SUBJECTS: Labor’s TAFE Technology fund; floods affecting the East Coast of Australia; visit to WA; WA borders reopening; Premier Mark McGowan; WA and Clive Palmer’s legal case; Federal election; Labor’s policy agenda; Ukraine-Russia tensions; passing of Rod Marsh; WA tourism.
 
ZANETA MASCARENHAS, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR SWAN: Good morning, everyone. My name is Zaneta Mascarenhas. I'm Labor's candidate for Swan. Thank you all for coming here today. And thank you to Anthony Albanese to come into Bentley TAFE. It's been wonderful to come down here and check out the facilities here at Bentley TAFE. The thing that is interesting is that a good job starts with a good education. And that's something that the Federal Labor Party fundamentally understands. In fact, my niece studies to become a pastry chef right here at Bentley TAFE. I'd like to now hand over to Anthony Albanese.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Well, thanks very much, Zaneta, our fantastic candidate for Swan. And it's great to be here at Bentley TAFE Campus. A Federal Labor Government I lead would contribute two million dollars for the upgrade of infrastructure here at Bentley. We would contribute $50 million across the country for our TAFE Technology Fund. We understand that investing in TAFE is investing in Australian skills and Australian people. We know that TAFE is absolutely critical in our economy. It's good for people to get a trade, it's also good for the economy. And we're seeing at the moment one of the lessons of the pandemic are the skill shortages that we need to address. Here at Bentley, we've met this morning with students getting a career in life, getting that start in life. And we understand that investing in skills and education is what Labor does. We would have 465,000 free TAFE places, 20,000 additional university places, support for early childhood education, support for education across the board. That is what Labor does when we're in government. And with TAFE, we understand that's an absolute priority. And it fits in with our agenda for a Future Made in Australia, for supporting new industries through our National Reconstruction Fund, having a plan to grow our economy. That consists of investing in new industries. But to do that, you've got to invest in our people. And that's why TAFE would be an absolute priority for us.
 
Can I make just two other comments about two other issues? Firstly, the floods. It is tragic news that were found, in Queensland, another man who unfortunately has been found under one of the bridges in the Brisbane River. This man has been missing since Monday. And sincere condolences to his family and his friends. What we're seeing in the East Coast is continuing pressure on communities. And I say to people in those communities in the North Coast, around the Hunter, around Sydney, around Queensland, continue to follow the advice of the SES of the Bureau of Meteorology, of the agencies. Because it's not worth the risk just to drive through floodwaters or to engage. If you're asked to evacuate, please do so in accordance with that advice. I think that this has been a reminder as well of the heroes of Australia. We're seeing at the worst of times, the best of Australians. People helping each other out, people risking their own lives in order to help others. And just a big thank you to our emergency services personnel, our SES personnel and others as well, who are just volunteering to help out their fellow Australians.
 
Lastly, can I just express my condolences to the family and friends of the great Rod Marsh. Rod Marsh is someone who I enjoyed watching as a kid growing up, to see the familiar pattern of caught Marsh bowled Lillee was something that, as a young Australian in the 1970s, we saw at regular intervals. Over 350 test wickets for Rod Marsh. He changed the way that the game was played with a swashbuckling batting style, including in the great centenary tests that ended up having exactly the same result as the test a hundred years beforehand, with Australia winning by 40 runs. Without Rod Marsh, that wouldn't have happened. And Rod Marsh made a difference. He also was someone of great integrity. He became the chairman of selectors. I had the privilege of meeting him a couple of times. He was a real gentleman and an ornament to the game. He was widely respected across the Australian community and, indeed, across the global cricket community as well. And I pay tribute to a legend of the game today who's passed on too young.
 
JOURNALIST: Should India be saying more and doing more in relation with the Russian invasion, given their alliance with us in the QUAD?
 
ALBANESE: Well, all countries need to stand united against the Russian aggression which is there. I note that India has called for a ceasefire and a cessation of the military conflict that has taken place. It's important that the globe speak out against this Russian aggression. I note, in particular, that China, because of its close relationship with Russia, has a particular responsibility here. It's unfortunate that Russia, as a member of the P5, a permanent member of the Security Council, has vetoed the resolutions that have been put forward. But in terms of democratic nations, they need to be united in calling out this Russian aggression.
 
JOURNALIST: Ukraine has called for military aircrafts. Should Australia accept this request?
 
ALBANESE: Australia's a long way from there. Australia's making a contribution, which is a financial contribution, some of which has been used for military use in Ukraine, to defend Ukraine, a sovereign nation against this Russian aggression. We have supported all the Government's response. It's important that we act in unison with the United States, with the United Kingdom, and with NATO. We're doing that. And we need to continue to do that and to offer whatever support we can to protect Ukraine. And I pay tribute to the Ukrainian people who, with enormous pressure, a military that is far greater than the Ukrainian military capacity, they are showing incredible courage to defend their nation against this aggression.
 
JOURNALIST: Is it time for Australia to ask Russian diplomats to leave?
 
ALBANESE: I've been very careful, and will continue to do so, to not look for product differentiation here. If the advice for the Government is to do that, I note that in the United States, there's been some responses there, then we would support the Federal Government in taking whatever action is needed. Sometimes that can send an important message. It might be, though, that the Government has a reason for not doing that. And I would support whatever government action is taken. If they choose to do that, they would have Labor's support.
 
JOURNALIST: Do you believe that China should continue to trade with Russia?
 
ALBANESE: Well, the issue here isn't that. The issue here is that China has actually provided additional wheat to Russia in order to fill a gap that's been created due to economic sanctions. And I don't believe that China should be undermining the world's actions here in undermining the sanctions that have been put in place. Vladimir Putin needs to pay a price for this brutal action, which is against international law, which is totally unwarranted and totally unprovoked. And Australia needs to stand united, as we are, in opposing this action.
 
JOURNALIST: In terms of campaigning, our Premier has gone to New South Wales for the Clive Palmer matter. Do you expect to be campaigning with him in the future?
 
ALBANESE: Of course, I will be. He is a Labor Premier. And he is a good friend of mine. And I've been with him, of course, many times in the past. He introduced me as the Labor Leader when I came here to a Labor Conference. And we've had other events here as well. Mark McGowan is, of course, over in the eastern states, defending a court case taken by Clive Palmer against, not so much Mark McGowan, it's a court case against the people of Western Australia. And one thing about me, unlike Scott Morrison, is I am for Mark McGowan and against Clive Palmer. Scott Morrison's Government spent a million dollars taxpayers' money, some of which went directly to Clive Palmer, trying to oppose the actions that the West Australian Government under Mark McGowan took in order to keep West Australians safe. And one of the reasons why, I'll repeat it here again, I am here in Western Australia is to say thank you for the sacrifices that Western Australians have made. They made sacrifices. But as a result of that, their economy, your economy, has made an ongoing contribution to keeping the national economy going. People were still going to work here, people were still going to university, to school, to TAFE. Restaurants and facilities remained open in Western Australia. The mining sector and other sectors continued to contribute to our national growth into employment. And Western Australia has been an extraordinary success story, as well as, of course, having the best health outcomes of any state or territory. And perhaps, the best health outcome during this pandemic in the world. That is something that Western Australians can be proud of. And one thing that the Morrison Government shouldn't be proud of is that they sided with Clive Palmer, against Western Australians. And that gave encouragement, no doubt, for Clive Palmer to continue to take legal action after legal action against Western Australians. It's a pity that the entire Australian Parliament wasn't united in opposition to Clive Palmer.
 
JOURNALIST: What is your sense, coming from New South Wales, of the damage that might have been done to the WA brand because of the strictness of our hard borders? There's obviously now an open border and we are trying to give tourists back.
 
ALBANESE: You will see tourists flock to Western Australia. You know why? Because it's a great product. Because Western Australia, this great city of Perth, is a beacon. It will draw people in here. And then you go south, you hit Margaret River, amazing beaches. I've had a holiday at Smiths Beach, extraordinary place. You then go down and you see the giant timber, the trees in those amazing forests in the southwest. You got to Albany, a great regional city. You go north to Geraldton, a fantastic city as well. And then Broome and other places around. You have the Swan Valley, which offers great wineries and great food. This state has an enormous amount to offer. Kununurra, a unique location as well. Up at Wyndham, another great destination. WA has so much to offer. And people will flock here, not just from around Australia, but from around the world as well. You have a real advantage in terms of where you're located. A lot closer to the markets to our north. And as we see a growing rise in the middle-class to our north, you'll see more and more visitors here in Western Australia. And I'm a regular visitor here. I regard it as a great privilege. I first spent six weeks here in 1983. I came across, a friend had a car, and we were travelling across. They grew up in Perth and were working in Sydney. And I had Christmas Day on Rottnest Island in 1983. It was a lot quieter then. But what an extraordinary jewel it is. WA has so much to offer. After this, I'll be at Freo having a cup of coffee at Gino's, a great Italo-Australian community there in Freo. I look forward to reacquainting myself. So, I wouldn't be worried about WA's tourism industry. It'll pick up. And it'll pick up as well on the basis that I think Australians look over here and they see a state that has done very well. Thank you.
 
ENDS