HOST: Prime Minister good morning and welcome to 612 ABC Brisbane.
PM: Good morning Madonna.
HOST: Is it in Labor's best interests for you to remain leader?
PM: Madonna I'm not going anywhere, I've got a lot of things to do, I work every day to realise my vision for this country's future and I do have a very clear vision about a stronger, more modern economy, giving people the benefits of jobs and opportunity right around the country.
HOST: That doesn't actually answer my question, my question was is it in the Party's best interests in your view for you to remain in that top job?
PM: Madonna I'm not going anywhere, I'm the best person to do this job and I'll continue to do it, and what this job is about is leading the nation to a better future. I've got a very clear vision of that future, I've been driven all of my political life by a series of goals about spreading opportunity and making sure that no one gets left behind and we are delivering important policies and plans to do just that, to give people the benefit of jobs, the benefit of better opportunity through better education and of course important reforms to make sure we don't leave people behind because they have a disability, or because they have a need for healthcare.
HOST: You said you're the best person to do the job, what do you think you bring to the job that is important?
PM: I bring a very clear vision of the nation's future, a driving sense of purpose about making sure that we are a country that does spread opportunity for all. It offends me Madonna, and it always has, that life's chances can be defined by which area you are born into, by your postcode, by the circumstances of your birth.
HOST: And we'll come to some of that in just a moment, but you've seen the headlines across the country this morning, at what point do you say it might not be in the Party's best interests for you to continue?
PM: Madonna I've just explained that to you, I'm the best person to do this job, I'll keep doing it, and the important thing here is the sense of purpose and vision for the country, that's the important thing for Australians. They're waking up this morning, going to work and what they're focussed on is jobs and opportunity for their families.
HOST: But is there a point where you would say in your self assessment look someone else might do this better or are you saying you will remain in the top job no matter what?
PM: Madonna I'm saying to you very clearly and very precisely I'm not going anywhere, I've got a lot things to do, a lot of things to do to keep realising that vision of the nation's future.
HOST: Has anyone in Caucus told you of their frustration with your leadership?
PM: No Madonna.
HOST: No one has raised what we're seeing in the newspapers today?
PM: Madonna you can be intrigued by fevered speculation in the newspapers, I'm intrigued by whether or not people around the country today can get the benefit of a job, whether or not a child going to school today is walking into a great school, whether someone sitting in emergency departments around the country is going to get the care they need in the time that they should have it.
HOST: But surely your job is also to listen to what people in the Party might be saying or thinking?
PM: My job Madonna is to act in the nation's interest, my job as Prime Minister is to lead with a vision of the country's future. I have a very clear vision of the country's future, it does mean we have to take some tough decisions now so we've got a strong and modern economy for the future, and it does mean we have to take some bold decisions to ensure that we are spreading opportunity around the country and making sure that people don't get left behind, for example, because they are born with a disability and that's what the National Disability Insurance Scheme is about.
HOST: Do you think that some in your Party may be struggling to understand your vision or those bold decisions you refer to?
PM: Madonna I am out there arguing and delivering on these policies and plans and when I speak to my party colleagues, I speak to them about the historic mission of Labor, our historic mission has been about spreading opportunity and of course the way we have done that has changed through different ages, it used to solely be about wages and working conditions, now it's about more than that though of course it still remains about wages and working conditions and fair work not Work Choices. I speak to my colleagues about those things.
HOST: But is part of the problem that some of your colleagues are not understanding that vision?
PM: Madonna once again you can get intrigued by fevered speculation in newspapers, I'm about getting a job done that matters to Australians and of course bringing to it Labor's values, our historic mission about spreading opportunity and making sure people don't get left behind.
HOST: But one of the criticisms, even made by your supporters about Kevin Rudd was that he was out of touch with how people were thinking, what they were seeing, could the same criticism be made of you this morning?
PM: I'm not going to be canvassing matters of Labor history Madonna, I'm about the future and about building that future.
HOST: Alright speaking about the future, Kevin Rudd's name's been bandied about on a ticket with Stephen Smith, can I ask when last you actually had a conversation with Kevin Rudd?
PM: Look Kevin's been on sick leave Madonna as you're well aware.
HOST: Yeah but he'd been ill, have you sent him a card, picked up the phone to see how he is?
PM: I did send him some books, I thought it would be a good thing as he was recuperating to have some good books to read so I sent him some books. He's been on sick leave and will make a return at the appropriate point when he feels strong enough.
HOST: What were the books you sent him, any titles-
PM: Madonna let's not get involved in all sorts of trivia, I sent him some books I thought he might be interested in just as part of spending some time recuperating.
HOST: Peter Beattie is being touted as a party saviour by some sectors in Queensland, now we'll hear from Anthony Chisholm in just a moment, he was the person who went to dinner with Peter Beattie, but irrespective of what Anthony Chisholm says, would you like to see Peter Beattie in a safe Labor seat, do you think that he could be an asset federally?
PM: I think Peter Beattie's a good bloke, I think he's done a great job for Queensland and the fact that we are very admiring of Peter's skills is reflected in our selection of him as an advocate for our manufacturing sector to the resources sector. Madonna a big issue in our country today is our patchwork economy, people see the resources sector, mining leaping ahead whilst manufacturing is bearing the burden of the strong Australian dollar, we've asked Peter to see if we can do some more to put the two together so manufacturing can get the benefit of that mining strength. So of course that's the job we've given Peter now, I think if he wanted to be a candidate he'd be a good candidate but the question for today is Peter working on that special job we've given him because I don't want to see manufacturing left behind in this country, I think it can have a great future and making sure that it is working as closely as possible with our strong mining industry is part of that good future.
HOST: Can we come to the High Court decision and former Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson said it proved your Government was in a mess, that it would be impossible for you to recover and there's no way you can turn this around, that the Government, he goes on to say, would not survive for the remainder of the term. Now you would agree he's a fairly seasoned operator, what doesn't he understand, what's he got wrong here?
PM: Well, he'll be proved wrong and we will keep governing to the 2013 election and we will keep delivering on the policies and plans that I have shaped for the nation. During the past 12 months we've delivered some important changes, things that matter to the future of the country, like a better telecommunications sector, like a national health reform agreement, like a budget focused on jobs and opportunity, like the big flood recovery package we need to put together for Queensland and we did, making all of the tough financial decisions necessary to get that done.
And in the coming months we will deliver on legislation necessary to modernise our economy, putting a price on carbon, so we can seize a clean energy future, and delivering the Minerals Resource Rent Tax-
HOST: -And presumably also you have to come up with a new policy on asylum seekers, his comments were on the back of the High Court decision. What are you going to do now? How do you decide what is the correct avenue to go down in light of what the High Court said?
PM: Well, the way we decide Madonna, is the way we do business - carefully, methodically, taking the best advice. So, as I indicated yesterday we've received preliminary oral advice from the Solicitor-General. We'll get written advice from the Solicitor-General, we'll release that publicly, so you Madonna can have a look at it and all of your listeners can have a look at it and then based and guided by the best advice we'll announce a comprehensive plan to respond.
HOST: But it has been a big issue since you were elected, or indeed beforehand, the left is expected today to call for the resumption of processing in Australia and also for asylum seekers who arrive by boat to be treated the same way as those who arrive by plane. Why shouldn't they be, do you think?
PM: Madonna, this has been a big issue for our country over several decades. Labor first introduced mandatory detention back in the days of the Hawke Government, so this has not been an easy area of policy for a very long period of time. I know that personally and directly having served in the portfolio for Labor when we were in opposition, immediately after the 2001 election and the incident with the Tampa-
HOST: But that's not answering my question-
PM: -I will answer your question Madonna, but you sort of created an impression that somehow this is an area of policy that's only come into focus now, this has been an area of policy of extreme difficulty over many, many years and what makes it difficult is we are dealing with a crime here of people smuggling and we want to do everything that we can to combat that evil trade, whilst of course maintaining Australia's reputation and pride in ourselves as a generous country that does look to resettle genuine refugees and we do that from refugee camps around the world.
HOST: Do you believe there is going to be a rush of boats heading here now because of the confusion?
PM: We are obviously concerned that with the High Court decision stopping us making the transfer we had planned to Malaysia. We are obviously concerned about how that is received by people smugglers in the pipeline that bring people to Australia. So, yes Madonna, there's a sense of concern and I showed that yesterday when I responded to the High Court decision.
HOST: Do you think there is a date, or do you have a date circled in your diary where you think you can tell the Australian public that this is the new policy and this is how it will be dealt with? Are we talking a week, a month, three months?
PM: Well, we'll do it appropriately and carefully Madonna. So, the first thing is to get the written advice from the Solicitor-General. Obviously the Solicitor-General is working on that and working on that hard.
HOST: You essentially have two choices, when you consider what the High Court decided: the Pacific plan you inherited, or mainland processing. Are you determined to continue to process asylum seekers offshore?
PM: Well Madonna I think you are making a set of assumptions in that question which may or may not turn out to be right.
HOST: So, what other options then, share that with me-
PM: -If I can answer your question Madonna and it goes to what I said at the press conference yesterday. As I indicated yesterday there are some real questions raised here in the High Court decision about processing offshore, including processing offshore in places where it has happened before, which is one reason why we need the Solicitor-General's advice.
You are making an assumption about what policies and plans may accord with the High Court decision. I'm counselling you against making that assumption until we've got the benefit of the full legal advice.
HOST: So that I get it right and I understand it, do you believe the High Court's criticism are also, might also extend to Nauru?
PM: What I indicated yesterday is as far as I can take it on the current advice before me, which are that there are real questions here and consequently that's why we're seeking the further advice.
HOST: OK, so what would make you reconsider mainland processing, doing it here?
PM: Madonna, I'm not going to be drawn on possibilities until we've got the legal advice and we go through our proper processes. This is an important area of work for the nation. We'll make the right decisions in the national interest, but I won't do that on a radio show before legal advice has been received-
HOST: But surely people have a right to know what you're thinking and whether you would reconsider mainland processing?
PM: People have a right to see their Prime Minister make complex decisions, informed by all of the information and that's exactly what I'll do.
HOST: Is there an argument to sit down with Tony Abbott and together come up with an immigration policy that's based on what the public broadly wants and what might be what you say is the right thing to do, that's policy not politics, or am I just being naive?
PM: Look, I think it's incumbent upon all parliamentarians to work on important issues in the national interest. First and foremost I'd say it's incumbent on all parliamentarians to make sure they've got the facts and the benefit of advice. I am, of course, concerned that members of the opposition are rushing to judgement about what the High Court case may or may not mean. I'd counsel them against that, I believe we should get the legal advice before people rush to judgement-
HOST: -But with respect that had nothing to do with my question-
PM: -I think it did in this sense Madonna, that step number one is for people to absorb, digest, take the best possible advice and fully understand the High Court decision. That's step number one for everyone. I'm suggesting everyone go through step number one before we can see what follows next.
HOST: Julia Gillard, thank you very much for your time.
PM: Thank you Madonna.