Peter Costello on the Costello Memoirs
Treasurer, statesman, author... sausage maker? The Liberals' last, lost hope expounds to Angus Fontaine about his love of snags, Meatloaf, and his old FJ Holden.
Hang on, you're taping this interview too?
Oh yeah, I've gotta keep you honest! I kept meticulous notes of all my conversations when I was treasurer because when I was making huge financial decisions and authorising million dollar deals and an argument arose as to whether I'd sent it to the right place, I wanted a very detailed record of how I'd spent taxpayer's money to protect myself against any misunderstanding.
Right, does that extend to your home life too?
Well when it comes to the kids' pocket money, I try and supervise things as best I can but I often notice discrepancies in change. There's not much I can do about it though...
The world is in fiscal hell and you're Australia's longest serving treasurer. For God's sake, give us some advice?
With everything in meltdown, I'm under siege at the moment. Look, I'm not an investment adviser but when it comes to superannuation in particular it's important to realise it's a long term goal, a 20-30 year investment so don't have a look at one day's return, look at long term growth. My advice? Diversify as much as possible, don't spend it all and try and save a bit.
How did you learn the value of a dollar?
My mum and dad didn't believe in outgoings - they believed in kids doing chores. I went into business at the age of 12 painting numbers on letterboxes but the business collapsed - we had serious liquidity problems because after we'd bought the paint and the brushes we couldn't manage the capital expense so we folded. My first paying job was as a farm labourer. I was a hay-carter which, back in the day, meant picking up hay bales and throwing them on a truck, then throwing 'em off and then stacking 'em in the hay shed. Very tough physical labour for a 16 year old but we'd get paid a dollar a bale and after 15, 16 hours a day we'd have made lots of money.
And how did you blow your hard-earned cash?
There'd be a few ambers at the end of a hard weeks work, yes, but I used to have a bombed out pale green old FJ Holden and a lot of pay went on mechanical bills. She was my first major and perhaps my proudest acquisition and cost me about 300 bucks and lasted 10 years. It broke my heart to get rid of her - seeing her consigned to the scrapyard was a very moving experience for me.
Was yours a youth full of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll?
When you're a teenager, you're still living at home and subject to your parents influence. But when I got a license and a car I got a lot more freedom and today I look back on those years before I had a wife and children as very free years.
"Free"? There's a glint in your eye Mr Costello.
Ha! See, the thing about children is they're beautiful but my son is 21 and still at home!
Is it true he's studying to be a journalist?
True. He thought to himself: what's the career that would infuriate my father more than any other? He's heard me rage about journalists so often he thought he'd become one!
They did have to bypass a press scrum to get to school most days...
My kids grew up with the media and there's always been TV cameras around so it's become second nature to them. My feeling is still that journalists come in two species: good and bad. The good ones are the nicest people you'll ever come across and the bad ones seem far more numerous.
Fighting words, Mr Costello! Define a "bad journalist" for us.
Bad journalists are pushy. I had to do political interviews for many, many years and they always went over and over and over things. Y'know, I reckon I've been fielding questions on the leasdership of the Liberal Party for 13 years and after a while there was nothing new I could say on the subject. Me, I always played a straight bat because the days you chanced my arm and went for a big hoik - that's when I got into trouble.
Tell us about your 'blood in the water' theory.
When the press smell a wounded politician they go into a frenzy. It's a like a pack of sharks that detects blood in the water - it becomes a bit of a race to finish that politician off because if you can there's a scalp on your belt that looks pretty good on your CV. When people go through journalist school these days they learn about Watergate and how Woodward and Bernstein brought down a government and went on to great and glamorous careers as Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman on the Hollywood big screen.
So you perceive political journalism as showboating rather than crusading?
Today they think their job is to bring down ministers and so a pack mentality pervades, particularly in Sydney's media where journos are tougher, racier, edgier and always looking for a story. Melbourne is more unified and conservative, more suburban, but Sydney's a tougher town as a whole.
Your father-in-law co-authored The Costello memoirs and talks of you as "a man apart" in the political landscape. Please explain...
I think my parliamentary colleagues would certainly agree with that. 'He's a bit different, Costello' they'd say. I don't think I'm easy to categorise because I have different views on different things. Some people think I'm right wing on certain issues, on other matters I'm left wing. I don't fit a pigeonhole - that certainly seems to be the perception of me.
Has political life made you a battle scarred veteran of combat?
Over the years I've copped a fair bit of criticism. I've taken it and I've returned it. But my father saw action in New Guinea so I'm very conscious that they're only words, not bullets. And because words are not bullets, I've always delivered and received them in good humour. Australians appreciate self-deprecating humour and one thing I've always done in my career is always try to do it with a sense of fun and a chuckle in my eyes.
You did the Macarena with Kerri-anne but is it true you once danced like Peter Garrett in the House of Representatives?
In citing a Midnight Oil song I said I was very familiar with rock music and had had a meeting last week with Bono and had grown up listening to the Seekers and could even dance like Peter - a real old rock dog I was.
Hang on, rock dogs weren't Seekers fans?
Hard to believe but they were considered a very modern outfit back in the day (sings) 'I know I'll never find another yooooouuuuuu'. I loved Judith Durham's bluesy voice and I loved Athol on his double bass ba-bom-bom-bom-bom.
So what else is in the Costello K-tel record selector?
Marvin Gaye, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan. Oh, and Meatloaf - I looooove the Loaf! Late on a Saturday night I'll kick my shoes off, let my hair down and let it rip.
So what's your personal theme song?
(long pause) 'Unchain My Heart' by Joe Cocker off the Sheffield Steel album. Why? Because I was chained to the Australian tax system for so long and now I'm a liberated man. I'd rather still be in government but hey, there are consolations...
We hear the BBQ is one of them.
The barbie is one of my greatest loves. I am a demon on the hot plate! I firmly believe that the most important element to a great barbeque is the fuel source. I'm a coal man although I can have gas-fired coals if I want and I can do 'em from scratch I might add. Getting the flame right and the heat spot-on is crucial and yes, we're still talking about barbies not parliamentary debates.
Is your wife allowed near the barbie or is it strictly your domain?
I have never seen Tanya light the BBQ... and I probably wouldn't allow it anyway. But before the ingredients there's another vital factor. The BBQ cannot be cooked without a beer in hand. Generally I drink VB stubbies because I think it makes the meat all the more tender. I chill the slab for my guests but welcome donations to the esky and at my BBQs, when it comes to beer we deal in multiples.
Are you one of those blokes who pours beer on the snags in the bizarre belief it somehow tenderises the flesh as it cooks?
No! That'd be a waste of good beer!
So what's on the Costello hot-plate?
Pork, snags, steaks. Too many folks get too carried away - you've got to focus on the basics and do them well. I have considered going into sausage making myself y'know.
The ingredients of the Peter Costello sausage?
Nothing but quality.
