TRANSCRIPT
ADELAIDE BREAKFAST, ABC ADELAIDE
30 April 2025
Subjects: Labor’s Mediscare lies, Coalition’s health policies, the choice at this election, campaign messaging
EO&E.................................................................
Rory McClaren: Anne Ruston is the Shadow Health Ministerand a Liberal Senator for South Australia. Anne Ruston, good morning to you.
Anne Ruston: Good morning, guys.
Rory McClaren: Anne Ruston, has this been the most disjointed federal election campaign that you can recall?
Anne Ruston: Well, the one thing that I will say about this election campaign that I have never seen before has been the preparedness of the Government to tell lies to Australians about things. So, that has certainly surprised me.
Rory McClaren: What do you mean by that, in particular?
Anne Ruston: Well, if you have a think about it, I mean, in terms of Medicare, the Government has been out there spreading the most extraordinary lies about things that apparently the Coalition is going to do in relation to Medicare that just plainly are not true. We could not have been clearer about our commitment to increase funding to Medicare, to make sure Australians have got access to the primary care that we believe they deserve, that we're going to continue to increase hospital funding, will continue to invest in mental health. The same thing, you know, with energy - their lies about the costings in relation to energy. And national security - I mean, the Prime Minister basically told Australians he didn't know anything about a request from the Russian Government to Indonesia, and then we find out afterwards that he was well aware of it all along. So, I just find it really interesting that we've now got a situation where a Prime Minister thinks it's acceptable to lie to Australians, and that's really disappointing, I think.
Sonya Feldhoff: Well, in the argument against it, Labor says that prior to a previous election, promises were made and then gone back on. So, can you promise that these promises that the Liberals are making this time around will stay?
Anne Ruston: Absolutely. We are totally and utterly committed to making sure that Australians get access to affordable health care, because it's something that they have been denied progressively over the last three years. And the Government can say whatever they like, but the facts of the matter speak for themselves. Bulk billing has plummeted by 11 per cent, out-of-pocket costs are higher than they've ever been before, 40 million less bulk billed services last year than when they came into government, 1.5 million Australians avoiding seeing the doctor because they couldn't afford to do so. These are the facts. These are not what I'm saying or what Anthony Albanese or Mark Butler's saying, these are actually the Government's own national accounts.
Jules Schiller: Anne Ruston, let's go back to what Mark Butler said, and he said one of the reasons to vote for Labor is that the world is more uncertain, the global economic environment is more uncertain and now is not the time to change. What would be your response?
Anne Ruston: Well, I would say, I think Australians, just about every Australian would say that the last three years have been incredibly tough and I don't think Australians want another three years ahead of them like the last three. And so they've got a clear choice, they can have three more years of what they've just had if they vote for Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party, or they can have a different three years if they vote for the Coalition - who I believe has got a very strong plan about focusing on what Australians need and what Australians want, and that's cost of living relief and making sure that they're safe and secure.
Sonya Feldhoff: And specifically South Australians - We asked Mark Butler this question - so what do you think is the main thing South Australians need to hear with days to go to make their decision?
Anne Ruston: Well, I think they need to know that they've got a government that's actually focusing on their needs and their concerns and has got their back. And I don't believe that that has been their experience for the last three years under the Albanese Labor Government in Canberra. So, I think we need to focus on making sure that we're out there listening to and delivering on things that matter to them.
Sonya Feldhoff: We still haven't heard anything on the Liberals around your costings. When will they be released, Anne Ruston?
Anne Ruston: Look, I believe they're due to be released imminently. I mean, obviously, we've only got a couple of days till the election and they'll be released appropriately between now and Saturday.
Rory McClaren: Anne Ruston, are you concerned about the challenge that James Stevens is facing in Sturt?
Anne Ruston: Well, obviously, we always remain very vigilant to any seat, because there's no such thing as a safe seat in Australia these days. Australians, as they're rightly entitled to do in a democracy, can vote as they please. But, you know, I think we've got a really strong plan. I think James Stevens is a really stronger candidate. He's served his electorate really well since he's been the Member for Sturt, and so I think the people of Sturt will see that what James Stevens is offering them is a really good option and I think he will be re-elected.
Jules Schiller: Is this a hard, been a hard election for you to get your message across? I mean, when you were, obviously you plan these things very well and you've had Trump and tariffs and popes and everything. Has this been a hard campaign, do you think, different to others you've participated in?
Anne Ruston: Look, I don't think I've been in an election campaign that I can say has been the same as one that I've previously been in. Every election campaign is different. This one obviously has had its interesting twists and turns. I mean, we've obviously had Anzac Day and Easter, we've had school holidays, and of course the tragic and sad death of the Pope have all had influences on the campaign. But I think the most important thing is that Australians know themselves what their experience has been for the last three years, and I think we've got to, we've provided them with a strong alternative. And let's see what the Australian public do on Saturday.
Sonya Feldhoff: How different has it been with the younger voters and getting the message across to younger voters this time around, given that they make up such a bigger cohort than they have previously?
Anne Ruston: Well, obviously, the changing media landscape and the way people receive their communications these days always makes for interesting challenges, and every election there are new and different ways in which people will communicate. And so, that's been a very strong emphasis of this campaign is making sure that you have a broad suite of ways which you communicate with Australians and most particularly young Australians. Not too many of them listen to legacy media as we probably ourselves do.
Jules Schiller: Anne Ruston, thank you for your company.
ENDS
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