LEON BYNER: And let's welcome now, he's been on the show before, but now he's the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. Prime Minister, thank you for coming on today and welcome.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much, Leon. It's always good to be on the program, and greetings from Darwin.
LEON BYNER: Yes. Now tell us about the fact that you've got a space industry announcement for SA. First of all, why are you in Darwin?
PRIME MINISTER: We're here because at the Arnhem Space Centre between 26 June and 12 July, there will be three launches connected with the NASA and the Equatorial Launch Australia. We know that Adelaide and South Australia will play a role in terms of our space entry into science, which is so important, but these launches will be very exciting. They'll be the first NASA rockets launched from Australia since 1995 when there were launches conducted from the RAAF Base there at the Woomera Range. So this is really exciting. There'll be scientific experiments they'll go 250 kilometres into the sky, collect data about the physics of the sun and its relationship with the earth. We signed-off on these launches when Richard Marles was the Deputy Prime Minister just a couple of weeks ago, and this is really exciting. We want people to be inspired by scientific research and it just shows that Australia we can achieve anything. And it is a really positive announcement that I did with the Chief Minister here this morning, Natasha Fyles, and I look forward to further announcements in the scientific field as part as well of our policy of a future made in Australia. There's a real spin off for Australian jobs and industry from our engagement here.
LEON BYNER: Prime Minister, what's the biggest issue for you now? What do you reckon is the most important challenge for you at this time?
PRIME MINISTER: The big challenges is cost of living. Cost of living pressures have been building up for a long period of time. We have a crisis in energy prices now. The former government just failed to invest to have any energy policy. They had 22 announcements but didn't land one, and that's led to a consequence where our grid is not fit for purpose for the 21st century. And that's having consequences when combined with international factors related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine mean that we're in a circumstance whereby we are in a real pressure from cost of living. People know that the price of everything is going up, but people's wages aren't.
LEON BYNER: So what is it that you can practically do to intervene in what is a very challenging issue, much of which is outside your control?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course. Well, look, there's a meeting today of federal and state Ministers that Chris Bowen is convening. We will take whatever action we can in the short term. In the long term, of course, you've got to make the grid fit for purpose, and that's what our Rewiring the Nation plan will do. We know that South Australia has lead the country in terms of investment in renewables, but we also know that the grid isn't fit for purpose, but the solutions have been identified for a long period of time by the Australian Energy Market Operator. It has its integrated systems plan where they've identified where the investment should be. But in order to achieve that, you need that, that policy certainty. Now my Government will have that and that will provide for us a way forward. But of course, you can't address nine years of neglect in nine days and we've only been in office for a couple of weeks. So we also need to look at other measures that will address cost of living. There are some measures that were supported by us that were in the last budget, but they're very much short term, but that is helpful. But the medium term pressures, so we have our plan for cheaper childcare, for example, will make a substantial difference, cheaper medicines, are all designed to take pressure off the cost of living. Our policy for more affordable and social housing and our policy to assist people, low and middle income earners, into housing as well. Using the successful models that have operated in places like Western Australia will also be a way in which we can improve people's living standards and of course the issue of raising people's wages. That's why the Government's made a submission to the Fair Work Commission saying that those people on the minimum wage simply can't afford to go backwards.
LEON BYNER: Sure. Hey, is the job of PM what you thought it would be?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, look, it's been an exciting time for me. It's such an honour to be Prime Minister of Australia. Of course, we hit the ground running a lot faster than any time in our history. To be sworn in on the Monday morning at 9am and to be off to Tokyo for the Quad Leaders' Meeting with President Biden, Prime Minister Kishida and Prime Minister Modi—three of our important partners—was something that I don't think could have been anticipated. But the government determined the timetable for the election. Why they had the election so close to the Quad Leaders' Meeting is beyond my comprehension, frankly. But it has meant that the transition happened very quickly and in addition, the opportunity to be in Indonesia was a very successful visit with our near neighbour to the north. President Widodo and I got on exceptionally well. You might have seen we even had a bike ride, and it was, it was a very welcoming visit. Indonesia will grow to be one of the top five economies in the world in our lifetime, in coming years. Indonesia is growing extraordinarily. Their exports grew at 47.8 per cent last year. What we see is real opportunity for Australia to benefit from this growth as well as assisting Indonesia's development. And that's why I went up there with senior Ministers, including Penny Wong, Don Farrell and Ed Husic, but also took senior business leaders as well, including Jennifer Westacott from the BCA, Matt Coleman, the head of the Commonwealth Bank and other business leaders from Wesfarmers, Fortescue in a range of industries as well as the head of Monash University. Monash University has established a campus in Jakarta. There are real opportunities that we have and President Widodo was very keen on strengthening the partnership between Australia and Indonesia. But now as well, I of course, I was in Adelaide on what seems like a long time ago, but it was only Saturday to thank the good people of Boothby who elected Louise there who will be an amazing local member. I then travelled to Perth and I've been to Darwin today to acknowledge the change of Government and to thank those people who gave support to our newly elected members. I'll be in Queensland next week. It's a big country and it's a big job that I have, but it's one in which I've been really heartened by people who've said to me, one group people who are very pleased and who voted and supported us in the election, but others as well. In Darwin last night I had a group of people come up to me and say that they didn't vote for me this time, but they wish me well. They thought the Government had begun very well and that they wanted to see the Government succeed because a successful Government means a successful country. And I think that there's a great deal of goodwill out there from the Australian public, and that is something that I really appreciate.
LEON BYNER: Well, there are four South Australians in your Ministry. That's pretty good representation for us.
PRIME MINISTER: Four in the Cabinet. It's even stronger than that. But they're all there absolutely on merit in senior roles of course. And, and you know, we have the Foreign Affairs Minister in Penny Wong, Don Farrell, now responsible for Trade and Tourism as well. Special Minister of State Mark Butler in Health and Amanda Rishworth in Social Services and they're all, they're all outstanding and that is something that South Australians I know are proud of. Peter Malinauskas on Saturday certainly made that, made that point as well.
LEON BYNER: Well look thank you for coming on this morning and I do know that anything you can tell us that is relevant for Aussies or South Australians, we're always keen to hear.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Leon, and thank you for your good wishes and I look forward to speaking with you many times in the future.
LEON BYNER: Absolutely. Thank you. That's the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with the latest on 1395 Adelaide's FiveAA.