Transcript - Interview with ABC North Queensland

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Details: ABC North Queensland with Paula Tapiolas
Date:  8 September 2010

Subjects: Formation of a Minority Government

E&OE…………………….

Paula Tapiolas:

North Queensland Liberal Senator Ian Macdonald is also flying to Canberra for that Coalition Party Room meeting, he told me that he is also disappointed by the independents decision to side with Labor. He’s termed it an ‘Illegitimate Government’.

Senator Macdonald:

We’re now faced with what I think is a very unstable coalition of the ultra left Greens, the Labor Party and a couple of independents who seem to be all over the shop and a Senate that, for the next year at least, will be quite opposed to a Labor Government.

Paula Tapiolas:

You’ve been a Senator for many years now, how is this going to change your job in the Senate?

Senator Macdonald:

Well, it will be, I think, business as usual. We will continue to expose the government for its shortcomings. I’m pleased that Bob Katter eventually made the decision to support the Coalition. Bob and I have very similar views on a lot of things, we have different views on some things but then I have a lot of different views with some of my Liberal colleagues as well. So I am pleased that when the crunch came Bob displayed his conservative origins and would have supported Mr Abbott, so I’m pleased about that. But I will be working with Ewen Jones, with Warren Entsch, with George Christensen, with Bob Katter to make sure the North gets a very good deal out of the next government for as long as it’s there and I will be continuing to argue for the north and to expose the shortcomings of Government activity in the North and again highlight the opportunities that there are in Northern Australia.

Paula Tapiolas:

Senator Macdonald are you satisfied by the range of measures that the independents have been able to secure for regional and rural Australia?

Senator Macdonald:

While I am not fully aware of the exact detail I suspect that most of the activity will be in regional New South Wales and that would stand to reason. What I am pleased about is that the regions of Australia have come into their own. We had a very good regional policy before the election we had a very good Northern Australian policy. I’ll be looking to try and get those policies implemented from opposition and I know Ewen Jones, Warren Entsch and George Christensen will be supporting me and I’m quite confident that Bob Katter will be certainly making his views known as the next government unfolds.

Paula Tapiolas:

Will it be much harder for him because he hasn’t gone with Labor in this case?

Senator Macdonald:

I wouldn’t think so. Again I haven’t been privy to the arrangements and the discussions between the three country independents and Labor but I think Mr Katter has handled himself very well. He has been very honourable about it, he indicates he gets on very well with Gillard and Swan, and I’d be backing him and seeking his support for what needs to be done in the North. Quite frankly I am devastated that the two New South Wales independents have ignored the clear message from the rest of Australia that we really didn’t want Julia Gillard, that we really didn’t want Labor and having a Labor/Green Coalition running the country I think means that we’re in for fairly unusual times for this country.

Paula Tapiolas:

Realistically, how stable do you think Government will be?

Senator Macdonald:

Well I have my doubts about the stability of the Government. I simply cannot imagine many of the Labor people I know agreeing with some of the very radical social and economic policies that the Greens espouse and will demand. I don’t know enough about the two New South Wales independents except to note that both were originally members of the National Party and one would think their original inclinations were conservative. How they can get on with a very very left wing ideology that the Greens espouse is going to be something to see. I think we’re in for a fairly rough eighteen months or so until the next election.

Paula Tapiolas:

18 months you think until the next election?

Senator Macdonald:

I just can’t see this lasting. From my experience, and I’ve been around, as you say, for some time I’ve seen the Greens in action, I know a lot of the Labor party people are totally opposed to the ideology of the Greens. I know a lot of the Labor Party people are still furious at Julia Gillard for getting rid of Kevin Rudd. There is going to be enormous instability in the Labor Party and I think when you mix in the Greens element to it and then these two conservative country independents I just cant see it lasting and I think Australia’s in for a pretty rough time and I fear for our country for the next 18 months to two years and it just disappoints me, it saddens me, that the great opportunities available for this country are going to be ignored whilst we have a lot of internal brawling within the newly formed Government

Paula Tapiolas:

That was North Queensland Liberal Senator Ian Macdonald.

END.

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