Journalist proceeds with stock standard leadership aspiration questions after failing to realise Rudd has been made PM

Well, things have moved very fast this week in politics. Sometimes as a journalist, it can be hard to keep up with the Labor Party. Australian journalist Brian Dunstan had managed to secure an interview with Kevin Rudd the morning after the leadership coup. It appears poor old Brian might have gone to bed early the night before and missed the whole leadership tilt. Here's the amazing transcript from Brian's interview with the newly elected PM the morning after.

 

Brian Dunstan: Mr Rudd, thank you for joining us on 2AHfm breakfast.

Rudd: Prime Minister Rudd, yes.

Brian Dunstan: Prime Minster Rudd?… ha, yeah. Mr Rudd, there have been rumours all this week that you’re going to run against Julia Gillard. Can you confirm here and now for us that Julia Gillard will lead Labor to the next election?

Rudd: Well… um. No, I don’t think that's going to happen now.

Brian Dunstan: Well, will you– … No?! Ha! You probably shouldn’t be telling me that Kevin!  Ok. Well, I’ll ask you this. Will you challenge the Prime Minister for leadership of the labor party before the election?

Rudd: Ah… yes. Brian, not sure if you heard what happened last night.

Brian Dunstan: What?

Rudd: Yeah, I sort of got made PM already.

Brian Dunstan: When?

Rudd: Last night. It was kind of a big deal. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it.

Brian Dunstan: Right… well, to be honest with you, that sort of fingerbangs this interview for me.

Rudd: ... I’m sorry about that.

Brian Dunstan: I had a bunch of questions written down here, which were essentially five different ways of asking you if you were going to challenge Julia Gillard? I was going to machine gun them at you, like a hard hitting journalist. It would have made me look really good! The senior  management guys here at 2AH would have loved it. But you’ve sort of buggered that now, haven’t you Kevin?

Rudd: It appears so. I'm sorry.

Brian Dunstan:  Yeah... well...  Look, maybe we should just go through the questions quickly anyway and then call it a day?

Rudd: Sure.

Brian Dunstan: Ok. Kevin let me ask you directly, do you want your old job back?

 

Rudd: Um-

 

Brian Dunstan: -I’ll just put ‘Yes’ to that one. Ok… Second question. Are there any circumstances under which you will return to the leadership of the Labor party?

 

Rudd: …Yes.

 

Brian Dunstan: Yep. 'Yes' for that one too. Are you destabilising Julia Gillard's Government by leaking information to the press?

 

Rudd: Well- 

 

Brian Dunstan: Let's say 'yes'… Although you failed to give me a heads up on this one, didn’t you Kev?!

 

Rudd: ...

 

Brian Dunstan: Ok, finally, do you still harbour any ill-feelings towards Julia Gillard for the way in which she deposed you as Prime Minister in 2010?
 

Rudd: None at all Brian. Julia Gillard is an exceptional-

Brian Dunstan: -yeah, don't. Just, don't do that... Alright that's it. Kevin Rudd thanks for your time…

 

Rudd: It's been a pleasure.

 

(Off air) Brian Dunstan: Well...  that went well.