February 27, 2025
JAMES PATERSON: I would just like to make comment on a couple of issues then very happy to take questions. Firstly, the Prime Minister needs to apologise to Australians today because he has misled them about the activities of the People's Liberation Army Navy in the Tasman Sea. He told Australians that notice was given for these operations, but the Chief of the Defence Force, Admiral Johnston, confirmed in Senate Estimates yesterday that, in fact, no notice was given and that we only found out about this because it was reported by a Virgin aircraft that happened to be in the area. The Prime Minister must be honest with the Australian people. The least he can do for them is be honest about the activities of the Chinese Navy in our region, and he should not mislead them. An apology is the least that's called for today.
Secondly, the Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, must come out of hiding. He has been missing in action for two days after we have learned that Australians travelled to the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, the deceased terrorist of a listed terrorist organisation. It is not okay for Australians to travel to attend a funeral like that and to associate with a terrorist organisation. And Tony Burke has all the powers he needs to protect Australians. If these people are on visas, they should have been already cancelled on character grounds. If these people are Australian citizens, the minister should have already applied for a temporary exclusion order to keep them out of our country while the federal police and ASIO investigate whether or not they have committed the crime of associating with a listed terrorist organisation.
Just finally, while most Australians were enjoying the summer break down at the beach, catching up with families, the Labor party was churning out memes attacking Kirilly Dutton, Peter Dutton's wife. And now we know who's behind it. We know who's behind it because of a train wreck interview by Andrew Charlton on 7.30 last night, where he admitted that it was the Prime Minister's office that was doing dirt digging on the Leader of the Opposition, that they sat on this information for weeks and that they released it at a time designed to do maximum damage. Now, members of the Prime Minister's Office are employed by taxpayers. Their job is to serve the Australian people. Their job is to make their lives better. And with all the challenges facing our country today, with cost of living and national security and community safety, you would think that they would have their hands full? But turns out they've been spending their time digging dirt on the Leader of the Opposition for their own political benefit. The Prime Minister should explain today when he first instructed his staff to engage in this dirt-digging exercise, whether he thinks it's appropriate that they've been spending their time on these activities, how much taxpayer money has been spent digging dirt on the Opposition Leader, and whether or not he promises to engage in a clean campaign from here on out and actually talk about his record over the last three years and his own plans for the future of Australia.
JOURNALIST: I just want to clarify. So if Australians are heading over to that funeral, you are saying, if they are Australian citizens, they should not be allowed back into the country?
PATERSON: Yes, so in 2019, the parliament enacted temporary exclusion orders. It gives the Minister for Home Affairs the power to apply for a temporary exclusion order that prevents Australian citizens from returning to Australia while we investigate whether or not they've been involved in acts of terrorism or associated with a terrorist organisation. It's an appropriate power that allows police and our intelligence agencies the time they need to investigate those people while they are offshore and then choose to bring them home once they're ready to lay charges, if they indeed can lay charges. So these are powers available to Tony Burke. He should explain today if he's going to use them. And if not, why not.
JOURNALIST: I just want to ask you about the approval from Jim Chalmers for Qatar to buy a 25% stake in Virgin Australia. Do you think that's a good move for competition, or do you have any concerns about the sort of ongoing debate about Qatar last year?
PATERSON: I haven't been briefed on this issue, and I don't know what the Foreign Investment Review Board has found in the consideration of this issue, but I support the Foreign Investment Review Board framework. We significantly strengthened it in government to take greater account of national security issues. So, if they have provided Qatar with a clean bill of health for this investment in Virgin, then I'm comfortable with it because it will increase competition. We know that flight prices are far too high in Australia, and Australians are desperate for more competition to bring down prices
JOURNALIST: Should it have happened sooner?
PATERSON: Look, It really depends on the advice. I don't know how long Jim Chalmers has been sitting on this advice. I don't know whether it came in months ago. If that was the case, then perhaps it should have. But if it was the normal consideration through the Foreign Investment Review Board and our intelligence agencies, then I've got no concerns.
JOURNALIST: On these Chinese warships. Has this incident exposed Australia's inability to run security operations, let alone defend itself?
PATERSON: It has certainly exposed the failure of the Albanese government's stabilisation agenda. Let's remember that the Chinese government is supposed to be a comprehensive strategic partner. This is not how a comprehensive strategic partner or a stabilised partner should be treading Australia and when they have failed to do so, it's incumbent on the Prime Minister to stand up for Australia. Yes, I am concerned about a series of national security breakdowns here. We should have known earlier that this was happening. If our Chinese friends didn't tell us we should use our own intelligence and defence assets to get on top of this issue. And it's a great concern to me that we didn't. It is even worse that the Prime Minister has misled public.
JOURNALIST: Health insurance premiums 3.7%, at a time when Australians are obviously doing it tough. This is going to completely offset any relief coming from the Reserve Bank. How do you think this will reflect in voters minds on the Prime Minister and Health Minister?
PATERSON: Well, this is the largest premium increase in seven years. It's delayed. It should have been announced months ago that Mark Butler has been sitting on it for God knows what reason why. And it is above the rate of inflation at a time when many Australians are struggling to hold onto to their private health insurance, as they're dealing with the Prime Minister's cost of living crisis, whether it's on groceries or petrol or rent or mortgages or other expenses. This would just be another blow to the family budget, and sadly I think many Australians will have to relinquish their private health insurance as a result of this increase. I really think the Prime Minister should explain how he thinks families should be asked to find even more money to retain the basic services that they need.
JOURNALIST: What's the risk if that does happen, if we do see a mass movement away from private health?
PATERSON: Well, that would be a disaster for all Australians' health. It would be a disaster for the public health system because it would put much greater pressure on the public health system, which has already suffered under this government's watch. We've already seen a collapse in the rate of bulk billing for GPs, it was 84% when Peter Dutton was health minister. It rose to 88% under the Coalition during the pandemic period, and it has crashed to 77% on this government's watch. And their big policy agenda for the next term and for the election is just repairing the damage they've done to bulk billing on their watch, to spend $8.5 Billion dollars to get it back up to the level that was under the coalition.
Thank you.
ENDS
