HAMISH MACDONALD, HOST: The PM and the Energy Minister, Chris Bowen have just wrapped up a media conference at Port Botany in Sydney. The Prime Minister is here this morning. Good morning to you, PM.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Hamish. Good to be with you.
MACDONALD: You've confirmed four additional cargoes of diesel have been secured for Australia through BP, Viva Energy and Export Finance Australia. Can you explain what that means in practical terms?
PRIME MINISTER: What that means in practical terms is four ships full of diesel, some 50 million litres each, or in one of the cases, there's a bit more than that, 52 and a half million. So, just over 200 million litres of additional diesel for Australia. Two of the ships are coming from South Korea, one from Brunei and one from Malaysia. And what Export Finance Australia are doing with both BP and Viva for each of those suppliers is underwriting, essentially providing some security for those purchases to occur. And importantly, it’s additional fuel on top of the orders that are in, in the normal course of business, but of course we're in abnormal times.
MACDONALD: There's some reporting in the papers this morning suggesting that you've drafted in BHP to help with securing diesel. Is that a longer term scenario that you're looking at having to find alternative sources of diesel?
PRIME MINISTER We are working with every partner that we can. We're consulting with state and territory governments. I'll bring together the National Cabinet tomorrow for an update. We're working with the private sector in particular and BHP, of course, Australia's largest user of diesel. They, through their own mechanisms and history, of course, have a great deal of capacity to deal in the international markets, which is what they do in the normal course of events. And they are being helpful, as are other areas of the private sector as well. This is truly a Team Australia moment, to put it that way, where we want the private sector, governments, all of us, to work together to make a positive difference. And BHP certainly are doing that.
MACDONALD: You'd be very aware that people are quite nervous, quite anxious about particularly the idea of fuel rationing. So, the announcement you're making today, does that actually delay or put off rationing as a likelihood at all? You know, when we're talking about a whole nation, four ships of diesel doesn't sound like it's going to buy us a heck of a lot of extra time.
PRIME MINISTER: Every ship makes a difference. There are 61 ships on the water to Australia as we speak. And at Port Botany this morning, there was a ship delivering fuel to the BP terminal here this morning. There are another five ships due to arrive this week in Sydney at Port Botany. And so this is additional supply. We live in turbulent times, Hamish. We know that every morning –
MACDONALD: That's a bit of an understatement, isn't it, PM?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it sure is, but you've got to keep your considered head on at a time like this and you've just got to work through methodically how do we make a difference. So, whether it is the additional supply of diesel, whether it be the release of reserves, the changes to fuel standards that we've made, the 250,000 tonnes of fertiliser, in addition to normal processes that we've been able to get supply of from Indonesia. And I spoke with the Indonesian President Prabowo last night and thanked him for his personal engagement and support for Australia receiving that supply. That is what we can do.
MACDONALD: He's just been off to Russia to talk to them about getting more fuel from them. I mean, is that something Australia would consider doing more of to, given the situation that the world is in?
PRIME MINISTER: We have sanctions on Russia and they have not changed. It's up to individual sovereign states to make their own decisions –
MACDONALD: But are you considering, are you considering changing your approach on that?
PRIME MINISTER: No, our position's very clear on Russia because of the illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine that continues to cause turbulence and not just for the people of Ukraine, but the implications are there for the international rule of law. So, there are many things that are not in our control. We are not participants in the conflict in the Middle East, but that does not mean that we're immune from the consequences. And the whole world is being impacted by this. Importantly, countries in our region like the Philippines and Sri Lanka have had now for some weeks, a compulsory public holiday every, every week. They have essentially moved to a four-day working week to try to deal with the supply shortages which are there for those countries –
MACDONALD: That might be quite, that might be quite a popular move, Prime Minister. A four-day working week.
PRIME MINISTER: I wouldn't mind a seven-day rather than a seven-day and seven-night working week at the moment, Hamish, I've got to tell you.
MACDONALD: Prime Minister, how on earth do you get Donald Trump to stop this war?
PRIME MINISTER: President Trump, of course, will make the decisions that he regards to be in the interest of the United States and in the interests of the globe. We are not participants –
MACDONALD: Do you think it's in the interest of the world that this continues? Surely not.
PRIME MINISTER: We have continued to call for a de-escalation. We want to see talks resume, we want to see this conflict come to an end. We've made that very clear, because of the human impact that it is having, but also, directly in that region. But also the economic impact on the global economy is quite extraordinary. It's a reminder of how interconnected we are. And this has had dire consequences for the global economy. And if it all ends today, then there will still be a long tail for the economic impact of this conflict.
MACDONALD: But is there anything world leaders can do to make him stop?
PRIME MINISTER: We can put our views forward and on Friday –
MACDONALD: We've heard you doing that a lot. It's, it's, you know, there are obviously mechanisms, there are things like the UN, there are alliances. Is there anything more than expressing views that leaders like yourself, that believe in rules, believe in order, believe in peace can do to make this man stop?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we are not participants, but importantly here is the actions of Iran who continue to resist calls to end their nuclear program. And it is vital that Iran not get a nuclear weapon. It's vital as well, Iran has fired on civilian ships and have continued to attack countries in the Gulf that were not participants in this war. I mean, we have –
MACDONALD: The US has done that as well. I mean they've fired on a Iranian flagged civilian vessel.
PRIME MINISTER: We have called for a de-escalation. We continue to do so. We'll continue to play a constructive role and participate. There'll be a meeting in London, either tomorrow, it's likely to be, it hasn't quite been finalised or wasn't finalised late last night of the timing of it. But there will be another meeting. Australia will participate in that with like-minded countries who want to see an end to the conflict. But also want to discuss how we resolve this post-conflict as well – how we deal with the issues which are there, such as the sea mines that are in the Strait, the welfare of the seafarers who are on those ships who have been stuck in the Gulf for such a long period of time, and how we get repair to infrastructure which has been damaged. This has been a very difficult, turbulent period. What we have done is to act in a considered, measured, thoughtful way, put in place every measure that we can, left no stone unturned, and working around the clock to shield Australians as best as we can from the worst effects. But we've also been upfront that there is no way that, like the rest of the world, that we could say, ‘well, we'll have no impact here’, because it has, and it will continue to have an impact for a period of time.
MACDONALD: Okay, I know you've got to get going, very quick one before you leave us – Rabbitohs up against the Storm on the weekend, I think, is that right?
PRIME MINISTER: We have never won, I don't think, at AAMI Park, ever. I have been to a number of games there. And this Saturday night, we'll be wearing a uniform because of Anzac Day, of course, paying tribute to our Navy and to people who have worn South Sydney colours, but also not just worn the red and the green, but have worn the white and navy of our naval personnel, and paying tribute to them. And I hope sincerely, I had a discussion with Latrell Mitchell yesterday. He's feeling very confident, so I am as well.
MACDONALD: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Thank you very much.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Hamish.