NEIL MITCHELL:
Speaking of launching into things left and right, Bill Shorten, Assistant Treasurer, good morning.
BILL SHORTEN:
Good morning, Neil.
NEIL MITCHELL:
And the Shadow Treasurer in our Sydney studio, Joe Hockey, good morning.
JOE HOCKEY:
Good morning, Neil and Bill.
BILL SHORTEN:
Good morning, Joe.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Now, Joe, this is a big ask but can you just listen for a minute, please, and not interrupt?
JOE HOCKEY:
Sure. Why? Do I get in trouble?
NEIL MITCHELL:
No, you don't get in trouble; I've just got some questions for Mr Shorten…
JOE HOCKEY:
Oh, I see…
NEIL MITCHELL:
… that you might find it difficult to resist interrupting…
[Laughter]
JOE HOCKEY:
Okay, I'll do my best.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Bill Shorten, good morning.
BILL SHORTEN:
Good morning, Neil.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Are you interested in leading the Labor Party?
BILL SHORTEN:
No.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Never?
BILL SHORTEN:
No.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Why not?
BILL SHORTEN:
We've got a great leader at the moment. This leadership speculation is a distraction from the real issues. Our Prime Minister is representing Australia very impressively at the G20. The one thing Australians want to know is that her team are behind her; and we are.
NEIL MITCHELL:
But you would rule it out ever leading the Labor Party?
BILL SHORTEN:
There's no way I'm going to engage in any leadership talk. Neil, I was…
NEIL MITCHELL:
But, hang on, you just ruled out…
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, hang on…
NEIL MITCHELL:
… ever being…
BILL SHORTEN:
… hang on, you're allowed to ask your questions, I'm allowed to answer them…
NEIL MITCHELL:
Well, at the moment.
BILL SHORTEN:
Thank you. The point about it is that every time I come on your show you do ask about leadership speculation. I'm just going to feed those fish.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Yeah, but…
BILL SHORTEN:
That is not the go.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Okay. You're not going to feed the fish.
BILL SHORTEN:
Mmm.
NEIL MITCHELL:
The Financial Review today quotes a back bencher saying, Shorten's firming; look how good he's been this week; he might be able to turn it around for us. This is not me inventing it; this is your own back benchers.
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, again, unnamed sources; I just don't make a habit of commenting on. Be - let's be very clear; Julia Gillard is the right woman for the right time in Australia. We're seeing really complex economic circumstances in Europe; she's over there making sure that the G20, the club of the biggest economic nations in the world, are doing the right thing.
This week, through her leadership, we got Qantas back in the air. She's the right leader for the right time, full stop.
NEIL MITCHELL:
It is correct that - and every commentator, including your former leader Mark Latham, says Kevin Rudd is manipulating to get himself another chance. Is that true?
BILL SHORTEN:
I'm not going to bag Kevin Rudd in the slightest. He's doing a good job as Foreign Minister; he's - he picked, ahead of the trend, some of the developments in Libya; he's locked in a tough struggle with Finland and Luxembourg to get our spot on the United Nations Security Council; he's talking about Africa; he's keen to boost foreign aid.
I'm not going to say anything bad about my colleagues because frankly, people get sick of politicians bagging each other in their own team.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Has anybody in the parliamentary Labor Party approached you about the possibility of leading?
BILL SHORTEN:
No.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Never? This is entirely…
BILL SHORTEN:
Never.
NEIL MITCHELL:
… an invention?
BILL SHORTEN:
It is not correct. The story isn't correct.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Okay. And just to…
BILL SHORTEN:
Seriously, now, do we think that everything we read in the newspaper is correct? Do you believe everything you read in the newspaper?
NEIL MITCHELL:
Only a matter of 18 months ago, Julia Gillard sat opposite me and said, I would never, ever challenge Kevin Rudd; I would be more likely to fly to Mars or play full forward for Footscray. What happened? This is why we don't believe any of you.
BILL SHORTEN:
All right, I understand why you're saying that, but let's be clear; what you're asking me is about me and my support for Julia Gillard, and it is…
NEIL MITCHELL:
No, I'm not; I'm asking you about your…
BILL SHORTEN:
So we have…
NEIL MITCHELL:
If Julia Gillard steps down, are you a candidate?
BILL SHORTEN:
We agree though, I think - and you're a seasoned observer; you've covered everything from industrial relations, although I bet you've never seen an airline grounded by the company before. But other than that unusual thing, you're a seasoned observer, do you think I'm completely supporting Julia Gillard?
NEIL MITCHELL:
I think you're supporting Julia Gillard; and I'm asking if she steps down for whatever reason, are you a candidate?
BILL SHORTEN:
Mate, I'm never going to deal with hypotheticals. The media like talking about what I think is the gossip of politics. There is no leadership challenge on by anyone in the Labor Party; we're supporting Julia Gillard. And that's what people want to hear, by the way; they want to hear that we're getting on with life, getting on with the jobs.
This week the Reserve Bank lowered the cash rate by 25 per cent - by a quarter of a per cent, 25 basis points. That is good.
NEIL MITCHELL:
You said at the beginning of this interview, never, ever would you want to be leader. Do you stand by that?
BILL SHORTEN:
Yep.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Never, ever?
BILL SHORTEN:
Yep.
NEIL MITCHELL:
That will surprise a lot of people.
BILL SHORTEN:
Oh, well. Let's be clear, any of this discussion about leadership is aimed at around destabilising Julia Gillard, and I am not going to in any fashion give any oxygen to any destabilisation of a leader. In Australia we're doing all right compared to the rest of the world. The people want our nation - no, but this is important. This is…
NEIL MITCHELL:
No, but it's a bit rich for you to be - if you're talking about destabilisation, who got rid of Kevin Rudd? The caucus. Why?
BILL SHORTEN:
The caucus changed…
NEIL MITCHELL:
Because of you and a number of others.
BILL SHORTEN:
No, actually, as much as people like to put out a view that politicians are robots waiting to be programmed by some sort of mother ship in another - in outer space, that's not how it works, Neil. It's not how it works.
NEIL MITCHELL:
I don't think Joe can contain himself any longer.
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, then, let's, you know, let the - let Joe be Joe.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Joe Hockey?
JOE HOCKEY:
G'day.
NEIL MITCHELL:
No questions?
JOE HOCKEY:
Oh, no, no. I'm listening very, very, very carefully to every word Bill Shorten's saying.
NEIL MITCHELL:
He said never, ever; do you accept that?
JOE HOCKEY:
No.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Why not?
JOE HOCKEY:
Well, I think it's a worst-kept secret. There's two secrets that are badly kept in Canberra; one is the ambition of Kevin Rudd to return, and his dislike for Julia Gillard; and the second is Bill Shorten's ambition to become leader of the Labor Party.
BILL SHORTEN:
Oh, Joe.
JOE HOCKEY:
It's true, Bill; come on.
BILL SHORTEN:
Joe, Joe, Joe. I think one of the worst-kept secrets this week in parliament was what the…
JOE HOCKEY:
No, no; come on back; don't…
BILL SHORTEN:
You know where I'm going, don't you, Joe.
JOE HOCKEY:
[Laughs] Stop these distractions…
BILL SHORTEN:
Yeah, you know where I'm going [laughs]…
JOE HOCKEY:
This is not right and I know where you're going and you're going nowhere.
BILL SHORTEN:
Yeah, no, no. So let's just…
JOE HOCKEY:
But look, I - it's interesting because this report in the Fairfax papers, I expect Dougie Cameron to come out and call for a full parliamentary investigation into Fairfax now.
BILL SHORTEN:
Joe, you know where I'm…
JOE HOCKEY:
Because if this speculation's in the Financial Review and yesterday's speculation was in The Daily Telegraph and he'd said yesterday there should be an investigation into News Limited, then there should be today, an investigation into Fairfax.
BILL SHORTEN:
Joe, you know where I'm going about the worst-kept secret in Canberra this week.
NEIL MITCHELL:
What is it?
BILL SHORTEN:
It's what did you guys know about Qantas locking out its workforce and stranding tens of thousands of travellers. You knew I was going there, didn't you, Joe?
JOE HOCKEY:
Yeah, but you're wrong.
BILL SHORTEN:
Oh, okay. Whatever you say. The point about it is you yourself said on the 7.30 Report on Tuesday night that, oh, it was known all around the corridors of parliament. Really? It - I tell you something; if it was known all around the corridors of parliament, then why on earth did Qantas get up in court and give evidence, under oath, that they only made the decision on Saturday? Either the people who gave…
JOE HOCKEY:
Because you're mislead… you're deliberately misleading people about what we said and Qantas were absolutely right. They made the decision on Saturday.
NEIL MITCHELL:
So what did you say then?
JOE HOCKEY:
What I said was that it was common knowledge, as Anthony Albanese confirmed, that Qantas had been warning for weeks that if industrial action deteriorated then they would have to ground the fleet. They'd been warning that for weeks. They had not made any decision to ground the fleet, but they had been warning that if industrial action deteriorated they would have to ground the fleet.
Now, as I've said, and as Tony Abbott has said, emphatically, we first found out 15 to 20 minutes before they grounded the fleet. The government found out three hours earlier and didn't lift a finger.
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, all right, Joe, let's deal with that because this is a good chance on air…
JOE HOCKEY:
Yep.
BILL SHORTEN:
… plenty of people to hear about who did what and who didn't do what.
First things first; I don't think any of the travelling public - and the travelling public actually aren't stupid. I don't think if - that when they book their flights tha… in the weeks before, that anyone thought there was a serious prospect that Qantas would just ground the air fleet.
You know, when you run an airline, your job's to put planes in the air, not to leave them on the ground.
JOE HOCKEY:
But they were grounding planes over the last few weeks, Bill.
BILL SHORTEN:
Yes, Joe. And what advice did you give Qantas, if you thought they were going to ground the fleet?
JOE HOCKEY:
Oh, well, I didn't know they were going to ground the fleet.
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, you just said it was common knowledge that they would have to do that.
JOE HOCKEY:
If industrial action continued, they warned.
BILL SHORTEN:
And so what advice did you give Qantas when they complained to you about this?
JOE HOCKEY:
Well I said they've got to sort it out.
BILL SHORTEN:
Sort it out?
JOE HOCKEY:
Yeah because, mate I was Tourism Minister - I was Tourism Minister and people in the tourism industry were screaming for weeks.
BILL SHORTEN:
Well I tell you what, the tourism industry, I tell you when they screamed, it's when Qantas ground the planes.
JOE HOCKEY:
Well they screamed well before that.
BILL SHORTEN:
Well let's be clear though. The 250,000 businesses in tourism, 93 percent of them are small businesses.
JOE HOCKEY:
Yeah.
BILL SHORTEN:
Now the point about this is the airline because the - do you know what the pilots' industrial action which you say was so terrible was? They were wearing red ties. I don't necessarily think a red tie is always a good fashion statement but that's hardly a reason to ground an airline.
JOE HOCKEY:
You're all red. You're all red, Bill. [Laughs]
BILL SHORTEN:
Oh not as red faced as you on the 7.30 Report. I saw it.
But then the other industrial action…
JOE HOCKEY:
[Laughs] Everyone's entitled to an interview when they're suffering a fever, mate.
BILL SHORTEN:
Oh that's true. Fair enough.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Were you ill?
JOE HOCKEY:
Yeah I've been sick as a dog for two weeks.
BILL SHORTEN:
Oh that's no good, obviously that's no good. But the other industrial action that the pilots were taking is they would do a voiceover on their wide-bodied planes the 767s and their air buses, at the end of a flight saying 'Hi we're Qantas pilots, we'd like to make sure that Qantas planes are flown by Qantas pilots'. What a trigger for shutting down the airline!
NEIL MITCHELL:
Is there a point here that…
BILL SHORTEN:
Qantas was over the top, Neil.
NEIL MITCHELL:
I would suggest, Joe Hockey that most commentators are saying that the Government's looked better this week because it's on firmer ground, which is industrial relations. And Bill Shorten's been part of that because he's been leading the charge pretty much on industrial relations even though he's not minister. And that the opposition is looking a bit shaky because it is not confident on industrial relations because of the spectre of WorkChoices. Do you agree that there's a - that it has not been a great week for the opposition?
JOE HOCKEY:
No, look I don't assess a week or, you know, that's up to the commentators whether it's a good week or bad week. You know the bottom line here is why did it take so long for the Government to react to Qantas?
NEIL MITCHELL:
Okay.
JOE HOCKEY:
Look, you know, I'm on the public record, Tony Abbott, the Premiers of Victoria and New South Wales, they're all on the public record as warning that the Government had to take action to address this issue involving Qantas. And not just the pilots union, but everyone who's been on a Qantas plane knows pilots have been giving these messages. But it's also engineers, it's a whole range of others, right, baggage handlers and so on. They've all been going at it; calling on strikes, calling on stop work meetings, pulling them off, causing Qantas to reschedule planes. It's been going on for weeks and weeks and weeks, and we kept saying to the Government you've got to try and fix this.
Now it's only because Qantas, as Bill says, is an essential part of our economy that we said the Government should interfere because it is absolutely essential that the matter is resolved before there is a grounding. And there was a grounding and then the Government somehow blames us for the grounding as if it's our fault.
BILL SHORTEN:
No, no. Let's be clear, Joe. The grounding was Qantas' decision…
JOE HOCKEY:
Yeah it was, that's right.
BILL SHORTEN:
But the difference between you and me, Joe is that if the Transport Workers Union had grounded that airline we'd have been off our brain, we'd have been in the Fair Work Tribunal terminating the bargaining period. But in this case it wasn't the trade union, it was the employer, it was the airline. Why is it that whenever a union does something we get knocked over in the rush for conservative politicians to bag the union, but when a company does something precipitate why is it that you guys go silent?
NEIL MITCHELL:
Can I just…
JOE HOCKEY:
Hey, mate that's not right…
NEIL MITCHELL:
Sorry I have to interrupt you both a bit because Alan Joyce is just addressing exactly this in the hearing in Canberra. This is Nick Xenophon.
ALAN JOYCE:
Yes.
NEIL MITCHELL:
This is Nick Xenophon and Alan Joyce.
NICK XENOPHON:
So what delegated authority do you have from the board to undertake a decision such as this?
NEIL MITCHELL:
Being the grounding.
ALAN JOYCE:
I have complete operating discretion because I knew this was - because I - I made the decision to ground the A380s when the engine explosions happened a year ago.
NICK XENOPHON:
Sure.
ALAN JOYCE:
I made the decision to ground the airline when the volcanic ash occurred. I've got complete operational decision for commercial operational and other reasons. I decided to have a board meeting because of the brand implications and the significant implications around this to make sure that the board was comfortable decision. And we had unanimous endorsement from the board.
NICK XENOPHON:
I just want to understand this. You made a decision on your own?
ALAN JOYCE:
Yes.
NICK XENOPHON:
Using your discretion?
ALAN JOYCE:
Yes.
NICK XENOPHON:
Using your delegated authority?
ALAN JOYCE:
Yes.
NICK XENOPHON:
Are there any limits to your delegated authority? Is there a monetary limit for instance….
NEIL MITCHELL:
Okay. Let's take a quick break there. We'll come back and get a reaction from Bill Shorten and Joe Hockey to that. It was one man's decision, then endorsed by the board.
[Advertisement break]
NEIL MITCHELL:
Joe Hockey's in our Sydney studio. Bill Shorten in Melbourne with me.
We'll try and be quick because there's a number of things I want to get through. Just quickly though Bill Shorten, Alan Joyce says it was his decision. Do you believe that?
BILL SHORTEN:
Yes, I believe it was his decision. It certainly wasn't the government's. He's the man paid millions of dollars. Why I was disappointed though, the rationale they used to give no warning to hundreds of thousands of passengers was that they didn't trust their staff not to sabotage the plain. The evidence they gave in court was that flight crew or people on the ground might intentionally damage the aeroplanes. You are never going to get your work force to do what you want when you think they're saboteurs.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Now you two might be agreed on this. Joe Hockey, are banks bastards?
JOE HOCKEY:
I don't think they're bastards, but they could do more to help themselves.
NEIL MITCHELL:
What about the National Bank?
JOE HOCKEY:
Yeah, I was surprised about the National Australia Bank not going the full 25 basis points. I was extraordinarily disappointed but not surprised that they ignored the Treasurer.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Bill Shorten?
BILL SHORTEN:
No need to bag the Treasurer. The issue is…
NEIL MITCHELL:
[Laughs]
JOE HOCKEY:
[Laughs] You do that enough privately Bill, do you?
BILL SHORTEN:
No I don't Joe.
JOE HOCKEY:
You're best mates. I know that.
BILL SHORTEN:
Mate, you want to get those Martian aerials hidden in your head. The telepathy's not working.
JOE HOCKEY:
[Laughs]
BILL SHORTEN:
But what I would say - but I understand you're a big fan of Andrew Robb.
JOE HOCKEY:
I am.
BILL SHORTEN:
Yeah, yeah, yes. So long as he doesn't take your job. The…
NEIL MITCHELL:
I don't know why people think that you all spend your time in-fighting.
BILL SHORTEN:
No, no, to be fair…
JOE HOCKEY:
No we don't. [Laughs]
BILL SHORTEN:
…Joe is - Joe's got more than his fair share of charm - no question.
Listen, on the banks and NAB, NAB has done some innovative stuff in the past, but they've run an advertising campaign where it said that, you know, sorry - NAB, to the other big banks, sorry we're breaking up with you. I suspect a few customers might say to NAB, we're breaking up with you.
JOE HOCKEY:
Yeah, it was crazy to run that campaign and then not deliver the 25.
BILL SHORTEN:
Yeah.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Okay. What about the gambling changes? Is this actually - Bill Shorten - in the end, the pre-commitment as being pushed by Andrew Wilkie - is this one of the real sleepers, one of the real dangers for the government?
It's reported that the New South Wales backbenchers are - well that was one of the reports that was encouraging Kevin Rudd to make a new run.
BILL SHORTEN:
Well I think Kevin Rudd was right to raise the issue when he was Opposition Leader. Kevin Rudd made the statement that he hates pokies.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Do you?
BILL SHORTEN:
He helped inspire - I'm not in love with them. I don't keep one at home.
But what's happened is we want to deal with problem gambling. We accept that there is people who have a different view on how to do that. But we'll keep our word, we've said what we're going to do and that's our aim.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Joe Hockey?
JOE HOCKEY:
Well from my perspective, look, it's not just about pokies. We are opposed to the mandatory pre-commitment policy because it just doesn't - it's not going to work. And it's ill-thought through, and the government wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't a hung parliament - Wilkie hadn't of put it up.
To be honest, Neil, I don't mind a punt from time to time, but I'm not a big gambler. But I do get very upset when I see people losing money that they can't afford to lose. And I think there is a concern about that.
It's not so much an issue in Victoria, but it's a big issue in New South Wales because of the massive increase in the number of pokies in New South Wales.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Well will it lead - can - in New South Wales, could it lead to people crossing the floor? Labor backbenchers?
JOE HOCKEY:
I expect it will. I mean it is - you see, as I understand it in Victoria, it was really the casino that got pokies in the first place, wasn't it?
NEIL MITCHELL:
That's right.
JOE HOCKEY:
And in New South Wales, it's been all the old football clubs and social clubs that have had them for years - years and years and years.
And then there was - and then they decided - Bob Carr decided to give them to pubs in the mid 90s and open the casino and then that changed everything.
But - so therefore a lot of - there's been a lot of change over time. But I just think there are a lot of pokies, and it does cause some social problems. But we've offered a policy this week which I think goes a very long way to addressing problem gambling.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Another issue, do you two agree on the need to do something for jockeys? Bill Shorten, you've been running this up?
BILL SHORTEN:
Yeah I - 311 jockeys have been killed since racing started in Australia. We know that in the next 12 months, based on the last 150 years, 2 more jockeys will die, some will be seriously injured.
Traditionally, looking after those sort of injuries has been a state responsibility. I do think it's about time. We enjoy racing, we enjoy what happens, but without the little generals on their horses, there would be no product. It is not enough for state governments who enjoy the revenue from the wagering to not put money in to a trust for jockeys. I completely support what the jockeys union's on about here.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Joe Hockey?
JOE HOCKEY:
Yeah, I mean that sounds pretty right. I'm not as across the issue obviously as Bill is, but I - look, if there's anything that can be done to improve the safety of jockeys then I think that's appropriate. I mean, you just shouldn't put people at risk and work place risk, and that's effectively what it is.
BILL SHORTEN:
In particular, it's the rehabilitation afterwards.
JOE HOCKEY:
Right.
BILL SHORTEN:
Once you're not riding and they're not cheering you get forgotten. We've got to look after these guys.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Bill Shorten, is Doug Cameron out of control? He says the Murdoch Press is a threat to democracy; therefore he wants to ban it. I mean, that's a terrific approach. And he says he's going to beat the living daylights out of Alan Joyce.
BILL SHORTEN:
No, he's a Senator, he's not out of control. He doesn't…
JOE HOCKEY:
[Laughs]
NEIL MITCHELL:
[Laughs]
BILL SHORTEN:
Joe's laughing because we're in the House of Representatives and Senate land's another world.
JOE HOCKEY:
Too right.
BILL SHORTEN:
The point about Doug is he's a very passionate man. He's spent his whole life standing up for issues. In terms of the Murdoch Press, no one wants to ban them, okay.
NEIL MITCHELL:
No, but he just wants an inquiry into them…
BILL SHORTEN:
Well we've said there is going to be an…
NEIL MITCHELL:
…because he didn't like what they say. I mean, this..
BILL SHORTEN:
No, well what the government's said, we're sticking to what we've said is that we'll have an inquiry into the print media. There's massive changes brought by technology, a real - I don't think the 99 per cent of outlets have got absolutely anything to worry about. So we'll just…
JOE HOCKEY:
Who's the one per cent? Who's the one per cent?
BILL SHORTEN:
Well 100 per cent haven't. If you're doing the right thing, Joe, as I say in life…
NEIL MITCHELL:
Yeah, but who assesses the right thing? You and Doug Cameron?
BILL SHORTEN:
No, come on guys. I know that the media love to talk about itself.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Yes, true.
BILL SHORTEN:
I'd like - I would like to talk about why the Liberal Party is going to hand back - we increase superannuation to 12 per cent…
JOE HOCKEY:
[Laughs] Come on Bill, already. Come on…
BILL SHORTEN:
Joe, Joe, let's…
JOE HOCKEY:
Talk about weapons of mass distraction.
NEIL MITCHELL:
[Laughs]
BILL SHORTEN:
Joe.
JOE HOCKEY:
We were just talking about the media there.
BILL SHORTEN:
Joe.
JOE HOCKEY:
Hang on. Where's this come from?
BILL SHORTEN:
Joe, superann… you know that the Labor Government…
JOE HOCKEY:
Are you going to have an inquiry into Fairfax now after they said you're running…
BILL SHORTEN:
No Joe.
JOE HOCKEY:
for Leader of the Labor Party?
BILL SHORTEN:
Joe, we know that you've got to leave the studio in a minute; you're running down the clock. Let's talk about superannua…
JOE HOCKEY:
[Laughs]
BILL SHORTEN:
Let's talk about superannuation. Why don't you guys want to increase super from nine to 12 per cent? Why did Mathias Cormann, your number two say, last Friday at a…
NEIL MITCHELL:
Okay.
BILL SHORTEN:
…business lunch he's going roll it back?
NEIL MITCHELL:
Well, you say, Joe does have to leave, and that's our doing, not his. The studio's about to turn into a pumpkin. What's your answer to that, Joe Hockey?
JOE HOCKEY:
Well from our perspective, if you're going to fund the increase from this mining tax, then it doesn't work. The mining tax that the government introduced this week is a failed policy. And it's already failed.
Do you know what, Bi… the interesting thing here is Neil, Bill Shorten got up and read out a speech and said that he was removing the age limit on superannuation. And then when we looked at the Bill he was actually introducing, it had a 75 year age limit.
So his own words in the House did not match the law that he was introducing.
BILL SHORTEN:
Joe. Joe.
JOE HOCKEY:
Now if that's the way they operate - am I wrong, Bill?
BILL SHORTEN:
Yes you are. We are…
JOE HOCKEY:
Sorry, how?
BILL SHORTEN:
Okay, what we do… thank you for letting me announce our policy on air. Joe, what we are…
JOE HOCKEY:
Yeah, yeah, no, no, no. What's in the law? What's in the law?
BILL SHORTEN: Joe, what we are proposing, and what I said in Parliament is that we are going to abolish age discrimination.
JOE HOCKEY:
Yeah.
BILL SHORTEN:
The initial Bill we put forward says you can get super up to 75…
JOE HOCKEY:
There you go.
BILL SHORTEN:
Wait a sec, Joe…
JOE HOCKEY:
Ting, ting - 15 love.
BILL SHORTEN:
Joe, that's what you'd have to call premature interruption.
NEIL MITCHELL:
[Laughs]
BILL SHORTEN:
Then what I said further on in my second reading speech…
JOE HOCKEY:
I'm younger than you, Bill.
BILL SHORTEN:
Oh well, you've had a hard life.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Hang on. Control, control.
BILL SHORTEN:
The issue - the issue is that we then said that following lobbying from the crossbench and the Labor backbench, we're going to go the whole hog. Why stuff around at…
NEIL MITCHELL:
Okay.
BILL SHORTEN:
…75, if you go to work…
JOE HOCKEY:
That's good. I agree. We agree, this is good. This is good Neil.
NEIL MITCHELL:
This is good.
JOE HOCKEY:
We agree on this no age limit.
BILL SHORTEN:
[Indistinct]
JOE HOCKEY:
Then the question is why did the Labor Party rush to introduce a Bill with a 75 year age limit?
BILL SHORTEN:
Joe…
JOE HOCKEY:
Now they've got to amend the Bill?
NEIL MITCHELL:
Okay.
BILL SHORTEN:
And we will. But Joe, if you agree, will you vote for it?
JOE HOCKEY:
Well we agree with the initiative.
BILL SHORTEN:
Yeah, but are you going to vote for it?
JOE HOCKEY:
No, because it's funded by a mining tax.
BILL SHORTEN:
No, oh well, there we go. Oh my goodness.
JOE HOCKEY:
No, because it's funded by a mining tax.
NEIL MITCHELL:
All right.
BILL SHORTEN:
There are crocodiles in the Northern Territory that wouldn't swallow that.
NEIL MITCHELL:
[Laughs]
JOE HOCKEY:
[Laughs]
NEIL MITCHELL:
Thanks. Joe Hockey, thank you for your time, I'll just ask him about never, ever again. Joe Hockey, Shadow Treasurer.
JOE HOCKEY:
[Laughs]
NEIL MITCHELL:
Bill Shorten, one more chance before you go. Never, ever Labor Leader?
BILL SHORTEN:
Mate, there is no way I'm getting sucked into a leadership discussion. Julia Gillard, she's the girl for now, she's the girl for the future.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Never, ever? John Howard said that.
BILL SHORTEN:
Well, John Howard was right about some things and wrong about other things. [Laughs]
NEIL MITCHELL:
[Laughs] Bill Shorten.
BILL SHORTEN:
More wrong than right though.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Thank you for your time. Joe Hockey, Bill Shorten.