National Skills Week is an opportunity to celebrate Australia’s diverse skills set, but comes at a time when our nation is in the grip of a skills crisis.

A robust skills and training sector is critical to driving a productive workforce - this will deliver a stronger economy and more affordable goods and services.

Owing to a decade of inaction, Australia is experiencing a serious labour supply shortage and some of the most acute skills shortages of any country in the OECD.

The Albanese Government is taking immediate action to address this crisis.

ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: Well, it is great to have the Prime Minister in town. And a lot has been said about Cross River Rail, but unless you get underneath and see exactly what's happening, you can see it is a transformational project. 7,000 jobs over the life of the project, over 2,600 people at the moment currently being employed on the project over 15 different sites. And, of course, as the vast nation that we are, this will be a transformational project, especially leading into the Olympics. It'll be a beautiful walkway to the Gabba Stadium.

STEVE AUSTIN, HOST: The current Prime Minister, the man who defeated Scott Morrison, at the federal election is Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Brisbane today. And a short while ago, he joined me here at the ABC studio, and I asked him whether he's wasting his time attacking a former Prime Minister, when there are major contemporary problems to tackle, like today's figures that show wages growth in Australia is sluggish and half the rate of inflation.

PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: Good to be here. You haven't changed the song

HOST: No.

PRIME MINISTER: That's good.

HOST: No we haven't. It's been a few months, how are you enjoying being the top job of Australia?

LINDA BURNEY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Good afternoon. We are on the beautiful Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. I'm here with Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, and also Nita Green who's a Senator for Queensland. We've had a fabulous morning meeting with community groups, including the Torres Strait Regional Council, and listening and talking about the Voice to Parliament. I'll hand over to the Prime Minister.

SYLVIA TABUA, HOST: Hello and welcome back to Radio 4MW to this special broadcast that we have today. And we have been waiting patiently for our Prime Minister to join us. So, this afternoon I'd like to welcome Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Anthony Albanese MP. And welcome, Prime Minister. It's a pleasure to have you here at radio 4MW today on lovely Waiben.

ALLY LANGDON, HOST: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in the Torres Strait speaking to remote communities about an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. But the focus this morning is Bali. Prime Minister, good morning.

PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: Good morning Ally.

LANGDON: We appreciate your time this morning. Can I ask for your reaction to Bali Bombing terrorist Umar Patek walking free from prison just weeks from the twentieth anniversary. Did you know about it?

Onshore manufacturing of life-saving mRNA vaccines took a major step forward today, with the Australian Government, Moderna and the Victorian Government finalising all arrangements for the 10-year partnership.

Under the agreements, an mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility will be built at Monash University, helping protect Australians against future pandemics, supporting local industry and creating highly skilled local jobs.

Moderna will also establish its headquarters and a Regional Research Centre in Victoria.

DANIEL ANDREWS, PREMIER OF VICTORIA: Well, thanks very much for being here. You've all heard the speeches. So, I won't go back through everything from the top. But can I say firstly, how good it is to have the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese here today for a very significant announcement that's all about the best science leading to more manufacturing and more jobs.

PATRICIA KARVELAS, HOST: Cabinet will meet today as the fallout deepens from revelations that the former Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, had himself sworn into multiple portfolios during the pandemic. It's been confirmed that Scott Morrison secretly held the Health, Finance and Resources portfolios, overruling then Minister Keith Pitt to knock back a controversial gas exploration licence last year. The news has taken many of his colleagues, including former senior Cabinet ministers, even the new Opposition Leader by surprise.