LUCY BREADEN, HOST: It is time to say hello to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, who has been in the state today, in Tasmania, making some big funding announcements, including $120 million for a new Northern Heart Centre that will be in Launceston. You may remember a conversation I had with our Health Minister, I think it was last week, and he was saying, ‘no, this will be a 50/50 split with the Federal Government’. Well, today Anthony Albanese has come out and said, ‘we'll fund the whole thing’. There's also going to be a funding boost for Tasmanian state schools. So, let's get the latest on all that and more with the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, who is joining me to have a chat about this. Prime Minister, thanks for your time.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Hi, Lucy, thanks for having me on the program again.
BREADEN: Great to have you back. So, let's talk about the funding boost for Tasmanian state schools. You've reached a deal with the State Government to fund Gonski education targets by 2029. So, great news for Tasmanian students, but one of the big questions is why won't it be fully implemented for another five years? That some students in school right now won't get a cent of that funding?
PRIME MINISTER: Because you have to scale up the funding to make sure that it's done properly. And what we've had is that the Commonwealth will increase our funding from 20 per cent up to 22.5 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard. The Tasmanian Government will increase its funding to 77.5 per cent no later than 2029. It's possible we might be able to get there before then, but we want to make sure that we under promise and over deliver, if you like. But this is an historic agreement. It also is associated with some of the criteria that were put forward. We want to make sure that we concentrate on literacy and numeracy. We want to make sure as well that you get welfare issues dealt with in schools, so that if a student is falling behind, then we want them to get access to proper tutoring, maybe a smaller engagement with teaching so that they catch up, so that they don't just fall further and further behind. This is about making sure that every student can fulfil their potential. And this is an exciting day for Tasmania.
BREADEN: Well, our students already are falling behind. We have some of the worst literacy and numeracy rates in the country. We need this money now. Why does it take so long?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, with respect, we are increasing funding every year. So, over five years we will reach the agreement no later than 2029. We had an objective of doing it within ten years, in the discussions that we've had at National Cabinet level, we've halved that at least for Tasmania. So, we'll have discussions. If we can do it before then, we certainly will. But this is a substantial funding agreement. It will require hundreds of millions of dollars from the Commonwealth Government and additional investment from the Tasmanian Government as well. And I think this funding will also be tied to reforms, as I've said, that will help students catch up, keep up and finish school. You can't make a reform agenda, make an announcement and then have it in place the next week. You need the staff and the structures to make sure that it can be delivered and that's what we'll be doing in partnership with the Tasmanian Government.
BREADEN: Is there a risk that if you don't win government at the next election, we may lose this funding?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there's always a risk because Coalition governments historically, at the national level, have cut funding to education and to health. We know that that's the case. They've already said that they will make, they said that $315 billion of our Commonwealth investments are waste. They've said they'll get rid of things like the Housing Australia Future Fund. I have no reason to think that'll be any different from when Tony Abbott was elected in 2013 where you had significant cuts to education and health. And bear in mind that this funding for 100 per cent of the schooling resource standard, this process arose from a report that David Gonski did for Julia Gillard's Prime Ministership. And that, of course, we had a change of government and that's been delayed. Now we're determined to make sure that we deliver on this. Fortunately, we've had a constructive relationship with the Rockliff Government there in Tasmania and we've been able to deliver this Agreement today.
BREADEN: Anthony Albanese is my guest, of course, the Prime Minister of Australia. We're talking about education funding, but I'm keen to have a quick look at the Macquarie Point precinct and the multi purpose stadium that has been announced. So, we've heard this week it's already running over budget by upwards of $60 million. There's also announcements that there's going to be a car park that wasn't previously funded. Will the Federal Government chip in extra money for the stadium if it does go over budget?
PRIME MINISTER: No, our funding is for the urban redevelopment of Macquarie Point, including the stadium that will be built there. We want to make sure that this is delivered in a constructive way, but the government that's responsible, of course, for the stadium is the Tasmanian Government. We have no formal role in the finalisation of the stadium design. The Commonwealth interest here is in the precinct planning, land use and connections. The Tasmanian Government has delivered on the commitment that it made to include housing, transport options, stakeholder engagement and include the wharf redevelopment within the Macquarie Point precinct plan. And we certainly welcome that. They've submitted part of the plan for stage one of the precinct to the Tasmanian Planning Commission and we’ll await that process. But planning, of course, is the province of the Tasmanian State Government. But we're supportive of the project. We are supportive of Tasmania getting a team in the AFL and we're supportive of Macquarie Point being an urban redevelopment project which will transform Hobart so that the city will go down to that magnificent waterfront there of the Derwent and will make a difference. Just like Barangaroo does in Sydney, just like Southbank does, just like in our major capital cities have seen the transformation of industrial precincts next to their waterways into places of recreation and activity and housing that make a city far more dynamic. And I think this will be very positive for Hobart and Tasmania.
BREADEN: Positive. It's likely to happen by 2029. Are you disappointed with the progress from the State Government?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I put $50 million when I was Infrastructure Minister on behalf of the Commonwealth into Macquarie Point for something to happen with that precinct because anyone who travels to Hobart would have a look at that precinct and see its potential for something to happen. And the truth is that not much happened over a decade and I was disappointed with that. But now things are moving along and that is a very good thing. I want to see people being able to enjoy recreation in that area, but also housing in that area as well, and really making the city, the CBD, really flow right down to the waterfront there, just as it does around Salamanca Place and around other areas that have made such a difference and make Hobart such a liveable city.
BREADEN: A question from Mike in Lindisfarne. I think I throw this one at you every time, or I know Tasmanians certainly do. Whether this will be deducted from our share of GST, the funding that the Federal Government is providing to Tasmania for this.
PRIME MINISTER: It’s a really strange question that I only get in Tasmania, I've got to say. The way that GST funding works is that for infrastructure projects, states and territories right around the Commonwealth get infrastructure funding and that is taken into account for the GST provision. But if everyone gets their share of GST funding, then obviously, of infrastructure funding, then obviously it's neutral. So, yes, it gets taken into account. That is something that the Howard Government put in place and has been in place for infrastructure projects since the Howard Government introduced that scheme.
BREADEN: Anthony Albanese is my guest, the Prime Minister. It is 18 minutes to five. Let's take a look at Macquarie Harbour. Another point of contention. When will the Government make a decision about salmon farming operations in Macquarie Harbour and if they'll continue?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the Minister will make a decision in accordance with the law and the science, as she's required to do. But can I say this, that the Government is very supportive of the salmon industry. It's very important. The industry, as well as the Tasmanian Government agrees that more needs to be done to restore the health of Macquarie Harbour. We're investing $5.7 million to help protect the skate and improve the health of the harbour. We've invested in establishing a captive breeding program which recently announced a baby skate has successfully hatched from a captive laid egg. A world first. We need to improve the water quality. There was further good news this week on that front, but the Minister will make a decision. I want to see, obviously, I don't want to see any species such as the skate, I want to see it continue to be able to exist. I also want to see the salmon industry and the jobs that it provides continue to exist as well. And that's what we need to do is to work through issues so that we achieve a win-win and I'm confident that that can happen.
BREADEN: Why is it taking so long though? It is creating so much uncertainty for workers and for people on the state's west coast?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the industry continues, of course, but the Minister needs to take time to act in accordance with the advice that she gets to make sure that any decision is legally sound and based on evidence. It is up to the Minister. It's not a Cabinet decision that is made. And we know that there is a range of advice comes through, including from the scientific and environmental bodies there in Tasmania, as well as from the advocates of various positions put forward, positions that aren't the same, as you'd be aware. That's why this is an issue and we need to make sure that we get the outcome right based upon the law and based upon the science.
BREADEN: Just quickly, I know you have to go on a jiffy. Why haven't you pre-selected a candidate in Braddon yet? Because we're hearing behind the scenes that there's a strong candidate who's reluctant to commit because of the electoral blowback that will result from any decision on Macquarie Harbour that will hit salmon farming jobs.
PRIME MINISTER: No, we haven't yet selected a candidate for Braddon, Bass or Clark, so not quite sure why you picked out Braddon there.
BREADEN: When will we find out who's been pre-selected?
PRIME MINISTER: When we select a candidate at an appropriate time. I know that the Liberal Party have just selected a candidate recently for Braddon. I don't think it's the strongest candidate who was put forward. I don't understand why it is that the Liberal Party in 2024 seem incapable of moving forward when it comes to gender representation in the national Parliament, but that would appear to be the case yet again.
BREADEN: Are you deliberately delaying a decision on Macquarie Harbour because you know you risk losing in Braddon if Tanya Plibersek's decision impacts fish farming in that area?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no, those things aren't connected at all. We will have a candidate in all of our seats at an appropriate time, well before the next election, which is due before next May. There are a range of candidates. I haven't been selected for Grayndler yet, so I wouldn't get too hung up on some of the conspiracy theories that appear to be around there. We'll have an appropriate candidate at the right time and I'm sure they will be a strong candidate. Of course, Braddon has been a seat, like Bass, that's been held by both sides of politics and has changed hands a number of times. I think with the retirement of the sitting member in Braddon, there's a real opportunity for us. I know that Senator Anne Urquhart has been the de facto Member for Braddon for a period of time, as far as I'm concerned. She's been such a strong advocate for the north west of Tasmania.
BREADEN: And just quickly, will we get a decision from Tanya Plibersek on salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour before the next election?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that is, of course, a decision that only the Minister can have and it is actually not even within the law for me to engage in the timing of that. It is up to the Minister under the existing provisions of the EPBC Act.
BREADEN: Prime Minister, thank you so much for coming on Drive today.