ANNA HENDERSON, HOST: Prime Minister, thanks for joining SBS World News.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good to be with you from Bangkok.
HENDERSON: Now, you've had worldly meetings back to back throughout this week, with people at home watching on, what's going to change in their lives as a result of these engagements?
I’m so pleased to be back home in Australia and delighted to be with all of you this morning, here in the great city of Melbourne.
Not far from this room, just across the road from the mighty Victorian Trades Hall, stands a humble monument honouring the 8 hours movement.
In 1856, stonemasons working on the new Melbourne University downed tools and marched alongside fellow construction workers to the steps of Victorian Parliament to demand an 8 hour working day.
A struggle that would see them become one of the first workforces in the world to win this right.
Small businesses and not-for-profit organisations affected by ongoing flooding in New South Wales can now apply for recovery grants of up to $50,000, as part of the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
The NSW Government has identified a significant number of businesses impacted by multiple flooding events since August, who are likely to face extensive clean-up and repair work.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, I have been with the Premier, Dominic Perrottet, today, and the local MPs and local council representatives here in Eugowra, a town that has been devastated. A town where two lives were lost and one in three of this town, some 159 people, were rescued, either by a chopper or by boat, a town that's been devastated and we've seen that today. But it's a town that's resilient. It's a town where people want to rebuild this town and this community.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will welcome the Prime Minister of the Republic of Finland, Sanna Marin, to Australia next week. This will be the first visit by a Finnish Prime Minister to Australia.
Prime Minister Marin will be accompanied on her visit to Australia by a business delegation. She will also address the Lowy Institute.
Australia and Finland share a common vision based on equality, trust and shared values. In addition to enjoying warm bilateral ties, Australia works closely with Finland in multilateral forums and through engagement with the European Union.
Australia’s top veteran and partner employers, employees and entrepreneurs were celebrated last night at the 2022 Prime Minister’s National Veterans’ Employment Awards in Canberra.
These Awards showcase the talent on offer in the veteran community – as employees and entrepreneurs, and also recognise the organisations that actively recruit, employ and support veterans and families.
The Awards highlight the importance this Government places upon supporting veterans to ensure a successful transition out of the military and into civilian life.
I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet. I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging.
These awards have been running for a few years, but it's the first time I've had the honour to present them as your Prime Minister.
And I am delighted to celebrate with you this evening.
Our veterans have so very much to offer.
But I am always struck when I hear that our veterans aren't confident that civilian employers recognise that.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined counterparts from across the Asia-Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting from 17-19 November.
During the Economic Leaders’ Meeting, the Prime Minister joined others to condemn Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the resulting economic impacts on our region.
Today Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines in the margins of the 29th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.
Prime Minister Albanese and President Marcos agreed to strengthen the already warm and deep ties between the two countries by formally elevating the relationship to a Strategic Partnership. The Prime Minister has asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs to take forward negotiations with the Philippines on this important step forward.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Can I say thank you for engaging in this bilateral meeting and thank you for the informal engagement that we’ve had over now many, many days, going back to the East Asia Summit. It seems like it was a long time ago but it was only last week. Australia and the Philippines have such close relations. We have good economic ties, we have good people-to-people relations. I attended an APEC transport ministers’ meeting many years ago in Manila when I was Transport Minister in the Rudd Government more than a decade ago, about 2010.