: G'day. Welcome to AM. I'm David Lipson coming to you from Gadigal Land in Sydney. The Prime Minister is today unveiling a major boost to Indigenous housing in the Northern Territory. Along with the NT Government, $4 billion will be spent on the construction of 2,700 new homes over ten years. The aim is to halve overcrowding in Indigenous homes. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joins me now. PM, thanks for being with us here on AM.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Good to be with you, David.
LIPSON: There are 19 Closing the Gap targets. 15 of them aren't on track. Why have you made Indigenous housing a priority?
PRIME MINISTER: Because housing is the key to other opportunities in life. If you don't have a secure home over your head, if you have overcrowding, then you will have - not just housing problems - you'll have health problems, you'll have problems with justice issues, inevitably, that come from the tension that come from overcrowded homes and communities, and you'll have difficulty getting education. It's hard to see yourself having a greater opportunity in life if you don't have that security of a roof over your head and in a way that enables you to actually go about the other things that we need to close the gap on.
LIPSON: So, will $4 billion be enough to close the gap on Indigenous housing?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, it's a major step forward. This is a joint $4 billion announcement. It will go out at $400 million a year over ten years. It will see up to 270 homes being built each and every year. And importantly as well, the nature of how that construction occurs is important, because we're doing it through local Indigenous housing, what it will do is ensure that we can build into the agreements - skills development, apprenticeships, making sure that jobs are created as well. So, it goes hand in hand with the other work that we've done, abolishing the CDP Employment Program, to have real jobs with real wages, providing real opportunities for Indigenous people in remote communities.
LIPSON: I note you say up to 270 homes a year. Could it be less?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we think that the costings that we've made, essentially, that that is spot on - the funding that is available. But of course, it won't be one size fits all. There'll be some homes that are just for smaller families, but homes that, by and large - it's based upon three bedroom homes, because we know that families in these remote communities tend to have numbers of children.
LIPSON: You've said today that the Government is committed to practical actions that improve the lives of First Nations people. Have you now given up on a Federal Treaty with Indigenous Australians?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, treaties are being negotiated by States and Territories, so we haven't changed, the position that we said before is the same. Those processes are underway. There isn't a single Indigenous community, of course, in Australia, it's made up of a range of First Nations. And those negotiations in places like Victoria is probably more advanced. Each State and Territory is progressing, moves in their own way, whether it be Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, of course, has their voice on a State level.
LIPSON: I want to look at this Aged Care Report that's come out today. Can the Government now rule out a levy to fund aged care?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're releasing the Report today and we're not envisaging, we're certainly not proposing, a new tax or levy to fund aged care. The taskforce hasn't recommended that. They've considered the evidence and met several times.
LIPSON: The Royal Commission did, though.
PRIME MINISTER: It did indeed, but the Taskforce has not recommended that. We want to sit down across the Parliament and get agreement going forward, because this is a problem not for a year or indeed for a term of Government, this is a problem that arises from the ageing of the population that's been identified for a long period of time. The Taskforce sets out the issues very clearly - over the next four decades, the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double. The number aged 85 and over will more than triple, and the number of people who reach that magic century is expected to increase six times. Now, the aged care sector isn't currently in a financial position to meet the expected demand which is there, to deliver on quality improvements that we need, and to invest in the future that aged care needs, and that we expect our older Australians to be able to live in dignity and with respect that they deserve. So, we're releasing this report today, we want to engage across the Parliament as well as across the sector. The report makes a number of recommendations for the next steps to deliver reform, and we'll consider its findings very carefully.
LIPSON: By and large it urges, or wants, older, wealthier Australians to pay more. Would that system punish those who've worked hard and saved hard all their lives?
PRIME MINISTER: Certainly not. This isn't about any negative aspect, this is about making sure that we have a system that's sustainable into the future. It's as simple as that. We want a sustainable, high quality and dignified aged care sector, and I think that's what all Australians want. We'll consider the recommendations, we know that it is a difficult time for people when you have a loved one who requires care, who's unable to continue to live at home, which is what people, of course, want to do - that's the first preference. But we want to make sure that people can get the care that they deserve and the respect, indeed, that they deserve after contributing to our great nation.
LIPSON: Can we just turn to Gaza - your Industry Minister, Ed Husic, along with Labor luminary Gareth Evans, are the latest to call for the restoration of funding to UNRWA, the UN Aid Agency in Gaza. Why hasn't Australia followed Canada and Sweden in doing just that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're getting advice on that issue, of course. UNRWA, as you would be aware, we doubled funding for UNRWA. We're looking at a range of ways in which we could provide further support for Palestinians in Gaza who are suffering terribly. We have called for a sustainable ceasefire, because what we know is that we see the pictures every night - there's catastrophic suffering occurring there and we have consistently called for humanitarian aid. We've called for that to be able to be delivered to the people in Gaza. We've called for a sustainable ceasefire. We've called for, of course, Hamas to release the hostages, and we have mourned the loss of all innocent life, whether it be Israeli or Palestinian. And we've also called for, importantly, the political solution that is required - which is a two state solution - which I've called for, together with the Prime Ministers of Canada and New Zealand.
LIPSON: Ok. And just finally, before I let you go, I wanted to ask, have you ever experimented with altering a family photo to improve your look?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I haven't, David. I think I know what you're referring to there, with the photo of the Princess of Wales. And it's, I think, unfortunate that this has become a public issue. I think the real issue is everyone wishes the Princess the best of health for her recovery. And the photo of her delightful children, I think, was a very warm one. But as you're aware, David, the Press Gallery have very, very good photographers and there are a range of them have more photos of me than my mum ever took of me as a young one, let me tell you. So, I rely upon their skills rather than any photoshopping by myself.
LIPSON: A wise move. Prime Minister, thanks so much for being with us.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, David.
