Radio Interview - Triple M Central Queensland Anthony & Pinky for Breakfast

ANTHONY SETFANOS, HOST: Delivering a future made in Australia. The PM was in Gladstone yesterday supporting two major mineral projects. He joins us now. The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese. Good morning.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. And what a perfect song to lead into talking about a future made in Australia. We need to make more things here. And yesterday, I was there at Alpha HPA there in Gladstone. We announced $400 million in new loans for the company to allow a massive expansion. It will be the world's largest processor of high purity alumina. And that's something that goes into things like led lighting, it goes into semiconductors, it goes into lithium ion batteries. It is a really high-value product that they can produce. They run on 100 per cent renewable energy. And it's all about jobs and the economy there in Central Queensland, some almost 500 jobs during construction, but there'll be 200 ongoing jobs as well. So, a really exciting day there in Gladstone.

SHANNON 'PINKY' NEVEN, HOST: And when do we expect this all to be in place?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the construction will commence immediately. The plans are all done. It will be completed by 2026. So, it's ready to go.

STEFANOS: Wow.

PRIME MINISTER: And the approvals are all in place. It's really exciting. This is the best quality in terms of purity alumina in the world.

STEFANOS: Well, we were speaking with a listener the other day who we do like a $1,000 quiz every day. He'd been made redundant recently, so if someone like him wants to perhaps is eligible to go and get one of these jobs that's being created, is it Alpha HPA who they go to or who do you think they'll be able to?

PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely. Well, firstly, there'll be jobs in construction over the next two years and then there'll be these ongoing jobs as well. But there's been a lot of exciting announcements there. There's been the electrolysers announcement just a couple of weeks ago. And there's a lot happening there in Central Queensland. There's been major advances and announcements about solar farms. There's a lot going on there which will really secure the region's future. I was there at the Port yesterday as well, and the Port there, of course, has been a real driver, not just of the local economy, but the entire national economy as well.

NEVEN: I'm glad to hear the money is there ready to be utilised to get on with this project, because we did just hear in the news earlier that chequebooks are soon to be made extinct. So, we didn't want to be handing over a check that takes, you know, five years to cash in.

PRIME MINISTER: The world is changing.

NEVEN: Did you get to catch up with our Mayor, Matt Burnett, there as well?

PRIME MINISTER: I didn't catch up with Matty yesterday. He was in Brisbane. I spoke to him and expressed my disappointment, I've got to say. He was hosting all the Queensland mayors that have just been elected down there in Brisbane at the State Parliament. So, Steven Miles was with me yesterday and he was travelling back to host the function.

STEFANOS: Someone might need to remind Matt Burnett who butters his bread, because you don't stand up Prime Minister of Australia, I wouldn't have thought.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, you know, Matty's like that, you know, he's Gladstone first. He's a good fella.

STEFANOS: Did you, did you get to enjoy any of the venues around Gladstone? Pinky and I created a signature beer at Ward's Brewery down there. Managed to get swing through?

PRIME MINISTER: I missed that. I. I went to beforehand, there was an event, they're celebrating the 1,000th LNG export out of the Port there and they set up a marquee there, right on the waterfront, which is such a great spot. So, I was there beforehand and some students from a couple of local schools, including the local state high school, came down to say g'day and have a chat. So, it was terrific.

NEVEN: Excellent. Well, just so you are aware, Anthony and I are currently fundraising and campaigning against each other to raise money for a really important cause, the Fitzroy Community Hospice. And I love to catch you up on our local news when you call the show. So, of the nine hospices in Queensland, Prime Minister, most are in South East Queensland and none are north of Hervey Bay. So, we've had this incredibly dedicated voluntary committee put one together and it just now needs finalising touches like furnishings. So, tomorrow morning, depending on whether or not we raise $5,000 each, depends on whether or not ourselves and other people in the community will get hoisted up in a crane. So, on that note, I wondered if you might be able to spot me a pineapple and donate to this great cause, Prime Minister?

PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely. How could I resist such a pitch? A good cause.

NEVEN: Yes, it's an amazing cause.

PRIME MINISTER: Good on you for raising money there. It is important that people have access to services wherever they live. So, a pineapple is indeed on its way. Don't worry, I won't send you a cheque.

NEVEN: I'll send the link to your great officer who helped organise this chat this morning. I'll send it.

PRIME MINISTER: Your people will talk to my people.

NEVEN: Yes, that's the one.

STEFANOS: Pinky doesn't have people. She's an independent running, Prime Minister. I've employed a team under me. I got a campaign manager. I've got little minions working all around and yet still, brings me to a very important point, I'm getting absolutely flogged in the polls here. Pinky's raised nearly two grand more than me. Do you have any advice? We're in the final 24 hours of the election. You're not going on in the polls. What do you do? What do I do?

PRIME MINISTER: Mate, you got a pitch harder like Pinky. You had the opportunity to jump in and a pitch for a pineapple before she did, and Pinky just got ahead of you. So, that's a bit of a sign, I reckon, of why this is happening. You can rely upon a team, but you need to lead. That is the lesson here, Anthony/

STEFANOS: I'm going to try and capture some footage of Pinky tackling a ten year old at, like, a sports function. The same way ScoMo got caught.

PRIME MINISTER: That works. That didn't end up very well for him.

NEVEN: Yes.

PRIME MINISTER: When playing sport with little kids, try not to crush them.

STEFANOS: In fairness, he was holding the ball. Like he had him fair and square, arms pinned.

NEVEN: Well, speaking of teamwork, how are you feeling about the Rabbitohs this year?

PRIME MINISTER: Oh, gee, it's been a tough beginning of the season, hasn't it? But, you know, we're a resilient bunch. We went 43 years in between our 20th and 21st premiership. So, you know, we were running for, my theory is this, last year we were running first halfway through the comp, and then we turned to dust and didn't make the finals. So, this year we're starting slow in order to build up momentum for September. That's my theory, anyway. We'll see how that works. And this week, I do note we are certain to get the two points that may or may not be because we got the bye.

NEVEN: Team analysis there. Yes. The prediction.

STEFANOS: Man of many talents. You've been very generous with your time, Prime Minister. Thank you so much for coming on the show this morning and hopefully we'll speak to you again soon.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much, guys. And pineapple's on its way.

NEVEN: I'm stoked. Thank you so much.

STEFANOS: The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, in the region, delivering a future mate in Australia. Australia. He was in Gladstone yesterday supporting two major mineral projects.

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