TREASURER:
I'll just start by saying I'm very pleased to be here at the official opening of the AOT Group's world headquarters here in Melbourne. It is a signature building for the people of Melbourne and Victoria and it is home to a new business that is certainly leading the charge for Australia in the delivery of important services. It's great, it's terrific, this is what Australia is about. Over to you for questions.
JOURNALIST:
Is the Government giving any interim assistance to the car industry?
TREASURER:
No. We have a process in place that will lay down the foundations of our relationship with the car industry for the years ahead. We are not going to have knee-jerk reactions to individual businesses who are driving their own timetable.
JOURNALIST:
Does that mean you are still committed to cutting half a billion dollars in assistance?
TREASURER:
We have been clear. We want to work with the car industry on a sustainable and affordable plan for the future. But we do not negotiate with a gun to our heads.
JOURNALIST:
So will you go as far then as to rule out any additional funding in the future?
TREASURER:
I am not in the business of ruling things in or out. The Productivity Commission has a review under way. Let it do its job. Let's have a proper process. We do not negotiate, when it comes to taxpayers' money, with a gun to our head. We will not do that.
JOURNALIST:
If the productivity commission does find that more money is needed then will you then be ready to hand over …
TREASURER:
I'm not going to pre-empt the outcomes of the Productivity Commission.
JOURNALIST:
What's your response to the student protest today?
TREASURER:
In my days the protests were far more formidable and more excitable and they actually picked on the right person.
JOURNALIST:
There were reports you were chase. Were you concerned?
TREASURER:
No. I was bigger than most of the protestors.
JOURNALIST:
Were you fearful at all?
TREASURER:
No. When they impeded my passage, all that meant was that I was running late to a meeting in Parliament House. If they are going to protest they want to make it meaningful. In my days they were much more meaningful.
JOURNALIST:
Were you ushered in by police though? Did you have to be ushered in by police? Did you have to be ushered in by police to get through?
TREASURER:
Yeah, the police came and did a great job. The Victorian Police were outstanding.
JOURNALIST:
Is that an appropriate way to be [inaudible]
TREASURER:
From the protestors or from me? Or the police?
JOURNALIST:
The protestors.
TREASURER:
No. Look, they are entitled to a view, they are entitled to protest. This is politics. It is about protest, we are a free country, thank God we have a right to protest. In my day, the protests were a little bit bigger and certainly more meaningful.
JOURNALIST:
Are you suggesting they're getting a bit soft these days?
TREASURER:
Yeah. They are going soft.
JOURNALIST:
Just on another subject: Huawei says it's involvement in the NBN is subject to a review at the moment. Is there a review? And has any decision been made on the review of Huawei?
TREASURER:
A decision has been made in relation to Huawei's involvement to date in the NBN. Nothing has changed that I can see, but I will leave it to the Attorney General and others to opine on the importance of this.
JOURNALIST:
One more quick one on the car industry. Does the announcement of Mike Deveraux's departure change any timetable from the Government's perspective.
TREASURER:
No. We cannot respond to personnel changes at individual businesses when it comes to hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions of dollars of taxpayers' money being put in play. Frankly, we have got a responsibility to the entire Australian economy. We have got to be honest with the Australian people about the use of their taxpayer's money. We are not running down the street chasing an individual car maker with a blank cheque made out by the Australian taxpayer. It has got to be a partnership. If Holden decide that they are making their decisions for their company and their shareholders, they are entitled to do that. We do not want to see any job losses. Of course we don't. Also, we want to ensure that Australian taxpayers are not being held to ransom by any company.
JOURNALIST:
Labor said the car industry is in crisis at the moment.
TREASURER:
Well if it's in crisis then it is Labor's legacy. Let me be very blunt: if the car industry is in crisis it is Labor's legacy. Because Mitsubishi and Ford left Australia or are leaving Australia under Labor's watch. The negotiations now with Holden and to a lesser degree Toyota have been forged out of Labor's legacy. The sheer hypocrisy of Labor in relation to this issue is appalling.
JOURNALIST:
Having said that it would not be a good look for the Liberal Government to be known as the government which left Holden to leave.
TREASURER:
If Holden leaves this is the work… it has happened under Labor. We have been in for what, a month and a half? I hope Holden do not leave. I really do. I hope the jobs continue. This is not in our hands. There is a proper process in play. Let's work it through. Nothing we are doing now has been a secret. We said it before the election. We are doing it afterwards. We are keeping faith with what we promised before the election. This is a proper process.