SUBJECTS: Federal election; NDIS; Labor’s plan for aged care.
 
BELINDA KING, ABC BREAKFAST: We have a very big election campaign which begins today, and first up this morning, Labor leader Anthony Albanese in is in Launceston on his first official day of the Federal Election Campaign. Anthony Albanese, good morning.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good morning, Belinda, and what a beautiful day it is here in Launnie.

KING: You've managed to escape all the rain of the big island by the looks of it.

ALBANESE: Indeed, it's been a devastating time for people affected by floods, but for others just trying to get about their life as well. It's been extraordinarily difficult. It could be something in this, climate change.
KING: Indeed. And there could also be something in the fact that we've got a couple of marginal seats that brings you back here as particularly at the start of the campaign. So I'll begin by asking about any special announcements you're making today.

ALBANESE: Well, today I'll be firstly up with Ross Hart. And we'll be making an announcement about a Shepherd Centre for Launceston and also one for Hobart. It deals with children, effectively, who have hearing loss. And these centres exist, of course on the mainland, but there's nothing here for Tasmanian kids struggling with hearing loss, and the centres have proven to make an enormous difference. So having that presence here in Tasmania, both in the north and in the south will make a difference. At the moment, Shepherd Centre workers fly in from Melbourne to deliver these support services. So this is an important announcement this morning. And then I'll be spending time talking with aged care workers and in the electorate of Braddon over in Devonport with Chris Lynch.

KING: Indeed, and actually, let's stay with Braddon just for a moment, because some of our team hit the streets of Burnie yesterday, which is of course, in that key seat, and the overwhelming sentiment that reporter Monte Bovill found among voters was ‘I don't care about politics’, or ‘I know nothing about the election’. How do you propose to energise disaffected or disenchanted voters to get involved this time around?

ALBANESE: By pointing out to them the difference that a change of government can have on their lives, with strengthening Medicare, making work more secure, making more things here in Tasmania and throughout Australia, making a real difference to people's lives. When governments change, then policies change. And we want to strengthen Medicare. We want to make people more secure in their work. We want to deal with the opportunities that come with the challenge of climate change, of having that cheaper energy, using that to make more things here. And we also want to fix, of course, the aged care crisis, which has been so acute, and has been demonstrated by the Royal Commission's findings.

KING: Now one of the challenges around disenchanted or disaffected voters is actually getting them to vote and to update their details on the electoral rolls. We're going to talk about this in more detail with the local manager for the AEC in a half hours time. But in regards to the Prime Minister's timing of the election announcement, it coincides with Easter, and people have only got until eight o'clock next Monday night to actually get on the roll or update the roll. And that of course includes Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

ALBANESE: Well it’s up to the Prime Minister to explain why he didn't call the election earlier. But that was a decision for him. But it would have made sense to call the election a week ago given that quite clearly we've been in campaign mode for the last week, and the government has been in campaign mode since last year. They stopped governing. And I do think it's a bit rough that people will be trying to enrol over the Easter long weekend.

KING: Now, I mentioned some listeners questions for you this morning, I've got a little something to play from a local disability advocate, Jane Wardlaw, I'll just play that for you now.

JANE WARDLAW, DIABILITY ADVOCATE: The NDIS is very important to me as a person with disability, I think making sure that advocacy is well funded, and I also think cost of living pressures. So I'd like to see some changes there.

KING: Now, in regards to the NDIS, what can we do to improve that situation?

ALBANESE: Well, Labor created the NDIS, and will always defend the NDIS. It has been under attack, basically, from this government that have made changes to a whole range of people who have gone to their local members about their packages being changed, about there being cutbacks. And Bill Shorten has done a terrific job of highlighting that. We need to make sure that we respect the fact that if we allow through the NDIS people with disability to participate fully in society, the whole society will be strengthened, not just those people. We know that it will make a positive contribution in terms of the economy as well. But most importantly, we should value every person and allow them to fully participate in work and activities. And the NDIS is a very important vehicle to do that.

KING: Where do we find the money to actually make that all happen, to fund it fully?

ALBANESE: Well, the money is there, the money is there. And of course, the NDIS was funded through a levy and this government have not spent the money that's actually been allocated in the budget. In the past they've used it as a savings measure, which has been quite extraordinary given the need which is out there.

KING: 18 minutes past seven, and we're chatting this morning with Anthony Albanese. We've got one on the SMS this morning, 0467922917, this is from Barb Baker. ‘Recently we heard the heartbreaking and shocking story of a World War Two veteran, almost 102 years old, dying in a storeroom at the Launceston General Hospital. His family pushed as hard as they could to have their loved one transferred to a more appropriate facility. It's not a one-off case, please Mr. Anthony Albanese, can you provide capital funding for a dedicated hospice in Launceston?’

ALBANESE: Well, that's a shocking story, I've got to say, and we need to treat our veterans with respect. We also need to treat all of our older Australians with respect. I announced last Thursday as the centrepiece of my budget reply, a package of reforms to fix the aged care crisis - two and a half billion dollars to make sure that there's better funding, better care, for everyone who is an aged care resident. But no one should be placed in that circumstance.

KING: So a dedicated hospice, though, funding specifically for that, is that a possibility?

ALBANESE: It certainly is something that we would be prepared to look at. I know we've looked at it in the past, and there's been no movement from the current government at all.

KING: Well, we look forward to seeing what comes up in the next six weeks, so whether or not that might attract perhaps some funding in the campaign promises. Anthony Albanese, we're going to have to let you go. I know you're very much in demand this morning. Thank you for your time. But before you go, we better let you set off on the right foot here. A little Ramones for you this morning.

ALBANESE: Thanks very much, Belinda. I did get a bit of positive feedback. I think it's the first time that the Ramones have ever been quoted at the beginning of a campaign.

KING: Hey, ho, let's go, Anthony Albanese. Thank you very much for your time.

ALBANESE: Thanks, Belinda.
 
ENDS