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

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
WEEKEND TODAY
SATURDAY, 29 MARCH 2025

SUBJECTS: Federal Election; Tax Cuts.

CLINT STANAWAY, HOST: The starter's gun has now been fired in the campaign. Buses have hit the road as politicians across Australia begin campaigning in this year's federal election. Let's bring in today's talkers. We've got Finance Minister Katy Gallagher in Canberra for us, and in the studio Clinton Maynard from 2GB Sydney. Now, Katy, we just heard from Peter Dutton a short time ago, thirty-seven days of campaigning, is Labor ready?

SENATOR KATY GALLAGHER, MINISTER FOR FINANCE, WOMEN, THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES: Oh, absolutely. We are so ready. Had a big week, obviously, with the Budget but we're very organised, ready to go. We've got a great record of achievement. We've got great plans for the future in strengthening Medicare and lowering people's tax. And we are up for it and really looking forward to getting out there and talking with people and spreading our message.

STANAWAY: So, we did see in this term a Voice referendum, didn't quite get over the line. Cost of living has soared. Why does Labor deserve another term federally?

GALLAGHER: Well, because we're about strengthening the economy, investing in Medicare, helping people with their cost of living bills and also building a better future. We've delivered significant investments in the first three years, but we've got a lot more to do. And we've got a very positive message to go out there and talk with people. I think there's a lot of interest in our Medicare investments, in our cutting people's income tax, and a good contrast with the Opposition who want to raise your taxes, cut services to pay for their $600 billion nuclear reactors around the country. So, there is a real choice. There's a real contrast between what Prime Minister Albanese offers and his Government and what Peter Dutton and the Opposition are offering.

STANAWAY: Clinton, what’s your reading of this? The polls have it neck and neck, we think, yet Albanese is confident saying he should win a majority government. Do you think that statement might come back to bite him?

CLINTON MAYNARD, PRESENTER, 2GB: Look, he can't give the Greens and the teals, the independents, an inch. So, he's got to tell the electorate, you want a majority government, you've got to vote Labor. Don't vote for the independents. But today is telling. He's already in Brisbane. The Greens hold three seats in Brisbane. So, he's obviously concerned about the fact that he may need to do deals with the Greens after the election. He won't admit to that, of course, but he's in Brisbane today to try to win two of those Greens seats back.

STANAWAY: A fuel excise cut on the Coalition side versus a tax cut on the Labor side. Where do you see it landing in the electorate?

MAYNARD: Well, we spoke about this on my program last night and overwhelmingly our listeners backed the fuel excise cut for the simple reason, it kicks in straight away. Now, it's only twelve months, and I think that needs to be an issue as well. But Katy's tax cut plan doesn't start until July of next year. I don't understand why it doesn't kick in now.

STANAWAY: Katy, your response?

GALLAGHER: Well, these are top-up tax cuts to the tax cuts that we put in place in July last year. So, they went to every taxpayer and they are flowing through the economy now and we are seeing the positive benefits of that. We've also got to keep an eye on inflation. We’ve got to make sure that while we're getting inflation back into the band, which it's there now, that that remains the case. We legislated these tax cuts during the sitting week, it’s been a long week, and we believe that the timing for those is right. I mean, the contrast with the fuel excise is, this a one-off hit from Peter Dutton, a sugar hit in a sense. But he's also telling everyone they've got to get back into the workplace to work as well. So, for a lot of those people that are balancing work from home, I think they'll have higher fuel costs, higher parking costs, if they're all frogmarched back into the office as Peter Dutton wants them to.

STANAWAY: The battle lines have been drawn. Katy Gallagher, thank you. Clinton Maynard, thank you to you as well.

ENDS