SUBJECTS: Federal election; national security; Labor’s policy agenda; aged care crisis; Scott Morrison’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic; Ukraine.
 
ROSS HART, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR BASS: I'm Ross Hart. I'm Labor's Federal candidate for the electorate of Bass here in Northern Tasmania. Once again, I welcome Anthony Albanese here to Bass in Northern Tasmania. This morning, we've had some very important conversations, listening to aged care workers about their experiences in the last 18 months or so with respect to the COVID epidemic. It's really important that we listen to and understand some of the pressures that aged care workers and residents have faced over the last 18 months. Once again, Anthony, welcome here to Northern Tasmania.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Well, thanks very much, Ross. The interim report of the Aged Care Royal Commission was titled 'Neglect'. In one word, they summed up a system in crisis. And what the pandemic has done is to exacerbate that crisis. This morning, we've heard from aged care workers, both community workers, but also workers who work at facilities. And we've heard stories about the pressures that they're under, how they feel about just not having the time or the capacity to deliver the service that they want to do. Aged care workers don't do the job for the money, certainly not. Not at $22 an hour. But what they do is out of their compassion to their fellow Australians and their fellow citizens. Older Australians deserve respect in their later years. They built this country. And at the moment, they're being neglected on an ongoing basis. The fact that we have an Aged Care Minister here based in Tasmania who retains his job, in spite of multiple scandals, in spite of having, essentially, almost contempt for the basics in his job, is quite extraordinary. I'm not sure what you have to do to lose your job under the Morrison Government if you're a Cabinet Minister or a Minister in the Government. But Richard Colbeck is a symbol of the incompetence of this Government. An incompetence that is sanctioned by the Prime Minister and this Government. We've had almost 800 deaths in aged care just this year alone, a lot more, considerably more, than we had throughout 2021. We have right now, over 2,500 active resident cases, over 2,500 cases affecting aged care workers. And because the Royal Commission hasn't been responded to appropriately, this crisis is becoming more acute. There hasn't been a single appropriate response to the aged care workforce issues that have been raised. Nothing about ensuring that there are nurses in every nursing home 24 hours a day. Nothing to ensure that there's appropriate numbers of aged care workers and assistance in place. Nothing to improve the wages and conditions of aged care workers. Just two one-off payments, one of which will be delivered just when the election is on in May as an attempt to somehow win political support. This is a cynical Government that acts always just on a political basis. What we need is a government that will actually act on the recommendations of the Royal Commission, fix the system in the interests of those older Australians who built the country, but also in the interests of the workforce who are under such enormous pressure.
 
JOURNALIST: You've listened to aged care workers. If you were to become Prime Minister, what would be the first thing you would do to try and address the problems?
 
ALBANESE: The first thing we would do is to commit to and make a submission to the Fair Work Commission about wages and conditions in the sector. That's clearly been identified by the Royal Commission as a major issue for how you need to attract staff to the sector. We had one of the people we spoke to this morning who's working in the sector as a carer. He is actually a trained doctor. It shows that there's something wrong with the system when you have those issues arising.
 
JOURNALIST: Questions on the Ukraine. What do you make of sanctions imposed by the US and the UK? And do you want to see the Federal Government today announce similar measures?
 
ALBANESE: Well, you've had sanctions imposed by the US, the UK and the European Union. And the Australian Government must join this action. The west must stand united. Democratic nations need to call this out for what it is. This isn't a peacekeeping force. This is a peace breaking force into a sovereign country of the Ukraine. And it is completely unacceptable. It needs to be called out. And there needs to be action taken. And the Australian Government must be a part of that action. I hope that there's an announcement later today. And we'd certainly call upon the Australian Government to join with our partners and allies in taking this action. Because in order for it to be effective, it has got to be as wide and with as broader participation as possible.
 
JOURNALIST: Do you think it has got to the point where the Federal Government should be kicking out Russian diplomats?
 
ALBANESE: Look, those decisions will be made. I understand the National Security Committee is meeting today. I say on this - all Australians are united in the opposition to this. I met with the Federation of Ukrainian Organisations in Melbourne 11 days ago now. They were very concerned about their compatriots. But all Australians are concerned that in 2022, a sovereign nation can be intervened against, militarily, with this fig leaf nonsense about a peacekeeping force. We know what this represents. This represents aggression by Russia against the sovereign state of the Ukraine.
 
JOURNALIST: Would you welcome moves to kick out Russian diplomats?
 
ALBANESE: I would welcome any action that the Government sees fit, based upon the advice that they'll be receiving from the security agencies today.
 
JOURNALIST: Yesterday, you said you expect to be consulted on any developments, given how close we are to an election? Has that happened?
 
ALBANESE: No, I haven't been consulted up to this point. But I would expect that will occur. I know that I've been here in Launceston. I know that the Prime Minister has been traveling as well. I'm not sure where he is today.
 
JOURNALIST: Are you satisfied with the level of information that you've been provided?
 
ALBANESE: I have been. I have been regularly briefed by the Office of National Intelligence and by our security agencies. And they do a great job. They do a fantastic job. And I know that Penny Wong and others with responsibility in these areas have also been briefed regularly.
 
JOURNALIST: Have you been briefed today?
 
ALBANESE: No, I haven't. It's eight o'clock in the morning. I haven't. I have been here at the aged care facility. And to be fair to the Government, these briefings don't occur over a mobile phone. They occur with appropriate security in mind if you're going to get a secure briefing.
 
JOURNALIST: Your colleague, Alicia Payne, wants drugs such as ice and cocaine to be decriminalised for personal use. Do you agree?
 
ALBANESE: No.
 
JOURNALIST: Can you elaborate on that?
 
ALBANESE: No. That's pretty clear.
 
JOURNALIST: Why don't you agree?
 
ALBANESE: Because I don't. I think the current settings are appropriate.
 
JOURNALIST: What do you make of her moves for that to happen?
 
ALBANESE: What are you referring to? What moves?
 
JOURNALIST: Her calls.
 
ALBANESE: There are no moves by the Member. And what I'm concerned about is what Australians are concerned about, which is aged care right here. But my position on those issues is very clear. And there's no issue been dealt with in the Federal Parliament at the moment about those issues.
 
JOURNALIST: Ms Payne says decriminalisation was an important tool in our battle against the damaging effects of illicit drugs. Do you agree?
 
ALBANESE: No. Thanks.
 
ENDS