SUBJECT | US Marines and Voice Referendum | 28 August 2023
Pete Stefanovic: You're back with First Edition this morning. Thanks for your company, Fox. We'll live now to the Shadow Immigration Minister, Dan Tehan. Dan, good to see you. Thanks for your time this morning. Firstly, a comment from the opposition on the deadly crash involving those US Marines off Darwin; five are still in hospital at the moment, and obviously, we hope they pull through.
Dan Tehan: Yeah. Look, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who have lost their young ones in this tragic, tragic crash. You know, it shows the dangers that come with the alliance of protecting freedom and protecting our liberty. But to those families who have lost loved ones, our thoughts and prayers are with them. And for those who remain in hospital injured, we also provide our thoughts and prayers. It's just a tragedy, but that comes sadly with protecting liberty and freedom. And it's one of the things that's happened right throughout the alliance. That's what makes it special and what will make it so special in the future.
Stefanovic: Onto the Voice now. Dan, a big week ahead with the date for the referendum will be confirmed. There has certainly been a strong lead-up to this. So, what's your view of where it's at at the moment?
Tehan: Well, I think the Australian people are still rightly asking, where's the detail? We know the Prime Minister is never across the details, but now it seems that the Yes campaign is going to deliberately hide the details. As a matter of fact, the cheat sheet that is going to be sent out to volunteers when they're instructed, what do you do when you're asked about the details? You've got to stand on your head; you've got to point the other direction; you've got to do anything you can to distract from the detail. And I think Australians will rightly think if they don't know what the detail is, then they'll vote no. And the Yes campaign, I think trying to hide the details is completely the wrong way to go about it.
Stefanovic: What about this claim, you know, to paint villains such as mining bosses who care more for profits than anything else?
Tehan: Well, once again, they're doing everything to distract from the real issues. Everything to distract from what this referendum is all about. The biggest change to our Constitution in our history, the risks, the legal risks, that are involved in making this change - they don't want to talk about that. The details around will people be appointed to this body, to this voice, or will they be democratically elected? None of that they want to discuss. And that's why I think it's a very disingenuous campaign. We know that Prime Minister Albanese doesn't like detail, but to deliberately keep the details from the Australian people, I think, is completely the wrong way to go about this referendum.
Stefanovic: The undecideds will be pivotal, the so-called soft voters. The Government seems convinced, though it's got the majority of them on their side. Is that what you're picking up in your travels?
Tehan: Well, the government have got $35 million. They're obviously doing this detailed research, which they're going to then try and trick the Australian people with. They're going to launch a massive, massive advertising campaign. But I think in the end, the Australian people will vote on what they think is best for the nation. And I think the feedback that I'm getting is people think there's a lot of uncertainty around the legal risk, around the detail, around what this will lead to. For me, it's a basic principle. We should be all equal before the law. We should all be treated equally in our Constitution, and that's what we should be aiming for. So I think there are many reasons why people will vote no, and if the yes campaign has to use trickery to try and get people to vote yes, I don't think it'll work.
Stefanovic: Okay. Dan, as someone who dealt with China, there are major health concerns this morning for jailed Yang Hengjun. Doctors found a ten-centimetre cyst on his kidney. He now fears that he's going to die in prison. What do you think his prospects are of getting out?
Tehan: Well, I think the government needs to make immediate representations on his behalf now that we know this information. This would be an issue in which you would get complete bipartisanship. We need to see the embassy making immediate representations. Obviously, any contact that the foreign minister, the trade minister, or the Prime Minister has with their Chinese counterparts needs to be raising this issue. This is of serious concern, and he needs to get immediate medical attention to fix this; otherwise, he will die in prison. And we shouldn't stand by and let that happen without making serious representations to the Chinese government.
Stefanovic: I mean, should it be a priority for the Prime Minister as he prepares to go to China later this year? I mean, should that be part of the negotiations?
Tehan: Well, there should be a message sent immediately through our embassy in Beijing seeking immediate medical assistance because this is obviously life-threatening. And the last thing any of us want to see is an Australian citizen dying in jail because they don't get the appropriate medical attention.
Stefanovic: Okay, Dan, thanks for your time, as always. We'll talk to you soon.
