DAVID KOCH:
Treasurer Scott Morrison joins us now, Treasurer good morning to you. Thanks to Christopher Pyne we’ve got to ask you this question – is marriage equality, the vote, going to happen sooner rather than later?
TREASURER:
I’m not sure what that’s referring to. We’re focused on people’s power prices. We’re focused on the 17 pieces of legislation we’ve passed since the Budget.
KOCH:
We’ll get to that, but Christopher Pyne has put it back on the agenda, he’s been boasting at the same Council meeting over the weekend that you were at, that is was going to be before the next election. You need to get it across the line.
TREASURER:
We have a policy. We took it to the last election. That’s the policy we’ve honoured in this Parliament. The only party that’s standing in the way of people having their say on this issue is the Labor Party.
KOCH:
So is Christopher Pyne wrong? You will not put it on the agenda, does he know something that you don’t?
TREASURER:
To the extent that it’s on the agenda, it’s our policy which is the plebiscite and there’s no move away from the plebiscite policy.
KOCH:
And it will happen before the next election?
TREASURER:
We put the Bill into the Parliament and it was rejected by the Parliament. So it’s a matter for the Parliament.
KOCH:
You won’t put it back again? He’s saying you’ve just got to do it, so he’s actually indicating moving away from the plebiscite, to just doing it now.
TREASURER:
Well the Party hasn’t changed its policy David, what we’re focused on is delivering a Budget.
KOCH:
Are you talking about it?
TREASURER:
No.
KOCH:
How would he come to that?
TREASURER:
We’re not actually talking about it, we’re talking about power prices, passing the Budget, schools funding going up by $23 billion.
KOCH:
Why would he saying something?
TREASURER:
I don’t know. You’d have to ask him.
KOCH:
Obviously he’s out of tune with the rest of the party then?
TREASURER:
Our focus is on the things I’ve just talked about, just as Barnaby just said, that’s totally our focus.
KOCH:
Alright. Newspoll analysis out this morning says the Coalition leading Labor in just one state. Line ball in New South Wales. And Queensland. South Australia and WA you’re trailing there. A bit of work to win back the national vote, and the hearts and minds of the public, how are you going to do it?
TREASURER:
I think the thing is we just have to focus on the things that matter to Australian people. It’s not about, as I said on the weekend, trying to get people to join our side, for any politician for that matter. It’s about demonstrating that we’re on their side. The things they’re focused on are what’s happening to their power prices, what’s happening to housing prices in Sydney and Melbourne, what’s happening with jobs. 50,000 people who went out to get a full time job in May got one. That’s great news.
KOCH:
You admitted the public has lost confidence in politicians achieving anything, they don’t understand that you’ve got their back. How are you going to change that though? How are you going to become real, how are you going to become relatable?
TREASURER:
I think it’s just the simple process of focusing on things that matter to them. That’s always the key to it in politics, and ensuring that your agenda is totally focused on issues that are around their kitchen table, that’s what the Budget was about David as you and I discussed about two months ago. The things that are concerning them – Medicare, schools funding, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, all of these things were there in the Budget. Now these things don’t happen overnight you’ve got to keep applying yourselves to those important issues.
KOCH:
But then you yourselves just sniping at each other, question time, acting like a rabble, acting like school kids, and the public goes, oh they’re just in their Canberra bubble, they really don’t care about us.
TREASURER:
That’s what I’m saying, people are turning down the sound on Canberra David, and they’re not just turning it down on politicians they’re turning down on the media too, and the way they always see politics as a fight, a horserace, and combat. What we’re focused on, as I said, power prices, that’s what people are talking about and they should be because they’re going up. We’re spending all of our energy on the policies that are needed to drive those prices down.
KOCH:
Then penalty rates are cut, you get a pay rise, is that a good look.
TREASURER:
Well the average wage goes up about 1.9 per cent. Now, it’s set independently David, it’s not set by politicians. I’m not sure what the other alternative is, and the minimum wage is going up by 3.3 per cent.
KOCH:
Is Malcolm Turnbull safe?
TREASURER:
Of course he. Because he is the one who had 126 pieces of legislation passed in the last year, everything from restoring law in the building and construction industry to needs based funding for schools and massive increases particularly for public schools. And guaranteeing Medicare and fully funding the National Disabilities Insurance Scheme. That’s what people need. That’s what we’re doing.
KOCH:
Treasurer thanks for joining us.
TREASURER:
Thanks David.