Transcript - Doorstop - 28 October 2010

SUBJECTS: Youth allowance motion; BER motion; John Howard's book

Christopher Pyne: Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming to this door stop to talk about the youth allowance motion that the House of Representatives has passed this morning. Thanks to Nola Marino and Darren Chester, who've done a terrific job at guiding this motion through the parliament and negotiating with the independents. The Coalition's had a very significant win today where 74 members of the parliament voted for our criteria to expand the youth allowance to inner regional students. And I would note that on the first occasion that the Government had an opportunity to support regional students, the Prime Minister having said post the election and doing a deal with rural independents to form government that rural education and rural issues would be at the forefront of the 43^rd parliament, the Government has taken a great run up and kicked in the teeth rural students by not expanding the youth allowance criteria for inner regional students.

They'll have to answer to that and of course Robert Oakeshott and Tony Windsor should now start to recognise the foundations upon which their agreements were based, which was that there'd be a focus on rural issues are very shaky indeed.  This is the first crack in the edifice of the agreement that the Government has with the rural independents to put rural issues front and centre. And of course I'll also ask Nola and Dan and Fiona to comment on the issues as Nola and Dan were responsible for this motion through the parliament and Fiona is set to introduce the same motion in the Senate. Nola, would you like to go first?

Nola Marino: Thank you. I really welcome the fact that the parliament this morning supported my motion and that is one that's based on bringing fairness back for rural and regional students. That's a very good outcome.

Fiona Nash: Certainly we've seen with the motion being passed in the House of Representatives today a step forward for fairness and equity for regional students. Now, this Labor - Greens Government chose to walk away from regional students and their educational needs. That's simply appalling, it is unacceptable and the Prime Minister should hang her head in shame for making the decision today not to support the regional students. We know it's so much more difficult for regional students to get an education and to get in a situation where this government is making it harder for regional students to get an education, not easier, is simply wrong. And for the Greens to not have supported this motion when they have for months now professed what is obviously fake support for regional students is absolutely appalling. Regional Australia cannot trust the Greens if this is the type of action they're going to see from them.

Darren Chester: We need to remember that this was a myth created by Julia Gillard when she was the Education Minister. She created the myth and she's got a chance now to try and fix the myth and work with us on the issue of fairness for regional and rural students. Like Fiona, I'm terribly disappointed the Greens haven't stood up and be counted with us in the interests of regional Australians.

Journalist: Mr Pyne, where were you this morning when the BER motion was (inaudible)? Why did you miss it?

Pyne: Don't you want to ask question about youth allowance?

Journalist: I do.

Pyne: Well, it became quite apparent to me at half past eight this morning, having spent the week negotiating with the independents that the bill on the judicial inquiry would not be successful, which is disappointing, but you give it your best shot and it became quite clear to me that we didn't have the numbers. I resolved that it would be a wise move to pass this bill through the Senate and give the House of Representatives a second bite at the cherry when the bill comes back to us. I also thought it was sensible therefore to not force the independents to vote against the bill in the House of Representatives so that they would then have an open mind when it came back in the New Year. And to force them to vote against it would have forced them to adopt a position to back away from. So therefore the judicial inquiry is still alive; it has not been voted on although it was defeated on the voices and we'll get a second go at it in the New Year.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: Well, Mr Albanese often goes off half cocked when he doesn't know the full facts. I was in the chamber when I was supposed to be there, 9:15am. Bill Shorten finished the introduction of his bill early; whether it was deliberate, I don't know. I wasn't there because I was there when I was supposed to be at 9:15am. I asked them recommit the debate so that I could explain what I've just explained to Latika to the parliament so they would know our position and so the independents would know our position and he's chosen not to do so.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: I'd already resolved that we wouldn't vote on the bill.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: I asked them to recommit the debate so that I could tell the parliament on the second reading the position the Colation had adopted because we would not divide so that we could have a second go at this in the New Year. And he chose not to do so, but I didn't ask for a recommittal of the vote because we were not going to call for a division on this. At 8:30 this morning I heard from one of the independents that they had indicated that they were considering their position; they confirmed this morning that they were not going to support the bill and I decided that there was no point in putting it to a vote which was going to be defeated and therefore in doing so lock them into a position from which they'd have to reverse in the New Year.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: If the thing hadn't come up before nine fifteen I was not going to be calling a division.

Journalist: When was this decision taken?

Pyne: Just before nine o'clock this morning.

Journalist: It's no stuff up?

Pyne: Well, just before nine o'clock this morning, having heard from all the independents, finally, I resolved that it would be better to keep the judicial inquiry alive by moving it through the senate and then having the opportunity to vote on it in the new year. And I think it's a sensible political position to adopt not to force the independents into a pointless vote having locked themselves into a position and asked them to reverse it.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: The Government called on the vote earlier by Bill Shorten finishing earlier. I really think it's a trite point. Mr Albanese is a very passionate fellow and if he'd listened to what I just told this press conference, I don't think he would have used such inflammatory language today...

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: I haven't had the opportunity today because we were voting on the youth allowance, which is a much more important motion because we had the opportunity of winning it, which of course we did do. So this is the first time Mr Albanese would have heard this.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: Well that's another view Catherine; we have vigorously pursued the waste and mismanagement in the School Halls' Stimulus debacle. I note that when Julia Gillard was talking about her supposed achievements at the National Press Club before the election, her $16 Billion School Halls stimulus programme wasn't even mentioned. Her only achievement was a website and the national curriculum, and the national curriculum of course is complete disaster. But, I took the view that the better parliamentary tactic was to keep the possibility of a judicial inquiry alive, and not force the independents into a pointless vote.

Journalist: (Inaudible)

Pyne: Well it's my Bill, so I took the position.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: Well of course I consult with senior colleagues. I'm part of the leadership group every morning-

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: No, no Patricia. The call on the vote was left to me because I am the person responsible for the area.

Journalist: Did you tell them though, that it was your decision - (inaudible)?

Pyne: The Leader was fully aware of the position.

Journalist: My Pyne, do you think you will be able to convince these independents to back it next time it comes to the House of Reps and how do you plan to that?

Pyne: Look I hope that the Senate will pass the Judicial Enquiry Bill. I think that more and more examples of waste and mismanagement will come to pass as the months progress. The final report of the Orgill taskforce of course is yet to be handed down. So there's a lot more water to go under the bridge before the BER is completed. As you know the BER is running about two years behind schedule. In estimates, it was confirmed the ACCC was investigating the possible collusion between contractors and State Governments. 40% of the BER money is yet to be spent, so there's a great deal to come out about the BER as the months progress and by the time we get to the new year, I would hope that the independents who indicated to me that they weren't going to support it, will have had a change of heart. As each day progresses, more Labor messes are coming to light and I think the view the independents took in supporting the Government that helped the Labor Party form Government is getting a bit shaky, given another story today about how public housing has inflated in its price in Brisbane because of Government's economic stimulus plan and how they've mishandled tat. I mean there's a new mess every day, and if I was one of the independents, by the New Year I might well be reconsidering the disaster that is this government.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: Look, the Greens have had more positions on the youth allowance than the Karma Sutra, and this morning is their latest iteration of their position on the youth allowance. It's quite ludicrous for the Greens to have voted against today to expand the youth allowance to rural and regional areas, when their position is apparently that more people should have access to the youth allowance. And yet this morning the Greens voted to limit this allowance. Now I'm not sure why. They do have this very tight alliance with the Government. The Greens are of course purer than the driven snow never decide anything other than on pure principle, seem to be changing their mind on many issues in order to get the Government to support them in particular ways. You know, that's politics I guess, but I'm certainly not going to take any lectures from the greens about the major parties being party politically driven. The greens are operating like a ruthless political machine, they are driving the Labor Party wild with the positions that they are taking, and the Government is in a dangerous and close alliance with the Greens because they fear their electoral potency.

Journalist: (Inaudible)

Pyne: Well that's a matter we will decide at the time

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: Well I'll let Fiona answer the second question Dan, as Fiona is the Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Eduction. In terms of the effect of the motion, the House of Representatives has sent a very clear message to the Government today that they want the youth allowance to be extended to those living in inner regional areas. It was an overwhelming vote, 74-70. Every independent, apart from the Green supported the Coalition and the Government needs to heed the House of Representatives opinion. Of course we can't pass an Appropriation Bill. The Senate will now, through Fiona will move a very similar motion. They can make a request for an appropriation. If the Senate passes that, it will be a very interesting Constitutional question about whether the Government is able to simply ignore, whether the Executive is simply able to ignore the Parliament. I guess the usual suspects will be commenting on all those matters if that happens. Oh sorry the second question, Fiona.

Nash: Well certainly people need to remember that it was only the Liberals and Nationals that have taken up this fight for people out in the regions. We've seen today briefly the independents supporting us. But we've been the only ones for a long time now recognising the inequities that exist for regional students. Now we said during the election campaign that we thought it would be appropriate for the funding to come from the Education Infrastructure Fund, and indeed it is. You make the point that it is an infrastructure fund, but it is appropriate for the funding to come from there. Quite frankly there's no point in even having an infrastructure if students can't even get to university and be able to utilise it. So we do need to make sure that these things are budget neutral, to make sure that they are appropriately done. I have introduced this morning a Private Senator's Bill into the Senate which will mirror what most of the motion has, it requires that the eligibility criteria for the independent youth allowance to be fairly reached across all of the zones and that includes inner regional. And for Sarah Hanson Young of the Green to say she doesn't support this motion is a complete contraction to what she said to the people of regional Australia and she should be ashamed of herself and they will see her (inaudible).

Journalist: there's not much money left in the education investment fund, how would the changes be funded once the money's gone.

Nash: Certainly we would look at the forward years and see how that would come appropriately, but the point is to make sure that students right now can be assisted and treated fairly. We'll be certainly looking at the longer term of having better funding arrangements in place for the long term. Indeed, the Coalition indicated during the election campaign that this is only a first step. We want to look at youth allowance more broadly and make sure it is more equitable and more fair for regional students.

Journalist: Did you read Peter Costello's column yesterday and is there any part of it with which you disagree?

Pyne: Before I say that, there are four of us here, but we won't be having the habitual group hug at this press conference unlike the last one where there were four of us at a press conference. Peter Costello's column? No, I haven't had a chance to read it.

Journalist: Have you read John Howard's book?

Pyne: No, I haven't had a chance to read John Howard's book. It's 711 pages. I did wander down to the shop to get it, but they'd already sold out, so good luck to him, he's obviously going to make a fortune out of it and so he should. I think the shoe incident probably helped his chances of selling more books so he's probably quite pleased about that too. I'm sure it's an excellent book and I'm looking forward to the opportunity of reading it. I understand I'm barely mentioned.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: I think there's a storm in a tea cup happening, Catherine as often happens in these kinds of parliaments. It's getting towards the silly season and people are making things up and there's no pressure on Joe Hockey whatsoever. He's a fantastic Shadow Treasurer

Pyne: and he will make a terrific Treasurer if we had an Abbott Government, and he will make a terrific Treasurer in an Abbott Government, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Journalist: Are you feeling the love from the Speaker?

Pyne: I think the Speaker has a very secret support for me and I have a very good relationship with the Speaker.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: Well if slag and bag is in order, then windbag is in order, but these things are the spur of the moment. I think the Speaker does a very good job. It's a tough gig. Some people make his job harder than others, and I think we have a very good relationship. Thank you

ENDS