PRICE:
G'day boss. How are you mate?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm very well thank you.
PRICE:
Mr Prime Minister, it's a great honour for you to call me mate. It's not reverse charge is it?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, if you really push me, yes.
PRICE:
Mate, the amount of time you've spent with our troops and I know they're pretty fond of you, it's a wonder you haven't been made an honorary Private.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well maybe, but I made a decision not only when they went but also when they came home, that I would take every opportunity I could to personally thank them because they're the men and women who took the risk and they're the men and women who put their bodies on the line in the name of this country, and I'm the person in the end who decided they should go. So the least I can do is to be there to welcome them home and to say how delighted I am that they're all back safe and sound. I mean, it's a miracle that you can go through an operation like this and escape any casualties, and it's an enormous tribute to their training. I think it also means that sending them early was the right decision.
PRICE:
Yep, yep. Mate, when you talk to the families, like I notice when you wander around, we see it on the telly, you talk to the families too. What do the Mums ask you? Or what do you say to the Mums, because it's pretty important to them too. It's a real family thing as well. I know they're proud of their boys, but as you said, you're the bloke who sent them over. What do the Mums say?
PRIME MINISTER:
I have to say with virtually no more than one or two exceptions, the reaction of families has been well, we're anxious and we want them back but it's what they were trained to do and we understand why they have been sent. People have been very supportive and very understanding. Now of course it's over, their emotion is one of great relief and enormous pride. But I did not find, I must say I did not find very many people who were critical of the decision. I mean a lot of people don't comment on it. They take the view - well, the Governments are elected to take these decisions and we'll go along with the decision. Others were quite supportive of it. In one or two cases people said I'm not too sure. But that was very, very much a minority. There were very, very few people who said that to me and by and large I've found the families are very grateful for the fact that we have tried, in cooperation with the Army and the Air Force and the Navy, we have tried to offer support and comfort to the families while their loved ones have been away, and they're naturally happy that they're being properly welcomed home.
PRICE:
You bet you will. After all, we are a garrison city. I know we use the term a lot. And on that subject, I believe Mark Evans - you've got a rather special souvenir you might say - the boys gave you a spear from Howard's warriors.
PRIME MINISTER:
That's right, and that spear has pride of place in the corner of my office in Canberra.
PRICE:
That's not for any of the opposition [inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
You know, in a desperate corner it might be.
PRICE:
I'm surprised it didn't say Howard's heroes.
PRIME MINISTER:
It does. Every so often, somebody will ask me about it and it's very prominently displayed in my office in Canberra. It's a permanent reminder to me of what they did four years ago in East Timor and what a tremendous group of men and women they are.
PRICE:
They are, and of course they're from our city.
PRIME MINISTER:
They are from the great city of Townsville.
PRICE:
I'm glad you said that. Mate, again when you come to our city today, we welcome you of course. We are very honoured to have the Prime Minister here to welcome home 5th Aviation and our mates from the RAAF.
PRIME MINISTER:
And we'll look forward to seeing you.
PRICE:
Good on you mate. Thank you very much Mr Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]