Media Releases
Interview with Georgie Gardner, Today Show
26 October 2018
GEORGIE GARDNER: Prime Minister, good morning to you.
PRIME MINISTER: G’day Georgie, nice to be here.
GEORGIE GARDNER: This is a huge commitment from the Government, the first of its kind. Just explain how it will work.
PRIME MINISTER: This is a Future Fund, so what we do is have $3.9 billion going into this account and it will earn interest and other earnings into the future, so we build it up, up to $5 billion over the years ahead. But each year, we can draw down around $100 million a year from what is earned on the fund and that will go into drought resilience projects and drought support projects, water projects, things like that that means we better future proof against drought over the next ten years and beyond. So it is a long-term plan, but it also means that we will be able to invest and drought-proof for Australia as soon as we are able to put the fund in place, which would be as soon as the legislation passes. Because we are doing a lot to back the farmers in the rural communities. Focusing on relief, but also on recovery, but resilience into the future. That is also what we need to do to ensure that we support our farmers in our regional and rural communities.
GEORGIE GARDNER: Yeah future proofing makes a whole lot of sense. As you say though, those payments don't start until the 1st of July 2020. There are farmers, of course, struggling, still desperate right now. How will this help them?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that is about the longer-term, the medium-term future. What we are doing right now is put more money into mental health support, more money in the payments for farmhouse hold assistance. There is already $1.8 billion worth of support that's going in and I will be making further announcements today about how we are supporting more of the charitable sector and to better target their effort to support our farming and rural communities. We will be expanding the Drought Communities Program today. That is the program where we are putting $1 million into individual shires and councils to keep the towns humming and buzzing, so the money is going through the towns. More support for things like voucher systems in the towns, so the money is spent in the towns. So it is all about keeping those rural and regional communities going along while they’re going through a tough drought time, and there will be more support for farmers with on water... sorry, on-farm water management projects. We’ve got farmers who want to be out there drought-proofing their own properties at the moment with smaller scale grant programs and so there is support now for relief and there is support long-term for resilience through the future drought fund.
GEORGIE GARDNER: Alright. You have announced your plan for lower power prices. Now, if prices don't fall by the start of next year, will you have failed Australian families?
PRIME MINISTER: We will be putting maximum pressure on the big energy companies with what I call the big stick legislation. And we are expecting the big energy companies to bring those prices down. We are expecting them through whether it is our price safety net which removes what is effectively a loyalty tax or putting in the measures which go from everything from enforceable undertakings through the courts to strong divestment powers. What that is doing is saying to big energy companies you can't take your customers for a ride. I am disappointed the Labor Party doesn't want to support us on putting a big stick on the energy companies, but want to take a big stick to the value of your home by abolishing negative gearing as we know it and upping Capital Gains Tax which will hit the housing market.
GEORGIE GARDNER: Prime Minister, from when should we start to see lower power bills?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we are expecting to see the energy companies respond in January, and we’ve already seen in July those prices peak and top out and start to fall in some of the states and territories, but not by enough. We know that. That is why we have to put more pressure on the big energy companies so they are doing the right thing by their customers and we are going to back that up with the laws which will give effect to that. As I said, we will take the big stick to the energy companies. We won't be taking a big stick to the value of people's homes by abolishing negative gearing as we know it because that is the worst time for that to happen in the housing market at the moment. The housing market has gone soft. The Labor Party wants to abolish negative gearing as we know it. That will only make the value of people's homes under more threat.
GEORGIE GARDNER: Is this a substitute for the National Energy Guarantee?
PRIME MINISTER: We already have the National Reliability Guarantee and that is what we will be talking about today with COAG with Energy Ministers. What is about is making sure the big energy companies and all the energy wholesalers and retailers are buying more reliable power, fair dinkum power, things that work when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn’t blow. Renewables are great, they’re fine, they’re fantastic, but you need the stuff that is always going to work and the reliability guarantee, which we have continued with, that is going to make sure more of that energy is contracted in the market which means the lights stay on and we get prices down.
GEORGIE GARDNER: Prime Minister, I want to talk to you about Nauru. Yesterday we heard on the program from a leading paediatrician who said a child is going to die on Nauru if the Government doesn't intervene. Now, last night your own Liberal MP Julia Banks was very strong in question time. She slammed the Government for playing political games and refusing to take up New Zealand's offer to take these people. Why won't you get these sick children off Nauru?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we are. We are. We have got over 200 children off Nauru.
GEORGIE GARDNER: There are 52 still there.
PRIME MINISTER: We have had more come off. I know, that figure is already starting to fall. We are getting children off Nauru. We have been doing it for a long time with our agreement with the United States. But I do know this Georgie, and we will continue to do that because we are determined to achieve that. We are the Government that actually stopped the boats coming, stopped putting children on to Nauru. I mean, you don't get children off Nauru by putting more on. If you get one boat turn up with children, it is both Labor Party and Government policy that those children would go to Nauru. So you don't do things that compromise what is working, you just get the children off which is what we have been doing now successively and particularly over the last eight weeks, but before that as well, we have been steadily working that problem and getting children off Nauru. We actually have more medical staff on Nauru than we have children and we will continue to provide that care and we will always act on the issues of medical need.
GEORGIE GARDNER: There are 52 children still on Nauru, they have been there for five years. Give us a timeframe. How quickly can you get them here for treatment? Because they are languishing, they are suffering and if someone dies, how will you feel if it is under your watch?
PRIME MINISTER: Well Georgie, I have been stopping children from dying on boats now for the last five years. That is what I did as a Minister and of this Government that put an end to the death and carnage of children floating face down in the water and I'm not going to see that happen again as well. We are getting the children off Nauru.
GEORGIE GARDNER: So give us a timeframe. How quickly can we get them back here? Because it is a matter of urgency. They need to be back here for very specialised medical treatment.
PRIME MINISTER: I understand that, Georgie. And every child who requires that specialised medical treatment is getting it and has been transferred and more will be transferred. I will continue to give updates on how we are progressing, as the Minister has done. Seventeen were removed just recently over the last couple of weeks and so we will keep working that. What I am not going to do is get involved in a sort of a public slanging match over it. I will just keep getting the job done, Georgie, because that is what I have been doing, that is what my Ministers have been doing. We have been addressing the issue. The population of children on Nauru has been coming down. They are not in detention centres in Nauru, they are living in the community like Nauruan children do, like the population of Nauru do. That is where they are and they are getting that medical support and they will continue to and we will continue to get the number of children down who are on Nauru.
GEORGIE GARDNER: Can you give us a date as to when the last of those 52 children will be here getting the necessary medical treatment?
PRIME MINISTER: I will continue to give the updates as I said, seventeen or nineteen just came off.
GEORGIE GARDNER: Are we talking a month? Like give us an idea, what sort of a timeframe?
PRIME MINISTER: I am not about to do that because we are working through that issue right now with our allies particularly in the United States and we are making an enormous amount of progress and what I do know, Georgie, is if you continue to do this methodically and quietly, then you are able to achieve the objective. I just want to get them off, but I want to get them off in a way which does not put more children on Nauru. Because if one boat turns up or one child is floating face down in the water, how would Australia feel then?
GEORGIE GARDNER: Well, I don’t believe they should be punished to deter others, but we are out of time. We have to leave it there for now. We will be watching with great interest because you can solve this problem. Prime Minister, thank you for your time.
PRIME MINISTER: And we are, Georgie, and I will continue to do that.
GEORGIE GARDNER: Thank you.
Interview with David Koch, Sunrise
26 October 2018
DAVID KOCH: Prime Minister Scott Morrison joins us now from Canberra. Prime Minister, good morning to you. Just how will this $5 billion fund operate?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it starts off with $3.9 billion that we put in immediately and then each year we will draw down from the earnings, about $100 million each year, which will go into important water infrastructure and other drought proofing projects each and every year. And over the next ten years, this will build up to a $5 billion fund. It really is about putting money away for a non-rainy day. It is about ensuring that we improve our resilience in the long-term. We’ve focused a lot on the relief side of the drought and that is important. We are increasing farm household assistance and a range of those measures on mental health but we’ve also got to go through to the recovery and to the resilience in the long-term. This Future Drought Fund, I think, provides some certainty and security for farmers and rural communities into the future and says we’re investing to drought proof into the future, you’re investing to drought proof into the future. We live in a land sadly where there will always be droughts, but we plan for them.
KOCH: Ok, so this is like a future fund against drought and to protect our agricultural community? It’s not handouts to farmers. It’s building infrastructure to make the country more resilient to drought.
PRIME MINISTER: That's right, and to build up to the fund itself over time we will be reinvesting earnings back into the fund so it can grow from $3.9 billion to $5 billion. But we will also be drawing on those earnings of the fund to invest in those important resilience projects over time. This has been one of the key messages that we have had as we’ve gone around the country with Major General Stephen Day, who has been our Coordinator General on drought, and that is that we need to invest and build resilience for the future.
KOCH: Yeah. So, in terms of going forward, are you open to new ideas at your Summit today? Some of the farming groups are saying, "Give tax incentives to the farmers to take out more insurance to protect themselves into the future." Because they have really cut back on their insurance coverage. Are you going to look at those sorts of initiatives?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we will be listening to all those initiatives and we have already announced the increased accelerated depreciation for investments in silage and that sort of on-farm infrastructure. Today I’ll be making other announcements about grant programs for on-farm water infrastructure, we’ll be looking for further support through the charitable sector and better targeting that. We'll be looking at expanding the existing drought communities programme which is investing in all of those councils to ensure that we keep those local towns going. Because you know, David, when you go through drought, that takes the money out of the towns as well. So it is not just the farmers, it is the local grocery store, it’s the local pub, it’s everything in the town. And so we need to keep those economies alive and we’ll be announcing more measures today on that as well.
KOCH: Yeah the ripple effect is enormous. Hey while we’ve got you, another matter. This week you made a promise to Australians that we will stopped being ripped off by electricity companies. Will your tougher regulations on power suppliers deter them from investing in more power plants, that’s what some of them have said. More regulation means they’re not going to invest into the future.
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’m sure the big energy companies don’t like the fact that we’re going to hold them to account with tougher laws and regulations to make sure they don’t rip off customers. But the other thing we’re doing is we’ve got a plan to see more investment in reliable, fair dinkum power and that is everything from offtake agreements to a range of other practical measures which will support investment in new power generation, in upgrading existing fair dinkum power generation so we can get more power into the market. So incentives and other supports that actually improve the investment environment for new power generation. Particularly for new players as well. I mean, one of the problems is that there are a lot of big players in the market that pretty much dominate the show and what our laws are going to do is balance that up for customers, but also for the new players who want to get in there and generate some more fair dinkum power and get that into the market.
KOCH: On a lighter note, there is a focus in some media this morning on - you’re like Meghan Markle I suppose - on your weight loss over the last couple of weeks. Have you got a book coming out, or an app? The Prime Minister’s weight loss tips? What are you doing?
PRIME MINISTER: I have got no idea. I still enjoy a beer, I’m still doing all of the things I used to do. Maybe it is just the frenetic energy and pace that I’m setting, Kochie. I really don't know.
KOCH: You’ve lost weight, how much weight have you lost?
PRIME MINISTER: I actually don't know if I've lost any, Kochie. This came as quite a surprise to me when someone mentioned this to me yesterday. I looked down and looked across and I thought it sort of looks like it always does, I don’t know.
KOCH: Did Mrs Morrison laugh?
PRIME MINISTER: She did actually, but you know, I suppose it’s just hard work. And today, you know, our farmers work hard and we are backing them.
KOCH: Alright, good to see you. Thank you for that.
Doorstop - Bungendore, NSW
25 October 2018
THE HON GARY NAIRN AO: Welcome to Mulloon Creek Natural Farms and the campus of the Mulloon Institute. I really wish it had been Tony Coote standing here today to welcome you. Tony and his wife, also Toni, established the Mulloon Institute back in 2011 following work that was done on Mulloon Creek and demonstrating and proving how landscape repair and rehydration results in a much better agricultural outcome. And Tony was certainly aware that we’d planned on a visit from the Prime Minister and the Agricultural Minister but unfortunately we lost him just over two months ago. So I’m effectively standing in his place but he is, for media purposes and things, he bequeathed these farms, these working farms, it was about 6,000 acres all up. We produce over 80,000 eggs a week, organic free-range biodynamic eggs and also we have several hundred head of cattle and pigs. So it’s a working farm and we wanted – he wanted – to see going on forever the demonstration of landscape rehydration and how it assists agriculture into the future. So it’s a great pleasure to have you here, Prime Minister, and good to catch up again.
PRIME MINISTER: Good to see you Gary. It’s great to have Peter Edwards here too… Peter Andrews, sorry, here who has been the real leader and visionary behind the science behind what we’re seeing achieved here. And Tony… you look out on this field, his field of vision, and it’s a great inspiration to be here and to learn of his great philanthropy and passion for country, a passion for the environment, and for the future of rural and regional Australia.
Tomorrow, people will come from all around the country for the Drought Summit. And the Drought Summit is about relief, absolutely. Making sure we’re out there supporting those who are doing it extremely tough. But it’s also importantly about recovery and it’s also about resilience into the future. This is about doing what we need to do straight away and it’s about doing what we need to do long-term and to have the long-term vision and plan, like Tony did, like Peter has always had, to ensure that we’ve got the right practices and we’ve got the right infrastructure and the right support going right around Australia. And so the Summit tomorrow will be an important further step in how we’re achieving those goals. Achieving the relief, achieving the recovery, and achieving the long-term resilience by working together. By being innovative in the way Peter has with his practices here and ensuring that those and many other things can be done around the country to maintain and preserve the way of life for rural and regional Australians all around the country, which I know is so important.
Now as you know we’ve had a number of initiatives, some $1.8 billion that has been going into support around the drought and to achieve those objectives. That includes most recently that support we’re putting into the shires and local council areas all around drought affected areas. A million dollars going in to support those towns. And what I’m announcing today is $15 million that is going into rural and regional renewal through the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, for small grant programs that are going into drought communities. And that is to work on programs that are happening on the ground which is bolstering resilience of the people as well as supporting the resilience of the land on which they live on. This is further support that is all about providing that hope, providing that encouragement, that we back Australians affected by this drought and we’re backing them in practical ways. Not just to keep their local economies going or their communities going, but to invest in ensuring they can maintain the way of life that they love so much. And these small grant programs are all about those types of activities that help communities help themselves and there are so many of these charitable works that are happening and others are more practical in terms of what they’re doing on the land. So I’m going to ask Michael McCormack to talk a bit more about that fund and what it’s doing, but we’re backing our farmers, we’re backing our rural and regional communities by practical investments which provides and backs in the hope that they’ve always demonstrated for the future. Thanks Michael.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, THE HON MICHAEL MCCORMACK: Yeah thanks Scott, and it’s good to be here at the Institute and I know it’s very close to my heart as well because Richard Allsopp, a family member of the family of the Coote family here, is a person from Wagga Wagga. And I know how near and dear this place is to him, but more importantly what they do here, Gary and I know this place is very special to him and I know the regeneration that is going on here, this needs to be replicated right around our nation. A nation that looks after its soil, looks after itself. And it’s the important work which you’re doing here is a model for everyone, so well done and congratulations.
I’m really looking forward to Emma Thomas starting on Monday. She’ll be based in Forbes, she’s going to be the program manager for the Drought Communities Program, those small grants that the Prime Minister Scott Morrison was just talking about. The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal is a very, very important player in this drought recovery and relief effort. That organisation is going to distribute those grants, large and small, to not-for-profits who can apply from tomorrow. All they need to do is go to frrr.org.au, that website, and see how they can be a player in this resilience, this recovery, these assistance efforts. Whether it’s putting on a social gathering, whether it’s putting on a drought forum, whether it’s getting community people in a drought-stricken area together, maybe even for a dance or a social outing. They’re the sorts of small grants that will be available, they’re the sorts of efforts that we want to see made possible through this grants program. Some of these drought communities are doing it really tough and people are looking to one another for help and support and they can apply through this frrr.org.au website to make themselves available for some of this funding. $15 million can go a little way, it can go a long way towards bringing communities together. And that’s all part of the efforts that the Australian Government is going to help these drought-stricken communities. Because when you get communities talking together, socialising together, being together, that’s one of the big things that’s going to help them through this drought. It’s a debilitating drought, we all know that. The Government is shoulder to shoulder, side by side with our communities, with our farmers, with our small businesses right throughout these areas. And you know, it’s going to be tough but let me assure you, there is nobody tougher than rural Australians. They’ve been through it before, they know what it’s like, they’re going to band together and they’re going to band together with this tackling the tough times together campaign. So I’d like to ask David Littleproud now, the Minister for Agriculture who is working so hard with these rural communities, to play his part on behalf of the Government. And he knows full well about the drought effort as well because he’s been in a drought community for the last seven years. So David, if you could say a few words.
MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, THE HON DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP: Well thanks DPM, PM, and Peter. It’s great to be out here. In fact, many of the principles that Peter Andrews has put in place has actually put in my own family farm. We’ve taken up the principles that Peter has taught for so long and it just goes to show that this Federal Government has made an investment, or is about to make an investment, of $1.1 billion in Landcare programs and it’s not just drought programs and putting money into farmers pockets. It’s investing in the environment as well. Because we invest in the environment, we build the environment, we’re more prepared, we’re more resilient as well to get our farmers through droughts and be able to secure ourselves out of it. So it’s important we make those investments.
But this afternoon I’m also going back with the Treasurer and we’re having a summit with the banks which builds on the first drought roundtable I had three months ago, to make sure that our financial institutions come on this journey with us. And I have to congratulate them, I bought them on that journey in getting them to offset farm management deposits against term debt, which is effectively saving our farming families tens of thousands of dollars a year. That’s an important investment that the banks have made. Some of them took more effort than others to come on that journey but they’ve all come there, and we need to continue to work with them to make sure that we endeavour to work collaboratively to ensure farmers are able to have the whole suite of measures to get them through. And that’ll feed into the Drought Summit tomorrow, which is important about looking at our drought policy to make sure it’s fit for future. We’ve done a great job in terms of having a bipartisan approach since 1992 in terms of drought policy. But we should always look to make sure we see if it’s fit for future of the preparedness and the resilience of our agricultural sector to ensure we’re ready for the next drought and ready to come out of this one. So it’s important we are looking at that and I’m sure there will be some announcements the Prime Minister will make out of that and we continue to work through that and work with our state colleagues. Because it’s not just our Governments that’s on the hook on this, the state governments need to ensure they live up to their part of the responsibility on the agreement we have one drought and they continue to do that in a collaborative way between the states and there is coordination. We’ve seen some practical and common sense approaches around particularly transport. That’s all people really want out of government is just one thing – common sense. And that’s what we’re starting to deliver with road transport, making sure we can get feed from one state to the other without them having to pull up and take a few bales off and then start again and go through another state. This is just nonsense and we’ve been able to fix that and we’re looking to make more common sense approaches to make sure farmers have practical answers to be able to deal with this drought.
PRIME MINISTER: Well thanks a lot David, happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, farmers have repeatedly complained that accessing the drought assistance scheme can be… the paperwork can be too onerous and not even worthwhile. They’ve called for a one-stop portal to try and access state and federal grants together. Is that something you’d consider, and are you concerned with the take-up of these schemes?
PRIME MINISTER: Well yes and yes is the short answer to both questions. These are the areas we’ve been working with rural communities on, whether it’s on the farm household assistance application form. We’ve reduced the time on that by about a third, making that more practical. We’ve got some other measures we’ll be looking to announce over the next few days which are just dealing with some of these practical issues of people being able to access the support. There is a lot of support out there, both at the Commonwealth level and at the state level. But making that more seamless, easy to connect up with, this is something Major General Day has been raising with us over the last eight weeks and he has only been going those last eight weeks but we have got a lot done in those eight weeks and tomorrow will be a further demonstration of that with the additional initiatives. But one of the key focuses is has been on how you better connect people with their need to the assistance that is on offer.
JOURNALIST: The Summit has been criticised by some as just merely being a talk fest. Are we expecting to see some concrete action by the end of it?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
JOURNALIST: In what way?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I will announce actions when we are at the summit. I mean, today we announced $15 million to better support drought communities right across the country. Look, these things always have their critics. In the Canberra bubble they will have the criticism of these sorts of things but people are out there in drought communities know that putting an extra million dollars in their shires, each and every one, to actually support their local economies, $1.8 billion dollars in assistance going into rural and regional communities, actually investing in what happens on the farm and in the towns as well. These are all very practical things and there will be more practical things that is drawn from the work that Major General Day has been doing, that Barnaby has been doing, that David has been doing, that Michael has been doing and working with states and territories. David said they also have a key responsibility under the agreement and we will looking at the agreement between states and territories and the Commonwealth tomorrow as well, looking forward to COAG later in the year to look at how that can be more practical. So getting people together to focus on doing things I think is always a good thing to do and that's what we will doing tomorrow.
JOURNALIST: Have farmers been registering their farm worker shortages as yet?
PRIME MINISTER: I haven't had an update on that today but I do encourage them to do so.
JOURNALIST: Some crossbench MPs have raised concerns about elements of your energy plan...
PRIME MINISTER: We’re just going to stay on drought for one second, if there’s any other questions on drought?
JOURNALIST: Yeah I’ve got one for drought. So you said that yes, it is being held down here in Canberra and it has been highlighted that it’s not being held in say a more drought-stricken area like the north. Why is it being held down in Canberra?
PRIME MINISTER: Practicality and convenience for all the attendees and the infrastructure is here to support this sort of an event. Drought communities are pretty focused on what they are focused on at the moment and the show was set up here in Canberra to be able to host an event like this. That's what the nation's capital is for, that you can actually draw people together at relatively short order to have the officials and others who support these events and you can get them on and get them focused on the action. What we are encouraging people to do is to get out into drought affected communities, particularly whether it is on tourism or anything else, but you know this is a working summit, this is our nation's working capital and that is where we will bringing the nation together to focus on this issue.
THE HON GARY NAIRN AO: We are experiencing drought as well. We have had seven months of the driest period on record since records started in the late 1800s, so the last seven months is the driest seven month we have had, so... It might look good here because of the work we have done over the last ten years. That is why it is in better shape, but it is dry.
JOURNALIST: Just on energy, the crossbenchers don’t support parts of your plan. The underwriting proposal, the divestment powers. Does that jeopardise your promise to reduce power bills?
PRIME MINISTER: They are the things that often get raised by the Opposition, get raised by the critics. What I am focused on is ensuring that we get the big energy companies into line. I mean what we have learnt today is Labor won't take a big stick to the electricity companies but they will take the stick to the value of your own home with what they plan to do with negative gearing and capital gains tax. So they are lining up with the big energy companies, refusing to support the action that we are going to take, which will get those big energy companies into line, and get power prices down, but they are happy to take the stick to the value of your own home by their reckless tax policies.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, ASIC wants more powers to force financial services companies who break the law to have to compensate their customers. Is that something you’d consider?
PRIME MINISTER: We are waiting for the Royal Commission's final report before we consider further actions that will flow from that. Just this week, just this week, we are introducing legislation to increase the penalties and powers available to ASIC to act across a whole range of misconduct in the financial sector so our Government hasn't been short on giving ASIC more power, more resources, greater penalties to hold those to account who are ripping Australians off and that's exactly what we are doing also with the big energy companies. We are 100 per cent committed to standing up to big energy companies and making sure that they do the right thing by customers. What we've learned is the Labor Party are not interested in doing that and I remember that happen when we were standing for small business and they wouldn’t support small business tax cuts. I remember it was also the Labor Party that wouldn’t support the change to competition laws that led to a level playing field for small businesses when it came to the effects test which meant that small businesses got a fairer go. Labor oppose that too. Labor is not the friend of small business. They are not the friend of homeowners and they are not the friend of Australians and businesses who want to have lower electricity prices.
JOURNALIST: Do you acknowledge concerns of health professionals who have urged the Government to act on recommendations from the IPCC report? Do you acknowledge that refusing to phase out coal by 2050 that it could be a global health problem?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the IPCC doesn't make recommendations to the Australian Government, it makes observations about where those issues are globally and we have been looking at that report carefully as the Environment Minister has said. Australia has met its Kyoto One target, we will smash our Kyoto Two targets and we will meet our targets out to 2030 in a canter. So Australia will pull its weight when it comes to the issues of emissions reduction. Our Government is committed to that, we will delivering on that. But what we will also do, what we will also do, is we will get electricity prices down and we won't allow those other issues to force pensioners, families, small businesses to pay higher electricity prices which is what the Labor Party are proposing. They are proposing higher electricity prices, undermining the value of your own home and refusing, point blank refusing, to take a big stick to the electricity companies, which we will. They would rather take the big stick to the value of the most important asset Australians have, which is their own home. But on that we have to leave it there because we have to get back into town. Thanks a lot. It has been great to be here.
Interview with Jonesy & Amanda, WSFM Gold
24 October 2018
AMANDA: He’s on the line now, good morning Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Hey Amanda, hey Jonesy.
JONESY: Hello there.
AMANDA : Just a reminder, you’ve lost the last grand final Jonesy.
JONESY: The heart still beats black, white and blue, isn’t that right? And I think Prime Minister – I don’t know if I can call you ScoMo any more?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course you can Jonesy.
JONESY: Is it too over-familiar?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no not at all mate. Always, always –
JONESY: Can I still buy you hot chips at the next game?
PRIME MINISTER: I was counting on it, so was Lily my daughter.
JOESNY: They’re good hot chips.
PRIME MINISTER: They’re very good chips down at Shark Park, I can highly recommend them.
AMANDA: Look, lets move on from the Shark Park if you don’t mind.
[Laughter]
So you’re going to, I mean, who doesn’t want less power bills? How brilliant. But don’t you need more than a big stick? How are you going to do this for us?
PRIME MINISTER: There’s three things we’re doing. The first one is, when you currently go off your discount deal with an energy company and you just basically stay with the same company, typically your price goes up, not down. You know, you don’t even get to stay where you were before. That’s what happens with these deals. So we’re changing what is called the standard offer to a default offer, which means that you don’t get ripped off at the other end of your contract.
The second thing is that the regulations around the electricity market are very complicated and they confuse people. That often means that electricity companies, that lack of clarity and understanding can often leave customers worse off. It can be used to the company’s advantage, so when they’re doing that and when they’re ripping people off on that basis, well, we’ll have some new powers which means we can penalise them. That can go all through to the divestment of their assets, which is a pretty serious power to be used only in pretty extreme circumstances. But they need to know that they just can’t do whatever the hell they like. That they have to operate and give people a fair go.
The third thing we’re doing is we’re supporting more investment in what I call reliable or fair dinkum power, the stuff that works when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow. I mean renewables are great and we support those too. But you’ve got to have things that keep the lights on.
AMANDA: Right, one of the things that I imagine though, one of the lessons for the Liberal Party in Wentworth was that people do want a proper climate change policy?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that’s true and we have one. We have one and we met the Kyoto 1 target, we smashed that. The second one, Kyoto 2, we’re going to smash that too. We’ll meet the third one in a canter, so you can have lower electricity prices and you can meet the emissions reduction targets. Our emissions per capita today are the lowest level they’ve been in 28 years. So we are getting emissions down. We are meeting our targets. We need to keep meeting our targets and have the policies to continue to support that. But one of the things, I mean I was out at an ice cream wholesaler this morning here in Canberra, and their power bills are pretty high. But they’ve been doing all they can to use different types of lighting, all these sorts of things to manage their energy consumption. That’s one of the things that’s also helping meet our emissions reductions targets; just common sense. The other thing is technology. You don’t need to subsidise these things any more because they’ve actually become quite cost effective. So governments don’t need to intervene, handing out money in subsidies. What they need to do is keep the big energy companies in line and have the powers to make sure they do the right thing.
JONESY: Can you talk to my kids about power, consuming power and saving it ScoMo?
PRIME MINISTER: So you must do the same thing I do, you run around turning all the lights off after them.
JONESY: Yeah!
[Laughter]
AMANDA: I do that too.
JONESY: It’s unbelievable.
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t know what it is, what is that?
AMANDA: No, we were probably the same when we were kids as well.
JONESY: They’ll have the heater on and the ceiling fan. I said: “What are you doing?”
[Laughter]
AMANDA: Can I ask you this Prime Minister, you said some beautiful words this week when you issued an apology for the victims of institutional sexual abuse. You spoke so eloquently.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you.
AMANDA: You said that you looked at your own children and you thought: “How could people do this to children?” Which begs the question about children in Nauru, what can we do there?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we have been getting them off now for some time and we’ve got over 200 off and we’re going to keep getting that done. I mean we’re dealing with a problem that we inherited, but I’ll tell you one thing; you don’t get kids off Nauru by putting more on.
AMANDA: But can’t you just take them off? There’s 52 kids there, they need doctors they need mental health. Can’t you just take them –
PRIME MINISER: We’ve already been moving quite a number off, particularly those on medical cases. But this is the thing, if you get the balance wrong on this, then kids get on boats again. I mean I’ve been there, I was there in 2013 when we had to stop these tragedies. Kids were dying in the sea.
Now if kids get back on boats again because they think: “Oh well, everybody can get to Australia now,” I know how the smugglers work. They don’t read Australian newspapers and think, “Oh well, that seems like a fair enough deal”. They will just run that business again and put people at risk. So we’ve got to get this balance carefully right and that’s what we’re doing. We are getting kids off, we’ve closed 17 detention centres. We’ve got about 8,000 kids out of detention in Australia as a Government. So we’ve been getting all this done and we’ll continue to get it done on Nauru as people get placed over in the United States and other areas. So we’ll keep doing it, it is important, I believe it’s important. But I can’t get kids off Nauru by risking policies that will put more kids on Nauru by the boats running again.
AMANDA: Those poor 52 children, sacrificed for the policy.
JONESY: You see what he’s saying.
AMANDA: Of course I see. Of course I see.
JONESY: These are the decisions you’ve got to make.
AMANDA: But 541 of the people on Nauru have been found to be genuine refugees.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah they’re living on Nauru, like Nauruans do. They’re not in detention on Nauru, they live freely like any of the Nauruans do. But we’re working hard to get those kids off and we have been making a lot of progress. There was just, I think it was about 12 who were moved just the other day, so this continues to happen Amanda and I believe it is an important issue. I mean I have a very close personal understanding of this. I have visited more detention centres, both here and overseas, than probably any other member of the Federal Parliament. So I understand what these things are like. But the kids are not in detention on Nauru and on Manus there are no kids. I mean the Labor Party put kids on Manus Island. They put pregnant women on Manus Island and we put an end to that too.
JONESY: And you were up on the Harbour Bridge with Harry, what was the small talk?
PRIME MINISTER: I was too busy blowing mate, I was blowing when I got to the top there I can tell you.
AMANDA: Oh, you mean puffing.
JONESY: Out of breath.
PRIME MINISTER: I mean I’d never done it before, it’s like, you live in the city your whole life, you don’t do some of the things that visitors do on a regular basis. But that is fair dinkum the best view I have ever seen of Sydney. It is incredible.
JONESY: I thought our relationship between countries had changed a bit. I thought - oh come on -
AMANDA: Just bought him some chips.
PRIME MINISTER: Behave.
JONESY: To welcome him, just a handshake.
AMANDA: That’s your mate right there Prime Minister. You know what you’re getting into with Jonesy.
JONESY: This is what happened when you became Prime Minister, you know, we should be able to still have the bants ScoMo, come on.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: Black white and blue means Cronulla mate, you leave the blue on the side.
AMANDA: Thank you Scott Morrison.
JONESY: Prime Minister Scott Morrison, it’s always a treat, thank you for joining us.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks guys, always good to talk to you too. All the best.
Doorstop - Canberra, ACT
24 October 2018
PRIME MINISTER: Well good morning everyone. Angus and I are very pleased to be here at Pure Gelato with Zoltan and with Joe, Mariana and the kids, they’re out here. It's always great to be at family small businesses. Our Government is backing in small and family businesses every day. That's why we come to work, because they go to work. They're people who get up early in the morning and they're out here. Small businesses are all around the country today turning on sites. They're already there, already hard at work and we're hard at work for them. And we've already been acting to get their taxes down and we need to act more to get their electricity prices down. Angus and I yesterday, Angus Taylor and I announced further action to put downward pressure on electricity prices by making sure that we keep the big electricity companies in line. The announcements we made yesterday are all about getting electricity prices down and under our Government, under a Liberal-National Government, electricity prices are always going to be lower than under a Labor Government, because Labor are going to push those prices up just like they did to Zoltan many years ago when they put the carbon tax on and that put his electricity prices up. He's been taking every action he can to get his bills under control. But what he needs us to do is to put the pressure on those electricity companies, to give him the best deal. To make sure that his prices go down. And that the savings that are there are being passed on to companies like Zoltan's to ensure that they can get a fair go, because he is having a go every single day. So yesterday, we were talking to a Defence Force pensioner family. Today we're talking to a small and family business. They both need their electricity prices down and that's what we're doing by taking the big electricity companies to task and ensuring that they play fair with their customers and that they provide their customers with the best deal and we keep them in line with greater powers, the default price safety net price mechanism. But also getting more reliable fair dinkum power into the system to ensure that the lights stay on and that we get the prices down. Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what is your relationship like with your predecessor at the moment. Are you done with Malcolm?
PRIME MINISTER: Happy to talk about electricity prices first as usual, and then we can talk about politics and the Canberra bubble all you like.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, would you consider indemnifying new coal fired power plants from the risk of a future carbon price, for example, to bring more generation online?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, our Government is not going to introduce a carbon tax. Only the Labor Party is looking at introducing policies that would force the price of electricity up and the best indemnity against higher prices is don't vote Labor. Don’t vote Labor if you don't want higher electricity prices. Our Government will be acting consistent with getting electricity prices down to support and encourage and facilitate new investment in reliable energy generation around the country. The consultation paper was released yesterday by Angus and he can make further comments on that. We want to see that new investment go in and that also goes into the issues which will be discussed further with COAG on Friday which ensuring that we're forcing the companies to contract for more reliable power going into the system further ahead so we can get the reliability and the lights stay on. But Angus, did you want to talk about that for a second?
MINISTER FOR ENERGY, ANGUS TAYLOR: We need to have the supply in place well ahead of time to keep prices down and to keep the lights on. And with that in mind, we’re looking to have a shortlist of projects together by early next year and they are projects that must supply fair dinkum reliable generation. Fair dinkum reliable electricity that can supply electricity when customers need it. Let’s face it - what this is about is customers getting a fair deal, and that’s what we’re absolutely focused on.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on the energy issue, how can you force electricity companies though, private companies, to drive down their prices?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there’s two things. First of all, there’s moving to the default offer from the standard offer and what that does is if you are doing nothing other than remaining loyal to your electricity company, then the price that you’ll be on after the initial deals fold won’t be worse. Because at the moment, once that deal runs out, you go onto a worse price. And so everyone else who is coming on, they get a better price than you and that’s not right. And that’s what this default price mechanism does. It makes sure that you do not get penalised simply because you’re too busy getting the kids off to school, you’re too busy running the family budget, running your family business. This enables you to be protected from those big companies just basically jacking your prices up simply because you haven’t sat down and re-negotiated with them. So this is protecting, which is the majority of customers, ultimately from ensuring they can continue to get a fair deal. But under the big stick legislation we’ll be introducing, where companies are not doing the right thing and doing so egregiously, we’ll be legislating a divestment power. Now that is serious. Other countries like the United Kingdom, United States, they have divestment powers under their competition laws and this gives a real big stick to our regulators to ensure that where companies don’t do the right thing then ultimately there will be the power to deal with that. And that provides the right regulatory environment for companies to know they need to do the right thing. They can’t keep just stashing the returns they’re getting from customers who are paying higher prices and they’re just putting more and more away and putting it in their own pockets. Now that’s not right, and we’re evening up the balance here. It’s stacked against the customer at the moment, it’s all stacked against the customer, and we’re fixing that by putting the right regulatory system in place, the right big stick powers there to even it up so the customer, whether that’s a small business customer, a family business or whether it’s like pensioners we met yesterday, are getting a fair deal.
JOURNALIST: What is the right thing, Prime Minister, can you explain when the big stick comes into play?
PRIME MINISTER: We’ll be introducing legislation before the end of the year and in January, Angus Taylor has made it clear that we want to see action. We want to see action from the electricity companies by January 1.
JOURNALIST: What action?
PRIME MINISTER: Taking their prices down.
JOURNALIST: By how much?
PRIME MINISTER: This is… the ball is in their court. The ball is in their court.
JOURNALIST: Is Malcolm Turnbull going to Bali to represent Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah he is. Let me address this. Eight weeks ago, when I met with President Widodo, he advised me, and I was aware, that the former Prime Minister had committed to go to the Oceans Conference in Bali. Now, this is a very important conference to President Widodo and the Indonesian Government. Now, I am unable to make that commitment and we discussed the opportunities to see if Mr Turnbull would continue to represent Australia on that occasion. That was very warmly received by the President of Indonesia. So we made arrangements to ask Mr Turnbull to represent us there at that event and he will obviously be supported by Government officials and officials from DFAT will obviously be operating within the gambit of what Australia’s policy is. But this decision was taken weeks and weeks and weeks ago and it was done particularly out of a direct conversation between myself and President Widodo. So this is Australia’s national interest, it’s no different to former Prime Ministers representing Australia at other events. Former Prime Minister Abbott has represented our Government overseas and of course Prime Minister Howard has represented, former Prime Minister Howard has represented governments overseas as well. Former Prime Ministers continue to have a role to play to serve our country and where they are able to do that, I know they’re only too willing to do it. And so this is why we have these arrangements in place. But the decision was taken weeks ago and I believe he will make a positive contribution and continue to support the positive relationship we have with Indonesia and for me, national interest comes first.
JOURNALIST: It’s Mr Turnbull’s birthday today, does the Government still need him?
PRIME MINISTER: Well happy birthday.
JOURNALIST: Does the Government still need his support publicly?
PRIME MINISTER: Well they’re matters for Mr Turnbull. He said he's departed from partisan politics, but where he is in a position to support the national interest and where he's in a position to serve his country, he always will. And so of course we welcome that, and where we take a decision where he thinks he can do that and where we think we can, we'll extend such an invitation. I also should stress, I know some have made comments about travel and things like that. I don't think Malcolm is hanging out looking for a trip to Bali, by the way. The reason he's going is because he's been in a position because of his previous relationship with President Widodo to assist our national interest in attending this event. It’s a very important event and to have a former Prime Minister attend is a significant recognition of the status of that event and of the status of our relationship. Now I understand that some people out there may be disappointed by that, or might be angry about it. Others might think it’s a terribly good idea. Frankly, what matters is national interest and ensuring that we’re acting in a positive way managing well our relationships with our neighbours.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can you clarify, has your relationship with Malcolm Turnbull soured after he refused to help campaign for Wentworth?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: There is a quote today that you are ‘done’ with Malcolm Turnbull?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it's wrong.
JOURNALIST: So you are on good terms with him still?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
JOURNALIST: And he won’t be going to any future conferences after this?
PRIME MINISTER: I didn’t say that.
JOURNALIST: So will he be going?
PRIME MINISTER: Well where there is an opportunity and we think it is in Australia’s national interest, whether that’s former Prime Minister Turnbull, former Prime Minister Howard, former Prime Minister Abbott, former Prime Minister Gillard. I mean, I was very happy to acknowledge former Prime Minister Gillard’s attendance and participation in this week’s National Apology. I mean, former Prime Ministers continue to have a role to play. I think they should be treated with respect, I think they should be offered the honour to them for the service that they’ve provided to their country and can continue to serve. And I think sometimes, you know, we’ve got to get above the ruck of personality politics and just focus on what the national interest in. That’s what I will do as Prime Minister. I’ll get above that ruck. I’m not going to get down there in the gutter of this personality politics. I don’t think that’s in the national interest and I don’t think that’s befitting of the Prime Minister. I should be, as all Prime Ministers have in the past, I think sought to treat their predecessors with respect.
JOURNALIST: Is it difficult though, given the circumstances around Malcolm’s removal to move on from that? Barnaby Joyce has made criticisms overnight, do you share those criticisms?
PRIME MINISTER: No I don’t think it is.
JOURNALIST: Can I ask you, Peter Dutton has fresh problems with his relationship with childcare centres. There is one about to be built in Townsville. Does he need to be referred over section 44 of the constitution?
PRIME MINISTER: The Government has no plans to do that.
JOURNALIST: Should they? Are you worried Labor might get the numbers with Wentworth going to...
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t get the Government’s agenda based on what the Labor Party and Bill Shorten is going to do. If I was going to set the Government's agenda based on what the Labor Party wanted to do then Labor’s agenda is to increase electricity prices for Australians, increase taxes. I mean, today you’ll see clearly out there the impact of Labor’s housing tax. They’re abolishing negative gearing as we know it, putting up capital gains tax. What that is going to do is mean less jobs in the construction industry, in the residential construction industry. So to all those tradies out there, understand this: Labor’s policy to put up taxes on housing will cost jobs in the residential construction sector. It will mean fewer homes are getting built, it means that the value of people’s own home already, which has been flat particularly now in Sydney and Melbourne, all of that comes under risk. Labor’s higher tax policies of more than $200 billion in higher taxes will slow our economy, it will mean fewer jobs and it’ll punish Australians. The other thing on Labor’s negative gearing policy to abolish it as we know it and to put up capital gains tax will put our Triple-A credit rating at risk. I know this for a fact as Treasurer, the risk of a hard landing in the housing sector was one of the key risks to Australia’s Triple-A credit rating. The fact that our Government was able to put in a set of controls and policies that achieved a soft landing and recognised that soft landing in the housing market was one of the key reasons we kept our Triple-A credit rating in addition, obviously, to ensure that we got the Budget back on track and coming back into surplus a year ahead of projections. So what Labor is doing with higher taxes means they will slow the economy, there will be fewer jobs and prices will be higher. Whether it’s on your electricity or on your annual tax bill, which means you won’t get to keep more of what you earn under Labor. Under our Government, we’re about a fair go for those having a go, like small and family businesses, and people out there earning a wage for a living. We want them to keep more of what they earn. Labor just wants to tax, and tax, and tax, and tax. And that will slow the economy, that will hurt Australian families’’ economic prospects in the future.
JOURNALIST: Another question on energy policy for yourself Prime Minister, and Angus Taylor. Do you think energy companies have a right to feel a little bit confused? Last week you were saying you wanted to work with them constructively, now they’re the bogeyman and you’re going to take a big stick if they don’t bring their prices down. Which is it, are you working with them constructively or...
PRIME MINISTER: Well they know where we stand and the regulation in the energy sector too often has been used to bewilder customers and for the complexity to be taken advantage of by big energy companies which see their profits go up while people’s prices go up. It’s got to stop, and so we’re ruling a very clear line, not bluffing. I want them to bring the prices down and give their customers a fair go. Work constructively with them to achieve that, but I don’t want them to be in any confusion about where our Government stands. Angus?
MINISTER FOR ENERGY, ANGUS TAYLOR: Well they have to do the right thing by their customers. Get rid of the loyalty tax, get rid of the dodgy practices that we’ve seen in the past and then the relationship can be always constructive.
PRIME MINISTER: Great, thanks a lot guys.
Interview with David Penberthy, FIVEaa
24 October 2018
DAVID PENBERTHY: Prime Minister good morning to you and welcome to FIVEaa Breakfast.
PRIME MINISTER: Hello.
PENBERTHY: Good morning Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: G’day, how are you going?
PENBERTHY: Yeah good, thank you for that Scott Morrison, we weren’t sure if you could hear us there. Hey we wanted to kick things off, obviously with everyone has had it up to the gills with spiraling power prices. But we’ve, because of all the chaos on your side over the last few months, we’ve completely lost track of what it is the Liberal Party is going to actually do to get our bills down.
PRIME MINISTER: Well let me run through it for you Penbo. Step one is we’ve got to get these loyalty taxes, basically, that Australians pay to energy companies just for staying with them for a long time. If you don’t go an renegotiate your contract, you just end up paying more. So what we’re doing is we’re working to establish a new default price. So that means, you don’t go on a worse offer as time goes on, you get on a better offer. And the reference price that everybody has to compare to is a fair dinkum reference price and that brings some honesty and transparency, holding the big energy companies to account.
The second thing we’re doing is we’re bringing in legislation before the end of the year which gives us a big stick to deal with the energy companies when they try to rip you off or they don’t pass through the savings on the wholesale prices. That actually can lead to anything including divestment of their assets if it’s particularly egregious.
The third part is getting more reliable power into the system. Renewables are great and renewable energy can be reliable power, but we also know that with wind and solar power, it doesn’t always switch on. So getting more reliable power into the system by doing two things; enabling investment, more investment in that reliable power source and two, requiring that companies are required to contract, that is buy more, of that reliable power so it gets into the system so the lights stay on.
PENBERTHY: It’s clear that making adjustments to standing contracts will benefit people quite soon. But according to the ACCC report on retail electricity pricing, that’s about 16 per cent of people in South Australia, how do you make a really benefit for the other 84 per cent of people here?
PRIME MINISTER: Well what we’ve said and what we’re saying to the electricity companies is we want to see them make a move on all of this, not by July of next year – I mean that’s the back marker on this change from what the ACCC have recommended – but to do it from the 1st of January. We want to see the big electricity companies get this right and to start bringing prices down now. I mean Australians are rightly furious about seeing the energy companies taking bigger and bigger licks when it comes to what they’re taking out of all of this, and they’re paying higher and higher prices. That’s why we’ve got to apply the big stick legislatively, to ensure that the big energy companies get under control.
PENBERTHY: Do you feel like you’ve got to walk a fine line though, because as the law becomes more prescriptive, as there is more punitive measures contemplated, isn’t there a danger that then it becomes an environment that’s less likely to attract investment? Less likely to get organic investment in new generation, new companies, more competition? Could it actually backfire in the long run?
PRIME MINISTER: Because of where we’re focusing the incentives and the support for investment, is in the power generation, that’s where we want to see more competition. I mean take for example down in Tasmania. I mean down there, the Battery of the Nation project, that’s about doubling the size of Tasmania’s –
[Disruption]
PENBERTHY: I think we might have lost him, he’s dropped out.
PRIME MINISTER: What you need is more power into the system which increases the competition and brings the price down. So the big electricity companies, there’s only a few of them, and they operate in the pretty protected environment by regulation. Often that regulation is used frankly to increase complexity and confuse customers and increase their profits. So ensuring we even that up and balance that up with powers for the Government to have a big stick to get them in line, then that can actually remedy what you’re talking about, not make it worse.
PENBERTHY: Speaking of balance Prime Minister, there’s been a lot of discussion and a lot of it in the broadsheets from the leafier suburbs, saying that the big take-out from Saturday’s events in Wentworth, is that your Government needs to get the kids off Nauru and it needs to get serious about climate change? I think that some of our listeners might agree with those assertions but I would hazard a guess that most of them that they’re more energized by getting power prices down and they probably want Australia to maintain a pretty tough border control regime. How do you balance the sort of inner city issues with the broader suburban issues? In particular given the volatile internal politics on your side right now?
PRIME MINISTER: Well let me make a couple of points. First of all we are getting kids of Nauru, we have been doing it for years. We’ve got hundreds of kids off Nauru and we’ll continue to do that in the way that we’ve been getting about it and we’ll continue to maintain the integrity of a strong border protection policies. You don’t get kids off Nauru by putting more on, by having weak border policies. So that’s been a key focus.
But I mean the key thing is David, mate, I’m not going to play hokey pokey politics, it’s not going to be “left foot in, right foot in”, all that sort of nonsense. We’re a centre-right Party where we do get the balance on these things right. You can look after kids and have a strong border protection policy. You can get electricity prices down and meet the reductions targets that we’ve set for Paris. You don’t have to choose between these two things, you don’t have to get caught up by the shouts from the left and the shouts from the right, you just do your job every day and you stay in the sensible centre-right where successful Liberal and National Governments have always been. That’s certainly where I’m going to be, no hokey pokey politics from me.
PENBERTHY: Just finally PM, what’s the thinking behind letting Malcolm Turnbull who is no longer a Member of Parliament, go and represent Australia at Bali?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s not uncommon for former prime ministers to represent their country where they’re in a position to add some value. I mean this was done eight weeks ago. Former Prime Minister Turnbull had a very, very strong relationship with President Widodo of Indonesia. This oceans conference is very important to Indonesia and the president and he had invited the former Prime Minister to attend that conference. As Prime Minister I couldn’t go because of other commitments and so we discussed Malcolm attending at that time eight weeks ago and we followed that up. So it was a decision taken some while ago and I have no doubt Malcolm will represent Australian Government policy and the Australian nation extremely well. You know, I heard people are a bit upset about it, but you know, the national interest has to come first. I mean we’ve got an excellent relationship with Indonesia, these things shouldn’t be subject to what happens in by-elections or doesn’t happen in by-elections. They should be about what is in the best interests of the country. That’s how I’ll set these policies. He’s in a position, like any other former prime minister, John Howard and Tony Abbott, Julia Gillard, they’re in a position – I saw Julia this week and she did a great job on the Royal Commission into sexual abuse in institutions and I was very happy to acknowledge her role in the Parliament just the other day – former prime ministers can continue to play a very proper and important role. In fact I’ve got Tony Abbott doing that for me right now on Indigenous children and education.
PENBERTHY: Good stuff, Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia, thanks very much for joining us this morning on FIVEaa Breakfast.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Penbo, thanks mate.
A Fair Deal on Energy
23 October 2018
Prime Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Energy
Australian families and businesses will save hundreds of dollars a year off their power bills, thanks to action being taken today by the Morrison Government.
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) will start work on a “price safety net” today.
This will stop big power companies ripping off loyal customers who don’t have time to shop around for a better deal.
However it will still allow retailers to offer more competitively-priced market offers.
The price safety net is consistent with the recommendations of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry.
The Australian Energy Market Commission found that customers on standing offers could be paying up to $832 per year more than the cheapest market offer in some regions. Small businesses could be paying up to $3,457 per year in higher electricity costs.
The AER has been tasked with introducing default prices by 30 April 2019 with savings being passed through to families and small businesses by 1 July 2019.
Other measures announced today by the Morrison Government that will bring prices down and increase reliability are:
Stopping price gouging by the big energy companies. This includes banning sneaky late payment penalties and making energy retailers pass on savings in wholesale prices to customers. It will increase regulator’s power to crack down on dodgy, anti-competitive practices – through fines, penalties, enforceable undertakings, structural separation and divestiture. We have already seen prices come down in Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales on 1 July 2018, and we have directed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to monitor electricity prices until 2025 to ensure prices are fairer for consumers.
Backing investment in new power generators to improve competition. Underwriting new electricity generation will attract investment in the electricity market, increasing supply and reducing wholesale electricity prices. The Government will consult on the Underwriting New Generation Investments program, with submissions open until 9 November 2018. Based on feedback from the consultation, the Government will release initial program guidelines and invite proponents to nominate projects through an expression of interest process open from December 2018 to January 2019.
Supporting reliable power by requiring energy companies to sign contracts guaranteeing enough energy to meet demand. We will work with state and territory governments through the COAG Energy Council to ensure these contracts are signed.
The package of measures announced today builds on the ACCC’s July report, Restoring electricity affordability and Australia's competitive advantage.
The report found that the National Energy Market is not operating in the best interests of consumers and needs reform, in particular around competition and affordability.
Our plan will lower power prices, supporting Australians struggling with the cost of living, and back small businesses so they can take advantage of new opportunities and employ more people.
The Government is also developing legislation to implement a strong regime to monitor electricity prices including:
empowering the ACCC to recommend a range of enforcement remedies;
empowering the Treasurer to order the divestiture of assets on advice from the ACCC; and
supporting the COAG Energy Council agenda through Commonwealth legislation if required.
We will also propose an ambitious agenda for the COAG Energy Council including:
introducing a market cap on generation ownership;
increasing transparency in the wholesale contract market;
introducing higher penalties for breaches of the National Electricity Law and related laws, of up to $10 million; and
increasing the AER’s powers to investigate market manipulation and impose appropriate remedies.
National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse
22 October 2018
Today the Australian Government and this Parliament, on behalf of all Australians, unreservedly apologises to the victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.
For too many years our eyes and hearts were closed to the truths we were told by children.
For too many years governments and institutions refused to acknowledge the darkness that lay within our community. Today, we reckon with our past and commit to protect children now and into the future.
Today, we apologise for the pain, suffering and trauma inflicted upon victims and survivors as children, and for its profound and ongoing impact.
As children, you deserved care and protection. Instead, the very people and institutions entrusted with your care failed you. You suffered appalling physical and mental abuse, and endured horrific sexual crimes.
As fellow Australians, we apologise for this gross betrayal of trust and for the fact that organisations with power over children — schools; religious organisations; governments; orphanages; sports and social clubs; and charities — were left unchecked.
Today, we say we are sorry. Sorry that you were not protected, sorry that you were not listened to. We are sorry for refusing to trust the words of children, for not believing you.
As we say sorry, we also say we believe you. We say what happened was not your fault.
We are sorry that perpetrators of abuse were relocated and shielded rather than held to account, that records have been withheld and destroyed, and accountability avoided.
We are sorry that the justice and child welfare systems that should have protected you, were at times used to perpetrate yet more injustices against you.
We apologise for the lifelong impacts this abuse has had on your health, your relationships, and your ability to live life to its full potential.
We also extend this apology to your children, your parents, siblings, families, friends and supporters; all those who have helped carry the burden of your experiences and helped advocate for accountability.
We regret that your children’s lives have been changed and relationships have been broken by the enduring effects of abuse. We hear the rage, despair and hurt of parents whose trust was betrayed along with your own.
We admit that we failed to protect the most vulnerable people in our society from those who abused their power.
Our community believed people and institutions who did not deserve our trust, instead of believing the children who did.
Because of our inaction, too many victims are no longer with us to hear this apology. They did not live to see the justice they deserved. But today we remember them, and we extend this apology, along with our sincere sympathies, to their families, friends and supporters.
As we say sorry, we honour the courage of survivors and advocates who spoke out to expose sexual abuse in our institutions, often at great personal cost. Your voices saved lives. Your bravery has allowed us to uncover this dark chapter of our national life and understand what we must now do to protect children.
We also acknowledge the many victims and survivors who have not spoken of their abuse. Your suffering is no less anguished for your silence.
Together, as a Government, a Parliament and a community we must all play a role in the protection of children from abuse. We must accept our responsibility to keep our eyes and ears open and speak out to keep our children safe.
We must listen to children and believe what they tell us.
Child sexual abuse is a serious criminal act, and a violation of Australian law. Perpetrators must and will be held to account.
Today, we commit to take action, to build awareness in our community and strengthen our systems to promote children’s safety across Australia. We commit to ensuring that all of our institutions are child-safe.
We know that we must and will do better to protect all children in Australia from abuse and that our actions will give true and practical meaning to this apology.
Our children deserve nothing less.
Doorstop - Sydney, NSW
21 October 2018
PRIME MINISTER: Well thanks for coming together today, before I turn to events domestic, I just want to say a few things about Doctor Jamal Khashoggi. We deplore the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. We expect the Saudi government to cooperate fully with Turkish authorities regarding the investigation of this matter. Australia, as I instructed yesterday, will not be participating and has withdrawn our support for the future investment event in Saudi Arabia. This cannot stand. This will not do. Australia will stand with all other like-minded countries in condemning this death, this killing, and we expect there to be full cooperation. Those who have been arrested will go through the proper process. And we expect the truth to be determined through that process and those responsible to be held accountable.
Now, in terms of matters here domestic, as you know, counting is continuing in the Wentworth by-election. Things are a lot tighter today than they were last night, there is no doubt. It is down to less than 900 votes now. In what I always said and Joshua said was going to be a very tight by-election in Wentworth. And it is proving to be tighter by the minute, literally, in the 10-15 minutes before coming out to speak you, the gap closed by several hundred votes again and there are still many postal votes to be counted. We will simply wait for that normal, democratic, robust, credible process to follow its course before we are in a position to know who the successful candidate will be at that by-election. But, that said, yesterday Liberal voters expressed their anger at the parliamentary Liberal Party. There is no doubt about that. And we copped that fairly on the chin. The events of two months ago angered and outraged many Liberals and particularly those in the seat of Wentworth. That's on us, the parliamentary Liberal Party, for those who serve in the parliamentary ranks. That is not on Dave Sharma. Dave Sharma would have to be one of the most quality candidates I have ever seen stand for the Liberal Party in any election anywhere, any time. He and Rachel and their family are absolutely extraordinary and Josh and I both want to pass on again our thanks to them, to Dave and his family, for putting themselves forward.
It is also not on the rank-and-file of the Liberal Party, who were out there yesterday and were there last night, encouraging us on. They were there, they turned up. And I want to thank them for their participation and their loyal support. The anger was vented at the parliamentary Liberal Party and as the leader of the party I have to take responsibility for that. And in exercising that responsibility what I said to our Liberal family last night is that we will continue and, in fact, are more determined now than ever before to fight for those beliefs that we hold so dear, which is why people vote for the Liberal Party, which is why people support the Liberal Party. The principles I have talked about many time since I have become leader and, indeed, well before then.
We will continue to stand and get to work, as Josh and I are today, on the things that count to Australians. To create those jobs, to bring those electricity prices down, to stand with and for small and family businesses around the country. To stand with our farmers and rural communities as we work our way through and prepare for the better periods ahead for our rural and regional communities on the other side of the drought. We are the Party which stands by all of these Australians, retirees, those starting families, those looking to buy a house and get ahead, those who want to earn for a living and want to be able to keep more of what they earn so they can put it into the things they believe their families, their communities. So that is what we are about. That is what we will keep fighting for.
I know the Labor Party will be all cocky about this. Bill Shorten is always cocky. He hasn't got a lot to be cocky about from yesterday. The Labor Party vote fell by one third, just like our vote fell by a third, just like the Greens vote fell by a third. The suggestion was that the Labor Party ran dead. Well, if they were really running dead they would have sent Bill Shorten to Wentworth, because that would have driven their vote down even more. They were in it to win it, that is why Bill Shorten never showed up in Wentworth. So there is not much for him to crow about or others to crow about.
But what is for us to do is to soberly look and understand and acknowledge the anger that has been vented at the parliamentary Liberal Party by Liberal voters, in particular. And it is our task to win them back. We are united in that cause as a Parliamentary team. We are united in a cause as a Party across the country and we will stay the course of that sensible centre. We will stay that course and stick to the policies that are growing our economy to deliver the essential services that Australians rely on to keep Australians save and to keep Australians together. I will ask Josh to say one or two things and then we are happy to take questions.
TREASURER, JOSH FRYDENBERG: Well thanks, PM. After the events of eight weeks ago, Dave Sharma was kicking into a ten goal wind. Despite that, he brought dignity and distinctive to the campaign. He was an outstanding candidate, it says a lot about the Liberal Party that we can attract someone of the calibre of Dave Sharma, but it says a lot about his character and capacity about the way he has conducted himself over the course of this campaign. But the people of Wentworth have sent us a message and we have listened and heard that, loud and clear. And as the Prime Minister says, we are now back at work and we are committed to implementing our economic plan for Australia. Our plan that has delivered more than a million new jobs. A plan that has seen us have our triple-A credit rating reaffirmed. A plan that is seeing our Budget come back to balance a year earlier than expected. And a plan that is delivering the essential services of health, education, and disability support to the people who need it most. The economy cannot be risked with a return to Labor's spend and tax approach.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, we have taken last night's Liberal speeches as concession defeat speeches. Are you reining that back in this morning and telling us that the Liberals are a real chance in Wentworth or not?
PRIME MINISTER: What I said last night, when I was down in the electorate last night, after leaving, because of the rain delayed start to the Invictus Opening Ceremony, which was a tremendous event, by the way, Prince Harry was just amazing, as were the athletes. But when I got down there, because I wanted to go and I wanted to talk to the Liberal family, it was very important not to leave that until later but to front it up early, I did say there was still a lot of counting to go. I qualified the remarks I made last night on that. I have been around politics for a long time. And you always wait until the last vote is counted. Indeed, in the message I said to Kerryn today was to say there are still votes to be counted and we will see where that ends. But I have initiated contact with her as you would expect me to do. We will wait to see how that goes.
But the counting continues. This is not an unexpected result. This is no surprise to me or to Josh or to our team. I grew up in the seat of Wentworth. I know how volatile it can be. Over many elections, going back to Malcolm Turnbull's first election in 2004, indeed, almost having lost the seat in 2007. So this was no surprise to me. And so, while not unexpected, I think it does express a very clear level of anger, which we acknowledge today. And they will keep counting, Tim, and we will see what they come up with. It is down to just over 800 votes. If it gets as close as 100 then an automatic recount is triggered under the normal rules. I am not saying it will get to that.
JOURNALIST: It is quite extraordinary isn’t it. But still humiliating.
PRIME MINISTER: Well the result demonstrates an enormous amount of anger which has been levelled at the Liberal Party, but let's not forget, the Labor Party and the Green Party vote collapsed by a similar proportion.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, given it has tightened, and given… can you confirm that you personally spoke or at least your office spoke to Malcolm Turnbull about a letter of support. Could that have made the difference, and what was the debate over the form of words which stopped him producing that letter or agreeing to that letter?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, quite a number of us asked for that support, not necessarily in the form of a letter, there are many other ways in which people can choose to express their support for Dave. I will be honest about it, those approaches were made. There were even made by Dave himself. What impact they would have had, ultimately, is for others to judge.
JOURNALIST: But you personally spoke to him did you and asked for some… and were you surprised that he didn’t offer that message of support?
PRIME MINISTER: Look I have always sought to be understanding of the tremendous personal impact that the events of two months ago would have had not just on Malcolm but on his family. When questions were put to me about his son Alex's comments, I was very understanding about that, and I am understanding about that. These events of several months ago, I think, I know would have been personally very difficult to deal with. And so look, I am for grace. That is what I am for.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you warned last week that chaos and instability would arise if Dave Sharma failed last night. How debilitating will that chaos and instability be for the Morrison Government?
PRIME MINISTER: Well of course, when you are governing in a minority government, if that’s what proves to be the ultimate outcome of the count, then that is obviously more challenging than governing as a majority government. That is just a simple statement of fact. It is as obvious as the sunrise. But we have a very good relationship with the crossbench and people can expect us to get to the work. I mean I’ve got to tell you, today we are hosting an event with charities and others with the Duke and Duchess, but the other important thing today, as a Prime Minister, I am focusing on tomorrow we give the national apology to the victims of institutional sexual abuse. You know what, with all the politics going on at the moment, that is where my head is today. I am thinking about those Australians and what they are feeling. They will be may be on their way to Canberra. Some mightn’t be coming because they just can't. Some won’t be able to get out of bed. Some won't be able to talk to another living soul tomorrow. And it is my job, as Prime Minister tomorrow, to convey the sorry that they have wanted to hear for so long. And I have got to tell you, that is where my head is today.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you lose this and what is the argument to not, having lost your majority, to not having a general election immediately, and how can you convince the Australian people that it is about the fact that you want to the Prime Minister for ten months instead of three?
PRIME MINISTER: Australian people expect governments to serve their term. We are elected to serve our term and that is what we are going to do.
JOURNALIST: Even without a majority?
PRIME MINISTER: That is not an uncommon circumstance. I mean there has previously been governments who have served in that way. There is no reason our government can’t serve in that way. We are elected to do a job to make our economy stronger, deliver the essential services that Australians rely on, and over a million jobs later, a Budget coming back into the balance, a triple-A credit rating, small business tax reduced and legislated in one week. One week we were able to do that. But we moved on other issues, whether it was drought, strawberry farmers, or GST, finding a solution that has eluded people for years and years and years. Our government is getting on with it. I mean last week, you know what really happened last week? Unemployment went down to five per cent. Small business taxes got dropped to 25 per cent by law and we legislated one of the biggest trade deals this country has ever done, reaching half a billion customers around the world.
JOURNALIST: So how come you’re on the nose? So how come you’re on the nose?
PRIME MINISTER: Because of the anger in Wentworth amongst the Liberals about what happened two months ago. What I am encouraged by over the last, particularly over the last week to ten days of the campaign, because our own research showed things were much different to where this final election has ended up, and much worse than, frankly, was reported in the Australian I should say, during the week, what I am pleased about is that those Liberals who wanted to see us win, but were not planning to vote for us on Saturday, decided to. They decided to turn up and vote for us. I thank them for that vote of confidence. But there were many others that for whom the anger was just too much to get past and that is what we saw yesterday.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, will you be talking to the Governor General if you have a minority government to advise the Governor General that you still have a government that can work?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that is not how the process works. The Government remains the Government unless a no-confidence motion is put by a member of the House of Representatives, the Labor Party, I am assuming, and they have the numbers to support such a no-confidence motion. When you are sworn in as Prime Minister and asked to form a government, you do so on the basis of the support I was able to demonstrate, and it is for the House to determine otherwise. And that is how the process works. There is no reason, necessarily, for there to be a vote at all. What I will continue to do is be working closely with the crossbenchers, as I have been doing, because as you may have noticed, we have been at 75, not 76, for some weeks since the former Prime Minister resigned from the Parliament. In that time we had been able to legislate, run the Parliament, haven't lost one vote during that time. And we have managed the parliament extremely well with the cooperative support of crossbenchers, particularly Bob Katter and Cathy McGowan.
JOURNALIST: Have you reconsidered an independent Speaker, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: I think Tony Smith is doing an outstanding job. And I think that has been key to the key running of the parliament. On top of that, I know he in that role is well supported by the crossbenchers well.
JOURNALIST: The Treasurer spoke about Dave Sharma kicking into a ten goal wind, aren't you kicking into a ten goal wind when it comes to the federal election?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course I am. But I tell you what I know how to kick. And I’m going to keep kicking. I will keep fighting for the things that we believe in, because the Liberal Party and the National Party are going to fight to ensure, not only for the things we believe in, getting out there and supporting those who are having a go, but we are going to fight to ensure that the alternative vision, if you want to call it that, I call it a nightmare, from the Labor Party, which is to knock some people down to pretend you are building other people up, to hit Australians with more than $200 billion of extra taxes,which will slow the economy, reduce the number of jobs that can be achieved in our economy, not support better wages for Australians, put at risk essential services like affordable medicines, that depend on a strong economy, we will fight against that. And we will take this all the way to the line. Bill Shorten may be cocky and he may think he is ready there, but I assure him that from the Liberal Party’s point of view he is in for the fight of his life.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister... How many of the six house of rep crossbenchers have you now contacted since last night and what are you imploring them to do?
PRIME MINISTER: I have only spoken to Kerryn today and I have been in regular contact with Cathy, as I always am. I met with Bob last week. It is a constant process of dialogue and exchange. I was with Rebekha Sharkie last weekend while I was down in Adelaide. I called in on her office and we had a chat. I have a constant dialogue with the crossbench. That is important to the smooth running of the parliament and also for me to understand what their key issues are so I can continue to work well with them. That is what I have been doing. I will continue to do that. That is what a Prime Minister's job is to do that. That is what you do each day. It is part of the job description.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] how are you going to manage that?
PRIME MINISTER: They are matters for Kerryn to work through on a bill by bill basis. Other crossbenchers have different views to her on those issues. And of course the Government has its own views. This is not about going one way or the other way from the left to the right. We are in sensible centre right of a Australian politics. That is where the Liberal Party has always sensibly been. We are out there supporting sensible Australians who just want to work hard and get on with their lives and make a different for their families and their communities. That is who we are standing with, whether they are on a drought stricken farms or running small and family businesses, whether it is in Wentworth or Cronulla or down in Canterbury and Melbourne or in Perth in Western Australia, or up in Darwin, that is who we will continue to stand with. And they know that. And we will continue to reach out to all of those Australians, who we know do not want to see a Bill Shorten led Labor government in Australia, which will set Australian against Australian, which will set employee against employer, which will set parent against parent for where they send their school too. Bill Shorten was to lead a country that he only seeks to divide. That is not the future of Australia where the economy is strong, where the people are safe, and your people are united.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you and your deputy say you have heard the message of the Wentworth voters. Can I ask then, how will climate policy change, how will asylum policy change, because on my measure those two issues were loud and proud in the Wentworth campaign.
PRIME MINISTER: I will ask a Josh to touch on a couple of those. But what a heard yesterday was the outraged anger of Liberals who were angry and furious about what happened several months ago. Now, the Government’s policies on the issues you’ve set out are very clear. We will engage with all members of the Parliament on them. We will do that constructively. Take, for example, issues with children on Nauru. The Government does not want to see children on Nauru. We didn't put them there. The Labor Party's failed policies put them there. In fact, we are the party that has closed detention centres, got children out of detention, stopped the tragic and horrific deaths at sea, and we are very well placed, and I am in particular very well placed, to ensure we get the balance right to provide compassion and support, particularly for children. It aggrieves me and always has. I mean, why do you think I took such a strong stance for all of those years, as everyone condemned me, as I went about the task of stopping those tragic deaths at sea? I stood up for it because I was sick and tired of seeing failed policies put in dead children in the water. Now, I don't want to see a dead child in the water. And I don't want to see a child under duress or stress or unwell anywhere else. And our policies and our actions, as we have taken hundreds of children Nauru, hundreds and hundreds, and we will continue to work closely with the crossbench members to get the right outcomes there. We all want that to be achieved, but none of us wants the human carnage to start again at sea. No one wants that. No crossbencher wants that. And we have got to be very careful how these issues are managed. Now on climate policy, we have got that right. Josh answered it so well this morning I thought I would let him do it again.
TREASURER, JOSH FRYDENBERG: Thanks, PM. Look, our policies have been settled for some time in relation to climate change. It has helped deliver the lowest emissions on a per capita and GDP basis in 28 years. We have met our previous targets and we will beat our future targets. But what we will not do is increase people's power bills as a result of these policies. That is very different to Bill Shorten. He has a 50 per cent renewable energy target and a 45 per cent emissions reduction target. That spells higher power bills for Australians. So, yes, we will reduce our emissions, yes we have several policies, but we will not, as Labor will do, put people's power bills up.
JOURNALIST: Was it a mistake to oust Malcom Turnbull as Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry?
JOURNALIST: Was it a mistake to oust Malcom Turnbull as Prime Minister on the Party side given what happened…
PRIME MINISTER: Well Josh and I did not do that. So you will have to put those questions to other people. I have said very clearly that as leader of the Liberal Party, as Prime Minister in a Liberal National Government, that as leader you must take responsibility for the anger and the outrage that Australians, in particular in Wentworth, have expressed. I take that on the chin. I will take it early, I will turn up on the good days, and I will turn up on the bad days. I will ensure that at all times we will stand by what we believe as Liberals and we will take the party forward. We are more than determined. We are more than focused. We are very, very committed as we go forward in this fight, as I said, as Menzies said all those years ago, you fight and stand for what you believe until the bell rings, and frankly beyond. And that bell hasn’t rung yet. We are still going to run very, very hard. And Bill Shorten has the fight of his life. Thank you.
Interview with Karl Stefanovic, Today Show
19 October 2018
KARL STEFANOVIC: Prime Minister Scott Morrison joins me now. Good morning PM.
PRIME MINISTER: Hello Karl.
STEFANOVIC: You need a miracle in Wentworth, have you prayed for one?
PRIME MINISTER: As you know, I pray often Karl about many things, mostly about rain for the drought. But mate, yeah of course it’s a very big, tough contest tomorrow and there is a lot at stake, the Government does have just a one seat majority.
In the last 24 hours, Kerryn Phelps has made it pretty clear she couldn't say she was giving full confidence to the Government if she were elected. So I think that sets it out pretty clearly.
I mean there is a lot of stuff that goes on in Canberra in that bubble, which I think most Australians rightly ignore. But what really happened in Canberra this week is that unemployment hit 5 per cent. Our national economy is strong under our management. We passed laws to get small and family business taxes down to 25 per cent and we passed the Bill which endorsed one of the biggest trade agreements we have ever done, reaching over half a billion customers around the world. So that's the real stuff and that's what's at stake if we put this at risk tomorrow.
STEFANOVIC: Have you spoken with Kerryn Phelps yet?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah I've seen her a couple of times on the campaign trail yeah. I've actually been in Wentworth, Bill Shorten hasn't made an appearance yet. But I've met with her on a number of occasions, I've known Kerryn for many years.
STEFANOVIC: So she may not guarantee supply for you? That's huge issue for you, that’s a game breaker.
PRIME MINISTER: And confidence even more importantly. Those two things are the issue so I think that does throw a real big question mark.
I mean I know there has been the events of a couple of months ago. That was very, very difficult. As people know, I supported the then Prime Minister very strongly. But what’s at stake now is locally, having a fantastic candidate in Dave Sharma, who is real quality. He has got the experience, he went from immigrant to ambassador, he can do the job for Wentworth and he can ensure we can continue to do the job with certainty and stability for the economy at a national level. So that's what we’re focused on, that's what's at risk.
Kerryn Phelps only has to run second and she can come a long way second and she can still win the election. So I urge Liberal voters, I know as former prime minister Howard said yesterday, they’re grumpy and I acknowledge that. I know that. I was there, and I was working to try and support the then Prime Minister all the way. But now we have got a job to do and that's to ensure the stability and certainty of the Government for the 29,000 small businesses in Wentworth.
STEFANOVIC: You have lost your way a bit haven't you?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I don’t think at all Karl. I don't get distracted by the Canberra bubble and all the commentary. It’s not something I get distracted by. I'm focused on the drought and I'm focused on delivering on the economy for all Australians.
STEFANOVIC: Let me put this to you then, after winning the Liberal leadership you outlined your mantra to the Australian people. You said; "We are on your side, because we share beliefs and values in common as you go about everything you do each day." So, how much in all honesty do you believe the Australian people care about where the capital of Israel is located?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think for the Jewish community - and not just on the capital of Israel - but Australia having it’s own independent voice on its foreign policy. I mean, we can't be told by other countries around the world, about what our views are. Even the suggestion from Labor that we can't even ask a question and consider a question.
Now, as a Prime Minister of an independent sovereign country like Australia, we should be able to have these conversations and engage in them. That's what sovereignty is all about. We can't be told by everyone else what to think -
STEFANOVIC: That’s all fine.
PRIME MINISTER: The Labor Party seem to think so. That's why I think it’s important.
STEFANOVIC: This is all fine, but you also said this; “Getting up in the morning, getting off to work, turning up on site, getting the parent you’re caring for up in the morning, exchanging that smile each and every day, getting the kids off to school, getting home at night.”
PRIME MINISTER: That’s right.
STEFANOVIC: “Perhaps if you’re lucky, a bit of time together, some of those happy moments, too often too far between.”
PRIME MINISTER: That’s right.
STEFANOVIC: “There are too many pressures that families face today”. How pressure do you think the Australian family, when they are trying to make ends meet, trying to pay bills, how much do you think they feel about where the Australian Embassy should be located, in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, again I’ll give you the same answer. They care about Australia having its own sovereign foreign policy, but they care about employment coming down to 5 per cent and they care about small business taxes coming down to 25 per cent.
STEFANOVIC: So, so why were you focused on other things this week?
PRIME MINISTER: Karl, I focus on all these things, which Prime Ministers have to do. They’ve to deal with the knocks and things that come at you each day. They’ve got to deal with the criticisms and they’ve got to deal with things that pop up which are out of our control. But a Prime Minister who believes as I do-
STEFANOVIC: They didn't pop up, you raised it.
PRIME MINISTER: Because I think it’s an important question of sovereignty for Australia to be –
STEFANOVIC: This is the point, I don't think Australians care. I think Australians care about power bills and they care about the price of petrol, they care about their kid’s education. They are the things they care about, not where the embassy is in Israel.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm acting on all of those issues you just mentioned as well, Karl, on electricity prices, on petrol prices, on all of these things.
But if you’re telling me that I'm not allowed to raise a question about an issue as significant as peace in the Middle East and how that affects a very large Jewish community here in Australia and not even ask that question or contemplate it, then that doesn't make us an independent nation. That’s just -
STEFANOVIC: Did you talk to the Jewish community?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course I do, all the time and have for weeks and weeks.
STEFANOVIC: And what did they say about it?
PRIME MINISTER: They are obviously very supportive of it.
STEFANOVIC: All of them?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it’s a large community Karl, I mean I didn't run a plebiscite on it. But it’s a pretty common position that people have in that community.
STEFANOVIC: It’s off topic. It’s off topic for everyday Australians, it’s just so far removed from the things that matter to them, it’s not funny.
PRIME MINISTER: But Karl, this is the problem with what you are saying to me; in the same week that I raised that issue, I passed tax cuts for small and family business. In the same week I raised that issue, we passed the trade law bill which reaches half a billion customers around the world.
Now, we spent more time on that, but that's not what you are asking me about. You’re asking me about the issues of commentators in the Canberra bubble, commentating on a statement that I made on one day of the week.
STEFANOVIC: Okay.
PRIME MINISTER: That's part of the problem with Canberra bubble politics. I'm not in the Canberra bubble. I'm out of it. I'm focusing on all the things you said as I did in that first press conference.
STEFANOVIC: Barnaby Joyce will be a better running mate, won’t he?
PRIME MINISTER: No look, that's bubble rubbish too Karl.
STEFANOVIC: How is the Leader of the National Party rubbish?
PRIME MINISTER: Mate it’s not happening. There's nothing going on, that's more Canberra gossip coming out of Canberra.
STEFANOVIC: So he is not having a go?
PRIME MINISTER: Look I'm not in the National Party, but that is just more rumour and gossip running around Canberra which journalists love to go on about. Because they love to talk about conflict. I'm interested in unemployment coming down to 5 per cent, 60,000 people coming off the unemployment queue since we were last elected. This is what is all at stake at this by-election tomorrow -
STEFANOVIC: PM, have you -
PRIME MINISTER: All of this is at stake because of the fact that we have got an independent candidate who says that she can't even bring herself to give confidence to the serving government that was elected at the last election.
STEFANOVIC: PM, have you got the wobbles?
PRIME MINISTER: Not at all mate. I'm straight, absolutely straight, you always know where I stand, Karl. You’ve always known that because you and I have had a few set-tos over the years. You always know where I'm coming from and the only thing that is playing on my mind is I have to get to the top of that bridge today with Prince Harry today and I suspect he’ll scarper up there a bit quicker than I will.
STEFANOVIC: We wish you all the very best with that climb onto Sydney Harbour Bridge, there is a bit of fog around, there is a bit of fog in Canberra as well pardon the pun. Okay PM thank you for your time.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Karl.
Interview with Fitzy & Wippa, Nova
19 October 2018
RYAN FITZGERALD: The Prime Minister Scott Morrison joins us now, ScoMo!
MICHEAL WIPFLI: ScoMo!
PRIME MINISTER: How are you going fellas?
WIPPA: Prime Minister how many times have you climbed the bridge?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ve actually never done it before.
WIPPA: What?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I’ve trekked Kokoda and I’ve done all those sorts of things but I actually haven’t gone to the top of the Bridge, so it’s part of the tourist habits now, you get to climb the bridge with a fat middle aged guy.
[Laughter]
WIPPA: What are you like with heights? Because I’ve done it about four times. I remember my sister came with me once and there’s this sort of a grille part that you cross over at the start. She froze like a possum on a wire, it’s pretty scary stuff. Are you going to be okay?
PRIME MINISTER: I reckon mate, I’ll push through, I’ll push through.
FITZY: Did you, you went down to Bathurst as well a couple of weeks ago Scomo? Is that correct?
PRIME MINISTER: We did, Lilly my daughter and I went out and we did a hot lap with Mark Skaife.
FITZY: Get outta town.
WIPPA: Wow.
PRIME MINISTER: It was awesome.
FITZY: You didn’t take her up to the top of the mountain did you? Please no.
PRIME MINISTER: No, no, we didn’t stop at the top, we kept going at about 200kmph.
[Laughter]
WIPPA: God, okay.
FITZY: So what’s the etiquette when you meet the royals today? Have you been informed what you’re allowed to do Scott?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah look, they’ll run through it again with me today. I was talking to Jenny last night and they’ve been taking her through it all. The family is looking forward to it, my two girls are looking forward to it and Jenny has sort of gone out and she’s bought some presents for Meghan for the baby coming up.
WIPPA: Oh, great!
PRIME MINISTER: So that’ll be nice. It’ll be a very happy occasion and when a young couple is having their first child, I just think that’s one of the best things there is. So I’m looking forward to congratulating them on that and hearing about their excitement about that and what they’ve been getting back from Australians as they’ve been moving around. I think the trip up to Dubbo would have been pretty good and I was glad to see they’ve brought some rain with them.
WIPPA: Prime Minister, a lot of pressure when you’re buying first baby gifts. I wonder if you can reveal to us exactly what Jenny has bought yet, but can you give us an idea? What have you gone out and shopped for?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s Snugglepot and Cuddlepie –
WIPPA: Oh, the gumnuts.
FITZY: Iconic.
PRIME MINISTER: Yep it is iconic and Jen has got a few things around that. She’s great at buying gifts for kids and for families having their first babies – and second and third, you know how many. That really lights her up so I think she really quite enjoyed going and doing that.
FITZY: And are you sticking around the Harbour for the weekend as well, have you got any official duties for the Invictus Games Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah I’ll be there at the opening, I’ll be speaking at the opening and looking forward to that. The Invictus Games I think is just going to be tremendous. Its going to be great for Sydney but it’s also going to be tremendous for all those service men and women and their families, because it’s just going to put a great deal of recognition on them. You know, we watch the Olympics and we watch the Comm Games and there’s great stories of courage there, certainly. But this is pretty special.
WIPPA: Beyond special.
FITZY: Scott I see you’re rolling out Johnny Howard around the Wentworth district over the last couple of days?
PRIME MINISTER: He’s doing aright mate, he’s still got it.
WIPPA: Oh yeah.
FITZY: The only thing I would do if I was you is I would get Johnny to wear his Australian tracksuit.
[Laughter]
I think the punters would love that.
WIPPA: Like he’s on a walk, doing quick handshakes and he hasn’t stopped since he left the gates of Kirribilli.
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’m at Kirribilli now, I better go and look in the closet and see if that tracksuit is there.
WIPPA: I recon.
PRIME MINISTER: Maybe I should don it today? Might be a little bit tight though we’re a little bit of a different size. That could be a bit unattractive.
[Laughter]
WIPPA: I would love to see you in that.
FITZY: The other thing is, while you’re at Kirribilli House, we’ve been, negotiations have been going on and mate, you’ve been great in this sense. But it look like the backyard cricket game could be going ahead, the charity game that we might having at the end of the year Mr Morrison?
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry?
FITZY: We’re thinking about having a backyard cricket game at Kirribilli House.
PRIME MINISTER: Oh yeah?
FITZY: Raising a lot of money for charity and we’d love to get you involved.
PRIME MINISTER: Mate that sounds like a great idea.
FITZY: Yeah?
PRIME MINISTER: I can throw the arm over a bit.
WIPPA: Okay, here we go.
FITZY: Unfortunately John Howard couldn’t.
PRIME MINISTER: No.
WIPPA: He wasn’t too good.
FITZY: And Bob Hawke got hit in the glasses, do you remember that when he went –
PRIME MINISTER: I remember both of those things. Each year I go and kick off the local rugby season down at my local electorate and the one image you have going through your head are those, particularly that bowling.
WIPPA: The Howard bowl, isn’t it.
PRIME MINISTER: Every politician dreads that, but good on John. That was the good thing about Mr Howard, you know, he’d always just be himself. I think that’s why people loved him so much and that why he was out there yesterday. It’s a pretty serious by-election tomorrow. All she has to do, Kerryn Phelps, is run second and if she runs seconds, well…
This week I was very pleased that unemployment down to five per cent. I know this an FM programme and I don’t want to get too serious on you.
WIPPA: No, no.
PRIME MINISTER: Unemployment is down to five per cent. We passed laws this week which get small business taxes, family business taxes down to 25 per cent. And we passed a bill which opens up trade to half a billion customers around the Pacific area, across the Americas and across Asia. So that’s what actually really happened in Canberra this week. There was a whole bunch of other gump and gossip and gubble that went on and that’s why I think a lot of people turn off politics. But that’s the stuff that matters. And that’s the stuff at risk tomorrow. Because I mean, I’ve known Kerryn Phelps for a long time and I’m not having an argument with her.
WIPPA: Yep.
PRIME MINISTER: But she’s said that if she’s elected, that she couldn’t say she would support the Government in a confidence motion. So that would mean that we could have a change of Government and certainly, I don’t think that’s going to be good for the economy and I don’t think people would want to see Bill Shorten Prime Minister in that way.
FITZY: That’s right. Alright good luck over the weekend, get your overalls on and thank you very much for joining us Prime Minister. We appreciate it.
PRIME MINISTER: Good to talk to you boys.
Invictus Flag to Fly on Sydney Harbour Bridge
19 October 2018
Prime Minister, Premier of NSW
The Prime Minister of Australia, The Hon. Scott Morrison MP, today had the honour of climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge to raise the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 flag with His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex, to mark the arrival of the Invictus Games in Sydney.
To celebrate this occasion, the Prime Minister and The Duke will be joined by three competitors from the 2018 Australian Invictus Games team, Mr Luke Hill, Captain Ruth Hunt and Mr Peter Rudland as well as Ms Gwen Cherne whose late husband Peter Cafe served in Cambodia, Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq.
“The Sydney Harbour Bridge is an Australian icon and I can think of no better place to raise the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 flag. It will be especially wonderful for the Duke and me to share this moment with members of the Australian Team before they get ready to compete for Australia,” the Prime Minister said.
The New South Wales Premier, the Honourable Gladys Berejiklian has granted permission for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 flag to replace the NSW flag on top of the bridge from Friday 19 October until the Closing Ceremony on Saturday October 27. The flag will fly alongside the Australian flag for the duration of the Games.
“On the eve of the Opening Ceremony of Invictus Games Sydney 2018 I’m excited to see the flag flying high above our beautiful harbour as Sydney welcomes competitors, family and friends from 18 participating nations for what is set to be an incredible event,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“I wish all those competing the very best for the Games and I know the Australian Team will do our country as proud on the sporting fields as they have done in military uniform,” said the Prime Minister.
The Invictus Games is an international sporting event for wounded, injured and ill servicemen and women, both active duty and veteran. The Games use the healing power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their country. The Games also recognise the critical role played by family and friends.
Interview with David Koch, Sunrise
19 October 2018
DAVID KOCH: Prime Minister, good morning to you. Big day ahead, climbing the Bridge with Harry. You scared of heights, have you been training?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’ll scamper up there, I think he’ll beat me to the top I think though, pretty comfortably. He is well ahead of me on that score. But I’m looking forward to it, it should be fun. More importantly, it’s highlighting this tremendous the Invictus Games which is kicking off this weekend. Which is a great inspiration, not only to all Australians and a great recognition of all of the servicemen and women of the world, but I think it’s just an inspiration to everybody everywhere and I think Prince Harry has done an enormous, fabulous job on this.
KOCH: Look, you’ve declared yourself a monarchist. These young royals - we were talking to Mark Latham and Jeff Kennett earlier in the morning - basically there will be no republic debate after this visit, you’d think? It will be well and truly on the back burner. They have just wowed us, haven't they?
PRIME MINISTER: Well they have and I think they connect with people extremely well. I think they give people a sense of certainty and stability. That’s the reason why I have had the view that I have had, when it comes to this issue.
I think they are great exemplars of that role and what it does for our country and so I welcome them. They’re bringing the rain with them everywhere, Kochie. It’s raining today, it was raining in Dubbo, we want to see that rain. As you know, we want to see it in the drought-affected areas of Australia.
KOCH: Are you taking the girls out of school to meet Harry?
PRIME MINISTER: They’re pretty excited, I have got to tell you. They’ll get to meet Meghan and Harry later today.
KOCH: Oh okay.
PRIME MINISTER: It’s a pretty special day for them.
KOCH: Okay so tomorrow's Wentworth by-election, are you taking Dave Sharma to meet them for a photo opportunity? He needs all the help he can get against Kerryn Phelps.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the royals are above politics. You wouldn’t expect to see that.
But you’re right it is a very important by-election as we know. Look, I understand David, why Liberals are feeling angry in Wentworth, about what happened a couple of months ago. I was there at the time. As people know, I was supporting the then Prime Minister very strongly. So I understand.
But this is a very important by-election, because as we’ve learned only in the last 24 hours, the lead independent candidate Kerryn Phelps, on multiple occasions couldn’t even say she would support a confidence motion or vote for the government. That can throw the entire government into a lot of uncertainty.
I know there has been a lot of instability and uncertainty, but voting for an independent will only make that worse.
KOCH: Okay.
PRIME MINISTER: So that’s a very serious issue for Wentworth voters as we go into this by-election tomorrow.
KOCH: She says though she believes governments should run their full term. So that has got to be comforting for you?
PRIME MINISTER: Well when she was asked many times on the issue of whether she would support a no-confidence motion, which would come from the Labor Party, or provide confidence to the government, she wouldn’t do it. Now, they are her own words David, I'm not putting words in her mouth. Just this week - you know the Canberra bubble, people talk about all sorts of rubbish in Canberra and I think that is why people switch off politics. There was a lot of talk about gossip and all that sort of nonsense this week.
But what really happened this week is unemployment hit 5 per cent. We passed laws to reduce the taxes for small and family businesses to 25 per cent. We passed one of the biggest trade deals which is going to reach half a billion customers for everybody from our farmers to our high-tech providers. So that is actually what really happened in Canberra and we want to keep that happening. To do that, we need the stability of our government and that means supporting Dave Sharma, who is quality.
KOCH: But also stability in your parties as well. Because yes, we had the ousting of Malcolm Turnbull recently and sort of, people think; "What on earth is going on there?" Now, there are all these rumours that Barnaby’s going to come back. The “bring Barnaby back” from some of your Coalition members, because they reckon Michael McCormack isn’t doing a good enough job. So the electorate goes; “What the hell are you doing now?”
PRIME MINISTER: Well again, that’s just the Canberra bubble going on like it always does.
KOCH: So there’s no basis to it?
PRIME MINISTER: No I don’t believe so and look, Michael McCormack I have worked closely with him both previously when I was a Treasurer and now as a Prime Minister. We’ve got a solid Coalition which is getting these things done. Real things; reducing unemployment, getting jobs, supporting small and family businesses. And Dave Sharma is someone who is quality, who can deliver locally and deliver nationally. That’s why it is important for Liberal voters to support him tomorrow.
I know they’re upset about events of a couple of months ago, just like John Howard said yesterday, but at the end of the day what really matters is the strength of our economy, the certainty of our ability to keep going and pursuing those policies that are delivering that, strengthen our economy. Because if you’re interested in Medicare, affordable medicines, it only comes from a strong economy and we can't put all that at risk.
KOCH: Okay Prime Minister, enjoy your day, it’s going to be a big one with lots of ups and downs. Thanks for joining us.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks David, can I also just say, all the best of the Telethon also in WA. It’s a magnificent event. I am sorry I can't be here. There’s one or two things on, on the east coast, but congratulations to all involved and particularly to Seven.
KOCH: Yep, I’ll take your good wishes across with me when I go over this afternoon. Prime Minister, thank you.
Doorstop - Bruce, ACT
18 October 2018
PRIME MINISTER: Let’s go straight to questions.
JOURNALIST: Barnaby Joyce, would you welcome him back as Nationals leader?
PRIME MINISTER: They are matters for the National Party but what I do know is that the Coalition between the Nationals and the Liberals has never been stronger. Michael McCormack, I continue to work with him enthusiastically, passionately and just announcing what I have this morning - well it wasn't really an announcement, our position has never changed. Of course we have been working towards an agricultural visa and we’ve got a plan for how to get there. And so Michael McCormack has been critical in that process and I continue to enjoy working with him and I think he does a fantastic job.
JOURNALIST: Is his leadership under threat?
PRIME MINISTER: That is a matter for the National Party.
JOURNALIST: Did you ask Malcolm Turnbull to write a letter of support for Dave Sharma? Is it disappointing he hasn’t played a greater role in the campaign?
PRIME MINISTER: Well Malcolm I think made it pretty clear. I mean, Dave Sharma was Malcolm's hand-picked candidate, as everybody knows. I think he was the best candidate in the field and the pre-selectors endorsed that position at the end of the day. Malcolm decided that he was leaving public life, he tweeted in favour of Dave, I know he supports Dave, but he decided to no longer be playing a role in national politics here in Australia and I respect that decision.
JOURNALIST: The fake email about Kerryn Phelps…
PRIME MINISTER: I couldn't hear you.
JOURNALIST: The fake email about Kerryn Phelps circulating around, who do you think would do something…
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think it is disgraceful, I think It is outrageous. And as Kerryn herself has said, she doesn’t believe it had anything to do, and I'd be horrified if it did - and it didn't - with the Liberal Party. So that is the ugly side of Australian politics and it has no place in any such contest.
JOURNALIST: A number of the Nationals were quite critical of the Liberals back in August when the Liberals had their leadership spill. What sort of message do you for your Coalition partner now?
PRIME MINISTER: That we've a strong Coalition.
JOURNALIST: Are you frustrated there's talk around leadership again, and that it's creating an aura of instability around the Coalition?
PRIME MINISTER: The Canberra bubble is always the Canberra bubble and I'm not distracted by it. Never am. I know, I know the Gallery does get distracted by these things. I don't. Because you know, I’m here today to talk to farmers who are getting through drought. I'm here today with farmers who are looking to how they're going to manage the harvest. I'm here today to talk about the trade partnership which is opening up half a billion new customers for our agricultural sector, delivering $15 billion or more to our economy. We're working on getting electricity prices down. We've cut taxes, legislated - legislated - for businesses under $50 million to get them to 25 per cent. That's what I'm focused on. You guys can focus on the politics all you like. I'm focused on what the Australian people are focused on.
JOURNALIST: So Prime Minister, can we have a rural-focused question, then?
PRIME MINISTER: Sure, that would be great.
JOURNALIST: What measures are going to be on the table next week at the drought summit?
PRIME MINISTER: They'll be announced when we go into the summit next week. But as you know, we have been working hard on improving the administration and reducing the complexity of the Farm Household Allowance Scheme.
JOURNALIST: There is a review of that Farm Household Allowance Scheme that's going to return in 2019. That's kind of a long time frame?
PRIME MINISTER: Well as I say, we'll have more to say on that between now and next week. The drought summit will provide a great opportunity, I think, to do two things - well, three things. First of all, to get a common operating picture among all the stakeholders about where the needs are, where the sensitivities are, where the pressure is, where the towns are that need more support, where perhaps we're seeing the drought now drift into other parts of the country and getting a good understanding of that. Secondly, to ensure we've all got a good understanding of the measures that are already on foot. There's $1.8 billion of support and measures that are already out there working to support our rural and regional areas that are impacted by the drought. Now, that includes the million dollars for every single council in drought-affected areas, and Bridget McKenzie is working through that process with those councils now. Those applications are coming in and we need to make sure that's targeted and that those projects are getting the money circulating in those local economies that is supporting not just obviously the farmers, but is supporting the many others who aren't farmers who are living in those rural and regional areas. But it's also a good opportunity to go further with some additional measures and some additional work that is going to be needed in terms of our ongoing response. But it's not just about the relief. It's not just about the recovery. It's the long-term resilience in the future plan to ensure that we are more prepared, we are more resilient when it comes to dealing with droughts of this scale into the future. So that's what I'm focused on. That's what the National Party is focused on. That's what Michael McCormack is focused on. They're the issues that we're working on together, doing the right thing for rural and regional Australians, together with my Liberal colleagues from rural and regional areas. I see Tony Pasin here today this morning at the NFF. That's what we're focused on. You know, politics, others can go and bang on about. I'm not interested in that. I'm not distracted by it. I think people are starting to work that out by me. I don't get distracted by what goes on here in Canberra. I keep 100 per cent focused on what you need me to be focused on out in the rest of the country. Thanks very much.
Prime Minister’s Prizes Honour Excellence in Science
17 October 2018
Prime Minister, Minister for Industry Science and Technology
A Professor who revealed how our planet changes shape from second to second, day to day has taken out one of two major awards in the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science.
Emeritus Professor Kurt Lambeck is one of ten winners of seven prizes awarded tonight, sharing in $750,000 of prize money.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison congratulated all those who received prizes which recognise the extraordinary contribution Australia’s scientists, innovators, and science, technology and maths teachers make to our nation.
“The practical applications for Professor Lambeck’s research at the Australian National University are incredible,” said the Prime Minister.
“His work forms the basis for GPS-based systems used in agriculture, mineral exploration and smartphone navigation.
Professor Lambeck received the $250,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science, one of the top two awards.
The other major award, the $250,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation, went to the Finisar team for creating technologies that have made the internet faster and more efficient.
Team members are Dr Simon Poole, Mr Andrew Bartos, Dr Glenn Baxter and Dr Steven Frisken.
“About half of the world’s internet traffic travels through devices developed by Finisar and made in Sydney,” Mr Morrison said.
Prime Minister Morrison also presented:
The $50,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools to Dr Scott Sleap for opening young eyes to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Dr Sleap created the Cessnock Academy of STEM Excellence in regional NSW.
The $50,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools to Mr Brett Crawford, for creating an environment in which every teacher is engaged in science. Mr Crawford is the lead science teacher at Warrigal Road State School in Brisbane.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews presented three of the prizes, congratulating the winners for providing shining beacons of inspiration for a generation of new science leaders in Australia.
“I am delighted to be involved in these awards, which show the great talent in science that Australia can produce,” Minister Andrews said.
“The Coalition Government is committed to supporting our best and brightest in science and in particular, promoting the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects at school and university level.
“It is important that boys and girls, men and women have an equal opportunity to study STEM subjects, which are the foundations of the career achievements we celebrate tonight.”
Minister Andrews presented:
The $50,000 Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year to Adjunct Professor Lee Berger from James Cook University and The University of Melbourne for saving frogs, and revealing new extinction threats. Adjunct Professor Berger discovered that a fungus had caused frog extinctions.
The $50,000 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year to Associate Professor Jack Clegg from The University of Queensland for creating flexible crystals. His crystals could make smartphones and other electronics more robust.
The $50,000 Prize for New Innovators to Melbourne-based Dr Geoff Rogers for creating a steerable guidewire that could transform cardiac and other non-invasive cardiac surgery.
The Coalition recognises the importance of science and technology as drivers of our economy, and ensuring Australia’s strength in these sectors will help generate more local jobs and higher living standards. That’s why we’ve invested $2.4 billion in Australia’s research, science and technology capabilities in the 2018-19 Budget, underscored by a $1.9 billion investment to update our National Research Infrastructure.
Full citations, photos, videos and overlay are available online: www.science.gov.au/pmscienceprizes
TPP-11 to Open New Doors for Aussie Farmers and Businesses
17 October 2018
Prime Minister, Minister for Trade Tourism and Investment
Australian farmers, businesses and investors will get access to new markets across the Americas and Asia, with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP-11) Agreement passing Parliament today.
The Agreement means more market access for our farmers, greater opportunities for our businesses, more jobs and increased investment for Australia.
This landmark agreement is one of the most comprehensive trade deals ever concluded and strips 98 per cent of tariffs for 11 countries with a combined GDP of more than $13.8 trillion and close to 500 million consumers.
Independent modelling shows Australia is forecast to see $15.6 billion in net annual benefits to national income by 2030 from the TPP-11.
International trade creates jobs and drives investment.
The TPP-11 offers significant advantages for Australian exporters including accelerated reductions in Japan’s tariffs on Australian beef, greater quota volumes for wheat and barley, new access for dairy products and clear investment regimes for mining and resources.
Australia’s leadership on the TPP-11 has been another important demonstration of our commitment to the international rules-based approach to trade.
That’s why our Government will continue to pursue a trade agenda that opens new markets for Australian businesses and creates certainty for exporters. It is a key plank of our government’s plan to further strengthen our economy and guarantee the essentials Australians rely on.
The TPP-11 will enter into force 60 days after six countries have ratified the Agreement. So far, Mexico, Japan and Singapore have completed their domestic processes.
This passage of legislation through Parliament brings Australia one step closer to being part of the first group of countries to ratify the Agreement.
Doorstop - Fairbairn, ACT
17 October 1018
Prime Minister, Minister for Trade
PRIME MINISTER: This is one of just thousands of businesses around the country that are going to be able to benefit from the TPP new trade deal that has been brought together by our Government. I particularly pay tribute to both the former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Steven Ciobo as the Trade Minister and this process goes back some way. It's a process our Government was very committed to. When others said this couldn't be done, our Government continued on and made sure we could connect Australia to half a billion consumers around the world and some almost $14 trillion worth of economies that are there that we can now access. And so we come along, we talked to Alex and to Charlie, and here they were starting a business back in 2013. Within two years, they were exporting into Singapore and now they have plans to go further afield to places like Japan and this arrangement opens up more opportunities for them.
We're in the business of making small businesses, small family businesses larger businesses. And we make them larger by ensuring that we can keep their taxes low, that we invest in the infrastructure and services that are necessary to support those small and family businesses, that we ensure that they have access to the trade agreements and the markets that are out there where their quality products, their hard work will get the reward by ensuring that they can get into those markets and they can see their businesses grow. That's how you run a strong economy. By backing in Australian businesses, backing in their investment, backing in their vision, backing in their passion to see what they do and what they love, being able to take it as Alex said, the world is the limit. And these agreements help them achieve those goals.
So today in the Senate we will be one of the fourth country out of the TPP-11 to be able to ratify this agreement. It's a big, important day for businesses all around the country, and it’s the product of a Government that gets it. That understands that you need a plan to grow your economy because when you do that, you can guarantee the essential services that all Australians rely on. This is what pays for schools. This is what pays for hospitals. This is what guarantees Medicare. This is what delivers extra funding for headspace and MRI machines and all of these things. It is the engine room of Australian business which Pialligo Estate Smokehouse captures and personifies. A business of just around $2 million in turnover, going out there and growing, making things happen and I congratulate you both, Alex and Charlie, in what you have been able to achieve. I’m going to hand over to Birmo and he’s going to talk a little bit more about the process and we’re happy to take some questions.
MINISTER FOR TRADE, SENATOR THE HON. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Thanks so much PM. Well today, we trust the Senate will pass the enabling legislation that will allow Australia to be one of the first six countries to bring the Trans Pacific Partnership into fruition, into reality this year. And that’s going to be so important that this agreement comes into effect this year because that’s going to give the maximum benefit to our exporters, to our farmers, businesses who rely on access to international markets for their goods, for their services, to be able to bring income back here to Australia. By ensuring that this agreement comes into effect by the end of October, there will be tariff reductions, not just on its commencement but also then again on the first of January next year. It’s that double effect that maximizes the benefit and that’s the reason why we have been so determined that Australia is part of the first six countries in terms of bringing this agreement into reality.
The benefits, the benefits across the economy are widespread. We will see a lift to our national income, projected by independent analysis from John Hopkins University of $15.6 billion in terms of our national income being greater by 2030 on an annual basis. That’s extra money and extra taxes, as the PM says, that can be invested in our schools and hospitals. But it all comes about because of businesses like this one. Businesses that we invest in by supporting our farmers by taking high-quality farm produce. Who value-add and then who take a punt in terms of export markets, and that punt they take is backed in by our trade agreements to give them better access to those markets, make their goods more cost-competitive because of lower tariff rates. Our Government, our Government over the last five years has delivered in terms of agreements with China, Japan, South Korea, the TPP, with Indonesia. We continue negotiations on a range of fronts. All of that is about helping our small and medium sized businesses to be able to get the best possible access to new export markets so our farmers and businesses can create more income and more jobs for more Australians.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much Simon, and again congratulations. Happy to take some questions, let’s start with the TPP-11 and then we can move onto other political issues. Well it seems the press corps is thrilled to see the TPP-11. Can I tell you, I remember when the TPP-11, which now become…when the TPP was then made known. I was Treasurer at the time and I was actually in Germany on some G20 business and the number of countries that came to us and said, “Are you still going to push ahead with this? Are you really going to keep going with this? Isn’t it a waste of time?” And I said, “Absolutely.” The Prime Minister was saying at the time. And I can’t underscore enough how this agreement demonstrates our Government’s commitment to expanding our trade markets. It’s pretty easy to walk away from these sorts of things, and we saw the opposition um and ah over the China free trade agreement, we saw them actually parody this agreement. Parody what we’ve been able to achieve. And I think that says to every small and family business out there, every business out there, that when it comes to trade, we’ll back you in every time. We won’t walk away, we will always stand up. Australia is an open, trading nation, exporting quality products and services all around the world. We know that, we get that, we’ll back it in every single time.
JOURNALIST: What about the genuine fears that people have though that some of the exports have been their jobs over time with free trade agreements?
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry I couldn’t quite hear…
JOURNALIST: What about the genuine fears some workers have that some of the exports they have seen over time have been their jobs?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’ve created over a million jobs, Chris, over a million jobs…
JOURNALIST: But there are genuine fears about some of these trade agreements.
PRIME MINISTER: Over a million of these jobs have been created over the last five years, and over the last twelve months, more than 100,000 jobs have been created for young people. And so my message is that our Government’s plan to lower taxes, to expand markets, to invest in infrastructure, to transition from industries that weren’t able to be able to keep up like our vehicle industry. But to expand what we’ve seen in our defence industry in supply chain, and our new medical industry plan which is out there creating jobs in the medical industry. Everything from instruments to clinical testing. All of this is driving an economy that is growing faster than the biggest developed countries in the world today. So when you invest in these agreements, when you invest in lower taxes, when you invest in infrastructure, when you invest in technology and in science, which is what our Government has been doing, that gives you the edge that makes sure that Australian companies continue to have the edge, and when you’re opening up the markets for them to go into. That’s how 1.1 million jobs get created, that’s how 100,000 young people get a job in Australia, the strongest job growth in youth jobs in Australia’s economic history.
JOURNALIST: On the issue of resettling refugees to Nauru, isn’t the Government grandstanding if they can’t guarantee that New Zealand will accept the ban on resettling…
PRIME MINISTER: All we’ve simply said is there's been a bill in the Parliament since 2016. That's the Government's bill and it's not supported by the crossbenchers, it's not supported by the Labor Party or Greens. I have simply made that observation. That's all.
JOURNALIST: We understand the crossbench has asked for a briefing as a matter of urgency, will you be providing a briefing?
PRIME MINISTER: We would, I'm wondering what's taken two years to request one.
JOURNALIST: Is the Government hoping to bring that bill on for a vote sometime this week?
PRIME MINISTER: There is no support for that bill at present.
JOURNALIST: There is leaked polling that suggests that Kerryn Phelps is on track to win Wentworth this weekend. Will this be a reflection on your leadership?
PRIME MINISTER: What we are seeing in Wentworth is not a usual contest. What we have got in Wentworth is a three-cornered contest, the Labor Party of course and indeed the Greens, there's four corners to this square because both the Greens and the Labor Party's vote has completely tanked in Wentworth and that means the Independent is running second and the electoral maths of Australia's preferential system means that that is when you can see other candidates come over the top of the leading candidate which is Dave Sharma and win the election. That's the simple electoral maths and that is what it would reflect now. There is no doubt that people in Wentworth, events of several months ago for many of them, they found that a very big issue and I understand that. But what I would urge them to do is a) look at Dave Sharma. Dave Sharma is a great candidate. Dave Sharma has an enormous amount to bring to the Australian Parliament. His experience, his insights, his wisdom and his sheer intellect which is quite impressive. On top of that, it's about maintaining the stability and certainty of the policies that I've just been outlining to you. There are 29,000 small businesses in Wentworth. They’re 29,000 small businesses that our Government has been backing in through all the policies we've been able to not just announce but implement. There's 60,000 people who will be benefitting from the legislated tax plan that our Government was able to put in place for personal income tax. And for young people in Wentworth, looking out over the next decade, I remember the decade that I walked into, it would have been a similar one that Simon walked into, when we left university. I mean, that was the decade which began with recessions and it was a pretty tough decade back then in the early '90s. The decade that those young people are going into as a result of the economic policies that we've put in place means they can look forward with confidence and they can look forward to a tax plan which means the better they do, the more they put in, the more they get to keep for themselves and invest in their own futures. That is what we are delivering for people. And that is what is at risk when you allow Bill Shorten, through an Independent, to get one step closer to putting up your taxes and putting everything else at risk.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned about the Israeli Embassy announcement affecting trade relations with Indonesia?
PRIME MINISTER: Pardon?
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned about the Israeli Embassy announcement affecting trade relations with Indonesia?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I will let the Trade Minister respond to that. But as you know there's been quite a number of direct communication between myself and President Widodo as well as between our Foreign Ministers and with the Trade Ministers. And the Indonesian Trade Minister has made it very clear on the public record that that is not an issue of concern to them. Simon?
MINISTER FOR TRADE, SENATOR THE HON. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Well PM, I think you've just highlighted the key point there. Yes, every reasonable level our Government has continued to engage with Indonesia, as you would expect. But the thing that the media and the public should be aware of is that Indonesia has made clear on the public record that our agreement with them is on track, the finalisation this year. That is what we are working towards, that is what they are working towards and we continue to undertake that work.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister Indonesia goes to election next year though. Don’t you think it is possible that your decision could become a flashpoint and your deal could become a flashpoint in an election like that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think Simon Birmingham has just addressed the second part of your question in relation to the trade agreement. They have made that fairly clear. We have a very good relationship with Indonesia and one that enables us to have direct communication on these issues and I was pleased by the warm exchanges I had yesterday with President Widodo which looks through all the other noise and all the other recording and all the other analysis and just enables two leaders to directly engage with each other and be able to make very clear the positions and the reasoning behind those positions. And I think that's productive. Several weeks ago, as you know, when I was up there that was actually my first outing on international affairs. Going to Indonesia in that first week, that was an important meeting, it was an important relationship to maintain and that remains so today. My other exchanges with the President over the last few weeks have particularly focused on what we’re doing in Sulawesi, what we’re doing to support the Indonesian Government and how quickly we were there to provide whatever support was needed, whenever it was needed, at their invitation. So this is a relationship that spans many different elements, and it’s a relationship that we continue to build upon. It is a relationship of friendship, it is a relationship of trust, it is a relationship of communication that is ongoing. It is not a one-dimensional relationship, it is a very comprehensive relationship and that’s the strength that enables neighbours and partners to have different views on things from time to time. And Australia is a sovereign nation. We are allowed to engage in conversation, we are allowed to do that. We are allowed to raise issues that we think are worthy of discussion that are important to Australian citizens.
JOURNALIST: Do you concede thought that there is a risk that there could be some diplomatic backlash, maybe not from Indonesia, but from other countries around the world based on your considerations?
PRIME MINISTER: Australia is a sovereign country. We’re a sovereign country. We’re allowed to talk about these issues. And you know, when you raise issues from time to time, which may have been seen to be taboo in the past, and of course there will be others who express different views. But Australia is an independent, sovereign nation. We’re allowed to talk about this, we’re allowed to. And I’m not… I’m going to stand up for Australia’s right to be able to talk about these things and we will talk about them in a respectful and an engaging way. That’s why we started yesterday by being very clear with the vote that went through the UN General Assembly this morning and we voted no and there was only a few of us who voted no and everybody know where we stand. People know where I stand on these issues because I like to be fairly upright and forthright and upfront with people. And that’s why I did what I did yesterday so people know my thinking on these things. It’s Ok for Australia to be able to be able to just go out there and initiate conversations in a respectful way and be able to work within all of our existing relationships.
JOURNALIST: Louise Pratt reportedly received a call during a raid on the Department of Home Affairs by a staffer. Do you think there is anything untoward going on there?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s an independent police investigation and I’ll leave it for the police to deal with that independently of government which is the appropriate process.
JOURNALIST: What advice did you get from the Foreign Minister on the diplomatic implications of moving the Australian embassy to Jerusalem?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the Foreign Minister has been part and parcel of this decision and we’ve been working closely together with the Foreign Minister, with the Defence Minister. There was a discussion individually with each of the four NSC Ministers that form up the National Security Committee and as well as a final discussion with all Cabinet Ministers. So this is a process that was worked through those appropriate channels and it’s important that Australia is able to raise issues and talk about issues that are important to Australian citizens. And I think this is simply what we’ve done, we’ve done it in the context of what was a very significant vote in the UN General Assembly and our vote in the UN General Assembly now I think has given broader context by the other issues that I have remarked upon. Not just on the issue of Jerusalem, but also importantly in the issue of Iran, which is another matter of very significant concern and we simply announced that without prejudice we would undertake a review of the Iran nuclear deal. We need to be satisfied that when we’re supporting those sorts of arrangements they’re working in Australians interests and those interests in this case, ensures a peaceful Middle East. And so we will continue to work on those matters.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] do you actually have any intention to move the embassy?
PRIME MINISTER: Well as I said yesterday, you begin this process by highlighting why you would open the question up and the reason why the question has been opened up is this was a matter that was raised with me within days of me becoming Prime Minister. Over the last seven weeks I have been working through this issue and what became clear, particularly with the position when I spoke with Dave Sharma, was that this question could be considered in the context of support for a two-state solution. Now up until that time, no one had been making that case. Up until that time, this issue was considered taboo and not able to be discussed because it was seen to be an anathema to a two-state solution. Now, Dave Sharma’s proposal changes that. Dave Sharma’s proposal says no, this can actually help us get to a two-state solution. This can actually help us achieve a goal that the world has been unable to achieve up until now, and it’s been unable to do it frankly for some time. And you know, if you can’t get somewhere by conventional means, and we’re not getting somewhere by conventional means, Australia has always been a country that has been prepared to consider other options that actually achieve the objective of peace and a two-state solution in the Middle East. So Australia should proudly, should proudly be able to say we’re prepared to have those discussions. We’re prepared to consult with other leaders, which is the next step for me. I’ll be going through a series of summits at the end of this year and so for me, they won’t be just a series of grip and grin photos. What they will be are real conversations about the issues that are germane to Australian passions and national interest. And this will be a good opportunity for me to talk through concerns that they may have on this issue, but also to raise this point about how this could be an opportunity to engage in a new conversation that gets us closer to a two-state solution which has eluded us for so long. You keep doing the same thing, you can’t expect a different outcome. We need a different outcome which is the two-state solution.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister just quickly, Ian Kiernan the founder of Clean Up Australia has died. Could we get some thoughts from you about his legacy?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that is news to me. I have met Ian on a number of occasions over the years I think as most Australians in public life. And his passion for our oceans which started all of this for him and Australia’s coastal lifestyle in particular is something that I think struck a real chord with all Australians. And the thing that I think Ian did more than anything else was just tap us all on the shoulder and say, “Hey, we’ve got to take care of this. This is our responsibility to do this. It’s not government’s, it’s ours as Australians. It’s our beautiful Australia and it’s our job to keep it that way and it’s our responsibility and duty as Australians to do just that.” So for that Ian I want to say thank you. I want to say thank you for what you have done for our country and to his friends and his family and his loved ones, we express our deepest sympathies and our condolences. Thank you very much.
2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards Shortlists Announced
17 October 2018
Prime Minister, Minister for Communications and the Arts
The shortlists for this year’s Prime Minister’s Literary Awards have today been announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Communications and the Arts, Senator Mitch Fifield.
The Awards play an important role in supporting a national appreciation of Australian literature and provide acknowledgement and recognition for authors and illustrators.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Awards reinforce the contribution literary arts make to Australia.
“I am pleased to announce this year’s shortlists. We have a wonderful group of talented authors and I welcome the opportunity to share their works with Australians,” said Prime Minister Morrison.
Minister Fifield said reading has far reaching benefits, it expands our understanding and stimulates our imagination. These Awards reinforce the importance of literature and reading across all ages.
“This year we received more than 500 entries across the six prize categories, an exceptional response from our writers, poets, illustrators and historians,” Minister Fifield said.
“I’d particularly like to acknowledge our panels comprising 15 judges who have read through and shortlisted 30 of this year’s entries.”
For more information about the books, authors and to see the judges’ comments, visit www.arts.gov.au/pmla.
The 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards shortlists are:
Children’s literature
Feathers, Phil Cummings and Phil Lesnie, Scholastic Australia
Figgy Takes the City, Tamsin Janu, Scholastic Australia
Hark, It’s Me, Ruby Lee!, Lisa Shanahan and Binny Talib, Hachette Australia
Pea Pod Lullaby, Glenda Millard and Stephen Michael King, Allen & Unwin
Storm Whale, Sarah Brennan and Jane Tanner, Allen & Unwin
Young Adult literature
Living on Hope Street, Demet Divaroren, Allen & Unwin
My Lovely Frankie, Judith Clarke, Allen & Unwin
Ruben, Bruce Whatley, Scholastic Australia
The Ones that Disappeared, Zana Fraillon, Hachette Australia
This is My Song, Richard Yaxley, Scholastic Australia
Fiction
A Long Way from Home, Peter Carey, Penguin Random House
Border Districts, Gerald Murnane, Giramondo Publishing
First Person, Richard Flanagan, Penguin Random House
Taboo, Kim Scott, Pan Macmillan
The Life to Come, Michelle de Kretser, Allen & Unwin
Poetry
Archipelago, Adam Aitken, Vagabond Press
Blindness and Rage: A Phantasmagoria, Brian Castro, Giramondo Publishing
Chatelaine, Bonny Cassidy, Giramondo Publishing
Domestic Interior, Fiona Wright, Giramondo Publishing
Transparencies, Stephen Edgar, Black Pepper
Non-fiction
Asia’s Reckoning, Ricard McGregor, Penguin Random House UK
Mischka’s War: A European Odyssey of the 1940s, Sheila Fitzpatrick, University of Melbourne Publishing.
No Front Line: Australia’s Special Forces at War in Afghanistan, Chris Masters, Allen & Unwin
The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders, Stuart Kells, Text Publishing
Unbreakable, Jelena Dokic and Jessica Halloran, Penguin Random House
Australian history
Beautiful Balts: From Displaced Persons to New Australians, Jayne Persian, NewSouth Publishing
Hidden in Plain View: The Aboriginal People of Coastal Sydney, Paul Irish, NewSouth Publishing
Indigenous and Other Australians Since 1901, Timothy Rowse, NewSouth Publishing
John Curtin’s War: The coming of war in the Pacific, and reinventing Australia, volume 1, John Edwards, Penguin Random House
The Enigmatic Mr Deakin, Judith Brett, Text Publishing
Interview with Jones & Co, Sky News
16 October 2018
ALAN JONES: Prime Minister, good evening.
PRIME MINISTER: G’day Alan, I don’t know much about horses I must confess.
[Laughter]
JONES: That’s horses as well as sheep.
PETA CREDLIN: Don’t worry PM, he does.
PRIME MINISTER: He does, that’s true. How are you?
JONES: I loved it what you said about drought, I don’t know one end of a sheep from another. You don’t have to. Just on a couple of things that I made earlier, dividend imputation and negative gearing as two Labor policies. No doubt you’ll be having plenty to say about that in the weeks ahead.
PRIME MINISTER: Well what this basically means is you buy a new house and the minute you buy it, it declines in value. It’s a bit like buying a new car and you drive it off the lot and it falls in value because the people you can sell it to after you buy it are different to the ones you’ve just been competing with to buy the first one. I mean, what is basically does is brings down the values of everybody’s house because it means that there are fewer people buying the house you own. And when there are fewer people who want to buy the house you own, guess what happens? Your value goes down. Now Labor don’t understand economics, they don’t understand housing markets. As Peta was saying before, there has been a soft landing in the housing markets and last election, you know you had Sydney house prices running at double digits but now they’re not and there has been a soft landing. And what Labor is proposing on putting up capital gains tax by 50 per cent and by abolishing negative gearing as we know, that means your house will be worth less.
JONES: And dividend imputation?
PRIME MINISTER: Well dividend imputation, for small business in particular, yes it hits all of those retirees you’ve talked about including pensioners, but I know that many small businesses they own Australian shares and in times when things are pretty lean, what they live off, the income that is coming in and they’re not making a profit out of their businesses, is that imputation credits that come through from the Australian shares that they have bought. So it is absolutely true we have retirees all around the country who did nothing more than buy shares in, you know, GIO many years ago, or Commonwealth Bank or Qantas or something like that and they are getting, in some cases, tens of thousands of dollars that are supporting their retirement income. And look, Labor is just going to strip it away. Now, there is no rhyme or reason to it. They’re just coming after your money because they can’t control what they spend so they’ve got to tax you more and they’ve got more than $200 billion in higher taxes that they’re going to whack you with over the next ten years.
JONES: Following that Newspoll this week, one commentator said a view that you were solidly capturing the Coalition vote and also appealing to a fair slice of Labor voters on key issues. What are the key issues?
PRIME MINISTER: How much people pay for everything every day and how they’re able to afford it, and you can’t afford it if you don’t have a job and you can’t afford it if you’re not working in a business that’s doing better and particularly a business, a small and medium sized business, that has to pay more to the Government. That’s means they can’t support you more or their business more. So lower taxes are important, lower electricity prices is important, dealing with the drought obviously is something we have spent a lot of time on. Making sure that you have a strong economy because the Labor Party can promise all they like on what they’re going to spend, but if you don’t run a strong economy, then you can’t pay for it. And we saw that when they were in government. They had to stop listing pharmaceuticals on the PBS because they couldn’t afford it. I mean, things got even that bad for Labor. They would spend money like there was no tomorrow.
But when you don’t run a strong economy and you can’t manage the Budget, well you can’t support hospitals and schools and education more broadly. You can’t pay for pharmaceuticals and be able to have affordable medicines. You can’t pay for Medicare. So that’s why running a strong economy is important to the essential services that Australians rely on. But there’s three things – keeping the economy strong, keeping Australians safe and keeping Australians together. You can’t lead a country that you’re trying to divide.
JONES: Alright you made a point there about electricity prices. Last year, Matt Ridley who is now Lord Ridley, a member of the House of Lords in Britain, and he has been on this energy issue for years, wrote for the Spectator magazine. And he was asked the question, and I quote, “To the nearest whole number, what percentage of the world’s energy consumption was supplied by wind power in 2014?” Which was the last year for which there were reliable figures. To the nearest whole number. What is it, 20 per cent? 10 per cent, or 5 per cent? He answered his own question. None of the above, it was naught per cent. That is to say, to the nearest whole number, there is still no wind power on earth, he made the point, the last year which there are reliable figures wind provided 0.46 per cent of global energy consumption. Solar and tide 0.35 per cent. Now, how much longer are you going to continue subsidising renewable energies and when are we going to get an affirmation that our energy future relies on coal-fired power and nuclear power, which is illegal in this country?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s all forms of reliable power that our future for energy depends upon, and we can’t run an energy system that relies on intermittent power sources like wind and solar. They, look, they form part of the mix but they are never going to be what keeps the lights on and you know there’s increasing investment going into these areas and these subsidies run out in a couple of years under the programme that we affirmed some years back and those subsidies run out. Because you don’t need them anymore because a lot of these technologies on those areas of energy generation, well they stand up on their own two feet. They don’t need subsidies. So I’m not keen to have a system that is subsidised because if you’re subsidising energy generation, guess who pays for it? You do.
JONES: Is that the reason though that when we don’t have people investing in coal-fired power, for example, I was looking at some figures today. Coal-fired power stations are under construction everywhere. 583 in China, 271 in India, 145 in Indonesia, 71 in Turkey, 84 in Vietnam, 45 in Japan. There is none here in Australia. And they are using Australian coal. Are we going to reach the -
PRIME MINISTER: Well they are and I hope they continue to do that, using Australian coal. I mean, all those countries you have just mentioned Alan, they have very different demand profiles going into the future. What I mean by that is when you look at energy consumption in all those countries over the next five to ten years, it’s a curve that looks like that. In Australia, the curve is like that. And so that is obviously going to impact on what adds up from an investment point of view. But what Angus is working on as we speak is working from the ACCC report that I commissioned when I was Treasurer which showed that we need to have a better investment framework for reliable what I call fair dinkum power. And there was a whole range of recommendations but one in particular which looked at ensuring that we were guaranteeing the take-out price of investment in reliable power so that the finance could come so those projects could stack up. We just want to see projects stack up, we don’t want to go around taking money from taxpayers and putting up tax because that’s a false economy. If you put people’s taxes up to bring their electricity prices down, well they won’t thank you.
JONES: But if you don’t have coal-fired power plants, I mean are you going to sort of do something about AGL and Liddell? I mean, if these things close in 2022 we are short of reliable, affordable and available power. No question about it, prices will go through the roof.
PRIME MINISTER: Well we saw that after the closures in Victoria as well and there are a range of things we’ve got to invest in. I mean, down in Tasmania I think last time I was on your program I was talking about what Will Hodgman is doing down there. I mean, Tasmania is completely driven with projects that began in the early 1900’s with using their dams and their hydro power and they want to double the capacity of that so they can actually be a battery of the nation to the rest of the country. And there are other projects that are like that. But whether it’s the traditional sources like coal or gas, you know my views of gas. I’d like to see us get more gas from under the ground, I’d like to see farmers share in the revenue from that. I mean, when I was in the United States earlier this year in Texas, they pay a third to a half of what we do because they have had a gas revolution there and more gas. Make sure it doesn’t go overseas, make sure it stays at home. We’ve got those policies and that gets prices down.
JONES: What about nuclear? I mean there are thirty countries currently operating 450 nuclear reactors, 60 nuclear plants under construction in 15 countries. We’ve got 40 per cent of the world’s uranium and no nuclear energy?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there have been a number of reports that have done this. I remember the Howard Government did one, Ziggy Switkowzki, and the recommendations of that weren’t terribly favourable in terms of stacking up. But as I said on your program last time, where something can stack up and can actually bring prices down, I’m all for it and you’ve just to do the work to make sure it does that.
CREDLIN: Just on that though, Prime Minister, why won’t you move to repeal the prohibition on nuclear power development in this country?
PRIME MINISTER: Well right now I would like to see the work which shows there is a point to that because we could do it on a commercial basis and it would actually bring power prices down. So I’m totally open to that work Peta, I’m totally open to a lot of these propositions. But what we need to do is make sure that it can stack up and we can successfully move in that direction. See, the source of it doesn’t really bother me. What matters is that it is reliable, it can be contracted, it can be priced at lower than what we are getting currently because that’s what brings people power prices down. I’m not too much into an ideological debate about from what source it comes, I just want to make sure it turns up and that it brings power prices down.
CREDLIN: If you are agnostic, if you are truly agnostic, then coal is a no brainer, gas is a no brainer and obviously nuclear because nuclear has the double whammy of being available in baseload and low, actually no emissions. But I want to ask you about Paris, because -
PRIME MINISTER: Well just on that, the only work I have seen, Peta, the only work I have seen on that and it would be the same work you would have seen, is that is only achieved with very significant government subsidies. I mean that’s the available work, but if there’s new work that’s good.
CREDLIN: No less significant, PM, than what has been put into wind turbines and solar panels on roofs and many other things. But I wanted…
PRIME MINISTER: Maybe check the numbers, but I think it’s a pretty big public investment.
JONES: I think those subsidies are $3 billion a year and $30 billion by 2022. So I think -
PRIME MINISTER: The source of it is not the issue. Yeah, go on.
CREDLIN: Let’s turn to Paris. Way back, take your mind back to the Cabinet discussions in 2015 and the announcements made publicly by the then Prime Minister Abbott was that Australia would have the 26-28 per cent Paris provided it was an all-in agreement and everybody else was at the table with us. Australia reserved its right to withdraw if things were to change quite dramatically right now. Of course they did, the United States withdrew. When Malcolm Turnbull went to the Paris conference at the end of that year in 2015 in December, he promised $1 billion from Australia. Now about half of that money has been paid. You’re likely, or at least your representative, to go to that meeting in Poland at the end of the year. You have an opportunity in those meetings to withdraw without penalty from the Paris Agreement and 60 per cent of the big emitters in the Paris Agreement are no longer reducing emissions. It’s business as usual, or increases. So 60 per cent, there is a material change. 1) That’s a precondition to leave and 2) my other question is there has been some lukewarm responses from your Ministers about tipping in this additional money. As I said, the former Prime Minister –
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we’re not going to do it.
CREDLIN: So you rule out any further money into the reliable fund?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re not putting any money into it. No, we’re not.
CREDLIN: Terrific. Say that again PM, because it hasn’t been clear from your Ministers.
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’ve already said before this program.
JONES: He has said it.
PRIME MINISTER: I’ve said it several times. We’re not chucking money at it. We’re not going to do that.
JONES: Can’t you rip it up, PM, can’t you rip it up?
PRIME MINISTER: I was at the Cabinet meeting back then, I was at that Cabinet meeting. And I recall that we set the target at what was in the middle of the pack in what was something that was very achievable, it wouldn’t have a material impact on electricity prices. That’s what I remember, and that actually hasn’t changed. I mean, our 26 per cent target is not going to have an impact on electricity prices at all. I tell you what is though, a 45 per cent emissions reduction target and that is Labor’s target and what that is the equivalent on and the information I have seen from the University of Wollongong is a Carbon Tax three times of the one we got rid of back in 2013. So if people are worried about impacts on power prices, they should be worried about Bill Shorten’s 45 per cent emissions reduction target. That’s his plan, that’s what he’s going to do.
CREDLIN: By why stay in Paris, PM? Why stay in Paris? You say it’s not a big deal -
PRIME MINISTER: What’s to be gained by getting out? What’s to be gained by getting out?
CREDLIN: What’s to be gained by staying in?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there are very important relationships we have in our Pacific region that you would be very well aware of, you’d be very well aware of the strategic significance of those relationships -
CREDLIN: But they’re not dependent on Paris.
PRIME MINISTER: Well Peta, on the most recent Pacific Islands Forum highlighted just how important the commitments we’ve made are to our neighbours in the region, very important strategic security -
CREDLIN: But that’s not about the Paris Agreement, that’s about funding.
PRIME MINISTER: I’m sorry Peta, I don’t know if you were at the meeting -
CREDLIN: No but I read the documents.
PRIME MINISTER: Sure and you will see the level of concern and it wasn’t about the money Peta. It’s about our commitments, and keeping our commitments Peta. I was there when we made that commitment, right? I was there, we made the commitment as a Government, our Government. Australia, when we make a commitment, we keep them. As we do with every commitment we make. It’s not going to have an impact on power prices, so honestly, people can talk about this until the cows come home, I’m just interested in what’s going to bring power prices down.
JONES: But I’ll note this is about a commitment, you’re also a signatory, or Julie Bishop is, to the global compact on migration. Are going to allow the United Nations to tell us what our migration levels are to be? If not, why did we sign this damn document?
PRIME MINISTER: No we’re not, and that’s been an issue under consideration for some time and I’m not going to say much more about that tonight. But I think I’ll leave it at that.
Thanks for being with Peta and me and thanks particularly to the Prime Minister, being able to discuss these things and give people an insight into it, it’s very, very important.
PM you were just talking about cost of living there about 25 minutes ago. Can I just raise this business, I know everyone seems to have no answers about this, about petrol prices. Now coming down the Pacific Highway in Sydney on Friday, the petrol prices was 169.9, on Monday morning it’s a 147.9. How do you persuade the motorists, the poor coot, no money in his pocket, that he’s not being ripped off?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’ve been living with these cycles for a long time and petrol prices at the moment, I know they’re quite elevated, they’re much higher and all around the country too. The things that are driving the overall high level of price as we know is the crude price and the exchange rate and the fall in the Australian dollar. I mean that’s the economic reason. But these variations I think have always puzzled us.
One of the things I did as Treasurer was give Rod Simms at the ACCC the power to see not just what happens, how they were pricing it at the bowser at a particular station, but to go right back through the entire fuel supply chain right back into the board rooms and the head offices. Now Rod has been working away on that. I’m keen to get the report back from him as to what he’s found, as to how that’s impacting the cycle. The good thing today though is, you get these apps, you can look at them and you can actually find much better deals –
JONES: Yeah, but you can’t do that when you’re, you can’t be -
PRIME MINISTER: These days, well, people who are into it –
JONES: Driving around Sydney all day?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no, but look, many people, they are very into it -
JONES: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: Good deal. Well, I used to actually. I get driven around now, they won’t let me drive any more Alan, in a lot of ways that’s probably a good idea I suspect, other motorists are safe. But what’s important though is there are a lot more tools to help you manage it and I think that’s good for families. These things really do hit you, they really do and they hit businesses too. Because if you’re a tradie driving a ute and you’re out there going from site to site or you know, you’re supervising as a boss across a range of sites, you’re chewing up that fuel. So ensuring –
JONES: Have we got a competition, sorry Prime Minister, we’ve got a Competition and Consumer Commission. I don’t know quite what they do, but isn’t there someone somewhere in this gigantic bureaucracy that is able to walk into a petrol station and say: “Look, excuse me, could you turn the bowsers off. You were selling this stuff for 149 on Friday, it’s now 169, please explain to me how you put the same product up by 22 per cent.” Isn’t there someone who could do that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there is, his name is Rod Sims and that’s what he has the power to do. He is at the ACCC and that’s when they’ll take the suppliers to court and he will seek remedies against them and he has been successful, I understand, in doing that. That is his job, we have an independent watchdog, a cop on the beat when it comes to petrol prices. That’s his job.
CREDLIN: PM I want to ask you about some of the issues that you had, I think, drag the vote down in 2016 and where you might go at the next election. One of those key to supporters of the Liberal Party was superannuation. People who feel ripped off by policy changes, having put something away so that they’re not on the pension, they’re standing independently from the government teat. Now, as you’re preparing all your polices as you go into the next election, do you have anything on the table for superannuation? Are you going to make changes? Do you rule out any adverse changes if you are elected?
PRIME MINISTER: I do 100 per cent, absolutely, we’re not doing it. You know we made some changes a number of years ago and they were difficult decisions. The Budget is coming back into balance next year, that’s the projection, that’s been a big task. I mean you can’t underestimate the size – and I know you wouldn’t, you were there at the start Peta – but in five years, we will have been able to get the Budget back from the horrendous deficit we inherited from Labor, back into balance. Now everyone, I think, out there would probably agree that in New Zealand under John Key and Bill English, they did a great job on getting the New Zealand finances back on track. It took them six years to achieve that, we’ve done it in five. That’s been a big, hard effort over many years. We tried a number of things and it has – as you recall – some of those or many of those, we were unable to get through and we had to come at it another way. But what we’ve done, which the Liberal Party-led Governments always do is we don’t make excuses about it, we just get on with it. We needed to rebalance the books and that’s what we’ve done.
And we’re not touching super. The only person who is touching people’s super is Bill Shorten, with the dividend imputation refund, which he will strip away.
CREDLIN: That’s right.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s $5 billion a year he is going to be stealing from Australians who did nothing other than buy Australian shares. Their taxes were paid on it and they should be treated exactly the same as those who are high income earners who actually can access the imputation credits.
JONES: PM, alright, on what’s affordable. I know that you’ve managed to drag Bill Shorten into the net in relations to company tax. He has essentially agreed to what you were proposing last week, for companies with a turnover of $50 billion or less. But could I just put this to you. Companies don’t vote, individuals vote. For some poor coot out there who is only on $65,000 a year, okay he gets the first $18,000 tax free but one he gets to $37,000 he’s paying 32.5 cents in the dollar tax. That’s one dollar in every three is going to the tax man. Is there any likelihood that you will be able to provide relief to these people?
PRIME MINISTER: We legislated in this year’s Budget, that taxpayers in particular, will get just over $500 in tax relief in this financial year alone. Going forward, we’ve got further tax relief going right across the spectrum, whether it’s at the top end and right through the middle, we’re going to get rid of the 37 cent tax bracket. Like completely abolish it. So 94 per cent of Australians will not face a marginal tax rate higher than 32.5 cents. But what I was also saying – you mentioned small business – well more than half of Australians work for a business that will be getting the tax cuts that we are taking through the House of Representatives today and they’ll got through the Senate. Now you say that the Labor Party is going to support me, well they had to be dragged kicking and screaming to that. But I tell you what they’re still going to tax small business with; they’re still going to hit them with the family business trust taxes. They’re still going to hit them with the higher personal income tax rates because they’re putting – we’ve got $144 billion of tax relief for personal income tax, Labor is going to cut that in half, to just 70 billion. So they’re going to steal away the tax cuts we’ve already made law.
Let’s say you’re a young person out there in Wentworth this afternoon, this evening, over the next ten years it will be your ambition to earn more and more as you have more experience in the work force and do much better for yourself. Over the next ten years under Bill Shorten’s plan, you’ll pay more tax. Under our plan you’ll pay less. Because we believe lower taxes are right, because we believe Australians should keep more of what they earn. That’s what a fair go for those who have a go means. It’s what we believe. That’s why we want taxes to be lower.
CREDLIN: Prime Minister why should Liberals vote for your Government, why should they vote for Dave Sharma on Saturday?
PRIME MINISTER: Because if they want the certainty of a strong economy and to keep the strong economic performance which has been empowering the 29,000 small businesses that are in Wentworth, the 60,000 Australians that will benefit from the income tax cuts that we’ve legislated, if they want to continue to benefit from the strong economy that is enabling us and has enabled us to bring the Budget back into balance, so we can afford the essential services Australian can rely on, then Dave Sharma is the Liberal candidate that delivers that certainty and that continuity on all of those things. If you want to keep Australians safe, if you want to ensure that there is a Liberal and National Government that knows to do the right thing when it comes to national security and frankly do the right thing when it comes to our stand on important issues like the security of Israel. Thirdly, if you want to keep Australians together - and not have militant unions run the country and come and picket outside your business - and reinstate the Australian Building and Construction Commission, a vote for anyone else other than Dave Sharma is a vote that brings Bill Shorten closer to your wallet, to your business, to your house.
JONES: Thank you PM, I think the best reason why people should vote for Dave Sharma is he’s an outstanding candidate, I would hope that we’ve reached the point where merit is the criterion.
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely.
JONES: One thing before you go, are Muslim communities for example, I know there’s talk about Indonesia, going to be upset with this proposal about moving our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, given that they believe many of the holy sites, Muslim and Arab holy sites are also within the precinct of Jerusalem? Is there going to be a backlash from Muslim and Arab communities towards Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’ve been in contact throughout the day with President Widodo as has the Foreign Minister with her counterpart in Indonesia as well. I mean we’re a sovereign, independent country, where we explain what we’re doing which is what we’ve done today and over the last night. I think people respect that countries will take positions on things from time to time. But what both Indonesia and Australia are committed to is a two state solution when it comes to the Middle East. Now what Dave Sharma has proposed is a way to achieve that, to pursue that goal while at the same time providing recognition for Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and indeed for the capital of Palestine, for Palestine in east Jerusalem, Israel in west Jerusalem. Also, by the time everyone gets up in the morning, we would have voted against – oftentimes before they’d abstain, abstain, abstain – we will have voted against an important motion in the United Nations General Assembly that would see Palestine conferred a special status to chair what’s called the G77 of all the developing nations.
CREDLIN: Hear hear PM.
PRIME MINISTER: Now we don’t think providing that reward…
JONES: Yep, absolutely.
PRIME MINISTER: We’re voting no. We’ll be voting with Israel and of course the United States and we’ll take that position as well. You’ve got to just stand up for what you believe and you can do that when you’ve got good relationships with your neighbours, which we do. If you’re honest with your reasons for it, we’re not rushing into anything, we’re being consultative but we‘re being up front with people. When you’re up front with people, I find you’ve got a better chance of convincing of the merits of your argument.
JONES: Good to talk to you, thank you for your time. There’s many more other things we could discuss but that’s it for tonight. We’ve run out of time, we’d be here forever. That you for your time, it’s much appreciated by us and our listeners.
PRIME MINISTER: See ya guys.
Joint Media Statement
16 October 2018
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs
The Australian Government has today made a number of important announcements in support of Australia’s interests in the Middle East and our continuing support for a durable and resilient two-state solution. As a package, these announcements reinforce our commitment to efforts towards resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, further strengthen our valuable relationship with Israel, and will review Australia’s policy in relation to Iran’s nuclear program.
In making these announcements, the Government underlines its enduring commitment to the Middle East Peace Process, and to a two-state solution that allows Israel and a future Palestinian state to exist side-by-side, in peace and security, within internationally recognised borders. We will continue to encourage both sides to continue dialogue and negotiations towards a peaceful settlement. The Government reaffirms its commitment to constructive engagement with Iran.
First, Australia will vote no in the upcoming UN General Assembly resolution on the Palestinian Authority chairing the G77. This draft resolution seeks to confer an official status on the Palestinian Authority it does not have, and therefore has the potential to undermine efforts to bring parties together to work towards a peaceful settlement.
Second, the Government will carefully examine the arguments put forward by Australia's former Ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, that we should consider recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, without prejudice to its final boundaries, while acknowledging East Jerusalem as the expected capital of a future Palestinian state. Specifically, the Government will examine the merits of moving Australia’s embassy to West Jerusalem, in the context of our support for a two-state solution. Any decision will be subject to a rigorous assessment of the potential impact of such a move on our broader national interests.
Third, given Australia’s increased engagement with Israel on defence and security matters, the Government will appoint a resident Australian Defence Attaché in Tel Aviv and has invited Israel to appoint its own resident Defence Attaché in Canberra.
Fourth, the Government will review, without prejudice, Australia's approach to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to determine whether our current policy settings remain fit for purpose. The review will reassess whether the Plan remains the best vehicle to address the international community’s concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The Government aims to finalise and announce the findings of this review by December this year.