Transcripts
Tuesday, 17th February 2026
JOURNALIST: Just from my Canberra colleagues today - regarding the women that are trying to travel from Syria to Australia, has a security threat been made about them? And if so, what is it?
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, we monitor all of these issues, but we are not repatriating these people.
JOURNALIST: How will you seek to stop them from coming to Australia then?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're not repatriating them. We -
JOURNALIST: Will you use, for example, the Opposition's suggestion of a Temporary Exclusion Order?
PRIME MINISTER: Well what we will do on national security issues is we deal with it appropriately upon advice.
JOURNALIST: Would you like to talk about why you came out today? Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: The nurses training here at the Royal Children's Hospital are benefiting from Paid Prac. It's extraordinary that at a time where we need more nurses, we previously expected people to go without any pay or any income for weeks at a time. We need more nurses, and that's why Paid Prac is so important. It's making a difference for these wonderful nurses here, who will go on to make a real difference to their fellow Australians and particularly young Australians here at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.
JOURNALIST: And what will you actually do on a national level to encourage that, that payment of these pracs?
PRIME MINISTER: We're doing that as well as making a difference with Free TAFE and ensuring that people are encouraged to go into areas of skill shortage, such as nursing and other areas of the care sector. So, it makes a difference for someone training to be a nurse of around about $17,000 and that is encouraging people to take up what is such a fantastic profession to make a difference to people's lives. Thank you.
Parliament House Office
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Phone: 02 6277 7700
Parliament House Office
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Phone: 02 6277 7700
Phone: (02) 9564 3588
Fax: (02) 9564 1734
Email: A.Albanese.MP@aph.gov.au
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which our offices stand and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the sorrow of the Stolen Generations and the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We also recognise the resilience, strength and pride of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Authorised by Anthony Albanese, ALP, Canberra.