21 May 2025
E&OE…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Kieran Gilbert: …Live to Liberal Frontbencher Dan Tehan, someone with a unique view on all of this stuff with the Nationals. Dan, appreciate your time, because you are a regional MP, you represent people in the bush, how's your view today of the Nats? Do you feel a sense of betrayal?
Dan Tehan: Look, I think it's just incredibly disappointing what's happened Kieran, and as someone who has worked for a National Party leader, I worked for Mark Vaile when I was working at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, I was seconded to his office, I saw firsthand under Mark how the Coalition can still manage to work together even when there are difficult times. As I'm sure he would remember, Barnaby Joyce in that last term of the Howard Government, was a new senator, and many times we had some, some very, very frank discussions about key pieces of legislation, whether they would be passed or not in the Senate. And always, we worked through the difficulties. Always we worked through the issues. And I can never remember a time, whether it was with John Anderson or Mark Vaile, with John Howard and Peter Costello, there was never thought of, okay, well, what would this mean for the Coalition agreement? It was always, how do we work through these issues to make sure we stay together as a team? Because that winning team of the Liberals and Nationals has delivered more flags for our nation in terms of election victories at the federal level since the second world war than any other team and I think that's why it's incredibly disappointing what has happened yesterday.
Gilbert: Given the policies that have been put forward, do you think it's a fig leaf, an excuse to pull the pin because they didn't even let Sussan Ley take it to the party room to discuss?
Tehan: Well, I'm not quite sure about any of that Kieran. I think the most important thing for us all to do now is just take stock of where we're at. Take stock of what happened in the election that we've just been through, and then look at what is in the best interests of the Australian people because, in the end, why are we here? We're here because we are meant to represent what's in the best interests of the Australian people. And given the numbers in the chamber, both in the House and in the Senate at this time, are we better working together to present a cohesive opposition to the Albanese Labor government in their second term, or should we split? And my very strong view is that the best thing that we can do is come together. These are tough times for both the Liberals and the Nationals. We lost the last election comprehensively. We have to rebuild our stocks. And my view is we're better doing that, and my hope is that we will be able to do that, because what we're going to see, and I'm very worried about this, is an Albanese Labor government in their second term - due to their numbers - that's arrogant, gets more and more out of touch with the Australian people, and really will need to be held to account. And I think the best way we can do that is as a coalition.
Gilbert: Do you believe the Nationals, because they have held all their seats, basically, except one Senate position, they almost won Bendigo, that they feel emboldened because they performed well compared to the Liberals, which tanked?
Tehan: There is no doubt that the Nationals did perform well in holding on to all their seats and nearly winning Bendigo. And you know, we were able to help and assist with Bendigo, because, as you know, it was a three cornered contest, and both the candidates, the Liberal candidate and the National Party candidate, worked incredibly well together. Shadow ministerial visits worked incredibly well. I went to Bendigo and made sure that the National Party candidate was included at the event we did with the Liberal Party candidate. So we showed that working together cohesively, and as a team, that you can deliver a result like that. And that's what I think we should be looking at, and looking forward to do…
Gilbert: Should you get that done sooner? Would you like it, that that rapprochement to be done in a matter of, you know, weeks as opposed to years. Would you like to see it done now?
Tehan: Well, my view is that the sooner we can do better, because the longer this goes on, the harder it is then to bring it back together. And, you know, yesterday, I was at a mass rally on the steps of the state parliament, and there we've seen the rural communities coming together to say ‘no’ to the one of the most unfair and unjust taxes that you'll ever see a state Labor Government put in place - their fire services Levy, increased tax. And it was wonderful to see the leader of the Liberal Party, Brad Battin and then the leader of the National Party, Danny O'Brien, step up together as a coalition to be able to say to the state labor Government, ‘we’ll axe this tax’. Now that I think is the type of message that we need to be sending right across this nation, that we have these two great parties of government, that have formed government, working together, working cohesively, to make sure that we hold this government, this newly elected government, to account.
Gilbert: Has Sussan Ley handled this situation, you know, appropriately? Do you believe that she handled this as well as she could have?
Tehan: Absolutely. I mean, you've got to remember, Sussan was only recently elected as our leader. She's had to deal with the sad passing of her mother. As I understand it, the funeral hasn't even been held yet. So my view would have been, it would be far better if we had all stepped back to give ourselves a bit more time. We have been through an election loss…
Gilbert: Was it unfair from the Nats, in that context, what you've just said is, is it unfair for the Nats to push so hard so quick?
Tehan: What I'm saying is, I think what we need to be able to do is to step back at this time and not make quick decisions. What we need to do is understand, okay, what happened? How did we lose so badly? We're all still in a state of shock of the outcome. I don't think people have really come to terms with it. We've obviously had David re-endorsed as the leader of the National Party. Sussan has just been elected as the new leader of the Liberal Party. So let's take a little bit of time before making decisions like this. Now, in the end, if that's the decision that's taken, so be it. But my view is is given everything that's happened, and especially the scale of the loss, surely we should take a little bit more time to make decisions.
Gilbert: And the Nats haven’t done that. Should Sussan Ley now delay the front bench in the hope that you can get what you're arguing for - that common sense prevails. Should she delay the front bench? Because then, if she announces it tomorrow, as Andrew Clennell reported she's going to, then you've got to unscramble the egg?
Tehan: Look, I'm not quite sure when Sussan is going to make her announcements, but what I would say is that we do have time before that announcement is made for us to try and say, Okay, well, maybe this has all been done right on the back of a fairly comprehensive loss when it came to the last election. Maybe we do need to take a little bit of time. And, you know, if that can be the situation, and that can be the case, that would be, I think, welcome. Now it might be that the National Party have made their decision. They're 100% committed to that decision, if that's the case, it's obviously disappointing, but if they were now in the cold, hard light of day looking at and staying well, maybe we should have taken a little bit more time and and time to negotiate a little bit more, then I must say I think that would be something that would be welcomed.
Gilbert: Dan Tehan thanks for your time.
ENDS
