HOST: Good morning to you Prime Minister.
PM: Good morning and I'm not planning any karaoke.
HOST: You're not? I thought (inaudible) might get together at some stage and let your hair down, so to speak.
PM: It's definitely not on the agenda.
HOST: It's not. Just tell us your role as, is it the Chair-in-Office, is that correct?
PM: That's right, I am the chairing the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Perth and Western Australia to the world, so I'm here in Perth already. I'll effectively be governing Australia from Perth for this week and the week will involve a series of events, a Youth Forum, a Business Leaders Forum, there'll be plenty of civil society representatives talking about aid and development issues. Of course there's an arts display and sporting events that people can go to, there'll be plenty of life on the streets and then at the end of the week the Leaders Meeting actually starts and I will be chairing that.
HOST: So have you got control techniques, have you been talking to the Speaker in order to work out how to keep control of such a wildly (inaudible)?
PM: Well I've chaired quite a few meeting in my lifetime, so I'll be bringing those skills with me.
HOST: Is there any particular countries you're worried about though, as far as keeping control over?
PM: No, not at all. I think we will see some fairly intense discussions, but people will be very focussed on the future of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth has a great reputation for bringing together countries from around the world. Every continent is represented, nations large and small, from Tuvalu with 11,000 people, to India with 1.2 billion, developed and developing nations. So it's a good forum to be talking about the values that we share of democracy and the rule of law and human rights.
But also a good forum to be talking about development questions, how we help the world's poorest and also how we project the Commonwealth voice into events like the G20, which will happen very soon.
HOST: It's fair to say though, that not many would have been to every single country that's in this particular gathering and that would be you as well, would that be correct?
PM: Certainly I have not visited many of the countries who will be represented here.
HOST: So I suppose that gives you the opportunity to network with a few of those and might see some opportunities?
PM: I think the networking will happen at every level, of course I'll have a lot of opportunity to talk to the leaders who are assembled, but the Commonwealth Business Forum is also going to be a great opportunity to bring Australian businesses and particularly Western Australian businesses together with business leaders from around the Commonwealth. And here in WA, where you have got so much expertise in mining, it's a great opportunity to be forging links with African nations who are growing, developing and have economies focussed on mining.
HOST: You got a bit of flack last week in regards to the Queen and at the inability to greet the Queen in the way that others wanted you to greet. Have you made a comment in relation to that yet?
PM: Look the only comment I've made is the clear advice to us about protocol was that you do what comes naturally and so I did what I thought was the most natural thing for me.
HOST: And of course others will get the opportunity to meet her this week. How did you find the Queen?
PM: She is in very good spirits, very interested and engaged in everything about Australia, as well as very focussed on this Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. She has been a point of stability in a changing world, I think our nation has looked to her as that point of stability, but so have Commonwealth nations from around the world.
So she was very focussed on what will happen here in Perth and she'll get the opportunity to see Perth at its best, as it welcomes all of these visitors from overseas.
HOST: Do you reckon we're scrubbed up alright? They've been planting trees and gardens have been, with the emblems for the City of Perth and CHOGM and all of that all around the place. Have you noticed anything as you've been driving around?
PM: I certainly did, I went for a walk yesterday and saw all of the set up happenings for the fireworks last night and the big Perth sign and the gardens looking absolutely beautiful, just full of colour. So you will have around 3000 people here, looking at your city, looking at Perth, looking at our nation and I'm sure they are going to leave delighted.
HOST: And you're planting another tree in Kings Park, you don't think we've got enough?
PM: There's always room for another tree. I will later today be planting a tree which will be a living symbol to this meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. It is grown from a tree that the Queen planted in 1953, so a seed has been taken and we are planting a new tree that is drawing a link with that past, as well as being a living symbol of this event for the future.
HOST: Alright, would you like to officially launch CHOGM for our 6PR listeners in Perth, to say I'd like to declare the week open and have a good time?
PM: I'm very happy to say I'd like to declare the week open and to the people of Perth - get involved, there are any number of activities for people to feel a connection themselves with the Commonwealth and I'm sure people in all of their day-to-day lives, as they move around the city and do what they normally do, will have the opportunity to interact with people who are visiting for this event. So I'm sure they're going to give them a great Perth welcome.
HOST: Alright, well I'm sure you and everyone else will do our country proud. Just before you go, Prime Minister, the situation in Turkey overnight, awful. Do you know whether any Australians have been caught up in the earthquake?
PM: Look, all of our diplomatic people are doing what they do so well, so we don't have any advice at this stage. If any advice comes through about Australians being involved then of course we'll be doing all the appropriate things to help families through, but I don't have that information now.
HOST: Alright, let's hope the week goes well. Thanks for your time.
PM: Thank you.