OLIVER PETERSON, HOST: Prime Minister, welcome home.
PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: It's good to be back Ollie and to call into Perth. Always good to be in the studio with you.
PETERSON: It's good to have you in the studio. What brings you to Perth?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm on my way back from the visit that I've had to Ukraine, most recently, over the period of Sunday. I went there because the Russian invasion of Ukraine is illegal, is against the UN Charter, but it's also causing massive disruption. It's causing and having a real impact on world energy prices, world food prices and feeding into inflation, including here. But importantly, as well, if Russia is successful in attacking a sovereign state, it has real implications for international security. And we're not immune from that.
PETERSON: Alright, I want to come to Ukraine visit in a moment, but just in the last hour or so interest rates have just gone up another half a percent, another blow for Australian families.
PRIME MINISTER: Look, Australian families are doing it tough. We said that prior to the election, when it was foreshadowed the interest rate increases would occur. The Reserve Bank Governor foreshadowed that regardless of the outcome of the election, so this will be another blow. That's one of the reasons why when I was in Perth last time, I was supporting the pay increase for those on the minimum wage - that occurred, that 5.2% increase is really important for people to be able to get by.
PETERSON: Obviously, this is going to add another $137 to a $500,000 mortgage. It's gone up $333 a month since May, obviously not all of it under your government's watch. Is there anything else though the government can do to ease cost of living pressures? Your Treasurer has ruled out extending the temporary cut to the fuel excise. Are there any other plans, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have plans to deal with cost of living pressures - plans for cheaper childcare, plans to roll out cheaper energy by dealing with, finally, what we need to do of having a national energy policy. But also the support that we've had for minimum wage increases. Of course, we supported the LMITO measures, low and middle income tax offset measures that came into being just this week, on the first of July. That of course will put more money into the pockets, after tax, of low and middle income wage earners. And that's important, it's one of the reasons why we supported those measures.
PETERSON: The opposition has accused you of caring more about your image on the global stage than being here at home with the floods in New South Wales. Do we need you here in Australia, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Peter Dutton of course as the Opposition Leader hasn't said that. And there's a reason for that, because such comments don't reflect the requirements of the Australian Prime Minister. Those people who've made those comments might like to say whether they opposed me going to the Quad Leaders Meeting in just the Monday morning after the election? I didn't set the election date, Scott Morrison did, knowing that the Quad Leaders Meeting, engaging with the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of Japan and the Prime Minister of India, was very important that that occur. Attending the NATO summit was vital for Australia's national interests, as was repairing the relationship with France, advancing a European trade agreement that will create jobs and economic prosperity if we can land it. That had stalled, we needed to repair those relations. And visiting Ukraine was something that certainly wasn't recreational. It was, seeing the devastation firsthand, was quite a difficult thing to do. It certainly wasn't recreational, the visit to Ukraine. I want to thank the ADF for their support with that visit, including some who are based of course around here in Perth. They did a fantastic job. Australia is making a contribution to Ukraine, we're the largest non-NATO contributor and meeting with President Zelenskyy and expressing our solidarity with the struggle of the Ukrainian people, is something that I believe has the support of Australians. I haven't had a day off Ollie, as you know. And I've been working hard and I'll continue to do so each and every day.
PETERSON: What's the latest on the flood crisis in New South Wales?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I received a briefing this morning from Emergency Management Australia and from our Minister, Murray Watt. It remains a difficult circumstance. I'll be touring the area with Premier Perrottet tomorrow. I spoke to Premier Perrottet from Poland and received a direct briefing from him. It remains the case that whilst some of the rains are easing in some areas over coming days, the waters will continue to rise because you've had such an ongoing impact of rains. For the people in the Hawkesbury and around those areas, this is a fourth flooding incident that they've had in 18 months. And those areas were also impacted by the bushfires. So I feel for those people in communities, there are many who have been displaced, there's some 20,000 homes that are without power. And that, of course, is having a real impact. There's some 1000 homes without communications. We have made 250 Australian Defence Force personnel available, 100 of those are on the ground already. Two helicopters were put into service last night in terms of search and rescue work, and we'll continue to provide whatever support is requested from New South Wales.
PETERSON: You've obviously met a lot of world leaders over the last week in particular, we saw the embrace with President Macron of France. You have just spoken about your visit there to Ukraine meeting with President Zelenskyy. What's it like rubbing shoulders with these world leaders, and you say you're on a mission to repair relationships, are they more open to a friendlier Australia under your watch?
PRIME MINISTER: They're certainly open to the message that we have. A message which says we want to engage with the world on the issue of climate change. That is an entry ticket, if you like, onto the global stage. Australia was seen as not doing our part, you had the Glasgow conference where Australia was one of the few countries that didn't increase our 2030 target.
PETERSON: So that's held us back in in the world standing?
PRIME MINISTER: It's held us back massively. And that was a barrier to having a trade agreement with Europe. The Russian action against Ukraine, and the impact on access of Russian gas and energy into Europe, has been a real reminder of the need for European energy sources to look more towards renewables and other sources. And the meetings that I've had across the political spectrum, whether it be Boris Johnson from the UK, France, Spain, all of the European powers, Germany, Poland, were very constructive. And they appreciate the fact that Australia has a particular role to play in the Indo Pacific at the NATO summit. We were invited along with the leaders of New Zealand, Japan and the Republic of Korea, known as the 'AP Four' because they know that our role in the Asia Pacific is very important, and you can't separate what's happening in Europe from what's happening in our own region.
PETERSON: And that's why you're off to the Pacific Islands Forum next week. Will that be top of the agenda, climate change and the threat of China in our region?
PRIME MINISTER: Climate change is the number one security issue for Pacific Island states. We know what occurred when we dropped the ball with the agreement that occurred between the Solomons and China just earlier this year. We do need to engage, climate change is important, but it's also important to recognise we live in an era of strategic competition between the great powers of the United States and the rise of China. We know that China is more assertive, we need to stand up for Australia's national interest. I've done that and will continue to do so.
PETERSON: Just finally, Prime Minister any advice you have at the moment on this fourth COVID-19 vaccination?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I know that the authorities including ATAGI are looking at that. I think it's a question of when rather than whether it will happen. We need to make sure that people continue to keep up their vaccinations, I know as a priority was making sure that people get their their third shot, their booster shot, because the numbers weren't as high as the health experts would have liked. And I just say to your listeners, if you're eligible to get a booster shot, get out there and get it done. Because we know that it has a real impact if people do get COVID, and you'll recall, I got COVID during the election campaign. It mitigates some of the impact for so many people. So it is important that we recognise that this pandemic is not over. And that we need to continue to look at the health advice, I met with the our leaders in terms of the leadership of the Health Department and others, the Chief Medical Officer, just a short time ago. And I've certainly asked them to look at that issue and also to look at the availability of antivirals as well. Because that can have an impact in getting people through the COVID issues and the symptoms if they do get COVID.
PETERSON: Prime Minister, we appreciate you dropping into the studios here at 6PR this afternoon. Good to see you.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much Ollie.