: It's Triple M Breakfast with Kaz and Tubes at 12 minutes to eight. The Federal Labor Government presented the 2025 Federal Budget on Tuesday night. Joining us now to break down what it means for Tasmania is the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese. Good morning to you Prime Minister.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Wonderful to be with you and thank you for having me, listening to Chisels there in the morning.
TAYLOR: I figured you might have been singing along. Prime Minister, you do love your Aussie music and it's great to have your company. We appreciate your time. This Budget has been described as vanilla somewhat. Other people have called it practical. Anthony Albanese, how would you describe this Budget?
PRIME MINISTER: I describe it as beneficial. What it will do is provide cost of living support whilst continuing to provide responsible economic management so that we can continue to get inflation down, get wages up, get people's taxes down so people can earn more and keep more of what they earn and manage the economy well. We have an economy that is growing, an economy that's growing per capita per person as well. Living standards are rising. We do have wages increasing five quarters in a row. We have got inflation down to 2.4 per cent and that has enabled us to provide support for stronger Medicare in the Budget, more Urgent Care Clinics, to provide proper, full and fair funding for every public school in the country and to provide support including getting rid of 20 per cent of HECS debts. That is really important for intergenerational equity. And of course we have tax cuts topping up the tax cuts that we put in place this year so that people will benefit from by $2,500.
TAYLOR: You mentioned Medicare and Urgent Care Clinics there, Prime Minister. I think most Tasmanians have been impressed with the way our Urgent Care Clinics have been implemented here in Tasmania. And there is a promise for more of those in Tasmania if a Federal Labor Government is elected again at the upcoming election. There's a question here though, from a frustrated GP. 'Prime Minister, general practice is already in crisis. Asking GPs to accept the 74 odd dollar bulk billing fee for a standard consult instead of the current AMA fee of $108 just further decreases profitability and deepens the crisis further. The $8.5 billion will never be spent. So, will that then be claimed as a budget saving, seems like a popular political gain solution rather than real change.' What's your response to that, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it will be spent because doctors overwhelmingly have welcomed this change. It's a tripling of the bulk billing incentive. A tripling and the most significant investment into Medicare since Medicare was first created. It is true that some doctors don't like Medicare, but overwhelmingly Australians love their Medicare because it's that little green and gold card that gives people that guarantee they can get the help they need with just that card, not with their credit card. And we launched, of course, this policy there in Launceston, in Tasmania, we're very conscious as well that we need to train more GPs. And that's part of the Budget process, is additional funding to ensure that occurs. But the tripling of the bulk billing incentive for concession cardholders, which we put in place in last year's Budget, made an enormous difference. What that did was lift the bulk billing rates for the 11 million Australians who are concession cardholders. So, your pensioners, welfare recipients, people who are on family tax benefits with children. For those people, it lifted bulk billing up to 90 per cent. 90 per cent. So, we know that it works and that's what it's aimed at, lifting those bulk billing rates back up to 90 per cent. At the same time, of course, cheaper medicines down to $25. They haven't been $25 since 2004. There aren't many things in life that's the same price as they were in 2004, but we're going to make sure that medicines on the PBS are.
KAZ MCMULLEN, HOST: Now you got heckled yesterday over these new salmon farming laws. Can you walk us through what the legislation is?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, it's just a sensible change to the EPBC Act of John Howard that was put forward, that's been there, that essentially is out of date. We tried to get major changes through to ensure that both industry and sustainability were looked after and that wasn't successful. So, what this change does is simply amend a flaw which is there in the Act. So, that in the Act at the moment, or prior to this amendment, if there was to be a ministerial consideration, that is not a final determination that something was an issue that needed to be stopped, then a process can be paused, if you like. So, when the Act was written, that was about, oh, well, if you're building a road, then just stop building the road whilst the assessment goes on. When you have something that's about aquaculture that wasn't considered to be a part of the Act when the Act was carried decades ago, you can't just stop while an assessment takes place. So, what this legislation does is fix a flaw in the Act. It makes sure that salmon farming can continue there, it provides certainty. But we know that the science has told us that the number of skate and that's what this issue is about, the opponents, is at the same level that they were in 2014. So, you do have to listen to the science. You can't just assert that all industry must stop. You need to listen to the science. And that is precisely what we have done.
MCMULLEN: Now our calendars are filling up. Prime Minister, when will the election be called? I've got a birthday in May, so I just need to know which weekends I'm keeping free.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, okay, well, it will be in May, I can guarantee that. And it'll be called pretty imminently, I can assure you of that as well, I think.
TAYLOR: Well, you're not going to call it today, are you, Prime Minister? After talking to us directly.
MCMULLEN: I mean, feel free to announce anything now if you like.
PRIME MINISTER: I can confirm that I'm not calling it today, but I will call it soon. I think that Australians want to get on with it. Certainly my Caucus colleagues do, wanting to get into the campaign, particularly as the Coalition have just announced this morning, not only did they vote against the tax cuts for every taxpayer last night in the Senate and in the House of Representatives yesterday, they're now saying they're going to repeal it. So, we know that they stand for higher taxes going forward and no cost of living relief that is lasting. It's extraordinary the position that they've taken on these issues.
TAYLOR: Prime Ministter, I'd like to circle back to the Maugean skate because there's been a text from Suzanne in Blackmans Bay. It says, 'tell us why you are determined to kill off the Maugean skate by legislating water salmon farming when it can be moved to inland farming. Not all Tasmanians agree with you, Prime Minister. You will lose votes for this decision. Suzanne.' That's Suzanne in Blackmans Bay's question. I guess the question I have because I know there are a lot of people that are employed here by the salmon industry in Tasmania, right across the state. Where do you find the balance between industry and environmentalism?
PRIME MINISTER: You listen to the science. You listen to the science and we have listened to the science prior to the legislation being passed. And industry could be shut down overnight when an environmental assessment commences, not when it concludes, but when an environmental assessment commences -
TAYLOR. So, that is the change that you made yesterday in Parliament, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: That is not acceptable to the Government or the community. And we're not going to stand by and allow workers in Strahan to lose their livelihoods because of a broken law. And this, I've been to Strahan, I have had a look firsthand I haven't sat back on this. I've had a look firsthand at the industry there. This is a very specific amendment to address a flaw which is there in the Act.
TAYLOR: Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. We look forward to the announcement of when your election will be. We appreciate your time on Triple M Breakfast with Kaz and Tubes. Thanks so much for your time.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much.
