Transcript of Interview with Gary Hardgrave, 4BC Brisbane

Transcript, E&OE, proof only

Subjects: Diplomatic corps visit to Qld, ETS, disaster insurance

6 April 2011

GARY HARDGRAVE: We'll talk to Kevin Rudd in a moment, because - well, he's flat out at - frantic. He's got 70 of his better friends - he's brought them to Queensland. Kevin Rudd joins us. How's the diplomatic mission in the Far North going?

KEVIN RUDD: Good to talk to you again Gary. I think it's going well. We started this morning. The whole purpose of the mission is this; I know Queensland's taken a battering in the floods and in the cyclones up north, and part of the problem is because of all of the global publicity, many countries around the world and people around the world have assumed that the economy's been battered into a pulp, and that there is no place to come for tourism purposes. Of course, that's wrong. And so we're trying to push the message back in the other direction.

One way of doing it is to bring the largest ever gathering of diplomats to Brisbane and to Cairns later in the week. Tell them the reverse story. Get them to tell the message back home. And we've brought along about a dozen international media with them. So that's what we're doing.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yeah, and of course, you've got media, as you say, from all over the world - German media and other places. I mean all around it's a good thing to do. And I suppose after the week you've had, some of the media saying you're sticking the elbow in, I actually - I'm quite willing to accept your words on this, that you'll continue to set the record straight on events that took place under your prime ministership, because after all sir, if you don't, who's going to?

KEVIN RUDD: Well my view about all that is that - is that, look, both Prime Minister Howard, Prime Minister Keating, Prime Minister Hawke, their memoirs have been written, et cetera. They legitimately take the opportunity to ensure that their perspective on the record is set straight. I see myself as playing no more different role.

And secondly, I do that in a manner which is completely consistent with my status as a senior member of the federal government under Prime Minister Gillard and I'm out there doing my bit as the Foreign Minister of that government in promoting Australia's national interests. So I don't see these two things as frankly in conflict.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Well I don't, but of course it's a unique situation where somebody becomes a minister, a senior minister after being prime minister and I guess that is the mischief that's been created at the moment.

KEVIN RUDD: Well others may seek to make mischief for me, but the distinction is pretty clear in my mind. The part of getting on with the job Gary is doing the stuff that I'm doing here.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yeah.

KEVIN RUDD: Like, you know, the tourism industry has copped a huge shellacking in Queensland. Up in the Far North it's really bad and so - it's a cocktail of factors. It's not just global perceptions of the place having been, as I said, pummelled to a pulp during the floods and cyclones and, therefore, not a place to visit, but also the high dollar and everything else.

So, all right, what can I do as Foreign Minister? Get out there and try to send the reverse message, because if we have a good tourism industry running, and we've got good direct trade and investment links with the rest of the world and other areas, including international students and the rest...

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yeah.

KEVIN RUDD: ...then that's good for Queensland jobs and that's the name of the game.

GARY HARDGRAVE: There must be some days though, Kevin Rudd, when you feel frustrated about the fact that you're able to talk across portfolios as prime minister and as Foreign Minister you've got to be careful because obviously you don't want to cross any of the normal conventions.

KEVIN RUDD: Well Gary, you've known me for 20 years.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yep.

KEVIN RUDD: I think I'm more than capable of focusing on the job at hand and the job at hand is foreign policy. And, you know something, it's busy.

GARY HARDGRAVE: [Laughs]

KEVIN RUDD: Look at the last three months...

GARY HARDGRAVE: Of course it is.

KEVIN RUDD: ...for God's sake. You know, the Middle East has blown up.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yeah.

KEVIN RUDD: Libya's in the middle of a civil war. We've been pulling Australians out of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya and most countries in-between; trying to deal with the Australian consular implications and the wider economic implications of the Japanese tsunami; not to mention our friends in New Zealand, and the rest of what goes on that's - call it normal foreign policy.

So I've got more than - my hands are more than full and I'm perfectly satisfied with the job. I'm doing it to the best of my ability and I'm doing it to the best of my ability to advance Australia's national interests.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Now, but in Cabinet - and I mean I've sat in the Cabinet on occasions. You've sat in Cabinet the whole time you've been in government. Now...

KEVIN RUDD: Probably not the same Cabinets mate.

GARY HARDGRAVE: No definitely not, but the point...

KEVIN RUDD: [Laughs]

GARY HARDGRAVE: ...definitely not, but I must say that you and John Howard have got one thing in common and that is that John Howard always told me don't let anybody rewrite history. If you know something's wrong, speak out about it, which is what you've done this week. But the point I guess I'm trying to make Kevin is Bill Shorten yesterday came into Ipswich. He copped one right between the eyes and fair - well, it's not his fault, but we want people to muscle up over the failure of insurance companies. Now, you know, in Cabinet, as a Queenslander, as a senior minister, you would be afforded the chance to speak pretty strongly on this. There is a real broken spirit amongst a lot of Queenslanders now. What are doing to communicate that to your colleagues?

KEVIN RUDD: Well the reality on the ground is bad. How do I know that? From my own constituents.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yeah, I know.

KEVIN RUDD: And my own constituents - because I had my staff do a door knock of large slabs of the flood affected areas of my electorate on Brisbane Southside over the last month or so, and the over all, overwhelming playback, was that responses from governments at both levels, including the council, had been pretty good. The thing that really was getting up people's noses, was the fact they couldn't get even insurance assessors out.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Mmm.

KEVIN RUDD: And this is a real problem.

Mind you, when I was recently in Christchurch in New Zealand, I met people there who had been through the September earthquake in Christchurch and hadn't yet had a visit from an insurance assessor and, guess what, the folk in Christchurch have been told that all the insurance assessor have gone to Brisbane and the people in Brisbane are being told that all the insurance assessor have gone to Christchurch.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yeah, well I mean - I mean that in itself is an insight that's of value at the moment, because people in Ipswich, people in suburban Brisbane need some strong advocacy. I mean I'm going to talk to Bill Shorten about it after five, but I just want to see, as somebody who...

KEVIN RUDD: Well to be fair to Minister Shorten, I think he's trying as hard as he can with what always has been a difficult industry. You asked - your earlier part of your question was what voice do I lend...

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yeah.

KEVIN RUDD: ...and my answer to that is loud and clear and I'm not talking about Cabinet deliberations, because I don't when it comes to deliberations of the government of which I'm a member, but in terms of my advocacy privately with insurance companies, publicly whenever I'm asked and certainly in any other discussions with ministers is ‘For God's sake, give us a break.’ I mean people have been to hell and back with these floods. The insurance industry, generally, globally, is highly profitable. You know, get on with it.

Now I think Minister Shorten, to give him his due, has - has been putting his full shoulder to the wheel on this stuff and it's tough and I understand from my own constituents how, you know, bloody frustrating it is. I mean...

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yeah, I mean I'm not having a go at him. I'm just saying I want him to muscle up.

I don't want him to come to Ipswich, give them lip service and then go to Melbourne and forget about it and that's the key point I'm trying to make here.

KEVIN RUDD: Well I don't think he will. That's my sort of assessment of him.

And - but I think what's happened yesterday in Queensland, what's finally bubbled completely to the surface is what people have been feeling for about the last month...

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yeah.

KEVIN RUDD: ...which is - okay, in my experience in my own community, in Brisbane Southside, is that people are patient, they're practical. They understand all this takes time.

But I reckon that's got to tipping point and people have said, you know, fair go. And the people who are in the hot seat here are the insurance companies. Our job, and everyone in public life's job is to put the maximum pressure on these guys to own up to their responsibilities.

GARY HARDGRAVE: That's not unreasonable is it. Now Kevin, I've got to tell you we've run a little straw poll - it's a bit mischievous, but we don't mind being a bit mischievous.

KEVIN RUDD: Why does this not surprise me Gary Hardgrave? [Laughs]

GARY HARDGRAVE: Well, after all, you know, we get labelled all sorts of things - we on talkback radio.

KEVIN RUDD: [Laughs]

GARY HARDGRAVE: But...

KEVIN RUDD: Unlike politicians.

GARY HARDGRAVE: No, exactly right. And I grew a thicker skin years ago, as you would know.

But on the question of would you prefer Kevin Rudd or Julia Gillard, we took well over a 100 or more calls in the last little while - 82 votes to you. Three votes for the Prime Minister. Neither got 19 [break in transaction] got one. So those last couple were a somewhat, you know, off the agenda.

But the point, I guess, I'm trying to make is that no matter what else has happened in the last 12 months, you've still got support out of a lot of everyday Queenslanders.

KEVIN RUDD: Well the first thing I'd say is what Prime Minister Gillard has had to deal with is a hung parliament. It's tough. It's really tough to deal with these circumstances and she's been working hard in a very difficult set of circumstances to prosecute the government's agenda.

GARY HARDGRAVE: But Queenslanders aren't buying it at the moment Mr Rudd. They prefer you.

KEVIN RUDD: Well the fact that I'm a Queenslander means there’s always going to be a bunch of people who are going to be pretty friendly to me.

But the bottom line is the Prime Minister is working hard in a difficult set of political circumstances which, I think, any political leader would find difficult given the nature of the hung parliament that the people of Australia delivered at the last election.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yeah. And do you think the people of Australia maybe should have another say sometime sooner rather than later?

KEVIN RUDD: What I know about the people of Australia Gary is that they prefer governments to serve their full terms and to use the time that they've got to get on with the Australian national interests.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yes.

KEVIN RUDD: The business of making sure we've got the economic conditions to build jobs; get on with the business of fixing hospitals; get on with the business of securing Australia's place in the world and the bread and butter stuff of helping people who are under massive cost of living pressure.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yep.

KEVIN RUDD: That's what they expect governments to do in the period they're elected. Then you go full-term. Then you have an election. I have a pretty conservative view of these things and I think the bloke that you used to work for had one as well.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yeah, well I guess the people of Australia probably would agree with you on the surface, but deep down I think they also would like to have another go at it, another crack at it I think Kevin, but that's - a discussion we'll continue to have.

I appreciate your time. I know you've got a lot of guests that you're looking after - seventy diplomats and people really from all around the world. You hope they're going to get their message back that Queensland is open for business. That's the point of the whole exercise.

KEVIN RUDD: The bottom line is getting, you know, the world - we in Queensland often don't understand how much the visual pictures of the floods and the cyclone hit the world's psychology. Everywhere I've gone in the world as Foreign Minister, most recently to one of the poorest provinces of Afghanistan, in the middle of a war zone, the bloke as governor who was facing all sorts of challenges, his first line to me was; gee Queensland looks bad. And [laughs]...

GARY HARDGRAVE: That's the kind of relativity we didn't want.

KEVIN RUDD: No, no, but what I'm saying is it's an example...

GARY HARDGRAVE: Yes.

KEVIN RUDD: ...of what happened out there in the media.

If the people assume, because we had the whole place under water that, you know, we were down for the count. And the problem is that has a real affect on investor confidence, in tourism confidence in this place to come. So what you've got to do is bring them here, bring the most senior diplomatic representatives from around the world; show them; get them to send their reports back home; get them to do the media, in their own home media markets; bring the international media in and say ‘we're open for business’.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Right.

KEVIN RUDD: Because Queensland jobs hang on that and that's what I'm on about.

GARY HARDGRAVE: All right. I hope it all works well for you. Thanks for your time Kevin Rudd. We'll talk again soon.

KEVIN RUDD: Thanks Gary.

GARY HARDGRAVE: Cheers.

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