Chapter 4: Points of Authority Part 2
SPEERS: Mr. Brown, thank you, before we get to questions from our panel, I just want to kick off with a couple of the broad themes you’ve both raised there. Prime Minister, first to you. When you did bring down Kevin Rudd a month ago, you acknowledged that it was because the Government had lost its way and you said there were three areas that needed to be fixed – asylum seekers, the mining tax and climate change. But on asylum seekers, boats are still arriving, which is something the Australian Greens have attacked you on. On the mining the tax, big sections of the mining industry are still deeply concerned about the tax and on climate change you’ve proposed another talk fest.
Once again the Australian Greens have attacked you on your stances on these issues. It is believed that while Labor can possible form a government, there is a generally belief that you will have to compromise with the Greens on numerous issues. What are you prepared to do to obtain government?
GILLARD: I believe, David, we have moved forward and let me go through some of those issues. I will admit, should Bob Brown allow me, that the issues we’re facing are multifold and it was wrong for me to disparage Kevin Rudd on his mining tax. If the outrage and the growing support of a tax is an indication, the mining industry has paid too little. On this issue I stand in agreement that we must make sure that the industry, one that makes 10.5 billion annually, pays its fair share so that money can be spent on schools and on hospitals.
On the issue of asylum seekers however, the aspects is also directly related to climate change. Many of the academics have agreed that climate change is what is leading instability in this world. The Northern African countries are simply some of the examples, that when people have no option, they will rebel. They will fight and they will die.
Likewise people will want to flee their countries to safer locations. However I doubt that it will change anything should Australia do so. I personally believe that our neighboring countries should share the burden of asylum seekers. However this does not mean Australia will be turning back refugees. We simply have to be more careful of who we let in, unless we wish to have another Ustica island massacre.
As for climate change the Labor Party is willing to implement a 5 billion dollar program across Australia, in hopes of making our homes and lives much Greener. We will invest in Green methods of energy and promise to Australians to have at least 20% of their energy come from green sources by the end of 2015.
SPEERS: Thank you Madam Prime Minister for your thoughts and policies. Tony Abbott, you and numerous of your party officials have come under fire from the majority of Australians, especially considering the fact you were elected by one vote by your parties. It has been demonstrated that the Liberal party is reluctant to accept asylum seekers coming to Australia. However with the recent embroiled conflict in Iraq, members of the countries that were part of the Invasion of Iraq have been called to take in the refugees. Quite notably Malcolm Fraser has come out in support of accepting 50,000 Iraqi refugees, something which you adamantly dismissed in May.
However as of July, you have changed your stance on this issue despite numerous protests from you party. As Prime Minister what plan will you implement in order to ease the intake of refugees from Iraq?
ABBOTT: Because, David, I am giving people very, very clear commitments but like my opponents I admit when I have adamantly been wrong. The situation in Iraq is incredibly dire at the moment, with hundreds, quite possibly thousands, being massacred every day. The forces of the United Kingdom and the United States, have overworked trying to keep order outside of the major cities itself. It’s quite simple.
We stuffed up.
Iraq’s gone to hell, ever since Lucas threw in her support with the Kurds. Now I don’t blame her but the chain reaction has transformed Iraq into a splintered country. Quite honestly we have to do something about this and helping people fleeing the area is the most responsible thing to do. They aren’t like those boaties, who row thousands of kilometers, to get to our shores for our economic luxuries. These are people trying to escape a conflict, which we started when we overthrew Saddam Hussein.
As a result, I admit, much to the ire of some of my party members, that we must take in these refugees. Call it Karma. Call it Redemption. Call it the Right thing. Call it whatever we have to but we must do it. Now my party promises that we will not return to Iraq under combat situations at all. However we must accept due course.
There are goodies and baddies in this conflict and we must be the goodies for once.
SPEERS: Thank you for that speech Mr. Abbott, onto Bob Brown. Mr. Brown your party has been recently been polling quite numerously among the voters of Australia and the rise doesn’t seem to be stopping. However numerous calls and points have been made by the inexperience of many of your party members in politics and that you are merely riding the wave of Lucas success. However it hasn’t changed the fact that a Green government is more than possible in this regard.
As Prime Minister, what would you do to convince the Australian electorate to trust you further in this fragile economic climate so that our economy will grow?
BROWN: We Mr. Speers I have to say it is lovely that you have such high hopes of me. As for what I plan to do to aid this economy we must remember that most if not all of Australia’s wealth does not go to the highest portion of society. Although they do earn a fair dear more than we do, I believe that by increasing the tax rate of Australian’s richest, especially those of earning more than a million annually, we can easily reach a surplus.
With these surpluses the Greens are more than willing to use it to stimulate and shock the economy back into action. Furthermore, numerous carbon taxes, as supported by many Australians on the mining industry, especially coal and gas, will aid future Australian growth. By bringing up the levels of corporation taxes, from 22 to 40 percent, in regards to the pre-Howard years, the government will gain a surplus of over 45 billion dollars annually. This is done in paramount with our previous tax plans. Of this surplus, the Greens will use 70% on implementing stimulus on this country and improving infrastructure.
I believe that it was the reckless spending and rampant free-market policies which created this economic climate. As a result the Greens, will consider reengaging on numerous free-trade agreements Australia has committed. By reengaging on these policies will create over 5,000 Australian jobs every month. It is has been shown by this situation that we cannot trust the United States banking system to provide us with stability. As a result a break up of Australia’s banks will also occur.
Together the policies of the Greens and a subsequent government will stimulate the economy while providing infrastructure and job development growth of Australia’s periling economy.