LEIGH SALES: The AbbottGovernment is attempting toescalate the pressure on Laborover a huge free tradeagreement with China. Today the Prime Minister introduced a Parliamentarymotion backing the FTA andcalled on Labor to support it.But the Opposition Leader BillShorten has concerns about labour market rules in thedeal, even though numerousState Labor premiers andleading Labor luminariesbelieve there are sufficientsafeguards. Joining me now isSenator Penny Wong, the Shadow Minister for Trade and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
Senator, the Prime Minister'smade it clear that thefree trade agreement that's onthe table is the one that'sgoing to eventually be put to avote. Will Labor back it ornot?
SENATOR PENNY WONG, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE: First good to be with you,Leigh. Lets start at thevery beginning. We aresupporters of trade liberalisation. We have beenfor decades and we particularlyunderstand the importance ofChina and the China Free TradeAgreement. Regrettably, theagreement that Tony Abbott hasbrought home lacks what weregard as critical safeguardswhen it comes to Australianjobs.
Now what we've said is wewant to work with theGovernment to build safeguardsaround that agreement to ensureit can get bipartisan support.But instead of the Prime Minister beingprepared to do what John Howarddid, which was to sit down withthe Opposition, in thefree trade agreement with theUnited States, which is what John Howarddid, weve got the Prime Minister playingstunts in the House ofRepresentatives, as you outlinedin your opening.
SALES: But given whathe has said, which is that he'snot going to negotiate on it asyou point out, then how far areyou prepared to push youropposition. Are you going topush it to the point where you won't votefor the entire deal?
WONG: The onlyperson who is putting at riskthe effective implementation ofthe China Free Trade Agreementis Tony Abbott. We have said weare willing to sit down withyou and find a way throughthis.
SALES: But he said that he's notinterested in doing that, so I'masking pragmatically what'syour next step?
WONG: We willcontinue to press for this Prime Ministerto stop behaving like apartisan brawler and behavemore like a Prime Minister. There have beenlegitimate concerns raised, Leigh. I know thatpeople want to gloss over thisand the Government doesn't wantto answer key questions aboutthe agreements, key concernsabout the agreement. There havebeen legitimate concernsraised.
Instead of answeringthese in an adult way, we'vegot a Prime Minister who yells at everybody, demands that peoplejust fall into line andrefuses, as I said, to do whatJohn Howard did, which is to sitdown with the Opposition, to dowhat is in the nationalinterest, which is to find abipartisan way through onthis.
SALES: In terms of thoseconcerns, the Labor premiers ofVictoria, South Australia and Queensland arein favour of this FTA. It alsohas the backing of the former Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke, the formerLabor Foreign Minister Bob Carrand the former Trade MinisterSimon Crean. Why should viewersbelieve all of those people arewrong and Bill Shorten'sright?
WONG: First, I think whatyou have outlined demonstrates Labor's long commitment totrade liberalisation and a verydeep understanding of the importance of China and thistrade agreement to Australianjobs. But we are standing upfor Australian jobs when itcomes to this agreement-
SALES: -Sorryto get back to my centralpoint, why are all those peoplewrong and you guys right?
WONG: WhatI'd say to you is, why don't welook at the text of theagreement. It makes very clear,makes very clear, that labourmarket testing is not requiredin a range of circumstances. Wethink we can build safeguardsaround that.
SALES: Sorry, if I canpick you up, Bob Carr says ouranalysis of the FTA is that anincoming Labor Government wouldhave all the mechanisms itneeds to protect Australianworkers?
WONG: And Bob Carr is right, there are things governmentscan do to protect Australianworkers in ways that areconsistent with the Free TradeAgreement and that's the basison which we're prepared tonegotiate with Tony Abbott.
Isay this again, we understandthe importance of the ChinaFree Trade Agreement, but wewill continue to stand up formaximising Australian jobs andminimising the exploitation ofworkers who come into thiscountry. It is Tony Abbott whois standing in the way of asuccessful implementation ofthe China Free Trade Agreementbecause he stubbornly refusesto come to the negotiatingtable.
SALES: On another matter,Labor's Senate motion urgingthe Governor-General to sackthe Trade Unions Royal Commissioner Dyson Heydon has been lost. Areyou now then at the end of theroad on your efforts to havehim stand down?
WONG: Well, let's beclear what happened with thatmotion. It was actually tied.The Senate is evenly divided onthis and the -
SALES: But that meansit's a loss though according tothe rules.
WONG: Correct. We requirea majority, it was tied. TheSenate is evenly divided on this on, just in the way TonyAbbott's Royal Commission isdividing many people and theway Tony Abbott divides thecountry.
SALES: So are you at the endof the road then?
WONG: I would saythis to you, I think it is veryclear that not only this votetoday but the continuedcoverage of this issue, thatmany Australians are deeplyuncomfortable with thispoliticised RoyalCommission.
SALES: What avenues areopen to you though?
WONG: Let'sremember the genesis of theRoyal Commission wasdiscredited and falseallegations against Labor Prime MinisterJulia Gillard. So, we have asituation where you've got apolitically motivatedCommission, MrHeydon hand-picked by the Prime Minister.Who then sees fit, he then seesfit, to headline a Liberal Partyfunction and then tells theAustralian people that doesn'tdemonstrate political biasbecause it wasn't actually a LiberalParty event.
SALES: Judges have to sitcases all the time-
WONG: He's not ajudge.He's a RoyalCommissioner.
SALES: Royalcommissioners, judges, sit andlisten to matters about whichI'm sure they have personalopinions all the time, part ofthe job is putting aside yourpersonal opinions. Why do youthink that Dyson Heydon, aformer Justice of the HighCourt of Australia is incapableof that?
WONG: Two things: first, he's not sitting as ajudge, he's sitting as a RoyalCommissioner which is hand-picked by Tony Abbott, so it'screature of the Executive,it's not a separate body, it'snot an independent judicialbody.
The second point I'd makeis, I think Mr Heydon himselfhas demonstrated by hisactions, a judgmentwhich most Australians don'tagree with. I don't think it isa logical position to say Imight have accepted aninvitation to speak at aLiberal Party fundraiser, theinvitation has Liberal logo onit and all the donation detailsare there, but part of thereason I think there's noappearance of bias is it wasn'treally a Liberal Party event. Ijust don't think that passesany sort of logical test.
SALES: Justfinally, before you go, on theissue of refugees, Labor wantsan additional intake of 10,000people. How did you settle onthat number?
WONG: First, can Isay this, I don't think anyAustralian, except some ofthose who are perhaps - MrBernardi and others - but Idon't think Australians lookingat the crisis that has unfoldedin Syria, is anything other thanmoved and appalled. Obviously Australians have responded withgreat compassion. I thinkthat's given many people greatheart over the last few days.
Labor has said we want an immediate increase of 10,000.Obviously we're prepared towork with the Government. Ifthey think there should beadditional intake on top ofthat that's certainly somethingwe're prepared to work withthem over.
SALES: Why did you thinkabout 10,000 was aboutright?
WONG: I think these arejudgments you make about what theAustralian intake should be inthe immediate term but as Isaid, and I think as BillShorten and Tanya Plibersekhave said, there's obviouslymany millions of peopledisplaced.
Australians, Ithink, are willing to make acontribution to dealing withthis extraordinary humanitariancrisis and we're willing towork with the Government.
SALES: Senator Wong, thankyou very much for your time.
WONG: Good tospeak with you.