Neil Mitchell: Even for a mere politician like yourself, how many passes do you need to get in there?
Senator Scott Ryan: I got an invitation that looks almost like a wedding invitation that was printed that says I am invited for dinner in honour of Barack Obama, the President of the US, but I’ve never been to a visit like this before. We’ve been told the building has been closed for 24 hours, our cars can take us up to the building, but the staff, if they are working, have to park off-site and get shuttle busses and so do all the guests. I think it will be a level of security of which I haven’t had an experience.
Mitchell: Do you get to take a partner?
Senator Ryan: We do, we do get to take one guest to the dinner.
Mitchell: I’m available
Senator Ryan: Sorry mate, I’ve already got someone going.
Mitchell: What time does it kick off?
Senator Ryan: The dinner is at 7.15 this evening.
Mitchell: Where is it?
Senator Ryan: It is in the Great Hall at Parliament. I imagine there will be about 500 people there, maybe a few more.
Mitchell: What time do you have to be there?
Senator Ryan: We have to be there by 7. The guests apparently, if they are not MPs or Senators have to be there by about 6.30 and there are shuttle buses running from off-site where they can park their car about a kilometre away.
Mitchell: What’s the food like?
Senator Ryan: Well it is nice enough food. I assume it will be standard sort of function food. Bill Clinton was famous for liking cheeseburgers, but I don’t think we are going to get anything that is nice and different like hot dogs and cheeseburgers, it will be the standard food they serve at Parliament House.
Mitchell: And do you get speeches?
Senator Ryan: I think we are going to hear from the Prime Minister and from the President. I think they will be shorter speeches though, given tomorrow is the main address to the House of Reps and the Parliament. But as I said, I’ve never been to one of these things before; this is a first for me as well.
Mitchell: We can get a full report from you tomorrow on what happened and how it is. Now are you sitting next to Bob Brown?
Senator Ryan: No, I won’t sit next to Bob. I noticed that the Speaker from the House of Reps had to send out a specific note last week to warn Senators of their behaviour. I think that was sort of directed at Bob for his five-year-old antics last time of throwing on a bit of a screaming match when George Bush spoke. Hopefully the Greens won’t embarrass the country this time.
Mitchell: Do you reckon he will behave or will he jump up half-way through the dinner and give a speech?
Senator Ryan: He did say apparently, in the paper I saw over the weekend, that because the president visiting this time is more to his liking he plans to behave.
Mitchell: We’ll talk to you tomorrow, Senator Scott Ryan who plans to be at the dinner.