Radio Interview – NOVA Afternoons
TIM, HOST: Welcome, Prime Minister.
JOEL, HOST: Hello, Prime Minister.
RICKI-LEE, HOST: Hello.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good to be here. Not the first inappropriate conversation I’ve overheard on Nova.
RICKI-LEE: It’s just a daily occurrence in here, I’m sorry.
PRIME MINISTER: It just happens. It just happens.
RICKI-LEE: How are you?
PRIME MINISTER: I am very well. I’ve had a very busy day, but a very productive day. I was up in Bundaberg in Queensland and I opened the new factory for Bundaberg soft drinks up there, of course ginger beer, a great iconic brand.
TIM: We had the Bundaberg Ginger Beer chips in here.
PRIME MINISTER: They’re good. They’re really good, and they’ve done this massive refurbishment. It’s $152 million build that enables them to significantly, they’ve increased their capacity. It’s a great export for Australia, creating regional jobs up there and then I been in Kirrawee in Sydney, at the high school there for launching the Be that teacher campaign, encouraging people to become teachers. And there’s this ad campaign that begins tomorrow in every state and territory. Really encouraging people to think about the benefit and the satisfaction you get from making a difference to a young student’s life by going into teaching and really lifting up the way that that great profession is valued. So, that was terrific. Wonderful students, wonderful teachers, and it’s a great campaign.
JOEL: Yeah, we need more teachers. I mean, I live to educate personally.
RICKI-LEE: Maybe you could do it Joel.
TIM: I mean, we teach every day in the afternoon.
PRIME MINISTER: But it’s a different kind of teaching, but not all good.
TIM: Are you doing anything at the big house tonight for Halloween or you got too much on?
PRIME MINISTER: No, not doing anything tonight, I’ve got to say.
RICKI-LEE: You don’t get trick or treaters?
PRIME MINISTER: No. Well, tomorrow morning is the big day, too. Tomorrow is the day where we’re tripling the bulk billing incentive for Medicare. So, really making it easier to see a doctor. So, I’ll be in South West Sydney tomorrow.
TIM: We’ve all got stuff on tomorrow. Come on.
PRIME MINISTER: It’s been a busy day.
JOEL: You’re flat out.
PRIME MINISTER: I’ve been to two states and Halloween I’m not sure my security people would handle me going around with my entourage knocking on doors, that is scary in itself, let alone in costume.
RICKI-LEE: I think it would be fascinating. I’d love to see you.
TIM: Last week we were talking as well. We need to ask you about the White House because Joel and I saying that you’ve kind of peaked as a date night.
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely I have it’s all downhill from here.
JOEL: Was the food good?
PRIME MINISTER: The food was really good and we had a lovely meal the night before, too, just the four of us, with me and Jodie and Joe and Jill. It got a run today that we managed to keep it mum, but it’s been written about Kurt Campbell, who’s the US main advisor in charge of Asia and the Pacific has told the story, it’s in the Herald today, about Jill and Jodie talking about the walk back. We we’re walking back from the White House to Blair House, which is the President’s guest house where we were staying. They asked how we were getting back there and said, “oh, we’re going to walk, it’s quite a nice night to walk,” so, Jill runs off and gets a pair of sand shoes to give to Jodie because she goes, “you can’t walk in high heels.”
RICKI-LEE: I love that.
PRIME MINISTER: It showed something about how humble they are and just how normal they are. We had a terrific dinner and then we had the big hoopla. Of course, the next night, the steak dinner was a little bit different.
JOEL: It looked very fancy.
PRIME MINISTER: A wonderful event celebrating the friendship between our two great countries.
TIM: Now we know you’re about to head off to China as well. I do need to alert you to a piece of vision that I’ve just seen about the California Governor, Gavin Newsom, who knocked over a student while playing basketball in China. Have you seen this?
PRIME MINISTER: No, you’re thinking of the previous Prime Minister knocking over kids.
TIM: He did a ScoMo.
RICKI-LEE: Oh, my gosh.
TIM: He did a ScoMo. So, just be careful. No basketball plan in China.
PRIME MINISTER: No. Well, when you’re playing sport with kids, try not to win and try too hard. That’s it.
RICKI-LEE: I’d take those kids down.
PRIME MINISTER: Have a win when you can you reckon.
RICKI-LEE: Absolutely. Take it when you can.
PRIME MINISTER: Fair enough. Fair enough.
TIM: When do you head to China? Is that like tomorrow?
PRIME MINISTER: That’s on Saturday, and that will be, we go to Shanghai. There’s a trade meeting on and, of course, trade with China is very important for us, it’s more than one in four of every one of our export dollars is China dependent. It’s more than the next three – second, third and fourth is the US, Japan and Korea. So, it’s a big deal and we’ve managed to resolve the dispute on wine and on timber and barley and hay. There’s a little bit to go in seafood and some areas, but it is an important relationship for Australian jobs, basically. But China gets to benefit from our wonderful products, including Bundy beer, Bundy ginger beer, sorry. They said that they’re up there in a couple of weeks, it’s a big market for them and then I go to Beijing to meet with President Xi to talk about the full range of issues, I should imagine both the things we agree on and the things that we don’t. But it’s always good to have dialogue.
TIM: Yeah, absolutely. Well, we’re about to kick off our third or fourth annual pumpkin carving contest. I know you’re good at campaigning, because what we’re going to do is in about an hour’s time, I’m putting it to the vote. I’m on record as I’m going to use a pineapple this year to support our Australian farmers, because I’m going to use a pumpkin as well. But can I just say maybe first off the bat, can you be my first vote? Can you endorse my pumpkin?
RICKI-LEE: You cheeky.
TIM: Come on, Albo. I’m in your electorate. Remember that. I’m the only one out of the three of us in your electorate.
PRIME MINISTER: You win clearly, in all ways. All politics is local.
TIM: All politics is local. There you go. Can you put one vote down for my pumpkin. Prime Minister, lovely to have you on, as always.
RICKI-LEE: So nice to speak to you.
TIM: And no basketball in China with kids okay.
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll remember that and have a good night, everyone, and don’t scare too many kids. I actually thought of that yesterday because normally you go to the supermarket to buy some lollies to give to the kids, but no kids can get through where I am anymore.
TIM: Awesome mate chat to you soon.
PRIME MINISTER: See you guys.