E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
SUNRISE
TUESDAY, 16 APRIL 2019
SUBJECT/S: Labor’s Medicare Cancer Plan; Newspoll; election 2019; Four Corners
DAVID KOCH, HOST: But now to other news, a bit closer to home and Bill Shorten is promising to fund $200 million worth of free blood tests for cancer patients and older Australians on day six of the federal election campaign. The Opposition Leader has already pledged to invest $2.3 billion to fight cancer. Yesterday announced a quarter of a billion dollars to free up waiting times in public hospitals. But questions have been raised over Shorten's costing as he denies it's been massively underfunded.
NATALIE BARR, HOST: Opposition Leader Bill Shorten joins us now from Melbourne. Good morning to you. Now you've promised to invest $2.3 billion to slash out-of-pocket costs for cancer patients. The Coalition says it's an irresponsible hoax that will actually cost billions more than you say it's going to. What do you say to that?
BILL SHORTEN, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: I'd say last week, the Government said there wasn't a problem with cancer funding, they said it's all free. This week, now they're saying we're not spending enough.
The fact of the matter is that when you're in the fight of your life, you shouldn't have to be worried about the out-of-pockets. So we're going to increase bulk billing from about 40 per cent-plus to 80 per cent. I think that cancer makes you sick but it shouldn't make you poor. And we absolutely believe we're on the right track.
I mean Medicare should be there for when you need it. And when it comes to cancer, one in two Australians will be diagnosed by cancer in their life. We just want to make sure that people don't have to be distracted by massive out-of-pocket bills which is the current problem.
KOCH: Look, this is the first time we've spoken to you since the election was called. The first Newspoll of the campaign has you well ahead of Scott Morrison: 52-48 two party preferred. Based on that, it would be a landslide to Labor. Is this your election to lose?
SHORTEN: Oh, I'm not getting ahead of myself. What we're going to do is not focus so much on the Government and the personalities but on our plan for the future. I think Australians are sick of an economy which isn't working for them. The fact of the matter is the cost of childcare has gone up under this government. The cost of seeing the doctor has gone up. The cost of energy bills have gone up. In fact, everything's gone up except people's wages and I think what Australians want is a plan for the future. That's why we're going to take real action on climate change and restore all the cuts to schools and hospitals. It's about putting people in the middle of decision making.
BARR: Earlier today, we spoke to the Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg. What is your response to claims a Shorten Government would be the highest taxing government in Australian history?
SHORTEN: Well first of all, we don't accept that. This is the Government who's raised more taxes than anyone before us. And as our promises come out during the course of the election campaign, this government untruth will be exposed for what it is.
But let's be clear here: it's all about choices in this election. This government wants to give tax cuts to the top end of town, this government wants to keep spending taxpayer money on subsidies to the lucky few. We want to make sure that we've got better hospitals and schools, that's what we want to do with our scarce government resources, look after working and middle class families.
KOCH: All right. While we've got you Bill Shorten, the children of notorious terrorist Khaled Sharrouf have pleaded to be allowed to come back home to Australia after years living in Islamic State territory. Their grandma told Four Corners program on the ABC last night they pose no threat to Australia. If you were Prime Minister, would you let them back in?
SHORTEN: Well I don't hold the children responsible for the mistakes of their parents. You know I don't know all the circumstances but I can understand why a grandmother wants to see her grandchildren safe at home.
What I don't understand is what on earth possessed the parents, one, to pursue this hateful ideology of the terrorist ISIS organisation but dragging your kids into the middle of a war zone, no parent who loves their children would do that, would they?
KOCH: But you'd like them back in?
SHORTEN: Well I think you've got to work on that. We've got to make the kids safe. It's difficult. We'll work with the security agencies but I don't hold the kids responsible for the mistakes of their parents and I think that's just the humane thing to do, isn't it?
KOCH: Yep. All right Bill Shorten, thanks for joining us.
ENDS
