Canberra
HOST: In her only interview tonight, Prime Minister Julia Gillard joins us now from outside her office. A big day for you Prime Minister, were you surprised at your emotions in today's speech?
PM: I was a bit. I got to a section of the speech where I was telling some stories about young people with disabilities that I have met around the country.
Just thinking about them and thinking about so many Australians I've met with disability and their parents and the things that they have said to me.
I did get very emotional about it. I did not expect to at the start of the speech.
HOST: My sister works in disability and I can tell from her reaction to the NDIS, it is a massive moment for Australia and well done there.
There is a $17 billion shortfall in revenue. Is the Treasury to blame for that?
PM: None of this is about blame or any of that kind of stuff. I mean it is what it is, there is less tax money coming into the Government than was expected.
HOST: Surely someone is to blame? Somebody has to have responsibility for the economic direction of this country.
We were promised a surplus. We have a fairly significant deficit.
Who is responsible for that if there is no one to blame?
PM: Well I just do not think you can say it is about a particular individual. It is about a set of economic circumstances - really high dollar, us getting less for the things we sell than we used to, the terms of trade.
Really the important thing about the budget is what do you then choose to do and yes, we have made choices to have responsible savings to do really big things that will matter for our nation.
DisabilityCare is certainly one of them.
Of course we financed the work in schools too, very close to my heart.
I want every kid to get a great education. So that is really what the budget is about.
HOST: From a strategy point of view, many thought that you would promise the world to get a lot of votes but you actually chose to do the opposition. Why is that?
PM: Because it is about doing the right thing for the nation. Look I get it that most pre-election budgets are give-away time - here have this, have a cash bonus.
We deliberately decided to do the things that are right for the long term and the things that really accord with our Labor values and our Labor values are about caring for people.
It is about being fairer.
HOST: Let's talk the Baby Bonus. So it is going to come to an end March 1, next year.
We kind of worked it out. It gives it about two weeks for couples to get busy and pump one out in time.
Are you advising them to head into the bedroom tonight?
Can I just say Julia, she was talking about a baby then alright?
PM: I got that Dave, I am not that old. I got what she was talking about. I can assure you that as Prime Minister I do not dispense advice on such topics.
HOST: But there is risk return there. Any financial adviser in the country would be selling a return on this.
If you make it happen, there is a positive for everyone.
It makes financial sense.
PM: Well as someone who has just laboured over a budget, let me just give this bit of financial advice.
Having a child is going to cost you a lot more than the Baby Bonus. I can assure you of that.
HOST: Alright Prime Minister, we will let you get back to it but thank you so much for making time for us tonight.
PM: Thanks a lot.