Peta Credlin:
All right, here’s the panel, Sky News host, Jaimee Rogers, the Deputy Executive Director of the Institute of Public Affairs, Dan Wild. Welcome to you both. Dan, I’m going to start with you. I’ve been warning for ages and ages, that the rank debt, the red ink in Victoria, would have fallout for other states, and that’s precisely what’s happened. You’ve got about $7 billion of money from Canberra, funnelled into this Victorian controversial rail link, a rail line from nowhere that nobody wants, there’s not equitable spending in the other states for transport. When pushed on this, Jacinta Allan says, “Well, we need extra help, because unlike all the other states, we don’t have a mining industry.” Well, they used to have one until Labour banned coal and banned gas.
Daniel Wild:
Well, that’s exactly right. They don’t have a mining industry because the government has chosen to not have a mining industry. And exactly as you’ve pointed out, and we’ve discussed for many months, the problems in Victoria are not just problems that will stay in Victoria. They are problems for all Australians, because other states that are doing better economically, other states that are making better economic decisions, are now having to bail out Victoria, and it is only going to get worse. This is also a problem that’s built into the GST distribution system, which as you know, underperforming states get cross-subsidised by states that are considered to be performing better. So there’s a disincentive for states to undertake reforms that’ll grow their economy. So look, sadly, Victoria is not just a basket case in its own right, it’s a basket case that’s going to drag down the national economy.
Peta Credlin:
And Dan, tonight, obviously a very big speech for Angus Taylor. I mean, it’s not a campaign speech, he can’t do everything and he can’t fix everything tonight either. But I have said, I want some fair dinkum action on migration. I want a number, I’d like to see Howard government average of 120,000 only a year, we’re upwards of 500,000. I also would love to see every single dollar from net zero, put towards something that rewards aspiration, like ending bracket creep. I think that’s on the table and that is coming. But Dan, what else do you want to see?
Daniel Wild:
Well, there’s three things I want to see, which is cut immigration, cut immigration, and cut immigration. That is the number one issue facing our nation’s future at the moment, because so many things hinge upon it, it’s not just an economic problem, it’s a social problem, which is also becoming a political problem. And when you look at the hypocrisy at the heart of the government’s budget, yes, there’s the lies over negative gearing and capital gains tax, but the central lies that they’re going to get more Australians into a home. No, they’re not. You’re not going to get more Australians into a home when you are bringing in nearly 300,000 more migrants each year. 1.2 million over the next four years, and they reckon they’re going to free up housing? It is a complete and total farce, and that is the key issue that I think Angus Taylor needs to tackle tonight.
Peta Credlin:
Well, Jamiee, they’re not going to free up housing either if they force all the investors out of the market. And those that still want to invest or negative gear have to then go out for the house and land packages. The housing type that generally the first home buyer tends to be able to afford. And so you’re going to make it tougher on them. I mean, the unintended consequences in what was announced on Tuesday night are real. What do you want to see tonight from the liberal leader?
Jamiee Rogers:
Well, first of all, Peta, I really want to see Angus Taylor come out with giving everything, speaking with conviction, and bringing back for the Liberal Party. I know this sounds dramatic, but I really think it’s make or break for the Liberals and Angus Taylor tonight. I’d really like to see them address the childcare issue within this budget. I don’t think universal childcare works, we’ve spoken about this previously on the programme. I think it should be more like a tax deduction or give the money to families and they can decide where they want to spend it. And the same with you, I think that migration needs to be lowered quite substantially. But I think it’s also worth noting, when you talk about negative gearing, The Australian has reported that out of Labour’s cabinet, 20 out of 23 of those ministers have more than two properties.
Tony Burke, he has six. Andrew Charlton has five. So they won’t be impacted by these negative gearing changes. It’s only the younger generation that they’re supposedly supposed to be helping. So these Labour ministers won’t be impacted, they’ve been able to reap the rewards of negative gearing and then knock the ladder down after they’ve achieved it, so that the next group can’t do it unless it’s a new property. But as you said, they’re going to be up against investors as well. So there’s going to be lots of negative flow on impacts of Tuesday night’s budget, but I think tonight, Angus Taylor, bring back ambition and show that success is something to be rewarded, not punished in Australia.
Peta Credlin:
Dan, interestingly, we look in the forward estimates and we know that our debt is going to climb well and above the $1 trillion mark, but there was a terrible report today that in fact, if you dig deeper into the budget papers, there’s actually another $1 trillion out there that we are on the hook for, that Labour has not come clean about.
Daniel Wild:
Yeah. Well, it all feels like monopoly money at the moment, doesn’t it? They’re throwing billions around. I think the issue that really concerns me in addition to what you’ve said, is that they’re forecasting our economy is going to be growing very slowly, only in the twos in terms of annual percentage growth. Now this is well below the growth to our debt. Now that’s a big problem. When your debt is growing faster than your economy, that means the debt is going to eat up more of your economy, not less. And so when there’s no plan to actually grow the economy beyond rapid population growth, that means that there’s only one way they’re going to claw that back, and that’s through raising taxes, which is exactly what they’re doing.
Peta Credlin:
And just quickly, Jamiee, there is a real move out of the NT to put children in the safest home, not just in a cultural home. We must do this.
Jamiee Rogers:
Peta, we must do better. And Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price spoke so passionately in the Senate. We need to be doing everything we possibly can, Peta, to fix the situation that is up in the Northern Territory.
Peta Credlin:
All right, I’ll leave it there because we’re up against the clock. Thank you to you both.
This transcript with Daniel Wild talking on the Credlin Sky News Australia from 14 May 2026 has been edited for clarity.
