SUBJECTS: Anzac Day; vaccine rollout
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Well, this was a very solemn, great, service honouring the sacrifice of those who have worn a uniform. Particularly those who've made the ultimate sacrifice and also to pay tribute to those men and women who continue to serve us today. Also, a time where we remember the need to look after our veterans when they return home. With the Royal Commission into Veteran Suicide an important step forward.
 
JOURNALIST: Why Balmain, obviously you’re local to the area, but why this one in particular?
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well this is one of Australia's first ever memorials behind us. It was built less than a year after the ANZACs landed, literally to honour those locals who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. So it is an Important gathering every year. It's one of the largest community gatherings in Australia. And I wanted to be with the locals who gathered today.
 
JOURNALIST: What is your message to the communities that didn't get the chance to do this today?
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE: That it was it was very difficult. We live in difficult times. We think, today particularly, of our Western Australian servicemen and women and veterans who weren't able to commemorate ANZAC Day today. These difficult times are a reminder that the threat of Covid is not over.
 
 JOURNALIST: While we're on the topic, we don't want to take away from the important day, but obviously the rollout continues on and is the government taking this seriously?
 
 ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well, we need to get the rollout of the vaccine right. Unless we do, we will have further lockdowns. We will have the disruption to returning to life as normal, pre-COVID. And that's why the rollout of the vaccine is so important. We really need the government to get its act together to make sure that particularly those who are vulnerable, get the vaccine that they need. Because the rollout of the vaccine is the key to opening up our economy and the key to having community gatherings, as usual, without restriction.

Thank you.
 
ENDS