SUBJECTS: Leadership, Price on Carbon
DAVID KOCH:
Let's check in with our big guns in politics, and we welcome new Treasurer Chris Bowen and shadow treasurer Joe Hockey, good morning to you both.
CHRIS BOWEN:
Morning Kochie.
DAVID KOCH:
Chris, welcome - with a close two party preferred figure, and Kevin the preferred PM, are you going to bring on a snap election? Is it going to be sooner rather than later?
CHRIS BOWEN:
Well the first point to make, Kochie, is that this election is close and competitive again, and if the Liberal Party were measuring up the curtains, and checking out the lounge suites in the ministerial offices, and taking things for granted, there's a tight election now, the Australian people have a really tough and close election now on their hands. And we'll be fighting for it very, very hard, we'll be putting our case very hard in the election.
In terms of the election timing, as the Prime Minister said yesterday in Parliament, he'll be applying the normal and usual, and traditional constitutional convention which is that he will think about an election date, he'll then go and talk to the Governor-General, and after he's spoken to the Governor-General and she's agreed to that election date, then he'll announce it.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
Okay, Joe, you guys were home and hosed, this changes things. Be honest, is the Coalition worried?
JOE HOCKEY:
Well we're always concerned about how we can win an election, but most importantly we're more concerned about the Australian people, Sam. I mean, our focus is on good policy, and nothing the polls, or nothing that happens in the Labor Party, is going to change that, we are focused on the Australian people. And what we've seen over the last 48 hours is a circus up here, I mean the place has turned into Barnum and Bailey's circus, it's a joke.
And Kevin Rudd was on this program last week saying there were no circumstances upon which he would become leader of the Labor Party, and then this week he knifed Julia Gillard. So, I mean come on, this is - enough, the circus has got to come to an end. The Australian people should decide who the Prime Minister and the Government is, let's have an election and have it now.
DAVID KOCH:
Okay. Well - speaking of policies and focusing back on that, News Limited this morning is reporting Kevin Rudd is pushing to axe the controversial carbon tax, Joe you've got to be pleased with that. You know, you've said carbon tax is a problem, asylum seekers are a problem, turn back the boats. This is a good step forward by Kevin Rudd isn't it?
JOE HOCKEY:
But Kochie, there's two things that need to be noted about this. Number one, even as late as last night, Chris Bowen who's on this program was saying that the carbon tax is working well. And he and Kevin, yesterday, voted - or the day before yesterday, voted for the carbon tax to increase next Monday by five per cent.
Now, the second thing is, whether it's a fixed carbon tax, or a floating carbon tax, it is still a carbon tax. And the fact that they say they're going to abolish it means they're going to have a black hole of up to $15 billion in the Budget. In fact the leaks out in today's papers suggest that this mob's going to go on a spending spree that brings back the credit card on a scale that even Kevin, even Kevin, is incapable of meeting. But he's going to give it a good shot, he's going to smoke the Australian credit card and not worry about what the impact is after the election.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
Okay. Well, Treasurer, can you clear this up for us, are you going to dump the carbon tax?
CHRIS BOWEN:
No I've just heard that sort of, you know, normal negative line from Joe, which we hear a lot these days. But in relation to the carbon price, he's dead right about what I said last night, I've said it again this morning, the carbon price is in, it's the law, it's been taken through the Parliament. It does go to a floating price in the future, that makes it a market price. That's something that the Labor Party and the Liberal Party used to both agree on and the Liberal Party did a flip and changed their position.
But the carbon price is in, we're seeing emissions coming down, we're seeing our economy still growing and jobs being created. Now, if you're asking us, on day two, if you're asking Kevin Rudd and Chris Bowen, new Prime Minister and Treasurer to say we're never going to change any government policies and we're never going to...
JOE HOCKEY:
[Laughs]
CHRIS BOWEN:
…discuss any change to government policy in the future, well, we're not going to do that today, Joe. You know that that's a silly claim to be making, Joe.
JOE HOCKEY:
You'll do it tomorrow.
CHRIS BOWEN:
You know that that's a silly point for you to be making, Joe. You've got a new Prime Minister who's being briefed on a whole range of issues, as is always the case, but the carbon price is in, implemented and the law of the land.
JOE HOCKEY:
This is a whole new government. It's amazing. There's - nothing's happened over the last…
CHRIS BOWEN:
Well, what happened, Joe…
JOE HOCKEY:
…six years. It's a brand new team.
CHRIS BOWEN:
Well, Joe…
JOE HOCKEY:
There was no Kevin Rudd before. It's all new Kevin.
CHRIS BOWEN:
What happened yesterday, Joe? You said - you're going on about how it's terrible to change leaders. Well, Kevin Rudd has faced John Howard, Brendan Nelson, Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott…
JOE HOCKEY:
Hang on, they weren't Prime Ministers.
CHRIS BOWEN:
And you had a go, Joe, and you lost the leadership by one vote. It's what happens. It's - and that's what happens, but yesterday what happened…
JOE HOCKEY:
It's just run of the mill.
CHRIS BOWEN:
…is a new Prime Minister was commissioned by the Governor-General, calmly. There was no constitutional crisis, despite all the hoopla and how terrible it was going to be and the government was going to collapse and…
JOE HOCKEY:
A third of Cabinet has resigned.
CHRIS BOWEN:
…the nation was going to stop.
JOE HOCKEY:
No problems.
CHRIS BOWEN:
And the nation was going to stop, and what happened was there was a handover to Kevin Rudd. The Governor-General commissioned him, he's being briefed on a whole range of issues. That's what happens when a Prime Minister changes. It's happened smoothly and methodically, and…
JOE HOCKEY:
It's fantastic.
CHRIS BOWEN:
…now that Kevin Rudd has a tough choice, to choose between lots of very talented members of Parliament and he's working through the construction in his Cabinet.
JOE HOCKEY:
Okay. This is fantastic. I've got to tell you.
DAVID KOCH:
[Indistinct] filibuster, Joe.
JOE HOCKEY:
There's no train wreck here. Look, move on, there's no train crash. Everything's going really well. A third of Cabinet has resigned, we've just knifed another Prime Minister, we're about to change all our policies, but don't worry, everything's going well here. Move on. There's no incident. I mean, fair dinkum. Come on. This is a joke. It's a bad joke, but the Australian people are paying a price. That's the problem.
CHRIS BOWEN:
Well, the fact is, Joe, that you and I, Joe, are going to be debating economics. I'm happy to debate you in the election campaign on economic [indistinct]…
JOE HOCKEY:
Any time.
CHRIS BOWEN:
…about the issues. Let's talk about the issues. Let's talk about the issues.
JOE HOCKEY:
Well, give us an election .
CHRIS BOWEN:
Let's talk about the Australian economy.
JOE HOCKEY:
Give us an election. Come on.
CHRIS BOWEN:
Let's talk about your funding black hole, let's talk about our positive plans for the future…
JOE HOCKEY:
Yeah, we're happy to talk about…
CHRIS BOWEN:
Let's talk about how the Australian economy's performing compared to the rest of the world, let's talk about the jobs growth…
DAVID KOCH:
Okay, alright…
CHRIS BOWEN:
Let's talk about our debt levels. Let's have the debates and let's have a proper discussion…
JOE HOCKEY:
You know…
CHRIS BOWEN:
..about the issues facing the nation.
DAVID KOCH:
Okay, it is time… [Bell ringing, all talking, indistinct]
DAVID KOCH:
We've got plenty of time for this over the next couple of - 80 days, 78 days we've got.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
We might organise an organised debate on the economy between you two.
DAVID KOCH:
Yes, perfect.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
Let's do that.
DAVID KOCH:
Are you two up for it?
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
Would you do it?
CHRIS BOWEN:
We'll be there, absolutely.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
Alright.
JOE HOCKEY:
You know what? I thought Kevin Rudd could talk, but this guy's giving him a good shot.
[Laughter]
JOE HOCKEY:
It's meant to be morning TV. We're meant to wake them up, not send them back to sleep.
CHRIS BOWEN:
And you're a shrinking violet, Joe. You're famous for it. You're a famous shrinking violet, Joe.
DAVID KOCH:
Alright guys, alright. It's - I'm looking forward to this. The debate is on.
JOE HOCKEY:
So am I.
DAVID KOCH:
Thank you guys.
CHRIS BOWEN:
Nice talking to you, David.