Great Barrier Reef; COVID cases increasing; Omicron variant; healthcare; Labor’s call for free rapid antigen testing; Queensland economy; Labor’s policy agenda; Federal election.
 
MURRAY JONES, HOST: Interesting story in the Cairns Post this morning. As we know, very controversial, the $443 million grant, which was really an afterthought. I'm not saying that the Great Barrier Reef is not important. We need to allocate more funds to looking after this national and international treasure. But the decision by the Turnbull and, I guess, since with the Morrison Government with respect to this $443 million to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation has certainly raised a lot of eyebrows. This is important. We do need the money. But all of it going to one entity and in the particular circumstances, without tenders, it was certainly a little questionable. Interesting story in the Cairns Post this morning. Labor is set to scuttle but still maintain that money. Interested to find out some more. He's just arrived in Cairns this morning. Leader of the Opposition, Anthony Albanese. Good morning, Albo.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good morning, Murray. It's great to be in beautiful Cairns.
 
JONES: Maybe a little bit warmer than your last stop in Sydney, I should imagine.
 
ALBANESE: It is just a little bit. It was raining when I left Sydney. People who have been watching the cricket would have seen it. And we got up here last night. It was lovely. And it was great getting up this morning and having a little walk along the Esplanade there. And it's such a great city. And it was good, I must say, that there are more tourists here now than there were on my last visit just a few months ago last year. So, that's a good thing. But I do note that the tourism sector is still doing it really tough. We need to protect the Great Barrier Reef, the jobs that it creates, as well as, of course, the great natural asset it is. I want my grandkids to be able to go out and see the reef. It supports 64,000 jobs and $6 billion for our Queensland economy. So, it is very, very important. We will reallocate the money that has been given to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. that is the money that is left over that hasn't been already contracted. We'll make sure we support any projects that they were going to support that were good. And in addition to that money being spent on the Great Barrier Reef, we will also commit another $163 million for a range of programs that are important, including the risk, of course, of the reef being added to the world heritage endangered list. We need to make sure that the Reef 2050 program continues to be funded. At the moment, that funding runs out at the end of the next financial year. In addition to that, we'll put $15 million to marine research in the southern part of the reef at the Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre in Gladstone. We want to make sure that the reef is protected for this and for future generations.
 
JONES: The economic benefits of the reef right across Queensland, I don't think, can be underestimated. And look, as you've just pointed out, that money is still important, but it was the way that it was allocated has still left a sour taste in the mouth of a lot of people. Lots to talk about this morning. Let's move on. Look, one of the key planks that we've heard from the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister came on this show to make an important announcement with respect to the reinsurance pool, I've spoken many times, with respect, to the NAIF, particularly to Senator Murray Watt. And I guess our concerns for Northern Australia is that that funding is not just coming out there. Quite a few promises there from the Prime Minister. With respect to your figures, and look, they are getting a little bit old now, 5th of December, with respect to the preferred Prime Minister 45 to the PM, 36 to you. You've managed to claw quite a distance and you've worked really hard for that. Obviously, the two-party preferred strongly towards Labor with 53-47. In the next couple of months, because we know that the Federal election is just around the corner, are the missteps of the Prime Minister, with respect to the rapid antigen tests in the last couple of days, with respect to the NAIF and the reinsurance pool, particularly for Tropical North Queensland, are they likely to bode in your favour moving forward?
 
ALBANESE: Well, I think people will be making their own judgment as they focus on the election. They'll focus on a Government that is seeking a second decade in office, that always promises things but never delivers. With regard to the reinsurance pool, there's no evidence at this point that it is going to produce a reduction in the insurance premiums for people here in the region. And that is the hub of the problem here. And there's no evidence at this point that the draft legislation which is there will produce the outcome that is needed. NAIF is a good example. Here you had this grand announcement, seven years ago, $5 billion would be spent on Northern Australian infrastructure. Seven years later, there is less than 10 per cent of that has been actually expended. Less than 10 per cent. They've had board meetings in capital cities around the country. And it's been a debacle. They didn't say, 'Elect me and we'll hope things happen way down the track'. They said they would do something. The funding for the Captain Cook Highway that's required here, that Warren Entsch promises election after election, is still years off some of their infrastructure spending. And the Government has completely botched the rollout of the vaccine, then the failure to have purpose-built quarantine. Now, the booster shots. People are struggling to get appointments, who are eligible for their boosters. And of course, the rapid antigen test has been diabolical with consequences, whereby supermarkets losing essential items off their shelves, businesses are shutting, people are anxious. And the uncertainty which is there from a Prime Minister who always blames someone else, always, and never takes responsibility. And I think when people focus on the election, they'll say,' Well, is this as good as it gets, or can we have a better future?' Which is what I'm planning for. And what we've put forward are practical plans such as our National Reconstruction Fund for new industries and new jobs, free TAFE for 465,000 people, 20,000 additional university places, our Central Queensland Cairns campus that we've committed to for James Cook University, the practical plans that we've put forward, including, of course, our plan to end the climate wars, which will be very important as well, that's been well received and supported by the business community, by the Australian Industry Group, and the National Farmers' Federation, as well as the trade union movement.
 
JONES: Whether we like it or not, the pandemic has forced us into a situation where some fairly serious restructuring is required here in Australia. And money has to be spent to do that. But the long-term benefits of actually spending that money, I think, are pretty obvious to all. When the Prime Minister said in the last couple of days with respect to the rapid antigen test, that not everything in this world is free, everything can't be free, he has since done a bit of a backflip. That's, I guess, a bit of a concern that is coming back to what you said about him being quite reactionary.
 
ALBANESE: Well, we need to get the health outcomes right in order to then minimise the economic impact of this pandemic. Annastacia Palaszczuk's Government understood that, which is why they said about protecting Queenslanders. Queenslanders knew that, which is why they were prepared to make sacrifices, even though it's been very difficult. No one wants for any of these constraints to be there. But the least they can expect is that having been told for two years, if you are in doubt, go and get yourself tested, if you have any symptoms at all. Now, they've been told by the Prime Minister, essentially, 'You're on your own'. They've introduced a complex system for concession card holders. But what that does, of course, is just add to the complexity and add to the cost. But workers are on their own. They've got to go and get a test, find one. And we know there are massive shortages because the Federal Government, just like it failed to secure a supply of vaccines when it should have, has been sitting back and complacent about this. The TGA approved rapid antigen tests in Australia back in September. They were eligible to be used from the first of November. And here we are in January 2022, two years into a pandemic, and the Prime Minister acts continually as though he's surprised at the issues as they arrive, even though it was made very, very clear, which is one of the reasons why Queensland was so strong on borders, that once the borders opened, there would be an increase in infections. The preparation from the Federal Government simply wasn't there.
 
JONES: I understand since the 13th of December 660,000 applications to re-enter Queensland. So, it was pretty obvious, with requirements and people starting to travel overseas, is that this requirement for the rapid testing was pretty obvious. So, it certainly does defy belief that we didn't have better plans in place for this.
 
ALBANESE: And with regard to the costs, the truth is that with mass purchase by national governments, which is what Joe Biden's doing in the United States, what Boris Johnson's doing in the UK, these tests come down to just a few dollars. Now, we're paying for PCR tests that cost around about $80, or there abouts, to implement, and that's been done through the Medicare system. Why wouldn't you secure supply and make sure that these tests are available for free for those people who need them? People don't take these tests for the fun of it.
 
JONES: Sure.
 
ALBANESE: I had a PCR test in order to enter into Queensland. I entered last night, and I did my test before. And that is what you do. People have known that these things were there. But why you wouldn't have in place a system, but now, of course, there's concern as well with regard to supply of vaccines for younger people as well, for children going back to school. That's a major issue as well. And it appears that the Government doesn't seem capable of putting in place these national plans and cooperating with state and territory governments. They are too busy trying to argue with them rather than work out cooperative arrangements.
 
JONES: Well, look, at with your tour starting here in Cairns, and I believe going to fair way south along the Queensland coast, obviously, at some of the areas that are going to be pretty much affected by some of the changes that are coming for the coal industry. What's your position with respect to the trust that the Australian people can have in you with respect to some of these challenges? Because I guess you're facing the coal face, pardon the pun, with respect to maybe some of the areas that are a little bit resistant here in Queensland.
 
ALBANESE: Well, we've put out a comprehensive plan. We've said exactly what we are going to do and exactly what we're not going to do. And it's fully costed. It will result in some 604,000 new jobs being created. It'll cut average power bills for households by $275 by 2025. It will result in $52 billion of private sector investment. If we get this right, what we can do is secure the existing jobs which are there, there'll be no early closures as a result of these policies, the modelling was very clear there. And of course, with regard to exports, those decisions will be determined in the boardrooms of Tokyo and Beijing and overseas. There's no impact there. But what it will do is ensure that we embrace the opportunities that are there from new industries. And that's why it's been welcomed by the Australian Industry Group. That's why it's been welcomed by the Business Council of Australia. That's why it's been welcomed by the National Farmers' Federation. Because what we need to do is to provide that investment certainty. That's what businesses are crying out for. And the other thing I'll be saying to the working people of Central and North Queensland is that Labor will be concerned about secure work. What we see in our mines at the moment is that people aren't getting same job, same pay, a pretty simple principle, with some cowboy labour hire firms employing people doing exactly the same job as someone next to them who's a permanent employee, but sometimes paid tens of thousands of dollars less and without the sort of leave entitlements and protections that are there for permanent employees. Now, the Federal Government, the Coalition and the LNP, have nothing to say about that. Nothing to say about the increased casualisation of the workforce that we're continuing to see. Labor will address secure work and is concerned that we respect every worker for the work that they do.
 
JONES: Look, undoubtedly, for regional Queensland and regional Australia, some of the opportunities with respect to these inevitable changes that are happening with respect to climate and, of course, the economy and the whole structure of Australia, it's certainly going to be some interesting times ahead. As we wrap up this morning, Albo, the most important question of the morning though is telling me who's your new stylist?
 
ALBANESE: Just myself, mate. Doing my best to get along. I have lost a bit of weight. It's true. And it's quite funny, my local optometrist in Marrickville Road, Marrickville, who I've been going to for many years, he's a good Greek fellow, like a lot of the businesses in Marrickville, I needed new glasses because there was a break in them. And I put them into repair. But while I was there in the shop, you get, as you know, with the private health insurance, every year, you get to get a discount, or some pay back on some glasses. So, I took about two minutes to pick these pair of glasses and it's created considerable commentary, it must be said, that my son finds quite amusing.
 
JONES: It certainly raised some eyebrows, pardon the pun. But a lot of people have commented to me about that. And some of those slim-fitting suits too.
 
ALBANESE: I've got to be match-fit. I've got my grand final coming up. And I don't want to be like my beloved Souths and fall a couple of points short as we did. I want to nail the conversions from the sideline. And I want to make sure that when the siren goes, that Labor's ahead. Because I really believe that Australia needs a change of government. This is a tired Government that's out of ideas and out of time. And all the spin and marketing won't get us through the sort of future that we need to create. And I'm determined to create a better future. And Far North Queensland and this region stands particularly to benefit from the plans that we have for new industries and job creation and secure work and dealing with the opportunity that is there from dealing with climate change.
 
JONES: Look, it has been great to talk to you this morning. Enjoy the sunshine. Don't get too sunburnt. Leader of the Opposition, Anthony Albanese, welcome to Cairns. And thank you so much for your time this morning.
 
ALBANESE: Thanks very much, Murray. Always a pleasure.