Sliding in the polls and facing rising inflation, Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, is on a charm offensive this morning, making sure voters in Melbourne’s southeast know relief is coming.
CLINT STANAWAY, HOST: That’s because on July 1, the stage three tax cuts take effect, as well as an increase to the minimum wage and energy bill relief, all aimed at keeping more money in your wallet.
AZZOPARDI: The Prime Minister joins us now from Pearcedale. Good morning to you, PM. Nothing like some cash to make voters happy. Will it be enough?
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, it certainly will make a difference. We will have 2.6 million award wage workers will get a wage increase above inflation on Monday. In addition to that, every single taxpayer will get a tax cut. Many of them were going to miss out under the Liberals’ tax cuts. We made sure that changes were made to assist low and middle income earners. We took off the top and gave to middle Australia. And as well, $300 off energy bills will make a difference. We’re freezing the costs of medicines and two weeks additional paid parental leave, all while delivering two budget surpluses. So, we do want Australians to earn more and we want them to keep more of what they earn. And Monday will be important. We know people are doing it tough with cost of living pressures, but we wanted to make sure we made a difference whilst continuing to put that downward pressure on inflation.
STANAWAY: Sure. So, Prime Minister, I guess one of the potential issues, or the big watches right now is inflation. So, data this week, we know has painted a bit of a grim picture. How confident can you be that these measures won’t actually be making things worse?
PRIME MINISTER: I’m confident because that is what the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Treasury have said as well. We’ve designed this cost of living relief in a way that continues to put that downward pressure on inflation. So, our energy price relief plan of last year cut three quarters of a per cent off inflation. We know it worked. When you have fee-free TAFE, it means people save money, but you’re also having an impact on productivity in the economy. When you cut the price of medicines, as we did, from $42.50 down to $30, when you then freeze the cost of medicines, what you’re doing is putting downward pressure on inflation while helping people’s budgets. So, we’ve been very conscious of designing that cost of living difference. And that’s why on the tax cuts as well, what we did was not have additional money into the economy than what was budgeted for, $107 billion over four years. But we made sure that it’s going primarily to low and middle income earners by changing the tax cuts. So, Labor’s tax cuts will make a difference and everyone earning under $45,000 who was going to get not a cent. And they need relief. So, we’re providing that for them. At this nursery here, there’s something like 14 million plants being propagated here at JD Propagation, and that’s about the same number as the Australians who will get a tax cut on Monday.
AZZOPARDI: Well, that’s a nice little synthesis for you there, Prime Minister. There’s another issue we wanted to ask you about this morning because disgraced former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has just received a special honour from King Charles, a year after a civil court declared he was a war criminal. What is your reaction to that award?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, this isn’t a decision of the Government, this was a decision of the Palace to give all VC recipients a further award. There’s ongoing legal action potentially on these issues, so given the Government’s engagement, it’s important that there not be interference in that. But it certainly wasn’t a Government decision.
STANAWAY: PM, US politics is occupying many of our thoughts. It was on full display yesterday, the first Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Should Joe Biden continue with his quest?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, they are all a matter for the American people and for the US Democrats and Republicans haven’t selected their candidates yet finally, at their conventions. I think Australians will focus as the whole world will. US elections are pretty important.
STANAWAY: What did you make of this performance, then?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I’m not a commentator. There’s enough people who are commentators on the US elections. My job will be to work with whoever is elected President of the United States. This is our most important relationship, it’s our most important alliance. And I’ve worked very closely with President Biden. We have a terrific working relationship. But my job is to observe, rather than participate in the US elections.
AZZOPARDI: You say you’ve worked closely with President Joe Biden. Do you think he’s too old?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ve worked very closely with him. And every interaction I’ve had with him has been very positive. I’ve sat around the Cabinet table with not just President Biden, but the Defence Secretary and the Secretary of State and the Commerce Secretary and others. And we have forged a really important relationship going forward with the US Administration. We’ll work with whichever government is elected. This coming Thursday, there’s the elections in the United Kingdom as well, of course. And I’ve worked with Rishi Sunak. I’ll work with either him or Sir Keir Starmer after Thursday as well. It’s important to note that this year is the year in which more people will vote in elections around the world than any year in human history.
AZZOPARDI: Will Australians be voting this year, Prime Minister? Are we voting in a Federal election this year?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re less than a year away. But that date, of course, will be determined. But I’ve said before that three years isn’t long enough in my view. Right around the world, elections are for four or five years.
AZZOPARDI: You are Prime Minister, so, you can change that now, can’t you? We have run out.
PRIME MINISTER: You can’t change it, actually. I wish you could. Referendums are pretty tough in this country.
STANAWAY: PM, thank you so much.
AZZOPARDI: The link keeps freezing there. That’s not our fault.
STANAWAY: Did he organise that?
AZZOPARDI: I don’t know. I’m sure he did not. Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, if you can still hear us, thank you for your time this morning.
