SUBJECTS: Last parliamentary sitting fortnight of 2021; need for a National Anti-corruption Commission; anti-discrimination bill; religious freedom; Australia’s relationship with China; women’s safety; domestic violence; Labor’s policy agenda; Federal election.

MARCUS PAUL, HOST: Kangaroo Court. Witch hunts. I don't know, I don't think Scott Morrison, our Prime Minister, will be exchanging Christmas cards with Christine Holgate. Anthony Albanese, Federal Opposition Leader. Hello Albo. How are you?

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good morning. I'm very well. Thanks, Marcus.

PAUL: A really interesting few days.

ALBANESE: Well, it was extraordinary yesterday. The Prime Minister doesn't seem to have any concept about the separation of powers. This was the Prime Minister of Australia making commentary about the nature of a court or semi-judicial process through the ICAC in New South Wales while these processes are underway. I just found it quite extraordinary. 

PAUL: Sorry to interrupt you. That's the point I was making before the news. Surely, this is not the time to be making those sorts of comments, that sort of commentary, considering ICAC are yet to hand down their findings into Gladys Berejiklian. It's an ongoing inquiry. Findings are not expected for another few months. And is it sort of an interference? Does it undermine what's going on here in New South Wales, considering, you know, she admitted to a relationship with a man who has admitted to corrupt behaviour?

ALBANESE: Well, it was a declaration that the processes weren't legitimate by the Prime Minister of Australia. And these are the processes, of course, that were established by the Liberal Government in New South Wales in 1988. These are the processes that have been complied with that have had a real impact in identifying corruption in New South Wales with very real consequences. And it is a good thing that corruption is exposed wherever it is. And the context here is that the Parliament, twice yesterday, voted by a majority for a national integrity commission, which is nothing more and nothing less than what the Prime Minister promised more than a thousand days ago. And yesterday, most remarkably, in response to why he hasn't established it, he said it was because Labor has been critical of the model that has been proposed in exposure legislation, but he hasn't even introduced it.

PAUL: No, that's right. The other issue, of course, Helen Haines, it's her bill. She's, of course, wanting, and as we all do, an independent commission against corruption at the Federal level. Yesterday, Bridget Archer, as we know, crossed the floor. Now, that led to all sorts of scenes in Parliament, but how does it work? How did this not pass, Anthony? It had something to do with COVID rules at the moment or something. I don't quite get. Why are we not debating it further?

ALBANESE: Because under the parliamentary rules in order to suspend the normal business, that is the business which the Government puts forward in the program, you need an absolute majority, you need a majority of members. In this case, 76 is an absolute majority out of the 151 members of the House of Representatives. So, because of COVID rules, there are a number of members absent because of restrictions in various states, there might be some health concerns. But there was no possibility. So, even though there was a clear majority, by three votes, and then by two, they didn't get to, I think, there was 66 in favour rather than 76. So, even though it was a majority, it wasn't a majority of those with the potential to cast their votes, if you can put it that way.

PAUL: All right. Well, we'll have to wait and see what is next for this important and crucial piece of legislation. The other bill, of course, that's causing the Prime Minister all sorts of issues is the anti-discrimination bill. Where are we sitting with that at the moment?

ALBANESE: Well, that was only introduced yesterday. There will be a Senate inquiry that will examine the issues. I think everyone supports, I would hope everyone would support, people's right to practice their faith. But we want to make sure that in doing so, that isn't creating discrimination against other people based upon who they are. So, that needs examination. And that will take place in terms of a Senate process. There is some dispute, again, the Government lost another vote in the Senate because they wanted to refer it to a committee where they had a majority, rather than a joint committee where members of the House of Representatives and the Senate could both participate. Yesterday afternoon, the Government lost another vote which would restrict the activity of charities, a regulation, they lost on the floor of the Senate. And, of course, we saw another two occasions this week in which Government members crossed the floor to vote against their own Government. Now, we have a circumstance whereby we have a Prime Minister who isn't in control of his own Party room, who doesn't have an agenda for the nation coming out of COVID, and is just looking for scare campaigns as a way to try to get through into a second decade in office. 

PAUL: One of the scare campaigns that maybe you refer to is China. I noticed in the press today, front page of the newspapers, 'Hunt for Red September'. They're really amping it up. I don't know. I mean, it's important, obviously, that we look after the sovereignty of Australia. And, of course, if there are some Chinese spy ships in our midst, we need to know about it. But I don't know. I question the timing of the release of this story. It's November the 26th. Apparently, this Chinese ship was off our coast back in September. And now all of a sudden, we're hearing about it. I don't understand, is this a distraction? Anthony, I'm not discounting the fact that, obviously, our sovereignty and our national security is ultimately very, very important. But I just shake my head when I see this exclusive story in Newscorp today, front page, when to be perfectly honest, maybe what should be front page is the disintegration of the current Government.

ALBANESE: Well, I think I will leave others to comment on that. Our national sovereignty is obviously very important. And Australia, I have every confidence that in Australia's Defence Force and our intelligence agencies, they will be able to undertake the task, which they have, to keep us safe.

PAUL: Alright. Well, that's a short comment on that. Okay. But I mean, like I say, were you briefed on this?

ALBANESE: No.

PAUL: Okay. Well, let's move on then. Now, not only are we coming to the end of the parliamentary year, but we are looking towards perhaps an early election next year. Are you still thinking perhaps an early budget and a vote in March? Or will it be May before we go to the polls?

ALBANESE: I think the problem for this Prime Minister and the Government is keeping the show or any semblance of the show together when Parliament sits. So, we'll wait and see. They will certainly act, as they always do, in their own interest rather than in the national interest. But I think, really, we need to start to imagine how we emerge out of COVID and set about creating it. I want to create new industries. I want to strengthen security at work. I want to make sure that we embrace the opportunities that are there, the shift to a renewable energy superpower. I want to make sure that we can train Australians for the jobs of the future. And I want to make sure that we make more things here. I think that's one of the big lessons arising out of the pandemic is we need more resilience.

PAUL: And you also want to protect people against domestic violence. One of your policies was announced earlier this week, the funding of 500 new community workers, including caseworkers and counsellors, 10 days paid domestic and family violence leave. Also, $100 million more into crisis accommodation, and the provision of 4,000 social housing units for women and children fleeing domestic violence, and for older women at risk of homelessness. I mean, often you are criticised for not providing policy. And it is here in black and white in front of me. I like the idea of social housing. I like the idea of looking after women, elderly women, at risk of homelessness. I mean, these are the important things that people talk about.

ALBANESE: That's right. Yesterday was the International Day for the Prevention of Violence Against Women. And we chose this week to announce our policy for 500 additional community workers to assist women and children in these circumstances. It's not just a matter of housing, it's a matter of giving financial advice, it's a matter also of giving counselling. I think children in these circumstances can be damaged for the rest of their lives. We have a circumstance in Australia where, on average, a woman will die in the hands of a partner or former partner every single week. We have a circumstance whereby police are called out to a domestic violence incident every few minutes in this country. And tragically, every single night, just like last night, it would have happened, women and their children would have been turned away from shelters because there simply wasn't anywhere for them to stay. And they would have spent the evening in a car, or on a friend's couch, or worse still, felt that they had no choice but to return to a dangerous situation. And we need to do much better than that. Which is why we've said that 4,000 of the new social housing units we will build as part of our Housing Australia Future Fund would be reserved for women and children escaping domestic violence as well as that emergency funding.

PAUL: Alright, Albo, good to talk to you. We got one more week, have we, of Federal Parliament? Is that right?

ALBANESE: One more week. Four days to go. We'll see what the Prime Minister has in store. Certainly, there is no big forward agenda in terms of the legislation that's before the Parliament. This is a Prime Minister who no doubt will continue to raise some scare campaigns. And we'll see what next week brings. 

PAUL: Good to chat. Thank you.

ALBANESE: Thanks, Marcus.

ENDS