SUBJECTS: Labor's $300 vaccine incentive proposal; vaccine rollout; lockdowns. 

NADIA MITSOPOLOUS, HOST: Tell me if $300 cash would encourage you to get the COVID vaccine. That is the idea from Federal Labor Leader Anthony Albanese and he joins me now to explain his proposal. Good morning to you.

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

MITSOPOLOUS: Who would be eligible? 

ALBANESE: Absolutely everyone who gets a vaccine. This would be very simple. We know who has got the vaccine, because of course, it goes through the Medicare system. And hardworking Australians have had a tough two years. And what this would do is provide them with a reward for their response for doing the right thing to help protect their health and the health of their families and their communities. But it would also, of course, provide a boost for our economy and for the protection of jobs when it's needed, because the lockdown, so of course having a real impact.

MITSOPOLOUS: Would the offer be retrospective?

ALBANESE: Yes, absolutely. We want to encourage those people who haven't been vaccinated to do so, but reward those who've got out there and been able to get their vaccine. 

MITSOPOLOUS: Is this a bribe, a headline grabbing exercise? 

ALBANESE: Not at all, this is a practical measure, which mirrors some of the measures that are being adopted overseas, in Europe, the Biden administration is of course, supporting a similar measure, states in the in the US have various incentives in place. And we know that this will have a positive impact, it's very hard to argue that it could be negative. And as well, of course, when economic stimulus is needed, we're looking potentially at the economy going backwards in the September quarter as a result of those lockdowns. And we know that it would support jobs and give people additional income that they would spend. But we also know that the Government did have two jobs this year, the rollout of the vaccine, where we are last in the developed world and purpose built quarantine facilities. We will continue to argue that the both of those are absolutely critical.

MITSOPOLOUS: How much would this cost? 

ALBANESE: It'd cost $6 billion, if absolutely everyone, every adult, got vaccinated, but to hit the 80 per cent figure that the Government is aiming at by the end of the year, the cost of that would be $5 billion. Compare that with the $2 billion a week cost of the lockdowns that have occurred in recent times. Those lockdowns are continuing. We know that the outbreaks from hotel quarantine that have occurred in Queensland went out to 28 outbreaks from hotel quarantine, we know that there's a direct impact, but there's also an impact there in Perth and in the West. When there's a lockdown in one part of Australia, it has a knock on impact around the country. And of course, part of the impact there is that people now can't travel to Western Australia at the moment without isolating for two weeks. So that has an economic impact as well. 

MITSOPOLOUS: My guest this morning is Anthony Albanese, the Federal Opposition Leader and a lot of you want to talk about this, I will get to your calls in a moment, 1300 222 720. What's the evidence though, that cash incentives actually work? 

ALBANESE: Well, when I studied economics at uni, we looked at finances, of course do have an incentive. We know that. We know that economic incentives work across a range of areas, that's basic behavioural economics. And we know also that not only would it be positive in terms of directly, it would also be positive in terms of - I want people at the local South Perth Bowling Club to be saying to each other 'have you got your $300?' 'No I am getting vaccinated next week' to help spark that discussion as well between people would be a positive thing. It's hard to argue that that there's any negative here, any downside, given that stimulus is needed as well. The Government seems to be rejecting it. Perhaps they don't recognise the idea of a funding program that would go to everyone rather than be allocated on the basis of marginal seats like sports rorts and other programs. 

MITSOPOLOUS: The government says it's bonkers, the idea is bonkers. 

ALBANESE: Well, that says a lot about this Government. They said that wage subsidies when we propose them, supported by the business community, supported by the union movement, was a 'dangerous idea' to quote the Prime Minister. Guess what? A couple of months later when the queues formed outside Centrelink offices, they adopted Jobkeeper to keep people in work. So this Government never ever moves until it's too late and then it moves too little. This is a constructive idea, put forward. It's consistent as well, with the national plan that was released by the Prime Minister last Friday that said that measures should be supported, which to quote, encourage uptake through incentives under phase B.

MITSOPOLOUS: But experts like Dr. Julie Leask, who was actually just on the AM program says there is a risk that people would get used to the idea of incentives and then they'll expect cash every time they need a booster shot, for instance, and this isn't a good mindset. 

ALBANESE: Seriously we're in a pandemic. It's a once in a century pandemic. Once in a century, there have been things done. That was the argument against wage subsidies, by the way, 'we can't have wage subsidies, because that's the Government paying people's wages and everyone will be working for the Government so we can't possibly do that'. That's what Scott Morrison said and the Liberal Government said. Now, if we hadn't had Jobkeeper last year, we would have many millions of people more unemployed, we would have had much greater damage to our economy. This is a once in a century pandemic.

MITSOPOLOUS: And if our vaccination rates is still low and when we have not hit that 80 per cent by the time we go to the federal election, would you take this policy to the polls?

ALBANESE: Well, we want it done now. 

MITSOPOLOUS: But if it's not?

ALBANESE: Well, I'm not dealing with hypotheticals. We need to eat this whole pandemic.

MITSOPOLOUS: We've been dealing with hypotheticals for the last 18 months, because we're in unknown territory. If we haven't 80% vaccination by the time we go to the polls, would you take this $6 billion policy to the election? 

ALBANESE: Well, I'm happy to come on your program during the election and announce our election policies. What we're saying is that we need to fix the vaccination rates now. We're running last in the developed world. If we continue to do that, we'll continue to have a lockdown. 

MITSOPOLOUS: I appreciate that but for people to take this seriously. I think they need a commitment either way as to whether this - if we have not reached that 80 per cent vaccination rate, would you take this to the election? 

ALBANESE: If you ask the same question, you'll get the same answer, which is - ask me during the election campaign, and you'll get our election policies. What we're saying is that this is needed now. We're running last. The fact is that the Government said we're at the front of the queue, and we weren't. We had major problems with supply and as supply comes online we want to encourage people to get vaccinated. 

MITSOPOLOUS: I'll leave it there. Appreciate your time. Anthony Albanese the Federal Opposition Leader.

ENDS