CATHIE SCHNITZERLING, HOST: The recovery and cleanup in Far North Queensland is well underway. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has travelled to Cairns to inspect the damage and he will also announce more support for local businesses, farmers and councils, as well as a tourism recovery package. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on line. Prime Minister, you've seen your fair share of natural disasters over the years. Have you been shocked by this one?
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is a shocking event that's occurred. I'm at Holloways at the moment at the SES headquarters, being shown around by Karen and meeting the volunteers who've come from all over Queensland, from Brisbane, from Ipswich, from Rocky, from Murrumba. There's people who've come here to help their fellow Queenslanders and people are doing it tough. There's been devastation, in some cases, water up to the roof level. What's remarkable is that we haven't had a significant loss of life and that's due to the incredible credit to all the police and emergency services, to the SES, to all those who've helped their fellow Queenslanders at what was an incredibly difficult time.
SCHNITZERLING: Well, you're at SES headquarters there at Holloways Beach in Cairns northern beaches area. What have the SES volunteers told you about what they have seen?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they've spoken about going from door to door, providing assistance. Many of the homes we're going to, get on to the insurance companies because for some people have been told they have to hold on to some of their furnishings and other things that have been damaged rather than throw them out. And we'll make sure with the Premier that we let the insurance companies know to give a message out there that that's not necessary, that they should just take a photo, have some record of what's been lost. Because the cleanup effort that the volunteers here have come from everywhere. Locals, of course, I just met young Zoe is the youngest new SES member. First day on the job was this week, literally, a young woman from Smithfield helping out her fellow locals here at Holloways.
SCHNITZERLING: That's quite the debut, isn't it?
PRIME MINISTER: Sure is. It's incredibly, incredibly tough. But one of the things that the volunteers just said to me that really struck an incredible chord was that there hasn't been anything other than thank you to all of them as they've gone around. People really are resilient and remarkable in the response that they've had.
SCHNITZERLING: Are you happy with the way the insurance companies have responded to this disaster?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we want to make sure that the insurance companies deliver on all of the commitments. If people have a claim, they should put it in and those claims should be honoured. And so we will be very much keeping our eye on that and making sure that that occurs.
SCHNITZERLING: Does the Federal Government offer any sort of immediate insurance safety net.
PRIME MINISTER: The Federal Government provides for, there was a reinsurance scheme from the former Government that was established and that was an important thing. There's been some issues of whether that's adequate. That was the former Government's legislation. What we'll do is examine that, but that doesn't affect the relationship between individuals and insurers and that is really important that those be honoured.
SCHNITZERLING: The Federal Government has made a lot of immediate assistance, financial assistance available to people and businesses who have been affected by this flooding disaster in Far North Queensland. That's immediate, but over the long term, what sort of support can the Federal Government provide to the region through local councils and State Government?
PRIME MINISTER: We'll be making an announcement, myself and the Premier, Steven Miles, this morning of additional support on top of that immediate support for individuals and businesses. We will be having a plan for four announcements really, four packages. One for small business and non-government organisations, a separate program for primary producers, funding for the nine local government areas affected, an additional million dollars just top up, if you like, for the additional costs that they'll have with staff and with other issues dealing with an immediate payment being made there. And also a program to support the tourism sector. We'll be meeting with them over the next few hours as well. Part of the concern is that as the floodwaters recede, we don't want to see tourists and visitations to this beautiful part of Australia recede with them. And so getting that campaign of promoting tourism and visitation here will be really important so that the economy of Far North Queensland isn't affected adversely into the future as well. So, that's something that the tourism sector have asked for and something that we'll be meeting with them about the rollout of that today.
SCHNITZERLING: And I imagine that will have to be a very quick rollout, given that it is the time of year when people do want to go and see the reef, go to the rainforest, et cetera. So, the cleanup, the pressure to get that cleanup done is very high.
PRIME MINISTER: That's right. Look, it's been quite remarkable that we met with the energy workers this morning. They had a barbeque there at the headquarters for them and some of the SES volunteers. It's remarkable that ninety-nine per cent of homes have power. That is a great credit to the people who've come from, again, from all over Queensland. It's good that Queensland's electricity assets were kept in public hands. That's made it far easier to deliver because it is government run. But in addition to that, it's remarkable that the Bruce Highway was opened by Tuesday morning, when I travelled to Brisbane and met with the coordination body of ministers and the services and local mayors by video link that we had at the headquarters there in Brisbane. And you had the airport opened pretty quickly.
SCHNITZERLING: Very quickly.
PRIME MINISTER: And that was really positive as well. I tried to come up here on Monday for Tuesday, but that wasn't possible. But it got opened during Tuesday, which is remarkable, given the photos that certainly I saw and other people would have seen of the tops of planes basically peeking up above what was clearly an enormous amount of water. It's remarkable that the runway wasn't damaged.
SCHNITZERLING: Prime Minister, you'll be making those announcements with the Queensland Premier today about the four programs that will be launched to help that region recover. Will you be touring any other parts of the area?
PRIME MINISTER: We're about to go on a walk through Holloways here with the Premier as soon as this interview concludes and just, we've been getting out and about and we'll be continuing to do that around the region today.
SCHNITZERLING: Before I let you go, I want to know how you're spending Christmas Day and what's on the table.
PRIME MINISTER: Christmas Day every year I volunteer at a place called the Exodus Foundation. It's run by Reverend Bill Crews and it's a wonderful thing. I've been doing it for many many years now. He essentially feeds the homeless. He does a Loaves and Fishes restaurant at the Uniting Church in Ashfield every day and they feed hundreds of people. But on Christmas Day last year, there were over 4000 meals distributed. So, I will get in very early in the morning and it's for people who might be homeless or doing it really tough, but other people go there who just don't have family, don't have anywhere to go. Everyone is welcome there and I find it incredibly uplifting to do it. And that to me is the spirit of Christmas. It's a spirit of giving and a sort of spirit, I must say, that I've seen from the SES members and others here, just remarkable Queenslanders helping their fellow Australians.
SCHNITZERLING: Prime Minister, thank you very much for joining me.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much.