TELEVISION INTERVIEW – CHANNEL 7 TELETHON BROADCAST | WESTERN AUSTRALIA
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
CHANNEL 7 – TELETHON BROADCAST
SUNDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2025
SUBJECTS: Telethon; Federal Government’s contribution to Telethon
HOST, MICHAEL USHER: All right, Michael Usher, with you on the couch. Where are we? Over here. We’ll have a look over there. I’ve got a very special guest now that I’d love to introduce. It is the Acing Prime Minister, Richard Marles, standing in for Anthony Albanese on his last day of a break, I think. Richard, good to have you here.
ACTING PRIME MINISTER, RICHARD MARLES: Great to be here, Michael.
USHER: First time to Telethon, welcome.
MARLES: It is my first time to Telethon and what an incredible event. I mean, last night’s ball was extraordinary. Literally, you had the whole of kind of civil leadership of Perth in one room.
USHER: If you were anyone who’s anyone, you were there.
MARLES: Totally. And the amount of money that was raised last night is genuinely astonishing.
USHER: Yeah. Now, you’re not from WA, obviously, but to come here and have a look at the scale and the size of the giving, the care and the generosity, what’s your view of that?
MARLES: Well, it’s, I mean, it is genuinely incredible to come here from the outside and just see how much money is raised, first of all. But I think, I mean, firstly, it does speak to an incredible generosity of Perth, but I think it also speaks to a sense of community. As I say, everyone was there last night and it’s the whole of Perth getting around this event and it’s such an incredible cause and I know it will make such a difference for so many families and kids whose lives are being- well saved, but totally transformed, but it really does highlight how special a place Perth is.
USHER: I know that you’re private with some of the details of this, but you do have personal experience of what it’s like to be in hospitals, to have children who have been through ordeals and the care that’s needed to help you, as parents and children through. Do you want to share a little bit about that?
MARLES: I think, I mean, my wife Rachel and I do have had some experience with this and I think, you know, having a sick child, having a very sick child in need of acute care is, I mean, it’s terrifying. It is a parent’s worst nightmare. And, you know, it is completely consuming. And I think for parents in that circumstance, it is inevitably the darkest time that they will face. But for us, I guess, in that moment to have the care, the treatment, the help that our children’s hospitals provide, that our paediatric services provide is, I mean, it’s a godsend and it’s completely transformational and you can’t help but feel a sense of gratitude. I guess, for the country that we live in, but also when you look at an event like this and you know, the support that’s being provided and the embrace which is there from the community, I mean, that is, that is a total blessing.
USHER: It’s special and it means the world. It makes a real difference. And that’s what everyone here in the audience and the big high end of town last night and everyone just handing over a few dollars every little bit makes a huge difference.
MARLES: It really does. And as I say, the sense of community which is on display here, the astonishing generosity, I mean, for those parents and for those kids whose lives are being transformed, I know that there will be an enormous sense of gratitude for the generosity that’s on display here. And it changes lives. And this Telethon deeply matters.
USHER: First time Telethon visitor, frequent visitor to WA. You’re normally here talking about nuclear submarines, aren’t you?
MARLES: I am. I mean, Perth has become a pretty significant defence site. And so I find myself here every few weeks and do a lot with the state government and as you say, a lot with our submarines- and I love it. I mean, I love this town and so I’ve got to know it well. But this is the first time to be at Telethon and everyone’s been telling me about it. My West Australian colleagues said, this is a massive cultural event, you’re not going to see anything like it and they’re absolutely right.
USHER: Just don’t mention you’re a mad Geelong fan too many times, that’ll help you ease into WA a bit better.
MARLES: Well, as I said last night, you know, what’s not to like about a city which names freeways after local Geelong footballers? So, you know, there’s a sense of kinship with Perth.
USHER: Now with the Prime Minister on his last day of holidays, we understand. Can you give us a scoop? Did he get married or not?
MARLES: He did not get married. I mean, he is going to get married, to be clear. But he did not get married in the last week.
USHER: He gave you pretty clear instructions coming here, didn’t he?
MARLES: Well, so normally he doesn’t give me instructions. He basically just says, you know, Richard, do not stuff it up-
USHER: Runt the country, don’t mess it up.
MARLES: And he uses words not exactly like that, but sort of like that. But on this occasion, he definitely gave me an instruction. He said that, you know, Rachel and I’s attendance at Telethon was completely non-negotiable. And I reckon he told me that months ago. So, this was very much in his mind and as I say, since then, my West Australian colleagues, Roger Cook, who’s a good friend, have all been telling me exactly what to expect and it’s a bit hard to know that until you come and experience it.
USHER: But I think we’re letting you off lightly this year because there was one year, sitting in this exact position where a very generous man handing over a large check turned up in a mankini right in front of the Prime Minister. It was a Telethon moment. Albo wasn’t sure how to handle it, but he did.
MARLES: So, that’s live TV for you. And I suspect that, well, that’s why the Prime Minister gets paid the big bucks.
USHER: All right, we love having you here, but you’re also here with a pretty big donation as well. Would you like to detail that, please?
MARLES: Yeah so, in the context of all that’s happened, it’s really my honour to announce that on behalf of the Federal Government, the government’s contribution to Telethon this year is $6 million.
USHER: $6 million, how about that? Good time don’t we have a look at that- That’s just under the Bankwest tally board. Richard, why don’t you read it out for us? There’s the tally now.
MARLES: Well, it’s an incredible number, its $36,032,165 at this moment. And that’s only going to get bigger.
USHER: Look, if you stick around long enough, you’ll do a conga line celebration in a minute. You’re more than welcome to join us. Richard, thank you so much on behalf of the government and on behalf of the Prime Minister for coming in. Welcome to your first Telethon and you’re always welcome back, particularly when you bring $6 million as well. So, thanks so much.
MARLES: Appreciate it, thank you Michael, pleasure to be here.
ENDS