TRANSCRIPT

THE HON PETER COSTELLO MP
Treasurer

Doorstop Interview
Parramatta RSL, Parramatta

Thursday, 22 July 2004
12.30 pm

SUBJECTS: Election, ALP Election promises

JOURNALIST:

…speculation on the election date? September, October?

TREASURER:

Well it is up to the Prime Minister when the election will be called and obviously

nobody knows until he calls it but the Parliament is going back in August so

it will be some time after that.

JOURNALIST:

Labor’s foreshadowed changes to the Industrial Relations Commission.

What is your response to that?

TREASURER:

Well the announcement by the Labor Party that they’re going to increase

union power, that they’re going to reduce flexibility in the workplace

is bad news for the Australian economy and what it will do is it will make it

harder to create jobs. It will make it more difficult for employers and ultimately

it will lead to less jobs in our community and I call on the Labor party – do

not go down that track. It is wrong. It will destroy job opportunities for young

Australians and the policy is not in Australia’s interests. This is a

really worrying sign that the Labor party wants to go back to the old confrontational

union dominated industrial relations system that Australia got rid of 10 years

ago nearly.

JOURNALIST:

Now Labor has also cut back on its election promises, saying it has not got

enough funds, alleging that. What is your response to that?

TREASURER:

Well Labor can not pay for its promises, we know that. They made $9 billion

dollars of promises. They have got know idea how to fund them. They have got

no tax policy and they have got no economic policy. Labor is in a shambles on

the policy front. They have made a whole lot of promises that they can not afford

and they can not get out a tax policy and they do not have a economic policy.

You can not trust your job and you can not trust your mortgage to Mr Latham.

JOURNALIST:

Mr Costello you have been on Kerri-Anne this week and the kids today, covering

all bases?

TREASURER:

Absolutely, I hope I do not have to fight a python today, perhaps the kids

will give me an easier time than Kerri-Anne Kennerly.