2UE

SUBJECTS:  Labor leadership spill; Independent support for no – confidence motion

E&OE................................

Hon Christopher Pyne MP: Good morning Paul.

Murray:  Alright now, obviously you’re going to disagree with me and you think the show is going to keep going on and the fight will keep going.

Pyne: Well the civil war is definitely not over and despite of the Prime Minister’s best efforts, the trend is Kevin Rudd made it clear yesterday that he remains available to be drafted. Now sure, poor old Simon Crean was left hanging out to dry.  This is a very unfortunate end to a reasonable career in public office.  But Kevin Rudd made it perfectly clear that he remains available to be drafted. I had text messages from Labor people after the ballot yesterday saying that they would be back doing it all again in seven weeks time, that it was tritely not over.  Yesterday they did not feel they had the numbers and Keven Rudd’s numbers people are out there this morning on the television and on the radio talking about how if he gets majority support across the party room he will stand again. So the biggest loser is the Australian public I’m afraid.

Murray: Well, which brings us to where you guys started yesterday, which is that you were starting to talk about a no - confidence motion. Will there be an attempt by the Opposition at the earliest possible moment to test the Independent’s support for this deeply dysfunctional and bizarre Government.

Pyne: Yes there will Paul. We will put on the Notice Paper, which is the agenda if you like for the Parliament, a motion of no - confidence in the Government. Which will be debated in budget week, which will be the first opportunity we’ll have to debate it and I am calling on the Independents to examine their conscience.

But also I am calling on the people in the Independents’ seats to make it clear to their Members that they want them to win this pantomime that passes as the Government in Canberra. Let’s have an election, let’s stop the faceless people making the decision who the Prime Minister is and let the public decide who the Prime Minister and the Government should be. Because we’ve had a government not focused on job security or cost of living, or border protection or economic management, for too long.

Murray: Ok, let’s have a listen here to part of what Tony Windsor had to say in response to that suggestion this morning on Sky News. Tony Windsor has been very clear, here we go:

Tony Windsor Comment.

Murray: Alright that’s Tony Windsor. Clearly you’ve got to convince some other Independents because he is not going to move.

Pyne: Well he’s a long way from ruling it out Paul. In fact he said he’d be prepared to listen to the debate and over the next six weeks I hope people in New England will tell Tony Windsor that they want to put an end to a government that went to war with itself, that’s not putting their interests first. That he’ll return to Canberra and support a no confidence motion in the Government so we can get an election and get this Government out of the way and get on with the governing for the Australian public rather than the self-interest of

Murray: Alright good on you Christopher and all the best.

Pyne: Thank you.

Murray: Christopher Pyne, Manager of Opposition Business.

ENDS.