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HOCKEY
Treasurer
TRANSCRIPT
SYDNEY LIVE WITH BEN FORDHAM 2GB
FRIDAY, 15 AUGUST 2014
E&OE
BEN FORDHAM:
Treasurer, good afternoon to you.
TREASURER:
Afternoon, Ben.
BEN FORDHAM:
Difficult week for you?
TREASURER:
We are out there trying to negotiate through a Budget that is going to
deliver the sort of prosperity and jobs that Australians want and deserve.
Now, there is going to be swings and roundabouts during the course of
any discussion.
BEN FORDHAM:
As you know, words can be taken out of context slightly and you were
talking about the poorest people in society and when you said the poorest
washed over you while you were attending those awards today; you felt
like you needed to say something?
TREASURER:
You know, I just told the story. As a local member it is a way of saying
thank you to volunteers in the community and you know, I told the story
of when I was a young kid about working with my parents in the local
Lions Club to help raise money for local orphanages in those days they
had orphanages, and someone came up to me afterwards and said why
do we think you are different now? And I said, I cant control what is
said about me, and she said, just show what it is in your heart; I am
saying we are trying to deliver a plan for the nation that ensures that
those most disadvantaged get the very best, the very best we as a
community can offer into the future. I am trying to make healthcare
sustainable, I am trying to make the welfare system sustainable and the
education system the best it can be and you can only do that through
what we are trying to do in the Budget, but it has been lost in the last few
days and I am sorry for that.
BEN FORDHAM:
If this lady has said to you today at this community event in North
Sydney, show whats in your heart, lets be honest here, I can tell from
looking at you right now, you are hurting as a result of what is being said
about you or what some people are thinking about you as a result of this
(inaudible).
TREASURER:
No, no. Look, I accept responsibility. I just - we want to get on with the
job of trying to fix the Budget that we inherited. I want to get on with the
job of explaining to Australians that we are about building a more
prosperous nation, a more caring nation; a nation that has the capacity to
help those that are most disadvantaged.
BEN FORDHAM:
So that there is no confusion at all, the comments that you made: were
they insensitive? Were they stupid? Was it a brain explosion?
TREASURER:
They were obviously insensitive, obviously, but you know, what is said
cant be unsaid. I can only apologise for any hurt that I have caused and
say that we are trying to do our very best for the most disadvantaged,
trying to do our very best to build prosperity for people.
BEN FORDHAM:
Have you been asked to come into the studio this afternoon to make
this
TREASURER:
Not at all, not at all. No one has. Anyone suggesting that I was asked to
do that or it was suggested to me as (inaudible). I thought about it this
morning and I thought I dont want to hurt people and the words were
clearly hurting some people and I thought about it a lot and thought, you
know, we have got to clear this up.
BEN FORDHAM:
You had the chance to think about it yesterday but on your mind was,
well, no what I am saying was this and the figures show that, yet you
could have cleared it up yesterday but the extra 24 hours has given you
more time has it not to really consider (inaudible)?
TREASURER:
And it was the chance to a lady at the lights at Cammeray had a chat to
me when I was crossing the road.
BEN FORDHAM:
What did she say?
TREASURER:
Well she just said, you have got to be yourself, you have got to be true to
yourself, and you know I thought about it and thought a bit more,
anyway.
BEN FORDHAM:
Did the lady at the lights say, Hey Joe, you stuffed up?
TREASURER:
No, no. She
BEN FORDHAM:
But was that the vibe?
TREASURER: