Topics: Family Bible, new portfolio duties, first Turnbull Ministry.

E&OE…

LAURA JAYES

Alright, let’s get to our guest now. Assistant Cabinet Secretary, Scott Ryan. Thanks so much for joining us Senator Ryan we can’t help but notice the big Bible that you had this morning.

PETER VAN ONSELEN

I thought that was his list of numbers.

JAYES

Quickly tell us about it.

SCOTT RYAN

The Bible is sort of a family heirloom. I’ve got a ninety seven year old grandmother who still lives in the home that my mother and her brother and sisters were brought up in, in Moonee Ponds. I’m the eldest grandchild, and everyone knows that the eldest grandchild is always the favourite; I’ve been very close to my grandmother…

(Interrupted)

VAN ONSELEN

Say it as it is Scott Ryan: you’re the favourite.

RYAN

She was given the Bible by her grandmother when she came to Moonee Ponds in the 1920s as a young girl, and so it’s been a family heirloom. I’ve used it when I’ve been sworn into the Senate and to the Ministry. I actually didn’t know it existed until 2008 when she asked me ‘do you want to use the Family Bible?’ and I said, ‘what Family Bible?’ But it’s a very large, as you can tell, 1880s American-published Family Bible. It’s been very special to her and I use it as much as a sign of my affection for my grandmother.

JAYES

Alright, Senator Ryan, congratulations on your new role; Assistant Cabinet Secretary. What exactly does that entail?

RYAN

Well as the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary, Arthur Sinodinos, have made clear over the last forty-eight hours that one of the strong commitments of Malcolm Turnbull has been to strengthen the Cabinet Government process. A strong Cabinet Government process means that you not only deliberate and take into account the views and experiences of a wide range of people, it also does allow you to anticipate, whether it be problems with implementation in programs such as the Labor Party found out the hard way when they didn’t have proper Cabinet consideration of the home insulation program. It allows you to foresee challenges, and it will be a real privilege to work with Arthur; he has been a giant of government over the last two decades in this country. As everyone knows, he was Chief of Staff to John Howard for a decade, and I’m sure I’ll learn a lot as well as contribute a lot to the team.

VAN ONSELEN

Some of his, though within the Party; you understand that there’s a bit of bloodletting at the moment. They seem to think that it might be a delicate choice of portfolio given that we still have to wait for these ICAC findings? Are you ready to step up to the plate if that’s the case?

RYAN

Well look, I serve at the pleasure of the Prime Minister. I’ve got complete faith in Arthur and I look forward to working with him for a very long period of time. Arthur was, as John Howard has said, a very important element of the staffing in his government. And I’m sure in this government, going forward, that he’ll be very important in strengthening the Cabinet processes, which will deliver on what Australians hope and expect from this government.

JAYES

Just on strengthening the Cabinet processes, Malcolm Turnbull has indicated that he wants to go back to full Cabinet Government. So what needs to change do you think in the mechanics of it? The way people are brought into the tent? Will the leaking stop?

RYAN

One of the things that the new media cycle and demand for content has, I think, challenged the deliberative processes of organisations right around the country whether that be in the corporate sector, the non-government sector and definitely within government. There seems to be within the media and other groups, an expectation that decisions are reached quickly. And what the Prime Minister has made clear, and what I think Arthur’s appointment is very important to do, is to ensure that decisions can be reached quickly when needed so; but at the same time we can make sure that all the stakeholders feel engaged, both inside and outside the government, and that we take evidence. And as the Prime Minister pointed out this morning, occasionally where we need to change our mind, we change our mind and we have the reasons to explain to the Australian people why we’ve done so.

VAN ONSELEN

Scott Ryan, we were talking, Laura Jayes and I before, about what an excellent appointment in Defence Marise Payne is. That said though, I am extremely worried about the continuity of the Defence Force with yet another change of Defence Minister. Your thoughts on that concern?

RYAN

On the first point regarding Marise, Marise is incredibly well equipped for this. She has had years and years of service on important parliamentary committees like the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. She is very well equipped to be the Minister for Defence and it is a great historical footnote that she is going to be the first female Minister for Defence. I think the important thing, and what does seem to work well in Australia right across the various parts of Government, and particularly in Defence is that we have a system of Government where the political leadership can change but the system is set up to absorb that and there are processes in place to ensure that the needs of the country…

(Interrupted)

VAN ONSELEN

So you’re not worried Senator, about the continuity of the Defence Force? Because as I understand it that is something that certainly has been raised at the highest levels as a real worry.

RYAN

I am not worried at all about the phrase you use there, ‘the continuity of the Defence Force’, I think everyone can reflect upon the fact that we hope Marise stays there for a long period of time, and I hope that both professionally and personally for her.

JAYES

Can I ask you about the reshuffle as a whole now? Victoria did pretty well out of this, but Bruce Billson was perhaps one of the more unusual causalities, and Peter I said we would get back to our viewers, he was offered sustainable communities as a junior minister, he decided not to take up that offer. Were you surprised by that, do you think Bruce Billson should have stayed on in Cabinet?

RYAN

Everyone in Cabinet, and I think Bruce was very gracious in his comments; everyone in the Ministry serves so at the pleasure of the Prime Minister. Bruce I am close to, Bruce was my first boss, I was his parliamentary secretary in opposition. I think Bruce has made a fantastic contribution to public life and he made a fantastic contribution as Minister for Small Business, he has been very gracious in his comments since. I am also similarly certain that Kelly O’Dwyer, who is another good friend of mine, will make a fantastic contribution to the portfolio.

VAN ONSELEN

But has he done Petro Georgiou, you’re a student of history as well as any other parliamentary colleague of yours there. Has he done a Petro Georgiou, he knocked back John Howard and never got another look in, is that likely the fate now of Bruce Billson?

RYAN

I am not going to pass public judgement on my colleagues Peter that is not appropriate at all. I think Bruce has been a great servant of the Liberal Party, a great servant of the people of Dunkley and he has been very honest about the events of the last twenty-four hours and I think we should congratulate him for that.

JAYES

Senator Ryan, do you now looking at Victoria, the electorate in Victoria in particular are you more confident of winning the next election under Malcolm Turnbull than you were under Tony Abbott?

RYAN

That is jumping ahead a bit, I think today is about making sure that those of us who have been given new responsibilities and new opportunities get fully briefed and step into those and hit the ground running. Can I say that I think it is a fantastic reflection of the renewal that has taken place in the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party over the last five or six years to see Kelly O’Dwyer, Josh Frydenberg and Mitch Fifield go into Cabinet. That is not in any way reflecting on those colleagues who have served previously, but I think it does show the importance of our Division having selected very talented people who have great contributions to make for probably a very long time, and the fact that has also been reflected in the Prime Minister’s choices over the past 24 hours. I think it is great for Victoria and I think it does allow us to put a new face on some of the discussions we have to have with the Australian people.

JAYES

You were at home over the weekend, how is your electorate responded to this change? Because there has been five prime ministers in five years and that is something that the community seemed quite concerned about, there needs to be an end to that turnstile type of leadership, doesn’t there?

RYAN

I didn’t make it home over the weekend Laura, I still had some work to do in the old job, so I spent…

(Interrupted)

VAN ONSELEN

Typical Senator, you know, neglecting his electorate.

RYAN

…so I spent the weekend up here. Look, people will pass judgement as they do at regular elections. I think what we have seen today, and what we have seen over the last forty-eight hours from the Prime Minister and his team is a commitment to explaining things to the Australian people, explaining that we have great opportunities but we also have some difficult challenges. I think as we explain these challenges and explain the context of some of the choices and we involve the people in these decisions that we can generate consent and support for the decisions we need to take to ensure that Australia remains the great country it is to live, and the great country it is to raise a family, start a business, and that people come from all around the world to share in.

JAYES

Senator Scott Ryan, the new Assistant Cabinet Secretary, thanks so much for your time on To the Point.

RYAN

Thanks Laura, thanks Peter.

(ENDS)