PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: Good to be here. You haven't changed the song
HOST: No.
PRIME MINISTER: That's good.
HOST: No we haven't. It's been a few months, how are you enjoying being the top job of Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: It's a lot better than my last job. It's a lot better, I actually get to make decisions that result in things happening, which is a good thing. I've moved back into public housing, it's a lot better than my last public housing where I grew up. And I get to represent the country. It's a great honour, so I savour every day of it. It is a great privilege. And I certainly don't take it for granted.
HOST: It's great way to look at it. And speaking of Prime Ministers, we do have to touch on Scott Morrison and what is going on in his head.
HOST: It's very strange.
PRIME MINISTER: If you can work it out, let me know. It is just beyond belief really. I read the paper on Saturday. And it was like: ‘What?’ And then on Sunday night, there were more revelations. And then I asked the head of my department: ‘Okay, can we find out if there was any other jobs he was sworn into?’ And they came back Monday afternoon said: ‘Yeah, Treasury and Home Affairs, in addition to Industry, Science, Energy and Resources and Health and Finance. I do not understand the thought process that says I'm the Prime Minister of Australia but I want all these other jobs as well. And I don't think yesterday added to any of the explanation. I just think it became weirder, frankly,
HOST: Did you text him? Because you'd have Scottie’s number. Did you go: ‘Scotty What-y?’
PRIME MINISTER: No, I didn't. I haven't had any direct contact with him over these issues. It's up to him to explain but his own colleagues, quite clearly, are furious about it. And on a serious note – it is it has been ridiculed a bit, there's quite a few good memes out there – but, seriously, parliamentary democracy is pretty precious. And it relies upon the Australian people, your listeners, knowing who's responsible as the Treasurer who's responsible as the Finance Minister, who's responsible as the Resources Minister. That should not be trashed. This is a real undermining of our Westminster system of parliamentary democracy, which we can't take for granted and we need to cherish not trash.
HOST: I understand the interest in Scomo, but I think I'm looking forward to a time when he's not making the headlines. You know what I mean? I feel like I want the government now to sort of take responsibility for where we are now – not the blame. There's a lot of stuff where our economy is where it is at this point. And I'm not saying that the current government take blame for it, but just go: ‘Okay, we're taking responsibility’. Because once you take responsibility, you're the one able to make change.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, absolutely. And yesterday, I was here with Anastasia, and Stephen Miles at the Cross River Rail Project, talking about jobs and skills. We've got a Jobs and Skills Summit coming up in a couple of weeks’ time where we've brought business and unions and civil organisations together, talking about how we train Australians for jobs, how we address the fact that wages have been going backwards and trying to find some common interest to bring the country together going forward. So that's what I was doing yesterday. Today, I'm off to the Torres Strait, where we'll be talking about the recognising Indigenous people in our Constitution, which is really important. History didn't begin in this country in 1788. It didn't end then, of course, but we need to bring it up to date. That will be important and give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders a voice, that is consult them on things that that impact their lives directly. And tomorrow I'll be in Rockhampton talking again about jobs and skills.
HOST: How do you get up to the Torres Strait today?
PRIME MINISTER: The benefit of being the Prime Minister is I've got a handy little plane.
HOST: Nice.
PRIME MINISTER: The Air Force fly us around.
HOST: What did you think he would do? ‘I’ve got to get a bus and then get a train…’
HOST: Well it would have been interesting if
PRIME MINISTER: You could get a lift with we're taking media up there on the plane.
HOST: I thought maybe helicopter.
PRIME MINISTER: Have the day off or ring it in.
HOST: Yeah, ring it in.
PRIME MINISTER: It’ll be fine.
HOST: There's a lot of talk of another La Niña event coming to Queensland, which is not going to be good. Where there conversations about what the government might do for those people in Brisbane worried about flooding for a second time?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it is a big concern that this will be the third in a row. And there'll be an impact. So we will be talking with state and territory governments. I have a meeting before the Jobs and Skill Summit with the National Cabinet, and that's taking place – a face to face meeting in Sydney on the last day of this month. And we'll be talking there about how we prepare knowing that it's coming. Lessons have been learned. I do note that yesterday, the New South Wales Premier, I talked with him last night, made decisions on the structure their response based upon Queensland because Queensland put in place measures and a structure of response which meant that it was coordinated and was much earlier than the response to the Northern New South Wales floods. So that's an example of where people can learn off past experience and learn off each other as well.
HOST: We were talking about Scott Morrison and him that taking on extra jobs. We have a position that we'd like to offer you.
HOST: It’s vacant.
PRIME MINISTER: Here we go.
HOST: We think you are perfect for it.
HOST: You’re actually the only candidate that comes to mind. We’ll present this to you up next.
MUSIC BREAK
HOST: The Prime Minister is still with us this morning. Thanks for hanging around.
PRIME MINISTER: Good to be here. You’ve got great views here.
HOST: Isn’t it spectacular?
PRIME MINISTER: Spectacular.
HOST: We've got a job for you. It's unpaid. Is it unpaid?
HOST: It would be bad to pay – anyway, it's unpaid. And you are the only
PRIME MINISTER: It’s the other guy who did the multiple jobs.
HOST: We know.
PRIME MINISTER: That was number thirty, I’m thirty one.
HOST: He didn’t get a pay rise for that, did he?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I don’t think so.
HOST: That's in the past. We're about the future. And on the 11th of November we have a very exciting event that we are doing.
HOST: Fridays Live is the name of it: a music festival. We've talked to you about it before. We have asked you to DJ once before.
HOST: [recorded] I'm giving you the opportunity right now: DJ at R&B Friday. DJ Albo?
PRIME MINISTER: [recorded] You're on. Absolutely.
HOST: I don't think it was you that didn't show up. I think that they sort of said no, maybe they did.
PRIME MINISTER: They did, I was up for it.
HOST: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: You offered me a job and then reneged.
HOST: No, no, no.
PRIME MINISTER: Someone else reneged?
HOST: And then I remembered, for your 40th birthday and then I think there was a scheduling issue.
HOST: [recorded] We want you to do a DJ set at Abby's 40th birthday party.
PRIME MINISTER: [recorded] So I have one shot at doing it?
HOST: [recorded] We are going to get you –
PRIME MINISTER: [recorded] See what I did there? That was an Eminem joke.
HOST: Yeah, it's good. And my fortieth is coming up in five years anyway so you got plenty of time. But the big event on the 11th of November, we've got someone very special that wants to put you on the spot.
HOST: Can we please bring into the studio: Fatman Scoop?
FATMAN SCOOP: Hey, what's up everybody? How you guys feeling?
PRIME MINISTER: Hey, good.
FATMAN SCOOP: [singing] Albanese
PRIME MINISTER: Fatman Scoop does the Eagles.
FATMAN SCOOP: How are you, sir?
PRIME MINISTER: I am very well.
FATMAN SCOOP: Listen, I have a pattern of dealing with Prime Ministers in this country. So you're now the second Prime Minister that I'm on the phone with.
PRIME MINISTER: Who was the first?
FATMAN SCOOP: Scomo, not working out so well. I don't think it's gonna answer my phone calls right now. Doesn't feel like the right time.
PRIME MINISTER: He's got too many jobs.
FATMAN SCOOP: He's got he's got too many things on.
PRIME MINISTER: He doesn't need another one.
FATMAN SCOOP: So here's the thing. I was on The Project last week and I asked Waleed for your number. And he was dancing me around. I said don't worry about it, I'll find the man's number on my own. And I did some digging and some finding. I found out you were gonna be on today.
PRIME MINISTER: I'm here.
FATMAN SCOOP: Listen, I know you DJ.
PRIME MINISTER: I do, me and Jacinda Ardern are the world’s only two PM DJs.
FATMAN SCOOP: Now you’re Prime Minister. And you're from the Labor Party. Correct?
PRIME MINISTER: Correct.
FATMAN SCOOP: I happen to be the president of party. And I'm from the Party Party, if that makes sense.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
FATMAN SCOOP: Now, you have millions of constituents that want to see you. I need you to come down and here's we're going to do: you're going to DJ while I perform. Can you do that, sir?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, where are we going to do that?
FATMAN SCOOP: You know, you pick the location, there's a bunch of locations.
HOST: No, we’ve already picked it. We’re not into Sydney. So it's going to be in Brisbane, the 11th of November.
FATMAN SCOOP: It has to be in Brissy?
HOST: That’s my man.
FATMAN SCOOP: All you got to do is put on a cool shirt, take a shower, bring your laptop. I'm gonna show you exactly what to do.
PRIME MINISTER: That sounds pretty good. I don't know what I'm doing on the 11th of November.
FATMAN SCOOP: Sir, whatever you got to do – talk to your people, and let your people talk to my people.
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll talk to my people, then we can talk to your people. You've got my number now too, right? Waleed has my number.
FATMAN SCOOP: Now that I'm cool with you, since we've talked two minutes, I'm gonna go to Waleed, I'm gonna get your phone number and then I'll call you and I'll tell you what you need to do. And then you just come on the stage: [singing] Fatman Scoop. Albo. Fatman Scoop. Albo. Whatever I say, y’all gotta do. You're gonna be fine
PRIME MINISTER: It’ll be cool.
HOST: Yes?
PRIME MINISTER: If I can, I don't know what I'm doing on 11 November.
HOST: Things could happen, like floods could happen.
FATMAN SCOOP: He's got a Skills Summit next week. Show your skill, sir. Come down and be the DJ, that’s what I need from you. By then the floods will be over. You tighten it up, you get your people or whatever you guys call it over here and get it done. I need you. Can I get a yes?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, if I can, I will. The last time I was here, just a couple of months ago during the campaign, I DJ’d at the Valley.
HOST: You did.
PRIME MINISTER: At a club. It was good fun.
FATMAN SCOOP: All right. So who do I need to talk to over there? Because we need the lock this eleventh in.
PRIME MINISTER: Talk to my agent, who I’ve just appointed, Abby. Abby is my agent.
HOST: Oh you’re going to be busy, man.
PRIME MINISTER: I trust her more than Stav or Matt.
HOST: That's fair.
PRIME MINISTER: Anyone who invites me to their fortieth birthday party…
HOST: Yeah, I'm his agent and one hundred per cent lock it in.
FATMAN SCOOP: Who’s his agent? I need the phone number.
HOST: I'll give you my phone number. Write it down: 0 4 –
FATMAN SCOOP: Listen everybody, I want you to be there: Fridays Live is going to be huge and it's even going to be bigger because now we have the Prime Minister of the entire country coming to Fridays Live. You are doing this, sir.
HOST: We'll get all the people involved talking. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, always a pleasure to have you. You're doing a great job for the country and we appreciate your time.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, guys.