JESS WINDOW, HOST: Good morning, Prime Minister. Jess speaking.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: G'day, Jess. Anthony Albanese here.
WINDOW: How you doing? Great to hear from you. I spoke to you many times, but before you were the big PM.
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, that's right.
WINDOW: I'm very excited to speak to you. Anyway, I've got some questions. I've had people from STAR just, well glad that you've not forgotten us and so thank you for your time. I'm going to quickly get some questions. Firstly, how are you doing? How's Toto?
PRIME MINISTER: Toto is very good. She's always good. She's got a good life. Very spoiled.
WINDOW: Yeah, well, I assume she does. We have got a few stranded pups here. Some good stories coming out of it too. Some great places that are putting up the pets. Of course, we've got plenty happening that's a little dire. I want to ask what assistance is the Fed Government currently providing and what can we expect? You know, Jasper was pretty bad, but the aftermath seems worse. We've got lost cows wandering around libraries in Stratford.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the aftermath of this natural disaster is quite extraordinary and it's going to take time to get the region back on its feet. And the first thing I'd say is that at the worst of times, we've seen once again the best of the Australian character. You've seen people help their fellow Queenslanders and fellow citizens doing extraordinary efforts and we have activated Australian Defence Force personnel and resources. They've been assisting with rescue efforts since Sunday and more are on their way. We've deployed two Chinook helicopters and two AW139 helicopters there already. And we have provided as well, other military resources and personnel. We want to make sure that we provide whatever support is necessary. And just this morning, I'll travel along with Murray Watt, will be in Brisbane, we can't get to Cairns at this point, to attend a meeting of the Queensland Disaster Management Committee and that's made up of State Government Ministers as well as heads of agencies as well as local councils to get the latest update from what is happening on the ground and how we can provide more support for people.
WINDOW: Well, on the Emergency Management Minister, Murray Watt. We've got lots of New Zealanders in this studio. My boss is a New Zealander. I heard that Murray Watt was saying maybe NZ has been asked to help. Is that actually a possibility?
PRIME MINISTER: That is certainly possible. I'll be meeting with, the New Zealand Prime Minister is visiting Australia tomorrow on his first visit to Australia and I'll be hosting him. New Zealand have always pitched in at our time of need as Australians have helped our Kiwi cousins. And so, I'm certain that support is always flowing across the Tasman in our time of need.
WINDOW: That is wonderful. We do love our NZ cousins. Lastly, what is the Gov doing to help the communities lacking power and water right now?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we need to get that support in. We know that something like 8,000 people remain without power. We want to make sure that that is fixed as soon as possible as a priority. We know that some 370 people have been evacuated across the region. We are working as quickly as we can with the State Government to provide whatever support is required. And of course, local government has been really given an extraordinary task and they will require assistance in the days and weeks ahead as well to make sure that we can recover all of those services including roads and access as well so that we can get these supplies in. Hopefully the airport later today will be open to supplies entering. And that will be a really important thing to occur.
WINDOW: Yeah, definitely. Okay well thank you, Prime Minister Albanese. My daughter calls you sausage roll man. She's got it somewhere in her head that you love to give Australians sausage rolls. She was very excited that you were calling in today. We hope to see you with the cleanup effort. I've definitely got some gloves and a spade or at least whatever you can come and bring up up here. We could use the hands for sure. Thanks so much. Mr Albanese, our PM.
PRIME MINISTER: And I hope that your daughter has a very merry Christmas. It's an important time for children. And I hope that Santa's good to her.
WINDOW: I hope so too. I hope he gets to everyone here in Cairns. It's certainly going to be tough to make everything happen and hope the reindeer and everything can still get here after all of the rubble and stuff and some houses being literally underwater. So, I thank you and Merry Christmas to your family and to Toto. And I might play a Triffids song a little bit later for.
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, very good. Thank you very much.
WINDOW: Thank you. That's the PM, Anthony Albanese.