Upcoming Federal Election; Better Future for Queensland trip; winning in Queensland; a Future Made in Australia; floods; Prime Minister’s performance over three years; vaccinations; previous visits to Queensland.
 
SCOTT EMERSON, HOST: One thing will be happening definitely in 2022 that we didn’t have last year is a Federal Election and it will be a big year in politics. Queensland will definitely be a battleground state. No doubt, we'll see a flood of politicians into the state but one very high-profile pollie has already been in Queensland this year and that is the Opposition Leader and Labor Leader, and hoping to be the next Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. And he's on the line now. Opposition Leader, thanks for joining us on 4BC Drive.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY:Good afternoon from Bowen, Scott. I’m on my day five of my Better Future for Queensland visit and it's by road. Today we woke up in Townsville, I went and visited the Lavarack Barracks there to thank the men and women of the Australian Defence Force who serve us so well. Then I went to a medical centre there that's really struggling to get access to the vaccines for COVID. I just met with a farmers group here in the Dawson electorate, in Bowen, with Shane Hamilton our candidate, talking to them about the challenges and opportunities that are there for growth into the future.
 
EMERSON: Anthony Albanese, obviously Labor has to do much better in Queensland this election than last time. You only hold six seats out of 30 in Queensland. What are you going to do differently to Bill Shorten from 2019?
 
ALBANESE: I’m running my own race and I am, one – holding the Government to account but secondly, also, I’m talking about the issues that are of concern to Queenslanders. I'm talking about jobs, talking about secure work, raising living standards through cheaper childcare, affordable housing. But also I’ve got a good reception for my Future Made in Australia plan. I want to buy Australian. I think one of the lessons of the pandemic is that we need to be more resilient. We are very vulnerable to shocks and potential future shocks, be it a future pandemic or cybersecurity issues or, indeed, the uncertain international environment that we live in. We need to be able to make more things here and that's something that resonates with Queenslanders. We know that resonates with Queenslanders in that great city of Maryborough that's in strife at the moment with the floods, and all of our hearts go out to them. When I visited Maryborough as Labor Leader, and I've been there twice to the Downer EDI site where they're building trains, they're high quality and increasing jobs and economic activity. That's the sort of message that I think will resonate with Queenslanders.
 
EMERSON: Obviously we've been talking a lot on the show already today, and it's been dominating the news over Christmas, is the spread of Omicron. How important will the handling of the pandemic be in the Federal Election? Is that the top priority issue for you in terms of the Government's handling, as opposed to how you would have handled it?
 
ALBANESE: I think it's certainly front of mind with people. I think, at the last election campaign, Scott Morrison was a new Prime Minister, and people thought they'd give him a crack. But I've been the Leader of the Labor Party for three summers now. The first summer we had the bushfire crisis where he said, “I don't hold a hose”. In the second summer, we had the impact of COVID dominating where he said it wasn't a race to roll out the vaccine. And now, in the third summer, he still thinks that isn't a race. There are problems with the rollout of the booster, there are problems with access for people, kids at the moment who became eligible today, there's problems with rapid antigen tests that people can't find and can’t afford. There's no doubt that it will be a major issue because people expect their government to be competent and to do the basics right. They then will look for who has a vision for the future. And the Government will be shooting for a second decade in office. That's a long time. I think people will say to themselves, ‘well, is this as good as it gets? Or can we have a better future?’ and that's what I'm offering.
 
EMERSON: I heard from you and many of our colleagues when I interviewed you in 2021, you said that the Federal Government had one job and that was to roll out the vaccines. Well, when you have a look at the vaccination rates here across Australia, we’re one of the leading in in the world, in terms of the high vaccination rates. Can’t you give them a tick for that?
 
ALBANESE: Well eventually when supply was available, of course, Australians have been magnificent. They're prepared to do the right thing to help themselves, their families, their neighbours and their community. But the truth is we're now, if you look at those same rates of where we are on boosters, we’re way down in the in the bottom third of advanced economies as well, because we're so slow in getting the vaccine rollout going. If we had had the vaccine rollout going, we would have had less lockdowns, we would have had boosters being available much earlier. And I think that the record stands that they were complacent. In specific areas like aged care, we're now having problems with people in aged care getting their booster shots, having those aged care facilities that the Federal Government funds, runs and regulates getting access to them and it's causing a great deal of concern in the community.
 
EMERSON: I'm talking to the Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. Now, Mr. Albanese, last time, I think, you were in Queensland, you did visit a coal mine. You're on the Bruce Highway heading down south now. But when you did visit, it was kind of missing from your social media. The general media weren't invited. Will you be going to a coal mine this trip and inviting the media to attend?
 
ALBANESE: Well, the truth is at Moranbah we put out a media alert on the Sunday, I did radio interviews there in Moranbah, and we did a press conference on the next day on the Monday. The truth is that in today's modern media, unfortunately, the resources aren't there to turn up to events.
 
EMERSON: So it’s the media’s fault they didn't cover your attendance?
 
ALBANESE: We did two media alerts that we were going to Moranbah, to the Workers’ Centre. We did a public meeting with the President of the ACTU and with the Miners’ Union. I then spoke at the radio station there the next day, and then I did another media conference at the Miners Memorial there at Moranbah. It's no great secret there. And we've published photos that have been available in The Australian, that we gave to The Australian newspaper. So, we've been out and about. Just as in with this visit, any media are certainly very welcome to accompany us. And each day we’re very busy. Today, we've just had an event here at Bowen. Tomorrow, we'll be going to meet with tourism groups and also going to a prawn farm. We were at a banana farm with TV media coming with us, and they're very welcome.
 
EMERSON: In terms of a banana farm, I'm sure it's important. But in terms of going to a mine again, well, maybe the media didn't cover it last time. But I can tell you, you put out a statement today saying ‘I'm going to be turning up to a coal mine’, say on Wednesday, on your trip. I'm sure the media will attend. Are you going to be visiting another coal mine?
 
ALBANESE: Not on this visit but I will be doing during the period. What the issue was last time was, as well, was access to BHP’s mine there, that was due to an industrial issue we weren't able to get on. So, we had to find a replacement mine there. But we're very transparent, people are welcome to come with us. And indeed, Channel Nine have sent, who may well be connected, I think, with your fine radio station.
 
EMERSON: Indeed. Nine Entertainment does own 4BC.
 
ALBANESE: They have a crew with us traveling, and they're going wherever we go.
 
EMERSON: All right, Anthony Albanese. I'm sure you'll be a regular guest here on 4BC Drive throughout this year and lead up to the election. But thank you for being on our first show for 2022.
 
ALBANESE: I hope so Scott, and I say to everyone, I just hope that they stay safe. If you can get vaccinated, make sure that you do if you haven't up to now, and make sure you look after each other out there. And it's good to see you back on the radio, Scott. I hope you had a bit of a break.