In which a friend sees something nasty in the woodshed.
Mr Willis, thanks for coming in.
Pleasure.
You would have been pretty pleased with the recent indicators, wouldn’t you? Things are going pretty well, aren’t they?
This is with respect to the economy?
Yes.
The inflation figures and so on?
Yes.
Yes, very pleased indeed. To be able to get this growth but in the context of having pegged inflation is the absolute optimum result. This is what we’ve been trying to do for years. It’s a vindication of Government policy.
The policy settings are all in place?
Yes.
(Bryan drops his voice and speaks aside to his guest) OK. Now we’ll run a bit of film of something here.
What do you mean? What film?
In this bit. We just run some footage. Then we’ll come back and talk some more.
So what are we doing now?
We just sit here. They’ll come back to us in a minute.
What’s the film?
I don’t know. Economics stuff. Houses being built. Young couples looking at plans.
Yes.
Have you got any of the stock exchange?
Probably.
I like that bit where they’re all standing there holding up various fingers and shouting ‘buy’ and so on.
Yes, what are they doing in that bit?
Ordering their lunch, I guess. Would the clip be finished yet?
Not yet no. Now they’ll put some figures up. And maybe a graph.
Oh yes. With arrows? 1992-93, 93-94 and so on?
Yes, over a shot of some fruit and vegetables.
Oh yes, and a map of Australia?
Yes.
Why do they do that? I’ve never understood that. I mean, we know where we are, presumably.
Hang on, we’re back. (Interview tone adopted again) Mr Willis, you’re a bloody liar aren’t you?
No, I’m not. The economic indicators are…
Let me finish. How can you have the effrontery to pretend to be concerned about the millions of people in this country who are falling by the wayside at the moment, who can’t get work, whose children are not going to’ be part of this country’s future? I mean, this is very cynical, isn’t it?
No, it’s not cynical. If you read these indicators properly you wouldn’t say that. You’d see what was happening. We have created more jobs in the past eighteen months than at any stage of postwar Australian history.
But hang on. You said…
No, you listen to me. I gave you a go. Give me one. These are real jobs. They’re not just flab hanging off inefficient industries that aren’t performing any more. These are real jobs. And they’ll engender other jobs. This reconstruction is complete and it actually works. It’s done. This country now works.
Do you seriously expect anyone to believe that?
Yes, the Australian people are a lot smarter than you give them credit for.
(Aside to his guest) OK. Now we run a bit of footage of people looking at those cards in the CES office.
The ones pinned up on the big boards?
Yes.
You’ve got a bit of fluff on your shoulder.
(Bryan removes it) Thanks. Here we go. (Interview tone adopted again) We’ll have to leave it there. Thanks, Mr Willis.
Thank you.
That’s it, thank you everyone. (Aside to his guest) Are you going to the tennis tomorrow?
Yes.
OK. I’ll see you there.
I could be a bit late. I’ve got to pick some stuff up. Are my shoes in your car?
I don’t know, I’ll have a look.
Thanks. I’ll call you.
Good on you.