ASHLEIGH GILLON: Simon Birmingham, have you lost all hope that this mining tax could disappear or do you think that there could be movement there?
SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Well Ashleigh, look, I think there are several points to make in relation to the mining tax and this debate today. Firstly, here we are less than 24 hours after a deal was stitched up between Labor and the independents and the deal is already unravelling. The independents are finding that what they thought they’d signed up for, a ‘root and branch’ tax summit to look at all matters of tax, is not going to do that, and the mining tax that Tony Windsor thought would be included is not being included in that review. So that, of course, shows that the Government is already failing to keep its word with these independents and to keep the faith with these independents. The second point is that Wayne Swan and this Government are repeating the mistakes of the past. In the previous term of office, they had a so-called ‘root and branch’ review of the tax system conducted by Ken Henry, but they failed in that review, of course, to allow all aspects to be considered… most notably, they took the GST off the table and said you can look at other things but not at that. Here, we’re now going to have the furphy, the farce of a tax summit taking place that’s being told ‘but you can’t look at this new mining tax proposal’. That in itself is madness. But lastly then there is, of course, just the very structure and nature of this mining tax. We want to see all of the modelling, all of the costings, and we want transparency around this, because there is an awful lot of doubt about whether this tax can actually raise the type of money the Government’s talking about and indeed lots of speculation that there is a multi-billion dollar ‘black hole’ in this Government’s budget because of the costings around this tax. So there’s a long way to go in the debate around the mining tax and we’ll certainly be doing our best to hold the Government to account for it.
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ASHLEIGH GILLON: Simon, you must be bitterly disappointed about the loss yesterday. Do many Liberals blame the Nationals? Of course, the seats that the independents hold were previously [held by] Nationals, the vagueness of Tony Crook’s position for most of the negotiating period wouldn’t have helped much either, giving them, the independents, much confidence in the Coalition…
SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Oh look, Ashleigh, of course it’s disappointing to come so close and particularly for Tony and the leadership team, we all feel that pain. It’s not a time for blame, it’s a time for us to get on with the job of the period in Opposition, to see whether this Government… whether it lasts six months, 12 months, three years… to hold them to account, to learn some lessons… obviously, though we came so close, we didn’t manage to win a majority of seats… that means we need to do a bit better next time.
ASHLEIGH GILLON: What are those lessons?
SIMON BIRMINGHAM: I think we need to make sure that we present a stronger, clearer alternative plan for the future at the next election… we had good policies… Tony has built us into a great and formidable Opposition… as Leader he’s taken down one Prime Minister, almost taken down another… they’re great achievements, we had some good policies in this election, but I think we need to up the way that we sell them, make sure that we present a really good, strong, positive vision for the future at the next election and make sure that the Australian people know that with us, they’re not just getting a more competent line up than the Labor Party offer, but also one that has a clear vision for the future.
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ASHLEIGH GILLON: We are going to have more discussion on this issue [broadband] on PM Agenda this afternoon, I’m sorry, Simon Birmingham, we have run out of time, thank you both [Simon Birmingham and Nick Sherry]…
SIMON BIRMINGHAM: So much I can say on the NBN, too, Ashleigh…