The 7:30 Report‘s Kerry O’Brien managed to rile Kevin Rudd last night when he badgered him on his losses in opinion polls.
It led to a bit of an outburst by the PM.
“(Climate Change Minister) Penny Wong and I sat up for three days and three nights with 20 leaders from around the world to try and frame a global agreement,” he said.
“Now it might be easy for you to sit in 7.30 Report-land and say that was easy to do. Let me tell you mate, it wasn’t.”
Rudd said he was committed to climate change.
Best bits are at 4:40 min.
O’Brien was committed to getting an asnwer to his questions.
Tantrum, what tantrum, all i saw was Kerry O’Brien getting served, as was rightly deserved. If you didn’t just see a PM whose worth believing in, your watching the wrong channel.
This goes to show, that while Kerry O’Brien who used to press secretary to former Primie Minister Gough Whitlam, that he is not biased, and will get stuck into any politician that faces up to him.
Former Prime Minister Paul Keating once said, he used tread very carefully when being interviewed by Kerry O’Brien.
Rudd didn’t lose it, he finally found some cojones. We saw a passionate KR for a change instead of the usual spin doctor.
Every time Mr Sheen speaks he seems to work from a memorised script of pre-rehearsed political statements (he would have been provided with the nature of the questions beforehand) but I got the impression Kerry was determined to see if he could get him to break away from Labor’s policy ‘spin’ and drop his facade.
I’d say he partially suceeded.
The interview was captioned as being ‘live’ so if it actually was, that gave Kerry the upper hand to catch him off guard.
I think Kevin Rudd is a pretty cool guy. eh goes on 7.30 Report shouts about land and doesn’t afraid of anything
I smell a one term Labor government!
I’m confused ????
Is he saying in his defence that after all those hard spend hours in Copenhagen his resolve was further weakened ? This makes no sense !!!
Or is it that after spending 3 cold nights with Penny Wong climate change lost impotance ?
Nice one Kerry….!
Score
Kerry – 1
Rudd – 0
How short the memories of people are Abbott Howard the used car salesaman Joe Hockey spent millions on adds telling people how much better off they would be on master servant contracts just look at their record on previous budgets 1 billion dollars stripped from medicare to prop up the lucrative private health industry, increases in hex so only the wealthy could afford higher education remember the con telling kids to become tradesmen and dont bother to go to Uni how many of the fruit loop Abbotts children will be brick layers
Quote: “I normally like “Red Kez” but I thought he behaved gutlessly last night.
He’d never have had the cods to bully Howard, Keating or Hawke like that.”
OH yes he did. He belted into Keating one night, near an election. Keating was all tired and pale and pouchy, and O’brien wanted him to say sorry for something (high interest rates or something) and Keating just looked at him like a defeated cow. Apparently the ABC switch was inundated with complaints that night.
If they were in the same studio Kevin Rudd would have punched Kerry in the face. The real Kevin Rudd is showing his face.
In a future I hope we never see, could you imagine how prime minister Tony Abbott would respond in an interview situation like that? It would not be pretty.
I think Kevin did a good job to stay as controlled as he did. Even though so many journalists go for his jugular, he still fronts up to these interviews. The guy’s got balls.
nice to see a bit of passion from K-Rudd i reckon…
At least he didn’t go on Talkin Bout Your Generation and dance around in a pink skirt.
Kerry focussed on the non existent “brand rudd” which would annoy anyway treating someones name with no respect. whether rudd is you fave or just your nightmare kerry should pull his head in a bit
Heard the prefect description of Rudd the other day – “…smarmy arrogance…” He lives up to it every time he opens his gob.
@2.5Men Didn’t he appear on Good News Week a month or so ago? Typical ‘trying to be a celebrity more than a PM’ mentality of his. Australia should have woken up to his incompetence after his diva antics with hairdryers and Qantas staff.
wow, that’s why Kerry O’Brien has the 7.30 Report – how awesome. I just can’t believe that Kevin Rudd is the same guy we voted in all those years ago
he’s unfortunately become a true politician… I voted for him because he was a real human being who would be honest, upfront and open but he’s not anymore unfortunately. I hope things can change for the better anyway.
I’m shocked that Kerry O’Brien was so tough on an ALP prime minister. I’m not a Labour supporter, to be honest, but I thought Rudd was actually pretty in control, all things told. Great interview though..nothing like seeing the ALP being attacked by its own supporters
I really think what ALP needs to do is to put Kate Ellis up as leader. The Liberal Party seems intent on losing the next election by putting up the biggest idiot they can find, people are going off Rudd…if the ALP put in Kate Ellis, they’d romp it in! Plus Australia would have the hottest world leader
I cannot stand Rudd and his smuginess. He has no bloody backbone. At least he attempted to grow one in this interview.
Pollies all know what they’re in for when being interviewed. In fact (correct me if I’m wrong) on many occasions they’re given the questions beforehand.
From the snippet of the interview I heard this morning, he was lashing out after being back into a corner. A much more hard hitting interview than the one yesterday morning on AM where the political reporter was interviewing him remotely, where he was stumbling over his words and was launching into a mass of Ruddisms (working families!!!!)
Journalists are meant to be impartial and shouldn’t be pandering to pollies. Rudd (and his party) have broken promises. Whether the electorate hold him to account is another question. It just seems that the many with the green pen was just trying to hold Rudd to account.
isn’t it the usual outcry that KO’B and the ABC is pro-ALP. Now Kerry’s being accused of being too confrontational and too heavy-handed with KRudd. He can’t win!
And ditto too about the gratuitous “mate” from KRudd… so insincere and fake…
@ steve – i seem to remember a famous interview where he got hawky all worked up. anyway rudd is as tough as nails and smarter then all those other pollies except perhaps keating.
I’m waiting for his appearance on Hey Hey!
7:30 Report land sounds like a truly magical place!!
I wonder if there are Oompa Loompas.
I normally like “Red Kez” but I thought he behaved gutlessly last night.
He’d never have had the cods to bully Howard, Keating or Hawke like that.
Krudd is actually an uncomplicated guy doing his best with a smallish bag of tools.
Not a fan of Krudd but I’ll be leaving the country if that Abbott creature gets up next time.
ouch – how things change
his appearance on Rove probably helped him get the first time voters/young people to vote for him. Wouldn’t be surprised if he appears on the 7pm project (if he hasn’t already). what other light-hearted shows could he appear on?
you know what would be a funny plot twist? if climate change (aka natural weather cycles) was actually being caused by Mother Nature….
Kerry was out of line spending minutes and minutes attacking Rudd for ‘getting his timing wrong’ or ‘poor communications’ or whatever. 7.30 is meant to be a serious discussion show, not something like Insiders where talking heads pontificate endlessly about ‘strategy’.
@Ronnie: Kerry has thrown a lot harder questions in his time, they are usually directed to the other team though. As for Krudd operating in the “real world” nothing could be more removed from the truth as an MP he’s in tax payer funded luxury land!
Keep it up KRudd. At last some emotion. I wish he was like that more often.
I wonder if his minders suggested he beef it up a bit? He’s copped some flak lately for his robotic interview style.
KOB has IMHO always been over-rated as a broadcaster, this just proves it
Kevin Rudd is a fake, how unprofessional does it sound for a PM to use the word “mate” like a bogan.. he just uses the word to make out he is one of the people! just rubbish!! he is loosing the plot
In my opinion, KOB didn’t badger Rudd, but posed his very direct questions and didn’t allow Rudd to waffle or avoid the very hub of the issue. Rudd was clearly rattled, and I thought it made for great television. Kerry is tough – that’s what he does. Rudd is prone to a bit of grandstanding, I enjoy watching him far more than John Howard. Rudd made a tactical error in personalising Kerry and the 7.30 report land and calling him mate. But then again he is under fire from the polls, from the opposition and probably within himself. I still respect him, but see he is in trouble!
Rudd is now taking hold of his Mr Garrison persona… at this rate Mr Hat should be making an appearance too !! (apologies to any south park viewers out there)
I generally watch and enjoy 730 report despite the endless politics, but I thought Kerry O’B was really badgering Kevin Rudd lat nigh,and went too far. And what tantrum is everyone referring to? I thought the KRudd was remarkably controlled and polite. What is he meant to do in response to such a confrontational interviewer? As Kevin Rudd pointed out he has to operate in the real world of realpolitiks, while KO’B is in fact a protected species at the ABC.
I’m actually surprised petulant child Rudd made an appearance on a show to talk about politics. Bet he wishes Rove was still on!