DAVID KOCH:
Prime Minister Tony Abbott joins us now from the Cape York Peninsula. Prime Minister, good morning to you. Horrific news overnight of what has happened in the United States. When you see this happen yet again, do you think that our gun laws are tight enough here in Australia? Are you happy with our laws?
PRIME MINISTER:
Kochie, we have very strict gun laws in this country – much stricter gun laws than they have in the United States. That’s why gun crime here is not nearly as extensive, nearly as dramatic, as it is in America.
DAVID KOCH:
So you are happy. When you go to America, do you ever broach the subject with American politicians and what do they say? Do you say, “look, we just shake our heads that you guys can’t do anything about this or are not willing to?”
PRIME MINISTER:
Kochie, when I’m in the United States, I’m normally talking about economic growth and national security and international security. To be honest, I don’t normally get into the domestic politician of the United States. I have over the years certainly discussed this kind of thing with American friends and it seems that there is just a different way of thinking about guns there. Thank God we don’t have it in this country.
DAVID KOCH:
It is just crazy, we shake our heads as Australians, don’t we? Let’s talk about your week in remote Aboriginal communities. What do you hope to achieve up there?
PRIME MINISTER:
What I hope to achieve is, first and foremost, focussing Australians on the potential of our great North, focussing Australians on the issues in remote communities, particularly remote Indigenous communities. A lot of good things are happening, I’ve got to say. The school here at Injinoo, the attendance rates have gone up from 40 per cent to 70 per cent in the last 12 months in large measure thanks to the school attendance officers which the Government has put in place. Obviously, 70 per cent still leaves a fair bit of room for improvement but it is a big step in the right direction. I think over the last few years, a lot of good things have happened in Indigenous Australia. I want to celebrate the progress that we have made as well as look for the progress which is yet to be made.
DAVID KOCH:
What do you – forget the political speak and the political side of things – for Tony Abbott the bloke, what does it do for you to be in these communities? I know you take a far more personal interest in this issue than a lot of people realise. It almost seems to be good for your soul to be up there.
PRIME MINISTER:
I think it is good for people to be in parts of Australia which face unique challenges and particularly right now, are rising magnificently to meet some of those challenges. For instance, you go to the Torres Strait or to northern Cape York, where I am right now, and there is a strong social fabric here. Yes, we need more jobs. Yes, we need more economic development – but there is a strong social fabric, a strong he sense of family and people want to make the most of themselves. Yesterday, in Cape York schools, I saw tremendous energy, discipline, organisation – the sort of organisation and discipline that I doubt we have seen in schools for a generation. These kids are going to do things with their lives and that’s really impressive.
DAVID KOCH:
It’s terrific. All of Australia has got to learn more about that. Hey, in a classic case of while the cat is away the mice will play, Joe Hockey is leading a parliamentary group as part of a push for Australia to become a republic. Did you know he was going to do that or has he just waited you for you to be out of contact?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think probably it was sprung on him a bit by one of your fellow media people.
DAVID KOCH:
One of his mates.
PRIME MINISTER:
And look, a former rugby mate of mine as well. Joe is perfectly entitled to be involved in a friendship group. There are many friendship groups in our parliament. I don't think anything is going to change on this issue any time soon because we are a great country with a good system of government and we have made extraordinary progress as a nation over the last couple of hundred years.
DAVID KOCH:
I bet Joe and Fitzy are going to be pleased it’s called a friendship group! While we have got you, former prime minister Julia Gillard, has done a u-turn and is now in support of same-sex marriage, coming in a speech last night that she gave in Melbourne. What is your reaction to her point that a proposal for a referendum or plebiscite suggests politicians can’t make a decision?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, Julia Gillard will have an opportunity to cast her vote on this matter, just as every other Australian will. Every voter, about 18 million of us, will have the chance to have our say on this in the next term of Parliament should the Coalition get elected. I think this should be a people’s decision – not a politicians’ decision.
DAVID KOCH:
OK. Prime Minister thanks for joining us. Keep telling us about the success stories in those remote communities because we should all know about them and we don’t hear enough about them. Enjoy the rest of your week.
PRIME MINISTER:
And Kochie, in a few moments, I’ll be joining the working bee on the hall behind me. This is another example of local people working together…
DAVID KOCH:
Are you a bit of a handyman? What are you going to be doing?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don’t say I am a craftsman or even a tradesman but I can hammer in a few nails. I can pick up a shovel and do a bit of landscaping and I think I’ll have a paint brush in my hand as well.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
They always need somebody to push the wheelbarrow, Mr Abbott.
DAVID KOCH:
You are good at pushing wheelbarrows.
PRIME MINISTER:
Absolutely, pushing barrows is a big thing for all politicians.
DAVID KOCH:
Enjoy your week.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE:
It is good to see what is going on up there.
[ends]