Transcript: Julia Gillard with Simon Beaumont, 6PR Perth
Julia Gillard
posted Monday, 9 August 2010
HOST: Julia Gillard, thank you for coming in today. Nice to see you back in Perth.
PM: Good morning Simon. It’s good to be here.
HOST: Lightening trip this time around. It is a quick trip but I’ve come here to announce a major plan for the future of Australian education and I’ve wanted to do that here in Perth because we’ve been investing in, and I’m very supporting of some of the things that have happened here, including particularly the independent public schools trial, which we worked for and funded, state government here has obviously rolled out and it’s part of the future of schools empowering school principals.
HOST: We’ll get to that in a moment, I think education is something people will want to hear you talk about today and that’s why you’re here. One of the reasons you are in WA, let’s be blunt, is Western Australia is a tough state for you, is a tough state for the ALP. I mean, do you honestly expect that West Australians will welcome Kevin Rudd back onto your team? Given what we saw with the Super Profits Tax and the attack on the mining industry here?
PM: Look, when I come to this state, I mean, people are very conscious, this is a great resource state. It’s a state with a fantastic and prosperous future, and people’s focus is on who’s got the better economic plan and I would say I’ve got the plan for the future, Mr Abbott , and it’s very clear now after his campaign launch, has got no economic plan. He’s advocating some cuts to health, some cuts to education, increased company tax, with the implications for grocery prices and he quite likes WorkChoices, so he’s got that. Whereas we’ve got the economic plan for the future including investing in skills, education, what I’ve come here today to talk about, the future for infrastructure, the National Broadband Network and helping our businesses be strong and stay strong by reducing company tax and by giving small businesses special tax breaks.
HOST: Is that, that’s, that’s all well and good. But Kevin Rudd was seen, with Wayne Swan, and possibly you, and possibly Mr Tanner, the big four, that came up with this ludicrous idea of a super profit tax on the mining industry. You bring Kevin Rudd back into the tent, now three of the four are back on your team. You’ve got to convince Western Australians that’s a good thing somehow. How’re you going to do that?
PM: Well, I think Western Australians would look to me and they would see the person who as Prime minister took the steps necessary to reach a breakthrough agreement with the mining industry, with the big miners, the three biggest companies that mine in this country that will overwhelmingly pay this tax, to reach an agreement with them and I did that. And I did that by getting respect back in the conversation, I did that by taking the government advertising off people’s TV screens, the mining industry responded in turn. Now I’ve got that breakthrough agreement with the big miners, to give mining communities certainty, and also to be able to say to this state that I’m in a position because of that agreement to invest in infrastructure here - $2 billion of infrastructure – Mr Abbot taking $400 million out of infrastructure, out of the government’s budget, so it’s a pretty clear contrast.
HOST: You’re right. Look, you are to be commended on your charisma and your ability to work through that deal with the mining companies, but Julia, he’s back. Kevin Rudd’s back, Wayne Swan is still there; these blokes spent two weeks coming on this program and others, telling us how much we need a super profit tax. You said we need to move forward, surely bringing him back into the tent on Friday, after his operation, means that he’s back in the tent; three of the big four are back.
PM: Well, I’m the Prime Minister. I made the decision it’s done.
HOST: But you’re going to tell Western Australians that we should trust you and take you on your word, we won’t see more of those types of decisions because that disadvantages Western Australia, that decision, and you’ve always said we need to move forward and not look back, but it’s a step backwards, surely.
PM: Well, I became Prime Minister, I reached the breakthrough agreement. It’s done. Full stop, you know, end of sentence. There are some smaller miners, and remember when we’re talking about smaller miners, we’re talking, you know this tax does not apply unless a business earns $50 million or more in profit each year. There are some miners who still want to work through issues and we’ve got the process led by Don Argus to do that.
HOST: But I’ve asked you, PM, with the greatest respect, I’ve you four questions about Kevin Rudd and you haven’t addressed it directly.
PM: Well I’ve just—
HOST: He’s back in the tent and West Australians—
PM: And you’re concerned—
HOST: West Australians weren’t happy about him and Mr Swan, who’s still there, we weren’t happy with the way he approached this. You’re saying even though he’s back on the team, we won’t see any more of that, don’t worry, Western Australians.
PM: What I’m saying to Western Australians, very clearly, is the decision on the 21st of August will be between me and Mr Abbott. I’m happy for Western Australians to judge me on a range of issues, including what I did with the mining tax. I got respect back in the conversation, I drove the breakthrough agreement, I’ve got a clear process for the future, and I’m now able to come here and say I’ll invest in infrastructure, in cutting company tax, in tax breaks for small businesses and in superannuation, because I drove that agreement. That’s me. I’m Prime Minister now; I’m seeking endorsement to be re-elected to be Prime Minister for the future.
HOST: Is it you versus Tony or is it your team versus Tony’s team. The Liberal campaign launch yesterday was about management of Australia and management of the economy. Can you on one hand say, it’s Julia versus Tony, without acknowledging the other guys are saying, well, it’s about our management teams?
PM: The—
HOST: You’re not going to run the whole Cabinet are you?
PM: No I’m going to have a traditional Cabinet system of Government and of course the team is important. But let’s be very clear about what Mr Abbott did yesterday at his campaign launch. Mr Abbott has got no economic plan for this country’s future, no economic plan. He’s got a plan to cut schools, he’s got a plan to cut hospitals, he’s got a plan to put effectively, a tax on groceries, he obviously still likes WorkChoices, he’s got no economic plan. Peter Costello, former treasurer of the country, a Liberal, has been known to make disparaging remarks about Mr Abbott’s lack of interest in economics. So when people judge, me as Prime Minister, and the team, I think they will be saying, who can keep the economy strong? Mr Abbott, a man who would have made the wrong judgements when the global financial crisis threatened and not supporting, not supported jobs, for the future no economic plan, heading towards $30 billion of uncosted promises in this campaign that should, I think, concern people and probably will.
HOST: Alright, 9221 1882 if you’d like to speak to Julia Gillard this morning, she’s here in Perth with an announcement on education which we will get to in just a moment. The Newspoll, Julia Gillard, had you back in front; your nose is in front, with assistance from Greens preferences. I want to go back to something that happened earlier in the campaign, which is your announcement of a citizen’s assembly on climate change issues, specifically, Bob Brown is after a carbon price, or a tax on carbon figure, a number, he wants that. What if your citizen’s assembly determines that it now is not the time for a carbon tax and a carbon price, how much will Bob Brown’s nose be out of joint, and what will your government do if your citizen’s assembly comes up with a no-deal on the carbon tax?
PM: Well, look, I will lead the debate to create a cap on carbon pollution in this country and the market mechanism which means we don’t create more carbon pollution than the cap, I will do that. The citizen’s assembly is just one part of a huge suite of policies that we have in climate change. It’s one mechanism to help engage the community in the debate.
HOST: But you’ve been using that as your, this is the way forward, we’ll have a citizen’s assembly. It’s been a prime plank of your approach to climate change, hasn’t it?
PM: Well, with respect, I made a major speech on climate change; the citizen’s assembly was one measure that I announced to help drive a deep and lasting community consensus. And on the same day, I announced that I would build on our record investments in solar and renewable technologies, by building the transmission lines that can get that clean, green energy of the future into our homes. I announced that there would be no more dirty coal fired power stations. I announced out of that speech that we would be rewarding companies that moved early. Since that speech, I’ve talked about and announced measures to green-up the workplaces where we all go to work. I’ve announced measures to green-up the car fleet that we use, impacting on how we work and how we travel around. These are important measures, coming off a track record in this government of record investment in solar and renewable, so this is the full suite of the policies. Many of them outlined on the same day, that I also outlined the citizen’s assembly.
HOST: And who carries more weight? Bob Brown’s opinion on a carbon tax or the citizen’s assembly.
PM: The opinion that matters at the end of the day, is the Australian people, what they think. I will lead this debate. I believe in this country we need to reach a deep, a deep and lasting community consensus on climate change and a market based mechanism to deal with pollution. That is what I will do as Prime minister. And obviously it comes off a basis where I believe climate change is real, I believe it is caused by human activity, I believe that we, as a people, are up to designing the solutions for the future. I notice in yesterday’s campaign launch, I think Mr Abbott used a form of words like, he accepts we’ve only got one planet to share. I don’t know whether prior to yesterday he thought we had a spare planet somewhere, and now he’s suddenly come to realisation that there’s only one. But this is a man who on climate change has been described by his own colleagues, like Malcolm Turnbull, as a weather vane, whatever he thinks is going that day in the news, he goes with that. Well, that’s not my approach. I will lead the national debate to get the community consensus we require and in the meantime we will be implementing these major planks for change, renewable energy, greener buildings, where you work, better ways to travel.
HOST: Alright, Julia Gillard in the studio with us this morning. You’re welcome to call in 9221 1882. Prime Minister, we’ll take a couple of calls. Ann from Booragoon thank you.
CALLER: Good morning Prime Minister.
PM: Good Morning, Ann.
CALLER: Do you think Tony Abbott’s paid parental leave is equitable when a mother who earns $150,000 a year will get approximately $75,000 of taxpayers’ money and a mum who earns $30,000 gets $15,000 approximately. That is a $60,000 difference per child and mums who stay at home get nothing.
PM: Well, Ann, I think Mr Abbott’s made the wrong judgements and taken the wrong approach. You’ve obviously pointed to your set of concerns to the Paid Parental Leave scheme. I’ve got a set of concerns too. I‘ve got a set of concerns that it’s never going to happen, because Mr Abbott said that he basically was opposed to paid parental leave, over his dead body. I’m concerned that it’s not costed properly and we haven’t seen it put in for costing. I’m concerned that it’s being funded by putting company tax up, so everyone will pay more for the groceries that they use. I’m also concerned that people will literally have whole families before they see any of this delivered.
HOST: Thanks Ann, thanks for your call today. Brian from Rivervale.
CALLER: Hello Prime Minister. How are you?
PM: I’m good thanks Brian.
CALLER: We have a teaching hospital in here called Bentley Psychiatric Hospital. It provides the teaching of psychiatrists, psychologists, all staff, everything that goes with mental health, with children, with old people. Staff morale is low. We are teaching all the people and they’re going away to England, to Ireland, to America. We’re losing them; and we’re losing our good staff. Staff morale is low. We also need a pay rise for all the staff that are there, a decent pay rise for all the staff that are there.
HOST: Alright Brian, you’re in the seat of Swan aren’t you.
CALLER: Yes, we are in the seat of Swan.
HOST: Let’s get a response from the Prime Minister.
PM: Well, you’re not going to get an argument from me about the need to value mental health staff and psychiatric nurses. My dad was a psychiatric nurse, so yes, the work that people do in facilities like Bentley is very very valuable work and it takes very special people to do it. As part of our record investments in health, we have been investing in mental health. I acknowledge that there is more that needs to be done in this nation for mental health and I’ve said that I’d make it a major part of what we do as a second-term agenda in Government. We’ve also said that we would invest in suicide prevention. More Australians lose their lives at their own hands each year than get killed on our roads.
HOST: Are you aware of the Bentley situation, PM?
PM: Look, I’m not going to pretend to be an expert in the individual situation in Bentley, but I am talking about the kind of investments we want to make into mental health.
HOST: Thanks Brian. I think it’s on the PM’s radar there and I certainly know that both candidates for the seat of Swan are aware as well, so either one will be lobbying federal government pretty hard I would have thought. Michaela’s phoned in from Rockingham. Hi Michaela.
CALLER: Yes good morning, Prime Minister.
PM: Hi Michaela.
CALLER: I must say, you’re a lovely lady.
PM: Oh, thank you.
CALLER: Okay, one of the policies to reward schools for student attendance. Wouldn’t it be better to reward parents and guardians for the student attendance?
PM: The policy that we’ve got for rewarding schools is about improvement, whole school improvement. So we want to look at school and say, who has improved the most and reward that. Of course, attendance is important to improvement at school. Kids aren’t going to learn unless they’re attending at school. My approach here Michaela, I’d have to say, is just a fairly simple one. Kids should be at school. It’s the law. And it’s the right thing to do by children. So in terms of the message to parents and others, the message is there just loud and clear. Kids should be in school. Then, when they’re in school, we want them getting the best education they can. I want to reward the schools that are improving education the most and I want to reward great children individually with bonuses.
HOST: I’ve had a look at the MySchool website this morning, including my old school, Kwinana, Mirrabooka, Armadale, Cannington are schools that struggle with their year 9 NAPLAN results that mostly in the red, PM. How do schools like that achieve in your system. Do they make their own application, who gets to decide whether they get the bonus money for performance improvement?
PM: Well, schools that have underperformance problems now benefit from the reforms I introduced as education Minister. I brought MySchool, MySchool shines a light on underperformance, we invest in national partnership arrangements in new money into literacy and numeracy, new money into disadvantaged schools, so those resources are there now. What’s new today, is we will also then see how schools improve, how much they improve—
HOST: Who measures that? How do you measure it?
PM: Right. It will be measured in part by the principal working with an expert committee to evaluate how the school’s gone. It will be measured in part by the mathematics that we can do through the MySchool results and the national testing results. It will also be measured for secondary schools, about where kids are successfully going to from school that is the secondary school getting kids the real skills they need to end up in a job, an apprenticeship, in further education.
HOST: We have a situation in WA, I would make the assumption it’s repeated in other states where people are leaving through choice to go into the private school sector. How do you arrest that? How do you change that perception that private schools provide a better education?
PM: Well, first and foremost, parents will make choices, kids will make choices, that’s fine. I want people to have the information they need when they make those choices and that’s what MySchool is about. And whether it’s a state school and independent school, a catholic school, I want it to be a great school and MySchool measures performance in all schools. Wherever underperformance is, I’m concerned about it. Wherever underperformance is, we want it changed. There are children in that school.
HOST: Alright, thank you Michaela for your call. Mark, from Glendalough, good morning.
CALLER: Yeah, hi. In WA we’re not very happy. Of the GST, we get 68 cents out of every dollar. In your state, Victoria, they get 93 cents of every dollar. We don’t even have one decent stadium, you have stadiums coming out of your ears, we have our museums closed one day a week, you have many museums, many art galleries, many facilities. What will you do to redress this shocking situation?
PM: Well, I’d like to invest more money here through infrastructure, $2 billion worth of infrastructure. I’d like to invest more money here through health, and we are investing more money here through health, and I’d like to keep investing in your schools. As Minister for Education I almost doubled the amount of money going into school education because I want every school around the country to be a great school including here in Western Australia.
HOST: The GST carve up is something that the Premier’s long railed against, or has told us repeatedly in the public realm in WA, that we don’t get a fair slice of the GST pie. Are you aware of that?
PM: Look, I’ve certainly had the Premier raise that issue with me, and I’ve raised with the Premier the, you know, that I would like to be putting even more money into health here and I’m happy to continue what is being a good and respectful conversation about that. So I want to be investing in this state. But I make the point again, I as Prime Minister, will be in a position to invest $2 billion in infrastructure into this state. Mr Abbott will not be, because he is not going to keep the mining tax, which I have worked to agree with Australia’s biggest miners.
HOST: Alright. Don, I’m sorry we won’t get to squeeze you in. Apologies to those other listeners we didn’t get to today. Two minutes to 12, Prime Minister thank you for coming back in. I guess there are some security issue where you can’t flag too far in advance where your movements are going to be, but will we see you back in WA before the campaign concludes?
PM: Well, you’re going to have to excuse me for being a little bit secretive about movements during the last two weeks of the campaign, but always happy to come and talk on 6PR.
HOST: Alright. Just as far as the, I think, the notion that we are a Liberal state as evidenced by the last election result, how do turn that around in WA?
PM: I think here in Western Australia and right around the country, this election campaign’s going to be tough, it’s going to be close, people are going to end up judging what’s best for me and my family, having a job, having a decent school, knowing that the hospital’s going to work if I have to go there, will the nation tackle the challenges of the future? On that scoreboard, I think people will work their way through. I believe I’ve got the better sense of plans and policies, particularly, the better economic plan, against Mr Abbott’s no economic plan.
HOST: Alright. Thanks for coming today. Thanks for speaking to our listeners.
PM: Thank you.
Tags: Australia, Change, Climate, Education, Gillard, health, in, investment, Julia, Leave, mental, Paid, Parental, Reforms, Western