E&OE TRANSCRIPT
SUBJECTS: Bill Shorten interviews Neil Mitchell
NEIL MITCHELL, HOST: I'll kill two birds with one stone today. On national television, the Today Show on August 28th, I was talking to Bill Shorten.
[CLIP]
MITCHELL: Bill, I've got a bet for you. Right, you're a Collingwood supporter, I'm a Melbourne supporter. If Melbourne wins, you agree for ten minutes to answer every question and tell the truth. If Collingwood wins, I stop asking questions for ten minutes. What about that?
SARAH ABO, TODAY SHOW HOST: Oh, we can't have that, Neil, because obviously Collingwood is going to win.
BILL SHORTEN, MINISTER FOR THE NDIS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICESHORTEN: Oh no no, Neil I'll take up the bet. One variation, I get to interview you on your show. You come on to my 3AW show, I get to interview you.
MITCHELL: Come on to his 3AW show? Anyway, the bet is honoured, and the tradition continues. In the last few days where I am interviewed, he is the Minister for Maribyrnong, Member for Maribyrnong rather, the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Government Services, and I hasten to point out, he banned me for three years. Bill Shorten, good morning.
SHORTEN: Good morning, Neil, and welcome to my segment, The BS No BS interview, and you are my first inaugural and probably only guest ever. So, let's get down to it, thanks for coming on, your time is valuable. Neil, in your journey when you in the media, when you started out as an industrial relations reporter to now, how much is your personal politics changed?
MITCHELL: Oh, a lot. I grew up.
SHORTEN: And who do you think the best Prime Minister of Australia has ever been?
MITCHELL: Oh, gee, you see, I remember Billy McMahon wasn't him. I vaguely remember John Gorton. I mean, Gough Whitlam was a very impressive man and I met him and interviewed him a few times, but he was a disastrous Prime Minister. Malcolm Fraser, where are we going then? Hawke?
SHORTEN: Mate, it’s your answer. But we've had five no answers so far.
MITCHELL: I think Hawke's probably – Hawke, I mean Keating, I think was all about smoke and mirrors, John Howard was about stability. I think it would be between John Hawke, or Bob Hawke and John Howard.
SHORTEN: Okay. John Hawke or Bob Howard.
MITCHELL: [laughs] That's right.
SHORTEN: Now, because you've been such a seasoned political reporter, what's been your biggest high and your biggest low?
MITCHELL: Well, it’s got nothing to do with politics, nothing to do with politics. Big as high has been, and the biggest low as well, working through the lockdowns and the COVID crisis in Victoria, where, as you know, we suffered it more than most, and the biggest high was some of the reaction we got from people. We set up a thing called Phone a Friend, where people would nominate people that needed a bit of a lift and we get them on the line, prank them. You know, they didn't know we were calling, and we'd just talk about things. And the reaction we got was superb. There were there were tears, there were laughter, there were all those sorts of things. That was a high, and then the low was having to, at times you felt like you were counselling, you know, a couple of hundred thousand people a day. You would get off air and be totally drained by what had happened, but it was a great privilege.
SHORTEN: I know that feeling after being interviewed by you [MITCHELL LAUGHS]. So, what, in a sliding doors moment, young Neil Mitchell doesn't become a journalist –
MITCHELL: Hang on, hang on. Can I just give you a little bit of advice? Just back off the phone a bit, it's distorting.
SHORTEN: Yeah, I did try to come up to the 3AW studio.
MITCHELL: Yeah, I know.
SHORTEN: But I was banned.
MITCHELL: Well, good.
SHORTEN: So, in a sliding doors moment, a young Neil Mitchell, we go back, right back into, you know, last century, if you hadn't become a journalist, what's the job that you would like to have done?
MITCHELL: A barrister.
SHORTEN: A barrister? Well, you’re sort of there now.
MITCHELL: That's right, that's right. It's only later I thought about that, but I thought about the law, and I thought about journalism, but I decided about age 14 I wanted to be a journalist.
SHORTEN: And so, after years of prickly engagement, when did you decide that I was one of your best friends in politics?
MITCHELL: Oh, only this week, on the Today programme when you're nice to me!
SHORTEN: As you say, you've been growing up. And that's another stage of maturity. Now, one which I've had my listeners come to me about, which would be an exaggeration.
MITCHELL: Your listeners? Geez.
SHORTEN: Yeah, I’ve got a few. People stuck in a lift with me. What is your top tip for beard growth and grooming?
MITCHELL: Don't.
SHORTEN: Don't do it? Okay.
MITCHELL: No, I only do it because it's quicker. Get to work quicker.
SHORTEN: All right. So then what's your top tip for maintaining that constantly trademarked cheery disposition then?
MITCHELL: Don't take you buggers too seriously.
SHORTEN: Yeah, I'm right back at you, big guy. Now, this is one because I know we're running out of time.
MITCHELL: Yeah.
SHORTEN: What do you miss most about Dan Andrews?
MITCHELL: Integrity.
SHORTEN: Great to hear that you are consistent. All right, I need to go there on this one, how many flags is Collingwood won?
MITCHELL: Ooh 14.
SHORTEN: No, try a little higher. Try a little higher.
MITCHELL: Okay. Well, we can pick –
SHORTEN: Go on 16, you were going to say.
MITCHELL: 16, is that right?
SHORTEN: Yes.
MITCHELL: But I don't count ‘58 because you stole 1958 from Melbourne.
SHORTEN: All right. Well let's go to Melbourne, favourite team of the tragics. How many grand final flags have they won?
MITCHELL: I think we're about 12, aren't we?
SHORTEN: Ohhhh….
MITCHELL: 11 or 12? Yeah.
SHORTEN: 12. You might be slightly higher, but you're below Collingwood. Would you agree?
MITCHELL: Yeah, we’re below Collingwood I agree, we didn't win for about 60 years. Remember that?
SHORTEN: Yeah, I do.
MITCHELL: But in 2021 we won, and we should have beaten you this year, Steven May was right.
SHORTEN: Oh, my lord, nothing like a Melbourne fan. Anyway, that's the most damaging thing you've done to your ratings in 33 years. Okay, in all seriousness, Neil, you've always wanted to, you've always served the people of Victoria. You've explained that you might have become a barrister, we have attempted just to ride into Spring Street and become the Mayor of Victoria and, you know, the - have you ever been interested to go into politics yourself just to sort it all out?
MITCHELL: Not in the least, I couldn't play the game, and I don't mean this personally, but I know the games that you've got to play to get there. One of the Labor Party, might have been Bob Hawke, somebody said, you've got to eat a lot of burnt chops at bad barbecues to get pre-selection. You've got to go through that, then you've got to play games in caucus, then you've got to lie and cheat and trick. No, I couldn't do it, I couldn't play the team game, I suppose that you’re required to play as part of a parliamentary party. I couldn't do it, because I've had you and others sit there and say things to me on air, and then we get off air and you say, well, you know, you're probably right, but I couldn't admit it, and I can't. I couldn't do that.
SHORTEN: I think it's interesting you think it's burnt chops, it's more like poo sandwiches sometimes. But nonetheless, you've served you've served the state nonetheless, Neil.
MITCHELL: But you know what I mean about politics, that sometimes, I'll take you out of it because I don't want to be personal about it, but some people, many people, many politicians over the years, you'll be there having a blood and guts fight with them and you get off air and they say, you're right, but I just can't admit it. I reckon we've got to be better than that.
SHORTEN: Yeah, let me do what I think a lot of interviewers do with politicians, let me give you my opinion. Yes, I think that some of what you say is correct, but I think that fails to recognise the service you can give the state and the wins you do get, and that every day you get up to try and help people, but hey, that's just an opinion from an interviewer.
MITCHELL: I know what you've done. I know what you've done several times behind the scenes on things like the bullying laws and a few other things, I'm well aware of that.
SHORTEN: I would just like to say to you, good luck, you've served the state well. You can't argue it, love you, or hate you, you're a force of nature, and I think that your time on air has left the state, on balance, better than if you hadn't been there. I think you've made a difference in many little ways and many big ways, not that you're always right.
MITCHELL: I don't think, I would never claim that. Bill, thank you very much. Good to talk to you, thank you.
SHORTEN: Good on you. Cheers, mate. Bye
MITCHELL: Bill Shorten, It's a bet I lost, and I think I've escaped with just losing a bit of skin. Bill Shorten and I appear on the Today programme with regularly, well, I have been, regularly every Tuesday and he's right. I mean he didn't he didn't talk to me for three years when he was opposition leader, because I was too dangerous and wasn't worth the risk and then we have re-established something of a relationship. Wouldn’t say it’s a friendship, but a relationship on the Today programme and years ago, I knew him quite well when he was a union official, when he was a young politician up and coming, and I mean that, he has achieved quite a few good things over the years, but, I don't know. Banning me for three years, that's the point I was making earlier, that's, you know, no risk, no benefit sort of argument that some of them put out. But I appreciate him doing that.
