Transcript of
Senator Mitch Fifield
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary
for Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector
2CC Canberra
Breakfast with Mark Parton
24 November 2009
7.45am
E & OE
Subjects: Emissions Trading Scheme
MARK PARTON:
They are calling it D-Day for Malcolm Turnbull today. He must today pacify an increasingly fractious Party Room to seal the deal with the Rudd Government to higher industry compensation under an Emissions Trading Scheme that will transform the Australian economy. Some call it an Emissions Trading Scheme, I like to refer to it as an employment termination scheme. It appears that Malcolm Turnbull may have a deal with Kevin Rudd on an Emissions Trading Scheme, but according to Dennis Shanahan in the Australian this morning he is sitting on a keg of Coalition frustration and anger which could even turn into a leadership spill at this morning’s Party Room meeting in Parliament House. Liberal Senator Mitch Fifield joins us on the phone right now, good morning Senator.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Good morning Mark.
PARTON:
Are you standing behind your leader, your party or behind your principles today?
FIFIELD:
Well I am standing behind all of the above. I think it is important that we view this legislation not against the backdrop of leadership but that we purely look at the policy merits. And this ETS, this legislation, sadly, is a bad piece of legislation. It runs the risk of putting Australians out of jobs, and as you said Mark, it is basically a new tax.
PARTON:
So does that translate to you won’t be supporting an ETS in any way, shape or form?
FIFIELD:
Well I am going to be informed by two things today. One is the Government’s response to the Coalition proposal. And the other are the contributions of my colleagues in the Party Room. But it would be fair to say that I am one of those who remains to be convinced that this legislation is salvageable.
PARTON:
So then how will it be possible for you to do all the three things you mentioned at the start? Stand behind your leader, behind your party and behind your principles? Because whatever happens Mr Turnbull is not going to back away from supporting some sort of ETS deal, is he?
FIFIELD:
Well Malcolm is committed to the concept of an ETS. And it remains to be seen if he thinks that the deal that the Government is offering is a good one. But ultimately it will be the Party Room that makes the determination here. But we are in the business of looking after the national interest, and I’m certainly not in the business of supporting bad legislation that is going to cost Australians jobs.
PARTON:
Still wondering, quite frankly, why Kevin Andrews raised his head up from the trenches yesterday. Was he sort of back into that by the questions he was asked? I didn’t see the interview but from where I sit I can’t really see the point in Kevin Andrews putting his head up and saying ‘hey, I’ll do it if they want me to.’
FIFIELD:
Well the plain fact is that Malcolm has the support of the Party Room.
PARTON:
It just doesn’t sound as though he does Mitch.
FIFIELD:
He does. It can look, I guess, a bit confusing and inelegant from the outside when people are debating policy but what we are doing is we are looking at this legislation we are looking at the pros and cons of it. As I say that is not always an elegant exercise. But that is what we are focused on and, as I say, I think it is important to look at these things on their merits and not against the backdrop of leadership or anything else.
PARTON:
There has been a bit of discussion about a secret ballot. Are you a secret ballot man or not?
FIFIELD:
I think there is some merit in having a secret ballot on this issue. This is contentious legislation and people have strong feelings and it is important that there is a sense of ownership by the Party Room of the decision that is ultimately made. And also a feeling that the true spirit of the Party Room is actually reflected in the outcome and a secret ballot is certainly a way to ensure that.
PARTON:
When it actually gets to a vote in the Senate is there any chance you will cross the floor?
FIFIELD:
Well I don’t want to pre-empt the Party Room. I do take very seriously the contributions that my colleagues make in the Party Room and I want to be informed by that, and also have a good hard look at what the Government puts to us. I must say I think we have been negotiating with the Government for the best part of five weeks and the Government is compressing the time frame which the Opposition has to consider their proposal. The Government basically want us to consider this incredibly significant piece of legislation in the space of about two and a half or three hours. I think we need more time than that. The Government should have factored in more time for the Opposition to consider what they proposed.
PARTON:
There is a lot being made about the pressure on Malcolm Turnbull about the pressure on the Liberal Party here. And I don’t think there is as much being made of the pressure on Kevin Rudd and the fact that he came to power wearing his environmental crusader suit attempting and certainly spruiking the fact that he was going to save the world, and that if indeed somehow he can’t strike a deal and if somehow this legislation is not passed, it is yet another thing the Prime Minister promised that he would do that he hasn’t delivered on.
FIFIELD:
Well if Kevin Rudd is the salvation of the world I think we are all in big trouble. The absurdity of the proposition that this legislation has to be passed before Copenhagen. I mean it was an absurd proposition when it looked like we would have some idea what the rest of the world was doing. We now know that the 200 page draft treaty has been ripped up, that it will basically be a 8 or 9 page glorified press release that comes out of it. So there is not that reason to pass this legislation before Copenhagen. And now we also know that Canada won’t legislate before they know what the rest of the World is doing, and the United States is unlikely to have passage of their legislation for the best part of another year. So, you know, it seems crazy to me going in with your blindfold on and your hands tied behind your back when you have got no idea what the rest of the world is actually going to do.
PARTON:
How confident are you that, I know this is a bit of a leap forward, how confident are you that Malcolm Turnbull will lead the Liberal Party to the next election?
FIFIELD:
Malcolm will lead us to the next election. He has the support of the Party Room and today’s events, it’s all about policy, it’s all about pursuing the national interest and that’s what we’re determined to do.
PARTON:
Alright thanks for chatting this morning.
FIFIELD:
Thanks Mark.
ENDS