Interview with Karl Stefanovic, The Today Show, Channel Nine
Posted on Friday, 20 May 2011
Subjects: Julia Gillard’s carbon tax; Wayne Swan’s $2 billion budget hole; NAPLAN.
E&OE……………………….…………………………………………………………………
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Good morning to you, Tony.
TONY ABBOTT:
`Morning, Karl.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Where are you at this morning? Looks like an airport runway behind you.
TONY ABBOTT:
No Karl, I’m at the Sydney Fish Markets. I’m doing a bit of a tour of Sydney today to talk about the carbon tax and the cost of living pressures that it will put on families and I’m starting here at the fish markets and then I’m off to the western suburbs.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
How much would a piece of bream cost under the Federal Government’s carbon tax?
TONY ABBOTT:
Well, the fishing boat will pay more for its fuel. Obviously, the person selling it will pay more for his electricity and the person transporting it will pay more for fuel. So, everything is going up under Labor’s toxic tax.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Alright, you’ve thought about that one, haven’t you?
TONY ABBOTT:
I have, mate.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Alright, let’s talk about this story which I think is a very big story today for the Federal Government, in particular Wayne Swan. Wayne Swan has essentially promised the mining companies that he will reimburse any money that is charged to them. The Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett is saying that he is now going to increase the money that he is actually going to take in terms of royalties from iron ore to about $2 billion. That puts a massive $2 billion hole in Wayne Swan’s Budget.
TONY ABBOTT:
That’s exactly right, Karl. The budget surplus is entirely hostage to the actions of the state governments, that is if the Federal Government keeps its promises to the mining companies. Now, this is almost going to destroy the forecast surplus and what it means is if another state, New South Wales or Queensland, raises royalties the surplus would entirely go or alternatively, the war starts again with the mining companies and it just goes to show what a dodgy deal the mining tax deal was. It shows what a bad tax the mining tax is and it shows how unreliable Wayne Swan’s forecast surplus is.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
So, how would you control the state governments increasing those royalties?
TONY ABBOTT:
Well, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t have a mining tax in the first place. Look, the state governments are perfectly entitled to increase the royalties. Mining companies pay tax twice, they pay tax to the Federal Government through the companies tax, they pay tax to the state governments through royalties. That’s the money that they pay to use the non-renewable resources that they’re taking out of the ground. It’s a perfectly good system. It’s worked well in the past, it will work well in the future and the mining tax just completely mucks it up.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Do you have any indication that any of the other state premiers will do the same because it looks, for all intents and purposes, as if there’s nothing to prevent them doing it?
TONY ABBOTT:
There is nothing to prevent them doing it. That’s why it is such an unreliable surplus. That’s why no one can believe Wayne Swan when he says that there’ll be a $3.5 billion surplus in two years time on top of more than $150 billion worth of accumulated deficits.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Alright, let’s move on. During the week Mr Turnbull again admitted to still holding some leadership ambitions. This is what he had to say about climate change.
MALCOLM TURNBULL:
If you want to have a long-term technique of cutting carbon emissions, you know, in a very substantial way, to the levels that the scientists are telling us we need to do by mid century to avoid dangerous climate change, then a direct action policy where the government, where industry was able to freely pollute, if you like, and the government was just spending more and more taxpayers’ money to offset it, that would become a very expensive charge on the budget.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Ok, that was Malcolm Turnbull on Lateline a couple of nights ago. Senior Liberals this morning are saying that essentially he is never going to lead the party. Is that the case?
TONY ABBOTT:
Look, three points. First point, Karl, every member of parliament is perfectly entitled to aspire to go higher, including Malcolm. Second point is that Malcolm fully supports the Coalition’s policy on climate change. Third point is that we’re not talking about massive cuts by mid-century. What we’re talking about is a five per cent emissions reduction target by 2020 and that’s more than achievable with the Coalition’s direct action policy. If you’re going to try to get massive cuts in emissions through a tax or through an emissions trading scheme, obviously the price of carbon will just go through the roof and that’s what the Government, that’s what the Greens are talking about. We’ve got the Greens now talking about a $100 a tonne carbon price.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
You’re not worried about Malcolm Turnbull though, are you, at all?
TONY ABBOTT:
Look, I’m doing my job Karl. What I’m doing is talking about the cost of living threat, the jobs threat that is posed by Labor’s toxic tax.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Ok, let’s move on. Controversy over the NAPLAN test has again emerged with some claiming schools are using the results to cherry-pick the best students. We’ve had a lot of emails about this. So, I wanted to gauge your thoughts on it. There seems to be some problems, this is one email that has been sent in by Julie. She says “I work in a boys’ Catholic junior school in Brisbane. Many of our boys were turned down from a boys’ Catholic secondary school in the city. All the boys turned down had poor year five NAPLAN results.” What are your thoughts on the pressures that this is placing on teachers and students and whether or not there’s a better alternative here?
TONY ABBOTT:
Look Karl, I guess if these reports are right, some schools are using the NAPLAN as a kind of an entrance examination. I guess it means that a lot more schools are effectively becoming selective schools. Now, there is no perfect system here but I think that people have a right to know how schools are going and I’m in favour of information, just as a general principle.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Alright, so you’re supporting the NAPLAN continuing and that information being made public by those schools potentially?
TONY ABBOTT:
Look, I’m not saying, Karl, that the system can’t be improved but I do think as a general principle it’s right that people should have access to information.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
One final one on a lighter note for you Tony, as we head in towards the weekend. This is as you know, our final day on earth. How would you spend it, if that be the case?
TONY ABBOTT:
Well, I very much hope that it’s not my final day on earth. I’d like to do quite a few things after today, Karl. But look, if I had to, if this was my last day I guess I’d go for a surf, I’d spend the day with my family and I’d probably head off to see Cardinal Pell to say my confession, that’s probably what I’d do.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Well you’d need more than a day, wouldn’t you?
TONY ABBOTT:
Oh, he’s heard it before, so I wouldn’t have to repeat. Some old sins I wouldn’t have to go over!
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Thanks Tony, have a great week.
TONY ABBOTT:
Good on you.
[ends]