Tv interview – Sky News First Agenda

PETER STEFANOVIC, HOST: Well, Independence Day celebrations have taken place in Papua New Guinea this morning. Our chief anchor, Kieran Gilbert is there proper now alongside a particular visitor, the Prime Minister.

KIERAN GILBERT, HOST: Pete, thanks very a lot. Joining us is the Prime Minister, who’s been a particular visitor right here for the fiftieth anniversary of independence. And your counterpart, your good friend, James Marape spoke within the speech at present rather a lot about this being probably the most numerous nation on earth. Getting to 50 years is an achievement in itself, is not it?

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: It certain is, as a powerful democracy. There’s a thousand tribes right here, 800 languages – take into consideration that. Not dialects, 800 languages. There’s very completely different cultures, and, you recognize, the Highlands could be very completely different from down on the plains or across the coastlines. And for a lot of of these tribes, they had been very remoted. They did not have that contact with one another. Whereas our tradition, First Nations individuals going again, there was much more alternate and other people transferring round. That’s what welcome to nation is about, individuals transferring across the continent. Here you had improvement that was very completely different. And the energy of the democracy right here is a good credit score to the individuals of PNG. It’s a credit score to the founders of independence, individuals like Somare and others who obtained the good reward at present, justifiably. And importantly, I believed it was a really important second at present when the Prime Minister spoke in regards to the flag being lowered, not torn down, of Australia. And that occurred 50 years in the past. It was a peaceable transition. The Whitlam authorities supported it, a part of Gough Whitlam’s legacy that’s so vital. But it was one thing that confirmed nice braveness for individuals to go, no, we’ll be our personal impartial nation. And that is what we’re celebrating at present.

GILBERT: And Gough Whitlam on the time stated, we can’t be totally free till PNG is free – and that is what it’s now. And you see this stunning Parliament behind us, which an Australian architect helped design. And you’ve got introduced at present we’ll contribute to a different wing of the Parliament. And I suppose it is kind of the symbolism alongside the very actual message that democracies cannot be taken without any consideration at the moment.

PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely. And this can be a magnificent constructing. I had the good honour of being the primary international chief to deal with the parliament right here after I used to be elected in January of simply a few years in the past.

GILBERT: They are outgrowing it? They wanted this extension?

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, properly what they need is a ministerial wing as properly, as a way to have authorities companies proper right here the place Parliament is. They’ve continued to develop. It’s a rustic now of, they don’t seem to be certain precisely what the inhabitants is, they know it is at the very least 10 million. And it is a nation that is persevering with to develop. It’s a rustic that has seen that financial development occur. There are challenges in a rustic like this. Australia will proceed to supply help. And one actually tangible approach of celebrating the fiftieth anniversary is for Australia to help with constructing the democracy, actually the constructing that may assist to accommodate the democracy.

GILBERT: Another tangible approach is the defence treaty that Ben Packham in The Australian reviews simply in the previous couple of hours that the Cabinet hasn’t authorised it but, Marape’s Cabinet. Should we be involved by that or are they – ?

PRIME MINISTER: They’re all off celebrating. That’s the factor. They all went to their respective homelands and they also did not have quorum on the cupboard assembly, and that is comprehensible. This is about celebrating 50 years.

GILBERT: You’re not apprehensive about it? The treaty will crack on?

PRIME MINISTER: Not in any respect. Yeah, Prime Minister Marape could be very supportive. A whole lot of work has gone on to it. Billy, in fact, the Defence Minister made bulletins over the weekend as properly. And that is about our mutual safety. This is about our mutual sovereignty as properly – exhibiting respect for one another. And it is a pure development of how carefully we work collectively. On my first go to right here, I went as much as Wewak and there you had Australian navy serving to to coach PNG. And it is a relationship that goes again, in fact to the Second World War with Kokoda and that unbelievable story of the defence of Australia and the defence of PNG.

GILBERT: One of the problems, massive within the Pacific in fact, it has been a spotlight for you in the previous couple of days as properly. You referred to as it a wakeup name, members of the Coalition at present say that we should not be scaring individuals, that we have to present options with out making households pay by way of the enamel. What do you say to them about your willingness to take heed to family, daily, you recognize, kitchen desk issues?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have to take heed to the science and we have to take heed to households. My authorities has supported value of residing aid, all of the measures of which have been opposed by the opposition. Whether it is cheaper medicines, the power rebates, whether or not it’s the 20 per cent off pupil debt.

GILBERT: Can you do the transition with out shedding the center? I do know as Prime Minister, that is been your focus.

PRIME MINISTER: Of course you may. Of course you may, as a result of it’s essential to do each. And I inform you what, Kieran, the price of the floods, the algal bloom we’re seeing in South Australia in the mean time, the influence that is having on the seafood trade. The floods on the Mid North Coast, the bushfires, the cyclones off the coast of the Gold Coast and NSW North Coast, that is not a tropical space. So we all know that local weather change is having an influence. We know there’s an financial value to that in addition to a human value.

GILBERT: Just to wrap up, we’re right here for the fiftieth, the Golden Jubilee, and tonight it’ll be fairly one thing, is not it? This spectacular they’re planning.

PRIME MINISTER: It will probably be a cracker. It will probably be a celebration of the variety that’s this nice nation, and it is an ideal honour to be right here representing Australia. And the truth that so many individuals have come from leaders from all around the Pacific, but additionally all world wide. You have the Assistant Secretary of State from the United States, you’ve got His Royal Highness Prince Edward representing the Royal Family. You have individuals gathered from all over the place right here, all celebrating what is a good democracy in its first 50 years, but additionally wanting ahead as properly to the following 50 and past.

GILBERT: Prime Minister, thanks for becoming a member of us. Appreciate it.

PRIME MINISTER: Fantastic that you just had been in a position to come alongside.

GILBERT: Yeah, would not have missed it. Pete, it’s a big day right here, I’ve obtained to say. September sixteenth, 50 years on from the independence granted to this stunning, stunning nation on our doorstep.

STEFANOVIC: Lovely stuff. Kieran Gilbert there with the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese in Port Moresby. Thank you each.