GREEN: Senator Penny Wong joins you now. Senator, good evening.
WONG: Good evening, good to be with you.
GREEN: Have you set the reset button on your relationship with business?
WONG: Thats an interesting way to put it. My view is any government has to have a strong dialogue with business. Sometimes its robust, sometimes we agree, sometimes we dont. But ultimately, the economic challenges the nation faces over the years ahead is one that will only be met if we work together the Government, business, trade unions and the community. Thats the approach were taking.
GREEN: Thats eminently sensible, though Wayne Swan lashing out at mining magnates that cant have helped the relationship in the past?
WONG: Im not going to get into commentary about the past. My focus is on the future and my focus is on what Ive got to do today and tomorrow and in the days and weeks and years ahead to ensure we can make the right decisions as a Government and have the relationships across the community that enable Australia to meet these challenges.
GREEN: Sure. Did you get the sense today or have you had the sense in recent times that the Government under whichever prime minister has put business offside?
WONG: There are always robust discussions and, as I said, on some things we agree and on some things we dont. But I can only really speak for myself personally Ive always sought to have a dialogue with the business community and I will always continue to do so.
GREEN: What were the key points today? I presume the carbon tax raised its head?
WONG: Well I dont know that its helpful to go through chapter and verse everything that was discussed.
GREEN: Well, give us a couple of chapters.
WONG: A couple of chapters... how about a blurb, does that work?
GREEN: Thatll be fine.
WONG: I think that the key issue that were all focused on is productivity and improving Australias competitiveness. And I think thats an issue that the Business Council in particular have been pressing. Certainly an issue that the Governments been very focused on and our investments in infrastructure and the National Broadband Network and also our investment in schools; in education and in universities are all about making sure we can compete better in this, the Asian Century. So we certainly discussed those challenges and how we can work together.
GREEN: Productivity is a really interesting one because the figures and people have made this argument for a couple of years now the figures suggest that Australian productivity is in fact pretty good and yet its a point of political contention and Kevin Rudd has raised that very quickly as something he wants to focus on. Whats your view, are we underachieving?
WONG: You can always do better. And my view is whilst weve seen some improvement recently. And whilst its true we have a productive economy, its also true that that terms of trade will fall over time to come. Its also true that weve had the largest investment boom in Australias history and we will shift from that to a different phase in terms of where our economy is going. And if were going to make sure that we can have our children be as prosperous and competitive in tomorrows world as Australia has been today than were going to have to lift our competitiveness.
GREEN: That rhetoric has shifted interestingly, I think, with Kevin Rudd as PM. Wayne Swan was full of were the envy of the world but Kevin Rudd is now saying China done, weve got to readjust.
WONG: The Treasurer Chris Bowen stood up today after the Reserve Bank decision and he made the comment that Tony Abbott says weve got a budget emergency and if this is an emergency its one most other developed economies would like to have. So the point is Australia comparatively and compared to the rest of the world is doing very well.
That doesnt mean that you just sit back and hope. What youve got to do is say: well what are the things that we need to do today to ensure that the next generation of Australians has at least the same but better opportunities than weve had.
GREEN: Would an early election offer business some certainty?
WONG: I think that the issue with confidence to date has been far less about when an election is held and far more about the extraordinary irresponsibility of Tony Abbott in talking down the Australian economy. Ive never seen a national leader be so willing to trash talk the economy as weve seen from Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey over the recent years.
GREEN: On another issue, just quickly, Senator. Your colleague Ed Husic hes faced a fair bit of abuse today online for swearing his ministerial oath of allegiance on the Koran. Now hes been very generous in his response; he understands people have their concerns but its a natural part of democracy, he says. Whats your feeling on it?
WONG: Well that is very generous and I might go a little further. I think we are better than these comments from some of the fringe dwellers and others they represent. We are a more inclusive nation and we are a more respectful nation. And thats where the majority of Australians are. We understand diversity is a part of who we are and we can be both strong and united in that. I thought it was actually very moving to see Ed sworn in and as the Governor-General said to him, its a great day for multiculturalism and thats certainly how we felt.
GREEN: She spoke well, did the Governor-General at that time.
WONG: She did.
GREEN: Senator Wong, thanks for your time.
WONG: Good to speak with you Jonathan.
ENDS