Television Interview – Channel 7 Victoria Good Friday Appeal
REBECCA MADDERN, HOST: How are you? Happy Easter.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: I am very well. Happy Easter to you and all the people viewing out there. Greets from the Royal Easter Show in Sydney.
MIKE AMOR, HOST: Prime Minister, you’ve got a special announcement to make this afternoon?
PRIME MINISTER: I certainly do. Look, this is such an important appeal and we know that many people are doing it tough. But I know that Australians will be digging deep to help those young people and, of course, their families who require the support of the Royal Children’s Hospital but also for research as well. It’s important to recognise the role that the Children’s Hospital plays there in Melbourne. So the Australian Government, I can announce, will be contributing $6 million over three years to the Good Friday Appeal. We know how important this work is. We want to provide support for the kids and their families out there.
MADDERN: We’ve got Penny Fowler the chair of the Good Friday Appeal with us on the Good Friday Appeal with us on the desk this afternoon. I know that you two know each other. Penny, can we get your reaction?
PENNY FOWLER, GOOD FRIDAY APPEAL: Thank you so much, Prime Minister, and to the Government. We are just so grateful. This really makes a difference to us. It’s going to inspire everyone else to do whatever they can. We can’t thank you over enough, over three years to have a commitment of $6 million over three years. It really makes a difference to the Good Friday Appeal. We started in 1941 with a 427 pound donation for a sports carnival has this helps everybody. I hope it inspires everyone to give what they can today. But we can’t thank you and our Government for what they have done today.
MADDERN: Prime Minister, thank you very much on behalf of all Victorians. But let’s get on to what you’re up to at the Sydney Easter Show. Are you heading to the showbag stand soon? What do you like to do at the show?
PRIME MINISTER: We’ve got behind us a little petting pen, you can see little kids enjoying little animals, basically, cuddling and getting to interact with our farmers.
MADDERN: You’re used to dealing with kids in Parliament, you will be right at home.
PRIME MINISTER: I am, indeed. It’s a similar noise coming from behind me. But it’s more friendly, the noise here at the Easter Show. It’s a great event that happens every Easter in Sydney. I’ve been coming since I was their size. And when my son was little we brought him every year. He’s 22 now, so he is too cool to hang around with dad at the Easter Show, he’d rather come with his mates. But it’s a great tradition, as is the Good Friday Appeal, of course. 92 years it’s been going. And that is just sensational. Thank you to Penny and all the volunteers too who are giving up their time to work the phones and to work to assist the appeal. But also a shout out to all those doctors and nurses and orderlies and radiographers and social workers and people who work with kids who are sick. I grew up across the road from the Children’s Hospital in Camperdown in Sydney so I used to see first-hand kids who were doing it really tough. To all those who work with them, thank you for the work that you do.
AMOR: Thank you, Prime Minister. I am sure all Victorians appreciate that donation.