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: Labor smear campaign, Chinese warships, Northwest Shelf , Senator Payman Iran comments E&OE GARY ADSHEAD: And if I push a button now, I’m pretty hopeful that I will have at the other end of the line in Canberra, the one, the only, Liberal senator Dean Smith. How are you, Dean? DEAN SMITH: G’day, Gary and Madeleine. I’m, very well. Feeling a bit of FOMO here. MADELEINE KING: Me too, missing out on estimates. DEAN SMITH: I know, lots to talk about. Lots to share, Madeleine. GARY ADSHEAD: There is. Hey, let me get you both warmed up, though. Anthony Green’s retiring, Madeleine. MADELEINE KING: That’s really sad. And haven’t we all been, for many years, watching and listening to Anthony Green on election coverages or reading his blogs more recently? A really insightful fellow. I heard the interview. I was driving back down from York a little while back, and, you know, what a talent that we’ll miss, to be honest. And how he managed to turn those notes in peoples’ heads, I think he put it, into a function on a computer that that more people could look at and we could see on our television screens. GARY ADSHEAD: And Dean, I mean, I don’t know about from your point of view as a politician, but us as journos, he makes our job a lot easier. DEAN SMITH: Well, he makes the politician’s job a bit easier as well, Gary, because he’d always call it relatively early and very accurately. So, we would know whether we had cause for celebration or cause for commiseration. But I’ve met Anthony in person twice, actually, once here in Parliament, but also out and about. And a really informative guy, great passion for our democratic system, and he’ll be greatly missed. But we’re lucky to have him for the WA election, and we’re lucky to have him for the for the next Federal one. GARY ADSHEAD: And, I mean, let’s hope, well, your side of politics is hoping he doesn’t call this one as early as he did the last one. He was going for a record last time in 2021. Alright. Now listen. In the last twenty-four hours, we’ve seen these stories and reports in and around Peter Dutton and, his property portfolio and whether or not he had some sort of insider knowledge around share purchases, going way back. What’s this all about, Madeleine King? This attack on him in terms of his aspiration and ability to get on and make a living and, obviously, a good life for his family and wealth. What do you say to it? MADELEINE KING: Oh, I respect everyone’s right to do precisely that. I mean, I’ve worked before, going into Parliament in different sectors as a lawyer, in the university, doing a number of things. And I think what we’ve seen is journalists asking questions about previous transactions, and those questions will continue to be asked because, you know, you’ve been a journalist, and sometimes it’s a dog with a bone here. They’re going to follow it until they’re satisfied with an answer. And I’ll leave that with Peter Dutton to deal with. GARY ADSHEAD: Yeah. Well, Dean Smith, I mean, obviously, the timing’s interesting, isn’t it? DEAN SMITH: Gary, this is a disgraceful and desperate attempt by Labor to smear Peter Dutton on the eve of the calling of the election. And this particular attack has fallen very flat. Labor Senators in the Senate Economics Committee this morning tried to raise the issue, tried to prosecute an argument, and it’s absolutely fallen flat. I think that if the Prime Minister has any accusations to level at Peter Dutton, he should be up front. He should do it out in the open, and not to resort to these sorts of unnecessary smear tactics. But let’s be clear. Peter Dutton came out this morning and denied that there was any wrongdoing whatsoever. And people will remember that Peter has been a police officer that acted with great integrity. He’s been a Parliamentarian who’s acted with great integrity. A very shameful first attempt, I suspect, by Labor to smear Peter Dutton and it has fallen flat. GARY ADSHEAD: Is there anything wrong with a politician, let alone anyone, having 26 houses or whatever the case may be over the years, given that aspiration of owning a home for a lot of people has well and truly disappeared? MADELEINE KING: I mean, what’s been said is in the newspapers. It’s, you know, been across two newspapers is my understanding. I have no objection that some people have had more time than others to do this, or more natural advantages, or have had different opportunities in life, and that is, in every instance, up to them. So, I’m not going to criticise… DEAN SMITH: There’s absolutely no wrongdoing here. MADELEINE KING: You know I’m not saying that. DEAN SMITH: Good, so you agree it was a Labor smear campaign? MADELEINE KING: It’s not a smear campaign. I just read what was in the papers. And as I said at the start, this is for journalists. If they want to ask questions to the Leader of the Opposition, they’ll get their answers. If they’re not satisfied with the answers, they’ll keep on asking questions. That’s what happens to each of us all the time. DEAN SMITH: We suspect the origin of this was probably a Labor Party dirt unit. MADELEINE KING: Well, I mean, I guess you can suspect all you want, and I’m going to leave it at that. And Peter Dutton will answer those questions. And as you know, Dean, we all get these questions all the time. DEAN SMITH: A Categorical denial by Peter Dutton today. And, Madeleine, can we get a commitment from you and Labor that we won’t see…