Opinion pieces, speeches & transcripts

Transcript: ABC News Breakfast Saturday 22 August

August 22, 2020

The Minister should know what is going on in his portfolio, particularly at a time like this and it wasn't an obscure question he was asked, it was a very fundamental one. 258 Australians have lost their lives in aged care due to COVID and we should have had better answers. What is more concerning to me is the ongoing failure to take responsibility. We saw an admission yesterday from the Prime Minister that there wasn't a plan and that more ne...

July 28, 2020

These are older Australians, vulnerable Australians, many who can't effectively speak for themselves and are in very very difficult circumstances and too often, family members have been unable to communicate directly, they've been unable to obtain information about the well being...

June 25, 2020

Look I think what we're seeing is a very dynamic situation. And a dynamic and adaptive response from the Andrews Government. I think the focus on mass testing in areas where there does appear to have been clusters of outbreak has been a very decisive response to the issue. In terms of the details of the engagement with the ADF, as you said...

June 19, 2020

It's said that crises expose and exacerbate existing structural weaknesses. The COVID-19 pandemic is exposing and exacerbating one of our greatest weaknesses - the treatment of refugees and people seeking asylum around the world.

June 13, 2020

The Shadow Minister Linda Burney put it well when she said progressing this issue, this fundamental question of who we are as a nation, is a question of ‘leadership and commitment’. We have not seen the leadership and the commitment from the Prime Minister...

May 02, 2020

I think the important thing here is to make sure that we continue to act on the basis of the best advice. I mean, I agree with Trent that one thing that's been really striking through this has been how Australians have responded. And what my constituents have been telling me - and I think this is what the opinion polling is saying too - is Australians understand the important thing is to keep the community safe.