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.
VIRGINIA TRIOLI, HOST: So, is there another shoe to drop? Are there more portfolios and ministries to be revealed that Scott Morrison secretly had himself sworn into while Prime Minister? Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, joins you this morning on the show. Prime Minister, thanks for making yourself available to us again. Good morning.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Virginia.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: There have been revelations of an extraordinary and unprecedented trashing of our democracy by the former Morrison Government. This has been Government by deception. Government in secret. The appointment of not a Shadow ministry by the Leader of the Opposition but a shadow Government by the Prime Minister. I used to say that Scott Morrison had two jobs as Prime Minister and he botched them both. It turns out I was wrong about there being just two job.
JOHN LAWS, HOST: It's been a busy few months for the new Prime Minister, having to deal with a cost of living problem, energy issues, a deteriorating relationship with China that bothers me a bit. Anthony Albanese was thrown into the deep end. But that's what he wanted, really. And I think he and his ministers have done a hell of a good job under the circumstances, which would have been tough.
HOST: We are a little bit excited because we have our Prime Minister on the phone.
HOSTS: (in unison) Mr. Albanese, Mr. Anthony Albanese. Mr. Albanese Mr. Anthony Albanese.
HOST: Good morning.
PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: That is a very impressive welcome. Have you been practising that?
HOST: No, not at all.
HOST: Mark is a lot younger than us, Mr. Albanese, and he knows some songs.
The Commonwealth and New South Wales governments will extend the Back Home grant to renters, landlords and homeowners impacted by the June-July flood event, with a total of $47 million available to get people home sooner.
The grants will be available across the 17 local government areas (LGAs) deemed to be the most severely flood impacted: Blacktown, Camden, Canterbury-Bankstown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Liverpool, Maitland, Mid Coast, Penrith, Port Stephens, Singleton, Sutherland, The Hills and Wollongong.