Interview with Jon Faine
ABC 774 Melbourne
25 June 2010
SUBJECTS: Lindsay Tanner announcement; Prime Minister Gillard; return to surplus in three years; G20
FAINE:
Wayne Swan, the new Deputy Prime Minister and still Federal Treasurer, has worked as closely as anyone has with Lindsay Tanner and we thought it would be appropriate if we asked him to, as well as analysing what went on in the last couple of days, also pay tribute to Lindsay Tanner this morning. Morning Wayne Swan.
TREASURER:
Good morning Jon.
FAINE:
Congratulations on your elevation. Will you miss Lindsay Tanner?
TREASURER:
I certainly will. I think his electorate in Melbourne will miss him, but more importantly we will miss him in terms of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party and of course the Cabinet. I entered Parliament at the same time as Lindsay back in 1993. I had a spell in the paddock from 1996 to 1998 but Lindsay's been here since then and he has been a very significant influence on the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party and most particularly on the direction of economic policy. So he's been a very significant player and I've certainly enjoyed working very closely with Lindsay in Government over the past two and a half years.
FAINE:
Surely his personal support in the inner city Melbourne seat of, let me get this right, the inner city seat of Melbourne – I finally got there – could be the difference between holding it and losing it to the Greens.
TREASURER:
Well, that may the case, I simply don't know. But what I do know is that we've got a very strong team, led by Julia Gillard. I think that she will appeal, particularly to voters in Melbourne and I wouldn't say that it's a sure thing because Lindsay's leaving that Labor will not retain the seat.
FAINE:
Oh come on. His personal support must be what, five per cent or more.
TREASURER:
I'm sure he's got strong personal support but I also know that Julia Gillard has strong personal support across the country but I would think most particularly in Melbourne. So I'm an optimist about the prospects in the seat of Melbourne, but he's certainly a loss.
FAINE:
Have you spoken to Kevin Rudd since you helped shaft him?
TREASURER:
No I haven't spoken to Kevin since the ballot but I will be talking to him at some stage in the near future.
FAINE:
It's fairly telling then that you haven't spoken to the man who was your leader and close confidant and going back to Goss Government days, even at sometimes a personal friend.
TREASURER:
No I don't think so. I mean I've known Kevin for a long period of time. We've had a long relationship. It's been up and down over the years but there's deep respect for each other.
FAINE:
Is there still?
TREASURER:
I think so – absolutely.
FAINE:
Does he have respect for you after this treachery?
TREASURER:
Well you'd have to go and talk to him and I don't accept that characterisation, Jon, at all. These are big decisions which aren't taken lightly. And it's not about the individual personality, whether it's myself or Kevin or anybody else. It's actually about the national interest, the path of the country, and the sort of policies we want for the future.
FAINE:
Can I describe his Government as constipated, his office as constipated, and you've applied a political enema in a way. Did anyone ever try and explain to Kevin Rudd why things were so dysfunctional?
TREASURER:
Well I can't go into the private conversations I or other people may have had with the Prime Minister. We participated in a collective process through the Cabinet. I accept my responsibility for all of the decisions the Cabinet has taken.
FAINE:
Do you accept the analogy that it was a constipated Government?
TREASURER:
No I don't. I think it's a Government with a very, very good record. If you just look at, in economic policy, for example - avoiding a recession. The fact that we've got an unemployment rate of 5.2 per cent when the rest of the developed world has got huge rates of unemployment. What we're doing in health, hospitals, what we've done with pensions. It's a record we can be proud of, and it's a record that Kevin is proud of.
FAINE:
When's the election going to be Wayne Swan?
TREASURER:
That's entirely up to the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.
FAINE:
When do you want it?
TREASURER:
Well I don't speculate about that, Jon.
FAINE:
Sooner rather than later?
TREASURER:
I don't speculate about it.
FAINE:
It would be better to go when tax cuts hit pay packets in July, interest rates are stable, Europe hasn't yet imploded – grab the opportunity, the honeymoon period for a new Prime Minister.
TREASURER:
I'm not a political commentator Jon.
FAINE:
Yes you are.
TREASURER:
I'll leave that up to you.
FAINE:
You're off to Canada. I better let you go and catch a plane. Thank you for your time this morning.
TREASURER:
Thanks very much. Bye.
