Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann

QUESTION: Anthony Albanese has said he would visit WA at least ten times a year. What should West Australians make of that?

MATHIAS CORMANN: He is always welcome here in the great state of Western Australia. But what West Australians are interested in is whether he is coming here to listen and learn. Will he listen and learn that West Australians support lower taxes, stronger growth, better opportunities and a fair share for WA. That is what our Government is delivering. Lower taxes, stronger growth, better opportunity and a fair share for WA. 

QUESTION: The fact that he has only go one West Australian in his Shadow Cabinet, does that undermine his message here at all?

MATHIAS CORMANN: What it shows is that Anthony Albanese is not committed to a fair share for WA. Our Government has five West Australians in our Cabinet. We have nine West Australian Liberal Members and Senators in our Federal Ministry. The fact that Anthony Albanese only has one West Australian Labor MP in his Shadow Cabinet shows that he is discriminating against Western Australia. Why can’t he find any more than just one West Australian MP to serve in his Shadow Cabinet? It means that there is not a proper West Australian voice in his Shadow Cabinet. We have a strong Liberal voice in our national Government. Five Liberal West Australians as Cabinet Ministers. That is how we continue to deliver a fair share for WA, a fairer share on the GST, a fair share of infrastructure funding. So by all means Anthony, keep visiting WA. It is a great place. But make sure that unlike your predecessor you listen and you learn. What West Australians are looking for are better policies, not just more visits. 

QUESTION: Bill Shorten came here over and over again I am sure you are well aware. It didn’t work too well for him. Will it work for Anthony?

MATHIAS CORMANN: The question is whether he will listen and learn. West Australians want their Federal Government to drive stronger growth on the back of lower taxes and better opportunity for all. They do not want a continuation of Labor’s past anti-WA, higher taxes agenda which would have made Western Australia weaker.

QUESTION: Just one quick on, do you mind, you have probably seen the story around today, around the families of Uirghur Australians trapped in Xinjiang province, including a two year old Australian baby. Is the Government in a position to help them at all?

MATHIAS CORMANN: I will leave that to the Minister for Foreign Affairs to comment on. She is in the best position to make these comments.

QUESTION: What about the warnings about the private health insurance and the fact that Australia’s health system is facing an impending crisis if the private health system isn’t improved. Is the Government doing anything about that?

MATHIAS CORMANN: We are committed to a strong Australian health system where all Australians can have timely and affordable access to high quality health care. That means that we need both a strong and well funded public system and a strong and well supported private system. That is what we will continue to focus on.

Thank you.