This talkback thing
This talkback thing
My wife and I love your program. We listen to it every day. You are one truly great Australian, John ...
Well, thank you. It's nice to know we are appreciated.
You are. You are. And this talkback thing — well it was so kind of Mr Laws to hand over his program to you like that.
It was.
Valda and I — Valda's my wife; she's turned on in the other room — feel that for too long people like us have been ignored. We aren't the type to go shoving our opinions down other people's throats.
If only more were like that.
That's right. There's too much of it. Squealing and screeching, jumping up and down. All they know about is how to carry on. But the likes of me and my wife, honest folk who keep to themselves, all we want out of life is to be acknowledged.
And so you should be. We didn't go through life expecting an easy ride. We weren't asking for hand-outs. We had to work for what we got. That's a lesson that needs re-learning.
Oh, I agree absolutely.
Of course you do. You realise it, but who else does? As I said to Valda, there's no spirit of sacrifice any more. None at all. At least, I said, we now have a prime minister who understands these things. In our house, John, you're a bit of a hero.
Really? How very nice.
Bring back the pain I say. No pain, no gain. That's my motto. Only by suffering, John, only through hardship and adversity can we build character. Spare the rod and spoil the child.
Now your average unemployed bum — that's what they are, let's not mince words, they're bums, the lot of them — your average unemployed bum gets it easy. What does he care about anything so long as he gets his benefit. But what has he done to earn it? Tell me that. You can't can you. As far as he's concerned it's his "right"— God forbid! — to be unemployed. If you or I had adopted that attitude where would this country be today?
Make 'em work for the dole, I say. Give them a taste of the real world.
I'm glad that you support the scheme.
You're doing a great job Mr Prime Minister. Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much. The time now is 11.47 and you're listening to the John Howard Hour here on the greater. Next caller?
There are no jobs.
Excuse me. Who is this?
I am the ghost of recessions past and I tell you there are no jobs. I thought you should know.
We have time for two more calls. Next caller?
By Dave Riley