Transcript - Radio National - 22 February 2011

SUBJECTS: Opinion polls; Refugee policy; Youth Allowance

Fran Kelly: Christopher Pyne, welcome back to breakfast.

Christopher Pyne: Good morning, Fran.

Kelly: We'll get to the youth allowance issue in a moment, but today's shadow cabinet meeting; does everyone need a bit of a lecture about discipline?

Pyne: No, I don't think so, Fran. I think the lack of discipline has already been discussed on your program in the last few seconds with you talking about Kevin Rudd and his view of the factional bosses in the Labor Party.

Kelly: What about outbreaks in your side of politics?

Pyne: We don't have any outbreaks on our side....

Kelly: Oh, come on.

Pyne: We are a robust and democratic political party. The truth is that there is a cesspool on the Labor side of hatred that hasn't died since the axing of Kevin Rudd last July. Lady Macbeth leads the Labor Party and the people that support Kevin Rudd are still angry; the people who support Bill Shorten are still organising; the people who support Steve Smith are still working and Wayne Swan is wondering why people don't want him...

Kelly: Ok, ok. What about the fault lines that have opened up in your side of politics over Muslim immigration, over that foreign aid issue with Indonesian schools, we've now had Judi Moylan calling on politicians from both sides to end the escalating hysterical rhetoric over these issues of asylum and refugees. There is a split within your side about that; you've had a messy few weeks and it seems the polls are reflecting that.

Pyne: Look, Fran, the polls come and go. Sometimes they go up, sometimes they go down. The more remarkable thing about the polls is that the Labor Party isn't further in front since they won an election in August last year and they should be enjoying a honeymoon period. The fact that they're not enjoying a honeymoon period I think speaks volumes about people's lack of confidence in the Labor Party as a Government. They're concerned about their high taxing policies, their high spending policies, the fact that they never managed to find a saving, and they always reached for attacks. I think the Labor Party is in all sorts of trouble in the electorate. That's the evidence that I pick up in my own electorate. I think the polls will come and the polls will go. The only one that counts is the one on Election Day.

Kelly: The evidence that's been on display over the last few weeks though. I just ran through the fault lines on immigration for instance. Is there an ideological battle underway for the heart and soul of the Liberal Party at the moment?

Pyne: No.

Kelly: Do you join Judi Moylan in her call for men and women of conscience in the Parliament to call for the end of politicisation of asylum policy?

Pyne: I don't think there should be any politicisation of asylum policy. What I think we all should do is ensure our borders are well protected, that people do not come here in an unauthorised way. I think the truth is that the Labor Party's policies have been a remarkable failure. I think Judi Moylan is reflecting on people's concern about a Government that doesn't seem to have an answer.

Kelly: But she has concerns about the policies being espoused on your side of politics, do you support any of those concerns?

Pyne: Well I have an enormous regard for Judy Moylan and she fills her position very keenly she's an articulate advocate for her view, I welcome the fact that in the Liberal Party we have a diversity of views which are allowed to be expressed unlike the Marxist Leninist of the Labor Party when it comes to policy not when it comes to axing leaders on the other hand and I agree with Judy that it's very important that the debate about borders is carried on in a respectful and reasonable way.

Kelly: In Question Time yesterday the Prime Minister no doubt wanting to cause mischief for your side of politics is demanding that Tony Abbott banish the spect of One Nation, there is a perception emerging that One Nation is exerting influence over Coalition Policy. Are you concerned about that or are you concerned about that perception and you can guarantee it's not the case?

Pyne: It's utterly false, absolutely absurd, and quite frankly one of the most fantastic, in terms of fantasy ideas, that I have heard in politics.

Kelly: Let's go to the Youth Allowance now and the debate on the Private Members Bill passed by the Senate, the Bill was not debated in the House because the government persuaded the cross benchers that it would be unconstitutional to do so. You accused the cross-benchers of being bamboozled by the government, but is it appropriate to debate something that is in breech of the Constitution?

Pyne: Well look, Fran, there's no doubt that the Government backed down on Youth Allowance yesterday in the face of the Coalition's pressure that we've been applying for 12 months. The Bill was not an appropriations Bill, my great concern is that if the Executive can simply say that a Bill is an Appropriations Bill, it will mean that the Parliament will loose its paramountcy over the Executive. I think the independents were intimidated and bamboozled by the government yesterday so much so that Robert Oakeshott seconded Adam Bandt's amendment to Anthony Albanese's motion, spoke in favour of Adam Bandt's amendment and then voted against it after what seemed to be a very brief meeting with the Prime Minister in Joel Fitzgibbon's office across the corridor from the Chamber, so I'm not exactly sure what Julia Gillard offered the member for Lyne but perhaps he should tell us because it did seem to me to be a rather curious development.

Kelly: Christopher Pyne, thanks very much for joining us.

Pyne: It's a pleasure.

ENDS