Transcript - Joint press conference - Ley, McIntosh and Eather Group - 19 August 2025

THE HON SUSSAN LEY MP
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR FARRER

MELISSA MCINTOSH MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR WOMEN
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR LINSDAY

TRANSCRIPT

JOINT DOORSTOP INTERVIEW
LLANDILO, NSW

Tuesday, 19 August 2025

Topics: Labor’s Talkfest for Higher Taxes, Prime Minister’s Economic Failure, Labor’s Spending Addiction, Israel, Visas, Qantas, Polls.

E&OE:

PETER EATHER, MD EATHER GROUP: G'day, welcome out here to the lovely place of Llandilo. My name's Peter Eather and Sally Eather. We own Eather Group. We're a transport, civil construction, earth moving business. We've been going for about 15 years now. The tools of the trade are our trucks and our machines, but it's more about our circular economy and sustainability and waste not want not, so our worth. We look at sustainable solutions for replacement of materials.

SALLY-ANNE EATHER, EM EATHER GROUP: I'd just like to add that we're an employer of choice for diversity, so our people are really, really important to us. We currently have about 25 per cent First Nations and about 35 per cent women within our business, which is well above the threshold within the industry, and they're the most important asset within our business.

MELISSA MCINTOSH, MEMBER FOR LINDSAY: I'm Melissa McIntosh, the Member for Lindsay, and this is why I think I've got the best community in the country. It is because of hard working small business owners like Sal and Peter and the family. It's generational here in Llandilo, working really hard to get ahead. Sussan, I know I talk a lot about Western Sydney, but again, this is a great example of a small business who employs locals, who employs women, as you said, and I'm proud that you put that effort in as well. But we talked today about the issues that you are facing, a slowdown in construction and housing construction pipeline issues which impact productivity. This is on the ground stuff. We need to keep Western Sydney moving. We're the heartland of our country with manufacturing, with an international airport about to open, it's so important that businesses can employ locals and can get the job done. Sussan, thank you for being here in my patch again, and over to you.

THE HON SUSSAN LEY MP, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: Thanks so much, Melissa. You're a terrific example of Liberal Party values here in Western Sydney, because the party that we are a part of will always back our small businesses, will always back reward for effort, not punish success. And too many of the businesses that I visit these days feel like they're running hard and just standing still. But it always does put that smile on our face to come and meet Peter and Sal and others like you too, who are more than just a business that does things. You're a family, you take great pride in skilling your workforce and seeing them succeed. Your record with women in civil construction is astounding. Well done. And just to meet some of your staff just now was a fantastic conversation about what makes so much of our economy tick and why.

Now there's a productivity roundtable in Canberra today, things happening behind closed doors. You've heard the Treasury, you've heard the Prime Minister. I don't know whether the average Australian quite sees where it's all going to land. We've said that we will be constructive about ideas that come forward at this roundtable, but we will be critical where we need to be, because we'll always act in the national interest when it comes to supporting our economy.

We do want to see, coming out of this roundtable, a genuine effort made to back our businesses, back that reward for effort, and actually restore productivity in this country.

The important point for us is we're out here where the boots are, not where the suits are, and we know that what happens behind those closed doors is already carefully choreographed, carefully worked out with announcements to come.

Notwithstanding that, we will watch closely and we are prepared if there are ideas and initiatives that genuinely grow our economy, but it is the private sector that lifts growth in this country. And we've got productivity flatlining. We've got businesses going backwards. We've got a household recession. We've got the average Australian paying over 30 per cent more for their electricity, 15 per cent more for their health, and we've got a Prime Minister who's made a lot of promises and been elected based on those promises, and we're going to hold this government to account for the promises that they have made, because we're here every single day for hard working Australians.

JOURNALIST: Sussan, just on the productivity roundtable, thanks for having us. Salvatore Babones is an associate professor at the University of Sydney, and he says that it's the massive influx of low skilled workers into Australia that is responsible for Australia's low productivity. Do you agree?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: There are many aspects to why our productivity is flatlining. But I lay this firmly at the feet of the Albanese government. Yes, you do have to get the migration settings right, but it's about much more than that. It's about spending that is now lifted to 27 per cent of GDP. The economy grew just 0.2 per cent in the last quarter. This is the fourth year of a Labor government, and it is as if they're only just discovering that they need to do something about productivity. Where were they for the last three years? And every step they take mitigates against the most important thing here, which is attracting investment, driving growth, lifting living standards, increasing the size of businesses and having confidence.

JOURNALIST: Israel has kicked out three Australian diplomats and will heavily scrutinise Australian officials' visas from now on. It's after Tony Burke cancelled the visa of a member of Israel's Parliament and the announcement that Australia will recognise a Palestinian state. What's your reaction to that? Because Penny Wong says it's an unjustified reaction.

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: Well, I really regret the way that the relationship between the Albanese government and the government of Israel is deteriorating. That is something all Australians should be very sad about today. Israel is a liberal democracy in the Middle East, and we should be supporting them as that liberal democracy. And the steps that the Albanese government has taken over recent days and weeks certainly have not demonstrated that. This is an elected member of the Israeli Parliament, and it's a very unusual thing to refuse a visa, and I haven't seen explanations from Tony Burke that actually explain what is going on here.

JOURNALIST: Do you think Simcha Rothman should be allowed into Australia?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: We need the Minister for Home Affairs to explain why there has been a refusal for an elected member of a liberal democracy, the only liberal democracy in the Middle East, and disagreeing with the Albanese government is not a reason to refuse a visa.

JOURNALIST: Sussan, could I get some reaction about yesterday's court decision that Qantas must pay the Transport Workers Union $50 million in a fine. Is it likely to see further lawsuits against big companies in the future, and do you have any concerns with that?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: Well, the judgment has been made. And I won't comment on the judgment itself, and I note that apologies have been made by Qantas. I do, however, call on the TWU to distribute every part of the $50 million to its membership. That's exactly what you would expect a democratic socialist party to do.

JOURNALIST: The latest Newspoll this week, Sussan, shows you suffered a little bit of a fall in support from voters. Why do you think that is? And do you think it's because voters aren't yet sure about what you stand for?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: I won't be judged by headlines or polling numbers. I know that we will deliver a credible, compelling, serious agenda for change to the Australian people. We're developing that now. What's most important for me and my team is to be out there working hard for the Australians that need us to back them. They need a government that understands what their life is like, gets out of their way, reduces their red tape, helps them, gives them confidence and looks to the future alongside them.

[ENDS]