‘Your enthusiasm for putting words in my mouth is commendable’

LEIGH Sales wanted answers from the PM on 7.30 last night, but there was one question he would not put up with.

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been accused of dithering for weeks — and 7.30 host Leigh Sales took him to task over it.

Mr Turnbull appeared on the ABC program last night hours after he unveiled his threat to call a double dissolution election for July unless laws relating to crushing union corruption are passed by the Senate.

The — at times — terse discussion took in last September’s coup, tax policy and the possible early election.

On the subject of tax, Sales put it to Mr Turnbull that he had floated the idea of company tax cuts previously.

“On this program in December when I asked you, you said a company tax cut would be an enormous charge on the Budget at this time. Is that still your thinking or not?”

Turnbull replied he was “offering you frankly a penetrating glimpse of the obvious and I apologise for that”.

When Sales pushed him if it was still going to be a “big ask” the PM bit back.

“Your enthusiasm for putting words in my mouth is commendable,” he told the broadcaster.

Her response was just as blunt.

“I just like clarity,” she said to the Prime Minister.

“Yes, you should let me finish my sentence and then I can be clear. Any cut in taxation in revenue is obviously a cost to the Budget, okay? So everything has to be affordable and not all of the things you want to do in any Budget can be afforded. So the choice is always, and this is why budgets have to be prepared with great care, the choice is between all sorts of competing priorities.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull didn’t like Leigh Sales saying he’d “knifed” Tony Abbott.

.@TurnbullMalcolm says he won't buy into violent metaphors when asked what the point of "knifing" @TonyAbbottMHR was https://t.co/vwY4btxdcM

— abc730 (@abc730) March 21, 2016

It wasn’t the only issue the two clashed over.

There was one particular question that Mr Turnbull rankled over.

Sales pointed out that he had a similar policy stance to ousted leader Tony Abbott on a host of issues.

“There was very little difference, so then what was the point of knifing Tony Abbott?” Sales asked.

“Well, I don’t want to buy into those sort of unpleasant metaphors … Could I say we shouldn’t be using violent metaphors like that,” Mr Turnbull scolded.

Sales softened her language, offering that he “replaced” Mr Abbott. But she persisted with the question line.

“What was the point of that. There has been very little policy change?’

Turnbull, naturally, disagreed. “That is quite untrue, if I may say so.” He cited Senate voting reform, the cities policy, media ownership as policies that were unique to his Government.

It was inevitable there would be similarities though, he said.

“Right across the board — between Tony and myself, Tony Abbott and myself — there is continuity. Of course, I was part of his Government, part of his Cabinet but already there is also a great deal of change. So, as you go from one Liberal PM to another, you have continuity and you have change and there has been a lot of change.”

One thing that has changed is the Budget timing. Mr Turnbull confirmed Canberra rumours today by announcing the Budget would be handed down on May 3, a week earlier than planned.

The announcement appeared to catch even Treasurer Scott Morrison off guard, who in interviews indicated the Budget timing hadn’t changed.

“Why didn’t your Treasurer Scott Morrison know before this morning that the Budget was moving forward to May 3rd?”

Leigh Sales wanted to know if anyone actually cared about the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

The Prime Minister tried to explain that the Budget was to be held on the 10th — until he changed his mind.

“That didn’t just happen at 10 o’clock this morning. Was your Treasurer not in the loop?” Sales asked.

Mr Turnbull: “I know again some people think politicians should engage in a sort of thinking aloud process. The Budget was on the 10th of May until I stood up and announced it was going to be on the 3rd of May.”

In an attempt to pin him on when exactly Mr Morrison learned the date had been changed, she asked if the Treasurer was part of the decision-making.

“The Treasurer was aware that we were considering a whole range of options, but until I made the decision to change the date of the Budget, the Budget was on the 10th of May.”

He denied there was a rift between the pair.

“Of course (the relationship) is, it’s excellent. I’ve known him for many years, decades.”

The blunt talk extended to a discussion on the so-called trigger bills that will allow for a double dissolution.

@leighsales ripping shreds out of the "honourable" @TurnbullMalcolm #abc730 #abc #730

— Leopold (@leopoldmarian) March 21, 2016

It is gilding the lily to describe that interview as flirtatious. @leighsales kept the PM pretty honest #GreatTimetobeanAustralian

— Wayne Morrison (@morrotweets) March 21, 2016

“How many Australians do you think have heard of the [Australian Building and Construction Commission] ABCC, let alone care?”

Mr Turnbull answered that he believed Australians did care about the “lawlessness and corruption and waste in the construction industry”.

He then tried to teach the veteran journalist a lesson.

“Do you know, Leigh, nearly 70 per cent of all of the industrial disputes in Australia are in the construction sector and that tells you that [Royal Commissioner John Dyson] Heydon was right and I believe we are right.”

When Sales put it to him a report by the Productivity Commission found the introduction of the ABCC didn’t improve its productivity, Mr Turnbull was having none of it, insisting she was wrong.

“I have the report right here,” the host offered helpfully, to which Turnbull, with a grin, or perhaps grimace, said, “I bet you do.”

The interview ended with a promise by Mr Turnbull to appear more often on the show during the election campaign.

“It could be a long election campaign. Maybe we should have more,” he said laughing.

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Originally published as ‘Your enthusiasm for putting words in my mouth is commendable’