Today Show

22 Jan 2016 Transcipt

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Interview – TODAY Show
Friday 22 January 2016


SUBJECTS:
Queensland Nickel & Clive Palmer, Middle East Troop Deployment, NSW Liberal Party Pre-selections

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: The Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Christopher Pyne joins us from Adelaide and Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen is here in studio with us this morning. Christopher Pyne to you first, would you like to see the back of Clive?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well, good morning Sylvia and good morning Chris. Well, Clive has to made his own decisions about his political future, obviously his political party has been a disaster, he’s lost all his Members other than Dio Wong and himself, and he’s got serious issues with Queensland Nickel. I understand that Queensland Nickel gave 21 million dollars to the Palmer United Party and what this is, is example of is why people shouldn’t play with independents and minor party because of the instability they create and, quite frankly, whether it’s Labor or Liberal, we have the processes in place to ensure that we don’t have the kinds of outcomes that happen with something like the Palmer United Party or One Nation, or whatever particular political party is passing at the time.

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: If we’re talking about instability clearly that is happening in the major parties too, let’s not ignore that…

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: We’re pretty stable.

Chris Bowen: Apart from the odd change of Prime Minister.

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: And we know Tony Abbott is recontesting his seat this year so we’ll see what comes from that. Should Mr Palmer at least not step aside, and this is for both of you, while administrators investigate these dubious payments from Queensland Nickel?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well, it’s a question for the law, Sylvia, and Clive will have to abide by whatever the law requires of him, now, there are rules around MPs in Parliament. If an MP is convicted of an offense that has a jail sentence of 12 months or more then they have to leave the Parliament automatically, so I don’t think we’re in that position. Clive will have to abide by the law; he doesn’t need to leave the Parliament unless that’s the case. Whether he could contest the next election or not is a moot point, that’s a matter for him, but I would’ve thought that the people of Fairfax might be looking for a new Member come the election at the end of the year.

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: The Australian is reporting this morning that an initial look at the refinery’s books suggest that Queensland Nickel not only propped up Palmer’s party but also his other enterprises including the ailing Coolam Resort, which is been another headache all together; it’s wrong isn’t it Chris?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, I think the main issue is the workers affected, the more than 200 workers and making sure that they get as much support and they get access to their entitlements and that they get all the information and support necessary, whether Clive Palmer is in the Parliament or not doesn’t really change that. I think the AWU’s done the right thing, my understanding is that they’ve called for an ASIC enquiry into all this, the AWU’s been representing been representing their members. I know there’s a meeting of creditors next week, hopefully there’s more information for the workers in particular, but I think the workers are the key here, whether Clive Palmer’s in Parliament, fundamentally Christopher’s right, that will be dealt with by the voters at the next election in effect, but in the meantime what we can all do is make sure there’s all the appropriate support necessary for those people that are losing their jobs in Queensland Nickel.

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: 237 families facing great hardship right now. Moving on now our Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has returned home, of course, from meeting President Obama where international security was top of the agenda. Christopher Bowen, to you first, we’ve got two Christopher’s this morning…

CHRIS BOWEN: Only my Mum calls me Christopher.

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: Oh, sorry I know Christopher Pyne likes Christopher so I’m mixing it up; at least we know you’re Chris.

CHRIS BOWEN: No worries.

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: The government has rejected, of course, a US request for more Australian troops in the Middle East, would it be different under Labor?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, Australia’s already providing the second biggest contribution to the efforts, second only to the United States, and France has a presence as well, now we’re being briefed on the details of the request but on the face of it we are already making a very substantial contribution, if the government’s got their reasons for declining the request from the United States on the face of it that would appear to fair enough but we haven’t been briefed on the details and often on these national security matters we do get briefed but we provide, wherever we can, bipartisan support on matters of national security, particularly our deployment of the Middle East and we will continue to do that in this case.

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: Christopher Pyne, it’s a hard sell to say to say that you stand beside the United States on fighting terror in the Middle East but you won’t do more to help.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well, Sylvia we have the second largest presence in Iraq after the United States, we are certainly doing our bit. The Europeans are assisting and Malcom Turnbull has asked the Europeans to do more. We do need to make sure that we are doing our capability but not leaving Australia at risk as well, we have to protect our own country and we’ll help where we can. Now, our troops, our air force is making a serious contribution in the Middle East in the retaking of Ramadi, for example, was done with the advice and support of the Australian Special Forces, not taking part themselves but advising the Iraqi Army in how to act. That was a very successful enterprise and that is the model that we want to adopt, we want the Iraqis to have their own solution to the problems that they have in their country, and we’re assisting to do so, but we’re not going to stretch our resources to the extent where we are at risk ourselves, obviously, and we are the second largest contributor to the Middle East forces so we’re definitely doing our bit, we always have, and we always will.

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: Alright let’s talk a bit about the Game of Thrones style shuffling that is going on within the Liberal ranks at the moment. Dick Smith is threatening to run against Bronwyn Bishop in her seat, is Ms Bishop safe?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well, it’s a democracy Sylvia; people can run wherever they want to…

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: He’s very popular.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well, you know so are you…

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: [Laughs] Says who?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: And you’re not necessarily going to run for Parliament, there are popular people everywhere. If Dick Smith wants to run for Parliament, you know, he can take his chances along with the next person. I’m sure Bronwyn Bishop will be returned by her electors if she chooses to run because she’s a very effective local Member, and she’s work very hard in Mackellar since she went from the Senate to the Lower House. After redistributions there’s always a preselection period, in the Liberal Party we are a democratic Party, we don’t believe in decisions being made in smoke filled back rooms as they do in the Labor Party factions, we give our members a real vote in pre-selections because we believe in democracy.

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: Chris Bowen, would you welcome Dick Smith in Parliament?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, he’s entitled to run but I think the real question is will Bronwyn Bishop be a Liberal Party candidate? There’s all sorts of troubles with Liberal Party pre-selections, you’ve got Bronwyn Bishop, Phillip Ruddock, Angus Taylor, Craig Kelly, John Alexander all being challenged from what we read in a factional warfare between the moderates, the centre right, the extreme right, the left right out, all these factions within the Liberal Party who are waring over these seats here in New South Wales.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well, you know about factions.

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, you know we’re not having the big preselection blues that you seem to be having with sitting members being challenged left right and center Christopher

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: We’ve got a lot more members than you do

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, that’s a statement of fact

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: Gentleman we’ve got to leave it there, we’ll leave it on that note. You’ve got two weeks of rest, or some level of rest before Parliament resumes and you’ve got two weeks left of holiday for the year Chris Bowen.

CHRIS BOWEN: Well Sportsbet is taking bets on how long the year will last so I couldn’t reveal what’s going to go or not because that would be inside trading and we’d make an unfair profit.

SYLVIA JEFFERIES: Alright, well I’ll have a word to you out the back after this segment, thank you both for joining us this morning.

[ends]