Hello, Mat, it’s the PM here

Prime Minister John Howard talks on the phone with Corporal Mathew Rush, watched by Anita Rush, during a function at Kirribilli House for families.

By CPL Sean Burton

After heading back from a long shift on duty in the MEAO, Corporal Mathew Rush, a CISCON with No. 1 Combat Support Squadron, thought he would give his wife Anita a call before he went to bed.

Anita answered and told him to hold on for a moment.

“Thanks a lot,” he thought as he could hear her talking to someone else in the background.

“It’s my husband in the Middle East,” he heard her say. “What is his name?” came the reply from a strangely familiar voice. Anita said “it’s Mathew” then handed the phone to the unknown person.

“Hello Mathew, Prime Minister John Howard here, how are you?”

Not quite the “Hi, honey how are you” conversation he was originally after when he made the call but, not lost for words, he replied, “Well, sir, not too bad at all.”

The PM explained that he was talking to Anita at a luncheon for the families of personnel deployed on Operation Falconer.

He described the sunny, cool afternoon at Kirribilli house with its beautiful view overlooking the harbour.

“No need to rub it in, sir,” CPL Rush joked before the PM told him how proud he and the whole nation was of the Australian forces and what an important job they were doing.

The PM wished him well and handed the phone back to Anita saying, “That was quiet surreal.”

CPL Rush said he didn’t get an opportunity to thank Mr Howard but he was grateful for the support the troops and their families were receiving from the PM and the Australian people while they were deployed.

Anita said that the luncheon was a lovely day and meeting our political leaders wasn’t what she had expected. “There were no political speeches, the leaders were very friendly and seemed genuinely interested in us and what we had to say.”

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