But how about we introduce our very special guest, because this is a first for this show.
LU PELIZZARI, HOST: It is. Certainly, a first in the studio too. Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese joins us. Good morning.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Wonderful to be here. And I even got met by the presenter outside. Got to get up the stairs.
PELIZZARI: I was just saying, I've got to get my breath now. It's a long way down there and back up again.
PRIME MINISTER: It is.
SHIELD: And even better, Prime Minister, we've set you up next to the ceremonial drum kit there.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, that's right. I can do a little play here [PLAYS DRUMS]. If I get a question I don't like, I can just --
SHIELD: Just drum us out, that's fine.
PRIME MINISTER: Bang the drum. Yep.
PELIZZARI: Yeah, that's a good idea. So I guess we should start off by asking you why are you in Albury-Wodonga?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I want to represent the whole country. So, I get out and about regularly and last night I've got to say we were at Soden's Hotel and we gatecrashed a birthday party. Vicky was there with a fantastic group of people, I've got to say, and they were having fun, the time of their lives.
PELIZZARI: We know how to have fun around here.
PRIME MINISTER: You do. One of my Jodie's best mates lives here, Jen. Hi Jen. Shout out.
PELIZZARI: Do you sneak in under the radar sometimes?
PRIME MINISTER: I can't do anything under the radar. But obviously there'll be a by-election coming up here as well with Sussan Ley's resignation. So, here to talk to locals. We caught up with some of the supporters. I was here with Senator Deborah O'Neill last night and it was a great chance to talk about what's affecting the local area and to catch up with people. And then just to catch up with anyone who was in the pub last night as well.
PELIZZARI: I love the fact that you -- pub politics, it's the best kind isn't it?
PRIME MINISTER: It is, absolutely. One of the best ways to find out what's going on somewhere isn't to have a structured, the Prime Minister will be at this place at 7:00 PM, it's to walk into a place with one group who obviously knew that I was going to be there, but a whole lot of people around there. And as well, we were talking with people who were travelling through. So, it was a very friendly group and it was a lovely night.
SHIELD: That's absolutely brilliant. I love the fact that you can just go to a pub somewhere on the border, Lu, and there's the Prime Minister having a cold one. Just popping in.
PRIME MINISTER: Exactly. And this morning we're going to pop into an Urgent Care Clinic here. That's just making an enormous difference right around the country, people being able to see a doctor with just their Medicare card. And there's one here, there's one in Shepparton, there's one in Wagga Wagga. It's just been a great success.
PELIZZARI: Can I just ask you, on the whole medical thing, and I've got to ask the question while you're here. There's been a lot of talk about the Albury-Wodonga Hospital. There's a big hospital expansion happening in Albury at the Albury Base Hospital at the moment. It's not big enough for the area. Are you across everything that's happening with that? Because there's been so much community support for a greenfield hospital, a brand new single-site hospital, because our community is just growing so fast that the current renovations are going to be obsolete within a few years.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, I am across it. But of course, those decisions are up to New South Wales and Victorian government. The Commonwealth doesn't run hospitals. What we have done is just a few weeks ago, and it got finalised just Friday, just three days ago, the new health and hospitals agreement with the states and territories, which is an additional $25 billion of additional funding for the hospital networks. Now, how that is spent is up to obviously the state and territory governments right around the country. But we are providing that additional resource, but as well, providing directly what we're responsible for, the local going to see a GP that primary healthcare. And that's why we're funding the Urgent Care Clinic. And that's why as well, we've tripled the bulk billing incentive. And what that means is that there's been this massive growth in the number of GPs that are bulk billing in this area and right around Australia as well.
PELIZZARI: Which is brilliant.
PRIME MINISTER: So, they take pressure off the emergency department, which is what you want.
PELIZZARI: Very true. And off families too. I mean just the amount of times that people won't go to the doctor because they can't afford to.
PRIME MINISTER: Exactly. And then the health problems become more acute. And then it becomes more costly to fix.
PELIZZARI: That's it. And it's a huge burden. So true.
PRIME MINISTER: So, that's why we're trying to really get on top of that and it's been pretty successful so far.
SHIELD: Now, Prime Minister, as I said at the start of this chat, this is a first for us. This is the first time we've had a Prime Minister in the studio, which also means that it's the first time we've had someone with such a great entourage outside of the studio. When you're travelling to regional centres, when you're going from place to place, just through your daily job, is there a breakfast routine that you have? Like you're in hotels, constantly travelling. Are there snacks in the car?
PELIZZARI: Have you been for a run?
PRIME MINISTER: Coffee's the important thing to get going in the morning, I've got to say for me. So, I have had a coffee this morning. That's all I've had.
PELIZZARI: That's a good start.
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely. And I'll get through this morning and probably have brekkie on the plane going back to Canberra later on this morning.
PELIZZARI: So, the other thing we were talking about off air just briefly, was bands. And you mentioned that you saw ACDC when you were 12.
PRIME MINISTER: I was very young. I grew up with just my mum and I grew up in a council housing estate, public housing. And it was like one of those old English estates where the front doors, you looked at each other when you opened the door, there was a door across. And so my mum was in hospital at the time. I was just staying there. And the neighbours used to help look after us. And the girls next door who were older than me said, we're going to a concert. So, I went to a free ACDC concert. At Paddy's Market, where they were in Haymarket in Sydney. And it blew me away when the great Bon Scott was still of course the lead singer, and with the bagpipes and Angus in the school uniform from Ashfield High School in my electorate. Put in that plug there. It was just fabulous. I've seen them a few times after that, in pubs as they were coming up as I was older. And then saw the Back in Black tour when they came back with the big bell. I remember it was at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
PELIZZARI: That's incredible. Well, they had the big bell at this last concert too. It's interesting. I thought my first concert was awesome. Mine was KISS. In Brisbane.
PRIME MINISTER: With all the makeup?
PELIZZARI: Everything. And I was 15.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, KISS were very big.
PELIZZARI: They were huge, but I still think yours just trumps that a hundred percent. I love that. ACDC as your first concert. Can't beat it.
PRIME MINISTER: I wish I could take credit for knowing who ACDC was before the concert. I just got dragged along. And it was fantastic.
SHIELD: Thank you to the neighbours.
PRIME MINISTER: There was a great period of -- I was lucky, when I was about 18 or thereabouts. ACDC, the Angels, Midnight Oil. There were just so many amazing --
PELIZZARI: And they were playing everywhere.
PRIME MINISTER: They were playing everywhere at the pubs.
PELIZZARI: All the pubs, really locally. So, you got to see them. We must be of a very similar era.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, I saw them all. Pub pock was fantastic. You'd get to see overseas bands too. I got to see The Cure in a pub in Sydney, before they were really big.
SHIELD: Absolutely brilliant. Well, we could talk music, we could talk food, which is one of our favourite subjects here for a very, very long time. We could have you here for hours, but I know your entourage will say 'no, he's got a busy schedule.' And like you said, you've got plenty on your plate today before you fly back. We certainly appreciate you swinging by the studio and coming to have a chat.
PRIME MINISTER: Great to chat. It's always good to be in the studio, I reckon.
PELIZZARI: It's so much better than it is over the phone. Much more atmosphere.
PRIME MINISTER: Yep, exactly. And on the phone, I couldn't do this. [PLAYS DRUMS]
PELIZZARI: Cymbal. Yes. I thought I played those drums well. No, Albo has absolutely smashed it.
SHIELD: Absolutely nailed it. The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese. Thank you so much for your time this morning.
PRIME MINISTER: See you, have a lovely day.
