Transcript of interview with Today show, Channel Nine

Subjects: New Zealand mine rescue

Transcript, E&OE

23 November 2010

GEORGIE GARDNER: Right now, it is back to Karl in Greymouth in New Zealand. Karl.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Thank you Georgie, slow progress overnight in so far as the rescue mission. Coming up after the break Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd joins us to update on how the Aussie rescuers are going and also how the families are coping. In fact Kevin Rudd joins us now. Good morning to you.

KEVIN RUDD: Good morning Karl.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Sorry about that Mr Rudd we were a little bit confused then, I wasn't sure whether you were there or not, but you are here. Thank you for your time this morning. You have spoken to the Aussie families, that is a tough, tough phone call to make.

KEVIN RUDD: Well it's much tougher for the families Karl. These folk have been just leading their normal work-a-day lives and then suddenly like — something like this hits.

Obviously this is very hard for the families and our job as an Australian Government is to provide every level of physical support possible for them getting to New Zealand, and to be in New Zealand and to provide them with the best supply of information. That's why we deployed our Consul-General there to the mine area and to Greymouth, as soon as we were able to.

KARL STEFANOVIC: How are they holding up Kevin?

KEVIN RUDD: Oh look Karl, let's try for a moment with all your viewers just to put yourself in these good people's shoes. It's just — it's just a really — as one said to me yesterday it's a very hard long wait and we know the reality there. That is that everything that can be done is being done by the New Zealand authorities. They've got to be very mindful of all the safety considerations in terms of the rescue recovery effort. They don't want to compound the situation, but at the same time you've got the very human factor of families wanting to know and wanting everything to be done. But these are strong folk. They're from Queensland towns in Middlemount and near Maryborough.

They're from strong communities and they've got strong family support.

KARL STEFANOVIC: There are family members here who are really struggling as well as you would know only too well, of New Zealand miners. Some of them seem to be divided on whether they still have hope or whether or not they think that it's just too hard to imagine anyone walking out of there. How do you think the Australia families are viewing things at the moment? Can you give us an insight into their mindset?

KEVIN RUDD: Look I don't want to betray private conversations Karl. I — I found various family members I spoke to strong and calm and composed but let's not for a moment pretend that this is anything approaching normal. I spoke again this morning to our High Commissioner Paul O'Sullivan who caught up again with one of the families yesterday.

Paul had just been to the mine site with the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. He spoke again with the families, or one of the families. The Consul-General is dealing with all the families, several hours getting on the phone with them to make sure everything is being done that can be done. But let's just — look, for everyone there whether they are New Zealanders, whether they are Brits, whether they're Australians, this is a very human — a human reality and I think all of our thoughts and all of our prayers have to go to all of them at this terrible period of waiting.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Well it is a tough time as Foreign Minister, tough time for a lot of people over here. I know I can tell you directly that we have spoken to the Prime Minister over here Kevin, we've spoken to several Ministers in fact and they are deeply appreciative of all the help that you and our Government is giving them right now.

We appreciate your time this morning as well. Thank you.

KEVIN RUDD: Thanks very much Karl.

KARL STEFANOVIC: All right, that's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd there in Canberra. A lot on his plate at the moment as well. Georgie, back to you for the moment.

GEORGIE GARDNER: All right Karl, thank you very much for that.

END

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