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August 31, 2023
PETER STEFANOVIC: Let’s go to our Shadow Home Affairs and Cyber Security Minister James Paterson. Good to see you, James. Thanks for sticking around. Firstly, before we get to Qatar, I want to ask you about energy. AEMO warning of regular blackouts this summer. Your state of Victoria is going to be the worst affected. So, the Government on the show a little early were quick to point the finger at your former government this morning. Is this as a result of climate inaction?
JAMES PATERSON: Pete, I have to say as a Victorian, I'm thoroughly unsurprised that as a result of the near decade war on reliable energy by the Andrews government here in Victoria, surprise, surprise, we have a problem and a very serious problem which could lead to blackouts this summer in Victoria. This is the fruit of Daniel Andrews driving reliable baseload energy out of the grid, trying to shut down every coal fired power station in the state, trying to ban gas from new homes and then massively increasing the load on our energy grid without supplying any new reliable baseload energy into the grid. Yes, renewables have a role to play, but they are intermittent. There is no reliable backup for them yet. There is no battery supply that works at scale yet. And so as a result of the policies pursued by the Victorian Labor government, we have this crisis on our hands. It is not helped by Federal Labor government, which has got ideological opposition to reliable baseload emissions-free technology like nuclear energy, which it's saying it's not even willing to contemplate or discuss. They just want us to keep ramping up the renewables without any means of backing them up, without any reliable supply...
STEFANOVIC: So, do you take any responsibility at all for the malaise that we're in?
PATERSON: Well, there was record investment in renewables on our watch. Very significant investment. But when you've got a State government here in Victoria, which is putting extra taxes on the coal fired power generation that it has, that has led to the inevitable circumstances we're seeing right now, which is the highest energy prices in some time and the least reliable grid in some time, right at a time when demand for electricity is increasing. People are buying electric vehicles which they need to charge in their homes overnight. That increases demand for electricity. We need more energy in the grid and we're getting nothing of the sort here in Victoria. That blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the Andrews government.
STEFANOVIC: Let's go to Qatar, James. What's your take on the government's conga line of excuses when it comes to extra flights that have been stopped from Qatar?
PATERSON: Pete, I always think it's revealing when someone has multiple explanations for an issue. They can't all be the same reason for why they made the decision that they did. It's been very shifty and very unconvincing when they've provided so many different answers to why they've made this decision. The highlight for me had to be from the most hapless minister in the Albanese government Stephen Jones this week saying that the reason why they have to block Qatar was to protect Qantas from competition so that Qantas could charge higher prices to its customers so they could make more profits. I mean if that is true, that is a stunning admission from allegedly progressive, social democrat government...
STEFANOVIC: Just to pull you up there, he was on the program earlier. He says that's a fair enough statement that Qantas needs to be, you know, a healthy company. The national carrier needs to be a healthy company. And he feels like his comments have been overblown.
PATERSON: Pete, they're charging record high prices to customers. They made $2.5 billion of profit. They are paying their CEO, Alan Joyce, tens of millions of dollars in bonuses. I don't think there's any danger of Qantas falling over tomorrow, and I don't think it justifies protection from competition which would deliver lower prices for consumers. This whole thing stinks. I think we need to know what is the quid pro quo here? What has Qantas given the government, given the Labor Party, in return for this extraordinary protection from competition that it's received? Was it their support for the Yes campaign? They're not just putting stickers on their planes, but they're giving free flights for Yes campaigners all around the country. Was that the quid pro quo that Alan Joyce and Anthony Albanese discussed? Does it relate to the membership of the Chairman's lounge that was given to Anthony Albanese's son? We don't know what the real reason is, because the government has not been upfront about this and they need to be because this is a genuine and brewing and growing scandal.
STEFANOVIC: It's an odd little unity ticket you've got here with the Coalition, the Greens and the Independents standing up for a regime with a questionable human rights record?
PATERSON: I think it's very telling that everyone who looks at this is appalled by it. Every journalist who looks at this, every politician, the former ACCC head, the former Treasurer. Everyone who looks at this thinks this is dodgy. And if the question is that there's some issue with the government of Qatar, we'll then the Australian government should say so. But they haven't made that argument, they haven't mounted that case. If that was the case, why should they be allowed to fly in Australia at all? Why is an extra couple of flights going to make the difference there? If it's a human rights or a national security issue that makes no sense.
STEFANOVIC: Ok, I mean, just finally here, I mean, would you be supportive if Qatar invested or bought a stake in Virgin?
PATERSON: Well, ultimately all foreign investment is a matter for the Foreign Investment Review Board, and that would have to go through the normal processes. As a matter of principle...
STEFANOVIC: Maybe that's a reason. Maybe they don't want that?
PATERSON: …always in favour of more competition. Well, that's a separate issue that can be dealt with separately. Increasing the number of flights per week will be dealt with separately to any investment proposal. That would be considered on its merits. As a principle, the Coalition is in favour of more competition, which leads to better outcomes for consumers in the form of lower prices and more flights. It cannot be more simple than that. If the government can't understand that or can't explain it, then I think we're entitled to ask very serious questions about what happened here.
STEFANOVIC: Definitely. Definitely more explanation is needed from the government on that decision. James Paterson, always good to talk. Chat to you soon.
ENDS
