Transcripts

DOORSTOP INTERVIEW 1PM SUNDAY 21 JUNE 2009

21st June 2009

Topics:  Protocols for borrowers in default, Ozcar

E&OE……………………………………………………………………………………………….

JOE HOCKEY:

Well I know you’re going to ask about OzCar so perhaps I‘ll just start with the fact that, briefly, that the Opposition welcomes the Government extending the protocols for authorised deposit taking institutions to take a more lenient approach to borrowers in default, to credit unions and smaller financial institutions.  When this issue was first raised some time ago I pointed out that in fact a lot of institutions weren’t covered by the agreement and the Government has reacted and I see that as a good initiative.

JOURNALIST:

Inaudible

HOCKEY:

Sorry I was going to talk about OzCar… I’m sure you’re all interested in authorised deposit taking institutions but…

In relation to OzCar, I think people need to remember where this all started.  It started with the fact that the Prime Minister has been in receipt of a motor vehicle from John Grant for all of the time that he has been Leader of the Opposition or Prime Minister.  That’s where it started.  The Prime Minister extraordinarily receiving a gift, an ongoing gift, from a car dealer even though the Prime Minister himself is in receipt of a number of gifts from the taxpayers; many cars, planes, houses and yet the Prime Minister extraordinarily has exposed himself to an individual who provides him with ongoing financial support through the provision of a motor vehicle.  Now that is a starting point. 

And then it emerges that Mr Grant has sought to gain an advantage from the Government in relation to car financing.  Now the Prime Minister emphatically stated in Parliament that he had made no representations on behalf of John Grant to the Treasury, and what is in dispute is the Treasury version which said in their recollection, with some qualifications, they had received representations from the Prime Minister’s office.  If that is proven to be the case then the Prime Minister has clearly misled the Parliament and the Australian people.  And…

JOURNALIST:

When…

HOCKEY:

…sorry, I’ll just go through the process, it’s important. Now there’s a disputed email. This is in the hands of the Federal Police.  The Federal Police are very professional and provided they have access to all of the computers and all of the hard drives, then they should have the resources that will allow them to identify whether the email exists or not, and that is in dispute.

Right, the second issue involves the Treasurer.  It is the Treasurer who is in the frame.  It is the Treasurer who is now in the frame on this matter.  Wayne Swan this morning dodged a few bullets.  Over the next few days he will not be able to avoid answering questions, detailed questions, about his relationship with John Grant and exactly what he did to help John Grant. 

This is the fundamental issue.  The Treasurer said that John Grant was treated like any other constituent.  It beggars belief that every constituent matter that goes before the Treasurer is faxed to his home.  I know the Treasurer receives thousands of pieces of correspondence a year by virtue of his role in the Government and now he expects Australians to believe his spin that he treated John Grant like any other constituent.  That John Grant in fact, received a phone call from the Treasurer, like any other constituent that has a gripe receives a phone call from the Treasurer, even on the recommendation of a Member of Parliament. 

Over the next few days we will be asking a lot of questions of the Treasurer.  We expect a lot of detailed answers.  The Treasurer now should throw open the doors and allow a full investigation into all of his activities in relation to John Grant and in relation to OzCar. 

The Treasurer is the one who stated in the Parliament that John Grant received no preferential treatment.   The Treasurer never denied dealing with the matter, but he left all Australians with a clear impression that John Grant received no favourable treatment.  The emails produced by the Treasury to the Senate provide a very clear difference of opinion to that provided by the Treasurer to the Parliament, and we expect that sunlight will be the best form of disinfectant in relation to the behaviour of the Treasurer and even the Prime Minister in this regard.

JOURNALIST: 

Inaudible…whether you or any of your Parliamentary colleagues have any information about this email… inaudible …of the email…inaudible

HOCKEY: 

Well you see the Prime Minister has asked the Federal Police to investigate this matter. Now we don’t want to compromise that Federal Police investigation. We will cooperate fully with the Federal Police - fully with the Federal Police - but we are not going to assist the investigation by engaging in speculation about the email. 

JOURNALIST:

inaudible

HOCKEY:

I’m not going to engage in speculation.  I seriously, look, either the email…

JOURNALIST:

You’ve come out…

HOCKEY:

…I’m…

JOURNALIST:

…can you just say when and how did the Opposition first become aware of this alleged email from the PM’s office?

HOCKEY: 

I say again it is a Federal Police investigation.  This is the irony of Kevin Rudd’s words.  Kevin Rudd has called for a Federal Police investigation and now he wants to use… let me finish...  Kevin Rudd has called for a Federal Police investigation into this email and now he wants, now he wants the matter to be resolved tomorrow in Parliament. It is absurd.

JOURNALIST:

Doesn’t the fact that there is an AFP investigation suggest that there is no email?

HOCKEY: 

Well anyone can invite a Federal Police investigation.  Anyone, you could, anyone can.

JOURNALIST: 

So you’re not prepared to a say if the Opposition has sighted, directly, this email?

HOCKEY: 

No and I’ll tell you why; because it is a matter that is being investigated by the Federal Police.  Now the Federal Police, I’m sure, will speak to many people.  I would expect everyone would cooperate appropriately with the Federal Police.  Be it the Prime Minister, the Treasurer, anyone in the Opposition, Treasury officials.  I would expect everyone to cooperate fully with the Federal Police investigation.  Kevin Rudd has called a Federal Police investigation into this email.  Well the Federal Police should be able to do their work without ongoing public commentary, including from the Prime Minister.

JOURNALIST: 

inaudible

HOCKEY:

He’ll be speaking later.

JOURNALIST:

inaudible

HOCKEY: 

Well let’s see what they say in Parliament.  They’ve got an Auditor General investigation that conveniently excludes the Treasurer and his office.  They now have a Federal Police investigation into this email.  Look I suspect there is a political strategy at play with the Prime Minster at the moment.  I suspect the Prime Minister is showing great indignation about this email in order to suggest that, if it’s real, he’ll be totally surprised and that would prove in his own mind that he didn’t know anything about it.  Well that won’t wash.  The Prime Minister has raised the temperature on this email.  The Federal Police will determine if it’s real or not. 

JOURNALIST:

Do you think it’s real?

HOCKEY:

It would be inappropriate for me to speculate.  It really would. You know when there is a Federal Police investigation into something as specific as this, I assume the Federal Police have all the computer forensics skills that will enable them to go directly to the hard drives of the computers and identify whether there is an email or there isn’t.  Now either there is or there isn’t I mean it’s, it’s really quite black and white.

JOURNALIST:

Has anybody in the Liberal Party got anything to fear from the Police investigation?

HOCKEY:

No, not at all.  Not at all.  Absolutely not.

JOURNALIST:

If you don’t know whether inaudible

HOCKEY:

Well look can I tell you, it is a matter for the Federal Police.  You know the email is a distraction by Kevin Rudd from the fact that his Treasurer is squarely in the crosshairs on this matter.  Wayne Swan has a lot to answer for.  He suggested to the Parliament that John Grant got no preferential treatment and yet all the evidence provided by public servants suggests the absolute opposite. 

Furthermore, bear in mind this: twice when Mr Grech has appeared before a Senate Committee, the Government Minister, Government Members of Parliament and even Senior Treasury officials have tried to silence him.  It was patently obvious.  Now why would they do that if they were completely open and transparent?  Why would they go to great pains to silence a Treasury official in public hearings?  Well we’ll see.  We’ll see what happens. 

But it’s very interesting that Wayne Swan has been cut loose by Kevin Rudd, because Wayne Swan is not in the Terms of Reference of the Auditor General report.  And we will have a large number of questions this week for Mr Swan and even Mr Rudd about their relationship with John Grant and the preferential treatment by the Treasury of John Grant.

JOURNALIST:

You’ve certainly toned down your attack on Kevin Rudd over the past day and you’ve stepped it up on Wayne Swan.  Are you doubting yourselves, the veracity and authenticity of that email?

HOCKEY:

I think it is a distraction at this stage given that it is a Federal Police investigation.  It is a distraction from the fact that Wayne Swan engaged actively in providing preferential treatment by Treasury officials to John Grant.  There are a large number of questions on this.  A large number of questions that Wayne Swan is going to have to answer and I suspect that Wayne Swan will have a very sleepless night tonight.

JOURNALIST: 

Why is this email, which initially seemed to be a key part of your attack on Kevin Rudd, is now being dismissed by you as a distraction?

HOCKEY:

Well no it’s a matter for the Federal Police.  I mean, we didn’t call the Federal Police investigation, Kevin Rudd did.  So Kevin Rudd has effectively closed down public discourse about the email unless he so chooses to break his own rules.

JOURNALIST:

Well he hasn’t closed down public discourse because… inaudible

HOCKEY:

Well can I tell you the irony in this is it’s the Prime Minister that has called a Federal Police investigation and therefore it will be determined whether it’s real or not.  It’s just a matter of time.

JOURNALIST:

But his line today is that Malcolm Turnbull should produce that tomorrow or resign?

HOCKEY: 

Inaudible… he’s entirely speculating, he’s ridiculously speculating about whether Malcolm Turnbull has it, or doesn’t have it, or provided it.  This is just… you know in politics, this is a great distraction by Kevin Rudd.  A great distraction, this focus on the email, from the fact that his Treasurer has clearly misled the Australian people about the relationship with John Grant. 

Now if that filters up to the Prime Minister the evidence will emerge, because we need to make sure that the Auditor General’s inquiry is as broad as possible on this matter with all the resources that should be available and that the Auditor General’s report is fully disclosed to the public. 

And with the Federal Police, that they have a full investigation without any hindrance, without any impediments.  And the truth will out. It’s as simple as that.  I mean we could spend days and days speculating on whether something exists or not, but when it’s being investigated by the Police, well you know, it will be determined.

JOURNALIST:

So you’re not even prepared to say if anyone in the Liberal Party’s seen it?

HOCKEY:

Well can I tell you, don’t you think that would compromise a Police investigation?

JOURNALIST:

How?

HOCKEY:

Well because if you start naming individuals who may or may not have been involved, or start speculating on it, then the Police may necessarily - it may distract them from their main game, it may encourage them to go down a path.  I don’t want to be involved in guiding the Police. The Police investigation should be broad, it should be focussed, that’s perfectly legitimate.

But I tell you what, there’s no Police investigation yet into Wayne Swan but we will not let Wayne Swan get away with this.

JOURNALIST: 

Inaudible

HOCKEY: 

Well you know what, if there is a criminal investigation by the Police you don’t often hear anyone going out and speculating on the events.  In fact the media themselves are often the most guarded once a Police investigation is underway into a crime scene.  That’s pretty obvious.

JOURNALIST:

inaudible

HOCKEY:

Well it may be.  It may be…

JOURNALIST:

inaudible

HOCKEY:

Well I mean the Attorney General is the one that’s referred it to the Federal Police so it depends on what emerges I would expect.

JOURNALIST:

inaudible

HOCKEY:

Totally.

JOURNALIST: 

Can you guarantee that if anyone in the Opposition does have a copy of that email that they will hand it over inaudible

HOCKEY:

We have said totally, I say without qualification we will cooperate fully with the Federal Police.

JOURNALIST:

And if anyone has that email…

HOCKEY:

I’m not going to speculate.  I am giving the broadest possible answer and the most specific answer at the same time and that is that we will cooperate fully with the Federal Police.

JOURNALIST:

Has anything been handed over…

HOCKEY:

…I’m not going into this Police investigation again.  You know what, the Police investigation and the details of it probably won’t be the story this week.  The story this week will be Wayne Swan has misled the Australian people and the Australian Parliament and he needs to be held accountable.

Thanks.

[ends]