SPIDA EVERITT, HOST: A big name on the show right now.
SEAN FLANAGAN, HOST: Well, it is. It's a very long name, Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister, it is two words, of this country at a time where the Gold Coast is facing easily our biggest challenge in terms of clean ups after a storm in the hinterlands. Prime Minister, good morning and thank you very much for joining us.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, good to be with you, and I'm looking forward to being back on the Gold Coast this morning. Although the circumstances of course are really unfortunate with people doing it really tough there with the intense rainfall and the flash flooding and the issues with roads and it's required a big response. There's been 10 homes completely destroyed and more than 150 have had severe damage, with over 400 having some damage. So that has been a real tragedy to begin 2024.
ALISON PLATH, HOST: Absolutely Prime Minister. Now look, I will say this, I will preface my statements with I would actually hate to have your job because it would be so difficult in times of catastrophic events like this. however, I must, we have very dear friends up in Mt Tamborine. And I asked one of those friends whose home was absolutely hammered that night. Her name's Jo, and her and her family thought they were going to die. They thought a freight train was coming. They went 13 days without power, without water. And they feel like they have been left alone. The Energex and SES workers said this is the most catastrophic, one of the most catastrophic situations they've ever seen in Australia, and they cannot believe the army was not deployed straight away. What would you say to them?
PRIME MINISTER: Well look, my heart goes out to them. It's been a really difficult circumstance that we've been dealing with. There is joint Federal-State disaster funding has been provided in South East Queensland. More than 60,000 people have received support of over $10 million dollars has been done. Today, we'll be announcing further funding between the Federal Government, I'll be there with Steven Miles, the Queensland Premier, with additional money for the cleanup program for both Far North Queensland and for South East Queensland. We'll be providing additional funding for the councils there the Scenic Rim Regional Council, Gold Coast, as well as Logan. And this has been a really difficult program to deal with, we understand that. But we have had support on the ground immediately. There has been issues with the power outage, of course, and what we know unfortunately in this country is that the science told us that we'd have more extreme weather events and they'd be more intense and tragically that's played out over the Christmas period, just before Christmas with Cyclone Jasper up there in Far North Queensland and the impact in South East Queensland as well.
PLATH: I appreciate what you're saying with more funding Prime Minister. I know one of my friends, he had six trees on his home, one came right through his son's bedroom that night. The only funding he has received or had access to is $180. He had to apply, go online and apply, at his ex wife's home because obviously he had no power, $180 and his house is still not liveable. How on earth can he access more funds?
PRIME MINISTER: Well he, it sounds like he is immediately eligible for the payment, which is there for $1000 for every adult and $400 for every child who's been directly impacted in a fashion in which you've described and that money is available through government services immediately. We have paid out over $10 million through that program already. We've paid out some $64 million for tourism, primary producers or small businesses. We recognise more is needed. Today we'll be announcing joint funding of an additional more than $50 million today and we're continuing to examine what is needed which is why I'm visiting firsthand along with the Queensland Premier, who I know has been on the ground there and the Minister for Emergency Management, federally, Murray Watt is based there on the Gold Coast and has been on the ground as well.
FLANAGAN: Prime Minister, thank you so much for your time.
EVERITT: We really appreciate you coming on the show. And to be here on the Gold Coast today is great, you're not holidaying in Hawaii, which is awesome. So thanks so much, it’s Triple M Gold Breakfast with our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Flan, Ali and Spida.