Interview with Joel Dry, Today Show

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TV INTERVIEW
TODAY SHOW
WEDNESDAY, 7 JANUARY 2026
 

SUBJECTS: Bondi terror attack; Parliamentary expenses; Albanese Labor Government’s $2 billion investment in biosecurity; Ashes. 
 

JOEL DRY, HOST: Joining us to discuss today’s headlines is Minister for Agriculture Julie Collins and Nationals Senator Matt Canavan. Good morning to you both. Julie, we’ll start with you. 

JULIE COLLINS, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: Good morning. 

DRY: Has Albo finally seen the light? 

COLLINS: Look, we’ve been very clear from the very beginning that our primary concern here is about making sure that the community in Australia, that we’re responding to community concerns, and that we are keeping social cohesion and stamping out anti‑semitism. We’ve acted really quickly in terms of responding with the Dennis Richardson review. We’ve responded in terms of working with the states and territories on gun laws. And we’ve said, of course, that we’ll strengthen hate speech laws, and we’ll do that as soon as that legislation is ready and after we’ve done consultation with the community as quickly as we can. So we’ve been very clear from the outset, though, that our primary concern here has been making sure that we respond to the community, that we stamp out anti-semitism and that we continue to have social cohesion in Australia. 

DRY: Matt, the language certainly seems to be changing. Do you think the PM will come around? And if there is a Royal Commission, I mean, how far back should the inquiry go? It would seem fairly limited if it just focuses is on the attack itself. 

SENATOR MATT CANAVAN: Well, look, Joel, I hope so. I hope the Prime Minister has dropped this stubborn act. He’s been more stubborn than a mule in the last few weeks. I think it was a very reasonable request from the Jewish community who have suffered so much through this attack to have this Royal Commission. It’s then, of course, been supported by almost every leader, interest group in this nation. So it’s not clear to me why the Prime Minister has taken this long. He now looks shifty in being stubborn because he’s said he can’t do it because some unnamed experts told him not to. He won’t tell us who those people are. Almost everybody, as I said, want this to happen. So let’s just make it happen. In terms of how far it should go back, well, I hope it’s full and comprehensive. I don’t think there should be a time limit on the rear-view mirror. And it needs to look at everything that contributed to the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history. Yes, there’s the anti‑semitism that Julie mentioned, but there’s also a broader issue here in my view about how we are welcoming new Australians, how they’re integrating into our society. I feel that we’ve lost focus on making sure that we prioritise the fact that if you come to this country you have to share our values, you have to become Australian. And we have to have a shared Australian culture to be a nation. We cannot be a nation of tribes. There’s no such thing as a nation of tribes. So, I hope it’s a no-holds barred look at all of those things that can make our country more harmonious and ultimately, of course, prevent something like this ever happening again. 

DRY: Well, we’ll see if it comes. Moving along, the Daily Telegraph has this morning lifted the lid on federal politicians using taxpayer-funded travel allowances to help pay off mortgages. So according to this report, Julie, politicians are claiming up to $31,000 in travel allowance. That’s for just 66 sitting days, so about 500 bucks every day. It seems exorbitant. 

COLLINS: Well, obviously our travel allowances are set by the independent Remuneration Tribunal and are administered by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority. I’m confident that all of the travel expenses that I claim and that I’m sure others claim are within the rules. We want to make sure that everybody adheres to the rules. We’ve obviously announced a recent inquiry or advice from IPEA in relation to family travel and have made some changes to that. We’re obviously always making sure and want to make sure that everybody adheres to the rules. 

DRY: That always seems to be the line – you say it’s an independently set amount. It seems like a nice excuse. Matt, have you ever used your travel allowance to pay your mortgage? 

CANAVAN: I used to. I used to. I’d make the point that it’s the same cost, whether someone owns their own house or stays in a hotel, like I do now. I got rid of it. I got rid of it partly because it was costing more in the interest payments than what you’d get back from travel allowance. That’s because we’re sitting less now under the Albanese government so there was not much point keeping it. So, look, you know, as I say, it’s the same cost, so to me this is a bit of a storm in a teacup. I’d like to see, to make sure that people like ourselves to work away from home have the same sort of entitlement. We should be reforming the fringe benefit tax to allow people that drive in, drive out, fly in, fly out to mining companies and the like and other businesses to access similar benefits. So I think it’s good to allow people to have a home when they have to work away from home. It makes it much easier and better, but that same entitlement should be extended to all. 

DRY: I do like your honesty. Thank you for that. Speaking of travel, Julie, Labor has plans to bolster our biosecurity system in 2026. 

COLLINS: Yes, we have invested now an additional $2 billion, but importantly, we’ve got more detector dogs on the beat. So 20 new detector dogs are on the beat. Over 40,000 interceptions by them. But we’ve got more people on our ports, more dogs on our ports, more at our airports and our mail centres, and we had some new detector dogs just graduate before Christmas. And we’re really serious about making sure that Australians understand how important this is to our nation’s agriculture industry but also for our environment more broadly. We don’t want the pests and diseases that many other countries have got, and we’re going to do everything we can to try and keep them out. And we want to continue to work with the community, but my strong message to the community is, please don’t bring in particularly meat products, plants and seeds that you’re not supposed to. And if you are bringing things in, please declare them. 

DRY: All right. Never mind travel rorts, this is the real controversy: Cricket Australia is doubling down on banning full strength booze at test matches, unless, of course, you’re an SCG member. Julie, little wonder there’s thousands on the wait list to become a member. What do you make of this outrage? 

COLLINS: Well, obviously it’s up to Cricket Australia and the venues, but I certainly have been thoroughly enjoying, you know, the summer of cricket. And I was obviously a bit teary when I heard about Uzzie’s retirement from cricket, and I think that many Australians will appreciate what he’s done for Australian cricket. But I think that most Australians want to watch their cricket and – their summer of cricket - and enjoy it responsibly, would be my message. 

DRY: Matt, come on. I’ve been to test matches in the UK at Lords. They let you bring alcohol into the ground, and here we are banning people from having a proper beer. 

CANAVAN: Yeah, I know.

DRY: It’s un-Australian, right?

CANAVAN: They let you bring glass into Lords. 

DRY: Yes. 

CANAVAN: I’m not sure we could deal with that here in this country of a slightly different culture. I’m not sure that there might be more injuries than a rugby league match if glass is allowed in some sections of the crowd. But I think the same rules should apply. I didn’t know; I’ve never been to the members stand at the SCG. 

DRY: A man of the people. A man of the people. 

CANAVAN: Surely the same rules should apply. If it’s mid strength for some, it should be mid strength for all.

DRY: I agree. Thank you both. And if you get to the cricket today, enjoy your mid strength beer.