SUBJECT: Bert Newton.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN PARTY: Well, Bert Newton had that rare gift of making you feel as though he’d stepped out of the TV and into your loungeroom, that he was part of your family. Growing up, sitting at home with mum, Bert Newton was essential viewing. And it was like you knew him. And in later years, I did get to know him personally and he was a great Australian.
 
JOURNALIST: Absolutely. Tell us a bit about that relationship.
 
ALBANESE: Well, when I first met him I felt like I’d known him my whole life. And Bert Newton was like that. He’s someone who is an Australian treasure, an icon. And it is sad to farewell him today. But it is also a chance to honour a life well-lived and an extraordinary contribution to Australian culture.
 
JOURNALIST: He certainly has been in our loungerooms for a long time. Do you have any fond memories?
 
ALBANESE: Later on, I got to meet Bert backstage at Wicked, and it was as if I had known him my whole life, because I did. And that was how he made you feel. Certainly, my late mum loved him, as did, I think, generations of Australians. He was not so much a star, because stars are distant. It was like he was very close and very warm. So, he was much more than a star to Australians. Thank you.
 
ENDS