I had the recent opportunity to get Tony Abbott on the phone and on the air as he was in the area. His media advisor couldn’t get him to the studio though (I know a kilometre is a long way Tony, think of it like a marathon) so instead we had a phone call lined up for 8:15am of the morning Wednesday, 28th of September.

The 5 minute audio recording from SoundCloud is below, here is the transcript.

[toggle title_open=“Hide Transcript” title_closed=“View Full Transcript” hide=“yes” border=“yes” style=“default”]TRANSCRIPT OF THE HON. TONY ABBOTT MHR, INTERVIEW WITH JOSH AND STACE, STARFM, PORT MACQUARIE

Subjects: Visit to Port Macquarie; Julia Gillard.

PRESENTER: Joining us on the show this morning, the Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott. Welcome to the show, sir.

TONY ABBOTT: Josh, it’s nice to be with you again.

PRESENTER: So tell us, Tony, we know you’re in our area but where are you right now?

TONY ABBOTT: Well, right now I’m on Hastings Drive heading out towards the bridge and I’m going up to Kempsey because there’s an iconic Australian business at Kempsey, it’s called Akubra hats and I’ll be visiting them to talk about the red tape burdens which under the current federal government are falling on businesses and what the next Coalition government I hope will do to ease them.

PRESENTER: So just another day but perhaps with a hat?

TONY ABBOTT:Yes, that’s right. I don’t quite think I’m going to have a Bob Katter hat on but no doubt I’ll get a chance to model a few Akubras.

PRESENTER: Very good and then are you heading back south or are you heading north?

TONY ABBOTT: I’m then off to Coffs Harbour because I’ve got a community forum up there in Coffs, a bit like the one I did yesterday here in Port.

PRESENTER: Very good and that was a successful night last night?

TONY ABBOTT: Yeah, I think it was. You know, the great thing about these community forums is that people can raise whatever is on their mind and that’s good because politicians spend a lot of time telling people what’s on our minds and I think it’s important that people get their chance to talk back at us

PRESENTER: Well, Tony, you’re on our radio programme this morning so I’m going to let you say what’s on your mind in a moment but I was hoping I could put a gateway challenge in, are you up for a challenge?

TONY ABBOTT: I’m always up for a challenge, mate. If it’s the half ironman or the full ironman in Port I’m always happy for a challenge.

PRESENTER: Oh mate, this might be a double ironman. Tony, we’ve got a 60 second timer here and I wanted to play a 60 second challenge with you.

TONY ABBOTT: Ok.

PRESENTER: And look, I don’t think it will be that hard because back in the day when both yourself and Julia Gillard weren’t in the leadership positions you are now you used to have a bit of friendly banter on the Today Show on Channel Nine.

TONY ABBOTT: That’s exactly right, we did.

PRESENTER: And then look you often had something nice to say about Julia. I was only watching, there was a video that was all mashed together of the nice things you both had to say about each other so I reckon you’ve got it in you. I’m going to let you speak politics if you can complete the 60 second challenge where for 60 seconds it’s you just complementing and saying nice things about Julia Gillard.

PRESENTER: Josh!

TONY ABBOTT: I’ve got 60 seconds?

PRESENTER: 60 seconds and the timer is here so you’ll know when it’s up, ok.

TONY ABBOTT: I’ve got to fill 60 seconds worth of airwaves with nice things about the Prime Minister?

PRESENTER: Yeah, well because, you know, I know you used to have nice things to say about her and often the only things that make it to the nightly news are the negative things but I’m sure you’ve got nice things to say about her.

TONY ABBOTT: So you want me to start off?

PRESENTER: Ok, I’ll count you in.

PRESENTER: And the thing is Tony if you can make it then we’re going to let you say whatever you want after that.

TONY ABBOTT: Alright, ok.

PRESENTER: Alright, 60 seconds starting now.

TONY ABBOTT: Ok, well look, I know Julia Gillard very well on a political basis and on a professional basis because I was the health minister when she was the shadow health minister, I was the leader of the House of Representatives when she was the manager of opposition business, she and I debated each other on the Today programme every Friday morning for most of 2007 and indeed for much of 2010. So I know her very well professionally and politically and there’s no doubt that as an opposition shadow minister and as a deputy prime minister she gave you the impression of being very much on top of her job, very much someone who you could do business with and I think the problem since she’s got the top job is that she has disappointed people who saw her in those earlier roles and assumed that she would just slot naturally into the top….

Have I run out of time?

PRESENTER: You made it!

PRESENTER: Although it wasn’t that nice, Tony.

PRESENTER: I thought you were going to take this opportunity to compliment her on perhaps her shoes…

PRESENTER: Hair colour…

TONY ABBOTT: I know better than to make any public comment whatsoever on what a woman wears.

PRESENTER: Well you did very well. This was Josh’s challenge and I was a little bit sceptical but you handled it really well, Tony, so thank you.

TONY ABBOTT: Well thank you so much, Stace, thank you so much. So now I can say what I really think!

PRESENTER: Now you can say whatever you like!

PRESENTER: Tony, upon getting the phone call from your media guy yesterday, and I was telling my friends, there are a lot of people who are keen to see you in the leadership. Mate, I’m going to wish you well and especially obviously over the next 12 months. I watch a little bit of the political stuff on the ABC and I know the next 12 months there are going to be a lot of change I reckon. Do you think we’re going to have a female prime minister for Christmas?

TONY ABBOTT: Oh, that’s in the hands of the Labor Party. I think there’s a lot of unrest inside the Labor Party at the moment. I think a lot of people are looking both with apprehension and anticipation at Kevin Rudd. So look, who knows what’s going to happen. They gave Kevin Rudd the flick because they thought he was doing a lousy job before the last election and at the moment they think that Julia, if anything, is doing a worse job. So that’s why her position is so fragile at the moment.

PRESENTER: Tony Abbott, he’s Leader of the Opposition, mate enjoy your day on the Macleay and then on the way up to Coffs Harbour region and thank you very much for joining the Star Morning Crew.

TONY ABBOTT: Thanks so much Josh.

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My first thoughts are that Tony and my co-host Stacey is deaf  “Well you did very well”. When Tony says “she has disappointed people”, that isn’t really all that nice. I’m also a fan of me “watching a little bit of the political stuff on ABC”. So bogan right now.

I had hopes we would have had real life Tony on the phone (well actually in the studio), not political gamer Tony.

www.youtube.com/watch

www.youtube.com/watch

Transcript source: http://tonyabbott.com.au