TRANSCRIPT
THE HON PETER COSTELLO MP
Treasurer

Doorstop Interview

Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Wednesday, 19 May 2004

2.00 pm

SUBJECTS: Windfall GST revenue to the States; Mitsubishi; politicians’

travel entitlements; Shadow Treasurer’s National Press Club speech; South

Australian marginal seats

JOURNALIST:

Just quickly on your comments today at the luncheon, you talked about the

South Australian Government and other State Government’s needing to be

accountable. What exactly do you mean by that?

TREASURER:

Well, the South Australian Government, like all of the other State Governments,

is now enjoying windfall revenue from GST. Every last dollar of GST is received

by State Governments and the South Australian Government is receiving that windfall

and I think it is important that scrutiny is placed on the State Governments

as to how they use that money…

JOURNALIST:

Where is that lacking?

TREASURER:

…and I think the scrutiny should involve looking at reducing State taxes,

I think that is a very big part of it because with the additional GST money

we wouldn’t want to see it wasted, it should be put to good use and State

Governments should be held accountable for their own tax bases.

JOURNALIST:

Mr Costello, Mitsubishi here in South Australia, Friday a big decision on

its future. What can the Federal Government do to help with that?

TREASURER:

Well, the Federal Government has dispatched the Industry Minister to Tokyo,

he has been speaking to the Mitsubishi Company, he has been pressing the case

for Australia and for South Australia in particular and the Federal Government

is lobbying the Japanese company very strongly on behalf of Mitsubishi Australia

and South Australia. And everything that can be done is being done at that level

to…

JOURNALIST:

Will it be enough?

TREASURER:

…well, an announcement, we are lead to believe is on Friday, I don’t

know what the announcement will be, but everything that can be done is being

done on behalf of Mitsubishi and South Australia.

JOURNALIST:

Have you looked at any specific Budget measures in relation to Mitsubishi

or…

TREASURER:

Well, look, it is, I think, over recent years the Federal Government has made

a couple of hundred million available to Mitsubishi Australia, which is doing

well. The problem is the Japanese corporation which is not doing well and the

owners of the Japanese corporation, Daimler Chrysler, which don’t want

to put more capital in, so everything that can be done in Australia has been

done, everything that can be done in Tokyo is being done and we will get an

announcement on Friday.

JOURNALIST:

What is your reaction to Trish Draper’s association with a guy called

Derek Sands, it was in the paper today. He has been a prime suspect in a police

murder investigation, do you see it as damaging to the Liberal Party and to

her political future as well?

TREASURER:

Well, I don’t know him at all obviously, and if what you say is the

case you should direct your inquiries to the police.

JOURNALIST:

Why was he allowed to go overseas with her on a tax payer-funded trip to Europe?

Why should tax payers have to pay for something like that?

TREASURER:

Well, you have alleged something against him and that is a matter for the

police. If what you have alleged is true, you should direct your questions to

the police.

JOURNALIST:

Do you know if Trish Draper was aware of the allegations against this man?

TREASURER:

I don’t know the allegations myself, so I can’t comment, but if

somebody is making allegations against a person, that is a matter for the police.

JOURNALIST:

Is it appropriate for politicians to take anybody overseas with them on trips?

TREASURER:

It is appropriate for them to take their spouses and de facto spouses, they

are the rules…

JOURNALIST:

Does that include lovers?

TREASURER:

…they are the rules, and the relevant Minister has been asked whether

or not that was within the rules and he said it was so, of course.

JOURNALIST:

Is within the rules okay by you?

TREASURER:

Yes, of course.

JOURNALIST:

In that…

TREASURER:

Within the rules of course is ok, that is why you have rules so you stay within

them.

JOURNALIST:

But specifically on that example, she wasn’t living with him…

TREASURER:

No, hang on, the Minister involved, who administers the rules has been asked

this question and he has said it was within the rules.

JOURNALIST:

Are you concerned about the potential impacts of this in the lead up to the

Federal election?

TREASURER:

I think in the Federal election what people want to know about is what can

the Government do to help families, what can we do to reduce tax, how can we

encourage retirement savings. They want to know about our plans for a stronger

economy and that is what we are doing, we are talking about all of those positives.

Now, the Labor Party had the chance today at the National Press Club, to make

good on its promises. Mr Latham has been promising everything to everybody so

today he had the chance to say what he would actually do and he said, nothing.

No tax rates, no thresholds…

JOURNALIST:

But would he necessarily do that at a media press club?

TREASURER:

…well, it is the National Press Club, it is the Shadow Treasurer’s

response to the Budget. The Labor Party for the last week has been criticising

the Government’s tax plan and saying they have a different one, so today

was the day when they could stand up and deliver it. And no rates, no thresholds,

he didn’t tell you how much it would cost or where the money was coming

from. Now, Mr Latham has been puffing up promises to everybody but he can’t

put any detail on it because his promises can’t be believed. And that

is the important thing that you saw today, when it came for the rubber to hit

the road, all you saw was more waffle. Labor’s good on waffle, but weak

on policy.

JOURNALIST:

You had a message today for candidates that they really had to rise to the

challenge in South Australia in key marginal seats, how critical are those marginal

seats to winning Government again?

TREASURER:

Absolutely critical, absolutely critical. In the South Australian marginal

seats I think the future of the election will be determined, and I have been

with a couple of those candidates in marginal seats. I have been with Kym Richardson,

I have been with Simon Birmingham whilst I have been here and they are very

impressive candidates.

JOURNALIST:

So Makin would be another one of those key marginal seats?

TREASURER:

They are, all marginal seats are key seats and we are aiming to win them all.

Thanks.