PATRICIA KARVELAS, HOST: Prime Minister, welcome to RN Breakfast.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good to be with you.

KARVELAS: Prime Minister, this is a Budget that's been framed around making difficult decisions in difficult times. But haven't you kicked some of those big decisions down the road?

Thank you very much. As if to underline, if you needed any reminder of the difference between the current Government and the past, the division we just voted on, if it was carried would have stopped the cheaper child care legislation. So way back at the Jobs and Skills Summit in September, the economist Danielle Wood made the observation that if untapped women's workforce participation were iron ore, we'd be falling over ourselves to dig it up. The message from the Budget handed down by the Treasurer last night was simply this: we’re digging.

Around 2,000 homeowners in flood-prone areas of the Northern Rivers of New South Wales will now be eligible to raise, repair, retrofit or have their home voluntarily bought back, as part of a new $800 million program.

The Commonwealth and New South Wales Government joint funding will support residential homeowners impacted in the February-March 2022 floods, in the seven Local Government Areas of Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed.

Grants of up to $25,000 will be available from mid next week to support Tasmanian small businesses and primary producers impacted by the October flooding with clean-up and restoration activities.

The financial assistance is being jointly funded by the Australian and Tasmanian governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

The grant includes an up-front payment of $2,500 to provide immediate cash flow relief.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: Well, thanks very much, Prime Minister Kishida. Once again, welcome to Australia.

I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet. I pay my respects to be elders past, present and emerging.

I have also asked permission from the Prime Minister to make initial comments about the tragic events that are unfolding on the East Coast of Australia.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: Can I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.

Can I welcome very much Prime Minister Kishida and his delegation here today.

You are a great friend of Australia.

There are some state premiers around the country who will wonder why it is that we've met more often than I've met them in my five months as Prime Minister.

This is our fourth meeting. I, of course, have visited Japan twice.

The October Budget will deliver on the Albanese Labor Government pledge to jointly fund a world-class Aboriginal Cultural Centre for Western Australia.

The Commonwealth is partnering with and matching the McGowan Labor Government’s commitment to this important project with each Government contributing $50 million after jointly funding the feasibility study.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today announced the Commonwealth Government has committed $6 million towards this year’s Western Australia Telethon fundraising appeal.

Telethon is an annual televised fundraising appeal in Western Australia and is broadcast live for 26 hours.

Now in its 55th year, over the past five decades Telethon has raised more than $457 million for sick and disadvantaged children.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: I do want to begin by talking about the floods on the East Coast that continue to have a real impact on people, on households and on communities and I do want to urge people in flood affected communities to continue to monitor warnings and to updates closely. I spoke to Mark Coulton the local MP in Western New South Wales. He's very concerned about communities such as Moree that are really under threat and the impact throughout New South Wales, going now into Queensland, Victoria, and of course Tasmania are significant indeed.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Tonight, Jim Chalmers will deliver the new Government's first Budget. It will be delivering on our commitments, it will be strengthening our economy, providing cost of living relief for families without putting pressure on inflation. You'll see a delivery of the strong commitment we gave to cheaper child care during the election campaign, which arose from my first Budget Reply. You'll also see paid parental leave. We want a family-friendly Budget that delivers for working Australians.