RICHARD KING, HOST: It's all hands on deck, including our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, who I believe is on the way to our area. And the Prime Minister is on the line. Good morning, Prime Minister.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Richard. Good to be with you, but sorry about the circumstances of this visit to the Hunter and the Mid North Coast.
KING: Yeah. You're headed our way this morning, I believe, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: I am. I'm just in the Central Coast, passing around about Wyong, so I'm on my way to Cessnock where I'll meet up with the Premier and our Minister, Kristy McBain. I'll be visiting Taree with the Premier later this morning and then returning back to Maitland where a lot of the action is being coordinated by the different authorities. We've established federally – The National Emergency Management Agency – has established a Crisis Coordination Team. It's involved with the state government and also with local governments. But at a time like this as well, I think it's important to acknowledge those heroes of the SES and other volunteers and police and emergency services and the fire brigades who are helping their fellow citizens, helping people they don't know either, to get through what is an absolute crisis.
KING: And many of them in a voluntary capacity too, Prime Minister. It is Volunteers’ Week this week and it was Wear Orange Wednesday as a big shout out to encourage support for our SES workers. And boy, aren't they under the pump at the moment? I did speak with Kristy McBain, our Emergency Management Minister earlier this morning, Prime Minister, and she did reiterate that now four New South Wales LGAs have become declared available to receive recovery allowance. But at the state level there are 16 LGAs that have been declared Natural Disaster Areas. Is there different criteria in judging, you know, the federal funding and the state government funding?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they're both funded by both federal and state. The disaster assistance kicks in for things such as emergency support. So, it can provide support for emergency accommodation or food or cash payments simply for people to get by in an immediate sense. And then the Disaster Recovery Allowance, which is available in Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Mid Coast and Dungog at this stage, what that is, that provides for up to 13 weeks of pay either for employees or for people who might be self employed, you know, sole traders, to receive income over that 13 week period. So, one is the immediate support, if you like, and the second is that more longer term issues where it's considered that areas will be out for a period of time, which obviously a disaster such as this that’s had an impact on infrastructure will mean that for some communities the recovery will take some time.
KING: Right. And again, speaking with Kristy McBain earlier this morning, she did say that the expectation was that the four LGAs that will be able to, as of Monday, access that federal recovery allowance, that that will probably be expanded to include more LGAs. And I think that was her expectation when I spoke to her earlier this morning.
PRIME MINISTER: I think that's right, Richard. This is an evolving situation and clearly the impact has gone essentially from the Clarence area up there ,around Grafton and even a bit further north, right through to the Central Coast. So, it's a very large area that's been impacted here and that's why the authorities resources are really being stretched. I would say that the tragedy that you just reported on of another gentleman being found in a car that – because of the flood waters – again, is a reminder that if it's flooded, forget it. Do not take risks here because you're endangering your own life. But you're also, of course, for people who've had to be rescued from those circumstances by the Australian Defence Force or right through to the SES volunteers. People need to really listen to warnings and not take risks at a time such as this.
KING: Yes. Hear, hear. But what it does highlight is the way we all come together. I've spoken to the mayor of Dungog, Digby Rayward, and they experienced those horrific floods 10 years ago. It was April 2015 and I think they've since been acknowledged as, by a number of different organisations, as having a wonderful resilience program. I think they've got a community centre there. But when things like this happen, disasters, it does bring out the best in Aussies, doesn't it, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: It certainly does, Richard. At the worst of times, we see the best of the Australian character. That sense of looking after each other, that is part of who we are. People pitch in and help their neighbours, but they also help people who they don't know. Just a couple of months ago, of course, I was up in South East Queensland and North New South Wales for the ex-tropical cyclone that was just off the coast and had such an impact. And I ran into the Marickville SES who were there helping volunteering in the Tweed.
KING: Yes, indeed. You're not long back from overseas. You met the Pope. You are a practising Catholic. As you said, your mother would have been watching and been very happy about actually you meeting the Pope. You've come back obviously feeling enthused etc. after your visit to the Vatican?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, it was a wonderful visit. That was a great honour and privilege of my life and something I'll never forget. I took my late mum's rosary across and Pope Leo was good enough to bless them and it was quite a moment to have 45 minutes of a one on one discussion with the Holy Father and it's something that I'll never forget. And that was an honour given, of course, to Australia as well. Pope Leo has visited Australia a number of times in the past due to the role that he's played with the Augustine Fathers and he hopefully will visit for 2028. Australia is hosting the World Eucharistic Congress and I hope that he visits for the Eucharistic Congress that'll be held in Sydney in 2028.
KING: Yeah. Appreciate your time this morning. Safe travels. Your beloved Rabbitohs won't be playing this weekend, but you'll certainly be barracking for the Blues on Wednesday night for State of Origin, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: I will, but the Bunnies have got the two points again this week for the third week running. So, the mighty Newcastle Knights put us to the sword a few weeks ago.
KING: Yeah, well, I hope they put the Roosters to the sword tomorrow in Bathurst, hopefully.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll always be cheering for the Knights versus the Chooks. Don't worry about that.
KING: Good on you. All right, thanks for the chat. Enjoy your day and safe travels.