Sky News AM Agenda

SUBJECT: Labor Leadership; school funding E&OE................................ Hon Christopher Pyne MP: Look, I don’t know what the Labor Party is going to do. It wouldn’t surprise me if they did go back to Kevin Rudd but the problem is you can put a lick of paint on a haunted house Kieran, it’s still the same rat infested, white-anted haunted house and if Kevin Rudd becomes leader again, the boats will still keep coming. He was the one who changed the laws in the first place. The Carbon Tax will still be pushing up electricity prices. The Mining Tax will still be flattening investment and the Labor Party will still be the divided and dysfunctional rabble that it’s been for the last few years. So, they can change the leader, they can put a new lick of paint on the haunted house but the bottom line is, nothing else will change and what we need in Canberra is a Government that is focussing on the Australian public rather than on themselves. Kieran Gilbert: If Rudd is returned, there is every chance he could go to an early election, we could be at an election by early August. Pyne: Let’s hope so Kieran because I think the public are thoroughly sick of the circus that passes for a government here in Canberra, they’re thoroughly sick of this hung parliament. We do want an election as soon as possible, half Senate and a general election. That’s August the 3rd is the earliest date. I think if there was an election bought forward to that time, people would be absolutely delighted about it because they’re sick of a Government that is not focussed on cost of living, job security, border protection and economic management. They want adults in the room and that’s what they deserve. Gilbert: There are suggestions that if Rudd were returned, that he would scrap or at least change the Gonski Plan. That’s one thing in terms of school funding, as the Shadow Education Minister, you would welcome any change, wouldn’t you? Pyne: Well I think what I’ve read in the papers this morning is that Kevin Rudd and his supporters recognise that the Government has totally mis-managed a new school funding model - they left it to five minutes to midnight to try and introduce it this year; iIt’s more complicated, less transparent, it cuts money by $325 million over the next four years; that it’s a swindle and Kevin Rudd has said before that Julia Gillard’s failed to sell a new school funding model. From what I read in the papers, they agree with the Opposition that we should stick with the status quo for the next two years until we can work out Labor’s mess. Gilbert: There is some argy-bargy continuing between the Victorian and Federal Governments but Victoria are very much keeping open the option of signing on. If they do sign on and the coalition wins in September, it’s going to be all the more difficult to scrap, isn’t it? If you’ve got New South Wales, Victoria and the Labor States. Pyne: Well, we’ve always said if there’s a national agreement, we won’t make it more uncertain for schools and parents by changing it again …. Gilbert: The two most populace states, that’s going very close to a majority … Pyne: A national agreement is an overwhelming majority of States. This is a new definition that Labor’s created that it’s based on population, it’s not. There are eight jurisdictions. An overwhelming majority need to sign on for there to be a national agreement. At the moment, they only have three jurisdictions signed on and that is a long way from a national agreement. Gilbert: Finally, on the issue of asylum seekers, the Coalition has vowed to deport any asylum seekers convicted of a crime of which a sentence of more than a year. If they’re going to be deported, even to countries where they face persecution, is that a humane option? Pyne: Well two things, firstly we have said we’ll deport criminals who have been found guilty of an offence that carries a twelve months sentence by removing some of their appeal mechanisms that Labor has reintroduced like to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, for example because they are currently using the system to stay in the Country when they should have been deported some time ago but we won’t breach any of our international obligations, Kieran. So we will of course, as a good international citizen ensure that all of our treaty obligations are maintained. Gilbert: So if they are facing persecution, they won’t be deported? Pyne: Well, we’ll make sure all of our obligations are fulfilled. We’ve always done that and we’ll continue to do that. Gilbert: Mr Pyne, I appreciate it ENDS.