WALEED ALY, HOST: Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, joins us from Canberra. Prime Minister, the ACCC report says we might be running out of gas next year. Will we?
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, we are going to make sure that we take measures so that households and businesses can continue to have gas. What the report shows is that there's a potential shortfall there but that the shortfall is far less than what is available in non-contracted gas. So, we're going to take measures, including bringing forward the trigger to reform the rules around the trigger as well to make sure that Australian gas can meet Australian needs.
STEVE PRICE, HOST: Obviously, Prime Minister, energy is a big challenge for your Government. During the campaign you promised to cut people's power bills by $275. Will it be kept, that promise, or will it be a broken promise?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, we will be taking measures. What we know is that renewables are the cheapest form of energy. And that's why we'll grow the renewables sector to 82 per cent of the national energy market by 2030. And we stand by the modelling which is there. What we didn't know, and what Australians were kept in the dark about, was that the Government in April changed the regulations just before the election was formally called. These large increases in wholesale prices were due to come in while the election was on, but they put them off until July 1 and put off any notification of them. That is something that we weren't aware of. But we know that every energy expert in Australia will tell you the key is to investing in renewables. And our plan will make sure that business have the business certainty they need to make sure that investment occurs.
CARRIE BICKMORE, HOST: Can we talk now to the referendum for a Voice to Parliament? Talk us through this. How do you expect people to vote on changing the constitution without knowing how it's going to work?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course they will know how it works. But the truth is it is a pretty simple proposition. The proposition is where matters affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people, then those people, First Nations people, should be consulted on it. It is not a third chamber. It is simply good manners. It is no different from the fact that we consult women's organisations if you want to have an impact on women. You consult different organisations, sections of society on matters that affect them. And the thing is that if you consult people, if you give them that sense of ownership, you are more likely get more positive outcomes. We know that from 120 years of experience of Canberra spending billions of dollars but not achieving the right outcomes if Indigenous people are excluded from that process. Where they have been included, in areas like Indigenous rangers, you have seen far more successful outcomes.
PETER HELLIAR, HOST: Within Indigenous communities, Prime Minister, there are varied opinions about how it should take place. How will you manage disagreement about the Voice within Indigenous groups?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we will continue to engage with them. But there's no reason why that should be any different than if you did a survey of Collingwood supporters about who should be in the team next weekend. There'll be different views. The idea that this would be a homogenous group is not right. But the truth is that people spent years leading up to the Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2017 and Indigenous communities overwhelmingly want this process to go forward. And with regards to the detail, I mean, there are hundreds of pages of detail have been worked through by Marcia Langton and Tom Calma. They are all out there for people to see. Australia's Constitution should recognise the fact that people have been here for 60,000 years. The oldest continuous civilisation on Earth. And that should be a source of pride. Our history didn't begin, and didn’t end either, in 1788.
PRICE: You convinced that Peter Dutton will not try and blow it up?
PRIME MINISTER: I think that people of goodwill need to be constructive here. This is an opportunity to uplift the nation and I'm doing my best.
PRICE: Have you talked to him about it?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, I have. I have told him what I was going to say on Saturday last week. I will continue to talk with him. We'll have another discussion this week. It is very important that this be a unifying moment for the nation. This should be a source of pride. And we need to do things differently. We know that there is still a 20-year life expectancy gap. There are huge gaps in infant mortality, in education outcomes, health outcomes, housing. We need to find a better way. And a better way is by showing people respect. Australians understand that. I believe they will embrace that and they will support a change, which is very simple, to the Constitution. One that makes our country more inclusive.
ALY: Prime Minister, thank you very much for your time.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much.