Meeting The Prime Minister.

[TylerDurden]

What would you say if you had the ear of the leader of your country, one on one, for two minutes?

Every issue, domestic and international, that you'd like to talk about, every question you could ask, every little point you'd like to make, your perfect chance to have your opinion heard by the most powerful man in your country, with no-one else around.

Everything you talk about here in FYM. Wouldn't you love to actually have Bush's ear for a couple of minutes? Blairs? Whether you support them or not.

My girlfriend lives in the same suburb as the official Prime Ministers residence here in Sydney. Today there are local government elections (ie for Mayor). Last night I had a massive night out. Drank way, way, way too much. Woke up this morning feeling awful. Massive headache, looked like I'd gone a couple of rounds with Mike Tyson. My girlfriend and I leave her apartment to walk up to the local school where she was going to vote. I barely made the walk I felt so hungover.

She walked into the hall to vote and I sat on a fence outside and lit up a cigarette. The bloody Prime Minister wanders out of the hall. Myself and the big dude in sunglasses standing a few metres away (who I realised then was obviously his security) are the only people there. I'm already thinking "Sh*t!!!" My head is killing. I can barely open my eyes. I feel like dying. The Prime Minister walks straight over to me. Says hello and something about the view (the school is on top of a hill that has a nice view down to a small bay filled with boats). He then just keeps talking. One on one. Me and the Prime Minister. He was waiting for his wife and son to vote.

Anyone who has read one of my posts in here knows I am strongly anti-Bush. I'm also anti-Howard (Aussie PM), DEFINITELY on all the international issues where he follows Bush to every detail, and also on many, many domestic issues here in Australia. I most definitely will not be voting for him this year. I think he is plain wrong on many things, and, as wanky as it sounds, I think he is seriously hurting the soul of the country.

So... how did I use this one on one time with the Prime Minister? A man I'd love to launch into an FYM style debate with? A man who I think is wrong on so many things? What would you talk about with Bush? Wouldn't you love the opportunity?

What did we talk about?

Nicotene addiction and garbage bins. Seriously.

Stupid damn hangovers....

 

[MrBrau1]

If I could meet Bush I'd ask him "Sphincter-says-what?"

I'm quite sure he'd say "what?"

 

[Kieran McConville]

Nice story, Tyler Durden (does he know your real name is Tyler Durden?).

I hope I never meet the head of state, even if he does call for me by name...

because I won't have time for him.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Good on you Tyler lol. Of all mornings. He was probably happy to have a meaningless chat with someone suffering a major hangover, discussing the view instead of making a lame joke about his wife voting labor.
I met Neville Wran in 1985, and was too embarrassed by all the cameras and fuss to say anything. I then met Nick Greiner in 88 and told him all about my mum making the costume I was wearing for the school's centenary and the country's bicentenary dual celebrations. I think he was highly impressed by mum's needlework as he picked me to pose on the front page of the Blue Mountains Gazette with him. You have to savour these 15 minutes you know.

I wouldn't know where to start if I met anyone important now. I'd probably talk about the weather.

 

[beli]

I met Kim Beasley in the bakery years ago. I think we had some rivetting conversation along the lines of:

Kim: Hi
Beli: Hi
Kim: That looks good
Beli: Yep

or somefin similar.

 

[verte76]

I'd flip out if I met Bush or some other political big shot. I'd probably talk about the weather too.

 

[najeena]

If I had the chance to meet Bush, I'd be sure he knew that I said 'I have better things to do with my time'. Seriously. Then I'd berate myself for not taking the opportunity to stick up for all of the people he doesn't care about.

 

[Tasty Taste]

Id be careful talking to Bush like that, you might find yourself arrested under the patriot act.

If I met Paul Martin, I would love to discuss things like environmental issues (although like verte76, id end up talking bout the weather)

 

[Katey]

I actually met my PM and had his ear for about for a couple of minutes. We chatted about Canada's role in the world and our assistance to Africa .He has a good heart but you don't doubt for a minute he plays politcs...we also talked about Beaver tails.. for local Montreal or Ottawa folk you know that is not actually the tail of an animal.. but a tasty famous pastry!!

 

[~*Buffalo*~]

What I'd want to talk about with Howard is all that FYM-ish kind of stuff ...

but what I'd actually talk about would be nothing ... I'd want to run and hide.

 

[TylerDurden]

What I'd want to talk about with Howard is all that FYM-ish kind of stuff ...

but what I'd actually talk about would be nothing ... I'd want to run and hide.

Yeah. That's exactly what I was feeling. It was like seeing a cop coming towards you. Even if you know there's nothing up, you still feel scared. Here's the PM with his big sh*t eating grin wandering over and you're thinking "What?!? What have I done?!?"

I would have loved to have had a snappy 30 second rant I could have pulled out to register my distaste for him, or even done a little silent protest like refusing to shake his hand or something. But I was a mess and it all moved too quickly and it was all a bit surreal.

Anyway, he said his thing about the view, and then said he was waiting for his wife and son. He said that she'll "stop and talk to everyone in there". I said I was just waiting for my girlfriend and I wasn't a local, so didn't vote. The funny little local 'issue' there was something about garbage bins. They took all the public streetside garbage bins out a few months ago, I think just for looks or something, and the locals want them back. An independant candidate who ran on "Bring Back the Bins" and nothing else was doing really well. He was saying how funny local grassroots politics are.

That's where I should have jumped in and said something like "Well 'Bring Back the Truth' would be a good slogan for anyone wanting to topple you" but instead motioned to by cigarette and said "Yeah, well, some of us need a bin every 100 metres." For some reason he laughed at my stupid hungover comment and then said he was a pack a day smoker for over 20 years (I did not know that) and talked quickly about quiting. Then a couple of people saw him from the street and came over. He shook my hand and that was that. Instantly I wished I could have done it over and said something decent. My girlfriend see's him around her local shops there all the time, so I should rehearse my 30 second rant just incase I catch him there again...