SUBJECTS: Labor’s COVID Recovery Taskforce report; visit to Tasmania; Federal election; Ukraine; national security; Labor’s policy agenda; aged care crisis; Scott Morrison’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic; AGL, climate change; Labor’s Powering Australia Plan; train disruptions in NSW; religious freedom.
 
ROSS HART, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR BASS: Good morning, everybody. It's my very great pleasure, Ross Hart, Labor candidate for Bass, to welcome Anthony, Richard, Lisa and Milton here to Bass in Northern Tasmania for a really important announcement. For the last 18 months, Northern Tasmania, Tasmania and Australia have suffered under the mismanagement of this chaotic Liberal Government led by Scott Morrison. We have a plan for the future, for the recovery from the pandemic. And it's my pleasure to welcome here, Anthony, again, the third time in as many months, to Northern Tasmania. Welcome again, Anthony.
 
LISA CHESTERS, CHAIR OF LABOR’S PANDEMIC RECOVERY, JOBS & INDUSTRY TASKFORCE: Thank you. I'm Lisa Chesters, Chair of the Labor's Pandemic Recovery, Jobs and Industry Taskforce. The taskforce was set up by the Labor Caucus last year. Anthony Albanese asked myself and Milton Dick to chair the taskforce, to basically go out there and listen. Listen to workers, listen to industry, listen to businesses about the challenges that they're facing in the pandemic. And what we heard, you'll find in the findings in the recommendations, it was pretty alarming. Businesses, workers, large, small, spoke to us about their frustration with a Government that was refusing to listen and refusing to act. They spoke about the need to invest in our greatest resource in this country, our people. So, I'm here today, proud of the work that we've been able to do, and to hand over our final report to Labor's Opposition Leader, who asked us to do this report on behalf of the Federal Labor Caucus. So, thank you, Anthony. You've got a copy, but here's another.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Well, thanks very much, Lisa. And I am indeed proud to launch this report. It's an example of the hard work that the Labor Caucus has made in preparing us for government, in doing the hard work on policy, talking to business, talking to workers, talking to local communities about what they expect from their Government. Australians have done it tough over the last couple of years. The pandemic has brought real challenges. But Australians have been magnificent in their response. They have made sacrifices. They have looked after each other in the great Australian tradition. But at the same time, their Government has let them down. The Government let them down by not ordering enough vaccines. The Government more recently has let them down by not ordering enough rapid antigen tests, indeed, not ordering any until January of this year. This Government also has botched up the JobKeeper program, a good program. Labor supported wage subsidies. But as the report identifies, there was a lot of waste early on, which meant that whole sections of the workforce, including in universities, in the arts sector, whole sectors missed out on support. And other sectors have continued to struggle, including the hospitality sector. Which is why the visit today, to James Boag's Brewery, is so important. I want to thank the work that has happened on this report.
 
Labor is determined to have a better future for Australia. A better future where people are in secure work, a better future whereby we address the living standards crisis, which is going on, whereby wages aren't keeping up with the cost of living. Increasingly, the cost of things like childcare, petrol, food and groceries are increasingly more and more difficult because wages aren't keeping up. We also need a Future Made in Australia. One of the issues identified by the taskforce is the lack of resilience in our economy. In areas from pharmaceuticals to other advanced manufacturing. We need to make more products here. We need to be able to stand on our own two feet as we emerge from this pandemic. If we do that, we can emerge stronger in the future. But to do that, it needs a plan, and it needs a government. A government committed to those three important principles. Secure work, raising living standards, and making things here. They all combine for a better future for Australians. And this report and the recommendations in it will provide a blueprint for Labor if we're successful in the election in a couple of months' time to be able to advance the interests of all Australians, not leaving people behind and not holding people back. They're the principles that we've adopted. I want to thank in particular Lisa, Milton, and Nita Green, who is on leave at the moment there in Far North Queensland. I want to thank them for the work they've done, but I also want to thank the hundreds of people and businesses who made submissions, who had the input into this taskforce.
 
Labor is ready for Government. We have done the hard policy work. We have continued to critique the Government. But we've put forward constructive alternatives going forward. And we look forward to campaigning with Ross and Brian here in Northern Tasmania, to make sure that Bass returns to the Labor fold. It is where it belongs. Ross Hart was a great local member here. And he'll stand up for the people of Bass if he's successful again as a member of the Labor Caucus.
 
I also just want to make some comments about Vladimir Putin's quite extraordinary statement that he has made. We condemn Russia's unilateral recognition of breakaway territories in the Ukraine. We respect the sovereignty of Ukraine. Russia should do that too, in accordance with international law. There is no place in 2022 for nation states to just try to carve off sections of another sovereign nation state, which is what we're seeing here. And we agree with the comments made by the Secretary of the State Blinken, who has condemned this action. We stand with all democratic nations in opposing this action. But in particular, we stand with the people of Ukraine. And in particular, as well, we stand with the Federation of Australian Ukrainian Organisations who I met with in Melbourne 10 days ago and expressed our support for them. They're concerned about their compatriots and relatives back home. And there's no place for President Putin's actions and his statements that have been made. Happy to take questions.
 
JOURNALIST: What briefings have you been given about the unfolding situation in Ukraine?
 
ALBANESE: I had briefings from the ONI going back to last year. I had a briefing when Parliament was sitting. We'll continue to seek briefings. And my Foreign Affairs and Defence team will continue to be briefed. This is an unfolding situation. Very quickly, we heard about these statements while we were travelling to come here this morning. But we'll continue to be briefed. I think all Australians stand together with the people of Ukraine today.
 
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible).
 
ALBANESE: We think this is entirely inappropriate. We also think that China and other countries needs to speak out in support of the sovereignty of Ukraine. This unilateral statement by Vladimir Putin has no place in that a world in which we have respect. We know there's consequences behind these sorts of statements and the threats and intimidation that has occurred. And we call upon Russia to back off.
 
JOURNALIST: You and the Prime Minister are in town today. How important is it that you win marginal seats in Tasmania, particularly this one?
 
ALBANESE: Well, it's very important that we have a change in government. I think this is a Government that have failed on key criteria this term. They failed to order enough vaccines. Before that, they failed to respond appropriately to the bushfire crisis. Then they failed when it came to rapid antigen tests. They're continuing to fail when it comes to looking after aged care. And tomorrow, I'll be here in Launceston talking about the aged care crisis which is there. This Prime Minister seems to be more interested in stunts than he is in doing his day job. I notice, on the issue of the rather bizarre welding exercise that occurred in Darwin last Friday, that he said, well, it's not his day job. I say to the Prime Minister, do your day job, forget about the photo ops and the shampooing people's hair, and driving motor cars, and the welding, and indeed, maybe even the ukulele playing, he can give that a miss too, and do your day job. Australians are facing challenges. And they want someone to be on top of issues like aged care. We are here in Tasmania, where the Aged Care Minister, is a Tasmanian. Anyone who has a look at that knows he should not be in this job today. But he remains Minister Colbeck today, in spite of the fact that he has been derelict in his duty and the obligations that are upon him to look after elderly Australians.
 
JOURNALIST: Are you satisfied on what the Morrison Government is doing on the Ukraine at this point and the commitments they made that they will do?
 
ALBANESE: Look, I don't seek to raise partisan issues at a time like this. We've been briefed. I'm very confident, with regard to the advice that was given to Australians to leave Ukraine, it was entirely appropriate. Our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are very good at their job. Our security agencies are very good at their job also. And all Australians should stand together against this action and the statements that were made. But also, to say to Russia that they need to back off. Russia keeps saying that it has no intention of intervening into the Ukraine. But every one of the steps that it's taking point towards the opposite. So, we stand with the people of Ukraine, with our allies, as Australians. And that's important that we stand as one when it comes to national security issues.
 
JOURNALIST: In Bass, you've been outflanked on the left by Bridget Archer. Are you worried that by standing up with the Prime Minister, she has secured another term?
 
ALBANESE: Bridget Archer’s policy on climate change is determined by Barnaby Joyce. Bridget Archer’s policy on the anti-corruption commission is determined by all those ministers who are petrified there will be an anti-corruption commission because of their actions over the last decade in Government. The fact is that we now don't have any protections for kids in schools, the amendment of course, the Government's abandoned that legislation. Bridget Archer is a part of a Government that is not delivering for the people of Bass and not even delivering on what she says she supports. If Bridget Archer is fair dinkum, she'll leave the Liberal Party.
 
JOURNALIST: How confident are you that voters will want Ross hart?
 
ALBANESE: I came here after the last election, and, I think, a week after the last election, I was here. And I asked Ross Hart to stand again. I've seen how effective Ross Hart can be as an advocate for this electorate. The truth is that you need someone who is not shouting at the sidelines and having no impact. What you need is someone who is a part of a Government, making a difference. Ross Hart will do that. He's respected within the Caucus. He's built up a strong local following here as well. And I have been back here many times since the last election as Labor Leader. I have lost counts of how many times that is, to be frank, but I have been here three times in the last few months. We're only at February. I'll continue to come here. And I will continue to come here after the election. And I want to come here with Ross Hart as the local member.
 
JOURNALIST: What do you think are the chances of Labor winning Bass?
 
ALBANESE: I think we have a fantastic candidate. I also think there's a local member who herself has said this Government is no good, through her own actions. We need to get rid of the Government. To get rid of the Government, you need to change the representation for the people of Bass. They deserve better than a Government that has abandoned their interests. They deserve a Government that is serious about the opportunities which are there, from the shift to clean energy, if you look at the state of Tasmania, it is ahead of the game when it comes to taking advantage of cheap, clean energy. If you look at the issue of the anti-corruption commission, if you look at the whole range of issues in terms of a National Reconstruction Fund that Labor would support, to support new industries taking advantage of cheaper and cleaner energy. Only Labor will provide 465,000 free TAFE places. Only Labor will provide 20,000 additional university places. Only Labor will support secure work, will support cheaper childcare to increase women's workforce participation. We have a plan for the country, a plan for a better future. This Government just want to occupy the space, which is why they're engaging in stunts and scare campaigns. That is what they've been reduced to. But they're asking for a second decade in office. Australians need to ask themselves at the next election, ‘Is this really as good as it gets?’ Because they are getting worse. With each term, you have a law of diminishing returns from Abbott to Turnbull to Morrison. And who knows what would happen next term.
 
JOURNALIST: On AGL (inaudible). Are you concerned about that? And what do you think it might do to the workers in those sectors?
 
ALBANESE: Well, these are commercial decisions, of course. and Mike Cannon-Brookes spoke to me on the weekend. What we know is that there are changes afoot. We know that that's the case. And we know that this Government is in denial. What we need to do is to make sure that people are looked after and that the opportunities that are there are kept and are spread. I don't want anyone to be left behind. There was an announcement last Thursday in New South Wales about the bring-forward of the Eraring closure in the Hunter Valley. This Federal Government is so out of touch and so isolated that the New South Wales Perrottet Liberal Government had known about this for six months and they didn't bother to pick up the phone to Angus Taylor or Scott Morrison. That says it all about the isolation that this Government is in, from the private sector but their own colleagues as well. We need to make sure that we take advantage of opportunities which are there. It is one of the reasons why we announced, up at Kurri Kurri, support for green hydrogen. I note the extraordinary figure of the tens of billions of dollars of bids as a result of the Hunter Renewable Energy Zone. We've got a Deputy Prime Minister who opposes the New South Wales Coalition Government's renewable energy zone to the north of the Hunter in the New England region. This is a Government that don't have plans. You need to have appropriate plans that look after people, that make sure, as well, that we have reliable, secure energy to be provided. But at the moment, they are on the sidelines of the debate. Because, as we all know, Scott Morrison was incapable of changing the 26-28 per cent target that was determined by Tony Abbott way back in 2015, which is why he went to Glasgow and gave a speech in an empty room with empty words that no-one was listening to. Australia needs to be engaged on these issues. We do need reliable, secure power. And we need it to be the cheapest possible.
 
JOURNALIST: Mike Cannon-Brookes, it seems to me, has given a bit of undertaking as to what he would do about the workers in the plants that are to be shut early.
 
ALBANESE: No, he has made public statements about the opportunities that he believes are there. But this is a commercial operation. It is not unusual when a bid occurs, as has occurred with other bids, that the Government and the alternative government get a heads up as that occurs. It occurred with Sydney Airport, for example. It occurred with a number of other corporate restructures. Last night I spoke to the Business Council of Australia with a fair few of Australia's leading CEOs. And it was a really good discussion. I engage with industry leaders all the time. Because industry leaders, business in this country know that this Government has just been treading water and watching the world go past it. They want a plan going forward. And one of the things that they have said is they want invest uncertainty. If you have investment certainty, then you will get more considered reform going forward, which is why it is no accident that in the last fortnight of Parliament, the first fortnight after we announced our Powering Australia Plan, we didn't get a single critique from the Government. Think about that. The number of press conferences where I have been asked since I became Labor Leader, ‘What is your 2030 target?’ The number of Dorothy Dixers which the Government has had which they don't waste Question Time with talking about Government policy, it's all about attacks on Labor, every question, every Question Time, because they don't have an agenda to defend. Our policy was endorsed by the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Industry Group, the National Farmers’ Federation, as well as the ACTU. And it did that because it creates 6004000 new jobs, with five out of every six of them being in regional Australia. The opportunity that is here in Northern Tasmania, for example, with green hydrogen and a range of industries is enormous going forward.
 
JOURNALIST: Your energy policy, can you guarantee that power prices will be lower in the long-term and how does that work?
 
ALBANESE: Prices will be lower. The modelling is out there for all to see. We did independent modelling by RepuTex, the most extensive modelling by any opposition for any policy since Federation. There will be reductions for households of $275 between now and 2025. The modelling is all out there. And that compares with a Government with all of the resources that it has, all of the resources. They didn't bother to get Treasury to look at anything. They just have a pamphlet rather than an actual policy. And when you look at the detail of their pamphlet, it's got a whole lot of hoping and wishing in there and no substance. And that is why at the moment, we are seeing, can you imagine what the Government's rhetoric would have been had last Thursday occurred under a Labor Government? You can just imagine the scare campaign and the rhetoric that would have occurred. Well, it has occurred under Liberal governments, federal and state. And workers there need to be looked after.
 
JOURNALIST: The Prime Minister yesterday accused unions and Labor playing a role in the train stoppage. What is your view on yesterday?
 
ALBANESE: Well, the Government itself seems to have conceded that it was a Government decision to shut down the trains. The workers were there ready to undertake their day's work in the early hours of the morning. I want unions and the Government to come to terms, to have agreements. No-one wants this level of disruption. But what David Elliott, to be fair to him, has inherited is a mess off Andrew Constance. It is a mess whereby no agreements are in place, there's been no advance. Bear this in mind, just have a look at the difference in the rhetoric between Scott Morrison talking about the heroes of the pandemic – our nurses, they have had to stop in New South Wales, our transport workers who have been essentially shut down by the Government of New South Wales with the decision to shut the public transport network. What we need to do is recognise that, during the pandemic, the people who kept this country going were our nurses, our cleaners, a public transport workers, truck drivers, our retail workers. They need to be treated with respect and they deserve better than a Prime Minister who just sledges them without knowing the fact.
 
JOURNALIST: On religious freedom (inaudible).
 
ALBANESE: He is wrong.
 
ENDS