Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Assistant Minister for the Public Service
ANDREW CLENNELL, HOST: Joining me live is the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman from Perth. Patrick Gorman, thanks for joining me. You're out doorknocking for the Yes campaign at the moment with Dean Parkin who leads the Yes campaign. What's the reception like?
PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE: Well, we're about to launch our doorknock here at Bardon Park in Maylands. We did a launch of some of the WA efforts yesterday at Kings Park with Dean, with Senator Dorinda Cox, with Kate Chaney and about 50 community members. The feedback I'm getting from the community is that they have a very open ear to the message of the Yes campaign and that they recognise that this conversation has been happening for a long time and soon Australians will be asked a very important question. What I'm really encouraged by is that people are taking this responsibility seriously. It is important that people get the information that's available there at voice.gov.au or at yes23.com.au so they can make up their mind. But I think people take this seriously, and that's the most important thing as we go through this huge democratic exercise.
CLENNELL: Well, we had another poll out overnight showing declining support, this time from Newgate. What's your reaction to this?
GORMAN: Well, my reaction is that we're going to see lots of polls on these questions. And some of them are going to be quite encouraging for various sides. Some of them are going to go up and down in different states at different times. What we do know is that the modern polling machine haven't had to poll a referendum in Australia since 1999. A few things have changed, both in the methodology and in the way that both campaigns and information is distributed since then. But when it comes to where I think people will land by the time we get to later this year, when that referendum is in fact held. People have had so much information, I think it'll be a bit like an election, where people are going, I've had so much, I just want to get in there and do it. And I think when people are standing in the ballot box making that decision, I'm confident, not just in my community here in Perth, but across Australia, I'm confident that we'll get this long overdue change into our Constitution.
CLENNELL: The Voice could have probably used an advocate like Mark McGowan in WA, couldn't it?
GORMAN: Well, I think it's important that your viewers know that Mark McGowan has said a number of times that he supports the Voice to Parliament. Mark has been a great advocate for reconciliation here in the West. And I note that in 2015 it was actually Mark McGowan's advocacy from Opposition that worked with Colin Barnett, the then Liberal Premier, to get recognition in the state Constitution. Mark's out there at the moment campaigning with the Rockingham by-election to help elect his successor in Magenta Marshall, who's doing a fantastic job. But I'm sure we'll see him out on the trail helping out in the Yes campaign, too.
CLENNELL: Alright. I wanted to ask about the PM's NATO trip. Now, how important was it for the PM to go? And what do you make of Paul Keating's comments in relation to NATO? You must be getting heartily sick of Paul Keating at the moment.
GORMAN: Well, look, it's important that we recognise that what happens in the world matters to Australia. And that's why it's incredibly important that the Prime Minister does attend this NATO summit, we've seen already in terms of the fact that he's already in Europe and indeed been in Germany getting good outcomes for Australia, signing Australia up to the Climate Club to make sure that we can advocate for our interest in that group that Germany has led around climate change initiatives and important things that are important to my state. Like the critical minerals supply chain. Making sure that we can get more of those great high value minerals into global supply chains. We've obviously seen some of the defence announcements. And when it comes to the NATO meeting, Australia's got a real interest in both NATO's work in terms of trade security, NATO's work in terms of national security. And we've been a longstanding partner with NATO. We're not a member of NATO, but we are a partner in so many ways. And it's important the Prime Minister be there to reaffirm that partnership and to talk about what Australia sees in our region that can help contribute to those conversations.
CLENNELL: Alright, what about Paul Keating?
GORMAN: Mr. Keating will have comments to say on a range of foreign policy matters, as he has done for every year since he served as Prime Minister. I've got respect for him, but I'm not going to do a running commentary on every item that Mr. Keating throws into the public debate.
CLENNELL: Do we need to make him an ambassador, like your old boss, Kevin Rudd, to shut him up, I wonder?
GORMAN: Look, I think again; different former Prime Ministers choose to make contributions in different ways. Mr Keating has made a number of contributions since he left that role. Kevin Rudd is doing a fantastic job in Washington representing Australia's national interests. I know there was a lot of noise about how Kevin would perform in that role. I think even the harshest Kevin Rudd critic would have to admit that it's been a good appointment in Australia's national interest.
CLENNELL: Alright. It looks like there'll be further class actions over Robodebt. Where do you expect all this to end up?
GORMAN: Well, firstly, we've seen just last Friday the release of the Robodebt Royal Commission Report.
