MATT DORAN: Alright, lets go head-to-head now with our political heavyweights, Finance Minister Penny Wong in our Adelaide newsroom, and also shadow immigration minister Scott Morrison, whos in our Sydney newsroom. Thank you both for your time.
MORRISON: Good to see you.
WONG: Good to be here.
NATARSHA BELLING: Senator Wong, if I can start with you firstly, the explosive leak of secret Cabinet debate on asylum seeker policy. Many would say that this just highlights deep disunity and division within Labors senior ranks.
WONG: Well Tarsh, I believe Cabinet discussions should be confidential, and I certainly wont be commenting on them. From time to time you see things in the papers; you see things out of the shadow cabinet. You might recall thats how we first became aware of the $70 billion black hole Tony Abbott has, that he wont tell Australians what hes going to cut to fill that $70 billion black hole.
But what we do know about this week is that weve seen, yet again, Tony Abbott being prepared to vote with Bob Brown, being prepared to destroy something he believes in that is, offshore processing just to try and damage the Government. This man is a wrecker.
MORRISON: The Cabinet leaks, Matt and Tarsh, I think just show how bad this Government has got. Its disintegrating before our eyes. Cabinet leaks on a national security measure is a disgrace, and I have no doubt the faceless men and women are now sitting there, behind the closed doors, working out whats going to happen to the Labor party, and how this thing is going to play out. But this sort of instability, this sort of division, I think, is a terrible state for our Government to be in, and I think its time. There is no choice now, we must end the farce, and its time for an election.
DORAN: The other big issue, of course carbon tax. And Mr Morrison, if I might direct this question at yourself, Mr Abbott has come out and offered, in effect, a pledge in blood to repeal these laws if he becomes Prime Minister. That would, of course, require a double dissolution election, and may not be until 2015. The estimate from business is that may come at a cost of around $1 billion. Is this a law worth bleeding for?
MORRISON: Absolutely. Our pledge on this is unconditional. We will repeal this toxic tax, and in the forward estimates theres over $4 billion in excess of costs over money raised under this carbon tax. So we remain very confident. And well have this tax repealed in government. And if we are fortunate to form government, and the Labor party is in opposition, if they want to oppose that, well go to a double dissolution election, if its necessary. But at the end of the day, people should be under no mistake going into this next election: if you vote for the Coalition, youll be voting to abolish Labors toxic carbon tax.
BELLING: Senator Wong?
WONG: Well this is just a bit more over-the-top language from Tony Abbott. Talking about blood, talking about pledges. Hes also talked about the death of the coal industry, and all of those things simply arent true. What I would say is this: what hes actually barracking for is an investment strike. Economic vandalism is what this political leader is barracking for
MORRISON: Thats what the carbon tax is, Senator.
WONG: The sort of uncertainty that will lead to higher prices, that will lead to an investment strike is bad for the economy, its bad for the country. And Scott, if youre going to
MORRISON: I dont know what you think the carbon tax is going to do, Penny.
WONG: If youre going to pledge to dismantle it, youd better tell all these viewers that you are going to be putting up their taxes, youre going to be
MORRISON: Youre putting on a tax, Penny
WONG: Taking away the pension rise, lower pensions under Tony Abbott.
MORRISON: The worlds biggest carbon tax
WONG: Lower disability support pension
MORRISON: And you all congratulated yourselves for it on Wednesday
WONG: Lower aged pension. Because remember, our policy is higher pensions. And youre going to take that pension increase away.
MORRISON: You dont need compensation if you dont have a tax, Penny, you know thats true.
BELLING: Senator Wong
WONG: You are going to have to tell people lower pensions under Tony Abbott. Thats what youre going to have to say.
MORRISON: And you stand for a carbon tax the worlds biggest. And well repeal it, and you know we will.
WONG: Action on climate change.
BELLING: Senator Wong and Mr Morrison, can we agree on something? Can we both going for the Wallabies tonight?
MORRISON: Absolutely.
WONG: Absolutely.
BELLING: Alright well leave it there. Thanks for joining us tonight, much appreciated.
ENDS