SUBJECTS: Visit to the Gold Coast; social media; Instagram; what Labor can do for the Gold Coast.
 
HOST: Flan, someone important is coming to the Gold Coast, Griffith Uni, they're heading into Parkwood. I think they're on the phone right now.
 
HOST: Look, we do have some important on. He could be the next Prime Minister of Australia. His name is Anthony Albanese, the Leader of the Federal Opposition, the ALP. Anthony Albanese, good morning.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good morning. Good to be with you. I am heading to the Gold Coast.
 
HOST: Well, actually, you said this last time you were here. Can we ask you a question about Annastacia Palaszczuk?
 
ALBANESE: ‘I have been on the Gold Coast with Annastacia, I’ll convey your message to the Premier’.
 
HOST: Did you convey the message? Because we still haven't seen her. Is she still here? Is she alive?
 
ALBANESE: I still haven't seen here. I am seeing her later today.
 
HOST: On the Gold Coast?
 
ALBANESE: No, Parliament is sitting.
 
HOST: I was going to say that if she was down here, she is lost.
 
ALBANESE: Queensland Parliament is sitting. So, I'll be in that building about lunchtime, after I'm on the Coast.
 
HOST: I know Ali and Flans have got some questions. But no, seriously, we are the second biggest city outside of Brisbane. There's no doubt, I think the Gold Coast will overtake Brisbane at one stage. We will be the biggest city. At the moment, we have not seen Annastacia for a long, long time here.
 
ALBANESE: Well, she's pretty busy. She gets about. As I've said, I've been with her on the Gold Coast at tourism events and a range of activities, the Magic Millions with her. I'll give you guys a big shout out.
 
HOST: There's a new member of our team, Ali Plath.
 
HOST: Good morning, Albo. How are you?
 
ALBANESE: I'm very well.
 
HOST: That's good. Just wanted to check that before I ask this very selfish and personal question for all of us. Now, you have 80,100 followers on Instagram. What advice would you give to people wanting to boost their popularity, AKA us.
 
ALBANESE: Put some nice photies up. That is what it is about.
 
HOST: Dogs licking ice-cream?
 
ALBANESE: Well, I'll give you a little tip. I did a think last week where my sort of younger people in the office, the social media team, were like, 'No, that might work'. And I was like, 'Nah, nah, I'm putting it up'. I put up my 1981 essay, which was on neoclassical economics. You would think it was a pretty dry topic. Guess what? It went off. It is my second most successful post ever. The only time thing that's beaten it is a photo with Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins.
 
HOST: I was actually going to ask if it was the one with your dog and the beer.
 
ALBANESE: The dog goes well. Well, my team, you can pick anything I've put up and my team go, 'Oh, another photo with Toto'. And I go, 'Yeah, but have a look at the likes'. And they go, 'Yeah, you are right'. She is a very cute dog.
 
HOST: Can I ask you a quick question? It's about the Gold Coast, Albo. As an alternative Prime Minister, what do you think the Gold Coast needs? What are you going to do when you become the Prime Minister that can help the Gold Coast?
 
ALBANESE: More infrastructure to keep up with the growth.
 
HOST: Okay.
 
ALBANESE: You've got to get infrastructure before the growth. We will finish all the Gold Coast Light Rail that I commenced when I was the Minister, upgrade the roads. There has been a lot of work done on the Pacific Motorway, but you need some east-west infrastructure there as well. And today I'm at Griffith Uni there talking about medical manufacturing and the innovations coming out of the uni. Australia has always been really good at ideas. And the Gold Coast has a couple of unis, of course. What we need to do is commercialise them and make more things which will mean more jobs on the Gold Coast.
 
HOST: Well, Anthony Albanese, the Leader of the Opposition, good luck. Hopefully, you don't take the M1 to get to Brisbane. You won't get there by lunchtime. We do appreciate you calling in when you do come to town.
 
HOST: And if you can throw something up on Instagram, grab a photo of the Breakfast Show here, Flan Ali and Spida. And put us up on your Insta and see how that goes.
 
ALBANESE: Well, next time I come up, I'll have to drop into the studio.
 
HOST: We would love that.
 
ALBANESE: We'll get a photo.
 
HOST: Your shout for coffee. Thanks, Albo.
 
ALBANESE: That will be the key to success.
 
ENDS