The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese is on. Good morning.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, good to be with you again.
ABBY COLEMAN, HOST: Some big budget announcements today.
PRIME MINISTER: We do. Budget Day today, and we're strengthening Medicare, we've already put a lot of the detail is out there already, of course our tripling of the bulk billing incentive, our cutting of the costs of medicines down to $25 - that's back to 2004 levels. There aren't many things today that cost the same as 2004 but we've done that. The figures in the Budget are backing continued employment growth. The support that we had yesterday where we signed off with the Queensland government for proper schools funding so that every single school student will get the resources that they need. This is a historic investment, $16.5 billion dollars over 10 years. It's the first time that every public school in the country will get the funding that it deserves. Both my Government and David Crisafulli's Government lifting up that investment, showing us working together. Just as we have really effectively I think with the relief from Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, where now more than $150 million has been paid out to people who've needed that support there in South East Queensland and Northern South Wales.
STAV DAVISON, HOST: And you've sort of said that, well it's being said that you're Trump proofing the Australian economy. How much of a worry is Trump and his tariffs?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, tariffs of course have an impact on the global economy, that's what we're concerned about. There's an impact directly on aluminium and steel and of course a lot of Australian aluminium is produced there in Queensland, I was up in Gladstone last week at the Rio Tinto facility. Because it applies across the board, like every country has been hit by this. It just increases the cost for American consumers, the people who are buying the products. But what it might mean that we've seen internationally is a downward trend in the American stock market, growth being predicted to be lower. And because the American economy is so important, it's the largest in the world. If it's goes down, then the world has an impact as well. So one of the things we're doing is talking about buying Australian, including of course, great Queensland products like Bundy soft drink rather than American soft drink, and making sure -
ACTON: Bundy rum.
PRIME MINISTER: Bundy rum always a good option. Every Queenslander I know likes a rum, I've got to say.
DAVISON: Oh yeah, it's bloody good.
PRIME MINISTER: More so than in the southern states, but it is certainly a good product. And a Dark and Stormy, you can combine the two of course.
DAVISON: Yeah, true. Ginger beer.
ACTON: On budgets, they're very important to stick to, Albo.
PRIME MINISTER: They are.
ACTON: Are you, your budget for the wedding, is there a strict budget that you've got Jodie working on?
COLEMAN: Don't talk about dates, mate.
ACTON: Or is there room to move on that?
PRIME MINISTER: Like, I have been focused on this budget. We'll get around to, the budget for the wedding will be in the second half of the year. It won't be elaborate. We're not looking to do a -
ACTON: I couldn't believe how much bloody flowers cost when I got married.
DAVISON: Oh yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, when was your wedding? How long ago was that?
ACTON: 13 years ago.
PRIME MINISTER: 13 years ago -
ACTON: It's my wedding anniversary on Monday. How long is it gonna have been?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh well, happy anniversary. You're doing well to remember it -
COLEMAN: Is it 12?
ACTON: I think it's 12 -
COLEMAN: I think it might be 12.
ACTON: 12 years, yeah. We both forgot last year, Albo. It was midday and we went, 'oh my God, it's our wedding anniversary'.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that can happen. Put it in your diary, that's the benefit of electronic diaries.
ACTON: You bet. You bet.
PRIME MINISTER: That's why I proposed on Valentine's Day.
DAVISON: Perfect, you don't forget that one.
PRIME MINISTER: I'll never forget.
DAVISON: Right, that's very clever.
COLEMAN: But you don't celebrate the proposal date, though -
PRIME MINISTER: Of course I do -
COLEMAN: So, does that mean you're gonna get married on Valentine's Day or it's definitely this year?
PRIME MINISTER: No, it will be this year. I did, we did think about I've got to say, we did think about doing it on the anniversary really quietly. Just doing it to stop speculation. But we decided that that might get some more speculation back as well, so we didn't. I did think about doing it really quietly -
ACTON: Here's an idea - election day.
PRIME MINISTER: Election day.
ACTON: So you have an Elvis impersonator ready to go, and then -
COLEMAN: Sausage sizzle for snacks before.
ACTON: So when it gets announced, I guess, if you win, double celebration. If you know what you don't want to happen, it doesn't go your way, you still have a celebration.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think it wouldn't be a great omen, would it, if it didn't -
COLEMAN: Have you got a celebrant?
ACTON: True, you don't want that sort of pressure.
PRIME MINISTER: No, none of that -
DAVISON: I'll be your celebrant.
PRIME MINISTER: None of that's organised. The only thing that's finalised is our ring bearer. And that, of course, is Toto the wonder dog. And that's, she's locked in.
ACTON: Abby's a celebrant.
COLEMAN: Well, I was saying you could DJ, you could be the MC, Stav.
DAVISON: Yeah, I could.
PRIME MINISTER: Now we're talking -
ACTON: Yeah, we'd want a tax cut for that of course.
COLEMAN: Yeah, just let us know how much the budget is because we're very expensive.
PRIME MINISTER: Well you know, I could, I'm sure we could do a quid pro quo. You know, I'll let you mind Toto when we're on the honeymoon -
COLEMAN: I do like him.
PRIME MINISTER: That's a pretty good deal. She's pretty lovely.
COLEMAN: She. Whoops.
ACTON: Mate, we know that today as well we're going to find out about what's planned for the Olympics for our stadiums. You would be across that. Is there anything you can tell us before David Crisafulli lets us know?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I'll let the Queensland Premier make these announcements. Of course, they're the key authority. We've got funding that we've made available for the Arena and then for the smaller venues as well, some 19 that we've provided funding for. I think that we'll wait and see what's announced. I think one way or the other, Brisbane does need an indoor arena so that you can have acts. I mean, it's about leaving a legacy post 2032 as well. And the fact that Queenslanders I know, don't want to go to, they want other options besides going up north to where the current entertainment centre is there.
ACTON: We're getting a new arena, guys. We're getting a new one.
PRIME MINISTER: I certainly think that Brisbane deserves one.
DAVISON: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: But we'll have those discussions in good faith with the Queensland government once they release their report that they've done.
COLEMAN: You just hear whatever you want to hear, Matty, don't you. You just go, 'as announced by the Prime Minister'.
ACTON: What he said there is when your parents say maybe.
COLEMAN: Which is a yes, if we behave.
DAVISON: If we behave.
PRIME MINISTER: We want it to happen. Absolutely, we do.
DAVISON: Yeah, great.
ACTON: And just also on the Olympics, before we let you go. There was talk of the rowing being in the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton. Would you swim in the Fitzroy River, Albo?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm not sure how sensible a proposition that is. My understanding is it was sort of listed eight out of eight as options, and if there were 15 options, it would have been 15. You know, I do think that we obviously need to make sure that every dollar contributes to value. I think Rockhampton's a fantastic place and it's a great river, great to walk along. But I'm not sure that having rowing there, although I've got to say, people might break world records.
ACTON: That's true.
COLEMAN: Yes, you'll go fast.
PRIME MINISTER: They'd want to go pretty quickly wouldn't they.
COLEMAN: Why are they going in the opposite direction now?
ACTON: Great to talk to you, mate. Thanks for calling through this morning, we'll have our eyes not just on the budget but also waiting for an announcement on an election date too.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, indeed. Well, not too far away now. The election will be in May, I can confirm.
DAVISON: Okay, heard it here first.
COLEMAN: Like start of it?
DAVISON: Middle of it? End?
COLEMAN: Yep - you're breaking up.
ACTON: Thanks, mate. Great to talk to you.
PRIME MINISTER: Okay, cheers guys.
