The Assembly (2024) s01e03 Episode Script
Anthony Albanese
1
Anastasia, how are you doing?
Nervous?
Are you? OK.
You'll be completely fine.
I'm scared.
Oh, don't be scared.
Ladies and gentlemen,
please take your seats
unless you're interviewing
the person.
(LAUGHS)
Oh, my gosh, the Prime Minister
is there.
Oh, my God, is he here?
Prime Minister, how are you?
Hi, Leigh.
Very nice to see you.
How are you going? Good to see you.
Everybody,
this is the Prime Minister.
Hi.
(ALL GREET)
Hi.
Hi, Prime Minister.
I'm Dylan.
Hi, Dylan. How are you going?
Nice to meet you.
Hello, Prime Minister. I'm Andrew.
Hi, Andrew.
So nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Thank you.
Hi, I'm Evie.
Hi, Evie. How are you going?
Hi, I'm Anastasia.
Hi, Anastasia.
Hello, I'm Abbey. Nice to meet you.
Hi, Abbey. Nice to meet you.
Hello, I'm Bethany.
Lovely to meet you.
Hi. How are you going?
Now, where do I sit?
Here.
There's your seat, Prime Minister.
That's where everybody sits!
(CHUCKLES) In the middle. Wow.
This is a hot seat.
Well, well, well, if it isn't
the Prime Minister.
Hello.
Hello.
There's more. I just got to meet
everyone and now there's more.
How are you going?
How lucky are we?
I think I'm pretty lucky
to be doing the show.
No, thank you.
Be gentle on me.
Leigh isn't always gentle.
(LAUGHS)
MAN: Quiet on set.
And action.
For the first time in Australia,
autistic students are undertaking
an autism-friendly introduction
to journalism course.
They will be mentored by one
of Australia's best journalists
and attend classes at university.
What is journalism
and why is it important?
To test their skills,
the students will interview some
of Australia's most famous people.
To get behind the spin to find
the real person.
What are the last sounds
you'd like to hear in life?
What a question!
How much money do you have?
Will you transfer me some?
(CACKLES)
Have you and Scott Morrison
ever fight?
Uh
We are the Assembly!
Awesome!
The course has been really good
so far.
Meeting new people,
learning new stuff,
interviewing famous people.
Now that I've had the training
and I've done a couple interviews,
I'm just more confident
than I was at the start.
For me, this course is so wonderful
because I've never done anything
like this before
in my past 20 years.
I just love coming here.
Hi!
(STUDENTS CHEER)
How's everyone doing today?
Good.
Yeah? Great. Are we excited?
Yes!
Tell us who it is!
OK, everyone, we've got
a very important person coming in
as our guest this week.
He is a person who's spent
a lifetime in politics.
He is well known for his love
of rock music.
He recently got engaged.
It is the Prime Minister
of Australia, Anthony Albanese.
(APPLAUSE)
This is amazing!
It's not very often you get to talk
to the Prime Minister of Australia.
How you're feeling about the prospect
of meeting the Prime Minister?
Awesome!
Oh, yes!
I'm nervous.
Excited.
Nervous.
So you said you're nervous,
Anastasia?
Yeah, I am.
What do you feel nervous about?
I don't even know.
Like there's something in me
being like, "What if I screw up?"
"What if I" I don't know,
I'm a bit worried.
Feeling really nervous
meeting Anthony
'cause he's the government!
He's the Prime Minister.
He currently runs the whole country.
He does.
He is the Prime Minister.
He's the top dog.
Like there's no bigger figure
in Australia than him.
But I don't know,
there's something about Albo.
He just seems like a regular,
like, down-to-earth guy
that you could totally
just have a yarn with.
I'm totally just planning
on chatting to him about footy
and DJing, honestly.
So I'll give you all a bit of a tip
about when you interview
a politician.
So I've interviewed
the Prime Minister many times.
Something you have to remember
with politicians is they talk a lot.
You know, we'll have to try
to keep him on track.
I'm used to that. My dad talks.
Alright, now we're gonna split
into our two groups
and I'll do what I usually do, which
is come around and work with you all
and try to figure out
what's interesting to you
about the Prime Minister.
Crack, crack.
(ALL LAUGH)
Crack, crack!
What's on your mind
when you think about interviewing
the Prime Minister?
You have to be careful
with what we say.
No, but you can say what you want.
Totally.
Our rules are no subject
is out of bounds.
No question is off the table
and anything can happen.
That's right.
I would guess that
the Prime Minister would be
as nervous, if not more nervous
to face this group
than he would be in, say,
an interview in the 7:30 studio.
He will be expecting questions
about the NDIS and politics
and very serious things,
being the prime minister
and all that kind of stuff.
So that would probably catch him
by surprise. He might like it.
In this format, you have absolutely
no idea what's coming.
When you think about
the Prime Minister,
what do you think about?
Beer.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
And they might ask
the most personal questions,
but there's no motivation behind that
other than genuine curiosity.
What else do we know about him
outside of work?
Well, he's a Rabbitohs fan.
Are you a Rabbitohs fan?
Oh, yes.
How are they going this year?
Shit.
Just pretend I didn't say that.
That can go in the deleted scenes.
I love sport.
I am a massive fan of the Matildas.
And I love going to concerts
and musicals.
It's just my happy place.
My super power of autism means that
I have this photographic memory
which means I have a photographic
memory for dates,
people's names, of course,
events that happened.
For example, I saw Hairspray
on 25 March 2023.
Strictly Ballroom, 8 July 2014.
Frozen on 27 January, 2021.
Are you ready?
Let's go.
I have a rare condition called
arthrogryposis multiplex congenita.
I've had a lot of operations
and I get weekly physio
for them to stretch my legs.
Look how strong I am.
I have not had a job before
but I would really love one.
And I really want to see
what it's like to be a journalist.
And my dream is to one day
be on the red carpet
interviewing celebrities, saying,
"Um, Julia Morris,
Julia Morris, come. Come over here.
"Hi, Julia.
What are you wearing tonight?"
OK, I will come over.
Why don't I pop in between Dylan
and Andrew?
Is it OK if I hop in between?
Yep. Certainly.
How you doing today, Dylan?
Good.
Haven't seen you yet today.
Haven't seen you, Leigh Sales.
That's so exciting.
Alright. I'm excited for you to get
to meet the Prime Minister.
I'm excited too. I'm very, very
excited to meet him.
'Cause it's right up your alley.
It is.
And, like, advocacy and all that.
Right.
Just very, very exciting to ask him
all these questions about advocacy,
the NDIS and people
with autism and disability.
Well, let's see what he says to that.
I think they're really interesting
questions.
I agree, I think you've done
really well.
Thanks, Leigh.
Very excited.
Guten abend.
Guten (LAUGHS)
Guten tag.
Silas, what's on your mind?
Could you rephrase that?
Like what do you what do you mean?
What are you actually asking?
Yeah, it was a bit broad, wasn't it?
What's interesting to you
about the Prime Minister?
Um
I don't know.
He seems quite compassionate.
Do you have any interest
in politics?
Yes.
OK.
But no, but what's that got to do
with an individual person
versus, you know, overall party
politics?
"Is he gonna toe the line?"
Well, he's the leader,
he's leading the line.
The opportunity to sit down with the
Prime Minister is quite exciting,
it's a rare opportunity.
I always love it when you ask
those kind of philosophical questions
'cause usually the people
that we're talking to
have never been asked anything like
the kind of stuff that you ask.
And so that works so well because
then they're very engaged by that
'cause it captures their interest.
Mm.
So yeah, don't feel like you've got
to limit yourself
to thinking about politics.
You can kind of broaden it
to be whatever you want.
I find this quite important.
That's fantastic.
Yeah.
You know?
I'm that person who thinks
differently.
Autism is a recognised
..natural variance.
I'm now in another world.
My behaviour is aligned with what
is considered autistic behaviour.
I would describe it as
a fundamental disconnect
from the larger social fabric.
Gotta You've gotta get them.
You've gotta be like, oh!
(GRUNTS)
You know that I have
the mental capacity
to make complex, mature decisions,
just my behaviour wouldn't sort
of show,
"Ah, yes, let's sit down
and have a coffee."
No, I wanna roll around on
the floor. I wanna have cordial.
INTERVIEWER: Why do you come outside
to do this?
Well, I was walking in my room,
it wouldn't be very long
until I hit a wall.
You could frame it as an escape.
But if I spend about half my,
you know, thoughts here,
then is it really escape
or just another home?
As a journalist, I believe
I would bring a unique perspective.
I like to challenge people
to think about something
they haven't thought of before,
and I never want to just ask the
question that people are expecting
'cause it's very sort of Some
sort of transactional relationship.
I'd rather it be unexpected.
You're about to fall off a ledge.
I'm gonna sing a little bit
to get my nerves out.
Oh, good.
(HUFFS)
(SINGS RANDOM NOTES)
ABBEY: Someone keep an eye out
for Anthony.
Oh, my God, is he here?
Prime Minister, how are you?
Hi, Leigh. How are you going?
Very nice to see you.
Good to see you.
Everybody,
this is the Prime Minister.
Hello. Hi.
Oh, wow.
This is a hot seat.
Oh, yeah. How lucky are we?
And I think I can see someone
who might be my favourite.
(LAUGHTER)
Guilty.
Mr Prime Minister,
I have to make a confession.
I have to reveal my secret identity.
Oh!
Busted!
Oh, no.
I think it's not his favourite
anymore.
You can't have a Souths hat
and Manly socks.
Although, I noticed you were
embarrassed to wear the socks
because you're hiding them,
whereas the hat you proudly got out.
Representing my mum.
I'm with your mum.
Hello, Prime Minister, we are
a collective of autistic journalists
and we are delighted
to have you join us here today.
Our rules are no subject
is out of bounds.
No question is off the table
and anything might happen.
So sit back and welcome
to the Assembly.
(APPLAUSE)
Thanks very much.
Yay!
Welcome, Prime Minister.
I'd like to say this is
a safe space.
Everyone can relax
and be themselves.
There will be no judgement.
Please do what you need to join in.
For example, fidget, move
or take a break
and ask if you need anything
to help
..help you be included.
And thank you so much.
Thanks very much, Andrew.
Yay!
Thank you.
And now it's question time.
(CHUCKLES)
Now it is question time.
OK. Dale, would you like to kick
it off today?
Hello, Prime Minister.
As someone who's never met
a prime minister before,
how do I address you?
How do you like to be spoken to?
Ah, um The formality,
it's still every time people say,
Prime Minister,
I still sometimes look around
for who that is.
So whatever you're comfortable with.
So you just prefer
Prime Minister, Anthony
Albo?
Albo will do.
(LAUGHTER)
When you're in my job,
you get called all sorts of things
that you don't want to hear,
so any of the above are fine.
Alright.
How does growing up with a single
mother who had a disability
influence your outlook on life and
your approach as a prime minister?
Ah, that's a great question.
Um, it's a part of who I am.
I think we're all products
of our environment.
And I grew up not far from here
with a single mum with
And she was an invalid pensioner.
She had rheumatoid arthritis,
so was very immobile,
had difficulties throughout
her life.
Tomorrow is the anniversary
of her passing.
She only lived to 65,
so she had a pretty tough life
and she was spent.
But that experience, I think, uh,
is one of the things that gives me
strength and resilience.
I'm quite tough, I think,
by that experience as well,
but also understanding what it's like
to not have enough money, basically.
Those values that she instilled in me
were really important.
She used to say, there's always
someone worse off than yourself.
And she never complained
about anything,
even though she had
a very tough life.
Well, thank you for answering
those two questions.
Thanks so much.
(APPLAUSE)
As the Prime Minister,
how do you deal with social media
when it takes what you've said
out of context?
I try not to read a lot
of social media.
That's one way to avoid it.
I don't read the comments.
I think people will say things
on social media,
particularly anonymously,
they would never say to your face.
Yeah.
And I think for my own mental
health, um, it's not a good thing.
I know there's a lot of debate
about young people
and the impact it's having.
Social media can be a really
negative place,
and I think it has got worse
and I think it's having, uh
That, uh, poisonous attitude
can really be, umharsh.
I agree with a lot of that.
I've noticed how toxic social media
has gotten the last few years.
Um, and my second question is,
I was quiet and anxious at school,
so I was wondering,
what was school like for you?
Um, school was I was probably
a little bit naughty at school.
(LAUGHTER)
The bad boy!
Bad prime minister.
I'm glad there wasn't cameras
on everyone's phone,
I can say that,
when I was, I was younger.
I think it brings a lot of pressure
on people nowadays as well.
Um, but I enjoyed school.
Uh, I was a reasonably good student
without studying as hard
as I should have,
but I enjoyed the experience.
I made friends, some people
who are still my friends
and I went to school in the city,
so that was quite fun.
I used to walk up Market Street
every day.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Mitch. It's you next.
Alright, um, so you went to see
Taylor Swift?
I did.
Um, I'm just gonna ask you what
sort of Taylor Swift era are you in?
(ALL REACT)
I-I-I'm in the folklore era.
Oh!
Um
On Spotify, it comes up who are
your favourite artists are
Mm.
..and last year, one and two
were Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift.
And I think it's because I spent
a lot of time on planes
and they're quite restful,
those albums.
I think that, uh, she's an
extraordinarily talented songwriter
and a great performer.
So at Christmas, um,
I served two types of beers.
Um, one is, uh, Hawke's Lager,
and the other one is called
an Albo Pale Ale,
which has a photo of yourself
on the beer
when you were called, um, #hotalbo.
(LAUGHTER)
Which one would you choose to drink
if you came to our place
for Christmas?
Well, look what politics
does to you.
Um, no-one says that anymore.
With good reason.
Uh, I really like the Albo beer.
I like the Hawke's beer as well.
Uh, the Albo came first.
Uh, someone in my area started
brewing beer in his garage first
before craft beer really took off
and he names his beers
after personalities.
There's one after a local school
principal, one after a plumber.
I don't know who Crazy Ivan is,
but there's a Crazy Ivan beer.
So it was quite a while,
there was a couple of months there
where people would send me
strange text messages.
I didn't understand things,
like, "I just drank an Albo."
And I was like, I don't know what's
going on, but there's something
..something strange has happened.
But it's a good thing.
It's a good thing.
And he's been able to employ
a whole lot of local people
there at St Peter's.
So, uh, good on him.
Mm. So you choose Albo, right?
Well, I'd, uh
I probably II'll be in trouble
off uh, my, my friend
who runs the brewery
if I say that.
So you're not gonna answer
that question.
No, no, no. No, no, I'll go with
I'll go with that.
But both of them are good beers.
Yeah. They're both pretty good.
Yeah. Well, thank you.
Thank you, Mitch.
Thank you.
Good job.
Good follow-up questions, Mitch.
Not letting him off the hook.
Dylan, you're up next.
Hi, Prime Minister.
How did you meet your fiance?
How did she know she was the one?
Well, I was at a dinner in Melbourne,
and I got introduced as a good bloke
except they said the only thing bad
about him
is he's a South Sydney supporter.
Now there's this thing
about random Souths guy
where there always be
a South Sydney supporter.
I see it on Instagram all the time.
Whenever you go, even here.
And so I stood up and I said,
"I'm in Melbourne,
"but I know there'll be
a random Souths guy here."
And Jodie said, "Up the Rabbitohs."
And so when I went
around the tables, we met.
And then a couple of weeks later,
uh, we met again in Sydney,
and it just became
..obvious, I think, to both of us
over a period of time,
uh, that, uh, we got on very well.
We had so much in common
and we just enjoy each other's
company so much.
So I feel very lucky
at my stage in life
to have found the person that I want
to spend the rest of my life with.
ALL: Oh!
How many kisses have you had?
(LAUGHTER)
ANASTASIA: Probably about like
a hundred or a thousand!
Um, I don't count them.
(LAUGHTER)
But can I say of Jodie,
between the two of us,
not enough, I hope there's more.
Not enough.
Oh!
LEIGH: Thank you, Dylan.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Hi.
It's well known that you love music,
just like all of us.
Especially punk, which has a bit
of a reputation
for being a bit rebellious,
which I find really interesting.
And I wanted to know
what draws you to it.
Oh, gee, when I was, um,
when I was young,
I think it was just
an exciting time for music.
Here in Australia, you had
Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel, INXS,
bands that would just be playing
at pubs around
before they became
very, very popular.
But also a time where I think
British music, in particular, um,
I'm not a great fan
of Margaret Thatcher
but Margaret Thatcher was responsible
for producing great music
by, uh, Elvis Costello and
The Clash, I saw down the road here
at the Capitol Theatre,
which is a very fancy venue
to see a punk rock band
called The Clash,
uh, who played a magnificent
seven gigs down there.
So I saw them two of the nights
'cause that was all I could afford,
and I guess I was a bit
of a rebellious youth as well.
And some of that music spoke to me
about the need for greater equality,
about the need for looking
after each other.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Thank you, Stephanie.
(APPLAUSE)
Do you like it when people
call you DJ Albo?
I don't mind it at all.
It's something that was given to me.
I did some charity events, DJing
and it's just a bit of fun,
playing stuff I like.
Cool.
What is one of the hardest parts
of being Prime Minister?
I think time.
How to get a day to last more
than 24 hours, uh,
is the hardest thing.
Time management.
Yikes.
(CHUCKLES)
Thank you, Prime Minister.
Thank you.
Good one, Fletcher.
(APPLAUSE)
G'day, Prime Minister.
Hi.
You are getting married soon.
Are you planning on a big wedding?
Can you give us some details?
Well, I
I'm going to work out the details
with Jodie, with respect,
because we've just met.
Uh, so, um, we haven't had time
really to, uh
..find a gap of a week in my diary
because we want to just get married.
We don't want a big wedding
but we want family and friends
to be with us.
We will, of course, have
an occasion where inevitably
it's going to be a bit public.
Hopefully, it won't be public
at the event. (CHUCKLES)
So one of the things that
we're talking through
is how we get some privacy
for when it occurs
'cause I do think it's a personal
moment between the two of us.
That sounds lovely.
Thank you.
Hi, everyone.
Hi, Prime Minister.
He's not drunk, by the way!
I'm Angus and I'm an Albaholic.
(LAUGHTER)
If you weren't Prime Minister
right now
and you got a call from Blake Solly
and got offered the role
of general manager
for the South Sydney Rabbitohs,
how would you make them, mm,
not shite at the moment.
(LAUGHS)
That is a very cruel question.
(LAUGHTER)
It comes from a place of love,
I promise.
We're going through a difficult time
at the moment,
but I'm confident we'll come back.
One of the things about being
a South Sydney supporter
is it teaches you resilience.
(LAUGHTER)
We went 43 years,
between 1971 and 2014,
to get a premiership,
so it's only been ten years.
Let's hope it's not another 33
before we get another one.
But teams go up and down.
But you've got to stay loyal.
That's true.
You gotta take the good
with the bad.
(APPLAUSE)
Thanks, Albo.
Savannah, it's your turn.
Thank you.
Hello, Mr Prime Minister.
Hey.
Who is the nicest Prime Minister
from
Have you met from here
or from another country?
Ooh! Um
Gee, I'mI'm friends with,
uh, so many of them.
Uh, Justin Trudeau's terrific,
from Canada.
We get on really well.
OK.
But in the region as well,
so many people are pretty good.
Pretty good to engage with.
That is excellent.
On a more different side, who is the
meanest prime minister you've met?
(LAUGHTER)
I think that'll be easy for him.
ScoMo.
I'm not gonna
I'm not gonna go there
because I'm gonna be nice
No, ScoMo. ScoMo.
..on this on this program.
It's fair to say I haven't got on
with all prime ministers
over the years.
Kind of thought not.
(LAUGHS)
Thanks, Savannah.
(APPLAUSE)
LEIGH: Thanks, Savannah.
Question
Have you and Scott Morrison
ever fight?
Um, wewe don't have the best
relationship, it's fair to say.
See!
Um, but I respect the office
of prime minister.
Um, he recently dropped in a copy
of his book to me
that I thought was kind of him.
Here in this country,
we often don't
compared with somewhere like
the United States,
we don't give a role
to former prime ministers.
We don't, uh, respect them often,
I think, enough.
So I
Certainly we have our differences,
but I respect the fact that he,
like everyone who's held the job,
um, does the best
according to their own values.
LEIGH: Thank you, Savannah.
(APPLAUSE)
Andrew, would you mind
passing your mic to Bethany?
It's your turn, Bethany.
Go, Bethany. Come on. You can do it.
Hey.
Um, I know you only met your dad
much later in life.
My mum had the same experience.
What was it like meeting your dad
for the first time?
Wow, these are great questions,
I've got to say.
When I spoke about this for
the first time, I think, with Leigh,
uh, just downstairs here
in the studio,
and at the risk of exposing something
that happened behind the cameras,
Leigh and I both cried when we
ALL: Oh!
..when we were, when we were talking
about it.
Because it was
it was incredibly emotional.
So I was 46 years old.
Uh, he was, uh, someone in Italy,
I had searched for him,
uh, when my mum died, really,
was in 2002.
And at that point in time,
I felt like I could search for him
without dishonouring my mum.
And so I started to search
but it took quite a while.
I didn't find him until 2009.
And so I was sitting in this office
quite nervously,
and in my father walked,
and he immediately just put
out his arms and embraced me.
And so it was a really important
moment in my life,
and it was a great opportunity
to get to know him
before he passed away
five years later.
Wow. You certainly look
like him in the photos.
I was like,
"Gosh, that is his dad. Wow."
(APPLAUSE)
Andrew, you're next.
Other countries around the world
have politicians with autism,
including USA, UK and Japan.
Being an autistic advocate myself,
I would like to know
if you see a future that includes
autistic politicians in Australia.
Thanks, Andrew. I sure do.
I think the Parliament
should be representative
of the society as a whole.
So, uh, you know, we've got
better at that.
Even in my time in politics,
if you look at, uh,
gender representation,
there's now my government
is 54% female.
Uh, that was
Would have been seemed impossible,
frankly, 25 years ago.
And you have people with disability
in the Parliament
but we need to be fully
representative.
It is There's greater diversity
as well.
We're a really diverse country
and Parliament should be
representative.
Yeah. Thank you so much for that,
Prime Minister.
And another sort of question is
what defines success for you
as Anthony Albanese,
not as our Prime Minister?
Ooh, that's a very good question.
Thank you.
Um, doing my best.
Holdingholding true to my values.
Uh, as someone who grew up
in a single parent household,
we changed the parenting payment
so that more than 70,000 single mums
have benefited from the change
that we did in last year's budget.
But being able to change things
in a positive way
so that when you look back you think,
"Well, I did my best."
That's right.
Thank you so much, Prime Minister.
You've been very good.
Thanks, Andrew.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Abbey, it's your turn.
Here we go.
(CLEARS THROAT)
People with a disability like me
have a lower employment rate
than those without a disability.
So, Anthony, I left school
three years ago
and I can't find any employment
or study options.
It has been a nightmare.
But look at me.
I'm beautiful, I'm smart, I'm funny.
So can you please find me a job?
ALL: Oh!
You are all of the above.
And one of the things
that we're doing as a society,
and it's a big change,
the whole concept of the NDIS
is that individuals will benefit
from being able to fully participate
in society,
but society benefits
as well from that.
And I have no doubt that you
have so much to offer,
so I'm more than happy
to engage with you offline.
Thank you very much.
And to see what we can do for you,
because I know quite clearly
you've got a lot to offer.
You've got a real spark about you.
Oh.
And that is That's something
that should be cherished.
I would love to be
your personal assistant.
(LAUGHTER)
So there's the employment sorted?
Yes. There we go.
Indeed.
Oh, Abbey's a Rabbitohs fan,
by the way.
Oh, good on you, Abbey.
(APPLAUSE)
Another plus.
OK, I don't need to
OK. There was a lot of famous people
on Bluey.
Um, did you ever want to be
on Bluey?
Oh, you know what I reckon
to be good on Bluey,
Toto my dog.
I reckon
ALL: Oh!
I reckon she's a natural
for a character on Bluey.
Do you do any cool voices
that you can show us?
No.
(LAUGHTER)
As in, I may or may not do
cool voices,
but no, I'm not going to show you.
(LAUGHTER)
'Cause it'll be on repeat.
You know that social media stuff
we're talking about before.
(LAUGHS)
Silas, your go.
Behind me. Oh, thank you.
Um, if a person decided
to terminate their foetus
solely because giving birth would
result in an autistic child,
would you consider that
to be an ableist act?
Oh, gee, that's a
Thatthat's a tough question.
I think, um, from my perspective,
in terms of a woman,
part of the principle that I have is
that those matters are
a woman's right to choose
to determine control
over her own body.
And I would be reluctant
as someone who, by definition,
will never be in that situation
with regard to childbirth,
I'd be reluctant to give, uh
..you know, advice to someone
in that situation.
I think that's a principle
that's pretty important.
And if, uh, today was the last day
on earth for you,
how would you spend it?
Would you, you know,
address the nation?
Would you get married?
Uh, yeah. I reckon I'd better
hurry up, wouldn't I?
(LAUGHTER)
Uh
That'd be one way of sorting out
the invite list
and the venue.
I reckon that would be a pretty
good way to go and spend it with, uh,
uh, family and friends.
And I guess if I was in
the current position,
I would have a responsibility
to have something to say
to the nation as well.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you, Silas.
(APPLAUSE)
I once saw a poster that said,
um, there's a fine line
between helping people too much
and not helping people at all.
Um, politics aside,
what's your viewpoint
with regards to helping people
get the good life?
Um, I think we have a responsibility
to our fellow citizens
to do what we can,
in whatever role we're in,
whether that be as prime minister
or a next door neighbour,
or someone at school
or in our local community.
Um, I do think we're social beings
and that giving and helping others
benefits the person
giving the help as well.
Uh, there's a place in my electorate,
Addison Road Community Centre,
where people do food hampers
and do a whole range of things,
and it's uplifting
when you go and help there.
Just to put in a rock'n'roll term,
um
..you've got one song left
before the encore.
Um, what legacy would you like
to leave
in your Australian,
and the Australian story?
Oh, gee. Um
..I think acting
Acting on climate change.
I think, you know,
it's a big challenge,
but it's an incredible opportunity
to grab it and seize it.
So I think getting on that road
so that it can't be reversed.
And that's a difficulty
because governments come and go,
but it's a permanent change
that can make a difference.
Prime Minister, before we let
you go, Silas has got something
that he wants to share.
He's gonna sing a song.
I am not going to sing a song.
(LAUGHTER)
I'm going to read a song.
"Up in the morning
and out to school.
"Mother says
there'll be no work next year.
"Qualifications once the golden rule
"are now just a piece of paper."
Billy Bragg!
"If you look the part,
you'll get the job
"in last year's trousers
and your old school shoes.
"The truth is, son,
it's a buyer's market.
"They can afford to pick and choose.
"The factories are closing
and the army is full.
"I don't know what I'm going to do.
"But I've come to see
in the land of the free,
"there's only a future for
the chosen few.
"At 21, you're on top of
the scrap heap.
"At 16, you are top of the class.
"All they taught you at school
was how to be a good worker.
"The system has failed you.
"Don't fail yourself.
"Just because you're better than me
doesn't mean I'm lazy.
"Just because you're going forwards
doesn't mean I'm going backwards."
What does this song mean to you?
I quoted some of that, uh, in
On the day that I became leader
of the Labor Party.
It means
..just value everyone.
There's a sort of perception,
somehow,
that, you know, there's a hierarchy.
Every human being is to be valued
for who they are.
And just because someone, you know,
drives a better car than you
or lives in a bigger house,
doesn't mean they're better than you.
Just means circumstances
have led to that happening. So
..to me, that is something
that's so important.
It's a principle that I think is part
of the Australian spirit as well,
that we value all of us
and we all have a contribution
to make.
Thank you.
ABBEY: Thank you so much for coming
today, Anthony Albanese.
It was a pleasure having you
join us here today.
We are looking forward to watching
the show.
So am I!
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
ALL: (CHANT) Albo! Albo! Albo! Albo!
I never got that on 7:30!
(LAUGHTER)
LEIGH: I love how you grilled him.
You were not letting him get away
with not answering that. (CHUCKLES)
Yay. Everyone did so well.
My gosh, that was so much
more nervous for him.
Sounds like he's gonna get one
of his people to get your number
so he can talk about jobs and stuff.
Oh!
Yeah. So that'd be good, right?
How exciting.
Be really good.
PHOTOGRAPHER: There we go. Smile.
That's it.
Fantastic.
And now a silly one.
You wanna do a silly one?
ALL: Yeah!
OK, one silly one.
Here we go.
Wonderful. Thank you.
Beautiful.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, everybody.
Thank you!
Bye-bye. Nice to meet you all.
Bye, Albo!
See ya.
Bye, Albo.
Thank you.
ABBEY: Mum, I'm getting a photo!
Thank you so much.
How lucky am I?
I'm a celebrity, get me out of here!
Next time on the journalism course!
She is a singer, actor.
She has had one of the highest
selling albums
in Australian music history
..Delta Goodrem.
(CHEERING)
Yes.
Delta Goodrem is someone
I might be starstruck by.
Oh, my gosh, she's coming.
You are 40 this year.
Oh (SPLUTTERS AND LAUGHS)
OK.
Is there anyone
that you get starstruck by?
You heard of Coldplay?
Ah, once or twice.
Chris Martin unhinges me.
Um, with my
with my ability to speak.
(LAUGHS)
Who's the best looking person
you've ever kissed or dated?
(LAUGHTER)
When you were on The Voice,
did you see Boy George fight
with another judge?
Oh, yeah, bomb!
Captions by Red Bee Media
Copyright Australian Broadcasting
Corporation
Anastasia, how are you doing?
Nervous?
Are you? OK.
You'll be completely fine.
I'm scared.
Oh, don't be scared.
Ladies and gentlemen,
please take your seats
unless you're interviewing
the person.
(LAUGHS)
Oh, my gosh, the Prime Minister
is there.
Oh, my God, is he here?
Prime Minister, how are you?
Hi, Leigh.
Very nice to see you.
How are you going? Good to see you.
Everybody,
this is the Prime Minister.
Hi.
(ALL GREET)
Hi.
Hi, Prime Minister.
I'm Dylan.
Hi, Dylan. How are you going?
Nice to meet you.
Hello, Prime Minister. I'm Andrew.
Hi, Andrew.
So nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Thank you.
Hi, I'm Evie.
Hi, Evie. How are you going?
Hi, I'm Anastasia.
Hi, Anastasia.
Hello, I'm Abbey. Nice to meet you.
Hi, Abbey. Nice to meet you.
Hello, I'm Bethany.
Lovely to meet you.
Hi. How are you going?
Now, where do I sit?
Here.
There's your seat, Prime Minister.
That's where everybody sits!
(CHUCKLES) In the middle. Wow.
This is a hot seat.
Well, well, well, if it isn't
the Prime Minister.
Hello.
Hello.
There's more. I just got to meet
everyone and now there's more.
How are you going?
How lucky are we?
I think I'm pretty lucky
to be doing the show.
No, thank you.
Be gentle on me.
Leigh isn't always gentle.
(LAUGHS)
MAN: Quiet on set.
And action.
For the first time in Australia,
autistic students are undertaking
an autism-friendly introduction
to journalism course.
They will be mentored by one
of Australia's best journalists
and attend classes at university.
What is journalism
and why is it important?
To test their skills,
the students will interview some
of Australia's most famous people.
To get behind the spin to find
the real person.
What are the last sounds
you'd like to hear in life?
What a question!
How much money do you have?
Will you transfer me some?
(CACKLES)
Have you and Scott Morrison
ever fight?
Uh
We are the Assembly!
Awesome!
The course has been really good
so far.
Meeting new people,
learning new stuff,
interviewing famous people.
Now that I've had the training
and I've done a couple interviews,
I'm just more confident
than I was at the start.
For me, this course is so wonderful
because I've never done anything
like this before
in my past 20 years.
I just love coming here.
Hi!
(STUDENTS CHEER)
How's everyone doing today?
Good.
Yeah? Great. Are we excited?
Yes!
Tell us who it is!
OK, everyone, we've got
a very important person coming in
as our guest this week.
He is a person who's spent
a lifetime in politics.
He is well known for his love
of rock music.
He recently got engaged.
It is the Prime Minister
of Australia, Anthony Albanese.
(APPLAUSE)
This is amazing!
It's not very often you get to talk
to the Prime Minister of Australia.
How you're feeling about the prospect
of meeting the Prime Minister?
Awesome!
Oh, yes!
I'm nervous.
Excited.
Nervous.
So you said you're nervous,
Anastasia?
Yeah, I am.
What do you feel nervous about?
I don't even know.
Like there's something in me
being like, "What if I screw up?"
"What if I" I don't know,
I'm a bit worried.
Feeling really nervous
meeting Anthony
'cause he's the government!
He's the Prime Minister.
He currently runs the whole country.
He does.
He is the Prime Minister.
He's the top dog.
Like there's no bigger figure
in Australia than him.
But I don't know,
there's something about Albo.
He just seems like a regular,
like, down-to-earth guy
that you could totally
just have a yarn with.
I'm totally just planning
on chatting to him about footy
and DJing, honestly.
So I'll give you all a bit of a tip
about when you interview
a politician.
So I've interviewed
the Prime Minister many times.
Something you have to remember
with politicians is they talk a lot.
You know, we'll have to try
to keep him on track.
I'm used to that. My dad talks.
Alright, now we're gonna split
into our two groups
and I'll do what I usually do, which
is come around and work with you all
and try to figure out
what's interesting to you
about the Prime Minister.
Crack, crack.
(ALL LAUGH)
Crack, crack!
What's on your mind
when you think about interviewing
the Prime Minister?
You have to be careful
with what we say.
No, but you can say what you want.
Totally.
Our rules are no subject
is out of bounds.
No question is off the table
and anything can happen.
That's right.
I would guess that
the Prime Minister would be
as nervous, if not more nervous
to face this group
than he would be in, say,
an interview in the 7:30 studio.
He will be expecting questions
about the NDIS and politics
and very serious things,
being the prime minister
and all that kind of stuff.
So that would probably catch him
by surprise. He might like it.
In this format, you have absolutely
no idea what's coming.
When you think about
the Prime Minister,
what do you think about?
Beer.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
And they might ask
the most personal questions,
but there's no motivation behind that
other than genuine curiosity.
What else do we know about him
outside of work?
Well, he's a Rabbitohs fan.
Are you a Rabbitohs fan?
Oh, yes.
How are they going this year?
Shit.
Just pretend I didn't say that.
That can go in the deleted scenes.
I love sport.
I am a massive fan of the Matildas.
And I love going to concerts
and musicals.
It's just my happy place.
My super power of autism means that
I have this photographic memory
which means I have a photographic
memory for dates,
people's names, of course,
events that happened.
For example, I saw Hairspray
on 25 March 2023.
Strictly Ballroom, 8 July 2014.
Frozen on 27 January, 2021.
Are you ready?
Let's go.
I have a rare condition called
arthrogryposis multiplex congenita.
I've had a lot of operations
and I get weekly physio
for them to stretch my legs.
Look how strong I am.
I have not had a job before
but I would really love one.
And I really want to see
what it's like to be a journalist.
And my dream is to one day
be on the red carpet
interviewing celebrities, saying,
"Um, Julia Morris,
Julia Morris, come. Come over here.
"Hi, Julia.
What are you wearing tonight?"
OK, I will come over.
Why don't I pop in between Dylan
and Andrew?
Is it OK if I hop in between?
Yep. Certainly.
How you doing today, Dylan?
Good.
Haven't seen you yet today.
Haven't seen you, Leigh Sales.
That's so exciting.
Alright. I'm excited for you to get
to meet the Prime Minister.
I'm excited too. I'm very, very
excited to meet him.
'Cause it's right up your alley.
It is.
And, like, advocacy and all that.
Right.
Just very, very exciting to ask him
all these questions about advocacy,
the NDIS and people
with autism and disability.
Well, let's see what he says to that.
I think they're really interesting
questions.
I agree, I think you've done
really well.
Thanks, Leigh.
Very excited.
Guten abend.
Guten (LAUGHS)
Guten tag.
Silas, what's on your mind?
Could you rephrase that?
Like what do you what do you mean?
What are you actually asking?
Yeah, it was a bit broad, wasn't it?
What's interesting to you
about the Prime Minister?
Um
I don't know.
He seems quite compassionate.
Do you have any interest
in politics?
Yes.
OK.
But no, but what's that got to do
with an individual person
versus, you know, overall party
politics?
"Is he gonna toe the line?"
Well, he's the leader,
he's leading the line.
The opportunity to sit down with the
Prime Minister is quite exciting,
it's a rare opportunity.
I always love it when you ask
those kind of philosophical questions
'cause usually the people
that we're talking to
have never been asked anything like
the kind of stuff that you ask.
And so that works so well because
then they're very engaged by that
'cause it captures their interest.
Mm.
So yeah, don't feel like you've got
to limit yourself
to thinking about politics.
You can kind of broaden it
to be whatever you want.
I find this quite important.
That's fantastic.
Yeah.
You know?
I'm that person who thinks
differently.
Autism is a recognised
..natural variance.
I'm now in another world.
My behaviour is aligned with what
is considered autistic behaviour.
I would describe it as
a fundamental disconnect
from the larger social fabric.
Gotta You've gotta get them.
You've gotta be like, oh!
(GRUNTS)
You know that I have
the mental capacity
to make complex, mature decisions,
just my behaviour wouldn't sort
of show,
"Ah, yes, let's sit down
and have a coffee."
No, I wanna roll around on
the floor. I wanna have cordial.
INTERVIEWER: Why do you come outside
to do this?
Well, I was walking in my room,
it wouldn't be very long
until I hit a wall.
You could frame it as an escape.
But if I spend about half my,
you know, thoughts here,
then is it really escape
or just another home?
As a journalist, I believe
I would bring a unique perspective.
I like to challenge people
to think about something
they haven't thought of before,
and I never want to just ask the
question that people are expecting
'cause it's very sort of Some
sort of transactional relationship.
I'd rather it be unexpected.
You're about to fall off a ledge.
I'm gonna sing a little bit
to get my nerves out.
Oh, good.
(HUFFS)
(SINGS RANDOM NOTES)
ABBEY: Someone keep an eye out
for Anthony.
Oh, my God, is he here?
Prime Minister, how are you?
Hi, Leigh. How are you going?
Very nice to see you.
Good to see you.
Everybody,
this is the Prime Minister.
Hello. Hi.
Oh, wow.
This is a hot seat.
Oh, yeah. How lucky are we?
And I think I can see someone
who might be my favourite.
(LAUGHTER)
Guilty.
Mr Prime Minister,
I have to make a confession.
I have to reveal my secret identity.
Oh!
Busted!
Oh, no.
I think it's not his favourite
anymore.
You can't have a Souths hat
and Manly socks.
Although, I noticed you were
embarrassed to wear the socks
because you're hiding them,
whereas the hat you proudly got out.
Representing my mum.
I'm with your mum.
Hello, Prime Minister, we are
a collective of autistic journalists
and we are delighted
to have you join us here today.
Our rules are no subject
is out of bounds.
No question is off the table
and anything might happen.
So sit back and welcome
to the Assembly.
(APPLAUSE)
Thanks very much.
Yay!
Welcome, Prime Minister.
I'd like to say this is
a safe space.
Everyone can relax
and be themselves.
There will be no judgement.
Please do what you need to join in.
For example, fidget, move
or take a break
and ask if you need anything
to help
..help you be included.
And thank you so much.
Thanks very much, Andrew.
Yay!
Thank you.
And now it's question time.
(CHUCKLES)
Now it is question time.
OK. Dale, would you like to kick
it off today?
Hello, Prime Minister.
As someone who's never met
a prime minister before,
how do I address you?
How do you like to be spoken to?
Ah, um The formality,
it's still every time people say,
Prime Minister,
I still sometimes look around
for who that is.
So whatever you're comfortable with.
So you just prefer
Prime Minister, Anthony
Albo?
Albo will do.
(LAUGHTER)
When you're in my job,
you get called all sorts of things
that you don't want to hear,
so any of the above are fine.
Alright.
How does growing up with a single
mother who had a disability
influence your outlook on life and
your approach as a prime minister?
Ah, that's a great question.
Um, it's a part of who I am.
I think we're all products
of our environment.
And I grew up not far from here
with a single mum with
And she was an invalid pensioner.
She had rheumatoid arthritis,
so was very immobile,
had difficulties throughout
her life.
Tomorrow is the anniversary
of her passing.
She only lived to 65,
so she had a pretty tough life
and she was spent.
But that experience, I think, uh,
is one of the things that gives me
strength and resilience.
I'm quite tough, I think,
by that experience as well,
but also understanding what it's like
to not have enough money, basically.
Those values that she instilled in me
were really important.
She used to say, there's always
someone worse off than yourself.
And she never complained
about anything,
even though she had
a very tough life.
Well, thank you for answering
those two questions.
Thanks so much.
(APPLAUSE)
As the Prime Minister,
how do you deal with social media
when it takes what you've said
out of context?
I try not to read a lot
of social media.
That's one way to avoid it.
I don't read the comments.
I think people will say things
on social media,
particularly anonymously,
they would never say to your face.
Yeah.
And I think for my own mental
health, um, it's not a good thing.
I know there's a lot of debate
about young people
and the impact it's having.
Social media can be a really
negative place,
and I think it has got worse
and I think it's having, uh
That, uh, poisonous attitude
can really be, umharsh.
I agree with a lot of that.
I've noticed how toxic social media
has gotten the last few years.
Um, and my second question is,
I was quiet and anxious at school,
so I was wondering,
what was school like for you?
Um, school was I was probably
a little bit naughty at school.
(LAUGHTER)
The bad boy!
Bad prime minister.
I'm glad there wasn't cameras
on everyone's phone,
I can say that,
when I was, I was younger.
I think it brings a lot of pressure
on people nowadays as well.
Um, but I enjoyed school.
Uh, I was a reasonably good student
without studying as hard
as I should have,
but I enjoyed the experience.
I made friends, some people
who are still my friends
and I went to school in the city,
so that was quite fun.
I used to walk up Market Street
every day.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Mitch. It's you next.
Alright, um, so you went to see
Taylor Swift?
I did.
Um, I'm just gonna ask you what
sort of Taylor Swift era are you in?
(ALL REACT)
I-I-I'm in the folklore era.
Oh!
Um
On Spotify, it comes up who are
your favourite artists are
Mm.
..and last year, one and two
were Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift.
And I think it's because I spent
a lot of time on planes
and they're quite restful,
those albums.
I think that, uh, she's an
extraordinarily talented songwriter
and a great performer.
So at Christmas, um,
I served two types of beers.
Um, one is, uh, Hawke's Lager,
and the other one is called
an Albo Pale Ale,
which has a photo of yourself
on the beer
when you were called, um, #hotalbo.
(LAUGHTER)
Which one would you choose to drink
if you came to our place
for Christmas?
Well, look what politics
does to you.
Um, no-one says that anymore.
With good reason.
Uh, I really like the Albo beer.
I like the Hawke's beer as well.
Uh, the Albo came first.
Uh, someone in my area started
brewing beer in his garage first
before craft beer really took off
and he names his beers
after personalities.
There's one after a local school
principal, one after a plumber.
I don't know who Crazy Ivan is,
but there's a Crazy Ivan beer.
So it was quite a while,
there was a couple of months there
where people would send me
strange text messages.
I didn't understand things,
like, "I just drank an Albo."
And I was like, I don't know what's
going on, but there's something
..something strange has happened.
But it's a good thing.
It's a good thing.
And he's been able to employ
a whole lot of local people
there at St Peter's.
So, uh, good on him.
Mm. So you choose Albo, right?
Well, I'd, uh
I probably II'll be in trouble
off uh, my, my friend
who runs the brewery
if I say that.
So you're not gonna answer
that question.
No, no, no. No, no, I'll go with
I'll go with that.
But both of them are good beers.
Yeah. They're both pretty good.
Yeah. Well, thank you.
Thank you, Mitch.
Thank you.
Good job.
Good follow-up questions, Mitch.
Not letting him off the hook.
Dylan, you're up next.
Hi, Prime Minister.
How did you meet your fiance?
How did she know she was the one?
Well, I was at a dinner in Melbourne,
and I got introduced as a good bloke
except they said the only thing bad
about him
is he's a South Sydney supporter.
Now there's this thing
about random Souths guy
where there always be
a South Sydney supporter.
I see it on Instagram all the time.
Whenever you go, even here.
And so I stood up and I said,
"I'm in Melbourne,
"but I know there'll be
a random Souths guy here."
And Jodie said, "Up the Rabbitohs."
And so when I went
around the tables, we met.
And then a couple of weeks later,
uh, we met again in Sydney,
and it just became
..obvious, I think, to both of us
over a period of time,
uh, that, uh, we got on very well.
We had so much in common
and we just enjoy each other's
company so much.
So I feel very lucky
at my stage in life
to have found the person that I want
to spend the rest of my life with.
ALL: Oh!
How many kisses have you had?
(LAUGHTER)
ANASTASIA: Probably about like
a hundred or a thousand!
Um, I don't count them.
(LAUGHTER)
But can I say of Jodie,
between the two of us,
not enough, I hope there's more.
Not enough.
Oh!
LEIGH: Thank you, Dylan.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Hi.
It's well known that you love music,
just like all of us.
Especially punk, which has a bit
of a reputation
for being a bit rebellious,
which I find really interesting.
And I wanted to know
what draws you to it.
Oh, gee, when I was, um,
when I was young,
I think it was just
an exciting time for music.
Here in Australia, you had
Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel, INXS,
bands that would just be playing
at pubs around
before they became
very, very popular.
But also a time where I think
British music, in particular, um,
I'm not a great fan
of Margaret Thatcher
but Margaret Thatcher was responsible
for producing great music
by, uh, Elvis Costello and
The Clash, I saw down the road here
at the Capitol Theatre,
which is a very fancy venue
to see a punk rock band
called The Clash,
uh, who played a magnificent
seven gigs down there.
So I saw them two of the nights
'cause that was all I could afford,
and I guess I was a bit
of a rebellious youth as well.
And some of that music spoke to me
about the need for greater equality,
about the need for looking
after each other.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Thank you, Stephanie.
(APPLAUSE)
Do you like it when people
call you DJ Albo?
I don't mind it at all.
It's something that was given to me.
I did some charity events, DJing
and it's just a bit of fun,
playing stuff I like.
Cool.
What is one of the hardest parts
of being Prime Minister?
I think time.
How to get a day to last more
than 24 hours, uh,
is the hardest thing.
Time management.
Yikes.
(CHUCKLES)
Thank you, Prime Minister.
Thank you.
Good one, Fletcher.
(APPLAUSE)
G'day, Prime Minister.
Hi.
You are getting married soon.
Are you planning on a big wedding?
Can you give us some details?
Well, I
I'm going to work out the details
with Jodie, with respect,
because we've just met.
Uh, so, um, we haven't had time
really to, uh
..find a gap of a week in my diary
because we want to just get married.
We don't want a big wedding
but we want family and friends
to be with us.
We will, of course, have
an occasion where inevitably
it's going to be a bit public.
Hopefully, it won't be public
at the event. (CHUCKLES)
So one of the things that
we're talking through
is how we get some privacy
for when it occurs
'cause I do think it's a personal
moment between the two of us.
That sounds lovely.
Thank you.
Hi, everyone.
Hi, Prime Minister.
He's not drunk, by the way!
I'm Angus and I'm an Albaholic.
(LAUGHTER)
If you weren't Prime Minister
right now
and you got a call from Blake Solly
and got offered the role
of general manager
for the South Sydney Rabbitohs,
how would you make them, mm,
not shite at the moment.
(LAUGHS)
That is a very cruel question.
(LAUGHTER)
It comes from a place of love,
I promise.
We're going through a difficult time
at the moment,
but I'm confident we'll come back.
One of the things about being
a South Sydney supporter
is it teaches you resilience.
(LAUGHTER)
We went 43 years,
between 1971 and 2014,
to get a premiership,
so it's only been ten years.
Let's hope it's not another 33
before we get another one.
But teams go up and down.
But you've got to stay loyal.
That's true.
You gotta take the good
with the bad.
(APPLAUSE)
Thanks, Albo.
Savannah, it's your turn.
Thank you.
Hello, Mr Prime Minister.
Hey.
Who is the nicest Prime Minister
from
Have you met from here
or from another country?
Ooh! Um
Gee, I'mI'm friends with,
uh, so many of them.
Uh, Justin Trudeau's terrific,
from Canada.
We get on really well.
OK.
But in the region as well,
so many people are pretty good.
Pretty good to engage with.
That is excellent.
On a more different side, who is the
meanest prime minister you've met?
(LAUGHTER)
I think that'll be easy for him.
ScoMo.
I'm not gonna
I'm not gonna go there
because I'm gonna be nice
No, ScoMo. ScoMo.
..on this on this program.
It's fair to say I haven't got on
with all prime ministers
over the years.
Kind of thought not.
(LAUGHS)
Thanks, Savannah.
(APPLAUSE)
LEIGH: Thanks, Savannah.
Question
Have you and Scott Morrison
ever fight?
Um, wewe don't have the best
relationship, it's fair to say.
See!
Um, but I respect the office
of prime minister.
Um, he recently dropped in a copy
of his book to me
that I thought was kind of him.
Here in this country,
we often don't
compared with somewhere like
the United States,
we don't give a role
to former prime ministers.
We don't, uh, respect them often,
I think, enough.
So I
Certainly we have our differences,
but I respect the fact that he,
like everyone who's held the job,
um, does the best
according to their own values.
LEIGH: Thank you, Savannah.
(APPLAUSE)
Andrew, would you mind
passing your mic to Bethany?
It's your turn, Bethany.
Go, Bethany. Come on. You can do it.
Hey.
Um, I know you only met your dad
much later in life.
My mum had the same experience.
What was it like meeting your dad
for the first time?
Wow, these are great questions,
I've got to say.
When I spoke about this for
the first time, I think, with Leigh,
uh, just downstairs here
in the studio,
and at the risk of exposing something
that happened behind the cameras,
Leigh and I both cried when we
ALL: Oh!
..when we were, when we were talking
about it.
Because it was
it was incredibly emotional.
So I was 46 years old.
Uh, he was, uh, someone in Italy,
I had searched for him,
uh, when my mum died, really,
was in 2002.
And at that point in time,
I felt like I could search for him
without dishonouring my mum.
And so I started to search
but it took quite a while.
I didn't find him until 2009.
And so I was sitting in this office
quite nervously,
and in my father walked,
and he immediately just put
out his arms and embraced me.
And so it was a really important
moment in my life,
and it was a great opportunity
to get to know him
before he passed away
five years later.
Wow. You certainly look
like him in the photos.
I was like,
"Gosh, that is his dad. Wow."
(APPLAUSE)
Andrew, you're next.
Other countries around the world
have politicians with autism,
including USA, UK and Japan.
Being an autistic advocate myself,
I would like to know
if you see a future that includes
autistic politicians in Australia.
Thanks, Andrew. I sure do.
I think the Parliament
should be representative
of the society as a whole.
So, uh, you know, we've got
better at that.
Even in my time in politics,
if you look at, uh,
gender representation,
there's now my government
is 54% female.
Uh, that was
Would have been seemed impossible,
frankly, 25 years ago.
And you have people with disability
in the Parliament
but we need to be fully
representative.
It is There's greater diversity
as well.
We're a really diverse country
and Parliament should be
representative.
Yeah. Thank you so much for that,
Prime Minister.
And another sort of question is
what defines success for you
as Anthony Albanese,
not as our Prime Minister?
Ooh, that's a very good question.
Thank you.
Um, doing my best.
Holdingholding true to my values.
Uh, as someone who grew up
in a single parent household,
we changed the parenting payment
so that more than 70,000 single mums
have benefited from the change
that we did in last year's budget.
But being able to change things
in a positive way
so that when you look back you think,
"Well, I did my best."
That's right.
Thank you so much, Prime Minister.
You've been very good.
Thanks, Andrew.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Abbey, it's your turn.
Here we go.
(CLEARS THROAT)
People with a disability like me
have a lower employment rate
than those without a disability.
So, Anthony, I left school
three years ago
and I can't find any employment
or study options.
It has been a nightmare.
But look at me.
I'm beautiful, I'm smart, I'm funny.
So can you please find me a job?
ALL: Oh!
You are all of the above.
And one of the things
that we're doing as a society,
and it's a big change,
the whole concept of the NDIS
is that individuals will benefit
from being able to fully participate
in society,
but society benefits
as well from that.
And I have no doubt that you
have so much to offer,
so I'm more than happy
to engage with you offline.
Thank you very much.
And to see what we can do for you,
because I know quite clearly
you've got a lot to offer.
You've got a real spark about you.
Oh.
And that is That's something
that should be cherished.
I would love to be
your personal assistant.
(LAUGHTER)
So there's the employment sorted?
Yes. There we go.
Indeed.
Oh, Abbey's a Rabbitohs fan,
by the way.
Oh, good on you, Abbey.
(APPLAUSE)
Another plus.
OK, I don't need to
OK. There was a lot of famous people
on Bluey.
Um, did you ever want to be
on Bluey?
Oh, you know what I reckon
to be good on Bluey,
Toto my dog.
I reckon
ALL: Oh!
I reckon she's a natural
for a character on Bluey.
Do you do any cool voices
that you can show us?
No.
(LAUGHTER)
As in, I may or may not do
cool voices,
but no, I'm not going to show you.
(LAUGHTER)
'Cause it'll be on repeat.
You know that social media stuff
we're talking about before.
(LAUGHS)
Silas, your go.
Behind me. Oh, thank you.
Um, if a person decided
to terminate their foetus
solely because giving birth would
result in an autistic child,
would you consider that
to be an ableist act?
Oh, gee, that's a
Thatthat's a tough question.
I think, um, from my perspective,
in terms of a woman,
part of the principle that I have is
that those matters are
a woman's right to choose
to determine control
over her own body.
And I would be reluctant
as someone who, by definition,
will never be in that situation
with regard to childbirth,
I'd be reluctant to give, uh
..you know, advice to someone
in that situation.
I think that's a principle
that's pretty important.
And if, uh, today was the last day
on earth for you,
how would you spend it?
Would you, you know,
address the nation?
Would you get married?
Uh, yeah. I reckon I'd better
hurry up, wouldn't I?
(LAUGHTER)
Uh
That'd be one way of sorting out
the invite list
and the venue.
I reckon that would be a pretty
good way to go and spend it with, uh,
uh, family and friends.
And I guess if I was in
the current position,
I would have a responsibility
to have something to say
to the nation as well.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you, Silas.
(APPLAUSE)
I once saw a poster that said,
um, there's a fine line
between helping people too much
and not helping people at all.
Um, politics aside,
what's your viewpoint
with regards to helping people
get the good life?
Um, I think we have a responsibility
to our fellow citizens
to do what we can,
in whatever role we're in,
whether that be as prime minister
or a next door neighbour,
or someone at school
or in our local community.
Um, I do think we're social beings
and that giving and helping others
benefits the person
giving the help as well.
Uh, there's a place in my electorate,
Addison Road Community Centre,
where people do food hampers
and do a whole range of things,
and it's uplifting
when you go and help there.
Just to put in a rock'n'roll term,
um
..you've got one song left
before the encore.
Um, what legacy would you like
to leave
in your Australian,
and the Australian story?
Oh, gee. Um
..I think acting
Acting on climate change.
I think, you know,
it's a big challenge,
but it's an incredible opportunity
to grab it and seize it.
So I think getting on that road
so that it can't be reversed.
And that's a difficulty
because governments come and go,
but it's a permanent change
that can make a difference.
Prime Minister, before we let
you go, Silas has got something
that he wants to share.
He's gonna sing a song.
I am not going to sing a song.
(LAUGHTER)
I'm going to read a song.
"Up in the morning
and out to school.
"Mother says
there'll be no work next year.
"Qualifications once the golden rule
"are now just a piece of paper."
Billy Bragg!
"If you look the part,
you'll get the job
"in last year's trousers
and your old school shoes.
"The truth is, son,
it's a buyer's market.
"They can afford to pick and choose.
"The factories are closing
and the army is full.
"I don't know what I'm going to do.
"But I've come to see
in the land of the free,
"there's only a future for
the chosen few.
"At 21, you're on top of
the scrap heap.
"At 16, you are top of the class.
"All they taught you at school
was how to be a good worker.
"The system has failed you.
"Don't fail yourself.
"Just because you're better than me
doesn't mean I'm lazy.
"Just because you're going forwards
doesn't mean I'm going backwards."
What does this song mean to you?
I quoted some of that, uh, in
On the day that I became leader
of the Labor Party.
It means
..just value everyone.
There's a sort of perception,
somehow,
that, you know, there's a hierarchy.
Every human being is to be valued
for who they are.
And just because someone, you know,
drives a better car than you
or lives in a bigger house,
doesn't mean they're better than you.
Just means circumstances
have led to that happening. So
..to me, that is something
that's so important.
It's a principle that I think is part
of the Australian spirit as well,
that we value all of us
and we all have a contribution
to make.
Thank you.
ABBEY: Thank you so much for coming
today, Anthony Albanese.
It was a pleasure having you
join us here today.
We are looking forward to watching
the show.
So am I!
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
ALL: (CHANT) Albo! Albo! Albo! Albo!
I never got that on 7:30!
(LAUGHTER)
LEIGH: I love how you grilled him.
You were not letting him get away
with not answering that. (CHUCKLES)
Yay. Everyone did so well.
My gosh, that was so much
more nervous for him.
Sounds like he's gonna get one
of his people to get your number
so he can talk about jobs and stuff.
Oh!
Yeah. So that'd be good, right?
How exciting.
Be really good.
PHOTOGRAPHER: There we go. Smile.
That's it.
Fantastic.
And now a silly one.
You wanna do a silly one?
ALL: Yeah!
OK, one silly one.
Here we go.
Wonderful. Thank you.
Beautiful.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, everybody.
Thank you!
Bye-bye. Nice to meet you all.
Bye, Albo!
See ya.
Bye, Albo.
Thank you.
ABBEY: Mum, I'm getting a photo!
Thank you so much.
How lucky am I?
I'm a celebrity, get me out of here!
Next time on the journalism course!
She is a singer, actor.
She has had one of the highest
selling albums
in Australian music history
..Delta Goodrem.
(CHEERING)
Yes.
Delta Goodrem is someone
I might be starstruck by.
Oh, my gosh, she's coming.
You are 40 this year.
Oh (SPLUTTERS AND LAUGHS)
OK.
Is there anyone
that you get starstruck by?
You heard of Coldplay?
Ah, once or twice.
Chris Martin unhinges me.
Um, with my
with my ability to speak.
(LAUGHS)
Who's the best looking person
you've ever kissed or dated?
(LAUGHTER)
When you were on The Voice,
did you see Boy George fight
with another judge?
Oh, yeah, bomb!
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