PM Transcripts

Subjects: federal election 2001.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister John Howard, good morning and welcome again.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it';s great to be back. Look that question you had a moment about who won this years Melbourne Cup, can you do that for this election? I mean I';d like to know who won this election. It would save me a whole lot of nervous tension over the next four or five days.
JOURNALIST:
Is it as close as they say because the headlines in the Sunday papers here that Labor had edged in front.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the polls are, there';s a whole variety of polls, some of them…they';re very even handed the polls. Some are for us and some are for them so there';s a little bit for everybody but I think it will be quite close. The preference deal that the Labor Party';s sown up with the Greens and the Democrats will help them. So the Coalition will need to get a very high primary vote in order to win because we are not going to do very well out of Green and Democrat preferences. I mean mind you, people who vote Green and Democrat don';t have to follow the how to vote advice of their party, they can give their preferences to us and I invite all of them listening to the programme to do so without exception.
JOURNALIST:
The last election we had here was just an absolute Labor landslide.
PRIME MINISTER:
The state one, yes. I don';t think it';ll…. I don';t see that being repeated here in Queensland on Saturday.
JOURNALIST:
We do have the shock weapon of course, who visited our studio just recently, in your very own Treasurer.
PRIME MINISTER:
I saw the performance.
JOURNALIST:
Do you want to hear it because we can play it for you. Put your headphones on there and have a listen to this, this is your Treasurer.
“I work all night, I work all day, I';m Treasurer most every day. That ain';t bad. My name is Pete, you must like me, you must like the GST. It';s not a fad.”
JOURNALIST:
Now you know what I found with him?
PRIME MINISTER:
I thought that was pretty good. I still think he should hand onto the job I';ve given him.
JOURNALIST:
Is that what you said to him?
PRIME MINISTER:
Actually I thought it pretty gusty.
JOURNALIST:
Me too.
PRIME MINISTER:
Full marks. But I tell you what they';re the sort of things that Treasurers, deputy leaders do.
JOURNALIST:
Well too many people take themselves too seriously, as he left the studio he did mumble to himself I know I';m going to regret that.
PRIME MINISTER:
No he shouldn';t, can I tell you he shouldn';t, I don';t think any loses any…. I mean you have a go. It';s really a question with those sorts of things you never do anything you feel uncomfortable about.
JOURNALIST:
Good.
PRIME MINISTER:
So I';m not singing.
JOURNALIST:
Just setting you up because we have something for you to do. We do have a challenge for you.
PRIME MINISTER:
If you';re asked to do something you feel comfortable with, that';s alright.
JOURNALIST:
Let me ask you this, do you feel comfortable with corridor cricket?
PRIME MINISTER:
You know if I';m bowling and you';re batting.
JOURNALIST:
Are you a bowler?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well look I sort of…. I';ll roll my arm over.
JOURNALIST:
Okay you don';t want to bat?
PRIME MINISTER:
No you bat.
JOURNALIST:
What if I take your glasses, would you bat still?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well if you bat you might shatter mine.
JOURNALIST:
Okay well, we';re going to take you outside for some crew corridor cricket.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah, there';ll be no questions? That';s good.
JOURNALIST:
I';ll ask you a question.
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no don';t bother.
JOURNALIST:
If you were on a deserted island with one of these women who would you set up camp with? One; Pauline Hanson, two: Cheryl Kernot, three; Ita Buttrose, or four; Bob Brown?
PRIME MINISTER:
I';d take my mobile with me and I';d ring Janette.
JOURNALIST:
Safe answer. There will be more questions outside, we';re playing corridor cricket with the PM in just a few minutes. It';s the B105 morning crew, he's done it at Manuka oval but he';ll be doing it in the corridors of power, B105 power, in a couple of minutes.
[commercial break]
JOURNALIST:
In the corridors of B105 we';re about to … what';s happening down the pitch, we';re having a cricket game, the Prime Minister John Howard is going to bowl to Jamie, he elected to bowl rather than bat so Jamie faces the first delivery.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Prime Minister can you see the stumps?
PRIME MINISTER:
I won the toss and sent him in.
JOURNALIST:
Okay.
PRIME MINISTER:
Bit worried about those bails, they seem stuck on.
JOURNALIST:
I superglued them on. Bowls….fielded by the PM off his own bowling, beautifully done sir. Before you bowl the next one we have a quick question to you Mr PM from Robyn Bailey who';s done the pitch report already.
JOURNALIST:
Okay now politics, which of these movies best describes Kim Beazley';s political career? Is it A; Raging Bull, B; Elephant Man, C; Jaws, or D; Shrek?
JOURNALIST:
Raging Shrek.
PRIME MINISTER:
Probably Shrek.
JOURNALIST:
Okay Shrek it is, the PM is giving some work to the ball… it';s hit the back of a journalist, the back of a journalist';s head, a journalist is down.
JOURNALIST:
Okay Mr Prime Minister, a personal question. Peter Costello recently sang ABBA';s money, money, money for us. If you had a choice of song which would it be? A; Power and the Passion, B; You';re Not the Boss of Me, C; Semi-Charmed Life, or D; We will Rock You?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, We Will Rock You.
JOURNALIST:
Bit of a groover there PM.
Okay that was a bit overpitched, how do you think your style';s going so far sir?
And a cameraman from Channel Nine is now chasing the ball.
Okay there we go, the ball has been returned to the Prime Minister. Do you have one left in you? Mr Howard do you have one left in you?
PRIME MINISTER:
I do indeed.
JOURNALIST:
Another question. And the final question Mr Howard, what';s the thing you';d most hate to see on election day? A; you losing government, B; Beazley losing his pants; or C; Australia losing the first cricket test?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think it';s very unlikely that we could lose the first cricket test on the third day. So I';ll take that one out. Look I mean obviously losing the election would be…
JOURNALIST:
No, go the pants. It';ll be Beazley';s pants for sure Mr Prime Minister.
JOURNALIST:
Who';s going to win the election?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it';s very tight, I really do, I think that preference deal has made it very hard for us. But you know we';ll finish strongly and I think they';ll fray at the edges over the illegal boat people and that';s going to hurt them because I don';t think people really think they';re going to hold together on that if they win.
JOURNALIST:
Okay Mr Howard, we don';t want to get you too out of breath before the election but this is your last delivery at Jamie Dunn. He';s up to the crease, there it is….beautiful ball, out the back of the hand….
Prime Minister John Howard we thank you very much for your time this morning. Thank you Mr Howard.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
JOURNALI
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
With the B105 morning crew, Prime Minister John Howard good luck for Saturday.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]