Transcript of Interview with David Lipson
SKY – Lunchtime Agenda
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
1.30 pm
SUBJECTS: Super Trawler, Nauru, Queensland Government
David Lipson: Welcome to this abridged version of lunchtime Agenda, I’m David Lipson. We are going straight to our political panel today, joining me is Labor MP, Stephen Jones, Liberal MP, Tony Smith, thanks for your time gentlemen.
Let’s start with the super trawler, we have had debate all morning on this, the opposition has decided not to support the government’s legislation that would lead to a ban on the super trawler, thus, leaving it up to the independents. It looks like Bob Katter for one will probably, looking at what he said previously, go with the Government on this one, I want to ask you first Tony Smith, there have been some different views expressed in the Coalition special meeting this morning, what is your position.
Tony Smith: We have got a single position, which is there is no doubt this is policy on the run. We, of course, want to see good fisheries management. The reason this issue has arisen is the Minister himself invited this trawler to be considered as be part of the government’s own fisheries management. Our concern is with the response. The response is a complete overreach that would affect every fishery in Australia, and what our Spokesman Greg Hunt has made very clear, is that he is happy to talk with the Minister about specific issues to deal with the Fisheries Act. But the idea that you would have this policy on the run, this panicked approach that we have become used to under Labor that would affect every single fishing industry around Australia, where the Minister could act without restraint where he sees social concerns or social reasons.
Transcript
“Fight Club” with Rafael Epstein
Drive 774, ABC Melbourne
Tony Smith and Richard Marles
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
4.30pm
SUBJECTS: NDIS, COAG
EPSTEIN: Joined now by Richard Marles, he is the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Tony Smith, he is the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Tax Reform. Gentlemen, welcome.
SMITH: Thanks for having us.
EPSTEIN: Are you the rising stars of your parties?
SMITH: Oh well …
EPSTEIN: Humble politicians, there you go, they do exist.
SMITH: I tell you one thing, we have been arguing for twenty-five years.
MARLES: Yes we’ve known each other a long time.
EPSTEIN: Friends?
SMITH: Yeah I think so.
MARLES: We are friends. One of the things, so if we can keep a secret between you and us and your listeners, there actually are friendships across the aisle in Parliament House.
SMITH: Yes, we met in 1986 at Melbourne University.
MARLES: Indeed we did.
EPSTEIN: So university is an evil place. Let me just ask you both to just briefly just tell people the seats that you and the areas that your seats cover. Tony?
SMITH: Yeah well I’m the member for Casey so it’s the Yarra Valley essentially, not to be confused with the Casey Council.
EPSTEIN: How close do you come in?
SMITH: Croydon, Dorset Road.
EPSTEIN: Ok.
SMITH: So 2,500 square kilometres, out beyond Yarra Glen, out beyond Healesville, out beyond Warburton and yes, so it’s an overlap of outer suburban living and traditionally rural areas.
Transcript of Interview with Laura Jayes,
SKY – Lunchtime Agenda
Thursday, 21 June 2012
1.30 pm
E & O E
SUBJECTS: Carbon Tax, Mining Tax
JAYES: Our panel joins us now finally after a division in the House, Liberal MP Tony Smith and Labor MP Stephen Jones. First to you Tony Smith, Tony Abbott has written this Rio conference off as a talk-fest, if we don’t move on sustainable development, is that bipartisan target of cutting five per cent by 2020 at risk?
SMITH: Look the point Tony’s made is the point Julia Gillard has amazingly conceded, that this is a talk-fest that I saw earlier on Sky. The Prime Minister is saying that there wasn’t going to be an outcome at this conference. This is Copenhagen, Mark II. It’s a video replay of Copenhagen and what Julia Gillard knows is that she has imposed the worlds biggest carbon tax at the worst time and she will see that at the conference and when she flies back, she’ll know she’s deliberately damaging our economy when the rest of the world aren’t imposing a carbon tax, aren’t imposing an emissions trading scheme and that was there for all to see today.
JAYES: Stephen Jones, just a talk-fest? I mean some of the world leaders haven’t been able to attend, they’re pre-occupied with some of the political and economic ramifications of Europe, so is it just a talk-fest?
JONES: Well the number-one rule in politics, is if you don’t turn up, you don’t get a say. And you can’t on the one hand say it’s a global problem that needs global solutions and then poo poo the only show in town which is trying to get world leaders together to try to nail a solution. Now nobody will be more disappointed than us if there is not an outcome, a concrete outcome, from this conference. But what I can say is this. It is simply not true. It is simply not true that other countries aren’t moving on this problem.
JAYES: Julia Gillard has always said that she doesn’t want to be …
SMITH: It is true they’re not moving like Australia. There is no other country that has an economy wide carbon tax.
SUBJECTS:
Opinion Polls, Fair Work Australia, Enterprise Migration Agreements
LIPSON: Welcome to Lunchtime Agenda, I’m David Lipson.
They were expressing concerns about a Labor Caucus decision today to setup a sub-committee to ensure that Australian workers are helped into mining industry jobs. That came after a significant backlash from the Labor backbench after last weeks decision to at 1700 migrant visas for a resources project in the Pilbara. As you heard there, the Independents feel that the government isn’t doing enough to protect Australian workers and feel that this is all about importing cheap labour. A sub-committee has no teeth as such, but it can recommend items for caucus to debate and the Prime Minister will no doubt be hoping that this puts out some of the fires of discontent that have erupted over the past few days. There’s also relief for Julia Gillard in the last news poll. It shows that perhaps the leadership matter has been put to rest at least for now because it shows a bump for the party that could be a trend for the party when you look at the two party preferred basis and also the leaders switching place as preferred prime minister, Julia Gillard is now in front. Tony Abbott also had a joint party room meeting today, he told the party room that Julia Gillard won’t lie down and die, where there’s life, there’s fight.
Well joining me now on our political panel, Labor MP Stephen Jones and Liberal MP Tony Smith, thanks very much for your company today.
BROOKS: Next guest, Tony Smith, he is the Federal Member for Casey and he is the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Tax Reform. Welcome to Dollars with Sense Tony.
SMITH: Thanks for having me. Good to be here. Good to be back in Melbourne.
BROOKS: Fantastic. Now, Carbon Tax, pretty topical at the moment. What have you got to tell us about Carbon Tax?
