Today Show

KARL STEFANOVIC …Sitting days are over for the year and boy it was a race to the finish line, the government claimed some major victories, finally getting the backpacker tax and the ABCC legislation over the line. Christopher Pyne and Anthony Albanese are reunited because it feels so good in Canberra this morning, hello lads.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Good morning Karl.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: G’day, how are you? It’s a bit brisk here this morning.

KARL STEFANOVIC Is it, well I’m going to warm you up now.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: It’s not too bad…

KARL STEFANOVIC So Christopher you did a deal with the Greens last night, you must feel like you need a recycled water shower to wash the muck off.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: I like a bit of recycled water, I’m from Adelaide, we recycle about 30% of our water so there’s no problem with that. The reality is we have had a great fortnight, the Register Organisation Commission Bill, The Australian Building and Construction Commission Bill…

KARL STEFANOVIC You did a deal with the Greens.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: The backpacker tax. Great, we’ll do a deal with anybody in order to get things done, that’s what the Australian public expect, that’s the Senate they gave us. Labor decided to take themselves out of the equation, all they wanted was to muck up, to cause trouble of course we’ll do a deal with the Greens if they will support the things the government wants and they did.

KARL STEFANOVIC Okay, you’ll do a deal with anyone, I like that one. It’s a bigger tax at a bigger cost and no longer the revenue raiser that you thought it was going to be that you set out to achieve, what’s the upside?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well it’s a 15% tax on backpackers, so seasonal workers and backpackers and Australian workers are all being taxed at about the same rate which is great. Their superannuation is being treated about the same way, this is a great outcome, we are raising revenue, sure we are giving $100 million to Landcare, who doesn’t like Landcare and in MYEFO it’ll be offset so it’s a great outcome, it’s a great outcome.

KARL STEFANOVIC Alright, Anthony?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well we knew that Malcolm Turnbull had a big ego, we now know what it cost, $155 million this deal that they did as a cost to revenue at a time when they say there’s this fiscal crisis. I mean it has been a chaotic week for the government, they had five different policies, it became the backpacker tax which used to be zero, because of them it became 32.5, then 19, then 15, then a superannuation discount as part of the deal with the Greens, the backpacker tax became that backtracker tax over the last week.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Lame jokes, 32.5 cents is the Wayne Swan rate, that’s what he introduced.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: It was zero.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: You can’t say the government’s not getting things done and…

KARL STEFANOVIC This is compelling television.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: A lot of people said after the election it couldn’t be done.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: They are all over the shop Karl, all over the shop.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: You still there?

KARL STEFANOVIC Okay, yeah I’m here.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: I‘m glad to be out of here..

KARL STEFANOVIC No, no it’s beautiful I’m not going to get in between you that’s for sure. Another big win for the government was on the ABCC but it took more than 20 concessions to get the Senate on side, Christopher it can’t have been rolling over that many times, we learn that the construction union will embark on rolling strikes from today, how’s that going to stop it?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well the construction union, the CFMEU has proven itself to be a lawless union, the royal commission said that we needed a standalone commission to run building and construction in Australia, that’s what we now have. The last time we had an ABCC productivity in the building and construction industry increased, there were less days lost to strikes, the consumers benefitted by 7 and a half billion dollars and it worked, now we’ve got it back, Labor fought it tooth and nail and failed. Again a lot of people in the media, a lot of people in politics said we couldn’t get it done, we’ve got it done, we’re getting on and we’re delivering.

KARL STEFANOVIC Yep, you did, yeah go on Albo.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Karl they gutted this legislation, they gutted this legislation, there’s new security, they’re putting a fence in Parliament House down the bottom of the hill here…

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: To keep Albo out…

ANTHONY ALBANESE: That’s because the Coalition were rolling down the hill as they roll over, they’ll at least have the fence as a barrier to stop them rolling all the way to Old Parliament House. 20 different changes to this bill, they’ve gutted it.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Not a bad line when you’ve been completely routed for two weeks, completely routed.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: They’re going real well, just ask them.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: If Anthony was the leader not Bill Shorten none of this would happened, the problem is that Bill Shorten’s the leader and he can’t keep the thing under control.

KARL STEFANOVIC You guys need to stop touching each other on national TV, you’re supposed to be enemies. Hey now listen I was going to talk to you about sorts of other things but, look it’s the spirit of Christmas, I want you guys to say something nice to each other in the spirit of Christmas given the Parliament’s broken up now, so Albo you go first, something nice about Christopher Pyne.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well Christopher has his issues which is pretty obvious but he does have a good joy for life and he’s good company.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Oh, nice.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Oh that’s a nice thing to say.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: I’m nice.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: I appreciate it.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: I’m the nice one of this pair.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: I like Anthony because he’s authentic and genuine, and I liked his book, because it mentioned me.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: And in the book available in all good book stores he said I was his only friend in the Labor Party, which is true.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Probably my only friend at all, not just in the Labor Party.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: That’s right, he lost a few last night when he kept them here late.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: What’s the recommended retail price Albo?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: $34.95

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: That’s not bad, my book was a little cheaper, $32.50, still available.

KARL STEFANOVIC Well I want to wish you guys a merry Christmas, we’ll definitely have you back on the TODAY Show next year so we’re looking forward to seeing you, have a wonderful save beautiful Christmas with your families.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Merry Christmas to all the viewers.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Thanks Karl, Merry Christmas to you and everyone else.