SPEERS: Joining me now from Adelaide, the Finance Minister Penny Wong. Senator, thanks for your time.
WONG: Good to be with you.
SPEERS: First on the unemployment figures out today, were you surprised by the jump in the jobless rate?
WONG: I think its important we look at this unemployment rate to keep it in context. There was a slight weakening but this is still a very low level of unemployment, both historically and also by global standards. Lets remember what the unemployment rate in the United States is: 9.1 per cent. And we entered the GFC, the global financial crisis, with the same unemployment rate as the United States. Were at about 5.3 [per cent] on todays figures, theyre at 9.1 [per cent].
SPEERS: But here in Australia jobs have been lost and theyve been lost in the two apparent boom states, resources boom states, of Western Australia and Queensland particularly. Why has that happened?
WONG: I think as Chris Evans said in his press conference and as Wayne Swan has said, we do have a patchwork economy. There are state variations in the unemployment rate. But I again make this point David, there are more people employed now than there were a year ago.
So after a year of minority government, with Tony Abbott running around doing his best to wreck everything and anything, and talking down the economy we have an economy that is growing, and we have more Australians in work than a year ago. And I think thats a pretty important fact.
SPEERS: Lets move on to asylum seekers. The Treasurer and Acting Prime Minister, Wayne Swan, on this program yesterday said the Governments plan to send asylum seekers to Malaysia was in his words still the best solution and the best humanitarian solution as well. Do you share that view?
WONG: This is a very difficult problem and the problem is that this has been a highly contested, highly politicised space for a long time. And what the Prime Minister has done is say lets really go to the heart of what causes people to get on boats. And that is why the Government put forward the approach with Malaysia.
Because what it did was it gave people a disincentive to make what we know is a perilous journey, which unfortunately has had tragic consequences. So absolutely I support the approach the Government is taking. It is obviously the case that the High Court has made its ruling. We have to deal with that and unfortunately what we see is Tony Abbott on your program just a few moments ago walking away from the position that he held a couple of days ago, where he appeared for a brief moment to be prepared to take a bipartisan and sensible approach to this issue.
SPEERS: But what about, so youve made it clear that you still support the idea of sending asylum seekers to Malaysia. Have the Greens and those in the Left of your own party got it wrong when they say we should now have only onshore processing?
WONG: I think this is an issue in which people have very strong views and as I said its an issue over the last ten years which has been highly politicised. I think its important to say well, what are the sensible policy solutions. There arent any easy ones David, and if there were easy ones, someone wouldve found them. And its wrong of Tony Abbott to pretend there is an easy solution; as you know there isnt. But we do have to take the sensible approach to this and thats the way the Government will approach it. Id urge Tony Abbott just for a change to try and do the same.
SPEERS: Is it sensible to argue that onshore processing alone will lead to the sort of social problems and even riots that weve seen in London and Paris?
WONG: I dont know the context of those comments in detail and Ive not seen precisely what was said.
SPEERS: Well its apparently what the Departments been advising the Government, have you heard that sort of advice?
WONG: You said apparently; I think it is the case that we know onshore processing itself doesnt have the sort of deterrent factor that making sure people dont get on the boats would have. That is the policy dilemma that faces the Government and again Id say this it would be good on this policy issue Mr Abbott could take a sensible approach rather than playing politics. I think from the excerpt of the interview you played, it appears hes not capable of that.
SPEERS: And on Craig Thomson, Minister youre a lawyer, youre a barrister. Is Craig Thomson now in the clear?
WONG: Can I say, I think this whole episode really underlines the approach the Opposition are taking. I mean, what has been their priority in recent months David? Has it been jobs, has it been the economy or has it been doing whatever they can to destroy the Government? Their complete obsession with this matter simply shows what their priorities are. And their priorities are political. Theyre not about whats good for the country, theyre not about whats good for jobs.
SPEERS: My question is I guess more legal. Is he now in the clear?
WONG: Well I think the police statement stands for itself they didnt believe there was evidence that warranted a formal investigation. And unlike Senator Brandis, I believe these matters should be dealt with by the appropriate authority. It is utterly inappropriate in my view for Senator Brandis as the shadow attorney-general to do what he did. And I will not join in with that. This is a matter for the appropriate authorities and the police have made it very clear they did not believe there was evidence to warrant a formal investigation.
SPEERS: Theyve said that based on the accounting practices of the union theres no evidence to warrant an investigation. He may not have committed a crime, but does that mean hes been cleared of actually using his credit card for the sort of things hes been accused of?
WONG: Im not going to comment on unsubstantiated allegations. What I have always said is that sorry, Im losing my earpiece there David what Ive always said is that if there are complaints to be made, they should be dealt with by the appropriate authorities. We shouldnt have the sort of obsessive political attack that we see from the Opposition. But worse, we shouldnt be having a shadow attorney-general ringing up his mate in New South Wales, the Police Minister, on a matter that the police were considering.
SPEERS: Well Craig Thomson now says he will make in the near future a comprehensive statement on these matters. Would you like to see him clear up, for once and all, whether he did use his union credit card at a brothel and for the big cash advances so that this can be put to rest?
WONG: I think Craig Thomson has got to make his judgment about the best way to deal with the allegations that have been publicly made against him. I hear from the statement hes made thats what hes proposing to do in the near future. And thats obviously his decision.
SPEERS: Finance Minister Penny Wong, thanks so much for joining us this afternoon.
WONG: Good to speak with you.
ENDS