06-June-2011
Portfolio Media Releases
TRANSCRIPT OF THE HON. ANDREW ROBB MP
INTERVIEW WITH ALAN JONES 2GB
Topics: Cigarette plain packaging, NSW Magistrate Brian Maloney.
E&OE
ALAN JONES:
Andrew Robb is on the line, Andrew good morning.
ANDREW ROBB:
Good morning Alan.
ALAN JONES:
Thank you for your time. Can I just ask you before I get onto this in relation to your cap as finance minister, this business about cigarette plain packaging, has the Shadow Cabinet considered the liability that could be imposed on taxpayers if this matter is taken to court and we are in breach of a whole stack of international trade agreements which could result in compensation of billions-of-dollars paid by the taxpayer?
ANDREW ROBB:
Well Alan, we are still to see despite 18 months of the government trailing its coat on this issue, we still haven’t seen any legislation and they’re the sorts of things obviously that we will have a very keen eye to because there is a lot of politics in this as well. They are looking to create a problem for us on our side of politics I think it’s their main motivation to be honest.
But we haven’t seen any legislation yet. When we do, of course, that’s where our attention will go.
ALAN JONES:
And you would be aware this was raised under the Keating Government, the Trade Minister then was Simon Crean and Simon Crean asked a whole range of questions in 1995. Have we got supporting evidence that plain packaging reduces the health risk etcetera, etcetera and all the responses that Simon Crean got in 1995 were to the negative citing the reasons why the UK didn’t pass the legislation and so on, I mean surely to god the poor taxpayer is not going to be bled another several-billions-of dollars simply because the government can’t get its legislation right?
ANDREW ROBB:
Well I think one of the key things before the parliament will be that the government will need to satisfy people that we are not being exposed, the community is not being exposed to massive litigation.
So at the moment it’s just been a tirade of offensive remarks across the chamber mainly directed at Tony Abbott, of course Tony got smoking from 22 per cent of the population down to 17 per cent, but that’s overlooked.
And they are on this mission which is as you say, they keep saying it’s a world-first, well it is because there is no evidence that it will achieve what they claim. We’ve said to them show us the legislation and we’ll have a decent look at the legislation.
ALAN JONES:
So there is no legislation, but I just spoke to a world authority on this who said the potential for massive compensation would be very significant indeed, that no government could strip trademark from any entity, forget the product and get away with it.
ANDREW ROBB:
Yes, as I said, once we’ve seen the black letter law we can then put it in front of some noted legal authorities.
ALAN JONES:
You wouldn’t know from all of the publicity about all of this that there was no legislation would you?
ANDREW ROBB:
You wouldn’t no. It’s been out there for 18 months. As I say they are just trying to, what’s said in politics, wedge us. They are looking for issues which will distract the population from the carbon tax and the debacle with boat people and all the issues some of which you have just raised in the last few minutes.
They are doing anything to distract people from issues that are really material to their cost of living and all the rest of it.
ALAN JONES:
Absolutely, just well done by the way on Brian Maloney and congratulations for showing the guts to tackle this, you use to have a battle just getting out of bed didn’t you?
ANDREW ROBB:
Well I had a morning problem yes for 43 years it took me 43 years to confront it because of the stigma that’s attached to depressive and mental health issues.
What bothers me so really greatly Alan about this, is you put the case very clearly, this is a man who has confronted a condition, has found an answer to it and is on medication and has had no problems at all since he confronted it.
Now they are saying just because one psychiatrist said people, bi-polar sufferers can often go off their medication, they’ve said there is a risk this man may go off his medication and therefore he will be not suited to the job he is doing. It’s just ridiculous.
ALAN JONES:
None of his decisions, none of his decisions have been wrong at law.
ANDREW ROBB:
Well he’s been there what you said …
ALAN JONES:
15 years.
ANDREW ROBB:
He’s done 5,000 cases a year you are talking about 75,000 cases at law, as you say, none of them have been challenged. The incidents, some of them may have been a little inappropriate, but they weren’t hanging offences.
Also they had found that he had a condition, now he has dealt with it. The thing is the implications are much wider than the legal profession and Brian Maloney.
If the New South Wales government sacks Brian Maloney it will send a signal to hundreds-of-thousands of people who are currently not confronting a mental condition, who could get treatment, who could lead a much better life and a normal life, who will think I am not going to say anything because this could mean I will lose my job [inaudible] … we are going to set this whole thing back 20 years.
ALAN JONES:
Absolutely, but Andrew, here are you and I now talking about a good man the humiliation of this man his reputation being raked across the public place, the likelihood that he’s got to stand in the parliament and defend himself against what?
ANDREW ROBB:
That’s right. I’ve looked at this, someone brought it to my attention because my parliamentary seat is in Victoria, so I hadn’t seen much publicity, somebody brought it to my attention and said to me this doesn’t look fair and it’s got really wide and damaging implications.
Anyway I had a look at it and thought there’s got to be something else other than what’s in the press, there’s just got to be this is ridiculous.
I’ve spoken now at great lengths to the lawyer and others, there is nothing else there is nothing else.
ALAN JONES:
No poor legal decisions and the bi-polar is not of a severe kind and the bloke had the honesty to say that he suffered and now he’s got to stand in the public place and be treated as a person who is likely to provide a disservice in his profession to the community. I think it is an absolute disgrace.
ANDREW ROBB:
Well look if people do confront their condition and he has, I mean I hadn’t confronted it for 43 years I used to pop out of it mid-morning or later but it was a real hindrance to me in the mornings and for several hours and it got worse as I got older.
But Alan I’ve had 12 months now, once we found the right solution, I’ve had 12 months with mornings I’ve never had in my life and my productivity is greater, but it’s just, but I still stand in the bathroom every morning at a quarter to six and think how good is this?
My head’s clear I am not feeling negative or lacking in confidence, I’m like I am usually in the second half of the day and it’s just been a miraculous turn around and I keep thinking why, if only I’d confronted it years before and admitted I had a condition.
Now this is what we are fighting this stigma that’s out there this will set it back so far, it’s just an absurd situation that we find ourselves in with this man.
ALAN JONES:
Absolutely, well I’m going to talk to the Attorney General about all of this, I mean you just can’t allow, this man cannot be left on his own to fight this ridiculous battle.
ANDREW ROBB:
Not at all, and people should, it is a vote of the whole parliament and I think where people feel inclined they should contact their local member.
It’s not a partisan decision this one, this is a common sense matter before the broader public.
ALAN JONES:
The first question you’d say wouldn’t you, if you stood in the parliament, what are we doing here? What are we doing here? It’s just beyond belief.
Good on you Andrew and well done. Thank you for talking to me.