Interview with Mark Parton, Radio 2CC

Subjects: Election 2010; economic management.

E&OE

MARK PARTON:

The Opposition Leader joins me on the phone right now. Mr Abbott, good morning.

TONY ABBOTT:

Good morning Mark.

MARK PARTON:

Where are you with this proposed economic debate? Is it on? When and where?

TONY ABBOTT:

What I said last night was that I really want Julia Gillard to offer the people of Queensland the same community forum that she offered to the people of western Sydney and I said look I was only too happy to debate the economy with her and would gladly do a half an hour on the ABC tonight, moderated by Chris Uhlmann. But she really does have to front up to the people of Queensland. I think, Mark, that probably the most lively and instructive part of this campaign was the Rooty Hill RSL meeting last week. I think that’s, in many respects, less stylised and more authentic than the much more structured National Press Club debates that we’ve seen because it’s basically the same people arguing that are always arguing, the journalists and the politicians. But if you have these community forums, it’s a chance for the real people, particularly undecided voters, to question the leaders. So, that’s really what I’d like to see, more of these community forums and…

MARK PARTON:

See, I would have thought that Julia Gillard appearing at a people’s forum anywhere in Queensland would be like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad going shopping in Tel Aviv and I can understand why she’s not all that keen.

TONY ABBOTT:

But she shouldn’t run away from people. In the end it’s not journalists and politicians who’ll determine this election. It’s voters, it’s people and that’s why I think giving the people an opportunity to question their leaders, unmediated, is a really important innovation and…

MARK PARTON:

So where’s it at? Is there a chance that that’s going to happen? What’s the last communiqué that you’ve received from the Prime Minister’s office?

TONY ABBOTT:

Look, the actual communications are being handled by the respective party secretaries. My understanding is that this forum in Brisbane is being promoted by the Courier Mail which is the home town paper and I think it would be very, very difficult for the Prime Minister to refuse an invitation from the Courier Mail, particularly now that I’ve said, look, I’m happy to debate the economy with her to make it easier for her. So, I’ve certainly gone more than halfway to meeting her requests and…

MARK PARTON:

I’m glad you have. I’m glad because I was critical of you for not taking up that challenge earlier so we hope it happens. Both campaigns in my opinion have been bloody woeful thus far, Mr Abbott. Because both of you have tiptoed the whole way like you’re in a minefield. The campaign’s been punctuated more by what you haven’t discussed than by what you have and I just want to know how much have you been hamstrung by the Liberal machine? Never mind the real Julia, what about the real Tony? Where’s he gone?

TONY ABBOTT:

The real Tony is talking to you Mark. I mean, the real Tony, as you know, is always on display. Now, hopefully it’s the real, disciplined Tony that you’ve got this morning.

MARK PARTON:

You’re not playing as many, if this was a game of cricket, you’re not playing as many shots as you used to, say a year and a half ago.

TONY ABBOTT:

Mark, what people expect of Prime Ministers and would-be Prime Ministers is discipline and the ability to respond in a very considered way.

MARK PARTON:

Has that been hard?

TONY ABBOTT:

Well, I think the election campaign is gruelling because you’re always on display and I guess in that sense you’re always under pressure. But I’ve enjoyed it because this is an extraordinary privilege, to lead a major party in an election campaign and you were saying earlier Mark that the Prime Minister is favourite to win and I think that’s right. I am the underdog but I tell you, this is a very, very winnable election. I’ve got a great candidate in David Gazard who is running for Eden-Monaro and obviously I’ve got a great Senator, Gary Humphries, who’s running in the ACT. So look, I think that people who support the Coalition should be very encouraged that we are extremely competitive in this election.

MARK PARTON:

If David Gazard doesn’t topple Mike Kelly in Eden Monaro, I think he may well be one of the best unsuccessful candidate. Very impressive candidate. Can you win Eden Monaro?

TONY ABBOTT:

Oh, yes we certainly can. I know there was a discouraging poll a while bit, but it was a pretty small sample and I think our campaign has improved very strongly since then. You’re right about David Gazard. I mean, he is, I know him very well. I worked with him closely for years. He is an absolutely outstanding bloke. He was a fine journalist. He was a fine political staffer. He’s now in business on the land, I mean, he’s got the kind of broad experience which I think politics needs.

MARK PARTON:

Ok, let’s go from the candidate that you want to talk about to perhaps one that you don’t. What can you tell me about Darren Jameson? Has he really put his chances of victory in Robertson at risk with this egg throwing incident?

TONY ABBOTT:

He didn’t throw the eggs.

MARK PARTON:

I know he didn’t throw the eggs. I know he didn’t throw the eggs. That would be a whole different story.

TONY ABBOTT:

Yeah, look, Mark, my understanding is that eggs were thrown at his car. He stopped and questioned those who he thought had been throwing the eggs. It doesn’t seem unreasonable behaviour. Let’s face it, he’s a former policeman, in fact, I think he is still a policeman and it’s the kind of thing that a policeman would do when confronted with a bit of unruly behaviour on the streets.

MARK PARTON:

Labor and the unions say that if you win you guys are going to carve up the public service here. The ACTU have cobbled together these amazing figures suggesting that 30,000 jobs will go as a result of your cuts. How do you respond to that a, and b, can you really, really cut the public service by 12,000 just be natural attrition? How’s that going to work?

TONY ABBOTT:

Well, yes we can because I think something like 10,000 leave every year anyway and so all we have to do is replace about one in two.

MARK PARTON:

Is there that much fat though?

TONY ABBOTT:

Well, just three years ago there were 20,000 fewer people on the Commonwealth payroll, so we’re not even going back to 07 figures, Mark. We’re just modestly pairing back by natural attrition the increase that’s taken place under Labor. Now, it’s very easy for the union to go out there and whip up a story of gloom and doom, but I think that Canberra and Queanbeyan, they’re now major commercial cities, I mean, there not public service towns the way they once were and I think people are more than capable of coping with this.

MARK PARTON:

Well, I must mention Julia Gillard at the campaign launch yesterday, compared our national debt to someone earning $100,000 having a $6,000 loan. How does that grab you?

TONY ABBOTT:

Well, that’s $6 billion that we will be paying in interest in 2012/13. So, that’s $6 billion that this debt is causing to go on interest that would otherwise be available to build eight major tertiary hospitals. We could build three of the Parramatta to Epping rail loops, which the Government has promised but frankly will never ever deliver.

MARK PARTON:

But in particular, the comparison. She saying, really, let’s get it in context. It’s like a person earning $100,000 having a $6,000 loan. Is that, is that, do you see that as being a genuinely accurate…

TONY ABBOTT:

No, because if it was extrapolated more generally, it would mean that the Americans and the British and the Greeks don’t really have that much of a problem and obviously, the Greeks have a very serious problem and the British have a serious problem because, as you know, the incoming conservative government there has had to cut some portfolios by 25 per cent which really are big cuts and I think its important that we make modest reductions now when the debt is still manageable, rather than leave it for three years, which would happen under Labor and then have to repair a much worse situation.

MARK PARTON:

Mr Abbott, thanks for you time this morning. Good luck on Saturday.

[ends]