24/04/2025 

SENATOR THE HON KATY GALLAGHER
MINISTER FINANCE
MINISTER FOR WOMEN
MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE
MINISTER FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICES

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
2CC CANBERRA
THURSDAY, 24 APRIL 2025

SUBJECTS: ACT Senate contest; Dutton's cuts; National Convention Centre; Dutton's nuclear scheme; ACT Government-Federal Government relations.

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO, HOST: Time for our latest federal election debate. I'm calling this one the Senate scuffle. I like a bit of alliteration with these and it seems to have worked up until now. I dunno what I'm going to do with Eden-Monaro next week, but we'll work that out when we come to it. So, joining us in the studio, Labor Senator for the ACT and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher; David Pocock, independent senator for the ACT; and the Liberal candidate for the Senate, Jacob Vadakkedathu. We're going to do a one minute intro, give each candidate a one minute opening statement and then we'll open it up from there. Let's start with our longest serving senator and Finance Minister, Katy Gallagher. Good morning.

SENATOR THE HON KATY GALLAGHER, MINISTER FOR FINANCE: Thanks very much and thanks for having me on, and to Jacob and Dave for being here as well. Look, this election's really important. I think we say that all the time, but I think you can see a real contrast between the parties and what Labor wants to do, which is build our future, invest in services that matter for Australians like Medicare and medicines and early education and care, and an opposition who wants to pay 275. In fact, it's gone up more than 600 billion for nuclear. We know that's a made-up figure. Why aren't you out there saying that?

VADAKKEDATHU: Yeah, that 160 billion. Our costing is $120 billion.

CENATIEMPO: David, I'll give you thirty seconds just to wrap up and then I'll come back to you, Katy, to finish

POCOCK: Well, I guess from my point of view, it's been a huge privilege to do what I'm doing. I'm committed to continuing to be accessible and accountable to people in the ACT to listening and then getting in there and actually fighting for the ACT. And I think for the first time we've seen some competition in politics in the ACT. And I think that's a great thing and I would urge people to look at minor parties and independence of selection.

CENATIEMPO: Alright, my last question to you, Katy. David keeps talking about accessibility. One of the criticisms of you is that you're not accessible. It's the first time you've ever been on this programme in five years. Will you be more accessible?

GALLAGHER: Well, I have done a lot of 2CC in my time, believe you, and a lot of time in the studio at 2CC. I am accessible and I know that that's a line being put out by political opponents of mine. But I balance my local responsibilities with my national responsibilities. But can I say we have never had an ACT person sit at the cabinet table, sit in the ERC and sit at that level and fight for Canberra. And that's exactly what I do. And this election is about keeping Peter Dutton out so that he doesn't savage my hometown.

CENATIEMPO: Katy, well, we look forward to having you on the programme more often after the election. Katy Gallagher, David Pocock. Jacob Vadakkedathu, thanks for coming in this morning.

ENDS