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SUBJECT: Rudd challenge; Joe Hockey’s address to the National Press Club E&OE................................ Hon Christopher Pyne MP: Good afternoon Belinda. Belinda Heggen: Kevin Rudd, is he just wrecking the Labor Party again or do you think he’s a potential runner with this latest view of his? Pyne: I think this is definitely the opening salvo in the next chapter in the Kevin Rudd horror movie for the Labor Party. I believe he will try and make a comeback, I think he will do so on June the 3rd and the opening salvo was same sex marriage I think he’ll follow it up with other significant announcements over the next 10 days and it highlights the chaos and dysfunction that’s the heart of the Labor Party because they can’t resolve who should be driving the coach. Heggen: So you heard June 3 as a potential Leadership tilt, again? Pyne: That’s exactly right. I’ve got contacts in the Labor Caucus who because of the dysfunction in the Caucus are unbelievably leaking to members of the Liberal Party and they’ve told me that the putative date is June 3 and then of course, I was warned that he was going to say this about same sex marriage before he did and that came to pass and I’ve been told he’ll make other substantive remarks over the course of the next ten days because he believes that he should be leading the Labor Party and so do a substantial group in the Caucus and unfortunately, while the Labor Party are fighting about who should be the Leader, they’re not focussing on cost of living, job security, border protection and economic management. Heggen: You know I was only thinking the other day ‘Gee things have been relatively quiet on the Kevin Rudd front’ and then lo and behold he pops up yesterday claiming the spotlight again. You know, I wonder whether in fact he does want to lead. I wonder whether this is just all part of as I say “wrecking”. Wrecking the image of the Party. Pyne: Well, Mark Latham certainly has the view that Kevin Rudd, if he can’t lead the Party wants to wreck it and of course, since he lost the Leadership in July 2010 there have been many stories about the time when Julia Gillard and he were in Cabinet together - he or somebody leaked that she had voted against a pension increase during the Rudd Government because she said that pensioners didn’t vote Liberal. They also leaked that she had assured him that she wouldn’t run for the Leadership of the Labor Party even in the meeting on the night that the numbers were being counted against Kevin Rudd and we’ve had two challenges as recently in the last 12 months and a month ago and this statement that Kevin Rudd’s made today, or yesterday, quite clearly identifies I think that he wishes to lead the Party again he knows there’ll be a group in the Labor Caucus who will like those views if he wants to get their support in his column. Presenter: But he sent his people out and didn’t even put his hand up in the end, I mean he lacked the courage and the guts, I mean he didn’t even have the numbers. He clearly didn’t do very good calculations. But you know. Should people like me just stop talking about Kevin Rudd perhaps? Pyne: Well, I’m sure that there are a lot of members of the caucus who wish that Kevin Rudd would just go away and stop creating all this trouble and stirring up difficulties for Julia Gillard’s leadership. But because of the way Julia Gillard came to power, in that such extreme political death squad that was sent around to knock off Kevin Rudd. How you come to power in politics really determines the kind of leadership you have and she can’t demand loyalty from Kevin Rudd when she didn’t show loyalty to Kevin Rudd. But unfortunately, the people who are the poorer for this are the Australian public because their Government is not focused on all the problems we have in the economy right now. With sky-rocketing electricity prices. I mean I am a local Member of Parliament as you pointed out for 20 years I have never known my constituents to be so concerned and anxious about the direction of the economy and about their job security and that they just can’t pay their bills. Presenter: No, very well said. Let’s get, let’s have a look at the same-sex marriage bill which as I say, will be voted on, on June 6. Labor MP’s get a conscience vote on this (inaudible). Pyne: Well no. Because before the last election, the Coalition formed a policy that we would not alter the Marriage Act in this Parliament, as did Labor by the way. Labor broke that promise and we have decided that we won’t. Labor of course said that they were not going to introduce a carbon tax before the election and then promptly introduced one after the election. But Tony Abbott says the public are thoroughly sick of politicians that say one thing before an election and do the other after it. And so, we’ve stuck to that policy through this Parliament… Presenter: But you will look at it after the election? Pyne: If a Bill is presented in the next Parliament we will then determine whether we will have a conscience vote on the matter. So we have been entirely consistent and the Labor party has been entirely inconsistent. Presenter: Your name has been reported as someone who is in favour of same-sex marriage… Pyne: Well, I believe that we should recognise same-sex couples in some way. Now I would favour recognising them through civil unions because I believe it is not right to ask the church to marry same-sex couples against their religious beliefs and dogma. But I don’t think that many people quibble with the idea of civil unions, which is essentially a contract. But I don’t, at this stage, obviously (inaudible) the bill for the next Parliament. If Adam Bandt’s bill is presented again it will be defeated again the last time it was defeated in September, the vote was 98 to 42. Presenter: I notice Joe Hockey is currently addressing The National Press Club. Gee, there won’t be much money left if and when you get into power will there? Pyne: No. Look we’re looking at a shocking situation from a budget point of view should we be fortunate enough to be elected. Unfortunately the public often elects Labor governments who spend money and then they elect Liberal governments to get the books back in order. And I wish I had a dollar for every person who has said that to me over the past four or five years. But the financial situation of the budget is dire and we have a budget emergency. And this won’t be an election which is a decoction of promises being made of big spending promises. It will be an election where the Coalition says we need to live within our means, just like our households have to and we’ll have to be the adults in the room. Julia Gillard I think will say anything and do anything to win. Tony Abbott will say what he means to do and he will do what he promises. Presenter: And all eyes will be on June 3 to see whether your contacts are right Christopher Pyne. Pyne: That’s right. Presenter: Thank you very much for your time. Pyne: Thank you. ENDS.