Interview with David Koch, Sunrise
18 September 2019
Prime Minister
DAVID KOCH: Prime Minister Scott Morrison joins me from the Lodge. Prime Minister thanks for your time. Look, the nature of the Family Court means it isn't a place where everyone is gonna walk away happy it is such an emotional issue. What sort of balance are you trying to achieve here?
PRIME MINISTER: Well balance is exactly the right way to put it David it's been some years, about 15 or thereabouts since there were major changes that were made following an inquiry of this nature going out and talking to Australians about what's happening in their experience. You're absolutely right. Relationship, family breakdown has a devastating impact on Australians, on dads, on moms, on children, on grandparents, everybody involved. It's a horrific experience to go through and then going through the Family Court process, the child support process, can add greater difficulty and we want to look to see whether there are ways where we can improve how that system works. We can't solve necessarily the issues have led to these breakdowns but we can try and help people be able to move on and get on with their lives, protect their safety and protect the kids in particular.
KOCH: So where do you think the balance has skewed off centre?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I'm not suggesting it has one way or the other. This isn't about picking sides. It's about listening to Australians and ensuring that we're taking a timely review, talking directly to them. I mean the lawyers have had their say through the Law Reform Commission and you know that's a process which has been important but as we consider that I think it's very important we go and hear directly. I think this will be an important opportunity for Australians we will travel far and wide, a number of people who want to tell their story about their experiences and I think parliamentarians can learn from that. I mean I've been a parliamentarian a long time and this would have to be one of the most significant issues constantly raised.
KOCH: Yep.
PRIME MINISTER: People's experience as a local member. So this is our job to go and listen and we've got to stop talking and listen carefully about Australians’ experiences and try to improve the system.
KOCH: As you point out it is a long time since there was fundamental change in the system but since then there have been a lot of inquiries, a lot of commissions. You just mentioned the Law Reform Commission. That- their report only came out in March, 60 recommendations there. Why not just act on some of them rather than just launch another inquiry? A lot of your critics would say oh we’re going to have to wait another year for change.
PRIME MINISTER: Well that's not necessarily the case. The Government will consider its response directly to those issues. There are some parts of that report that we don't agree with. For example returning a Family Court to the States, we don't agree with that and we'll be looking to merge the Family Court with other sections of the courts at a federal level but- and we can move on others. But this is bigger than that David. This is far bigger than just what was the subject of that Law Reform Commission and as I said we've heard from the lawyers I want to hear from Australians on this. And yes there were positive changes made last time when this was looked at, the Family Relationship Centres tried to get people out of the courts and into rooms where they can try and mediate these issues and we need to learn from what worked well from that and what has to work better. Kevin Andrews who will be chairing this inquiry, when he was a new member of the parliament he went and was one on this inquiry back in the early 90s. So he's got a lot of experience you know and a lot of times you know you can repeat history here and I think having Kevin's experience both as a Minister and a longtime parliamentarian I think will bring the sensitivity and the experience to what is a very emotionally charged issue.
KOCH: Yes it sure is. Hey while we’ve got you I'd love your thoughts on this class action which is being launched against the robo debt system where an estimated 160,000 errors may have been made. Now the government itself has admitted 22 per cent of the letters chasing the debts were found to be wrong, does this need a clean up and particularly when the recipient of the letter is assumed guilty and has to prove themselves innocent it’s sort of turning the law on its head and it’s a bit unfair?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I don't accept that characterisation David and I think some of the things the Labour Party have been saying of this have been overstated. But it's important that the government ensures that you know when people are overpaid that the taxpayers money that has been overpaid to them is recovered and the Labor Party did that when they were in Government, now they had similar processes and we're following those processes and we're actually recovering more debts now as a result. Where the system needs to be improved then we’ll always continue to do that. But we won't make any apologies for actually making sure that recovery of the taxpayers-
KOCH: No no, but all the mistakes you’re putting pressure on people?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we want to make that process better but I think the extent of this is I think has been overstated by the Labor Party, for obvious reasons, and they used to run the same processes themselves. They just weren’t as a forward leaning on ensuring that taxpayers money when it was handed out and welfare and things like this it was recovered where it should be, but the best way to avoid it is making sure that people are always updating their income details through the proper processes. And I encourage people to do that and then all of this can be avoided.
KOCH: All right. You're off to Washington tomorrow. Have a good trip. Are you told what you can talk about and what you can't talk about with President Trump? Is it like going to see the Queen, you’re given a bit of a briefing?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no. We have a very good relationship and the President and I've met on quite a number of occasions now. There are a few issues that we've flagged that we're obviously both going to talk about. I mean it's a very complex time at the moment. There are a lot of tensions globally and the U.S. is our biggest and greatest ally and a very important partner both strategically and economically. And this is another important opportunity to cement that relationship. You know David, we can never take our relationship with the United States for granted. It is a foundational part of our foreign policy and our economy. I take it seriously and it is bigger than Prime Ministers and Presidents, it's about our people, it's about our shared values. So it's a great opportunity for Australia. I'm looking- Jenny and I are looking forward to it. And I think Jenny's gonna look fantastic.
KOCH: Okay she could talk fashion with Melania as well while she’s there by the sound of it, alright Prime Minister safe travels thank you, here’s Sam.
