Doug PollardPrahran Battle Head to Head
Tony Lupton (left)
Clem Newton Brown
DOUG: We’re departing from our usual format for the rest of this hour, because after all we are in the middle of an election, and rather than conduct a series of interviews with people I’ve decided to get two politicians into the studio to go head-to-head. And this morning we have two candidates for the seat of Prahran – it’s fair to say the two lead candidates for the seat of Prahran. From Labor we have Cabinet Secretary, Tony Lupton and we have his Liberal challenger: Clem Newton-Brown. Good morning, Gentlemen.
TONY: Hi there Doug, good to be with you.
CLEM: Good morning, Doug.
DOUG: Now, before we went to air the gentlemen tossed-a-coin to see who was going to go first, because what I’m going to ask them to do is: each of them make a candidate statement of their position – not just on general issues but specifically, on GLBTI issues as well. I’m giving them 3-minutes each and when their 3-minutes is up I will ring a little bell - - -
[bell sounds]
DOUG: - - - like that. Following that, we’ll take a little break and then – m’mm, you’ve sent in a whole lot of questions, so I will then put your questions and some of my own to the candidates. That’s the format we shall go this morning; as I say, before we went to air I tossed-a-coin and Tony Lupton for the Labor Party won the toss – so, Tony. You’ve got 3-minutes to address the audience.
TONY: Well, thanks Doug. It’s good to be here on Joy with you this morning and – m’mm, hello to all the listeners out there. The thing we’ve managed to do over the last decade here in Victoria is forge a very strong and vital partnership with the GLBTI community and our government – and that started right at the outset with our reforms to – around 60-pieces of legislation which for many years had discriminated against GLBTI people and in particular about not recognising domestic relationships in Victorian law. We then went on of course, to enact the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities; we’ve made significant other law reform changes over the years including – importantly – removing the provocation defence in criminal law and landmark legislation to give equal access to assisted reproductive technology. We’ve also in recent times made significant reforms to the equal opportunity law in this State particularly, to reduce discrimination in relation to – m’mm, religious organisations and importantly, to allow the Commission to tackle systemic discrimination. Importantly also we’ve given legal recognition to all relationships for all forms of Victorian law and I think that’s one of the most significant statements not only of principal but of practise – so, m’mm – in Victoria I think, the – the principles upon which we operate. Are that people need to be – feel valued, safe and respected and we go about that by working closely in partnership with the community. We’ve set-up the Attorney-General’s Ministerial Advisory Committee and also an advisory committee for the Health Minister; now, we’ve worked closely with community organisations like the [“VicAVP”] anti-violence project and again, [Victorian Gay and] lesbian rights lobby and others – and we have a clear statement that homophobia is unacceptable in this State. We also of course, need to secure the future. At this election we’re taking some very significant policies to the people of Victoria in particular, a review of the Adoption Act of which I’m very much looking forward to – m’mm, making recommendations to give equal access to GLBTI members of the community in relation to adoption. We’re also going to support a GLBTI peak body and fund it to act on behalf of the GLBTI community. We’re going to establish a whole-of-government advisory committee on GLBTI issues – we’re going to continue and secure on - - -
DOUG: You’ve 30-seconds to go.
TONY: - - - funding for the “Midsumma Festival” to celebrate queer art and culture. We’re committing significant funding to “Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria” and other organisations to deal with the particular issues GLBTI Victorians face as they age – and to develop a strategy to address these issues. We’re going to provide funding to support the “Gay and Lesbian Switchboard” which provides very, very important and confidential - - -
[bell sounds]
TONY: - - - telephone counselling so – we’ve a raft of policies we think are – m’mm, very important to the GLBTI community.
DOUG: Thank you, Tony – that was Tony Lupton there, on behalf of the Labor Party. I’d like to Clem Newton-Brown for the Liberals, to make his statement - - -
CLEM: M’mm - - -
DOUG: - - - and you’ve got 3-minutes starting now.
CLEM: Good morning, Doug. Great to be here – m’mm, my name’s Clem Newton-Brown. I’m the Liberal candidate for Prahran; this is the second time I’ve had a crack at Prahran, I was up against Tony last time and was unsuccessful. Now I’m back again. So, I’ve had some history in running for elections and finally getting there. I ran a couple of times before I got elected to Melbourne City Council, back in my late-20s and I finally got elected there. I served a term there and I suppose, that’s what gave me the – the desire, to get a day job in politics and try to enter State parliament. So – I live locally, I’m very involved with the community and working very hard to try to bring about a change-of-government and help install Ted Baillieu as Premier of this State. We need 13-seats to win and Prahran is one of those seats that must be won. We’re going to be talking a lot about GLBTI issues today and I’ve a few announcements including one scoop for you, Doug – which I’ll go into later on – and also use my concluding remarks to make some comments about the Liberal Party’s proud history in support for the GLBTI community. But I suppose, given the focus of the rest of this interview I thought – m’mm, it would be appropriate to spend part of my 3-minutes on (sic) looking at the wider issues because one this is for certain – is – that it’s (sic) not just GLBTI issues that the community are voting on. I know as well as anyone in the community that they’re equally concerned about the problems that this State has – the problems that have come about over the last 11-years of Labor government. They’ve had 11-years, they want 15-years, now – they want to fix the problems – now, if you can’t fix the problems in 11-years and indeed, the problems get worse in the 11-years why would you be considering giving them another 4-years? Just to go through a few of the flagship issues “myki” is the – I suppose, indicative of the incredible mis-management and waste of this government; AU$1.4b on a system that still doesn’t work. When you get in to billions, it’s hard to picture how much money that is – a billion is one thousand, million dollars. (and) What have we got? We’ve some machines and a little bit of hardware which might be in the figure of a few-million dollars worth and we’ve a whole lot of money going off to consultants for a system that still doesn’t work. Just indicative of the mis-management and waste of this government. More worryingly, the secrecy – the lack of accountability - - -
DOUG: You’ve got about 30-seconds to go.
CLEM: - - - the “Windsor Hotel”, the planning sham. We think that’s an absolute outrage, there’s no confidence in the integrity of this government anymore; we think that we need a broad-based anti-corruption commission which would include issues such as planning. Mr. Lupton said in his speech in 2007, that we don’t need an anti-corruption commission – we think we do. Violence – unacceptable violence [indistinct] De-sal (sic) AU$700m a year - - -
[bell sounds]
CLEM: - - - before you even turn-it-on - - -
DOUG: Okay – thanks for that, Clem. Interesting, you went for a much wider-ranging view-of-things instead of being GLBTI-specific. But we can get to the specific stuff later on. Now in a moment I’ve some questions here that’ve been sent-in by listeners and I’m going to put them to both of you unless of course, someone’s sent-in something specifically for one-or-other of you. I’ll start with one which seems to be an issue when we were interviewing some other candidates on “SatMag” last week as well and its all-about preferences. This is from Dinesh, he said:
[reads]
“Will you distance yourselves from your Parties’ second preferences for homophobic Parties who are trying to reverse our hard-won rights ... Labor having preferenced (sic): Country Alliance. In two seats. The Liberals having preferenced ‘Family First’”
This time I’ll ask you to go first, Clem.
CLEM: Preferences – m’mm, it has been fascinating. I’d encourage people to have a look at Paul Austin’s article in “The Age” today. It really sets-out what’s gone on there. Basically, Brumby’s been taunting Baillieu for weeks about some secret deal we’ve had and in actual fact while he was doing that and bagging the Greens he was in fact, doing a deal himself. What we’ve seen is that – m’mm, the end result now is that a vote for the Greens is a vote for Labor – so, Ted Baillieu took a strong stance and has put the Greens last in every seat. The choice is now clear, there is no – not going to be any hung parliament. You choose either a - - -
DOUG: Yeah – but the question was about putting “Family First” second I think in most seats – is that not what you’ve done?
CLEM: Oh, look Doug – I’ve – I don’t do the preference deals and I presume Tony doesn’t, either? So - - -
TONY: Speak for yourself.
[laughs]
CLEM: Well, the matter is there’s no reason for anybody to follow any preference card so if somebody wants to vote for the Greens for example, they don’t need to follow the card they’re given at the polling booth - - -
DOUG: I notice that Anthony Green suggested on the ABC website the other day that in fact Liberals aren’t going to be distributing how-to-vote cards in inner-city seats. Because this deal is only for internal-Party consumption and they actually want people to vote Green in those seats.
CLEM: Oh – look, I don’t know about that - - -
DOUG: [laughs]
CLEM: I’m focussed on Prahran and I know that a vote for the Greens in Prahran will mean you’re giving your vote to Labor and if you want a change of government Prahran’s one seat that needs to be won – that’s fine, vote for the Greens and consider putting me, the Liberal candidate at ‘Number Two’.
DOUG: Tony. The “County Alliance” – northern and eastern-Victoria, this looks likely – possibly – to give them a seat in the Upper House, doesn’t it?
TONY: What we are saying to all people here in Victoria is that if you want a Labor government you need to vote for the Labor Party – ‘Number One’ – that’s the main point. But in the preferences – arrangements – the Liberal Party has come to – we’re here to talk about the Prahran electorate in particular, the Liberal Party is putting “Family First”, ‘Number Two’ on their how-to-vote card. For what it’s worth I’m putting the Greens ‘Number Two’ on mine – now – it’s – I think, how-to-vote cards for major Parties are really about a statement of principle. They’re about what values you - - -
CLEM: Oh, come on Tony [laughs]
TONY: - - - what values you are showing and - - -
CLEM: [laughs]
TONY: - - - what values you are holding up to the rest of the community. (and) I remember a time when frankly, the Liberal Party in Victoria had more principles than they are showing now. Because - - -
CLEM: [laughs]
TONY: - - - they made the decision – a principled decision – to put “One Nation” last and why did they do that? Because it was sending a powerful message and we agreed with them. (and) We put “One Nation” last as well and if it was good enough for the Liberal Party in the past to put “One Nation” last as a statement of principle it should be good enough for them to put “Family First”, last. As a statement of principle. I think that people can read quite a lot into what Parties do. Mr. Newton-Brown, he says that he has no influence – m’mm, on his Party as far as preferences are concerned well that may be that he has no influence in his Party – but, I was asked by my Party and my leadership what my recommendations for preferences in the seat of Prahran were. I gave my recommendations to the Party and they agreed with me.
DOUG: Okay, let’s move-off from that one then – and m’mm, a question here – also for both of you, this is from David Menadue:
[reads]
“Can you ask both candidates whether they will continue the current collaborative relationship with the Victorian AIDS Council Gay Men’s Health Centre and respond to the increasing demands for funding, as they arise ... for instance the pre-mature aging of a lot of people with HIV is going to necessitate bringing forward new training packages for age-care workers and nursing home staff to ... so they will be able to look-after people with HIV ... and this also involves a broader look at investigating the aging needs of the gay-and-lesbian community in general - - -”
DOUG: Is this issue on the radar for you? Start with Tony this time.
TONY: Yes, Doug. We have a specific policy in relation to this because our close relationship with the community has meant these issues have been raised with us and what the community’s really after here is an on-going, collaborative relationship. Where we can discuss these issues. Where we can set-up – m’mm, appropriate training and packages. So that – m’mm, so that as people age they do have services that are specific to their needs and we commit to that.
DOUG: Clem?
CLEM: Well, more smoke-and-mirrors Tony; I’m pleased to announce today a new policy and this is the scoop, Doug.
DOUG: I always like those. You heard it first on “Freshly Doug”.
CLEM: Yeah. AU$200,000, we’re putting in to research into accelerated aging for HIV people – m’mm, there’s very little understanding. But there is certainly a problem that people in their 50s are presenting with – m’mm, their aging problems. Similar to a 70-year-old and providing [indistinct] new money and we’re going to provide it as – in the first year so that research can get underway as to what – how we can address this problem within the HIV community and certainly, there’s an international AIDS conference in Vienna next year and this is the topic of that conference. So, we’re hopeful that our great researchers in Melbourne will be able to present some new findings, next year.
DOUG: I’ve just got a bit of a follow-up from that one. From Darren in Southbank, he says:
[reads]
“Yes there are broader issues obviously which we’ll take into account when voting but can you ask Clem what are the Liberal’s policies for the gay community, specifically ...”
DOUG: There’s one; what else have you got?
CLEM: Yeah – well, that’s. Well, that’s one I’ve just gone in to – the m’mm, mental health is what we see as one of the really big areas where the GLBTI community needs assistance and particularly in rural areas. We’re devoting AU$6m to the “Head Space” programme which I understand has been very successful over recent years and so we’ll be expanding new centres in to Bendigo, Collingwood – m’mm, Ballarat. Ringwood, Dandenong; for the first time we’ll be having people out-in-the-field. When you’re a country area and you’re [indistinct] from the closest town it’s very difficult to get those mental-health services. Which we know are a real problem with youth suicide and depression etcetera – the other thing we’re doing is investing AU$4m in to targeted initiatives for [the] GLBTI community.
DOUG: Tony, one specifically for you. Here from - - -
TONY: I might just follow-up on that, Doug. First. ‘Cause - - -
DOUG: - - - okay.
TONY: That’s an example of – I suppose, a policy we’ve had out in the public domain for a period of time that has been followed. But its – in some respects – but the particular way that we see we need to go about some of these mental-health issues is to work with organisations like “Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria” as well as “Head Space” and “SANE” – and in fact, train health professionals so that health professionals across the State are equipped and capable of dealing with these issues – prevention and early intervention are really, the order-of-the-day - - -
DOUG: I think that’s such a valid point and I’m very glad that both of you have made commitments in that area because it is a very crucial area. This one’s specifically for you, Tony. From David:
[reads]
“Equal opportunity’s really important to me; what will a Brumby government do to tackle violence against the gay community and end it?”
TONY: Well, I think we firstly have to make a statement-of-principle that homophobia, violent behaviour. Racism, anti-Semitism – all forms of discrimination are unacceptable, in Victoria – as they should be unacceptable, anywhere. I think that we’ve made significant progress in – m’mm, tackling a number of these issues. But working together with organisations – community organisations, like the [“VicAVP”] anti-violence project and making statements in legislation that send a clear message to the community. Not to the GLBTI community but to the broad community that these sorts of behaviours are unacceptable is – is paramount and the anti-violence project is a really good example of the way in which these things can be tackles and should be tackled. Because it deals with in particular, m’mm – training. Of police; so that they’re able to understand and deal with, issues of homophobia as-well-as dealing with the broader issues of education. In the community. (and) Getting at these things at the cause - - -
DOUG: Okay, Tony. I’ll let Clem come back on that one – if he - - -
CLEM: Yeah - - -
DOUG: - - - wants? There isn’t a specific commitment to support the anti-violence project in your programme - - -
CLEM: No.
DOUG: - - - is there?
CLEM: There’s – again, it’s just window dressing – I mean, yeah. This is AU$200,000 over 4-years – AU$50,000 a year, Doug. What can you possible get for AU$50,000 per year - - -
TONY: You should ask the anti-violence project.
DOUG: You’d get me.
[laughs]
CLEM: Look, our view is the – we have a much broader problem. We have a breakdown in law-and-order over the last 11-years of a Labor government – we’ve got a knife culture, we’ve got a culture of people going out [and] thinking it’s okay to beat-up people in the GLBTI community. It’s okay to – m’mm, harass Indians. It’s okay to be attacking Jewish people and its – so, we think it’s a wider issue – much wider issues so we’re implementing some really tough policies to make sure that everyone in the community feels safer. Things like abolishing suspended sentences, banning violent drunks from licensed premises – the new anti-corruption watchdog. Ending home detention. So we see it as much broader and this AU$50,000-a-year is really just something for Tony to come in and announce to a targeted community and we think it’s not particularly - - -
DOUG: I’m sure they don’t see it quite like that, Clem - - -
CLEM: - - - no – anyway - - -
TONY: Can I say though, on this point – that, m’mm – you know, we pass[ed] very important legislation earlier this year to make it mandatory for courts to impose a higher sentence. Where anybody has been found guilty of a – m’mm, criminal offence that involved hatred or prejudice against any individual or group and that’s the kind of thing that really sends a message to the community that these things are unacceptable. We’ve got a review underway at the moment by (retired) Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Eames. That is going to be making recommendations to government about ways that we can strengthen those laws and practises in the community that will continue to drive down these abhorrent offences where they occur.
DOUG: We haven’t very much time left. But there’s one more question I’d like to get in to both of you and this is about sex-ed (sic) in schools – this is from Eric, he says:
[reads]
“ ... a whole-school approach to teaching sexuality in its broadest form has been part of the compulsory curriculum in government schools for 5-years; will the candidates commit to sex-ed being audited like other obligations of school. So that the needs of staff, students and schools can be identified and resourced ... and the schools can meet their obligations under the Equal Opportunity Act and the Charter of Human Rights ... and responsibilities?”
DOUG: I’d ask you first - - -
CLEM: That seems like a great idea, Doug. I’m not able to announce Liberal Party policy – certainly, in my personal capacity I think that sounds like a great idea. I just make the point as-far-as the Labor Party’s AU$320,000 over 4-years to combat homophobia in schools, if you average-that-out: 2,288-schoools – AU$80,000-a-year. It’s AU$34-per-school – m’mm, that Labor is offering. So – yeah, it speaks for itself.
DOUG: Tony?
TONY: Well what speaks for itself there is complete ignorance about how these sorts of projects work and of course the Labor Party has a policy on this – on this very issue. We will in fact deliver through “Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria” a quality resource to schools, to provide professional development for staff. To support students and school communities, to help them develop whole-of-school approaches to combating homophobia and help develop students’ own networks; of course, we’re already supporting the “Safe Schools Coalition” which is a very important part of that project.
DOUG: We’re going to have to cut you both off there, gentlemen – ‘cause we’re out-of-time. Lots more questions I could’ve asked you both. Lots more questions coming in – and I’m sorry that we didn’t get to them all, to all of you who’ve sent-in questions and I haven’t managed to fit them in. But you know how politicians talk and that’s what we got them in to do. Clem Newton-Brown and Tony Lupton – if you’d like to say a quick-few summarising words and Tony went first before so Clem, if you would go first?
CLEM: Yes, Doug. Just a couple of points I didn’t get to mention. Lisa Neville’s press release on Melbourne Cup Day: AU$400,000-a-year to GLBTI mental health issues. It’s important for people to know that this has gone to 2-electorates. It’s gone to electorate of Benalla and it’s also gone to – m’mm, her own electorate. That’s AU$400,000-a-year going to two electorates which are target seats for the Labor Party - - -
TONY: [indistinct] in our target range [laughs]
CLEM: - - - importance of this is that – m’mm, there’s 6 per cent of the target population in those two seats – so, it’s a cynical manipulation of our money. Handing-out money where Labor sees it as electorally advantageous for them and the wider community, the other 94 per cent of the rural community who go without the services because of this will suffer.
DOUG: Got to stop you there. Tony? You’ve got 90-seconds.
TONY: Thanks, Doug. Look – of course, when it comes to the GLBTI community Labor and [the] GLBTI community have a very close, working relationship and we look forward to that continuing. We’re also of course, talking about big issues that affect a lot of people in different ways and of course, we’ve got important issues about the environment where the Coalition – the Liberals and Nationals – guarantee ongoing, long-term logging in our high[ly] valued native forests. They bizarrely want to re-introduce cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park. They have no climate change policy, they’re riddled with sceptics. They oppose the setting-up of our River Red Gum National Park. They don’t have a plan for jobs in the economy – m’mm, they don’t have a climate change plan. But if it comes – when it comes to – m’mm, GLBTI issues a Liberal government would have - - -
[bell sounds]
TONY: Attorney-General, Robert Clark the man who says - - -
CLEM: [laughs]
TONY: - - - homosexuality is a disease - - -
CLEM: (and) Was it not Paul Keating who said that - - -
TONY: I – I - - -
CLEM: - - - two homosexuals and a cocker spaniel don’t make a family?
DOUG: [laughs]
CLEM: Is that right - - -
TONY: I think that we can – Robert Clark is a man who has convictions - - -
CLEM: I think Tony - - -
DOUG: Thanks for getting animated at the last minute [laughs]
CLEM: - - - both Parties – m’mm, have their own issues, Tony. So - - -
DOUG: We’re going to have to call-it-a-day there. We could go on forever – as you know – lots and lots of issues we’ve covered. But thank you, both, for your time this morning.
TONY: It’s been great talking to you, Doug.
DOUG: (and) Best of luck in the election.
