MURRAY JONES, HOST: Prime Minister, good morning. How are you today?
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning Murray, I'm very well and it was good to hear the Monkees as an intro.
 
JONES: Yeah, a bit of a classic hey!
 
PRIME MINISTER: What a great song, I'm A Believer. That's one for the true believers out there.
 
JONES: Out 1967, I thought you'd be too young to remember that one. Well, look, certainly for the believers in Tropical North Queensland, I know Bob Katter's got his Bridle Track and tunnels and all that type of thing, but $245 million allocated to the Barron River Bridge there at Kuranda if Labor gets across the line at the next election. An important piece of infrastructure, certainly for our part of the world, Prime Minister.
 
PRIME MINISTER: It certainly is. And you can see from the bridge that frankly, it's in a state of disrepair. This does need fixing. It's a priority of my Government, a priority of the Queensland Government as well. We've allocated $245 million. It's something that Matt Smith has been campaigning so strongly for, our magnificent candidate for Leichhardt. And the Kennedy Highway, of course, is the major east-west link, linking Cairns to Far North Queensland. It carries 9,000 vehicles a day and I asked ‘how many of those are heavy vehicles’ and it's over a thousand every single day. And it was constructed the same year that I popped out, Murray, 1963.
 
JONES. So, you are too young to remember the Monkees. Let's talk –
 
PRIME MINISTER: I am, but they did have a TV show that went on for some time.
 
JONES: I remember it well. Let's talk a little bit more about the plan for the bridge. So, the existing bridge, I gather it will stay in place while the new bridge is being built and then the plan is to actually dismantle the bridge, or will we have a duplication of the road through that part of the world?
 
PRIME MINISTER: No, this bridge is done, effectively. It needs a full replacement and the way to keep that crossing open is to do the construction work as soon as possible. I've spoken with the Queensland Premier about making sure that the funding is ready to go. I want to see construction commence, yeah, urgently. Because it does need doing. It’s on top of the $7.2 billion we've committed to the Bruce Highway, the $70 million to complete, importantly, the Kennedy Development Road. That started, you might recall, a long time ago when I was the Minister and then the former government didn't do too much about fixing it, about finishing it. Well, we're going to finish it. And we're also putting $210 million to improve safety on the Kuranda Range Road. We saw some of that work taking place. So, this is really important that this project go ahead and it’s a tribute to Matt Smith and how hard he's worked to get Urgent Care Clinics, to get infrastructure here in Tropical North Queensland, to get health facilities here, that's so important as well.
 
JONES: Let's talk a little bit more about tourism and just reflecting what you're saying there, the lifeblood of our economy and also the community. So, that road infrastructure is so important. I know people are looking for an alternative route over the Kuranda Range, but for the short term, certainly the changes to the bridge that are essential. But Tourism Tropical North Queensland have been pushing hard, $15 million over three years to assist marketing tourism for the region. It is important, you know, to ensure that we get our slice of tourism for the rest of the world. I know there is a reef announcement that you're coming up with this morning, but what about that $15 million over three years for Tourism Tropical North Queensland?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Tourism Tropical North Queensland do a fantastic job advocating for the tourism community here. What we are delivering is $10 million today, we're announcing for a Reef Educational Experience Fund. Now that shortens itself appropriately to REEF, the REEF Program. And that will provide $6 million for Kids for the Reef rebates for schools who want to come and see firsthand the magnificence of the Great Barrier Reef. It provides a million dollars in support for local reef tourism operators. $3 million to TTNQ to deliver an international education campaign overseas. And that will be really important as well. We want to expand our tourism opportunities. That's why I've worked so hard with ASEAN countries to our north in particular. That's why the restoration of the relationship with China is so important as well. And I don't think the comments of the LNP candidate about China will certainly lead to any attraction if he is the local member here. Matt Smith understands how important the tourism sector from Japan, from Korea, from Indonesia, from China is to this region. This region is absolutely vital and we'll continue to work with the tourism sector. We've got a range of other policies, of course, that help the tourism sector. And in Don Farrell, you've got a magnificent Minister here who's worked so hard as well to promote Australia right around the world.
 
JONES: And look, I think that initiative to get school kids out to the Great Barrier Reef because it's about their future, this is a treasure that we own on behalf of our kids. I think getting them out there is really good. Maybe in future budgets, because I know that tourism marketing money is so important. Maybe in future budgets we can look at some of those other initiatives and further funding there for Tourism Tropical North Queensland. You've got to go, but look, just as we quickly wrap up, flip flopping in relation to the tariffs, the 10 per cent tariff has still been levied on Australia. Specious calculations at best. You know, there's good reasons, and I was talking to Murray Watt about this just the other day, as to why we do not accept the US beef and pork, particularly the beef. I mean, we've got the leanest and the best beef in the world. You've certainly been supporting the beef industry. I guess there's no chance that we're likely to change our position there. And just coming back to these calculations, the amount of money that's leaving Australia and going to the tech giants overseas, particularly in America, have just obviously not been taken into consideration when it comes to these, this illusory ten per cent tariff that Australia puts on the US.
 
PRIME MINISTER: This is an act of economic self harm from the United States that has hurt its economy, which is why we've had a change overnight from President Trump. But it's also having an impact on the global economy. These tariffs are totally unwarranted. My Government will always stand up for Australia's national interest and that includes defending our biosecurity regime. The truth is, of course, that our beef is the best in the world. We're not frightened of competing with other countries because we just are much better at it. We have a number of local advantages, of course, in that, and that's why it's so much not the act of a friend, what we've seen from the United States. And overnight we've seen this change. What it does is show how important it is that my Government have continued to engage in a considered, adult, mature way, including with the Trump administration. We didn't reach for any panic buttons. We got the best deal in the world. But we continue to say that what we want and what we expect is for goods to come into Australia at zero. That's what we're delivering. And we want our goods to go into the United States at zero because that's what our free trade agreement says should occur. And the relationship is a really important one. I mean, some of the decisions that have been made, of course, Norfolk Island, 29 per cent, a rather bizarre decision about Heard and McDonald Islands, which is only inhabited by penguins, I'm not sure what they trade. It is a very uncertain world that we live in and that is why I'm absolutely certain now is not a time for cuts. Now is not a time for chaos. Now is not a time for inexperienced people coming into government. Now is the time for us to have a steady hand on the ship of state.
 
JONES: I certainly agree with the principle, hold firm. I certainly wouldn't say hang tough, but hold firm in relation to going on. And I think not actually putting those reciprocal tariffs or actually putting further tariffs on and retaliating is the best way to go at this time. Great to talk to you this morning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the Cairns region. Have a wonderful day. Cheers.
 
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you so much, Murray. Always fantastic to be in this beautiful part –
 
ENDS