Albo’s brutal ‘three-word’ Aus Day message
Anthony Albanese has unleashed over the Australia Day debate — using some choice words to call out Peter Dutton.
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Anthony Albanese has unleashed on Peter Dutton over Australia Day — offering him three choice words — “just chill out” — and urging him to let Aussies just enjoy the day off.
He also accused the opposition leader of planning to “take an axe” to Medicare, childcare and housing if he is elected Prime Minister.
Warning the election is a choice between ‘two fundamentally different approaches and vastly different agendas’, Mr Albanese has warned that the election contest is not a matter of “competing plans striving for the same outcome.”
And he’s urged the Liberal leader to “just chill out” when it comes to a culture war over Australia Day.
“I sometimes think that Peter Dutton every year has a fight with an imaginary friend over something that most Australians are just getting on with Australia Day,’’ Mr Albanese said.
“And one of the things that Australia Day celebrates is the fact that we’re not a Soviet-style command system. You know, like just chill out! Get on with life. The debate’s over which company has thongs in it!
“Last year, you know, it was Woolworths - boycotting Woolworths, Australia’s largest employer. Did I support that? No, I didn’t support that. I support Australia Day. I’ll be celebrating Australia Day. I hope that Peter Dutton joins me in a bipartisan show of support for our national day in our national capital.”
Fight over Medicare
In his first major speech for the year, Albanese also took a swipe at the opposition leader for not fronting the National Press Club because “he doesn’t like questions [and] he doesn’t have any real answers”.
“When Peter Dutton talks about ‘economic surgery’, he means cutting wages off at the knees and putting Medicare on life support,” Mr Albanese said.
“The Liberals are prescribing a lethal dose of cuts to all the help that we have provided families with their cost of living. Dutton’s economic surgery won’t be done with a scalpel - it will be carried out with an axe, hacking away at jobs and wages and Medicare, childcare and housing.
“And let’s be clear. When it comes to paying for their nuclear reactors, all these Liberal cuts won’t even touch the sides. All that money they want ripped out of Medicare and childcare and TAFE.”
Mr Albanese said he was determined to lead a government that changes the country for the better.
“He’s obsessed with talking Australia down to try and build himself up. But this is not a time for wrecking, for cutting, for thinking small, aiming low, and looking back. This is a time for building, for looking after people and looking to the future,’’ Mr Albanese said.
“It’s not two roads that ultimately lead to the same destination. This election is a choice between two fundamentally different approaches and vastly different agendas.
“It’s a choice between our determination and optimism, or their fear and negativity. It’s Labor’s belief in the opportunities this decade holds, and our plans for Australians to seize them, against the Liberals’ view that Australia can’t compete and we shouldn’t try.
“I really think that this decade will determine what Australia looks like and how successful we are up to 2050. We need to get it right now or else we’ll fall behind while the rest of the world moves past us.”
Taking questions, the Prime Minister was asked by ABC journalist Laura Tingle if Labor can realistically go to another term without some sort of tax reform, to pay for all the things he wanted to do for the Australian people.
“We will, of course, continue to examine responsible economic management. We’ve been through Myefo [mid-year economic and fiscal outlook] and we’re going through budget preparations now as we speak,’’ he replied.
“Over the coming weeks and months, obviously, we’ll outline a range of policies that we will take to the election. Ours will be costed.”
Back-to-basics on schools
Mr Albanese also unveiled a back-to-basics overhaul in Australian schools that will focus on teaching kids how to read and how to count as he fights for his political life.
“Two weeks ago, the Leader of the Opposition published a list of his 12 priorities for government. Education and skills didn’t even rate a mention,’’ Mr Albanese said.
“For Labor, nothing is more important to building Australia’s future than education. Early education. TAFE and apprenticeships, university.
“And, of course, schools. Fourteen years ago, in his landmark report, David Gonski outlined our national Schooling Resource Standard. A level of funding calculated per student, designed to ensure no Australian child would be left behind.
“As a nation, we’ve never reached that level for public schools. We’ve never met that standard that was outlined so clearly.
“Today, we take a big step forward to making it happen. Today, I announce we’ve secured new schools’ funding agreements with South Australia and with Victoria. They join the ACT, Northern Territory, Tasmania, and Western Australia - meaning 6 of the states and territories are now signed up to better and fairer schools to meet the standards in education that Australian children deserve.
“No-one held back, and no-one left behind. Making sure that every child in government schools gets the support they need to thrive.
“Because this agreement is not about dividing up the same amount of dollars in a different way. Instead, both levels of government are stepping up our commitment to schools over the decade. Importantly, this new agreement means accounting practices - like capital depreciation - can no longer be counted as an education investment.
“Instead, every dollar of funding will go into helping children learn. This will mean more money than ever for public schools - but it’s not a blank cheque. Our new funding is for real reform, and it will deliver real results.
“The methods and resources that work, that make the biggest difference. Evidence-based instruction. Phonics and numeracy testing in Year 1. Identifying students who need that extra help early on - not waiting until they’ve fallen behind. Classroom assistance and catch-up tutoring for small groups and one-on-one. More opportunities for students who need an extra challenge. More support for every teacher and more individual attention for every child.
“This is about every parent knowing that their child can get the best start in life at their local school.”
Aussie tradies to get $10,000 bonus
Young tradies will receive a $10,000 bonus payment to take up a job in the building industry if Mr Albanese is elected, but the cash is dependent on sticking with the apprenticeship.
In the latest move to tackle the housing crisis, the Albanese Government will incentivise employers to hire and encourage younger Australians to choose a trade in the building industry.
Bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and joiners will be eligible for payments of up to $10,000 through our new Key Apprentice Program.
But to address the dropout rate among apprentices the money will be staggered with the final payments dependent on employees sticking around.
In a major speech to the national press club, Mr Albanese told voters that building Australia’s future is about training Australians for the future.
MORE: The highest paying trades in Australia
“Over the past two years free TAFE has given hundreds of thousands of Australians the chance to learn the skills they need for a career they want, or to retrain for a new opportunity, without the barrier of paying for the course,’’ he said.
“We want to expand on this success.
“Because we recognise the next generation of tradies, the people we’re counting on to build the new homes we need, are under significant financial pressure.
“Right now, a first-year carpentry apprentice earns about two-thirds of the minimum wage. Some apprentices earn even less.
MORE: The highest paying jobs in Australia without a degree
“That’s before you buy tools, safety gear, clothing and boots.
“As a number of apprentices have said, they could earn a lot more stacking shelves in their local supermarket.
“Too many leave training, because they can’t afford to stay.”
Mr Albanese said he was determined to encourage more Australians to get on the tools – and stay in construction.
“So we are going to provide more support for tradies while they’re training,’’ he said.
“Today, I announce we will be raising the allowance paid to apprentices who are living away from home.
“The first time this payment has been increased since 2003.
“And, in occupations essential for residential construction, jobs like bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and joiners, we will be providing eligible apprentices up to $10,000 through our new Key Apprentice Program.
“These apprentices will receive five payments of $2000 each, on top of their wages – the first after 6 months, the last one paid on completion.
“This means that apprentices in residential construction will now get the same training incentives as those in the energy sector.
“More new homes, more new energy – and more support for the tradies who will build both.”
The big announcement comes as Mr Albanese struggles in the polls against Liberal leader Peter Dutton.
Mr Albanese has previously announced apprenticeship training support payments for specific trades deemed ‘priority occupations’ by the Albanese government.
The new $5,000 payment was aimed at apprentices who work in areas that have a high demand for skilled workers both currently and in the future.
If their occupation is in ‘clean energy’, workers are eligible for more money as part of the New Energy Apprenticeship Support Payment, which can be up to $10,000.
Priority occupation list includes aged care workers, arborists, boat builders, bakers, locksmiths and beauty therapists, according to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).
Originally published as Albo’s brutal ‘three-word’ Aus Day message
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