Monday, 15 June 2026

Transcript - Interview on ABC News, 7.30 Report

Topics: Iran ceasefire, fuel excise, Labor’s bad-faith budget, Albanese’s broken promises, Labor’s sham inquiry, small businesses, Senator Duniam, One Nation

E&OE....

Sarah Ferguson: Today was day one of a lightning-fast inquiry into the government's planned tax changes. A coalition of business groups say the changes will cripple investment and stifle productivity. Despite the political gift to the opposition of the government's broken promises on tax, the coalition is struggling against the continued surge of One Nation. Tim Wilson is the Shadow Treasurer. Tim Wilson, welcome.

Tim Wilson: Thank you for having me, Sarah.

Sarah Ferguson: Just on the Iran deal: months ago Donald Trump promised unconditional surrender from Iran. How do you see where Iran and the US have arrived at here?

Tim Wilson: I think everybody's receiving this agreement with a sense of optimism but also caution. We want to obviously see the Strait of Hormuz open and the capacity for oil to flow because of what that means for global supply of petrol, for diesel, but also for fertilizer. But I remain cautious about where it's heading and very mindful that the impact and, as your guest has just outlined, there is no certainty to it. We just hope for the best, but we need to be cautious in the circumstances.

Sarah Ferguson: The cut to the fuel excise was introduced to deal with those rocketing fuel prices. It's due to end at the end of this month. Should the government keep it going?

Tim Wilson: Well, again, we need to look at what actually is going to come out of this agreement and so I'd exercise caution before making any decision. The one thing I would stress is that we proposed the initial excise cut, but it was with inflation offsets. If it's to be continued we should want inflation offsets to be part of the conversation because we can't allow the government to keep pouring debt petrol on the inflation fire and creating a problem downstream for consumers where we give with one hand and take with the other.

Sarah Ferguson: One of your colleagues Senator Jonno Duniam announced that he's leaving politics. What impact has that decision had on morale inside the Liberal Party?

Tim Wilson: Well, we wish Jonno well and he's been an outstanding servant since 2016 when I was first elected, and he's made an enormous contribution in the Senate and to the parliamentary team as part of the parliamentary leadership group. But in saying that, he's clearly stated that the he's exhausted. Politics takes a huge toll on people's personal lives and anyone who isn't giving it their all really isn't contributing everything they should be towards the country. So, we completely respect his decision. Obviously, we're always sad to see a colleague go, particularly somebody as respected as him, and so, we are obviously sad to see him depart.

Sarah Ferguson: Now, are you still pushing for a deal with the Greens in the Senate for a longer inquiry into the capital gains tax in return for the Greens getting a longer inquiry into the NDIS changes?

Tim Wilson: We're always keen to make sure that we have an inquiry that gives Australians a say. We just need to be mindful of what this government has done. They've gone to an election, they've broken a series of promises that they denied the voice of the Australian people into in this budget, and we want to make sure that there is a process where the Australian people can have their say, particularly the self-starters and small businesses of Australians who are clearly going to be detrimentally impacted by these changes in the budget, not just in terms of tax revenue, but also in terms of confidence and where we see the growth of the future of the Australian economy. It's quite clear the government just wants a nation of salary earners, they don't want a dynamic, self-starting, small business economy that thrives. We already have record small business insolvencies. Those voices should be properly heard in this inquiry process, instead they've been silenced.

Sarah Ferguson: I just want to come back to the question if I could, Tim Wilson. Are you still talking to the Greens about doing a deal: longer NDIS in return for longer CGT?

Tim Wilson: Conversations will continue to be ongoing until there's no pathway forward, and the reason is exactly for the reasons I've just outlined: we want to make sure that the small businesses of the nation and those who are backing in the future growth of the country actually have their say. It's pretty extraordinary, not just with the broken promises, but then to have a two-day inquiry that has shut out a lot of voices, including the sectors that are going to be directly impacted by these changes, to not have a pathway to have their voice.

Sarah Ferguson: But understanding that negotiation, you had already accepted the principle that the NDIS is out of control in terms of how much money it's costing, that growth in the cost of the NDIS you accept needs to be reined in, but you're still talking about doing a deal that delays that by six months at considerable cost to the budget.

Tim Wilson: Well, when we know that a huge amount of the cost of the budget comes from corruption of the NDIS and fraud of the NDIS and the government—

Sarah Ferguson: So you'd be in a hurry to get it dealt with, wouldn't you?

Tim Wilson: Well, we absolutely want to get these things dealt with, but we also want to make sure that clients are not needlessly targeted as part of any package of reform. I keep coming back to the point. The Australian people haven't had their say. This government is running roughshod over our democracy. They're censoring and silencing voices in parliamentary processes. I think there's a compelling case that we need to have proper discussion about both matters before the parliament because I think in the end it will give the maximum pathway for Australians to have their say.

Sarah Ferguson: Just a question about One Nation. The Liberal Party as we understand it remains open to doing preference deals with One Nation in future. Why give up why give a leg up to a party that might supplant you?

Tim Wilson: Our focus is to make sure we elect a Coalition government so they can go on and do things like repeal the taxes that this government has introduced on the basis of deceit, to improve standard of living for Australians and to grow the future of the Australian economy. Now, there will be a lot of political candidates that are going to put their names on ballot papers in the lead up to the next election and we'll look at all of that at the appropriate time. But my focus is a Coalition elected government to define the future of the country and actually build the future of economic opportunity Australians desperately crave right now.

Sarah Ferguson: Is the new federal president, Tony Abbott, looking for a more substantial alliance with One Nation?

Tim Wilson: Well, obviously you'd have to ask him, but the focus should be on electing a coalition government with the Liberal Party and the National Party to define Australia's future. I hear often people say, well, the objective is to defeat Labor. I'm sorry, the direct objective is to elect a Coalition government that goes on to repeal the taxes that Labor has introduced on the back of deceit, to make sure that we grow the economy so the next generation of Australians can get ahead and most importantly, to build out the future economic growth that all Australians need so we have a society that raises its standards.

Sarah Ferguson: How much disagreement is there internally amongst your colleagues on the best way to deal with the surging One Nation?

Tim Wilson: There's absolute unanimity about the idea that we need to focus on lifting the Coalition vote, a Liberal Party vote, National Party vote so that we're in the best position to go on and—

Sarah Ferguson: That wasn't that wasn't quite my question, Tim Wilson. The question is how much how much disagreement is there about how to deal with One Nation? Not just about how to lift your own vote, but how to deal with this new phenomenon that's been going on since late last year of a surging One Nation eating your lunch.

Tim Wilson: Well, I don't think that that's a fair characterisation. Firstly, we know that a lot of the vote is coming from the Labor Party as well. But the best way is actually to lift your primary vote. We want to be in a position to go on and govern Australia for Australians and deliver the best outcome for them. So, there will always be differences of opinion about how to navigate the field between the Teals, the Labor Party, One Nation, all the other political interests. The core focus has to be on lifting our vote so that we have the best position to form government to deliver for the Australian people.

Sarah Ferguson: Now, in response to you ruling out a formal coalition with Pauline Hanson, she said that she won't ever preference you again. Will you need her preferences?

Tim Wilson: She's actually verballing there. What I said was I never suggested that we would be going down that path, and she's mis-extrapolated that. That's her choice. But my focus will be making sure that we are in a position where we don't need her preferences in my electorate, across the rest of the nation, because I think that's the position that we want to be confident, not just to get people elected, but to form government to build out and define the future of Australians.

Sarah Ferguson: And yet at the same time, you say that there is unanimity inside the party, but there isn't unanimity inside the party because you've got Tony Abbott saying one thing, you've got your colleague Tony Pasin saying something slightly different. So, we are hearing differences of opinion about how close the Liberal Party should get to One Nation. I just want to be absolutely clear what your position is.

Tim Wilson: Well, as I said, you shouldn't verbal me, Sarah. I said the unanimity with the position was how we lift the primary vote and to make sure that we're in the best position to make sure we go on to form government. That is absolutely my objective. And I then acknowledge that there's a diversity of views about how to navigate all of the political parties. You might be surprised that I don't have a very fond view of the Teals and how they should sit in the context. But, you know, when I talk to the small business of the country, those who are getting hit right now by Labor's new tax agenda, they're not sitting around having a conversation about preference flows. They're having a conversation about how we have record small business insolvencies, they're struggling under the rising costs of small business, and what they want is a future where they have a sense of hope, and only a Coalition government can do that. The Labor Party is directly dividing the Australian community right now through its budget. You're seeing an equal and opposite reaction on the side of One Nation. Our focus has to be how we can unite Australians, bring them together, and build out a better future for everybody.

Sarah Ferguson: Tim Wilson, thank you very much indeed for joining us.

[ENDS]