03-June-2009
Portfolio Media Releases, The Economy, Emissions Trading Scheme
Topic: Economy, Alby Schultz, Emissions Trading, Peter Costello
MARIUS BENSON: Andrew Robb, if I can just begin with some of the economic issues that are on the boil this morning. The Government was quite pleased with some figures that were out yesterday, retail sales, surprisingly good, and home buyers seem to be optimistic. There are export figures that show that Australia’s the world’s best export performer in the first 3 months of the year. There seem to be some reasons to be cheerful on the economic front.
ANDREW ROBB: Yes, I do think that clearly the Chinese economy has continued to come good. At least at this stage and that certainly is driving exports here with the lower exchange rate that we have had over the last few months and that’s good news for the economy.
MARIUS BENSON: Do you want to give the Government and it’s stimulus measures any credit?
ANDREW ROBB: Well, we’ll see, I am not an economic expert, we will see what the numbers are. Our concern all along of course about the stimulus has been that it’s all borrowed money.
MARIUS BENSON: Okay, can I go to another issue which is on the boil at the moment which is the position of the Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon. Now he declared in parliament last night that he had failed to reveal a $450 sponsorship for a night’s accommodation in Brisbane and he apologised for that. You say, you have said he should go. The Prime Minister has made it clear that he is standing by his Minister, he won’t be going.
ANDREW ROBB: Again, the Prime Minister needs to take tough decisions. This is our Minister for Defence, this is a very significant position, yet almost monthly there is a parade of mistakes that are being unearthed and the point is, what more is there to come and that needs to be answered.
MARIUS BENSON: Mr Robb, is it fair to ask what’s going on, on your side of politics given the incident yesterday when you had one member of the Liberal Party, Alby Schultz, in the Joint Party Room grabbing another member, shirt-fronting him by some accounts, grabbing him by the throat by other accounts and that follows a few days after the Press Secretary for Malcolm Turnbull apologised for getting physical with a journalist from the Ten Network, is it fair to say what’s going on?
ANDREW ROBB: No, this was an isolated matter and it was not as you described it. I think he grabbed him by the shoulder, it was all over in a matter of seconds and Alby Schultz came back and apologised unreservedly. Look it was an unfortunate incident but I wouldn’t get into it too much. Look I think often you come into this place, it’s a hothouse, lot of pressure and people often bring issues from home and all the rest of it. Who knows what’s behind this. It was certainly nothing you would say was a pattern of behaviour or any deep seated issues within the Party. It was just a minor incident and I think we should leave it at that.
MARIUS BENSON: Alby Schultz, apparently one of the issues that angered him at the meeting yesterday was leaking via mobile phones from Joint Party Room meetings, mobile phones and Blackberry’s, and it’s reported this morning they are banned from now on. Is that the case?.
ANDREW ROBB: Firstly, I don’t think it is something that Alby Schultz was raising, others did and certainly there was an agreement, in fact offered by the room, that we should, as you do in Cabinet meetings and other such meeting, leave our mobile phones outside and I think that’s the intention.
MARIUS BENSON: No more mobile phones in Joint Party Room meetings?
ANDREW ROBB: No, and I think it’s probably a good thing so we’re not distracted.
MARIUS BENSON: In your emissions trading capacity, the ETS legislation introduced yesterday in Parliament, the Coalition is clearly divided on that, on the public statements from Nationals and from Liberals, do you believe yourself emissions trading is essential?
ANDREW ROBB: Look, firstly, in the division issue, we came out of last week’s party room with the absolutely united position, unanimous position in our opposition to the Government’s flawed scheme, a scheme that will cost jobs but also in our intent to provide the Government with full support, bipartisan support for targets to take to Copenhagen.
MARIUS BENSON: Can I just ask you a final question on another issue again which is Peter Costello now is very close to making a decision on whether he will recontest his seat, do you want to see Peter Costello stay in Federal Parliament?
ANDREW ROBB: Peter has been, and is a great talent and if he decides to continue to contribute well that’s a great thing.
MARIUS BENSON: Andrew Robb, thanks very much.
Media Contact: Stuart Eaton, 0433 298 620