SUBJECTS: State of Origin; visit to Townsville.

GABI ELGOOD, HOST: Literally every man and his dog are coming up to Townsville for this game, including the Leader of the Opposition, Anthony Albanese. He joins us right now. How are you? 

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: I'm very well. 

ELGOOD: How excited are you? 

ALBANESE: I am very excited. I think it's fantastic that Townsville has got the game as a reward for such loyalty from rugby league fanatics there in North Queensland. And it is fitting that the game one is there. I'm very pleased. I won't be cheering with most of the people there, of course.

ELGOOD: Yes. You are only allowed in if you're a Maroon.

GUY CLIFTON, HOST: You're a Rabbitohs supporter?

ALBANESE: I am. I came out of the womb with a red eye and a green eye. And I get very depressed. It's very bad when your team plays on a Friday night and loses it. It ruins the whole weekend. But Origin is such a great spectacle. It is the best of the best hitting up against each other. And people like Dane Gagai, he grows an extra leg or something when he puts on that Maroons jumper.

CLIFTON: Do you know, Albo, where you are going to be sitting tonight? Are you going to be in the Blue section or in hostile territory in the Maroons section?

ALBANESE: The Premier of Queensland has assured me that she'll look after my physical health tonight. 

ELGOOD: That might have been an empty promise.

ALBANESE: I have been to an Origin game with her before. And we met and had a beer in a pub and walked down to Suncorp there. And I was very glad I was with her with Maroon on. People are really friendly. It's a good thing. There's a great spirit around it. And I'm just sure that the spirit tonight will be better than in any capital city just because of the nature of it. This is the first time. It might not happen again for a long time. Let's hope there's not another pandemic. But it is a very good thing in my view that the game is there. And I copped some flak, I got to say, in my defence, I copped a lot of flak from New South Wales mates for saying that the game should be moved to Townsville because they reckon that giving Queensland two games is a bit of an advantage.

CLIFTON: You are doing that by playing an extra game in Victoria anyway because that's not an advantage for New South Wales.

ALBANESE: Exactly. Souths have played, I think we're up to 18 games at AAMI Park there in Melbourne, and our record is zero out of 18. 

ELGOOD: Wow. So you haven't really lost an advantage. So it's still fine. Is there anything else you're going to be doing while in Townsville?

ALBANESE: Beforehand I'm dropping into Tiny Mountain Brewery there.

ELGOOD: They've got an Origin beer, a special Origin beer for tonight.

ALBANESE: They do. And I am a big supporter of craft brewers. And then tomorrow, we have actually got a Senate candidate based there in Townsville, Edwina Andrew. I am launching her campaign with Nita. And I'm hoping to catch up with the Mayor, Jenny Hill. And there's a fair bit of action happening there tomorrow with the Premier. She has a few announcements as well. 

CLIFTON: All right.

ELGOOD: Work doesn't stop. 

ALBANESE: There's a lot happening in North Queensland for jobs and for activity. I always like going to Queensland. When I was Infrastructure Minister, we did a lot there around Townsville with the Ring Road and Douglas Arterial and the Port Access Road. And there is, of course, we are very proud of the fact that we did, I think it was something like $16 million, to revitalise the CBD there in Townsville as well that has made it such a great city. But moving the stadium closer in there has been, of course, fantastic. I haven't been to the ground before, so I look forward to it.

CLIFTON: Busy day for you today. Busy day tomorrow too. All off the back of an Origin hangover. That is the Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese. Enjoy Townsville. Thanks, mate. 

ALBANESE: Thank you.

ENDS