6PR Radio Interview from the Perth Royal Show (27 Sep 2024)

Ollie Peterson: Joining me at the Claremont Showground is the federal member for Curtin, Kate Chaney. Great to see you.

Kate Chaney: Great to see you too, Ollie. Good to be here.

Ollie Peterson: We're in your electorate.

Kate Chaney: We are indeed. I’m very, very proud that we have the show in Curtin. It's such a fantastic family event, and we love having it here.

Ollie Peterson: Yeah, I'll tell you what, we've been lucky enough to be here in the mobile studio all week. There are so many people coming through, even though the weather’s been a bit off today. It’s just great to see so many people enjoying themselves.

Kate Chaney: I think it’s going to be a bumper year. Having free entry for kids and half-price tickets for adults has really boosted attendance.

Ollie Peterson: Yeah, well, sitting in your seat yesterday was the federal Liberal leader, Peter Dutton. Let’s be honest, he didn’t hold back when he took a swipe at you. Take a listen:

Peter Dutton: Kate Chaney votes with the Greens. Kate is a Greens supporter, not a Liberal Party supporter. The idea that Kate Chaney is a disaffected Liberal is completely and utterly disavowed by her voting record. In Parliament, she sits with the Greens and Anthony Albanese. If people believe voting for Kate Chaney supports us in a minority government, we cannot govern this country with people like Kate Chaney. She supports the economic policies of the Greens and Anthony Albanese. I don’t believe the people of Curtin want to see a Green in that seat. If there were a hung parliament, she would sit with Anthony Albanese. If Kate Chaney can’t say before the election how she would vote in a hung parliament, people can only assume she’ll vote with Anthony Albanese.

Ollie Peterson: Do you think it’s incumbent on teals like yourself to reveal who you would side with in the next government?

Peter Dutton: There's no question about that. One of the big mantras for the teals, including Kate Chaney, is transparency and honesty. If you're going to an election being dishonest about who you’ll vote for, then why should people trust you? A vote for Kate Chaney is a vote for Anthony Albanese and the Greens.

Ollie Peterson: Kate, is a vote for you a vote for Anthony Albanese and the Greens?

Kate Chaney: Well, no, it isn't. But we're going to see more of this. If you’re Peter Dutton or part of a major party, it’s hard to understand independence. I vote based on merit. I’m not a supporter of the Greens, nor the Liberal Party. I had the library do an analysis of my voting record, and it shows I support about half of the motions put forward by the Liberals, Labor, and the Greens.

Ollie Peterson: Paul Fletcher recently said a lot of you teals have sided with the Greens on more occasions, saying you were at about 73% of their motions.

Kate Chaney: That’s cherry-picking a particular type of vote. Overall, I range between 46% and 54%, depending on who’s putting the motion forward. I vote with the Greens on climate, with the Coalition on industrial relations and small business support, and with Labor on some housing support and tax cuts. It depends on the issue, and that’s what I offer as an independent.

Ollie Peterson: Talking about live sheep exports, you did change your mind after speaking to people in your electorate. They said it was important to them, and you listened.

Kate Chaney: That’s what being a community independent allows you to do. You take every vote seriously and listen to the community. In major parties, you do what you're told. If you don't, your career is at risk. I think people appreciate having someone who genuinely considers every vote on its merits.

Ollie Peterson: On the live sheep issue, I’ve been saying for months that this could cost Anthony Albanese a second term in Western Australia. Labor seems to have misread its impact in regional WA, and that could ripple into metropolitan Perth. Did this play into your decision to listen to your constituents?

Kate Chaney: It’s a tough one. It’s a divisive issue in my electorate, with strong views on both sides. I don't know the overall balance, but I heard compelling stories from people about how it would affect their businesses, families, mental health, and livelihoods. So, I needed to listen. Until then, I’d focused on getting the best transition package for WA farmers. I did vote against the ban, though it passed anyway. We need to keep working on that transition package.

Ollie Peterson: So, Peter Dutton’s point about revealing before the next election which side you might back in a hung parliament—what’s your stance on that?

Kate Chaney: I would vote on every piece of legislation based on its merits. That’s what being an independent means. I wouldn’t guarantee either side the right to form a minority government.

Ollie Peterson: But you’d consider confidence and supply?

Kate Chaney: Yes, I’d consider giving confidence and supply. But I’d vote independently on each piece of legislation. It’s about being truly independent.

Ollie Peterson: Peter Dutton name-checked you a lot yesterday. Why do you think you’re a target? Is it because he believes Tom White might be able to unseat you?

Kate Chaney: The Liberal Party feels entitled to certain seats, and Curtin is one of those. Rather than have policies that represent moderate voters, they’re putting money into attack ads and personal point-scoring. I think people in Curtin are tired of that type of politics.

Ollie Peterson: Negative gearing has been a hot topic this week. What’s your take on it?

Kate Chaney: It's absurd that we can’t even mention certain issues. Negative gearing is meant to increase rental supply, but it’s not working. We need broad tax reform, including capital gains tax concessions. People in Curtin are ready for a mature conversation about tax reform and housing. If these issues aren’t on the table, we can’t make progress.

Ollie Peterson: Do you think the Curtin electorate is up for a conversation about negative gearing and capital gains tax changes?

Kate Chaney: Yes, many in Curtin are concerned that their kids and grandkids won’t be able to afford a home. We’ve had 20 years of policies designed to increase house prices. It’s time to take a long-term approach to close the gap between wages and house prices.

Ollie Peterson: Do you think the Prime Minister might pull the trigger on a double dissolution election over the housing crisis?

Kate Chaney: It’s unlikely. I think we’re more likely to see a May 2025 election. But we need to see progress on housing. The Coalition and Greens are blocking support, and people are getting frustrated. We need bold action instead of point-scoring.

Ollie Peterson: Peter Dutton yesterday is talking about the Teal Greens. Australians are probably getting a bit confused about who's where and what's what at the moment, Kate, and where all the political parties stand.

Kate Chaney: Yeah, that's right. And that's why I think the benefit of being an independent is that on different issues, different parties have good ideas. We have to be able to take all the ideas from wherever they come from and not get locked into ideological positions that prevent us from being open-minded about the bold changes we need for the future.

Ollie Peterson: Are you enjoying the job so far? It’s been a bit of a baptism of fire these last couple of years.

Kate Chaney: It's absolutely fascinating, and it is a real honour to represent a community. I’ve loved doing things differently and finding ways for the people of Curtin to express their views and feed that into our political processes. It’s really exciting, and it feels like it provides a bit of hope in a political environment where people are pretty frustrated with seeing the parties being all about power and not about policy.

Ollie Peterson: There's a lot on any agenda of any government, of course, and even any opposition or independent for that matter. One issue I know you've been strong on, and we've spoken about before, is gambling advertising reform. There almost seems to be bipartisan support for doing something, but no one is prepared to actually act. Is that fair?

Kate Chaney: The committee I sat on had people from all parts of politics, and we came up with 31 unanimous recommendations on what needs to be done. The government, 15 months later, still hasn’t responded. What it comes down to is this party problem—neither of the major parties is willing to annoy the broadcast media or give up political donations from the gambling companies. Even on a gambling ad ban, where there's really broad community support—people are sick of seeing all the ads when they’re watching sport—the political parties aren’t willing to turn off the money tap or the power tap.

Ollie Peterson: And I think if we can’t solve a problem like that, because we’ve got parties that are more focused on winning votes than doing the right thing, it doesn’t bode well for the bigger issues we need to address. And I think it’s a really important point because I love my sport, been watching it forever. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever had a punt, apart from a couple of races on Melbourne Cup Day, but I don’t look at who’s going to be the first point scorer or first goal scorer and go, I’m going to chase that. It’s not something I do. I know a lot of people do, and that’s fine for them. But I have young kids—a six-year-old now—who asks, “What’s that about?” And I realize he’s going to grow up seeing that all the time, and he doesn’t need to.

Kate Chaney: Absolutely. Kids can name multiple betting companies now. I had a mum tell me her son asked, “When I turn 18, do I have to bet to watch the footy?” When you're a kid watching sport, it should be about knowing the score, not the odds. We're seeing gambling become normalised for an entire generation, and it's doing a lot of harm, especially to young men.

Ollie Peterson: Well, Kate, I really appreciate you stopping by the 6PR this afternoon, and thanks for having us at the Claremont Showground.

Kate Chaney: It’s great to have you here, and it’s great to be here.

Ollie Peterson: Thank you, Kate Chaney, the member for Curtin.