ALLISON LANGDON:
You've been getting a bit Footloose yourself with this little spat you're having with Queensland's Deputy Premier Steven Miles, this is over troops on the border. Just take a listen.
[Plays excerpt]
This is yet another example of a Federal Government minister being sent out by the Prime Minister to attack our Government in the local media here in Queensland, being caught out lying. And I think it's time, again, for Josh Frydenberg to apologise for the statements that he made.
You certainly didn't apologise. What have you done instead? You've described him as a fool who can't read.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well he's a stumbling, bumbling, lightweight that no one's ever heard of who's just made it up as he goes. I mean, I was asked a question on radio yesterday whether the Government's movement of ADF troops was designed to deliberately damage Queensland's border policy. And I said that was absolutely rubbish and then he goes and holds a press conference asking me to apologise. For what? I mean, this guy is, just as Peter Dutton said earlier, just seeking to pick a fight, to play politics with the pandemic, to play politics with the deployment of ADF troops. I mean, that guy should just grow up.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Do you want to think about your answer to that question and what you really think of him, or do you want to just really lay it out on the line?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well look, I just had to tell you how it is. I mean, yesterday I was asked a very direct question. I gave a very direct answer and then suddenly, out of the blue this bloke comes out launching this scathing attack on the Morrison Government, just making it up as he goes. I think you rightly are holding him to account and so are other journalists for completely misleading everybody in relation to what was said.
ALLISON LANGDON:
Oh I don’t know, I almost felt sorry for him yesterday when you came out firing and Peter Dutton came out firing. It seemed a little unfair. But…
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Yeah it was bullying.
ALLISON LANGDON:
Hey, I want to turn to Victoria now…
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
He started it. He started it.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
See, this is the sort of schoolyard stuff that people don't like, Josh, come on.
ALLISON LANGDON:
I do want to talk to you about Victoria though.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well, exactly, we're here to talk about credit.
ALLISON LANGDON:
We are. Well look, Victoria. No-one's claiming any responsibility in regards to hotel guards. Dan Andrews is in the witness stand today. Do you think it might happen magically that we get some answers?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well this inquiry was set up to provide answers and Victorians are still waiting for those answers. It's a very serious issue. There's been huge mistakes that were made in hotel quarantine and we need those answers as to how that happened, why the ADF were rejected, why security guards were deployed. That's the reality of what Victorians now face. And it's been a tragic outcome for Victorians, whether it's about the economy, or whether it's about the loss of life through the second wave in Victoria. Victorians need answers and that's what the inquiry was set up to do.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
You've announced this morning too, these new reforms that will make it easier for Australians to access loans. Is that responsible lending?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well right now we've got an approach which is restrictive lending because there's a level of regulation which is overly complex. It's costly. It’s one size fits all. It prevents people getting access to credit as they should. So therefore these changes that we're proposing is going to remove that level of duplication in the system. We're going to streamline the application for credit, we're going to ensure that APRA continues to regulate what are known as the ADIs, which are the banks, effectively. We'll also ensure that ASIC regulates the non-ADIs but in the process we'll get people access to credit in a much quicker and a more effective way. This will be really important for our recovery, whether it's for the housing sector, retail sector, for the hospitality sector, for the tourism sector.
ALLISON LANGDON:
Alright. Thank you, Treasurer. Can I just say unlike Karl, I was just as happy to have you on the show as I was Kevin Bacon.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
It's a big transition, is all I'm saying.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Karl's just a stirrer. I know where his heart really is. It’s alright.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Thanks Treasurer, talk to you soon.