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May 2, 2025
LAURA JAYES:
Welcome back. It is the final full day of campaigning. We are going to see both leaders stretch right across the country today. Joining me live is Liberal Campaign Spokesperson James Paterson. James, you must be exhausted. One final push. What's the best case scenario for the Coalition at this point?
JAMES PATERSON:
Laura, it's a pleasure to be doing one of my final interviews before polling day with you on Sky. There have been a few, and it's a pleasure to be back. I'm feeling really positive. I've been canvassing my colleagues and candidates all around the country, and they've been really well received on early voting pre-poll booths - describing it as significantly more positive than the last election and even more positive than the 2019 election, which we were successful. Now there's a lot of votes still to be cast, and I suspect there’s Australians who actually still haven't made up their mind. Some political science research shows quite a large proportion of people make up their minds in the booth on the day with their pen in the hand. So it's there to be fought for, it's there to be won, and we're closing out very strong with our message of strong economic management, getting our country back on track, and alleviating the cost of living pain that people have faced over the last three years.
LAURA JAYES:
What is your biggest strength at this point, James?
JAMES PATERSON:
I think it's two things. I think it's the strong leadership that Peter Dutton offers in contrast to Anthony Albanese's weak leadership, particularly in an uncertain world. And it is our track record of strong economic management. Australians are suffering financially as they have over the last three years with an 8% loss in living standards, with increases in grocery prices of 30%, or electricity of 32%, or gas of 34%. What they're looking for is an economic plan. And the Coalition has a clear economic plan, and we're also offering immediate relief. The government is not offering immediate relief or meaningful relief, and they've got no plan. In fact, their only plan is for a decade of growing deficits and $1.2 trillion of debt.
LAURA JAYES:
But do you admit at this point that perhaps you haven't been able to convince enough Australians?
JAMES PATERSON:
Absolutely not, Laura, and I'm not going to be conducting a post-election review before millions, tens of millions of votes have been cast. We are still in there to win this, and I think the Prime Minister talks a big game, he's a very confident player, he has talked about his third term and winning his third election before he's even won a second one. But I think a lot of Australians know that they can't afford another three years like the last three, and that is what they'll get if he's re-elected. God forbid if he is re-elected with his coalition partners in the Teals and the Greens, it will be even worse than it was in those last three years.
LAURA JAYES:
Yeah, well, I mean, we see a very confident Prime Minister. He's going back to Dickson today, Peter Dutton's own seat. This is the most marginal seat in Queensland. Peter Dutton has held it, I think, since 2004. And it's really always been a marginal seat that he's been able to hold on to. Political science polling, we know, is not always accurate. There are always a few surprises. How worried are you about Dickson?
JAMES PATERSON:
Well, Peter has never taken his community for granted. He's represented them since 2001, and he's been re-elected time and time again because he understands his community, because he's from his community, and because he fights for his community. And I'm confident that he'll do well again in Dickson as he has over the last several elections, but he's not someone who takes them for granted, he's very proud to represent the people of Dickson and we've had very good feedback on pre-poll again in that seat but it will come down to those final voters making the decision on the day and we don't take them for granted.
LAURA JAYES:
Some of your colleagues anonymously have, perhaps, taken out a bit of an insurance policy anticipating this result, rightly or wrongly. I'm not asking you to do that. I am not asking you to conduct any kind of post-analysis when we haven't even seen the results yet. But how will you approach the results of this election, James? If you do lose, it's still, you know, a first-term government hasn't been overturned in I think a hundred years, but will you take the time to review policy, or will you push ahead?
JAMES PATERSON:
Laura, that's a very creative attempt to try and get me to speculate about the election outcome and what we should do after the election. That's not my focus. It's not Peter's focus. Our focus is on selling our message in the final 36 hours or so that we have between now and the end of polling. And that's about the immediate cost of living relief that we will provide with $14 off a tank every time you fill up with petrol or diesel, up to $1,200 off your tax next year and a plan to drive down gas and energy prices in this country.
LAURA JAYES:
Donald Trump has loomed large over this election campaign. Were you surprised at how much of an effect he had on the ground?
JAMES PATERSON:
What I was also surprised by is how much the Labor Party has sought to weaponise our most important international relationship for domestic political purposes. I think that's a reckless and dangerous thing to do. If they were to be re-elected for a second term, they'll have to deal with the Trump administration again, and I hope they have a plan to do that, given how much they've politicised that relationship in a domestic political context. I think that has been irresponsible.
LAURA JAYES:
I want to ask you about the Teals as well, because there is, of course you have some of these Teals seats in your sights, we talk about Kooyong, Goldstein in particular, you could lose one to the Teal's in Bradfield in Sydney, there has been a lot of focus on them and rightly so because now they have a legacy to defend and a record to defend, absolutely. Is there enough scrutiny? Is there too much focus on them? Should they be treated like the major parties are? What's your view of that?
JAMES PATERSON:
We're highly competitive in the seats that the Teals won at the last election, precisely because they have a record which can be judged. Last time they could promise anything to anyone and there was no real opportunity to scrutinise them because they had nothing to be compared to, nothing to be measured on. But now we've got a really objective measure, a factual measure, which is that on 73% of occasions they voted with Adam Bandt and the extreme Greens political party in the House of Representatives. And their constituents are quite shocked by that because that's not what they were sold before the last election. There's real buyer's remorse in a lot of these seats. And that's one of the reasons why we're highly competitive, as is their conduct, I mean, their conduct when it comes to fundraising, I think, leaves a lot to be desired. They've introduced American-style big money politics to this country, and they haven't been transparent and open about that despite their claims. Their conduct in stealing signs, in mistreating young hairdressers and other extreme behaviour really has damaged the Teal brand, and I think they'll be judged by their constituents for that.
LAURA JAYES:
What does the modern Liberal Party in particular stand for? Because we've seen a very populous campaign, James, and if anyone is looking at this campaign, wanting to vote for a party that takes reform, economic reform and a sustainable budget seriously, well, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who's continually and absolutely committed to that. The truth is that if you need to do that, there can't be a populous thread. This campaign, I would argue, has been very populous indeed, and who is going to be the party or the individual, the Prime Minister, who tells the Australian public that cuts are going to have to be made and they may not like them?
JAMES PATERSON:
Well, the Liberal Party stands for what we have always stood for. We're consistent with Robert Menzies' vision for fighting for the forgotten people of Australia. And the forgotten of people of Australian under this government have been the salary and wage earners of this country, whose living standards have been absolutely smashed despite the promises that Anthony Albanese made to them at the last election, that they would be better off if they voted for him, that their mortgages would get cheaper, that the childcare would get cheaper, and that their energy bills would get cheaper. None of those things have eventuated, and they are hurting, and they need help. And that's why we're providing targeted immediate relief that isn't baked into the budget over the long term, but will make a real difference for those families and the expenses that they've faced, and then moving to providing longer term reform. One of the most ambitious energy policies ever taken to a federal election, to transition our economy and our country to being an emissions free nuclear powered nation. As well as, as Peter said, spending what we need to on defence to defend our country. On longer term structural reform dealing with problems like bracket creep. They're the things we will do if we're elected once we've cleaned up Labor's mess.
LAURA JAYES:
And James, isn't that just the point? Because you talked about spending in that answer. You didn't talk about any of the cuts that might need to be made. And both sides need to; whoever's in government is going to really need to tighten the belt, aren't they?
JAMES PATERSON:
Well, we've been really candid, and upfront, and honest with the Australian people. Angus Taylor and Jane Hume, I think, did a great job releasing our costings yesterday. The budget bottom line in terms of deficits over the next four years will be $14 billion better than Labor. That is the net impact of the policies we are taking to this election to improve the budget bottom-line. Despite the accusations about spending, actually, we're taking more savings to the election than spending, and we're also committing to a $40 billion improvement in gross debt. Now, you're right, it's not going to clean up Labor's mess in one go, in one year, in one budget. It will take time, as it did the Howard and Costello. It took them years to pull back Labor's debt.
LAURA JAYES:
For ten years, you didn't deliver a surplus, though, James.
JAMES PATERSON:
Well, Laura, actually, we came very close.
LAURA JAYES:
You did, but you didn't deliver it.
JAMES PATERSON:
Prior to the pandemic, the budget was in balance. That was a hell of a task just to get it to budget balance because of the damage that the Rudd and Gillard governments did. And then, obviously, we know what happened in the pandemic and we did what we had to do to support the economy and Australians' lives, and I'm proud of that record.
LAURA JAYES:
Alright, just finally, Sportsbet paying $10 for a Coalition majority win. Would you put money on that?
JAMES PATERSON:
Well, I hope they're not paying out like they did before the 2019 election. That was an expensive mistake made by a number of the bookies. I'm not someone who bets on elections for obvious ethical reasons and I would encourage Australians to spend their money elsewhere.
LAURA JAYES:
Yeah, it did cost Sportsbet some three and a half million dollars. So there you go, James. Enjoy the final day. Thank you for your time, as always. We will see you soon.
JAMES PATERSON:
Thank you, Laura.
ENDS