E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Straight Shooters with Clinton Maynard, 2GB Sydney
TUESDAY, 10 JUNE 2025
SUBJECT: Private School Tax, Policy Debate, Housing
CLINTON MAYNARD: It's our political Straight Shooters for a Tuesday afternoon. Joining me as they do every Tuesday afternoon, the outgoing Liberal Senator in New South Wales, Hollie Hughes, and the Labor member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman. Hello, Susan. Hello, Hollie.
SUSAN TEMPLEMAN: Hello.
HOLLIE HUGHES: Hello.
MAYNARD: I think we can be both be very grateful that we are on this side of the world at the moment.
HUGHES: I think so.
TEMPLEMAN: Yeah. Well, I was a foreign correspondent in The United States back in the eighties, and this is not something that you ever want to see happen to journalists who are just out doing their job trying to bring the news, especially on radio and TV as it's happening.
MAYNARD: Yep. Absolutely. Now today, I wanna discuss this one with the both of you. The idea that private school fees could be tax deductible. The South Australian Senator, a Liberal senator, Leah Blyth, has appeared on my colleague's program on 3AW, Tom Elliott's program. She says if there was a tax deduction, this would level out the playing field for parents.
LEAH BLYTH:
“It's important to note that even the most elite private institutions do receive a significant amount of public funding every year. And the net effect for those parents is they're contributing essentially twice because they're not only paying school fees, but they're also contributing to the public systems through general taxation. What we can look at doing is evening out that playing field, but also looking at how we are funding public schools. I think it's fair to say education standards have been dropping, particularly in our public schools across our nation for decades. And we've got to do something to make sure that we aren't leaving any children behind.”
MAYNARD: Okay. Tax deductible private school fees. I'll start with the government's perspective Susan, what do you think?
TEMPLEMAN: No. It's not something that I would even consider looking at, and it's a bit rich coming from someone whose government presided over appalling funding of especially public schools by ignoring the GONSKI reforms. We've got a system now. It only got signed earlier this year, so that every child in every school across the country, whether they are public, Catholic, or Independent, is going to receive funding that is based on their need. Now, yes, we've got problems. That's because schools have been poorly funded by the previous government. So I think, you know, let's stop looking for solutions to something that isn't the problem. Let's get to the root of the problem, which is what we did in doing fair funding to schools, and now let's give that an opportunity to flow through. Our agreement in New South Wales is a ten year agreement, and that's the same with all the public schools. So we will have a really good idea in coming years to see the effect that it has. But this kind of policy on the run, you know, it's like the Liberals have said, hey, guys. Any ideas? Anything at all? Don't hold back. Throw it in.
MAYNARD: This is probably the time to do it, though. This is probably the time to put big ideas and even radical ideas out there. Hollie, do you think, and look, you can speak your mind these days. Do you think it would be a good idea?
HUGHES: Look. In the policy itself, if you actually listen to more of the interview and then read some of the reporting about it, she wasn't just talking about tax deductibility of private school fees. She was talking about looking at income splitting for families that have a better and fairer potential tax implications for families, particularly those that have a parent at home or a parent at home more so looking after children. I am pleased there's policy debate going on. Peter Dutton ran a very united team, but I can't say it was a team that there was a lot of robust debate around policy, and I think that was reflected in the election result. I think you're exactly right. Now is the time to have the debate. I think our tax system is fundamentally broken across many, many areas. The continual increase of our reliance on income tax, this is a government who wants to now tax you when you haven't even made the money on their unrealized gains. So every item should be on the agenda. What is actually important through this process is that Jim Chalmers doesn't get carried away and say the 30% of the Australian people that voted for Labor. Yes. It was an emphatic win. It was not the majority of Australians who voted for them, and don't take that as a sign that everything he says is some sort of, you know, messianic declaration. I would actually like to see big boy pants and big girl pants go on and a courageous discussion between the two parties of government about serious tax reform. Because this country, if we're gonna boost productivity, if we're gonna actually get ourselves back on a footing where we're not just constantly staring down 1.2 trillion, million dollars worth of debt, we need proper tax reform in this country.
MAYNARD: Is there well, Susan, is there a desire in the Labor Party room now that you do have such a big majority? Is there a desire for more radical policy, for policy that maybe may not have been popular prior to the election?
TEMPLEMAN: The prime minister spoke at the press club today and made it very clear we are going to do the things we said we'd do. Let's start with those. Let's continually evolve policy, look for good ideas, explore new ideas, but our priority is delivering the things we said we would. And, you know, one of the things that he announced today was a gathering, as he called it, in Canberra to discuss productivity. A bit like we had the Jobs and Skills Summit three years ago which really kickstarted how we the tackle complex issues that we've inherited. And now we know productivity has got to be the focus. So that's the sort of evolutionary initiative that you're going to see, to keep doing the things that we've started. You know, we've just started. We know we've got a lot more to do, and it won't be just grabbing any bag of ideas that someone might come up with.
MAYNARD: Now talking about productivity, Hollie, you visited a Sydney factory this morning.
HUGHES: Look, I did. I went and had a look at this space. So this is around sort of Alexandria, Zetland area of Sydney. And this is off the back of reports in South Australia that there is support in the upper house there for the government to just determine that you are having inappropriate land usage, so they will just take it. They will compulsorily acquire, but not pay for it, just take it. I mean, it's effectively a form of communism. But we hear governments talk about affordable housing, housing crisis, the need for more houses. Clover Moore is - she’s just gotta get out of town hall more because what I saw today was an area that she still thinks is a manufacturing area. And the reality is, these businesses, these buildings are in effect either warehouses, so there's no jobs, no employment, or they are completely empty and unused. But when you go to the bayside side of the road, if you go sort of Gardner's Road down towards the airport in Mascot, if you go to the Bayside Council side of the road, there are apartment buildings that are built there with businesses thriving underneath them. Yet five, six hundred meters down the road walk from Mascot Train Station where it becomes Sydney City Council, it is absolutely derelict. There are buildings, warehouses, factories that have long since moved their operations into other areas that are absolutely underutilized, could be used to create housing that is so desperately needed, yet we are still hearing from the Minns government. I mean, we don't know what the HAFF's doing. They haven't built a house. So if everyone is serious about this housing situation, Parramatta Road is a disgrace. Every single one of those stores is pretty much empty.
MAYNARD: And has been for decades and decades. Susan, the prime minister actually was asked about housing today at the National Press Club address, and he said regulation's actually a big part of it, reducing the red tape. And he praised Chris Minns for showing initiative on the Rosehill deal even though it didn't go through. But do you think the problem lies here with local councils?
TEMPLEMAN: I definitely think that there's challenges with councils. At the same time, I know councils feel that they represent their rate payers and should have a say. But if there are places that are sitting there empty needing to be reused and repurposed, then that's why we have a Planning Minister in New South Wales, Paul Scully, who I'm sure is open to many conversations to explore where there might be, just like they did with Rose Hill. And I think the point was made both by the prime minister and Housing Minister Claire O'Neil that it does take courage to do those things and put those ideas out there. Not all of them will be successful, but it's urgent.
This is not something we can sit back and go, oh, we've got tons of time. We need housing yesterday. And we will do our bit, but a lot of it's going to come down to the state government being bold. And that means councils really do need to come along with that and look for the best possible outcomes. I know people don't like change in their communities, but I note that Ku-ring-gai has come up with some really good plans, but from what I've seen in the paper, to meet the housing targets that were set for it, not necessarily the way the state government had originally intended. So I hope those sorts of processes work their way through pretty quickly because, oh my goodness, we need -
MAYNARD: We need bold ideas. We certainly need bold ideas. I'm just about to wrap up. Almost out of some time here, but you're on your way to Canberra, Susan, for new MP orientation. So you'll be hosting some of the new members of parliament. Have you got any best or worst day on the job stories for us?
TEMPLEMAN: Well, I have to tell you, July 27 in 2016 was a fantastic day on the job when I was declared as an MP and I got the keys to the office. And I then got shown round the office by the property people who handed over keys. At the end of it, I said, “oh, I must have missed the bathroom. Is there a door I missed?” And they looked at me and said, “No. There is no bathroom. If you need to go to the toilet, there's a shopping centre up the road, round the corner, and that's where you go.” So it took the shine off a bit. My poor staff, who spend much more time in the office than I do, had to suffer that. But I'm pleased to say from a work health and safety perspective, we did end up eventually in a new office, and they have a bathroom.
MAYNARD: Hollie, have you got a day on the job story for me?
HUGHES: I don't know. I'm looking forward now, Clinton. I don't know what the next day on the job's gonna look like.
MAYNARD: Well, you're looking for a job.
HUGHES: I don't actually have a story that I can think of that, you know, has any great resonance. I mean, I do remember being headhunted for a job in my early twenties, and they kept offering me more money. And I remember turning up on the day. I wasn't even really 100% sure what they wanted me to do. But that was back at a time where things were very different, in the corporate arena. But, Susan, oh my god. No toilet. I gotta say, having dealt with the Department of Finance. I won't miss that, and it doesn't surprise me.
MAYNARD: It's the least we can do. That is straight shooters for a Tuesday. Thank you, Susan. Thank you, Hollie.
TEMPLEMAN: Thank you.
HUGHES: Thank you.
ENDS
