: Welcome to the show Prime Minister and karaoke superstar Anthony Albanese.
LAUREN PHILLIPS, HOST: Albo.
CLINT STANAWAY, HOST: Hello.
PHILLIPS: Good morning. Now, the last time I saw you, you were singing with Delta Goodrem at Street Side Medic's Ball.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: As you do. A duet. That's the first time I've heard that audio.
PHILLIPS: Oh, it's - have you got it there again, Jase? It was so good.
JASON HAWKINS, HOST: Yep.
PRIME MINISTER: No one wants to hear it again.
HAWKINS: Here it is.
[AUDIO GRAB]
PHILLIPS: It was so good. I remember -
PRIME MINISTER: I had a crack.
PHILLIPS: I remember watching her walk over to you with the microphone while she was singing and I was like, 'oh my god, what if he doesn't know the words?' And you sprung into action without missing a beat.
PRIME MINISTER: I nailed it.
PHILLIPS: Nailed it.
PRIME MINISTER: Nailed it.
PHILLIPS: Nailed it.
PRIME MINISTER: It was pretty ordinary, but we -
PHILLIPS: Nailed it.
PRIME MINISTER: We were raising money and -
PHILLIPS: For Street Side Medics, amazing organisation.
PRIME MINISTER: A great organisation here in Melbourne now.
PHILLIPS: Yes.
PRIME MINISTER: They do amazing work at St Kilda and around. And the good thing is, I reckon we raised more money for Street Side Medics because I said unless people -
PHILLIPS: Yes.
PRIME MINISTER: Gave more money -
PHILLIPS: You were going to sing again.
HAWKINS: I can see you on Sing Star at The Lodge on a Saturday night.
PHILLIPS: Albo, how are you?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm really well.
PHILLIPS: It's nice to see you in Melbourne.
PRIME MINISTER: Great to be here.
HAWKINS: Are you excited about today?
PRIME MINISTER: I am very excited. I was there for the sod turn.
HAWKINS: Oh, yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: And it's gonna be just a fantastic facility there at Dingley.
PHILLIPS: So, this is the Hawks' new home ground, is it?
PRIME MINISTER: It's the Hawks' Training Facility. But most importantly, it is a facility for boys and girls across a whole range of sports.
PHILLIPS: Oh, great.
PRIME MINISTER: Netball, everything.
STANAWAY: Now, you would cut some ribbons, PM. Do you do so in your suit or do you don a Hawthorn jumper for the occasion? Get the guns out.
PRIME MINISTER: I might get, I might get the scarf on.
PHILLIPS: Oh, that's okay.
PRIME MINISTER: I might do that. I've got my old VFL scarf because everyone goes, 'oh, when, when did you support Hawthorn? Just last year?' And it's like - I was at the '89 grand final.
PHILLIPS: Yes. You've got to prove you've got longevity with the Hawks.
PRIME MINISTER: You do.
HAWKINS: Yeah. I don't see you as a shoulders out sort of guy.
PRIME MINISTER: No.
PHILLIPS: The jersey. No, he'd be a long sleever.
HAWKINS: Yeah, you'd be a long sleever. Hey, since we caught up -
PRIME MINISTER: That's right. Sicily style.
HAWKINS: Yeah. You're like me.
PRIME MINISTER: You're about the only one who does.
HAWKINS: Since we caught up last you, you've been hanging out with your new BFF Trumpy quite a bit.
PRIME MINSTER: I, I have. We had three meetings.
HAWKINS: You seem to have really -
PRIME MINISTER: In New York. We had lunch in DC. And then we had dinner in Korea, as you do.
PHILLIPS: Now, how is he as a bloke behind the scenes? Because we obviously see this version of him on camera. But when it's just the two of you, is he different or is he the same?
PRIME MINISTER: He is a bit different. He's obviously a performer. You can see that from the media interviews, the way he even gives press conferences on his plane.
PHILLIPS: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: And he loves the camera. He's much more relaxed. And we chatted about all sorts of personal things and got on pretty well.
STANAWAY: Did Melania do the catering or -
PRIME MINISTER: Melania and Jodie had a chat in New York.
STANAWAY: Oh, yeah.
PHILLIPS: And was she nice?
PRIME MINISTER: That was good. Yeah. Well, it was pretty brief. So, Jodie went to an event with Melania hosted earlier in the day, and then the President and Melania hosted an event at night, and we went to that and we had a bit of a chat and a selfie.
HAWKINS: Karaoke.
PHILLIPS: What are you serving at those, those, like - is there like a tray of lychee martinis or is it all business?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, no, no. There were drinks in New York.
PHILLIPS: Great.
PRIME MINISTER: You know, as you do.
PHILLIPS: What were they - what sort of champagne were they serving?
HAWKINS: You would have packed a hip flask.
PRIME MINISTER: I don't know. I'm not really a champagne guy, so -
PHILLIPS: Would have been straight from the top shelf.
HAWKINS: You didn't do a shoey, did you? That's not -
PRIME MINISTER: No, no, a shoey would go down real well.
HAWKINS: Yeah it would.
STANAWAY: I don't know if Trump drinks though.
PRIME MINISTER: I don't know.
STANAWAY: I don't think he does.
PHILLIPS: I feel like he'd be a Diet Coke guy.
STANAWAY: I know he likes McDonald's.
PRIME MINISTER: He had in Korea, he had - I can, I do remember this. He served wine. Guess what brand it was?
HAWKINS: Yellowglen.
PRIME MINISTER: Guess what? Come on. It's Donald Trump.
PHILLIPS: Penfolds.
PRIME MINISTER: Trump Wine.
HAWKINS: Trump Wine.
PHILLIPS: Did he?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course.
PHILLIPS: In Korea? He took it all the way to Korea?
STANAWAY: Oh my god.
PRIME MINISTER: Trump Wine.
PHILLIPS: Was it good?
PRIME MINISTER: It was pretty good.
PHILLIPS: How much does it go for at Dan Murphy's?
PRIME MINISTER: I have no idea.
HAWKINS: I haven't seen it.
PRIME MINISTER: I have no idea.
HAWKINS: I know you've got to be diplomatic.
PRIME MINISTER: I didn't bring out the Albo Beer.
PHILLIPS: You should have.
PRIME MINISTER: I should have. I did that at Number 10 and it created a bit of publicity.
PHILLIPS: Did you?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, I took a little, took a little pack of cans along.
PHILLIPS: Are you doing homebrew?
PRIME MINISTER: It is one by local brewer in my electorate, Willie The Boatman in St Peters in Sydney. Available in Dan Murphy's.
PHILLIPS: Is it?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't know if it's available here, but certainly is in Sydney. Yeah. Albo Ale.
PHILLIPS: Oh, we got to get some.
HAWKINS: And you walked into Downing Street with a case on your shoulder?
PRIME MINISTER: I'll take some the next time I come.
PHILLIPS: Did you take a six pack or a slab?
PRIME MINISTER: Just a little pack.
PHILLIPS: No, should have taken a slab.
HAWKINS: Well, that's a statement, isn't it? Rocking up at Downing Street with a carton on the shoulder - let's go.
PRIME MINISTER: It was just drinks with Keir Starmer and Mark Carney. I think if I had walked in with a slab, I might have given the wrong impression.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Very strange.
HAWKINS: Surely, like and like I was going to say before, you've got to be diplomatic, but friends, family, people around you, they must be like, 'Trump says some stupid things'.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, people have different views.
HAWKINS: I know, but even you would have to bite your tongue sometimes, wouldn't you?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, my job is to represent Australia, so it's not to put my personal views. We obviously have different values, different political views, but that doesn't mean that you can't engage in our national interests. So, I do that and have done it successfully. I think the fact that we have some of the tariffs removed over the weekend -
STANAWAY: Beef.
PRIME MINISTER: Including on our beef, but other agricultural products as well. That's in Australia's interest. My job overseas is to defend our interests here. So, it's about jobs here. One in four of our jobs depends upon trade.
PHILLIPS: Wow.
PRIME MINISTER: And that's why that engagement is so important.
HAWKINS: Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't want you going in there and telling him what we think. Like, you know, it'd be a hard gig.
STANAWAY: Hey, PM, some figures out today. I feel a little bit sorry for your Opposition number in Sussan Ley. This is a new poll in the AFR, so preferred PM, Albo sitting on 40. It's a nice number. Sussan Ley, ten. She's currently being beaten by the neither column, which is 28. Do you feel for your Opposition number at the moment? Is there, can you, can you offer her a little bit of your sympathies?
PRIME MINISTER: Sympathies? Well, I'm the sort of -
STANAWAY: I mean, it's a ruthless thing.
PRIME MINISTER: I must say if, if the Hawks are playing anyone, I won't alienate any particular team, but anyone at all, and we're ten goals up at half time, I'm the sort of guy who wants us to win by 20 goals, not for it to be close.
PHILLIPS: So, you're happy for her to be being beaten by no one?
PRIME MINISTER: It's a tough, it's a tough game and the problem is she's clearly being undermined by her own side.
PHILLIPS: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: And they're a bit of a rabble at the moment. That's the truth. You know, they had a so called policy that really doesn't add up, announced. And then they go in and Anne Ruston who's a senior Shadow Minister says, 'well, that's not what we agreed to two days ago'. So, they can't even agree on what they've decided.
PHILLIPS: Yeah.
HAWKINS: Hey, I want to talk about another issue which is huge and fast approaching. In fact it's not us who wants to talk about it - my 12 year old's got some questions.
[AUDIO GRAB]
FELIX: Hi Albo. Felix here. I'm 12 and I've got some questions about the social media ban.
HAWKINS: So, we're gonna take a quick break and then we thought let's talk social media ban. A lot of parents just doing school drop off at the moment. I know -
PRIME MINISTER: Get Felix on.
HAWKINS: Well, he's, no, he's at school. He's not having another day off. He's recorded some questions for you.
PRIME MINISTER: Excellent.
HAWKINS: We'll throw them your way and get some answers on the social media ban and what parents can expect next.
[AD BREAK]
HAWKINS: We are on the air with the PM this morning. Albo is in the house. We're going to call talk social media ban in a second. First though, have you heard Taylor Swift's new album?
PRIME MINISTER: I have.
HAWKINS: Thoughts?
PRIME MINISTER: Awesome.
HAWKINS: You got a favourite?
PRIME MINISTER: Fantastic. Oh, everyone loves the Ophelia song.
PHILLIPS: Well, we're playing it now.
STANAWAY: There's a dance that goes with this song.
HAWKINS: You've got to do the dance.
PHILLIPS: He knows it.
STANWAY: Hey, I'll do it with your Albo.
HAWKINS: Clint will do it with you.
PRIME MINISTER: You've got to do the -
HAWKINS: Oh, God.
[SONG BREAK]
HAWKINS: By request from the PM. Anthony Albanese is on the air with us here at Nova this morning. If you could have witnessed what I just did in that song, Melbourne.
PHILLIPS: We did the TikTok dance.
STANAWAY: We did.
PHILLIPS: With Albo.
PRIME MINISTER: We were pretty ordinary.
PHILLIPS: Well, I think our Gen Z producer and Clint, who thinks he's a Gen Z, did quite well.
HAWKINS: Yeah he's not.
PHILLIPS: And I think you and I might have dropped the ball.
PRIME MINISTER: I don't reckon he did any better than us.
STANAWAY: Nine's Political Editor, Charles Croucher has just asked for the vision, by the way, for his political package for tonight.
PRIME MINISTER: I'd give us all three out of ten.
PHILLIPS: Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Hey, did you go to AC/DC last night?
PRIME MINISTER: I didn't, but I stayed across the road at the Pullman, where I stay when I'm in Melbourne.
PHILLIPS: Oh my gosh.
PRIME MINISTER: So, I basically got the concert for free.
PHILLIPS: That's right across the - could you hear it?
PRIME MINISTER: You could certainly hear it, let me tell you. And this morning you could tell everyone who was at the gig over brekkie at the hotel.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Hoeing into the hash brown.
HAWKINS: Hang on. You're not rocking up at the buffet breakfast, are you?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, absolutely.
HAWKINS: You're the PM.
PHILLIPS: Man of the people.
HAWKINS: Mate, get a little trolley to the room.
PRIME MINISTER: No.
HAWKINS: So, what, you're lining up, waiting for the spoon for the hash browns next to the PM?
PRIME MINISTER: You've got to engage with people...
STANAWAY: They're his constituents.
PRIME MINISTER: I did lots of good selfies this morning, let me tell you.
PHILLIPS: How good is a buffet breakfast. So, I wouldn't miss it either.
HAWKINS: No, I know, but that's - I mean, the anxiety going back for seconds when you're just with friends, let alone when you're with the PM.
PHILLIPS: What do you go for at the buffet, Albo?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, I had an omelette this morning. I'm pretty - I try to be good, try to avoid the bread.
PHILLIPS: Do you do the 80/20 diet? 80 per cent, most of the time you're good. 20 per cent blow up.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, about that.
PHILLIPS: That's a good balance.
HAWKINS: Hey. My 12 year old, Felix was very excited about you coming on because he's got questions regarding the social media ban which is about to come into effect. Which as a dad of three kids -
PHILLIPS: It's a big deal.
HAWKINS: I am hugely for it. Just technology and iPads -
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely.
HAWKINS: It terrifies me about the future.
PRIME MINISTER: There was a young girl, Flossie, came into my office in Parliament House during the last Sitting Week. She's from Hobart. And what she's done, she's 12, had done this amazing, like she had a whiteboard and she's going around with all of her peers and getting them to write down what they could do instead of being on their devices.
HAWKINS: Love that.
PRIME MINISTER: Learn a musical instrument, read a book, engage with friends, play sport. All of those things that kids now, unfortunately -
PHILLIPS: Aren't doing.
STANAWAY: What we used to do before phones.
HAWKINS: Exactly. Only recently -
STANAWAY: Jumping on normal things.
PRIME MINISTER: It's healthy for everyone to get a bit of a, put the phones down. And I know lots of parents who are doing things, including maybe one or two of my staff who have kids, who themselves have got off devices for a period of time or off social media so that they can show young ones.
PHILLIPS: I'd love a ban too.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, so that they can show the young ones -
PHILLIPS: Well, you've got to set an example.
PRIME MINISTER: So you can show the young ones about engagement.
HAWKINS: Well, at the moment there's a lot of fear because they know, you know, at the moment they're chatting about, you know, they watch YouTube and all that, and they know what's coming. So, that's all they're talking about. But these are the questions he's got for you.
[AUDIO GRAB]
FELIX: What's gonna happen to kids who are under 16 that already have accounts? Are they going to be deleted?
PRIME MINISTER: No. One of the things that some of the companies are doing is essentially freezing them.
HAWKINS: Right.
PRIME MINISTER: So, that when they turn 16, they can click -
PHILLIPS: Oh, you don't lose your handles.
PRIME MINISTER: So, they don't lose it.
STANAWAY: So, it's an age verification, right?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
HAWKINS: Because this is what I - like, it's almost taking the blame away from the parents.
PHILLIPS: Yeah. You don't have to have the fight.
HAWKINS: Which is what I love.
PRIME MINISTER: This is about empowering parents who want to have that conversation with their kids, who are worried about what their kids are seeing online, are worried about bullying. So many parents who came to me and pitched this, didn't know what their young sons or daughters were going through -
HAWKINS: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: Until frankly, tragedies have occurred and no parent should lose their child because the child feels as though they're under siege, you know?
HAWKINS: Imagine if we had this when we're at school, like, forget that.
PHILLIPS: Honestly, I'm so glad we grew up in a generation where we didn't have social media.
HAWKINS: I know you say it's empowering the parents, but honestly, it puts us in a situation where we go, 'mate, even if I love you, I can't do it'.
PHILLIPS: It's the law.
HAWKINS: I'm not going to give you a cigarette and a beer. Like, it's -
PRIME MINISTER: Exactly. And with that in mind as well, Felix saying, 'well, Dad, but little Johnny, my best mate, has Instagram account. Why can't I?'
HAWKINS: Well, that brings us to this.
[AUDIO GRAB]
FELIX: What happens to kids who sneakily go on to social media underage. Will them and their parents get in trouble?
HAWKINS: What's the consequences?
PRIME MINISTER: No, the responsibility is with the social media companies. Very important. So, we don't say, for example, that this is going to be perfect. So, we're making that really clear. So, on December 10, chances are on December 11, there'll be some kid somewhere who still accesses an account. But we don't say it's okay to go to the pub if you're 14.
HAWKINS: Exactly.
PHILLIPS: No.
PRIME MINISTER: We set rules as a society, and this is us as a society saying, let kids be kids, let them have their childhood. Let them have the maturity to discern as well what's real and what's not real.
STANAWAY: These are social media giants, though. So, you say they're responsible or they have the responsibility. What are the consequences if they - are there fines?
PRIME MINISTER: Big fines.
STANAWAY: Okay. Right. And that hasn't sat well with them?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they don't love this.
STANAWAY: No.
PRIME MINISTER: But this is, this is the government showing leadership, has bipartisan support for - credit for everyone in the Parliament. This isn't a Labor Party thing or a Liberal Party thing or an Independent thing. Everyone in the Parliament voted for this. We are leading the world and the world is watching. Denmark are following us, New Zealand are following us.
PHILLIPS: Great.
HAWKINS: I'm very proud that we're the first doing this. And I want to just shout out to Wippa on Nova in Sydney -
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely.
HAWKINS: Who has been at the forefront of this.
PHILLIPS: He has done a great job.
PRIME MINISTER: And he has been fantastic. He came to New York, we held a forum at the United Nations and representatives of more than 30 countries came, because they're engaged and interested. And many of them said, 'I've been to lots of forums at the UN over the years. This is one that changed my mind'.
PHILLIPS: Wow, that's amazing. And then you snuck down to Old Mates Pub to celebrate.
PRIME MINISTER: And then we went to Old Mats and gave away beer and played a couple, a couple of songs.
STANAWAY: How good.
PRIME MINISTER: They have a -
HAWKINS: Equally as important.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, you have their - they have free beer while you ring the bell.
PHILLIPS: Yes.
PRIME MINISTER: And you get to play two songs. So, we played Khe Sahn.
HAWKINS: Of course.
PHILLIPS: My guess was going to be Flame Trees.
PRIME MINISTER: And Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again. Which you know what that means -
PHILLIPS: One of your favourites.
STANAWAY: One of our favourites as well.
PRIME MINISTER: The Secret Service, it did their mind in. They had to explain, my guys, my security had to explain it's okay that people are singing the -
PHILLIPS: Naughty bit.
PRIME MINISTER: The naughty bit that's not in the song. And that they're going off. The whole pub is just going off.
HAWKINS: The secret service would have just shot them.
PHILLIPS: I bet.
PRIME MINISTER: It was fantastic.
STANAWAY: What about our mate Wippa? He's actually going to be hosting the Today Show over summer, I saw.
PRIME MINISTER: Is he?
STANAWAY: So, he'll be asking you the tough questions.
PRIME MINISTER: I'll have to go on.
STANAWAY: No more of me and Wippa. Super sub.
HAWKINS: Hey, final question from Felix.
[AUDIO GRAB]
FELIX: Last question. Ever slid into any famous person's DMs? Come on, cough it up.
HAWKINS: Ever slid into any famous person's DMs? I'm sure a few would slide into yours.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, my fiancé, Jodie Haydon, slid into mine.
PHILLIPS: Is that how you met?
PRIME MINISTER: No. Well, we met here in Melbourne at a dinner. And I'm a South Sydney -
HAWKINS: Tragic.
PRIME MINISTER: Tragic. Fanatic, really.
HAWKINS: Sorry.
PRIME MINISTER: Like, I was right the first time. And I noticed your colours are red and green, which is good.
PHILLIPS: Ish. They're sort of red and white actually.
PRIME MINISTER: No. Well, it was. It's changed now. The screens change. They're tricking me out there. And I got sledged in my intro for my speech and I said, 'oh, even in Melbourne there's always a random South's guy here'. And she yelled out 'up the Rabbitohs'. So, when I went around the tables, we met each other, and -
STANAWAY: That's how you met?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
PHILLIPS: And then she slid into the DMs. Now, I believe you put a deadline on your wedding for the end of the year. That is fast approaching.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, sometime. Over summer.
PHILLIPS: Oh, so it's coming up.
PRIME MINISTER: We'll get it done.
PHILLIPS: You excited?
PRIME MINISTER: We'll get it done. I am very excited.
HAWKINS: Have we got a date locked in?
PHILLIPS: None of your business, is what he said.
HAWKINS: Okay, giddy up. Big or like Taylor Swift big? Or maybe?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no, no. It's a chance to gather with just small -
HAWKINS: Good.
PRIME MINISTER: Family and friends.
PHILLIPS: Have you been practising the first dance? Because you don't want to try and like do the Dirty Dancing lift and drop her or anything?
PRIME MINISTER: Maybe, maybe we've just seen the practice there.
PHILLIPS: The Fate of Ophelia.
HAWKINS: Good luck for the wedding dance.
PRIME MINISTER: We haven't had any time to do, which is why it's taken us a little while to organise. But, yeah, no, it'll be lovely. And it'll just be a chance for us to express our love and spending the rest of our lives together in front of family and friends.
STANAWAY: You should have the wedding at Dingley.
HAWKINS: I'm sure he would if he was allowed.
PHILLIPS: Yeah, no.
STANAWAY: You two could run through a banner together.
HAWKINS: I don't know how the Mrs. would feel about it.
PRIME MINISTER: Jodie is a Tigers fan.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Go Tiges! Me too.
PRIME MINISTER: She lived in Melbourne for a few years and she became a Richmond fan.
PHILLIPS: Good on her. She's not - well, actually, we're not very good.
PRIME MINISTER: She had a good, she had a good few years.
PHILLIPS: Not anymore.
HAWKINS: Hey, good luck at Dingley today. Shout out to the Hawthorn Footy Club. It's going to be a big day.
PRIME MINISTER: We're a happy team at Hawthorn.
PHILLIPS: And good luck with the wedding. Enjoy.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks so much.
