SUBJECTS: Net zero by 2050; Coalition Government focused on themselves and their pay; climate change; Newspoll; Federal election; state borders; Aussies stranded interstate and overseas.

DAVID PENBERTHY, HOST: Climate is very much the topic of conversation in Australia and right around the world at the moment, something we want to pursue with the Leader of the Labor Party, federally too, Anthony Albanese, who joins us on FiveAA Breakfast now. What was the regular time for Albo and Pyne? It was a Wednesday at 8:30, wasn't it? So, slightly out of the comfort spot of usual, but good to have you on, Albo.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Because we're even more advanced now we've got rid of Pyne. He clearly was a 24-hour drag on us.

PENBERTHY: Got to be careful. He might ring in, Albo, and steal your thunder.

ALBANESE: Don't you love politicians who leave politics and then just miss the limelight? He is back on Sky for goodness’ sake.

PENBERTHY: He has got his own show.

ALBANESE: Well, more people are listening to your show, I am sure.

PENBERTHY: Hope the big boss doesn't hear that.

ALBANESE: Do you know what time it is on?

PENBERTHY: Errrr… no.

ALBANESE: I bet you don’t. No one does. No one cares.

PENBERTHY: Did you wake up with a spring in your step on Monday reading Newspoll? Or are you going to give us the political answer that the only poll that matters is the one on election day?

ALBANESE: You are spot on with your second observation there, David. That is the truth. You know, what I've been focused on from the day I became Leader was polling day, but also on making sure we can be a good Government if we're successful. Politicians do look at polls, of course they do. And you'd rather they be good than bad, that's the truth. But it doesn't change the Government now, even though the Government, of course, would have gone to an election if they thought that was in their interest at this time. And they still might in December. We'll wait and see. I think it's probably unlikely, but they still might on December 11. We're prepared for that. But we're being very focused on more strategy, less tactics, making sure that we don't get distracted by the next poll. But that we work to have a coherent program and an alternative as well as holding the Government to account.

PENBERTHY: We don't know yet the detail of the Government's agreement with the Nats when it comes to the net zero by 2050, the agreement they came to. So, we're going to sort of tease it out by virtue of some of the policy positions they adopt thereafter.

ALBANESE: We know one thing - Keith Pitt got in the Cabinet.

PENBERTHY: Yes.

ALBANESE: Keith Pitt got in the Cabinet. I mean, for goodness’ sake, he opposed net zero by 2050 in the Party room, but then got promoted into the Cabinet. So, we know it's good for his increased salary. But that's all we know up to this point.

PENBERTHY: Well, we wondered this morning if getting the Productivity Commission to run a rule over the impact of the commitment on regional and rural communities might be part of it. But setting the agreement aside, do you think it's appropriate that we get the Productivity Commission to assess the impact of the net zero by 2050 commitment?

ALBANESE: I think the Productivity Commission can look at whatever it likes, but that's a bit of window dressing, really, from the Government. The fact is that we don't have any costings at all. We don't have any modelling. The Senate actually passed a resolution last week that the modelling should be tabled. And Minister Taylor invoked the secrecy rule to say that wasn't appropriate. Now, I seem to remember an election campaign where the Coalition ran around and said, 'What are the costs? What's the modelling? What are you basing policies on?' when they were running a scare campaign that electric vehicles would end the weekend and that the battery there in South Australia, the big battery, was as useful as a Big Prawn or the Big Banana according to Scott Morrison.

PENBERTHY: Big Lobster in SA.

ALBANESE: There is a Big Lobster there. But there's also a damn big battery that has been very effective. But the fact that they're not giving out any of the information, that there's no transparency, this is all just about a political fix because Scott Morrison couldn't go to Glasgow not supporting net zero by 2050. He would have not been allowed in the room, effectively. And the Government knew that. Last year, Scott Morrison was excluded from a conference that Boris Johnson convened on climate change. When President Biden convened a conference in April, Australia was speaker number 28 after Brunei and after a whole lot of countries that certainly aren't as significant as Australia. So, this is all about the politics, it's never about the substance. And that's why we've seen the mess that we have over the last couple of weeks. So, part of what we'll be saying, come the next election, is the Government acknowledges net zero by 2050 is the way to go. And the Government acknowledges, now, climate change is real. They are acknowledging that we need to take action. Who do you trust to do that? A Labor Party that believes that climate change is real, that believes we can create jobs and opportunity by taking action, or a Coalition that's dragged kicking and screaming and has to offer Cabinet posts in order to get positions across the line?

PENBERTHY: Albo, your Federal Member for Adelaide, Steve Georganas, has done quite a lot of work, advocating on behalf of the 8,000 odd South Australians who have been stranded interstate with the border closures. There's a debate going on locally with our transition committee about how we get out of these restrictions and whether we even do it straight away. What's Federal Labor's view on border closures and also the maintenance of restrictions?

ALBANESE: We think that we should be opening up when it's safe to do so. I haven't done what the Federal Coalition have done, which is to criticise state governments run by the other side of politics. But I think that common sense should apply and that we should be trying to get people home safely, whether it be from interstate or from overseas. Australians overseas, of course, were told they would be home by last Christmas. Now, they've been told they'll be home by this Christmas.

PENBERTHY: When's your next Adelaide trip? Have you got anything lined up?

ALBANESE: Soon as I am allowed to come, mate.

PENBERTHY: You are still barred.

ALBANESE: As we speak, I am barred from everywhere except for Sydney. I, at least, can go home. I couldn't go home for three months. I was locked out of home, effectively. But I look forward to coming to Adelaide. I'm told that, potentially, you are opening up on December 3. And if that's the case, that's when Parliament ends, around about then. So, I'll be there as soon as I can. I did get to Adelaide earlier this year while you were open and spoke at the Party conference there. And I think I came into your studio. So, I look forward to being in the studio there. You always get served a coffee and are well looked after by you guys.

PENBERTHY: It is a very welcoming environment.

ALBANESE: We will book it in. If it is open on December 3, when Parliament is not sitting, I am there.

PENBERTHY: The keyword there, December 3, seems to be potentially at the moment. But we'll keep following that. Anthony Albanese, the Leader of the Opposition, thanks for joining us this morning on FiveAA.

ALBANESE: Thanks very much, guys. Stay safe, everyone. Get vaccinated.

ENDS