SUBJECTS: Workplace culture in Parliament House; March 4 Justice; JobKeeper ending; tourism industry impacted during COVID-19; Rabbitohs.

MURRAY JONES, HOST: Interesting things to talk about this morning with the serious missteps of the Prime Minister, particularly in the last 24 hours, but over the last couple of weeks with respect to lots of things, including the outright weaponising of the culture of inappropriate sexual conduct and that attitude in Parliament. I mean, at the end of the day, climate change, the bushfires, their response to COVID-19, have been continually weaponised. And according to a lot of commentators in the last 24 hours, the Prime Minister, two steps forward and then very solidly three steps back. If an election was held today, Labor is certainly ahead on the two-party-preferred basis. Certainly some interesting things to talk about, particularly the comments of the Prime Minister just yesterday. I'm sure it's buoying the Leader of the Opposition, Anthony Albanese. He joins me this morning. Albo, thank you so much for your time this morning. 

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good morning. Great to talk with you. 

JONES: Interesting times for what's been certainly a pretty tough couple of weeks for the Government. You would think that they might have got this right yesterday, but a disaster yesterday in every respect.

ALBANESE: Well, it certainly was. The Prime Minister began his press conference by saying that he was listening to what women were saying. There has been catastrophic issues in Parliament House, of course, the issue of someone engaging in an act on female MPs desk and videoing it and circulating it around, the suggestion that someone's provided sex workers to MPs in Parliament, the ongoing issue of Christian Porter and whether he's fit to return as Attorney-General without an investigation, the concerns that have been raised so extraordinarily and bravely by Brittany Higgin's about the reported sexual assault, but also about the lack of a response over two years. And the Prime Minister began by acknowledging what a major issue it was and that it required action. But then when asked a question by a journalist from Sky News, he responded aggressively, he raised an allegation that there was an issue with that company which is owned by News Corp. And it turns out that wasn't true. He certainly didn't have permission of the direct people involved to do that. And I think it was quite a revelation about a Prime Minister who just doesn't seem to understand that when you're Prime Minister, you have to actually answer questions. He often responds in an angry way in the Parliament. And he responded in a similar way to the journalist. And it was a very bad look indeed because it turns out, it would have been a terrible thing to do even if it was true, but it just wasn't true. 

JONES: Sure. That was an emotional response shooting from the hip. But there was also a very emotional response talking about his daughter, talking about his wife, talking about his mother. But we've seen these emotional responses even from Christian Porter in recent weeks as well and the PM just yesterday trying to show a bit of a human face. Is it fair to say that the public just isn't buying that in the circumstances?

ALBANESE: People will make up their own mind. But politicians, of course, are human beings with real emotions. And this is a difficult time. I'm never critical of someone for showing emotions. As someone who's half Italian and half Irish, I'm prone to do the same from time to time, it must be said. But the issue here though, and this is something we have to be very careful about, I think, as public representatives, the response from women is because of their own experience and their own experience with either themselves or friends or family who've been subject to harassment or worse, whether it be in the workplace or just going about their lives or indeed in the home. And we need to make sure that this isn't about us, MPs and staff. It is a much broader issue that society does have to deal with. And I think that is really why we saw the quite extraordinary March 4 Justice last Monday, which was organic. There was no great organisation there and more than 100,000 people gathered right around the country, not just in capital cities but in regional towns and cities as well. 

JONES: Interestingly, just in the last couple of days, the Shadow Minister for Women, Tanya Plibersek, has accepted that this cultural thing is not just within the Coalition, it goes across all parties to a degree. It's the response that's really the key issue.

ALBANESE: That's absolutely right. It goes across the entire political system, but it goes across business, sporting organisations, it goes across society. There's a power imbalance in our society. And that's why it needs to be dealt with by all organisations. But I think as MPs and as a Government, they have a particular responsibility to show leadership. And it's very clear that hasn't been happening up to this point. And there was, I think, a bit of a view in the Government that this was an issue that was impacting and being talked about by just a few people, that it wasn't a mainstream issue. And they just got that wrong. And I think that was what Scott Morrison was acknowledging in the first part of his press conference before it all went downhill yesterday. 

JONES: Well, I know you're tight for time. But just a little bit closer to home, I just want to talk about something that's been happening here in this part of the world. Obviously, JobKeeper has changed. And to the Government's credit, some of the programs that they put forward, both state and federal, have assisted for Port Douglas, they've got really solid forward bookings for Easter, it's going to be a really busy time there. But I was talking to an old time local and a good friend just yesterday, from On the Inlet Restaurant, an iconic restaurant. But they're at the point, despite the fact that they're looking at having really good numbers in town, they just simply cannot get chefs, they cannot get workers. And obviously, with the demise of JobKeeper, it's making it even more difficult for them. He's got to the point that despite this olive branch on the horizon, he's got no choice but to actually close the restaurant permanently. What's your response to that with respect to JobKeeper and the programs that have been put forward by the various governments? 

ALBANESE: Well, one is that's terrible news because I've been to that restaurant. And it's iconic and a real asset for Far North Queensland, for both residents but also those who visit. JobKeeper disappearing needs to be replaced by something if the Government is going to go through with it, which they appear determined to do. When I met with tourism operators there, they were desperate for some support. And of course, we know that for the people who operate the ships out to the reef, and people who engage in all the activities that occurs, whether it's rafting or going up on the Skyrail, going up to the Daintree, they have really struggled because a lot of those businesses rely upon international travel. And that's not about to return in the immediate sense. So I'd say that the Government really does need to replace it with something. On the issue of skills shortages in areas like chefs, there needs to be better planning. That's why we'll create Jobs and Skills in Australia that identify where the jobs are needed and make sure that the trained Australians get the opportunity to fill those jobs. What's occurred over a period of time, and it's a national issue, there's a crisis of a lack of chefs, is that we've relied upon temporary labour from overseas in areas like that so that when that hasn't been available, like it isn't now, there simply aren't skilled workers to take their place. And we really need to do much better in terms of planning those labour force issues to make sure that people can take those jobs. These are good jobs. They're well-paid.

JONES: Beautiful place to live.

ALBANESE: You can work anywhere in the world and travel if you have the skills of a good chef. And certainly, at that restaurant they're very skilled. And at a time where we have significant unemployment, there's two million people either out of work or want more work, we need to match up those things, match up people with skills that will be good for business but also be good for individuals. 

JONES: I hope the Rabbitohs have those skills on Friday night against the Roosters. It is going to be a tough match, that is for sure. 

ALBANESE: I certainly do. This is the old enemy. I will be in Adelaide so I'll miss going to the game. It can't be as good as the last time when we put 60 points on them. 

JONES: Good luck on Friday night. Anthony Albanese, Federal Leader of the Opposition, great to talk to you this morning. 

ALBANESE: Thanks very much, mate.

ENDS