Cover Story
Home Run
Sarah Saunders | February/March 2010
Since coming into office Kevin Rudd has rivaled Bob Hawke as Australia’s most popular Prime Minister ever. Now, with a federal election looming and the first polls showing new opposition leader, Tony Abbott, gaining traction, Sarah Saunders sets out to discover the man behind the spin.
50 something last interviewed Kevin Rudd on the eve of election 2007. He was the member for Griffith, straight man to Joe Hockey’s funny guy on the Sunrise breakfast show, a father-of-three who liked to spend sunny weekends on the verandah of his modest Brisbane home. A former diplomat, fluent in Mandarin, not a blokey-bloke and without obvious union support he didn’t fit the Labor mould. At the time he was also about to embark on the fight of his life against the wily John Howard, Australia’s second longest-serving Prime Minister after Robert Menzies.
Standing at the gates of Kirribilli House, the Prime Minister’s official Sydney residence, on this overcast January day, I marvel at how things have changed. Adam, dressed in white uniform, greets and shows us into the drawing room. It is here that the Prime Minister wants to be interviewed and photographed, he states, much to the chagrin of our photographer.
The house is stately but the room is cold, dark and, apart from the chandeliers and plush armchairs, rather barren. As the photographer flings the French doors open in search of a better shot we’re gently told to keep them shut, and we get a hint of an underlying chaos elsewhere in the house.
Apparently, Jasper the cat is trying to find a way out, presumably back to Brissie and the warm family Queenslander; and Abby, the golden retriever, has just had a shampoo.
A glimmer of hope - perhaps today we’ll get a glimpse of Rudd, the real Rudd, off message, more relaxed. Accompanied by two advisors, he arrives wearing a chambray shirt, casual navy trousers and black RM Williams boots. The interview starts with promise.
Before the last election you spoke of peace at home and Sunday mornings at Riverbend books. Now you’re Prime Minister can you still find moments of peace?
In Canberra our routine is actually very similar to what we used to do in Brisbane. We trot long to church usually and, then, after that we find the local bookstore which is called Paperchain in Manuka in Canberra.
One of the first people I walked in to see at the counter at Paperchain in Manuka was a bloke who used to sell me books at Riverbend in Brisbane because he’d recently moved his family to Canberra. So that’s our routine: we go there for a cup of coffee and chat to some of the locals and drift back to The Lodge by about lunchtime. It’s not quite the same as Brissie, it’s not quite as laid back as Oxford Street, Bulimba but it’s still part of the family routine.
What do you consider your greatest achievement since coming into office?
Well, that’s a matter for the Australian people to make a judgement on. The thing that I believe the government has handled best in its period in office has been the global economic recession because of our national economic stimulus strategy which involved payments to pensioners and carers, as well as our investment in the biggest school modernisation program in this country’s history. Because of our national economic stimulus strategy we’ve been able to bring Australia through the global recession without Australia having gone into recession. We are the only one of the 33 advanced economies in the world to come through with positive economic growth in the past twelve months.
In hindsight was it really necessary to push through the ETS before Copenhagen?
Australia is the hottest of driest continents on earth, and wherever you are in Australia you see the evidence of climate change. If you look over the data for the last decade and see the average inflow of the Murray-Darling system this is down to 50 per cent of historical norms. What we have to do as Australians is act effectively nationally and globally. Nationally we’re doing no differently than 34, 36 other advanced economies around the world in bringing in an emissions trading scheme. They’ve all concluded this is the most environmentally effective, least expensive system to deal with bringing down greenhouse gas emissions. Secondly, you need to be active globally. Copenhagen did not achieve everything we wanted but it represents one strong step in that direction particularly around a global agreement that we should not allow temperatures increases to go beyond 2 degrees centigrade.
So where’s that going this year?
Firstly on the local front we will be re-introducing the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme legislation into Parliament. Secondly, from the Copenhagen conference there will be a third conference in Mexico as we seek to bring the areas of agreement in Copenhagen to a broader conclusion for both developed and developing countries. This is very hard work. There is nothing like dealing with climate change at any earlier time in human history therefore to have governments of all persuasions, rich and poor, around the world to forge an agreement like this is a very difficult piece of work.
Is Tony Abbott a more formidable opponent than Malcolm Turnbull and will he change the way you fight the next election?
Mr Abbott is the fourth Liberal leader I’ve confronted in the last couple of years. Mr Howard was a formidable political opponent. Since then we’ve had Dr Nelson, Mr Turnbull and now Mr Abbott. It’s important to treat each of your opponents with respect. I do so on this occasion as well. At the end of the day though, this is the challenge: elections are fought out on the basis of substance, they’re fought out on the basis of policy detail and they’re fought on the basis of consistency over time. Substance in your plan for Australia’s future, policy detail on how you’re going to get there and consistency in those policies over time. And again, the alternative is: not having a plan – which seems to be the case with the Liberals at present -; making up policy on the run – we’ve seen a lot of evidence of that already; but also, extraordinary inconsistency in policy.
Last election you focussed heavily on working families. What does the seniors vote mean to you, and if you put too much emphasis on seniors does it detract from that young, fresh image you had in the last election?
I said when I became Prime Minister that I would be Prime Minister for all Australians – young, middle aged and old – and that remains our position. In the last two years for working families we’ve delivered two sets of tax cuts, an increase in the childcare rebate from 30 per cent to 50 per cent, we’ve also abolished Work Choices because it got rid of penalty rates and overtime. At the same time we’ve brought about the single largest reform of the Age Pension in the country’s history and we’ve done so amidst the worst economic circumstances the country has faced since the Great Depression.
We believe in a fair go for all Australians – working families and seniors, and we’ve put our money where our mouth is when it comes to the fundamental reform of the Age Pension.
Former Queensland premier Wayne Goss for whom you were chief-of-staff left Queensland after two terms a much more open society, what would you like your legacy to be?
Well I think that’s for the Australian people to make up their minds about. My job is to provide leadership today and for the future. What are my priorities? Number one is to ensure our long term national security. Two, build a strong economy for the future – we’ve survived this global economic recession when so many other countries went under. Thirdly, to make sure we have a world class health system into the future, and one which Australians can afford, and which delivers the best health outcomes for the country. Beyond that, not pushing to one side the very difficult long-term challenges like climate change and hoping they go away.
Even after two terms as Prime Minister, you’d still be quite young. What would you like to do next?
You know something: my mind is purely on the job of being prime minister of Australia. I will remain Prime Minister of Australia so long as the Australian people so choose and so long as I believe I have something to contribute.
How has religion shaped your world view and what do you draw from your faith?
Religious belief is a private matter and whether people have religious beliefs or not it is entirely a matter for them. I’ve been completely candid about my own religious views and public life ever since I’ve been elected to parliament. There’s nothing particularly remarkable about them. According to the census data some 70 percent of Australians believe in the Christian god and I’m just one of that group. I don’t think it makes you any better or any worse than any other human being. It probably makes you somewhat more conscious of the failings that you are responsible for.
This is our Valentine’s Day issue. Does your wife consider you romantic and how will you be spending Valentine’s Day?
We normally send each other roses on Valentine’s Day. It’s just that as the years go by the number of roses usually increases. We always celebrate our wedding anniversary. We always send roses. And this coming Valentine’s Day I imagine it will be no different depending on where we are. Sometimes we’re not in the same city on Valentine’s Day because she travels a lot as well. We’ve been together now for nearly thirty years. She’s learnt to tolerate all my foibles and obviously deserves a special award for doing so.
So that’s the secret to your relationship success?
Yeah, she’s really tolerant.
What’s your greatest fear?
I’m not so much into fears and anxieties. I’m more into hope and belief and practical action. The key thing to ask yourself each morning is: How can I make a real difference to people’s lives today, and can I do that through the things the government does. It’s unrealistic to assume that you can solve all this country’s problems in one fell swoop. But if you have a clear idea where you want to take the country, the policies you need to take it there and you’re consistent in your approach in doing that, over time what you can point to is measurable progress.