SUBJECTS: Floods affecting the East Coast of Australia; visit to WA; WA borders reopening; Premier Mark McGowan; WA and Clive Palmer’s legal case; petrol prices; cost of living; Federal election; Labor’s policy agenda; Ukraine-Russia tensions; commuter carpark rorts; need for a National Anti-Corruption Commission; social housing; Labor’s Housing Australia Future Fund; industrial relations; wages; pressure on living standards; secure work; gig economy; Australia’s relationship with China; national security; South Sydney Rabbitohs; NRL.
 
OLIVER PETERSON, HOST: I'm pleased to say that joining me in the studios today, in fact, he came over on the first flight when the border reopened, the Australian Labor Leader, Anthony Albanese. Good to see you, Albo. Welcome back to WA.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good to be here, Oly. It's good to be in the West. And I've had a very busy day today. And I'm here till Saturday.
 
PETERSON: Why have you decided to come to Western Australia now while your home state is in the midst of a flood crisis?
 
ALBANESE: Well, I have been, of course, I was in my home state yesterday. I was in Brisbane also yesterday morning and the afternoon beforehand, dealing with the floods that are there and talking to people who were recovering. I hosted a barbecue along with one of our local members there in the electorate of Lilley. We put on a barbecue. We heard some extraordinary stories. I made a commitment that I would be here in Perth on the first flight. I made that commitment probably on this program with you, Oly. And I believe in keeping my commitments. I'll be back in Sydney on Monday. I do note some of one of the one of the Liberal members has put up a photo that's actually not my electorate.
 
PETERSON: Right. So, your electorate of Grayndler is not at risk?
 
ALBANESE: There are no rivers in my electorate anymore. There used to be. There's been a redistribution. My local area where I live has been affected. And I was there helping out just yesterday. But I'll continue to do my job. And I spoke to the Head of the Bureau of Meteorology this morning. We will continue to send messages out there. One of the things that I've found when the floods are actually happening is people want people to be rescued and to be looked after. The time to go in is just immediately after, which is what I did in Brisbane. I saw a really good photo today of Susan Templeman, our Member from Macquarie, around the Hawkesbury area. And she was helping out along with the Liberal candidate. That's a great thing to see. And we should, I think, applaud activity like that. It's a good thing.
 
PETERSON: You can understand, though, some of the commentary at the moment. I mean, there was a big song and dance about the Prime Minister going off to Hawaii a few years ago in the middle of the bushfire.
 
ALBANESE: I'm not on holiday, Oly.
 
PETERSON: No, you're here in Perth. But you've obviously come straight to the seat of Pearce, something that you obviously believe you can win. Christian Porter is leaving. So, the election campaign mode is in full swing. Some people might say this is a PR opportunity, this is a photo opportunity.
 
ALBANESE: There are Ministers and Shadow Ministers around. Josh Frydenberg was out doing media this morning, as the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. And Scott Morrison was coming to Perth during this period. Obviously, that's been put off, not because of anything else other than COVID. And he was due to give a speech to the Lowy Institute today in Sydney. So, that was all on the schedule. And I'm sure that schedule would have been kept, had the Prime Minister not tested positive for COVID. I've wished the Prime Minister well. And I hope he recovers very soon. And I hope he can resume his normal duties as soon as possible.
 
PETERSON: No public event today with you and the WA Premier, Mark McGowan?
 
ALBANESE: Well, Mark McGowan's had to travel to Sydney this afternoon.
 
PETERSON: I saw some photos on your social media, you seemed to catch up today.
 
ALBANESE: We did catch up today. We always catch up. And we caught up today and had a great discussion about infrastructure and about working together in a constructive way. He's had to go to Sydney this afternoon. He's in a legal case.
 
PETERSON: Yes, he is.
 
ALBANESE: With Clive Palmer. And we know that Scott Morrison supported the Clive Palmer legal action here in the West. Mark McGowan has stood strong in the interests of Western Australians and their health. And I applaud that. It's absurd that he's going through this legal case. Why Clive Palmer thinks it's okay to just continue to attack Western Australians is beyond me. And why the Federal Government saw fit to spend a million dollars of taxpayers' money supporting that court case is also beyond my comprehension.
 
PETERSON: What do you think about Mark McGowan coming back next week and doing a week of hotel quarantine? It is unnecessary, isn't it?
 
ALBANESE: Well, he wants to make sure that no one can say, in today's climate, where some of the commentary is difficult, aimed at public figures, he wants to make sure that no one can say that he's doing anything different from what other people have done in the past.
 
PETERSON: But you just came in. You didn't have to quarantine.
 
ALBANESE: Yes, he doesn't have to. But he's made that decision to do it. And that's a decision for him. And I respect that decision. I respect the leadership that Mark McGowan has shown during this pandemic. And as a result, the West Australian economy is powering away. The rest of Australia is benefiting from the fact that people have been able to go to work, they've been able to go to school, able to go to university, the pubs and the restaurants have remained open. That economic activity has been a big boost not just for Western Australia, but for the entire country.
 
PETERSON: One of the big expenses at the moment, obviously, is petrol prices. There's a push for the Federal Government to temporarily slash the fuel excise to ease the pressure at the pump. The Federal Government seems to be skirting around this issue. Do you think the excise should come down?
 
ALBANESE: Well, I think the Federal Government need to deal with the issue of fuel reserves. I think they need to deal with the issue of fuel security. And we've seen half of the refineries in this country close on their watch. This term, this term of Government. And when Angus Taylor was asked about the International Energy Agency's fuel reserves policy and the expectation of where we should be, the response of the Federal Government was to have fuel reserves in the Gulf of Mexico. I mean, for goodness sake, we need to do much better. But the cost of everything is going up, Oly. The cost of petrol, the cost of meat, the cost of vegetables, the cost of rents. Everything's going up except people's wages. And Josh Frydenberg and this Government, again, were out there today, saying, essentially, that everything's all hunky dory, and how well the economy's going. Well, there's a rise in insecure work, no rise in people's wages, and people are doing it really tough.
 
PETERSON: Under Albanese Government, will people's wages go up?
 
ALBANESE: We fully expect them to do so.
 
PETERSON: How?
 
ALBANESE: Well, you do that by properly defining secure work in the Fair Work Act as one of the objectives. You do that by having a principle of same job, same pay enshrined in law. You do that by making wage theft a crime. You do that by closing the gender pay gap. You do that by rebalancing the system. This Government is always out there, always out there attacking workers. You might remember, Oly, that case against the Australian Workers' Union that saw, infamously, Michaelia Cash hiding behind a whiteboard rather than being seen. That was dropped. That was dropped. The Government spent millions of dollars chasing down a dry gully in order to attack a union that happened to be the union where Bill Shorten was from in the past.
 
PETERSON: And last week, State MP, Dave Kelly, in fact, the Water Minister, compared what's happening with Ukraine and Russia as totalitarian governments as to what the Liberal National Party did with that. You wouldn't support those sorts of comments, would you?
 
ALBANESE: I make my own comments. And my own comments are that it was inappropriate that occurred. And it was a great waste of taxpayers' money. And one of the things about this Government is that they treat taxpayers' money as if it's Liberal Party money. And whether it's sports grants, you mightn't know that today, Josh Frydenberg got dumped all the carparks that he had funded, commuter car parks, worth tens of millions of dollars in his own electorate, have been dumped because some of them were in a commuter car park where there's no train station anymore. Such a waste.
 
PETERSON: The integrity commission that your Shadow Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, talked about, would you retrospectively look at those sorts of issues?
 
ALBANESE: Well, they'll have the power to look at issues in the past, in terms of the sort of waste and activities that we've seen. How is it that taxpayers paid $30 million for land around Badgerys Creek Airport that was worth three? How is it that programs like sports grants, community safety grants were abused?
 
PETERSON: But how far back do you go, Anthony Albanese? Do you look at the pink batts scheme under the former Labor Government?
 
ALBANESE: That's been looked at, Oly. That had seven inquiries. Seven. Including a Royal Commission by this Government looked at those issues. Just like they had a Royal Commission into the trade union movement. They had a range of Royal Commissions. Now, I don't think that Royal Commissions should be abused. The issue that we've said needs a Royal Commission is the Robodebt scandal. But I do think that when you have an Anti-Corruption Commission, it should be allowed to look at measures that it sees fit. And after all, Oly, this Government said, four years ago now, that there would be a National Anti-Corruption Commission, and that it would be up and running well before now. So, the delays that are there are just another example of a Government that doesn't keep its promises, doesn't keep its commitments.
 
PETERSON: 133 882 if you want to put a question to the Opposition Leader. Richie, I'll get to you in just a moment after we clear these commitments.
 
*** AD-BREAK ***
 
PETERSON: You are with the Australian Labor Leader, Anthony Albanese. Richie, hello.
 
RICHIE, CALLER: Hi, Oly and Albo.
 
ALBANESE: G'day, Richie.
 
RICHIE, CALLER: Albo, I just can't bring myself to vote for you. Because you'll end up being like Joe Biden, Trudeau and Ardern, and knacker our country like they did to theirs. So, I don't agree with everything the Liberals do but I just can't bring myself to vote for you, because you will go with those Greens and you will wreck us totally.
 
ALBANESE: No, I'll be standing on my own feet. I'll give you the big tip, Richie. I am the only political party leader who can form government in their own right after the next election.
 
PETERSON: So, no deal with the Greens?
 
ALBANESE: I am the only one who can/ Scott Morrison is held back by Barnaby Joyce, who's now acknowledging today that the floods might have something to do with climate change. But Barnaby Joyce and a few in the Nats, not even all the Nats, the Nats by a majority of one, are holding back the entire Parliament at the moment. And Jacinda Arden is a friend of mine. She won a significant majority at the last election. She governs in her own right in the New Zealand Parliament in terms of she has a majority. She's someone who I think has been an outstanding leader. So, I don't mind being compared with Jacinda Ardern. And Joe Biden is someone who I have met a couple of times. Our US relationship is our most important. I would have a strong relationship with the Biden administration. And the Biden administration are standing up to what's going on in Ukraine and is showing international leadership and strength against Putin and the outrageous aggression against international law that Russia's showing at the moment. And I would be able to work with Joe Biden and other partners, Boris Johnson, for that matter, on being a part of the solution to climate change globally, which would help create jobs here and help create economic activity.
 
PETERSON: Will you set a target when it comes to climate change?
 
ALBANESE: Yes, we will. We support net zero by 2050. But you got to have a path to get there. Our path is 43 per cent by 2030. We put out a fully-costed plan. It'll create 604,000 new jobs. Five out of every six of them in regional communities. It will lead to $52 billion of private sector investment. And this has been endorsed, by the way, by the Business Council of Australia, by the National Farmers' Federation, by the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Australian Industry Group and ACCI. So, that is not a bad group to come out and endorse our policy. The Coalition that has had 22 announcements and haven't landed any. So, I say to you, Richie, if you think this is as good as it gets, then sure, it's perfectly within your right in our great democracy to cast your vote to re-elect this Government. But they're not going to get better. They're at the end of their third term. WA now doesn't have strong voices like they used to as part of the Government. And I think that Australia is the best country in the world, but we can be even better if we get it right and actually plan for the future.
 
PETERSON: Who are the strong voices for Labor? Who's going to be in your inner sanctum? If you win the Federal election, does Madeleine King have a senior role? Patrick Gorman, Matt Keogh?
 
ALBANESE: I think all of them are outstanding. Madeleine King is, of course, in the Cabinet. She has a very senior role. Matt Keogh plays an important role as well. And Pat Gorman is someone I've known for quite a while, since before he went into Parliament. But I think we have an outstanding team here in WA. And I'm enthused by the quality of our candidates as well. I was with Tracey Roberts and Tania Lawrence today. Our candidates for Pearce and Hasluck two seats that we hope to win. They're outstanding.
 
PETERSON: Interesting, though, Tania Lawrence, on one of the campaign posters, she's got a photo with Mark McGowan, not you.
 
ALBANESE: Well, that's okay. That's fine. I wasn't able to get here. So, it was pretty hard to get a photo with me, mate. We took photos today in Hasluck. Tania is a fantastic candidate. And I think she would make a great member if the people of Hasluck see fit to vote for her.
 
PETERSON: Brian, hello.
 
BRIAN, CALLER: Good afternoon. Anthony, I'd like to ask you something on the Federal Government and even the State Government here.
 
ALBANESE: Sure, Brian.
 
BRIAN, CALLER: This has been neglected, social housing. And I haven't heard much from you guys as to whether you're actually going to set a target, a reasonable target, something like 100,000 in the next five years, to get people on low income and who are desperate for housing to actually get somewhere to live. And I'm not talking about people who've got mental health or drug problems. They're just everyday Australians. I haven't heard much from you guys. I want a commitment, if you're going to give one, because no one else has.
 
ALBANESE: Well, we do have a commitment, Brian. We made it in my second Budget Reply. And it was to create a Housing Australia Future Fund. It was to provide 30,000 additional social and affordable housing units, to have some of those designated for women and children escaping domestic violence. I think investment in social housing is very important. And I think as well, in addition to that, I have had some discussions with superannuation funds, for example, about how we could get some money, funds, to flow into support for social housing. I grew up in a council house in Sydney. And my mum lived in the one house for all of her 65 years. She was born there and died there. What that did growing up in that household of a single person household has given me security of a roof over my head. And I think that's one of the reasons why I'm in a position today of running for the Prime Minister of the country.
 
PETERSON: Steve, hello.
 
STEVE, CALLER: G'day, guys. Albo, welcome to WA, mate. Just my question is, what's your intentions on wage growth and possibly rolling back some of the Liberal Government's IR laws that they've put in place to cause massive wage stagnation over the previous years?
 
ALBANESE: Well, we think that it's important that wages increase. And that's why we've produced a comprehensive plan to do that. It is an important part of the pressure on living standards that people are undergoing. We need to have a proper examination of secure work as well. There's been a bit of a debate about the gig economy, to give one example. Now, the gig economy can be really convenient for people. You can ring up and get food delivered, or you can get yourself delivered to places. You can get Airtasker to get jobs done at home, all of that. The problem we've got, though, is that for many areas, you have exploitation occurring and people working for well below the minimum wage. And we've said that people should be entitled to the minimum wage. Surely, common sense tells you that. The Government have said, 'Oh, well, that's complex'. It is not really. And some companies, I won't name them on a commercial network, have, for example, done deals to ensure that people are paid a minimum wage. We need to address it. It's important for individuals, but it's also important for the economy, something the Reserve Bank have identified as a handbrake on our economy. Because if you're a low wage person, if you get an extra dollar in your pay packet, you spend it, you're not saving it, because you're struggling to get by. So, it's one way in which you then increase that economic circulation and you help create other jobs as well. So, I think that is an absolute priority. My entire life in politics, there's never been a time, as much as we've had economic cycles, where you've had such wage stagnation and then actual decrease. Wages decreased were less than the inflation rate by more than one per cent over the last year. That just simply doesn't happen normally. And it's embedded now. It's in the cycle. For the next four years, that's what's expected to happen. We need to do better. Because it's hurting individuals, but it's also hurting all of us by holding back the economy.
 
PETERSON: You mentioned before about Joe Biden and the tough talk with Russia and Ukraine. Is Australia doing enough?
 
ALBANESE: I think we are. I seek to ensure there's unity of purpose when it comes to these national security issues. What we don't need is needless politicisation. And it's important that Australia recognise where we are. We're a long way away from Russia and Ukraine, which is why we need to act in unison with our partners, with the United States, with NATO, with the United Kingdom. And we're doing that. And I have said that we would provide support for any recommendation and any action that the Government wants to advance, consistent with our allies. I think that is really important that the whole world stand together in a consistent way against Putin and his actions, because they're so dangerous. And I'll say this. The Ukrainian people are inspirational at the moment. You have a very large military basically surrounding them from the north and the south, and as well as from the east. And they are standing up and showing great courage.
 
PETERSON: An inspiring leader there in Zelenskyy as well, the Ukrainian President. Do you have similar perspective when it comes to Australia's relationship with China?
 
ALBANESE: Well, China also has been forward leaning. And we have exactly the same position as the Government on the South China Sea, on Hong Kong, on Taiwan, on the treatment of Uyghurs, on the need for China to remove the economic sanctions that they've put in place. It's China that has changed its position. And those sanctions are hurting the Chinese economy. They're also hurting the Australian economy, of course. And they should be removed.
 
PETERSON: One before you go. The Rabbitohs lost to the Dragons in the Charity Shield on the weekend.
 
ALBANESE: You have shown great patience, Oly.
 
PETERSON: Well, you did walk in with a Rabbitohs mask this afternoon. But is that a sign of things to come in the Premiership this year?
 
ALBANESE: It's a sign that St. George, I predict, will be leading the comp after round five and then will do their usual tanking.
 
PETERSON: On that note...
 
ALBANESE: Sorry, Oly.
 
PETERSON: We'll see you again. Anthony Albanese, nice to have you in the studio.

ALBANESE: See again. Go the Rabbitohs.
 
ENDS