Transcript - PH Doorstop - 22 June 2010

SUBJECTS: School Hall Rip-off Program; Experience for Government; Australian Soldiers' Deaths in Afghanistan

Christopher Pyne: Verity Firth has suspended payments to one of the contractors in New South Wales because of shoddy workmanship and 60 more projects in New South Wales are under investigation for whether their payments will be forwarded to them from the New South Wales Government. This is just more evidence that the school hall rip-off program needs to be suspended and that the five and a half billion dollars that's planned to be spent on July the first should be put on hold until a proper judicial inquiry can be run, which has been the Opposition's call for some months. At least that way a third of the money that could be spent will get value for money even if the rest in many instances has been wasted and mismanaged.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: It is one of the major construction companies; I won't say the name of them, but there are ten major contractors in New South Wales and this is just another good example, another straw in the wind of why Julia Gillard has to stop pretending that everything with the school hall rip-off program is working and listen to what is actually happening out on the ground. Unfortunately the chairman of her hand picked taskforce appears to have got Stockholm syndrome and decided that everything Julia Gillard is saying about the school hall rip-off program is correct and I don't think we can rely on that taskforce to come up with any useful recommendations.

Journalist: Is he biased?

Pyne: Well, unfortunately Mr Orgill appears in all his evidence to the Upper House inquiry in New South Wales, and in media statements he's made - and I know he had a media advisor seemingly before he had any other staff - that seems to quote the same rhetoric that Julia Gillard uses. I think that is an indication that he's not approaching this in the way that the Opposition had hoped, which is forensically by appointing a team of forensic accountants and auditors and lawyers, he seems instead to be part of the cheer squad for the Government's school hall rip-off program.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: If the Opposition is elected we will not keep the taskforce. I think its usefulness is deeply concerning, under deep suspicion. And we will instead institute a judicial inquiry which we have promised for some months.

Journalist: Christopher, is the Coalition's house in order? Are you read to govern if the Rudd Government loses the election? According to today's Australian there is a couple of marginal which they're looking at losing that could lose them the poll.

Pyne: Well, that's an assessment the Australian people will make on Election Day. I simply make the point that there are five former cabinet ministers in the current Shadow Cabinet; more than any other number in any new government for decades.

Journalist: (inaudible)

Pyne: I don't think now is the time to be discussing the nature of our engagement in Afghanistan. Obviously we're all deeply upset that there have been five deaths in two weeks in Afghanistan, and there are still people that are injured. That debate is something for the future.

Journalist: Do you think it's something we should be debating in the future?

Pyne: Look, I strongly support our involvement in Afghanistan. I believe that Australia should be at the forefront as one of the countries that has fought for liberty and freedom for 110 years. In defending liberty and freedom in Afghanistan, there will be casualties. It's a great tragedy an the Australian Parliament stopped yesterday to note that, but that doesn't mean we should lose our resolve to defeat terrorism.

Ends