The acting prime minister, Richard Marles, is doing the media rounds with a spring in his step this morning. A proud Cats fan, Marles joined Nine earlier from Geelong decked out in his AFL gear and will be appearing on ABC Radio National shortly.

“Go Cats,” he told the Today show. “I’m happy to do the whole interview on Geelong, if you like.”

Asked about Anthony Albanese’s “selfie moment” with Donald Trump and whether it would subdue the media until their meeting next month, Marles said the government had been saying “all along” that there would be a meeting between the pair.

We now know that that will be on the 20th of October. The point here is that they had spoken a number of times by phone. The relationship is conducted at many, many levels. It is going well.

We’ve got the lowest tariff rate. Aukus is happening at a pace. And so we’re really confident … about the progress of our relationship with the US.