: I want to go to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, who is in Perth. He's on his way to Jakarta and he's just phoned through. Prime Minister, congratulations on your re-election. Good afternoon.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon. Thanks very much, mate. It's a real privilege to be able to serve for another three years. And I just had a very constructive meeting with the Premier, Roger Cook, again, my friend. And we're able to talk about continuing to work together on projects like the Midland Hospital, what we're doing on Swan River ferries, on transport, on railways, on roads, and of course putting in place the agreement that we reached on better and fairer funding for schools as well. As well as making sure that WA continues to receive support as an engine room of the Australian economy as we go forward. And when I go to Indonesia, of course, the relationship with WA is so important.
PETERSON: I know that it's been a remarkable 10 days or so basking obviously in the victory of your Government. When you look to the success of WA Labor four years ago with Mark McGowan at the helm as the Premier, Roger Cook only a few months ago, how much of what you were able to learn from WA Labor's success were you able to use in the Federal Election campaign?
PRIME MINISTER: The principle, I think Oly, is that you need to be focused on the interests that people have. And so how do you make a positive difference to their lives, to their jobs, to their wages that they take home? How do you get inflation down? From our perspective, nationally is a big responsibility, of course, of the Federal Government in order to address the cost of living pressures which are there. Addressing increased housing builds as well. So, I think the lesson of both Mark McGowan and Roger Cook, we're very focused and continue to be focused on the needs of people here in WA. And we are really in sync at the federal level. How do we improve healthcare? How do we give every child the opportunity to be the best that they can through early childhood education, through the better schools funding, through to the Universities Accord that we've put in place. As the economy transitions, how do we make sure that the clean energy transition, backed by gas and batteries and hydro, benefits the national economy? We want an economy that works for people, not the other way around. And that focus, I think that shared set of values that we have is, I think, in sync with the values that the Australian people showed in the election campaign. They don't want to go down the route of the Americanisation of healthcare. They want people to earn a decent living. And today the figures which show that for another quarter real wages are growing still, is really positive. That's how you make a difference on cost of living. Not just by reducing people's taxes, reducing inflation, but also by increasing wages. And I'm very proud of that.
PETERSON: Crucial talks you'll obviously have with the President of Indonesia, recently relationships developing with China and Russia, you going over making this a priority of your second term to shore up that relationship with one of our closest neighbours?
PRIME MINISTER: Indonesia is a critical relationship for Australia, this major neighbour just to our north that will grow to be the fifth largest economy in the world by the end of the next decade. It's important for us, it's important for our defence relationship and we have concluded an upgrading of that relationship. It's important in our economic relationship as well. No doubt we'll discuss what's happening with global trade and that's why the Government getting ahead of these issues with our Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 that I launched in Jakarta two years ago, done by Nicholas Moore, the former head of the Macquarie Bank and someone who liaise with all of the ASEAN countries to our north on what are the comparative advantages, what are the particular products or goods or services that can be traded to enhance our trading relationship with the growing economies to our north? We're in the fastest growing region in the world in human history. Now, if we're smart, that can be a huge advantage for us. With all the assets we have at our disposal, the best solar resources in our skies, all the resources that contain the full periodic table under the ground, many of them here in WA. A skilled workforce, a multicultural workforce as well, with the diasporas having those direct links with India and Indonesia and countries to our north, that an asset as well. If we play this smart, I think that this decade can set Australia up for many decades ahead. But we need to seize those opportunities, be optimistic, make sure that we get the investments right. Investments in businesses, but also investments in people.
PETERSON: I see you have appointed Tim Watts as your Special Envoy to the Indian Ocean. But he's a Victorian. Why didn't you appoint a West Australian, it's this side of the country Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, he is very passionate, has built up really strong relationships, particularly with India and Sri Lanka and Indonesia in the region, as the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and I wanted him to be able to continue that work. And of course, I have doubled the number of people from WA in the Cabinet with Anne Aly's very welcome elevation. And I've got now an ever increasing WA caucus. I just held a press conference in beautiful Kings Park there, overlooking the Swan, and with Tom French, now the incoming Labor MP for Moore, and Trish Cook, who won the new seat at Bullwinkel, but also two new Labor Senators, Ellie Whiteaker, who ran the campaign here for Labor in WA and Deep Singh, an incoming Labor Senator, he's not quite across the line yet, but we're very hopeful that he will be elected as an additional Senator from WA. So, the WA contingent is getting stronger and stronger and therefore the representation's getting stronger and stronger as well.
PETERSON: And not too far away from 2027, when the Perth Bears can tackle the South Sydney Rabbitohs here in the National Rugby League.
PRIME MINISTER: It's a great thing and it'll be great for WA and great for the National Rugby League competition. You can't have a nation without WA and it will, I think, get a great deal of support. Melbourne Storm are a very successful club, of course, in the NRL and I think the Perth Bears will be exactly the same. And they give people, the old North Sydney Bears fans, something to cheer for. And I reckon, though, they will be cheered by all rugby league followers, except when they're playing their own team. So, I won't cheer for them when they're playing the mighty South Sydney Rabbitohs, but otherwise, I wish them all the best.
PETERSON: Yes, it'll be like picking children. I love both my children. So, I'll be on the Bears and the Dragons. Prime Minister, safe travels to Jakarta and congratulations on your election victory just over a week ago.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much, Oly. And thank you for the opportunity that I always have to talk to your listeners through your program. As you know, I committed to coming to WA 10 times a year, I think, on your program, many years ago as Opposition Leader, and I've done that. And I'm now up to trip number 34 as Prime Minister. And so, I'll continue to be a regular visitor here because this state is so important for our nation.
PETERSON: Prime Minister, thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Oly.
