GREEN: Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House is Senator Penny Wong, she joins me now. Senator Wong good evening.
WONG: Good evening, good to speak with you.
GREEN: Now, youve accused the Government today, and weve talked a bit about this with the representative of the Motoring Enthusiasts Party, youve accused the Government of trying to bully the new Senators into passing its Budget measures.
How do you make that case?
WONG: We see that Senator Abetz is already out there threatening new Senators with sitting them longer hours and continuing to sit the Senate until they do what the Government wants.
I have to say if he really thought he had a sound argument for the Budget bills, various Budget bills, the various measures such as the tax on fuel or the GP Tax, if he thought he had a sound argument he might actually talk to them about the content of his Budget rather than simply telling them he is going to sit them until they vote.
GREEN: But at the same time the Senate doesnt really have a mandate does it to filibuster, to delay, to endlessly re-refer, and should it not get on with passing the Governments Budget?
WONG: The Senate is the chamber which has to hold the Government to account and it has a critical role in our system of government, in holding the government of the day to account. And from what we have seen a Government and a Prime Minister who has been quite happy to break promises, certainly needs the Senate to hold him to account.
But I would make this point the fact that this Government has presented very little Budget legislation to the Senate. That is the reality. They have presented a couple of bills which have been dealt with, including one which was in fact opposed by members of their own party. They are obviously holding legislation back, taking the new Senate for granted, rather than presenting bills now.
Now that is a matter for them but they can hardly complain, as Senator Abetz is doing, about their legislation program if they dont manage it well.
GREEN: Is there a bit of Brer Rabbit about it in that you have put a notice of motion today that you are wanting to strengthen the estimates process, and the committee process in the Senate; the government is saying well we are going to make you sit until these things are sorted. You would be quite happy with extending that process, wouldnt you?
WONG: Well a couple of points I would make. The Governments threat to extend hours is an empty threat because the Senate has to agree to extend the sitting beyond the program that the Government has already published. So that is the first point.
But the second point you raise is a really important one. We are looking for support from the chamber for changes to procedure which will hold the Government to account. We want to strengthen the Senates critical role of holding the Abbott Government to account. So what I am moving, are a range of motions to ensure that things like Senate Estimates and the accountability of the public service to the Parliament, scrutiny of Ministers, the processes that the Senate in our system of democracy has put in place, that we strengthen them.
GREEN: Should the Government give the cross bench senators more resources?
WONG: Thats up to the Government
GREEN: But should it?
WONG: thats a matter for the Government. When we were in Government we did provide cross benchers with additional support. Ultimately that is a decision for the Prime Minister. What I would say is this, my job as Labors Leader in the Senate is to ensure that we seek to have a chamber where every Senator can do their job, every Senator has the resources they need and the tools they need to do their job to represent their interests and their state and thats the approach were taking and thats the approach these motions take. To try and ensure all Senators do have the capacity to do their job and hold the Government to account.
GREEN: And finally Penny Wong, what sort of work has the Opposition been putting inwith the cross bench Senators? Have you beeninforming them as best you can around the legislation?
WONG: I can tell you what Im not doing, Im not writing them letters telling them were going to make them sit until they do what we want.
GREEN: Youre not really in a position to make that threat.
WONG: We will take a more respectful approach. Obviously we accept that they wont agree with us, each Senator, each of the cross benchers is not going to agree with the Labor Party in every matter but there are some principles which are important and accountability is one of them. We want their support to strengthen the Senates critical role hold the Government to account.
GREEN: Senator Wong, thank you for your time.
WONG: Thank you.
ENDS