E&OE TRANSCRIPT

RADIO INTERVIEW

TRIPLE M TOWNSVILLE PRICEY FOR BREAKFAST

THURSDAY, 5 NOVEMBER 2020
 
SUBJECTS: Labor in Federal Opposition; being Leader of the Opposition; family.
 

STEVE PRICE, HOST: I haven't spoken to the Leader of the Opposition for ages. We are going to have a little chat. Hello.
 

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Hey, how are you going?
 

PRICE: Who's that?
 

ALBANESE: It's Anthony Albanese.
 

PRICE: Easy-peasy Albanese.
 

ALBANESE: That's me.
 

PRICE: The kids say easy-peasy lemon-squeezy. So, it can be Albanese. How are you, mate?
 

ALBANESE: I am very well.
 

PRICE: I'm very honoured to have a call from you. What are you ringing me for?
 

ALBANESE: Because my team lined it up for your team and I do what I'm told.
 

PRICE: Hey, speaking of your team, not really political, but the mob came in trumps up here. What's happened to you in the feds?
 

ALBANESE: That was last time. This time is what matters, mate.
 

PRICE: I guess it is.
 

ALBANESE: I am captain and coach now.
 

PRICE: You are too. Hey, did that stress you out being captain and coach?
 

ALBANESE: You just deal with it. You just deal with it. That is all you got to do.
 

PRICE: Is it a dream for you, mate? Honestly, this is the team you love. And now you're in the front line, you get to stand next to that lovely little gold box during Question Time. How do you feel?
 

ALBANESE: The truth is I was expecting us to win last time. But we didn't. That's democracy. And I've got an incredible honour. Not what I expected to be the alternative Prime Minister of the country and to feel that responsibility to look after people, whether they're in cities or regions, whether they are Labor true believers or whether they're not, I think you have a huge responsibility. I do feel it each and every day. But I enjoy it as well. It is an opportunity to engage and talk with people. I have been up in Darwin this week. And you really get a chance to get around the country, hear what people think. And I look forward to getting up to Queensland yet at some stage in the future.
 

PRICE: What do you know about Townsville?
 

ALBANESE: I know Townsville pretty well. I would have been there 25 times over the years, at least. I was there a couple of times last year. I met with veterans there. I, of course, was responsible as Infrastructure Minister for starting up the whole Ring Road process and the port.
 

PRICE: Yes. What do you know of our needs? One need of North Queensland that you know is very important?
 

ALBANESE: Jobs.
 

PRICE: Mate, I have got to ask you, look, all this talk on America. If you were Joe Biden's age, which is exactly 20 years older than you, would you be running? Would you be doing that?
 

ALBANESE: I don't expect to be in politics in 20 years' time.
 

PRICE: They amaze me.
 

ALBANESE: Well, he's doing it. And Donald Trump is doing it. I know Joe Biden. I have met him a couple of times. And he is, I'm sure that he'll do a good job if he gets across the line.
 

PRICE: I'm looking forward to meeting you, mate. I was very touched by the story on your dad, you finding your dad, your late dad. What an amazing story.
 

ALBANESE: Thanks, mate.
 

PRICE: Mate, that really moved us.
 

ALBANESE: I was 46 years old when I met my dad for the first time. That's not normally the case, obviously. I decided to tell the story too once he passed away as well. No one was going to be hurt by the story or embarrassed by the story. And families are complex things, as we know.
 

PRICE: As we know, all of us have them.
 

ALBANESE: And it gives people, I think, who are out there who might be listening, single-parent children, gives both the parents and their child, I think, a bit of hope that there I am just me and my mum and I ended up now running for Prime Minister of the country.
 

PRICE: I bet your dad was very proud of you.
 

ALBANESE: He was. He didn't expect this Australian to turn up as a minister in the Government. I was one when we met in 2009. Well, he lived for another five years. I got to see him a number of times. And got to introduce him to his grandson. It was a good thing.
 

PRICE: Well done, mate. And it's in the books. Anthony Albanese, Leader of the Opposition, we wish you well. Look forward to meeting you. Good on you.
 

ALBANESE: Thanks very much, mate.
 
ENDS