LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Time now for John Clarke and Bryan Dawe.

BRYAN DAWE: Anthony Albanese, thank for your time tonight.

JOHN CLARKE: Well, thank you Bryan. Thank you for the opportunity.

BRYAN DAWE: I wonder if I could ask you about these quite big issues that your party is confronting at the moment.

JOHN CLARKE: Yes, we do face quite big issues. Certainly, by all means.

BRYAN DAWE: The unusual feature of which is you're having a conscience vote over them.

JOHN CLARKE: Indeed we are. Let me say, in terms of a conscience vote a lot of people think we shouldn't be having it at all.

BRYAN DAWE: There are all sorts of interesting aspects to this...

JOHN CLARKE: There are.

BRYAN DAWE: Can tell me first: what is a "conscience vote"?

JOHN CLARKE: Yes, I can. Bryan, in the West Winger, system - which is, of course, the one we use.

BRYAN DAWE: Westminster.

JOHN CLARKE: Westminster, yeah. What did I say?

BRYAN DAWE: West Winger.

JOHN CLARKE: Did I?

BRYAN DAWE: Yes.

JOHN CLARKE: That's probably because we've had Jed Bartlet during the week.

BRYAN DAWE: No, President Obama.

JOHN CLARKE: Yeah, the one in the... the Martin Sheen character.

BRYAN DAWE: It's not Martin Sheen. He's on television. President Obama, he is the real president.

JOHN CLARKE: I know he is. We've had him here during the week.

BRYAN DAWE: You see him on television.

JOHN CLARKE: Yeah, you do! I think he's fantastic in the role.

BRYAN DAWE: President Obama.

JOHN CLARKE: That's right. I reckon lots of these things would actually happen. It is so close, isn't it Bryan?

BRYAN DAWE: Of course they happen. He's the president.

JOHN CLARKE: He's fantastic in the role. We've got the boxed set.

BRYAN DAWE: We were talking about the Westminster system.

JOHN CLARKE: You were asking about a conscience vote.

BRYAN DAWE: Yes. What is a conscience vote in Labor terms?

JOHN CLARKE: Let we point out, Bryan, for a kick off. We've had them before. We had a couple of them in 2007 - one was about cloning, I just forget what the other was.

BRYAN DAWE: Probably about cloning.

JOHN CLARKE: Think it was something else, I think.

BRYAN DAWE: Probably about cloning.

JOHN CLARKE: No, it was about something else, I think.

BRYAN DAWE: How do they work?

JOHN CLARKE: Well, in a conscience vote, Bryan, each individual votes for what he or she actually thinks on that issue.

BRYAN DAWE: What, you vote for what you believe in?

JOHN CLARKE: Yeah, you do.

BRYAN DAWE: Is that unusual?

JOHN CLARKE: Very unusual, Bryan and some people think it is a bit dangerous and it shouldn't be happening at all.

BRYAN DAWE: Why not?

JOHN CLARKE: Well, because if you're a member of a party, Bryan, and you don't agree with the policies of the party, you shouldn't dissent - you should not be a member of that party. Either you're a member of the party or you're not.

BRYAN DAWE: You weaken it otherwise by dissenting.

JOHN CLARKE: Of course you do, Bryan, of course you do.

BRYAN DAWE: Does this apply to both sides of politics?

JOHN CLARKE: Well, the public doesn't get a vote on this question.

BRYAN DAWE: No, no, no, I mean, the other side of politics.

JOHN CLARKE: Well, you've got the public not having a vote on one side, and you've got the other side of politics is what we're talking about.

BRYAN DAWE: But isn't there a Government and Opposition?

JOHN CLARKE: Yeah, on the one side, Bryan, and then you've got plodders like yourself on the other.

BRYAN DAWE: Thanks for your time.

JOHN CLARKE: Two sides of politics. I'll get somebody to send you a handbook.

BRYAN DAWE: Thank you.

JOHN CLARKE: I'll get CJ to send you one.

BRYAN DAWE: CJ?

JOHN CLARKE: Yeah, she's absolutely terrific! You'll love her. Get the boxed set.