Today Show - News of the Day - 26 Feb 2009

Karl Stefanovic:

Joining us to discuss what is making news in the papers, Shadow Education Minister Christopher Pyne. Christopher welcome to the program.

Christopher Pyne MP:

Good morning Karl.

Stefanovic:

Well the Federal Government has spent a massive $1 million on quote ""Happiness Workshops"" for bureaucrats from Julia Gillard's department. Why are they so unhappy and is it a complete and utter waste of money?

Pyne:

Well it just reminds me of the old 'Wastewatch' committee we had in the 1990s, when we used to pick up surfboards with special spots for women which were different from the ones for men - grants for those kind of things. A million dollar happiness conference for public servants? It's bizarre. Maybe because Kevin Rudd is making them work so many long hours, all day all night shifts, they feel that their morale is low. But in a time of real economic struggle when tens of thousands of Australians are looking at losing their jobs it is completely inappropriate.

Stefanovic:

You have nothing in that sort of closet do you?

Pyne:

About happiness conferences? No I don't think so. I don't think we ever did anything like that in the Howard Government. But they're in Government now and they've got to take responsibility and Julia Gillard's the Minister, and really she owes an explanation about how they can find a million dollars for a happiness conference, and a million dollars for Lady on a Bidet, for the National Gallery, but there are Australians losing their jobs at Chesty Bonds as we speak.

Stefanovic:

Okay, let's talk about that. Hundreds of workers have lost their jobs following Pacific Brands decision to shut down their production line. The PM says your mob is popping champagne corks when there are job losses. You know it's caused a great deal of consternation for those people involved, but also brings the argument back to the stimulus package which you say is not working, fairly good evidence of that it would seem, or growing evidence. How do you feel personally about the losses, and could more have been done to save our manufacturing sector including this company?

Pyne:

Well I think we all feel very sad and very worried when families lose their jobs because we know that many of them will have children, some will be looking after grandchildren at home, we worry about how they're going to pay their bills, how they're going to put food on the table. It is a real concern for all Australians and it unfortunately goes to the fact the $10 billion cash splash in December did very little for retail sales, very little for creating jobs or hanging onto jobs, and the Government can't keep running out the glib one liners like the Opposition is happy or unhappy. They basically have to do something, and the Opposition has made some suggestions. We've offered to support tax cuts, for example, but they're just not doing any of the things that we suggest.

Stefanovic:

Okay, I just want a quick comment from you on McDonalds. They've upped the prices in the areas where people can least afford it, have you got anything to say about that?

Pyne:

Well I think it's a bit un-Australian myself. It would be like Don Bradman's highest score being surpassed by an Australian cricketer, and I note that Tubby Taylor didn't do so. McDonalds need to have a good long look at themselves and at that policy because it's just not going to work: the Australian public won't put up with it.

Stefanovic:

Good call. Now to one of the funnier moments in Parliament this week: let's take a look.

(Footage of Julia Gillard in Parliament.)

Stefanovic:

Let's go with mincing and poodle first, would you like your revenge?

Pyne:

No Karl. Julia likes to outshine Kevin in Question Time. It's not very hard, because he's not very interesting. As we know he's a bit of a manifestly dull performer, so Julia like to rile up the Labor Party backbench, outshining Kevin. That really goes more to the tensions in the Labor Party than it does to anything else. I prefer substance to flim flam. Julia prefers the witty one-liners. But as a lot of people like to say, it's not about the size of the dog in the fight, it about the size of the fight in the dog.

Stefanovic:

(Laughing) Nice. You do like ABBA though I hear?

Pyne:

I love ABBA, who doesn't love ABBA?

ENDS