COVID cases increasing; Omicron variant; healthcare; Labor’s call for free rapid antigen testing; Labor’s policy agenda; seat of Kennedy; seat of Herbert; vaccinations for children; Queensland Government delaying school opening; Federal election.
 
ANTHONY CHISHOLM, LABOR SENATOR FOR QUEENSLAND: It's great to be Ingham. I had a great 24 hours with Albo, who's day four into his Queensland trip. We had a fantastic day in Innisfail yesterday, a lunch with community leaders, a visit to a banana farm yesterday afternoon, and then a briefing from the council in Mission Beach today. So, a really informative 24 hours. And I know Albo has enjoyed the last couple of days as well. Some common themes that have emerged for me over the last 24 hours - One is that how well-received Albo has been. So, whether it was in the Brothers Leagues Club yesterday, walking down the main street of Mission Beach today, locals are keen to come up and have a chat, talk to Albo about what Labor's plans are for this year and for a potential Albanese Labor Government. But also, what's emerging is there's a really nervous nation at the moment. I think people in North Queensland are nervous. I think people in Queensland are nervous. And I think people in Australia are nervous. And what is a common theme is just that lack of leadership from the Prime Minister. He's happy to go to the cricket and make frivolous comments. But as cases mount across the country, we see no action from the Prime Minister. And that's something that has, unfortunately, become common for everyone in Australia is that lack of action from the Prime Minister, whether it comes to vaccines, whether it comes to testing and rapid testing, he is again and again missing an action. So, it's been great to have 24 hours with Albo in Far North Queensland. I think we've been well-received. And I'm looking forward to meeting with the Mayor of Hinchinbrook. Mayor Jayo, with Albo shortly. Thanks, Albo
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Well, thanks very much, Chiz. And thanks for the work that you do as the Queensland Labor Senator representing this region. I am looking forward to meeting the Mayor here in Ingham. I visited here before. It has a great history of the Italo-Australian community, making a contribution, coming to this region, being involved, particularly with the sugar industry, to make a better life for themselves and for their future generations to come. It's part of the Australian success story. People aspiring to a better life. And that is what my Better Future for Queensland visit is about as well. About a better future for Queensland citizens, creating well-paid jobs, supporting new industries, supporting the agricultural sector, the resources sector, advanced manufacturing, the tourism sector. And I've been engaged with businesses here over the last four days. We're now on day four of this visit. And I look forward to meeting with the Mayor and with other community leaders here in Ingham before we then travel on to Townsville this afternoon.
 
This has been a success up to this point. But we've also had a backdrop of two things. One, just further south of here, I spoke with George Seymour earlier this morning, the Mayor of Fraser Coast. They're doing it really tough. These floods are very sudden, the rise in waters, the extraordinary amount of rainfall that occurred overnight just a day and a bit ago. It has had a real impact and, of course, the loss of life, tragically, of a man in his car, who died because of floodwaters. So, I have spoken with the Mayor. And certainly, we'll be providing whatever support we can. But I think all Australians today will be thinking of the people of Fraser Coast, the people of the Wide Bay region, and others who've been impacted by the aftermath of this cyclone.
 
Secondly, of course, people are, on an ongoing basis, concerned about the Federal Government's failure when it comes to preparation for what we're going through with COVID. We continue to have record numbers. We have rising numbers of people in hospital, rising numbers in ICU. We have rising numbers of infections. We have people who can't get booster shots. We have people who can't get food from their supermarket with the shortages that are there because of issues with the supply chain. And we have a major issue with regard to children as well. Students are supposed to get their vaccines from tomorrow. What we're finding is that parents are anxious because they can't get appointments for their children. And that's a major problem. We need to make sure that is addressed. And this Government have had a long time to prepare, making sure that supply was okay. But once again, this Prime Minister is characterised by ensuring that a problem becomes a crisis before there's any action. Well, the problem at the moment is that parents can't get their children vaccinated. That's leading to announcements such as the one from Premier Palaszczuk about a delay in school returning. That will have, of course, a further impact on the workforce and a further impact on the economy.

We know that, from the very beginning, you had to get the health outcomes right in order to minimise the economic impact. That's something that this Prime Minister never understood. He was too slow on the rollout of the vaccine, never did anything on purpose-built quarantine, has delayed the boosters because of the slow rollout of the vaccine, and didn't prepare for a rollout of rapid antigen tests, even though they were approved by the TGA in September and the AMA and others were saying, 'You need to be prepared'. But here we have in Australia, rapid antigen tests being produced here, being sent overseas, while there's a shortage here, because the Federal Government wasn't interested in purchasing those tests. And then you have the absurdity of a Government that's created a trillion dollars of debt, that has created a massive windfall for some businesses who've received payments in JobKeeper, even though their profits were rising, saying that when it comes to accessing rapid antigen tests, 'Unless you're on welfare, you're on your own'. This Prime Minister says that he wants government to stay out of people's lives. Well, people expect government to provide them with some support at a critical time and at a crisis, which is what we're going through right now. This Prime Minister is always defined by his complacency and only acting when a problem becomes a crisis, then the action being too little, too late, and then looking for someone else to blame, and to never accept responsibility for what is his job. This Prime Minister has to do his job. He can't continue to fob off responsibility.

Happy to take questions.
 
JOURNALIST: You mentioned that parents are having trouble getting their kids vaccinated. Given that, do you think New South Wales and Victoria should follow Premier Palaszczuk in the delay of school openings?
 
ALBANESE: Well, that will be a decision for the premiers of New South Wales and Victoria. But I know that parents around the country are concerned about this. It was a national date that was set for children to be vaccinated. And there are real issues with regard to supply of boosters and the incapacity of parents to be able to make appointments. I've been contacted as a local MP, as well as Leader of the Labor Party, from parents who are anxious. They were told that this would be available. But of course, we know there are shortages of boosters and we have appointments being cancelled or deferred. And we know that for some parents, they are being told there'll be nothing available until February. That is creating a real issue. And it will create a real issue for the economy as well. It is a really practical example of how a failure on health outcomes leads to problems for the economy and for jobs.
 
JOURNALIST: You are in the seat of Kennedy today. Have you had any conversations with Mr Katter about what happens in the event of a hung Parliament?
 
ALBANESE: No, I have had a chat with Bob. I had a good chat with him on Friday about his electorate, told him where we were coming. I invited him to come along. He's got family commitments this weekend. I have a good relationship with Mr Katter. I am concerned with forming a majority Labor Government. That is my only focus. And that's what I want. I'll work with anyone in the Parliament if I'm elected to lead a government after the next election. I'll work with them constructively, as I always have, and have continued to do, whether in government or in opposition. I'm about outcomes. One of the things we need from a future government is an end to the division. Scott Morrison is always looking for an argument. I'm looking for solutions.
 
JOURNALIST: Townsville is one of the most politically volatile parts of Queensland at the state and federal level. What do you think people in Townsville are looking for from the Federal election?
 
ALBANESE: Well, what I've had so far on the visit is really constructive engagement. I think people are ready for a change in government. We have a circumstance whereby the Morrison Government will be asking for a second decade in office. And people are asking themselves, 'Is this as good as it gets?' A government has two basic things that everyone expects of them, regardless of who's forming government. They expect a government that's competent, and they expect a government that's honest and has integrity. This Government certainly is failing on the competence and they're failing in the honesty and integrity as well. Which is why we don't have a National Anti-corruption Commission, an issue that is raised with me wherever I go right around the country. They're the basics that you have to do. But you also have to have a vision going forward. Labor has a vision for a better future for Queensland. It's a vision about new industries through our National Reconstruction Fund. It's a vision about supporting the tourism sector, agricultural sector, the resources sector. It is a vision for over 600,000 new jobs to be created to our Powering the Nation plan. It's a vision for community-based infrastructure, not getting out a colour-coded map, but based upon need, supporting local government with their issues that they identify as local priorities. It's about secure work. Making sure that people who do the same job next to each other get same job, same pay. A pretty important principle. It's about helping people with living standards who are really doing it tough. That's why our Cheaper Child Care plan will help working families and will help women's workforce participation. It's about recognising that our country will be stronger when we recognise First Nations people in our Constitution, when we support practical programs like our indigenous Rangers program that we spoke about in Mossman Gorge yesterday. So, it's about practical plans going forward that Labor has to build back stronger, to have a better future for Queensland. I believe that Australia's best years are ahead of us if we're optimistic, if we're as strong as the Australian people have shown themselves to be over the last two years. But what we have at the moment is a Government that is now entering a third year of the pandemic just as unprepared as it was at the beginning, Making the same mistakes. A lack of preparedness, a lack of looking forward, even though the problems have been identified, so that now the failure with boosters, the failure with rapid antigen tests, mirror the problems a year ago when this Prime Minister was saying it wasn't a race to get people vaccinated. And the year before that, where he was saying that the bushfire crisis wasn't his responsibility because he doesn't hold a hose.

JOURNALIST: Why did Labor lose Herbert?
 
ALBANESE: Well, because we didn't get enough votes. And we didn't secure the support of enough people around the country. I'm determined to reverse that.

JOURNALIST: But, specifically, on Herbert, why do you think the people of Townsville vote against Labor?
 
ALBANESE: Well, we didn't get enough votes right around Queensland. One of the things that I've been determined to do is to make sure that we do better right around Queensland. I've had a number of visits to Townsville, of course, over the years, including as the Labor Leader. And I believe that it is a seat where I'll be visiting Defence personnel tomorrow. I'll be talking with community members at an event later today. And I'll be engaging with people in Townsville.
 
JOURNALIST: If you can't say why you think you didn't get enough votes, how can you win the seat?
 
ALBANESE: Well, across the board, we weren't successful enough. We've learned the lessons. We did a whole review into it. And what we didn't do was show that in terms of our policy offering wasn't strong enough to secure the support of people in Queensland. What we've done, including in Townsville, what we've done isn't to say, 'Oh, we'll just do the same thing'. What we've done is take away some of the policies that received a message from the people of Townsville. We've heard that message. We've engaged with the people of Townsville directly about what their needs are. And they want secure work. They want to make sure that they have a representative in Government who will deliver for them. I have a proud record in Townsville. Port Access Road, Townsville Ring Road, all of the major infrastructure projects that I funded, the new facilities and upgrades of the AMSA facility at Townsville, a range of projects. But we need to do better at the election. I am determined to do so. And I believe that concentration, with three themes, lifting living standards for working people, making sure people have access to secure work, and a future made in Australia, is what the people of Townsville have told me they want. And that is what the Labor Party that I lead is delivering. And that's our program at the next election. I know that the local Member says, for example, that antigen to rapid antigen tests should be free. He says that. But what's the use of being part of a Government when you can make statements, and nothing's actually delivered? We'll deliver for the people of Townsville.
 
JOURNALIST: In New South Wales, people who are close contacts will be able to go to work as long as they're in essential industries. Do you agree with that?
 
ALBANESE: Well, we need to take the health advice on all of these issues. But we must bear in mind that the reason why these issues have arisen is because they're contrary to the statements that have been made. Everything isn't all okay in the health system in New South Wales. There are major issues with the pressure on the hospital systems. And that's a direct result of some of the attitude of the New South Wales Government and the Federal Government. The truth is this. The 'Let it rip' approach is tearing communities apart. That's the truth. The 'Let it rip' approach is creating major issues in our health system, with people under such enormous pressure. And I do want to take the opportunity to just say thank you once again to healthcare workers, our doctors, our nurses, our orderlies, our cleaners, our aged care workers. There is a crisis in the aged care system whereby hundreds of aged care facilities have still not yet received their booster shots, even though they are eligible for them. How is that in spite of what has occurred before, the aged care system, which is run, funded and regulated by the Federal Government, still hasn't got this right? That's causing enormous anxiety for the families of people who have loved ones in aged care. And it's something that should just not have happened. It could have been foreseen.
 
And this Government, on so many areas, is creating problems which are having an impact on the real lives of people because of a failure to plan. Because if you fail to plan, you're planning to fail. And Scott Morrison has been too interested in saying, 'She'll be right, mate'. And we saw him joking about living with COVID at the cricket. And I think people will look at those remarks and just say, 'How out of touch are you?' Because so many people are doing it so tough at the moment. Thanks very much,