WILL GOODINGS, HOST: Big day in Adelaide, big day too with the arrival of the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, in town, and he joins us on FiveAA Breakfast now. Prime Minister, good morning to you.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Good to be with you.
GOODINGS: Why are you in town, Prime Minister? So, you can disabuse our listeners of the idea that you're here just to catch the Test?
PRIME MINISTER: No well, I won't be going to the Test. I'll be travelling from Adelaide across to Hobart straight at lunchtime. So, I'll be visiting a TAFE with Louise Miller-Frost and the state Minister as well. Just meeting students who've been graduates of the Fee Free TAFE we put in place last year. This has been incredibly successful. We committed to 180,000 Fee Free TAFE places and we delivered 300,000 places. And we'll be meeting some of those who began their apprenticeship last year in electrical and in carpentry. And of course, we know that there's been these massive skill shortages built up over a long period of time and it's made an incredible difference to them whilst, of course, providing cost of living relief as well, by providing it for free.
GOODINGS: Prime Minister, the dominant topic of conversation in federal politics, both around the country, and indeed here too in Adelaide, has been the fate of the stage three tax cuts. You've been steadfast in repeating your vow to uphold the election commitment to keep the stage three tax cuts in. That comes against a backdrop of polling like that conducted by the Australian Institute that suggests 70 per cent of Labor voters would favour either scrapping the cuts or amending them in some way. What's the argument you can make to people who vote for you and Labor Party members who like you and dislike this policy about the importance of the stage three tax cuts?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we haven't changed our position. Tax cuts are important to provide relief for people. At the moment, these cuts cut in at $45,000. That's not a wealthy position, far from it, of course. And we think that given cost of living pressures, the beginning of the next financial year is the right time to bring in income tax relief. And that is what we will be doing. We've had a range of targeted measures to take pressure off cost of living, cheaper child care, the Fee Free TAFE is one of them, as well as cheaper medicines and our energy price relief plan that have all made a difference. Inflation is heading in the right direction. It fell to 4.3 per cent. We were heartened by that. There's more work to do to make sure that we win the fight against inflation, because that is having an impact. And as well of course, we're taking action to ensure that supermarkets are held to account. We want consumers to get their products when they go to the supermarket check out at the cheapest possible price.
NICK XENOPHON, HOST: Prime Minister Nick here, a lot of economists are saying statutory tax cuts could fuel inflation. What do you say to that? What do you say to those economists?
PRIME MINISTER: I say that the amount of tax cuts that has been legislated has been factored in already by Treasury and Finance and by the Reserve Bank of Australia. So, that has been factored in to all of their consideration.
GOODINGS: You spoke just a moment ago, Prime Minister, of the ACCC's pursuit of supermarkets ripping people off with regard to price gouging. This comes against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis we're in at the moment. And you've alluded to increased powers that you'd give the ACCC. How concerned are you about price gouging by major supermarkets? And what are the scope of those increased powers that you'd give the consumer watchdog?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I am concerned, one of the things that Dr. Craig Emerson is looking at is whether the current voluntary code of conduct that the supermarkets are a part of, that they basically run themselves, should be turned into a more mandated form of code of conduct. And that's one of the things that we're giving consideration to, as well as the ACCC giving consideration as to whether they need or require or would ask for more powers. What I've said is if the ACCC asks for further powers in order to take action, then my Government would be willing to do that. I know they're examining it very closely because people are really concerned that when you've seen a drop in prices that are paid to farmers like our sheep farmers, that hasn't flowed through as quickly as it should have to a reduction in prices at the checkout. And that is what is being examined.
XENOPHON: Prime Minister, the paddock to plate price differential seems to be growing. Farmers are getting less, supermarkets are getting more. Don't we really need a mandatory code to have the teeth to really put the supermarket, the big supermarket chains, on notice?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's precisely what we're looking at Nick and you, during your time when you were one of my colleagues there, were a strong advocate for consumers and we want to make sure that consumers are looked after.
XENOPHON: Can I just go on one consumer issue, it's front page story in the Sydney Morning Herald about Australian, about scam victims. More and more scammers, as a lawyer, I've acted for people who've been scammed, lost their money and I've had to fight with the banks to get their money back. In the UK, completely different set of legislation framework where the onus is reversed. It's much easier if you've been scammed and a bank has handed the money to the scammer to get your money back. Whereas here, something like 98 per cent of customer scam losses have been reimbursed in the UK, here, 95 per cent of Australians don't get their money back. Any thoughts? And that's a big issue for consumers?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it is a huge issue.
XENOPHON: Is there any plans to copy the US, to copy the UK, to look at a UK type system where it's much easier for consumers to take on the banks to get their money back?
PRIME MINISTER: It is a huge issue. And Stephen Jones, the Assistant Treasurer, has been holding forums right around the country, getting input, getting ideas such as the one that you just put forward. Every one of your listeners who has a phone and is on the internet will know that things pop up at such regular intervals. This is a scourge. And so many vulnerable people being ripped off who've acted in absolutely good faith and we need to make sure that they are protected. We also need to make sure, and through discussions like this, are really important in raising awareness as well, so that people know not to just click on a link. Banks tend to not send spontaneous links to people and the tax office the same thing. And that is very important, that people be protected. But we'll look at any measures that are possible in order to protect consumers, because that's our priority.
XENOPHON: So, you're open to the UK model, that's on the agenda then?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I haven't examined the UK model, but I know that Stephen Jones is having a comprehensive look at what further measures can be taken in order to protect consumers. The cyber issue is important for individuals and we know as well it's important cyber security for companies as well, with some of the hacks that have occurred from both domestic, but importantly as well from foreign sources that represent a real threat to us and to our economic security.
GOODINGS: Prime Minister, why has the Australian Government opted to quite literally bury our retired fleet of Taipan helicopters instead of providing them as aid in Ukraine's fight for survival as they requested of us back on the 19 December last year well.
PRIME MINISTER: Look we take advice from the Australian Defence Force and the Taipans of course we know that there were issues with them and there was a tragedy of course in the Whitsundays last year with a loss of life tragically.
GOODINGS: The Ukrainians are on record as saying our risk matrix is a little bit different to Australia's given we're currently fighting for our very survival.
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s a matter of what parts and what equipment is available at any time and we take the assessments from the Australian Defence Force. These choppers were reaching the end of their period of operation in Australia. What we have done is just as a result of the advice after that tragedy is just bring forward by a short period of time the end of operation that occurs. We have provided significant support for Ukraine both military hardware but also the training of troops also aid also support for Ukrainians being relocated here in Australia and I'm very proud of what we have contributed. But we take the advice of the Australian Defence Force not any other defence force with regard to these operations.
XENOPHON: Prime Minister I understand that but the Ukrainians are up against it. The Russians are making some big gains in Ukraine, they're desperate when do you think we can at least tell them yes or no?
PRIME MINISTER: We communicate very directly including between myself and President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian Government we have been very strong. We are not members of NATO but we have attended the last two NATO summits. I've travelled to Ukraine to show firsthand at the beginning or in the early stages of this conflict. And we stand with Ukraine and we'll continue to do so and just last month we had another additional package for Ukraine that we announced, making our contribution very significant indeed.
GOODINGS: Prime Minister great to have you in town today thanks for your time on FiveAA Breakfast.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much and just stay in the spot Nick when our friend comes back and see how Penbo deals with that.
GOODINGS: He's done a good job, Nick, he's getting very comfortable Albo. David’s going to want to come back I think.
PRIME MINISTER: He sounds good. It's the best interview on FiveAA I've done for a long long time.
XENOPHON: That’s a backhanded compliment.
PRIME MINISTER: Since the last time when Penbo was on leave.
XENOPHON: I think that’s a backhanded compliment.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks guys.
GOODINGS: Anthony Albanese in Adelaide a little bit later today.