Subjects: National Be Bald and Be Free Day; Meeting with small business owners and residents in regional Queensland; cost of living pressures; Black Hawk helicopters; water security.
STEVE PRICE:
Hello!
PETER DUTTON:
Hello, Pricey. How are you mate?
STEVE PRICE:
Mr Dutton! This is a great privilege for me and thank you very much for calling me on our day. You know, it’s the national Be Bald and Be Free Day? You know, you’ve called me up and look, you’re the most famous bald man. I try to be famous like you. I’ve only got a little bit left.
Just between you and I – do you have to shave it every day?
PETER DUTTON:
Not every day. I thought the benefit would actually be that I’d save a bit on barber expenses, but actually you’ve got to have it cut pretty regularly. I was on Four Corners the other night and they showed some footage of when I was 18 – you know, 30 kilos lighter, a full head of hair, and my 16 and 17 year old were watching it. I could see them looking at the TV, then scanning back to me and thinking ‘I’ve got a rough 30 years ageing process ahead of me.’ But mate, what do you do?!
STEVE PRICE:
Yeah. Hey listen – no grey hairs, no grey hairs.
PETER DUTTON:
That’s the upside, that is the upside.
STEVE PRICE:
We look younger for longer. Mate, thanks for coming. You know, the last time I actually heard you speak, I had the incredible honour of hosting the Black Hawk tragedy commemoration at the wonderful Palmetum. You spoke so well on that that day that hurt us all and will eternally. But that was the last time I saw you. What are you doing here now?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, I’ve come up with Phil Thompson. We went across to Palm Island yesterday. We’re at Lavarack this morning and we’re catching up with a small business owner – just a lot of people are really struggling with their cost of living pressures at the moment, electricity prices going through the roof and…
STEVE PRICE:
Yeah, but can you do anything, you’re in opposition?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, in opposition we can work with the government and support them where they’ve got good policy, and we’ve done that in a couple of areas already. Also, I guess the benefit of opposition – there’s not too many silver linings, but one of the silver linings – is you can stop and have a conversation with people and listen to fresh ideas and put all of that policy together before the next election.
STEVE PRICE:
Are we going to get the Black Hawks back? Are you going to fight for that?
PETER DUTTON:
We certainly are, mate. I mean, all of that was put in place and Richard Marles, I think – the Defence Minister – is sort of playing a few games at the moment…
STEVE PRICE:
Yeah, but you held him back too, when you guys were in government?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, we stuck, I think, probably too long with the Taipans. I’ve got to say, when I was up here on a couple of visits, speaking to some of the aircrew, it was clear to them that they just weren’t fit for purpose and we needed to replace them and we put that order in when I was Defence Minister.
STEVE PRICE:
Yeah. Mate, you had a coffee with my old mate, Windy Willcox too, down in Bowen. What were you doing there?
PETER DUTTON:
We’ve had a bit of a run up the coast, mate. So, we started in Bundy and then we came up to Rockhampton, we were in Mackay and up in Townsville now and back to Brisbane this afternoon, actually. So, it’s been a busy few days, but as I say, really good to sort of, roll your sleeves up, talk to normal people and listen to what’s going on.
STEVE PRICE:
Very important indeed. Look, we love it when you guys do that, we really do. What about dams? Governments build dams – are you going to help us and support with the Burdekin Dam and get that 14 metres up, talking with state?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, we’ve definitely got to build more dams, mate, and greater capacity and not just for irrigators but for security of water supply. It’s okay at the moment because there’s plenty of water and if you speak to cane farmers at the moment, they can’t get cane cut because the ground’s too wet, but we’ll be back in drought at some stage, it’s just the cycle, unfortunately, and we need to prepare for it and that water storage is incredibly important. We had a lot of money on the table when we were in government to build dams. It’s tough to get the state government here to agree to that because they own the land and have responsibility, but anyway, we’ll keep pushing on.
STEVE PRICE:
Please do. Look mate, honestly, next time you come in, please come into the studio too. I know you and I standing together would look like a couple of roll-on deodorants, but please come in here anytime. Welcome again to our city and, you know, politician, keep doing good stuff, hey?
PETER DUTTON:
Thanks, Pricey. Appreciate it mate. Take care.
[ends]