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Katie Woolf spoke with Member for Solomon Luke Gosling · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining me live in the studio for the first time
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: this year. Luke Gosling, Labour's member for Solomon.
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Luke, Good morning Katie and congratulations.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Oh thanks mate, thank you very much for that. And
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: I understand your dad was also recognized on Australia Day,
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: Is that right?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah? Johnny G's been training people with visual impairment with
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  Speaker 2: guide dogs for fifty years.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Oh my goodness.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, and he's put in a heap of volunteer work
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: in that time, helping other countries to get their guide
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  Speaker 2: dog programs up. And he's still doing it after fifty years.
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  Speaker 2: Like this morning, he'll be walking dogs, good on bitching
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: them out to look after blind people on the street.
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  Speaker 1: There are so many amazing people in Australia. Hey, I mean,
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  Speaker 1: I know I talk a lot on this show about
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  Speaker 1: the different issues that we've got, but I tell you what,
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  Speaker 1: whenever you're feeling down, or whenever you sort of think,
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: oh goodness, you know, how are we going to get
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  Speaker 1: through this issue? You just look around at the wonderful
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  Speaker 1: Australians that we've got in this country who do so
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  Speaker 1: much and expect nothing in return.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, And that's what we are. That's what we celebrate,
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: you know, and that's what was really awesome to see
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  Speaker 2: so many great Australians, including Miriam Rose of course, who
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: took out the Senior Australian of the Year territory proud made.
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: There's a lot to be proud of and happy about,
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: particularly with this awesome rain.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: I know it's so nice out there, that's for sure,
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  Speaker 1: but always timely reminder for us to stay cautious on
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  Speaker 1: the roads.
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  Speaker 2: I saw a praying last night just up the road
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  Speaker 2: in Stuart Park. People just go to slow down when
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: the rain comes.
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: From absolutely now, Luke, there is quite a bit of
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: discussion at the moment or quite a few people wondering
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: whether we're going to end up going to an early election.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Do you reckon it's going to get called this year?
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  Speaker 2: Lots of people are saying that there's murmurings in the
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: Liberal Party about it, and they're trying to get some
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: of their seats lined up, and both parties are, I guess,
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: getting prepared for the for the what let's call it
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: a likelihood of an election later on this year, but
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  Speaker 2: it also could be early in twenty twenty two. But
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: either way, you'd really hope that some of the commitments
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: that have been made by Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: and his team come to Fruition this year and we're
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: not just straight into more promises before we've got the
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: previous lot of promises bettered down.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: Yeah, when a you're heading back to Cambero, when do
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: you sit again?
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  Speaker 2: Heading back this Sunday. We're down there most of February actually,
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: with three sitting weeks out of the short month, so
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: it'll be good to hook right back into it. But
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: I have reached out to the Prime Minister invited him
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: up to Darwen. It's been a long time since he's
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: been up here, and also with so much conversation at
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: the moment about and hope I guess with the new
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: president that he will come and visit. I've been talking
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: to the PM about how we can coordinate the PM's
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: plan for Joe Biden visiting Australia and our plan for
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: Joe Biden visiting Darwin.
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: Oh, that'd be good, there's no doubt about that. We
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: spoke yesterday as well to the Chief Minister about the
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: possibility of long range missiles being based here in Darwin.
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  Speaker 1: Now the Chief Minister had said that the Navy obviously
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: are here at different times, and their platforms would be
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: the ones that would then have those long range missiles.
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: We talked about whether that would make the northern territory
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: or indeed the top end a target. That's something you
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: and I have certainly discussed before. I mean, is it
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: a concern for you or do you think that this
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: would be a good move if it does indeed happen.
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: I think, more broadly, the destabilization that's happening at the
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: moment in the Indo Pacific, which is really manifesting in
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: the situation around Taiwan at the moment, is concerning. But
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: I think what we've got to be clear and eyed
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  Speaker 2: about is the fact that we do need to stand
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: up for our sovereignty and the sovereignty of other nations.
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  Speaker 2: That's vital trade will come and go. Part of my
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: role with Federal Labor has been to look at the
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  Speaker 2: Indo Pacific, and I've been doing that work over the
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: last year and a half to see what markets we
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: can diversify too, so we're not too strongly dependent on
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: any one market, because we want to continue to look
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  Speaker 2: after our interests but also work with our allies like
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  Speaker 2: the US like other countries, and I'd like to see
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  Speaker 2: US helping Indonesia a lot more, for example, because they're
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: really copying it with COVID At the moment, I think
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  Speaker 2: there's a big role for us. I'm so proud of
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  Speaker 2: the work that the National Critical Care and Trauma Response
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  Speaker 2: Team has been doing in the past in our relationships
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  Speaker 2: with health, relationships with team or in Indonesia, but also
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  Speaker 2: obviously the work they're doing out at Howard Springs is
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  Speaker 2: just first class and I think there's a lot more
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  Speaker 2: we can be doing to help out in our region
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  Speaker 2: with our partners.
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  Speaker 1: Look, I do want to ask you about a story
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  Speaker 1: which is broken this morning by the ABC. It's been
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: reported that Senator Sam McMahon spent part of a trip
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: to Townsfall supporting LMP candidates during last year's Queensland election,
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  Speaker 1: saying she was entitled to build tax payers for lights
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: because the main purpose of the trip was to research
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: live cat export policies affecting her constituents. Now, the total
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: cost of the taxpayer funded flights was one ninety dollars.
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: The senator paid for accommodation, food, another transport out of
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: her own pocket. She reckons that she was there to
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: attend official meetings and support of the LMP candidates between meetings.
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: I understand that she's now going to pay that money back.
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  Speaker 1: Do you think it was appropriate to take that trip.
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  Speaker 2: I'm glad to hear that she's going to pay the
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  Speaker 2: money back, because it's pretty obvious that it was a
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: trip there was designed to coincide with the election to
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: help out over there. I'm not sure too sure how
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: it would have helped any towns or Liberal Party candidates
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: to have Sam over there with them, but if there
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: were some good outcomes with the live cattle stuff, obviously
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: we need to have a great amount of support for
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: that industry. And I hear the buffalo numbers are also up,
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: which is fantastic. So I think it's appropriate that pays
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: it back. And it's just important to be clear about
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  Speaker 2: when you're using taxpayers funds, what is the real purpose
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: of those trips.
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: Would you take a trip like that.
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: I wouldn't coincide it. If I was going to go
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  Speaker 2: and help some of my mates in an election, I'd
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: pay for it myself if there is work to be done,
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: and I'll certainly be in Townsville in the near future.
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: But it'll be about veterans and defense issues that I've
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: been asked to come there and speak about. It wouldn't
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: be to help anyone out with an election.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Look, I understand, just on a positive note, there
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: is some funding which is available at the moment for
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: projects that preserve our local military history and honor our
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: service personnel. Can you just tell us a little bit
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  Speaker 1: more about that and who might be eligible?
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  Speaker 2: Heah, Our ex service organizations can apply for that. Local councils,
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: local organizations can fund things like flagpoles, memorials, and it's
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: really so that we continue just to make sure in
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: the community there's a deep understanding and appreciation of the
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: sacrifices of those that have served. And coming up to
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: nineteenth of February bombing of Darwen also it's fifty years
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  Speaker 2: since a lot of those the end of the Vietnam
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  Speaker 2: War there, so there's a big focus in making sure
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: we don't forget those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: Out at Red Hilly House out in the rural area
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  Speaker 2: where the Vietnam Vet's a camp, they've got a fantastic
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  Speaker 2: memorial structure there, and I know people in the rural
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: area want to establish some memorials as well. We've got
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  Speaker 2: fantastic World War two history, so we really want to
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: really commemorate that. We've got the eightieth anniversary of the
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: bombing of Darwin next February that we're obviously hoping the
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  Speaker 2: US President might make the trip out for that. So
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  Speaker 2: this funding up to ten thousand dollars or if it's
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: a big project, that can be up to one hundred
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  Speaker 2: and fifty thousand dollars, and that allows you to do
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: some good projects, but also little organizations also make wanna
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  Speaker 2: put in flagpoles, for example, and that's really good and
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: I support that, and anyone out there that wants a
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: set of flags, they can get them from my office.
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: Louke Gosling, we are going to have to leave it.
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: They're good to.
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: Catch up with one. To catch up again, Cadie, look
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: forward to giving you some updates from camera.
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: We look forward to it too. The last few times
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: i've had you and some of the other federal pollys on,
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: even from the other side, the bells have rung and
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: there's been a division ever in Parliament we've had to
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: cut it short.
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: We try and dodge those, but sometimes you can't. But yeah,
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: it'd be great to chat.
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: Yeah, good stuff. Good on you, Luke. Thanks for coming
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: in this morning.