PETER STEFANOVIC:
Now joining us live is the Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones. Stephen, good to see you. Thanks for your time. We'll start off with these protests that are taking place at the moment. Debate is up again involving the LGBTQI community. There was the Moira Deeming event that was hijacked by the Nazis on the weekend in Melbourne. Now you've got Mark Latham's event last night in Sydney that was targeted by trans activists. So, again, tensions are high. You've spoken about this in the past. What are your thoughts on where it is right now, that heated debate that's spiked again?
STEPHEN JONES:
Frankly, I'd like us to take a bit of the heat out of this. I think it's most unfortunate, whether it's the incident in Sydney overnight or where Mark Latham was essentially trying to reheat debate that kicked off in Melbourne earlier this week, I think it's unfortunate. Here's why. When kids who are struggling with their gender, with their identity, hear politicians like us squabbling over this issue, the message they hear is that somehow, we're not right, we're not a part of the community, or somehow our identity is controversial. They don't need that. In fact, they should be joining with the rest of the community and saying, "For God's sake, can't our politicians focus on the issues that are really of great consequence in this country?" Cost of living, national security, environmental catastrophe, how we have jobs and how we educate our kids. These are the things that matter. Not idiots like Mark Latham running around trying to reheat culture wars which have a detrimental effect on our kids and, frankly, distract the community from the things that really matter. And the things that really matter today, are about us ensuring that we can get our safeguards mechanism through the Senate, we can deal with our cost‑of‑living issues, that we can have a fund set aside to ensure that we're building more houses to put roofs over people's heads who don't currently have a house, that we can deal with our national security challenges. These are the big issues, not clowns running around trying to reoxygenate old culture wars.
STEFANOVIC:
How is it Mark Latham's fault, though? I mean, it's a One Nation event where trans activists attended. They recorded themselves, so you can assume then they had plans on videoing themselves getting into trouble. How's that Mark Latham's fault if it's a One Nation event?
JONES:
Look, the point I'm making, Pete, stands. I'd like us to take some heat out of this stuff and focus on the issues. Whether it's the voters in New South Wales who are going to the polls this week, or the people who've elected us here in the Federal Parliament to deal with the big challenges of the day. They want us focusing on the real issues, not these issues that, frankly, I thought we put aside a year ago in this Parliament. They want us focused on cost of living, the environmental challenges that we face, our national security challenges, not gender and identity issues‑
STEFANOVIC:
I get your point‑
JONES:
Mark Latham has reheated his career trying to reoxygenate these issues. So that's what underlies the point I've just made. I make the same criticisms of those who are carrying on in Victoria late last week. Frankly, Australians expect better of their elected representatives.
STEFANOVIC:
Okay, well, people point to the hard right being responsible for this, but isn't it the hard left as well? I mean, getting back to my point, I mean, these activists went with videos last night, so you can assume they were expecting trouble. So, do they have to take some of the blame here?
JONES:
I want to let my very firm words speak for themselves. I think Australians expect their elected representatives to be focused on the issues that matter to all Australians. They expect their elected representatives to be mindful of the impact that our words and actions have on vulnerable communities, including the LGBTIQ+ communities, and all the more reason.
STEFANOVIC:
Sure, I see you, I see your argument.
JONES:
At a time like this, we should be focusing on the real issues.
STEFANOVIC:
I understand your argument is very strong on that, but do the activists have to take a share of the blame here, too?
JONES:
For all the reasons I've just laid out, I'm not going to start weighing into that argument. I want us to focus on the issues that matter to Australians. Frankly, I want to see our TV screens, our newspapers, our social media feeds focused on the issues that I've outlined, not the things that, frankly, for the groups who are concerned, and having me weigh in on those debates.
STEFANOVIC:
Yeah, but it's not even the elected, it's not only the elected ‑ sure, sure.
JONES:
This is a really important point.
STEFANOVIC:
Sure.
JONES:
When I weigh into those debates and start kicking off about these sorts of issues, it reheats. I don't want to reheat an issue. I want us focused on the things that matter to Australians and my record on this is very strong and very clear. Everybody in Australia knows where I stand on the substantive issue of gender, of other people's rights, of LGBTQI issues. Everyone knows where I stand on these issues. And I don't think anybody's cause is helped by us throwing more petrol on that fire.
STEFANOVIC:
Sure, I get that. But my point is, it's not always elected officials, which we've seen last night.
JONES:
No, it's not always elected officials. But you've asked me what I think, and I've told you what I think.
STEFANOVIC:
Okay, but what do you think of those who aren't elected officials that are stirring up trouble?
JONES:
Look, I've got no comment on that, Peter. I just want to, I want to come onto this program today and talk to you about the things that are going on in Parliament and that I think really matter in Parliament.
STEFANOVIC:
Well, on that, let's get to the Greens. Are they playing games on safeguard mechanisms, or do you think they'll eventually come around?
JONES:
Pete I hope that we don't have a redo of 2009. The objective of the legislation is to ensure that we decarbonize our economy, not deindustrialize our economy. It matters a lot, and it matters a lot to me in the region that I represent, which has got the biggest steel factory in the country. They are committed to decarbonizing their business. They need a glide path to do that, they need certainty in government policy. Our legislation will provide that. We want the Coalition, we want the Greens, in fact, we want all of Parliament on board with the journey. And frankly, if we don't grab this opportunity, it'll be another wasted decade. This is our opportunity to get this done. And if we don't do it, we won't meet our 43 per cent targets. Industry won't have the security that they need to invest, including invest in renewable energies and decarbonizing their industrial processes. But I repeat again, the objective is to decarbonize the economy, not deindustrialize the economy. And our legislation will do that.
STEFANOVIC:
Okay, and just a final one here on AUKUS. More reaction, particularly within Labor and Kim Carr, he's voiced his concern, Labor member of the past will presumably still a Labor member. But is everyone within the Labor Party on the same page when it comes to nuclear submarines?
JONES:
Look, obviously this is a huge decision that has been made and Blind Freddie can see that there'll be many within the community and many within the Labor movement who have concerns about it.
STEFANOVIC:
Do you have concerns?
JONES:
I am concerned to ensure that we meet the national security challenges of the future. And I absolutely want to ensure that we as a country maximize the domestic benefits of one of the biggest industrial programs that our nation will see, 20,000 jobs, a huge step forward in our industrial and technological capacity. And I want to ensure that as we are meeting our national security needs, that we are getting maximum industrial, employment and economic benefits out of a massive project.
STEFANOVIC:
Stephen Jones. Appreciate your time. Thank you, as always. We'll talk to you again soon.