Transcript - 2SM Mornings - 14 October 2025

Melissa McIntosh MP
Shadow Minister for Communications
Shadow Minister for Women
Federal Member for Lindsay

14 October 2025

Transcript

2SM Mornings with Chris Smith

Topics: Super tax; Triple Zero outage; Lidia Thorpe. 

E&EO …

Chris Smith

Melissa McIntosh, welcome back to the Super Radio Network.

Melissa McIntosh

Thank you. And no pressure holding up that intro.

Smith

So, a mighty defeat for Treasurer Jim Chalmers over the superannuation tax hike on unrealised gains. It won't be on unrealised gains anymore. He's ended up backtracking big time, only making a few changes. How do you sum up this policy yo-yo?

McIntosh

Well, I guess it's a win and I even talk about a win for common sense and it is here because it was going to catch people that weren't earning all that much right now, young people in the future, and he just really, he wouldn't back down. It was quite extraordinary. People were telling him how bad this was and it took, I think, the Prime Minister to lead the country and he's sort of, you know, backing off now. But it was planned to tax unrealised gains, which is the increase in the paper value of unsold assets and it was going to impact farmers, small business people at 30%. So he's ditched that and he's ditched the indexation to not index the $3 million threshold with inflation. So it's a right move. But once again they took this to the election and now they're backtracking it. They're all over the shop and confusing Australians. But it shows, again, you can't trust Labor. And what they tell you.

Smith

Well, especially when it comes to superannuation because we make decisions about committing to superannuation years in advance based on the goal post where they sit and when they change the goal posts, we get cranky.

McIntosh

That's right, it’s - and it is a victory for Australians because they do invest. Australians invest a lot in a superannuation. It's meant to be there for retirement, not for a tax grab by the Labor government. So, let's see what comes. We're looking at it closely. We've got the Shadow Treasurer looking to the details, but so many people have been calling for the is, from economists to even the former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating. So, it really - I don't know what the Treasurer was doing.

Smith

Well, the Chalmers obviously wanted to have one foul swoop at trying to claw back the trillion dollars in debt that we have. And as Treasurer, that's his responsibility because the rest of the Cabinet seem to want to spend like drunken sailors. His super plan won't cut it, so what will?

McIntosh

Well, that's right, there's going to be a $4 billion black hole. So, they need to start cutting back on their spending. Stop trying to buy Australian votes. They're spending $160 billion more in this financial year than the Coalition's last year in government. This is what they need to do: Stop your spending, Jim. And then we might be able to get somewhere. They were relying on taxing super to try and fill, as you said fill that hole in their budget.

Smith

You've been very much on the front foot over the Optus debacle related to the Triple Zero deaths. But one thing most people ignore during this drama two weeks ago was the fact that Telstra has been culpable in this space as well last year, right?

McIntosh

Yep. That's right. And I've been pushing really hard because I think there's no greater responsibility of a government than to look after and protect its citizens. And when people are dying something really needs to be done. And I've called for - and this should cover like the whole telco sector, I've called for a public register. Every time there is an outage with Triple Zero, the Australian public deserves to know about it and which telcos are having those outages. And I think that the fines do need to be doubled from $10 million to $20 million. People deserve more from both the telcos and from the government. The fact that Telstra has had an outage too where someone died - it doesn't matter if it's one person, whether it's four people, whatever – no, there should be no deaths. People should be able to pick up the phone call Triple Zero in their greatest time of need.

Smith

And then when something is down which is understandable. It's communications. It's not faultless. It should be able to be easily shifted onto another supplier or distributor.

McIntosh

That's right. And that's where the failure was with the Optus outage. Telstra or TPG or whatever other network should have been able to pick it up.

Smith

Yeah.

McIntosh

But we need to have a thorough independent investigation. The government wants the regulator to be involved and the regulator is part of the whole stuff up with what happened with Optus and that's just wrong. There should be more transparency and the government should be taking this seriously. Pull every single lever you have to sort this out for Australians.

Smith

One last point. Lidia Thorpe, Melissa, is she just misunderstood or someone we don't need in the Parliament?

McIntosh

It's outrageous. It is the greatest honour in the world to represent Australians in Parliament. And with Lidia, I think it's three strikes and she should be out. The words that she said when there was a fire at old Parliament House. It's almost like she celebrated it. What she said when King Charles was visiting Australia was abysmal. And now what she's said about Parliament. And Parliament, we're so lucky in this country that everyday Australians can visit Parliament House and be quite - and do it quite freely. And for her to say that she's not misunderstood, that is disgusting. I think the Prime Minister should stand up and do everything he can and get her out of there.

Smith

Yeah.

McIntosh

She should be gone.

Smith

Melissa McIntosh, great to have you on the program. All the very best. Thank you.

McIntosh

Thank you.