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

EO&E TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP
SYDNEY
TUESDAY, 8 APRIL 2025
 

SUBJECTS: Sky News People’s Forum; US Tariffs; Coalition Cuts.

KATY GALLAGHER, MINISTER FOR FINANCE: Well, I think the contrast between the Leaders was on full display tonight. We had a Prime Minister with a very strong performance, very positive performance outlining the work that we've done together over the last three years, but also real optimism about the plans for the future. I think from the Leader of the Opposition, we had his characteristically negative approach. We saw him refuse to rule out cuts, refuse to explain those cuts. We saw, certainly, quite a number of lies in what he said tonight. He certainly lied about the Budget position, about cuts to defence and refused to take responsibility for the charges he put on in Medicare, the GP tax, the tax to the emergency department. So, I think you can see the contrast between what Labor is offering about plans for a better future, and the Liberal Party through Peter Dutton, very negative, no explanation about his nuclear costings, refusing to rule out all the cuts that he will have to do to pay for that, and refusing to take responsibility for the decisions he took when he was last in government.
 
JOURNALIST: Minister, have you or anybody in your government made contact with Donald Trump himself or spoken about his tariff [inaudible]?
 
GALLAGHER: Well, there's been extensive contact between the Government and the new Administration in America –
 
JOURNALIST: With Donald Trump himself?
 
GALLAGHER: Within the Trump Administration. We are using every lever available to government to advocate on behalf of Australia's national interest and to explain our position. We will continue to do that.
 
JOURNALIST: Is that a no?
 
GALLAGHER: Well, no, I'm saying we have used every lever available, including the Prime Minister has spoken twice to President Trump, Ministers have engaged with their counterparts. We're using diplomatic channels. We're using every lever available to stand up for Australia's national interest, and we will continue to do so.
 
JOURNALIST: Minister, how can Labor keep spruiking itself as the party of health care when we saw up there, you know, you still have to pull out your credit card when you want to go to the GP and get a visit?
 
GALLAGHER: Yeah, well, we've rebuilt in the last three years the damage that was done in a decade of Liberal Government. I mean, they froze the Medicare rebate, and you saw tonight Peter Dutton refused to take responsibility for that. The reason bulk billing and primary health care was in free fall when we came to government was a result of six years of Medicare, MBS freezing, on the indexation of MBS items. That is why. And we knew they did that when he couldn't get his GP tax through, and his emergency department tax through, and his cuts to Medicare, he couldn't do it, and so they imposed this indexation freeze, and that is what has challenged Medicare. Now, we have done a lot in the last three years to invest in Medicare. We will keep doing it. It's one of the key parts of our policy, strengthening Medicare to make sure that those bulk billing rates get back to 90 per cent so that people only need their Medicare card. That's exactly what we're doing. And we know what this guy did when he was last in government. When he was Health Minister, he cut Medicare and he tried to impose a GP tax.

ENDS