise harm.
ANDREW CLENNELL: Amanda Rishworth. I just want to briefly ask you again, do you think there'll be a national regulator set up? Yes or no?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, look, at this point, that is not in the discussions with states and territories. What is in the discussion with states and territories is around how we better coordinate and move forward and have a unified effort when it comes to harm minimisation. When it comes to online gambling rather, we are absolutely committed to working with the states and territories. The framework matters and that's what I'll continue to work with my state counterparts.
ANDREW CLENNELL: Alright. Another recommendation was an advertising campaign aimed at young people and children in particular, around gambling. Will you be doing that?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: That’s something we're looking at very carefully. How we best get the message out, the community message out, about the dangers of online gambling. One of the really interesting statistics coming out is that there is a lot more people that have moderate risk of online gambling harms than realise it. And so making sure people are aware of the risk that they are facing is really important, which is why the activity statements were so important. That's letting people know every month how much they've lost, how much they've won and lost, but more often than not it's lost, and making sure people are aware of what it is costing them.
ANDREW CLENNELL: Now, there have been reports that the Government's not going to take up the recommendation of a full gambling advertising ban, but that you're looking at a partial ban during certain hours. Is that on the table? And could you ban the situation where you're watching a sporting event and commentators are giving gambling commentary during matches?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Minister Rowland is working through that recommendation. Of course, she's working very diligently. What she said and what the Government's committed to is, what actually reduces online harms. That is our focus. So our focus is how do you reduce online harms, ensure that children are protected and of course, that we do reduce problem gambling in this country. So, everything has to be guided by that. She's working very hard across the board looking at where we can go when it comes to advertising.
ANDREW CLENNELL: All right. Domestic violence will be discussed at National Cabinet this Friday. A Sunday Telegraph report today says the New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns is looking at GPS tracking of DV offenders. What's your reaction to that?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I think we need to look at all the tools available to ensure that we reduce violence against women and children and ultimately eliminate it. We know that technological facilitated abuse, for example, is something that really impacts a lot of people. And so we need to look at all our different tools. There's going to be no silver bullet when it comes to family and domestic violence, but it is a joint responsibility between the Commonwealth and the states and territories. We've been really putting investment in this area, $3.4 billion of investment across our National Plan, whether it's prevention, early intervention, response, and healing and recovery. So, you know, it is important that we have a consistent and persistent focus on this, and I'm really pleased that states and territories are bringing ideas to the table, bringing initiatives to the table, because they have a lot of believers when it comes to particularly those high-risk offenders. But we all have a role to play and that's why the Commonwealth will be, of course, coming to the table in good faith, whether it's to discuss frontline services or prevention programs. We'll keep working with our state and territory colleagues in these areas.
ANDREW CLENNELL: I wanted to ask you now about the census, the contentious questions that were proposed and how the PM stopped them, but it's backtracked on the sexual orientation question. I guess it's a matter of irony, isn't it, that the decision on this was taken to prevent a furore, but it has actually caused one?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, look, Andrew, we were presented as a Government, questions that were very complex in the census, and the Prime Minister's been really clear and the Government's been really clear, that we want people to complete the census and we want simple questions that people can understand and answer, and that's really important. The census isn't for another two years and I think we've got plenty of time to make sure that we get the question right. I think that's what's really important here and I think the other important thing is that the census isn't the only source of important information for how we can understand the experiences of LGBTIQA +. For example, we are doing an action plan on the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ people, and that includes a whole lot of research. So, look, we need to make sure that we are properly responding to that community and support them in the best way we can. But, of course, we need to also get the census questions right, and that's what this has really been about.
ANDREW CLENNELL: All right. The contentious decision by Tanya Plibersek on the Blayney gold mine, it's caused some consternation with the NSW Government, the mining community. Do you think this issue could hurt your Government? And are you concerned about a disallowance motion in the Senate against the Minister's decision?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, firstly, I'd say Minister Plibersek didn't knock the mine back, she respected the law and the question was around where the Tailings Dam was actually going to be built and the impact that that would have. Now, as the Prime Minister said, he's very keen to see projects like this go ahead, but it needs to be within the law. And I think there is work being done now, I think very constructive work is being done, with the NSW Government and the company on where that tailings dam might be able to be situated. That's within the law and that’s a good thing and I hope they are able to work this through.
ANDREW CLENNELL: And finally, Jim Chalmers gave this speech this week where he said Peter Dutton, with his divisiveness, had disqualified himself from being a viable alternative as PM. Pretty strong stuff. Now, I was in the House for Question Time the other week and Peter Dutton sent you a note through an attendant, a bit of a joke, as I understand it, about the number of folders you were holding, which you laughed at. So, what's your impression of Peter Dutton? Is he the dangerous, divisive character Jim Chalmers says he is, because he has a sense of humour, at least. How do you find him personally?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, of course all politicians are human and, you know, all of us have a sense of humour. I think, though, what Jim was talking about, and actually really seriously, is that in this time where there is a lot of instability around the world, we actually need leaders that bring people together and that is critically important. People look to their leaders for a signal and we need people that bring people together. Unfortunately, that hasn't been what Peter Dutton has done. He has at every opportunity looked at, sort of throwing bombs at policy, being negative about things, saying no to things. But more recently, what we've seen is much more than that, which is very worrying, trying to use division for political gain. And I think that is probably the most dangerous thing that you can do in politics is try and divide people. I certainly accept, you know, and certainly also agree with what Jim had to say.
ANDREW CLENNELL: Amanda Rishworth. thanks so much for your time this Father’s Day.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Thank you.