Joining us now is Senator Paul Scarr, Liberal National Senator for Queensland and the Opposition’s Shadow Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. Big headlines tonight, the Albanese Government’s move to recognize a Palestinian state, fresh interest rate movements and what it really means in your back pocket. And also the latest from Gaza. This is Canberra Conversations. So of course, I’ve got Senator Paul Scarr with me. Hello. Welcome.
Senator Scarr
Great to be with you again, Cheralyn, and great to be with your listeners. And can I tell you, it’s just beautiful weather up here in Queensland at the moment, my favorite time of year.
Cheralyn Darcey
Gorgeous. What do they say? Beautiful One day, perfect the next. It’s an important day today. You must have been busy today, Paul.
Senator Scarr
Well, it’s Victory in the Pacific Day, and it’s when we remember all of those wonderful Australians who served our beautiful country and were put in positions which you can only imagine, in which to defend our shores, and we celebrate the end of the war in the Pacific, the end of World War Two, and the fact that we have our freedoms that we enjoy today because of those men and women. And and one of the things I find especially moving about today. I’ve lived and worked in Papua, New Guinea for over two years, and there’s a Commonwealth War Cemetery at the foot of the Kokoda Trail, called the Bomana War Cemetery, and I’ve been out there on ANZAC Day for the dawn service. And it’s very, moving when you think of those young Australians who gave their lives defending our country.
Cheralyn Darcey
Firstly, Senator, let’s look at this interest rate decision. You’ve said this week that the cup barely touches the sides. What specific savings or tax measures would you put on the table in the next budget to move the dial?
Senator Scarr
I think it’s important to note first that since Labor came to power, interest rates have gone up 12 times, and this deduction or decrease in interest rates, which is really welcome, means that interest rates have now come down three times, so families are still paying an extra $1,800 a month on their mortgage. And I know families in my area where my office is, and I’m in the Geater Ipswich region in Queensland, a lot of families are struggling to make ends meet. And when you combine that with electricity up 32%, gas up rents up, insurance up, food up health up, education costs up. People are really struggling. They’ve got barely anything left after they pay those mortgage repayments and they pay that rent. So from my perspective, the first thing to do is to try and introduce government policies which are going to put pressure on inflation and bring inflation down, downward pressure on inflation, because that’s the best saving for everyone, if you can stop those price increases in the in the essentials of life, the necessities of life, from my perspective, policy which moderates government spending and helps bring those interest rates down has got to be a positive. And I think that’s the first priority.
Cheralyn Darcey
We have leaked sticky inflation to government spending. Is there a Labor program that you’d like to see, redesigned, say, tomorrow, if you could?
Senator Scarr
I think one of the programs I came across, which didn’t make any sense to me, was there are incentives for people to get solar powered systems and a battery network set up in their own homes. And you’re talking about the basic cost of that system runs into thousands of dollars. So your average household, which is struggling to make ends meet on a weekly basis, doesn’t have the money to go out and spend 1000s of dollars on a battery powered solar system for their whole house. So what is the point in giving a subsidy to people have the money who can go out and afford that sort of kit for their house? It doesn’t make any sense giving that sort of support to the wealthiest people in society when so many people are just struggling to pay their electricity bill month to month. So that would be an example of the sort of program which I think needs to be looked at very critically.
Cheralyn Darcey
Senator, moving on to one of the big headlines this week, the Albanese Government’s move to recognize a Palestinian State. Why is recognition now the wrong decision for Australia? Because that’s what I’m hearing from the Coalition side.
Senator Scarr
Well, there’s a number of reasons. The first is that at this point in time, Gaza is controlled by Hamas. Hamas are the ones who invaded Israel, engaged in those atrocious, vile terrorist acts against civilians and took back hostages to Gaza, and there are still hostages, approximately 50 hostages in tunnels underneath Gaza. So this is not the time. This isnot the time with Hamas in control of Gaza, to recognize a Palestinian State. I believe in a negotiated, two state solution to the issue in the Middle East, I really do. And I want to see the war come to an end. I want to see the suffering end. I want to see the hostages returned to Israel. I want to see the women and children in Gaza be able to live in peace. But this, in my view, is not the right time to do this. To have a two state solution, you need both parties at the table, and Israel is still struggling to get its hostages back. So what is the point of recognizing a Palestinian State when you’ve got Hamas still there in power and you don’t have Israel at the negotiating table? How is this going to lead to a sustainable, peaceful solution. I just don’t understand it.
Cheralyn Darcey
What’s the minimal variable checkpoint you’d like to see first? Would it be election, security guarantees? What is that checkpoint for you?
Senator Scarr
Well, I think all of those issues are really valid points. And what we want to see is an end to the fighting. We want to see the hostages returned, we want to see the suffering of civilians to end, and that is then the time for the parties to come to the negotiating table and negotiate all those really difficult issues that have been the subject of negotiations for decades. And that includes the borders, that includes the status of Jerusalem, that includes Israel’s very legitimate request that there be a guarantee that their right to exist as a nation is going to be respected by their neighbors. All of these are really relevant and material considerations, but you can only have that dialog between the people of Israel and the Palestinian peoples, if the hostages are released, there’s a cease fire, and both parties are able to come to the table without Hamas, a registered terrorist organization, being at the table.
Cheralyn Darcey
So Senator, if Hamas remains entrenched by September’s U N G A, what would you want Australia to do differently?
Senator Scarr
Well, I don’t think we can recognize a Palestinian state with Hamas in control, with Hamas having a say at the table. Hamas is a, as I say, a registered terrorist organization in Australia. Hamas is responsible for those terrible crimes we saw 7 October. It’s nearly two years ago now. And Hamas are the ones who are keeping the hostages in the tunnels. And Hamas are the ones who took billions of dollars of aid from the world and constructed their network of terrorist tunnels. I just don’t understand how the government could make this decision. It just doesn’t make any sense to me.
Cheralyn Darcey
Now you support increasing aid flows, but warn about diversion. What specific auditing or delivery mechanism would satisfy you that aid isn’t being seized?
Senator Scarr
I think the proof is in the pudding. I mean, we all want to see aid flowing to civilians in Gaza. And I think everyone in the international community speaks with one voice on this. We all want to see aid getting through to those poor parents who are looking for food to feed their children. We want to see that aid get through. So from my perspective, that’s the that’s the test whether or not actions taken actually result in food being received by those children. And we want to see peace, and we want to see an enduring peace.
Cheralyn Darcey
So Senator, what’s your message tonight to Australian Jewish and Palestinian Communities who both feel unsafe and unheard.
Senator Scarr
Well, I’d like to say that, Australia has a very strong Jewish community. Australia also has very strong community of people who’ve come to this country from the Palestinian territories, and Australia is home for everyone, and we should all have the right to live in peace and harmony and safety in Australia,. And we must make sure that conflict overseas does not result in division at home. And as a Senator for Queensland, my door is always open to every one in the community, everyone in the community, because I’m a Senator for all Queenslanders, and that’s a that’s a point I make to all of our communities. So, please know that we all want to see an end to this conflict. But from my perspective, the recognition of Palestine as a state with Hamas in control of Gaza is simply not the right path.
Cheralyn Darcey
Senator Paul Scarr, thank you so much for joining us on The Nightline for Canberra Conversations again.
Senator Scarr
Thanks very much. Always great to be with you. It’s a highlight of my week.
