SUBJECTS: Leadership, carbon pricing, NDIS, Gonski
SANDY ALOISI:
As we've heard, Kevin Rudd is expected to announce his new ministry as early as today, but right now, there's just a skeleton crew running the ship of state. One minister already in place is the Treasurer, Chris Bowen, and he's speaking here to Marius Benson.
MARIUS BENSON:
Chris Bowen, can I ask you about a specific in the news today, which is a report in News Limited papers that you are going to axe the carbon tax. Are you going to do that?
CHRIS BOWEN:
Look, you're going to see that speculation, Marius. The carbon tax is in and implemented. It's the law of the land. Of course, the Government - the new Government, under Kevin Rudd, will be reviewing a whole range of policies and on our second day in office, we're not going to say that we're not going to make any changes to any particular policy, but the carbon price is a price that is seeing continued growth in the economy and emissions come down.
And that's the important point that we'll be continuing to make that Tony Abbott's scare campaign is based on a false premise and a carbon price is acting to bring down emissions and economic growth and jobs growth is continuing.
BENSON:
You are Treasurer. This is day two and an election is no more than three months away. Would you be trying to set your own economic course or are you really a caretaker Treasurer?
BOWEN:
No. I see, obviously, the job as having a great responsibility, Marius, and I, obviously, like every other minister in the Government, hope and intend to be Treasurer until the election and well after the election. We're in this election to win it. I believe we're competitive. I believe we have a very good case to make. And I think that we have a competitive race on our hands because Kevin Rudd is well placed to make the case for Labor now and into the future.
BENSON:
But will you be making any noticeable change, of course, for example, a mini-budget?
BOWEN:
Well, look, Marius, of course, every Treasurer, every minister, will bring a fresh set of eyes and will bring their own approach, but the Government has released a budget. Former Treasurer Swan released a budget. That's the Government's budget and that continues to be the Government's budget. And, again, I'll refer you to my previous [indistinct]. If you're asking me on day two to rule out every making any changes to any Government policy, well, I'm not going to do that.
There's a whole series of briefings occurring and updates and information being provided to the new Prime Minister, to me, and to other new ministers, and we're working through that methodically. We're working through that in a way that you would expect newly sworn in ministers and a newly sworn in Prime Minister to be doing.
BENSON:
Is funding secure for some of the big ticket items - the NDIS?
BOWEN:
Yes.
BENSON:
The Gonski scheme?
BOWEN:
DisabilityCare is a very important Labor initiative and Labor Prime Ministers build on the success of their predecessors and this is an initiative which Labor will always be proud and which Kevin Rudd retains a very strong commitment to. In relation to the improvements to education funding under the Gonski process, again, that's a very good initiative which Labor can be rightly proud. Now, obviously, that's at a different stage. That's more a work in progress. There are still some states who are holding out. I know the Prime Minister's looking forward to speaking to those Premiers in coming days and weeks.
BENSON:
Can I ask you about the leadership coup on Wednesday. Removing a leader is obviously something that has to be plotted in private. It's been that way since Julius Caesar was bumped of. But can you shed any light on the process for a public which has seen a Prime Minister removed again without them being consulted?
BOWEN:
Well, I think the process, Marius, was that Caucus met and the Caucus made a difficult decision.
BENSON:
I was thinking of the process before that.
BOWEN:
I know what you're thinking, Marius, but what I'm talking about is the process that was in place, and it's a very clear process. The Caucus met and it made a difficult decision between two good people, two good Prime Ministers, because the Caucus reached the view that Kevin Rudd, he's best placed to make the case for Labor now and into the future.
BENSON:
But going to the private process that precedes the public process, do you think the whole thing reduces public esteem for politicians because politicians have to lie. They have to declare public support while denying they are plotting the downfall of the Prime Minister. Bill Shorten, obviously. People replay the tapes from before with the pledges of loyalty after the axe has fallen. The whole thing reduces public esteem for politicians.
BOWEN:
Well, let me say a couple of things, Marius. Firstly in relation to Bill Shorten. He made a very difficult decision. At some personal cost to himself, he acted in the best interest of the Labor Party. He made a judgement about what he thought was in the best interest of the Labor Party. He knew that that would lose him friends and that people would criticise him for that. I think that's something that has earned him some respect - quite a bit of respect.
Though regardless of people's views on these matters, that - overridingly the loyalty is to the party and to the nation, and that can sometimes make for all of us difficult decisions in relation to people that we know and like and respect and decisions that they will disagree with.
BENSON:
Just finally, Julia Gillard said the 2010 election was subject to sabotage by Kevin Rudd and his supporters, obviously. Are you concerned the 2013 campaign could be subject to sabotage in revenge?
BOWEN:
Well, look, Kevin's clearly dealt with that allegation in the past, but I believe - and I've spoken to a number of colleagues in the parliament who voted a different way in the ballot and I think there's a commitment, a very clear commitment, and a very clear recognition of the challenge. We're competitive in this election, but it's still, of course, a very, very tough election.
BENSON:
Treasurer, thank you very much.
BOWEN:
Nice talking to you, Marius.