PRESENTER:
Welcome to the programme, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
Matt and Dave, it’s good to be with you.
PRESENTER:
Prime Minister, over the last few weeks our listeners have seen played out on this programme a war developing between some of your most senior Ministers and the Weatherill government. They’ve called the treasurer a lunatic. Yesterday, Christopher Pyne said Jay Weatherill was acting like a bovver boy. The Premier responded by saying, “look, let’s be quite clear, we’re going after your seat”. Have you unleashed the dogs of war or has this broken out while you’re just standing by aloof?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I don’t want to pick fights, I want to make a difference and certainly as far as I’m concerned the Commonwealth should try to have a constructive relationship with the South Australian Government. We’ve both got a very big vested interest in getting the north-south road corridor fully upgraded to expressway standard within a decade. The Commonwealth’s putting a billion dollars into the Torrens to Torrens upgrade and the Darlington upgrade and I just want to get on with this.
PRESENTER:
So, are you going to pull your Ministers into line?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, look, I don’t know who has said what to whom. I suspect there’s probably been a bit of game-playing on both sides, but in the end I think what the public want is they want to see constructive advance and that’s what I want to see.
PRESENTER:
So, how do you do that because the relations have become very fraught? So, how do you start to build some of those bridges back up again?
PRIME MINISTER:
I’m hoping to catch up with the Premier at some point today. I’ve always had reasonably cordial relations with the Premier. We haven’t always agreed and that’s not surprising given that we’re from different sides of politics. But I want to be as constructive as I can because it’s in everyone’s interest that South Australia goes forward. There are 135,000 small businesses in South Australia with a turnover of less than $2 million a year. All of those 135,000 businesses could go out and invest $20,000 tomorrow in a business asset and be able to instantly write it off against their tax and that’s a terrific potential boost to this state and really that’s what I’m here to do, to encourage the small businesses of South Australia to get out there and invest in their future.
PRESENTER:
Would it be a good idea if all the parties just took a cold shower and came back in a better frame of mind? Maybe they need a love-in Prime Minister – have you considered booking a resort, maybe a few white Terry Towelling bathrobes – à la Bob Hawke?
PRESENTER:
Some things have been said that cannot be unsaid.
PRIME MINISTER:
This is true but we’ve all got to live with each other and the point I keep making – it’s an old John Howard point – is that the things we have in common are always more important that the things that divide us. So, let’s be constructive, let’s get the North-South Corridor upgrade done as quickly as we can and let’s get on with it.
PRESENTER:
Prime Minister, the city that apparently – according to your previous defence minister – couldn’t build a canoe, will on Saturday launch the first of the air warfare destroyers. It’s a huge project, beautiful ship and will go down the slipway. What hope can you hold out for South Australia/Adelaide being able to also have delivered the promise it was made before the election by your Government that the submarines – the next phase of the submarines – would be built in Adelaide?
PRIME MINISTER:
As you know, there is a competitive evaluation process going on. We can’t build subs without an overseas partner. We’ve got German, French and Japanese potential overseas partners. What we want is a really effective operational sub, we want it for a reasonable price and we want to maximise the local content – that’s what we want to achieve. In the end, it’s got to be a really good sub. We want to do it at good value for taxpayers, but yes, we certainly want to maximise the benefit for Australian industry.
PRESENTER:
There’s a report today that Germany’s big shipbuilder – TKMS – is thinking of buying the old sub corp – that’s ASC. Is that a game changer? Is the Federal Government now looking at opportunity, not only to build the next generation of subs, but to sell ASC and also see a major injection of infrastructure and funds down at Osborne?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, let’s see where things go with this competitive evaluation process. I think it’s highly likely that whichever bidder turns out to be the builder will have a very close relationship with ASC. I think that’s highly likely. But let’s not forget that regardless of what happens, there’ll be more submarine jobs in South Australia because there will be more subs and more subs means more jobs and just with the existing Collins class sustainment there are going to be very large employment at ASC for at least the next 15 years.
PRESENTER:
It’s been put to me that before the much vaunted canoe remark by the previous defence minister that South Australia was – Adelaide was – in great danger, it was almost certain that the subs would be built in Japan. And we’d be frozen out of that – well, it was put to me by senior state government sources, now maybe 50/50? Should we be more hopeful?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think we should want the best for our country and the best for our state and the best for our country is that we get really world class operational subs. Let’s not forget that these subs could potentially have to go up against nuclear submarines from other countries and we want, in any contest, our subs to be up to the job and the last thing we want to do is put our sailors to sea in subs that were not able to give a good account of themselves.
PRESENTER:
But we can do that in Adelaide – you’re not suggesting we build duds here are you?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I’m just saying that the absolute priority is to build a really classy submarine, a highly capable, very combat-ready submarine. Yes, we’ve got to do it at good value for the taxpayer and yes, we want to maximise local involvement, and the commitment that I’ve made up hill and down dale is that the work on new submarines will centre on the South Australia shipyards.
PRESENTER:
I think it’s fair to say there’s been a shift in public opinion regarding nuclear power – even Jay Weatherill, an old leftie is looking at, he’s set up a royal commission, to look at the nuclear fuel cycle and how South Australia can get into it. Is there any chance that these new subs could be nuclear powered?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, that’s not our plan – it certainly isn’t our plan. What we want are the world’s best conventional subs. That’s what we want. That’s what we wanted with the Collins class. That’s what we want with the next generation of subs. We don’t have plans to go nuclear, although obviously there’s a small and vocal lobby that’s clambering for it, but it’s not one that we are responding to.
PRESENTER:
Prime Minister, after the Budget you announced funding and support – leant very publicly your support – for a campaign to educate people and raise awareness about violence against women. A huge national tragedy, I think you’d agree?
PRIME MINISTER:
Absolutely right.
PRESENTER:
We have in Adelaide a broadcaster with a commercial radio station – Triple M – a former footballer, Andrew Jarman, who last week made comments about pregnant women that I think widely have been described as obscene, abhorrent and vile, in terms of how he would go about inducing pregnancy, bringing on the birth of a child. And it’s really offended a lot of women and men. He’s back on air after just three days. Do you regard that as appropriate?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, not being an Adelaide person, this is not a controversy which has really been brought to my attention. Earlier today I was told that there’d been an issue with a commercial broadcaster, but I don’t know what he said. So, I can’t really get into the detail. Plainly, people need to show respect for everyone but particularly we’ve got to have men showing respect for women and the last thing that any real man should ever do is use violence against women and children. The tragedy of our society, despite all of the enlightened attitudes of modern times is that at least once a week – tragically – a woman dies at the hands of a partner or ex-partner and this is just completely, absolutely and utterly abhorrent. It seems that in some milieus, violence against women is still regarded as semi-acceptable and we have to stop this and the sooner we do the better.
PRESENTER:
Were you showing respect to unemployed people when you said that the latest changes allowing firms to hire unemployed – long term unemployed – as work experience? It was like try before you buy. The Australian Council of Social Services says that they were very unfortunate remarks by you. These are people not a pair of shoes.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, look, the good thing is that ACOSS actually liked the policy and that’s the important thing...
PRESENTER:
Language is important though, isn’t it, Prime Minister? Try before you buy – it’s not like your buying…
PRIME MINISTER:
It’s a figure of speech – it’s a figure of speech – and from time to time I’ve fallen foul of the canons of sensitivity perhaps. But I’ll do my best not to.
PRESENTER:
Prime Minister, we thank you for joining us on breakfast. Our listeners appreciate and enjoy your stay in Adelaide, your visit to Adelaide.
PRIME MINISTER:
I always do. It’s a beautiful, beautiful city. Years ago I was a regular writer for the Adelaide Review in the days when the late great Christopher Pearson founded and edited the paper and so I’ve been a very regular visitor to this city for more than two decades and every time I come here I like it more.
PRESENTER:
Well, we can’t guarantee you’d be as well fed or wined or dined as when Christopher Pearson was your host, but we hope you have a good time here.
Prime Minister, thank you.
PRIME MINISTER:
He knew how to live well – Christopher.
PRESENTER:
He did. He certainly did – and write well.
Prime Minister, Tony Abbott. Thank you.
[ends]