TIM HAMMOND, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR PERTH: Good morning, as the Federal Labor candidate for the seat of Perth its a great pleasure and privilege to welcome Penny Wong, Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate to Western Australia and also to the Federal seat of Perth. Id now like to hand over to Penny for a few remarks. Thanks Penny.
SENATOR PENNY WONG, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE: Its great to be here in Perth and Ive had a good visit today with Tim in the electorate and last night I got to speak to the Women Lawyers Association who are having their national conference here. So thats been great for Western Australia.
This is a great state, a state with optimism and a state thats been so good for Australias economic growth. But its also a state thats been experiencing some of the challenges of the transition in our economy and the shift in our economy where we see the mining sector moving to the production phase. Western Australians understand those economic changes in a very real way. They see it in their local economy, they see it in terms of wages and conditions and jobs.
But unfortunately theyve got a Federal Coalition Government thats letting them down. Theyve got a Government who doesnt have an economic plan. Theyve got a Government that wants to walk away from public schools. Theyve got a Government which has floated double taxation. Can you imagine that? Your income being taxed twice, both by the Federal Government and by the State Government. Something Colin Barnett was pretty happy with, but I suspect Western Australians wouldn't be happy with.
So what this state needs and what this country needs, is a government that has a plan, a government thats prepared to invest in our people, to invest in our universities and to invest in our schools. A government that will never walk away from public schools, as Malcolm Turnbull has flagged. Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: What could Federal Labor do specifically for Western Australia in relation to the GST? We had a situation on Friday where the Commonwealth Grants Commission put its recommendations out and still Western Australias return was kept at 30 cents in the dollar. Thats two years in a row of 30 cents in the dollar, do you agree that that is penalising Western Australia?
WONG: Look, I understand the concerns here in Western Australia about the GST and Western Australians rightly want a better deal for their schools and their hospitals and I guess what Id say is this: its all very well for Mr Turnbull to come out and offer Western Australia a payment, as he has today, but what you always get with Mr Turnbull and the Liberal Party is they give with one hand and take with the other.
Lets remember it was the Federal Coalition who cut half a billion dollars that Labor had set aside for public transport here in Western Australia. Lets remember its the Federal Coalition who is cutting schools and hospitals here in Western Australia. So what Id say to Western Australians is this: if you want a better deal for Western Australian schools and hospitals theres only one party which is putting that on the table and thats the Labor Party.
JOURNALIST: But what would you do specifically with the GST?
WONG: As Ive said, I understand the concerns on the GST and Ive seen Mr Turnbulls comments today on the payment and were supportive of the payment. We understand the issue, its been certainly put to us very strongly by Tim and others, but ultimately if the issue is your schools and hospitals here, a Liberal Government has cut funding and will continue to cut funding to schools. Youve got a Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull, who wants to walk away from public schools, youve got a Labor Party that says, whether its to Western Australia, or anywhere in the country, we will stand up for good funding of our schools and proper funding of our hospitals.
JOURNALIST: But youre still not committing to the change of the formula in any way?
WONG: Ive explained to you that we understand the importance of improving federal support for Western Australia, in particular in your schools and your hospitals. What I would say, weve put on the table a very clear policy to improve needs based funding for schools here and across the country. Youve got a Prime Minister whos flagged walking away from public schools. So if you care about a good deal for WA have a look at the schools funding Labors promising.
JOURNALIST: Do you think its fair that South Australia gets six times more, the quantum amount is six times more than Western Australia for next financial year?
WONG: Its always good to come to Western Australia as a South Australian and I do like to say to you, were not the Eastern Seaboard and we dont have, I hope, the same reputation here in WA as those from the Eastern Seaboard. But I dont make any apologies for being a South Australian and I dont make any apologies for standing up for a fair contribution, a fair system of funding for our schools and hospitals, whether theyre in South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, or New South Wales.
JOURNALIST: Mathias Cormann was suggesting today that a Federal Labor Government would have to raise $50 billion in taxes to fund its unfunded promises.
WONG: This is a Coalition Government that has no economic plan. And now instead of developing an economic plan and telling Australians about it, hes just making numbers up. Thats what Mathias is doing. Thats what the Coalition is doing. Theyre just making numbers up. Labors policies have been fully costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office. We have put on the table over a $100 billion in savings that have been costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office. This is a desperate attempt by the Government to try and distract attention from the fact that they have no economic plan.
JOURNALIST: Will Labor support plans to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal?
WONG: Can I say about that, what we are focussed on is improving safety on our roads and time and time again we have seen inquiries which demonstrate the link between driver safety, road safety and the remuneration or the payment for the work that drivers do. We want safer roads and thats what this Tribunal is about, thats what the order is about.
But I would say this to Michaelia Cash: youre the Minister, instead of encouraging people to take industrial action, why dont you sit down with the parties and try and work through these issues? Because road safety, driver safety, is too important an issue to play politics with. What an extraordinary thing, isnt it? This is the Minister who tells all of you, and Im sure - youre all here in Perth, Im sure she tells you regularly - about the lawless industrial action that keeps being taken, whos out there demanding that people take industrial action. Well, your job, Senator Cash, isnt to gee people up to take industrial action. Its actually to resolve problems.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
WONG: I think Joe is entitled to be afforded the dignity of making sure he resigns at the time he has indicated. I dont have any issue with it. I thought Joe behaved very appropriately in terms of articulating why he was resigning and the reasons for that. Joe and I obviously disagree on many issues, but I thought how he approached his resignation and the speech he gave, very upfront, very clear, was a responsible and decent thing to do.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
WONG: It is not unusual to have arrangements in the Senate for vacancies, once vacancies are filled. That is a practice thats been observed on both sides of politics, including this year. So its not an unusual situation to have to pair for a vacancy. I wish Joe well and I thank him for his contribution.
JOURNALIST: So what advice have you had about when Pat Dodson would actually be in a chair in the Senate?
WONG: I havent spoken to Pat since he was in Canberra. Hes obviously a great candidate and it will be fantastic to see him sitting in the Senate, not just for the Labor Party, but for Australia.
JOURNALIST: But have you made queries about logistically when that could happen at the earliest?
WONG: What the Constitution says is that a Senator has to resign by way of communication with the President of the Senate, thats ultimately a matter for Joe. And then Im sure the Party and the State will make the appropriate arrangements.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
WONG: Ultimately decisions for preselections are matters of state branches, state and territory branches. My job as the Leader in the Senate is to work with the Labor team and to continue to oppose the bad things that this Government is doing.
JOURNALIST: Have you been talking to the crossbenchers and are you getting a feel for whats going to happen on that April 18 sitting?
WONG: On that, weve got a Government thats got a plan for a press conference, but no plan for the Parliament. Weve got the Senate sitting for three weeks and the Prime Minister simply saying, oh we want the ABCC passed, but he hasnt got any other legislative agenda. So what I would say to the Government is, if you want to bring the Senate back for three weeks, Labors prepared to work, but you need to tell us and the countrywhat your program is. Its Malcolm Turnbull all over again, theres no plan, theres no economic plan and theres no plan for the Parliament.
JOURNALIST: But in your discussion with crossbenchers have you gauged whether or not theres enough support for the bill? I mean how many are changing their positions?
WONG: Ultimately Labor has its position on the bill, were clear about that. Weve been clear and consistent about that for some time. The crossbenchers have a range of views, its a matter for the Government to negotiate with them. Thanks.