THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
SUNRISE WITH NATALIE BARR
MONDAY, 10 MARCH 2025
SUBJECTS: ADF EMERGENCY RELIEF, WA ELECTION RESULTS, UPCOMING FEDERAL ELECTION.
NATALIE BARR: Senator Jacqui Lambie has called for a plan B to calling in the ADF for disaster relief after 13 soldiers were injured when their trucks rolled near Lismore in the wake of ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred. Senator Lambie says our troops should be the last port of call and echoes a 2023 government review into our defence strategy, which warned that the ADF is not structured or equipped to act as a domestic disaster recovery agency concurrently with its core function in any sustainable way. For their take, let's bring in Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce. Good morning. Tanya, should we have a different approach to disasters than just calling in the ADF and trying to get them to solve everything?
TANYA PLIBERSEK, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER: Yeah. A couple of things to say. First of all, which is that all Australians are watching the path of this ex-tropical cyclone, making sure that we give every support we can to the communities affected. Of course, it's a terrible time for those communities and all of us are happy to do whatever we possibly can to support them. And secondly, the ADF personnel who've been injured in this crash near Lismore, our thoughts are with them and their families and it's good to hear that many of them are recovering well and are leaving hospital or will soon leave hospital. A couple of things on the ADF itself. Right now, the ADF are the best people to do some of the real heavy lifting. They've got the equipment, they've got the personnel and as the Defence Minister said, they're proud of the work they do and we're proud of them for doing it. But longer term, yes, the Defence Strategic Review has said, the Parliamentary Inquiry has said that we do need to look at other arrangements so that we are keeping the ADF for the jobs that only they can do. There are things that they've got the equipment and the skill to do and at the moment nobody else has the equipment and the skill to do that. So, of course we're relying on them at the moment. But longer term, we are looking at what more we can do.
BARR: So, Barnaby, who looks at it and what do we do? Jacqui Lambie said something like akin to the US National Guard, because at the moment the ADF is short-staffed. They haven't even got enough reserves. So, what do you think could be a solution?
BARNABY JOYCE: Well, first of all, I concur with the remarks of Tanya and obviously our thoughts with those service personnel who are still currently in hospital. Secondly, Jacqui didn't think of this. The Defence Strategic Review thought of this. Angus Houston and Stephen Smith thought of this. And with the circumstances of before us, and you saw that in abundant form the other day with the live fire exercises by the communist Chinese off the coast of Sydney. The defence forces defend Australia primarily and it should absolutely be a last resort. Now, the question may be asked when things calmed down a bit with a Category One cyclone, was the sort of circumstances we call out the Defence Force. They are, they are being called out, they're supposed to be an absolutely last resort. And we have to acknowledge that we have to come as powerful as possible as quickly as possible for the defence of Australia. And that requires us to make sure that our Defence Force is absolutely and utterly focused on the defence of Australia, more so than emergency relief. Now we have the, we have the veterans group that is trained to go into these sort of areas and I think that that's something where you can use your military training and also be primarily or almost exclusively for situations precisely like this.
BARR: Moving on, the Labor Party in WA has been celebrating all weekend after a resounding election victory in the state that left the Liberals with only five seats, the Nationals with four. But despite an 18 per cent stake swing against Labor, only about eight per cent went to the Coalition. About seven went to the minor parties, the Greens and the Independents. Barnaby, are you worried that this will be replicated in the federal election?
JOYCE: Well, first of all, congratulations to Premier Cook and it's great to see that you know, that West Australia has made a clear decision. That's their political right to make a decision. Obviously, the circumstances in Western Australia, which they were fighting that election, are entirely different to a federal election. They're different realms. But what I would say, to answer your question is, yeah, there's a very, very good chance of a hung Parliament coming up. And I think it's incumbent upon the Independents and it's incumbent on the fourth state, like myself, to say to them, well, if you determine the government, well, which government are you going to determine? There's one question you can answer and you've been watching the Parliament now for long enough. Make your decision, make your call about which side you support. Otherwise people will go to the election thinking they're voting for a Liberal National government or then they end up voting for a Labor government. Alternatively, they think they're voting for a Labor government, and they end up with a Liberal National government. And I think people have a right, in fact, the whole of Australia has the right to know which way you're going to go.
BARR: Yeah, it feels like, though, it's a pox on both your houses at the moment. Tanya, there's a swing against Labor, but they're going to the minor parties. What is your side saying going into a federal election? We're obviously just weeks away. When you see something like this happen in WA.
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, the first thing we say is congratulations, Roger Cook. It's a resounding win for Labor in the west. And I mean, I think it shows that the Cook government has been focused on what matters to West Australians and that's jobs, the economy and the social services like health and education that they depend upon. They were relentless in their focus on those issues that affect people day to day. And the lesson here for us is we need to continue to do what we're doing, which is focusing on cost of living and making sure that Australian's know we want them to earn more -
BARR: Will that do it if you continue on what you're doing?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: - And keep more of what they're earning. Well, it's absolutely a close election. The polls show that it will be a close election, but we've got a really clear plan to help people with their cost of living pressures. And Peter Dutton's got nothing on cost of living. What is his plan to help people with their cost of living? There's nothing there.
BARR: Barnaby, on that, 55 per cent of people say in a Newspoll out today they are not confident that you guys are ready to take government. So, they're not necessarily saying they want Labor, but they're certainly not falling behind you. What are you guys going to do about that?
JOYCE: They're certainly not falling behind that the Labor Party have done anything about cost of living and -
BARR: Yeah, but let's talk about you.
JOYCE: Yeah, well, I think that as we go forward, I acknowledge the polls. I think as we go forward, people are focused. We haven't had an election called yet and once an election is called, I think people are really going to focus down on exactly what the choice is, whether it's Mr Albanese and intermittent power or whether it's Mr Dutton making sure we have a more sane approach to how we deal with things so that we can deal with issues such as cost of living. The Labor Party been there for three years, it's only got worse under them.
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: And nuclear energy in 30 years’ time is your cost of living plan?
JOYCE: Look, you're going to say this all the time. You're all about wind towers and solar panels and it's a disaster and that is at the pace of everything. You've been then for three years, you've been there for three years and -
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Nuclear power in a decade, like decades away is your solution is it Barnaby to cost of living pressures?
JOYCE: You keep on pretending you want to be the Opposition. You'll get a chance in a few weeks. If all you want to say is you were no good at the government, well you get a chance to be the Opposition again. The, but I, you know let's wait for the election to be called.
BARR: Actually, the polls still saying that it's Labor by a whisker, Barnaby.
JOYCE: I think they're saying it's most likely a hung Parliament, Nat. And that's and I acknowledge that it's going to be a huge task for the Coalition. 19 seats. We understand that. But they, they're not giving a vote of endorsement to the Labor Party if you believe the polls. They believe that they don't know what they're doing.
BARR: Okay. Okay, we thank you very much. We'll see you next week.
END
