Q&A: Greens achievements rewritten from history, Di Natale says

Reforms made by the Gillard-Rudd governments have been written from history, says Richard Di Natale | WATCH

Greens Leader Senator Richard Di Natale has raised the prospect of the Greens negotiating with Labor in the event of a hung parliament.

The leader of the Australian Greens says “history has been rewritten” for the accomplishments of the Labor-Greens alliance under the prime ministerships of Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.

Richard Di Natale, who became Greens leader in May last year, says the problems of the Labor government under Rudd and Gillard were solely due to the division within the Labor Party, and had nothing to do with the involvement of the Greens.

“Let me challenge this assertion that the previous period of the Gillard government with the support of the Greens and Independents was not a productive period of government,” he told the ABC’s Q&A program.

“I think history has been rewritten a little bit here. The problem with that period of government was the division within the Labor Party. You had the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd division, and people were very angry about that.

.@RichardDiNatale thinks this govt has been a disaster on the issues that matter to Greens. #QandA https://t.co/BdGVeSovaZ

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) May 30, 2016

“I think the climate legislation … we had Medicare-funded dental care. You have kids now who can go to the dentist and have $1,000 worth of Medicare funded dental care provided. That was a condition of the Greens inside playing a constructive role, with Independents, with the Labor Party.”

In an episode of Q&A with plenty of variety, Di Natale, Minister for Trade and Investment Steve Ciobo, Labor Member for Griffith Terri Butler, Independent South Australian senator Nick Xenophon and Independent Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie answered questions on topics ranging from Sunday penalty rates and corporate tax cuts, to the role of independents and crossbenchers in parliament.

Independents in parliament

senator Xenophon, who, according to analysis of Newspoll figures, is polling 22 per cent of the primary vote in South Australia, defended the need for independent members in parliament as necessary to “save the government from itself.”

“The Senate is there to put a check on the executive arm of government,” he said. “Those that founded our constitution 120-odd years ago during those constitutional conventions agreed that we needed to have a check and balance. We need have a States’ House. It’s about working constructively with the government of the day, but it’s also about holding them to account.”

Mr Ciobo pointed to Australia’s positive economic performance over the last two decades to show the need for “sensible mainstream policies.”

Which party would you choose & who would make the better PM? @Nick_Xenophon & @JacquiLambie respond #QandA https://t.co/ezENB7oiUq

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) May 30, 2016

“We’ve got 5.7% unemployment, we’re a country that is frankly global terms one of the highest standards of living in the world, a per capita GDP ratio that’s the envy around the world,” he said. “I’m not saying that everybody has it great. But when I hear Jacqui Lambie and yourself Nick saying about this great mess and how bad it is, for goodness’ sake!

“This country is standing on its own two feet and doing pretty well. That’s not to say things can’t be better but as a country we’re doing pretty well and because of the sensible mainstream policies.”

A hung parliament

The panel was also asked to speculate as to the potential outcomes of a hung parliament after the July 2 election. In a hung parliament, no major party has enough MPs to pass laws without support from other parties or independents.

Senator Di Natale wasted no time responding who the Greens would look to forge a partnership with: “Inequality, Medicare, schools, political donations, and reform around those areas,” he said. “Now, on all of those measures, this government has been a disaster. So while this is a decision for the party to make, my view is that it’s inconceivable that we could support this government and that ultimately, if the choice came down to who we’d support, we’d like to enter a productive, responsible negotiations with the Labor Party.”

.@JacquiLambie says she can't be scripted. @StevenCiobo asks whether you would prefer Trump #QandA https://t.co/g6Vl8jPIyB

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) May 30, 2016

The Greens’ leader also categorically ruled out preferencing the Liberal party in any seat, despite Victorian Liberal president Michael Kroger indicating his party would be open to some limited preference arrangements.

“We won’t be preferencing the Liberal Party in any seat in the country. We’ve made that very clear,” Senator Di Natale said.

Ms Butler, the Shadow Parliamentary secretary to opposition leader Bill Shorten, said Labor intended to win the election outright and wouldn’t answer whether Labor would reciprocate the Greens’ offer.

“We intend to win a majority in the lower house,” she said.

Senator Xenophon said: “I think it’s a million to one shot, in terms of that but if it does happen, then it’s a question of negotiating with both sides, being open about it, consulting with your community, and basically trying to see who will do the best job.”

Penalty rates

With the Fair Work Commission’s impending decision on penalty rates in hospitality and retail sectors, one questioner, a chef, asked: “Why are Sundays more important to people who work in other industries but not so important for people like me in hospitality?”

Mr Ciobo, the minister for trade and investment, said the “economic facts” support lower penalty rates. “It’s not about trying to begrudge people from getting extra pay from penalty rates. It’s just a reflection of the economic facts, which is that if a business isn’t making money, it’s not going to open.

.@Nick_Xenophon says small business is doing tough @JacquiLambie disagrees with any penalty rate cuts #QandA https://t.co/67yKJXcbAo

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) May 30, 2016

“And so if you say what’s in it for you as a hospitality worker? Well in many instances and what we know in aggregate terms across the economy is that the higher the penalty rates are, the fewer employment opportunities that are created.”

Labor’s Ms Butler wouldn’t answer whether her party would continue to fight for penalty rates if the Fair Work Commission rules against them, instead affirming: “We’re going to win.”

“I will accept the independence tribunal. We’re fighting for penalty rates,” she said. “I have a bit more confidence in Fair Work Commission… I know that penalty rates have been a feature in this country for a very long time because the commission recognises the unsociable hours and the sacrifices that your kids that your family members.”

Corporate tax cut

Another topic of debate was the government’s proposed corporate tax cut to reduce the amount businesses pay to 25 per cent over the next 10 years.

Senator Xenophon warned a corporate tax cut may not address problems facing the electorate at present.

“I have real concerns that the $50 billion tax cut, corporate tax cut, is the best way to stimulate the economy,” he said. “We are facing the loss of 200,000 jobs in manufacturing in this country by the end of next year. That to me is a jobs crisis that we need to address now, rather than when people turn up on dole queues.”

Ms Butler slammed the move, but flagged a possible similar move by Labor for small business.

“The corporate tax cuts we’re talking about are 48.2 billion over 10 years. They are costing $8 billion a year to all of us in this room, taxpayers,” she said. “Now, yes, Bill (Shorten) did talk about an aspiration for small business for a lower tax rate. Absolutely, but what the Liberals are bringing in is a corporate tax cut for everyone and you know who it will benefit, because of dividend imputation, it will benefit foreign shareholders.”

Senator Di Natale flatly ruled out supporting a cut to company tax.

“Our view is business doesn’t need this tax cut, but people who need to access a doctor, kids who want a decent school, our artistic community and so on, that’s where we should be making the investment,” he said.