Radio interview with Leon Byner, FIVEaa
18 November 2019
Prime Minister of Australia
PRIME MINISTER: Great to be here in Adelaide with you and your listeners.
LEON BYNER: Now look, there's $415 million, we're told, that is going to be spent pretty quickly. We're going to move these projects up, the infrastructure projects. How much of this is new money? How much of it, the $415 million?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're bringing forward $78 million of new money and on top of that, we're bringing forward also in total $217 million. And so all up, that means $415 million of a boost to the South Australian economy by investing in these critical infrastructure projects. I mean, there is the Victor Harbour Road duplication, there's the Port Augusta to Perth corridor upgrade. There's the Horrocks Highway Corridor upgrade, amongst a number of other projects. And we'll be making a few more announcements later this morning.
BYNER: How fast will all this happen?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we've got around... over $200 million of this money is going to be spent in the next 18 months. And that's the whole point. Straight after the election, in addition to getting our tax cuts moving and all these sorts of things, one of the first things I did was engage with all the Premiers around the country about how we could be able to bring forward some of these projects that we already had in our $100 billion programme and get more of them happening sooner. And so I really want to thank Steve Marshall for the great work he's done with me, along with the Stephan Knoll who's supported us in actually getting a lot of these projects going through the scheduling exercise, which is not a small thing to do, to really bring these projects forward.
BYNER: So this is the freeing up the money part?
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry?
BYNER: This is the freeing up the money part?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, this is about getting things rolling and happening now because we've already made the big commitment of $100 billion on transport infrastructure and we and we needed more of it happening sooner and that's what we've been about. So these aren't... this isn't a cash splash. This is not some sort of ill-considered knee-jerk crisis initiative. This is targeted investment in priority transport infrastructure projects that are ready to go and can happen sooner and happen now. But importantly, there's a big safety element to this project what we're announcing today and this is about making roads safer. It means getting people home sooner and safer, which is very important to families, not just here in South Australia, but right around the country.
BYNER: The Civil Contractors Union have been running a big advertising campaign to try and get these very projects you're talking about, especially the country roads, Victor Harbour, Port Augusta. So these can happen now? We start employing people now?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, yes. Let's take Port Augusta to the Perth corridor upgrade. There's $125 million going to that. We're putting in $100 million. The South Australian Government is putting $25 million. We've brought forward - that's the total project - we've brought forward $86.75 million together with the South Australian Government. Now, that's to flow immediately over the next two financial years and that means the commencement of works after previously being allocated 2021-22. So that's come right forward. We've also got the project as you said of Victor Harbour. That's the Victor Harbour Road duplication and so that's, you know, that's a road corridor that will provide three and a half metre lanes in each direction with two metres sealed shoulders and they're separated by two and a half metre wide painted median with a centre wire rope safety barrier. So this is the sort of specificity that we've been going into with the South Australian State Government to get these things happening now.
BYNER: Prime Minister, is this something you're doing with all the states? Is this an Australia wide push forward quickly, bring things forward, create more activity in the community?
PRIME MINISTER: It is and it's not new. Well, I mean, as I said, we got onto this straight after the election. All of these projects that we're talking about here have been as part of the infrastructure plan. And what was clear to me following the last Budget was that straight after the election, we needed to sit down with the Premiers and get as much of this moving as possible. See, having made the big investments, what government is about is implementing them by getting on with it. It's the execution of your plans, not just the having of them. We have the plans, now we're implementing them as we are and on any number of issues around the country.
BYNER: Got to ask you about Senator Paterson and Andrew Hastie, who were going to go on a study trip to China and now they've been told unless they repent, they're not going to get there or won't be given permission. What's your observation on that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it wasn't a government visit. It was organised by a group called China Matters, which is a private outfit and they were denied visas, which I think is very disappointing. I thought the response by Senator Paterson and Andrew Hastie, I thought was spot on. I thought it was very measured, I thought it was very strong. I thought it was very appropriate. I think this is disappointing and it's for others to explain as to why they took the view that they did, the Chinese authorities. But, you know, we're an open democracy. We speak our minds as individuals and certainly, James and Andrew have always been known for that and will always be who we are.
BYNER: Have we suspended our human rights partnership with China? This was a $7 million programme which helps China advance human rights reforms. Apparently this money has been suspended since August, is that so?
PRIME MINISTER: This matter wasn't being progressed. The last time it met was in 2014. There was no forward momentum on it and so, yes, we discontinued it in August of this year.
BYNER: I want to talk about the bushfire threat…
PRIME MINISTER: It wasn't getting the job done. I mean, we continue to raise these issues, the sensitive issues, whether it be on human rights or otherwise, through our leader’s dialogue.
BYNER: Even if China turns around and says, well, you want to trade with us, there's going to be a quid pro quo, isn’t there?
PRIME MINISTER: No, that hasn't been the nature of discussions at all, to be honest. I mean, these issues are raised by our Foreign Minister. They're raised in our leader-level dialogues, as you'd expect them to be, as part of that. We have a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and that means it provides channels for us to raise and deal with issues, economic and otherwise.
BYNER: Do they respect our democracy, do you think?
PRIME MINISTER: They respect our sovereignty. I mean, they have a different system to us as you, as I've remarked and I remarked at a recent meeting I had. We're not looking to adopt their system and they're not looking to adopt ours. But there is a respect, I think, for the sovereignty of both countries and their rights to run their countries as they choose to. And we obviously do that as a liberal democracy, which has been the foundation for our prosperity and success as a nation.
BYNER: I want to talk about the bushfire threat. This Wednesday, we're going to cop 42. Fire authorities are saying, hey, hold on to your hats on this. Are you... you're aware, of course, that there's been - and I don't want to get into the he said, she said politicking - but it's very clear, we've been getting photographs from listeners showing us massive amounts of flammable undergrowth close to their properties. It's not on their property, so they can't do anything about it. And it seems to be that many crown operators, that is government departments and others, are just not pulling their weight. They’re telling us to clear, but they're not doing it themselves.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's hard for me to be drawn on that other than to say, look, as we've seen in the eastern states where there've been these devastating fires, issues of hazard reduction has been raised. I’ve got to say, though, that there have been fewer windows within which I've been advised that you can undertake hazard reduction. That said, it remains an enormously important task in mitigating the risk of fire. Now, we're obviously facing much longer fire seasons and, you know, the reason for that I canvassed earlier this year. There are many things that contribute to it, not just climate change, but obviously issues like the drought are being massively impacting in terms of the current conditions that we're facing. I mean, these things have all been acknowledged. When you discuss them, look, that's been a matter of controversy recently. But hazard reduction is equally an important topic and I have no doubt whether it's here in South Australia and certainly in the case in the eastern states, that will be one of the many issues that are looked at again in terms of how the states were keeping up with their hazard reduction targets and what, if any, things were frustrating them from meeting them. Now, that could be just conditions, but it could also be regulation. It could also be practices. And so I'm not drawing any conclusions there. But hazard reduction is an important tool to protect Australians from the increased threat of fire.
BYNER: Where do you go to from here?
PRIME MINISTER: I'll be making some announcements with the Premier. I'm looking forward to doing that and not just on that, but I'm very grateful to the Premier for the support he has recently given to the Commonwealth in how we're dealing with the drought and the recent announcement we made regarding the cooperation we're having in turning the desal plan on and that's going to maintain the integrity of flows into South Australia. So there's no downside for South Australia, but equally, it gives us an opportunity to address some of the most extreme effects of the drought in the eastern states.
BYNER: Before I let you go, and I appreciate the fact that you've made time to come in, I’ve got to ask you one question and everybody is asking about this - the submarines. Are we going to keep 60 per cent of the work and 40 go to Perth, or keep it all or none? Is there any information you can give the people of SA?
PRIME MINISTER: The process is continuing and the decision will be made in Australia's national interest.
BYNER: Will we get it before Christmas?
PRIME MINISTER: I can't confirm that you'll get it before Christmas, no. It's not a small decision, Leon. It's not one that will be made rashly, and it's not one that will be decided on politics or parochialism. It'll be made on the capabilities and the needs of that programme.
BYNER: Will Cabinet ultimately decide?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, it goes it ultimately goes through the National Security Committee of Cabinet. So... and that's done on the recommendations of the rather rigorous process that it has gone through the agencies to advise us on what's in Australia's best interest for our security and our Defence Force. And so that's how it should be done. I want to commend, particularly, Premier Marshall for the way he's engaged in this issue. He hasn't sought to, I would say, politicise this issue. He's just ensured that South Australia's putting its best foot forward. And that's what I think a Premier should do. And I appreciate the way he has engaged with this issue in such a professional way and I think that reflects well on South Australia.
BYNER: Prime Minister, thanks for coming in.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Leon.
BYNER: Merry Christmas, talk soon.
PRIME MINISTER: Good on you, mate.