Andrew Clennell: Joining me live now is the Defence Industry and Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy. Pat Conroy, thanks for joining us. Let me start with your reaction to the Secret Harbour by-election win for One Nation. This shows One Nation can threaten Labor seats as well as the Coalition, doesn't it?
Minister Pat Conroy: Well, it's obviously a tough day for WA Labor today after yesterday's result, and we respect the outcome, obviously. That's the beauty of the democratic process. I know Premier Cook and his team will be analysing the result and drawing the lessons from it that they need to. Federally, we're focused on delivering real change, tackling cost-of-living pressures, making health care more affordable and accessible and getting more homes built. But we understand that there are people who are unhappy with the system at the moment, and that's why we're focused on delivering real change to improve people's lives.
Andrew Clennell: This has got to send a shudder through your Government, though, doesn't it? The taking of a safe Labor seat in your strongest state.
Minister Conroy: Well, I'd be hesitant to draw lessons from a single state by-election and try to apply that to national politics. Paul Papalia, who I know well, was a really highly respected long-term local member who had to resign halfway through the term because of compassionate reasons. So, I'd be hesitant about drawing lessons for the federal sphere from that one state by-election. But we understand that people are doing it tough, and that's why we're focused on improving people's lives, delivering real change, rather than just trying to blame other people for what's happening, which is what you get from the grievance politics from One Nation, the Liberals and the National Party. Only Labor can deliver change that improves people's lives rather than just tell them someone to blame for what they're facing at the moment.
Andrew Clennell: Well, Barnaby Joyce thinks there was a federal effect. What do you say to that?
Minister Conroy: Well, he's entitled to his opinion. I heard his train wreck of an interview that you just had, and he had views on lots of things, most of it inaccurate, but he's entitled to his opinion.
Andrew Clennell: You hail from the Hunter Valley. How do you see a candidate like Mike Newman, the One Nation NSW leader, doing in a seat like Cessnock?
Minister Conroy: Well, quite frankly, I think it's a bit of a joke. This guy running for Cessnock, he doesn't come from the region, doesn't live in Cessnock, spent 25 years in Japan, is a Sydney investment banker. What would he know about what people in Cessnock are facing? He couldn't even commit that if he was elected, that he'd live in the seat. So, I know, like all my Labor team, including Clayton Barr, the great member for Cessnock, what people here really care about. They care about Same job, Same pay, which One Nation voted against. They care about the fact that that law means that coal miners got a $40,000 pay increase. So, I noticed Barnaby was talking about coal miners, but he didn't mention the fact that he voted against Same job, Same pay. He effectively was voting to cut coal miners' pay by $40,000. And Senator Hanson's made no secret of the fact that she wants to cut penalty rates as well, which in this area, where we've got lots of coal miners, lots of health workers, they rely on those penalty rates to put food on their families' tables. So, Mr Newman won't stand up for local workers. I doubt he's met a local worker because he's from Sydney.
Andrew Clennell: Could you see a situation where Pauline Hanson becomes the Opposition Leader in this country?
Minister Conroy: Look, I'm not going to speculate on the outcome of the 28 election. That's up to the Australian people. What I'm focused on is delivering for the people of my region and the country as a whole. And that's what the Albanese Labor Government does every day, whether it's increasing people's wages, legislating Medicare, urgent care clinics -
Andrew Clennell. So, you're not saying you couldn't see that situation. Sorry, I might just interrupt the talking points if I can, Pat Conroy, not saying you can't see that situation where Pauline Hanson's, you know, we're One Nation's main Opposition.
Minister Conroy: Yeah, yeah, Andrew, I understand where you're trying to go. I'm not going to be drawn on hypotheticals. All I can control is what I do and what I do to deliver for people in my region and play my part as a Cabinet Minister in the Government.
Andrew Clennell: Well, surely the target for One Nation, and I don't think there's enough said about this, Pat Conroy, I've got to say, is getting the balance of power in every Upper House in this country before they look at Premiers or Prime Ministers. And you'd have to say there's a real prospect of that at the moment, isn't there? What would a Senate look like if, what would government look like if One Nation had the balance of power in the Senate?
Minister Conroy: Well, we know what a One Nation Senator would do. They would continue to vote with the Liberal and National parties. All three right-wing extreme parties vote the same way, whether it's to cut wages, whether it's to scrap penalty rates, whether it's to attack super, whether it's to vote against the Same Job, Same Pay. These three parties are the same. They hate workers, they're on the side of the billionaires. They claim to be on the side of battlers, but all they represent are billionaires. And the proof is in the pudding about what they do because you just look at their track record. Their track record is attacking workers' rights every time they have an opportunity to do so.
Andrew Clennell: Let me ask now about migration. We had this press club speech all lined up re Tony Burke explaining how he was going to cut net migration from 300,000 to 225,000 a year. That was a couple of weeks back. We were told things weren't sorted in Cabinet, and it will be out soon, maybe within the fortnight. That fortnight's been and gone. What's been the delay in releasing the policy?
Minister Conroy: Well, Tony's going through an orderly cabinet process to get this policy well and truly right. We put resources into this. We take our time to make the correct decisions. What you won't get is announcements on the fly, which is what you see from the Liberals or One Nation after Barnaby's interview this morning. I think we've now got a fifth One Nation position on immigration, which is just a joke. We had three in 24 hours last Sunday, and now we've got another one this Sunday. They can't be believed on immigration. Barnaby got basic facts wrong about the proportion of PALM workers that count as part of the NOM. Whether it's backpackers who count as well, their figures are all over the shop. What we're focused on is getting the right policy for Australia, and we'll do it in an orderly process, and then it will be announced.
Andrew Clennell: Can you confirm as I've reported this morning that there is an intention by the Minister to rid Australia of most family and partner reunion for people coming here on student visas, so called secondary student visas?
Minister Conroy: You'll know what our migration policy is when Minister Burke announces it. I'm not going to get ahead of him or front-run the Minister. I respect him too much, and I respect Cabinet processes too much. We're focused on this in an orderly way. We've cut net overseas migration by 45 per cent since the post Covid high in 2023. And we'll focus on migration to make sure we get the skilled people we need to support our economy, as well as the other range of migration pathways that improve this country, but will do it in a sensible, orderly way rather than me getting ahead of the Minister.
Andrew Clennell: Are there divisions in your Government and indeed in your Cabinet on migration?
Minister Conroy: Absolutely not. We run a good Cabinet process where everyone gets to have their say around the Cabinet table, and then a decision is made, and the Minister announces it through the policy process. What you're seeing is good government in action rather than thought bubbles from whether it's Angus Taylor or Barnaby Joyce or Senator Hanson or David Farley. We get a new policy from One Nation every day and it's unclear, I don't think they even understand what net overseas migration is and what goes into it. Like Barnaby Joyce got the figures wrong on PALM, for example, this morning, again, half of all PALM workers are on the four-year visa, so they would count for NOM. So, if they're arguing that PALM is on top of the 130,000, they're arguing for a much more substantial figure than what they said only this week.
Andrew Clennell: Well, there you go. I must admit I was a bit surprised when he said that as well. Now, last week, Luke Gosling had to stand aside as Special Envoy for Defence pending charges against him in the Northern Territory. Not before time, wasn't it? He should have quit a while back.
Minister Conroy: Look, I'm not going to go into that matter. It's before the courts. Obviously, I respect Luke Gosling. I think he's doing a great job as the member for Solomon, and he was doing a good job as a special envoy. I understand why he's decided to take a step back. That's a decision for him. But I'm not going to comment on this process, given it's before the courts. That wouldn't be appropriate.
Andrew Clennell: Matt Keogh's had a tough time on the veterans issue. Is there an issue here in terms of the Government's defence representatives? Things have been a bit untidy with Mr Gosling and Mr Keogh.
Minister Conroy: Absolutely not. Minister Keogh is doing a great job. He's done a great job over the last four years in getting more money for the portfolio to deal with a huge backlog of claims that the Liberal Government left us. They were dudding veterans every day. We've injected billions of dollars into the system to get claims processed faster. The change to Allied Health professionals, again, people are misrepresenting what's going on in this area. Previously, if a veteran needed access to Allied Health assistance, they'd have to go to a doctor every 12 visits. So, after going to a physio for 12 visits, they'd have to go to a GP to get a renewal of the referral. With the new system, even with the increased rates we're paying Allied Health professionals, which is a good thing, the biggest increase in rates for 20 years, for example, if they had to go to the physio, they would get 45 visits, somewhere in the 40s visits to the physio before they'd have to go to a doctor to get the script, the referral renewed. So, this is good news for veterans because it lifts the number of visits to physios, for example, before they have to go to the doctor again to get another referral. So, again, this has been an issue that has been, I think, weaponised by other people.
Andrew Clennell: Well, it's interesting because a lot of veterans don't like it, but let me move on. Figures came out last week from the Department of Veterans Affairs showing the average processing time for permanent impairment has gone from 227 days in June 2025 to 411 days in June 2026. Unallocated claims are up 77 per cent and awaiting information on claims is up 347 per cent in a year. So, you say you put billions into it, but the wait times are getting longer. Do you concede that?
Minister Conroy: Well, what I'm focused on is supporting our Australian Defence Force and the veterans, as is Minister Keogh. And we've seen massive progress made since 2022. I think it's important to look at the long-term trends here, and we've dealt with a massive backlog in veterans' claims, and we'll keep dealing with that. But I think Minister Keogh is doing a great job, and I think if you speak to veterans, they'd say that their claims are getting processed faster than they were in 2022 and previous to then.
Andrew Clennell: I want to ask now briefly about the Pacific Islands Forum. The Prime Minister travelling to Palau this week. Are you concerned about any sort of flex from China, given the last time the PM visited the Pacific, we had the Chinese missile test. And are you expecting to sign any more agreements with Pacific nations during the meeting?
Minister Conroy: Well, we've made no secret of the fact that we're in a permanent state of contest in the region for influence to be the partner of choice. And we've really repaired the relationship over the last four years compared to the low point under the Liberals. We've obviously negotiated treaties with Tuvalu and Nauru and Vanuatu and landed alliances with Papua New Guinea and Fiji. This has made Australia safer and more secure. And we're working on additional treaties with countries like Tonga and the Solomon Islands. So, I'm not going to get ahead of that negotiation process. But we're in a much stronger and safer position than we were four years ago because we turn up, we listen to the priorities of our Pacific partners and we act on them. And that means Australia is safer today than it was four years ago.
Andrew Clennell: Pat Conroy, thanks for your time.
Minister Conroy: Thanks, Andrew. Have a good morning.