26-October-2011
Portfolio Media Releases
INTERVIEW WITH KIERAN GILBERT SKY NEWS
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Topics: Pokies mandatory pre-commitment, European debt crisis, free trade, interest rates
E&OE……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
KIERAN GILBERT:
Mr Robb thanks for your time. Before we go into the area of your responsibility, specifically, I want to ask you about this hardening position from the Coalition. If the Coalition does take this stance as Mr Abbott predicts, it would preclude any possibility of Andrew Wilkie changing sides wouldn’t it?
ANDREW ROBB:
Well it’s up to him what he decides to do. He has said quite emphatically that if the Government does not get this measure up in the form that he wanted, that he would change sides. But that’s his call.
We’ve got to deal with issues as they arise, and this is bad policy. This is just more of the nanny state – and we’ve seen just mountains of that over the last three or four years; and I think what Tony Abbott said yesterday is quite consistent with what I’m hearing in the party room. The problem really is with all this is that it is just a political stunt.
The Prime Minister only ever agreed to this because it guaranteed Wilkie’s vote and the opportunity to form Government. And the problem really is that not only will it cost tens of millions of dollars for the clubs and the pubs and the RSLs, but it will not do anything about problem gambling.
KIERAN GILBERT:
What about the argument though that’s been put – for example Western Australia doesn’t have poker machines in clubs, pubs, yet their sporting clubs look to be quite healthy; their civic services look to be quite healthy; it doesn’t impact adversely on that state.
ANDREW ROBB:
Well first and foremost this is not a question of whether we have pokies or not; they are an established feature in so many pubs and club throughout eastern states.
The problem is that is this measure going to do anything constructively to reduce problem gambling. And if you look where it was applied in Norway – the only country in the world where they have mandatory pre-commitment – there was a massive movement in gambling to online gambling, and gambling got worse under this measure.
Now that’s the only case in the world where we have seen this thing trialled; and it failed abysmally.
So it will mean tens of millions of dollars being spent purely to keep Julia Gillard in office. That’s really the nub of this issue; it is a token measure which is going to do nothing for problem gambling; it will significantly increase the nanny state; it will cost tens of millions of dollars; all for no good reason.
KIERAN GILBERT:
Let’s move on. We can get bogged down in that debate though. The Productivity Commission and others have put it forward, but let’s look at other issues of enormous importance at the moment - The Euro meeting in Brussels. This has so much significance not just for Europe, but for the rest of the global economy doesn’t it? And there’s not much optimism around the place that they’re going to get their act together. Really the concern here is about Italy isn’t it? It’s not really about Greece, but about the third-biggest economy following Greece’s lead here with this debt crisis.
ANDREW ROBB:
Well, yes, I agree with that. It looks as though we’ve got not only Greece, but you’ve got Spain, Portugal - of course Ireland is a cot case now – but Italy – which is one of the biggest economies in the world – it does seem to be carrying an extraordinary amount of debt.
The bottom line is that Europe and the United States have been living beyond their means for a long time, and the inevitable adjustment seems to be coming. And I think we have to put the seat belt on.
KIERAN GILBERT:
What about the prospect of China and Asia being a buffer this time around? China, 20% of its exports go to Europe, so obviously it is going to take a decent hit if this does all fall over as many are predicting.
Therefore it is unlikely to be the buffer that it was for Australia again this time around if there was another global recession. Would you agree with that?
ANDREW ROBB:
Well that’s been our concern for twelve months or more. It’s the reason why we have been arguing that the Government, our Government, should be also looking to live within its means. Yet this year alone, the one we’re currently in, we look like at best this Government spending $22 billion more than we will receive in taxation. Now that’s in the middle of a mining boom, and it just beggars belief that the profligacy that has gone on with this government. And the failure to rein in their spending - that will be the third biggest budget deficit in our history.
The previous two of course have been in the last two years, so the Prime Minister to be out there lecturing the Europeans on living within their means it is embarrassing almost to see this sort of nonsense that she has gone on with in the last few days.
The message is true, but to come from her and from a government that has been demonstrably spending far more than we have been raising, despite the mining boom, just undermines the whole strength of that case.
KIERAN GILBERT:
The prime minister on free trade at the Commonwealth business forum last night said that Australia will open imports, access to imports from 50 of the poorest developing nations without tariffs, without quotas designed to give the free trade agenda a bit of a kick-start that sounds like a good idea doesn’t it?
ANDREW ROBB:
It’s an excellent idea in my view that is why it was introduced in 2003 by the Howard government and this government quite correctly, properly has continued that we already have access to the 50 poorest countries and it has been in place now for some time and it is certainly something that should be followed through by other countries.
But again Kieran we need to make sure that we follow through, that we do actually be consistent with interventions in the economy and protection and you would have to say that the multi-billion-dollar subsidy and the monopoly, the telecom monopoly that is being created by this government the NBN, that is precluding all sorts of possible access by other countries.
It is a form of protection and to create another government monopoly, we are the only country that I know in the world which is renationalising its telecommunications, so again we need to be consistent if the prime minister is going to stand up there in an international forum with some credibility and lecture other countries.
KIERAN GILBERT:
Just quickly, one last question on the prospect of a rate cut on Melbourne Cup Day, you’d welcome that wouldn’t you?
ANDREW ROBB:
We most assuredly would and we’ve been saying for some time now that some of our economy really is in recession. There are parts of our economy despite the fact that we have got this great blessing of a boom in the resources sector, we have got very much a two-speed economy and there are many millions of households in fact who are suffering from mortgage stress and there are many, many businesses in fact hundreds of thousands who are also doing it very tough so any sort of cut on Wednesday would be most acceptable.
KIERAN GILBERT:
Andrew Robb, appreciate your time, thanks for that.
Media Contact: Cameron Hill on 0408 239 521.