LUKE:
I’ll tell you what, this is a real thrill after the Easter long weekend - particularly for anyone that was like Margot and I getting caught in the traffic on the Bruce Highway coming back from Fraser Island - the Prime Minister of the country joining us right now, Mr Malcolm Turnbull.
G’day Prime Minister, how are you?
PRIME MINISTER:
Hey, great to be with you!
LUKE:
Happy Easter and all that sort of stuff.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, indeed thank you, thank you. And yeah it was a great announcement today at Murrumba Downs with Peter Dutton and Luke Howarth, yeah.
LUKE:
Okay well talk to us about – because a lot of our listeners would be stuck in these dramas. And I’ve got to tell you Prime Minister, I mean we did not move. I got overtaken by a gumtree yesterday coming back from Fraser Island.
[Laughter]
And having travelled the M1 everyday and I just looked at the Bruce Highway and this, the area of the Bruce Highway coming into Brisbane and I was like this is Scheißn Hausen compared to the M1.
So what’s the announcement today?
PRIME MINISTER:
Okay well what we’re going to do is fund 80 per cent of the cost of ensuring that there are both on and off ramps at the intersection of the Bruce Highway with Dohles Rocks road, so they’re on and off ramps both going north and south.
DOBBO:
Yeah a lot of the hot spots around that Murrumba Valley and Murrumba Downs in Griffin it’s been overpopulated and were the congestion, Luke, for you yesterday, it all starts there. Like it’s a hot spot of traffic and a nightmare so it’s the starting point isn’t it, Prime Minister? Then you guys are going to make it four lanes either way aren’t you?
PRIME MINISTER:
[Laughter]
Well we’re putting a lot of money into the Bruce already, and we’ve got more to say, but this will ensure that people get home sooner and safer. That’s what this is about, this is about spending more time with the family and getting home safer and so that’s what it’s all about. We’re putting – we’re offering to put in 80 per cent of the cost, we estimate it to be a $150 million project. Which we think that’s a very good offer so...
DOBBO:
It’s a great offer Prime Minister, now listen…
PRIME MINISTER:
We want the Queensland State Government to get on with it!
DOBBO:
Prime Minister tomorrow night, opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. The Premier she’s got her nose out of joint because she wanted to speak and they’ve said stand down. Is the number one ticket holder, the Prime Minister of Australia going to have some involvement tomorrow night in the opening ceremony?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I’ll be there but I don’t have a speaking role, it’s all about the athletes not the politicians.
DOBBO:
Oh c’mon surely you’ve got to open it or give the keys to the city or something?
PRIME MINISTER:
[Laughter]
No it’s okay, I think it’s all well in hand. It’s not a political event, it’s a great sporting event. And you know it’s a great event for the 15,000 volunteers that are making it all possible. Good on them!
LUKE:
Aren’t they absolute legends, I got to tell you. On the Gold Coast, you see these guys, without them we wouldn’t have the Commonwealth Games. So you’re not going to be speaking, will you be up on the stage though with Prince Charles tomorrow night in some capacity?
[Laughter]
That’ll be interesting because you are a Republican and I love you for it.
PRIME MINISTER:
I am, I am, that’s right.
LUKE:
What’s your relationship with Prince Charles like?
PRIME MINISTER:
Very good, very good. We’ve met a few times over the years and we always get on very well. He’s a very charming guy.
DOBBO:
But you are trying to put him out of a job, and we’re for it!
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well as you know, you’re right I definitely believe Australia’s Head of State should be an Australian citizen not the King or Queen of the United Kingdom. And we gave that a – had a red hot go at that in 1999 in the Referendum, sadly we lost. But you know, as indeed the Prince of Wales said the other day, whether Australia becomes a Republic is a matter for the Australian people - and so it is.
DOBBO:
Too right.
LIBBY:
Hey Malcolm, we’ve just spent the weekend celebrating in ridiculous amounts of chocolate for Easter with our children. You have children and grandchildren, how do you guys celebrate Easter?
PRIME MINISTER:
We went to a great place yesterday actually in Sydney in Centennial Park, which I’m sure many of your listeners have visited when they’ve been in Sydney. It’s a big park very close to the city and they’ve got a wild play area there which is just all of these amazing you know things to climb, you know tunnels to scamper through and water features to run around and it’s just designed for little kids. So we had a great time! I’d never been there before but I can – it was terrific. So…
LIBBY:
And are you the grandparent that spoils your kid with all the chocolate that your children curse you for?
PRIME MINISTER:
I do my best but I must say I bought them both – little Jack who is nearly five and Alice who is nearly two - I bought them both an ice cream, there was an ice cream van there. And I thought it was very interesting the way they managed to spread the ice cream all over their face. Particularly Alice, it was sort of like a kind of – it looked like a sort of facial treatment almost, there was just you could still see the eyes.
[Laughter]
LUKE:
They don’t grow out of that if they’re like Dobbo here on our team either Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
It was terrific, and I was thinking I’m sure this is going to be great for her skin.
LUKE:
It gives them an extra colour.
Hey, Prime Minister Steve Smith and all the controversy last week, the suspensions have happened. I know you weighed in on it, but I’d just like your take. There’s been a lot of commentary around that the Australian cricket captain is the second most important job after the Prime Minister. I tend to think that it’s the most important, I’d love your thoughts.
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, I think it is a very important job.
LUKE:
Would you let him be captain again when he finishes his suspension?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well you know I’m not the selector to say the least. But I think the important thing is that Steve is a brilliant young cricketer who got a very responsible position very young, he’s made a big error of judgement which he’s acknowledged. And I think it’s important that he is able, that he feels and believes correctly, that he is able to sort of rebuild and get on and you know continue his cricket career after his period of suspension is over.
LUKE:
Yeah absolutely he’s shown some good leadership qualities I would’ve thought in the way that he’s handled this one. Prime Minister...
PRIME MINISTER:
I thought it was great seeing his dad with him too, didn’t you?
DOBBO:
Yeah, awesome.
LUKE:
I mean if that didn’t hit you, then you’ve got a heart of stone absolutely.
Prime Minister, we thank you for joining us on the show this afternoon.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thanks a lot.
LUKE:
And that is very good news for a lot of our listeners that get caught in that traffic drama everyday of their working lives and we appreciate your time this afternoon and weighing in on all those different topics. Pass on all the best to Prince Charles for us.
PRIME MINISTER:
I will indeed.
LUKE:
And give him a hug for us.
[Laugher]
PRIME MINISTER:
I’ll do my best.
[ENDS]