DAVID CAMPBELL:
Last week Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull celebrated two years in the top job and since taking office as the PM he has certainly made his mark.
SONIA KRUGER:
That’s right. So here to talk us through the ins and outs of running the country is the man himself, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Good morning to you.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Prime Minister, good to see you.
PRIME MINISTER:
Great to see you two.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
We are very honoured to have you on our humble little show.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I am delighted to be here.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
It should have been hot chip Friday, today, we should’ve had hot chips.
SONIA KRUGER:
I know, normally we would have a platter of hot chips here to celebrate but short notice.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
We feel rude.
PRIME MINISTER:
You are trying to encourage me to look after my slim boyish figure?
SONIA KRUGER:
You are looking very trim!
PRIME MINISTER:
Long gone. But when I was a boy, or a very young man, I used to work over here at Channel 9.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
We heard that.
SONIA KRUGER:
Did you? I didn’t know that.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah, in the mid-70s. I was the state political roundsman for Channel 9.
SONIA KRUGER:
There you go.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
We should have some footage of that next time you come in.
PRIME MINISTER:
When I walk in here I have visions of Sam Chisholm marching up and down the corridors, giving directions and all sorts of characters. Peter Meakin. Ian Cook – remember Cooky?
SONIA KRUGER:
Yes of course, of course! Would you ever see yourself returning to a career in the media post prime ministerial?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I don't think so. Ian Cook always used to say to me that I didn't get the sign off right for Channel 9.
SONIA KRUGER:
Oh - the dismount.
PRIME MINISTER:
That is right, because I was meant to say: "Malcolm Turnbull - National Nine News".
SONIA KRUGER:
That sounded good.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Could you try it down the camera, please? Camera Four?
PRIME MINISTER:
That’s right: “Malcolm Turnbull - National Nine News”.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
That is not bad.
PRIME MINISTER:
Now, what Cooky used to say, he said: “Where is this pause? It is not Malcolm Turnbull - pause - National Nine News. They go together”. And the more he chivvied me about this the bigger pause got.
(LAUGHTER)
SONIA KRUGER:
Right.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Now you are: “Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull”.
PRIME MINISTER:
That is right.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
You have had a bit of a celebration today because it is your grandson Jack’s 4th birthday.
PRIME MINISTER:
It is.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
He’s a great kid. How important is family for you? You are very hands on with the grandkids. I know that you and Lucy as much as you can get back there and are quite doting grandparents. How important is that to you - being Prime Minister, balancing that out?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, it is fantastic. Family is everything and it just so great being a grandfather.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
He is a good kid.
PRIME MINISTER:
He is a good kid but you know, he is a wonderful kid, but you know it makes me feel so young because the last time I had a little boy running around, you know, Jack's size and age and everything, I was in my late 20s, early 30s and that sort of period because that was when Alex our son was born.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
That is right.
PRIME MINISTER:
Now of course we have a little baby granddaughter - we have got two granddaughters actually - Isla who is 2 and a half, or nearly 2 and a half in Singapore and of course little Alice who just turned one and so it makes Lucy and me feel very young. We feel as though we are back in our 20s and 30s.
SONIA KRUGER:
They say, yeah well children do keep you young. And we must talk about this photo that you posted to Instagram. It stirred up quite a bit of controversy.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
See - I love this photo.
SONIA KRUGER:
We talked about it on our show. What did you make of all the fuss?
PRIME MINISTER:
I thought it was, you know, a fuss about not very much. You know of course it is Daisy, it is a Daisy joke about men, including her father, with multitasking.
SONIA KRUGER:
Ah, I see.
PRIME MINISTER:
She always suggests, she believes that men are not very good at multitasking compared to women, so she said: “Here is Baba, Grandad, doing some multitasking - holding the baby, watching the football and having a beer”.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
I love it.
SONIA KRUGER:
Baba?
PRIME MINISTER:
Baba, that is what Jack calls me.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Back in our day they used to ash out on our heads.
(LAUGHTER)
So I think this is an improvement! I really do.
PRIME MINISTER:
That is terrible! That is terrible!
(LAUGHTER)
SONIA KRUGER:
Times have changed.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Times have changed, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
I am very glad times have changed.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
So am I! Now tell me, it has been two years, it has gone fast for you? There has been ups, there has been downs. What do you think? Of your office and the achievement in it so far?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we have got an enormous amount down and I am very proud of that and pleased with that. There is a lot more to do.
You know I said when I became Prime Minister that the goal was to provide economic leadership and over the last two years we have seen half a million new jobs created - 80 per cent of them full time.
We have seen very big reforms and we got them through the Senate in circumstances where people said it couldn't be done.
I mean, look at what we have done with schools funding. Schools funding has been a mess – and when I say a mess it has been inconsistent forever at the federal level. Now for the first time we have national, consistent, transparent, needs-based funding right across the nation. That is a massive reform.
Childcare. We have reformed childcare.
We have provided increased support for our security agencies to keep us safe from terrorism.
It is right across the board, we are providing the opportunity and the security that Australians need to get ahead and realise their dreams.
But the strong jobs growth is vitally important and that requires confidence and it requires policy.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Consumer confidence is up today.
PRIME MINISTER:
Consumer confidence is up.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
You were saying you checked your phone before we came on air.
PRIME MINISTER:
I did, I did – it is up and that is good. And you can see, you know, that is why we have reduced taxes on businesses. Small and medium business are getting tax cuts. Why is that? If they get a better return on their investment they invest more and if they invest more they employ more people and you can see that is working.
So, whichever way you look at it we are getting huge amount done.
Media law reforms - they said that couldn't be done.
All the industrial reforms to restore the rule of law to the construction sector - they said that couldn't be done.
We keep on getting things through the Senate and governing.
SONIA KRUGER:
This morning, Prime Minister, there have been fresh calls to introduce a sugar tax.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah.
SONIA KRUGER:
Hospitals and health groups are asking for a 20 per cent soft drink tax.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Cancer Foundation, Heart Foundation. They are all saying it.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah.
SONIA KRUGER:
What plans are you putting in place to tackle the nation's obesity problem?
PRIME MINISTER:
Right, we have a lot in hand there, a lot of programs and including one which we will be rolling out shortly is a Prime Minister's walk challenge.
So we are going to have a big program starting next year to encourage Australians to sign up, either individually or in walking groups, whether it might be at work or it might be part of a school group, but to walk. So to encourage more activity.
Preventative health is a very key agenda and Greg Hunt as I am sure you know is a very healthy Health Minister and we are working together to make sure-
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Ideally, that is what you want from a Health Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
I guess so, you do.
SONIA KRUGER:
You do, although he has been struck down with the flu hasn’t he? He has been a bit unwell for the last few days.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes that is right but he is a pretty athletic guy and very energetic in every respect.
And so the goal is to get Australians moving more.
I mean the key - obesity is the next big challenge. If you think about public health, the big win we’ve had is reducing smoking.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
But don't you think you should do that with maybe soft drinks or something else to try to curb the obesity crisis which is coming?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, but let me just respond. With smoking at one level it is easy - cigarettes are very addictive.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
They are horrible.
PRIME MINISTER:
But it is also a straightforward message because you say there is no safe amount of smoking. There’s no reasonable smoking. Don't smoke, full stop, cut it out.
With obesity it is much more complex because you’re not saying to people don't have a slice of chocolate, don't have a cake, don't sit back on the couch and watch television. You are saying eat right, eat more healthy foods, eat more fresh fruits - of course they don't have the GST on them of course so that is a tax benefit - do more exercise.
So it’s a more complex story but it is critically important because you are absolutely right, obesity is the next big health challenge in terms of a preventable cause of ill health.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
So sugar tax, do you think it is a good idea or not?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I don't. I don't think it is. I think we’ve got enough taxes and there are enough imposts on us all when we go to the supermarket and we go shopping.
The other thing is too where do you draw the line? There’s a lot of sugar in a bottle of original juice so are you saying you’re going to put a tax on that?
I mean when people talk about sugar tax they’re generally talking about-
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Didn't Bloomberg just put a sugar tax just on soft drinks in New York?
PRIME MINISTER:
I was coming to that but again, I think you are better off focusing on the health message to get that across so that people are more aware of what they’re eating and the consequences of what they’re eating.
Labelling is very important.
Health messages through the media, you know what you do here is critically important.
But also exercise. You know, get up and walk. I think the key to, one of the keys to good health, certainly a key to me for me as Prime Minister, is try to exercise every day. Walking is very good because it’s social. Lucy and I have our best, longest chats together when we go for long walks, and then make sure of course you get your sleep.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Now let's change tack a little bit. I got my postal vote yesterday-
PRIME MINISTER:
Very good.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Because I’m in your constituency, so we only got it yesterday. And so I just wanted to look at this with you now, because I thought you could help me out with it because I am not very good with forms or numbers.
SONIA KRUGER:
No, I was going to make a joke about your tax but I won’t-
PRIME MINISTER:
You seem to have-
DAVID CAMPBELL:
No, don’t say anything about my tax with the Prime Minister here!
(LAUGHTER)
I have a ‘yes’ box and a ‘no’ box here. Do you think I should tick ‘yes’?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, I do. Lucy and I are going to be voting ‘yes’.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
If I tick this ‘yes’ box will you cancel Christmas?
(LAUGHTER)
PRIME MINISTER:
Will I cancel Christmas?
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Well I’m hearing that Christmas is over if-
PRIME MINISTER:
No - if a majority of Australians vote ‘yes’, same-sex marriage will be legalised before Christmas. That is…
DAVID CAMPBELL:
No but you won't cancel Christmas per se?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, Christmas will be quite safe.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
What about Father's Day?
PRIME MINISTER:
Father's Day will be safe.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Father’s Day is safe!
SONIA KRUGER:
Does he need to post this back or can he give it to you and can you take it back for him?
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Can I just give it to you?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no. You’ve got to post it back.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
But you’re going back to Canberra?
SONIA KRUGER:
You could just pop it in the internal mail.
PRIME MINISTER:
You put it in the envelope and put it in the letterbox.
No but actually, that is very important because I just want to say to everybody that it is really important that everybody votes.
Now, we’re voting ‘yes’, Lucy and I are voting ‘yes’ and I encourage others to do so but above all I encourage everyone to have their say. It is important to think about it, have your say and then post it back.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
But don’t you think, Prime Minister, sorry to interrupt, don’t you think that there is having a say, and we can have fun with it and all this sort of stuff, but did you imagine that the discourse would be this intense? Because it is pretty intense.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think the media - again politicians complaining about the media is a bit of a thing, isn't it - but I think the media does tend to amplify the less respectful parts of the debate perhaps more than they warrant.
The vast majority, the vast overwhelming majority of Australians are considering this in a respectful and thoughtful way.
I respect Australians' wisdom and their ability, our ability to consider an issue like this. It is an important social issue.
I promised at the election we would give everyone a say. Labor tried to stop that, succeeded in stopping it going through the Senate but we are doing it through this survey and I hope every Australian does have their say.
SONIA KRUGER:
Prime Minister, you mentioned Lucy, your wife.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes.
SONIA KRUGER:
And yesterday on the show we discussed a new study out of Queensland which found that females in the sunshine state wear the pants. Now is Lucy the powerhouse decision maker in your household?
(LAUGHTER)
PRIME MINISTER:
Lucy and I have been together for so long. We’ve been together for 40 years.
SONIA KRUGER:
40 years, congratulations.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
You’re hedging the answer now Prime Minister. You’re hedging the answer.
(LAUGHTER)
PRIME MINISTER:
We have been married - in March we will have been married 38 years.
SONIA KRUGER:
What date in March?
(LAUGHTER)
PRIME MINISTER:
The 22nd of March.
SONIA KRUGER:
Yes! You did well there, did well.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Oh so far so good.
PRIME MINISTER:
And Lucy's birthday is the 30th so we always, so that week is a very special week.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
I don’t want to sound like Leigh Sales here but please answer the question Prime Minister!
(LAUGHTER)
PRIME MINISTER:
But – yeah okay - let me say this, we got married when we were very young. I proposed to Lucy shortly after I met her when she was a teenager, we got married when she was 21. She said: “We should wait until we grew up” and we went halfway, we waited until she grew up.
[Laughter]
It would have taken too long to wait until I grew up.
We got married very young which was fantastic – well, very young by today's standards I suppose, - and it was fantastic but I have to say that I have a stronger sense of me and Lucy than I do of me on the one hand and Lucy on the other.
SONIA KRUGER:
As an individual.
PRIME MINISTER:
So we are a very tight team and, you know, we make decisions together.
SONIA KRUGER:
Does she hate the way you pack the dishwasher?
DAVID CAMPBELL:
She makes the decisions. Lucy makes the decisions. You didn’t want to say it.
(LAUGHTER)
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, note to file, note to file, Lucy makes the decisions.
(LAUGHTER)
DAVID CAMPBELL:
You are an avid sports fan and we love that about you. I love that you are a Swans supporter. I love that you take the kids to it. But this wasn't your finest sporting moment here with the basketball.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
You are no Obama here.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah that’s true.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Where did you think your form went wrong?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well Andrew Gaze gave me some advice on radio.
(LAUGHTER)
DAVID CAMPBELL:
That doesn’t help for basketball does it!?
(LAUGHTER)
PRIME MINISTER:
He said bend the knees, bend the knees, get more arc into the shot and follow through.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Right.
SONIA KRUGER:
Right, so you decided not to take his advice?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, well, he gave me the advice, he was so filled with pity when he saw that hopeless attempt to put the basketball into the hoop –
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Can we not just have it on a loop?
SONIA KRUGER:
Yeah.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
This is really, now, we’re Prime Minister shaming now.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah that is right.
(LAUGHTER)
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Sorry about that.
SONIA KRUGER:
You’re a good sport.
PRIME MINISTER:
I didn't make 70 attempts, which is what you’re suggesting.
(LAUGHTER)
DAVID CAMPBELL:
It didn’t just go on and on.
SONIA KRUGER:
Prime Minister, yesterday Alec Baldwin won an Emmy for his portrayal of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live. Don't know if you have seen any of it. It is pretty funny stuff.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah.
SONIA KRUGER:
If you could pick any actor to play you to send you up, who would it be?
PRIME MINISTER:
That’s a good question. I don't know. Who would you suggest?
SONIA KRUGER:
What about Lawrence Mooney?
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Lawrence Mooney does a pretty good job.
SONIA KRUGER:
Have you seen Lawrence Mooney’s impersonations?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah, I’ve heard it on the radio. I have heard the voice I haven't seen the impression.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
We’ve got it.
LAWRENCE MOONEY - IMPERSONATOR:
I enjoy listening to me because I enjoy pronouncing all of the letters in all of the words. Like I like saying environment and my favourite month of the year is February.
(LAUGHTER)
SONIA KRUGER:
He is very good. Isn’t he good?
PRIME MINISTER:
You know what that is? That’s a fair cop - but you know what, that comes from starting off at an early age in radio.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
There you go.
PRIME MINISTER:
Where you had to articulate very clearly particularly when you were calling in stories from pay phones and otherwise you wouldn't get the message across so you had to open your mouth and articulate.
But it wasn't a sort of, I don't think I developed an old-style radio voice, one of those grand: “Welcome to the BBC”
DAVID CAMPBELL:
“Here is the news with Malcolm Turnbull”.
(LAUGHTER)
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes that’s right. But still, you’ve got to make sure that people understand what you are saying. As opposed to mumbling.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
That’s true, no one likes a mumbler. This is a terrible segue from that this to this though.
PRIME MINISTER:
You’ll do it. You’ll manage.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott stole your look with the leather jacket, which I don't think is fair. I do think you wore it better.
SONIA KRUGER:
Why have you not done this on Fashion Police?
DAVID CAMPBELL:
I know! What did you think when he did that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I mean lots of people have got leather jackets. I don't think it’s–
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Politically speaking, I think you wore it well.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, that’s very kind of you.
SONIA KRUGER:
Is it a case of who wore it better?
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Yeah, I think sartorially, the PM had it.
SONIA KRUGER:
Yes definitely. The collar, the shirt underneath.
PRIME MINISTER:
Everyone is entitled to rock a leather jacket when they want. It’s a free country.
(LAUGHTER)
SONIA KRUGER:
Oh, finally Prime Minister, one of our most popular games that we play here on TODAY Extra is a game David devised, it’s called “Yeah, Nah”. It’s very Australian.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah, nah?
DAVID CAMPBELL:
It’s very simple.
SONIA KRUGER:
We have a few topics.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
You have a paddle and the paddle says: “Yeah,” or if you don’t like it it says: “Yeah, Nah”. Okay? So I’ll give you a paddle. We’ll play together.
SONIA KRUGER:
Basically. Get ready, here we go. First question.
PRIME MINISTER:
Righto.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
No, it can be any side you want. You just have to hold it up as “Yeah” or “Yeah, Nah”.
SONIA KRUGER:
Alright, first up, dinner with Bill Shorten?
PRIME MINISTER:
“Yeah”.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
I’m a bit of “Yeah, Nah”.
SONIA KRUGER:
Oh, you’re “Yeah, Nah”?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah - I’d have dinner with Bill.
SONIA KRUGER:
The Prime Minister doesn’t mind. Avo smash?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, “Yeah”. I like that.
SONIA KRUGER:
You’re big on that. Who doesn't love it really? Tony Abbott in budgie-smugglers?
PRIME MINISTER:
“Yeah, Nah”.
(LAUGHTER)
I honestly think – I mean, he’s got a great body, he is very fit - but I do think that politicians should stay fully clad at all times.
SONIA KRUGER:
TMI, too much information. What about wearing socks to bed?
PRIME MINISTER:
“Yeah, Nah”. Well, actually, depends on the season.
(LAUGHTER)
DAVID CAMPBELL:
You’re in Canberra a lot.
PRIME MINISTER:
“Yeah, Nah”, but in Canberra “Yeah“.
SONIA KRUGER:
What about pineapple on pizza?
PRIME MINISTER:
“Yeah, Nah”.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
No - that’s been very controversial in New Zealand, as you know Sonia. It could bring down the government.
SONIA KRUGER:
Finally, Donald Trump?
PRIME MINISTER:
I’ll be very diplomatic.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
I’ll do “Yeah, Nah”, just to be oppositional.
SONIA KRUGER:
It’s been a pleasure having you on Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah great to be here. Thanks a lot.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
You’ve been a good sport, Prime Minister. Thank you so much! Do you want to say happy birthday to Jack? I’m sure that he’s watching.
PRIME MINISTER:
Happy birthday Jack.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
Where is he? There he is. Camera four – have we got camera four up? There we go. For the Prime Minister, a personal message. Not me, camera four. Down the camera.
PRIME MINISTER:
Happy birthday Jack.
SONIA KRUGER:
Thank you, Baba.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
PRIME MINISTER:
Okay, thank you.
DAVID CAMPBELL:
And now we’re cutting to – who, why are we cutting to that guy for? There we go.
(LAUGHTER)
SONIA KRUGER:
That’s security?
DAVID CAMPBELL:
What’s going on? It’s going off here. Prime Minister thank you for coming on our show. Good to see you again.
SONIA KRUGER:
Thank you. Thank you again.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thanks mate. Thanks Sonia.
[Ends]