EMMA REBELLO, HOST: For more on our top story this morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joins us from Parliament House. Prime Minister, good morning. Thanks for joining us on News Breakfast.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning Emma. Good to be with you.
REBELLO: Talk us through this social media announcement. I know a lot of parents are really worried about their kids and how they access social media, the amount they access on social media, the harm it causes. What are you looking at in terms of restricting age here?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're listening to parents and listening to the community, and I want to see kids off their devices and onto the footy fields and the swimming pools and the tennis courts. We want them to have real experiences with real people because we know that social media is causing social harm. So, what we've done is put money in the Budget in May for a trial that will take place over the next couple of months, age verification trial, and we've committed to introducing legislation before the end of this year for age verification to make sure that we get young people away from this social harm. This is a scourge. We know that there is mental health consequences for what many of the young people have had to deal with. The bullying that can occur online, the access to material which causes social harm, and parents are wanting a response. We're working with state and territory governments. We know that Justice French, former Chief Justice of the High Court, has produced a really important report to the South Australian Government that provides a potential way forward as well. But we want to make sure that there's a national response rather than eight different state responses.
REBELLO: Well, some of the states have been talking about different ages when they've talked about looking at it themselves. The South Australian response is to look at kids under 14. Is that what you'll be looking at? And how do you enforce an age limit?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're looking at the range between 14 and 16. That's one of the reasons why we're having a trial. And what we're looking at is how you deliver it. This is a global issue that governments around the globe are trying to deal with. And so we can look at the experience, look at the response as well of social media companies. Social media has a social responsibility in order to have that social licence that they require to operate in a decent society. They're not above everyone else. They can't just say, “we're a big multinational company, we can do whatever we like,” regardless of the harm that's being caused. So, we'll look at this age verification trial. We know that it's not simple and it's not easy, otherwise governments would have responded before. But we'll look at the experience, we'll look at the report and work that Justice French has done, but we will also have that legislation before the Parliament by the end of the year. Because we know that this is what parents are talking about after school, in the parents and citizens groups, at the sideline of sport on the weekend, they're talking about the impact that this has. And we know, for example, that the banning, which many state governments have done, of phones from school has made a positive difference. And so we know that if we get our youngest Australians off these devices, then it can make a positive difference for them.
REBELLO: Prime Minister, there are quite a number of other issues that I'd like to talk to you about this morning, including the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. I understand a strategy has just been announced. How will this strategy be different in tackling and preventing suicide into what we've seen previously?
PRIME MINISTER: We'll be launching the draft strategy this morning and we want to get that consultation, that input, to it. We know that every life lost to suicide is one too many and there are too many tragedies right around our country. We want to make sure that we take advantage of the best research which is there, but also the experiences which are there as well. Just yesterday we received the Royal Commission into the suicide for veterans and Defence Force personnel. That is a chilling report of seven volumes with 122 recommendations, concentrating, of course, on that area. We'll respond to those recommendations soon. We'll go through the report diligently and we know that suicide, though, has an impact on all sections of our society, in our cities, in our regions, young and old, tragically, men and women. And we know that we need to do better.
REBELLO: Prime Minister, regarding the 122 recommendations, as you mentioned, a huge amount of work that's gone into this by the Royal Commission into defence and veteran suicide. When will we see a formal Government response? I mean, I know there are a number of issues here, including the recommendation for a new support body to help veterans transition out of service and into civilian life. Is that something that you support?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, we will look positively at all of the recommendations which are there, but we'll go through it in a diligent way. It's seven volumes, so we haven't read the seven volumes in a matter of hours. And the report arises from literally so many thousands of people who came forward. Their contribution deserves to be respected and the way to do that is to go through the report line by line, recommendation by recommendation, and we'll respond as soon as possible for it. But we won't be delaying a response.
REBELLO: Prime Minister, I want to turn your attention to the mining sector now. The head of the Minerals Council, Tania Constable, spoke last night, taking aim at your Government's IR agenda, saying things like, “the sector's under sieged”, “it's being punished,” by your Government, warning, “undermine it at your peril.” How do you respond to that? Pretty strong words.
PRIME MINISTER: Look, the workplace relations legislation was passed some time ago. Industrial action per capita is down compared with the former Government prior to this legislation being carried. We want workers to be paid properly. We want as well people to earn more and keep more of what they earn. That's why we introduced tax cuts. That's why we think that two people who are working side by side, with the same experience, working for the same company, undertaking the same work, shouldn't be the subject of manipulations in order to pay them less. That's my Government's position. But we work very cooperatively with the sector and the mining sector in Australia is doing very well. I'm very optimistic about how they can achieve even more in the future. That's why we have measures like our support for critical minerals. We want production tax credits to reward success and investment in the minerals that will drive the global economy in this century. We're blessed by having some of the best resources under the ground and, of course, in the sky, the best solar resources in the world. If you combine those two things, we can set ourselves up for a very positive future indeed. And the resources sector will be critical to that.
REBELLO: Prime Minister, very busy sitting week. We're also expecting to hear more about aged care reforms. Will we see detail today about that? I know that in particular, people are worried about this co-contribution. What will we find out?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the discussions and consideration between the Government and the Opposition were concluded some time ago. All of the issues were resolved to ensure that there is a secure future for aged care. Unless we have action, what the aged care providers are warning about is that the sustainability of the aged care sector needs to be guaranteed and insured going forward. So, these are sensible reforms arising out of the Aged Care Royal Commission, of course they're grandfathered, any changes won't have an impact of anyone who's currently an aged care resident. But these are modest but important reforms going forward and we hope to see a positive response because that's what's required. We have a responsibility to make the system sustainable.
REBELLO: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Thank you very much for joining us this morning. And I understand you're a Hawk supporter. I'm a Port Adelaide supporter. So, one of us will be very happy on the weekend and one of us will not be.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah well the Premier Peter Malinauskas I spoke to over the weekend, he's a bit nervous about Port. I hope it's a great game.
REBELLO: So do I.
PRIME MINISTER: The Hawks were pretty good on Friday night, I've got to say that.
REBELLO: Yes, absolutely. Prime Minister, thank you very much for joining us this morning. Appreciate it.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you.