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| Christine Milne's 20 questions: Carry On scuba diving, but not mining | Christine Milne's 20 questions: Carry On scuba diving, but not mining |
| (4 months later) | |
| Christine Milne remembers The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, the feature film made in 1952, because it was her first visit to the cinema. | Christine Milne remembers The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, the feature film made in 1952, because it was her first visit to the cinema. |
| In response to a question put to her by film director Glendyn Ivin, Milne recalls: “It was a huge outing for us but I’ve never forgotten it because the children in the movie were threatened with being put in a big pot of boiling oil and it traumatised me for years.” | In response to a question put to her by film director Glendyn Ivin, Milne recalls: “It was a huge outing for us but I’ve never forgotten it because the children in the movie were threatened with being put in a big pot of boiling oil and it traumatised me for years.” |
| Things improved after the advent of the Carry On films, which came with bonus carbohydrates. “After that, my father loved taking us to the Devonport drive-in in his old ute to watch the Carry On films and we would have hot chips at half time, which was always lots of fun.” | Things improved after the advent of the Carry On films, which came with bonus carbohydrates. “After that, my father loved taking us to the Devonport drive-in in his old ute to watch the Carry On films and we would have hot chips at half time, which was always lots of fun.” |
| Milne – like the prime minister, Julia Gillard, when Guardian Australia interviewed her last week – agreed to take 20 questions from a diverse group of Australians as part of a Guardian Australia experiment: how can we open a political interview to the public? | Milne – like the prime minister, Julia Gillard, when Guardian Australia interviewed her last week – agreed to take 20 questions from a diverse group of Australians as part of a Guardian Australia experiment: how can we open a political interview to the public? |
| Wallaby David Pocock wanted to know if the Greens could be taken seriously by the voters at the election in September, given the long history of criticism of the party’s economic platform. But of course, was the response. “Unlike the Liberals, the Greens have explained how their promises would be funded: by implementing a stronger mining tax, abolishing subsidies for fossil fuels, putting a higher tax on incomes over $1m and so forth.” | Wallaby David Pocock wanted to know if the Greens could be taken seriously by the voters at the election in September, given the long history of criticism of the party’s economic platform. But of course, was the response. “Unlike the Liberals, the Greens have explained how their promises would be funded: by implementing a stronger mining tax, abolishing subsidies for fossil fuels, putting a higher tax on incomes over $1m and so forth.” |
| Literary agent Mary Cunnane wanted to know what mistakes Milne regretted not making. “I wish I had been more adventurous travelling alone and trying sports like scuba diving, skiing and water skiing,” she replied. | Literary agent Mary Cunnane wanted to know what mistakes Milne regretted not making. “I wish I had been more adventurous travelling alone and trying sports like scuba diving, skiing and water skiing,” she replied. |
| Coal boss Eric Ford – unsurprisingly – was concerned about the Greens’ commitment to phase out coal. “If the party is successful in this endeavour, do you accept that Australia’s national wealth will be lower, budget revenues will be slashed, domestic energy costs will be higher, job opportunities in regional Australia will be lost and the task of ending energy poverty in developing nations will take longer and be more costly?” the Peabody Energy chairman inquired. | Coal boss Eric Ford – unsurprisingly – was concerned about the Greens’ commitment to phase out coal. “If the party is successful in this endeavour, do you accept that Australia’s national wealth will be lower, budget revenues will be slashed, domestic energy costs will be higher, job opportunities in regional Australia will be lost and the task of ending energy poverty in developing nations will take longer and be more costly?” the Peabody Energy chairman inquired. |
| Milne’s riposte? “No.” | Milne’s riposte? “No.” |
| Author Hugh McKay wanted to know whether “given the Greens' emphasis on morality, do you even feel morally squeamish about the balance of power role – a party with a very small share of the vote having a very large influence on policy?” | Author Hugh McKay wanted to know whether “given the Greens' emphasis on morality, do you even feel morally squeamish about the balance of power role – a party with a very small share of the vote having a very large influence on policy?” |
| Milne doesn’t feel squeamish: “I believe minority government has delivered real outcomes for Australians. In a winner takes all perspective people argue: I don’t have a mandate for that, I can’t do that. | Milne doesn’t feel squeamish: “I believe minority government has delivered real outcomes for Australians. In a winner takes all perspective people argue: I don’t have a mandate for that, I can’t do that. |
| “But if you have a situation where no one has all the power, then everybody has got some power and there has to be some accommodation. And it is in that, creating the space for people to change their minds, that you have the major breakthroughs.” | “But if you have a situation where no one has all the power, then everybody has got some power and there has to be some accommodation. And it is in that, creating the space for people to change their minds, that you have the major breakthroughs.” |
| Terrific probing questions from our panel. They ranged from religious freedom, to economic policy decisions, to whether Milne would consider bringing in legislation to outlaw “the public lie” (a challenging proposal from bestselling children’s author Jackie French). | Terrific probing questions from our panel. They ranged from religious freedom, to economic policy decisions, to whether Milne would consider bringing in legislation to outlaw “the public lie” (a challenging proposal from bestselling children’s author Jackie French). |
| Milne’s response to banning the public lie? Not logical, sadly, whatever the philosophical merits of the notion. | Milne’s response to banning the public lie? Not logical, sadly, whatever the philosophical merits of the notion. |
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