DAVE HUGHES: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, welcome to Hughesy and Kate with Meshel Laurie. How are you this afternoon?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, great to be with you Meshel and Hughesy. Good to be on the show.
MESHEL LAURIE: On this very, very big day, you have been licking stamps all night I’m assuming sir?
PRIME MINISTER: Yep.
MESHEL LAURIE: To get this postal –it’s not a plebiscite, what is it again?
PRIME MINISTER: It is a postal survey.
MESHEL LAURIE: Yes, yes, yes.
PRIME MINISTER: Every Australian is going to get their say on whether same-sex marriage should be legalised.
DAVE HUGHES: So the letters will be in people’s mailboxes from tomorrow, is that right?
PRIME MINISTER: They’re being posted out today and they’ll be arriving over the next couple of weeks. They send out about 600,000 or thereabouts, a day.
DAVE HUGHES: People don’t get mail every day, do they Malcolm? Now it’s three times a week, is that right now?
PRIME MINISTER: It depends what class of mail it is, but everyone will get it Hughesy, don’t worry about that they’ll all get it.
DAVE HUGHES: I hope it’s the highest class of mail, I hope it’s not the cheap mail.
MESHEL LAURIE: Yeah, me too. It’s a very wise man who doesn’t make promises about Australia post and I respect that sir.
[Laughter]
DAVE HUGHES: So did you see the survey that I think was just published today that 70 per cent say ‘yes’. Is it, are you hopeful seeing that survey Malcolm?
PRIME MINISTER: Well Lucy and I are voting ‘yes’ and I encourage others to vote yes and I’d be delighted to see a ‘yes’ vote and I’d be especially pleased to see a very high participation. So I encourage everyone to complete the survey and you know have their say. This is all about giving every Australian a say on an important issue.
MESHEL LAURIE: Cos’ it does feel like the result needs to be emphatic, doesn’t it? It feels like if not enough people participate and if the percentage isn’t high enough, then the opponents to same-sex marriage can say: “Nah, not good enough guys.”
DAVE HUGHES: But we won’t let them.
MESHEL LAURIE: Does it feel like that to you?
PRIME MINISTER: Well look I can tell you Meshel, our position’s very clear, if there is a majority of the papers - the survey forms that are returned.
DAVE HUGHES: Say yes, yep.
PRIME MINISTER: Say yes, then we will facilitate a Private Members Bill in Parliament which will legalise same-sex marriage.
DAVE HUGHES: Excellent, so we’re talking about 50.000001 per cent, aren’t we?
PRIME MINISTER: That’s democracy, that’s democracy.
DAVE HUGHES: Yes that’s democracy.
MESHEL LAURIE: It’s democracy dude.
PRIME MINISTER: But I don’t think it’ll be that narrow. But a majority is a majority, whether a big majority or a little one.
DAVE HUGHES: Now and the Sydney Swans, lets get onto sport for a second.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, that was quite a majority.
DAVE HUGHES: A massive win and Malcolm just a couple of things on that – you never call them the Sydney Roosters anymore do you? You don’t.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: No. I was talking about my League team which is the Roosters.
DAVE HUGHES: That was a one off. Yes.
PRIME MINISTER: Which used to be - is now called the Sydney Roosters. Used to be called the Mighty Easts, the Eastern Suburbs rugby league team.
DAVE HUGHES: That was a one off, but things live forever as will this photo from the weekend. You were there when they smashed the Essendon Bombers, with your granddaughter Alice and you were kissing her head, you were holding a beer -
MESHEL LAURIE: Aww.
DAVE HUGHES: Who took that photo?
PRIME MINISTER: It was either taken by Daisy or one of my staff who is a good friend of ours and Daisy’s, but we were there with Daisy, her husband James, our grandson Jack who’s nearly four and of course little Alice. Jack who scooted down to the Sydney Cricket Ground and was, during breaks, in play, was scootering around wherever he could find some level space. But Jack wore a Sydney Swans t-shirt and his mother only managed to get it off him today, as far I could see. So he was very thrilled.
MESHEL LAURIE: It was just a beautiful, just a classic Australian family sort of going out with their staff. Isn’t it? Just a classic suburban day out.
DAVE HUGHES: Well when you’re Prime Minister I think you’re allowed to do that.
MICHELLE: No I get it! Yeah that’s good.
DAVE HUGHES: Now Malcolm when did all hell break loose? When did you find out that some people - I imagine only three or four people - were annoyed about the photo?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I heard of it, to be honest I heard about it on Sunday evening but I was completely, so I was surprised.
[Laughter]
DAVE HUGHES: Yes obviously.
PRIME MINISTER: It seemed to me to be pretty bizarre that anyone would have any objection to taking - cuddling your granddaughter at the footy.
MESHEL LAURIE: Yes, gosh.
PRIME MINISTER: But anyway look, to be honest, I think only a handful of people objected.
DAVE HUGHES: They did.
PRIME MINISTER: And I think to thank all of the people including you Hughesy who showed your support because events like that should be a family affair and it is great to be there with you know big kids, little kids, babies and four year olds and children – you know, it’s good.
DAVE HUGHES: Exactly. How many beers did you have, Malcolm can we - just the one or how many did you have?
PRIME MINISTER: [Laughter] Not many, I may have had two but I - certainly no more than that.
DAVE HUGHES: Do you know how much they cost? Have you any idea of the cost or?
PRIME MINISTER: No I can’t give you that information. It’s not that its secret but I just don’t know.
MESHEL LAURIE: No it’s a staff issue, we get it.
PRIME MINISTER: Probably Daisy got it for me, I don’t know.
DAVE HUGHES: Now just, we can’t let you go without just mentioning the fact that our fellow co-workers here at RAN, Meshel - Kyle and Jackie O were lamenting today that you won’t go on their show. Is that – have you-
MESHEL LAURIE: Can I read the headline please Hughsey? ‘Shock Jock Kyle’s dummy spit over Turnbull’s snub to his radio show’. Now Kylie is a beautiful but emotional man Prime Minister. I mean did you mean to break his heart like this?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’m sure I haven’t and if I had I’m sure he will get over it, but –
[Laughter]
DAVE HUGHES: You’re not going on?
PRIME MINISTER: Look I’ve got, let me – I’ll have a think about it.
[Laughter]
I’ll have a think about that.
MESHEL LAURIE: Gee whiz.
DAVE HUGHES: That’s not a definite no Meshel.
[Laughter]
MESHEL LAURIE: No, nah.
DAVE HUGHES: Now Kyle once threatened to punch me in the throat Malcolm, so and –
MESHEL LAURIE: Oh c’mon.
PRIME MINISTER: Oh well, that’s really encouraging me.
DAVE HUGHES: Yeah but we’re now friends I’m saying!
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: So you’d say on that basis Hughsey definitely do a phoner.
[Laughter]
DAVE HUGHES: Start with a phoner and warm up alright, anyway. Alright check your mailboxes-
MESHEL LAURIE: He is a friend of mine Prime Minister, he’ll be fine.
DAVE HUGHES: Yeah it’ll be fine.
MESHEL LAURIE: And if he’s not Jackie’ll – she has this cute trick where she snaps him over the nose with a rolled up newspaper, and it’s really effective.
DAVE HUGHES: Yeah it’ll be fine.
PRIME MINISTER: Yes well alright, well you’re not selling this properly.
DAVE HUGHES: No but well what if it helps-
PRIME MINISTER: -media opportunity, in fact I think what you’re doing is making sure that I don’t go on
[Laughter]
MESHEL LAURIE: He has more listeners than anybody else in the country, you should definitely go on his show.
DAVE HUGHES: No I tell you what, and Kyle says ‘Say Yes’, he says yes to marriage equality so does Jackie alright so, yes think about it Malcolm.
MESHEL LAURIE: Yes.
PRIME MINISTER: Well that means, and you guys are saying yes too so that’s good. So we’re encouraging Australians to say yes on the postal survey and yes to same-sex marriage being legal.
DAVE HUGHES: Exciting times, exciting times. Good on you mate, thanks for coming on.
PRIME MINISTER: Alright, thanks a lot.