Jamie Briggs MP

 

Every Wednesday morning just before seven o’clock we try and get a feel for what people are saying to the grass roots MP’s. We talk to two backbenchers who have pretty strong opinions about things; that’s Amanda Rishworth, Labor MP for Kingston in the southern suburbs of Adelaide and Jamie Briggs, somebody whose electorate stretches from the metro area out into country South Australia, he is the Liberal member for Mayo - good morning Jamie Briggs.

 

 

Good morning Matt and Dave, how are we?

 

 

And, we are well, good morning Amanda Rishworth.

 

 

Good morning.

 

 

Amanda Rishworth, there is yet another story, this time on the front page of The Australian saying that, well suggesting that a leadership clash, a challenge between Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard is inevitable.

 

 

Well look, I don’t agree with that and I haven’t heard any evidence of that. You know I think the Prime Minister made it quite clear and I certainly agree with her that Kevin Rudd’s doing a very good job as Foreign Affairs Minister and I believe that the Prime Minister’s doing a very good job as Prime Minister so I believe that things will continue to go on as they are and you know, I think we’ll continue to be actually making a plan for the future.

 

 

In a losing position in the polls…

 

 

Well, look it’s been a tough year of reforms last year and we’ve made a lot of changes and a lot of reforms but they are in the national interest.

 

 

So you’re happy to continue with the team that has you in a losing position?

 

 

Well they, I am interested in doing what’s right for the country.

 

 

Even if you all lose your seats?

 

 

Well look, I’m interested in doing what is right for the country, what is in our national interest. I got elected into politics to do something, to change something. Not be negative like Tony Abbott, not just say ‘no’, but to actually do something. I believe that our government is doing a lot of very important things like supporting manufacturing, like actually making a difference to our country’s position in terms of climate change and so I believe that I’ll continue to be proud of a government that continues to make these important reforms.

 

 

And Mr Crean, your Labor colleague, a Minister in the Gillard Government, was talking about prima-donnas, we don’t need prima-donnas, we need team players.

 

 

Well, I do believe that our party is working together and as I said, I think Kevin Rudd is doing a very good job as Foreign Affairs Minister and I think the Prime Minister is doing an excellent job as Prime Minister and we will continue to work to deliver the reform, to keep our economy strong, to create jobs, all these things are a positive agenda, as opposed to Tony Abbott’s negative agenda.

 

 

Jamie Briggs, Liberal MP for Mayo, I am assuming you disagree with Amanda Rishworth on that point, so let’s just take that as red. The State Leader Isobel Redmond is off this week, she sent her

deputy along to the BHP Billiton meeting, the CEO’s were in town. You’ve got twin by-elections on, doesn’t appear to be a lot of interest in them from the Liberal Party in terms of creating issues that may focus the electorates’ mind.

 

 

Strong law and order debate going on in Adelaide this week, where’s the Leader? You’d think you’d come back from your holidays to make a brief appearance, wouldn’t you?

 

Well look, people make decisions on when they want to have holidays and obviously Isobel worked over the Christmas period and worked until the end of last week and decided this week was a better time to have a break. So, I’m not making decisions on her behalf but as far as the law and order and the by-election issues go, I do want to make one point about the by-election, I noticed a flyer that was put out in Port Adelaide, which has been reported on today and I’m interested in Amanda’s reaction to this, which is attacking the Federal Labor Government about the River Murray. It’s a piece which says that only a State Labor candidate can take it up to Canberra. Now of course Labor is in power in Canberra, so I’m just interested, Amanda, if things seem to be going so rosily in the Labor Party at the moment – are Jay Weatherill and Tony Burke on the same page? Are you on the same page as Jay Weatherill on the Murray Darling Basin or where are we at here because if you’re putting brochures out in by-election attacking your Federal Labor Government, what is going on?

 

Well, I don’t think there’s anything new here Jamie; I think you’re making a mountain out of a molehill. What is very clear…

 

 

No, the brochure went to the whole of the electorate.

 

What is very clear is that Tony Burke has put out a plan; I believe in a plan for the River Murray, I believe that we need to return as much water as possible. We’re obviously going through a 26 week, I think, consultation period with that and states and territories and Labor candidates and members are going to be able to put from all along the Basin, are going to put their views. So no doubt I’d like to see more water that’s currently in the plan but I want to see a plan and so that is exactly where we’re looking at at the moment in terms of the River Murray. A clear contrast to Tony Abbott who doesn’t want to see any water.

 

 

Oh Amanda.

 

 

Speaking of leaflets going out, we got a leaflet from Senator Mary Jo Fisher, Liberal Member for South Australia, ‘Adelaide’s Biggest Survey; have your say about your local issues’. This would have cost a motza… and you really wonder whether you squirm when you see these things? Because, about every second, and I am being a little generous here, every second question seems to, no matter what the topic, bring in the carbon tax. The cost of living - ‘Do you think the Federal Government should abandon the carbon tax to ease cost of living pressures?’ Yes? No? Don’t know? Jobs - Do you think the Federal Government should abandon the carbon tax to protect local jobs?’ Yes? No? Don’t know? I mean, really is this just a waste of paper?

 

 

Well, members of parliament consult their electorates and ask questions to get a feel for what people are thinking. And obviously…

 

 

It’s push polling isn’t it?

 

 

No, it’s not push polling, push polling is when you ring and put a view and then release the view.

 

 

Well, this is a piece of paper putting a view. All of the questions are loaded, aren’t they?

 

Look political information is sometimes construed that way. Of course, if you are coming from a perspective and obviously we’re running a strong campaign against the carbon tax, because we don’t think making Australia internationally un-competitive and yet not doing anything for the environment is a good idea.

 

 

But this is meant to be a survey, isn’t it?

 

 

I wonder about putting out a brochure in a Port Adelaide by-election attacking your Federal Labor counterparts; it’s a bit disingenuous, I would have thought.

 

 

You might have thought that.

 

 

 Well, my question would be Jamie; does it have a question about planting trees because I mean that is the Oppositions policy?

 

 

Are you against planting trees Amanda?

 

 

Well, no.

 

Amanda is against planting trees, she is against planting trees – this is good.

 

 

I don’t think that Amanda Rishworth is against planting trees.

 

 

But there isn’t a question about planting trees...

 

 

There’s not?

 

BEVAN:

 

Amanda Rishworth, Labor Member for Kingston and Jamie Briggs, Liberal Member for Mayo. Thank you for your time this morning.