DAVID KOCH:
Tony Abbott admits his government had a 'ragged' week and things don't look to be getting any easier for the PM. Despite restoring some allowances for defence personnel, Mr Abbott is still facing a fight with Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie over their pay.
JACQUI LAMBIE:
This is out of respect and honour to the men and women who have served and if he thinks that $17 million is a bite out of the massive budget they get of $442 billion then he's gotta be kidding himself. The Prime Minister needs to get his priorities right. That's the problem with the Prime Minister and it's no good blaming me for this.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
The Prime Minister is also committed to the $7 GP co-payment even though Clive Palmer reckons it's dead. Prime Minister Abbott joins us now. Good morning to you Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning Sam.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
You backed down on defence cuts a little bit yesterday, preserving soldiers' allowances but you still won't increase their pay offer. Senator Jacqui Lambie had made it clear she needs that before she'll pass any of your legislation. Will you concede further and will that hurt you otherwise?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, Sam, our duty is to do what we think is in the long-term national interest. That's our duty as a government. That's what the public ultimately expect of a government. They tolerate a certain amount of political game playing from backbench members of parliament but from the government, they want an absolute commitment to the long-term national interest. That's what this Government has shown. This is actually what we have delivered over the past 12 months: the carbon tax repeal delivered, the mining tax repeal delivered, stopping the boats delivered, free trade agreements delivered, the roads are building and the Budget is under repair. I don't say that it has been easy because while we have been repairing the Budget, Labor has been trying to sabotage it…
DAVID KOCH:
Hang on, let's go back to… we know the stop the boats, the carbon tax, all that sort of stuff. But, aren't you cutting your nose off despite your face. It's $121 million to get our defence personnel pay increase from 1.5 to 3 per cent. That's basically the inflation rate. I would say there aren't many Australians who would criticise it for you. It seems just looking after our defence personnel who do so much for this country.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I absolutely accept, Kochie, that they do so much for our country. I try to spend as much time as I can with them. I absolutely respect and honour the work that they have done. But what is possible with a $20 billion surplus is not possible with a $50 billion deficit and I think Defence Force personnel understand this like everyone else.
DAVID KOCH:
But you are going to wreck the Budget by not doing it. You've got so much more at stake than $121 million.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, if Jacqui Lambie was to come and commit to support every measure that the Government has proposed. That would be a different story.
DAVID KOCH:
Glad you brought that up.
PRIME MINISTER:
What she is saying is that she will block everything unless we do this. This is a form of blackmail and this is not something that any sensible mature government can submit itself to. It's not as if we do this and then everything else gets passed, no way. She is just saying nothing gets passed as far as she's concerned until this particular measure is eliminated. Well, that's not the way that parliaments are supposed to work. It's certainly not the way this Government intends to behave.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
Righto. We had Senator Lambie on the show a little earlier. She says that you are refusing to meet her to discuss her concerns. Let's have a little listen.
JACQUI LAMBIE:
Twice this man has put off a meeting with me over the past five days. So, you know, it could be quite easy. Why won't he see me? He is seeing every other crossbencher, but he has put me to the side. He is not helping his cause. This is what I'm dealing with.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
Prime Minister, is that true and if so, why won't you meet with her?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I will meet with her. I am going to meet with her towards the end of the week. She is refusing to pass any government legislation and until such time as she changes her position, I would rather talk to crossbench senators who are at least prepared to be reasonable.
DAVID KOCH:
Yes, but you've cancelled twice on her.
PRIME MINISTER:
This is a very busy time.
DAVID KOCH:
You are the Prime Minister so you are busy.
PRIME MINISTER:
It's a very, very busy time.
DAVID KOCH:
We’re here to help. Have you got any time?
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
DAVID KOCH:
She is free.
PRIME MINISTER:
Do you want to be my diary secretary, Kochie?
DAVID KOCH:
She is free all day. I’m just wondering if you have got a slot for her today?
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
Kochie would like to take over your diary, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
You are so kind. I really, really appreciate that. Look, to put Jacqui's anxieties at rest, I will meet with her some time before the end of the week. But as I said, there are other crossbench senators who are at least are prepared to be reasonable and they are higher up in the list of people to see if I may respectfully suggest that to senator Lambie.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
All right, fair enough. You did try, Kochie. Good try. In the spirit of Christmas, you have obviously got other things on your mind, Prime Minister, Newspoll out this morning has the Coalition gaining a little ground on Labor two-Party preferred but you have slipped further behind Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister. Are you expecting support to turn around after resetting your agenda?
PRIME MINISTER:
No one ever said that the Budget repair job would be easy. It was always going to be a very difficult task to deal with the debt and deficit disaster that we inherited from Labor. But my duty, my absolute duty, is not to allow this crime of intergenerational theft to continue. Sure, saying to people that things that were promised to you by the former government which were absolutely unsustainable, can't continue – that generates some initial resentment. There is no doubt about that. We have seen that reflected in the polls but I think that the people understand in the marrow of their bones that government, like households, like businesses, can't endlessly live beyond its means, it has got to live within its means in the longer term and that is exactly what this Government is determined to do, to ensure that we are not saddling our children and our grandchildren with unsustainable debt just because the Rudd/Gillard Government was incapable of fiscal control.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
OK, Prime Minister, we have to leave it there. Thank you for your time this morning.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you so much.
[ends]