SUBJECTS: Sydney re-opening; Beer and brewing, rugby league, small business; election timing.
 
ED: There was a man who felt like a beer yesterday and boy, did he have one.

HUGHESY: There were many men, many women, who felt like beer, wine, champagne, shandies or just a non-alcoholic brew. But with other people is the thing - congregating in pubs, restaurants. And one of them was the great Anthony Albanese, Federal Opposition Leader. Welcome to the show Albo.

ALBANESE: Good morning. Good to be with you.

HUGHESY: Now you caused a controversy. I don’t know if you know this.

ALBANESE: People should lighten up.

HUGHESY: Now you skulled, what was the size of the drink that you skulled?

ALBANESE: It was just a schooner. As you do.

HUGHESY: Now was it a spur-of-the-moment thing? Or was it in a think tank beforehand? Did you have the focus groups on it? What was the story?

ALBANESE: No, it was one of those things. I went into Willie the Boatman, which is a local craft brewery and it is run by people who have become friends of mine. Pat McInerney has really struggled to get though the pandemic. It has been so tough for small businesses just to keep going. He has tried everything to advertise takeaways and to do what he could to keep his business going. He was desperate to keep people employed there. They are like his family. He actually rang me at the height of the lockdown at one stage and he was just really upset. He was desperate. He thought he was going to have to let his staff go. And somehow he has hung in there. It was just a spontaneous thing. He poured me a beer and said, you know, “Get it into you’’. So I did.

HUGHESY: Is that Gussy that always says that?

ALBANESE: Quite possibly. Quite possibly. Yes, he does. Get that into you. That’s right. You didn’t say it with his tone, Erin.

HUGHESY: Were you drowning your sorrows about what happened to South Sydney Mate? Was that part of it?

ALBANESE: No, that was on the Sunday. Don’t raise that Hughesy. Seriously. Seriously. I am still trying to recover from how the Adam Reynolds kick was not either a charge-down or a tackle without the ball. What’s going on?

ERIN: Are you blaming the refs are you?

ALBANESE: No.

ERIN: Just for something different?

ALBANESE: No. Penrith were worthy champions. But I did think we might have got one of the calls at some stage during the 80 minutes. Just one would have been nice.

ERIN: Albo, when you become, or if you become, Prime Minister …

HUGHESY: When! She’s gone with a when Albo!

ALBANESE: Good on you Erin. Get on board.

(laughter)

ALBANESE: No, he’s all right. He knows they are hopeless.

ERIN: They are hopeless?

HUGHESY: If you don’t know, Erin’s father is a Senator for the Liberals.

ERIN: Albo, will you keep coming on our show, because you see it all the time - people come on when they are in Opposition, then the second they get any real power, they just kind of, you know, sod off to the battlers that supported them on the way up.

ALBANESE: Absolutely. I will keep chatting to you. I will keep chatting to you regardless. I might need a job on the show.

HUGHESY: They are talking about that Scomo will call an election this year. He can, can’t he. That’s true. He can?

ALBANESE: He can call it whenever he likes. If he calls it this year it is because he thinks things are going to get worse for him next year. This is a bloke can’t decide if he is going to a conference in ten days’ time to represent Australia in the world. The idea that he will call an early election, we will wait and see. I myself think it will be March 5th next year.

ED: March 5th Oh right. There you go.

ALBANESE: Just making a bold prediction.

ED: Well how many schooners will Albo be skulling that day? Do you drink more if you lose Albo?

ALBANESE: I don’t know. I’ve never been in that position so we will wait and see.

ED: Good luck. Anthony Albanese. Good to speak to you. Thank you.

ALBANESE: Thanks guys. Bunnies 22 in ’22.

ENDS