1 00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: This is gem Nation with Jonesy. 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 2: Look, every day there seems to be something new. Were scandal, 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 2: bullying in the workplace, dodgy dealings, and a prime minister 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 2: who gives himself a million jobs without telling anyone. You 5 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 2: might think, why on earth would I get into politics? Well, 6 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 2: one man who loves it and wants to be the 7 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 2: new leader of our next leader of our state. He's 8 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 2: leader of the New South Wales Labor Party, Chris Mins Hello, Chris. 9 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 3: How are you, Amanda, Good to see you. Jayesy, how 10 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 3: are you? 11 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: Or Minsy? You'd have to be a MINSI. 12 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, yep, I am That's that's what You don't get 13 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 3: to choose your own nickname, so I definitely get minsy. 14 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, You've probably get a lot of them. 15 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 3: As a politician, Minsy's probably on the kind of end 16 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:37,959 Speaker 3: of the spectrum. 17 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, you used to work as a firefighter. 18 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, and only for a few years. When I was 19 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 3: doing university, I was walking down the road in Mortdale, 20 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 3: not far from New jay Z, and I saw a 21 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 3: sign in the window saying that we're hiring, and I thought, oh, 22 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 3: that might be fun. Why not? Really? 23 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's that how easy it is to get into 24 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: the fight aut. 25 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 3: For the retaining station at Mortdale. That was it was Yeah, 26 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 3: then you had to go through a training process, but 27 00:00:59,200 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 3: it was good fun. 28 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: I think it would be a hard job being a 29 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: fiery because it's just the waiting. It's the constant waiting. 30 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 4: They hurry up and wait and then all of a 31 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 4: sudden you could go to work and then you don't 32 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 4: know if you're going to come back alive. 33 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: That would be a real real thing, you know. 34 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 3: Look, it wasn't that dramatic for me. 35 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 2: I got some cats out of the tree. 36 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 3: One time someone rang up, actually this is true in 37 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 3: Oatly and said that there was a bird in a tree. 38 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: Honestly, I don't know if it was warning. 39 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 3: We had to be deployed to the tree and there 40 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 3: was another bird that was sweeping it. So it was 41 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 3: like a vexatious phone call. 42 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: Or Amanda did it. 43 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 2: And so then one day were you walking past in 44 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 2: Macquarie Street and there's a sign saying you want to 45 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 2: be a politician? Come on in? 46 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 3: No, well maybe there should be. We need to get 47 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 3: more people involved. No, I'm always interested in politics. Mum 48 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 3: and dad, my old man was interested in it too. 49 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 3: Big labor support I love. Paul Keating kept us up 50 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 3: on election nights to watch, you know, the results. We 51 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 3: were that kind of family and so yeah, one of 52 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 3: my old man's mates ran for parliament and he was 53 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 3: for the Liberal Party. And I remember it's clear as 54 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 3: day him yelling out, mate, I gave you all five 55 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 3: of my votes. He put a big five in his 56 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 3: box last. 57 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: Even though it was one of his best mates. 58 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 2: But how do you feel? I mean, you can see 59 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 2: why people are cynical about politics at the moment. Your 60 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 2: opposition party John barrolaro a Lady Pettinos bullying claims in 61 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:28,959 Speaker 2: her office. I know your party's not squeaky cleanup, and 62 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 2: we'll get to that in a sec. But do you 63 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 2: sit back and just are you waiting for them just 64 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 2: to implode? 65 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: No, I'm not. 66 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 3: I mean I reckon that the next election is going 67 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 3: to be really tight. Every election bar one where we 68 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 3: got thumped in twenty eleven's been pretty close. We're trying 69 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 3: to bring a different approach to politics. I remember during 70 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 3: the pandemic I thought Gladysbury Jicklin did an amazing job 71 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 3: in very very difficult circumstances. And when I became leader, 72 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 3: I spoke to our front bench team and said we 73 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 3: can't criticize good decisions that the government's making. And if 74 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 3: Kerry Chant was saying to us what she's currently telling 75 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 3: Gladysbury reticularly, will we genuinely do something differently? And the 76 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,839 Speaker 3: answer was no, we wouldn't have. So I we're trying 77 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 3: to bring that and keep that culture in opposition, even 78 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 3: though it's obviously a pretty combative environment. But I think 79 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 3: that's better for the state and better for politics. 80 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 2: And also even your own party. This week, Walt Secord 81 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 2: announced his resignation, claims he was being bullied in his office. 82 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 2: Corporate Australia is having to get ahead of this. What's 83 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 2: wrong with our political parties? 84 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 3: Well, we do have to be held to a higher 85 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 3: standard because at the end of the day, we do 86 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 3: write the laws that everybody else has to abide by. 87 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 3: And I completely agree with that argument. There's got to 88 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 3: be a process. I said when this report, it's called 89 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 3: the Broaderig Report into bullying inside Parliament came down that 90 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 3: we didn't come to this issue with clean hands, and 91 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 3: I genuinely don't believe that we do. And I've never 92 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 3: made the case that all the good people are inside 93 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 3: labor and all the terrible people inside the Liberal party. 94 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 3: We've got to get good people in both political parties. 95 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 3: I mean, one of the big problems with the newspaper 96 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 3: and the media stories about harassment and bulling in politics 97 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 3: is I'm worried that good people who are considering a 98 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 3: public life say it's just too much for me. There's 99 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 3: so many other options available. I'm going to not do 100 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 3: it and do something else instead, and that'd be a 101 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 3: big loss for the state in the country. 102 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: Well, there's a saying politics is an odd game. It 103 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 1: attracts odd people. 104 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, well that's certainly true, but. 105 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: You're not odd and wrong. 106 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 4: We've spoken with a lot of premiers and there's been 107 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 4: a lot of them who have come in and they're 108 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 4: just they're a little. 109 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,280 Speaker 1: Bit weird, and you're a weirdo. 110 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 4: I don't get that from you. And this is the 111 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 4: first time I met you in the flats. When I 112 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 4: see you on the news and stuff, I go, well, Chrismins, 113 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 4: he seems like a normal, normal sort of guy. But 114 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 4: my question is how do you manage to hang on 115 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:43,920 Speaker 4: to being a normal guy? Because you'd say the same 116 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 4: about Scomo before Scomo became the Prime Minister. 117 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: I was sitting there having chips with him at a 118 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: footy game. 119 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 4: And this is when he was the treasurer and I 120 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 4: had about I was probably six years deep and I said, mate, said, 121 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 4: is it true that you're going to become the prime minister. 122 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: He says, it's not going to be me. It won't 123 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: be me. And I believed what he was saying at 124 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 1: that time. But he seemed totally normal. But then when 125 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 1: you become prime minister you change. Yeah, so can you 126 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:07,719 Speaker 1: be normal? I think so. 127 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 3: I mean, you know, I'm pretty conscious of the fact 128 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,359 Speaker 3: that it's Premier of New South Wales, not President of 129 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 3: the United States. So there's not a lot of glory, 130 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 3: you know, there's none of the bells and whistles associated 131 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:17,919 Speaker 3: with it. You've just got to try and do a 132 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 3: really good job. I think the kid, my kids keep 133 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 3: me grounded. My little boy, my middle boy, Nicholas, is 134 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 3: just a huge pain in the arse and he's desperately 135 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 3: trying to think he's eleven. He's twelve, and he's trying 136 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 3: to get his hands on a dominant Perrote T shirt. 137 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 3: He wears it around the house and he pauses the 138 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 3: news when Perrote is on the news and he says, 139 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 3: this guy makes a lot of sense. He veries up 140 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 3: on it. So, yeah, there's not so many airs in great. 141 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 2: You can't be up yourself if you try too. 142 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: Well, mate, it's great to have you on the show. 143 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: Good luck with the future. You know you're one of 144 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: the good guys. You know, I've got a good vibe 145 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:54,600 Speaker 1: about you. 146 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 4: And of course, you know rooting for the Congress statue 147 00:05:58,000 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 4: that lady in Congra. 148 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 1: I remember when that, you know, when that was built 149 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: in two thousand and three, the Bruce Lee statue. People 150 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:05,720 Speaker 1: didn't like the Bruce Lee statue. 151 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 3: He's never been to Congra and he's not going to 152 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 3: he's dead. 153 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: You know what. 154 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 4: I've got to go and I've spoken about it many times, 155 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 4: but I've never actually taken the time to go to 156 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 4: congor to have a little bit. 157 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 3: Well, let's do it together. 158 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: Fantastic, let's do it. Chris Mens, thank you for joining us.