Saturday 19 July 2025

Transcript - Doorstop - St Kilda Synagogue 

Topics: Penalty rates, Gaza, Taiwan, Ukraine

E&OE.............................



Tim Wilson:

Sadly this week we've record, we’ve had a continued problem with record small business insolvencies. New data has shown that we have seen a lift in the unemployment rate and we need a time where government is backing small businesses to make it easier to employ the next generation of Australians and give them their first job more than ever.

But instead we have a Government that's focused on doing legislative victory laps rather than focusing on what we need to do to build out small business growth and making sure that young Australians can get the jobs they need to be able to get on with their lives and be part of their own future success.

Today the Federal Government has put forward a new piece of legislation which is very clearly focused on a legislative victory lap designed to undermine the independence of the Fair Work Commission, add duplication, rather than focus its energy on helping the Australian economy grow. Happy to take questions.

Question: [phone - inaudible]

We're waiting to see what the legislation actually proposes but what is clear is that we have an independent Fair Work Commission. Its focus is on making sure that workers get the best arrangements possible for a fair days work for a fair days pay.

What this legislation seems to be focused on is a legislative victory lap for the Government that isn't actually going to do anything to improve things for workers. There is no threat to penalty rates.

What there is is a political focus of the Government that isn’t focused towards improving the economic conditions to help small businesses grow, to enable them to go on and employ the next generation of workers, to give those first generation, those first jobs to young Australians so that they can be independent and be able to get on with their economic futures.

Question: [phone - inaudible]

Tim Wilson:

I'm going to leave those comments to respond to from the Shadow Defence Minister. I'm here to talk specifically about what we need to be doing to grow the Australian economy and giving economic opportunity for the next generation of Australians and what we don't have from this Government is a very clear and deliberate focus on what we need to be doing to get small business to back the employment of young Australians and give them a chance to be a part of Australia’s success.

Question: [Inaudible]

Tim Wilson

I'm sorry I’ve just walked out of a synagogue and out of respect I haven’t received any messages. So I'm happy to comment and come back to you on but there just seems to be some confusion because I have been at a service -

Question:

In an interview with the ABC's Laura Tingle the Prime Minister described the killing of Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza as completely indefensible. Do you think Israel is losing support due to its actions against civilians?

Tim Wilson:

Well Israel has a right to defend itself against what have been terrible attacks that have been committed by a terrorist organisation. There’s always a need to make sure that any response that there is absolute minimisation of civilian casualties and they go to extraordinary lengths to do so. But there's simply no way that we can face a situation where terrorist organisations are engaging against attacks against liberal democratic regimes against civilians of another nation and for that to be ignored because liberal democratic regimes have a responsibility to stand up and defend themselves against terrorist organisations and terrorist attacks.

Question:

Thanks. The second one if I may. Do you think Angus Taylor's job as Shadow Defence Minister is tenable given he's gone much further than his colleagues and even Liberal Leader Sussan Ley calling for a quote unquote principled commitment on Taiwan.

Tim Wilson:

We've always taken, we’ve always worked with our allies in dealing with challenges of regional stability and security. And of course there’s a position of strategic ambiguity around how we navigate the challenges. What of course we want is to make sure there's peace and stability that continues and be maintained because that's in the best interests of the region. And of course we will work with our allies and of course no doubt talk with the Government behind close doors on these issues as appropriate.

Question:

Has Angus Taylor gone too far here though?

Tim Wilson:

Well I'm not going to get into this conversation. The reality is we have a position. When we were in Government we had a position. Broadly speaking while we've been in opposition which is consistent with Australia's national interests and that continues to be our position.

Question:

But is it appropriate for the Shadow Defence Minister to be effectively freelancing and going much further than the Coalition’s current policy platform?

Tim Wilson:

Well the Coalition's policy platform is focused on what’s in Australia's national interests which is peace and stability in the region. That's in our interest as a liberal democratic regime and middle power working with other middle powers and of course our traditional alliance partners.

And that's the focus of the Coalition position. That's a position I've no doubt we're going to continue to have into the future and so that's the basis in which certainly the one that I've been supporting since.

Question:

Do you mind if I just throw in a question about the government's transfer of 49 Abrams tanks to Ukraine? Do you welcome this? Do you think that the Australian Government needs to do more when it comes to assisting Kiev’s efforts in repelling Russian forces?

Tim Wilson:

I think this fits in to the other question which is of course we always welcome Australia supporting efforts to maintain peace and stability around the world. We know there’s been a long delay in getting existing assets to Ukraine and that some of those have taken longer than they should have been. So we need to make sure that we're doing what we need to do to support relationships and alliances that we have and with partners where we say it being in Australia’s national and geopolitical interests.

ENDS