DORAN: Were joined by Penny Wong, Finance Minister, and shadow immigration minister Scott Morrison, who is in our Sydney newsroom. Thank you both for your time.
WONG: Thank you.
DORAN: Senator, if we could perhaps start with you, as we speak this evening, a 14-year-old boy is preparing to spend his sixth night in custody in a cramped Bali police cell. Theres been a lot of Government rhetoric, but, on the surface at least, not a lot of action. Is enough being done to bring this boy home?
WONG: Look, this is a very stressful situation, very difficult Im sure for the family and friends of the 14-year-old. Were giving him all the support possible and I think the best thing to do is to make sure we back in our authorities in on the ground, who are doing everything they can in these circumstances.
MORRISON: I agree with Penny, Matt, I mean, these situations are very distressing for the parents, and everybody involved. Ive had plenty of these sorts of occasions as a local Member, dealing with people caught up in trouble overseas, and its just a timely reminder that when youre travelling overseas, youve got to be very wary of the local laws, and I commend the officials for the work theyre doing up there in Indonesia.
DORAN: Theres been one person whos been very, very vocal, and thats Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd. I suppose that leads on to the issue of leadership. Hes been vocal, not just within his portfolio, but well outside of that too. Senator, this looks every bit a man on the campaign trail.
WONG: This looks like a Foreign Minister doing his job. This story has been, rightly, a great focus in the media. Everyones very concerned about this young teenager. Of course the Foreign Minister should be out there, explaining whats occurring, and also, making sure whats happening on the ground is going right. Thats what Kevins been doing.
DORAN: Mr Morrison, do you accept that? Is this just a man doing his job over there?
MORRISON: Well, when hes addressing the issue at hand, of a young boy in Indonesia, sure. But thats not all weve seen Kevin Rudd doing, hes been literally everywhere in this brief period of him being back in Australia. I mean, hes clearly defying his own leader, clearly running a campaign. I mean, hes no Lazarus, Kevin Rudd. Hes more like Freddy Krueger, and the nightmare will return if this man is put back in the leadership. But, I mean, the nightmare continues regardless, because its Labors policies that are the problem. Not their leaders, its their policies, and Kevin Rudd was the architect of all the policy failures were living with now.
DORAN: Senator, you agree that Julia Gillard has the full support. We will not see a return of Kevin Rudd?
WONG: Absolutely, Julia is doing an outstanding job. The Prime Minister who is about to deliver in the House of Representatives the carbon price legislation, a really important reform. A reform thats about clean energy jobs, thats about doing the right thing by our children. Its a reform that John Howard promised, that Tony Abbott walked away from. These are the important things for the future, and thats what the Prime Minister is focused on, and certainly thats what the Labor Government is focused on.
MORRISON: But Matt, I think theres a key point here isnt there? When John Howard talked about this, it was before Copenhagen, and the Government seems to be neglecting what happened in Copenhagen. And Im sure Penny will remember what happened at Copenhagen, and that is that the world walked away from this. And this Government, and the Independents, this week, will vote for a carbon tax they promised wouldnt be brought in this Parliament, and in so doing will be signing their own eviction notice from Government.
WONG: You know, what were seeing is the Liberal Party having any excuse to walk away from doing the right thing, Scott. Whether its on climate change, whether its
MORRISON: Penny, you promised you wouldnt introduce it.
WONG: You walk away from doing whats right for Australias future, because what youre interested in is playing the wrecking game, thats the reality.
MORRISON: Not at all
WONG: Whether its on climate change, whether its on the economy. We know what the game is: Tony Abbott is very good at swinging the wrecking ball, but thats about it.
MORRISON: Theres no game here Penny. Before the last election, the Prime Minister said thered be no carbon tax under the Government she leads. On Wednesday, we think, of this week if its Wednesday the Government will vote that carbon tax in, and that is a betrayal of their commitments before the last election, which has few equals in Australian politics. And youll be convicted for it.
DORAN: Finance Minister Penny Wong, and shadow immigration minister Scott Morrison, Im very sorry, we are out of time, but thank you both very much.
MORRISON: Thanks a lot, good to be with you.
WONG: Good to be with you.
ENDS