In the heart of the outback, Alice Springs is known for its culture, striking landscape and its local characters who make it such an interesting place to live and visit.

But I know lately it has been a very difficult time for the town.

During my visit last week I heard firsthand about the challenges.

Meeting with the mayor and council, the chamber of commerce, social workers, educators and students, as well as businesses and bumping into locals on the street - the message was the same.

The Albanese Labor Government is working with the Victorian Government to bust Melbourne’s congestion and ensure Victoria’s roads are safer and get people where they need to be faster.

In next week’s Budget we will invest a further $3.25 billion to North East Link in the 2024-25 Budget, taking the total Australian Government funding to $5 billion.

Once completed, the North East Link will get 15,000 trucks off local roads each day and reduce travel times by up to 35 minutes.

GARETH PARKER, NINE PERTH NEWS DIRECTOR: Prime Minister, thank you. When I was leaving the house early this morning, putting on a tie, which I don't usually do I have to confess. My five year old asked, ‘Dad, why are you putting on a tie?' I said I've got to talk to someone important this morning, I'm doing an interview. He said, ‘Oh yeah, who's that? Roger Cook?’. Five years old. I said, ‘No, it's Anthony Albanese’. He shrugged his shoulders, he went, ‘Oh, close’. So, there you go.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Roger will like that.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks for joining us, and it's terrific to be here with the Premier and the Deputy Premier, who also happens to be the Treasurer of Western Australia, but also the Federal Infrastructure Minister, Catherine King, and members of my team, including Patrick Gorman, Sam Lim, Josh Wilson, who are here prior to, of course, our Budget, which we'll be handing down next Tuesday.

GARY ADSHEAD, HOST: The Prime Minister is in Western Australia. He's been addressing a business breakfast this morning and he joins me on the line. Thanks very much for your time, Prime Minister.

The Albanese Government is making critical investments in Western Australian infrastructure, cementing the state’s future growth.

In the 2024–25 Budget, we are committing $33.5 million towards planning works to support the development of Westport.

The Westport project is the linchpin for future trade growth in Western Australia.

It includes planning a new port and the connected road, rail and logistics operations required to move container trade from Fremantle to Kwinana. 

Next week’s Budget will wipe around $3 billion from student HECS debt. This will make a real difference for around 3 million Australians.

A student with an average HECS debt of about $26,000, will have their HECS debt cut by about by about $1200.

Someone with a HECS debt of $40,000 will see a cut of about $1800.

This is a really big and important reform that will make HECS fairer.

And it will apply to everyone with a HECS debt, just as our tax cuts will help every single taxpayer.

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and I pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.

I do want to take a moment this morning to express my heartfelt sorrow to the parents of Callum and Jake Robinson. 

Their beloved sons have been murdered in Mexico. 

And right now they are trying to come to terms with what is every parent’s nightmare.

I join with all Australians in offering them my deepest sympathies and condolences.

The Albanese Government will deliver a generational investment to find new deposits of minerals and sources of energy to help build a Future Made in Australia, as part of a big focus on resources in next week’s Budget.

The Budget will show that the Government will invest $566.1 million over ten years from 2024-25 to deliver data, maps and other tools for use by the resources industry that will point the way to new discoveries, power our economy and commit to the full mapping of Australia over the next generation.

Agriculture is the lifeblood of the nation, and Queensland is a great beef producing state.

It’s been terrific this week to meet beef producers and their families in Rockhampton and hear how optimistic people are about the future of their industry.

This industry has experienced some difficult times in the past.

But Australian beef is flying off the shelves and flying to markets around the world. Export volumes and value are up. Volumes increased by 33% between July 2023 and February 2024. Value increased by 17%.