Sunrise interview with Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek

MONIQUE WRIGHT: Well, to federal politics now. And Aussie voters have had their say on which leader they think is best to tackle a Donald Trump presidency. New polling from the Australian Financial Review shows 47 per cent of voters believe that Peter Dutton is better to negotiate with the incoming US President. Now, that's compared to 36 per cent who are backing Anthony Albanese. The same research found that 55 per cent of voters fear the world will be less safe under Mr. Trump. And for their take, let's bring in Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and National's MP Barnaby Joyce.

Morning to you both. Tanya, first to you. What's your message to Aussies who think that our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese won't be able to stand up to Donald Trump as well as Peter Dutton?

TANYA PLIBERSEK, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER: Well, the Prime Minister has already had a terrific conversation with incoming President Elect Trump. And in that conversation they made the point that we have a very good and close relationship, whether it's the Democrats or the Republicans in power in the US or the Liberals or Labor in Australia. We've had a good and close relationship that's lasted many decades and that will continue.

WRIGHT: OK, Barnaby, Donald Trump won on a platform of the economy but also fear, is that the tactic that Peter Dutton is going to take leading up to this next election?

BARNABY JOYCE: I think that where President Elect Trump will go is look after the American people first. And that is the new reality. I think we have to look behind that and say, well, why do people believe that Mr. Dutton would be better with Mr. Trump? They might believe that he has some similarities in that he will put aside some of the sort of the rhetoric, put aside some of the sort of the noble causes that lead to destitution and really concentrate on the Australian people. And maybe in that way they've got a like mind. But I can think of a lot of other reasons to vote for Peter Dutton apart from his relationship with the President of the United States. But it's good to see that that might be one of a very small part of many reasons that I would vote for Peter Dutton.

WRIGHT: OK, Barnaby, you're talking about sort of themes there and perhaps picking up themes here in Australia. But we're not America, are we? We are Australia. Is it fair to say that the Coalition shouldn't be emulating just because something worked in the United States?

JOYCE: I don't think we would, I don't think we're that naive to believe we are the United States and start emulating them. But some, some aspects of how politics works is ubiquitous. And number one is put the people first and put, you know, fantasy second. And if you're, you know, as I will always say, if your belief is that you're going to cover the world with swindle factories, you know, wind towers, renewable energy, you don't care about people's power bills, things like that, then people, just like the United States people can say, well, I’m not voting for you. And that's what happened in the United States, people said, well, we're over this sort of mythical rubbish. You know, we're over Washington running us. We wanted you to listen to us, not to your bureaucrats.

WRIGHT: OK, well, moving on, the Prime Minister has let slip when Aussies will be heading to the poll, saying in an interview that the election will be, quote, “in May.” Tanya, the headlines in recent weeks have been that a Donald Trump election win is good news for Mr. Dutton, as we've been discussing bad news for Mr. Albanese. There's not a lot of time to turn things around. How do you plan to gear up for this apparent May poll?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, the election has to be by May next year at the latest. So, it's true, we're only a few months away. And it's extraordinary, given that we're only a few months away, that the Coalition can't tell you what their plans are. They can't tell you what their plans are for cost of living. They can't tell you what their plans are on tax. They can't tell you what their plans are on jobs. We've got a very clear record that we'll be discussing with the Australian people and a clear offering for the future. So, we've got tax cuts for 13.6 million Australians. We've seen wages growing, we've halved inflation, we've got cheaper childcare, cheaper medicines, free TAFE, HECS bill relief, cheaper housing. We've done all of that, we've got more plans for the future. And Peter Dutton's got nothing, nada, crickets. You don't know what he stands for just months out from a poll.

WRIGHT: OK, Barnaby, when are we going to hear all of the policies?

JOYCE: Well, you're hearing at the time. We've got massive policies such as nuclear for Australia as opposed to intermittent power, which is putting your power bill through the roof –

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: In 20 years’ time.

JOYCE: And also pushing up the cost of living. The Labor Party have left, left working Australians behind, left working families behind and they're concentrating on a very small clique of people of people in the inner suburbs.

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: What's your plan Barnaby? That's just a criticism.

JOYCE: There's not one laborer, I can't think of one laborer in the Labor Party, just to get started on it, to be quite frank.

WRIGHT: Hey, Barnaby.

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: There's nothing, there's no plans.

JOYCE: And what we are seeing is that disconnect. If I was you, honest to goodness, I wouldn't wait till May, I'd go ASAP. Unless you're going to change to Jim Chalmers, get into it.

WRIGHT: Other than nuclear power, as you just mentioned there, what do you think is your biggest ticket item moving into the next election to help with the cost-of-living crisis?

JOYCE: Well, having a vastly more realistic view and not like having this sort of scattergun approach to a whole range of social policies and United Nations policies and a lack of focus on the Australian people. The reason I always bring up the power issue, because that's emblematic of everything you do. If you want to bring down the cost of living, you cannot say, I'm going to bring down the cost of living, but have 82 per cent renewables, intermittent power. It just, it's emblematic of a government that's lost sight of the people they're –

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Nuclear is the most expensive form of new power.

JOYCE: Do you stand by that, you are fixing the power problem? Have you fixed the power problem, Tanya? Have you fixed it?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Nuclear is the most expensive form of new power.

JOYCE: All the other countries are wrong and you're right. Every other country is wrong.

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: And it will be 20 years before it's built, and it will provide 4 per cent of our power plan.

WRIGHT: Alright team. Barnaby, sorry, running out of time now. But listen, thank you both very much.

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Yeah, no plans for the future, as usual.

WRIGHT: As usual on a Monday, it is always good to talk to you both. Catch up when you're in Canberra, continue the conversation. Nice to see you both.