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January 12, 2025
EMILY POWER: Lets go to Senator James Paterson, he is a Victorian Liberal Senator. Thank you for joining us, Why is Melbourne the key place to kick off this unofficial election campaign?
JAMES PATERSON: Unfortunately, Victorians are suffering under not just one but two very bad Labor governments and that's really evident in the state of the Victorian economy, in the harm from the cost of living, in the prospects for the future of our economy here in Victoria. We all want more affordable housing, but it's a fairly remarkable thing that the median house price in Melbourne is now, for the first time, below that of Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. The first time that's ever happened in history. It shows a lack of confidence in our state, and it's something that we desperately want to turn around. Now, we can't fix the State Government, but we can get rid of the Federal government, and 2025 gives us that opportunity to put our country back on track.
NICK MCCALLUM: Do you think the fact that the state Labor government here is starting to become even less popular because of the opinion polls? Do you think that's going to help, though, the federal campaign?
PATERSON: Look, I certainly think it is a factor when I'm out doorknocking in the community with our candidates. It is often the case that state issues, whether it's planning or land tax or other issues that are raised with me. And it's often a combination of state and federal issues like community safety. We have a state government here in Victoria which is very soft on crime and we have a federal government which is soft on crime and not stepping up on community safety. So whether it's out of control anti-Semitism or extremism or whether it is violent non citizen detainees who've been released into the community committing more crimes against Australians and Victorians, two bad Labor governments at once is doing shocking damage to our state.
MADELAINE BURKE: James, you mentioned doorknocking with candidates. What are the top issues you're hearing from them? You did mention community safety there. Is nuclear a top issue for the everyday Aussie?
PATERSON: Energy affordability absolutely, that gets raised all the time, that Victorians are really struggling to pay their electricity bills. And interestingly, now with volunteers out doorknocking in summer as they have been over this weekend, they report that even on hot days when you door knock someone's front door and the door opens, you don't feel a cold blast of air conditioning running inside their homes because many Victorians simply can't afford to. And that's a tragedy for our state, and we believe we need a better energy system that can deliver affordable energy for everyone, and that includes transitioning coal to nuclear, emissions-free nuclear, which allows us to get those emissions down, but in an affordable way.
MCCALLUM: But, Senator, you know, don't you, that the Victorian state Liberals have so far been reluctant to jump on board the nuclear bandwagon? How much of a problem is that going to be campaigning here in Victoria over the next few months when you don't have the state Liberals supporting that policy at the moment? Now, they say they're going to think about it, but clearly, they think the main issue for them is gas, not nuclear.
PATERSON: Well, we agree with them. We need to get gas into the system as soon as possible because that will help bring prices down in the short term. Nuclear is a medium and long term energy solution for Australia. But I don't blame the state Liberals for not having a position on nuclear energy just yet, because right now, in Australia, there is a federal prohibition on nuclear energy. And we have to win the election and then repeal that prohibition before any state can contemplate introducing nuclear energy. And until we've done that, they should focus on what they can do.
MCCALLUM: But clearly, though, Senator, they're concerned that it's not going to be popular, nuclear power, particularly in areas like Moore where it's sort of been earmarked as a place where there could be a nuclear power station. Clearly, they're concerned it's not popular.
PATERSON: That's not my feedback at all talking to my state colleagues and it's certainly not the feedback that we received from those energy mature communities that have hosted coal fired power stations for generations. Actually, what they're concerned about is what are the jobs in the energy industry that are going to come when those coal fired power stations are closed down and they're excited about the possibility of emissions free nuclear energy coming to their communities because it will bring a lot of high quality jobs, many of which are transferable, with a bit of extra training, from the coal fired power industry into the emissions free nuclear industry. So they're excited about that investment.
MCCALLUM: If they're that excited, why doesn't the state Liberals jump on board straight away? And say we're affiliated with you guys, why not do it? Clearly, they are concerned.
PATERSON: Well, if we don't win the next election and if we don't repeal the federal prohibition on nuclear energy, there's nothing they can do.
MCCALLUM: But that applies to all policies that apply to all policies. You're going to the federal election?
PATERSON: No, it doesn't, Nick, because this is unique. I mean, this is unique. There's a federal prohibition on nuclear energy in Australia, and no state government can override that federal prohibition, so it is incumbent on us to win the election.
MCCALLUM: Any policy you promise won't come into place, obviously, unless you win. And that's the same with all policies.
PATERSON: Yeah, but it's different because what you're saying is you want the state Liberals to come out and endorse a policy that they could not deliver on their own.
MCCALLUM: of course they can't, well they can't deliver federal tax cuts on their own either.
PATERSON: No, and they're not calling for that, and no one is asking them to have a position on federal income taxes or company taxes, for example. They will have positions on state property taxes, for example. It's incumbent on us to win the next election and secure a mandate for emissions free nuclear energy. And we think we can because 19 of the G20 countries, that's the biggest most advanced economies in the world, either have nuclear energy or are moving towards nuclear energy. Australia is one of the only in the world that doesn't have that and we're not going to be able to sustainably reduce emissions and maintain strong industry and employment unless we do it with nuclear energy.
BURKE: James, Brad Battin wants to be the next Premier of Victoria. So are you disappointed Battin hasn't come out supporting Dutton's policy or is it a smart move for Brad Battin politically to sit it out for now?
PATERSON: I'm completely relaxed about this. It's not his job to win my mandate for nuclear energy in Australia. It's our job, and we'll be seeking to do that at the election, which will be held by May this year at the latest. His state election is not for another two years. And if we win the election, if we secure that mandate, if we repeal that ban on nuclear energy, then they can have a conversation at the state level about how they could facilitate that. But until then, it's our job to win that fight and that argument, and we're focused on doing it.
MCCALLUM: So, Senator, in previous elections, and particularly under the Morrison government, the election has been won and lost primarily in Queensland. Do you now think that this election coming up will be won or lost in Victoria? It's that it's that tight right now?
PATERSON: I think Victoria will be absolutely decisive. Not since 1990 when we won nine seats in Victoria under the Cain-Kirner era will Victoria play a bigger role than it has at this federal election. Of course there'll be seats to be won in other states, including Queensland and New South Wales and Western Australia and South Australia and Tasmania. But I think perhaps the biggest number of seats to fall from the Labor Party to the Liberal Party could be here in Victoria because they are struggling the most.
MCCALLUM: And what about the Teals? Because you know more than anyone in those teal seats, sort of the nastier you get towards the Teals, the more likely they they're going to get their backs up and continue voting for them.
PATERSON: I'm feeling very positive about our prospects in the Teal seats. We have some outstanding candidates in Tim Wilson in Goldstein and Amelia Harmer in Kooyong. And what we're finding in those seats is a lot of voters have buyer's remorse about the Teals. They are realising that they haven't got what they bought at the last election, that the Teals didn't turn out to be what they promised. They're shocked to learn that the Teals vote with the Greens almost three quarters of the time in the House of Representatives. That they voted against laws to make our community safer, that they've advocated higher taxes on their constituents in the middle of a cost of living crisis. So we'll be telling the truth about the Teal's record and things that they refuse to tell their constituents, like will they back a weak Labor government after the next election if there's a hung parliament? Or will they back a Liberal government? They refuse to say
POWER: Mr. Paterson, we really appreciate your time today.
PATERSON: Great to be with you.
ENDS
