Sky News Agenda

SUBJECTS: Parliamentary votes; Member for Dobell; Pairing Arrangements

E&OE… 

Christopher Pyne: I think what would be the normal course of events if a member was facing these very serious claims, which are very serious claims, which he says are misrepresentations, normally he would stand up after question time and claim to have been misrepresented and then give a personal explanation about the misrepresentation.  Now, what is passing strange in this matter is that Craig Thomson has not done that.  People make personal explanations for the most minor misrepresentations and yet, Craig Thomson has given no personal explanation for what are obviously very serious allegations. 

David Spears: Well, therefore, should the Liberal Senator Mary Jo Fisher, who is facing charges, give a similar full explanation to parliament. 

Pyne:  There really isn’t any comparison between Mary Jo Fisher’s situation and Craig Thomson’s situation. 

Spears: She’s been charged, he hasn’t. 

Pyne: Mary Jo Fisher has been accused of removing $93 from a supermarket. 

Spears: it’s more than being accused though. 

Pyne: Well, she said it’s not true.  She’s been charged with that offence and she’s defending it.  But $93 is hardly in a relative scale as important an offence as Craig Thomson has been charged with and today, Kathy Jackson, the head of the HSU has referred the matter to police and said that the HSU will hand over all their documentation.  She’s shown real courage and integrity.  Bill Shorten said if he was head of the HSU he would have referred the matter to police and Doug Cameron has said that he can’t express full confidence in the Member for Dobell.  Only the Prime Minister is not acting with that integrity. 

Spears: Do you now believe that Craig Thomson should be sacked from the Labor Party?

Pyne: That is a matter for Julia Gillard.  She is the Prime Minister.  She has obviously had conversations with the Member for Dobell.  Her office has obviously been involved or she may have been involved in the negotiating of the NSW ALP bailout of Craig Thomson in May this year.  She is the Prime Minister.  It’s sits with her what happens with Craig Thomson.  A Prime Minister who had real strength who wanted to lead the country would have dealt with this matter in a way Julia Gillard has not.  All we’ve had for a week is stonewalling and obfuscation in the parliament and even today, she left the chamber, she refused to debate the issue, she only returned for the vote and then she cut off question time. 

Spears: Can I turn to the tough approach the Coalition is now taking toward the pairing rules in Parliament.  You wouldn’t give the Arts Minister Simon Crean a pair to go to Margaret Olley’s funeral today and Malcolm Turnbull who was a good friend of Margaret Olley’s.  Why?

Pyne: Well, for the simple reason that the Craig Thomson is engulfing the Gillard Government.  This is a question of the integrity of the Government.  The place for members of Parliament to be in is in the Parliament and we insisted…..

Spears: It’s a political tactic.  It’s not going to affect legislation. 

Pyne: The New South Wales Police are now investigating the matter.  The HSU has taken the courageous decision; Kathy Jackson has taken the courageous decision to refer the matter to police. 

Spears: Back on the pairing, if Simon Crean and Malcolm Turnbull had of both been at the funeral it wouldn’t have affected the numbers on the floor of the house. 

Pyne: But the point is to be in the Parliament when it’s sitting. 

Spears: So, how far do you take that?  What are the rules now?  What will you grant a pair for? 

Pyne: The Labor Party has managed to reduce the sitting pattern to about 18 weeks a year out of 52.  The reality is when Parliament is sitting, members of Parliament have to be here…

Spears: So what exceptions will you give? 

Pyne: Unless there is an obvious reason why they can’t be.  Now, Kevin Rudd is not here and he’s been given a pair because he’s had a heart operation.  Jenny Macklin’s not here.  She’s been given a pair because she’s in the Northern Territory doing important things in her Indigenous Affairs portfolio.  Now, quite frankly, Malcolm Turnbull is more than relaxed about not being able to return to Sydney because he knows his responsibility is to be in the Parliament. 

Spears: So things like the Treasurer attending the G20 for example.  That would be alright? 

Pyne: David, if the Labor Party had wanted to, they could have sent Senator Chris Evans to the Margaret Olley funeral in the same way that Tony Abbott sent George Brandis, a Senator, to the Margaret Olley funeral. 

Spears: Does that mean the Prime Minister, the Treasurer and other senior Ministers can still attend important international forums like the G20, and the IMF?  Will you be ok with that? 

Pyne: As has always been the case, we will examine each application for a pair and decide whether a pair will be given.  What we’ve announced this week is the carbon tax is so important an issue, apparently it’s the most important issue facing Australia according to Julia Gillard since the election, and therefore we won’t be giving pairs for the carbon tax debate….

Spears: For anything? 

Pyne: The Labor Party, it’s within their power to schedule the carbon tax votes.  They should be scheduling them when Ministers are not going to be away. 

Spears: Chris Pyne, we’ll have to leave it there, thanks for that. 

Pyne: Pleasure. 

ENDS