ED KAVALEE:
The Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, good morning sir
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning great to be with you.
ED KAVALEE:
Why Logan?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it’s an area that’s seen to have a high incidence of drug use, you know, there were nearly 6,500 drug offences in Logan last calendar year and this is a trial, so we’re doing it in three locations around Australia. Canterbury Bankstown has been announced, Logan is the one announced today, the Minister Christian Porter is there with Bert van Manen the local Member.
This is a very, very important trial. Look, you know we all have friends who get into problems right?
ED KAVALEE:
Yep.
PRIME MINISTER:
And if you have a friend or a relative who has got an addiction problem, what you want to do is get them off it. That’s how you show your love and your compassion and support for them. So I think anything we can do to get people who are on welfare, off of drugs and into a job, that is the best, the most loving, supportive thing we can do. So this is a good trial, let’s hope it’s a big success.
ROBIN BAILEY:
Now the general public I think will be right behind it, but not everyone is happy Prime Minister. We were speaking to Luke Smith who is the Mayor of Logan and he said this:
LOGAN MAYOR, LUKE SMITH - RECORDING:
The first we heard about it was when the media contacted us yesterday to give us the heads up. We actually know nothing about this at all. Typical federal government response.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, it’s a federal government program so it doesn’t involve the -
ED KAVALEE:
It’s got nothing to do with them!
PRIME MINISTER:
[Laughter]
It doesn’t with local government.
So look I hope as he learns more about it, the Mayor will support it. But I think most people will think this is a very sensible approach. It is a trial - we’re going to be trialing it with 5,000 people in three locations around the country and if it’s successful obviously, we’ll roll it out further. If it’s not successful we’ll have to think of something else but you know you can’t.
ROBIN BAILEY:
But don’t you need everyone on board though? I mean realistically for things like this to work, you know you talk about family and friends and you talk about the local members; but don’t you need the council to be participating in this because it’s not a great thing that one of our cities is considered one of the worst drug places in the country.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well look drug use is too high everywhere in Australia.
GREG MARTIN:
So let’s test everyone!
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes that’s why experiments and trials like this are important because what you’ve got to do is when you’re taking on a new policy approach is be prepared to trial it and then if it’s successful you do more of it, if it’s not successful you might change it or do less of it or not do it at all.
So you know often say criticize governments for being too conservative and unprepared to adopt change, well the government I lead is innovative, we are prepared to do new things and the sensible way to go about new policies is obviously where you can to trial them.
And that’s what we’re doing and you know if it gets one person, if this gets one person off drugs and into a job that’s a good thing.
GREG MARTIN:
Good one - yep.
PRIME MINISTER:
The best form of welfare is a job, and obviously if you’re on drugs you are not going to be employable and everyone – that is a big factor in many peoples unemployment situation, the fact that they’re incapacitated by drug use.
GREG MARTIN:
Drug dependent yep.
ED KAVALEE:
Well Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull it is nice to have you on the program.
GREG MARTIN:
Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER:
It’s nice to be with you.
ED KAVALEE:
And its led us to believe something – well hang on – it’s led us to believe something because we thought that we’d been speaking to you every week on a Tuesday when this person calls in.
IMPERSONATOR - RECORDING:
Good morning to you Ed, hello to you Marto and Robin. All of you there at Triple M, you good people and we rock Brisbane collectively.
ED KAVALEE:
Are you saying that’s not you, Prime Minister?
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER:
That’s a very fruity version of me, I’m afraid.
[Laughter]
Whoever it is, he’s having a red hot go, but I don’t think it’s true. Certainly he wouldn’t be able to convince anyone I know well, but there you go.
ED KAVALEE:
Sir, he says he drinks Sangiovese and sometimes kayaks, would that be you?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yeah no, no.
[Laughter]
ROBIN BAILEY:
He’s got a great sense of humor though Mr Turnbull so –
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah that’s good. Well you’ve got to have a laugh, you’ve got to be prepared and indeed to laugh at yourself.
ED KAVALEE:
Prime Minister, thanks mate see ya.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thanks a lot, see you.
[ENDS]