KIERAN GILBERT, HOST: Let's return to the politics of the day and the Prime Minister refusing to rule out a double dissolution over stalled legislation in the Senate. Joining me now, one of the senior figures in the Labor Party in the Senate, the Assistant Minister and Minister for Future Made in Australia, Tim Ayres. Thanks for your time. Is this a bit of niggle from the Prime Minister to the Greens? You can keep causing trouble in the Senate, but if you don't do some deals, we might go to a double d.
THE HON SENATOR TIM AYRES, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR A FUTURE MADE IN AUSTRALIA AND TRADE: Well, I think it's thoroughly appropriate. It's directed towards all of the Senate: the Liberals, the Nationals and the Greens. When you look at what the government trying to achieve here in the Senate, it's 10,000 every year, low-income Australians being able to afford a home that they can buy. Secondly, it's Future Made in Australia, bringing back Australian manufacturing. But you've got these people, taxpayer-funded, bludging in the parliament. If they want to go back to student politics, they should enroll in a degree. The parliament is here, should be dealing with these issues that are front and centre for Australians now. In terms of housing, it's a part of our package, a $32 billion package. This means 10,000 low- and middle-income Australians can afford a home.
KIERAN GILBERT: Are you still hopeful there might be a deal this week, given the Greens actually had as part of their election platform at the last election, a shared equity policy? The Help to Buy scheme that you're proposing now, they had that as part of their platform going to the people.
SENATOR AYRES: Well, it doesn't make any sense what the Greens are saying. It was their electoral proposition. Ours is our electoral proposition but fundamentally, as you say, supporting, with shared equity, Australians being able to buy their own homes, who currently it's out of reach. We're dealing with the big supply questions. Of course, that's the big thrust of our approach here. But just supporting people in low- and middle-incomes who are trying to get a foothold on the real estate ladder and look after their families, it's a good idea, should be supported, there is no excuse for this being held up in the Senate this week. Future Made in Australia-
KIERAN GILBERT: Well, you're copping flak, I was just going to say, you're copping flack on the other side as well. When you look at Future Made in Australia, it's not enough to placate big business. In fact, the BCA is saying we're going backwards in a speech with the Prime Minister in attendance tonight.
SENATOR AYRES: Well, I don't think the BCA, with respect, is attacking Future Made in Australia. Every discussion I've had with business around this question is they understand how important this is for Australia's future, both in terms of our national security and our economic resilience, in what is going to be a tougher 21st century than the 20th century was, but also making sure we capture our comparative advantage for the future economic prosperity of Australia, particularly in outer suburban and regional economies where manufacturing will come back.
KIERAN GILBERT: So, why does the Business Council, why are they so critical of the Government, including with the Prime Minister there?
SENATOR AYRES: Well, I've heard and read the sort of broader discussion from the business community. We're listening carefully to that. Our partnership with the business community in areas like Future Made in Australia, the minerals and resource sector, the productivity agenda, making sure that we get Australia where it needs to be in terms of skills and workforce and future comparative advantage, our energy system, these are all areas where we're looking for partnership and are working together seriously in a determined way with the business sector. We listen, of course, publicly and privately, to what the business community says, the BCA and others, but there's no criticism from real business of the Future Made in Australia agenda. It is designed to bring the world's best manufacturers to Australia, to bring capital investment into Australian manufacturing in the national interest. And where will the benefits be? They'll be in the Hunter Valley, in central Queensland, in the Pilbara, in Colley, in the upper Spencer Gulf, in the La Trobe Valley, in our outer suburbs, these big industrial suburbs that need a future vision for manufacturing.
KIERAN GILBERT. So, what's your message, then, to your colleagues in the Senate?
SENATOR AYRES: Well, take your job seriously. Actually do the job that you're elected to do and act in the national interest and stop playing student politics with Australians lives. Support people to get a house. Get serious about it. Support Australian manufacturing. You're either on Team Australia on these questions or you're off it. By all means, make the partisan political comments, run in the lead up to the next election, make arguments about your vision on these questions, but get out of the way of Australian manufacturing and get out of the way of low- and middle-income Australians being able to get their foot on the housing ladder. This is partisan politics taking over the national interest. It's student politics. As I say, don't bludge on the Senate. Do your job. If you want to get engaged in student politics, enroll in a course, there's plenty of them.
KIERAN GILBERT: Minister for Future Made in Australia, Tim Ayres, thanks, talk to you soon.
ENDS.
