THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TV INTERVIEW
SUNRISE
MONDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER 2025

Topics: Newspoll; migration; Labor's housing plan.

NATALIE BARR: Thank you very much, Sam. The Coalition has recorded its worst Newspoll primary result ever, falling to 27% while Labor remains steady at 36%. On a two-party preferred basis Labor leads 58% to the Coalition's 42%. And both leaders fell in net satisfaction in the latest results, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on -5% and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley dropping to -17%. For their take, let’s bring in Social Services Minister, Tanya Plibersek and Nationals MP, Barnaby Joyce. Barnaby, we'll start with you. The all-time lowest primary result, that is since records began in 1985. Why?

BARNABY JOYCE: I'll go down to five reasons. Number one, get a, get a map of Australia and stick it on your fridge and from that point on, just start worrying about them. Don’t worry about climate conferences or worry about what's happening in the Middle East or worry about, you know, worry about the fact that you've got basically people coming in, immigration levels too high. Worry about the cost of living.

The next thing is basically pick three issues that there's a, they're binary, that you're all for them and Labor's all against them, or you're all against them and Labor's all for them because that helps you define the map on the fridge.

The third thing is put your best team on the paddock. We're looking at grand finals. Not, not your best mates. Put your best team on the paddock and follow through with that. Then I'd say that the Labor Party's been there before, after Julia Gillard, they were down the same numbers and they came back. So, you can come back, but you've really got to focus. Last thing I'll say, if you don't come back in the next three years as a political movement, you might be replaced by another one.

BARR: Put your best team on the paddock. Is Sussan Ley safe, Barnaby?

JOYCE: Yeah. Look, it's not about, it's not about Sussan. It's about making sure you've got the right people for the right positions. Because you want to present as, you know, as competent across the field. And we haven't got a great number to pick from, to be completely frank, so, you can't afford to run second graders out. And I'm not looking for a position myself, I'm really not. But you know, people such as Matt Canavan, he is your best economic spokesman. Use him.

BARR: Okay. Tanya, there are rumblings about the leadership now. And there have been, before this poll came out, that Angus Taylor will knife Sussan Ley. If they axe the party's first female leader ever, within a few months of putting her in, would you have a comment on that? Because that is what the scuttlebutt is.

TANYA PLIBERSEK, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Well sure, I've heard those rumours too. But this is the problem, Nat. Like, Barnaby, the Nationals, the Liberals, they're all focused on themselves. And what we're focused on as a government is the Australian people. And that means higher wages, lower taxes, more affordable housing, cheaper childcare, cheaper medicines, more bulk-billing, fee-free TAFE, university debt relief. That's what we're focused on, actually making life better and easier for everyday Australians. That's why you're seeing these results.

BARR: Something people are worried about, though in another poll, Tanya, a separate one from Resolve this morning, has revealed that 49% of voters believe current permanent migration levels in this country are too high. Only about a quarter, 27%, say it's about right. Even more people, 55%, say your government is handling immigration in an unplanned and unmanaged way. What's your response to that?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, I'd say the reason we brought immigration down last year by 36% is because we understand that there's pressures out there. We need to be building more housing to make sure we've got the houses to house them when they get here.  

BARR: It’s not cutting through though, is it?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: We also need a balance. I mean, there's skills that we need in Australia. I mean, Barnaby would tell you that there's plenty of regional parts of Australia that need that workforce, particularly when it's fruit picking season, for example. We need a balance, but immigration's down under us. The two highest years from 2017 onwards, 9 million visas issued each year for two years. That was under Peter Dutton when he was Home Affairs Minister. That's why we're bringing immigration down.

JOYCE: It’s another history lesson. My gosh. It's another history lesson. You're the government. Now, I do agree with you in areas and regional areas, yes, we do need people, that's not a mistake. But the problem we've got is in the capital cities, they can't afford their houses because they're pouring in there. You brought in the population of Canberra and they didn't move out to regional areas, they moved into the centre of Sydney, into the suburbs of Sydney, so Australians couldn't buy a house. The first thing I mentioned, I agree with you Tanya, focusing on what we need to do. That's why the first thing I mentioned in that list was get a picture of Australia and stick it on your fridge and focus on that.

BARR: So, well, people are worried, Tanya, and this is not going away. And even though the immigration number has reduced and even though, you know, we still need workers in certain areas, this is more than half the country is saying you're not doing it right.

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, we've got the balance that we've got to achieve. We've got to make sure that we've got the skilled workforce here in Australia, particularly in those regional areas. We work with the states and territories because of course, there's, because, of course, there's different pressures in different parts of Australia. There's some parts of Australia where they're crying out for additional migrants to meet the jobs demand in those areas. But, yeah, I mean, we understand that particularly in our capital cities, people are feeling the pressure and that's why we've got a $43 billion housing program.

JOYCE: Which is not working.

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: I mean, just one example. Since we came to, since we came to government, we've built 5,000 social and affordable homes. Under the coalition for 10 years, they built fewer than 400.

JOYCE: [Inaudible] You're the government.

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: 5,000 as opposed to 400.

JOYCE: [Inaudible] Why do we have a housing crisis? Because you bring unskilled workers into the cities [inaudible]

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Because for 10 years you did nothing, Barnaby. Because for 10 years you did nothing. And for 10 years you didn't even train the workforce we needed to build those houses.

JOYCE:[inaudible] You're not going spectacularly well either. Your polling is in the 30s as well.

BARR: Okay, well, lots better than the Coalition’s.

JOYCE: [Inaudible].

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: He’s a bit grumpy this morning [inaudible].

JOYCE: [Inaudible] Without a shadow of a doubt. Without a shadow of a doubt.

BARR: Thank you very much. See you next week. Here's Shirvo.

ENDS