Radio Interview – ABC Regional Victoria Drive
WARWICK LONG, HOST: Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese, welcome.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good to be with you, Warwick.
LONG: Why were you in Horsham today?
PRIME MINISTER: I was there at the official opening ceremony of what is a fantastic project to upgrade the riverfront there. Its nature and waterplay park, and it was a real celebration of the community, from some of the the youngest members of the community who painted rocks that are a part, of what is, a fantastic kid’s playground. But the whole of the waterfront there of the beautiful river has been upgraded. And it’ll be fantastic, a place where people can go and have a barbecue or they can fish in the river. But also, people will visit the region as well. So it was an opening there with the Mayor Robyn Gulline and also Jacinta Ermacora from the Victorian Government was there at the opening and it was a great celebration. I think a fair portion of the town there came out.
LONG: Well, you went for a walk down the main street, didn’t you? What did people want to talk to you about? Are they talking cost of living? Are they happy to meet the Prime Minister? What did they say to you?
PRIME MINISTER: They were pretty happy just to see that the Prime Minister was in town. We were running a bit early. So I dropped off at the very end of the main street there and we walked down and people crossed the road and came and said ‘G’day’. People in regional cities are always really friendly, I find. There were quite a few selfies that are probably up now. And it really is a beautiful city. The botanic gardens there are superb and there’s good ovals, a lot of green space. But also, I think, a city that clearly is doing quite well. There weren’t too many empty shop fronts along the main street and looking up and down the the side streets going off as well. So it was a good opportunity to get out and about.
LONG: So it’s your first visit regional Victoria after the flood. You were obviously here during the flooding emergency. Horsham was not as directly affected as other areas. But I suppose since you’re here and you’re speaking on this program, do you have a message to those who are still cleaning up and waiting to return homes after the events of the end of last year?
PRIME MINISTER: I admire the resilience that people have gone through, whether it’s in regional Victoria or the Riverlands in South Australia or the Riverina areas of New South Wales and even up in Lismore on the North Coast of New South Wales, people have done it really tough and there was such an extraordinary amount of damage done. I flew over the region with with Daniel Andrews, the Premier. People have have come back and they’re trying to get on their feet. I know it’s very difficult for people, particularly those who have lost their homes and lost that sense of community. But they’re optimistic and they’re tough. All levels of government are working with the local communities to make sure they can all get back on their feet. We committed to cost-share over over $1.1 billion, we have put into Victorian communities that have been affected by the floods. And obviously that has made a substantial difference. There’s been something like 41,000 claims. So that tells you something about the devastating impact that these floods have.
LONG: Prime Minister, it was noted today, there are a number of protesters there who were calling out while the speeches were going on today. They stayed behind a police line as well. They are wanting a Senate inquiry, at the very least, into power line infrastructure that is going to be built widely through Victoria to connect to the wider grid as well. What do you say to those people who say they’re concerned they’re not being consulted properly on the transition of energy projects in this country?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there has been substantial consultation and that should continue. It wasn’t quite clear to me what they were demonstrating about because there there was a distance. They did disrupt when one of the local Indigenous leaders, who was someone who had chaired the local community reference group. That was unfortunate that his address to the group did get disrupted, but of course we had the local member there was participating or seem to be engaged with that. Look, people, of course, are always entitled to put forward their views that they should do it respectfully and engage.
LONG: They say you’re blocking a Senate inquiry, your Government is blocking a Senate inquiry, into the transition of energy precincts. Are you?
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t know if they’ve noticed yet but I’m sure you have, that the Labor Party doesn’t have a majority of people on the Senate. Far from it.
LONG: You can either vote with them or against them, though can’t you?
PRIME MINISTER: We have less than the Liberal and National Party have in the Senate.
LONG: But if you voted with them it would be a Senate inquiry.
PRIME MINISTER: Well this process, of course, began under former Minister Taylor. And I think that some of the comments that have been made by some members of the Opposition, who seem to just be opposed to everything, even things that they were a part of creating over such a period of time. Angus Taylor, when he was the Energy Minister was boasting about this. What we’ve done as a Government, in conjunction with the Victorian Government is make sure that we give substantial consultation to make a difference. So when when Angus Taylor was the Minister he had this to say: “We’re investing in VNI West because it’s expected to generate $1.9 billion in net market benefits and will be a key part of an efficient transmission backbone for the electricity market.” Well, you can’t say that when you’re the Minister, when you help to create the plan, and then pretend that it’s got nothing to do with you.
LONG: I’ll keep moving on to other issues, because I’m conscious of time. A major event coming to regional Victoria, obviously, less than a thousand days away is the Commonwealth Games to be set in multiple locations in regional Victoria. I’ve had the Mayor from Horsham on recently saying she even wanted to talk to you about Federal Government funds and what that could mean to regional Victoria as part of a Commonwealth Games plan. Is that something you will consider before the next Budget? Because there wasn’t much for the Commonwealth Games in the last one.
PRIME MINISTER: We’ll give consideration to that. I had the opportunity at the Australian Council of Local Government of meeting with the Mayor of Horsham, but other districts in Victoria as well. I know that the Commonwealth Games, I am very hopeful will be a good event. The Gold Coast games that were held a few years ago made a really positive difference there for the Gold Coast. So we’ll be happy to examine any proposals that go forward. The Olympic Games is a very, very big event. And we put funding there for that which will make a difference, not just in Brisbane, but throughout Queensland, particularly a range of the events will be in regional Queensland.
LONG: And just as well, too: I wanted to ask you about this today, because it’s going to be the defining topic of the year and I’m sure you no doubt think it. But are you sick of being asked if you’re concerned about the Voice polling yet?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think that there is a bit of an irony that there’s this huge focus on polls that show all sorts of things depending upon what one you you look at. The truth is that people will really examine the details when it gets closer. It’s a very clear proposal. There’s just two things that are a part of it. One, recognition of Aboriginal Australians in our nation’s Constitution. And secondly, that the form of that should be by having a Voice which is simply an advisory, consultative body on matters that affect Indigenous Australians. It won’t have a right of veto. It won’t run programs or provide funding. But it will enable indigenous people to be heard. And it’s a good idea. One of the things that strikes me whenever I go into communities including today is that today we had a lovely Welcome to Country from one of the local Indigenous leaders, Auntie Annie. And it’s something that was just about giving respect. And that’s something that this is really about, giving respect to Indigenous Australians, recognising the great privilege that we have of sharing this continent with the oldest continuous culture on earth.
LONG: Is it your job to turn public sentiment around? Or is it someone else’s?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is a community campaign. This isn’t something that came from the Government. This came from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people themselves in the lead up to the 2017 Constitutional Convention that was held there at Uluru. They determined that this was the priority. That process couldn’t be traced back, of course to last century. The Howard Government was talking about recognition of Indigenous Australians, but it hasn’t happened. So this will be a grassroots campaign, people talking to their friends, their family, their neighbours, their community organisations. And when people look at the actual questions that have been put forward it’s very simple. Recognition in our Constitution is the first thing the preamble if you like, and then the form is three points. One, there will be a Voice. Two, it may give advice on matters affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. And three, which is important just denotes the primacy of the Parliament, that Parliament will through legislation, establish the composition, function, and procedures of the Voice and that is as it should be. So this is something that I think will lift up the nation. It is an opportunity for national unity. And just as when we were leading into the apology for Stolen Generations, I think that was a positive thing. There’s no one I know, that says that that was a bad thing for the country. But in the lead up are a whole lot of scare campaigns and fear campaigns run. None of them have eventuated. And when this happens, people will look back and say why didn’t we recognise Indigenous Australians earlier?
LONG: Prime Minister, I know you have to go did you get to try a florrie? It’s the local delicacy of Horsham today. Did anyone stick a florrie in front of you?
PRIME MINISTER: I didn’t, unfortunately. Sounds like I missed out.
LONG: It’s got meat. It’s got cheese. It’s a very, very interesting creation. Maybe that’s for your next trip to Horsham. Thank you very much.
PRIME MINISTER: What could go wrong. Fantastic to talk with you. And thank you to all those, particularly the young kids from the local schools, who all came out and said g’day to me today. It was a great privilege and an honour to be there in what is a great regional city here in Victoria.
LONG: Prime Minister, thanks for your time.