Interview with Rachel Mealey, ABC AM

28 April 2025

RACHEL MEALEY: The Shadow Finance Minister joined me earlier. Jane Hume, the government says all of its election spending commitments are costed and won't have an impact on inflation. What's your view?

JANE HUME: That's an extraordinary claim from a Labor Government that has spent $10 million every single hour since we last saw their books, only a few weeks ago. Our concern is that there is so much spending, it is almost inevitable that it will fuel inflation. The spend-a-thon that Anthony Albanese has undertaken just since MYEFO in December has been eye-watering. They're fueling the fire of inflation at a time when household budgets are getting burned by Labor's cost of living crisis.

RACHEL MEALEY: Well, speaking of those budgets, things like the cost of a dozen eggs are weighing on people's minds. But people want to know this morning, where's Peter Dutton getting his eggs for $4.20?

JANE HUME: Well, I thought actually Peter Dutton did exceptionally well in the debate last night. He was very quick to point out that there was no answer from the Prime Minister about what would be cheaper under Labor over the next three years. Inevitably, electricity and gas and groceries, the prices of all of those things will increase and Anthony Albanese had no answers at all to those questions.

RACHEL MEALEY: It's the final week of the campaign. What's the feeling in your camp?

JANE HUME: Well, I've been down in Melbourne in the last week and can I tell you that there is a white-hot anger not just towards the Allan Government down there but towards the Albanese government as well. In seats like Hawke and Gorton, I've never seen the swing to the Liberals quite like it. Standing on pre-polls, which are exceptionally busy, people have a visceral response to the anger that they have felt towards the governments, both federal and state, that have simply ignored those seats and taken them for granted for so many years.

RACHEL MEALEY: Today's news poll suggests that Labor is on track to hold the most seats, if not retain a slim majority. Is there enough time for the Coalition to come back from here?

JANE HUME: We're not focused on the polls. We're focused on what matters to everyday Australians, and that is the cost of living and the clear choice at the election that they can either elect a Dutton government who will deliver a stronger economy with lower inflation and cheaper energy, or they can get more of the same from Labor, but potentially worse if there's a hung Parliament and they end up having to do a deal with The Greens.

RACHEL MEALEY: Donald Trump has loomed large over this campaign. Peter Dutton has walked back some of his statements about ending work from home, cutting back on the public service, and now he's targeting some cultural issues in the final week. Is this what Australians want to hear?

JANE HUME: I certainly think that Australians want to know that they'll have a Prime Minister that will stand up for what's important to them, what's important to their values, reflects their values and Peter Dutton is exactly the man to do that. He's demonstrated that from the beginning when we took a position on the very divisive voice referendum that would have created two different classes of Australian citizens. We didn't think that was appropriate. That was what Anthony Albanese was focused on while interest rates went up 12 times. That's the reason why we have a cost of living crisis, because Labor have had the wrong priorities, the wrong focus and failed policies to deliver what's important to ordinary Australians.

RACHEL MEALEY: The opposition leader yesterday described the ABC and The Guardian as hate media. That sounds like very Trumpian language.

JANE HUME: Well, I don't think that's the case at all. In fact, you know, the ABC has and The Guardian have been very tough on a Coalition that has demonstrated a commitment to not just delivering a better economic outcome for all Australians, but savings as well. Whereas the Labor Government has continued to spend, that continues to push up inflation, make inflation higher for longer, and the IMF have warned exactly that.

RACHEL MEALEY: Do you agree with him that the ABC and The Guardian are hate media?

JANE HUME: That wouldn't be a phrase that I would use, but that wasn't my phrase. What I would suggest, however, is that...

RACHEL MEALEY (TALKS OVER): Was it a slip of the tongue from Peter Dutton?

JANE HUME: I couldn't answer on his behalf. What I will say, though, is that a Peter Dutton-led Coalition Government will deliver on what's important to Australia. Tackling the cost of living at its source, managing the economy responsibly and making sure that we have better opportunities for prosperity for all Australians.

RACHEL MEALEY (TALKS OVER): Do you think that language, sorry to interrupt, Senator. Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to focus on that use of the term hate media. Do you think that language is helpful at this stage in the campaign?

JANE HUME: Well, I think that that's conjecture one way or the other. I'm not focused on that. I'm focused on what matters to everyday Australians, and that is the cost of living, delivering a 25 cent cut in petrol prices.

RACHEL MEALEY (TALKS OVER): That clip, I'm sorry, once again, that clip of him saying that has travelled quite a bit on social media. It's shared a lot on social media. Do you think it's caused damage?

JANE HUME: I would imagine it's been shared a lot by the ABC, but ordinary Australians want to know what a Dutton government will deliver, and we will deliver immediate cost of living relief.

RACHEL MEALEY (TALKS OVER): Do you think that kind of language, though, could cause hurt in electorates where you're trying to make an impact?

JANE HUME: I would imagine that the ABC might take umbrage to that. However, we're not focused on that. We're focused on what's important to ordinary Australians, which is immediate cost of living relief, followed by a $1,200 tax cut.

RACHEL MEALEY: Has the ABC or The Guardian, can you point to hateful coverage during this election campaign?

JANE HUME: That's not my focus, I'm afraid. My focus is on what is important to ordinary Australians, which is delivering cost of living relief, responsible economic management, more affordable housing, cheaper energy, better health care and safer communities.

RACHEL MEALEY: Do you think that Peter Dutton should walk back those comments?

I think Peter Dutton should focus on what it is that ordinary Australians want to hear, which is that we are on his side, whereas Anthony Albanese is on Labor's side.

RACHEL MEALEY (TALKS OVER): Will he repeat them today?

JANE HUME: He has delivered nothing more than pain for their hip pocket and Australians know that they can't afford three more years of what we've had.

RACHEL MEALEY: Senator Jane Hume, thanks very much for joining AM.

JANE HUME: Good to be with you.