Interview with Natalie Barr and Joe Hildebrand, Sunrise
16 April 2025
NATALIE BARR: Let's bring in Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume and journalist Joe Hildebrand. Good morning to both of you. Jane, so Indonesia is saying this is not true. They won't be allowed to. What should we believe?
JANE HUME: Yeah, this is really concerning. Obviously there are national security implications here and that's why the Coalition has written to the Defence Minister and the Minister for Home Affairs and asked for a briefing. We also want to understand exactly what it is that the Albanese Government knew and when they knew it. This obviously only came to light yesterday. Was it a shock to them, or was it something that they knew was coming?
NATALIE BARR: Well, are you saying that they were blindsided by this Jane?
JANE HUME: It does appear that way. But we want to understand that. That's why we've asked for a briefing.
NATALIE BARR: Okay, we've got Penny Wong on in just a few minutes, so we'll obviously ask her that. I'm sure she will know. Joe, is this a concern or is this something that would normally happen? Requests would be made. Requests would be refused?
JOE HILDEBRAND: Yeah, look, I don't think don't think the connection between Russia and Indonesia is something that we would welcome on our doorstep. It's quite, it's obviously deeply concerning. Prabowo, who just got elected as the new Indonesian Prime Minister, is a sort of strongman figure very much in the mold of Vladimir Putin and there are reports that the two men have been getting cosy. Australia and Indonesia actually have pretty strong and long standing defence ties, so we don't hear about it that much, but ever since the 1990s and this, of course, got the former Labor government in hot water because they turned a blind eye to East Timor while they were building these defence ties and having both our armed forces do training exercises with each other and, sign treaties with each other. So, um, I think Indonesia would respect, um, Australia's very, strong desire not to have Vladimir Putin's forces on our doorstep and I would be surprised if they went ahead with this.
NATALIE BARR: We don't want to see Russia from our house.
JOE HILDEBRAND: We do not want to see Russia from our house. Sarah Palin didn't say.
NATALIE BARR: Moving on, new polling has found that voters side with Labor's new housing and tax relief policies over the Coalition's. Resolve Strategic results show that when asked whether voters preferred Labor's tax plan or the Coalition's, 40% went with Labor's pitch, 34% backed the Coalition's. There was an even bigger divide when comparing both major parties' housing pitches. 40% backing Labor's, just 27% preferring the Coalition's, while a third of voters are unsure. Jane, are you worried about this?
JANE HUME: We're out there every day, Nat, talking to voters directly to them and on shows like yours about our comprehensive plan for home ownership and our plan to address the cost of living and restore the economy back to its former self. We want to make sure that young Australians can achieve the dream of home ownership. This government has failed home owners dismally over the last three years. In fact, on every metric, they've failed. On new home builds or new home approvals or new home starts, they've all gone backwards under Labor. They've spent $10 billion on their signature housing policy, which has built zero homes. They're now asking for another $10 billion to build 100,000 homes.
NATALIE BARR (TALKS OVER): They say they have built some.
JANE HUME: They haven't. With that signature housing policy, zero homes have been built. Zero and now they're asking for another $10 billion to build 100,000 homes. Now that means $100,000 each. You cannot build a granny flat for $100,000. So this new policy is a fantasy.
NATALIE BARR (TALKS OVER): Okay Jane.
JANE HUME: We have said that we will come to the next election with a comprehensive plan to increase supply, reduce net migration, to make sure that we incentivise new homeowners, clean up the industry and get young Australians into their first home sooner.
NATALIE BARR: Okay. What is wrong with your message though? Because all the polls have you way behind and falling. So are the polls wrong or is your message wrong?
JANE HUME: We want to make sure that we're delivering the message every single day, that the coalition has a comprehensive plan to get people into their first homes sooner.
NATALIE BARR: So are you frustrated that it's not cutting through?
JANE HUME: Well, it would help if I get a chance to explain it. If we address supply, reduce net migration to take pressure off supply, if we make sure that we incentivise young home owners by things like allowing them to access their superannuation for a deposit or having tax deductibility of interest repayments for the first five years of a new home build. Making sure that we clean up the CFMEU, deregister that militant union that has pushed up the cost of building prices, pause building codes and bring in new apprentices so that we can give confidence to our construction industry, increase supply and incentivise new homeowners.
NATALIE BARR: Joe, we have politicians on this program every day or two. Why do you think the polls are supporting Labor more at this stage, or are the polls wrong?
JOE HILDEBRAND: No, I don't think the polls are wrong and my information is that the private polling for the Labor Party shows that they're in an even stronger position. Um, because there doesn't seem to be. We do, we have a sort of focus group tracking poll that Redbridge has done for NewsCorp that we release every Saturday, called the Voter Verdict. And, um, it shows and I talk to them. It shows that they're marking down both parties, but that the Coalition is just not seen as having much credibility. There's not much meat on the bone and so while they are frustrated with the last three years and don't feel like they've done particularly well, they think that, um, Labor's policy just seems more fleshed out, has more credibility, and that's why that voters aren't falling for these handouts.
JANE HUME: They haven't built a house, Joe.
JOE HILDEBRAND: So. Well, they're building it. Houses take time.
JANE HUME: $100,000 to build new houses. You cannot build a granny flat for you cannot build a granny flat for $100,000.
JOE HILDEBRAND: So they don't like the cash. They don't like the cash sugar hits either, Jane. They just, they see it as a gimmick. Same with the fuel stuff.
JANE HUME: $0.70 a day in 15 months time is compelling.
JOE HILDEBRAND: Yeah, but. it's $0.70 a day for the rest of their lives. Unless the Coalition repeals the tax cut, which was a terrible idea.
JANE HUME: It’s just crazy.
NATALIE BARR: But it's interesting, isn't it, because you're frustrated and you can't see why people aren't buying it, according to the polls. But then, if they're not buying it, there must be a reason?
JANE HUME: Well, when I'm out there every single day, I'm talking to people about 50% off the fuel, like a fuel tax cut and that is what is cutting through more than anything else right now. People understand that they're going to get $14 off every time they fill up at the petrol bowser immediately, the moment a Coalition government comes to power there. Now, that is something that is actually going to address the cost of living for thousands and thousands of Australian households and businesses. It will drive down the cost of groceries. It will drive down the cost of doing business if you have to drive around as part of your business.
JOE HILDEBRAND: But then in a year it goes back up Jane and people know that, that's the problem.
JANE HUME: And at that point in time, there'll be up to $1,200 cash back of their own money, their own tax back. That's really important. In the meantime, over that period of 12 months, we're going to get the energy situation under control, bring down energy prices, get the economy back on track.
JOE HILDEBRAND: And then put people's taxes up.
NATALIE BARR: Okay, look, I think everyone's had their say. I think, Jane, you've had a good go this morning. But thank you very much for your discussion. We'll see you next week.