SUBJECTS: Visit to Central Coast; importance of communication and mobile services; Labor’s local announcement for Mangrove Mountain; Peter Malinauskas; Adelaide State Election; Federal and State relationship; Labor’s Housing Australia Future Fund; federal election; Labor’s policy agenda; passing of Senator Kimberley Kitching.
 
DR GORDON REID, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR ROBERTSON: Good morning, everyone. Doctor Gordon Reid here. And I want to thank you all so much for coming out today to the Central Coast. And I want to, in particular, thank Anthony Albanese, Leader of the Australian Labor Party, for coming here to make an important community announcement for residents on the Central Coast. As we all know, connectivity across the Central Coast, particularly throughout our more isolated regions, has been an issue for quite some time. Connectivity is exceedingly important for small businesses to operate, for family and friends to connect and to communicate, for people working at home, and also for emergency services to be contacted, and also to communicate with each other. And with that, I would like to handover to Anthony Albanese. Thank you.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Well, thanks very much, Gordon. It's great to be back on Central Coast in Robertson. Last time we were here together, we were talking about GP services here. Today, we are here to talk about communications. Before I speak about today's announcement, I just want to give a shout-out to Peter Malinauskas in South Australia, and his SA Labor team. They've campaigned strongly for a better future for South Australia. They deserve a good result in today's election. I spent two days in Adelaide, yesterday and the day before, campaigning with Peter Malinauskas and his candidates. They have done an outstanding job in putting forward a positive alternative. And I wish Peter Malinauskas all the best today.
 
Today's announcement is about the important issue of communications. As a former Communications Minister, I understand how important fast broadband and access to mobile communications can be. It's important to families keeping in touch with each other. It is important for people to keep in touch with their friends. It's also important for business to keep connected with other people and businesses around Australia and indeed around the world. It's also important for safety in areas where natural disasters occur, that people have access to high-speed broadband and also access to mobile services. And that's why today's announcement of $750,000 to improve mobile coverage in Mangrove Mountain here is so important.
 
Labor has had extensive consultation with the local community. People have been telling us that they need better services. We know also that they are not getting proper access to mobile services. In particular, Hardys Bay and Killcare. We know that some of the carriers are looking at how they can improve service delivery. If they are not able to achieve that in a reasonable timeframe, a Labor Government would stand ready to provide support there as well. Happy to take questions.
 
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible).
 
ALBANESE: Well, we have a five-point plan to address the cost of living. The first of those is directly assisting families by providing more affordable child care, we'll do that by ensuring Medicare is given support, we will do that by reducing power prices by $275 and investing in affordable housing. We have announced our Housing Australia Future Fund to increase the supply of social housing but also to invest in affordable housing for essentially workers. We'll have more to say about housing in the lead-up to the election. But the issue of directly assisting family budgets is just one of our many points, which is that putting on a downward pressure on interest rates, making sure that we have fiscal responsibility. The third is, of course, fixing infrastructure, which today's announcement is a part of that. Our fourth is addressing skill shortages by giving 465,000 fee-free TAFE places. And the last is regulatory reform. That's just stalled under this Federal Government. We need better federal-state relations. We do need to put downward pressure on the cost of living. And this Government, with polling booths open in under 50 days, with the Federal election, have presided over falling living standards over almost decade. And that's why we need to address these issues. And it will take a change of government to do so.
 
JOURNALIST: Is this funding for Mangrove Mountain for all carriers or just specific ones?
 
ALBANESE: It will apply to all because it is there to boost communications. And we want to make sure of that.
 
JOURNALIST: Some of Kimberley Kitching’s friends and family are calling for an inquiry. Why won’t you look into that?
 
ALBANESE: Well, the Labor Party has processes in place. These processes have been in place since 2018. And they were improved with the unanimous support of every member of the ALP Caucus and every member of the ALP National Executive in 2021 following an extensive review and improvement of these processes led by Sharon Claydon and women members of the ALP National Executive and Caucus. And everyone was a part of that process. We have an ongoing process that people can participate in. We can always do better. I will say this. The Labor family are mourning the passing of Kimberley Kitching. At age 52, it is far too young to lose a valued colleague. I will be there at her farewell on Monday. It will be a sad occasion. And everyone in Labor is mourning this loss. We know that she had so much more to give. And it is a tragedy.
 
Can I say also about some of the criticism that is around - my colleagues in the Senate, Senator Keneally, Senator Wong, and Senator Gallagher issued a media release yesterday addressing those issues, including Senator Wong reiterating over a statement she made to Senator Kitching, she apologised after that occurred and she believed that the apology was accepted. Politics can be a robust business. But politics is better for the participation of valued colleagues in leadership positions, including Penny, Katy, and Kristina. They are all making an outstanding contribution. I'm proud of the fact I lead a team that has 50 per cent women of the Shadow Cabinet, outstanding, strong, principled woman. And they continue to make a contribution.
 
JOURNALIST: But if there were an inquiry, it would seem like they would be in the public eye. Are you worried about a public inquiry?
 
ALBANESE: It is hard to argue that things haven't been made public, that people believe in recent times. The truth is, though, this is a time where the Labor family are hurting. And the Labor family wants to, overwhelmingly, want to give solidarity and support to each other. This is a difficult time. I met Kimberley Kitching primarily due to a delegation I lead to Taiwan. She was vivacious. She was the life of the room she was in. And it is tragic to think that she has departed far too soon. It is a tragedy. Labor people overwhelmingly are just giving support to each other. It is a difficult time. Just as members of the Liberal Party gave support to each other when Don Randall tragically lost his life, had a heart attack in a car, all unexpected as well, and that was a tragic loss. And Senator Kitching is a tragic loss for the Labor family.
 
JOURNALIST: Have you spoken to Senator Wong about the culture in the Labor Senate team?
 
ALBANESE: I speak to all of our Senators all the time. And I speak to all the Party members all the time. Can I make this point? My door is open to every Caucus Member. Every Caucus Member to walk through at any time. No-one is ever denied a meeting. I received no complaints about the treatment of Senator Kitching from Kimberley at any time. I had a number of meetings since I have been Leader with her in my office, including one-on-one. I received no complaints from Senator Kitching. That is just a fact. That is not to say that, of course, from time to time in politics, it's a competitive business, it is one where I think we could all be kinder to each other, frankly, within the Parliament, within our own parties, and across the aisle. And I would always urge people to do so. I am an inclusive leader. I have stepped back from all of the involvement in any group. And I will continue to be inclusive. And I will lead a Government that would champion the rights of women and where women, including Penny, and Kristina, and Katy, and Michelle, and Catherine and Terri, and Julie, and Tanya, and other members of my Shadow Cabinet team will play prominent roles as Cabinet Ministers in the Government. I think that the culture of the Labor Party is far better for the participation of women in much greater numbers. We are now much more reflective of society that we used to be, whether that is the emergence of Indigenous leaders like Linda Burney and Pat Dodson and Malarndirri McCarthy, or whether it be the number of prominent women members who are all participating and paying a role, including Senator Deborah O'Neill, who is here with us today, who plays a vital role as the Duty Senator for the Central Coast, but also plays a vital role as an advisor to me on issues including dealing with the Religious Discrimination Bill that we dealt with last year. I'd encourage everyone to participate in the fullest way possible. And that is what we, I think, overwhelmingly, have in our Labor Caucus. It is a Caucus I am very proud to leave.
 
JOURNALIST: Did your Deputy, Richard Marles, ever talk about Kimberley Kitching’s treatment? Should he have done so?
 
ALBANESE: You go through who said what to whom. I have indicated very clearly that if people want to talk to me about issues, they walk through the door. And I have regular meetings with people, including representatives of the groups, representatives of states as well as individuals. At all times, I'm available to be directly spoken to.
 
JOURNALIST: There were reports that she was scared of you. What you think of that?
 
ALBANESE: That is just not true. Kimberley and I travelled together. Have a look at the photos from the trip. We enjoyed each other's company on that trip with Milton Dick and Brendan O'Connor and Michelle Rowland. And it was a really good trip. And Tony Zappia. And we enjoyed each other's company on that trip. You don't run into Senators as much as you run into Members of the House of Representatives when you are in different chambers. That is the truth. But I am available to talk to people at any time. And the idea that people that we politicise the tragedy of someone's death, which in my view, is not constructive. What we should do is pay tribute to Kimberley Kitching's contribution. Kimberley Kitching was a fierce, committed and passionate political advocate. And every time I saw her participating, whether it be in the Senate or in the Labor Party, she was someone who was not backward about coming forward. And that is one of the reasons why it is a great tragedy that she has departed too soon. But it is a tragedy particularly for her family and friends. And I know they are hurting right now.
 
JOURNALIST: Given that they are hurting, and they are calling for an inquiry, why can't they have one? They are serious allegations.
 
ALBANESE: We have a process established, which is there. The statements that have been made have been answered by the people who have been direct to. When people have raised issues me, I have directed them. And I do think this is, I've got to say, I think this is an unfortunate discussion to have two days before a funeral of someone. But the media continues to ask these questions. And that is unfortunate. But I understand that people are putting these issues.
 
Take for example the members of the tactics committee. I was the Leader of the Government in the House of Representatives and the Manager of Opposition Business for a decade. I wasn't put on the tactics committee after the 2013 election. That was fine. That was a decision that was made. I was put on a few years later. That is fine as well. There are people who want to be on that committee right now, I assure you, who have approached me and asked me to be put on the House of Representatives tactics committee who are not. It is the nature of the business. There are people who want to be in the Shadow Cabinet who are not. There are people who want to be in the Outer Ministry who are not. There are people who want to be Assistant Shadow Ministers who aren't. That is not a discrimination against any individual. They are the circumstances which is the nature of politics, which is competitive, which can sometimes, because people are passionate about ideas, be difficult. The one statement of anything that has been made of Penny saying something to Kimberley that was inappropriate, Penny Wong has admitted it was inappropriate, has apologised to Senator Kitching at the time, and has reiterated that. Thanks very much.
 
ENDS