TRANSCRIPT - 2GB Sydney Ben Fordham Live

PAUL FLETCHER MP

Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts

Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy

Manager of Opposition Business in the House

TRANSCRIPT

2GB Sydney Ben Fordham Live

2 December 2024

Ben Fordham: Teal MPs have been labelled giant green left con jobs. The Shadow Government Services Minister, Paul Fletcher, is delivering a speech at the Sydney Institute today. He'll use the chance to take aim at the independent MPs who wiped out Liberals in key inner city seats at the last election. Paul Fletcher will argue a parliament filled with crossbench MPs is a bad thing. He'll join us. In fact, he is on the line right now. Paul Fletcher, the Shadow Minister for Government Services. Good morning to you, Paul. 

Paul Fletcher: Good to be with you, Ben. 

Ben Fordham: So they’re still a thorn in the side of the Liberal Party?

Paul Fletcher: Well, the point I'm making in this speech is that the Teals presented themselves as community independents, but in fact, we know they spent over $10 million to win the six seats that they won, including $2.1 million in Kooyong, $2.1 million Wentworth. They had a sophisticated national polling operation coordinated by Kos Samaras, the former assistant Labor deputy state secretary in Victoria. They used a well known progressive campaign agency in New York, Populares. They were backed by Climate 200, whose chief executive had previously worked for a Joe Biden aligned political action committee. This was a sophisticated green left operation, spending a lot of money. And, of course, of the six new teals who were elected in 2022, two of them were the daughters or nieces of former Liberal MPs with the same last name. This was all part of an exercise designed to persuade people who are disenchanted with the Liberal Party for whatever reason, former Liberal voters, that if they voted for their local Teal candidate, they were voting for somebody who was almost a Liberal. But the point I make in the speech is we now have their voting record. We know what they've done for two and a half years. Overwhelmingly, they've voted with the radical Greens between 74 and 81 per cent of the time on substantive votes on bills.

Ben Fordham: As you know, Paul, people also voted for the Teals because they wanted change and they wanted more women in parliament. So have you addressed those issues since the last election?

Paul Fletcher: Look, we have a range of excellent female candidates. Lucy Wicks in Robertson, Jamiee Rogers in Warringah. So certainly we're addressing those issues. But the point I'm making is that majority government has been very important to having strong government and stable government in Australia for 80 years. We've only had one period since 1944 where we haven't had majority government. That was 2010 to 2013. That gave us the chaos of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government. And if we want to avoid a green left minority government at the next election, led by Anthony Albanese, but backed by the Teals and the Greens, the way to avoid that outcome, which would be disastrous for Australia, is to vote for your local Liberal or National candidate.

Ben Fordham: Yeah, it's going to be interesting to see what happens in those Teal seats at the next election. Are they taking you on in your seat?

Paul Fletcher: Oh, look, I'm expecting to have independents running against me. In fact, I've had independents running against me in just about every one of the elections I've contested. I think there's only been one of the six to date where I haven't had a range of independents, and I'm sure there'll be independents everywhere. And of course, independents are perfectly entitled to stand. But the point I'm making in this speech is the suggestion that the Teal independents are some kind of genuine, community based movement. When you look at the big dollars behind them, you look at the experienced left wing political operatives working for them, the National polling operation that they have, and the fact that these so-called community movements spontaneously arose, apparently only in seats held by the Liberal or National Party. They did not appear in Labor seats. This is a big sign that this is an operation designed to get people who previously voted Liberal to vote for members of parliament, who in turn make it easier for a Labor government and prime minister. And that's exactly what the teals have done throughout the time of the Albanese government.

Ben Fordham: We appreciate you jumping on the line and giving us a preview of the speech. Thanks so much.

Paul Fletcher: No worries, Ben.