SUBJECTS: Labor’s $440 million commitment to schools; kids’ vaccinations; schools reopening; wages; cost of living; the price of bread; Morrison Government’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic; Federal election; Labor’s policy agenda; Christopher Pyne.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good morning, guys. How are you? I'm a bit wet. I have just come from a school here in Waterloo, Our Lady of Mt Carmel School. Always a good way to begin the day.
 
HOST: How's the return to school looking in New South Wales? It's a bit confusing here in South Australia. We've got year ones going, receptions going, year twelves going, everyone else trying to work from home, some kids wearing masks, some kids not wearing masks. What's it look like there?
 
ALBANESE: It was pretty positive this morning. I was in Tanya Plibersek's electorate, going to a school, talking about our $440 million commitment for capital upgrades to deal with issues like ventilation, outdoor learning areas, but also to provide support for every school, including every school in South Australia, will receive support for getting back on track. Kids have done it so tough with home learning. Parents have done it tough as well. But it is not just about the education experience, of course. It's about that social interaction that kids rely upon. And I feel so sorry for some of the young students that we met this morning. For one of them, it was just about their first day, really, back at school, even though they're in year one rather than kindy, because they just missed out on that period. And we were talking to the parents as well. So, it's a good thing, obviously, to get people back to school. We all want that. We all want to get back to normal as soon as possible. But we need to do so safely. And the school that we just visited was putting in place measures. And I'm sure that it's the nature of teachers that they'll be doing as much as they can to keep people as safe as possible.
 
HOST: So, Albo, three years ago, after Labor lost the election under Bill Shorten's leadership, there was a special review, which our former Premier Jay Weatherill played a lead role in, saying Labor took too many policies to the election, too many complicated policies, they overwhelmed people. It feels a bit now like you're trying to win the election by going around Australia wearing a metaphorical, 'I'm not ScoMo’ t-shirt.
 
ALBANESE: Not at all. Since December, we've announced a comprehensive climate policy. We did something that I think people thought couldn't be done. We have a climate policy that will create 600,000 jobs, that will reduce power prices, lead to $52 billion of private sector investment. And that's been endorsed by the Business Council, the ACTU, the National Farmers' Federation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Australian Industry Group. So that's a pretty comprehensive policy that is fully costed. We have announced 465,000 free TAFE places, additional university places. We have announced a disaster-ready fund. That is important, of course, for people who have suffered in the past in the Adelaide Hills from bushfires and from natural disasters. We've announced a comprehensive plan to expand the National Broadband Network, for increased funding for the ABC and SBS, funding certainty of five years. We've announced this education policy that we were talking with Tanya Plibersek today about. So we are putting forward a comprehensive alternative offer, if you like. But at the same time, we are holding the Government to account.
 
HOST: Do you know how much a loaf of bread costs, though?
 
ALBANESE: I do, mate. Kim's Hot Bread in Illawarra Road, Marrickville, is $1.80. They have both types, wholemeal and white. And it's a fantastic local store. You know where I live, Penbo. And I've lived in that community a long time. And I try to support small businesses whenever I can.
 
HOST: Marrickville is always good for a bargain, that's for sure.
 
ALBANESE: It's always very good. And the people who run Kim's Hot Bread, I've got to say, they're open 364 days a year. They work so hard.
 
HOST: Alright. You’ve done your bread research, that’s for sure.
 
ALBANESE: On my diet, too, I can't have these anymore, but they still have the little ice donuts for 30 cents each.
 
HOST: You’ve got to lay off them. They don't sound very prime ministerial.
 
ALBANESE: No, I haven't had one for quite a while. But I'm missing them. Every time I go in there, I look at them and I think, 'They used to be nice'.
 
HOST: Yesterday at the Press Club, the Prime Minister took some responsibility for a number of the things that you guys have been critical of his performance over the last three years, like the vaccine rollout and other elements of handling of the pandemic. But in that same speech, he mentioned that the Federal Government was targeting an unemployment rate with a three in front of it by the end of the year. If the Federal Government could deliver on that, is that an achievement worthy of some credit for the Prime Minister and his Government?
 
ALBANESE: Look, there are a range of reasons. One of the things is that our borders being closed, of course, has had a major impact. And that, I think, would be acknowledged by all. We want people to be in employment. Everyone wants that. But we also want to look at the nature of that employment. Too many people are in insecure work. They can't get the hours that they need. Some two million Australians say they want additional hours. And you can't have a mortgage or pay the rent or keep up with the cost of living. The cost of living is skyrocketing, whether it be meat and veggies, or whether it be petrol, whether it be people's rent, in particular, is really going up around the country. And wages aren't keeping up with it. So people are having declining living standards. And a job is vital, but we want secure work as well. We want people to be able to get the hours that they need, to get the income that they need, to actually have a better life. And at the moment, living standards are going backwards.
 
HOST: Anthony Albanese, the Federal Opposition Leader, thanks for joining us this morning. Should have called it One Tribe at the start. We'll catch up again soon. Thanks for that, Albo.
 
ALBANESE: We missed out on the song too.
 
HOST: I know, I know. You feeling wistful about the absence of Christopher Pyne?
 
ALBANESE: I miss him, sometimes.
 
HOST: Federal Labor Leader, Anthony Albanese.
 
ENDS