SUBJECTS: Visit to Gladstone; vaccine rollout; industrial relations; wages; South Sydney Rabbitohs; NRL.

SHANNON ‘PINKY’ NEVEN, HOST: Touched down in Gladstone, good morning, Anthony Albanese. Albo, how are you? 

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: G'day. I'm very, very well. Good to be in Queensland. Bring the weather with you, did you?

CHRIS ‘BANKSY’ BANKS, HOST: I don't know. It's been a big mix, I’ve got to say. I was in Cairns and it poured. It was nice in Mackay. It was nice when we dropped into Gladstone when we arrived last night. 

NEVEN: Well, what's the business end of being in there today? 

BANKS: Why? What's the reason, Albo? 

ALBANESE: Well, I was there with the Mayor, Matt, my good mate. He is, of course, running for the Federal seat of Flynn. And last night we went to the launch of the newspaper, Gladstone Today, which is a fantastic initiative to see good regional newspaper forming rather than shutting down. And then today, we're visiting one of the health offices to talk about the fact that people can't get access to GPs in regional communities. And no doubt, we'll talk a little bit about the pandemic and the vaccines and the ongoing issues that are there.

NEVEN: I am still waiting for my Pfizer vaccine, Albo. And the thing is, if I could have been fully vaccinated within the last month already, I could be going to Victoria to visit friends and I'd be all clear and fine and not at danger of having to quarantine when I get home. 

BANKS: Why don't we have a better vaccine rollout program? 

ALBANESE: Well, because the Prime Minister put all our eggs in the AstraZeneca basket and the chickens have come home to roost, unfortunately. We are last in the developed world. We haven't got 10 per cent of our people fully vaccinated yet. We didn't do enough deals with enough companies with enough quantity soon enough. So the news is that there are some more coming earlier just in the next month we hope. But we have got to get people vaccinated, that's the key to opening up.

BANKS: And don't forget, you got to check-in in Queensland now with that Queensland Check In app wherever you going in CQ this morning. Can I ask you, Anthony Albanese, what about this wage freeze that's been over the last eight years? When are we going to get some more money for the workers?

ALBANESE: When you get a Labor Government.

BANKS: Let's ask you about your Bunnies then. 

NEVEN: How are they going against the Cowboys tonight?

ALBANESE: They going to win, I have got to say. I'm sorry about that. But you got to be loyal to your team.

BANKS: You do. 

ALBANESE: Souths are going real well at the moment.

BANKS: Let's forget about those couple of games they put 50 on you and stuff. But that's okay, Albo.

NEVEN: Thanks for making time for us this morning.

ALBANESE: That is character building. All part of Wayne Bennett, the super coach's strategy. 

BANKS: Here we go. We could talk football for years. Thank you, Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader. Welcome to Gladstone.

ENDS