SUBJECTS: Labor’s $300 vaccine incentive proposal; vaccine rollout; compulsory vaccination; vaccination passports; AstraZeneca for young people.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good morning, Neil.

NEIL MITCHELL, HOST: It’s not going to happen, is it? Three hundred bucks. You’re not going to be in government by the end of the year? 

ALBANESE: Well, we think that should happen. We think it should happen and we should be doing everything we can to incentivise people to get their vaccines. We know that the key to stopping these lockdowns is to fix the vaccine rollout and also to fix national quarantine. And this is a constructive suggestion. Just like, when we came up with wage subsidies, Scott Morrison rejected the idea and said it was dangerous. But eventually they adopted it. 

MITCHELL: Well, how would this work? Would you and I get it?

ALBANESE: Absolutely. If we're fully vaccinated. That’s right. We want as simple a system as possible so that every Australian who receives their two jabs gets this this payment. And it's not only good in terms of health, but it's good for our economy as well. Businesses have been really doing it tough with these lockdowns, workers have been doing it tough, and this will inject stimulus into the economy.

MITCHELL: The cost?

ALBANESE: The cost, if everyone did it, it would be just under $6 billion. If we hit the 80 per cent figure that the Government says is the target, then the cost would be around about $5 billion.

MITCHELL: And why no means test? No assessment, you know, if you don't receive an amount, you don't get it? Is it fair enough to be handing billionaires $300?

ALBANESE: We want this to be really simple. And once you set up a big bureaucracy, it ends up costing. What this is it's very simple. There are records there through the Medicare system of who's been vaccinated. And this payment, of course, would overwhelmingly go to, there's a lot more low- and middle-income earners than there are billionaires in this country. And guess what, they'll spend it. In the lead-up to Christmas, they’ll spend it protecting jobs and in their in their local community, in their local small business, at a time when those businesses are doing really tough. And just to add one perspective, Neil, but the cost here, the cost of these lockdowns is $2 billion a week when we had New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia locked down. The cost would be almost that at the moment with the lockdowns in New South Wales and southeast Queensland. So in terms of perspective here, this is a common sense solution. The fact that we were talking about it now will encourage people to talk about it around their workplace, around their community. 

MITCHELL: Do you think we can achieve the 70 or 80 per cent without this sort of bribe?

ALBANESE: Well, I think we need to do everything at our disposal. As the Chief Medical Officer said earlier this year, Paul Kelly said we need to look at every incentive that there can be in order to encourage –

MITCHELL: Can we achieve it without that? Can we achieve it without that?

ALBANESE: Well, I think this will help. This will help and we need to do, we know that the key is the supply of the vaccine has been the problem. But as more supply comes online, which we know is coming in coming months, then providing this incentive is just a common sense thing to do that will also be good for our economy. 

MITCHELL: And do you support, what about compulsory vaccination? Would you ever support that? 

ALBANESE: Well, I think there are real legal problems behind that idea of compulsion. And what I want to do is to bring the community with us on this journey. The community can see what the cost is, the cost to our way of life. I want to go back to going to the footy, Neil. I want to go back to being able to live a normal life, as everyone does.

MITCHELL: Do you think, are Australians so mercenary though? I mean, most people, I would hope, would be thinking about having the vaccination regardless of the $300. Are we that mercenary?

ALBANESE: Well, if you look overseas, the Biden Administration is looking at this, US states are looking at various incentives. They've put in place, they've got lotteries and giveaways, all sorts of incentives there. You have, in Europe, some cash incentives as well being rolled out. And this is, I think, just a constructive suggestion, as we were constructive last year on wage subsidies put forward in the spirit of working together. Because I think we need to do
everything. 

MITCHELL: And two quick things. Do you support the idea of vaccination passports to get into places?

ALBANESE: Well, I think clearly there will be some restrictions, including on overseas travel, and there needs to be a community debate about this. 

MITCHELL: But what’s your view? Community debate’s fine. We’re doing that. What’s your view? No jab, no entry?

ALBANESE: Well, for some areas, that clearly will be appropriate in the future, I think. But we need to get the vaccination rates up, Neil.

MITCHELL: But this is part of it. This is part of it. Because if you’ve got a vaccination passport, then it's giving you an incentive. If I get vaccinated, I can go to the grand final. If I don’t get vaccinated, I can’t. Would you do that?

ALBANESE: Well we know already that that is happening in parts of the world. Well, I think inevitably, what you'll have is restrictions on people entering into mass areas because other people who are in there who are vaccinated will want to feel that they’re safe.

MITCHELL: And the other thing, quickly, I’ve been confused on this. Do you support AstraZeneca for younger people?

ALBANESE: Yes, according to the health advice. I've said follow the health advice at all times. The health advice now is people should consult with their doctors. If their doctor says yes, then they should get it. We need to get people vaccinated with whatever vaccines are available. And that's the advice that’s there. I'd encourage people to get vaccinated. 

MITCHELL: Thank you very much for your time. 

ALBANESE: Thanks, Neil.

ENDS