SUBJECTS: Federal Budget 2021; visit to Cairns.

HOST: By the way before we get into what you're doing up here, I was a little bit gutted to miss the Red Hot Summer Tour here on the weekend but we were at Magic Round. Very cool for Queensland and most of the country to have no restrictions, to have live sport back, to have 42,000 at Suncorp Stadium. Very cool.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Look, it was great for Queensland and Brisbane did it so well. People were chock-a-block right throughout the city, going to restaurants, going to bars, the hotels were full, creating jobs. It was actually a great atmosphere as well. I went to the Broncos-Manly game on Friday night.

HOST: It was close, wasn't it?

ALBANESE: I sat with Annastacia Palaszczuk there and it wasn't real good. They did well for the first 15 minutes. I think they're a young side. They'll benefit from Adam Reynolds steering around the park next year, I think.

HOST: Anthony, what are you doing in Far North Queensland? What brings you to Cairns?

ALBANESE: Well, I'll be Cairns to announce Elida Faith as our candidate for the seat of Leichhardt. We think that is one of the seats that we really hope to win at the election whenever it is held. Cairns and Far North Queensland, of course, have been really gutted by the impact of COVID, the failure to provide appropriate support to the tourism industry. And, of course, longer term issues as well, like dealing with climate change. 

HOST: Albo, Matt Leighton from the newsroom. The latest Newspoll is out. You're holding on to a 51 to 49 two-party-preferred lead. It appears a fair chunk of Aussies are in support of the Federal Budget handed down last week, apparently at levels not seen since a Howard and Costello delivered Budget. Does that hit your momentum a little bit?

ALBANESE: Not at all. The last time, indeed, was 2007 that you saw even better figures. And the Howard Government went on to lose the election later that year. That was a similar Budget whereby the Howard Government that had been in there for a long time, it spent money on problems it had created. A bit like this Budget, where they spent money on aged care having cut $1.7 billion of it previously, they threw a bit of money at child care but not a system as good as the one that we have on offer. And I think people see that for what it is. I think people know, for example, that the focus that they had in the Budget on issues relating to women was directly related to the problems that the Government has had about looking after safety and economic security of women and the whole saga around the Brittany Higgins issue and the reported sexual assault, just up the road, 50 metres from the Prime Minister's office.

HOST: I think that's a really great point you bring up. But also, I think it's great that you're up in the region. And I think a lot of people are going to be having a look out for you. What's your go to restaurant when you come up here if people are going to try and snag a beer with you?

ALBANESE: It isn't Gilligan's. That's a place where difficulties can happen. I am knowledgeable enough about Cairns to not fall into that one. But look, it's just fantastic, the whole region. And there's so much to offer. It's a pity this is a relatively short visit. But this is my fourth candidate announcement in Queensland in four days. I was in Rocky on Saturday, Brisbane on Friday and Sunday. Rocky is a good city.

HOST: If you are from Rocky, that's what they say.

ALBANESE: I hope you don't broadcast to Central Queensland. You'll be in trouble.

HOST: I don't think I'll be getting a job there anytime soon. Really appreciate the time, mate. Welcome to the region. I'm sure we'll be catching up again soon.

ALBANESE: Thanks a lot, guys.

ENDS