Topics: 2016 election result; Liberal and National Party agreement; superannuation; Labor frontbench.

E&OE…

KIERAN GILBERT:

Joining me now the Minister for Vocational Education and Skills Senator Scott Ryan, and Labor frontbencher Matt Thistlethwaite. Gentlemen, good morning to you. Senator Ryan, I know the Prime Minister spoke to MPs state by state yesterday to get their –

(audio cuts out)

SCOTT RYAN:

Sorry, Kieran, I just dropped out there for a minute. Could you repeat the question?

KIERAN GILBERT:

The Prime Minister yesterday spoke to his colleagues, got feedback on the campaign, and their thoughts moving ahead in terms of the next couple of years. What was his aim in doing that? Can you give us a sense of where things are at with him? Was he just trying to calm things down a bit, or reassure people?

SCOTT RYAN:

I don’t know what happened with other states, I know a group of Victorian MPs had a brief chat to the Prime Minister. It was particularly to welcome the new Members of Parliament that we have in Victoria – Chris Crewther who held onto Bruce Billson’s seat in Dunkley in a great campaign, and of course Julia Banks who did a fantastic campaign to take back the seat of Chisholm for the first time in nearly two decades. So, it was a conversation…and pointing to activities over the coming week with the Party Room happening on Monday in Canberra.

KIERAN GILBERT:

Okay, and Matt Thistlethwaite, talk about your Leader’s frontbench as well. Some changes there, including, maybe, David Feeney to be dumped and also Catherine King. What are you expecting out of that? Maybe a promotion for you?

MATT THISTLETHWAITE:

Kieran, the great thing about our caucus meeting last Friday was that we welcomed 26 new MPs into the Labor Party caucus. And there is a wealth of talented people that are coming into the federal Parliamentary Labor Party. So, it is a good problem for Bill to have, that we have so many people who could put their hand up for frontbench positions and do those jobs ably. I think you have to say that the team we have had over the last three years on the frontbench has done a great job in holding the Government to account, but also focussing on policy and getting that policy out there quite early for the Australian public to have a look at in the lead-up to the election. Like the Government, we will come together over the course of the next couple of weeks once the final positions are determined in seats and the Senate. And we will elect our frontbench in a democratic manner.

KIERAN GILBERT:

The Liberals have got to a majority Senator Ryan, to 76 possibly even 77. The latest I am hearing from Herbert is that there are 2500 postal votes to come breaking Ewen Jones, the LNP Member’s way by 56 per cent according to the analysis done by a Liberal source that should get him there by about a hundred votes. That would get you to 77. In that context, a majority of a couple, has some of the post-election analysis been a bit premature in the criticism of Malcolm Turnbull and others?

SCOTT RYAN:

Firstly, in deference to my Coalition colleague you had on just prior to Matt and I appearing, it is a Coalition majority of 76 rather than just a Liberal one. Ewen is a good friend, wen is known to many in Parliament. It is very, very close and what you have described is my understanding of the situation and from what I have been able to analyse and my discussions. I hope Ewen comes back not only to give us the 77th seat in Parliament but also because I think Ewen is one of the people that brings a bit of life and a bit of colour to Parliament. And I think he has friends right across the building. Look, on election night I think we have seen how we have different voting patterns now emerging, we have got a lot more people voting early. In some of these seats in, particularly in North Queensland, we are having enormous numbers of postal votes, many more than has been the case in previous elections. So, I think the lesson is, not only are elections in terms of seat outcomes when they are close, doesn’t necessarily mean anything other than we have got to take a while to count the votes. More than 800,000 more people voted for the Coalition than Labor. More than 800,000 more people voted for Malcolm Turnbull to be Prime Minister than Bill Shorten, so in terms of people’s votes, 42 per cent of the primary vote. That is more than John Howard got in 1998, it is more than Bob Hawke got in 1990. This is the basis for a very solid government.

KIERAN GILBERT:

Matt Thistlethwaite that is the reality. While you might be buoyant within the Labor Party, you still fell short and wake up today in opposition and likely to remain in opposition for three years. That is the reality isn’t it?

MATT THISTLETHWAITE:

Kieran, this is looking like a very unstable government. You mention they possibly could get to 77, they will have to supply a Speaker if they go with one of their own, they could go with an Independent, which will reduce that number. More fundamentally, they have relied a lot on the National Party for this victory. There is no doubt the Nats will extract their pound of flesh and Bill has rightly has called for the Coalition agreement between the National Party and the Liberals to be made public. I think it is in the interest of transparency and accountability given how slim the majority is in this Parliament, given that Malcolm Turnbull’s focus on stability in governing, why not release the details of the agreement? Particularly what the Prime Minister and the Liberals have agreed to in terms of marriage equality, in terms of economic reforms, in terms of other health and education policies. These are all important issues that the Australian public should be able to get a look at in the context of this Parliament.

KIERAN GILBERT:

Senator Ryan, your thoughts on that?

SCOTT RYAN:

Firstly, it has not been made public. There has been a Coalition in Australian politics between the Liberal and the Country Party and now the Liberal and National Party for decade after decade. It has provided, actually, most of the government in this country’s history. And unlike the Labor Party when they do a deal with the Greens after the election, we have a Coalition before the election with clear policies. On every one of those points Matt just mentioned, we took a policy to the election. So, the allocation of ministerial responsibilities is a matter for the Prime Minister and Leader of the National Party. And as Barnaby said, it is simply a result of the numbers. John Howard always said that, Malcolm Fraser always said that, and that was the way it operated under Robert Menzies. This is a complete fiction of the Labor Party.

KIERAN GILBERT:

Okay, I want to move on from that. Because this goes to the result and where the Prime Minister is at in terms of the authority within the Party. Should your colleagues now pull their heads in, Senator Ryan? Those who have been publically criticising the campaign and so on? Obviously it had its flaws, but you did win.

SCOTT RYAN:

I have always been a believer that frank debate inside the political Party strengthens it, not weakens it. And I think we should continue that tradition, it is a fine one–

KIERAN GILBERT:

(interrupts) Publically?

SCOTT RYAN:

Well, firstly inside a political Party. And then occasionally there will be a place for public debate. And that is a very big strength of the Liberal Party and Coalition as opposed to the Labor Party which does everything it can to smother internal dissent and prevent external debate. There will be an opportunity for a review of this campaign, as there is for every campaign state and federally that we undertake. And I look forward to both my opportunity and my colleagues’ opportunity to contribute to that. But, I think most of that will be done as it normally is within the confines of the Liberal Party and Coalition.

KIERAN GILBERT:

Matt Thistlethwaite, as for the Labor Party, I know he caucus was held last week. There is a seven day window for the nomination to be open. Anthony Albanese has ruled out challenging, is that going to be the position that Bill Shorten is safe for the next three years? Because while there is euphoria now, when the reality sets in that you are in opposition for the next three years, is there a risk then that that is when some concerns about the leadership might arise? Or do you think Bill Shorten is 100 per cent safe until the next election?

MATT THISTLETHWAITE:

Bill has done an excellent job in leading the Labor Party. I am confident that he will lead us to the next election. It is a great result for our Party. He was unanimously endorsed by the caucus to continue to lead the Party. There was a process that has to be put in place under our rules of an automatic trigger in the wake of an election defeat. And that is taking place at the moment. But what comes out of this election for the Labor Party Kieran, is stability, a focus on good policy and great leadership from Bill Shorten. I think you need to contrast that with the Government, they are all at sixes and sevens over policy. They can’t even make up their mind on superannuation. You have had Christopher Pyne out criticising his colleagues calling them cowards because they are out undermining the Prime Minister and won’t put their name to it in public. This is not a happy camp and it is not a good positon for the country to be in.

KIERAN GILBERT:

Let’s go to that issue, on super. I want to ask Scott Ryan about that , because it is a fair point you make. There have been a lot of concerns bubbling away and not always with names attached to them. But Senator Ryan, this would be a dangerous move to capitulate to some of the internal angst over the superannuation issue. Because this was pivotal, not only in revenue terms but it was part of the fairness pitch that the Coalition put prior to the election. To just dump it in the face of some concerns about the Party faithful that would be a precarious move wouldn’t it.

SCOTT RYAN:

Look, I am not going to say that no one approached me over superannuation concerns over the course of the last 10 weeks. But at the same time, I don’t think it was a key factor in the election. In the sense that if you look at where people were going to be negatively impacted by these superannuation changes, there wasn’t a large voter response. However, you do highlight a key point, which is a substantial part of the revenue from the superannuation changes at the higher end was being redirected to lower income earners, or to concessions to allow those with broken time in the workforce, particularly women, to make catch up contributions. We took a plan on superannuation to the election and we plan to present that plan to Parliament.

KIERAN GILBERT:

And finally, Matt Thistlethwaite, while it has been a combative few years, do you get the sense within the electorate that they want our major Parties to be more constructive, less of the divisiveness in our Parliament. As our two leaders articulated on Sunday?

MATT THISTLETHWAITE:

It is a difficult time for the Australian economy and Standard and Poor’s have recognised that with a potential for a ratings downgrade. So, it is an important time, and we need good policy and that is what Labor has offered the public over the last couple of years. We have just talked about superannuation, the Government has been at sixes and sevens over this for the last six months. Contrast that with Labor, we developed our superannuation policy and Bill released it in May 2014. We gave the Australian public two years…

SCOTT RYAN:

(interrupts) But Matt, you didn’t take it to the election.

MATT THISTLETHWAITE:

…an opportunity to have a look at our policy on superannuation. So, I think we have had a clear and concise approach and it is once that has focussed on stability, working together and good policy. And that will continue for the Labor Party for this term in government.

KIERAN GILBERT:

Gentlemen, we are out of time. Matt Thistlethwaite, Senator Ryan, good to see you. We will see you soon.

SCOTT RYAN:

Thanks Kieran.

MATT THISTLETHWAITE:

Thanks Kieran.

(ENDS)