TRANSCRIPT - Sky News Sharri with Sharri Markson

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

SKY NEWS SHARRI

10 September 2024

Sharri Markson: Now, the Teals have been desperate to present themselves as independent, but according to new research, they've been voting with the radical Greens most of the time. The parliamentary research published by Geoff Chambers in The Aus today shows that, the seven Teal MPs voted with the Greens between 73% and 81% of the time since the last election.

And here's how that individual breakdown looks. So this is on substantive Bills which if passed, became law. Zoe Daniel voted with the Greens 81% of the time, Sophie Scamps 80%, Monique Ryan 78%, Zali Steggall 76%, Kylie Tink 76%, Allegra Spender 74% of the time and Kate Chaney 73%. And the research shows, parliamentary research that the group of seven teals mostly voted together as a pack, and they voted the same way 83% of the time.

 Now, the current Albanese government is a far left Labor party, as I said, unlike the moderate Labor governments in New South Wales and South Australia. But even Albanese has called the Greens extremists.

“It is unacceptable that misinformation is being consciously and deliberately spread by some Green senators and MP's who have engaged in this, in demonstrations outside offices and online. That includes knowingly misrepresenting motions that are moved in this parliament.”

Joining me now to discuss is the Manager of Opposition Business, Paul Fletcher. Paul, thanks for your time. Look, can you explain what this means if the Teals are voting alongside the Greens around 70% of the time?

Paul Fletcher: Well this research is very significant because it is based on an analysis of the Teals voting record in now more than two years of the federal parliament. And what it finds is that on the substantive bills, so a second reading or a third reading vote on a bill, if you add all of those up, then up to 81% of the time a Teal MP is voting with the Greens.

And so this is, I think, a very significant finding if we look at some of the instances where this occurred. For example, there was an attempt by the Greens to move a motion or have the Parliament pass a motion shortly after the appalling terrorist attack in Israel, which would have criticised Israel, and would have accused it of war crimes and of an illegal occupation of Gaza.

Now, Sophie Scamps and Kylie Tink, two of the teals voted with that attempted Greens motion. Earlier this year, there was a motion moved by the Greens, by Adam Bandt, which would have taken the proposed, so called super profit tax on gas, proposed by the government and doubled it and the Teals supported that motion.

So I think many of the people who voted for the Teals would be quite surprised to find that they are voting with the extreme radical Greens as often as they are.

Sharri Markson: Well, the Teals do mostly pose a threat to the Liberal party, not to Labor. Realistically, do you expect the Liberals will be able to win any seats back from the Teals at the next election? And if so, which?

Paul Fletcher: Well, our focus will be on communicating to the Australian people in whichever electorate they happen to live, that first of all, we are facing an economic tailspin under this government. We've seen real incomes drop by close to 10%. Of course, we've seen inflation sticky and persistent. This government has no idea what to do about it. 

So our proposition to voters in whichever seat you're in, whether it's a seat currently represented by a Teal MP, a Labor MP, whoever it might be, our proposition will be that the Coalition, the Liberal and National parties have the experience and the capacity to deliver the capable economic management that we need so that Australians can start to feel better off again.

Because at the moment, nobody feels better off compared to two and a half years ago and that's going to be the case I'd suggest to you, wherever in Australia you live, whichever electorate you're in.

Sharri Markson: But do you think there are any realistic propositions of the Liberals winning back seats from the Teals? I mean, what do you think about Allegra Spender in Wentworth? Do you think there's a chance there for the Liberals? Which other seats are winnable?

Paul Fletcher: Well, I think what we need to do, and indeed, what we are doing is getting capable candidates in the field. Ro Knox in Wentworth for example, working very hard, , Amelia Hamer in Kooyong, and a range of other candidates, Tim Wilson in Goldstein, working hard making the case to voters in those electorates that the Liberal and National government has the right experience and capabilities to turn round this economic tailspin that Australia is in at the moment.

And so that'll be our focus. These will be decisions for the Australian people. But it is important, I think, that people understand, if they have a Teal member of parliament right now, that the Teals party is voting with the Greens party between 76% and 81% of the time on those emotions, on substantive bills and so the Australian people will make up their own mind, but it's important that they understand the true character of all of the candidates that they're considering when it comes time for the next election.

Sharri Markson: Right. Paul Fletcher, really appreciate your time.