SUBJECTS: Southern Expressway on/off ramps announcement; Adelaide infrastructure; visit to Adelaide; Boothby; federal election; SA state election; new east coast submarine base; jobs in Adelaide.
 
NIKOLAI BEILHARZ, HOST: It seems that roads and infrastructure may be one of the first key ways that federal politicians want to try and win your vote at the upcoming federal election. It was almost a month ago we saw Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Adelaide to announce funding to complete the North-South Corridor. Well, today the Federal Labor Leader, Anthony Albanese, is in Adelaide to announce funding for the Southern Expressway as well and joins us now. Anthony Albanese, thank you for your time on Breakfast.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good morning. Thanks for having me on the program.
 
BEILHARZ: Is roads the key focus for you? Do you think that's how you're going to win votes in Adelaide and South Australia?
 
ALBANESE: Well, last time we were in Government we began the major road reconstruction on the North-South road corridor. Projects like the Northern Expressway, the South Road Superway, projects that were very important for Adelaide, particularly along that corridor. But there's still major congestion along there. And that's why the on/off ramps at Majors Road will make a major difference for people in southern Adelaide.
 
STACEY LEE, HOST: Any coincidence that this happens to be in the federal electorate of Boothby? What do you think your chances are there?
 
ALBANESE: Oh, look, we've got a fantastic candidate in Boothby in Louise Miller-Frost. I’ll be spending time with her this morning. We’re also looking at aged care this morning. And I think she would make an outstanding member. She has a background with St Vincent de Paul, she’s articulate, she's very keen to represent her local community in the Federal Parliament.
 
BEILHARZ: So, this is a $120 million project you're proposing, with the costing to be split equally you come to power and if Peter Malinauskas comes to power. That's a couple of ifs as to whether or not this will actually happen.
 
ALBANESE: Well, we are committing this funding and, unlike the current Government, our funding will be available in our first term. We will get this done rather than just promise things off into the future, which is what we've seen characterise this Government, it’s all promises, no, no delivery. And of course, we've seen that again today with the issue of submarines and a major announcement from the Federal Government where Adelaide doesn't get a mention.
 
LEE: Will this still go ahead if Peter Malinauskas loses and if Steven Marshall gets in? Have you spoken to the state Liberal Party about whether they'll commit to the funding?
 
ALBANESE: Well, they’re in caretaker mode, of course. But we are absolutely committed to providing our funding, will be available. I'm very hopeful Peter Malinauskas will get elected. I think he would be a great premier of South Australia. One thing about Peter is he would always stand up for the interests of South Australia first, regardless of who was in in power federally. You wouldn't have him as a compliant premier. And from time to time, that might even create some tension between us if both of us are successful. But that's a good thing. I want Labor representatives to stand up for their local community. And Peter will certainly do that in South Australia.
 
LEE: We haven't seen very much of you in South Australia recently. I think the Prime Minister has been here more often than you have. Do you plan on being in the state a little bit more in the lead-up to the election?
 
ALBANESE: Well, I'll be there next week again. Of course, we were locked out of the state for a long period of time and I came as soon as the state was opened. This will be my third visit this year, which isn't too bad given we're only at March.
 
BEILHARZ: Anthony Albanese, you mentioned the Liberal Party has made no mention of Adelaide for the potential of a submarine base where the submarines will be housed, so the party’s saying that that'll likely either be in New South Wales or in Queensland. So, are you saying that Adelaide could potentially be a base if you come to power?
 
ALBANESE: Well we’d examine the circumstance. The Prime Minister hasn’t given us the courtesy of a briefing, even though this is an issue, the issue of nuclear-propelled submarines is something that we're being supportive of. And it requires bipartisan support, this is long-term. But today's announcement is really an announcement about an announcement. It’s an announcement that says some way down the track, well after the next election, there'll be an announcement about location. And that is something that characterises this Government. We’ve seen, of course, announcements about Japanese submarines that didn't go anywhere. We saw an announcement about French submarines and billions of dollars spent that resulted in people losing their jobs, including in Adelaide. What we actually need is announcements that lead to actual infrastructure and announcements that lead to actual defence materiel being realised. And that is something that I'd be determined to do. And I would be hopeful of working with a Malinauskas government. But that's a matter of course, for South Australians in 12 days’ time.
 
LEE: The topic of submarine and shipbuilding here in South Australia has been a little bit of an Achilles heel for federal Labor politicians. Every time one of you guys who's not from here comes to town, they're asked about whether or not the subs jobs would stay here and the different roles that are involved in shipbuilding and ship maintenance. And it's always been an issue. I can't ever remember a Federal Labor politician being decisive on this matter. So what is your plan if you win in May? Will you commit to keeping the sub building jobs, particularly in relation to the nuclear subs, here in SA?
 
ALBANESE: Keep? There’s no keep. Keep implies that there's a decision been made. And today's announcement by the Federal Government on the front page of newspapers, I looked through it, I haven't seen the Prime Minister’s speech, but there's no mention of Adelaide whatsoever in today's announcement.
 
LEE: But that's got to do with the base, that’s got to do with where they'll stay. But I'm talking about the building, because that's where the majority of the jobs are, when the subs are being built.
 
ALBANESE: Well, what we had from Peter Dutton yesterday on Insiders was implications that there's some announcement coming with regard to that as well. But we see no evidence of it in today's newspaper drop. We think that these issues should be bipartisan, they should be the subject of consultation. The Government's chosen to not do that. We will always stand up for employment and we think that South Australians deserve to have their share of industry development, including that that comes from defence. We have a National Reconstruction Fund that we’ve announced that will be really important for growing jobs in South Australia.
 
BEILHARZ: Anthony Albanese, thanks for your time this morning.
 
ALBANESE: Thank you very much.
 
ENDS