Today Show

E&OE TRANSCRIPT

TODAY Show with Peter Stefanovic and Anthony Albanese
11 December 2015

SUBJECTS: Bill Shorten; Malcolm Turnbull’s proposal of indefinite detention for terrorists and Tony Abbott;

Peter Stefanovic: A bad thing is just about right there because it is going from bad to worse for Opposition leader, Bill Shorten. An embarrassing new video has caught him texting while driving. He has apologised saying; like most drivers I always try to do the right thing. There is no excuse. I shouldn't have done it and won't do it again.

So to discuss we’re joined by Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Christopher Pyne and Shadow Transport and Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese. Good morning to you chaps.

Christopher Pyne: Good morning.

Anthony Albanese: Good morning Peter.

Peter Stefanovic: First of all I’d better start off with the texting, with the texting and the driving. It’s an embarrassing picture, it’s an embarrassing headline. What was he thinking?

Anthony Albanese: WellGeorge Thorogood got it right there with the intro and Bill has said exactly that that he did the wrong thing, that he won’t do it again. He hasn't made excuses. He’s put his hand up and, you know, it’s a regretful incident but it’s one that he’s done the right thing and apologised for.

Peter Stefanovic: Politically, we’ve said this before, he is a 'Dead Man Walking'.

Are you the man to take his place? I know you’ve been asked that many times before?

Anthony Albanese: Good try, but the truth is that Bill Shorten is the leader. We went through a process of instability during the last period when we were in government. We learnt from that. We have a system whereby people made it clear that whoever was elected leader after the election would lead us to the next one. And Bill Shorten will lead us to the next election and I think in terms of the way that we finish the parliamentary year was extremely positive with the Government in trouble over the Mal Brough affair and in trouble on policy issues with the GST all over the place said they wanted a debate but trying to avoid any responsibility for one. And of course Ian MacFarlane defecting from the Liberal Party to the National Party. And then there’s Tony Abbott engaged in a civil war within the Coalition.

Peter Stefanovic: We will get to that the in just a few moments. Christopher I’ll bring you in now. I’ve got to sympathise with the Opposition leader here somewhat because most people in one way or another text while they’re driving, at some point, I see it all the time. Surely you’ve done it before?

Christopher Pyne: Well, Pete, the truth is this is one of the cases when you’re hot you’re hot and when you’re not you’re not and Bill’s had trouble with a hot coffee in his lap which caused him to run into a few parked cars a couple of months ago and now of course he’s had this unfortunate incident with the texting. My strong advice to Bill is to keep both his hands on his wheel at all times and then he’s not going to get into any trouble. But obviously I sympathise with him because obviously things aren't going very well with him and we have finished the year on a positive of course which is that jobs are up again. Yesterday unemployment is down. The Government's innovation and science agenda has been very well received this week. So we have a domestic economic plan which I think the public is very much embracing. So we have finished the year on a positive and next year will be all about jobs and growth and hopefully Bill will keep both his hands on the wheel.

Peter Stefanovic: Have you ever texted while driving?

Christopher Pyne: Well before it was illegal probably but now that it’s illegal I would try and avoid that and that’s why my wife often does the driving so I can do the- be on my phone if I need to dealing with my emails and things.

Peter Stefanovic: Alright, moving on. Malcolm Turnbull wants to see jailed terrorists locked up indefinitely. Is this something that you support the Prime Minister on?

Anthony Albanese: Well if people are a threat then they should be kept away from those that who they threaten. And certainly in terms of my gut instinct is to be supportive of such a proposal.

Peter Stefanovic: Not too much?

Anthony Albanese: Well, we’ll wait and see the specifics of course. But the threat to society is real. We know that that's the case. We’ve seen it here in Sydney, we’ve seen it in Paris, we know that there is people who would seek to do us harm. The public have every right to expect that governments will do whatever is necessary to protect the public from those who would do us harm.

Peter Stefanovic: Christopher, what sort of support do you think this will get at COAG?

Christopher Pyne: Well I think that it will get a lot of support. A lot of the states already, I mean I know South Australia for example already has preventative detention for violent offenders and sex offenders who have not been rehabilitated. And what Malcolm Turnbull wants to do is expand that to terrorist offenders who have not been rehabilitated. And I think that is a sensible step and I think that the states and territories will embrace that and it is a step in the right direction. We have to as a government and at all state and territory governments protect our citizens as our number one priority. And our second priority must be to providing the jobs and growth necessary in the economy to make sure that we all have a happy life.

Peter Stefanovic: Alright moving on to a topic we just alluded to a little bit before, the former prime minister said after he was ousted that all of this sniping has to stop. Yet here we are, or here he is throwing all these darts at the Government, which could be seen as being somewhat hypocritical. So Christopher, has anyone thought of bringing the former prime minister in, checking him or pulling him into line?

Christopher Pyne: Well I don't think that we are going to check him, I think that he is perfectly well and happy. Look, he is not saying anything that is against the government's policy. He is out there advocating for his particular views, and I have a lot of respect for Tony Abbott. We are all just getting on with the job in our portfolios, and mine particularly in innovation and science. I spent the week talking about the Government's new proposals around commercialisation of research and creating the environment for enabling of risk and science, technology, engineering and maths subjects, et cetera, so we’re getting on with the job. He wants to talk about those issues and he is not saying anything outside the Government's policy and I welcome all players in the debate.

Anthony Albanese: Oh look, good try saying that Tony Abbott is happy.

Peter Stefanovic: It must be politically destabilising for the government, surely.

Anthony Albanese: Of course it is, Tony Abbott is not happy and he’s engaged in destabilisation. He is engaged in a deliberate campaign to derail the Government's agenda. It is no accident that every time the government has had a major announcement ready as they did this week, Tony Abbott’s out there undermining it by stopping them talking about what the Government wants to talk about and talking about his agenda and whether it's consistent with the Turnbull agenda. I mean these are people who don't like each other, who have very different political agendas and Tony Abbott really wants the top job back. And he has a whole bunch of people around him who are determined to undermine this government. So Malcolm Turnbull is at war with Tony Abbott. But Malcolm Turnbull’s also at war with himself over issues like climate change, marriage equality….

Christopher Pyne: This is all rubbish- Malcolm... this is rubbish and you know it. This is old politics.

Anthony Albanese: … and a range of policies where he frankly compromised himself in order to get the leadership.

Christopher Pyne: I mean I could be talking about how you want to be the leader of the Labor Party but I am not practicing old politics like you are because the public are not interested in all that nonsense.

Anthony Albanese: Tony Abbott is practicing old politics- Tony Abbott is practicing the politics of undermining the leader.

Christopher Pyne: The public wants to know what we are all going to do for jobs and growth, I have an innovation and science agenda…

Anthony Albanese: I agree with you, someone should tell Tony.

Peter Stefanovic: Alright.

Christopher Pyne: And we have an innovation and science agenda and you don’t.

Anthony Albanese: Ring him up Christopher if he would take your call.

Christopher Pyne: You don’t. You don’t have a plan. You don’t have a plan.

Anthony Albanese: I doubt whether he will.

Peter Stefanovic: Fellows, we are out of time unfortunately, we could talk for hours…

Anthony Albanese: We could.

Peter Stefanovic: … but we’re probably not going to get anywhere. But thank you very much for coming in.

Christopher Pyne: Happy Christmas.

Peter Stefanovic: Happy Christmas to you both too.

Anthony Albanese: Yeah merry Christmas.

Christopher Pyne: And have a good New Year.

[ends]