ROBSON:
Prime Minister, thank you so much for joining us. Now do you think you';ve brought your party a fourth term in office with this budget?
PRIME MINISTER:
This budget has very valuable benefits for Australian families and a range of other benefits and enhancements. As to our electoral fate, well that is in the hands of the Australian people and they will judge whether they want us running the economy or want to hand over the running of the economy to the Australian Labor Party.
ROBSON:
Well the budget has been well received, its put money in a lot of people';s pockets, except of course those people who are single with no children on $52,000 or less and self-funded retirees. Have you decided you don';t want their votes at the next election?
PRIME MINISTER:
No of course not, I mean three years ago we brought in sweeping changes for self-funded retirees so that a single self-funded retiree who earned less than $20,500 a year paid no tax at all, and a couple $33,000 paying no tax at all. And there are benefits in the aged care area which are very important to older Australians and of course many of the changes that we';ve made to health are of benefit to people at all income ranges. But we thought that this was a budget where we had to give priority to helping families, and we also had to stop this ludicrous situation where a police sergeant or senior constable working in one of the major cities by doing a bit of overtime would not only go into a 42 cent tax bracket but perhaps face a 47 cent tax bracket. Now that is destructive of incentive.
ROBSON:
Now Prime Minister, you';ve been up since before the crack of dawn selling this budget, it';s a tough schedule, do you still enjoy it?
PRIME MINISTER:
I love it. I enjoy talking to the Australian people, I enjoy responding to their concerns, I believe very much in the family benefits in this budget, I believe in an Australia built on stable family life and on an economic climate where people are encouraged to work harder.
ROBSON:
Now Prime Minister since the budget was handed down we';ve received countless emails and phone calls about it and one of the emails is from Pauline in New South Wales and I';ll read you her concerns, she says, if the Prime Minister plans to retire before the next term he must declare it. People don';t want to vote for Peter Costello by default, Peter Costello should be elected Prime Minister in his own right not by deception. What do you say to Pauline?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I';m not deceiving you Pauline, I';m telling you the truth. It';s only reasonable that somebody who';s been in public life as long as I have and been Prime Minister for eight and a half years to say to people well I';ll continue for so long as it is in the party';s interests that I do. I mean everybody, at some point in their life, has to retire, but speaking from within, retirement is the last thing that I';m contemplating at the present time. I enjoy this job but I';m sensibly saying that the question of whether I continue is a matter that has to be assessed in the light of the interests of my party. And I';m sure that';s what they want and I';m sure the great majority of the Australian people understand me. But can I say of Peter Costello, I think he';s done an outstanding job as Treasurer and I';ve always said that if I went under a bus the party would elect him in my place. But I';m not planning to go under a bus just now.
ROBSON:
Well we hope not. So the best you can tell the Australian public then is just wait and see?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the best I can tell them is the truth and that is that I';ll continue for so long as it';s in the best interests of the party and the party wants me to but subject always to the fact that it';s the Australian people who will decide my fate, I';m their servant, I don';t take this job for granted.
ROBSON:
Okay Prime Minster, thank you very much for your time tonight, it';s much appreciated.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
(ends)