Doorstop, North Richmond NSW
7 April 2019
SARAH RICHARDS, LIBERAL CANDIDATE FOR MACQUARIE: Good afternoon and welcome to the beautiful electorate of Macquarie, which is made up of the Hawkesbury and the Blue Mountains and most importantly the beautiful banks of the Hawkesbury River. I’m Sarah Richards and I’m the Liberal Candidate for Macquarie. I’m pleased to be here today with the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Marise Payne to celebrate the $200 million announcement in last week’s Federal Budget for the third crossing of the Hawkesbury River. As a local who travels across the current bridges daily, I understand the need for this additional crossing. What it means is less congestion. What it means is safer roads. What it means is more time spent at home with friends and family instead of being stuck in traffic jams. This is a huge win for Macquarie and I’m so proud that the Liberals have prioritised this infrastructure investment. I’d like to thank the Prime Minister for committing the funds and listening to our community. Because only it’s with a stronger economy that investment in infrastructure like this can be made across Australia. I’ll now hand over to the Prime Minister for some further words.
PRIME MINISTER: Well thank you very much Sarah and Marise and It's great to be here with you today to be making this announcement about the $200 million that we're putting into the third crossing of the Hawkesbury River.
Today is another great opportunity to talk about the Budget that we handed down last Tuesday, unpacking that Budget for Australians so they can become familiar with all of the things that go into making our economy stronger. Building our economy to secure your future, which is what this year's Budget is all about.
We already know from that Budget and the lower taxes, the NCSEM modelling, the independent NCSEM modelling shows today that Australians on full-time average wages are going to be $1,000 better off under the Liberal and National plan, than under Labor's plan.
Lower taxes to drive a stronger economy is what we're about as a Government. That's how you’re able to invest in the essential services that Australians rely on. That tax relief extends to small and family businesses, of which there are so many here in the electorate of Macquarie; tourism businesses, agricultural businesses, light manufacturing businesses, right across Western Sydney but particularly here in the Hawkesbury and up in the Mountains and throughout Western Sydney.
So our Budget provides that plan for lower taxes. But our Budget also has a plan for managing population growth. This is one of the things that impacts on the quality of life of our citizens, whether it's living here in Western Sydney or out in suburban Brisbane, in south east Queensland or over in Perth, where people are living with the increasing population growth. The need is to deal with the things that can get that under control and we've announced a comprehensive, a serious plan to manage population growth, with sensible, responsible migration intake. With greater coordination between state, local and federal governments about how we plan for future population growth. Ensuring that we're investing in the cohesion of our communities, so our communities grow together as we go forward, and don’t grow apart as our cities come under more pressure.
But a key part of ensuring we manage population growth into the future, is that we invest in the infrastructure that relieves the pressure on our cities. The third crossing of the Hawkesbury here in the electorate of Macquarie, is central to that plan. It’s first thing Sarah raised with me, as a candidate when she was preselected - backed up strongly by Marise I have to say, who is a longstanding advocate for Western Sydney, as the Senator for Western Sydney – was the need to do this third crossing. Yes, it’s a significant commitment, $200 million in a 80-20 funding split with the State Government. The State Government has already begun the work on how this project can be delivered, we'll be leveraging off their work and I have no doubt of their commitment to the project.
This will make a big difference here in Western Sydney. It will make a really big difference. It will make a really big difference not just for people living to Richmond and north Richmond, but throughout the entire area, up over the Ranges, coming all throughout this part of Western Sydney. It's a key link to the small and family businesses, those that are here and a growing Sydney economy of which they have always been great beneficiaries of.
But I'll tell you one thing you won't find in our Budget from last week; you won't find more than $200 billion in higher taxes, which is just going to weigh down the Australian economy and weigh down families facing cost-of-living pressures.
You can't solve anybody's problems by putting their taxes up. You can't face the stiff headwinds of a global economy, if you put more weight on the businesses, the small and family businesses that are driving our economy forward.
That's why you won't find all those higher taxes that Labor would put on the Australian economy. You also won't find reckless targets on emissions that will also drag our economy back, putting up the cost of absolutely everything. Particularly from a Labor Party that cannot even explain their own emissions reductions policies.
The Leader of the Opposition was totally caught out last week. We're all for seeing electric vehicles being part of the mix, there's no problem with that. None at all. In fact, in our own Budgets, we've encouraged it.
But what we saw from Bill Shorten this week was that he does not understand his own emissions reductions policies. And if he can't explain it and if he can't understand the detail, how can he expect anyone else to? That was Bill Shorten's ‘birthday cake moment’ when it comes to his emissions reduction policy - thinking that you could charge an electric vehicle with today's technology, with what is available, in eight to ten minutes.
I mean, maybe Bill Shorten should use this time between now and when the election is called, to re-charge his emissions reduction policy and get it back into a sensible framework, because I suspect it’s going to take more than eight to ten minutes, that would be my guess. Because he isn't across the detail of his emissions reduction policies and he refused to tell Australians what it would cost them. It’s $9,000 in wages and countless numbers of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs that are lost. These are the things that are the risks of Labor in the economy.
But today it's about $200 million for a very important third crossing. Marise, tell us how important that is for Western Sydney?
SENATOR THE HON MARISE PAYNE, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Thank you very much, Prime Minister and it’s fabulous to have you here with us again, this time on the banks of the Hawkesbury, from the Nepean to the Hawkesbury, two of the most important waterways in the Western Sydney community. Prime Minister, I also want to acknowledge Sarah and her campaign, her advocacy for the third crossing. From day dot, as a councilor, from day dot as a candidate, Sarah has been the strongest advocate for this investment in congestion-busting infrastructure in Western Sydney.
That’s what we're doing where I live slightly south of here in the Lindsay area, through to this part of Western Sydney; we’re absolutely focused on the things that make it harder for the community members to get around and addressing those problems. I've lost count of the number of screenshots I’ve got of live traffic and Google maps, pointing out the congestion for me every morning, as commuters are trying to get from one side to the other and back again in the afternoon.
So if you take together the initiatives that we’re initiating here in Western Sydney, they are about making life easier for families. They're about making life easier for businesses from one end of this part of Australia to the other, ensuring that we’re able as a Government - because we have a strong economy - to deliver on those challenges.
So Sarah, congratulations on your advocacy. Congratulations on all the work you've done to do this and thank you for arranging such a fabulous day here on the banks of the Hawkesbury. We look forward to continuing to work with you on ensuring that we bring this to fruition.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much. We're getting you home sooner, safer, getting you to the site sooner and safer, so you can spend more time on site and not in a traffic jam. Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister Labor estimates you’ll be spending an extra $600,000 of taxpayer money per day for every day you delay the election. Do you dispute that?
PRIME MINISTER: Labor are full of lies and higher taxes. That's all you need to know about Labor, they'll be telling lies each and every day about the Liberal Party and about their own policies. But what they won't tell you about is their higher tax, so Labor are about lies and higher taxes.
JOURNALIST: So do you totally deny what they’re saying, that you’re delaying the election so you can tap into taxpayer funds to pay for ads?
PRIME MINISTER: What we're doing is talking about the Budget we released last week, we do this after every Budget. I don't set my plans based on Bill Shorten's preference and what he would prefer. What I do is pursue the Government's programme, explaining to Australians what the Budget means, which is lower taxes. Lower taxes, not just for individuals, not just for all individuals but for small and family business as well.
I'm also not going to take lectures from the Labor Party that completely defied every single convention that has been known to Australian elections, when they ran taxpayer-funded ads during the 2013 caretaker period. So Labor, honestly they can lecture nobody about anything, Labor are about lies and higher taxes.
JOURNALIST: So you’re not going to stop advertising at all over [inaudible] the next week?
PRIME MINISTER: All of these arrangements are done according to strict guidelines and they're run by impartial, independent government departments.
JOURNALIST: How can you justify spending $180 million reopening the Christmas Island Detention Centre when just one person has been medically transferred in the last six weeks and they came straight [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: Our actions in reopening Christmas Island was recommended to us by the Department of Home Affairs. It’s doing it’s job and it’s providing a deterrent to those who would look to game the system. The fact is you’ve seen so few people now looking to game the system, when advocates and others were saying that they'd be coming each and every day. That has not happened, because of the actions that we've taken as a Government. We'll continue to always take the strongest decisions to ensure that our borders remain secure. Now, I know that's a very big issue out here in Western Sydney. People here expect their Government to act for their safety and for the protection of their borders and our Government will always do that.
What we've seen from Labor and from Bill Shorten in particular, is that he blinks when it comes to border protection. That's why he can be trusted. He blinks on border protection every single time, as he did in the Parliament a few months ago. When the weight came on and the pressure came on from the Greens and the others, Bill Shorten buckled. That's what you can expect from him; he did not show the strength that was necessary to protect our borders, he displayed total weakness.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister can I ask you about Winx? She’s about to [inaudible] it’s her last race, it’s quite a historic moment, does this hold any special weight or meaning for you personally?
PRIME MINISTER: Probably more to Marise than it does for me to be honest, because my passion is in other areas. But I think all of Australians have caught the passion of Winx and I understand - Marise can correct me if I'm wrong - but it’s the last running next weekend in the Queen Elizabeth. And it's not just Winx that has captured the hearts and the minds, but it has been the owners and the trainers as well. Because what they say to me - and I've met with them and shared a few stories with them - they for me epitomise the fair go for those who have a go. I think that's the story of Winx. I think it's the story of the owners of Winx and it captured our hearts and imaginations because they've gone out there, they've had a crack and they've conquered the world and good for them.
They're the things I believe in and that's why I can celebrate, along with all other Australians, Winx's mighty success. I wish her all the best. If I get Marise talking about the horse-racing, we could be here all afternoon, a bit like if you ask me about the Sharks. But go on, I'll indulge you.
[Laughter]
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: One observation about backing Angel of Truth in the Australian Derby yesterday and seeing an amazing provincial trainer called Gwenda Markwell bring home the Group 1 race for her stable and for the owners of that gorgeous horse. It was a phenomenal moment. But when Winx takes to the track next week, I think it will be one of those “all of Australia stops” moments, just to salute this extraordinary girl of the track. She's amazing.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on electric vehicles you mentioned, the Government is funding rapid recharge stations through the $6 million ARENA initiative.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, we are.
JOURNALIST: Angus Taylor says they could charge a car in 15 minutes?
PRIME MINISTER: That’s new technology, not existing technology.
JOURNALIST: Do you believe him or do you believe, er, how is what he said with 15 minutes different from what Bill Shorten said?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah I’ve heard Labor pushing this around today. There's two things. First, we don't have a problem with electric vehicles, in fact, we've been facilitating the development of the infrastructure and the new technologies. What Angus Taylor was talking about was technologies that at present are not in general use. What Bill Shorten was talking about is how long it actually takes to charge up a vehicle today. He clearly had no idea. I mean, go online, you can go and find those little cars that kids drive around in, even they take eight or nine hours to charge overnight.
So look, the point about it is not whether electric vehicles are good or bad, in fact, they have a role to play increasingly in the vehicle fleet of Australia over the next decade. The problem here is for Bill Shorten, who doesn't understand his own policy. But in typical Labor fashion, they want to ram it down the necks of all Australians.
So the cheapest car you can currently buy as an electric vehicle presently, my understanding is that including all on-road costs and all the rest of it, it’s about $45,000 to $50,000. That's the cheapest car Bill Shorten wants to make available for you to buy in the future.
I'll tell you what; it's not going to tow your trailer. It's not going to tow your boat. It's not going to get you out to your favourite camping spot with your family. Bill Shorten wants to end the weekend, when it comes to his policy on electric vehicles, where you've got Australians who love being out there in their four wheel drives. He wants to say ‘see ya later’ to the SUV when it comes to the choices of Australians.
This is fundamentally the difference between us and Labor when it comes to these issues. We have no problem with the adoption of these new technologies and we facilitate it and we're part of it. But what Bill Shorten wants to do, without seemingly even understanding what his policy does, is trying to drive people into these decisions. His policies simply don’t have the backing and how he’ll can’t explain how he will achieve these targets.
I'll give you an example. He still has not explained what would be the impact on petrol and diesel excise revenue over the next decade? I mean the net take out of the excise is about $11 billion a year. So Bill, what's the bill?
But know this; when there's a bill from Labor, it always gets sent to you. You vote Labor once, you pay for a decade. That's what this year's Budget showed; for the first time, getting our Budget back into a surplus for next year, in more than a decade. The only reason for that is, in 2007 we stepped away from the strong economic management of the Howard Costello Government. After six years of Labor and after Wayne Swan - I can say quite truthfully, that we’re currently in Wayne’s debt, literally, absolutely literally - now we begin the process of paying off Labor's debt, by getting the Budget back into surplus. Which occurs next year, with the Budget we handed down this week. We just get on with the job, building the economy to secure your future.
JOURNALIST: When are you going to call the election?
PRIME MINISTER: The election will be called in April and the election will be held in May. We're not doing this with any haste and we're not doing it with any delay. There have always been three dates, the 11th, the 18th and 25th and I made no secret about that.
I noticed Bill Shorten's frustration yesterday, but you know, that impatience is born of arrogance. He believes that he should’ve just had this election already and he believes he's already won it. I think he's assuming of the Australian people their support.
I assume nothing when it comes to that, that's why last week we handed down the Budget which is our proposal to the Australian people about how we're going to keep our economy strong, to pay for the essential services that Australians rely, on without increasing taxes. We're making that very clear.
Bill can be as frustrated and anxious and grumpy as he likes. But you know, we’re running to the plan that we've set as a Government and we're looking forward to the weeks ahead. It won't be before too long that obviously we’ll go to the polls. When we go to the polls, Australians will have a very clear choice; a stronger economy, guaranteeing the essentials that Australians rely on like health and education and Medicare and ensuring that that's there for the future – or the Labor Party which is all lies and higher taxes.
Thank you very much.
