Topics: double dissolution election, senate legislation, ABCC.
E&OE…
SALLY WARHAFT
Well parliament resumes today in a special sitting which looks likely at this stage to result in the declaration of an early election. There’s much that appears not to be going to script for the prime minister and to discuss what is an unusual and uncertain situation in our federal parliament, we’re joined now by Senator Scott Ryan, the Minister for Vocational Education and Skills. Good morning, Minister.
SCOTT RYAN
Good morning, Sally.
WARHAFT
Well, this race to a double dissolution has the government and the prime minister misread the mood and made a tactical error in racing towards a double dissolution?
RYAN
Well I wouldn’t describe it that way, Sally. This is legislation, the ABCC legislation for Building construction industry that was in place under the Howard government, that Bill Shorten and Labor removed, and the Senate has obstructed dealing with. In fact, earlier this year it sorted of voted no to deal with it. So, the prime minister used the mechanisms that he has at his disposal which is to recall parliament and say well, we want the Senate to consider this legislation, we think it’s critically important for a fifty billion-dollar industry, it’s particularly important for Melbourne given the problems in our construction industry here in Melbourne and if the Senate fails to pass it, the prime minister made clear, well there’s a mechanism available to resolve this, which is an election.
WARHAFT
Many people think this is confecting a reason to have a double dissolution, with the trigger being this legislation on the ABCC. Do you think that your government has done enough to really explain just how important it is, and indeed, what it is?
RYAN
Well this is long-standing Coalition policy and it was brought into place under the Howard government in I think 2005. We defended it in Opposition year after year until Bill Shorten and Labor did a deal with the Greens to get rid of it in the last term of parliament. So this has been a priority for us for many years, we think it’s entirely necessary, we’ve had two Royal commissions that have outlined this sort of body is necessary, we’ve got more than one hundred officials form a particular union, the CFMEU, up on more than a thousand issues before the courts, we’ve had a royal commissioner say that these powers, this body is critically necessary for an industry that where lawlessness is out of control. So we could probably always improve our ability to do so, but we’ve got an election campaign where this will be a central issue, if the Senate refuses to pass it.
WARHAFT
Do you hope that the negotiations will fall your way that you’ll be able to persuade the crossbenchers to back the legislation and then presumably you’d all go home and look likely for an election later in the year in October? Is that your aim?
RYAN
Our objective is to see the legislation passed. That’s my objective, that’s the objective of everyone in the Coalition government, because we think that this legislation is very, very important and we have many examples… (interrupted)
WARHAFT
There’s very, very important, and then there’s legislation that is so critical and urgent, that it requires every parliamentarian at considerable expense coming back to discuss it. I still don’t get the sense that the urgency and the import of this one piece of legislation is really carrying in people’s minds.
RYAN
Well, as parliamentarians our job is to sit and deliberate on legislation, so I’m not going to complain about us being brought back to do so. Earlier in the year, we tried to bring this legislation on, and Labor and the Greens and some of the crossbenchers voted to refuse to consider it and send it off to another committee. The constitution has a provision that allows for a double dissolution that a joint sitting of parliament for important bits of legislation but only after the people have had their say at an election.
WARHAFT
Very rarely used.
RYAN
It has been rarely used, but we’ve got a uniquely obstructionist Labor party and Greens here who have refused to consider this legislation on occasions and we’re due for an election in the second half of this year by October so it’s not particularly early if it happens in July. But the constitution also means that it has to happen in July if we are to have the joint sitting if the government is to be returned. This legislation is not something that we’ve dreamt up recently. It was in place for nearly a decade, it was put in place by John Howard, we fought for it to stay while we were in Opposition, and Bill Shorten and the Greens did a deal because the CFMEU is a very big supporter of both of those parties. When you’ve got more than a thousand charges and people going to court on a regular basis and business, small and large, saying that this is a sector where lawlessness is out of control, putting in place what clearly worked for nearly a decade is – and something that’s a core principle of the Coalition – I don’t think that could be characterised as doing something on the spur of the moment.
WARHAFT
The polls are now neck-and-neck. Malcolm Turnbull’s lead has halved I think since January. Do you think that as a community and indeed politicians in parties have unrealistic expectations of what a change in political leadership can bring?
RYAN
Well I have a habit of not passing judgement on those who elect me, Sally. That’s the commentators and others, other people to make decisions on. I think every election in Australia is historically quite close, and the polls were always going to narrow. Every election we’ve got to earn the trust of the people, we’ve got to put our case and ask people to have their confidence in us for three years and this is no different.
WARHAFT
There are expectations though, that clearly haven’t been met in what’s occurred in the past six months. Are there those in your party who are wondering why you’ve raced towards an election, picked a fight over banks and so on, is there an overwhelming sense that this isn’t quite going to script for the government?
RYAN
Well again I wouldn’t say I think we’ve raced towards an election. There’s one due in sort of the second half of the year. What we’ve done is we’ve highlighted this particular piece of legislation and with the obstructionism of Labor and the Greens, the best prospect of getting it through if it doesn’t get through today would be at a joint sitting. We believe that people should have their say on this legislation as well as at the election more generally. And we’ve been very methodical about this. This is long-standing Coalition policy. It’s not something that has popped up in the last three or four months, it goes back to John Howard.
WARHAFT
Bronwyn Bishop was well comprehensively dumped by her party after decades of service on the weekend in a process of ongoing renewal for the Liberal party. How is that going in terms of the need for more women, particularly in your party?
RYAN
Well our party is a democracy. We all put ourselves up every time we stand for election before our preselectors and politics can be a difficult business. I’ve known Bronwyn for many years, she’s been a great server of the party and her community, but the Liberal party in New South Wales, in her local level decided they wanted a change. It’s very difficult when you have a long-serving member who’s challenged and isn’t successful in being re-endorsed. I respect the work Bronwyn’s done, these are difficult times. In New South Wales, of course, I think the Senate ticket that was preselected involves three women, two Liberal women and a National woman in the three spots if it was to be a normal election. And as Matthew Guy and others have said, ensuring that the Liberal party is as diverse as the community is something that we constantly put effort into.
WARHAFT
Do you think that effort is bringing fruit? If we look at Victoria, and Georgina Downer recently put her hand up and lost to Tim Wilson; James Patterson of course is now in the parliament- both from the IPA, both men. Do you think that those efforts are working?
RYAN
Well I think they are. I think from Victoria without making comment on specific colleagues or candidates, you’d respect that I probably wouldn’t want to do that, Sally. In Tim, in James, in people like Alan Tudge, Dan Tehan, Kelly O’Dwyer that came in three years before that, four years before that, I think we’ve got a group of people that have a diverse set of backgrounds. Diversity is not just about identity. It’s also about the backgrounds that people bring, it’s also about the perspectives people bring. Tim Wilson, for example, has differed from the party on a number of issues, for example on same-sex marriage in the past. He’s been quite forthright. James Patterson when he was at the IPA was quite forthright on issues where they technically might not be entirely consistent with the party at any given moment. We all do, in the Liberal party, differ from official policy on occasions. But I think diversity should be seen as more than just about the label that is attached to you by others, but more about your ideas and background as well.
WARHAFT
Well, we’re going to have to watch the next – well, up to three weeks potentially, although many are saying that it won’t last that long in Canberra. We’ll see what happens and we’ll watch with great interest, and we’re grateful for your time this morning.
RYAN
Thanks Sally.
WARHAFT
Senator Scott Ryan is the Minister for Vocational Education and Skills.
(ENDS)