TONY EASTLEY: Well, Lindsay Tanner is the Finance Minister, and a key government strategist, he's speaking here with Alexandra Kirk.
LINDSAY TANNER: Well I note that we've had a marginal improvement in the opinion polls that have been published today relative to the previous ones, but I don't think we can place much emphasis on that, we've got a lot of challenges in front of us, and we're just endeavouring to do the right thing by the nation, in trying to make sure that we build a prosperous economy, and develop long-term sustainable growth for Australia. Now we all know that things sometimes go awry, and one or two things have gone awry, and we're getting a bit of a belting for that.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: The gloss has definitely gone off Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister's at the centre of Labor's poor polling, and six weeks after the first shock poll, where Labor's primary vote went down to 35 per cent, nothing's changed since then, so despite trying a few different things, voters haven't changed their minds. As one of the so-called kitchen cabinet where much of the government strategy is devised, what are you going to tell jittery MPs when you front them tomorrow?
LINDSAY TANNER: Well, I doubt whether I'll be saying anything in caucus, but nonetheless.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Or the Prime Minister, or Julia Gillard?
LINDSAY TANNER: Nonetheless, my message would be that all governments have difficult periods, all governments face challenges, and the thing that accentuates our current opinion poll standing of course is that the Prime Minister was at record levels for so long, that makes it look worse than it is.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: If it's a matter of the Prime Minister's character, which is how the pollsters are reading it, how can you turn that around, if the Prime Minister's continuing on the same trajectory?
LINDSAY TANNER: Well, it's up to commentators to form their own views about what they think is going on. My answer, as always, is good policy, governing well, pursuing the long term interests of Australia, and that will ultimately prevail in the political world too.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Except that Kevin Rudd ran the 2011 - 2007 election campaign in a very presidential way, and has run the government in that way, so the government's fortunes are now tied, inextricably, aren't they, to Kevin Rudd?
LINDSAY TANNER: I can only repeat my previous answer, that governing well, in the long term interests of the nation, is ultimately what succeeds in politics, I believe that's what we're seeking to do, that's what we're going to continue to do, and that's what Kevin Rudd has been doing in the two-and-a-half years that he's been Prime Minister.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Some MPs are so panicked that they're talking about shifting to Julia Gillard as leader, are you telling them that that's not an option, whether she wants it or not?
LINDSAY TANNER: Look, these stories you're hearing around the place are complete nonsense, frankly I don't think there is any prospect of any of the things you're suggesting, occurring.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: No, they're talking about it though.
LINDSAY TANNER: The stories you're hearing are complete nonsense.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Do you need to get a deal on the mining tax, and quickly, to get that big monkey off the government's back?
LINDSAY TANNER: We will always be focused on getting the right outcome, and that is not something around which you can set artificial timetables, obviously it's desirable that outcome occurs soon, we don't necessarily want to sit down in negotiations just for the sake of it, we want to achieve an outcome, but what is always...
ALEXANDRA KIRK: And can you do that? Are you in a position to do that?
LINDSAY TANNER: ...what is always going to be paramount, is achieving the right outcome.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Are you close to getting that?
LINDSAY TANNER: I'm not in a position to comment about how the negotiations are going.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: The rot set in for the government when Kevin Rudd abandoned his Emissions Trading Scheme, he's now making overtures to the Greens Leader, Bob Brown, is the idea to do a deal on the ETS to regain some credibility with voters?
LINDSAY TANNER: Well, I've got no idea of what the basis for your suggestion is that Kevin Rudd's making overtures to anybody, all I can say is that we...
ALEXANDRA KIRK: Well, Bob Brown says that Mr Rudd has asked for a meeting...
LINDSAY TANNER: Well that doesn't mean it's true. Well, asking somebody for a meeting is hardly something you'd describe as making overtures, I would just suggest to you that we have got an established policy position, because of the confusion and uncertainty internationally, we have chosen to defer pursuing that for what is a fairly short period of time, a minimum of 18 months, in order to allow the international situation to be clarified, but we remain committed to that position, we've got a number of complementary initiatives, such as the renewable energy target, and billions of dollars being invested in the renewable sector.
ALEXANDRA KIRK: So no deal on the ETS is on the cards?
LINDSAY TANNER: Well, I'm not in a position to comment on anything of that kind, I'm not suggesting that any proposals are being put by anybody, I'm just saying that we've got an established policy position, and we intend to prosecute it.
TONY EASTLEY: The Finance Minister, Lindsay Tanner, speaking in Canberra there, with Alexandra Kirk.
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