SUBJECTS: Australian tech-related jobs; Labor’s policy agenda; A Future Made in Australia; Federal election; passing of Senator Kimberley Kitching; Labor’s fee-free TAFE policy; manufacturing.
 
ERICA BERHTOLD, CEO OF THE ICONIC: Welcome, everybody, here today. I'd like to thank everyone for joining us here at THE ICONIC Yennora Fulfilment Centre. We are an old start-up, but a young retailer. And when we heard of the Tech Council's ambition to have 1.2 million tech jobs in Australia by 2030, we just thought we had to be part of that. And we thought our youthful ambition would make us a really great partner for them. And so, we're delighted to be here today with such wonderful partners. I'd like to really thank Anthony for being here today. I know you've got such a very busy schedule. So, thank you very much. Chris, your support of this area, I mean, we're in your local area, is wonderful. And it is something that was really appreciated, particularly during the pandemic. And then Ed, I met Ed just before Christmas. And Ed was actually the first politician, I haven't met a lot of politicians, but he was the first politician that actually knew, unprompted, who The Iconic was. So, I would like to declare Ed the most fashionable person in politics. I really see The Iconic as the future of retail. You can see that here today. And I think this is the future of technology jobs in Australia. So, we're very proud to be here. We also had one small gift for Anthony. Rachel, if you can come here. We've read a lot about Anthony's true colours and fashionability, etc, recently. And we decided to show the convergence of fashion and sport in his true colours. And so, we have here a heritage Rabbitohs t-shirt that we would like to present you with, as well as a range of our other sporting memorabilia that we can bring a bit of fashion to sport. And that's what our aspiration is. So, Anthony, thank you very much.
 
CHRIS BOWEN, MEMBER FOR MCMAHON: Thank you, Erica. One of the great pleasures of being the Federal Member for McMahon is representing the industrial heartland of Australia. And here, or anywhere else, we know that Australia can continue to be a country that makes things. And under an Albanese Labor Government, we will be a country that makes things. But the world is changing. We know the old industrial processes are changing, and that more and more industrial success will be dependent on technological success and the skills of our workforce as we compete with the rest of the world on skills and on ability. And Australia, under an Albanese Labor Government, will be very well placed to do that. This industrial heartland of Western Sydney that I represent, my dad worked around the corner for 40 years, has meant so much to Western Sydney. It will mean so much to Western Sydney. I'm delighted that Anthony and Ed have chosen this area to be the base for this very important announcement today. Thank you, Anthony.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Well, thanks very much, Chris. Thanks for having me once again, in your electorate of McMahon. And I'm here today with Ed Husic, our Shadow Industry Minister, but also thanks, Erica, for the welcome. And thanks to the workers here, who we've got to meet today and been able to chat to. They're proud of the work that they're doing. There's 500-600 people who work at this facility. But over a thousand people work for The Iconic, a company that didn't exist a decade ago. It's an extraordinary growth. And it's an example of why we're here today and talking about tech sector jobs and the difference they can make, not just in themselves, but tech sector jobs make everyone else's job better. They make other businesses better throughout our economy. And one of those businesses that's also growing here in Australia, of course, is Tesla. And Robyn, very much thank you for coming along here today. As we look to the future, we have real opportunities for Australians to be employed in this sector and to drive economic growth. I want a Future Made in Australia. I want to make more things here. I want to have more jobs here. One of the things that we see, including in this sector, of course, is competing in a globalised world, and including in this industry. But what we see with tech sector jobs is the future growth that drives our economy, drives productivity. And it is a part of making our economy more resilient. The truth is that we can't dispute the end of supply chains. We need to look at ways in which we can take the natural advantages that we have, the advantages that we have that Chris talks about in clean energy, the advantages that we have in our resource sector, but most importantly, the advantages that we have in our workforce, in our human capacity. Our multiculturalism is a great advantage, for example, that we have in our region and in the world. The truth is that too many workers and businesses have left our shores due to the failure of the Morrison Government to back tech jobs. And that's why a Government I lead will back the Tech Council, and set a target of 1.2 million tech sector jobs by 2031. 1.2 million jobs that will be well paid. 1.2 million jobs that will contribute to family budgets and to making a difference. Industries of the future need a government the backs them, not a Government that is scared of the present and terrified of the future. Good governments shaped the future by intervening in partnership with the private sector to drive that private sector growth. And this industry is an example of that. And the tech sector is that. We need to plan. And we need a plan for a better future. And that is something that is at the heart of my plan for the upcoming Federal election.
 
Can I say this about wages as well, before I turn to Ed Husic for some comments? I noticed today, there is, yet again, in the lead-up to a Budget, a new wages target for this Government. Now, this happens every single Budget. And every single time, the plan and the projections don't meet the reality. This is a Government that's always about the promise, never about the delivery. And they have set, at least the last time I looked, they'd made 55 wage projections going forward, and 52 of the 55, they had failed to meet. And even in today's projections, it doesn't keep up with the cost of living with the inflation rate. So, today, they're out there talking this up. But it actually means a further decline in real wages after the decline that we've seen over the last year and after in the last Budget, they projected real wages to fall over the forward estimates. Australian families know that the price and cost of everything is going up. Food, petrol, housing. Everything is going up except for their wages. And that is why they are under such enormous pressure. Ed?
 
ED HUSIC, SHADOW MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY & INNOVATION: Thanks, Anthony. And it's great to be with you here today. And also, with Chris Bowen. We visited a number of times, McMahon. The seat of McMahon has a huge manufacturing presence that Chris is proud of. And we want to build on it. Erica, thank you so much for opening the doors, and also, importantly, providing a huge platform that I want to come to in a moment in terms of jobs and economic prosperity. And Robyn, I'm going to come back to Robyn. Because Robyn's story is a very important one as well when it comes to tech. The biggest thing we want to make sure today, that you're left with an impression, when you're in here, is to know that the tech business makes other businesses stronger. It opens up opportunity and job opportunity across the board. As a country, if we want to see future growth, we need our businesses to operate smarter, sharper, save on costs, do things better than someone else who we are competing against. And tech is going to be very important as a part of that into the future. That's why this commitment matters. It's a metric. It's a sign of health in the economy that businesses are taking this seriously, investing in technology, because they want to get ahead. These jobs are really important for future growth. But they also open up opportunity for a whole range of people. And the reason why I mentioned Robyn is, Robyn is a product of the suburbs. Robyn grew up in the suburbs, trained up, took on a senior leadership role in Telstra, and is now the chairperson of one of the most iconic, sorry to use that phrase, one of the most iconic tech firms on the planet right now. An Australian that is sitting on that board and that is thinking a lot about opening up jobs for people here. That's what we want to see as well. Be it Robyn, be it the person who is here, who started as a cleaner in The Iconic and now is going into the tech group within The Iconic and saying to me that she wants to pursue tertiary education to open up. This is about opportunity for people. This is why we back it so much, and why it is so important. And under Labor, our vision is clear. We want to strengthen or rebuild existing firms. We want to see new firms get created. We want to see secure jobs generated. Have Australia be a country that makes things using its smarts in doing so and seeing that happen as well. Building a healthier economy, stronger communities. It's that simple. This stuff, in terms of what we're doing on the National Reconstruction Fund, Buy Australia Plan and creating an industry plan for tech, to grow jobs, seeing our Start-up Year initiative, and our investments, all locking in to create that momentum very important.
 
And if I can just make reference to a Government announcement today, another Government announcement today, where they have announced that they will see mRNA vaccine manufacture occur in Australia by 2024, obviously, we're very happy to see vaccines made on shore. It's important, as variants emerge, that we can have vaccines in supporting the Australian public and protecting them. But why is it Scott Morrison is always on time for an announcement that makes him look good, but he's never on time delivering on the announcement? Because bear in mind, in October 2020, his Government said they would be manufacturing these vaccines in 9-12 months. They were pressed. They confirmed in October 2020 that they would do this in 9-12 months. We knew all along it was going to take them up to four years. But they kept saying they would do it sooner. Why did they lie on an announcement this important? It makes you think if they can lie about something that is as important as the local manufacturer of vaccine production here in Australia to protect people, is it really a fair dinkum announcement? And I think you need to let their track record speak for itself. And before I hand over to Robyn, I just need you to know that it's Chris Bowen and Rebecca Mifsud's 20th wedding anniversary today. And I just want to guarantee that I'll never be invited back to their place as a result of doing this in a press conference. Robyn?
 
ROBYN DENHOLM, CHAIR OF THE TECH COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA: Well, thank you, everybody. Thank you, Erica, for hosting us. This is a phenomenal example of what tech can do for Australia. Thank you, Shadow Leader, in terms of coming out here and spending time with the team, and Ed Husic and Chris Bowen, thank you for being here. So, for me, it is a really important day for tech because actually what we believe is that, from Technology Council of Australia, is that we can actually underpin the entire economy as we move forward, have a new growth industry for Australia. We already have a vibrant technology community within Australia. And we're doing well and kicking goals well above our average in terms of the world, on the world stage. So, for us, growing the tech sector from 860,000 jobs today and 100,000 jobs out here in the Western Sydney to 1.2 million jobs in Australia by 2030 is an important goal, not just for the people who are in those jobs, but actually for the entire economy. So, from our perspective, it is really important that we look at technology, not just for the jobs sitting behind computers, but actually for the jobs that enable operations like The Iconic, across the mining sector, across all manufacturing sectors, to really be competitive, both domestically but also internationally. And so, thank you for joining us today. I think it's a very important day for the technology industry. Thank you.
 
ALBANESE: Thanks very much, Robyn. Firstly, can I say, before I take questions, congratulations to Chris and Rebecca and their wonderful kids, Max and Grace, who they're raising here in this local electorate today. Congratulations. 20 years is a fine achievement. And they're a great family. I've been to their home. And we look forward to the party that at some stage.
 
JOURNALIST: Can you see that there are some people in your Party who believe, when it comes to your allies, you're most likely to not do an inquiry to get rid of someone, but when it comes to your enemies, people like John Setka, Adem Somyurek and various people in the Victorian branch, are more likely to be acted on?
 
ALBANESE: I act where there's a need for a response, like on John Setka. I make no apologies for acting, when I became Leader, to take action against John Setka. I remember at the time, people said, 'Oh, well, there'll be some pushback'. And indeed, there was pushback to that response. But it was appropriate. And I stand by it.
 
JOURNALIST: But you have had situations, for example, where you shut down the Victorian branch. The New South Wales branch of the Labor Party, there was $100,000 in an Aldi bag from a suspected Chinese agent and you didn't shut them down. You are not holding an inquiry into the Kimberley Kitching bullying allegations. Are you just looking after your mates?
 
ALBANESE: Andrew, I did shut down the New South Wales branch. I did shut it down. And we had a review.
 
JOURNALIST: It's not administration.
 
ALBANESE: We did shut it down. And Michael Lavarch has been put in charge of the inquiry. The General Secretary who was there no longer is there. At the time, we introduced a whole series of reforms and a complete restructuring of the New South Wales branch, upon the recommendations of the independent review.
 
JOURNALIST: Labor members in New South Wales can vote. Labor members in Victoria can't vote for their candidate.
 
ALBANESE: We went through a process whereby we had a review in New South Wales. That review, where there was a need for a reform of the branch, those reforms were instituted. There is now a whole range of independent tribunals and responses at arm's length from the day-to-day political argy-bargy that gets to consider that. There is evidence scrutiny of financial control, including people outside the political systems who have to be appointed with the support of everyone in the branch to conduct those inquiries. And in Victoria, we had an intervention. We followed. We appointed Steve Bracks and Jenny Macklin, just as we appointed serious people in New South Wales, we appointed serious people in Victoria. They have made recommendations. And those recommendations are being followed through.
 
JOURNALIST: There's an article in the papers today that suggests that there was a belief that Kimberley Kitching was leaking to members of the Government and it needed to require. Is that why she was kicked off the Tactics Committee?
 
ALBANESE: People are on and off the Tactics Committee. This fellow here was on the Tactics Committee and off the Tactics Committee, and then he was on the Tactics Committee. I was on the Tactics Committee and I was removed from the Tactics Committee after 2013 and put back on. Hang on, I'll answer questions, but if we can be polite. In 2016, I was put back on the Tactics Committee. Joel Fitzgibbon was removed from the Tactics Committee. From time to time, there are changes made to our procedures and to composition of committees in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. That is the normal processes of political discourse. There is another fellow behind me called Ed Husic. He was on the frontbench of the Labor Party, he stepped back from the frontbench of the Labor Party for a period of two years before he returned as a Shadow Cabinet Minister. No-one suggested, I don't think, during that time, that there was anything other than what happens in politics is there are often more people who want a position that a position is available.
 
JOURNALIST: You haven’t answered the question. Do you believe that Kimberley Kitching was leaking to the Government or do your Senate team believe?
 
ALBANESE: I can answer questions of behalf of myself, Andrew. In terms of myself, I saw that speculation today. I'm not aware of the basis of that speculation. Kimberley Kitching's passing is a tragedy. It is a tragedy. The idea that we can answer a question about whether Kimberley Kitching spoke to someone at any particular time or not, I am not aware of. I read today, for example, about Kimberley Kitching having a discussion with the Vice President of the Liberal Party, I think Tina McQueen. That's the first I've heard of it. But Kimberley Kitching's passing is a tragedy. And I think that Kimberley Kitching deserves much better than an ongoing discussion about whether she spoke to the Vice President of the Liberal Party or someone else at any particular time.
 
Hang on, I'll exhaust Andrew first.
 
JOURNALIST: Was anyone in your office, including your Chief of Staff, made aware that Kimberley Kitching felt bullied at any point in time?
 
ALBANESE: No.
 
JOURNALIST: Is Andrew Charlton going to be the Labor candidate for Parramatta?
 
ALBANESE: Nominations have been called for. And we will wait and see who nominates through that process. And that will be determined in the next week. We will finalise all our candidates. The Liberal Party haven't finalised their candidate for Parramatta yet. I'll have an announcement about another candidate, who has been preselected but not announced yet, on the weekend. We'll make sure that by the time we get to the Budget that we have candidates in all of the seats going forward.
 
JOURNALIST: Do you personally support parachuting Andrew Charlton into Parramatta?
 
ALBANESE: I don't want to pre-empt that process. Nominations have been called for. There are a range of people who might put themselves forward at that time. There has been a range of people discussed over a period of time. I've had discussions with Julie Owens, as is appropriate, who is the outgoing Member. It's a pity, frankly, my first response was to try to gel Julie Owens into renominating for the seat, because she has been a fantastic local member.
 
JOURNALIST: Have you spoken to Penny Wong or Kristina Kennelly about the claims that have been made against them? And what's been their response?
 
ALBANESE: They've responded publicly.
 
JOURNALIST: What have they said to you about it?
 
ALBANESE: They've said exactly what they have said publicly.
 
JOURNALIST: That there was no bullying at all, is that what they are saying?
 
ALBANESE: They have put out a public statement. And they stand by it.
 
JOURNALIST: Has a candidate been selected to replace Kimberley Kitching’s spot?
 
ALBANESE: No, that's the subject of the same processes to finalise candidates in all outstanding preselections. And I think nominations close next Monday and are to be determined next Tuesday, if need be.
 
JOURNALIST: On a lot of issues, you seem to be in sync with the Government. Are you trying to win office as Scott Morrison Lite or Scott Morrison without the baggage?
 
ALBANESE: I noticed today that Bob Katter's joined the chorus of opinions, saying they were lied to by this Government about an issue relating to his local electorate. The truth is that we are not only holding the Government to account for its failure on bushfires, the failure when it comes to ordering enough vaccines, their failure to order enough rapid antigen tests, their failure to address living standards by lifting wages, the failure to look after families by doing something about the rising cost of child care, we are putting forward a positive alternative. Today's announcement of 1.2 million tech sector jobs as our target by 2030 is a part of that. It joins with our National Reconstruction Fund to support new industries without fee-free TAFE plan and additional university places to make sure we can skilled workforce, our creation of Jobs and Skills Australia, our support for start-ups that Ed Husic has pioneered. All of these policies go together to add up to a Future Made in Australia and a Better Future here. That's our plan for the country. So, we are not relying upon the Government's failings, as obvious as they are. What we're saying is that we have an opportunity to learn from the pandemic and to build back stronger. To build a stronger economy. And one that works for people, not people just working for an economy. And we see, with businesses like this one here today, and you'll see me regularly with Ed and others visiting businesses around the country, with Chris, talking about the opportunity that is there from clean energy. I used to get questions about our 2030 target. I don’t get them anymore. But I remind people that we will create 604,000 new jobs, will reduce energy prices and it will result in a $52 billion of private sector investment.
 
JOURNALIST: Jim Chalmers says that if elected, there will be another Budget this year. Does that mean you will be throwing out a lot of the Morrison Budget if elected?
 
ALBANESE: We haven't seen it yet. We will have an opportunity to see. But could I make this point? This Government throws out its own Budget. This Government makes announcements and then nothing happens. Their announcement is the end in itself. So, when the Government throws out its own Budget, time and time again, why should we take it seriously? Next week's Budget is just a political announcement. That's all it is in the lead-up to an election. And we will wait and see in terms of the Australian people what they do in May. But what they will know is that you can't trust this Government to deliver on its promises, because it never does.
 
JOURNALIST: Just on Russia, do you think Vladimir Putin should be allowed to go to the G20 meeting?
 
ALBANESE: Look, I think that we should have discussions with our partners and act in unison. I've supported the Australian Government action, which has worked with our friends in the United States, in NATO and with the United Kingdom. And we should act as one. Those countries around the world who find the actions of Putin abhorrent, who find it a breach of international law, a breach of human rights, a breach of their consensus that has emerged in the post-war period about how countries should behave towards each other. And the ongoing tragedy with the bombing of innocent civilians in Ukraine is quite rightly condemned by Australia, but also condemned by all those who have a concern for decency and human rights and a way of behaving so that their world avoids tragedies like this.
 
JOURNALIST: If one of Kimberley Kitching’s staff or friends come forward with a complaint on her behalf, will you look into that complaint?
 
ALBANESE: There have been no complaints. No complaints were made by Kimberley Kitching. My door is open to everyone. To everyone to come through. We have processes that were established in 2018. We have processes that were updated then for 2021. With regard to the issues that have been raised in the media, the Tactics Committee, yes, Kimberley was suspended from the Committee. Those changes are made all of the time. With regard to other issues, there was an issue raised about something that Penny Wong said. She apologised to Kimberley Kitching. She believes that apology was accepted. There have been other issues raised including a visit to collect the Magnitsky Award and why it wasn’t paid for by someone else. When people go overseas, like I did last time I went to Europe, I paid for it myself. People do have allowances to pay for visits. And it wasn't raised personally with me at the time. The Leader has a travel budget. Obviously, that travel budget hasn't been expended for myself because I haven't been anywhere due to the pandemic.
 
JOURNALIST: What did Richard Marles say to you about the complaints that Kimberley Kitching had made to him?
 
ALBANESE: I will ask Chris to add. About what in particular?
 
JOURNALIST: Kimberley Kitching meets Richard Marles. There is some conjecture over whether she complains about being kicked off the Tactics Committee or being bullied. I assume Richard Marles tells you about this conversation?
 
ALBANESE: There were two people in the meeting. Richard Marles and Kimberley Kitching. Richard Marles has said to me subsequently in recent times, that was what he said publicly, that was about her position on the Tactics Committee. That was it. I had no conversation with him at the time about any of that detail. And can I say this? If Chris Bowen or Ed Husic has to come and tell me every time someone says something to them about an issue of a committee in the Parliament, then I won't get any work done. It is a process whereby there is nothing unusual. Can I say this also? I have said this before, but I will say it again. At least once a fortnight, someone will come to see me about a committee, about whether they should be a Shadow Assistant Minister, about whether they should be a Shadow Minister, about what position they might be interested in the future, or about some other issue relating to the parliamentary processes, the factional meetings. I have meetings with the conveners of those groups. And they happen on a regular basis. But my door is also open to everyone. I had meetings since I've been Leader, one-on-one, with Kimberley Kitching, as I have with a lot of other people, including Ed and Chris at various times. And my door is always open. And no-one that can say, I don't believe that they can say, that they asked for a meeting with me and haven’t got it, or they've made a phone call and has been returned.
 
BOWEN: I just want to add a couple of things from a personal point of view. This has been a very difficult time for the Labor Party with the loss of Kimberley Kitching. But there are some things that need to be said about the current debate. Firstly, as Albo has said, there is a cut and thrust in politics. I've been on and off of the Tactics Committee, on and off the frontbench, as Ed has. And these things are parts of a robust life in politics. But there's been a lot of commentary about our three senior colleagues. And I want to say this. Three better colleagues you cannot meet than Penny Wong, Kristina Keneally and Katy Gallagher. I've served in Parliament with Penny Wong for 17 years and with Kristina and Katy since they have joined the Parliament. And they treat every single individual with respect. Every single individual they interact with. They have treated me with respect. And I have seen them treat every single colleague with respect. There are robust conversations from time to time with political parties, where we are debating a better future for our country. But in terms of our senior colleagues, they are valued friends, they are important contributors to our cause, and they will be, I am sure Albo will agree, very valuable and important members in his Government. And for the degree that this conversation is about how we need to remember people's personal feelings, I also want to say that it has been a tough time for them. And that also needs to be considered. And they are valued and trusted colleagues. It's been a difficult time for everyone involved in this discussion. But I do just want to add on a personal basis, to add to Albo, we as a political party have the best practice, complaints mechanism, dispute resolution mechanism, better than any other party, Richard has made it clear that wasn't implemented, that he did not receive a complaint. And I wanted to make the point, as someone has been on and off the Tactics Committee and off the frontbench, that there are robust discussions in the Parliament. But Penny, Kristina and Katy, you could not find three more valued colleagues. They are such important members of our team. And they, like all of us, are focused on the election of a better Government. A Government that Australia deserves, that can deliver for the people of this area, for Western Sydney, that actually cares about the issues that are important to everyday Australians. And there is only one bloke who is going to deliver those things. And that's Anthony Albanese as Prime Minister.
 
ALBANESE: Just a couple more.
 
JOURNALIST: You made such strong cases for an investigation into the treatment of Julia Banks. Why is this different?
 
ALBANESE: There were no complaints put forward through the processes that has been established, that were agreed to unanimously. And it seems to me that what people are asking for is if people think that you can have an inquiry into someone, whether someone is on the Tactics Committee or not, it seems to me to be quite an extraordinary suggestion that have been answered, the issue of the inappropriate, that was made towards Kimberley Kitching was apologised for, it's been addressed. And I say this, to add to what Chris has said. Politics can be robust. I will put my hand up and say, from time to time, I've said some robust things in meetings. I doubt whether there is anyone in a senior position in the Labor Party that can say that that's not the case. People need to, wherever, and I'll make this point again, that I have said if there are any improvements in practices that can be made, I'm up for that. I did that between 2019 when I became Leader, leading up to the adoption in 2021. It was a process that was chaired by Sharon Claydon and has participation in the organisation and the parliamentary leadership and all of the Caucus. We went through all of those processes. They are in place. They are in place for a good reason and they are best practice. And we've also said with regard to Parliament, that we've adopted all of the recommendations of the Jenkins Review going forward.
 
JOURNALIST: Why did she fear losing her preselection?
 
ALBANESE: There wasn't even a candidate suggested against Kimberley Kitching for that. So, that's a matter for others. Look, from time to time, there are tensions within the Labor Party due to its competitive nature. I got asked a question before about the electorate of Parramatta. More people would be the candidate for Parramatta, but we only have one. We will work to those issues. But with regard to Kimberley Kitching’s Senate preselection, she was the only person who was mentioned in terms of being a candidate. And because of our representation system from the Victorian right-wing faction, she was the only name that I had heard mentioned as being candidate. Thank you very much.
 
ENDS