E&OE….
Topics: Election timing, budget, Paris Agreement, Mornington Shire Council
TOM ELLIOT:
Greg Hunt, good afternoon.
GREG HUNT:
And good afternoon Tom.
TOM ELLIOT:
Are we having an election on July 2?
GREG HUNT:
Yes.
TOM ELLIOT:
So it's done now is it?
GREG HUNT:
Yeah, so the Prime Minister made a statement to Parliament today, that after the budget, and he didn't put a particular day as to when he would approach the Governor-General, he said that he would approach the Governor-General – he made this statement in Question Time – and ask the Governor-General to allow an election on July 2.
There has been some question about his language – he couldn't have been clearer in Question Time, but he's always respectful of the fact that the formal final constitutional decision is a decision for the Governor-General – but I'm not aware of that having been rejected in recent years.
TOM ELLIOT:
No, well okay, but this means you've opened yourselves and us up to an eleven-and-a-half week election campaign.
Because really, having told everybody it's July 2, it's effective from now to July 2.
Are you sure that you want to go through 12 weeks of campaigning, and that we as the voting populous should have to endure it?
GREG HUNT:
Look, our job now is to get on with the framing of the budget.
There are massive issues for Australia in terms of making sure that we're living within our means, but at the same time encouraging jobs, things that we've just done such as the offshore patrol vessels, the Pacific patrol vessels – those sorts of building projects.
We've got lots of things, I know, just looking at my own portfolio that we'll be working on in the coming weeks.
So there's a lot of work still to be done, and then we have to get the budget through.
TOM ELLIOT:
Just on those patrol vessels, there was a decision yesterday announcing that they'll be built in Adelaide rather than Victoria, at the Williamstown docks.
Are you disappointed as a Victorian MP that the contract ended up in South Australia?
GREG HUNT:
Well look, I would love every possible project to be in Victoria, but I understand that these decisions are made on the best financial outcome for the Commonwealth.
Only a week and a half ago we were able to announce a $1.5 billion roads package for Victoria, and in particular the thing that just drives everybody nuts – being trapped on the Monash.
This is about the first real plan for many years to ease congestion on the Monash by building an extra lane from Warrigal Road through to EastLink, through to Clyde Road.
So each State gets different things depending on what are the needs, and also, where there's a bidding process, the best value for the country as a whole.
And for us, we've managed to get a $1.5 billion roads package which will make a big difference to the lives of people.
TOM ELLIOT:
Now, you mentioned framing the budget. Obviously, that's the next big issue for the Federal Government, your Government.
We just had a caller, an emailer in fact, called Nigel who said he's suddenly noticed there's this thing called the budget repair levy, an extra two per cent. I suspect he's earned more money this year than previous years and he's suddenly paying this extra tax. Is that going to remain in place?
GREG HUNT:
So that's due to finish in 2016-17, so that will be the third of the three years – it was a measure in 2014. Would you avoid putting a temporary tax levy on if you could? Yes. It was put only on the top two per cent of tax earners, I think that is the figure.
TOM ELLIOT:
Has it worked?
GREG HUNT:
Well, it has made a difference in our national finances.
Now, it's temporary – it's been done to ensure two things – one, we help push the budget back towards surplus, and secondly, that it's about making sure that those who are the best off in society are contributing a greater portion.
But at the end of the day, we want to be able to get to the lowest possible tax regime, and we're in the process now of fixing the national finances, living within the means.
TOM ELLIOT:
Yeah, okay, that's great, I mean I've always been a supporter of that, but this idea on one hand it's okay to tax people more to fix the budget, but on the other hand we want to actually lower taxes. I mean, it can't be both things, which is it going to be in this budget?
GREG HUNT:
Look, we were unapologetically fixing up Labor's financial mess. No question about that.
Now we're making real progress. The pathway to surplus is opening up before us.
I think you will see very real progress from Scott Morrison's budget in a couple of weeks' time, I think two weeks and a few hours.
And what's that about? It's about making sure that we're not engaged in intergenerational theft, where this generation leaves the bill for the next, and that's what happened to us.
TOM ELLIOT:
Okay, I agree. I mean…
GREG HUNT:
The previous Government left the bill for future generations, so we're trying to do it on our watch, in our time.
TOM ELLIOT:
Okay, so you've got to fix the budget. Now, Joe Hockey had a go as Treasurer twice, neither time did it really work.
The first budget didn't go well, the second budget said there wasn't a problem anymore so everything would be all right.
Now of course Scott Morrison is preparing the third budget of this Liberal Government and, well, I can only assume that there is still a problem otherwise we wouldn't still have a temporary budget repair levy.
But just in broad terms, do you think this upcoming budget, will it make a bold statement to fix things or will it just sort of fritter around the edges?
GREG HUNT:
No, the central theme is about jobs and growth and the innovation needed to get there.
And you say, well, that's nice, what have you done? An innovation plan, you've got the shipbuilding and the Australian Defence Force industry, there have been three big announcements under the current Government…
TOM ELLIOT:
Yeah, but that's not going to turn around the economy though. They're not going to turn around the budget deficit.
GREG HUNT:
…and then there are fundamental things with the budget, making sure that we are living literally within our means, which means we're not leaving the bill for the next generation.
TOM ELLIOT:
So are we going to do that? I mean, that means a balanced budget at least when it comes to recurrent expenditure.
GREG HUNT:
I'll let Scott release his own budget, understandably…
TOM ELLIOT:
No, no, no, but surely as a party…
GREG HUNT:
…but the direction will be towards making sure that we are achieving balance in the budget.
And the other thing is the incentives for small business – last night we got through the Senate – to many, many peoples' surprise – the legislation to preserve the livelihoods and the businesses of small family owner-drivers in the trucking sector.
They were going to the wall and their jobs have been saved, and the huge portion of the economy which was under threat has been saved.
So we are engaged in this process right now of giving people the chance to make their own way in the world.
TOM ELLIOT:
Can I ask you something directly related to your portfolio as Environment Minister?
It was brought to my attention the other day that the Mornington Shire Council – and of course your federal seat of Flinders overlaps a lot of the Mornington Peninsula Shire – they sent a whole lot of people overseas and they've signed a thing called Compact of the Mayors, and basically it's a commitment by the Shire Council to do what it can to combat climate change.
Now, I note that in Australia 70 per cent of our CO2 emissions come from the generation of power, essentially burning coal to provide electricity.
Do you really think it's the province of local councils like Mornington Shire to try and do something about that when it's not even under their control in the first place?
GREG HUNT:
Look, I think it's everybody's task to try to reduce emissions, and it's everybody's task to try to ensure that we have clean air by cleaning up landfills and other things such as that.
Now, I know that many local ratepayers have their concerns about flying across the world for a council, and I can absolutely understand that.
The government of the day, yep, you've got to go and you've got to do things…
TOM ELLIOT:
Well, it shouldn't happen. You should go and do this.
GREG HUNT:
…that's my job.
TOM ELLIOT:
But I don't think local councils should be flying overseas.
GREG HUNT:
Flying across the world, it increases emissions. If you can avoid it, you do.
If you can have those funds put into cleaning up Waterfall Gully, cleaning up the Shoreham Foreshore, cleaning up Arthurs Seat and reducing bushfire risk.
So the practical local action, that's the best way in my view for a council to contribute.
But I'm all for individuals, councils, people in all walks of life doing what they can to reduce emissions, but the best way to do that is by real, physical work in our own backyards.
TOM ELLIOT:
Now very quickly, I know you're about to fly off to Paris tomorrow to sign the – sorry, you're going to New York to sign the Paris Agreement – seems a bit odd – what is the Paris Agreement?
GREG HUNT:
So this is the global agreement which was the very thing you were just talking about, where the countries of the world said we will reduce our emissions and we will do everything we can to make sure that we achieve an outcome of well below two degrees in terms of temperature change.
Australia will be one of the first countries to sign.
Most importantly we are one of the countries that is meeting and beating our targets, and I think that's the thing which is often airbrushed by some of the hard left groups and the Labor Party.
They're embarrassed about the fact that we are meeting and beating our targets. It doesn't fit with their story; it doesn't fit with what they're trying to say.
The truth is we're doing well and our job is to continue to do better.
TOM ELLIOT:
Greg Hunt, thank you for your time.
GREG HUNT:
Thanks a lot.
(ENDS)