ABC2 News Breakfast with Michael Rowland
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Subjects: Passage of legislation in Senate; paid parental leave.
E&OE…
MICHAEL ROWLAND Now back home and the Opposition has hit back at claims that its deliberately blocking key plans in the Senate. The Coalition has defended its actions saying it only opposes bad policy. For more the Liberal Deputy Leader Julie Bishop joins us now from Canberra.
Ms Bishop is the Opposition being the most obstructionist opposition in 30 years from your point of view?
JULIE BISHOP This is the most arrogant Government and the most arrogant Prime Minister we’ve seen in 30 years. You might recall the years between 1996 and 2004 when the Coalition was in Government and didn’t have a majority in the Senate. John Howard spent a lot of time negotiating with the crossbench Senators in order to get our legislation through. Labor would have voted against all legislation that didn’t meet its particular requirements. It voted against the GST, it voted against economic reforms, it voted against even making the Reserve Bank Governor independent of the government. So we were able to negotiate our legislation through the Senate by working with the minor parties. I understand that Mr Rudd has absolute contempt for the minor parties and the independent Senators and doesn’t seek to work with them to pass legislation. Now the Coalition on its own cannot block legislation in the Senate so Mr Rudd and his team have failed to convince the Greens or the independent Senators that his legislation is any good.
MICHAEL ROWLAND Now this Government, like the Howard Government did of course, has a mandate on key issues. Isn’t the Senate frustrating what is the will of the people here?
JULIE BISHOP Michael we had a mandate to pass particular legislation in relation to unfair dismissals. We took it to the ‘96, ‘98, 2001 and 2004 elections and Labor voted against it. I think it was up to 40 times it voted against it, so it is a nonsense to suggest that Labor has a mandate. But we are also concerned about legislation that is a complete and absolute broken promise with the Australian people as well as legislation that represents bad policy.
MICHAEL ROWLAND Well shouldn’t your view of the Government is concerned about this, should they pull one of their double dissolution triggers and let the voters decide on who is being obstructionist and who isn’t?
JULIE BISHOP Well that is a matter for the Government. It obviously is an option available to the Prime Minister. Instead of ranting and raving that we’re the most obstructionist Senate in 30 years, which takes us back to what 1980 so it must have been a Labor Senate, instead of ranting and raving, he’s got options available to him.
We’re interested in improving policy that passes through the Senate, improving legislation, and we’re interested in holding the Government to account and keeping this Government to its promises that it took to the Australian people at the last election.
MICHAEL ROWLAND You don’t fear a double dissolution election may blow up in the Coalition’s face if the Government does do well there?
JULIE BISHOP There is an election due this year in any event. We’ll be ready when the Government calls an election.
MICHAEL ROWLAND Now what, Julie Bishop, are the Coalition’s plans on Labor’s parental leave scheme when it comes through the Senate? Will you block that scheme?
JULIE BISHOP We have a proposal that Tony Abbott revealed on Monday and Tuesday and that is for 26 weeks of paid parental leave. We think that is a better policy. We understand that some of the Senators, including the Greens, think that it is a better policy so we’re hoping to negotiate with the Government.
Now unfortunately Kevin Rudd’s attitude to any proposal that is not his proposal is “get out of the way”. He uses this phrase consistently. It is rather arrogant and rather abusive to say to people “get out of the way”. Well we’re hoping the Government will negotiate with the Greens, with the Coalition for a 26 paid parental leave scheme.
MICHAEL ROWLAND So does that mean therefore that you will either block or seek to amend the Government’s scheme?
JULIE BISHOP What it means is we’ll seek to amend the Government‘s scheme.
MICHAEL ROWLAND Isn’t it politically dangerous though for the Coalition, given that Tony Abbott has gone all out on the parental leave issue, to be seen to be tinkering with any scheme that offers that mothers any form of financial assistance?
JULIE BISHOP We’re hoping that the Government will listen to public opinion and will negotiate with the minor parties and the Coalition in the Senate. If the Government wants a real scheme instead of its Mickey Mouse scheme then it will listen to the concerns of other people instead of just saying “get out of the way” if you don’t agree absolutely with everything that Kevin Rudd puts forward.
MICHAEL ROWLAND Deputy Liberal Leader Julie Bishop. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.
JULIE BISHOP My pleasure.
