Extract from ABC News
Q+A panellists have roundly called for Australia's leaders to show a grand vision for the future rather than worrying about "gotcha moments" and political sniping for the remainder of the election.
Key points:
- Chris Bowen said Labor is committed to a referendum on an Indigenous voice to parliament in the next two years
- Multiple panellists and audience members said they do not care about "gotcha moments" or political point-scoring
- Mr Bowen said the Coalition "lied" when it came to introducing a federal ICAC
So-called "gotcha moments" have been front and centre of the election campaign since day one, when Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese incorrectly answered questions about the RBA cash rate and the unemployment rate.
It was a failure the Coalition seized upon and on Q+A, when it was suggested this election campaign was already losing the interest of the general public.
Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said he understood the frustration aired by audience member Lara Antoniolli but added it was his belief that Labor was putting forward values and vision.
"We're putting the vision that Australia should be a country where we can actually care for our elderly who have contributed so much to the country and every [one] should have a nursing home to look after them," Mr Bowen said.
"We're putting the vision that we should have a national federal ICAC to ensure that all people acting federally are acting with integrity.
"I get what you are saying, we don't all need to be a walking encyclopedia. This is about a better future for our country."
The comment drew a response from NSW Coalition senator Andrew Bragg, who again used Mr Albanese's mistake to underline what he sees as the failings of the Labor Party and the credentials of the Coalition.
"I understand that people don't want to see five weeks of gotcha moments but I think if you are running for the office of prime minister you need to know what the basic facts are and what we saw this week is the person running for PM didn't know what the unemployment rate was and that is a big gaffe," Senator Bragg said.
"This is about Australia's economic future because unless you get the economic settings right, you can't run a successful country."
That political point-scoring was exactly what Ms Antoniolli said she did not want to see and it was something that struck a chord with panellist Osher Günsberg, who called for more vision from the nation's politicians rather than more of the sniping that regularly takes place in parliament during Question Time.
"I don't care which one of these guys doesn't know a number," Günsberg said.
"What I want to know is which of these people has a grand vision, a massive vision.
"My son is two and a half and by the time he finishes high school we're looking at 1.5 degrees of warming … our country currently is doing its best to sell all the fossil fuels before the fun stops but who's got the vision to go, 'right, currently iron ore is about $70 billion, green steel $700 billion' … who has got the vision to say, we're going to capture the solar of our country and turn Australia into the foundry of the world?
"That's what I want."
Q+A host Stan Grant then asked the audience for a show of hands as to who thought Mr Albanese's gaffe mattered and very few put their hands up.
Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous at the University of NSW Megan Davis said that even though Grant said Mr Albanese should know the cash and unemployment rates, she felt it was just a mistake and not the focus of many Australians, who have bigger problems.
"I just think most Australians are not thinking about that," Professor Davis said.
Indigenous voice to parliament an 'iconic priority' for Labor
With Indigenous issues also front and centre, it was asked by audience member Michael Manikas, if Labor were elected, would they take on the recommendations of the Voice co-design process or will they reset and start again?
That led to Grant asking Professor Davis if Indigenous Australians were being let down by both sides of politics.
As one of the authors of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Professor Davis said there was a long process still to come but she hoped there would be a referendum during the next parliament to establish an Indigenous Voice to Parliament to consult on legislation affecting Indigenous people, and called out a couple of dates in 2023 or 2024.
Mr Bowen would not commit to any of those dates but said it was a priority for Labor.
"It will be an absolutely essential priority for an incoming Labor government should we be elected," Mr Bowen said.
"It would be equivalent to Gough sifting the soils into the hands and Kevin apologising … this has to happen."
It was a sentiment shared by Senator Bragg, who said the only missing piece was a constitutional amendment.
"We must keep faith with the Uluru Statement and there must be a proper analysis, which is run by Indigenous people, principally, about what sort of amendments would be adequate to deliver that agency and that agenda from Uluru," he said.
"I think we can achieve that within 18 months … I do think that 27 January, 2024 is a target we should try and set sail for."
While he agreed that to change the constitution there had to be a referendum, Günsberg became emotional about that being the case, given the long history of Indigenous peoples in Australia, and said the fact it would take a referendum "reeks of just, like, old-school oppressive colonial bullshit".
Coalition 'has lied' about federal ICAC, Bowen claims
One big issue for the Coalition is they still have not launched a federal Independent Commission against Corruption and when asked about the lack of one, Senator Bragg jumped to the defence of his party and blamed Labor.
"We've tried to establish an important institution and that hasn't been possible and the Labor Party wouldn't agree so we'll have to go it alone in the next term if we are returned to government," Senator Bragg said.
"I think we should have an anti-corruption commission, it should be strong, it should have public hearings and I am hoping we can deliver it in the next term."
Mr Bowen then outright accused the Coalition of lying and making "pathetic excuses" for something it promised at the last federal election.
"What will it take to get an independent federal ICAC? A change of government."
Mr Bowen then lampooned the Coalition's model.
"Andrew's model is a joke," he said.
"Experts have said you would be better off doing nothing."
He also criticised Senator Bragg for misinforming people on how the parliamentary process works.
"And to this whole farce of an argument that somehow they couldn't introduce legislation, they haven't even introduced the legislation, because the Labor Party wouldn't sign on to it, that's a very interesting development.
"Apparently now the government is not going to introduce any legislation unless we agree first.
"This is great news! This is wonderful news! It means we now have power of veto as the opposition.
"You can introduce legislation and then we can move amendments and if we don't get our amendments accepted, the government carries the day.
"That's how the parliament works — but this new concept that they will only introduce legislation if we agree to it first — it's an excuse, and a rather pathetic one, to avoid having a federal ICAC."
Watch the full episode on iview or via the Q+A Facebook page.
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