LABOR’S HAND FORCED ON COMPETITION TASKFORCE

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 30 October 2023 Media Release LABOR’S HAND FORCED ON COMPETITION TASKFORCE Coalition pressure has once again left the Albanese Government with no alternative but to finally move on its Competition Taskforce. The Taskforce met for the first time today, two months after it was announced by Labor, with five new appointments to its advisory panel also released. It follows scrutiny by Coalition Senators in last week’s Budget Estimates hearings regarding the lack of meaningful progress since the 23 August announcement. Among them was Coalition competition spokesman Senator Dean Smith, who said this is the latest example of Labor dragging its heels on reform until its slow performance is called out. “This is the ACCC airline monitoring 2.0, where the Private Senators Bill introduced by Senator McKenzie and I forced Labor’s hand on re-instating this important competition initiative,” Senator Smith said. “Jim Chalmers and Andrew Leigh only act when they’re left with no choice – the way they’ve approached the Competition Taskforce is straight out of the Labor playbook.” Senator Smith also noted that, while the Coalition would always support meaningful competition reform, key details of the Competition Taskforce remain unknown. “The Albanese Government has refused to provide timeframes or a work plan explaining how the Taskforce will go about the demanding job ahead of it,” Senator Smith said. “We also have no idea how the Taskforce will prioritise the sectors of the economy it’s expected to focus on.” “Most significantly, there’s no indication when any of competition reforms identified by the Taskforce will be legislated and start providing a benefit to the Australian people.” “To ensure taxpayers are getting efficiency and value for money when it comes to this Taskforce, Labor should map out detailed priorities and deadlines, and make them public immediately.”

AUSTRALIAN TRAVELLERS LEFT EXPOSED AS LABOR STALLS ON AIRLINE MONITORING PROMISE

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SENATOR THE HON BRIDGET MCKENZIE SHADOW MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEADER OF THE NATIONALS IN THE SENATE SENATOR FOR VICTORIA SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 27 October 2023 MEDIA RELEASE AUSTRALIAN TRAVELLERS LEFT EXPOSED AS LABOR STALLS ON AIRLINE MONITORING PROMISE So far, the only completed stage of the Albanese Government’s commitment to re-instate ACCC airline monitoring is its media release. During Budget Estimates on Wednesday night, Treasury officials and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher revealed the Treasurer is yet to direct the ACCC to begin the monitoring, advising the direction is “still being worked up”. In contrast, ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb told the same hearing that the ACCC had maintained capacity to run the monitoring and could “pick up where we left off right away.” The Albanese Labor Government backflipped on its refusal to re-commence the monitoring last week under pressure from the Coalition, including a Private Senators Bill introduced by Senators Bridget McKenzie and Dean Smith. Senator Smith said Labor’s slow performance, failure to provide answers on how the new monitoring would be funded, or if it would be backdated to 30 June – when the previous ACCC monitoring regime, introduced under the Coalition in 2020, ended – is unacceptable. “This monitoring is essential to delivering greater competition and transparency, and Labor’s delays leave air travellers exposed as the busy Christmas period approaches,” Senator Smith said. Senator McKenzie said the evidence provided by Treasury officials shows the Government is more interested in blocking a Senate inquiry from asking questions to former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce than it is in keeping airfares down for Australian families and business. “Treasurer Jim Chalmers first asked Treasury to consider reinstating ACCC monitoring on 7 September when Labor were hoping to scuttle the Senate inquiry into Minister King’s protection of Qantas from competition, and again on 12 October in advance of a Senate vote on extending the Senate inquiry to hear from Alan Joyce on his return to Australia,” Senator McKenzie said. Ms Cass-Gottlieb also confirmed the ACCC was able to monitor the sector from 30 June, with no need for any gap. “It’s bad enough that Labor allowed this monitoring to lapse in the first place, but now it must make good on its error and issue the direction immediately – and ensure the monitoring covers the last four months,” Senator Smith said. “The ACCC is on record that it can proceed today and there is no excuse why the Albanese Government should not do the same. “The ACCC monitoring needs to recommence immediately, with the Qantas group, including Jetstar, inconveniencing tens of thousands of Australians in September by cancelling more than 1,000 flights and a further 7,084 flights delayed by more than 15 minutes, Senator McKenzie said. “The fact flight cancellations and delays remain at excessive levels show the Albanese Government is not willing to tackle Qantas to fix the problems in the aviation sector.” “Until the Government issues a direction to the ACCC to reinstate airline monitoring, the Coalition will continue to push for its Private Senators’ Bill to be voted on by the Senate,” END. ACCC Airline Monitoring Timeline 5 June 2023 ACCC delivers final airline competition monitoring report. 5 September 2023 Senate votes to establish Senate Select Committee aviation inquiry. 6 September 2023 Labor tabled motion to hobble Senate aviation inquiry. 12 September 2023 Senators McKenzie and Smith introduce Bill in Senate to re-establish ACCC airline monitoring powers. 7 September 2023 Treasurer Chalmers asks The Treasury to consider re-establishing ACCC monitoring of airlines. 7 September 2023 Labor offer Senator Pocock a ‘deal’ to restore ACCC monitoring of airlines for his vote to hobble Senate aviation inquiry. 7 September 2023 Senate defeats Labor attempt to hobble aviation inquiry. Labor take no action on restoring ACCC airline monitoring power. 9 October 2023 Senate aviation inquiry report tabled. Recommends re-establishing inquiry to compel Mr Alan Joyce and Qantas employees to appear and give evidence. 12 October 2023 Treasurer Jim Chalmers asks The Treasury for draft letter to Prime Minister and media release on re-establishing ACCC airline monitoring power. 14 October 2023 Voice Referendum. 18 October 2023 Labor offer Senator Pocock a ‘deal’ to restore ACCC airline monitoring for his vote to prevent re-establishment of Senate inquiry that would call Mr Alan Joyce and Qantas employees. 18 October 2023 Senate rejects motion to re-establish Senate aviation inquiry, meaning Alan Joyce will not have to give evidence to Senate Committee. 18 October 2023 Labor announce the re-establishment of ACCC airline monitoring powers. 25 October 2023 Treasury officials disclose no direction has been issued to the ACCC to restore airline monitoring powers.

ADDRESS TO THE PHILANTHROPY AUSTRALIA ‘PHILANTHROPY MEETS PARLIAMENT’ SUMMIT

Speeches

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA ADDRESS TO THE PHILANTHROPY AUSTRALIA ‘PHILANTHROPY MEETS PARLIAMENT’ SUMMIT Parliament House, Canberra 24 October 2023 Opening remarks Good morning, I begin by acknowledging Philanthropy Australia co-chairs Amanda Miller and Lisa George, and CEO Jack Heath – and, of course, the representatives of Australia’s remarkable, resilient charities who are present here at Parliament House in Canberra today. It is a privilege for me to join you in my role as Opposition charities spokesman. But it is regrettable that I do so at a time when so many face record hardship and challenges. Every statistic released confirms what we all know from our work in communities around the country. People are doing it tough and seeking urgent help, many of them for the first time. The mission to double philanthropic giving by 2030 – to build community strength, to cement a culture of giving and to reward generosity – is now more important than ever. Record demand on charities From round tables here in the capital with the Australian Red Cross and St Vincent de Paul, to local branches of Meals on Wheels in Narrabri in northern New South Wales. From free supermarkets on the Gold Coast, to an op-shop dressing the homeless in Melbourne’s outer suburbs. These are among the inspiring organisations I have visited across five states in 2023. With a few exceptions, caused by isolation or unique community circumstances, their concerns have been the same: A surge in demand, combined with falling donations and rising overheads. Added to this perfect storm are dwindling volunteer bases, many of which have never fully rebuilt post-pandemic. As I noted when I began, the shared experiences of these charities are reflected in the statistics – and brutally so. The latest Foodbank Hunger Report revealed that 3.7 million households experienced food insecurity in the last year, an increase of 383,000 from 2022. And The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Report found 95% of family households who responded found it difficult to meet essential living expenses – up 8% on last year. The economic reality This spiking demand for charity services is almost wholly due to the cost of living crisis Australians are living though. Food, fuel, utilities…very few items are immune. Nearly 80% of those households I mentioned experiencing food insecurity said rising cost of living was the main contributing factor. There have been 11 interest rate increases under the current Government. These are result of the central bank being left to pull the only lever available to address inflation – because nobody else is. And the effects cannot be understated. In my home state of WA, for example, more than 40,000 low-income mortgage holders are spending over 30% of their household budget on loan repayments. The Salvation Army’s Doorways Emergency Relief Survey reported that 21% of respondents from the West had been unable to make their mortgage repayments on time in the past year. Low-income renters didn’t fare any better, spending around two-thirds of their income to afford an average rental property in the state. The reality is that the best thing the Government could do to aid struggling Australians, and the charity and non-profit sector working so hard to support them, is to prioritise good economic management and taming inflation above all else – and quickly. The Productivity Commission Review Doubling giving by 2030 is, as I have said, of ever increasing importance if our charities and non-profits are to meet demand into the future – but also, I hope, to grow and thrive. We know that we still have a way to go. Australia’s giving lags behind our contemporaries, representing just 0.81% of GDP, compared with 1.84% cent in New Zealand and 2.1% in the United States. But I take the opportunity this morning to share some of the standout priorities and suggestions from submissions to the Productivity Commission’s Philanthropy Review. Among these are: superannuation bequests; the possibility of Australians returning part of their tax return to charity in a deliberate and structured way; allowing ancillary funds to distribute to other ancillary funds; and encouraging later in life and legacy giving. The latter, as most of you here will know, is aimed at a unique, once in a lifetime opportunity for the sector: An upcoming intergenerational wealth transfer estimated at more than $2.5 trillion. This is a foundational consideration – how best to encourage and reward giving by those Australians fortunate enough to have amassed significant wealth for themselves and their families. The Coalition has welcomed the Philanthropy Review and what it aims to achieve. Like the sector, we eagerly await both the final work of the Productivity Commission and, more importantly, the new legislative and regulatory landscape it creates. Likewise the sector-wide Not-for-Profit Blueprint, aimed at shaping Australian philanthropy’s future. Noting today’s theme of cooperation between philanthropy and Government, I would make one final point. Policy – even good policy – needs to be driven through Government. It cannot be left to idle through. The needs of the sector, and the millions of Australians it helps and employs, are now far too pressing. I finish by paying tribute to the commitment and selfless service of those at the coalface: Australia’s charities and all those who sustain them. Our philanthropic community continues to shape our country in the best possible image of ourselves. Thank you. ENDS

LABOR’S DAY OF SHAME ON QANTAS COVER UP

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SENATOR THE HON BRIDGET MCKENZIE SHADOW MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEADER OF THE NATIONALS IN THE SENATE SENATOR FOR VICTORIA SENATOR THE HON SIMON BIRMINGHAM SHADOW MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE SENATOR FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA 18 October 2023 Media Release LABOR’S DAY OF SHAME ON QANTAS COVER UP Today Prime Minister Albanese revealed that he is prepared to put the interests of arrogant and greedy corporates like Qantas ahead of the interests of everyday travelling Australians. “Mr Albanese disgracefully shut down an extension of the Senate Committee, which would enable it to call former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce,” Senator McKenzie said. “This is the day Mr Albanese revealed his true self – backing his crony capitalist mates against millions of Australians including loyal customers, staff and shareholders who have been treated badly by Mr Joyce’s Qantas.” Voting to extend the Senate Select Committee inquiry into Commonwealth Bilateral Air Service Agreements would have enabled the former Qantas CEO Mr Joyce to appear before it. “Instead, the Labor Party, in a cabal of a coverup with the Greens and Senator David Pocock refused to allow the Committee the opportunity to seek legitimate and serious questions about the cost impacts on travellers from Mr Joyce’s personal and political relationship with the Prime Minister,” Senator McKenzie said. “This shows the extent of the disrespect the Government has for the Australian travelling public. “This inquiry was first set up to find out the real reason why the Albanese Government has contributed to keeping the cost of airfares high by blocking Qatar Airways’ request for additional flights, and while the inquiry has made serious recommendations to make our aviation industry more competitive, this question still hasn’t been answered,” Senator McKenzie said. “Mr Joyce is one of only three people who know why Qantas has received preferential treatment at the hands of the Albanese Government and now we will not be able to bring him before the Senate Committee to answer legitimate and serious questions about his personal and political relationship with the Prime Minister.” Shadow Assistant Competition Minister, Senator Dean Smith said Labor had proved themselves to be the enemy of competition and transparency. “Shamefully, thanks to Labor, we may never know why the government acted so contrary to the public interest in blocking Qatar Airways’ application. “Aviation is one of the most critical industries in our country – we can’t catch a train from Perth to Sydney for a business meeting, a loved one’s birthday, or a medical appointment. “It needs competition, and Australians deserve a Prime Minister and Transport Minister who understand this,” Senator Smith said. Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Simon Birmingham said Australia’s consumers, exporters and tourism industry were paying the price for the Albanese Labor Government’s cover ups. “This Labor Government is the monarchs of denial. After denying Qatar Airways more flights into Australia and then refusing to give any reasonable explanation it is refusing to allow the Senate from pursuing the truth behind these decisions,” said Senator Birmingham. “Labor has created a cabal of cover up to maintain a protection racket around Minister King and Qantas and is standing in the way of Australians enjoying the cheaper airfares that would flow from greater competition in the aviation market.” Senator McKenzie said the Albanese Government are working directly against delivering the transparent governance they committed to prior to the election. “The Opposition will keep working to find out the real reason why Labor have kept airfares high on behalf of the Australian public.” ENDS.

PM’s desire to create a legacy has left our country fractured

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The resounding No vote in Saturday’s referendum is not cause for celebration. This applies not only to those who voted and campaigned for the Voice, but for the majority such as myself who voted No. Sadly, for many Australians, 2023 has been the year where families, friends, and colleagues were pulled apart by the opposing sides of a bitter debate. And while the country dusts itself off, it would be naive to pretend that this separation will not be a long one, or in some cases even permanent. This concern for the wellbeing of our nation – comprised as it is of the families, friendship groups, and workplaces where this debate has taken place just as forcefully as on television and in the newspapers – was at the heart of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s warning that this was a referendum that had already divided Australians. But Anthony Albanese, pumped up by a narrow circle of advisers and advocates, and desperate for his own Wattie Creek or Redfern moment, ploughed on with Saturday’s vote regardless. In doing so, he fractured Australia. Despite claiming the referendum was about an “idea” and not an “individual”, it was the Prime Minister whose actions led directly to this point. It was Anthony Albanese who alienated any chance of the referendum’s success by refusing to hold a constitutional convention – a significant break from precedent. It was Anthony Albanese whose hand-picked referendum advisory council contained activists whose divisive agenda made a proposal the public could embrace impossible. It was Anthony Albanese who refused to disclose details about how the Voice would work, including information as basic as the extent of its powers and composition. Those wishing to appropriately inform themselves were denigrated as “fearmongers”. Taking advantage of the nationwide support for constitutional recognition and closing the gap, the Prime Minister politicised a universal sentiment by insisting that the only road to these goals was through his rushed and secretive proposal. The rejection of Labor’s Voice was particularly emphatic in WA. Only two of the State’s 15 Federal electorates voted Yes, and one of those – Curtin – could return a final vote of No as the counting of postal votes is finalised. Nor were Indigenous communities unanimous in their support for the Voice. The Pilbara, Kununurra and Derby, where Indigenous disadvantage is at its most acute, voted in line with the national trend. These results should give us hope that support for a colourblind Constitution is felt across the country, irrespective or origin or ethnicity. I said October 14 was no cause for celebration for No voters. It is, nonetheless, a source of relief. It is a relief for those who never wavered in their conviction that the Australian people possess a collective judgment based on fairness and common sense. It is a relief that, after a campaign funded by the country’s biggest companies, supported by public broadcasters, major sporting codes and universities, the spirit of independence and a scepticism of authority remain alive among Australians. It is a relief for those who, recognising the Australian Constitution as the bedrock of the free and stable country we have inherited, know it cannot be bought, or altered on the basis of a vibe. Finally, it is a relief for those who believed that, after quietly shaping our country’s fortunes for more than a century, the Constitution can continue to do so free from the shadow of racial division. Now the work begins. As Peter Dutton said this week, the Coalition remains committed to a royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities, and an audit into spending on Indigenous programs. My Coalition colleagues and I also remain committed to the constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. But we believe this can, and will, be done in a way that unifies the country and affirms our civic equality. As I said in my speech to the Senate opposing the Voice back in June: There is no shame in defeating a bad idea but only if there is a resolution to soldier on and find a better way, a way born from genuine co-operation and that will enjoy the widest possible community endorsement. It is a promise I and my colleagues have every intention on following through with.