JAY WEATHERILL, PREMIER OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Its great to be here with David Harris at Underdale High School and also with Don Pappageorgiou, who is one of the leaders in this fantastic Trade Training Centre.
We are here today at Underdale High School to reinforce the importance of education policy in this federal election campaign. What this Trade Training Centre, which was an investment made by the previous Labor Government, demonstrates is that every single child in our education system needs the special attention necessary to enable their skills to grow and flourish. For some people it will be an academic pathway, for others it will be working with their hands in a trade and that is what this investment has given this school. And thats the sort of investments we can make more of if we get needs-based funding. If we get the Gonski funding, which was promised but has not yet been delivered but will be delivered by an incoming federal Labor Government. We know that schools like this, especially schools that have a very broad multicultural, diverse student population, face special needs. If you want your child to get the individual att ention they need in the classroom that costs money. That is about student service officers. Its about teachers that can actually sit down next to your child to get them to work through the issues to make them the very best they can be. That is what needs-based funding is about. I ask Malcolm Turnbull to match this political commitment that was made by Federal Labor. It was a commitment they made when they came into Government when Tony Abbott promised he was on a unity ticket with Labor. They have walked away from that. The explanation that Malcolm Turnbull gave for walking away from this was we cant afford it. Within weeks he then found $50 billion to give a tax cut to the big end of town. The big, corporate taxpayers of our nation. So it is a question of priority, it is not a question of money. And it could not be a greater priority for the future of our nations but also the individual ambitions of each of these children to invest in their education. Thats why people should be voting Labor this Saturday because it is about the future of your childs education.
JOURNALIST: Nick Xenophon is looking like he could pick up three or four senate spots this weekend. One of his priorities is education so surely if that comes to fruition that is a good thing for the state?
WEATHERILL: Well, the problem is if you vote for Nick you dont just get Nick, you get a bunch of other people that he will be spending all of his time trying to control and round up. He wont be able to focus on South Australia because he has a team of people who, frankly, he cant control. He has tried to gag them with a rule that says they cant speak to the media because he doesnt want to expose them to public scrutiny and I dont want Nick focusing on this massive team of people that might be elected. Im happy for Nick to be elected but not the rag-tag group of people that are going to go off in all directions. We need to focus on South Australia, and that is why people need to vote for Labor at this coming election.
SENATOR PENNY WONG: Can I just make a point on that too? Governments deliver outcomes. Governments deliver education policy. All around you today you see this was a result of a decision of a Labor Government to back trade-training centres in our schools. Governments deliver on policies. Governments deliver on education and what I would say is this: Labor backs education. Malcolm Turnbull backs a $50 billion giveaway to the largest companies in Australia. Labor backs Medicare. Malcolm Turnbull backs cuts to Medicare. So there is a very clear choice at this election. Do you want a Government that backs Medicare, that backs schools, that backs apprenticeships? Or do you want a Government that is going to give $50 billion to the big end of town and a Government that is going to back cuts to Medicare, which is what Malcolm Turnbull will do.
JOURNALIST: Coming from your perspective, surely its a benefit to the state to have three or four extra senators that will back South Australia rather than some other parties that dont align with Labors views?
WONG: Well, governments are the ones who deliver outcomes. People can jump up and down and get a lot of attention in the Senate but ultimately governments back outcomes. Governments deliver outcomes. And people have a choice: do they want a Labor Government that will invest in your schools, that will save Medicare and will protect Medicare. Or do you want a Liberal Government who will back $50 billion worth of tax cuts to big business and which will cut Medicare. That is the choice. And as the Premier said, lets remember, when it comes to Nick Xenophon, Nick is going to get elected.
Nick is going to get elected. It is a question of who he brings in with him and we know that his number two candidate said just last week just last week said that it would be a good thing if penalty rates are reduced. It would be a good thing. So, we say to people if you want to save Medicare vote Labor in the House and the Senate. If you want to back our schools, vote Labor in the House and in the Senate. If you want to back apprenticeships, vote Labor in the House and in the Senate, because what we have seen under Malcolm Turnbull is thirteen and a half thousand fewer apprenticeships here in South Australia.
JOURNALIST: I mean governments aside, the Senate has a very important role. Would you prefer to not have Nick Xenophons three or four senators and have some Liberal senators instead?
WONG: I just want more Labor senators. I want Labor senators who will stand up for Medicare, as we always have. I want Labor senators who will stand up for penalty rates as we always have. I dont want senators in the Parliament who are going to attack penalty rates for working people as Stirling Griff has made clear he is willing to do. He has made clear. It is not that we need to look at the tea leaves. He made clear on South Australian radio last week he was quite willing to consider the Liberal bill to reduce penalty rates. He made clear that it would be a good thing if penalty rates were reduced. You just have to listen to him.
WEATHERILL: Lets just talk about Labor senators. It was Labor senators who put the submarine project back on the agenda. Lets make it absolutely clear it was dead and buried. It was off to Japan. It was Labor senators, led by Penny Wong, who put the pressure on Senator Johnson to cough up that remark that he wouldnt trust the ASC workers to build a canoe. It was from that point that the Coalitions policy of actually building subs overseas and Japan went on the rails and every step from that point onwards we were able to win back ground and ultimately won a victory. So Labor senators make a difference. That is why people should vote Labor in the Senate come Saturday.
JOURNALIST: A final question on that topic, Penny would you be happy to work with these three or four Xenophon Team senators if they do get elected?
WONG: Well, you are very insistent in putting this to me and what I would say back to you is that Im very clear if South Australians want a senate team that backs their penalty rates, that protects Medicare, that backs South Australian jobs, then vote Labor in the Senate. Im very clear about that.
JOURNALIST: Just very briefly, on another topic, Bill Shorten clarified his position on a plebiscite for same sex marriage. Why is that? It has been called a waste of money from Labors perspective. Why is that?
WONG: Well, I think you only need to listen to the Liberals themselves. Warren Entsch was out saying Warren Entsch, who is a supporter of marriage equality was out today saying that a plebiscite was just to give people cover to vote the right way in the Parliament. What Malcolm Turnbull is saying is that we should go through all of this expense, divisive campaign because he doesnt have the backbone to stand up to the hard right in his Liberal Party. That is what this is all about.
JOURNALIST: Do you think a plebiscite- WONG: This is what Malcolm Turnbull gave away. Something he believed in he gave it away to become Leader of the Liberal Party.
JOURNALIST: Finally, do you think though that a plebiscite may give the community a sense of ownership over this decision to minimise backlash from conservative groups?
WONG: Well I think that a plebiscite would lead to a lot more hate speech. We have already seen the way that the debate has been conducted. I think it would get worse. But I would say this: there is a peoples vote on marriage equality. It is called an election and it is on Saturday. People who want a Government that will deliver marriage equality should vote Labor on Saturday.
ENDS