TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR EDUCATION
SHADOW MINISTER FOR WOMEN
MEMBER FOR SYDNEY
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
SKY NEWS WITH ALAN JONES
THURSDAY, 29 APRIL 2021
SUBJECTS: Gender in sport; violence against women; Club feeds; labour market shortages.
ALAN JONES, HOST: This is a segment I enjoy very much - as do my viewers. The conservatives rally around Concetta Fierravanti-Wells. Tanya Plibersek stirs them up but our Labor viewers love her. You see, one great weakness in national politics is that there is no debate. You can't get it in the Parliament, one side speaks, the other must shut up, no matter what rubbish they may be uttering. There are no such limitations here - except for courtesy. So ladies good evening, may I just return briefly to what I raised with you last week, and what we've just seen there with Catherine. Sport everywhere at the weekend, if a person's trans or gender identity must remain confidential, how do we know that men aren't playing against women? And that some women may be at risk, Concetta?
CONCETTA FIERRAVANTI-WELLS, LIBERAL SENATOR FOR NSW: Look, Alan this whole gender identity issue has caused a lot of concerns, and I think that it's been complicated by the fact that both Sports Australia in the Australian Human Rights Commission have adopted a very gender-activist approach. Now, one of the problems I think here is lack of definition - Sports Australia doesn't have a definition, as I understand, of 'woman' and as a consequence of changes that were made to the Sex Discrimination Act which, Tanya, came from the Labor Party back in 2013 I think - there is no definition of what is a man and what is a woman. So this has given rise, I think, to this whole activist approach. So that same-sex services, whether they be for men or women, are suddenly discriminatory. So - does that, does that - that means now that women's-only sport and women's change rooms and the whole sort of issue that Catherine was talking about suddenly become discriminatory. But the point is the point is Alan, the majority of Australians just don't buy this, and I think Catherine was absolutely correct when she said that the silent majority don't accept this in Australian politics.
JONES: Tanya, you're a mother. Would you be concerned about a biological male having access to the toilets and the change rooms of your daughter? Notwithstanding the entitlement of transgender people to play sport and have their rights.
TANYA PLIBERSEK, SHADOW MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, SHADOW MINISTER FOR WOMEN: Alan, I don't like to see discrimination against people but I've got to say this is not something I've thought about a great deal. I think with a bit of common sense, the sporting codes talking to the community can work some sensible way through it. But if you ask me: 'am I concerned about the safety of my daughter and other girls', I'd say with one Australian woman dying every week from domestic homicide, with one in five Australian women experiencing sexual assault in her lifetime, one in three experiencing domestic violence, I continue to be concerned about violence against women but I think we need to look at the big picture when it comes to violence against women and girls.
JONES: I agree. Do these rights clash with the sex-based rights of women and girls?
PLIBERSEK: I think we're having a pretty abstract conversation, and I'd like to hear from the sporting codes and other people who follow this much more closely-
JONES: They've just signed up.
PLIBERSEK: I think it cannot be beyond us to -
JONES: -there's got to be some revision.
PLIBERSEK: - be inclusive and sensible.
JONES: There's got to be some revision. Concetta, is there anything you want to add?
FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: Alan, you're absolutely correct, and this is where Sports Australia and the Australian Human Rights Commission have a role to play here. But one of the issues that concerns me is that here we are talking about gender and gender sport, and gender identity. There's another issue here, which also is part of this discussion, and that is the transition and the growing. This is something that I get lots of letters about, and that is young people wanting to transition. And again, that's another thing that's shrouded in lack of scrutiny and lack of information by the public. And again, parents not being able to access information and therefore not being able to assist their children in making this monumental decision to transition.
JONES: The needs to, we can't sweep it under the table. Now listen, on a lighter note and New South Wales clubs are upping the ante to compete for culinary crown. Today, they're cooking up a storm to be named one of New South Wales' best club feeds. So Tanya, you're first off the mark. Where do you go for your best club feed?
PLIBERSEK: I love Club Redfern, they've got a great Chinese restaurant there if I want to a nice lemon chicken or a bit of beef and black bean sauce - I'd go there. But I worked at the Sutherland District Trade Union Club in Gymea, Alan, it was called The Tradies back in the day and that's probably the Club closest to my heart because I worked there for quite a few years. I worked my way up from washing dishes in the kitchen at the bistro to being a waitress on the floor in the - what was then called - the Waratah Room. It was the 'special night out' restaurant. I had lovely regular customers that used to come in for their half a lobster mornay and a bit of garlic bread. That club's very special to me.
JONES: Right-o, you've said enough. You get a pass on that one. Concetta, you've had time to think, when was the last time you entered a club and what was it?
FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: Well I have to say Alan, that as a Senator I trek around the State quite a bit and you'll always get a great feed in whichever club that you go to around the state. I have to say, though, on a serious note - Clubs New South Wales do an absolutely fabulous job-
JONES: We know that, we know that, we know that Concetta. Have you tasted, for example, a beef and Guinness pie?
FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: Well, I haven't tasted it beef and Guinness pie. I'm a kind of a plain beef pie, myself.
JONES: What's your favourite feed?
FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: My favourite feed has to be a glass of red and a nice roast on a Sunday night.
JONES: Well, there you are. So Tanya what about -
PLIBERSEK: Alan, what do you think about the surf and turf? The surf and turf is the classic club meal.
JONES: What about a schooner, Tanya, and a roast dinner? A schooner in a roast dinner.
PLIBERSEK: I love a roast but I'm not so much a schooner drinker-
FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: No!
PLIBERSEK: -I've got to say, a little glass of wine perhaps with it. Maybe a soda, lime and bitters if I'm driving.
JONES: Okay, Concetta? What about a schooner and a chicken schnitty?
FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: I have to say that no, not the schooner. Glass of red, glass of white, but I'm sort of not a schnitzel person.
PLIBERSEK: Oh.
FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: Sorry, plain pasta maybe?
PLIBERSEK: I love a schnitty.
JONES: All right, we'll finish on a serious note. Tanya, a Budget on May 11. The Treasurer's talking about jobs and job creation. What is your electorate telling you about employers who can't find workers, especially in hospitality.
PLIBERSEK: Hospitality is a is a really serious issue in my electorate Alan, as you know. Chefs in particular - very short supply. Also, some front of house. And that's why it's just so bad that we've seen billions of dollars cut from TAFE, 140,000 fewer apprentices and trainees today. We've known for years we've got a shortage of chefs. Why aren’t we training more? And butchers and carpenters and electricians and nurses and arborists, and all of these jobs we should be training young Australians for, particularly now.
JONES: Yeah, we can't get them in. Concetta, 5.6 per cent unemployed, I find that figure a bit hard to believe, but where are these workers which are needed to fill the jobs? In hospitality, horticulture - whole heap of places in the bush, people can't find workers.
FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: Well, I have to say Alan that one of the criticisms that we face as a consequence of JobSeeker was the fact that this very point - that some people took advantage of JobSeeker and didn't go out and do work, and people wanted them. But the reality is though Alan, as we know, as the economy recovers people have to take the jobs that are there and as far as - you know, they can't just sit around and take the benefits. Safety nets are important, but they've got to take and go for the jobs that are out there in the economy.
JONES: It's not happening. It's not happening.
FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: It's not, no I agree with you. I think that's a very fair point.
JONES: I've got to leave both you ladies, I know you're heading to your favourite club. But I'll warn you, check out the prices because I might ask you how much it costs.
FIERRAVANTI-WELLS: We'll be ready, Alan.
JONES: All right, thanks for your company.
ENDS
