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| Bill Shorten fronts voters at a people's forum in Brisbane – politics live | Bill Shorten fronts voters at a people's forum in Brisbane – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 11.22am BST | |
| 11:22 | |
| So long, farewell | |
| Thanks so much for your company this evening for this pop-up edition of Politics Live. It’s been all kinds of fun times. | |
| Let’s part with a summary of tonight’s people’s forum. | |
| That’s about the long and short of it. | |
| I’ll be back in live mode when federal parliament resumes on April 18, if not before. Until then, live large. | |
| 10.59am BST | |
| 10:59 | |
| So how did Shorten perform? | |
| A few thoughts on tonight. That wasn’t a tough town hall as political town halls go. Shorten had to bring up Labor’s negative gearing policy himself because he didn’t get a question on it. | |
| I think there was a fair dose of waffle, particularly in the opening few questions. He took a while to sharpen up. It’s always a balance in these things for politicians between answering the specific questions they are asked and getting your pre-determined message out, and I don’t think Shorten achieved that balance in every question. Mostly he was personably non-specific. | |
| As a general comment, Shorten’s communications have sharpened up considerably in recent months. He’s dropped the silly zingers and the epic digressions that once characterised his daily outings, and the messaging has got tighter and tidier. Tonight wasn’t back to King of Zing territory by any means – that would be an unfair reflection – but he wasn’t really hitting it sharply enough. | |
| What did we learn tonight of a substantive nature? Not very much, if the relevant measure is new facts or new insights. | |
| We learned Labor wouldn’t go back to the drawing board entirely on the national broadband network, it will absorb the Turnbull NBN and supplement with fibre – I think that’s a new thought. | |
| We also learned Labor might give money to the steel firm Arrium. | |
| A prime minister Shorten would also stomp on the private health insurance industry (whatever that means, he didn’t really specify beyond a generalised threat to withdraw taxpayer support). Shorten also acknowledged Labor’s carbon price in government was “too high” – which is interesting, but not all that surprising, given where Labor is heading generally on climate policy. | |
| But the audience in Redcliffe gave the performance a solid thumbs up. | |
| An exit poll taken after the event suggests 68% of that teensy sample at the people’s forum are more likely to vote Labor than they were before this evening, 9% were less likely and 23% were undecided. | |
| 10.36am BST | 10.36am BST |
| 10:36 | 10:36 |
| That’s the end of the questions. Shorten is lingering in the room to take questions from people who didn’t make the cut on the broadcast tonight. | That’s the end of the questions. Shorten is lingering in the room to take questions from people who didn’t make the cut on the broadcast tonight. |
| I’ll come back shortly and work through the sum of tonight’s parts. | I’ll come back shortly and work through the sum of tonight’s parts. |
| 10.32am BST | 10.32am BST |
| 10:32 | 10:32 |
| .@BillShortenMP responds to question about disparity of benefits between politicians and the public. #peoplesforum https://t.co/AAGXjAeljK | .@BillShortenMP responds to question about disparity of benefits between politicians and the public. #peoplesforum https://t.co/AAGXjAeljK |
| 10.31am BST | 10.31am BST |
| 10:31 | 10:31 |
| Question ten is about politician’s superannuation. It’s too generous. What will you do to get politician’s super more in line with community standards? | Question ten is about politician’s superannuation. It’s too generous. What will you do to get politician’s super more in line with community standards? |
| Shorten says he’s on the lower tier parliamentary super scheme, which is not a defined benefits scheme. So if he loses his job in politics, he will have to go and find another job. | Shorten says he’s on the lower tier parliamentary super scheme, which is not a defined benefits scheme. So if he loses his job in politics, he will have to go and find another job. |
| He pushes off the wall quickly onto the general. He’ll work to boost super adequacy for ordinary workers. When, Speers asks? Sooner than the Liberals, he says. Shorten says Labor will also work on gender pay. Part of the adequacy problem is about women earning less than men and having career breaks. | He pushes off the wall quickly onto the general. He’ll work to boost super adequacy for ordinary workers. When, Speers asks? Sooner than the Liberals, he says. Shorten says Labor will also work on gender pay. Part of the adequacy problem is about women earning less than men and having career breaks. |
| 10.26am BST | 10.26am BST |
| 10:26 | 10:26 |
| Question nine is about health insurance and the private health system. | Question nine is about health insurance and the private health system. |
| Shorten says private health insurance premiums are rising too fast. Increases have been rampant, he says. A courageous government would stomp on them. | Shorten says private health insurance premiums are rising too fast. Increases have been rampant, he says. A courageous government would stomp on them. |
| Speers asks how Bill Shorten would stomp on the insurers? | Speers asks how Bill Shorten would stomp on the insurers? |
| He says as prime minister, he’d call in the CEOs of the funds and point out how much subsidy they currently get from the taxpayers. The inference being that might not continue unless they lower premiums. | He says as prime minister, he’d call in the CEOs of the funds and point out how much subsidy they currently get from the taxpayers. The inference being that might not continue unless they lower premiums. |
| Speers persists. How would you get them to reduce premiums? | Speers persists. How would you get them to reduce premiums? |
| Bill Shorten: | Bill Shorten: |
| I’m not going to reveal the dark arts of how I negotiate. | I’m not going to reveal the dark arts of how I negotiate. |
| Shorten says it’s just a matter of being persistent and serious, then you get results. | Shorten says it’s just a matter of being persistent and serious, then you get results. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 10.37am BST | at 10.37am BST |
| 10.22am BST | 10.22am BST |
| 10:22 | 10:22 |
| We’ve taken until question eight to hit the self funded retiree, who would like more out of the government. What will a Labor government do for me? | We’ve taken until question eight to hit the self funded retiree, who would like more out of the government. What will a Labor government do for me? |
| Shorten says health, principally. Labor will make sure Medicare is protected and consumers don’t face too many out of pocket costs for things like pathology tests. He says Labor is also looking at the changes the government made to assets tests for part pensioners. Labor opposed those changes. | Shorten says health, principally. Labor will make sure Medicare is protected and consumers don’t face too many out of pocket costs for things like pathology tests. He says Labor is also looking at the changes the government made to assets tests for part pensioners. Labor opposed those changes. |
| Speers asks Shorten whether Labor would reverse the government change? | Speers asks Shorten whether Labor would reverse the government change? |
| We are looking at how its working. | We are looking at how its working. |
| 10.18am BST | 10.18am BST |
| 10:18 | 10:18 |
| .@BillShortenMP on plans to change the #NBN and boost IT education funding. #peoplesforum https://t.co/Kqgi7Dp5OM | .@BillShortenMP on plans to change the #NBN and boost IT education funding. #peoplesforum https://t.co/Kqgi7Dp5OM |
| 10.14am BST | 10.14am BST |
| 10:14 | 10:14 |
| Question seven is on the NBN. What’s going to happen there now? | Question seven is on the NBN. What’s going to happen there now? |
| Shorten says Labor will outline its NBN policy shortly, but the opposition will not rip up all of what Malcolm Turnbull has done, but instead supplement the current build with more fibre. | Shorten says Labor will outline its NBN policy shortly, but the opposition will not rip up all of what Malcolm Turnbull has done, but instead supplement the current build with more fibre. |
| 10.12am BST | 10.12am BST |
| 10:12 | 10:12 |
| Question six is from a university student, Henry, who wants an answer on Labor’s economic stewardship (given during the last period of government there was pink batts and a poorly implemented carbon price and other poor decisions.) Has Labor learned from mistakes? | Question six is from a university student, Henry, who wants an answer on Labor’s economic stewardship (given during the last period of government there was pink batts and a poorly implemented carbon price and other poor decisions.) Has Labor learned from mistakes? |
| Shorten says Labor weren’t poor economic managers. There was a global financial crisis. In terms of the learnings .. | Shorten says Labor weren’t poor economic managers. There was a global financial crisis. In terms of the learnings .. |
| We’ve learned to be united. | We’ve learned to be united. |
| It’s fundamental. | It’s fundamental. |
| Shorten says Labor is currently spelling out how it will pay for its policies. He says Labor is also sticking with hard issues, like carbon pricing, rather than play small target politics. | Shorten says Labor is currently spelling out how it will pay for its policies. He says Labor is also sticking with hard issues, like carbon pricing, rather than play small target politics. |
| Speers asks whether Labor was wrong on the carbon price. | Speers asks whether Labor was wrong on the carbon price. |
| Bill Shorten: | Bill Shorten: |
| The price was too high, but that doesn’t mean we walk away from real action on climate change. | The price was too high, but that doesn’t mean we walk away from real action on climate change. |
| Shorten outlines the differences between his economic vision and the government’s economic world view. | Shorten outlines the differences between his economic vision and the government’s economic world view. |
| Henry feels that’s a false dichotomy rather than a statement of competing philosophies. | Henry feels that’s a false dichotomy rather than a statement of competing philosophies. |
| Shorten says everyone has opinions and this is what these forums are about. Give me your opinion and then ask a question. | Shorten says everyone has opinions and this is what these forums are about. Give me your opinion and then ask a question. |
| 10.05am BST | 10.05am BST |
| 10:05 | 10:05 |
| The fourth question is from a mature aged worker who is clearly unimpressed with having to fill out selection criteria. Shorten understands the concern, and says Labor will have a policy on encouraging the employment of mature aged workers. | The fourth question is from a mature aged worker who is clearly unimpressed with having to fill out selection criteria. Shorten understands the concern, and says Labor will have a policy on encouraging the employment of mature aged workers. |
| Now, at five, we have Belinda, a music teacher, who clearly likes Malcolm Turnbull’s ideas boom. Will Labor keep it? | Now, at five, we have Belinda, a music teacher, who clearly likes Malcolm Turnbull’s ideas boom. Will Labor keep it? |
| Bill Shorten: | Bill Shorten: |
| Of course we believe in an ideas boom, who is against ideas? | Of course we believe in an ideas boom, who is against ideas? |
| He says if you want an ideas boom then you have to properly fund schools. The government is not funding schools properly. Labor believes in needs-based education funding. Also if you are into an ideas boom, you don’t sack CSIRO scientists, Shorten says. He says Labor will fund the capacity for an ideas boom, not just talk about it. | He says if you want an ideas boom then you have to properly fund schools. The government is not funding schools properly. Labor believes in needs-based education funding. Also if you are into an ideas boom, you don’t sack CSIRO scientists, Shorten says. He says Labor will fund the capacity for an ideas boom, not just talk about it. |
| (That’s the sharpest answer tonight.) | (That’s the sharpest answer tonight.) |
| 9.58am BST | 9.58am BST |
| 09:58 | 09:58 |
| The third question is why don’t we tax religious organisations in secular society? | The third question is why don’t we tax religious organisations in secular society? |
| Shorten dances around that one, empathising but giving no commitments on taxing churches. He says he will deliver a vote on marriage equality (which does sound a little like, but wait, here’s a new set of steak knives.) | Shorten dances around that one, empathising but giving no commitments on taxing churches. He says he will deliver a vote on marriage equality (which does sound a little like, but wait, here’s a new set of steak knives.) |
| The questioner appears unimpressed. What a missed opportunity for funding, she notes. | The questioner appears unimpressed. What a missed opportunity for funding, she notes. |