Thu, 22nd May 2008
Nelson Doorstop - Melbourne
The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP
Leader of the Opposition
E&OE
DR NELSON:
Well petrol today is in excess of $1.60 a litre in many parts of Australia. Families are doing it very tough, particularly those in outer suburbs and people living in regional and rural Australia. And the most important thing that the Government needs to understand is that watching the price of petrol is not going to bring it down. We stand for lower petrol prices. Every day from now until the next election every Australian, when you’re filling up your car with petrol, needs to know that petrol will be five cents a litre cheaper under the Coalition.
It is very important that Mr Rudd understands it is time to take action and simply watching the price of petrol is not going to bring it down. Every Australian is watching the price of petrol. Petrol price commissioners, a so-called FuelWatch – none of that is actually going to reduce the price of petrol for Australians. The one thing that every Australian needs to know is that under the Coalition petrol will be at least five cents a litre cheaper when you fill up your car.
Earlier today I’ve had a meeting with a number of pensioners and those representing them. And in particular I’ve had a meeting with Shirley Grant. Mr Rudd needs to understand that Australia’s age pensioners are the men and women whose sacrifices made this country what it is. We are who we are today because of earlier generations who made enormous sacrifices, who invested in infrastructure, who helped us create what is now a wealth creating nation. Mr Rudd needs to take the time to meet Australia’s pensioners, to look them in eye and explain to them what he’s going to do to help them.
All of the talk about working families – and all of us support of course working families – but every time Mr Rudd and Mr Swan start talking about working families what they are actually doing is saying to Australia’s carers, pensioners, single Australians and others that maybe there’s no place for them in Mr Rudd’s balance book. It’s absolutely essential that Mr Rudd stop to understand what it’s like in Australia to be an age pensioner and try to live on $273 a week. With grocery prices, with petrol prices, with rents – all of which have significantly increased over the last six months – Australia’s pensioners are now at breaking point.
Shirley Grant and pensioners like that represent everyday Australians. They’re not political activists, they may not be celebrities or move stars, but if Mr Rudd has got the time to go and see Cate Blanchett and her newborn baby, which is all terrific, he’s got the time to actually look Australia’s pensioners in the eye and tell them what he’s going to do to help them.
QUESTION:
And what do you promise pensioners?
DR NELSON:
Well the most important thing that we need to do at the moment is to make sure that pensioners are on Mr Rudd’s political radar. We need to make sure that we stand up for pensioners to make sure that they have a voice. We’re in the process at the moment of examining policy although it’s only six months since the last election, and one of the things that is very clear is that our nation has a responsibility to put Australia’s age pensioners on a solid financial footing. I think it’s very clear at the moment that all of us, and the Government in particular that so cruelly let down Australia’s pensioners in its Budget, needs to re-examine its budgetary priorities and there needs to be further strengthening of the financial position of pensioners.
QUESTION:
[Inaudible] increase the pension, is that what you’re saying?
DR NELSON:
Well there are a number of options in relation to assisting pensioners and we are closely examining all of those at the moment. Keep in mind that Mr Rudd is the government. We will be taking it up very hard to Mr Rudd next week in relation to pensioners. We’ll also be making absolutely sure that both he and Mr Swan understand that we want to see some action in relation to Australia’s age pensioners.
QUESTION:
[Inaudible] cut the fuel excise, I mean can’t you say that you’d increase the pension?
DR NELSON:
Well cutting the fuel excise and stopping Mr Rudd’s increase on private health insurance premiums are two of the things that we have announced which clearly will assist pensioners. We’re in the process of developing policy at the moment and one of the key priorities for us is pensioners, carers, the mentally ill and the disabled. We’ve got Australia, as a result of good economic management over the last decade, into a strong financial position at the moment. The most important priority for us to do now as a nation is to actually look at this case for pensioners and see what can be done.
QUESTION:
But you’re not actually saying you’d help pensioners?
DR NELSON:
We most certainly…
QUESTION:
[Inaudible]
DR NELSON:
We will most certainly be developing and announcing policy in due course which will assist pensioners. But I say to you again: Mr Rudd is the government. Mr Rudd needs to take responsibility for governing this country. He needs to make sure that this is a government that governs for all Australians and in particular a government that looks after pensioners, carers, the frail and the elderly. And at the moment they’ve been sold down the river. Our job is to make absolutely sure that Australians know that Mr Rudd has let down pensioners very, very badly. We need to make sure that Mr Rudd and Mr Swan re-examine their priorities and that’s exactly what we will be doing.
QUESTION:
[Inaudible]
DR NELSON:
We will have a comprehensive response to the Garnaut report when it is released. One of the many things that we’re focused on is not only agriculture but also energy, petrol in particular and where that fits into emissions trading. We know for example that if carbon is priced at $25 to $40 a tonne then you’re looking at around a five to ten cent a litre increase in the price of petrol. Mr Rudd has capitalised on the widespread community concern in relation to climate change, but he’s also capitalised on the fact that most Australians are actually ignorant about what it’s actually going to cost.
We’re in the process, as I say, of examining policy very carefully. We will have a fully developed and integrated response to the Garnaut report when it is released and one of the things we stand for is at least five cents a litre off at the bowser when you fill up your car.
QUESTION:
But how do you adequately tackle climate change when you’re [inaudible]
DR NELSON:
Well you’ll notice that a number of other countries have already made that decision. Our response to the Garnaut report – it will be considered, well developed and comprehensive. And energy and petrol in particular will be a part of that.
At the moment what Mr Rudd is proposing… I mean the train coming down the track in relation to climate change for Australians is a significant increase in the price of petrol and household electricity bills as result of what Mr Rudd is proposing to do on climate change. We will have an integrated, well developed, well considered policy in relation to climate change once we see the Garnaut report.
QUESTION:
[Inaudible]
DR NELSON:
Well look, at the moment most Australians who are struggling to feed, clothe and house their children and just survive in day-to-day life have not been able to read hundreds of pages of economic theory in relation to the implementation of climate change. At the moment most Australians are generally supportive of action on climate change. They want to see Australia being a part of a genuinely global solution but I still think there is vast, widespread community ignorance in terms of what adjusting to climate change is actually going to cost us. Petrol and energy costs are amongst them, but they will be far deeper than that.
QUESTION:
Is it Opposition policy [inaudible]
DR NELSON:
Well we are waiting to see what Garnaut’s report actually releases and then we’ll inform you of what our policy is in relation to it. There is clearly going to be an emissions trading scheme and we will have a look at it once we’ve seen Garnaut’s report.
One other issue. Mr Rudd phoned me earlier today and we had a discussion about the Indigenous policy commission for housing. I wish to inform you that Mr Rudd has decided not to accept the advice that I have given him to include Mal Brough, the former Indigenous Affairs Minister, in the advisory group for the Indigenous housing policy commission. Mr Rudd has on that basis decided that he will proceed with the Indigenous housing commission but it will not be a bipartisan one directly including myself.
He has decided to accept the other recommendations for membership of the Indigenous housing policy commission which I put forward to him. I have advised him that I think there is a real place for an Indigenous housing policy commission. We will continue to support it where we believe it is doing the right thing but if it is failing the interests of Indigenous Australians clearly we reserve the right to be critical of it.
Whatever the politics of Australians, it’s very clear that Mal Brough represents common sense, the very best interests of Indigenous people, applying solutions to what has been a long term and intractable problem for 90,000 Aboriginal people living in remote parts of the country. I’m disappointed that Mr Rudd and the Labor Government were not able to accept his nomination but that is their right and I certainly hope that the Indigenous policy commission on housing delivers the outcomes that Aboriginal people so desperately need.
QUESTION:
What reason [inaudible]
DR NELSON:
Well I wouldn’t normally disclose private conversations but I think it’s fair to say that he had said that he didn’t want any serving or former politicians on the advisory group for the housing commission and for that reason he’s not accepting Mr Brough. That’s his prerogative; he’s able to do so if that’s what he wants to do. But I think every Australian who is deeply concerned about and cares for advancement of Indigenous people knows that Mal Brough is a man of common sense and action. And I’m disappointed that there was no place for him, but I respect Mr Rudd’s decision and we will not be an active member of the Indigenous housing policy commission but obviously we will watch it with great interest on behalf of indigenous people.
QUESTION:
Would Alexander Downer make a good UN envoy to Cyprus?
DR NELSON:
Well Alexander Downer has enormous ability, he is Australia’s longest serving Foreign Minister and I’m not surprised that anybody would want to engage his considerable experience and skills. But he continues to be the hardworking Member for Mayo.
QUESTION:
[Inaudible]
DR NELSON:
Well I think he’s already spoken about that.
QUESTION:
[Inaudible] Mr Rudd’s decision was a political decision not to include Mr Brough?
DR NELSON:
Well by his own admission he wouldn’t have Mr Brough because he was a former politician. I can think of former politicians you wouldn’t want to have involved in things but there are many people in this country on both sides of politics who genuinely have Australia’s best interests at heart. I consider Mal Brough to be one of them but I respect the decision made by Mr Rudd. I think it’s disappointing. I did propose a number of people to the policy commission one of which was Warren Mundine and he has been accepted and I think that’s terrific. It’s disappointing that Mr Rudd could not accept Mr Brough but that goes to the deep ideological opposition to the Northern territory intervention and other things which elements of the Labor Party don’t support.
QUESTION:
So when you say that decision [inaudible] you have no direct involvement in the commission. Would your involvement have been through Mal Brough?
DR NELSON:
Well the way it was proposed of course was Mr Rudd and I would be the two joint commissioners for the Indigenous housing policy commission and there would be an advisory group which would support its work and oversee it, and Mr Brough would have been a part of that.
QUESTION:
And you weren’t tempted to follow Senator Fielding’s lead and take off your shirt?
DR NELSON:
I think my wife would certainly confirm that I’m much better with my shirt on, and I won’t be removing clothing but I respect the decision made by Steve Fielding to do that to support pensioners.
My responsibility will be to make absolutely sure that Mr Rudd knows just how angry Australians are about the way in which pensioners have been sold down the river. And I say to Mr Rudd and Mr Swan and the other members of the Labor Party who tell us they’re driving a so-called social justice truck, you try and live on $273 a week. I think some of them couldn’t live on $273 for a day let alone $273 for a week.
And further to that I think Mr Rudd needs to meet some of the pensioners, some of these advocates, a woman like Shirley Grant, members of the Pensioners’ and Superannuants’ Federation, the National Seniors Association, COTA, and the myriad of organisations out there who need a voice. And they need a lot more spin and substance than they’re getting from their current Prime Minister.
And, again, it seems Mr Rudd seems to be very fond of spending time with celebrities and doing all kinds of things which are about promoting himself. How about promoting the best interests of the people that actually made this country what it is? They deserve a lot better than they’re getting at the moment.
We’re in the process of taking it up to the Government on this and I can assure you that we’re also in the process of developing policy which in the end, I mean, you build a strong economy so you can actually look after the weak and the vulnerable. You don’t ignore and neglect the weak and the vulnerable to build a strong economy and to put money into a whole lot of other things.
Thanks.