SENATOR THE HON PENNY WONG
MINISTER FOR FINANCE AND DEREGULATION
TRANSCRIPT
13 June 2013
SUNRISE WITH MELISSA DOYLE AND DAVID KOCH
DOYLE: Penny, good morning to you. Thank you for your time.
WONG: Good morning to you all.
DOYLE: This story keeps taking twists and turns, doesn’t it? Now, the restaurant owner is taking the blame – does that change everything?
WONG: Well, I think from the report you just saw the story seems a little odd. It’s interesting that it has taken a while to come out. It’s interesting that Mal Brough didn’t mention this when he first acknowledged the error that was made.
But, whatever the genesis of it – however it came to be written – I have to say it is pretty extraordinary in today’s Australia you have something that offensive and that vulgar written about a woman, and written about a person holding the office of the Prime Minister. I mean, this wouldn’t be acceptable if it was written about anybody. I’d ask you to think about how you’d feel, you know, if that was written about your daughter…
DOYLE: I think it is completely offensive if it’s written about anybody. Allegations that you’ve been sitting on this though for three months… why has it just come out now?
WONG: I think the Prime Minister answered that yesterday. I certainly had no knowledge of this until it hit the press.
DOYLE: Do you think Joe’s taken the fall? Joe, the cafe owner, is simply taking the fall for it all?
WONG: You would have to say… you wonder how it is that this explanation has now only come to light after Mr Brough has put out an apology. The comments of the worker that your reporter just reported would suggest that this seems a little odd and convenient, this explanation.
But, look, my view about this is what sort of culture – what sort of political culture – says that this is an acceptable way to make fun of someone? I think it’s pretty extraordinary.
DOYLE: I want to ask you about that, the whole culture of this. I mean, look we’re just about to cross to Victoria to talk about job cuts in Geelong from Target – there are so many issues. This is the overwhelming point, I think, that’s coming through from our viewers, is all of this is getting so personal and nasty from both sides and we don’t seem to be hearing any policies or any plans for the future.
WONG: Mel, I don’t agree with that. I mean, I think that we are a Government that has talked a lot about employment, that has made a real effort to put jobs first – 960,000 jobs created since we came to Government. The Prime Minister is out there talking about education, which is all about the jobs of the future.
The unfortunate reality is, we have an Abbott Liberal Party that seems to have this sort of thing happen a bit too often. I mean, this is a party led by a bloke who stands in front of signs describing the Prime Minister as a ‘bitch’ and a ‘witch’. I don’t think that’s a good thing for our political culture and I actually don’t think it’s in keeping with where Australia is at.
DOYLE: But then, both sides – you can’t say that either are perfectly squeaky clean on all of this. I mean, the Kevin Rudd leadership speculation takes up pages every other day. He turns up yesterday in a blue tie. I just want to play you a little bit of a grab – Jeff Kennett earlier on Sunrise entered the debate. Have a listen to what he said:
GRAB – JEFF KENNETT: I am going to wear a blue tie now until the election. I think the Prime Minister is an embarrassment to her office, to her party and to herself.
DOYLE: Penny, you can’t blame the media for drumming all of this up because clearly it has been put in the arena by our politicians. So, what’s your response to the direction all this is going in?
WONG: I think when you’re in an election year then it is quite legitimate to test and contest the values of the person who wants to be Prime Minister. I don’t care if Jeff Kennett wears blue ties, that’s a matter for him. What I do care about is the fact that Mr Abbott has some views on women that are on public record, that have been stated very clearly – things like the fact that he doesn’t think women are suited to exercising authority. He is prepared to stand in front of signs that make really derogatory comments which are very gendered, and from my way of thinking, it confirms my concerns about him. I think that is a legitimate discussion.
Having said that, I’m very happy to come on your program and talk about education and talk about jobs and talk about the car industry and the importance of supporting it so we have jobs in this country in the years to come, for people particularly in my state and also Victoria.
DOYLE: Okay. Gosh, I wish we could. Alright, thank you so much, Penny Wong, for your time this morning.
WONG: Good to be with you again.
ENDS
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