Kim Beazley, Election, Iraq, Peter Garrett Mark Latham - Federal Labor Leader

TV Interview with Bert Newton

Transcript - Channel Ten - 15 July 2004

LATHAM: Fantastic. It's great to be here.

LATHAM: Yes, I love to get around the country and talk to people about the issues. It's a delight to see so much of Australia and talk to people about the great diversity of matters and policies and items that occupy their minds so, for me, it has been an experience of a life time over the last seven months to get around Australia and try and raise issues to help people and talk about positive things we can do for Australia's future. So I've loved every minute of it. There are challenges, of course, but, overall, it has been great.

NEWTON: And that's our first advertorial for the morning!

LATHAM: That's politics.

NEWTON: It just does seem, Mark, as if you are very enthusiastic and, I mean, what people can't take away from you - they call it a honeymoon period but you had not so much a honeymoon period, you raced on to the scene and people were very interested in this new look leader in Australian politics. But how has it changed your life, personally, apart from the obvious things that you are busier and better known and the whole thing, is it all good stuff?

LATHAM: It is more travel, as you get around Australia, and more time away from home but I try and get good time with the family on the weekend as best I can. It's made me busier and obviously a higher profile in the public eye and that has challenges attached to it so it's - I mean, people adapt; don't they? Everyone adapts to new circumstances and that's what I've been doing over the last seven months.

NEWTON: What's it like to have so many around you, though? You know, your minders, your advisers and your press secretary - it is very much, almost, the Hollywood star situation, you can't get away from that now because that's how it's done, isn't it?

LATHAM: You have staff but not as many as the Government has - they've got hundreds. We've just got a handful and they help out. But I suppose the other big change is just being recognised in the street and people coming up and saying hello. I can't think of anyone who has actually given me a genuine razz so the feedback from people has been really welcoming and happy and that's been tremendous.

NEWTON: The Kim Beazley appointment came out of left field; how long was that on the backburner?

LATHAM: I first asked Kim if he wanted to come on the front bench when I first got the job so that was seven months ago. But then Kim had a spell of ill health but he's back 100 per cent now and wanting to make a contribution. I mean, even Mr Howard has said if he had a war cabinet in Australia he'd have Kim Beazley there as Defence Minister so, from the other side of politics, that's very high praise and he's someone who's got a lot to offer this country for the future. When we talk about national security, there would be nothing better than to have Kim Beazley as our Defence Minister in the future.

NEWTON: Any old scars though? To me, it just seems like, you know, as if I would put Kerri-Anne Kennerley up as Australian of the Year!! I mean, I would love her to be Australian of the Year but I'm not necessarily going to be the first one to jump in with it, you know.

LATHAM: Why don't you, you know, that would be a nice gesture? But in politics you have ballots and I ran against one with Kim but in a democracy you know people accept the verdict. I've run in ballots and lost but you've got to move on. I mean, if you gave it away every time you lost a ballot in politics you would be lasting about 10 minutes. You've got to move forward, and Kim loves politics as a vocation, public service, as do I, and I think that's the spirit in which we approach the future campaigns.

NEWTON: Do you worry sometimes that Kim is seen - his real love is defence, of course, and the services, but is there a worry that some people can see that as someone liking to dress up and get into tanks and sort of play war games?

LATHAM: I think he had to do a bit of that when he was Defence Minister. I mean, you get out there in the field and talk to the soldiers; that's part of being a good Defence Minister - relate to the troops and let them know you are on their side and everything is being done to support them in their vital work for the country. He is a strategist and he knows a lot about military history and he knows a lot about defence planning for Australia. It is always good to have people in the key jobs who've got the expertise and experience, and he is fantastically qualified.

NEWTON: Do you like him as a bloke.

LATHAM: Yes, well, Kim is affable and friendly and gets on well with people.

NEWTON: Do you have much in common the two of you?

LATHAM: Well, we're Labor Party politicians - that's a pretty good start. We love our party and the chance for public service. That's a good bond. I mean, one thing about the political scene, we gather in Canberra but you're always so busy moving around the country you're never able to spend as much time with people at a personal level as you would like but, over the years, you obviously get to know people pretty well.

NEWTON: You mentioned before about not getting razzed so far -

LATHAM: In the streets.

NEWTON: In the streets -

LATHAM: I get razzed in the Parliament by the Liberal Party of course. News Oh, sure, but you are not backwards yourself in that area, are you?

LATHAM: Oh, well, in the past I've had a go but, in this job, I've said no more crudity and I've stuck to that strongly.

NEWTON: So what would you replace that with?

LATHAM: I'm a passionate person and like to talk about my policies and ideas for the country, so I get stuck in and speak my mind that way.

NEWTON: It is interesting - with that razzing thing and so forth - I remember that many years ago when the famous American entertainer, Danny Kaye, was in Australia he was at a luncheon and present was the late leader of the Labor Party, Arthur Calwell. Danny Kaye made mention that as a performer there's always 10 per cent that are not going to like you and Arthur made the obvious comments that in politics there are always 50 per cent who like you and 50 per cent who don't. I suppose when you get it down to that line ball situation that's pretty true. The 50 per cent who - when I say don't like you who would vote against you, maybe, in this next election, they have different attitudes towards your recent press conference than you have and many other people have who support politicians to show their real colours. Do you have any regrets at all that nature took over and you broke down or near to broke down during that press conference?

LATHAM: I went in there to clear the air. There was some terrible rumours being published in newspapers and all sorts of scuttlebutt so I went in there to say look I'm here with nothing to hide, ask me the questions and I'll give you a straight answer, which I did. I think that was the right thing to do. Nobody likes to do their work surrounded by scuttlebutt so I cleared the air in one day and, you know, as for how I felt, you're talking about family and all that I suppose I got a bit emotional about it but if you're not emotional about your family then what sort of person are you. I mean, that's a natural reaction I would have thought.

NEWTON: But did you set a new agenda, because you gave mention to issues that we knew nothing about?

LATHAM: Those matters were subsequently published -

NEWTON: But not at that stage.

LATHAM: No, no, but journalists were asking questions about it. When I raised them at the press conference, there was no shortage of questions about them. People in the press gallery knew about them. They knew these rumours and were jumping up to ask questions about them. If journalists are asking questions, they've obviously got an intention to publish. I just took all this bundle of ridiculous rumours in one hit and said, 'Look, let's just clear the air and get on with the real task which is putting the policies and ideas out there for the benefit of the Australian people.' I think that was the right way to do it. I wasn't scared of anything people were saying. I had nothing to worry about so why not front up and put your case?

NEWTON: So you can declare on our show this morning that you're not a cross-dresser? [Laughter]

LATHAM: Not lately and, unless I get on the Footy Show, where I think it is compulsory, then I'm on safe ground.

NEWTON: Just one final question before the break and then we'll come back with you. What is it about politics today that you like most of all and what is it that you loathe most of all about being in the game?

LATHAM: What I like is the last seven months getting around the country talking to the Australian people who are uniquely straightforward and I love that great Australian sense of humour and mateship that we've got. Loathing - well, I think probably the Question Times that we have in Parliament where it is all so negative and I got to sit there and listen to stuff the Government carries on with. That is probably the bit that is hardest to cop but then again if you want to lead the country you've got to go through the opposition period and take everything that is thrown at you and that is what I do.

NEWTON: We'll talk more in a moment, Mark. Good to have you on the show.

LATHAM: Pleasure.

NEWTON: Welcome back. Our elite guest on this Thursday morning on GMA is the Leader of the Opposition, Mark Latham. Is it hard now to have a personal life away from politics in the last seven months because, obviously, if you look at the day it would be a horrendous day for you every day of the week?

LATHAM: It's busy. You're on the go but every now on the weekend we get some good time with family and obviously when the election is out of the way there will be a chance to do more of that.

NEWTON: Or less.

LATHAM: As I'm looking forward - well, or less, yes, but an annual holiday at the end of the year, Christmas time, is certainly something that's going to be very welcome.

NEWTON: When do you think the election will be called?

LATHAM: Mr Howard doesn't give me many tips, you see. He doesn't ring me up and say, 'Guess what I'm going to do; I'm going to call the election.' No, I'll find out when it is in the media. It is up to the Prime Minister to call it. Some people say it is the world's longest election campaign so one day he will get around to calling the election and I'll be there for the formal campaign.

NEWTON: If he has gone so wrong, John Howard, how come he is now fighting his fourth election as Prime Minister or to be Prime Minister?

LATHAM: He's sticking on for this coming campaign but 12 months ago when he turned 64 he almost gave it away - he almost retired, so there's a cloud over how long he is going to stay on. People I talk to often say, 'Well, he's handing over to Peter Costello'. Why don't they just say that, get it out of the way and people would know what they're voting for - Mr Howard, say, for 18 months after the next election and then Prime Minister Peter Costello. It would be good if they could clear that up.

NEWTON: How does that sound to you: Prime Minister Peter Costello?

LATHAM: Terrible.

NEWTON: For what reason?

LATHAM: For the reason -

NEWTON: It means you haven't won.

LATHAM: If he gets it, I haven't won, but if he gets it people haven't voted for him either. If he gets it, it's on the basis that Mr Howard stands down after 18 months and hands over to someone that people didn't vote for and I don't think necessarily want. I don't see that as a very democratic prospect in the making.

NEWTON: Are you concerned that comments made by yourself, and feeling generally around the community that you're anti-America, is that going to affect the result; do you believe, at this stage, if we were to go to the election polls next Saturday?

LATHAM: That feeling that's put our there by the Liberal Party is wrong. I'm proud of the fact the Labor Party founded the American Alliance. We did that with John Curtin in World War II. We've always supported the American Alliance. I've always supported it. It's got to be a strong and important relationship for the future but, as we showed when we were last in Government, you can actually enhance the relationship even though you have some differences of opinion. A strong relationship will have differences of opinion and you work those things out and move forward even stronger for the future. So that's how we handle the relationship with the United States. It is no secret that, for the last 18 months, there was a difference over Iraq but one thing about that American Alliance is it's much bigger and stronger than the mistakes that were made in relation to Iraq and that's how we will handle it in the future.

NEWTON: Do you wish now you hadn't made that comment about the troops coming home by Christmas?

LATHAM: No, I think that's the right way to do things, just as the Howard Government took our troops out of Afghanistan at the end of 2002 we'd take the Coalition forces out at the end of 2004. What it says is that in places where Australia hasn't got permanent and strong interests, in this case on the other side of the world, you need to time limit the deployment. The current Government did that in Afghanistan; we'd do that in Iraq.

NEWTON: Would you think of visiting Iraq?

LATHAM: I haven't thought about that in that we've got the election campaign coming up and then, if we form Government, a lot of work to do in this country - a lot of work to do in this country, particularly in repairing health and education services, so my first period in office, obviously, will be in Australia trying to improve basic services for the benefit of the Australian people.

NEWTON: But before the election a visit to Iraq might that not do some good for the perception that you are behind the boys and women over there?

LATHAM: We support the troops who are carrying out their responsibilities under Government policy.

NEWTON: Would you visit, though?

LATHAM: I just wouldn't have the chance to. I've said no more overseas travel on the basis that it's better for me to be in Australia talking to the Australian people about the things that need to be done, particularly in health and education. And, as I get around the country, I've got to say for every time someone mentions an issue overseas there are a hundred problems that need to be solved in this country - youth unemployment, decline in bulk-billing, lack of affordability in education, run down in housing opportunities. I mean, there is a whole raft of issues here - you know, it's daunting to think of how much we need to do to improve the situation in this country.

NEWTON: Mark, what is the early result with Peter Garrett joining the party? Is the feeling still good?

LATHAM: Yes, I think it's positive. Peter is someone who I think belongs in Australian politics - whether you are left, right or centre, I think we need people who inspire others, that have got a bit of charisma and energy that give young people, in particular, a bigger interest in the political system. I worry that perhaps, you know, the growing level of apathy weakens our democracy. So people who inspire others, I think, belong in the Australian Parliament.

NEWTON: You mentioned before that the important thing to you is getting around and meeting the people and listening to what they have to say to you. At the start of the show this morning, I made a gag about my wife being the Leader of the Opposition; do you get much advice from your wife, politically?

LATHAM: Well, we all do; don't we, in politics, and in other matters? Of course, that is part of a partnership in life where we talk about work; we talk about family, obviously, and things where we share a common interest. I'm not too sure if she's my Leader of the Opposition but certainly someone that is very important to me.

NEWTON: How do the kids feel about it?

LATHAM: Well, they're only three and a half and one and a half -

NEWTON: But they would know something has happened - well, the three and half would.

LATHAM: The three and a half year old does, because we say, 'What does Daddy do for work?' He says, 'Daddy talk, man clap' so he is very optimistic about what I do!

NEWTON: Did you say, Daddy talk a lot of crap!!

LATHAM: No, Daddy talk, man clap!

NEWTON: Oh, I do beg your pardon!

LATHAM: He's been to functions where I'll talk and people would get up and clap.

NEWTON: I was going to say get him to watch his language, too.

LATHAM: So when we say to him what does Daddy do for work he says Daddy talk, man clap!

NEWTON: I got you. Just finally, Gough Whitlam was pretty important inspiration to you - certainly, too, of course, I mean, Australia, in so many respects changed as a nation and primarily because of one man, Gough Whitlam. Does he still remain for you as that icon?

LATHAM: Oh, well, absolutely. There will only ever be one Gough. It's great that he is sticking on and he is still getting around and interested in Australian public life. He turned 88 on Sunday, actually, so he's been remarkably durable and we all love him very deeply.

NEWTON: It is going to be interesting times ahead, not just for the people of Australia but of course for people like yourself, particularly yourself, because you're a brand new Leader of the Opposition - like Gough was back in the late 60s when he was assistant to Arthur Calwell - and we've not seen too many politicians quite like Mark Latham. So I hope it's not only an interesting trip I hope it's a safe one and I hope it is a good one for all concerned. Don't forget - daddy speak, man clap.

LATHAM: That's it. I'm going to laugh about that all day, Bert. Good on you.