Senator Dean Smith – Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Transcript – ABC Drive with Gary Adshead
Senator Dean Smith Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Liberal Senator for Western Australia TRANSCRIPT – ABC DRIVE WITH GARY ADSHEAD Topics: Antisemitism, production tax credits, tariffs, Teals at The Lodge E&OE GARY ADSHEAD: Without further ado, let’s get over to Canberra, where we are going to talk to the Labor Resources Minister Madeleine King and Liberal Senator Dean Smith. Who should be there. Hello, guys. MADELEINE KING: How you going, Gary? DEAN SMITH: G’day, Gary, how are you? GARY ADSHEAD: Very good. Thanks very much for joining us again as we continue ‘The Campaign’ here on ABC 720. Alright, first, I just got to get your reaction to this story that’s, you know, developing about these two health workers and what they said about treating, or rather, not treating, Israeli people. What have you made of that you two? MADELEINE KING: Well, I mean, I just saw the footage a little while back in my office, and I’m sure you’re much the same. It’s—I’ve never seen anything quite like it, to be honest. And it’s just—shocking is an understatement. I mean, obviously, in a hospital setting and health workers, it makes it even worse. But if it was anyone saying that in any circumstance, it’s horrific. So I’m just, you know, appalled this kind of attitude around other people and their lives and health—it is just out of this world, really. DEAN SMITH: I’d add to that, Gary, by saying, it’s a shameful act. It’s outrageous. I think many people would have found it hard to believe that this was happening at all. Unfortunately, it is. It’s now been videoed. I mean, how outrageous and horrendous is that? I think it’s probably a time when we just all need to knuckle down, show some spirit of bipartisanship and cooperation with each other, and make sure that our national leadership is quick to respond, quick to stamp these things out. And we just need to remain very vigilant in calling out this behaviour. This is outrageous. It is un-Australian. GARY ADSHEAD: Obviously, well, obviously, you know, previously, the Coalition have been pretty strong, saying that Anthony Albanese hasn’t done enough in terms of getting out there in front of this. What do you say now, Dean, given what we’ve just seen in the last 24 hours with this video? DEAN SMITH: Gary, unfortunately, we have come a very long way since May 2022. It’s not happy progress. It’s not good progress. I believed, and I’ve said this in the Parliament, I’ve said this in other media commentary—national leadership is absolutely critical. I do believe that we should have seen the risk that arose from the 7th of October events more quickly. Our national leadership should have been more decisive in really being clear in terms of our position. And I would argue—and Madeleine might disagree—but I would argue that for a long time, our country had a very strong bipartisan position on matters regarding the Middle East. I think that is less true now. GARY ADSHEAD: Do you want to have a say on that? Is it bipartisan, or should it be more bipartisan, Madeleine? MADELEINE KING: Well, I think we’re very much agreed, certainly in relation to these videos. But of course, all the antisemitism we have seen arise is something that disgusts the Prime Minister as much as anyone. And I would just note, just so that everyone’s aware, that those two individuals have been referred to the New South Wales Police and action will be taken. We’ve had new hate crimes enacted just last week that will undoubtedly—or just this week, sorry—you know, will likely apply to these people, and we’ll have to let that investigation go on. I wouldn’t want to jeopardise it, but, the full force of the law has to go to these two individuals, but to everybody else as well that thinks they can do it. And I do think there are other institutions in our community that have sometimes dropped the ball on this. I think some of the encampments that were allowed to persist at universities right across the country and in WA as well—I think administrations letting that go on for as long as they did was, you know, entirely inappropriate. It’s difficult for governments to force these institutions to do things, but they should just do it anyway. DEAN SMITH: Any action by the New South Wales authorities that might suggest or give the suggestion to people that this sort of behavior is permissible, then that would be a failing on the part of authorities. MADELEINE KING: I would entirely agree with what Dean has just said. And I think we’ve all seen Premier Chris Minns has been very strong in this regard, and we know the Australian Federal Police are supporting the New South Wales Police in their investigation. Two individuals, you know, immediately stood down as well they should be. GARY ADSHEAD: Alright. Now listen, as the Resources Minister, Madeleine King, you must have been delighted to see the Production Tax Credits, part of the Future Made in Australia policy, pass through the Senate. Of course, the Greens and the crossbench have helped you out there. MADELEINE KING: Gary, I am delighted. And to be honest, I think secretly, Dean might be delighted too. DEAN SMITH: You will give me the right to respond Gary? MADELEINE KING: Here, let’s, let Dean have his say in a moment, and I’m sure he will, but it’s hard to underestimate how important this initiative is. It’s, you know, $17 billion support for an emerging resources sector, an emerging part of our resources sector that builds upon, of course, you know, greatly successful, what I call the traditional resources sector of iron ore and coal and gas and gold and other minerals. So it is the biggest injection of support for critical minerals. In fact, it’s the biggest government commitment to the resources sector of any government. And…