Interview with Neil Mitchell

3AW

Monday, 22 August 2005

8.50 am

SUBJECTS: Victorian Land Tax, anti-Americanism, Telstra

MITCHELL:

On the line is the Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello. Good morning.

TREASURER:

Good morning Neil.

MITCHELL:

Did you read about that proposal – the $30,000 tax on a block of land?

TREASURER:

Yes, I did. I had a big chuckle when I read it because as you said it would

be an enormous impost on land and I couldn’t actually believe that the

State Government could seriously look at it at a time when their GST revenues

were booming and their land taxes were booming and their stamp duties were booming.

I couldn’t really figure out what the motivation behind it was.

MITCHELL:

Well hopefully they won’t. They just, they are not ruling it out but

they are looking at it. I should ask you about blue trees. You love the MCG.

Do you think we should paint the trees blue?

TREASURER:

I think we should paint the MCG red and black actually Neil.

MITCHELL:

Oh what!

TREASURER:

After yesterday’s effort.

MITCHELL:

Yeah but you got to beat Melbourne next Saturday to get through.

TREASURER:

This is the time at which you and I normally enter into a wager isn’t

it?

MITCHELL:

Yeah all right. We will talk about that. I am fascinated by your comments about

anti-Americanism in Australia. This is almost a form of racism isn’t it?

TREASURER:

Well it is quite strong. I referred to a poll that was done recently by one

of our respected institutes which asked about various countries – do you

have positive or negative feelings. And according to this poll – it’s

a very reputable poll, the Lowy Institute Poll – Australia’s most positive

feelings are towards New Zealand and followed by the United Kingdom and then

we come down a long, long way and the United States came in behind China and

just in front of Indonesia which is extraordinary when you think about it.

MITCHELL:

Why do you think that is happening?

TREASURER:

Well, there is a very strong anti-American feeling in Australia and I gave

a speech on this on Saturday night and tried to analyse the reasons. I said

part of it is ideological, part of it I think is this view that the United States

is such a strong power that somehow it might threaten us or our interests and

I said, well that is absolute nonsense because in fact the United States is

a strong power which defends our interests particularly when you look at the

history of the Second World War. And I thought part of it might be something

to do with American culture. But at the end of the day this is the view I was

putting: anti-Americanism has no solid basis in Australia, it is not in our

interests to have strong anti-Americanism in Australia and we ought to remember

that the cornerstone of our defence relationship since the Second World War

in fact has been the American Alliance.

MITCHELL:

It is bordering on racism don’t you think?

TREASURER:

It is not related to a particular race because we know Americans comprise people

of all races.

MITCHELL:

Oh yeah but if American is a race it is racist.

TREASURER:

Yes but it is a strong sentiment in sections of the Australian community and

I don’t think there is any basis for it.

MITCHELL:

Do you think the teaching in schools is responsible for it? You seem to suggest

you think there has been an influence by left wing teachers who are anti-American.

I don’t think there is any doubt there’s a lot of anti-American

views in schools.

TREASURER:

Well you see Neil we just had the 60th Anniversary of Victory in the Pacific

when Australian and American troops fought alongside each other in the defence

of Australia. I go to schools a lot and I talk about the Second World War and

particularly in the last week or so about Victory in the Pacific. I am surprised

that so few students know about the events of 1941 and as I recounted in my

speech I was a bit taken aback when one of the students recently looked at me

and said, you know, “What have the Americans ever done for Australia?”

MITCHELL:

Yeah.

TREASURER:

And my point was well actually they defended Australia with us in 1941 when

we were, 1942, when we were practically at the mercy of an invasion. But I don’t

think this history is well taught in Australian schools and I think it ought

to be well taught in Australian schools. I think there would be some teachers

who may not even know it themselves let alone be able to teach it. Not all teachers,

of course there are many good teachers, but I am just saying that we ought to

remember these things and they ought to be taught to the younger generation

in Australia.

MITCHELL:

Okay well thank you for speaking to us. Just quickly, there seems to be some

division between you and the Finance Minister, Nick Minchin, over what happens

to the Telstra shares. Could they go into the Future Fund? All of them?

TREASURER:

Well, I don’t think there is a division because the Government’s

policy is to offer them for sale and to invest the proceeds. Now I think Nick

was asked a question, what would happen if you couldn’t do the sale? And

you know, he gave various suggestions. But we are not looking at those suggestions

because our policy is to offer them for sale to the Australian public and to

invest the proceeds.

MITCHELL:

Okay, Melbourne vs Essendon. How much?

TREASURER:

Essendon by 20 points.

MITCHELL:

Okay so you are giving me 20 points in. What’s the usual – $10 to a charity

of the other person’s choice.

TREASURER:

Okay. Okay.

MITCHELL:

Thank you very much. And if Melbourne doesn’t win they probably won’t

make the finals. Peter Costello, Federal Treasurer.