Doorstop Interview, Canberra

Wednesday, 10 March 2010

Subjects: President Yudhoyono’s visit to Australia; paid parental leave; people smuggling.

 

E&OE…

 

JOURNALIST    [inaudible]

 

JULIE BISHOP    The relationship between Australia and Indonesia is strong and we are obviously pleased that this democratic nation has taken a lead role in the region.

 

JOURNALIST    Are you happy that he seems to be a bit lukewarm on the idea of an Asia-Pacific community?

 

JULIE BISHOP    Well he is not alone in that regard. There are many people who are concerned about the manner in which Kevin Rudd foisted his idea on leaders in the Asia-Pacific. He announced that he wanted a European Union style community in Asia and that obviously has not been well received. But to announce it and expect people to fall in line with Kevin Rudd’s idea is not the way diplomacy is practised in South East Asia.

 

JOURNALIST    So looking at leadership styles, have you had a chat to Tony about consultation with partyroom colleagues?

 

JULIE BISHOP    Well I was consulted over the issues. A number of senior colleagues were. It is not true to say that Tony did not consult with senior colleagues….

 

JOURNALIST    So the rank and file…

 

JULIE BISHOP    Well he put out a proposal on Monday, he took it to the partyroom on Tuesday, we had a discussion about that. People support Tony’s idea. Of course if Australia is to meet the challenges of an ageing population, if we are to increase workforce participation particularly amongst women, if we are to increase productivity in this country then we need a paid parental leave scheme. And the Government’s scheme is Mickey Mouse. Tony Abbott has come up with a good scheme and I hope people will support it.

 

JOURNALIST    Is it fair enough for him to make a Leaders call issues like that, as he put it?

 

JULIE BISHOP    There are times when leaders make a call on matters, particularly in an election year, and they are rare but there are times when Leaders do it. But he had discussed it with senior colleagues and then took it to the partyroom at the first opportunity.

 

JOURNALIST    Is it awkward having announced a new tax?

 

JULIE BISHOP    This is a levy on big business. It will be something that is in place while the Government tries to get the budget back into surplus. Obviously a Rudd Government won’t be doing that so a Coalition Government’s priorities would be to get the budget back into surplus, pay off Labor’s massive debt and then reduce taxes. Now this happened last time we came into Government after Labor had run up a $96 billion debt. We had to put in a levy on superannuation. But once we are able to get the budget back under control, pay off debt and then we lower taxes and that’s our priority.

 

JOURNALIST    What will you be telling President Yudhoyono about people smuggling?

 

JULIE BISHOP    We’ll be discussing a whole range of issues with President Yudhoyono in a few minutes and one of those issues will be how we can work closely together. Obviously the surge in boat arrivals as a result of the Rudd Government’s weakening of border protection laws is a matter of concern. I’m hoping Kevin Rudd asks advice of President Yudhoyono on how we could work on these pull factors, how Australia could change the laws so that we are not such an attractive country for people smugglers. After all that is why we have seen the surge in boat arrivals since August 2008.

 

JOURNALIST    Should he be doing more in bringing the Balibo widowers together?

 

JULIE BISHOP    Well these are matters obviously for discussion between the leaders of the two countries and we’ll be taking part in those discussions this morning.