TREASURER:
I am down here today because Cup Week is apparently the lowest week for blood donations and it is important that those that are eligible, can give blood, do so. It is a wonderful thing to participate in and the Red Cross has asked me to participate this week so I am hopefully going to have my blood accepted and make my own contribution in this low week. And it is just something for people to think about if they can actually engage in giving blood, it is something that is really appreciated by those that need blood products, not just accident victims, but people suffering from leukaemia and other treatments that need the gift of blood. So hopefully I will be able to make my own contribution today.
JOURNALIST:
Do you give blood on a regular basis?
TREASURER:
No I am not a regular. I used to be a regular, but the busyness of life has overtaken me. I haven’t done it for quite some time. So when the Red Cross asked me I was quite happy to come back and start again.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Costello how do you feel now that the Federal Government has control of the Senate?
TREASURER:
Well, I think it is a very significant thing that in Queensland today the Senate result has been announced and it shows that not only three Liberal Senators were elected in Queensland but a fourth National Party Senator got elected and I congratulate the Liberals and the National that got elected. The consequence of that is that the Coalition should have a majority in the Senate. It is a majority that will be used wisely to ensure that important measures are passed. It will be a majority which will enable the Government to deliver on its election mandate in full, because we will now be able to legislate those measures, and it will give us the opportunity, I believe, to engage in important legislation which will give Australia great opportunities for the future.
JOURNALIST:
What do you mean by using the mandate wisely?
TREASURER:
I think with a majority in the Senate we will be able to first of all implement our election policies which we haven’t been able to do fully in the past because we haven’t been able to legislate all of them. We will also be able to pass legislation that we have promised the Australian electorate in previous elections and been unable to legislate - improvements in industrial relations, for example, improvements in the unfair dismissal laws which are holding back small business, improvements in relation to welfare reform, improvements in relation to reducing some taxes which we’ve promised in previous elections but have been unable to legislate because the Opposition has controlled the Senate. So now we have the opportunity to deliver all of our election promises and that is what we intend to do.
JOURNALIST:
And you can pretty much do anything you like now, can’t you?
TREASURER:
What we will be doing is we will be implementing those undertakings that we gave to the Australian public and passing them into legislation and ensuring that the important reforms for Australia are put in place which will give us opportunities for the future.
JOURNALIST:
What will you do first?
JOURNALIST:
Full sale of Telstra (inaudible)?
TREASURER:
Well, we’ve announced previously that it is our belief that the ownership of Telstra has to be resolved and unless somebody has got a plan to re-nationalise it, which they haven’t, then the best thing is for Telstra is to be like telecommunications companies in other countries, with investors and with legislative requirements for improved services. The way to get the improved services is with legislative requirements not with funny ownership controls.
JOURNALIST:
There are concerns raised at the AGM by some shareholders and protesters about Don McGauchie being the Chairman of Telstra, but also on the James Hardie Board, what do you say about that?
TREASURER:
Well, that is a matter for Telstra and Mr McGauchie. Whether or not Board Directors have conflicting positions is a matter for them. I can’t see any conflict between the two Boards. He has to bring his best ability to bear in his directorships on each of his Boards.
JOURNALIST:
What is your first priority in the Senate?
TREASURER:
Well the first priority will be to pass the legislation that the Senate has refused to pass over the last two years. We have got a whole lot of bills that have been lined up for there now for two years, including some Budget measures I announced two years ago, so we have got to clear that backlog and get on with good government.
JOURNALIST:
But what Bill, what will you be putting up first?
TREASURER:
All of those bills that have been blocked for the last two years will be put back on the agenda. Okay, thank you.