NADIA MITSOPOULOS, HOST: Mr Anthony Albanese made a very quick trip to Perth yesterday to be part of the official opening of the airport line. And I'm pleased to say that the Prime Minister joins me now. Good morning.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. It was a great pleasure to be there at the airport line opening yesterday, and it's good that you're broadcasting from there today.
MITSOPOULOS: Thank you. And what was the trip like? Did you enjoy your train ride?
PRIME MINISTER: It was indeed. they're fantastic stations, I've got to say. But we went to High Wycombe, but also to Airport Central there, which is a spectacular train station. Rita Saffioti was saying it would be a destination in itself. And of course, there's a further new station at Redcliffe. And to put it in perspective, this is only the second new train line, I think, to open this century, and it doesn't happen very often. But we put forward in 2013, the funding for the planning work from the Federal Government when I was Infrastructure Minister. And so it was quite a journey, a circular journey back to come as Prime Minister and actually be there for the opening.
MITSOPOULOS: Well, I mean, there was a lot of excitement, obviously. And it was two years overdue. So it's taken six years to build this line. There are similar delays with infrastructure projects across the country. When will those pressures ease and how do you address that issue, given that so many of these projects are now being delayed?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course, the global pandemic had a major impact on the capacity to deliver projects because it had a major impact on our economy. And in addition to that, because of supply chain issues that have been impacted around the world as well. That is just one of the consequences which are there. But the important thing is that it's now open. It's one of six new train lines that are being built in Perth as part of METRONET, extending the rail network, really making an enormous difference to the productivity, sustainability and liveability of Perth. And I think it's quite exciting. And of course, there have been many projects, many jobs created by the project, 2,000 jobs were supported by the project, as well. And of course, a major project like that is often difficult. And this was very challenging. The sort of soft ground that had to be gone through under the airport, under the Swan River presents engineering and logistical challenges. But it is fantastic and should be a great source of pride for all those who worked on the project, whether they be engineers or planners or the people working, doing the physical work as well. What an outstanding achievement.
MITSOPOULOS: And when we look at delays to infrastructure projects, do we just have to accept that that will be the case for the next couple of years?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there is, of course, we're coming through that period of delays when projects right around the country were delayed by a lot longer, it must be said, than the project there in Perth. But that's a consequence in terms of catching up when you had an impact on labour, as well as an impact on the supply chains, then that is a consequence. But in terms of the budget, it's a lot cheaper. I've got to say than similar projects of eight and a half kilometre extensions to the rail network cost a lot more than under $2 billion in the east coast capitals, you'd be looking at many times that.
MITSOPOULOS: On ABC Radio Perth and WA and speaking to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. Just a couple of other issues, Prime Minister, you are sticking to those stage three tax cuts for now. But when you do talk about them, and I know you've been asked a lot about this issue over the last week, you do remind us of the enormous pressure on the global economy. So while you stick to that for now, do you concede your position could change next year?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, no. There's been no change in our position. What we have done is that in framing the Budget, though, point towards the challenges, which we've inherited. We've inherited a trillion dollars of debt in the Budget. We know that central banks around the world are having the fastest ever tightening of monetary policy in in decades. And we're seeing that around the board, that's placing pressure on family budgets as their mortgage repayments increase. We know there are other pressures on the Budget as well. We've had to deal with the consequences of not just a trillion dollars of debt, but a lot of that is with not enough to show for it, it wasn't as if in racking up that debt there was a major new infrastructure investment. Some of it went to, $19.7 billion for example, in JobKeeper payments to companies that actually were increasing their profits. Some $3.4 billion went for submarines that were never built. That is almost double what the cost of the airport rail line there cost something that is producing benefit and is real and that people there today are riding on those trains. So there are economic pressures there. And around the world, of course, inflationary pressures, which had been part arisen from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And the consequences of that has led to higher energy prices. And that's been through the logistics and supply chains into increases in inflation around the world.
MITSOPOULOS: Are you reserving the right to pair back those tax cuts later on If you need to? You know, you talk about those global economic pressures and things can change in an instant. I mean could it still be an option next year or the year after if you win another term?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we haven't changed our position on that, so our position stands. So there's been no change here. I know, I keep getting asked in different ways the same question, but the answer is the same. We haven't changed our position. What we're doing is getting on with the immediate cost of living pressures, which are there as well, which are the cheaper medicines policy, which has gone through the Lower House, the first decrease in the cost of medicines in 75 years, the cheaper child care policy that we took to the election that will go through, we hope, through the Parliament this year, as well. And other measures aimed at reducing costs, including our policy to reduce taxes on electric vehicles, something that inexplicably the Coalition, that say they want lower taxes, well, there's a bill before the parliament right now that they're blocking and opposing, which I find just extraordinary.
MITSOPOULOS: Okay, but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton yesterday said, ‘Well, he's very much framing this debate as one of trust’. So it's about trust rather than economics. Is that what it's about for you that people can trust you to keep an election promise?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what they can't do is trust Peter Dutton, because he's all over the shop.
MITSOPOULOS: But Prime Minister, is this about people trusting you to keep a promise? Is that what this is about for you?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what it's about for me is making sure that we implement the policies that we took to the election. We've been doing that. Peter Dutton's been opposing it. On the one hand, he says that he speaks about the Government's mandate. On the other hand, he opposed and we sat in Parliament for division after division after division, while they voted against every single element of our cleaner energy plan that we took to the election that we had a clear mandate for, and perhaps that's explainable by his own Finance Minister, a Shadow Minister who has said that they don't have policies because they're the opposition. Well, they need to, I think, get the message, which is that Australians want a new form of politics. They want politics to operate differently. They want more integrity. That's why we're introducing the National Anti-Corruption Commission. And that will be a test for Peter Dutton over whether he votes for that Anti-Corruption Commission.
MITSOPOULOS: A couple of other issues, Prime Minister, your Government has some areas of concern with major defence projects. What sort of projects are you talking about here? And what is the concern? Is it timeframes? Is it the budget blowouts?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's all of the above. And we know that given the strategic circumstances that are in front of us, including the competition in our region, the idea that defence projects have blown out in both cost and time. And it's across the board that that has happened. That is not producing outcomes in capacity. And you can't defend the country with a press release, you need to defend it with real delivery of projects, and that hasn't happened. And that's why we're very concerned about the capability gap that is there in so many areas.
MITSOPOULOS: So what do you do about this? I mean, are you going to scale projects back? You've identified? The thing is 28, behind schedule 18 over budget. How do you respond to that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're having the Strategic Defence Review. That's looking at Defence Force Posture, that is where our defence assets should be located. But it's also looking at what the appropriate procurement of defence asset is, in order to defend our country, and in order to make sure that we don't have capability gaps. We will make sure that there's real-time monitoring of how projects are going is referred to the National Security Committee and through the Cabinet process. It appears from the former Government that they thought once a press release is put out, job done. Well, it doesn't actually do anything, just a media release. What you've got to look at is where the projects are actually being delivered, on time and on budget. And we want to make sure that the measures that we put in place, improve the performance of defence capability acquisition projects.
MITSOPOULOS: And reports in The Australian today that your Government will purchase a new fleet of small but powerful warships, so 12 of them I understand is that the case?
PRIME MINISTER: We'll make those announcements at the appropriate time.
MITSOPOULOS: That’s not a no, that's not a no, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: We have a review, and one of the things about my Government is that we make decisions based upon proper consideration, proper advice, having thought issues through. The days of politics on the run, based upon the 24-hour cycle, is one of the reasons why defence procurement has got itself into a difficulty. Because it's been the focus on the announcement, on the media interview on the day. How about we just get it right.? And that's why we're undertaking this review with Angus Houston, and of course, Stephen Smith. And it will report that the beginning of next year, and that will provide a way forward.
MITSOPOULOS: Okay, finally, before I let you go, a lot of debate over the last week or so over Andrew Thorburn having to resign from Essendon as its CEO, because he refused to give his role up as chair of the church that he is with. Do you have any issues with how that played out? Was he discriminated against because of his religion?
PRIME MINISTER: My focus hasn't been on Essendon Football Club to fix rank.
MITSOPOULOS: No, but it does raise issues.
PRIME MINISTER: My focus hasn't been on that. That is an issue which I haven't followed the detail of. People, of course, should be free to practice their faith is my position. But as for the details, and obviously it's a decision for Essendon and for those involved.
MITSOPOULOS: We'll leave it there and I appreciate your time. Prime Minister, thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much.