Radio Interview – Triple M Newcastle with Tanya and Steve
TANYA WILKS, HOST: Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, good morning.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, great to be talking with you and I hope your mum is listening.
STEVE GRAHAM, HOST: She’d be very proud, I’m telling you now, Albo.
WILKS: Now PM, we know you’re heading our way at about lunchtime today with some good news because we always welcome the PM with open arms when he’s got his chequebook in tow. So, what are you going to be announcing later?
PRIME MINISTER: Indeed. Well, we’re not just announcing, we’re doing. We’re going to be beginning the upgrade of Newcastle Airport, the new terminal there that will be so fantastic. It’s such a great region to drive our economy, but it’s also a great region to visit. And with upgraded facilities, I’m sure what that will bring is additional flights into the region which will assist the people of the Hunter to travel. But also importantly, to assist people to see the beautiful city that is Newcastle. Explore your wonderful beaches, go up to Port Stephens, go to the Hunter Valley, to the wineries, you’ve got so much to offer.
GRAHAM: It’s so true in both ways is the fact that, as I’m sure you’ve seen the stats, Novocastrians love to travel, we love to fly, but yeah and then, of course, what it brings to us.
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely. So, it’s a big plus for the economy. And it is an airport that really does need upgrading, that’s been needed for a little while. But also direct flights, of course, international as well will be very important to bring people directly there to the beautiful Hunter Valley.
WILKS: When you get there, because I was there on Friday flying out, and when you do arrive around the bar on Friday night they had the blue State of Origin flag, but they also had the Maroons State of Origin flag. So, most of us can’t take nail clippers into the airport.
GRAHAM: Tanya, I’m sorry, he has to be neutral, he is the Prime Minister.
WILKS: No, he doesn’t, do you? Surely you can’t be neutral, you’re a NSW boy.
PRIME MINISTER: No, I of course, will be cheering for the Blues. But I’m a bit worried that so many Souths players have been picked, I’m a bit worried about –
GRAHAM: That’s a bit selfish.
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s two-nil, it’s done and dusted. Why didn’t they pick Cody Walker earlier? He is the best try assist guy in the whole game.
GRAHAM: I agree.
PRIME MINISTER: And has been so for a few years. And no good throwing him into game three.
GRAHAM: No, totally agree with you.
WILKS: Well look, on that topic, are you dismayed about what’s happened overnight with the Players Association now putting a player boycott on all media interviews, not just for the NRL rounds, but also for the State of Origin?
PRIME MINISTER: I think it’s pretty unfortunate for the fans, really. And of course the fans want to hear from their heroes. Whether they’re older fans such as myself, or young fans who look up to their heroes, particularly those playing Origin. But also there are a range of games this weekend, of course as well, so hopefully that is short lived and I hope that it can be sorted out.
GRAHAM: Now, when you get to Newcastle, apart from cutting the things around the bar, will it be a quick fly in, fly out, Albo? Or do you get to stay? Because I got a couple of mates that, there are some lovely motels. The Western out of Mayfield if you want to stay over the night.
PRIME MINISTER: I am doing a couple of things afterwards. But I am at this stage, they’re private events, I’ll be travelling to see some people around the region later today.
WILKS: Look, the other thing that happened overnight is Carlton United Breweries have released an England Bitter beer and they’re sending slabs of them –
PRIME MINISTER: Good on them.
WILKS: They’re sending slabs over to England in the hope that at some point the English cricketers might agree to have a beer, and hopefully a warm one at that. We know how much you love NRL, but I mean, your counterpart over there was commenting saying, ‘Australian cricketers should apologise’. Do you weigh into all of this?
PRIME MINISTER: I have a little bit. I’ve responded to, I wouldn’t normally, but given that Rishi Sunak, who’s a good fellow. But on this, he’s just a little bit disappointed and I think let his disappointment get ahead of him here. We’ve seen, there’s some terrific footage of Jonny Bairstow stumping a fellow who just doesn’t try to play a shot, just lifted his foot just a little millimetre off the ground. He waited for that to happen and then stumped him and then did interviews afterwards about it being the rules of the game and how pleased he was with it all. So, I think there’s a bit of nonsense going on. Australia have played very well, two-nil up. And I got taught by the Nuns at St Joseph’s Camperdown all those years ago in primary school, stay in your crease. Stay in your crease. It’s not hard, is it?
GRAHAM: Yeah, that’s true.
WILKS: It’s not hard.
PRIME MINISTER: Hit the ball with the bat and stay in your crease.
GRAHAM: I don’t get it. If they really want to upset the English send them XXXX.
PRIME MINISTER: Now, they really are fighting wars against Queenslanders. I’m staying right out of that.
WILKS: Just one last thing on the airport before we let you go. Do you know, because we know Peter Cock, the GM out there is fantastic. He’s been working hard behind the scenes to secure some international agreements for us out of Newcastle. Do you have any early mail on that that you could maybe tell us about? Do you know anything?
PRIME MINISTER: I think this upgrade will certainly assist and I’m very hopeful, and my government is working with the Newcastle airport team to secure that. You have so much to offer in the region to international visitors. Just such a beautiful coastline, and a beautiful hinterland as well with the Valley there, it is such an attractive tourist destination. So I’m very hopeful that one of the things this upgrade is about is bringing people to Newcastle. Of course, it’s just a short drive up the road to the beautiful Port Stephens, and I know that Meryl Swanson is really keen on what’s happening there and the potential that’s there for growth. And Dan Repacholi and Sharon Claydon and Pat Conroy all want this upgrade to happen, to really make a difference for Newcastle and the region.
GRAHAM: Well, you’re dead right, we’re all for it. We’re loving it here. One last one though because the news team are after a grab. Did you make a cheeky phone call to the Reserve Bank on Tuesday morning and say, just keep it as it is?
PRIME MINISTER: No, Reserve Bank are independent.
GRAHAM: They love a news grab here though, mate.
PRIME MINISTER: But they are, I was very pleased with the decision.
GRAHAM: Sure you were.
PRIME MINISTER: I get that people are doing it quite tough, so many people, and it was good to see that happened. And we’ve been working hard to make sure that we produced a bigger surplus and inflation has decreased and that’s a good thing.
WILKS: Who’s barking in the background?
PRIME MINISTER: That is Toto wanting to be heard. There is someone walking outside the door here, she’s the most vicious, killer cavoodle you’ve ever seen. She’s likely to lick them, if anything.
WILKS: It’s nice to know our PM’s security is in place and you’re being looked after.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s right, who needs the Australian Federal Police when you’ve got a cavoodle?
GRAHAM: That’s it, you got Toto the attack dog.
WILKS: All right PM, it’s lovely talking with you. Welcome to Newcastle later today and thanks so much for the $110 million, because we could use it. We appreciate it.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah thanks, guys.