JOURNALIST: Youd be pretty happy with the result in Greece wouldnt you, that theyre going to go ahead with austerity?
WONG: The outcome in Greece appears to be a result which supports Greeces retention in the Euro zone thats obviously a good thing. Whilst these are obviously decisions for the Greek people, we do welcome an outcome which ensures stability.
JOURNALIST: Are you disappointed that the Greens have indicated today that this debate on same sex marriage Bills may not come to a vote?
WONG: How this Bill is managed through the Parliament is an issue for the proponents of the Bill and for the Parliament. Ultimately, what I believe is this is an issue which will be resolved. I think the campaign is not going to go away because ultimately its a campaign for peoples equality.
JOURNALIST: And what will you be telling Parliament?
WONG: Im sure you can have a look at my speeches to date and it probably gives you a flavour of the sorts of thing I would say.
JOURNALIST: Are these motions doomed so long as the Coalition doesnt allow its members a conscience vote?
WONG: Certainly for the Liberal Party which is supposedly the party of choice to deny members of the Parliament who are members of the Liberal Party a choice on this issue is a very strange position. Its also a position which would make it difficult for the legislation to be passed. So, Id encourage those members of the Liberal Party who believe they are really liberal which means personal choice, to advocate a personal choice on these Bills and to ask Mr Abbott to grant a free vote.
JOURNALIST: Senator, Julia Gillard and Wayne Swan as recently as today have both told the European Union that they have to go for growth first; that austerity is not the only way back to economic recovery in the EU. Isnt that a simplistic message? I mean, theres no mining boom in the EU should Australia be lecturing countries in the EU?
WONG: If you look at what the Prime Minister has said, both in her speech, in her op ed and in public statements, and the Treasurer as well, its a more complex discussion than the one youve just identified.
Weve said the Europeans need to do three things obviously to resolve the issues in their banking sector and secure the banking system; to ensure growth, to work out how it is that we see growth again in the Euro zone; and, third, to ensure there is fiscal sustainability. And fiscal sustainability is a long term and short term task.
Obviously these are ultimately issues for the Europeans, but they are issues which bear upon all of us and the Prime Minister and Treasurer are absolutely right in advocating for a position which is the right thing for the global economy because thats the right thing for the Australian economy.
JOURNALIST: Given what weve seen in Spain, though, $100 billion Euros pumped into the banks there, and Italy now looking increasingly shaky, at what point does the Federal Treasury here and Finance Department look at the 0.75 per cent contraction in the Budget papers thats been forecast and reconsider what theyve projected?
WONG: Theres a number of hypotheticals in that and Id point to the last quarters economic growth figures and the interest rate falls which really demonstrate that fiscal policy is positioned in the right place.
ENDS