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January 9, 2025 ā€¢ 11 mins

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese touches down in Perth and chats to Russell about his itinerary while he's here, Peter Dutton's plan for a tax-funded nuclear reactor in Collie... and the main points that will come up in the upcoming election. 

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
An election is beginning to fire up. We have a
special guest back in our city today, the Prime Minister,
mister Anthony Albanezi, and we certainly hope to be having
him on the phone. In fact, I think that might
be him now. Good morning Prime Minister.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
It sure is Russell. A beautiful day here in person. Ah.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Yes, we put on a show when we have special
visitors welcome back to WA. I think this is what
the twenty seventh.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Time, I think twenty seventh visit. Yeah, it's a it's
a bit cooler today that it was yesterday morning in Kunnanara.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Yeah, be thankful for that.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah. Well, Cannonara was delightful. I'm going to say it's
a beautiful part of Australia there in the East Kimberley,
and we had some really important announswerments for regional WA
some two hundred million dollars in housing and community infrastructure,
opening up the port so that they can export directly

(00:57):
there up through the Port of Wyndham, along with a
couple of other ports as well, asp and Dampia. And
today here in Perth, I'm just on my way up
to the northern suburbs.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
You've got something at about eight fifteen this morning. I
believe we do.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Yeah, we're I'll be with Tracy Roberts. He's an absolute champion.
I've got to know Tracy when she was the mayor,
and she has championed the idea of an aquatic and
rec center there for that growing community. And we'll be
turning the first sod there this morning along with the
state government and the local mayor. It'll be a really

(01:37):
good thing.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
Three indoor pools, fantastic full. I saw in the press
release it did say please wear closed toad shoes, so
no sandals or thongs today, mister Prime minister. Make sure
you're addressed appropriately. Look, you are on the road. Are
you doing the trip? That r Kubra has come out
of the cupboard? So we could be forgiven for thinking

(02:00):
that an election campaign is now underway or it's a
soft launch. At least we are obviously getting closer. But
can we put it? I mean, I know you were
not giving any dates yesterday. Is it any different today?
Can we squeeze one out of you?

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Not different today? Mate? But I work each in every
January and you don't get to twenty seven visits to
Western Australia and twelve visits in Northern Territory and a
lot of visits, dozens of visits to queensand without working
hard for Australia each and every day. And I regard

(02:41):
the job I have as an incredible privilege and honor
of being Prime Minister of this great country, and I'm
determined to make it even better the future.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
Of course, we have a state election which is locked
in for the eighth of March over here. Now, I'm
sure you've had some close negotiation with the Premier Cook
as to when you might be calling yours, because you
must maybe worry, or at least have in the back
of your mind the possibility of voter fatigue here in Wa, which,

(03:11):
of course, as we know, is a very important state
as we head towards the next.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
Election, it certainly is. I was with Roger just yesterday
at the Medicare urgent care clinic there in beautiful Midland
here in Perth, one of the eighth that we've opened
around the country, and there with Trish Cook, our candidate
for Bullwinkle, actually was a nurse at that center before

(03:37):
it became an urgent care clinic, and it was terrific
to be with her and Tania Lawrence and the Premiere yesterday. Look,
the Premier is focused on his election on the eighth
of March, and I think he is deserving of a
significant victory then and from you, well, what'll be doing?

(04:00):
Of course, I'll continue to work with him constructively. One
of the things we've been able to achieve together is
the creation of jobs, building of infrastructure. The last visit here,
I was here for the opening of the Metronet line,
which was a great day. We were jumping on and
off the train there, opening new stations. It's been remarkable

(04:26):
in the decades that I've been coming to wa seeing
the growth and the success of this great state, not
just here in Perth but right around the state. And
I want to work constructively in the future with Roger,
and I'm sure we'll be able to do that.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
You were in Queensland obviously at the beginning of this
road trip. You've committed over seven billion dollars, which is
a lot of money for the Bruce Highway, which we
know is a big highway. Peter Dutton has now matched that.
Is there any chance we can get you to match
him on maybe something for us over here? I'm thinking
I don't know, maybe Indian Ocean Drive, we can get

(05:07):
Jewel Lane the whole way. Safety.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
It doesn't promise anything. I'll tell you what I want
match him on. We won't be building a nuclear reactor
in Collie. This will be the first stake to move
completely out of cul fired power. WA will be powered
by renewables as well as gas. And that's the same position.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
Are you convinced that. Are you convinced that the no
Nuclear Road is going to be a big winner for you?

Speaker 2 (05:37):
Absolutely? Because it doesn't stack up. It's economic madness. And
they're modeling that they put out themselves said that they'd
be forty percent less energy used by twenty fifty than
what has been modeled by the Australian Energy Market Operator
under their ISP. Doubt if you if you're saying there'll

(05:59):
be forty percent less energy, yes, you know what you're
really saying. There'll be less jobs, they'll be less manufacturing,
there'll be less economic activity. And that's just extraordinary. And
the fact that Peter Dutton has said that this is
going to be taxpayer funded, So the taxpayers are going
to fund the building of this between now and sometime

(06:21):
in the twenty forties. It's not clear what'll happen energy
in the moontime, mind you, But in the twenty forties,
then there'll be this nuclear reactor there in Collie. No
wonder he's snuck in and out without selling anyone, because
it just doesn't stack up. And I've been to Collie.
I've met with the massive renewable projects which will be

(06:43):
powering the grid as well, because I'll be connected up
with the power lines that come from the current power station,
as well as meeting with critical minerals and rare earth
and all of the quite exciting developments we're seeing here
in Wa that will power austray as future. The government's

(07:04):
own spokespeople, people like Mac and Evan, have been out
there saying this is just a political fix. Well, and
that's what it is. It doesn't stack up.

Speaker 1 (07:13):
It's obviously this is going to be a major point
in this upcoming election. One is going to be cost
of living and the other one is obviously going to
be about energy. I just wanted to while we've still
got you on the phone, because I know you're busy
and off to open the new Aquadic Center. But ten
days until a new US president throwing around the thread
of tariffs like Lolly's to kids in a crowd. You've

(07:36):
said that he you don't think he'll impose any on us.
Why are you so confident that he won't.

Speaker 2 (07:43):
Well, the United States has a trade surplus with US,
and so if you have tariffs then that would actually
disadvantage the United States. And we also have a free
trade agreement of course with the US. We have an

(08:04):
important relationship and in the orcas arrangements. For example, I've
been down there at the Defense facility here in Perth.
I went on a nuclear powered sub, one of the
Virginia class subs there on just a few months ago.

(08:25):
There are Australians working on that sub, Australians there in
the United States learning and getting the skills that they need.
And the truth is that we have a very important
relationship with the United States. So I had a constructive
first discussion with Donald Trump, and I'm confident that we'll

(08:46):
continue to act in both our country's interest.

Speaker 1 (08:48):
As unpredictable as he is, just one more thing. Elon
Musk is poking his nose into other political systems around
the world, in countries, especially the UK for instance. Do
you happen to follow him on.

Speaker 2 (09:01):
Well? I don't, but funnily enough, he's his feed pops
up regardless, you.

Speaker 1 (09:09):
Might want to keep an eye on him.

Speaker 2 (09:11):
In my system even though I don't follow him.

Speaker 1 (09:15):
You want to keep an eye on him and follow him.

Speaker 2 (09:18):
Well, that says something about the algorithms and the way
that they work, I think. And one of the things
about social media is we have our social media band
for those under sixteen. I want to see kids, including
hearing out on the netball courts, playing cricket, playing footy,
engage with each other in the playground rather than on

(09:40):
their devices.

Speaker 1 (09:41):
A lot of parents would agree with you on that one.

Speaker 2 (09:43):
Our parents, this is the showstopper at the discussion of
every school pickup and on the sidelines of every sporting event.
As someone who had a young one who's not so
young anymore, I will recall hours watching in play cricket
for summer hill.

Speaker 1 (10:05):
And not strolling.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
Exactly exactly. And I want kids need to as well
learn to engage with each other. And one of the
things that's happened with some of the bands that have
been placed on kids taking devices into the schoolroom is
that kids at lunchtime and play lunch and all of

(10:29):
that guess what. They're engaging with each other as well.
That's part of the lessons that are learned at school.
Aren't just things that are in the classroom, their social interaction,
and that's so important.

Speaker 1 (10:43):
There's a lot of support across the house for you
on that one. Look, I know you're busy because you're
on your way to the eight point fifteen event. Thank
you very much for your time, which I guess is
about to become even more scarce and a little more
valuable for you. We're going all eighties, Prime Minister. I
know you were growing back in the eighties. Just hit me,

(11:04):
hit me with one one of your favorite bands of
the eighties, Oh, Cold Chisel, Cold Chisel. All right, I'm
going to put it into the music department and if
they can't get something on for the Prime Minister.

Speaker 2 (11:14):
You cannot go wrong. You cannot go wrong. Well, it's
early in the morning. Yeah, you probably don't want goodbye
Astra goodbye. Probably a little bit.

Speaker 1 (11:25):
Maybe if you need to wake up, wake people up.
We will see if we can get some Cold Chizzel
for you on as the Ultimate Eighties begins, and I
will let you continue on your way, Prime Minister. Thank you,
very much for your time this morning.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
Thanks very much, Russell
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