ABC Perth Mornings

NADIA MITSOPOULOS, HOST: Patrick Gorman is the Federal Labor Member for Perth. He is also the Minister assisting the Prime Minister, and is with me now from Canberra. Patrick Gorman, good morning.

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Nadia, and good morning to your listeners.

MITSOPOULOS: Now, before we get into what's happening in Canberra, can I ask you about the Burswood racetrack? Now this has been, according to you, a big issue in your electorate.

GORMAN: Yes, it has.

MITSOPOULOS: You are on the record as saying it should not go ahead. The state government is adamant that it will. Have you had a look at that business case that was released on Sunday, and has it changed your mind?

GORMAN: My view on this project is long standing and well known. I did see the material that was released on the weekend, and I'd encourage all of your listeners to have a look. One of the concerns I had was about the previous consultation, which didn't - in my view - accurately reflect the levels of concern that were in my community. I am pleased to see there is a new consultation now there are more detailed plans out there, so people can have their say on the racetrack and get their views heard. I will leave the community to have their say, I have had mine. It is now over to the residents of, not just my part of the world, but the entire state.

MITSOPOULOS: They only have two weeks to give their feedback. Is there anything that you saw that would change your mind on this project? That it could actually be good for Perth?

GORMAN: There are a range of views. But the one thing I would say as we continue to discuss this is, I do agree with Rita Saffioti on one thing. I agree with Rita Saffioti on; this debate needs to be respectful, thoughtful and about the future of our great state. Some of the things I have seen in this debate I have been really disappointed in. Some of the attacks I have seen on the Deputy Premier I think are completely unacceptable, no matter how passionate people are. So I would say that is really important. I have obviously had a fair bit of incoming as well. I hope that we can have a discussion about what is best for Perth, and I will continue to do my job as the Federal Member for Perth, standing up for the residents of Perth.

MITSOPOULOS: Does this project need the racetrack? Yes or no.

GORMAN: No.

MITSOPOULOS: So, happy with the entertainment precinct and the amphitheatre? You don't need the racetrack?

GORMAN: The suggestion I put forward was that the best way to deal with the range of different opinions in the community and the concerns from the community, the best way forward was to have a full site selection process. That is still my view.

MITSOPOULOS: Are there other sites you have identified that might have served this racetrack better?

GORMAN: Again, I have to stand up for my constituents, and their views are pretty overwhelming in one direction. And I think people understand that we have had a bit back and forth in this debate over the last few days about whether or not people are truthful in this debate, and the need to state the facts. The thing I have been truthful to is reflecting the views that I have heard in my community. I think that is an important contribution, and a contribution that I had to make.

MITSOPOULOS: And my final question, I do want to move on to other issues. What are your concerns in regards to the street circuit - that is what the Government prefers to call it, which is what it is - but there is obviously a new road that has to be built. What do you think will happen if it does go ahead?

GORMAN: The concerns that have been raised with me by a range of residents are about the nature of those events, in terms of noise, the impacts on housing - I have expressed in detail concerns around the impacts on housing development. There are a lot of people who already use that part of the Burswood Peninsula in its current form. And those concerns are extensive, and I do worry that once it is built, there will be no restrictions on how many days a week or days a year it is used. And they are significant concerns that I still think we need to work through. That is why I encourage all of your listeners - and again, I welcome the action from the Cook Labor Government, I welcome the action of opening up a further consultation. It was one of my biggest concerns, the previous consultation. I hope this one allows residents who have been coming to me - and I am not a decision-maker in this Nadia -

MITSOPOULOS: I understand that, but you are criticising your Labor colleagues. Are you worried this will cost you votes next time around?

GORMAN: I think you have always got an obligation to give good advice to get good policy outcomes. You see that all the time. We have had on things like, we have had differing views on things like live sheep exports. I understood why we had to have different views with the state government on that matter. I think it is part of the policy development process, and I believe that is really important. That we have good public policy outcomes for the people we represent.

MITSOPOULOS: Patrick Gorman is my guest this morning, Labor MP for Perth. He is also the Minister that assists the Prime Minister. Just a couple of issues, I was talking to Fatima Payman, Independent Senator, before nine o'clock about Pauline Hanson's burqa stunt in the Senate yesterday, a repeat of what she did in 2017. How do you reflect on her actions?

GORMAN: Nadia, like many, I have seen Pauline Hanson doing stunts and trying to divide people for 30 years. One of the reasons I am sitting here as the Federal Labor Member for Perth now is because when I was a teenager at high school, I saw some of Pauline Hanson's earlier divisive actions and statements affect students I was at high school with. So for a long time, I have had concerns about the value of Pauline Hanson's contribution. I think it is close to nil. And when I think about those who have encouraged her, and preferenced her over the years, I think they need to have a hard look at themselves. But when it comes to Senator Hanson repeating an immature, divisive stunt - that she's pulled before - it was completely disgraceful. People send us to Canberra to do our job. They send us here to vote on legislation, to debate things out, to share our views. They send us here to do that. What Senator Hanson was doing, effectively it did, in fact, shut down the parliament for two hours. Now, I don't think anyone wants to see in this final sitting week the parliament delayed when there are important things on the Senate agenda. That is exactly what Senator Hanson chose to do. I welcome the action that Senators, in a bipartisan fashion, took to suspend her from the Senate. That was the right thing to do. But just another disappointing thing that I am sad we are talking about.

MITSOPOULOS: I tell you what, something else that there's been a lot of talk about, that is the Bureau of Meteorology's new website, which costs taxpayers nearly $100 million. How was that able to happen?

GORMAN: As your listeners may be aware, Minister Murray Watt has asked for an investigation into this. There obviously have been significant concerns. I know that there were significant concerns, particularly for some in Queensland, where they were not able to get the information they needed, at the time they needed it, at the very early point of that change. I welcome the actions the Bureau of Meteorology have taken to make sure we have a website people can use, and revert to some of the earlier forms of that website, but we understand the concerns. We understand the concerns, particularly for people whose businesses rely upon that data, where they have responsibility for the safety of their patrons, the safety of their staff, and the ability to do things like feed their fellow Australians. So we take it very seriously.

MITSOPOULOS: And it is a website that's cost $96 million, that a lot of people don't like. I mean, you are Assistant Minister for the Public Service. What is to stop this sort of blowout from happening in another public agency? I mean, people are just trying to understand how much money was spent on this under your Government's watch. And no one knew, no one noticed?

GORMAN: Getting procurement right is one of the most important things that the public service take responsibility for. We have to do it with integrity, and we have to do it with absolute focus on taxpayer dollars. One of the things that myself and Minister Katy Gallagher have initiated is the creation of a procurement profession. That is about getting best practice amongst those public servants who are in charge of procurement.

MITSOPOULOS: That means budget cuts though, doesn't it? Are you going to try and shave some of the money that they spend off the public service?

GORMAN: Firstly, on the professions. What we are trying to do is to identify all those people who are doing that work, make sure they are following best practice, on top of the very clear and prescriptive procurement guidelines that already exist to make sure we are getting good value for taxpayer dollars.

MITSOPOULOS: Okay, so is that an acknowledgement that taxpayers dollars has been wasted?

GORMAN: As I just said, the Minister for the Environment has asked for -

MITSOPOULOS: No, I'm talking generally now. I mean with your procurement process. I mean is that an acknowledgement that maybe there is money being wasted here in this procurement process?

GORMAN: I think many of your listeners can think of things where they saw government spending that they thought could have been done at a lower price. I can think of a few examples myself. But what we have to do is look to the future, and we are being very clear with the public service - when you are spending taxpayer dollars, including taxpayer dollars from people who might be students or people who are only working part time, we have to spend every dollar carefully. We are really proud of the work we have done to turn around the budget position. Your listeners remember, when we came to office there were deficits as far as the eye could see. We have delivered two surpluses. We have shaved off more than $100 billion of spending that was baked in under the previous Government. We are proud of that work, but I am never someone who says that the work is done. There's always more work to do.

MITSOPOULOS: Because the Finance Minister has ordered that federal departments and agencies outline spending cuts, which could be worth up to 5 per cent of annual budgets. So that is obviously an indication that you need to rein in ballooning public service costs.

GORMAN: We have asked agencies to think about what they are doing, to think about how they can do it in a more efficient way, and to consider whether some of the things they are doing are still priorities. That is the appropriate process as you head through any budget process. It is the approach we have taken for every budget we have done since we came to Government. We know there are significant funding pressures, and we want to make sure there is money for our schools, for our hospitals, to keep Medicare strong, and we will keep doing that work. Because that's what a responsible government who believes in responsible financial management does.

MITSOPOULOS: Patrick Gorman, Labor MP for Perth and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister is my guest this morning at 18 past nine. Just a couple of other issues that are dominating the Federal Parliament's sphere. And of course, the big issue for you is also your Government needs to pass those new environmental laws before the end of the sitting week. Are you confident that will happen? Because the Greens don't like what you're doing, the Coalition doesn't either, and in fact the Coalition this morning, the Liberals are saying they hadn't even seen any proposed amendments. So what is the likelihood of that getting through?

GORMAN: My view has been that the Bill in its current form - which is the Bill I voted for in the House of Representatives, and I voted to become law - that Bill is entirely passable by both the Greens, the Liberal Party and the National Party, right now. They are seeking a range of other amendments, and we are negotiating through Minister Murray Watt in good faith. Because we want to see better protection for our environment. Protections that have not kept up with community expectations. We are still dealing with John Howard's laws from last century. We want to get better protection, and I want to see more jobs that will be enabled because we will get faster approvals. We know that these laws have held up much needed housing developments. We know that these laws are holding up progress we need to make on critical minerals and other resources projects, and we know they are holding up the ability to roll out the renewables that we need - not just in the grids that serve Western Australia, but the grids across the country. So I think it is a pretty sensible thing. I would think there are very tough questions for the Greens Senators from Western Australia, and the Liberal Senators from Western Australia, if they return home at the end of this week having delivered absolutely nothing for WA jobs, absolutely nothing for Western Australia's environmental protections. That will be on them to explain. But I am hopeful. I know that this is a good Bill, and I believe that after five years of debate, reviews, inquiries, Senate inquiries, Senate motions, the whole lot - I think the public wants to see this done.

MITSOPOULOS: Who are you better placed to deal with? Greens say you don't go far enough, and the Liberals say you've gone too far?

GORMAN: We will deal with the Senate as the Australian people have elected it, but we are open to getting this done. That is our goal. It is a question of who, out of those parties you've just listed, wants to be sensible. Who wants to enable the jobs and the environmental protections that this Bill will enable. But I do think there is a special responsibility for Sussan Ley. She is Leader of the Liberal Party. She was the Environment Minister who received the report that recommended this course of action - that happened five years ago. She can either complete that work by ensuring leadership in her party to get this done this week, or deliver nothing. And I think ultimately, people want governments to deliver. The Albanese government delivers, and we are determined to deliver these reforms.

MITSOPOULOS: Alright, you've got a fair bit of work ahead of you, I'll leave it there. And thank you for talking to me.

GORMAN: Thanks Nadia, and thanks to your listeners.

MITSOPOULOS: Patrick Gorman there. He is the Labor Member for Perth, and he is also the Minister that assists the Prime Minister, talking to me from Canberra there.