HOST: Please welcome to the show the biggest Maroons fan known to man, Anthony ‘Albo’ Albanese.
HOST: Hey, Queenslander.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: What an introduction that is. Not what I was expecting.
HOST: You're welcome.
HOST: I didn't know you were a Queensland supporter, Anthony.
PRIME MINISTER: Happy Origin Day for everyone.
HOST: Very political.
PRIME MINISTER: And we can all be friends at this stage, can't we? Until eight o'clock and then it's on.
HOST: Mate, yeah, Origin – we'll talk about, I want to get, want to get your thoughts on the tip for Origin but also want to talk about Rugby League World Cup this year, which Brisbane has some great games by the way. And there's a men's, I think the men's in that there's a women's final too. I'm just reading up on it today about the women's game which is obviously going strength and strength, but you guys throwing your weight behind it, obviously acknowledging it as a pretty important event on the calendar this year.
PRIME MINISTER: We are. It's going to be fantastic. And right after the season ends it'll keep going with the Rugby League World Cup. We know how big the Women's Soccer World Cup was for Australia, and for young people going along and getting enthused about getting off their devices and onto the footy fields. And we want people to play sport rather than be on their devices, particularly young people. And this will be fantastic. We'll bring all these countries to Australia as the host for men's and women's. There'll be games there in Brisbane, but also Sydney, Perth, Townsville and Newcastle. And there'll be games in Papua New Guinea to lay a bit of groundwork for when the Chiefs come in. And of course New Zealand. And it will be fantastic. We're the defending champion for both men and women. And I'm sure we can keep the trophies at home and this is one way we can all unite the Blues and the Maroons will all be cheering for the one team when the Rugby League World Cup’s on.
HOST: Exactly. We'll all come together. I know Rugby League's not an Olympic sport at this stage, but leading into the Brisbane Olympics they have this thing called the Green and Gold Runway. They're trying to bring as many international competitions to Australia as they can. This is sort of the first of it, is it? Or one of the first ones. We've got Rugby Union next year, some paddling comps they're talking about bringing down here as well. So, it's such an exciting time, isn't it, for Australia and Brisbane leading into the Olympics 2032?
PRIME MINISTER: It sure is. And the Brisbane Olympics will be transformative. It will just be fantastic. You know, there was some cynicism in the lead up to Sydney 2000, I remember, and I know some people who left Sydney at that time, to rent out their places to people and they all regret it because it was just such a fantastic time and it will, Brisbane, of course, is a great global city already, but it will put it really on the global map and there'll be events all throughout Queensland as well. I think it's going to be so exciting. And part of the preparation is bringing these international events here, so that you get a bit of practice at everything from security to transport to all of those measures that are needed. And for Rugby League bringing people, of course, the diasporas will be very excited as well. We have large populations of people from countries like Tonga and Samoa as well as, of course, there's a few Kiwis in Southeast Queensland –
HOST: Did you see the crowd of the Warriors v. The Broncos at the Magic Round –
HOST: Was all Warriors.
HOST: Was all Warriors. They came up –
PRIME MINISTER: It looked like a Warriors home game.
HOST: It did, didn’t it?
HOST: Well, technically it was, pretty much.
HOST: Pretty much was.
HOST: But you're right, as Susie said, these events pre-Olympics are one of the, one of the most important things we can, we can achieve out of this. Are you in – where are you? Are you in Sydney? I'm just going to get a weather check with Origin. Are you in that neck of the woods tonight?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm in Canberra, so I'll be watching it on the television tonight. We'll probably have a few Queenslanders and Blues supporters around to watch it on the telly when Parliament finishes.
HOST: So, who do you have over? Do you have other politicians over or do you have –
HOST: A good question.
HOST: Do you have friends outside politics that you can invite over so you don't have to, you know, talk politics all the time?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, we'll probably have pollies, that's the truth. Anika Wells, though, she gets so excited –
HOST: Proud Queenslander.
PRIME MINISTER: And Jim Chalmers, they're all very passionate. You got to be very careful of what tie you wear on Origin Day because if you wear the wrong colour, you'll be in big trouble. So, I of course will be wearing a blue tie today.
HOST: I always say Albo that you're –
HOST: It’s very Liberal –
HOST: Political joke.
HOST: I always say you're your worst version of yourself on Origin Day because you get passionate. How do you go like, do you get your, do you swear a little bit? Get your bogan on when you're watching it?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh yeah, I do a little bit. You know any team that I follow seems to get the rough end of the pineapple from referees.
HOST: Here we go.
HOST: There it is.
PRIME MINISTER: It's just the way that it happens. But I remember the days of – Mr. Gomersall was an interesting referee –
HOST: The Grasshopper.
HOST: Yeah, he was the –
HOST: He was the Queensland referee there. Everyone's all the Blues, they hate him. Say he was biased. He used to love Wally.
PRIME MINISTER: He should have worn a Maroons jumper.
HOST: No.
HOST: Here we go.
HOST: We got Ashley Klein, now he's a Blue. So, anyway, no, well, Albo, mate, thanks for coming on.
HOST: It should be a cracker tonight. Enjoy it, mate.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, well, happy Origin Day everyone. It'll be absolutely fantastic. It's really good. Congrats to the NRL too. Just a shout out to Andrew Abdo, retiring CEO. I think he's done a fantastic job.
HOST: Incredible job. And keep, keep funding sport. It's an important thing for the country. It’s a cultural, important thing.
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely it is. In the end there's a whole lot of science as well, tells you that if we get kids playing sport and people being fitter, it actually saves money on the health Budget and everything else as well.
HOST: Of course it does.
PRIME MINISTER: So, important for people's mental health.
HOST: And that's how we'll be judged on the Brisbane Olympics is how well the team goes. So, you have to make sure we keep funding the athletes.
HOST: There you go.
HOST: That's from Susie O’Neill.
HOST: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: We made sure all the Olympic funding is there. And we did so well even, even in the Winter Olympics.
HOST: Best ever. Six gold medals.
HOST: Yes we did.
PRIME MINISTER: Exceptionally.
HOST: Six medals.
HOSTl Anyway, Albo mate, good to chat. Thanks. And –
HOST: Queenslander!
HOST: Queenslander!
PRIME MINISTER: See you guys.