Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Opinion Piece – The West Australian – Our Democracy Is In Decline

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA OPINION PIECE – THE WEST AUSTRALIAN 22 October 2024 OUR DEMOCRACY IS IN DECLINE Former US president Ronald Reagan once commented that “freedom is a fragile thing … it is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation”. True words remind us that our way of life is never guaranteed. Democracy, both in Australia and elsewhere, is not a finished product. It is vulnerable by nature, and that means we have an ongoing responsibility to ensure that Australian democracy is as robust as possible. The former Coalition government met this standard — during almost a decade of Liberal-National administrations, Australia was consistently ranked in the top 10 most democratic nations in the world by The Economist Democracy Index. Labor has single-handedly undone this record. Australia ranked equal ninth in 2021, but after one year of the Albanese Government, we plummeted six places to 15th and sit at equal 14th in the most recent rankings. Given our neighbours in New Zealand are ranked second in the world, Australians have a right to wonder what is going wrong here. Exploring the metrics used by The Economist provides a fuller picture. While Australia has maintained perfect scores for some categories, such as our electoral process, we have been marked down significantly in others. On the metric of “political participation” we have fallen from 7.78 to 7.22, and on “political culture” dropped from 8.75 to 7.50. Thankfully, our voting system and our democratic institutions are doing fine. What is under strain is our democratic culture, the extent to which Australians are encouraged to participate in the political system and the openness of our public debate. This decline in our democratic health is deeply concerning. But this isn’t the fault of the Australian people, nor is it the result of manipulation from a bad faith actor overseas. It is the direct result of the way Labor governs. And it isn’t new: imposing an oversized, cumbersome and overreaching government on the Australian people is part of their DNA. Labor’s tendency to push bad laws that undermine freedom is confirmed by the historical record. In 2012, the last it was in power, Labor introduced new “self-regulation” media laws that would have left the Australian press vulnerable to interference from the Government. Then News Limited chief Kim Williams called the proposed legislation “Soviet-style” because of the dramatic changes they would have made to freedom of the press. Mr Williams went on to say that the way Labor tried to rush it through Parliament, in just one sitting week, with limited public consultation, was like putting “a gun to the head of the Parliament, our industry, and the Australian public”. Fortunately, that Bill failed. But many are now feeling a sense of déjà vu. The Albanese Government is steaming ahead with its own controversial “misinformation and disinformation” legislation. And, rather than trusting the robustness of our parliamentary process to weed out bad ideas, or fashion them into better ones, Labor is again attempting to ram these new laws through Parliament as quickly as possible. Australians were given barely a week to make submissions to a Senate inquiry on the Bill. Probably because when it tried to launch similar laws last year, more than 20,000 submissions were received opposing them. Australians must not be any less vigilant this time around. Labor’s Bill seeks to establish unprecedented powers for the communications minister — powers that would allow them to personally order misinformation investigations and hearings on terms of their own choosing. It would also create a two-tier standard for free speech, with different rules for different people. If a statement is made by an academic or comedian, for example, it can be counted as legitimate, but if that same statement is made by another Australian, it could be considered ‘misinformation’ and therefore ‘harmful’. And the statement wouldn’t need to be intentionally deceptive or malicious to be illegal, meaning it could be used to stifle the genuinely held opinions of fair-minded Australians. It stems from the loose definitions of ‘harm’ and ‘serious harm’ caused by speech, which would include remarks considered damaging to the environment or the economy. Say someone comments online that they don’t believe in Climate Change: that could be considered misinformation, harmful to the environment, and eligible to be censored. I am no climate science denier, but that doesn’t mean I think people who hold an opposing view should be suppressed. In a democracy, we settle differences through evidence and open discussion, not censorship. The Law Council of Australia takes a similar view, noting in its submission on the Bill that the definitions are “overbroad”, and that the concepts of ‘harm’ and ‘serious harm’, “each involve value judgements that are likely to be contestable and politically sensitive”. This is especially the case when you consider the way Labor wants to enforce these new free speech caveats. They propose a punitive system of fines, levied by the unelected officials at the Australian Communications and Media Authority, that will pressure social media companies to delete user content that could be considered misinformation or disinformation. Meta, Twitter, TikTok, and others will not be fined for censoring too much to meet the Government’s nominated standard, but they will face significant penalties for not censoring enough. For the most part, these companies care less for the free speech of Australians than they do about their bottom line, so it is no stretch to imagine them setting up an algorithm that automatically censors posts online without nuance. We cannot allow this scenario to become our reality. The fact we are no longer a top ten democracy, a distinction we have held since The Economist began its index in 2006, is a national embarrassment and needs to be immediately reversed. But if this Bill is passed, it would further the weakening of our democracy. There can be no doubt that misinformation and…

Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Opinion Piece – The West Australian – We’re worse off than in GFC

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA OPINION PIECE – THE WEST AUSTRALIAN 18 September 2024 WE’RE WORSE OFF THAN IN GFC Remember 2008? It was the year the iPhone was first released in Australia, the ABC first aired Q&A, and Federal Parliament heard its first welcome to country. It was also the peak of the Global Financial Crisis, the year that Lehman Brothers infamously collapsed, and a time of worldwide economic uncertainty. Australia was not immune to the shockwaves of that crisis – characterised by business closures, layoffs, and crippling financial pressure on households. For many, Labor’s current cost-of-living crisis and our stagnating economy will bring back memories of that time nearly two decades ago. But what if I told you that, across many metrics, Australians are actually worse off today than they were during the GFC? These statistics will surprise you. GDP growth was at 2.9 per cent in 2008, this year it is at one per cent – the slowest rate of growth since the 1990s recession. The average household’s saving ratio was at 2.8 per cent. Today it is just 0.9 per cent. In 2008, amidst one of the worst financial meltdowns the world has ever seen, household debt as a share of income was 164 per cent. In 2024 it is 20 per cent higher, at 185 per cent. Perhaps the most alarming comparison is the number of business insolvencies. Last financial year 1,000 WA businesses failed, victims of Labor’s tandem cost-of-living and cost-of-doing business crises. Today’s figures are double what they were in 2008. That’s right, there have been twice as many insolvencies in WA this year than at the height of the GFC. It’s on a more modest scale at a national level, but still concerning, with 10,000 businesses insolvencies in 2008 compared to 11,000 this year. Even the best spin doctor on Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ team could only argue that these national figures are about equal. Imagine being ‘on par with GFC levels’ as a best-case economic scenario. That’s where Jim Chalmers and Labor find themselves now – and unfortunately they’re taking Australians with them. These statistics uncover a damning reality for the Albanese Labor Government: Australians are, across multiple measures, doing worse than they were during the peak of the Global Financial Crisis. They’re keeping less of what they earn, they’re in greater debt, and they’re working in and trying to run businesses that are struggling to stay afloat. This isn’t because Australians can’t manage their money, they can. It’s because Labor can’t manage the nation’s money. And Australians are struggling to make ends meet in an economy held in a vice-like grip by Labor’s sticky, homegrown inflation. This reality appears to be unnerving the Treasurer, who has started resorting to personal attacks against Peter Dutton, attempting to shift blame to Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michelle Bullock, and generally deflecting responsibility for Australia’s economic woes. It’s quite an unravelling from a man who came into the job as a self-confident economic philosophiser, publishing essays about how he was going to “transform” Australian capitalism. If he pulled his head out of the clouds, Jim Chalmers would see that this Government’s policies have indeed transformed our economy – just not for the better. The sad result of Labor’s economic mismanagement is that we have lost our status as the “lucky country”. We were once the exception to the rule, the envy of the world, weathering economic storms from commodity price shocks to Asia-Pacific regional disruptions, even the GFC. In fact, whilst Australia’s economy took a hit in 2008, it was still ahead of most developed economies by almost any measure. Successive Budget surpluses delivered during the Howard years, and key reforms like the GST, paved the way for Australia to avoid a recession during the GFC – one of the only nations to do so. As then RBA Governor Glenn Stevens said at the time, “there would be very few countries, if any, which would not envy Australia’s fiscal position”. Now, Australia is the exception for all the wrong reasons. Our inflation rate is higher than all the G7 nations, including the UK, USA, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada and France. Our rate of economic growth is lower than the average of the world’s advanced economies and we are experiencing a per capita recession. Worst of all, the gap between our savings ratios and that of other developed economies has widened to a chasm – the average Australian household is saving 3 per cent less than those in the US, 10 per cent less than the UK, and nearly 15 per cent less than the EU. Australians deserve better. For decades, we have come to expect a certain way of life. Now Labor and its fiscal incompetence are risking it, failing to meet the high standard we rightly expect of an Australian Government. So it’s no surprise that the latest Essential polling data shows 52 per cent of Australians think the country is headed in the wrong direction, and other polls this month have recorded a majority two-party preferred preference for the Coalition. Despite their best efforts, the public knows that the buck stops with the Treasurer and the Albanese Government. Fifty-one pre cent of voters believe the Government is primarily responsible for getting a lid on inflation – with only 27 per cent blaming the RBA. It has failed to deliver on its promises, failed to manage the economy, and sent our nation in the wrong direction. It’s time to get the economy and the country back on track – and only a Coalition government will do it.

Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Opinion Piece – Life harder under Albanese

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA OPINION PIECE – THE WEST AUSTRALIAN 1 August 2024 LIFE HARDER UNDER ALBANESE Anthony Albanese lauded the “stability” of his government over the weekend, when he announced his first major cabinet reshuffle in more than two years. If I have learnt one thing in politics after many years, it’s this: the vast majority of the Australian public couldn’t give two figs about some musical chairs – which is all about union factional power games, anyway – being played out on the east coast. This is particularly the case in Western Australia, which continues to have just one Minister at the cabinet table, a sure sign if any was needed about the low regard this Government holds our state in. But if Anthony Albanese thinks it’s “stability” that will endear him to the voters of WA, then he could well be in for a nasty surprise. WA voters want competence, and they want honesty. But on both measures they are being let down. Badly. Let me give you some examples. Before the election Anthony Albanese promised to build more homes and increase the housing supply, which is desperately needed in Perth and regional WA. After more than two years, that promise isn’t just not stacking up, it’s beginning to look downright laughable. The average price of a rental in Perth has exploded under Labor – in March this year it was $710, an increase of 15% in less than nine months. Perth has one of the tightest rental markets in the country, and employers who are desperately needed to work in our schools, hospitals and construction sectors are being put off because of the lack of housing options. Nor is life any easier if you own a home. Thanks to the soaring (and, according to the RBA, home-grown) inflation crisis, interest rates have increased 12 times under Labor’s watch. According to an analysis done earlier this year by my office, 100,000 WA families are hurtling towards a mortgage cliff. This could spell disaster. Already, WA has the second-highest rates of mortgage holders in 90-day arrears in the country – behind only the Northern Territory. Instead of helping people get a foot on the property ladder, Anthony Albanese has kicked them off it and tossed the ladder away: the average home loan in Perth is now $537,000, up by more than $60,000 in a year. And what about the economy more broadly? Even in WA, the workhouse of the national economy, Labor is failing. Thanks to its reliance on the Greens to pass legislation in the Senate, Labor has refused to rule out a ‘climate trigger’ for new mining approvals, while continuing their funding of the discredited Environmental Defenders Office. Because of policies like these, nickel mining has collapsed in WA, while companies like Santos have laid off hundreds of workers thanks to what they described as unworkable mining approval processes. Anthony Albanese needs to get out to the Pilbara, where 30% of Australia’s exports come from, and which needs at least 50,000 new workers over the next decade. But instead of touching down in real Australia, and learning about its problems, like a real Prime Minister should do, Anthony Albanese is doing everything he can to make sure those jobs don’t exist, and that those exports are produced in Africa, rather than Australia. And have we mentioned live exports yet? Here’s one thing Anthony Albanese won’t be telling the people of WA: the minister responsible for banning live sheep exports, and killing off an industry worth more than $100 million dollars to the state – Murray Watt – just got a promotion. Talk about adding insult to injury. Then we come to energy. Labor’s renewables-only energy policy has been a failure everywhere in the world it has been attempted. The reason for this isn’t difficult to grasp: advanced economies need 24/7, reliable, baseload power. Renewables, by their very nature, are unable to provide this. There is only one zero-emissions energy source that can provide cheap and reliable baseload power, and that is nuclear. That’s why everyone – from US Democrats to UK Labour, from Justin Trudeau to Emmanuel Macron, not to mention every single G20 economy except Australia – are using or building nuclear power reactors. Despite promising to lead a mature government, Anthony Albanese and his ministers have used cartoons of three-eyed fish to discredit Peter Dutton’s plans for moving Australia in line with the rest of the developed world. Under Labor, we will be stuck with a second-rate energy policy that sends jobs overseas and small businesses in Australia broke because the government refuses to budge from its ideological approach. One term of Albanese has set the country back. But two would be a national disaster. The next election will be critical to Australia – but particularly WA, who Labor continues to fail. So it’s time we helped Anthony Albanese with his next reshuffle. My idea: let’s shuffle the lot of them to Opposition.

Opinion Piece – Listen to facts on nuclear – The West Australian

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July 2 If you’re reading this sentence, the chances are you will benefit from nuclear medicine at some point in your life. In fact, so crucial is nuclear medicine to diagnosing and treating common forms of cancer, statistics show that most Australians will benefit from it not once, but twice, over the course of a lifetime. These are just some of the important facts about nuclear in Australia that Labor doesn’t want you to know. But, why not? After all, it’s a national success story. And it’s a far more interesting and inspiring story than the irrational fear Labor is spreading about nuclear energy. The truth is that Australia already has a highly successful, internationally recognised nuclear energy industry, led by the Australian Nuclear Science Technology Organisation. The Open-pool Australian lightwater reactor that ANSTO manages is one of the world’s most advanced. And no, it isn’t located in the middle of the desert, or some far-flung, uninhabited island. It’s based in Lucas Heights — a suburb in south western Sydney, less than 50km from Bondi. Have we seen Labor MPs urging the one million people who live in this area of Sydney not to drink the water, or swim in the bays and oceans? I don’t think so. But back to the work the OPAL reactor does, because it’s the real story, and it’s a national shame Labor refuses to champion it. In Senate estimates earlier this month, ANSTO’s chief executive told me that more than 12,000 doses of nuclear medicine were distributed to more than 250 clinics across the country every week by their organisation. These doses are critical in diagnosing various forms of cancer, and, in some cases, treating it. Is Labor suggesting that the thousands of people who receive nuclear imaging every year risk growing a third eye? Give me a break. On the other hand, if Anthony Albanese insists it’s so dangerous, why not ban this treatment? Labor’s nuclear hypocrisy doesn’t end there. While Anthony Albanese has been claiming nuclear is dangerous, unreliable and unaffordable, one of his own Government departments was signing international agreements advancing nuclear technology in Australia and overseas. In May, ANTSO signed a memorandum of understanding with the US National Nuclear Security Energy at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s conference in Vienna, with both organisations promising to increase cooperation on nuclear technology and capabilities. As proof of their commitment to nuclear energy, ANTSO will soon make preparations for a new national radioactive waste management facility — a facility that may mirror businesses already operating in our own State of WA. Earlier this month, a number of Coalition colleagues and I visited Tellus Holdings Sandy Ridge radioactive waste facility in Coolgardie, which for a number of years has been safely handling, storing and disposing of the radioactive waste. It was a powerful reminder that preparations for Australia’s nuclear future are already well advanced. Anthony Albanese and Labor also like to claim that Australia doesn’t have the skills to develop a nuclear industry, which I think is punching down on the ability of Australia’s workforce. But how does he think businesses like Tellus Holdings, government organisations like ANTSO, or facilities like the OPAL reactor, are run, if not for a highly skilled workforce in nuclear safety, nuclear engineers, reactor operators, and maintenance teams? Labor’s arguments simply don’t stand up to scrutiny. If you need any more evidence, take a look at Labor’s own international colleagues. US Democrat John Kerry, who was secretary of state under Barack Obama, is an enthusiastic supporter of nuclear energy. “Facts and evidence tell us that you can’t get to net zero in 2050 without some nuclear,” he told the COP28 Conference in December. At the same conference, 22 countries promised to triple their nuclear capability by 2050, including Canada, the UK and France. The Brits, too, are racing towards nuclear energy. Take this statement, from British Labour’s current election manifesto: “Small Modular (nuclear) Reactors will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs.” John Kerry is right — the facts speak for themselves. And the fact is Anthony Albanese is hopelessly out of step on nuclear energy, which is why he’s started swinging wildly. It’s also a fact that insecurity breeds anger. Labor, on the energy front, has lots to be insecure about. Two years into their first term, the billions of dollars Labor is spending on wind and solar farms, not to mention the thousands of kilometres of new transmission lines, has had a purely negative effect on the Australian economy and energy market. Energy bills have increased, Government spending on renewable projects has fuelled inflation, and a glut has been created in Australia’s construction workforce, pushing prices up for everyone trying to build a home. After all that, Australia remains as dependent on gas and coal as it has ever been, for the simple reason that no matter who the Government is, they can’t control the weather. Real leadership means telling the truth, and admitting when you’re wrong. Australians deserve better than what they’re getting from Labor on this critical debate.

Transcript – Interview with Belinda Varischetti, ABC Country Hour

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1 July 2024 Topics: Live sheep export ban, Labor’s poor Senate transparency, Food Donation Tax Incentive Private Senator’s Bill E&OE BELINDA VARISCHETTI: WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith has been in the Senate all morning. Senator, how far has the Bill to end the live sheep trade by sea progressed through the Senate this morning? DEAN SMITH: We’ve only had one contribution on the Bill thus far, but I’m the bearer of some disappointing news. Because shortly after the Senate began, the Government sought to guillotine the Bill. So that means that contributions from Senators like myself and Senators Brockman and O’Sullivan and others will be curtailed. We’ll get an opportunity to make contributions, but perhaps not the length that we would have liked. And the final vote on the Bill will be put this evening at about 10 o’clock Canberra time. So, a really disappointing development on what has been a really disappointing, complete disregard for West Australian interests by the Labor Government. In the Senate, Labor was supported by the Greens – I don’t think any of your listeners would be surprised by that. But importantly, WA Labor Senators Glen Sterle, Louise Pratt, et cetera, didn’t stand up for WA farming communities. So, this is a really disappointing development today. I think, at a bare minimum, people should have an opportunity to put their point of view in the Senate. No surprises that Liberal and National Party Senators are strongly opposed to this and have given a very clear commitment that, if elected, we will absolutely reverse the ban. Full credit to the important work that the Keep the Sheep campaign have been doing. Quite remarkable. You know this better than many, Belinda, but quite remarkable to see a united agricultural industry view on this issue. The West Australians have been out there in full force – 1,300 at the strong convoy back at the end of May, 3,000 at Muresk. And, of course, 60,000 signatures for the Keep the Sheep campaign. So, you know, the view of Western Australians who have an affinity with the rural and regional community is very clear. I just make this point to other Western Australians who think that this is not an issue important to them. It is important that West Australians stand united with our rural and regional communities because we never know what will come under attack in the future. And I’ve always believed as a Senator representing the whole state, I’ve always believed that West Australians living in Perth and the suburbs have always had a very high regard and understood the importance of WA rural and regional communities. So, this is a really terrible set of circumstances. And the Government has an agenda. It is seeking to undermine confidence in the industry. And we know that the beneficiaries of this will be the Labor Party. Shocking set of circumstances. BELINDA VARISCHETTI: We heard just a moment ago Senator Bridget McKenzie was trying to get a Senate Inquiry into this Bill before the vote. What are the chances of that happening now if it goes to the vote at the latest by 10 o’clock this evening? DEAN SMITH: So, the way that the Senate works is that when everyone finishes their contributions, then amendments are put to the Bill or amendments to bring on inquiries are given an opportunity to be voted. So, I’ve got every confidence that Senator McKenzie’s motion to have a Senate inquiry – supported by Senator Brockman, who’s done some great work on this, Senator O’Sullivan, myself, Senator Reynolds, Senator Cash – that will be put to the Senate. And in the next few hours people should be ringing Senator Sterle, the Labor Senator from Western Australia, ringing Senator Pratt, ringing Senator Payman, who has made it very, very clear – she has demonstrated to the world that the binding caucus doesn’t always apply to Labor Senators. BELINDA VARISCHETTI: And the campaigners for Keep the Sheep are really encouraged by that move by Labor Senator Payman, crossing the floor of the Senate last week to vote for a Greens’ motion recognising a Palestinian state. Any sign any Labor Senator is prepared to do the same with this bill?   DEAN SMITH: It will be very interesting to hear Senator Sterle’s contribution. Very interesting to hear Senator Pratt’s contribution, when we get to that later this afternoon and tonight. Because, you know, Senator Payman expressed her point of view on an issue that is many thousands of miles away from Western Australia. I would hope that she would express, or have the same sort of courage to step aside, from the Labor Government’s perspective on this, that Senator Sterle and Senator Pratt and others will adopt a bit of that courage and stand up for communities that are much, much closer to them. But the Keep the Sheep delegation is here. I saw them this morning in the main entrance. They’ve been doing the rounds. Doing very, very important work, holding people accountable, because this is a very important issue that goes to the livelihoods of rural and regional towns in our community and extends beyond them. So, it’s been an important campaign, it’s been a necessary campaign. And let’s hope that some sense will prevail by the time we get to the final vote in the Senate this evening. BELINDA VARISCHETTI: And there’s no changing that vote? There’s definitely going to be a vote on this Bill by 10 o’clock this evening? DEAN SMITH: There will definitely be a vote in the Senate, beginning at 10 o’clock this evening Canberra time, yes. BELINDA VARISCHETTI: Thank you for going through the very latest coming out of the Senate today. I really appreciate that, Dean Smith. And also you’ve had your own Private Member’s Bill. I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to actually introduce your Private Member’s Bill to Parliament yet, but this is all about offering lucrative tax concessions to encourage more farmers…

Opinion Piece – Truth of Labor gaslighting finally revealed – The West Australian

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When reports emerged at the beginning of last year suggesting the Perth Mint was plagued by significant compliance failures, WA Labor quickly attempted to hose down any concerns. Then minister for mines and petroleum Bill Johnson called the reports a “beat-up,” while former Premier Mark McGowan famously described it as a “storm in a f…… tea cup.” For those who don’t remember, the allegations levelled at the Perth Mint were no laughing matter and they still aren’t. They centred on suspect banks based in international tax havens with substantial deposits at the Perth Mint, gold sold at sub-par qualities, and unreported transactions via its GoldPass app. Consequently, concerns arose that the Perth Mint may be in breach of Commonwealth anti-money laundering legislation — the same type of legislation that saw Westpac fined more than $1 billion in 2020. Except, if anything, the stakes were even higher at the Perth Mint; as a government-owned enterprise, any fines would ultimately be paid by WA taxpayers. But, from the outset, WA Labor sought to gaslight the public over the seriousness of the issue. They didn’t only demean the media’s coverage, they also used their parliamentary majority to thwart any thorough inquiry into compliance concerns at the Perth Mint. It was for this reason that, as a Federal Senator for WA, I initiated a multi-partisan Senate inquiry into this. I believed it was critical for WA senators to do the work, on behalf of the public, which the State Government refused to do. The inquiry’s final report, published on Friday, comes after a year of public hearings, and several “in camera” sessions where witnesses presented more sensitive evidence behind closed doors. It offers a damning assessment of WA Labor and singles out Mr McGowan for ignoring no less than three requests to engage with the Inquiry. The report also sheds much-needed light on the conduct of past and present members of the Perth Mint board, who failed to adequately address compliance breaches despite commissioning four audits in the decade between 2010 and 2020. Probably the most worrying aspect covered by the report is its confirmation that the same fines issued to Westpac, and to a lesser extent Crown Casino, remain looming over the head of the Perth Mint and therefore the WA taxpayer. In August, Bill Johnson called the Inquiry a “political stunt” and “rubbish”. In November, financial intelligence watchdog AUSTRAC entered into an enforceable undertaking with the Perth Mint over concerns it was still failing to comply with Federal anti-money laundering legislation. Placing significant monitoring obligations on the Perth Mint, which faces serious consequences if it is breached, it was a powerful vote of no confidence in the institution’s regulatory standards. Given this development, and other matters that have come to light, I wonder how confident Mr Johnson is in those comments now? Despite his public dismissal of concerns around the Perth Mint, Mr McGowan must also have harboured anxieties over what was transpiring there, as he appointed Sam Walsh as chairman in 2019. The inquiry was told by Mr Walsh in February, viva voce, that he failed to familiarise himself with a single one of the Perth Mint’s major clients when he assumed control of the board, despite admitting that he had been appointed to address the organisation’s compliance shortcomings. Deflection was a disappointingly common theme throughout the Inquiry. Along with Mr Walsh, the Perth Mint’s head of audit, John O’Connor, maintained repeatedly that the internal audits were of a satisfactory standard. Mr O’Connor also told the inquiry that “management” was responsible for failing to comply with established and well-known anti-money laundering and CTF obligations. That view was categorically dismissed by the Australian National Audit Office, the Office of the Auditor General for WA, and AUSTRAC. All three organisations confirmed to the inquiry that responsibility for compliance lay squarely at the feet of the board. This why the report found it was of “critical importance” that the board now provide a clear public statement — one that outlines how the regulatory failures occurred, and the steps taken to ensure these issues do not arise again. All this places Mr McGowan and WA Labor in a position that demands a public explanation. As the minister responsible for the Perth Mint from 2018-2020, he should have been fully aware of the seriousness of what was occurring and the possible exposure of WA taxpayers to such an enormous fine. Or did he know of these serious compliance failures, yet decided to stonewall both WA and Federal parliaments for political motive? Either way, the public deserves an answer. Which is precisely why the report recommends the WA Government hold its own investigation into what happened at the Perth Mint — as it should have in the first place. It’s also recommended that it make clear to the WA Parliament exactly what financial liability taxpayers could face if the enforceable undertaking is not complied with. And that the 2020 internal audit report, a document West Australians must see if they are to fully understand what has happened here, be publicly released. There are those, including Labor senators on the inquiry, who want the report to be the end of this investigation. But it is only if the report’s recommendations are adopted in full, including the ongoing obligations on the WA Government and Perth Mint, that the Mint can fully restore its reputation as a commercial benchmark and cultural icon of our State — and WA taxpayers given the protection they deserve.

Media Release – Mandatory Grocery Code go slow continues, despite Labor’s noise

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA MEDIA RELEASE 24 June 2024 Mandatory Grocery Code go slow continues, despite Labor’s noise You’d be forgiven for thinking Labor had actually delivered something new in today’s Food and Grocery Code announcement. But, while confirmation a Mandatory Code will be adopted is a positive step against future anticompetitive supermarket behaviour, it should have been done months ago. Even at the time of the Emerson Reports’ heavily delayed release in June this year, none of its recommendations – including the Mandatory Food and Grocery Code – presented fresh solutions to pressing competition challenges in the sector. During these wasted months, with Labor choosing process over action, Australians have been left battling the Albanese Government’s dual cost of living and cost of doing business crises. The reality is that suppliers and consumers alike have been left exposed on Labor’s watch, and they will continue to be until the legislation required to give Code penalties full effect is passed. Disappointingly the Albanese Government has provided no timeline for when this will occur. Whatever Treasurer Jim Chalmers or Assistant Competition Minister Andrew Leigh might say, there is no certainty of when this component, which will be critical to the effectiveness of the Code, might actually be delivered. Until that happens, stakeholders from farmers to transport operators and, of course, millions of Australians at the check-out will remain on the hook – with no confidence about the ACCC’s capacity to protect their interests through the Code. Quotes attributable to Senator Dean Smith, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury: “Sadly, the bigger the announcement from Dr Chalmers and Dr Leigh, the less action we see. “Today’s announcement is a welcome one, but it’s the beginning, rather than the end, of a process that Australian suppliers and consumers have expected – and needed – for months.” “Labor is lagging hopelessly on competition reform, which has the power to transform the Australian economy, and households and businesses are paying a terrible price, including at the till. “Now today’s announcement has finally been made, I call on Labor to provide a clear legislative timeline for when the Mandatory Code will be fully operational – with the power to impose fines.” ENDS

Transcript – Interview with Oliver Peterson, 6PR Afternoons

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21 June 2024 Topics: Perth Mint Senate Inquiry report E&OE OLIVER PETERSON: There has subsequently been an inquiry conducted by the Select Committee on the Perth Mint, and a WA Liberal Senator, Dean Smith is the chair of that committee. He’s just released a scathing report into the failures of the mint, and he can tell you more. Senator, good afternoon. DEAN SMITH: Good afternoon to you, Ollie. OLIVER PETERSON: There are a lot of compliance breaches that you uncovered in your inquiry, Senator Smith, that we may have not known about before. DEAN SMITH: It’s interesting you say that, Ollie, because during the inquiry, a significant development took place. And that is that AUSTRAC, which is the federal financial crime regulator, issued what’s called an enforceable undertaking over the Perth Mint that took place in December last year. That enforceable undertaking means that the Perth Mint is under the sort of the careful watch, if you like, of AUSTRAC and having to provide regular monthly reporting back to AUSTRAC to make sure that it’s not only meeting compliance with our anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws, but also fulfilling its remediation programs. So, what does this mean? It means that there still exists potential financial liabilities across the WA Government for which the WA taxpayer will be responsible, as seen in the report’s findings and conclusions today. And this is a report that has been supported, it’s conclusions have been supported by the Australian Greens and Coalition Senators. So, it’s far from a political inquiry. This is a broad inquiry that enjoys multi-partisan support, particularly around the recommendations. What we’re saying is that it’s time for the Perth Mint Board to accept responsibility. They have been trying to say that this is just a responsibility of the previous senior management. We said that is not good enough, Ollie, because it’s a Senate inquiry, it does have tremendous powers. We were able to see a number of documents that I can’t reveal to you and your listeners in terms of what they said. But there’s one document in particular, the 2020 internal audit report, that we’re of the strong view should be put before the WA Parliament so that the WA Parliament can see for itself some of the significant compliance failings that led to that enforceable undertaking. So unfortunately, WA taxpayers, the financial liability still sits over their head until this matter is resolved. The enforceable undertaking exists until the 30th of April, 2025. That’s assuming that the Perth Mint does actually meet all of its compliance obligations. I think it’s important to remember Ollie that, you know, why was it that the Australian Senate was forced to do this inquiry and not the WA Parliament? And your listeners might remember that then Premier Martin McGowan refused to give the WA Parliament the opportunity of having its own inquiry. So Senator Reynolds, Senator Brockman and Senator Cox, and myself, set up the Senate inquiry because we didn’t believe that these Perth Mint matters should go un-inquired. Because the Perth Mint, this is an important WA institution. It’s an institution that has tourism importance, but also has an important financial value to the state. And we would expect that it enjoys the highest level of governance and as a result of that, the highest level of public confidence. OLIVER PETERSON: Now you got a lack of cooperation from the WA Government, Ministers, and former Premier Mark McGowan, who back in March of last year in Parliament on a hot mic described the Perth Mint scandal as a storm in an effing teacup, Senator Smith? DEAN SMITH: Mark McGowan is wrong on that. And if the former Premier had been right, if there was nothing to see here, then AUSTRAC would not have put an enforceable undertaking over the Perth Mint in the way that it did in December last year. The inquiry politely asked the former Premier on three separate occasions to come and answer questions and he didn’t even do us the courtesy of a response. And why did we want to hear from Mark McGowan? Because, at critical times in this, he was the responsible Minister, because the Perth Mint, the Gold corporation, is a WA owned entity. So, very disappointing. West Australian taxpayers have got good reason to ask, what is it that the WA Government is hiding from? And if they don’t think they’re hiding from anything, then put that 2020 internal audit report before the WA Parliament and empower the WA Parliament to have its own inquiry. OLIVER PETERSON: Because you think that’s necessary? That the public has a right to know, Senator Smith? DEAN SMITH: The public absolutely has a right to know, because this is an important WA and national institution. But more than that, Ollie, because this enforceable undertaking sits over the Perth Mint. And this enforceable undertaking is just one of four enforceable undertakings AUSTRAC issued last year. In the case of Westpac, which was found to be in breach of similar issues as the Perth Mint, that fine to Westpac was in the order of one and a half billion dollars. So the failure of the Perth Mint to meet its compliance obligations under the anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws means that there is a potential liability to West Australian taxpayers at this moment. I’m pleased that West Australian Senators with common sense in our national Senate thought it necessary to have an inquiry that reported today. And we hope the WA Parliament takes a very close look at this. OLIVER PETERSON: Senator, thanks you time. DEAN SMITH: A pleasure. Thanks Ollie. ENDS

Transcript – Interview with Jo Trilling, ABC Perth Drive

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21 June 2024 Topics: Perth Mint Senate Inquiry report E&OE JO TRILLING: (AUDIO GRAB PLAYED) Well off the back of all these accusations, WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith established a committee to report into the Mint and its compliance with a range of Commonwealth laws and regulations. Today, that inquiry released its final report. So, what have they recommended? Senator Dean Smith is here to explain. Welcome back to Drive, Senator. DEAN SMITH: Good afternoon to you and your listeners. JO TRILLING: So, your first two recommendations are for the board of Perth Mint to publicly acknowledge they failed to comply with Anti-money laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act of 2006 and then publish a clear statement explaining why. Dean, why is that acknowledgement so important to you? DEAN SMITH: It’s important just to remind your listeners why it is that the Senate decided to initiate its own inquiry into compliance, specifically with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws. And that was primarily because the West Australian Government denied the WA Parliament its own independent review and inquiry mechanism. So West Australian Senators thought it necessary, given that these were Commonwealth laws that had been breached, that some level of transparency needed to be brought over these matters. Also, during the course of the inquiry, AUSTRAC, which is the financial intelligence regulator in Australia, responsible for protecting institutions like the Perth Mint, issued an enforceable undertaking over the Perth Mint. That enforceable undertaking requires the Perth Mint to report very regularly to AUSTRAC on remediation programmes that it now has in place to comply with Commonwealth laws. This is a very significant event that occurred by AUSTRAC in December of last year, when the enforceable undertaking was put in place, because it also puts in place a potential financial liability to West Australian taxpayers. So we’ve had the inquiry, we’ve come to a very clear conclusion that there are still many questions that need to be answered. The board, we believe, should be required to make a detailed statement to the West Australian Parliament and to the taxpayers in terms of what were the series of events that led to this enforceable undertaking. And I would just add this point because I think it’s an important point. The Senate committee had an opportunity to inquire into and read for itself various internal audit reports. Those audit reports were provided to the Senate committee on a confidential basis, so we’re not able to talk about what they said. But we have decided in our committee report that it’s important that one of those internal audit reports, the 2020 internal audit report, be tabled before the WA Parliament so the Parliament can see for itself those compliance failings that led to the enforceable undertaking. JO TRILLING: Now, Senator, asking them to publish this statement is one thing. Do you expect them to actually follow through and do it? DEAN SMITH: It is the 125th anniversary this week. You’re quite right to point that out. I think that the Gold Corporation, trading as the Perth Mint, is very, very important institution for our country and for Western Australia. And I would like to think that the board and Mr Walsh, in particular, would understand that full transparency to the WA Parliament is a great way of ensuring that the Mint continues with a strong and credible reputation for another 125 years. JO TRILLING: And you were left disappointed by the fact that former Premier Mark McGowan didn’t appear before the inquiry? What would you have liked to have asked him? DEAN SMITH: I would like to have asked Mr McGowan to what extent was he aware of the findings contained in the 2020 internal audit report. A very simple but very important question. And I think the West Australian Parliament does deserve the opportunity to conduct its own inquiry to satisfy itself, in addition to the work that the Senate’s been forced to do because the WA Labor Government used its mega parliamentary majority to deny what I would regard as an appropriate, necessary level of inquiry over the Perth Mint matters. JO TRILLING: Senator Dean Smith, what more could the State Parliament, through their own inquiry, discover that your committee hasn’t? Is that excessive? DEAN SMITH: It is absolutely not excessive when we consider the fact that the enforceable undertaking issued by AUSTRAC – and AUSTRAC has only issued three other enforceable undertakings in the calendar year of 2023 – is an enforceable undertaking like the one over institutions like Westpac and, for similar failure to comply with matters like the Perth Mint, AUSTRAC levied a fine against Westpac of $1.5 billion. So, the West Australian Parliament not just has a responsibility, it has a duty. And the WA Government should not stand in its way to make sure that enforceable undertaking doesn’t lead to financial penalties being put over the West Australian taxpayer. I think actually the WA inquiry is more necessary now as a result of the Senate’s work, not less. JO TRILLING: And you feel that the State Government has really sort of downplayed the breaches. DEAN SMITH: Absolutely. There is no question about it that the West Australian State Government, first under Premier McGowan and now under Premier Cook, is hoping that these issues would just go away. And it’s a fundamental point that your listeners appreciate, I believe, that is that this enforceable undertaking is a very serious matter. Yes, Gold Corporation is complying with it to date. And that is the evidence that we heard from as AUSTRAC as recently as this week. But that enforceable undertaking sits over the Gold Corp until the 30th of April next year. So for Premier Cook and for former Premier McGowan this matter is far from concluded. JO TRILLING: Senator, thanks for your time. DEAN SMITH: It’s a pleasure. ENDS

Media Release – ABS data confirms WA’s record housing pain

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SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA MEDIA RELEASE 10 June 2024 ABS DATA CONFIRMS WA’S RECORD HOUSING PAIN   WA is again breaking property records for all the wrong reasons, with average home loans reaching new highs and piling unprecedented pressure on aspiring homebuyers. New Australian Bureau of Statistics figures reveals the average home loan in WA is now $537,913 – the highest since published ABS data began. It is a significant rise from the $475,405 average in September 2023, a jump of $62,508 over just 8 months. Based on the average loan amount of $537,913, assuming a 30 year loan at an interest rate of 6.22%, this translates to repayments of $ 3,302 per month. That is an increase of $384 per month since September 2023 – or 13.5%. It mirrors REIWA data showing that Perth house prices grew by three times the national rate in April 2024, up by $78,000 since January last year. The latest property prediction by Oxford Economics Australia is that the median price of a home in Perth will rise to over $1 million within three years. This week’s ABS data also reveals investor loans in WA rose by 37% between September last year to reach $1.1 billion in April 2024. Again, this is at the highest level since published ABS records became available. 75% of all investor lending in WA during April 2024 was directed towards buying established homes, putting them in direct competition with local owner occupiers. Many are interstate investors and in a stronger financial position to outbid local WA buyers because East Coast property values and levels of equity are higher than in in the West. In fact, interstate property buyers overall now account for one quarter of all online searches for WA property, mostly directed at lower priced properties given they offer higher rental yields than those in larger cities like Sydney. Over the last year, the biggest increases in property prices have been in the more affordable areas of Perth, with prices in Armadale surging by 31.6%. Kwinana (+28.6%) and Rockingham (+ 27.9 %). Compounding the situation is another record – the Albanese Government’s unmodelled immigration boom, which has seen WA growing at a faster rate than any other state or territory. The result is an acute shortage of established housing and the reality that low income earners, in particular will increasingly be unable to buy a home in Perth. Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “At the election, Anthony Albanese promised he would stand up for WA, but instead he is punishing first homebuyers and mortgagees with crippling interest rates because he has failed to bring down inflation. “Month on month, it becomes harder for homeowners to make their dreams a reality in WA – for some it is now virtually impossible”. “While the current market benefits some investors, these record ABS numbers confirm the situation facing hundreds of thousands of Western Australians who just want somewhere to live. “Labor has an obligation to boost housing supply urgently, but, in the meantime, poor policy like Anthony Albanese’s unmodelled immigration has made a bad situation worse. “In the meantime, the Albanese Government’s spending is pushing up inflation and – as the RBA Governor confirmed this week – risks increased interest rates at any time. “Many WA households are already in a vulnerable position and could be forced over the edge if there are further rate rises by the RBA, which continues to do the Government’s heavy lifting for it. “These are the hard facts of two years and three budgets under Labor.” ENDS