JOURNALIST:
This company was set up to operate effectively as a private company (inaudible)
TONY SMITH:
A $450,000 appointment, it pays more than the PM and NBN Co. clearly on the evidence yesterday is rushing to fill positions, and it asks the Minister who might be suitable and the Minister suggests a well known senior Labor figure. Now the Minister should have said to NBN Co you should advertise this position, get the best pool of people and pick the best person, the Minister’s first instinct was to suggest a Labor mate and that says it all.
JOURNALIST:
(Inaudible)
TONY SMITH:
No look it was just a bit of a slip of the tongue, I mean I wouldn’t read too much into it. The point I would make is this, the more Labor hyperventilate on Tony Abbott the more they confirm their lack of answers on their big new tax and so many other policy areas.
JOURNALIST:
(Inaudible)
TONY SMITH:
Well all our costings will be released prior to the next election that has always been the way things are done and that will be the way this time. But we’ll have a good policy ahead of the election and the details will no doubt be announced in good time by the Leader and the relevant Shadow.
JOURNALIST:
But have the details been leaked out to the papers today to sort of brush on from the ironing comment?
TONY SMITH
Oh well look I think that is high cynicism from the press gallery. I was about to say rare cynicism, but I didn’t.
JOURNALIST:
But I mean there is very little detail…
TONY SMITH:
Look, we will have a very good policy in this area, our costing on it will be released prior to the next election and every Labor backbencher that comes out with their script and says they have got to release their costings, they don’t know how these things work, costings are released in due course, ahead of the election and that’s the way Labor did it in some cases ahead of the election, that’s the way it has always been done and the Australian people will know in good time.
JOURNALIST:
But Tony, you used to be the Shadow Assistant Treasurer, you have got $3.2 billion for Climate Change, however many billion for the maternity leave?
TONY SMITH:
You will see our fully costed policies ahead of the next election.
JOURNALIST:
(Inaudible)
TONY SMITH:
No I didn’t, I was focused on the Estimates involving Senator Conroy. It is always an exciting ride watching Senator Conroy but I didn’t watch Ron Boswell’s performance in Estimates.
JOURNALIST:
Surely, you know about it.
TONY SMITH:
Thank you.
