SUBJECTS: Visit to Wide Bay region; Morrison Government’s rorting; MYEFO; Labor’s policy agenda; COVID-19 pandemic; TAFE; Housing Australia Future Fund; cashless debit card; skills; need for a National Anti-Corruption Commission; Federal election.
 
DAVID DOWSETT, HOST: Anthony Albanese is Leader of the Australian Labor Party and about to hop on a plane to the Wide Bay. Anthony Albanese, good morning.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good morning, David. Good to be with you. 
 
DOWSETT: Heading to Bundaberg today. Are you bringing something special in your Santa sack?
 
ALBANESE: I am indeed. I'm heading now. I'm going to have a few days off around there. This was planned for some time. It's been difficult to get some time off. So, as of this afternoon, I'll be chilling out there. Hopefully contributing something to the Wide Bay economy there. And looking forward to that. But I'll be doing a press conference in Bundaberg when I arrive and talking about Labor's plans for secure work, our plan for a future made in Australia, including our 465,000 free TAFE places. And talking about yesterday's announcement, as well, from the Government, which is a real concern, about the cost of living. The fact that real wages are continuing to go backwards, not keep up with inflation. And the fact that this Government doesn't have a plan to address those issues.
 
DOWSETT: So, what is Labor's real vision for the Wide Bay-Burnett?
 
ALBANESE: Well, our vision is new industries creating new jobs. And also, addressing the issue of secure work. We know that increasingly, what we're seeing is the casualisation of the workforce, we're seeing labour hire in areas like the mining sector really resulting in some people doing exactly the same job as the person that they're working next to, being paid up to $40,000 or $50,000 less, not being entitled to sick leave or holiday leave. The replacement of permanent work is a real issue. That's something that's being cheered on by this current Government. We want to deal with the issue of secure work. We also want to deal with the issue of wages growth by properly defining casualisation in the Industrial Relations Act, making permanency of work one of the objectives of the Act, making wage theft a crime, making sure that we deal with those issues. And then dealing with the cost of living by making child care cheaper with a move towards universal provision of affordable child care, increase support for housing through our Housing Australia Future Fund that will create 30,000 additional social and affordable housing units.
 
DOWSETT: And you mentioned new industries in there. What would they be?
 
ALBANESE: What we'll have is the National Reconstruction Fund. We think that with the pandemic, it's shown the strength of Australian society. Queenslanders in particular have done a magnificent job looking after each other, making sacrifices in order to protect each other's health. But it's also shown some of the vulnerabilities in our economy. And there are huge opportunities if we embrace clean energy. We know that the cost of energy will make Australian manufacturing, particularly high-value manufacturing, more competitive in the future. And there's real prospects for that. There is prospect in the Wide Bay region as well, of course, as a great agricultural region. We should be value-adding more. We need to make more things here in Australia in order to create jobs, but also in order to make our economy more resilient.
 
DOWSETT: Our region has incredibly high unemployment. It is something like sitting at 10 per cent in June in the June 2021 quarter. But at the same time, many of our businesses, they can't find workers. How would Labor address that situation?
 
ALBANESE: Well, we need to make sure that we skill people up for the jobs that are available. And that's why we've said 465,000 free TAFE places. That's why we've said 20,000 additional university places, as well, in areas of skill shortage. We don't have enough engineers. We don't have enough nurses. They are the sort of jobs where people get university training. But we also don't have enough electricians. We don't have enough tradespeople to do the jobs that are available. And when the borders closed and the reliance upon imported labour, which the Government just wants to go back to, rather than train Australians, when those borders closed, the vulnerabilities in our labour market were really exposed. And we need to do much better in the future. I want to plan for a better future. That's my vision. Not just trying to go back to what was there before, with people struggling to get by. And under this Government, that continues to pat itself on the back, yesterday, we heard about $16 billion of funds of taxpayers' money, your listeners money, being squirreled away in decisions taken but not announced in various slush funds that will be used to spray around marginal seats during the election campaign for political purposes. And that sort of spending has got to stop. The priority needs to be on things that actually build a productive future, like supporting child care, like supporting skills and training. 
 
DOWSETT: This is ABC Wide Bay. It is a quarter to nine. Anthony Albanese, Leader of the Australian Labor Party, is with me right now. What about the cashless debit card? If you're elected, will that be thrown out the window?
 
ALBANESE: It will be thrown out the window. We've seen various trials. We have seen the Government be all over the shop on its application. We've seen a massive privatisation of the system. And it simply shouldn't be applied the way that it is now. If communities ask for support to have the implementation in remote communities, that's a different thing. But what we've seen from this Government is its obsession with privatisation. And the cashless debit card is something that we will get rid of. We've said that very clearly and explicitly. And it is one of the great divides. There's a great deal of concern out there that it will be extended further if this Government is re-elected.
 
DOWSETT: Also, serious housing shortage in our region. How do you get people back into safe and really reliable accommodation?
 
ALBANESE: Well, you've got to actually return to the Commonwealth playing a role in supporting social and community housing and affordable housing for essential workers. We have our Housing Australia Future Fund. That was a major part of my last Budget Reply because I think it is essential for people to give them that security. I grew up in public housing. And the fact is it provided a secure roof over my head, and that of my mum who was an invalid pensioner. We did it tough in the early years. But it gave me that security to be able to rise to the position whereby at, whenever the election is held next year, I'm putting myself forward as the alternative Prime Minister.
 
DOWSETT: Seems that people are really quite disillusioned with the main parties. Are you concerned about votes going towards parties like One Nation and UAP?
 
ALBANESE: Look, I think that Labor remains, of course, the alternative party of government. And votes for minor parties, of course, it's understandable with the frustration that is there with a Government that's failing to deliver on its promises, that haven't got a National Anti-Corruption Commission in place. Today we've learned that there won't be any advance, really, on the Voice to Parliament that was also promised. So there's a lot of disillusionment out there because for this Government, after three terms, they're not committing to actually deliver on the promises that they've made. And very clearly, going forward, I'm putting myself forward as someone who wants to lead a majority Labor Government in order to get things done, in order to create secure work, in order to raise living standards and in order to have a future made in Australia and build up a more resilient economy.
 
DOWSETT: What about a Federal candidate for Hinkler? Anything in place there as of yet?
 
ALBANESE: The Queensland branch will be looking at that in the coming period. And I would expect an announcement in January.
 
DOWSETT: And finally, Anthony Albanese, the most important question of the day. Who are you going for in the double dip? Michael Bublé or Bing Crosby? Two songs back-to-back from either one of those artists, who are you pumping for?
 
ALBANESE: I've got to go for Bing. The great Bing.
 
DOWSETT: Another one for Bing. Enjoy your time in our region. Thanks very much.
 
ALBANESE: Thanks very much, David.
 
ENDS