Albanese says Senator Payman's actions are 'not acceptable' | 7.30

Prime Minister, welcome at 7:30, thank you for inviting me back on the program. Will Senator Payman still be in the Labor Party at the end of this week? Well, that, of course, is a decision for her. She has made a decision. She can. I am not bound by what unites our team and I would like to see her rejoin the team and that option is certainly available to her now that there are reports today that she has been receiving advice from the well-known electoral strategist who is known for helping the Independence in the Senate and speaking to the Muslim group that is planning to run candidates against Labor in the House and Senate is a personal betrayal of you.

Oh, look, I don't take these issues personally. I've been around for a while, Sarah. and I have seen people on several occasions make decisions to change the direction in which they were elected. Bamer, of course, was elected Labor Senator without Alp next to his name, just as I am Prime Minister, because I am a Member of a group I have the support of the political party to which I have been loyal since I came out of the womb, but we're talking about someone here who is talking to both an electoral strategist and a group of people. who say the Labor party is immoral because of its stance on Gaza and who are going to run candidates against Labour, how can someone like that stay in the party?

Well, Sarah, what I'm focused on is making a difference. I am focused on my work. and yesterday, some 13.6 million Australians got tax cuts, 2.6 million workers got a pay rise if maternity leave was extended by two weeks, every household got $300 in energy bill relief and we had a program about the cost of living that will make a practical difference, I think that's what worries the overwhelming majority of your listeners, they don't focus on the rules and practices of, if I may interrupt, this is not just La Party , this isn't just about rules, it's about someone. talking to people who are committed to thwarting their agenda, well I can't control that, what I can control is what our response is, if people are clearly not part of the team and they say and declare that they can't be part of it. of the team, then they themselves, by their own

actions

, have excluded themselves during the period of time in which they cannot undertake that collective principle upon which the Labor party has been built since 1891, but as we sit here, it is

acceptable

to For anyone to talk to their opponents is clearly not

acceptable

, which is why Senator Payman has been suspended from caucusing, but since that suspension she is now talking to people who are committed to overthrowing Labor members, so the idea That this happened only in the last 24 hours.

I think that is not what happened, explain it clearly to us. So what has happened here? Well, clearly, as you know, someone doesn't just show up with inside information because they were passing by the studio. On Sunday I now asked for an explanation as to why what was the motivation for that. I have not received one, just as Senator Payment's caucus colleagues did not receive the courtesy of any prior notice that she would be crossing the floor to vote for a position that is not consistent with the Labor Party's position when it comes to the Middle East. .

We have taken a very leading position and that is the long-term issue of working towards a two-state solution, but one in which we have provided over $70 million in aid to Gaza, one in which we say and vote favor in forums, the United States peace plan that would allow a ceasefire. I'd like to come back to Gaz in a minute I just want to stay here to make it absolutely clear that we're both talking about the same thing that, in addition to those things that you talked about, from not raising the issue in caucus to doing an interview about the insiders that voted with the Greens last week, it is Now reported that Senator Payman is speaking to his direct opponents, people who have said they want to unseat Labor members in the next election.

Well, Senator Pman is responsible for her own

actions

. Can someone like that stay in the Labor Party and be held accountable? Well, Senator Payman has been suspended from participating in the caucus. I think it's unfortunate because if you really want to create change in any direction, you have to be part of a government party. Senator Pman was privileged to be elected as a member of a government party and it is a shame that she chose not to participate as a member of the team at any time. Has there been anything raised in caucus by Senator Pman, for example, about our Middle East policy, how long do you think he's been having negotiations like this with other parties?

I'm not focused on that Sarah, I got a great job and when I was knocking on doors in Melbourne, small businesses, in the Deacon electorate on Saturday or when I was in the Hall or Jell Brand electorate over the weekend too . What Australians were talking about is how to get cost of living relief. What was happening with our tax cuts. What was happening with their jobs. What do Australians talk about? What interests me is climate change and the need for clean energy rather than Peter Dutton's thought bubble about costless and unproven nuclear energy. They can't really say how many reactors, how many concerts there will be, these are all the things you wanted to be.

Speaking on the latter, you may have been talking about it at the gates, but all this week you've been talking about paying the Senator, but let me ask the question: no, we haven't given Sarah, just a slight correction , Sir. We've been talking about what we accomplished on July 1, about our plan for a stronger economy, about our plan to meet the opportunity at hand, we're dealing with climate change, not just the challenge it poses to equity. gender. We have seen the gender pay gap close to the lowest level ever recorded. The swearing in of new Governor General Sam Moson, who really represents a contemporary person to fill that position.

I thought his speech of excellence was outstanding. His first speech as governor general, that's what I focused on. I know some of the comments are obsessed with this. I'm not obsessed with making a difference for people who need the government to have a positive impact on their lives. lives, let me explain it to you this way because this applies to what will happen in the next election, so it is of immediate and notable interest to you. The group that Senator Payman has reportedly been speaking with are angry that they have not responded firmly. sufficient for the invasion of Gaza the question is: how concerned are you about the electoral impact of a movement like that?

I think the overwhelming Australians do not want a conflict to be brought here, but we have taken a leading position in accordance with labor principles, as we came to power, reversed the decision to move the capital to Jerusalem, changed the nomenclature of Gaza and the West Bank to the occupied Palestinian territories, we provided greater aid to the Palestinians, but we have consistently supported a two-state system. The solution to the problem with the motion put forward by the Greens is that it forgot to mention Israel and a one-state solution, whether Israel or Palestine, is not in the interest of Israelis or Palestinians, which is why we cried. every innocent life. that has been lost in this conflict, are you concerned that the Labor Party is now out of touch with the priorities of the young and diverse candidates it wants and needs to attract?

Well, Sarah, we have 104 members of our caucus and 103 people who support the path we have taken on this issue, I understand that for many members of the Jewish community, as well as members of the Palestinian or Islamic community, this is a really difficult issue, a really difficult issue and there is a lot of passion involved, but the role of the Australian government is to represent Australia's national interest, to also represent a leading position and a leading position, it is not to see things as if they were just on one side or the other to encourage him. think about the role Australia can play not just in the immediate, that is why we voted for a ceasefire, that is why we increased aid, that is why we continue to call for the release of hostages, that is why we voted for greater Palestinian representation.

Let me ask you this question United Nations, which is an extension of this: do you really think voters would downgrade you for attending a NATO summit in Washington while they struggle with cost of living issues? No, so why not? You go? I'm not going because we are not members of NATO. You went to the last two previous meetings. I went to the last two and said they were important. And they were. And he changed his mind. Because? did you change your mind no, I haven't changed my mind you never said you were going to go no um we never accepted the invitation that we were considering uh what was in front of us uh when I went to the first NATO Summit it was an opportunity for the first time to meet with many world leaders, so your presence is no longer relevant or useful, no, I didn't say that, I'm just pressuring you so that you have time to understand why the decision and then we went to Ukraine, when I went to the NATO Summit that was celebrated in Lithuania.

I went through Germany to sign a billion dollar deal. Other countries are sending their leaders for manufacturing. We are not members of NATO, but the other observer countries are sending. Do you know what I find extraordinary? is Peter Dutton who tabled a motion in parliament last year saying that he demanded that it not go to Apec, where Australia is a member, where we are founding members of Apec and we needed to participate in that Forum instead of NATO, where for uh Much of of the NATO Summit as an observer country we are not there, we are not in the room with the NATO members when that takes place just to be clear, when did you make the decision not to go?

I made the decision a while ago. and we made the decision to send Richard Miles, who is our Defense Minister, who is the Deputy Prime Minister and that is consistent and I must say that it is a higher level representation than the three previous Liberal Prime Ministers, who sent ministers instead of go themselves. three of them Morrison Abbott and turble This was going to be a big week for you. I know you've been making your case, but tax cuts, cost of living relief and tomorrow the international introduction of legislation for future domestic workers in Australia, blame the Greens for derailing all that work this week.

I don't think that's happened because when people get their next pay packet, there will be extra money, extra dollars in people's pockets because of the decisions that the government has made and you will. Remind Sarah that the decision to change the Liberal tax cuts to become Labor tax cuts to make them fairer to change that decision was a difficult decision, but it was the right decision and it was made for the right reasons and I note that the 1 July despite Despite all the fuss at the time, some of the tabloids are criticizing the decision, there has been no criticism in parliament this week, there has been no criticism in the media because it was the right thing to do, as it was It's our relief from the energy bill.

The right thing to do is the same as our support for raising wages is the right thing to do. Let me say this briefly, if I may, for someone earning $50,000, tax cuts worth just over $17 a week are going to alleviate the very clear suffering of thousands of Australians and thousands more every year. past now they don't regularly access food banks if you have $50,000 you will most likely not only get a tax cut but you will also get an increase in your wages. well 3.75% more and less money so you will be able to earn more and keep more of what you earn plus on top of that you will have the $300 energy bill relief maybe more depending on what state you are in . you have if your family uh the additional parental leave payment if you depend on medication will have a freeze uh for someone in uh in a pensioner we will have a freeze for 5 years on PBS payments if you have children in uh in child care uh 1,2 Millions of Australians have benefited from cheaper childcare if you are taking a tap course to advance your position in life it will be free.

By now, more than 400,000 Australians have benefited from that, so it's not a one size fits all, it's a complete set of measures. designed in a way that provides relief to the cost of living and at the same time continues to put that downward pressure on inflation, Prime Minister, thank you very much for joining us, thank you very much.