MICHAEL ROWLAND, HOST: We're joined now by the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. PM, good morning to you
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Bit chilly.
ROWLAND: Just slightly chilly.
PRIME MINISTER: Welcome to Canberra.
ROWLAND: I'm still upright, which is the main thing. The Budget last night, $20 billion in new spending, is that really going to help force the inflation dragon back into its cave?
PRIME MINISTER: $40 billion of savings over two budgets, 87 per cent of the revenue gains put to the bottom line, unlike our predecessors where the number was 40 per cent, or the Howard Government where the number was 30 per cent. This is a Budget that takes pressure off families whilst not putting pressure on inflation.
ROWLAND: But there is that extra spending out there. An independent economist, Chris Richardson, reckon it is RBA was ready to lay-off further rate rises until last night. He says they'll look at these new spending measures.
PRIME MINISTER: He's going to get a run on ABC, doesn't he? If he didn't day something dramatic, you wouldn't give him another run.
ROWLAND: He makes a valid point, doesn't he?
PRIME MINISTER: Come on. We are producing the first projected surplus in 15 years. We're banking, putting 87 per cent of the revenue gains to the bottom line. We produced $40 billion of savings over two budgets. This is a responsible Budget that deals with the pressure of inflation which is there, whilst also understanding that we need to assist people who are under pressure. Which of the measures did Mr Richardson say we shouldn't have done?
ROWLAND: Let's talk about one of those measures, JobSeeker going up by $40, that equates to $2.85 a day, independent Senator David Pocock describes that as both laughable and embarrassing. Are you embarrassed to offer such a small rise in JobSeeker?
PRIME MINISTER: Here's a great contradiction you put. In the first two issues you raised with me, you said we're spending too much in your first question, and the second you say we're not spending enough. The truth is we got the balance right. We understand that people are under pressure. But we needed to make sure that it was a responsible Budget. So, this $40 increase is something that will make a difference to people.
ROWLAND: Medicare, the $3.5 billion to help encourage more GPs to offer more bulk billing. Who is eligible for that? And how will it encourage GPs to bring in more bulk billing?
PRIME MINISTER: It will make an enormous difference, particularly for children will be eligible for that, for example, one of the pressures that families are under. And that's what you got to look at is not just every individual payment, but how it all fits together. You got cheaper child care, you got increases in some payments targeted to those who need it, people on JobSeeker, single parenting payment expansion which is there, increased rental assistance for those in the private or community housing sector all working together as well as making cheaper medicines and making it easier to see a bulk billing doctor, not just a tripling of incentives but the additional Urgent Care Clinics as well that are taking pressure off the emergency departments. This is a Budget that will look after people and lay such strong foundations for the better future that we promised.
ROWLAND: Housing is such a massive issue as you know, as we know, every morning we speak about it on our show. 15 per cent increase in the Commonwealth Rental Assistance payment. Advocates were calling for much greater increase. But what do you hope that 15 per cent does?
PRIME MINISTER: It will make a difference to people who are under pressure due to rising rents, but it's not the only thing we're doing, Michael. Once again, it's a comprehensive plan. Our Housing Accord for a million extra homes to be built, the incentives we put into last night's Budget for build-to-rent schemes, added to the private sector to provide them with incentives to engage in housing supply. Our legislation that's before the Parliament, could be a vote today, to provide some 30,000 additional social and affordable homes including 4,000 targeted women and children escaping domestic violence. Now, that $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund is before the Parliament today. So, a comprehensive plan. Public housing, incentives for investment in private housing supply, housing supply and affordability council run with the states and local government to increase that housing supply, to look at planning laws and to make sure that we deal with those issues. Incentives to invest. These all put together show a Government that is committed to dealing with the pressures that are there on housing.
ROWLAND: Stage three tax cuts will cost $69 billion over four years, your cost of living package comes in at $15 billion. Can you see how some people out there, perhaps more than some people, would see a massive disconnect?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they, of course, were legislated some time ago. They're included in the Budget, as they have been for some time. And we have no plans to change those measures. We haven't given consideration to that.
ROWLAND: But you can see, I'll ask the question again. Do you see how some people see $69 billion for tax cuts targeting, in large part, wealthy Australians compared to only $15 billion for cost of living?
PRIME MINISTER: Those measures begin at $45,000. If you're on $45,000, watching this program, you don't regard yourself as being wealthy.
ROWLAND: Just very quickly, I know you got to go. Something that hasn’t gotten a lot of coverage, but I think it should, there's money there for the referendum, which is right because we have a referendum coming up, but also $10.5 million in mental health support for Indigenous Australians in the referendum period. What does that say about the impact that this debate is having on First Nations people?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it is having a difficult impact. There are words that are used these days on social media and in other forms, often anonymous, sometimes not, frankly, some of the things that are being said in this debate are hurtful. We're very conscious of the pressure which Indigenous Australians will be under. We know that when the vote, the postal ballot was held on marriage equality, people in that community felt under pressure as well. And we have been conscious about that.
ROWLAND: Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, appreciate your time this morning. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Michael.