Transcript of
Senator Mitch Fifield
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary
for Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector
ABC News Radio
with Marius Benson
24 November 2009
8.15am
E & OE
Subjects: Emissions Trading Scheme
ANNOUNCER:
Well Opposition Members of Parliament are meeting this morning to decide on their position on the Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme. That’s a meeting which is being seen as the biggest test Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership has faced, with many Liberals openly opposing his plan to negotiate with the Government on the issue. One of those who is against a deal is the Victorian Senator Mitch Fifield, he is speaking with Marius Benson.
MARIUS BENSON:
Mitch Fifield I’m sure the phones have been running hot in the Opposition ranks. The late reports seem to be suggesting a charge by the anti-deal with the Government forces, that is your side?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well my phone has been strangely silent Marius. Look this morning we will have put to the Party Room the deal that has been agreed to between the Government and Ian Macfarlane. Obviously we don’t know the contents of that as yet. I will be guided in my determinations by the contributions of my colleagues and by the content of the Government’s proposal.
BENSON:
Everybody has got a pretty clear idea of what the Government proposal is going to be, and you have made it clear that you are against a deal.
FIFIELD:
Well I am very sceptical about the Government’s ETS legislation. Everyone in the Coalition agrees that the Government’s legislation as it is, is bad. Everyone in the Coalition agrees that there is no need to puit this legislation to the Parliament before Copenhagen.
BENSON:
Nonetheless the Government is pressing on with the legislation and the reading of the numbers in the Coalition ranks at the moment is that there is about two thirds in favour of the Turnbull position of accepting an amended bill, one third against.
FIFIELD:
Well the truth is we don’t know what the Government is going to put to the Party Room and we won’t know the mind of the Party Room until we have the facts before us. So it would be premature to speculate on what the outcome of the Party Room might be.
BENSON:
Would you like to see a secret ballot on this legislation in the Party Room this morning, today?
FIFIELD:
I think there is merit in a secret ballot. It is important that the Party Room has a sense of ownership of the discussion, and it is important that the Party Room is confident that the decision taken accurately reflects the mood and spirit of the Party Room and a secret ballot would be a way to achieve that.
BENSON:
But the indications are there won’t be a secret ballot. Malcolm Turnbull has made that clear. You could get one by forcing a spill on the leadership. Is that a worthwhile tactic to achieve a secret ballot?
FIFIELD:
Oh look I don’t think anyone is considering any of these issues against the backdrop of leadership. It is important that legislation is viewed purely on its policy merits.
BENSON:
Is Malcolm Turnbull leadership in jeopardy?
FIFIELD:
Malcolm as Leader has my support. He has the support of the Party Room, full stop.
BENSON:
What if it comes to a choice between supporting a bill you don’t like and supporting Malcolm Turnbull, who wins out, what wins out?
FIFIELD:
Well I don’t think it comes down to that sort of a choice. What we are about in the Party Room is pursuing good policy and the national interest, and that’s what I am focused on.
BENSON:
If the Party Room votes for an amended bill, will you be bound by the Party Room vote or are you one of those who might cross the floor in the Senate and vote against it nonetheless?
FIFIELD:
Well I will have to wait and see what the contribution is of my colleagues in the Party Room and what the Government deal on offer is. I really can’t make a determination before I have the benefit of those two.
BENSON:
So you are keeping your options open there, you might still cross the floor and vote against whatever the Party Room decides?
FIFIELD:
As I say, it would be premature to hazard a guess as to what the Party Room might decide today. We don’t have the benefit of the Government’s proposal as yet, and I want to hear what the contribution of my colleagues is.
BENSON:
Some of the analysis has said that Malcolm Turnbull hasn’t handled the negotiations in the internal party ranks terribly well, that John Howard would have handled it better, he would have had informal groups thrashing out differences in a way Malcolm Turnbull has failed to do.
FIFIELD:
Well each leader has their own style and their own methods. It is never an easy job being Opposition Leader and I think Malcolm is giving it his very best.
BENSON:
Has he done it as well as John Howard would have?
FIFIELD:
Well they are different people, different characters. One was in Government, one was in the Opposition. So it is very difficult to compare their styles.
BENSON:
At the end of the day what do you think the Party Room will decide?
FIFIELD:
Well I can’t say because I don’t know, none of our colleagues know what the offer from the Government is. The Coalition Party Room has, as a collective, reserved its position on the legislation, pending sighting the Government’s offer. And that’s what we will see later today.
BENSON:
Mitch Fifield thank you very much.
FIFIELD:
Thanks Marius.
ENDS