SUBJECTS: Strong Labor team; Press conferences; Scott Morrison not answering questions in Parliament; Humanitarian intake.
 
ALLISON LANGDON, HOST: Joining us now is Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. Mr Albanese, good morning.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: G'day Ally, good to be with you.

LANGDON: Nice to see you. Look, as we've been saying, economy is front and centre of this election. Do you think the Australian people think you're up to it?

ALBANESE: We'll find out on May 21, but I'm absolutely up for it, Ally, and so's my entire team, we have a plan to grow the economy in a way that grows productivity. That's how you ensure that you can boost business, you can boost wages without putting upward pressure on inflation. That's why we've concentrated on issues like childcare that'll increase workforce participation, boost productivity, be good for women, good for families, and also good for children. That's why we want to make sure that NBN works.

LANGDON: I asked that question because I've noticed on several occasions, you hand over economic questions to someone else.

ALBANESE: Well I'm here Ally, no one to hand over to. I'm giving a speech today to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. One of the great differences though, between myself and Scott Morrison is that I've got a great team and I'm the captain. Scott Morrison's got no one behind him. Scott Morrison has got internal chaos and division in the Liberal Party, internal chaos and division in the National Party, where Michael McCormack is sitting back and counting, he's only one short of becoming the leader of the National Party again. And we know what Barnaby Joyce thinks of Scott Morrison, the Deputy Prime Minister says the Prime Minister can't be trusted.

LANGDON: But look, I mean, just this week, right on Monday, you deflected a question about interest rates to Jim Chalmers, and a question on wages to Tony Burke.

ALBANESE: To the Shadow Treasurer? The Shadow Treasurer answered a question about the economy.

LANGDON: You were asked a question and you deferred to him, then on Tuesday, it was a question about housing to Jason Clare. And my question is, why don't you know the answers?

ALBANESE: I do, Ally. Jason Clare's the Housing Shadow Minister. This is one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen. Scott Morrison sits in the parliament, we ask him questions, no prime minister since federation has referred more questions to their ministers. When we ask questions of Scott Morrison, he refers them continually. I've answered questions each and every day, including since, I came out of COVID only last Friday, I've been up and about today, I have another press conference. I'll give you the big tip, Chris Bowen is going to be there. If there are questions that he wants to answer and add detail on climate change and energy, of which he's the shadow minister, then he may well have something to say about that. And then I'll be speaking to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry at lunchtime about the important need to lift productivity. I want to work with business. I want to bring business and unions and the community together in the national interest.

LANGDON: So the thing is, you say you know the answers, but I think people sitting at home go “I'm not sure you do”, because you don't see Scott Morrison handing over to anyone during this campaign.

ALBANESE: You do continually, except Scott Morrison can't appear with Josh Frydenberg, because Josh Frydenberg doesn't want to be in the same frame as Scott Morrison because the voters of Kooyong regard Scott Morrison as toxic. So you won't see Scott Morrison visiting North Sydney, Warringah, Mackellar, Wentworth, Kooyong, Goldstein during this campaign. You won't see, yesterday I was up with Tanya Plibersek at a TAFE talking about education in Melbourne, now, Scott Morrison can't appear, not only could not appear with his education minister, he can't even say who it is. He says that Alan Tudge is still the Education Minister, but he stepped aside. The truth is that he's in witness protection, as are so many of these government ministers. This is a rabble. It's a mess, Ally.

LANGDON: Look, I mean, the question is, though, you want to be the next prime minister, you want to run the country, shouldn't you be across your brief?

ALBANESE: I am, Ally. I am. Stop reading from the Liberal Party notes that they send through to people all of the time, Ally. This is just an absurdity. Today, I'll tell you what my program is today, talking to yourself on the Today Show, I then have radio interviews, and then visiting the Smart Energy Expo in Sydney, then do a speech at ACCI, and take a whole series of questions from the business community – 

LANGDON: Anthony, I'm basing this on what I'm seeing – 

ALBANESE: And tonight I'm on Q and A for an hour – 

LANGDON: This week, Anthony Albanese, and I saw you deflect two questions on Monday about wages, another one on interest rates. And then again on Tuesday about housing.

ALBANESE: A question to the Shadow Treasurer about the economy – 

LANGDON: But you want to be the prime minister –

ALBANESE: And a question about housing to the Housing Shadow Minister.

LANGDON: Shouldn't you also know the answer?

ALBANESE: I do, Ally. I do.

LANGDON: I think your problem is after that stumble week one when you didn't know the cash rate or the unemployment rate, anytime you do defer, it suggests you don't know.

ALBANESE: That's nonsense, Ally, and your viewers are smarter than that. And your viewers know that I lead a team. I'm the captain, I'm proud of my team, none of mine are in witness protection. This Prime Minister can't even say who the education minister is. You won't see him anywhere near a school, anywhere near a TAFE, anywhere near a university. And today, guess what Ally, today at the ACCI speech, Jim Chalmers will be there. Katie Gallagher will be there. Tanya Plibersek will be there. Jason Clare will be there. A whole lot of my team will be there to hear my speech and hear me take questions from the business community. And guess what? That shows what a team we are, Ally. It shows what a team we are, and the idea, I saw that, frankly, on, there was a report the other day that said “Albanese gives housing question to housing shadow minister”, whatever the headline was, and we all just had a chuckle and could not believe how, frankly, strange that spin was, which came straight from Liberal Party headquarters – 

LANGDON: I disagree with you on this one because I feel when questions are put directly to you, the Australian people expect you to be able to answer it. But I do want to talk about one of your other team members

ALBANESE: You’re entitled to disagree Ally, but we had a joint press conference, which we did on the Central Coast. Guess what Ally? –  

LANGDON: I watched it.

ALBANESE: The local member, or the local potential member in Dr Gordon Reid, fantastic candidate for Robertson, ED doctor at Wyong hospital, he answered a question about local health.

LANGDON: Okay, I get the local member's across it. Another team member of yours, Anthony, Kristina Keneally. She said yesterday that she wants to bring in more refugees into the country. Do you agree with her?

ALBANESE: I agree with the Government. The Government's doing that. The Government have announced 16,000 extra refugees from Afghanistan – 

LANGDON: But Kristina Keneally wants to bring in more than that. Do you agree with her?

ALBANESE: Well, she hasn't said that. What she has said is that Australia has a proud record when it comes to taking in refugees when it's appropriate. We've done that with the Government, we've backed the Government in this. We shouldn't just be always playing politics with issues, and the entry of Afghanistan refugees is something that I think we have an obligation to, and it's a good thing. I've met many of the, particularly the young women who've arrived in Australia fleeing the regime in Afghanistan, and I think that's a good thing and I think the Government has done the right thing.

LANGDON: Okay, Anthony Albanese, really appreciate your time this morning. Talk to you soon.

ALBANESE: Thanks very much, Ally.

ENDS