TOM CONNELL, HOST: Big final week in parliament before the budget, complete with plenty of controversy. Joining me now to break it down, the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman, and NSW Liberal Party President Jason Falinski - at least until he officially leaves that role, he will tell us I'm sure, we'll get the scoop right? But Patrick, let's start with you. Politics was going to be different under the Labor government. The story that my colleague Olivia Caisley broke on Clare O'Neil apparently verbally abusing her Department Secretary is that just not on? Should Labor be doing better than that, setting an example?
PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE: Well, I think we saw in Question Time this week, Tom, the Minister for Home Affairs outlined her response to that story in a range of questions, including the fact that actually she has a really strong, positive working relationship with Stephanie Foster. They have got a big clean up job to do. We have seen a number of reports in recent months about the mess left behind by Peter Dutton and others. I think you have put some things in your question which I don't entirely agree with, but what I think is really clear –
CONNELL: You were in Parliament; you mentioned her answers. She never once said that didn't happen, did she?
GORMAN: What she said really clearly was that she has a strong, positive working relationship with Stephanie Foster, who's a fantastic member of the Australian Public Service. What was also said was that some of the characterisations that we saw from Sussan Ley, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, were not agreed to. I think your viewers know that what we were seeing was a political weaponisation in Question Time. When actually the fact is that we are just getting on with the job. You can talk about it. We are doing things to improve standards in parliamentary workplaces. You have seen that with the legislation with Parliamentary Workplace Support Services –
CONNELL: Well, the examples you set matters too. Maybe my transcript reading is slipped. I didn't see her answer it directly, but I do need to get to Jason. Sometimes I forget about him and I know he gets very upset afterwards.
GORMAN: I think she talked quite comprehensively about the positive nature of the working relationship she has with the Secretary of her Department.
CONNELL: She did. That is what she did. Without addressing the allegations of the incident itself.
GORMAN: Yes, that is what I would expect of every Minister and every Secretary. That is exactly what Minister O'Neil has done.
CONNELL: Alright, okay and the Assistant Minister sticking by her, I'd expect that as well. Fair enough. Jason, on your side, one of the things out of the election was needing more women in the ranks. How is that going, do you think? The most recent example was preselection for Cook. Very well credentialed woman, from what I could tell on paper. I haven't met her. Didn't get a nod in the end. How is Project Women going?
JASON FALINSKI, NSW LIBERAL PARTY PRESIDENT: In the NSW division it's going very well. I mean, Tom, the breakdown on the numbers is pretty clear that, you know, at the moment we have thirteen. Sorry, twelve members of Parliament from NSW. In Federal Parliament, seven are men, five are women. If there were a 2.5 per cent swing, and they're never uniform, as Patrick and you know. In NSW, that number would increase to eleven men and, sorry, to fourteen women and eleven men. So, almost 60 per cent of our parliamentary delegation from NSW would be women.
CONNELL: That's based on what? Preselections, where they're officially decided or where they're headed. Where they're sort of –
FALINSKI: No, no, some of that is where they're headed.
GORMAN: Jason has stitched it all up. Jason sorted it all out.
FALINSKI: Patrick, can I tell you the number of times I wished I could stitch things up that I was never able to do?
GORMAN: I believe in you.
FALINSKI: Thank you, Patrick. There is a first time for everything. I won't go through all the seats, but there are seats where I know, for example, there has only been one nominee for that seat and that candidate is a woman. There have been other nominations where there are three nominations. They're all women. So, on the basis of that knowledge that I have as Party President, I can confidently say that we will have, if there were a uniform swing, more than 50 per cent, in fact, close to 60 per cent –
CONNELL: Does that factor in a man or a woman in MacKellar?
FALINSKI: And we see, sorry, in the NSW parliamentary party, Tom, more than 50 per cent of our members are women already, so we're achieving that at the NSW level. And that does not include –
GORMAN: I’m going to ask Tom's question again for him. I'm going to help out here.
CONNELL: Thank you, Patrick.
GORMAN: Is it a man or a woman from MacKellar? What is their name?
FALINSKI: Well, nomination. So, nominations for MacKellar haven't opened, so I can't tell you who the candidates in MacKellar will be s –
CONNELL: That’s such a shame.
FALINSKI: – and it may be that they're all women, or it may be they're all men. Yes, I can see the two of you are incredibly disappointed.
CONNELL: I wish, if only you had more insight. I'm just going to decide one day that I relentlessly pursue that one, but it's not today.
FALINSKI: Not today. Oh, good. Something for us to look forward to in the future. Fantastic.
CONNELL: There you go. Yep. Alright, Patrick, you're out there talking about solar panels today. And actually making them in Australia, we make 1 per cent. So, it would be good if we could make some. But does it also highlight that the transition underway under Labor so far for the cost, the promise, this is the big pre-election promise. $275 off your power bill by 2025. Is there any measurement you can give me that that is on track?
GORMAN: Well, let's go through your questions in order, Tom. Firstly, yes, we do have an announcement today that we are going to invest a billion dollars to ensure that we do have a big, vibrant solar panel manufacturing industry here in Australia. As you said, only 1 per cent of them are made here in Australia. But we've got all of the minerals that are needed to make a high quality, long lasting solar panel. We have got the skills; we just need to bring it all together. That's indeed what the Prime Minister announced today. I think most of your viewers would think if you have got a choice to buy an Australia made solar panel and the Government can do something to help put that choice on the table, we should.
CONNELL: They would probably get the cheap one won’t they? Will they be cost competitive?
GORMAN: They will be, because again, high quality manufacturing in this country, longer lasting solar panels built for Australian conditions, that's exactly what you want. Indeed, the Bill that I introduced yesterday in parliament the Net Zero Economy Authority Bill, which will help with this transition. From workers who are currently working in coal fired power plants to have new opportunities. I want to make sure those opportunities are there. I know there's great opportunities in other parts of the resources industry. In other parts of energy generation. To make sure those workers who have powered Australia for generations can continue to do so. This is one part of that plan. Now you asked also on our commitment to keep energy prices low –
CONNELL: All right, very quickly on this. Can you just give me a short sharp answer? $275 off your bill by 2025. On track. Yes or no?
GORMAN: Energy prices are lower in this country because we brought legislation into the parliament to bring them down. Peter Dutton voted against it. If Mr. Dutton had his way, there would have been an 18 per cent increase. With inflation only at 3.4% up. We do have more to do. That is why we announced this today. More investments in renewables, more investments in the cheapest form of electricity, which is renewable energy. That is a fact, Tom, and that's why we're so committed to investing in renewable energy. Here in WA and indeed in –
CONNELL: It does it give a question of the price of it when you have to firm it up with –
GORMAN: Much cheaper than nuclear power. Let's be clear. Much cheaper than nuclear power.
CONNELL: Jason on nuclear –
FALINSKI: I'm so glad I came in. Yes, sorry, what was your question, Tom?
CONNELL: On nuclear power is the best we can say for it: It's going to be in a stable country, as in not the political scene, but the earth doesn't shake. That's good. –
FALINSKI: Geologically, that’s fine.
CONNELL: See, that’s the one. You're there to help me. But in terms of the cost, that's a question mark, isn't it? We've had a lot of nuclear projects, especially the small modular ones blow out in cost. The large ones take a long time. The cost at the moment is a question mark. Would you concede that?
FALINSKI: No, I don't concede that, Tom. I think if you're talking about small modular, that's certainly the case. They haven't been able to commercialise to that technology, but the Biden administration has dedicated $400 billion to small modular reactors and there are four being built in the United States as we speak now. The figures that you and Patrick are referring to as the GenCost report, that has largely been debunked by economists because it doesn't take into account the cost of distribution, that is, the poles and wires. And what you can see in the United States and other parts of Western Europe is that people are putting those facilities where those, that infrastructure exists and it's creating a lower cost. Anyway, sorry I took so long to answer my question.
CONNELL: You were. All right, look, I just. You're assuming I was referring to the report. I just said it was a question mark. But there you go. Lump me in with Patrick. You two always trying to push me over to the other side. So I will stay resolutely in the middle –
GORMAN: I’m pleased to know, Tom –
CONNELL: Yes, quickly, Patrick. I'm getting in trouble.
GORMAN: I'm very excited to know that Jason has just given us a big exclusive here on Sky News that the costings are obviously done in the Coalition. We are going to see those costings just any day now. Hopefully, we will see the costings, the location, what they are going to do with the nuclear waste, all of those things that Mr. Dutton has not been able to answer for weeks and weeks.
CONNELL: Gee you are getting in early. Don't we have an election called normally? Don't answer that. Don't answer that. I'm getting in trouble. A package has disappeared, so whatever package that was, the viewers of Australia are going to miss out on it.
FALINSKI: Maybe if we spend more time talking about the preselection in MacKellar, Tom, we would have more time for this stuff. I don't know.
CONNELL: Next week, I promise.
GORMAN: That's an hour long, Jason.
CONNELL: One day. One day. Maybe on a holiday. Public holiday. I'll see you two next week.