28 February 2024
Topics: Sydney Mardi Gras Police attendance, Airline competition, Pay on Delay Bill
E&OE
GREG JENNETT:
Liberal Senator Dean Smith has been keeping an eye on this for reasons that he might soon explain to us. He joins us now live in the studio. Senator, welcome back. The update we brought to our audience only in the last 15 or 20 minutes was from the board of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, saying New South Wales Police officers will participate in this year’s parade in a reduced capacity to the originally planned full float, and that they will also be participating out of uniform. Does that address any concerns you might have had about the decision to uninvite them?
DEAN SMITH:
Well, as you alluded to Greg, I do speak from a unique position, not only as a parliamentarian who is a member of the LGBTI community, but as the son of a Police officer and the brother of a Police officer in the West Australian Police Force. So, I hope that this is a decision that will be welcomed not just by the LGBTI community but also by the broader Australian community. I think it does speak to the high level of cooperation and unity that has characterized New South Wales policing and LGBTI matters for a number of years. Now, I’m sure it will not satisfy everyone, but I think that we can trust that the cooperation we have seen in the past will remain, and that the decision to keep a close eye on the importance of demonstrating unity at Saturday’s March is maintained. So, I welcome the decision.
GREG JENNETT:
Obviously, we are awaiting word and I imagine it is being considered right now by the Australian Federal Police whether they would follow suit and restore some sort of contingent presence in this weekend’s Mardi Gras. Any views on where this leaves them?
DEAN SMITH:
Well, I can’t see a compelling reason why the Australian Federal Police will not follow the decision, the agreement that’s been reached by New South Wales Police and the Mardi Gras organizers. I do think that Police forces across our country should be acting in a uniform and cooperative way. And again, it speaks to the cooperation and unity that both Mardi Gras and the New South Wales police have established. So, I welcome the New South Wales police decision, but I also hope that the Australian Federal Police will follow suit.
GREG JENNETT:
As you alluded to in your first answer, Dean, there are historical reasons for some tensions, I suppose, between the gay and lesbian community around Sydney with a special commission of inquiry having been held in that state. And then there are more recent events, obviously the tragic killing of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird. when some of the more immediate pressure points have dissipated, do you in general think it a healthy thing that formal Police presence via a float is a regular fixture at these events?
DEAN SMITH:
Again, people’s attitudes to the Sydney Mardi Gras are varied. When I look at the Mardi Gras, I see demonstration of Australia’s commitment to anti-discrimination measures. I’m not someone who finds the Mardi Gras offensive. I’m not offended by the political statements that some people choose to make. It is a free country. But for me, what I see in the Mardi Gras events are Australia’s commitment to ending discrimination, a greater acceptance of LGBTI people across our community in every forum.
GREG JENNETT:
Well, look, thank you for putting that on the record and coming at it at least in the Federal Parliament from what I imagine is a, a unique perspective for the reasons that you outlined. Why don’t we just switch over to your daily work here, and you are behind a Coalition Bill called “Pay on Delay” that would seek to impose penalties on airlines when they seriously delayed or cancelled in this country. Why not leave this to the ACCC which has already got a few broad policies in this area?
DEAN SMITH:
Greg, you won’t be surprised to hear me say that the Government’s reaction so far to meeting increasing levels of demand for better service from airline consumers has been characterised by inertia and defensiveness. I think the context is very, very important. 5 million commercial flights in Australia in December last year, 5.5% level of cancellations, double the average. And of course we’ve seen in the most recent ACCC report an almost 200% increase in the number of complaints to airlines. So clearly Australians, Australian airline consumers, are demanding action. I’m delighted that Senator McKenzie and myself have put forward a bill to Parliament, a bill that’ll bring some of those questions to resolution.
GREG JENNETT:
Finally, we don’t have a lot of time left, but there’d be a pile of exemptions, wouldn’t there, before a penalty was actually paid to a passenger? For instance, uncontrollable weather events, air traffic delays circling around a city, all of that would have to be taken care of.
DEAN SMITH:
One of those things is not within the control of the Government, and that is the weather. The other is absolutely in control of the Government. Air Services Australia is a Government agency. So, I think the Government has a greater level of responsibility on this issue than it wants to accept at the moment, and we hope that our bill will put a change to that.
GREG JENNETT:
Well bills initiated from your side of the Parliament are pretty hard going but…
DEAN SMITH:
To be fair, though, Greg, to be fair, Senator McKenzie and I had some recent success, just a few months ago, with a similar bill to force the Government to reintroduce the ACCC monitoring regime. And we had some success.
GREG JENNETT:
Alright, well that one’s chalked up on the board. We wish you good luck with whatever lies ahead on that one. Dean Smith, really appreciate you coming back onto the program.
DEAN SMITH:
Thank you.
ENDS