Doorstop interview - Melbourne

Transcript
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
The Hon Anthony Albanese MP
Prime Minister of Australia

TIM WATTS, MEMBER FOR GELLIBRAND: Good morning. My name is Tim Watts, I am the Federal member for Gellibrand. And it's a great pleasure to be able to welcome the Prime Minister to my community in Melbourne's west here today. We're at Sweet Magic, a very special small business for the Indian Australian community in my electorate. Sweet Magic is my go to destination anytime I am hosting a special guest, anytime I'm marking a celebration of a significant event. They hooked me up for Holi. They hooked me up for my mithai, my jalebi, when I'm hosting distinguished guests in my office. So, of course, there is no better place to bring the Prime Minister to on the eve of a very significant date for the Government's cost of living agenda. We know that tomorrow, July 1, there will be very significant cost of living initiatives delivered for all Australians and for Australian small businesses. The extension of the $20,000 instant asset tax write-off, extension of energy relief for bills for small businesses and all households across Australia. And importantly, tax cuts for all Australians, not just some. And that means more money in the pockets of more customers for more small businesses like Sweet Magic. It means more mithai being bought across businesses like this, across Melbourne's west. So, I'm really delighted to be able to hand over to the Prime Minister now to speak more about these very important cost of living initiatives.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks very much, Tim. And it's fantastic to be here at Sweet Magic, here in Truganina, here in Melbourne. And indeed, our objective, it's an appropriate place to be, because our objective is to hit the sweet spot. The sweet spot in putting downward pressure on inflation while providing cost of living relief. And tomorrow will be a big day, 2.6 million people on award wages will get a wage increase. And indeed, as well, 13.6 million Australian taxpayers will get a tax cut. We want people to earn more and to keep more of what they earn. In addition to that, $300 of power bill relief for every single household. In addition to that, two weeks additional paid parental leave. All of this being achieved whilst we have delivered a second budget surplus. And that is our objective here, to make sure that we get through the short-term issues which are there for cost of living pressures on families here in Melbourne and around Australia. But we want to make sure, as well, that we get the economic settings right, which is why we have produced those budget surpluses, which does put downward pressure on inflation. And at the same time, this week in the Parliament, we'll be introducing Future Made in Australia legislation. Very important about how the economy grows in the future, how we get those clean energy jobs, how that helps to create advanced manufacturing. And that stands in stark contrast to Peter Dutton's thought bubble, really, not really a plan, because it's uncosted for nuclear power. Something that six of the seven sites are already engaged in other activity that has been chosen, something that he won't tell you the cost of. What he will say, though, is that it has to be government-owned, because no private sector financier, no bank, no financial institution will touch this thought bubble with a barge pole, because it simply doesn't add up. What we want to do is to assist families with their budgets. That's what the tax cuts will do. That's what the increase in wages will do. And that's what the energy price relief plan will do, on top of fee-free TAFE, cheaper child care and other measures that are all designed to put that downward pressure on inflation while helping working families. Happy to take questions. Easy peasy. Thank you very much.