Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is again to the Prime Minister. I refer to his answer to the previous question, where he said he had been misreported by the Australian Financial Review that he was backing the private equity bid to take over Qantas.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my right! The Leader of the Opposition will be heard. The Leader of the Opposition will begin his question again.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer to the Prime Minister’s answer to the previous question, where he said words to the effect that he had been misreported, by the Australian Financial Review, that he was backing the private equity bid to take over Qantas. Prime Minister, if you want to correct that record, please do so. Prime Minister, I refer to your direct quote in today’s Financial Review where it is reported that you said:

… it was not for his government to dictate how Qantas shareholders chose to sell their private property.

Prime Minister, could you explain the compatibility of that remark with the statement that you made before?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Very easily. I will quote something else that I said to the Financial Review interviewer. I said:

If the government sought to reflect too much populism on this issue, there would be an understandable backlash in the business community against it.

I understand the view that [Qantas] is an icon, but the personal views of the prime minister or the treasurer or senior ministers shouldn’t be allowed in a free enterprise economy to influence who owns companies …

I regard that as an absolutely unexceptionable statement of an operating principle in the sort of economy that we have, and I am fascinated that the Leader of the Opposition apparently has a different view. I go on to say:

... shouldn’t be allowed in a free enterprise economy to influence who owns companies, provided the law is observed and the rules are obeyed.

I am absolutely certain that the Treasurer will ensure that the rules are observed and the law will be obeyed; he will exercise his prerogatives, he will see that the Qantas Sale Act and the foreign takeovers legislation are observed and, as always, he will place the national interest ahead of anything else.