BENSON: Tony Windsor says youve done a very poor job of selling carbon pricing so far. Guilty?
WONG: This is a pretty difficult reform isnt it? Its a tough reform, its a reform that is about the future and about the clean energy economy that we want to move to. I think the point here is, when youve got a reform so bitterly opposed with so many scare campaigns and untruths told in the debate, it is hard to prosecute for the reform. Thats why yesterdays achievement was so significant. The Prime Minister in a minority government has delivered a vote in the House of Representatives to move to a clean energy future. It is a very, very big achievement.
BENSON: Do you agree with Tony Abbott at least to the extent that the next election will be a referendum on the carbon tax?
WONG: I have no doubt that Mr Abbott only wants to talk about that. But well be talking about many things including health and education and what were doing there. But of course, we will be absolutely arguing for why this is the right reform. And remember, I think people will see after the carbon price starts that many of the ridiculous scare campaigns that Tony Abbott has been part of are simply not true. I suspect after the day that the carbon price starts youll see that the sky doesnt fall in despite Mr Abbott saying it will.
BENSON: And the Opposition already has new campaign ads out following the vote yesterday, and they are again concentrating on what they see as the great weakness in Labors campaign which is Julia Gillards promise that there would be no carbon tax. This is, do you agree the great weakness? That she looked down the barrel of cameras in August last year before the election and said to the Australian people, there will be no carbon tax. And then a couple of weeks later, she looked across a negotiating table with Bob Brown he said a carbon tax is the price of government and she said, there will be a carbon tax?
WONG: Mr Abbott will continue to run his campaign and it is interesting isnt it? That weve got a reform which is a very, very significant economic reform. A reform that John Howard signed up for, a reform that Malcolm Turnbull signed up for. A reform Labor has been trying to get through the Parliament for years and I was very much a part of that in the last Parliament.
But Mr Abbott isnt talking about climate change. Mr Abbott isnt talking about reducing emissions. Mr Abbott isnt talking about jobs. Mr Abbott isnt talking about the economy. He only wants to talk about the Prime Minister. I think that says something about Tony Abbott.
BENSON: What does it say that all indications are that people are listening to Tony Abbott and not to the Prime Minister?
WONG: We are putting forward some pretty difficult reforms as I said, and we are going to lose a bit of paint over it. Weve made that clear. Were not prosecuting the reform on climate change because its easy, were doing it because it was right. And we know its right, its what John Howard was advised to do, its what he went to the 2007 election saying he would do.
This is about the jobs of the future. In the global economy, the low carbon goods and services sector is worth about $4.8 trillion dollars. Its growing at 4 per cent a year. These are the opportunities we want Australia to be part of. We also want be able to say to the next generation of Australians, yes we reduced our emissions. We lessened our contribution to climate change, were working to reduce the risk for you. These are the responsible things to do.
BENSON: Theres a certain amount of hilarity in the press this morning about the kiss between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd yesterday. It was the only sign of public warmth for quite some time between the two. What did you make of it?
WONG: Im far more interested in what we are doing than those sorts of photographs and commentary. I think the big thing about yesterday is we had a minority government delivering a bitterly opposed reform that is all about the future. That is the right thing for the future of the nation. I think it was a very big day.
BENSON: What did you think of the gallery protest in the House of Reps. You are obviously in the Senate, you didnt see them personally. But do you believe that reflects a genuine public anger?
WONG: Look, as you said I was pretty focused on my own Question Time which was on the other side of the buildings. I wasnt aware of it until later in Question Time. People are entitled to put their views, were a democracy but the Government has got a very clear view about why this is the right thing to do.
BENSON: Penny Wong, Ill leave it there, thanks very much for talking with us this morning.
WONG: Good to speak with you Marius.
ENDS