: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in Rockhampton. He’s going to have a tour of Beef today and he’s brought along some money for the industry in an announcement this morning, and he joins you now. Good morning, Prime Minister.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. What a beautiful day it is here in Rocky.
JONES: Yeah, it certainly is. Prime Minister, what are you expecting to see at Beef today?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, look, it will be terrific. I was at the dinner, the awards last night. It was a great night. There were more than 600 people there. It was crowded onto what’s normally a basketball court and it was just a great feeling there. People are really optimistic about not just the coming 12 months, but about the future for the beef industry. There have been some difficult times, of course, in the past, but I really sensed that positive vibe that was there last night and it was great to meet so many producers and to be able to have a chat to them and their families. It’s a great occasion here that’s bringing, of course, an economic benefit to Rocky of over $100 million. Just the activity that’s here. So, I’m here and the Government’s here in force. We’ve got Murray Watt, Madeleine King and Kristy McBain here with me this week. And it’s the first time, of course, that international guests have been able to attend since 2018 because of COVID. And so I met a number of people as well. It’s an opportunity for business deals to be done and it will be a positive event.
JONES: And you mentioned there, Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt is in town and last week we tried to press him for what some of the announcements might be. And you have one this morning. What is it?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, we’ve got a beauty. It’s a record, almost $520 million in the Future Drought Fund programs to help farmers and regional communities to prepare for the next drought and to build climate resilience. This fund in the past has been used up to deal with the impact of drought after it’s occurred. But what makes sense is to get out there and invest in advance. Farmers, we know, are on the front line of climate change and we’ve been working with them about what their needs are and what this will do is to really make a difference by restructuring the fund and its objectives to get better outcomes. So, things like the better tools for farmers to help mitigate the impact of drought on their farms, strategies for local communities to prepare and manage risk through drought, and increased investment in the network of drought hubs which are there. So, we think this will make an enormous difference going forward and it will be very positively received because it’s something that’s come from listening to the grassroots, listening to farmers and producers themselves about what they need to prepare for the future.
JONES: And what did you hear from farmers about preparing for the future?
PRIME MINISTER: They want to not wait for drought to occur and then deal with it. Farmers are resilient in a country like ours. And of course, there always have been droughts in Australia, there’s always been floods in Australia. But what we know is that, we know from experience we’re witnessing it, is that the weather events that cause problems are more frequent and they’re more intense when they occur. So, you can actually save money for the government and for farmers if you get ahead of it, if you plan, if you make farms, properties, more resilient to drought impacts. And that’s what this announcement today on drought mitigation is really about. But they’re very positive about some of the prices they’ll get for their products. Of course, something like, I think it’s 70 per cent of the beef in Australia is for export because it’s the best in the world. And that’s why this is such an important event, to showcase it to the buyers and showcase it to the world. We’re really proud of our industries and there’s no industry that’s more important to us than the beef industry. Our exports have surged through this year. Export volume’s up 33 per cent higher year on year, and that is really important as well. And it produces something like, for the next financial year, it’s forecast to reach a high of almost $12 billion. And that will be extraordinary. That reflects strong prices for Australian beef, but it also reflects higher export volumes.
JONES: And Prime Minister, while we’ve got you this morning as well, aviation is a big topic here currently, especially with Bonza. We’ve heard some attendees couldn’t make it to Beef with Bonza grounded. Is there a chance for a bailout to keep affordable options for the regions?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the administrator of Bonza has been appointed. They’ve set up a hotline and they’re examining a way forward. I must say that the airlines, both Virgin and Qantas, were terrific in providing support for people who had been stranded. And so Bonza, of course, has now entered its voluntary administration, and it’s very disappointing that that has occurred. Consumer rights for passengers, of course, are now being considered as part of the aviation white paper that we’ve done. But our primary concern has been to make sure that people who were stranded as well could, could get home. That was an absolute priority. And I must say the other airlines deserve a great deal of credit. Jayne Hrdlicka from Virgin contacted me really, really quickly, I’ve got to say, and that was really appreciated.
JONES: We’ve also heard from people that have seen their flights triple in prices after the cancellation as well of Bonza with the larger airlines. Do you see there being a cheaper airline like Bonza in the future after this situation?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I hope there is, but what we have seen over a period of time is that the aviation industry is a really tough industry and we have seen a range over recent decades of cheap airlines form, keep going for a little while, and not last. And it is a tough industry. I was the Aviation Minister for six years, and during that time around the world, I was, I found it extraordinary just how many airlines don’t last. That’s the nature of that industry. So, I certainly hope that that is the case that that can occur. We’ve had Rex expanding some of the places that it flies to, and we have, of course, two major airlines with subsidiaries like Jetstar as well. But it is a very tough industry. That is the truth of the matter. And it’s not government owned and run. It’s, of course, run by the private sector. But one of the things the aviation white paper that Catherine King, the Minister, is looking at is how do we get the best deal for consumers? Because that, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s about. It’s a service industry.
JONES: Well, Prime Minister, we are approaching now the seven o’clock news. Love to chat to you for ages. I hope you enjoy your time here today. Please pop down. But hope you enjoy some great steaks today to start, plenty of great beef on offer, and your time in Central Queensland.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks. Thanks very much. And thank you to all your listeners for welcoming us outsiders from cold Canberra in the beautiful, warm, Rocky today.
