PRIME MINISTER

TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH KYLE AND JACKIE O 2DAY FM 22 MAY 2013

E & O E PROOF ONLY

Subjects: School visit; Community Cabinet; Knitting; Federal election; Polls; Sing the next line; Cars

KYLE: Good morning Prime Minister.

JACKIE O: Morning.

PM: Good morning, its great to be here in the studio.

JACKIE O: You look lovely.

KYLE: I love when you visit.

PM: The guys were telling me that they cleaned their desk down. Theres a bottle of Ajax spray there. I am very impressed.

JACKIE O: We dont often do things like that for guests.

KYLE: I thought he said there was, it looked like there was Ajax on the table and I thought you know what the entertainment industry is like. They got to clean their desks up because you know theyre all wild this crew.

JACKIE O: Whats on the agenda today, Prime Minister?

PM: On the agenda today, Im visiting a school, talking about better school funding, a better deal for our kids and then tonight weve got a Community Cabinet which is when members of the local community get to come and ask questions and have a discussion with us about what they think needs to be there.

JACKIE O: Do you like that?

PM: Yeah I do like it. I like getting out and about and its just a genuine talk with people.

They can be unpredictable and the hardest, hardest questions always come from children in the audience.

So you know if theres a ten year old or a 12 year old with their hand up that its going to be an absolute zinger of a question, weve sort of got to take it if a child wants to ask a question.

JACKIE O: What do you do?

KYLE: Given by their parent or is it really their question do you think?

PM: I think theres a mix, sometimes theyre there, little shaking hands, reading a question and you think mum and dads had a bit of a hand in this. But sometimes theyre obviously just questions the kids have come up with and theyre really hard ones.

KYLE: So you just IQ The Voice when youre out doing these things at night so youve got some TV when you get home or what?

PM: When I get home, well it depends how late it is, sometimes Ive still got work to do.

The paperwork chases you around so youve got to get it done sometime.

Sometimes Ill flick on the TV, do a little bit of knitting, wind down a bit.

JACKIE O: You knitted the little booties for Fifis baby.

PM: I did knit the little booties for Fifis baby.

KYLE: Thats nice.

JACKIE O: I was very impressed that you did that.

PM: Thank you.

JACKIE O: That was nice of you to take the time out to do that.

KYLE: Did she really do it or did someone else knit and you just did the photo?

PM: I absolutely knitted the booties.

KYLE: Because you are a knitter!

PM: Yes, I am a knitter. Im just doing a cardigan at the moment.

My niece Jenna is having a baby in July so Ive just finished the body of it, actually did the casting off last night.

KYLE: So when do you rest?

JACKIE O: So is that like your meditation, your zoning out, the knitting?

PM: Absolutely, because you come back from a long day and your still, you know, thoughts racing at a million miles an hour.

Often Ive come in quite late, Ive got to get up early and if you just chucked yourself into bed like that youd just be lying there.

Whereas the knitting, it takes enough of your attention that you cant really be thinking about things at a million miles an hour, but not so much of it that its winding you up rather than winding you down.

JACKIE O: What about the days press thats been said about you, do you watch that on TV? Do you take those things, read those things at the end of the day and have a look at what theyve been saying? No?

PM: Not particularly, I mean I look at the newspapers in the morning of course because I come and do interviews and you might ask me about something thats in the newspapers.

KYLE: You just look for yourself like I do? Because I flick through that in a heartbeat. Im like Im not in it, Im not watching it.

PM: I look for you first and then I kind of track the political stories and at the end of the day Im not normally anywhere where I could watch the news but we do get media summaries so I get a taste of whats been on the news.

KYLE: You dont have a TV in the car?

PM: No we dont. Theres a video thing that would work if the car was stationary rather than moving.

KYLE: I know a bloke down in Leichhardt, he can fix that.

PM: Right.

JACKIE O: He can do a dodgy deal can he?

KYLE: A couple of bucks, yeah.

PM: Ive never used it.

JACKIE O: We had Tony Abbott on the show, was it yesterday he was on?

KYLE: I dont know, cant remember.

JACKIE O: Might have been yesterday and we asked him a couple of yes/no questions and played a little yes/no game with him and, have a listen to how he responded to a couple of our questions.

PM: Okay.

KYLE: Heres Mr Abbott.

JACKIE O: Have you ever had a dream about being the Prime Minister? Yes or no?

ABBOTT: Not while Im asleep.

JACKIE O: Right, fair enough. Have you thought about your victory speech if you were to win?

ABBOTT: The truth is yes.

JACKIE O: I will just take that, thank you Mr Abbott

KYLE: Thats when we should play Im a dreamer, I wouldnt What do you think?

PM: Youre getting all the hard hitting news scoops, thats fantastic.

KYLE: Yeah we are.

PM: Call me old fashioned but I just think you probably should let people go and vote and then worry about what sort of speech youre going to give.

KYLE: Right.

PM: I think the Australia people voting, thats important.

JACKIE O: Thats the important part.

KYLE: When is this thing happening? The election?

PM: Its happening on 14 September.

KYLE: Its that close?

PM: Its that close.

JACKIE O: Its very close.

KYLE: I saw a poll the other day that said you were even.

JACKIE O: Neck and neck.

PM: Look, there was a poll earlier this week, in fact there were two polls earlier this week. They come, they go, you cant get too distracted by it.

KYLE: Who does those polls? Are they real do you think or are they fudge?

PM: Theyre polling companies that are telephoning to real people, yes.

KYLE: Right. But Ive realised over the years because we do these internal polls as well where they ring you up and go do you like this song? Or do you like Kyle and Jackie? Or do you like Dicko over at 2UE? And Ive realised if youre answering a survey on the phone, youre a loser. Youve got better things, normal people we all go no or we make up some lie.

JACKIE O: But Kyle, they are still the people that are voting. So those people will be voting regardless.

KYLE: So losers voting as well.

JACKIE O: Well they will, yeah.

KYLE: All sorts of people.

JACKIE O: The Prime Ministers not going to agree with you on that.

PM: I want to specifically say I am not endorsing that comment.

JACKIE O: Now Prime Minister, its very rare we get you in the studio so we have some options for you to play a game this morning.

KYLE: Dont look at me; Ive got no clue whats happening.

JACKIE O: Yes you do, dont play dumb.

KYLE: Oh this is what we normally play with movie stars or if Beyonc was in wed play a game or something like that.

JACKIE O: And usually we dont give them a choice but because youre the Prime Minister, you get the choice this morning.

KYLE: Run through some of the game options for the Prime Minister.

JACKIE O: Okay. One is spin the bottle.

PM: Spin the bottle, right.

KYLE: How long since youve done that one?

PM: So long ago Ive forgotten.

KYLE: Last time that ended up with you kissing the Premier Barry OFarrell.

PM: I remember that, I actually did something with Barry that day.

KYLE: Oh he came over with the bottle and was like right lets get this game on.

JACKIE O: The next one is crack it, which involves cracking eggs on your forehead. Some are raw, some are cooked. Dont give us your answer yet. Hear me out, hear me out.

PM: Okay. This is like, do you want to be hung, drawn and quartered, boiled in oil, thats the options.

JACKIE O: Or you can do sing the next line, which is we play you a song and you have to sing the next line. Its a game. See if you can sing the lyrics.

PM: Yes.

KYLE: Now thats a good game. Its easy.

JACKIE O: I really dont have any more. The only other one I had was rolls of cash but your definitely, youre not going to want to do that one.

KYLE: Do you want me to explain rolls of cash?

PM: Rolls of cash.

KYLE: Weve played it before. We get a big inflatable pool, we fill it up with honey and money, people strip down to their undies and roll around and whatever money sticks to them they get to keep.

PM: Okay.

KYLE: Theres a lot of money in there.

PM: Right, I could consult Wayne Swan or I could just say no at this point.

KYLE: Any of those games tickle your fancy?

PM: They all sound very hard.

JACKIE O: Sing the next line will be fun.

PM: Sing the next line, you think?

JACKIE O: Yeah I reckon youll be good at it.

PM: I dont really do much singing, but well do our best.

JACKIE O: Okay, good on you Prime Minister.

KYLE: Now Ive thought you might choose sing the next line so Ive made the songs 80s songs.

PM: Okay, theres some possibility I might know.

JACKIE O: I reckon you will.

KYLE: Imagine when you had the curly hair, you had the tube top on, you were out at the clubs.

PM: The poodle perm, okay.

JACKIE O: Alright, lets hear the first song.

KYLE: Hang on, weve got to start the game properly with the introduction and everything. Here we go. Playing this morning is the Prime Minister Julia Gillard. 80s songs are ready to go.

JACKIE O: The song will play, as soon as it stops you have to continue singing the next line, Ms Gillard here we go.

KYLE: If you dont know, doesnt matter, youve got plenty of chances.

PM: Okay.

KYLE: Up to 400 chances.

PM: Im going to be here for a long time.

JACKIE O: Youve got to try and get as many as you can.

KYLE: Heres the first song.

[Clip of Freedom, George Michael]

PM: Doesnt it just repeat, all we have to see?

KYLE: No.

PM: No? Okay!

JACKIE O: Its the chorus! Freedom-

KYLE: Dont give away the clue!

PM: Freedom? Yes.

JACKIE O: Okay go on next song.

KYLE: Lets go for one that everyone knows.

PM: Just to take the pressure off.

KYLE: You want some of the Feds to come in and back you up?

PM: I wish I had one of those things in my ear now; I could get some answers through.

KYLE: Everyone knows this song.

JACKIE O: You will know it, I promise you.

KYLE: Chuck the actions in if need be.

[Clip of YMCA, Village People]

PM: Its fun to stay at the YMCA.

KYLE: Sing it.

JACKIE O: Sing it Julia.

PM: That was as close to singing as I get!

KYLE: That was very good.

PM: I could do the hand actions, but no.

JACKIE O: Okay, next one Kyle. Julia, I want to really hear your singing voice.

KYLE: Shes shy. What if we all sung?

JACKIE O: What if we sung with you?

PM: Alright.

JACKIE O: Okay, lets go, next one then.

[Clip of Like a Virgin, Madonna]

JACKIE O: What are you playing this for?

KYLE: Ready, ready.

PM: Like Madonna singing a really old song.

JACKIE O: Youre not going to say it!

KYLE: Shes too good!

JACKIE O: Making sure youre being clever.

KYLE: Okay hang on, one more.

[Clip of Bad, Michael Jackson]

PM: Oh, that was it?

KYLE: Remember, cause Im bad.

PM: Yeah, Im bad, et cetera.

JACKIE O: Are you worried theyre going to get a grab of you saying because Im bad, Im bad. Is that what shes worried about?

KYLE: No and I agree, that would be bad. Okay, one more song.

Yeah, you know that channel Nine News is going to put that sort of song montage together and then they come back and go mmm.

Well do one more song. I cant think of anything they can do to make this look dodgy.

JACKIE O: Okay.

PM: Okay.

[Clip of Livin On A Prayer, Bon Jovi]

PM: Im halfway there.

KYLE: Do not come to Australias Got Talent, all Im saying.

PM: No I wont!

KYLE: You can come and sit in the audience but if you walk on stage Im going to go errr.

PM: This is a deep seated Gillard family fear, singing in public.

JACKIE O: Is it really?

PM: Yes it is, like this is very dangerous terrain for me. Were Welsh originally, we migrated from Wales, the Welsh are supposed to be fantastic singers, and the only Welsh people on the planet who cant sing are me and my family.

JACKIE O: No!

PM: One of my earliest memories is of being in church with my mother elbowing my father going quieter John, quieter because hes singing a hymn out of tune with the rest of the congregation. So this is actually psychologically very difficult for me.

KYLE: I love that.

JACKIE O: Oh god, its bringing back terrible memories.

KYLE: Wheres Timmy?

PM: Timmys not here today.

KYLE: Where is he? PM: Well hes been away in the States; hes on his way back today so hell be in Canberra.

KYLE: Boys trip, lucky thing.

JACKIE O: While youre here are you going to stay in Kirribilli House tonight?

PM: I will be.

JACKIE O: I love that place.

PM: You love that place?

JACKIE O: I love it!

KYLE: Dont tell the people where the Prime Minister is!

JACKIE O: Im assuming because shes in Sydney she would be staying there.

PM: I am staying there, but theres no racing down the hill, eggs rolling, no games on the grass.

KYLE: Its all quiet on the home front tonight.

PM: Its all quiet, Ill get back there quite late, theres a Community Cabinet.

KYLE: One last thing I wanted to offer you because I saw that clunker youre in. That old car, that old commodore thing.

PM: Are you insulting C1?

KYLE: How old is it? Its got some age on it Prime Minister.

PM: Yeah, I saw a news report. I never know anything about cars but I saw a news report saying something like it was 14 years old or 16 years old or something like that.

KYLE: How do the rest of us go out and buy a new car when youve got the clunker there. But I suppose its quite expensive because its bullet proof and all that stuff.

PM: Well it does have some special powers.

JACKIE O: So what are you offering?

KYLE: Ive got a surprise for you down in the car park.

PM: A surprise in the car park?

KYLE: Im going to play the ad, Im going to walk you downstairs to your fleet, the clunker fleet, and Ive got something there thats going to blow your socks off.

JACKIE O: I dont even know about this.

KYLE: No you dont. Ive just decided on the spare of the moment.

JACKIE O: Okay.

PM: Okay.

JACKIE O: So when we cross to you when youre downstairs?

KYLE: Ill be on the phone. But today, you are really going to be like Queen Elizabeth.

JACKIE O: Are you offering your car?

KYLE: You ruin everything!

JACKIE O: I think we all connected the dots on that one.

KYLE: No, no, well go downstairs, just see what you think.

PM: Okay.

KYLE: Got the flags on it ready to go.

PM: I was actually talking to someone this morning who saw you putting petrol in your car yesterday.

KYLE: Nothing escapes you!

PM: I have people everywhere.

KYLE: How did they see that?

PM: Nothing escapes me.

KYLE: The Prime Minister and I will be from the garage oh the police dont want me to say exactly where we are! Well be back straight after this. Thank you for coming in.

PM: Thank you.

[ENDS]