OLIVER PETERSON, HOST: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, good afternoon.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon, Oly. Wonderful to be able to chat with you again and great to be back here in the great state of WA.
PETERSON: Well, this morning you were out and about with a major road announcement. The Kwinana Freeway to get a $350 million Commonwealth injection on top of a $350 million state injection. What's planned to happen to the Kwinana?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's going to add around 50 per cent of capacity to the upgraded sections, essentially widening it, which will be fantastic preparing for Westport, the new port that will be up and operating sometimes in the late 2030s. We know that Fremantle is reaching capacity at the port there, and it's really important to get that infrastructure in place well in advance. But also, of course, the growing population. It's about easing congestion for commuters whether they're going to work or travelling into or from the city. It will be such an important project and it builds on, we're putting $67 million into planning around the port and there at Kwinana this morning it was a really good announcement. What it means now is that it's fully funded, the money is in our Budget and it can go ahead.
PETERSON: Okay, you've got that in the south. In the north, I know the Premier and the state Opposition last week pledging another road project that is Reid Highway and Erindale Road grade separate intersections. Now this is a cost of $225 million of state money. Looking for the top up there of Commonwealth money. You’ve got to remember you're funding a freeway in the south. It's like State of Origin, Prime Minister, because north of the river residents won't be happy for the money just going to south of the river.
PRIME MINISTER: Look, we've put a lot of money into the north of the river as well. Whether it be METRONET or road projects that we've put in in place or indeed during that visit where I was here just a few weeks ago, we turned the first sod at Alkimos there at the incredible aquatic centre which is going to be built with multiple pools and netball courts, basketball courts, indoor and outdoor facilities. So, we will continue to invest in the north and I tell you what, people like Anne Aly and Tracey Roberts will make sure that we're doing that.
PETERSON: It's an election year of course, so we're going to see a lot of Anthony Albanese and Roger Cook together?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, you see a lot of us together every year. And before that you saw a lot of me and Mark McGowan. As you know, Oly, I have been a regular visitor to this great state and this is my 28th visit as Prime Minister. I've been more than the last three Prime Ministers combined, many more times, in just under three years. And I'll continue to return not just when elections are on. I'll return as I committed to do on average at least 10 times a year, because this state helps drive our national economy and it's such a big state as well. I not only have been to Perth, I've been as Prime Minister to Kununurra and to Fitzroy Crossing and to Broome and Port Hedland, Karratha, down in the south to Albany, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie. I've been right around this great state and it has so much to offer. It's already contributing so much. But one of the things we did on the last visit was announced the access for exports for three new ports, including up there at Wyndham. And what that will do is really open up opportunity in the East Kimberley region as well for cotton and other products to be exported. It's all about income, not just for Western Australia, but for the nation. Which is why we're here, investing in it.
PETERSON: April 12, is that going to be the date of the federal election?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, it'll be May 17 or beforehand. We have three year terms. I've said consistently, three years is two short. I'm just getting on with governing. And that's why today's announcement is a government announcement. It's not a commitment for the next election. It's really important that we're able to deliver and that means dealing with immediate challenges. We're funded, of course, Urgent Care Clinics here, providing Medicare support where we need it. I was there with Trish Cook, who used to work as a nurse there, candidate for Bullwinkel the last time I was here with Tania Lawrence on the border of their seats up towards the hills here. But right throughout – TAFE is making an enormous difference here. I was here for the opening of the new METRONET line. We'll continue to invest in WA and I want to build on the foundations with a second term. Getting re-elected is tough. There hasn't been a Prime Minister re-elected in Australia since 2004 when John Howard was re-elected. But that's the mountain that I have to climb and I'm determined to fight every day for the interests of Australians to make sure that we get there.
PETERSON: What about Scott Morrison in 2018? He was re-elected Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no, he was elected. He only won one election. He was –
PETERSON: Right. Technically, he wins the election understand –
PRIME MINISTER: He knocked over Malcolm Turnbull and Malcolm Turnbull knocked over Tony Abbott. And so it's proceeded for a long period of time. What we need is stability and I want to work with the Cook Labor Government. I want to see them re-elected and I want to continue the good work well beyond the coming months.
PETERSON. So, this is how I see it playing out. Roger Cook wins the state election on March 8. You're holding his hand in the air. Then you're on a midnight flight back to Canberra to go and visit the Governor-General, dissolve the Parliament and away you go.
PRIME MINISTER: Without sleeping?
PETERSON: Maybe – you don't sleep much anyway. You're always around the country.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's true. It is true that I'm always working and I will be back in WA. I think Roger Cook's Government deserves a big win on March 8 and I look forward to seeing that happen. I certainly hope that it does. I think he leads a very good, efficient Government that gets things done and has a very cooperative relationship. WA was the first state to sign up to our delivery of the Gonski reforms. The full school resourcing standard, making sure that every single public school student is valued and gets the funding they deserve. And Roger Cook led the way on that.
PETERSON: Roger Cook wrote a letter last week to the Reserve Bank of Australia Governor to cut interest rates. Do you back him in doing this and should she listen to his calls?
PRIME MINISTER: I think that Roger Cook is entitled to do that. At a Federal Government level, the Reserve Bank is independent and what is important is that we don't tell them what to do. They'll make their decisions independently. But I do make this point. When we came into Government, inflation had a 6 in front of it and was rising. Interest rates had begun to increase. We have got inflation down to having a two in front of it. So, we have worked very hard producing two budget surpluses. Making sure that we have our responsible economic management, is making a difference.
PETERSON: Do you think a second term for you depends on what the Reserve Bank of Australia does next month in regards to interest rates?
PRIME MINISTER: No. Well, these things are independent and I think people understand that. People do understand that we've got that inflation down to having a two in front of it. It's within the Reserve Bank band that they aim for and we've done that whilst we've provided that cost of living relief. We've done so in a way that hasn't put pressure on inflation. So, whether it's our Energy Price Relief or Cheaper Medicines, Cheaper Child Care, importantly, the big one, I think, Oly, that's made a difference to your listeners is the tax cuts for every single taxpayer. You'd recall, that was a pretty brave decision for me to go to the National Press Club one year ago this week and to say, “well, I'm going to change the tax cuts to make sure no one misses out, to make sure no one's left behind and target it at low and middle income earners who really need it.” And that's meant more dollars in people's pockets. And the fact that real wages are increasing and have increased four quarters in a row means people are earning more and they're getting to keep more of what they earn.
PETERSON: Couple of others for you, PM. The neo-Nazis Adelaide rally over the weekend. Monuments and statues defaced in Sydney and Melbourne. What in the world is happening in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, it's horrifying. I saw that footage only this morning because I was travelling from Canberra to Sydney and then to Perth last night on what was a very long Australia Day that I had, of course. It’s a way of getting Australia Day to last for 27 hours. And so I looked at the footage this morning and to see 30 blokes dressed in black from head to toe, clearly aimed at intimidating and identifying openly as neo-Nazis, is, I think, horrifying. And I just give a shout out to the South Australian Police and the intelligence agencies for their work in stopping these people entering the city and stopping them disrupting the Australia Day activities. They did a remarkable job. There's no place in Australia for neo-Nazis and the radicalising on the far right that's been warned by the Director-General of ASIO, Mike Burgess, tragically, has played out. The role of online radicalisation, whether of the extremes of whatever variety, but is just horrific. And to me it just undermines everything that Australia stands for, where we need to respect each other, have civil discourse. By all means, talk about differences which are there, but do it in a respectful manner.
PETERSON: And here you are today making an announcement about the National Holocaust Education Centres. And yesterday, myself, I was out and about in Lancelin, only about an hour and a half north of Perth, and I've got to say, I haven't seen more Australian flags around on the 26th of January on Australia Day than I have in a long time. People were everywhere, happy last night at the sky show here in Perth, the fireworks, the drone show. There was a hundred odd thousand people down here at the foreshore where I was Prime Minister. Everybody was happy. And it's a multicultural crowd, packed, happy, celebratory. But then there's all this division on religion and race. I mean, why are we tolerating this? How do we fix it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, well, exactly, yeah. One of the things that we do, as by example, I mean we need to have proper education. And today we've announced $2 million for the centre here, where I've just been, here in Perth, at the Holocaust Institute of WA, they have their Holocaust Institute's Education Centre. It’s so important, the work that they do. It was a very moving ceremony this morning. We've announced $4.4 million for a national centre, a National Holocaust Education Centre in Canberra. As you know, lots of school groups go to Canberra. This needs to be a part of the visit that they make as well. So, it's not just for Canberrans, obviously, it's for people who visit the national capital. And I think that yesterday, the national celebrations that occurred were fantastic in Canberra. I attended the concert in Sydney that was just inspiring as well. It was a great celebration. And the Australian of the Year Awards. There is nothing better I do in this job than to see the eight people from, you know, one person from every state and territory nominated. Australian of the Year, the Young Australian of the Year, the Volunteer of the Year and the Senior Australian of the Year. And of course, Neale Daniher, such an inspiration to be our Australian of the Year. Dealing with MND that he has suffered from since 2014. It is a terrible disease. He has taken that challenge and turned it into something where he's raising, he's raised, you know, tens of millions of dollars for research and for assistance. And here in WA, Brother Olly here with his wheelchair program for young people throughout the world, 81 countries have benefited. He was just a remarkable Australian and I think it was a proud moment for Western Australia when he received the Senior Australian of the Year Awards. And I committed to going and visiting and I certainly will be doing that.
PETERSON: You talk about respect and leading by example. But over the weekend there, reflecting on those Australia Day honours, of course, Grace Tame there at The Lodge. How was she let in wearing that t-shirt? You must be disappointed, embarrassed by the situation?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, look, it was disappointing. I think it didn't show respect. It wasn't in the spirit of the occasion. It was obviously designed to attract attention and my focus was not on that. My focus is where it should be, which is on the attention being given to the wonderful nominees and award recipients who received awards on Saturday night at the Australian of the Year Awards.
PETERSON: Have you told Grace Tame there's a time and a place for this? I mean, you wouldn't be allowed into Parliament dressed like that. You wouldn't be probably allowed in a school or a club. You know, it's respect, it's not the cause. And unfortunately there's photographs and you're next to her and it's now being displayed around the country.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, well, quite clearly it wasn't appropriate. I didn't have a discussion with her on the day. I focused on the people who were there receiving their nominations and it was – it didn't distract from the wonder of the event.
PETERSON: Final question, Prime Minister, on the live export decision. Because my colleague here, Simon Beaumont, had a poll on his program last week and the results about the live export decision, over 200 votes saying it's going to cost you dearly at the federal election. Only 12 people in support of the decision that has been made. Do you reckon you haven't read the room on this one in WA?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the people who would tend to do a response, are obviously people who have a view. Every survey that's been had right around Australia, says that people have responded to the issue of live exports over a long period of time. We went to two elections saying that we would take action on live exports and we have put in place an ending of live exports with plenty of notice, of course, and with a substantial program of support for industry to readjust. This is an industry that is very small compared with the sheep meat export industry. We've provided more than $100 million of support. That's more than the annual figure of value of live exports.
PETERSON: Prime Minister, thank you very much for your time. We'll see you back in Perth soon.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Oly.