HOST: Prime Minister, good morning.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Tough times here in Brisbane.
HOST: Yes, indeed. What can you tell us about the situation as it's currently developing?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we know that the impact of this is potentially quite severe. I met with the Premier last night and got a one-on-one briefing with him and I'm on my way to the Coordination Centre this morning to get a full update on what's occurring. There'll be details given after that update, but we know that it is time to prepare for the impact of this cyclone. We're working hand in hand with the State Government here. My Government's on the ground. The Emergency Management Minister is up here as well. We've put the Australian Defence Force on standby to provide whatever support is required. We have 250,000 sandbags on their way from the national supply. They start arriving today. We're doing measures to prepare like pre-positioning heavy lift helicopters from the national aerial firefighting fleet. They've been deployed to Coffs, and a Black Hawks being pre-positioned in Bundy. We've activated the Australian Government Disaster Response Plan. We're doing what we can to prepare, and I know that people here in South-east Queensland and in Northern New South Wales are doing the same.
HOST: I mean, I know that more information is going to come to hand, but we are presuming that schools will be shut on Thursday and Friday as well as the directive to work from home, if possible?
PRIME MINISTER: I spoke with the Premier last night about that, he's giving consideration to that early this morning. That is of course a matter for him to announce but he's making sure that the right decisions are made, and that the precautionary principle applies here, obviously, as well. They want to make sure that they get it right and so there'll be a stand up this morning with those appropriate announcements. I know there's already been some announcements made about transport. There's been a range of changes made including to some of the activities that were due to take place here regarding the footy etc. We just need to make sure that we do everything possible to keep people safe is the first thing. Secondly, to minimise any damage to property and homes. This is potentially a very, very serious event.
HOST: Now, we've known it has been serious and everyone's been taking it that way. But, you know, there are people who do kind of sit back sometimes and think, 'oh, is it going to be that bad, is it not?' But I think hearing the line of you saying a Black Hawk helicopter is on standby really might drive it home for a few people to say, like, we're rolling out some of the big guns now because people might get cut off. Is that the idea you might need to be doing supply drops and things like that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well what you need to do is to make sure that if people are isolated, we do what we can to prepare here. Unfortunately, we have a lot of experience dealing with natural disasters. I was up in Townsville, seems like days ago, but it was just weeks ago, dealing with the consequences which are still there, of course, for communities like Ingham. And so, we do bring that experience each and every time. My Government's created NEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency. It's run by a great Queenslander, Brendan Moon is the boss there.
HOST: Oh, Moony! Yeah, Moony!
PRIME MINISTER: A former Wallabies winger now in charge of emergency management. So, we are doing what we can. We have put the Australian Defence Force on standby. There are, of course, a range of bases here in Queensland, but nationally as well. At the worst of times, we always see the best of the Australian character. And I just say to people, don't take risks at a time like this. It is always best to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. And that is all that we can do at this time. And I know that Queenslanders are tough and resilient, but these are tough times and it's going to be a tough few days.
HOST: With all the briefing that you have received just recently, is there an update of time when you're expecting it to hit the coast?
PRIME MINISTER: We received that update, but the expectation as of last night was basically overnight on Thursday night into Friday morning. So, just after midnight, around about that sort of timing. And that creates other difficulties as well, of course, because if you have a disaster like this in darkness, strong winds, torrential rain, everything that comes with a tropical cyclone that is not expected because it's not the tropics, it’s South-east Queensland and Northern New South Wales.
HOST: We have got all those messages from people in Townsville going, 'this is what we prepare for.' And we're like, yes, no, we do get that, but the way we deal with a crisis is different.
HOST: And not to mention, it's meant to be Cyclone Anthony, and they changed the name to Alfred.
HOST: Did you ask for them to change it or was that like, oh, no, out of respect, we're going to.
PRIME MINISTER: No, look, the names of these things are beyond - my Government didn't legislate on any of those things. I think they just go through a range of names.
HOST: Okay.
HOST: But I think they did say they -
PRIME MINISTER: They used to be gendered. Of course.
HOST: Yes. Used to go female, male, didn't they?
HOST: Out of your jurisdiction. I'm not naming the cyclones, thank you.
HOST: Well, I think I did hear them say, it's for a safety thing. Like, obviously if you've got the Prime Minister who's going to be addressing the media quite a lot, you know what I mean? It makes it a bit hard to have the same name.
PRIME MINISTER: But it does kind of make sense.
HOST: Yes. Well, mate, thanks for calling us this morning. It's kind of hard at the moment. It's still a sit and wait to find out about closures and things like that. But I believe you are literally going to hang up the phone from us and then you're into a briefing meeting, right?
PRIME MINISTER: I am literally in the car on the way to the briefing with my Minister, Minister McAllister, and the Premier, Premier Crisafulli, there this morning.
HOST: All right, well, we won't hold you up. We'll let you get to that. And we are speaking to him a little bit later in the morning and get another update. Thanks for your time this morning.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks so much, guys.