THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
SUNRISE WITH NATALIE BARR
MONDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 2025
SUBJECTS: VICTORIAN BY-ELECTION, THE NATIONALS RULING ON ELECTORAL VISITS.
NATALIE BARR: Well, the Federal Government could be forced to splash cash on cost of living measures in order to fend off further electoral damage after Labor's primary vote collapsed in a Victorian state by-election. Labor insiders say the results have triggered some nervousness in Canberra and that voter anger towards Jacinta Allan's government may bleed into Anthony Albanese's campaign. It comes as new polling shows Labor is losing its ground in outer suburbs, dropping by 5 per cent in just three months. For their take, let's bring in Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce. Good morning to you, Tanya, you seem to be losing support in Victoria. This was a heartland seat, and I know people say that in by-elections, it's a chance for people to turn against the government, but is there any concern for Federal Labor here?
MINISTER TANYA PLIBERSEK, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER: Well, we know that people have been under a lot of cost of living pressure and that's why we're 100 per cent focused on taking some that pressure off. It's why we support higher wages, it's why we've delivered lower taxes, it's why we're so focused on keeping employment strong. It's why we're delivering cheaper medicines, cheaper childcare, fee free TAFE, university bill relief. And it's why we announced about half a billion dollars of extra health funding just over the weekend that will make things like popular contraceptive pills like Yaz® and Yasmin® cheaper. We want to do whatever we can to take pressure off people.
BARR: Yeah, but when you get a by-election result like this and you get a swing, do you sit there and, you know, take notice of the paper this morning that says the wine and cheese board inner city faction is moving away from you?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, of course you pay attention, but I think one of the interesting things about this result is that there was a significant drop in the Labor vote. Most of it didn't go to the Liberals, it's gone to the none of the above category. And of course that's something that we need to work on. That's why we are so absolutely focused on taking pressure off cost of living. People know that the real risk to cost of living is Peter Dutton, who wants to slash wages, didn't support the tax cuts, hasn't supported electricity bill relief and doesn't have a single policy that would actually take pressure off families. So, they're not going to Peter Dutton either.
BARR: Yeah. Barnaby, Tanya has a really good point. It was a fraction, just 3.7 per cent moving to the Liberals candidate in one of those seats. Does that make you concerned?
BARNABY JOYCE: No, what we've seen there, that was about 95 per cent talking points from Tanya, so congratulate her on keeping to the PMO's lines. But what we've seen is if you want to concentrate on peripheral issues such as intermittent power and lose sight of the major issues such as cost of living, then people are not going to vote for you. And in a natural constituency, which you think a lot of times will oscillate between Labor and Green, they voted for neither of them. And what we've seen is the Liberal Party have actually won a seat. Now that has got to send a message if it's like that in that area. Once the further west you go into the suburbs, especially in Sydney, the more pronounced that's going to be. But you can't do anything about it because of the dictums of Chris Bowen. I mean, he wants to take you down a path where no one votes for you, and you've got no one to blame but yourself for that. And until you decide that your intermittent power, your 82 per cent target, you're going to save the world ideas are more important than trying to make sure a person can pay for the groceries, pay for their power, pay for their fuel, pay for their rent. Whilst you have the priorities wrong, people are going to change their priorities on how they vote. And it's happening.
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: But what's your plan, Barnaby. What's your plan for cost of living, Barnaby? Nuclear power in 2040 is not a cost of living plan, it's a fantasy.
JOYCE: Your fantasies, you're closing down the coal fired power stations flat out. You're forcing up the price of power.
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: What's your plan?
JOYCE: The results are in the power bill. The result is in the mail. It's coming to you. People see it. And all your rhetoric, all your rhetoric, all your rhetoric just –
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: You can't answer that. That's the obvious thing here. Not a thing.
JOYCE: Stands on its head and falls over because people see themselves getting poorer –
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, tell us your plan.
JOYCE: And unless you're changing your position on 82 per cent renewables. Well, we don't go to 82 per cent renewables by 2030. Are you going to change your position on that? Change your position, win your election Tanya.
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: What's your plan for cost of living, Barnaby.
BARR: We might have a discussion on electricity another time because I want to get to this one, which was brought up over the weekend. Speaking of coming into the election and it'll be announced soon. The Nationals have introduced a new rule, apparently to require Shadow Ministers to get permission from leader David Littleproud if they want to conduct political trips outside their electorate. Barnaby, senior party sources say this was created to actually stop you from going outside your seat, hiding you away. Are you instructed; have you been instructed to hide in your electorate this election?
JOYCE: Well, I couldn't see that question coming, could I. So, let's go through this. First of all, I did not drop that story, nor is there any comment on or off the record for me in that story. So, you're probably talking to the wrong person. The next thing I could say that as either deputy or leader, I did not go to an election where the Nationals did not pick up a seat, including the massive swings against us in the Morrison and Turnbull government, we went to those elections and actually gained seats. I'm the only person in this nation who ever won back a Senate seat and a Lower House seat, and I did it in two different states. I got a rough idea, rough idea how people think. Now, if people say, and I can understand it, that I need to wear a sexier shirt, well, I'm not going to. And if you think I should be hidden away. Do you want me to hide away from this program?
BARR: Has Littleproud told you to stay in your electorate?
JOYCE: No, not directly. There is a, there is a process.
BARR: Not directly? So, through someone else?
JOYCE: No, because it said that – they have said, I'm not going to deny it. They have said that everybody has to coordinate through the Leader's Office, but maybe that's the case in all parties. I don't know, Tanya could tell you that.
BARR: Well, we're not going to Tanya on this one. We're sticking with you.
JOYCE: Yes, I can see that.
BARR: Have you indirectly been told to stay in your electorate?
JOYCE: Well, everybody's been. Well, no, you've been told that you have to get permission from the Leader's Office to go to other electorates, but that was conveyed to everybody.
BARR: So, have they told everybody? Because it's really directed at you?
JOYCE: Well, I don't know whether it's directed at me. You'd have to go to the person who dropped the story and ask them if it's directed at me.
BARR: So, one senior National source familiar with the Nationals, apparently is saying women didn't trust us at the last election and Barnaby was a key reason for that.
JOYCE: Well, why do we win every seat and up an extra Senate seat? Why is it that every election I've gone to as leader or deputy, we never, ever went backwards, even when the Liberal Party went massively backwards.
BARR: How are you getting along with David Littleproud, Barnaby?
JOYCE: Have I got 100 per cent of the men's vote? I mean, I don't know. How does this work?
BARR: How do you, how are you getting along with David Littleproud?
JOYCE: Oh, very well.
BARR: Ok. Tanya, what do you think of this apparent rule that Barnaby's hiding in plain sight on national TV every Monday morning.
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: All I can say is Barnaby's welcome in my electorate. I think the more people see of him, the better.
JOYCE: That's one electorate I wouldn't go to actually, Tanya, you're right on that. Your people are not the kind of same as Rockhampton or Tamworth. I acknowledge that. And I'm smart enough not to go into your electorate unless you invite me for a barbecue to help your vote go up.
BARR: Well, hang on. Tanya's just invited you over for a barbecue. You gonna go?
JOYCE: After the election I'm happy to, but she won't keep the invitation open after the barbecue. I'm not gonna be walking down Annandale in my Akubra.
BARR: Are you going to pick up the phone – but to Littleproud and say listen, can I just do this one?
JOYCE: I don't think Tanya's under threat.
JOYCE: I think the guy next door, Albanese, is under a bit more threat than Tanya.
BARR: I think that was a no, Tanya he's turning you down.
JOYCE: She's got eyes on another job.
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: No, no, I would be delighted. The more people seeing Barnaby in my electorate, the better. And Nat, I've got to say, last week we were in Parliament. The week before that I was in Cairns, I was in Bendigo. Next week I'm off to Queensland again. I think actually members of Parliament being able to go and speak to people in a whole range of different electorates is really important to the way we do our jobs because we are there to govern for the whole country. It is really important that we get out and about, that we see the issues on the ground, we hear directly from people who are affected. It's a really important part of the job.
JOYCE: I've got a deal, I've got a deal. Tanya, maybe I'll go to your electorate if you come to mine.
BARR: Maybe I should bring a salad.
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: I love your part of the world, Barnaby. It's beautiful.
JOYCE: It's on.
BARR: This is gorgeous.
JOYCE: And Channel Seven - you can you come to my electorate and I'll be very polite. I'm going to be very decent and polite. I'd love you to come.
BARR: I'll bring a salad. I do a lovely one. Thank you Shirvo. Thank you. This is just lovely, isn't it? Thank you. See you next week, everyone.
END
