- 1 week ago
The Assembly - Australia Season 2 Episode 3
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00:00AM I NEAREDS POINT?
00:11Is that so?
00:14OK, here comes Ray everybody.
00:18How exciting.
00:19Bit nervous.
00:20Ray Mondo!
00:21Hello.
00:22Haven't seen you for years.
00:23How are you?
00:24Good Ray, thank you.
00:25How are you?
00:26Yeah, good, thank you.
00:27Come and meet everybody.
00:29Everyone, this is Ray.
00:30Hello, Ray.
00:31Good morning.
00:32Good morning.
00:33That's for you.
00:34I love how you match the shoes to your jacket.
00:38Wife is to blame for everything.
00:40She's the boss.
00:41James is going to be the next Prime Minister.
00:43Is that right?
00:44No.
00:45OK.
00:46Do you like politics?
00:47I do, I'm very interested.
00:53Hello.
00:54Hello Ray.
00:55So we've got three rules.
00:56No subject is out of bounds.
00:58No question is off the table and anything might happen.
01:01So welcome to the Assembly.
01:02I better go.
01:03I'm out of here.
01:04Don't leave us.
01:07Three, two, one.
01:09The Assembly is back.
01:11This time there are even more students joining Australia's only Autism Friendly Journalism Foundations course.
01:18And we're coming in from all around the country.
01:22We'll be studying at Macquarie University with past Assembly graduates employed behind the scenes.
01:29And Lee Sayles is returning as our mentor.
01:32One in 40 Australians is on the Autism Spectrum and it's important that they're included in national conversations.
01:38We'll be interviewing some of Australia's most famous faces.
01:42To unmask the real person behind the public persona.
01:47Hello.
01:48I like the glasses.
01:51How do you know that the moon landing wasn't faked?
01:55Mmm.
01:56Who was your very first celebrity crush?
02:00That's a question I didn't expect first up.
02:02Let me think.
02:03How have your experiences in grief affected you?
02:06Gosh, I knew I'd have some tough questions.
02:10We are The Assembly!
02:35What the Assembly format can do that no other interviewer can do is lean into the idea that you can ask absolutely anything.
02:43And every single week I notice the students get a tiny little bit more confident.
02:52The thing that makes me passionate about journalism is primarily the sense of justice and the fact that I have a sort of need to make sure that everyone understands what's going on around them.
03:02So, not really advocacy but more just doing the right thing.
03:06Oh, maybe I'm one further over.
03:07Hi, Oliver.
03:08Hello.
03:09Hi.
03:10How are we all doing?
03:15Good.
03:16Good.
03:17How are we all doing?
03:19Good.
03:20Good.
03:21Okay, so, our next guest is a household name in Australia.
03:27He's had a career in journalism that's spanned more than 50 years.
03:32He has five gold logies.
03:34It's Ray Martin.
03:36Woo!
03:37Sorry for zero work.
03:40And I knew it was going to be Ray Martin.
03:43Are you a fan, Kai?
03:44I've watched Ray Martin all the time in the 90s.
03:48Yes.
03:49And he's actually one of the best.
03:51We're south of Catherine and north of Tennant Creek.
03:54Smack bang in the middle of nowhere.
03:56So, why would he get himself involved in this kind?
04:00Karen.
04:01He is the biggest journalist that I remember in my own time because I remember seeing the Ray Martin show at midday.
04:08But also that great big fight.
04:10What is it?
04:14Oliver.
04:15He did the documentary last year about dying.
04:19The next decade we'll see more deaths than any other time in Australia.
04:22We're about to reach peak death.
04:24James.
04:25I know that he has interviewed every Prime Minister since Menzies.
04:30Wow.
04:31Are we going to have a brawl?
04:32Up to you mate.
04:33Australians are calling Iraq a bloody mess at the moment that could be there for years and years.
04:37I don't think it'll be years and years.
04:39I've interviewed every Prime Minister since Bob Menzies except you, so I'm looking forward to tonight.
04:43That's good, you've collected the set.
04:45I think it's going to be interesting to interview someone who's been an eyewitness to so much of Australian history.
04:52So true.
04:53Okay, lots to think about.
04:54Let's divide into groups and I'll come around and chat to each of you.
04:57Hey, you got me now.
04:58I got you.
04:59You can't leave me now.
05:00I'm very excited to meet Ray Martin.
05:02I think it's so cool because we get to do what Ray Martin is doing.
05:05We're turning the tables on him.
05:10Hello gang.
05:11Good morning.
05:12Hey.
05:13Does anyone think they've got anything in common with Ray?
05:16I'm definitely interested in speaking to another photographer.
05:19What do you photograph?
05:21What kind of stuff?
05:22MMA.
05:23MMA.
05:24MMA.
05:25Mixed martial arts.
05:26Oh, that's great Katie.
05:27Yeah.
05:28How did you get into that?
05:30I wanted to photograph my friends doing their thing, you know, beating up each other.
05:34Sorry, sorry.
05:35I shouldn't say that.
05:36I think interviewing Ray Martin will definitely be my favourite because I think it will spark
05:42my special interest because I just love photography so much and it just makes me feel alive.
05:48I have two photography businesses that I run.
05:55The connection when I photograph someone is very much capturing the vulnerability and I feel like I can be vulnerable as well.
06:03Could it's a moment shared?
06:05I do wear hearing aids in both ears because my hearing loss is mostly severe.
06:14Having hearing loss and autism has taught me to advocate like hell for myself.
06:21It is quite important for me and for other people to feel heard.
06:26And it's ironic coming from me because sometimes I don't listen.
06:29I can't.
06:30Mechanically it's not possible.
06:31That's in my ear.
06:36A lot.
06:37It's a sensory nightmare when you have autism.
06:40I do like the question of why.
06:43Why are you here?
06:44Why are you watching?
06:45But my greatest why has always been for those next generation of deaf and autistic children.
06:53To understand they can be so, so much more than what box people put them in.
06:59Shove the box off the cliff and build something new.
07:04Alright, let's start going through the questions.
07:06I had a look at his gallery.
07:09The one photo of Ray that has definitely drawn my attention is the Nephalese boy.
07:15Is that one?
07:16Oh wow.
07:17What a beautiful photo.
07:18Goodness.
07:19The reason why I love it so much is so melancholic and so interesting.
07:24I would love to know his thought process in that moment of prison time.
07:28Really nice question.
07:29I think that's a really good question.
07:31Hello James.
07:32Hello.
07:33How are you feeling about Ray?
07:35I'm really excited because I've, you know, watched and followed the news for a long time.
07:41So, you know, he's been one of those faces that has just always been there, always been respected.
07:46And he's seen so many things.
07:47He's seen so many things.
07:48Somebody told me that you're good at impersonations of the Prime Minister.
07:51Yeah.
07:52Okay, do you want to test some on me and see if I can tell who they are?
07:54No one, however smart, however well educated, however experienced, is the suppository of
08:05all wisdom.
08:06Within like one second, as soon as you took the kind of pause and the breath, I knew straight
08:11away that it was Tony Abbott.
08:12Yeah.
08:13Because I've seen that many times.
08:14Lee.
08:15Well, I'm doing impressions for Lee Sales of people she's interviewed.
08:21And to see that they got her ticket of approval, that was great.
08:26I've always found the history of power to be very interesting.
08:34And I'm fascinated by the politicians.
08:37Because most of them are actors.
08:41So this is where I come to be somebody else.
08:47So ever since I was a little kid, I've loved performing and I've always been drawn to voices.
08:55Margaret Thatcher, she has a very melodic rhythm, but also is very, very strident.
09:02I was diagnosed with autism when I was five.
09:04And the biggest thing I struggled with was feeling like I was other.
09:10I definitely associate with many politicians and having to create a persona.
09:19I try to act like a neurotypical because I'm worried that the person who I am won't be well received.
09:29It's taken me a long time to get over that.
09:32It's said that Napoleon had autism, but no one treated him differently.
09:40They just thought he was a genius.
09:43My challenges, they're not going to hold me back.
09:47I'm just as good as anybody else out there.
09:51There's a kind of wonder in a gust of wind.
09:59Sometimes I'm a little bit hairy and uncomfortable, but then I just think this is just life.
10:06So I watched the first episodes.
10:21All you people are new, aren't you?
10:23You were?
10:24Yes.
10:25Good, good.
10:26Ray, you might see some faces, you know, because some of the people from season one are on the crew this time.
10:31Oh, okay.
10:32So you might see a few familiar faces around.
10:33Up the back?
10:34Yeah.
10:35I must say you're really good.
10:36And you're tough.
10:37This team is not going to be anywhere near as tough as you were.
10:40Oh, ow!
10:41I think if anything, we might be a bit tougher.
10:43Oh, okay.
10:44Yeah, we will be.
10:45So it's a good job.
10:46I wore my flak jacket and I'll put my helmet on, surely.
10:48Yeah.
10:52Okay, everyone, we're going to get started and Soph is going to kick things off for us today.
11:00This is a safe space.
11:02Everyone can relax and be themselves.
11:05There will be no judgement.
11:07Please do what you need to join in.
11:09For example, fidget.
11:10Move, take a break.
11:12Ask if you need anything to help you be included.
11:16Ray, our first question is from Kai and he's going to come from up the back.
11:20He does like, like, so.
11:21Okay.
11:22Hi Kai.
11:23Ray Martin, it's a pleasure to have you.
11:26I've watched you since the 90s.
11:28My mum and I, we've watched you on A Carrot Affair, but why did you have to bail out and
11:32give Mike Munro the role and then came back for another two years?
11:36What made you do that?
11:37It's fairly intense, I think, as Lee found when she was doing 7.30, that you make it
11:43look as though it's calm, but like the swine, your feet are going crazy underneath the surface.
11:48And so it's fairly intense, even I was ready for a break.
11:51But have you ever thought of still retiring as well?
11:54Because is there a time that you're going to be saying, oh, I wish I was retiring and
11:57then you're going to regret it one day?
11:59No, the secret is you have to do things you like.
12:02David Atmerer is a friend of mine.
12:04I did about 30 shows with him and he was about 87 when I interviewed him first up.
12:08He's now 99 and the most wonderful man.
12:11And I said, what's the secret?
12:12He said, don't do anything you don't like.
12:15You don't do anything you like because you like too much when you get old.
12:18Only do things you love.
12:19And I love this.
12:20And it's the same.
12:21I love being a journalist.
12:22Well, fingers crossed.
12:23We might see you in retirement and have all the Logies with you though.
12:26Thanks very much, Ray.
12:27We appreciate it.
12:28Thanks, Kai.
12:29It's Katie's turn now.
12:31Katie.
12:32Hi, Katie.
12:33Hello, Ray.
12:34I'm actually really anxious, by the way.
12:37Don't be anxious.
12:38I'm a photographer too.
12:41I would love to delve into photojournalism.
12:44It tells a story with no words.
12:47You have a photo called the Nepalese boy.
12:50It's a beautiful photo.
12:52I do think it rivals the Afghan girl.
12:54Wow.
12:55I'd love to know what your thought process was in that moment.
12:58In modernising that boy's youth.
13:01Thank you for your comments.
13:02That's very kind.
13:03I've made my career in being a journalist and writing stuff.
13:07But I probably like taking photographs even more.
13:09I'm obsessed with photography.
13:11I almost take my camera everywhere.
13:13I'm surprised I don't have it today.
13:14In taking photographs, especially photographs of people, you've got to have them trust you.
13:19Part of that thing is convincing them that your intentions are good and that you've got
13:24to make them look interesting.
13:26Photojournalism is a real art.
13:29I'm still trying.
13:30My final question is, you survived a childhood of domestic violence.
13:35You've broken that cycle of abuse and have a beautiful relationship with Diane and your
13:39children and their children.
13:41Can you tell me how you broke the cycle?
13:44You have to break the cycle.
13:45You have to.
13:46And I've said to my son and my nephews of mine who are fantastic men, there's no excuse
13:52for violence.
13:53It's criminal violence.
13:54We call it domestic violence.
13:55It's criminal violence, especially against a woman.
13:58And there's one woman a week killed in Australia by someone who pretends to love them often.
14:04And so there's no question.
14:05We have to stop accepting it.
14:07And the only way you stop it is by breaking the cycle.
14:10You know, you don't lift your hand.
14:11You don't lift a knife.
14:13You don't do anything.
14:14You simply cop it and walk away.
14:16So, you know, that's what I think I did.
14:18And there's never been a moment with any woman in my life where I thought, you know,
14:22you'd hit them or you'd touch them.
14:23That's just unacceptable.
14:25This is an absolute honour.
14:28My pleasure.
14:30Thomas' turn now.
14:32Hello, Ray.
14:33Hey, Thomas.
14:34You were the host of the Midday Show.
14:37One thing that did happen on the Midday Show famously was that punch up about the Republican
14:43movement between those two guys.
14:45What was going on in your mind as it was happening?
14:48I couldn't believe it.
14:49I couldn't believe it.
14:50I mean, I knew Ron Casey was the guy who punched and Normie Rowe was the guy who copped
14:56it.
14:57I knew them both.
14:58They weren't friends, but they were acquaintances.
15:00And I would have bet my house that they wouldn't have got to violence.
15:03Anyway, a punch was thrown.
15:06And then the security man we had in the studio, he raced on and separated them so they didn't
15:10actually get a fist fight beyond one punch.
15:13I didn't realise there was going to be a big story around the world.
15:16But then the next day we actually had their wives, the two men's wives came on and they
15:22explained how embarrassed they were by their husbands having a fight on television.
15:25And they banished their husbands to the other end of the house when they came home that night.
15:29But it was a big story.
15:30Very big story.
15:31Thanks.
15:32Thank you, Tom.
15:33Thanks very much.
15:34Molly's going to go next.
15:36Hi, Ray.
15:37Hi, Molly.
15:38In your early career, you covered the first time man walked on the moon.
15:43This was done by Neil Armstrong.
15:45Or if you take his first name and a missile of his last and flip it, it spells alien.
15:50Do you think this is a coincidence and how do you know that the moon landing wasn't faked?
15:55Hmm.
15:56I interviewed Neil and also Buzz Alden, the second man on the moon.
16:01How do I know it happened?
16:02I believe scientists.
16:04I don't believe many people.
16:06I believe scientists.
16:07And so I think it happened.
16:09So just a coincidence.
16:10It wasn't Hollywood.
16:11It wasn't Hollywood.
16:13Thanks, Molly.
16:14Soph, it's your turn.
16:18Hello, Ray.
16:19Lovely to meet you today.
16:21You have a massive interest in history and cultural heritage.
16:25I find history boring and much more enjoy creating and innovating with my ideas.
16:31What do you find boring?
16:33What do I find boring?
16:35Politicians.
16:36They're pretty boring.
16:41That's surprising, considering how many you've interviewed.
16:44It is.
16:45It is surprising.
16:46Those who aren't boring are exceptional.
16:49But I don't find much boring.
16:51But I guess that's why I love journalism, that I'm learning something new all the time.
16:55For the last time, can you put the rumours to rest?
16:59You have magnificent hair.
17:01Is it a wig?
17:03Oh, all these, all these tough questions.
17:08Will I take it off?
17:11It's funny.
17:12When we did Midday, we'd have an audience of 200 people at the Midday Show, and quite often
17:16we'd get women hairdressers who'd come in as an audience of the show.
17:20And quite often they'd say, can I just feel if that's a wig?
17:23And I'd go across and they'd try and pull it off and prove that it's just a different
17:27coloured wig I've got now.
17:29What do you think of your children?
17:33Oh, I love my children.
17:36We didn't have children.
17:38We'd been married for 17 years before we had Jenna and then Luke a couple of years afterwards.
17:42And I honestly thought we weren't going to have children.
17:44We were living in America and having a wonderful time.
17:47And then my wife said she was pregnant with Jenna and my life changed.
17:52So I stopped going in 60 minutes.
17:54I'm about to cry.
17:55I stopped going in 60 minutes because I was travelling around the world with a program
18:00like that.
18:01I didn't want to be away.
18:02If we waited that long to have children, I wanted to be at home.
18:04So I live about 100 metres from her and my son separately.
18:09And that's what I want to be.
18:12Thank you, Soph.
18:14Daniel.
18:15Hi, Daniel.
18:16Hi, Ray.
18:17How are you going, mate?
18:18Good to see you.
18:19I've heard that you have a really good relationship with your children.
18:21And what in your childhood made you the caring father you are today from a serious standpoint?
18:27Well, I wonder.
18:28It's a really serious question.
18:29My parents split when I was 11.
18:31So I didn't see my father after I was 11.
18:33So I didn't have a father around me.
18:35And I was anxious that I was a proper father to my kids.
18:39But I had really great older brother rules.
18:41I was the youngest in the family.
18:42I was much younger than my sisters.
18:44And so the brothers-in-law were like sort of secondary fathers to me.
18:48I could watch them and see the way they operated with their children.
18:50But I'm not the perfect father.
18:52You make mistakes.
18:53We all make mistakes.
18:54And you learn from the mistakes.
18:55We're all humans.
18:56Yeah, that's right.
18:57Yeah.
18:58But I try.
18:59I try.
19:00Thanks, mate.
19:01I appreciate it.
19:02Willow, you're next.
19:03Hello.
19:04I'm Willow.
19:05Willow?
19:06Hello.
19:07Yes.
19:08What was the plan?
19:09Okay.
19:10Which means I miss him.
19:11I find it hard, very hard.
19:12You were away a lot for working.
19:13What the hardest part of being away from your children?
19:17Yeah, as I mentioned, I left 60 Minutes when we had our daughter cause I didn't wanna
19:21be away from our daughter.
19:23In later life I used to try to organise it so either kids came with me on a trip or else
19:30I'd only be away a very short time you only have them for a little time and and they become
19:35Grown-up human beings, so you've got to be careful that you work. Not for me. I know my parents. Just kidding.
19:39Okay, well, so yeah, I miss them enormously and I
19:43Before we had children while I was the same with my wife. My wife wasn't there
19:47I think I wish you were here. What we're seeing and doing is amazing
19:50So when you love people you really want to share
19:53Experiences with them. Yeah, my dad was here. What did your dad do? My dad's a pilot. A pilot, okay
19:59He's like he's from Fiji Airlines, so okay, but he's right now for his birthday, so okay
20:03Well, the pilots have no choice do they?
20:05No, they don't. I wish they had choice so they can save me
20:08Yeah, thank you. Hi. Hello. I'm Timmy. I'm single and
20:15Currently looking for the special one. You have been married for over 50 years
20:20What does it feel like to find a special one? It's feel special too. Oh, you get lucky
20:25I met my wife on a squash court. She was a much better player than me and I was watching her on the next court and thinking
20:32She's pretty good. She looks good. And so thankfully she
20:36bothered to talk to me and so
20:39She's probably the most important person in my life. She has been influential in what I think and what I do and what I dress and
20:47What I eat so so it's really special if you get you get lucky, okay
20:52If you could meet anyone in this world today, who would you meet?
20:58Wow, I've met a lot of people
21:01I'd love to have met the Queen
21:03Queen's dad, of course
21:04But if you could talk to the Queen as a journalist and ask her anything
21:08She had been at the center of everything in England for almost a hundred years. She'd have been special
21:14Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Laura, you're a guy
21:20Hi, Ray. Hello. I'm Laura
21:22If you got to interview the Queen, what would you ask her?
21:27I'd ask her what she has in her handbag
21:30Because she always had the handbag and she wouldn't have keys and she wouldn't have a credit card
21:34I always wondered when she walked around to the where it was just full of sort of rolled up paper
21:38Or whether she had something in there, so I'd love to know what was in there in a handbag
21:43I've learnt that your good friends call you Raymundo
21:47Can we call you Raymundo and how did the nickname Raymundo come about?
21:51You can call me anything you like
21:54My grands children call me Mondo not Raymundo, but Mondo and it just from Raymond
21:59My mother called me Raymond if she was angry with me Raymond
22:03But that would follow but she was thankfully wasn't angry too much, but I like Mondo. It's a good good nickname
22:11In your late 40s. You found out that one of your relatives was indigenous
22:16When I was in year four I found out that one of my relatives was also indigenous
22:21How did it make you feel to find this out and what did you do first with this information?
22:26I suspect a lot of Australians have an Aboriginal connection because if men went to the bush and went away from the city early on
22:34There were really no other women around apart for Aboriginal women. I think that would have been the case
22:39I was very proud of it. You know, that's one of my great causes is to try and close the gap of disadvantage for Aboriginal people
22:46That was long before I became aware that I had Aboriginal connection. I just think that's something we should do as Australians
22:52Thank you. Thank you. Um, Pat, it's your go if you want to grab the mic from Laura. You can talk to Raymundo now
23:01So you've interviewed many famous people and and many others whom you've had some background knowledge of before seeing them
23:08But if you interviewed me whom you know barely anything about what would your first question be?
23:13I'd probably ask you. What do you dream of? What do you dream of? Hmm?
23:18Honestly, a lot of the things I dream of are situations in low gravity oddly enough
23:26So one of my one of my most
23:29Memorable
23:30Dreams as a kid was where I was getting chased by a golden retriever, but I could jump like I was on the moon and so could the retriever
23:37And eventually the dream ended when the retriever caught up with me. Yes
23:41We'll see what you said what would ask you. Well, now I know I'm gonna go in a science area
23:45I'm probably gonna honestly you love science and and maybe a strong
23:49Yeah, I've I mean I have read a lot about the Apollo program in my spare time a few years ago
23:54Would you like to go to the moon or would you like to go to Mars?
23:56Oh, I think the moon would be a good
24:00Mix of adventure, but it also means that I only need three days to get home instead of a few months
24:05I think that'd be good
24:07Great. Thank you for showing your interviewing skills
24:12Good question. Thank you very much. I'll move around the front here. So you don't have to turn around. Is everyone all right if I'm over here just making sure
24:21All right, um, you publicly demonstrated your support for the voice to parliament and it was not successful with only 34 federal
24:28electorates out of 151 voting yes
24:31So how did you feel when you heard the news? Yeah, I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it
24:3660% of Australians voted against us. I think it's really simple. I mean the fact that
24:43There were maybe a million
24:46Aboriginal people in Australia when the first fleet arrived
24:50We took that land. There's no question
24:53I'm getting serious now, but we had a program effectively of wiping them out there with the massacres as we now now happened and the
25:01Treatment of Aboriginal people was terrible and so the idea of giving them a voice
25:05Not how they had no parent that was simply just let's listen to them for the first time for us to say no
25:11Was shameful we are by nature very conservative in Australia. I think we backed away, but that's all right. We'll we'll come good
25:18We'll get there
25:19and we're going to go into a little more of a personal one as well and if you're not comfortable you don't have to go ahead and
25:26Your father turned up at your place of work at Channel 9 after you got a job there
25:29I understand this was still about 25 to 30 years after you'd last seen him
25:33However, my question is were you scared of him at that point?
25:36Yeah, well
25:36I was 11 when we left and and you know he was a man, but as I grew up
25:41He was no longer a fear in my life. He was still a fear for my mother
25:45I just thought that my mother had done the hard work to raise me
25:49He knew how to get in touch with us through her family through my grandmother and so on and didn't and so I felt it was like a
25:55Smack in my mother's face if I actually went back and you know
25:59Renewed a friendship with him. I thought no bang on you had your chance, but it was no trauma
26:04I wasn't wasn't like I had some big trauma and some chip on my shoulder
26:07I just thought my smooth on it's like when I was a kid
26:10I had told everybody dad had died in a car crash and
26:14Effectively, that's what had happened and he'd moved out of my life and my mother was
26:18Much more important as my sisters were that's interesting. I didn't know that last bit about
26:22You're not really having any trauma from that. I'd read the story and I see yeah wrongly. I suppose. I apologize for that
26:29I could have it. I could have a twitch. I don't know about but yeah, who knows
26:34Thank you. That's all my questions. Thank you. Sam you're okay. Hi Ray. I'm Sam. Hi Sam. What was it like being a journalist before the Internet?
26:43Very different very different. I was just if you were traveling overseas
26:48You'd have to have a pocket full of coins to put coins into the phone
26:52There was a great Australian tennis player named Rod Laver and I was in New York and it looked like he was going to win the American
26:59Championship and I had to get to a phone and and ring it through to Sydney to for radio program
27:05And I had a friend who worked for the telephone company in America and he gave me an out-of-order sign
27:10I shouldn't tell you this now
27:12But I went to a telephone booth and I put this out-of-order sign up so I can get get the phone and I was able to come back
27:18And I used to have a tape recorder
27:19You'd have to put crocodile clips onto the inside the phone
27:22And so I broke the mouthpiece and I put the crocodile clips and I got back and rang AM and gave the results
27:28Because I had this phone to myself in nowadays with the internet you just have your own mobile
27:33But in those days you had to really find a phone and find enough coins and that sort of stuff
27:37Thank you so much Ray
27:39Pleasure
27:39Could you want to pass along to James R?
27:43Hi Ray
27:43You've interviewed every Prime Minister from Robert Menzies to Malcolm Turnbull as well as countless other politicians
27:50From your observations, what makes a good leader and what's one trait that politicians have lost over the last 60 years?
27:58Are you going to be a politician?
28:00Who knows?
28:03Someone whispered to me earlier that you were the next Prime Minister
28:06I guess as I was saying to our friend here that what makes a good politician
28:11I think people who are genuinely interested in making Australia a better place
28:17That makes a good politician
28:18And I think people like us, ordinary people, can pick a phony
28:23You can pick if someone's not telling the truth fairly quickly
28:25Most politicians really want to make the world a better place
28:29You and I may not agree with the way they do it
28:31So I think my advice would be if you're interested in politics, do it
28:36Because I think it can be really rewarding
28:38But I think you've got to do it for the right reasons
28:41Thanks Ray, that was very insightful
28:43It seems that journalism is not as respected in modern Australia as it was in the past
28:49As someone who's seen it all, why do you think it might be and do you think there's a way back?
28:53Great question
28:54When I was a young journalist, journalists were pretty far down the respect scale
28:59I think just in front of used car salesmen
29:01And it's not any better
29:03I think to get respect back you've got to get back to telling the truth
29:09You know, what I loved as a journalist was
29:11People didn't know my politics
29:13What I thought politically didn't matter
29:15And so if I would do an interview with the Prime Minister at the time
29:19And people would ring up saying it's quite clear that you're a card-carrying Liberal
29:23And the other half would say it's quite clear that you're a card-carrying Communist
29:27That was fantastic
29:28I knew that, you know, they didn't know what I was thinking
29:31And I think that's probably been forgotten today
29:33I think there are too many journalists who tell us what they think
29:36Rather than what the person they're interviewing thinks
29:38And I think that's a line we shouldn't cross
29:40Yes, very wise words
29:42Is there one moment in your career that you hope people will think of when they hear the name Ray Martin?
29:49Oh wow
29:49I've been around a long time
29:51If people thought that I'd been fair in my coverage
29:55They may not agree with me
29:57I'm a Republican and I want to change the flag
30:00And I'm, you know, obviously in support of women's rights and Aboriginal rights
30:04So I don't compromise on those things
30:06But if someone said I don't agree with you but you were fair
30:10That'll do me
30:12Thank you very much
30:14Thanks
30:14There you go, Oliver
30:19Hello
30:20Hello Oliver
30:20A few years ago Tom Gleeson won a gold Logie
30:24And exposed the system pointing out that this is a giant popularity contest
30:28As someone who has won more gold Logies than anyone alive
30:33How did this stunt make you feel about your own Logie success?
30:37It is a popularity contest
30:38The gold Logie is a popularity contest
30:40And often popularity is a good thing
30:43You know, it's important
30:44So when you won yours, were you Australia's best journalist or its most popular?
30:50I guess popular is what the gold Logie was about
30:54It's one of those, if you go to the pub and there's a chook raffle on a Friday night
31:00Well, it's good to win the chook raffle
31:01It's good to win it
31:02Rather than lose it
31:03So if you go to be in the television game, it's good to win a Logie
31:07It's good to win a Walkley award or whatever it might be
31:09But that's not what drives you
31:10What drives you is telling stories and interviewing people and being a journalist
31:15So if you happen to win some awards, good, I'll take that
31:18Today you've spoken about being a Republican
31:21And that the one interview you wish you had was Queen Elizabeth II
31:26That seems to me like a contradiction
31:29How do you make sense of this contradiction?
31:33Me being a Republican is one thing
31:35But the idea of talking to someone who has been influential in our world for almost 100 years
31:40That's the interest
31:41Donald Trump, who I don't like
31:43But I'd quite like to talk to him
31:44And the Queen, I think, was a powerful person who was obviously intelligent and probably funny
31:49But I don't want an Englishman or an Englishwoman the head of state of Australia
31:54I want Australians to be in charge of Australia
31:56Thank you very much
31:58Good questions, thank you very much
31:59Tiana
32:00Hi Ray
32:01Why are you so interested in exploring death?
32:04Is there something about death that you feel is very important?
32:08I think what happens when you die is probably the ultimate question in life
32:12You know, what happens when, what happens is it really
32:14Do we just get born and then we die?
32:16Or does something happen afterwards?
32:17I haven't found an answer to it
32:18The BBC asked me to do a three-part series on death
32:22Which is what I did last year
32:23And I thought, wow, who's going to watch three hours of death on SBS as it was?
32:29It was, I think, one of their highest, if not the third highest rating program of the year
32:32So clearly people want to talk about it
32:35And lots and lots of strangers have met me
32:37They're saying, thanks for doing that program on death
32:40Because mum and dad wouldn't talk about it until now
32:42So clearly we're all interested
32:45Okay, thank you very much
32:47Thank you
32:47Jen
32:48Thanks, James
32:50I have a big interest in philosophy
32:52And I've read a lot about, like, suffering and strength and a few other things
32:55With Buddhism, Albert Camus and Nietzsche being personal influencers
33:00Let's come to the conclusion that the truest form of strength comes on overcoming suffering
33:05What are your thoughts on strength and suffering?
33:08Well, you've read much more than I have in that area
33:11Sometimes life's tough
33:13And sometimes, as Camus and others have talked about
33:17It's impossible if you're locked away in a jail and you're chained up
33:20And, you know, it's very hard to overcome suffering in that case
33:23But generally, we can do something about it
33:26So I think in terms of suffering, we all need help
33:28But ultimately it's got to be you
33:30Finally it's going to be you to make the decision
33:32None shall live my life in my stead
33:34Yes, that's right
33:35That's one I'm quite fond of
33:36And the Shakespearean line is
33:38To thine own self be true
33:39Yes
33:40So if you look in the mirror, be honest to yourself
33:42Yes
33:43Be honest to yourself
33:44I'll say my current personal fatal flaw is wrath
33:47Is wrath, yeah
33:49Yes
33:49What do you think your fatal flaw is?
33:52Oh, we're enjoying things too much
33:54I tend to be a hedonist
33:55And so I go for pleasure rather than pain every time
33:59I think my wife would say I'm too accepting of people
34:03And I tend to think the better of people rather than worst
34:06Yeah, it can get you in trouble though
34:09It can get you in trouble, can't it?
34:10It can indeed
34:11That's what my wife says
34:12Thank you, James
34:13Thank you
34:14Bec, your go
34:16After thinking about this for a long time
34:23I've made the decision to donate my body to science
34:27At a West Australian university after I die
34:29People question my decision a lot
34:32Which I don't understand why
34:34What do you want to do with your body when you die?
34:38I think certainly cremation
34:40I don't like the idea of being buried
34:43My body's sort of wearing out
34:45So I'm not sure how many parts they want from my body
34:47But I think I would willingly donate
34:49If there was anything that could be used
34:51Then I think I'd love someone who was sick to have a part
34:56It's actually in my will
34:58My husband and I did our wills last year
35:00Thank you so much
35:01Thank you, that's great
35:02You'll go Matt
35:04Sorry, sorry
35:08Hello Mr Ray Martin
35:11Hello Matt
35:11I'll try not to embarrass everybody
35:16But my regards about Donald Trump
35:18He sounds like he's such a bloody disgrace to everybody
35:20Because he's got no moles and no rights and no soul
35:23His waistline is like 250 centimetres deep
35:26And can you guys believe that?
35:29What do you really think? Come on
35:30I'll get straight into it
35:32I take a lot of pride in my voice 1000%
35:36Can you teach us your best tips
35:38For your best on camera reporter voice right now please?
35:43Be yourself
35:43My voice didn't change when I went into the ABC
35:47I mean especially television
35:48Television I think is the most honest medium
35:51V is what you see
35:52Off camera and on camera
35:54I think television is like that
35:55So don't pretend you're someone else
35:57Just be you
35:57I think you're a very amazing journalist
36:01And I wish that Ron Moss and the Ball and the Beautiful
36:03Was going to be a president of the United States of America one day
36:05So thank you very much
36:06My pleasure
36:07I'm a big Panthers Panthers fan
36:17You're a South Sydney fan
36:19League fan
36:19So I'm not sure we can be friends
36:21Well we can be friends
36:22Just joking
36:23We can be friends
36:23If you were the South Sydney coach for a day
36:25What would you change?
36:28Oh I love rugby league
36:29Of course it's a brutal sport
36:31But I love it
36:31I don't know why I love it
36:32But I love it
36:33What would I change about South Sydney?
36:36We're match fit when it comes to losing
36:38We know how to lose
36:40Because we've lost a lot
36:41As well as won a lot of premierships
36:42I think that secret is to try and
36:44If you're a football player in first grade
36:47You're a damn good football player
36:49You've got to try and teach them to be better men
36:52In every sport
36:53A good coach will make people better people
36:55And they're usually better sports
36:56Men and women
36:57If you could interview Donald Trump
36:59What would you ask him?
37:01Be honest with us
37:02Oh I wouldn't
37:04I'd take him with me
37:08I'd take him with me
37:09You know sometimes with interviews
37:15You've got to be careful what you wish for
37:17I had a friend
37:18He and I had both wanted to interview Bob Dylan
37:20And he rang me up
37:22I said guess what
37:23I said what
37:23He said I got Bob Dylan
37:24I said yeah how was it
37:26He said dreadful
37:28One word answers
37:29So I think the same as interviewing Trump
37:32You'd have to be careful
37:33Again a bit like you
37:35I don't have much time for it
37:36And what he stands for
37:37And so I'd have to try
37:39And get rid of what I think
37:41And just ask him
37:41What I think people want to hear
37:43But he's a pretty tricky customer
37:45Thank you
37:46Great answers
37:47Thank you
37:48Ben
37:50You're going
37:51You've done your homework
37:52Haven't you?
37:53Yes
37:54It's been hard to
37:54Well I do our homework
37:55We didn't do toys
37:56Was Lee tough?
37:58No
37:59Lee's not tough
37:59Lee's not tough
38:00Lee's lovely
38:01Alright
38:02Hello
38:03Wonderful to meet you
38:04Outmost respect
38:05Thank you
38:06So I've had aspirations
38:09To be an investigative journalist
38:11As well
38:12The biggest deterrent for me though
38:14Was the potential dangers
38:16So was there ever an interview
38:18That made you
38:18Fear for your life
38:20How did you deal with that?
38:22I've had a couple of occasions
38:24When we were doing stories
38:26On the drug business in Australia
38:28In which the police
38:29Had been in touch with Channel Alliance
38:31Saying they'd got word
38:33That there was a death threat
38:34Made against me
38:35And so we actually had
38:36An armed guard at the house
38:38For a period of time
38:40That was a bit strange
38:42When you've got kids
38:44And a family around
38:44And there's an armed guard
38:46Outside your house
38:46For a period of time
38:47Thankfully nothing happened
38:48But you cover war zones
38:50And cover dangerous places
38:52It can be a dangerous job
38:53But you do have to ask the questions
38:55Thanks so much, Ray
38:56James, you've got the mic
38:58For the last time
38:59So Ray
39:01If you're interested
39:03We'd like to play
39:04A bit of a game with you
39:06I was worried about this
39:07I was worried
39:08Okay
39:11Now you've interviewed
39:1315 Prime Ministers
39:15And I love doing
39:17Impressions of politicians
39:18Now I'm wondering
39:20If you can guess
39:21Which Prime Ministers I'm doing
39:22Okay
39:23Now
39:25The thing about Ray Martin
39:27Is he
39:28John Howard
39:37Very good, Ray
39:40Now
39:41You're very good
39:42Now just
39:43Bonus round
39:45This is
39:46Not an Australian
39:47Prime Minister
39:48Ray Martin
39:49I don't know him
39:50I've never met him
39:51But I think
39:52I think he's fantastic
39:54I think he's Donald Trump
39:55Yes, that's very nice thing
39:57That's very big
39:57Donald Trump
39:59Well done
40:00Well done
40:00Well done, Ray
40:01Ray, so can I just say
40:04Thank you on behalf
40:06Of all of us
40:06For coming and sharing
40:08Your wisdom
40:09It was truly
40:09An honour
40:10And an amazing experience
40:12So thank you
40:13Thank you, Ray
40:13Thank you
40:14Can I thank you
40:18Thank you for your questions
40:20Which were really interesting
40:21And fun
40:21As well as serious
40:23You really
40:24If you want to be a journalist
40:25You really can
40:26And the advice I'd give to you
40:28And what you're doing
40:28Is if you feel different
40:30That's good
40:31That's good
40:31Because we need difference
40:33And we need diversity
40:34So if you would love
40:35To be a journalist
40:36Which I think
40:37Is the best thing on earth
40:37Have a go
40:38You can do it
40:39Awesome
40:40Thank you so much, Ray
40:41Thank you
40:41There's the two of us
40:46Here we go
40:46Yeah, I got your book, mate
40:49Oh, good
40:50Thanks
40:50Well done
40:51Thanks, mate
40:52Pleasure
40:52You're a big boy
40:53Yeah, I'm very lump of a boy
40:55Like Mike Tyson
40:56I'm really euphoric about this
40:59Because it's such
41:00An exciting opportunity
41:02Thank you indeed
41:04Thank you
41:05The mask warrior
41:05More like the cyberpunk warrior
41:08You might say, sir
41:09You put all these people
41:12That we're interviewing
41:13On a pedestal
41:14And you're like
41:15They're an idol
41:16You can't touch them
41:18Thanks for your lovely questions
41:19Thank you
41:20Really good questions
41:21Thank you
41:21I was just worried about
41:23The domestic violence
41:24Oh, no, that's fine
41:25I'm happy to talk about it
41:26Because there's anything
41:26We can do to make things better
41:28But then they're here
41:29With us in person
41:30And you realise
41:32Hey
41:33They're human like me
41:34Thank you
41:35Hi
41:36Looking down the limits
41:37Ready
41:37Beautiful
41:41What a good team
41:42Great
41:43Great team
41:44Hi, Jewel and Morris
41:51You're not funny
41:52But I feel like you anyway
41:54You know, to speak the truth
41:56You look very beautiful
41:57Just going for the pink today
41:59To warm up the old bird
42:00How would your life
42:03Have been different
42:04If you had your diagnosis earlier
42:06Gosh
42:07Here it happens again
42:08I'm the group's crier
42:10I'm incoming too
42:11Don't worry
42:11I'm slightly round
42:13More to love
42:14Would you do a challenge
42:16With us today?
42:17I will absolutely
42:18Do a challenge
42:19Thanks
42:19Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
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