TRANSCRIPT – SKY NEWS NEWSDAY WITH KIERAN GILBERT

Angie Bell MP
Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education
Shadow Minister for Youth
Federal Member for Moncrieff

TRANSCRIPT

SKY NEWS NEWSDAY WITH KIERAN GILBERT

19 December 2024

Subjects: Labor does further damage to Israel relationship, Australia to finally reopen embassy in Kyiv, Labor’s cost of living crisis

E&OE…………………………………………………………………………………………………

KIERAN GILBERT:

We wrap up today’s show with the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Angie Bell, joins us live. Angie, thanks for your time. This discussion had by Penny Wong and her Israeli counterpart, it sounded like it was quite a heated discussion. Is it good though, the government standing by its principles on this? I know you disagree with their approach, but they’re adamant that they believe a ceasefire is needed now.

ANGIE BELL MP:
Well, it did sound like a very heated conversation with the Foreign Minister. Look, it’s no surprise really to the Coalition, or perhaps Australians, that Labor has damaged our relationship, our very important relationship with Israel, being probably our closest partner outside the Five Eyes. And so a very, very important partner across the world, an important ally, an important democracy that needs defending. And so it is no surprise to us that Penny Wong and the Prime Minister have damaged this very important relationship. It’s no surprise under Labor, that their Foreign Affairs skills, their diplomacy skills, leave somewhat a lot to be desired.

KIERAN GILBERT:
They have announced the reopening of the embassy in Ukraine though. That’s something the Coalition’s been calling for, for several months. So you’d welcome that?

ANGIE BELL MP:
Of course we welcome that announcement. But you have to ask the question, Kieran, why has it taken Penny Wong and the Prime Minister so long to actually come to this decision? And I was just listening to Dave Sharma before talk about how this must be an embarrassment for them, that it’s taken them two and a half years. I mean, Canada reopened theirs in exactly the same building in May 2022, and so I think Australians should be pretty embarrassed about the way that our government is conducting business abroad. Foreign Affairs should be bipartisan. We should be on the same page when it comes to Israel, and clearly we’re not.

KIERAN GILBERT:
On the economy where we’ve had the mid year budget update and spending is increasing, debt is worsening in over a trillion dollars within a few years from now. Much of what the government says it’s spending on are things like Defence, Veterans, that improve processes so payments can go to those that need it. Is it incumbent upon the Coalition to detail clearly where the cuts will be made?

ANGIE BELL MP:
Well in time, we will outline our economic policies heading towards the next election, but what I will say is that this reckless spending by the Labor Albanese Government has put us in a terrible position for the next 10 years, in deficit for the next 10 years. They have spent $347 billion, out into the economy which is keeping inflation higher for longer. Australian families cannot pay their bills. Electricity bills have gone through the roof. We’re in a cost of living crisis. We’re in a cost of doing business crisis, Kieran. We’ve had 26,000 small and family businesses go broke across the nation since Labor have come to power. They are spending money, wasteful spending everywhere you turn. It started with the $500 million Voice referendum that failed. That was a waste of taxpayers’ money. We have seen 36,000 new public servants in Canberra, which we don’t need. The wasteful spending just continues to go on, and the Labor government’s expecting Australians to tighten their belts while spending taxpayer money frivolously.

KIERAN GILBERT:
The government says it, it’s the thing that’s held the economy up, that the government support and expenditure has helped Australia avoid falling into recession. What do you say to that?

ANGIE BELL MP:
Well we’ve seen seven consecutive quarters of negative growth in households. Let’s call that a family recession, shall we? And Australians know that everything is costing more. We’ve seen a 9% decrease in our standard of living. We’ve seen a 19% increase in the cost of everything for working families [sic]. I was in a small business yesterday here on the Gold Coast, where the owner told me her electricity bills had gone from $24,000 last year to $48,000 this year. And so there’s another smaller family business who employs Australians, looking at very difficult decisions, and the cliff is coming. So Australians cannot afford another three years of this reckless spending, Labor Albanese Government.

KIERAN GILBERT:
Just finally in your area of focus, Angus Taylor said that the Coalition will scrap the childcare policies of Labor if you’re elected. What do you say to the sector, who might support it?

ANGIE BELL MP:
Well, I would say that the Labor Government is out there talking about $5 billion worth of spending over five years. And I would ask Australians, what have they received for that money? And the answer is an increase in out of pocket costs of 10.7 per cent over the last 12 months. That’s what Australians have got for that. They haven’t got any further access to new child care places in regional Australia, and they are hurting in the regions. So the government is spending, it’s spruiking its spending, but it’s not actually delivering for Australians.

KEIRAN GILBERT:
Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Angie Bell, thanks for joining us. Talk to you soon.

ANGIE BELL MP:
Thanks, Kieran, Merry Christmas.

[ENDS]