1 June 2026

Transcript - Interview on ABC Radio National, Breakfast

Topics: Federal budget, small business, Liberal Party, housing

E&OE...

Sally Sara: Turning to the opposition, Tim Wilson is the Shadow Treasurer and joins me in the studio. Tim Wilson, welcome back to Breakfast.

Tim Wilson: Thank you for having me.

Sally Sara: According to this new Redbridge poll published last night, the Coalition has a primary vote of just 20%. That puts you a distant third and closer to the Greens than One Nation. Are you now a minor party in waiting?

Tim Wilson: That's cute. We're a political party that's focused on building out a story and a vision for the future of Australia. What Australians are right now is despairing of the state of this government. I understand why. We have a Prime Minister who's betrayed the community, who has broken a series of promises, and people are in despair and desperate for change. We need to be better and make sure that we clearly communicate to the Australian community what we're going to do, but I'm absolutely convinced that not just we will be here in the next parliament, but we will go on to win.

Sally Sara: If there is so much ill feeling towards this government, why are those voters not coming to you?

Tim Wilson: I think there's a chunk of voters who are just going to the orange paddock of despair because there's a lot of noise and attention there, but we need to actually make it clear where we want to take the country. And one of the things I've said consistently is the self-starters of the nation, the small businesses of the nation, desperately need hope. Small business is economic hope lived out in communities. And we've got to back them in hard to make sure they're part of the success of the country. Instead, the Prime Minister's solution is to punch down at them.

Sally Sara: You've called the budget an economic earthquake and have launched your own plan to index tax brackets, but your polling numbers have gone backwards again. Have voters stopped listening, and if so, why do you think they're not listening?

Tim Wilson: I don't think the voters are unlistening. I just think the space is highly contested these days. You've got to build out the channels of how you want to communicate to people as much as the message. And so part of our challenge is to make sure that we've got ways to connect with people where they are, and particularly to speak to key constituencies. Small businesses of the country are doing it tough right now, and we've got to be there fighting for them and, more importantly, delivering policies that are going to improve them, not simply allowing the Prime Minister to punch down at them.

Sally Sara: On another policy area, the poll also showed 40% of voters considered One Nation the best party to handle immigration, compared to 15% for the Coalition. What's your read on that?

Tim Wilson: Well, that doesn't surprise me at all, but they've never actually had to deliver on immigration policy or an immigration plan. And I think that's where it's going to come unstuck. They like to talk about these things, but they don't give any detail on how they're going to make up the immigration policy of the country, how they're going to prioritize skills, etc. So in the absence of that, they're just going to talk very loudly, whereas our focus will be how we deliver a plan that works for the country, that gets the skills in we need to build the housing stock or the create the jobs and economic opportunity for the next generation of Australia.

Sally Sara: Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been selected as the Liberal Party's new President. He's declared that the Liberals are under new management. Let's take a quick listen.

Tony Abbott (Recording): Our job is to lead a people's revolt to be rid of the worst government in living memory. I promise you, we are under new management. We are hungry to win for our country's sake.

Sally Sara: Is Tony Abbott the answer right now?

Tim Wilson: Well, actually, Angus Taylor is the answer right now because he is the parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party. Most people couldn't tell you who the federal presidents are of political parties, Liberal or Labor.

Sally Sara: But they can now.

Tim Wilson: Well, they can now, and maybe they knew them in the past, but most people don't because it's the job of the parliamentary party to make the case and to build out the vision for the future of the country and persuade voters to make sure that they understand that their life is going to be better under what we offer. And it's why when I talk to the small businesses of the country who are so distressed right now and feel like the government isn't on their side, they've basically declared war on them, that we need to be out there fighting for them and, more importantly, to have clear policy solutions that will improve their lives and give them hope.

Sally Sara: Given that Mr. Abbott lost his own seat to an independent, do you think he understands how to appeal to inner-city voters who choose independents in some cases rather than Liberal candidates at the last election?

Tim Wilson: Well, as the only person who's ever won a seat off a teal before, I can say it's the job of the parliamentary party to make the case for policy, not the job of the federal president. His job is administrative, and I fully respect that role, and you need somebody to do that role. But our focus is going to be on making sure that at a parliamentary level, whether you live in rural and regional communities or the capital cities of our nation, people have the same basic aspirations of what they want to achieve. The self-starters and small businesses of this country understand that the country needs to succeed for them to succeed and that their success is also the country's success. So it's a symbiotic relationship where we do well together.

Sally Sara: In your view, would it be better if Tony Abbott is sticking more to that administrative role and leading the leaving the policy and public commentary more to Angus Taylor? Is that what you mean?

Tim Wilson: That's fully what I expect to occur because that's the role that Angus Taylor has as leader of the parliamentary Liberal Party. He is the political leader and works with the shadow cabinet, of course, and colleagues to make sure that we're developing out the policy and making the case for the future of the country.

Sally Sara: Are you confident that Tony Abbott understands that demarcation that you've described?

Tim Wilson: I'm absolutely confident that's the case. But the key focus is how we're going to build out a future for Australia which gives Australians not just comfort but, more importantly, to feel like we're going to build a better tomorrow. Because we've got people in despair at the state of this country, what this government is doing in its budget and how it's punching down into communities and particularly small businesses and the self-starters of this country. And they need a government that's going to fight for them, not declare war on them.

Sally Sara: Just finally, because the clock is running against us, business groups, many are furious with the tax changes in the budget and are trying to secure major changes. Will the Coalition push for amendments to the bill to address those concerns, or have you dealt yourself out?

Tim Wilson: Well, we're absolutely going to be pushing for different amendments. They're going through our processes right now. But do I expect this pig-headed government to listen? No. They haven't listened so far. We have a Prime Minister who said one thing before an election, is doing something different after he's won. He's consistently shown himself to be a bit of a fake to the community. And I think the chances of him or his treasurer listening to the parliament of Australia is about as equal to him listening to the voice of the Australian people, which he has completely disregarded and betrayed.

Sally Sara: I must ask you quickly, are you concerned to see house prices starting to fall in Sydney or Melbourne in this latest CoreLogic data?

Tim Wilson: I'm not somebody who's always believed it's great that house prices continue to go up. I think we want to make sure that young Australians have a chance to get ahead. The question is why they're falling. And they're falling because confidence has been sapped. We've seen this consistently. And so it doesn't surprise me that in an environment where confidence is sapped, interest rates are going up, that Australian households are struggling and people are less confident about their future. And I think that's really sad. I want young Australians to look to the future with confidence and hope, not look at it where they are not confident to make a big financial decision about buying a home.

Sally Sara: So is falling prices good as long as the why is right?

Tim Wilson: Well, they sometimes it's a reflection of broader economic circumstances. And so house prices move around in different parts of the country. There's not one property market. But in Australia right now, when you have a government that is undercutting and kneecapping people's confidence, it shouldn't surprise that people are less confident about the future. But this is a very short-term event so far, except in Victoria where we've had a disastrous government for a long period of time and have actively undermined any new construction. And there's a tail. When people don't build new houses, and the government's own budget says they're going to build 35,000 fewer houses, in the long run there'll be more people but fewer houses, which means prices can only go upward again.

Sally Sara: Tim Wilson, I appreciate you coming in this morning. Thank you very much.

Tim Wilson: Thank you.

[ENDS]