TRANSCRIPT: Interview with Sean Lindsay, Triple M, Esperance WA 27 February 2019

E&OE

SEAN LINDSAY:

Yesterday I got a call from the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack. Obviously it was pre-arranged; he didn’t randomly call me up to have a yarn (inaudible) and say mate let’s go to the pier and sink some pints, no not at all. We wanted to talk about the election campaign coming up. There is a federal election in May. It was an interesting conversation. The man, he can certainly talk but he does seem quite lovely. I had to speak to him about the drama with Julie Bishop last week. She’s the former Deputy Leader and she jumped ship, apparently doesn’t want to go through another four years of Opposition, saw the writing on the wall. I asked Michael McCormack, the Deputy Prime Minister, about that drama and how the Government can turn the tables on those pesky polls that have shown them losing for almost two years now.

MICHAEL MCCORMACK: 

Well, I don't think there was any drama about Julie Bishop leaving. Yes, we were all sorry to see her go. She's been absolutely outstanding and her work as Foreign Minister has really put Australian international and diplomatic relations on the world map.

But look if you don’t like one poll, wait, there will be another one in a fortnight's time or week’s time; fact is, I don’t look at polls - never have, even when one poll came out the other day and suggested that it was 51 – 49. Well, fact is the polls will tighten up towards the election; they always do.

There's only one poll that matters: that's the one on election day - that's the ballot. And I know that we've been a very good Government; unemployment - very very low, it's at a 12-year low. We're going to produce the first budget surplus in 12 years; small business tax rate is the lowest it's been for 79 years; we've extended the instant asset write off. We've brokered free trade agreements more than Labor could ever have hoped to. We’re making sure that this nation forges ahead. We will continue to sell that message. I know the people of Australia - they don't trust Bill Shorten; they've got reason not to and we’ll go ahead and talk about the vision and the plan that we've got for this nation – it’s a good one.

SEAN LINDSAY:

Yes, I’m the same with you – I don’t really trust the polls. I don’t even know that….

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:

….I thought you were going to say: I don’t trust Bill Shorten there for a minute…

SEAN LINDSAY:

…No, no...

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:

…but anyway all good (laughter).

SEAN LINDSAY:

I can’t go into that. I’ve been speaking to the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. That was our conversation there. Look, he was a lovely man. He seems very confident, but I think the Coalition does have a lot to do to try and reverse the polls and win the next election.