ED KAVALEE:
I won't name and shame but 217.9 cents for one litre of petrol is in one part of Sydney this morning.
The man last night who wanted to change that is the Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg who joins us on the line.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Good morning, Ed.
ED KAVALEE:
Good morning, Josh. Good morning to your best friends.
DAVE HUGHES:
We are in the Canberra studio because we took the trip down the highway to see your speech last night and, Erin, he did a real good speech.
ERIN MOLAN:
You were incredible, Josh, and look, congratulations on the Budget itself but also from a broadcasting perspective I thought your delivery, and I was talking to your lovely wife Amie about this afterwards, but I thought the way you delivered it was very powerful as well. So, well done to you.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well thanks, Erin, if you look in front of the mirror enough times something turns up okay.
DAVE HUGHES:
There wasn't any slip ups. I didn't see, I was looking, I wasn't hoping for a slip up, but I was wondering if there was going to be a slip up, you know, lose your place, you know, say something ridiculous.
ERIN MOLAN:
Like did you practice that over and over, Josh, is that like, how often would you have gone through it?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well look, in confidence, just between us and whoever's listening, but I actually didn't even practice it once. That was the first time I delivered it, but what I had done, obviously, is spent, you know, well over a week writing it and I actually wrote it by hand and so I've got the handwritten notes as you scribble it, and you work with your staff and the Treasury Department, and you have all those documents. So, you put it together and then you refine it and then it goes through, you know, lots of different drafts. But it's got to be in your own voice, and you've got to own it and obviously, you know, hopefully it was well received.
DAVE HUGHES:
But that doesn't always happen, Josh, let's be honest. A lot of people don't write their own speeches. So, to do that is unusual and maybe that's why you didn't trip up.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Anyway, it was good fun, and it was terrific to have you there and you met a few Carlton supporters I hope, Hughesy.
DAVE HUGHES:
I met your family, and I met your mum in particular. Did your mum mention me, because we couldn't hang around, me and Erin had to do breakfast radio, so we didn't hang around late. We didn't see you turn up to the room, but did your mum mention me at all or not?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well, Dave, look, what she said when she was asked what was the highlight of the night, seeing your son stand up before the nation delivering the budget, cost of living relief for millions of Australians, she said, "No, that doesn't matter to me, it was just great to see Dave Hughes".
DAVE HUGHES:
She's a big fan. Speaking of standing up, may I play your closing remarks. This was the last thing you said after the fuel excise cuts and the $420 for the cost of living relief, which has gone down a treat. This is the last thing you said.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
"This is a time to stick to our plan. A plan for a stronger economy and a stronger future. We will deliver."
ED KAVALEE:
Everyone's standing up, that is a standing ovation, that's what that's called. Everyone knows that that's a standing ovation, Treasurer.
ERIN MOLAN:
Oh, Ed, don't. Ed.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Yeah, no, it was a great night. But at the end of the day…
ED KAVALEE:
Hang on, Treasurer. Hang on Treasurer. Hang on.
ERIN MOLAN:
No, no, let him finish.
ED KAVALEE:
No, no.
ERIN MOLAN:
For a long, long time.
ED KAVALEE:
Now, here's a question. You've invited them there; they've got no right to be there. Even The Australian doesn't know why they're there. That's on the front page.
ERIN MOLAN:
We're on the second page of The Australian, we look very…
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well, Erin was visiting her dad, of course.
ED KAVALEE:
Oh that's true, yes, yes. He's of course part of the Greens. Now, did they stand. Did you two stand for the Treasurer at the end of the night like everybody else? Because I'm watching the coverage, Treasurer. You did a great job. I was looking for them standing. Tell the Treasurer if you two stood up for him. Tell him.
ERIN MOLAN:
Well, no, in my defence I turned to Hughesy, and I said, "Do we stand?" Because no one…
DAVE HUGHES:
No, we were in a sitting section of the crowd, Josh. I turned to actually, our digital guy, Bryce, who got a free ticket and said, "Mate, get up. You get up now" and he said, "No one else is. You get up". I couldn't be the first one, I just couldn't be the first. I needed one other person to get up.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
I mean it was quite an atmosphere but, you know, it's always good to get to the end of the night. But, you know, these are all numbers on a page and everyone hears billions and $420 and $250, but at the end of the day it's about people and I don't know if you heard last night…
ERIN MOLAN:
Yes.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Dave, when I was talking about the lady, Erin, who…
ERIN MOLAN:
And her 12‑year‑old daughter.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Her 12‑year‑old daughter, and she's been on a drug, Trodelvy, which has helped her deal with her breast cancer and it's kept her alive and she was actually in the chamber and last night we listed that drug on the PBS, which means other young women who face a terminal illness will now have a longer life because of this drug which is normally $80,000 a treatment and will now be available to all these people.
ERIN MOLAN:
Yeah.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
So, that's what a strong economy can do, it's real lives.
ERIN MOLAN:
Absolutely incredible. And Rachel Casella as well, a good friend of mine. You did a lot of work with the genetic testing as well, over 80 million, so well done.
ED KAVALEE:
Well done to you, Treasurer. We know you've got a million interviews, so we'll cover off a little bit more later on, so thanks for your time this morning.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Great to be with you, guys, take care.