SUBJECTS: WA GST; Scott Morrison not standing up for West Australians; climate change; net zero by 2050; NRL Grand Final; South Sydney Rabbitohs; state borders.

BEN O’SHEA, HOST: If there are any three letters that trigger a West Aussie, it is GST. During the last mining boom, WA's share of GST revenue fell to just 30 cents in the dollar. And the fight to get it up to 70 cents was one of the biggest early wins of Mark McGowan's Government. But with our economy booming, and the eastern states battling COVID, our GST share could be a political football that gets kicked around at the next Federal election. Joining me now to share his perspective is Federal Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese. Good morning, Anthony. 

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY:Good morning. Good to be with you. 

O’SHEA: And so, will Federal Labor protect WA's share of the GST if it wins the election?

ALBANESE: We certainly will. And I've made that very clear in a letter to the Premier, Mark McGowan. When I was last a part of a government, I helped establish the Western Australian Infrastructure Fund because I recognised that WA needed support from the Commonwealth, just as WA contributes so much. You punch way above your weight in terms of contributing to the national economy. And that should be recognised. You shouldn't be penalised for that. So, I want to make it very, very clear that Labor not only campaigned for Western Australia to get your fair share of the GST, we want to make sure that is maintained.

O’SHEA: Well, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also been claiming some credit for getting us the current top-up payments that bring us up to the equivalent of about 70 cents in the dollar. He's expressed support for keeping the current status quo. Do you believe him when he says he'll fight for WA on this issue, when the East Coast is crying for a change?

ALBANESE: Well, the problem is that Scott Morrison has shown himself to not stand up for WA. Scott Morrison took Western Australia to court in support of the Clive Palmer legal action where the Commonwealth became involved in that at a cost to Australian taxpayers of a million dollars. So, Scott Morrison I don't think can be trusted to stand up for WA. He's campaigned very strongly that WA should have kept its borders open. And indeed, has not provided the sort of support that WA has asked for. The McGowan Government, for example, has been elected twice opposing the versions of the Railway Road proposal. And yet, the Federal Government refuses to free up that money to spend on infrastructure projects that are wanted and needed in Western Australia. 

O’SHEA: Now, I've seen the letter you sent to Mark McGowan promising to protect the current share of GST revenue that we get. Are you worried about how this is going to play to voters in New South Wales, for example, who it's very likely the Government there could be banging the drum for our share to be reduced?

ALBANESE: Not at all. You can't say one thing in one part of the country and something else somewhere else. And the fact is that Western Australia has kept our national economy going in recent times. At the moment, I'm speaking to you from New South Wales, which is largely in lockdown. Victoria and ACT are the same. Because WA have stayed strong, that's kept the economy going. It's kept our exports going. It has contributed to national revenue in terms of taxation. And therefore WA shouldn't be punished for that. 

O’SHEA: Well, here's a question for you. We still only get the equivalent of 70 cents in the dollar after the top-up payments. New South Wales gets 90 cents. Would Federal Labor back WA getting a greater share of the GST?

ALBANESE: Well, I think you need that guarantee, which is there, of 70 cents a minimum, rising to 75 cents of every dollar of GST collected from hardworking Western Australians. And I think that is a reasonable position. That went through the Parliament. We argued that it needed to be legislated. There is a need to support, of course, our smaller economies, like the Northern Territory receives some substantial benefit above what they put in, and similarly, Tasmania. So, there is a need for some balancing. But I think with the legislation that was there that we called for, I think we've got the balance right. And we want to maintain that. 

O’SHEA: And let's change course for a minute here. So, you had a crack at ScoMo over climate change. You called him weak on the issue. How will an Albanese Government be stronger on climate change?

ALBANESE: Well, for a start, we'll adopt what the rest of the world has of net zero emissions by 2050. We won't engage in the sort of divisive politics that we've seen. In order to deal with climate change, you need to shape the future, not be scared of it. And we saw at the last election, for example, a ridiculous scare campaign that providing any support for electric vehicles would end the weekend and that people wouldn't be able to use their utes. It was quite absurd. And that's the sort of scare campaign and nonsense we've seen from the Government. The fact is that they've rejected new technology such as electric vehicles rather than embrace it. And we have enormous opportunities to benefit from climate change action, not the least of which is there in Western Australia. I attended the nickel refinery there in Kwinana just a short time ago with Madeleine King. And one of the things that WA has enormous reserves of, and potential to benefit from, is its natural resources like lithium and nickel that will increasingly be in demand because of the shift to clean energy as well as the potential for substantial hydrogen industry. So, we think good action on climate change is good for jobs, is good for lowering energy prices and good for lowering our emissions. The Coalition are incapable of acting. Their show, with the division that is there between different people within the National Party, within the Liberal Party, and then between the Liberal Party and the National Party, they've spent eight years arguing with each other and opposing action. What we need is a Government that's prepared to seize the opportunity which is there.

O’SHEA: We talk about traveling around the country. The Coalition wants all state borders to be opened by Christmas so we can all go visit our family and have a nice Christmas. And Mark McGowan is running his own race when it comes to that. Do you back the WA Premier in keeping the borders closed even after WA hits the 80 per cent vaccination threshold?

ALBANESE: Well, we support the national plan that all governments have signed up to. But within that national plan, of course, there's a recognition that you need to take into account the circumstances which are there. Now at the moment, Western Australia has just hosted a very successful Grand Final that brought considerable revenue to the state and showcased Perth to the rest of the country and indeed to the world. And WA's resources sector has managed to continue to operate with very few restrictions because of the management and the care that's been taken by Mark McGowan and his Government. So, it's understandable that the Western Australian Government doesn't want to just give that up. And here we are in September, we'll wait and see how things progress. I don't want, and I'm sure no Australian wants, borders to be up any more than is necessary. But at the moment, you have Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania which all have restrictions in terms of their borders. And it's a pity that we can't visit. But it is certainly understandable that's the case. 

O’SHEA: And I think what you're going to find is every topic is going to be framed around the Federal election, and this is only going to increase over the months to come. Scott Morrison said this week that when it comes to that election, it's not going to be him versus Mark McGowan, which, of course, is technically true. But do you expect the WA Premier will get out on the campaign trail with Federal Labor candidates?

ALBANESE: Well, I have a very good relationship with Mark McGowan, and I've had so for a couple of decades now. And Mark McGowan is a great Labor Premier. And I'm sure that he, just as I've campaigned with state Labor candidates, he'll be out there doing his bit for the cause of Labor. He knows that Western Australia will benefit from a Labor Government and from a cooperative relationship on issues like infrastructure and health and education and resources, rather than the petty politics that have been shown by Scott Morrison towards Western Australia in recent times.

O’SHEA: I know you mentioned the AFL Grand Final that we had over here in the West last weekend. It was a stunning success. It's the NRL's turn on Sunday. And Albo, it must be pretty exciting for a lifelong Rabbitohs fan like you.

ALBANESE: It sure is. It is our second Grand Final in 50 years. And a good mate of mine, Clayton Gunning, lives in Perth in Freo. And he went to the AFL Grand Final in his Bunnies gear last Saturday. He was one of the random Souths guys in the crowd. And it is a very exciting time. I'm a lifelong South Sydney supporter. I'm a life member. I was on the board when we got kicked out of the comp at the beginning of this century and fought our way back. We had a couple of years outside, but we won a court case. But importantly, we won the battle of public opinion with over 100,000 people marching on two occasions through the streets of Sydney. Because rugby league, just like AFL and so much of team sports in particular, is about your sense of identity, your sense of community and belonging. It gives you a real reference point in your life. And I fondly remember my mum taking me to the 1971 Grand Final to sit on the hill as a little kid 50 years ago. And it is a pity that I can't travel to Queensland this Sunday, but I'll be watching and cheering very loudly. 

O’SHEA: Are you worried about the potential COVID outbreak that's unfolding north of the border?

ALBANESE: Look, I am confident that Queensland will continue to do well, just as Western Australia has done well. So, let's certainly hope that is the case and that it continues to be smooth in the run-up to Sunday's game. 

O’SHEA: We're keeping our fingers crossed over here. I'm a Queenslander, so, with Wayne Bennett as the coach, the Bunnies, they're basically like the Broncos of the south. Federal Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese. Thanks for joining us again on the West Live. 

ALBANESE: Thanks very much. And go the Bunnies on Sunday.

ENDS