Media Releases
Media Statement
8 November 2018
Today I met with the Member for Kennedy in Townsville and reached an agreement for his ongoing support of the Government. This agreement is set out in the attached correspondence.
The agreement will support the continued stability of the Government, and us getting on with the job. It will protect against political disruption by the Opposition. I thank the Member for Kennedy for the way he has engaged in this process, and look forward to working closely with him in the months ahead.
Interview with Pricey, Triple M
8 November 2018
PRIME MINISTER: G’day.
PRICEY: You even have people ring the phone for you now?
[Laughter]
So you get the big job, you get someone to dial the phone for you!
PRIME MINISTER: Oh well I’m using his phone, I couldn’t find mine.
PRICEY: You do have your own phone?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah I do, I do.
PRICEY: Unbelievable, Mr Morrison! We’re Triple M here, so perhaps that’s motoring Mr Morrison that stands for. But what happened to the bus?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we were only ever going to take it as far as Rocky and Gladstone, because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to get up here in time for Paul Murray last night.
PRICEY: Yes, I know, I know.
PRIME MINISTER: Spending time with people on the ground here in Townsville than sitting on a coach for that period of time.
PRICEY: No, no, you might have to change a tire but the thing is little bouncing Billy has decided he is coming up on a solar skateboard next time to outdo you.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: Well good luck to him.
[Laughter]
PRICEY: Mate you were at [inaudible] brewery last night, and I love Paul Murray, I just think he’s terrific. You’ve said yes to pretty well everything, but what did you learn about North Queenslanders face to face? What did you learn about us?
PRIME MINISTER: Well last night there was a lot of topics. There was obviously a lot of issues focused on the Defence Force community and the veteran’s community and of course I think… I mean, I’ll be over at Lavarack today. But on top of that water, a huge issue, electricity prices were also a big issue. Not just on them being high but the fact of the monopoly on how electricity prices runs up here and let’s not forget it’s a monopoly owned by the state government.
PRICEY: You going to fix it? The power?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’ve got legislation that’s coming through and we want to see more generation come into the system. The bottom line is the state government is taking out huge dividends out of their power companies, putting it in their pockets and making Queenslanders pay higher prices.
PRICEY: Yeah but you’re a bigger boss than them.
PRIME MINISTER: Well they’ve got sovereignty over what they’re doing with their companies but we’re introducing legislation which will be dealing with those big companies and in Queensland, the big companies are the state government.
PRICEY: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: You know, who owns them is up to the state government. In other states, other companies own them. But the fact is here, they are the big electricity company that is actually putting prices up and hitting customers, hitting consumers here in Queensland.
PRICEY: Yeah everyone’s been talking about coal versus renewables. What do you reckon? We’ve got a lot of solar farms out here at Sun Metals as you know, more going up. Do you reckon we’ll ever take over with renewables? Is there opportunity there in time to come? What is your Government doing about that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’re for all of the above. You need them all. You’re going to need coal for a long time and we’ve got more renewables coming in and they’re coming in increasingly because they’re affordable and they’re making common sense and they are not going to be subsidised going out into the future. So if it stands on its own two feet, whether it’s coal, whether it’s gas, whether it’s renewables, preferably things that don’t just depend on the sun or the wind, because you can have renewables that don’t do that and in other parts of the country we have that. And of course there is hydro and things like that as well.
PRICEY: Hey on the subject of hydro, did they mention last night the 14 metres on top of the Burdekin Dam wall which would give us hydro? Because that’s what was planned thirty years ago?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah that was raised by one of the questioners, and my understanding is the state government is looking at that and they...
PRICEY: Yeah but not… that’s SunWater, they want to put about three metres. But once we do three metres it’s not enough and it will stuff things up if we ever do want fourteen metres. We need water security for good.
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’re looking at all those projects, we have a whole range of projects under feasibility for a while and we haven’t made any final decisions on those. As you know, first things first was the water pipeline which I announced last Sunday, $200 million, that’s securing Townsville’s water supply in our lifetime certainly and well beyond.
PRICEY: You’ve been a really good boy.
[Laughter]
You really have. Like, we in the media think we’re going to get him, you’ve ticked every box. Now is this written in water or blood? Like you know, is there a contract on our $200 million?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah well it is on the Budget, it is in the forward estimates, locked in. It’s not a promise, it’s actually now policy and it’s fully funded in the Budget, and if anyone ever tries to touch that in the future they would actually have to reverse that decision. So it’s an actual decision, it’s done.
PRICEY: Yes good mate, because we were let down many years ago. But that’s beside the point, we’re looking to the future now. We are a garrison city, you’re heading out to meet the Brigadier today no doubt, past the rock. What’s your story on Lavarack and the future of our diggers outside of the service?
PRIME MINISTER: Well where I’m going today… the reason I wanted to come up here and give this speech today about what we’re going to be doing more up in the Pacific is the boys and girls out there are the ones who are going to be very involved in this. And rather than, you know, sit in a big room in a lecture theatre in Sydney or Melbourne, I thought the people I should be explaining to about what our plan is for the Pacific and what their role is in it is them. And I should come to their base and they should be the first ones to hear about it. So I’m looking forward to doing that as well as congratulating and thanking them for their service as well as reminding them that as a Government, we have been investing heavily in Defence Force capability and the Land 400, that is a huge project we have committed to. Last time I was up here I was up here I went out to Lavarack and they put on an exercise to show me their wares and I was massively impressed and they were all terribly excited about the Land 400 programme and I sat down and had a meal with them, we were chatting about that. It just gives people who are serving in the Defence Force a real shot in the arm that we’re getting spending on Defence back to 2 per cent of GDP. We promised that, we’re going to hit it three years ahead of what we said we would and we inherited a situation where Defence Force spending was at its lowest level since prior to the Second World War. So that was a disgrace. I mean, Labor didn’t commission one naval ship in six years. Left a massive big hole and left our Defence Force personnel not invested in.
PRICEY: Well we’re very proud of all our services, we truly are. Honestly, all these things you’ve said are pretty good, we’ll keep an eye on you and we’ve got them all written down to make sure that everything comes to fruition. Mate, tonight Mr Turnbull is on Question Time, Q&A. What’s one question you’d like to ask him?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh how’s he going?
[Laughter]
PRICEY: Ah good for you mate, good for you. Hey listen, thanks for coming up to paradise. Listen, PM stands for prime mover does it next time, seeing as you’ve come up in a bus?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I love coming up to Townsville, I’m up here quite regularly. But the last time I came up was to put the $75 million into the Port and I think that’s going to be a huge project, not just for Townsville, but for all of North Queensland.
PRICEY: Yes, can we have $80 million for the national aquarium as well?
PRIME MINISTER: Well…
[Laughter]
PRICEY: Oh come of, you’ve got the glomesh purse open!
PRIME MINISTER: There’s always a long list in Townsville. Mate I’m still paying for the stadium we’re building there for JT.
PRICEY: Oh we’re all paying for that, thank you. Hey mate, all the best to you and make sure you take a case of that beer home with you.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah the ScoMo brew is down there at the brewery so check it out.
PRICEY: Yes indeed, as long as if you have a couple of glasses of it, it doesn’t make you forget your promises.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely not, we’ll never do that.
PRICEY: Mr Prime Minister, thank you very much.
PRIME MINISTER: Cheers.
Strengthening Australia's Commitment to the Pacific
8 November 2018
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Defence
Australia will step up in the Pacific and take our engagement with the region to a new level.
A new package of security, economic, diplomatic and people to people initiatives will build on our strong partnerships in the Pacific.
From our Seasonal Workers Programme and Pacific Labour Scheme to the support for Lombrum Naval Base and new Pacific Patrol Boats, we are delivering outcomes for a secure and prosperous Pacific region.
Australia has a long history of cooperation with our Pacific neighbours. We want to work with our Pacific Islands partners to build a Pacific region that is secure strategically, stable economically and sovereign politically.
As our 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper outlined, the stability and economic progress of the Pacific region are of fundamental importance to Australia, and no single country can tackle the challenges on its own.
Building on a long history of Australian defence, police and border management cooperation across the region, and in line with the Boe Declaration adopted by Pacific leaders at the 2018 Pacific Islands Forum, we will enhance our security cooperation with our Pacific neighbours.
In addition to our Australia Pacific Security College and Fusion Centre, which will address gaps in training and information sharing in the Pacific, a new Pacific faculty at the Australian Institute of Police Management will train the next generation of police leadership in the Pacific.
Our Defence Force will work with partners to build interoperability to respond together to the common security challenges that we face, including through the establishment of a new ADF Pacific Mobile Training Team.
Our Government will put in place arrangements to ensure Australia has a dedicated vessel to deliver support to our partners in the Pacific, including for humanitarian assistance and response.
This comes on top of our recent agreement with Fiji to redevelop the Blackrock Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Camp into a regional hub for police and peacekeeping training and pre-deployment preparation.
In consultation with Pacific countries, we will convene an annual Joint-Heads of Pacific Security Forces event in Australia. This will be a powerful platform for key security figures to discuss regional security issues of importance to all Pacific countries.
We will also build an alumni network of emerging and senior police, civilian, and military leaders to create stronger ties and enhance understanding of regional security issues.
Better economic infrastructure in Pacific nations will contribute to stronger growth, not only in their countries but across our region, including in Australia. Productive and sustainable investment is mutually beneficial.
Our Government will establish the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, a $2 billion infrastructure initiative to significantly boost Australia’s support for infrastructure development in Pacific countries and Timor-Leste.
At the same time, we will deliver an extra $1 billion in callable capital to Efic, Australia’s export financing agency. This will complement a new, more flexible infrastructure financing power to support investments in the region that have a broad national benefit for Australia.
The ties that bind us to our Pacific family extend beyond security and economic cooperation.
We intend to expand our diplomatic footprint to ensure that Australia has a presence in every member country of the Pacific Islands Forum.
Building on our shared love of sport, we will fund a new grants program – the Australia Pacific Sports Linkages Program – to strengthen sports linkages between Australia and the Pacific. We will also expand our military sporting engagements, building on the highly successful PACMIL Sevens women’s rugby union tournament for the Pacific security forces.
We will work with our commercial media operators to ensure the Pacific can connect to quality Australian media content.
Our commitment to the Pacific is strong and enduring and these initiatives highlight that we have listened and are working closely with our Pacific partners, including through the Pacific Islands Forum.
These new initiatives will ensure Australia’s relationships with our Pacific friends continue to grow from strength to strength.
Interview with Hit Central Queensland
7 November 2018
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s great to be rolling in here to Rocky and we’ll be down in Gladstone later today as well so it’s great to be here in Central Queensland. We have got $800 million reasons for being here announcing the Ring Road project today, which is going to be tremendous for Queensland.
JESS: That was going to be my first question, Mr Prime Minister. Can you explain to us…
PRIME MINISTER: I was too excited. I was too excited about it.
JESS: Can you explain to us exactly what you are bringing to Rockhampton?
PRIME MINISTER: Well this is the Ring Road project in Rockhampton. It’s about a billion dollar project, we’re going to put in 80 per cent of the money and it’s going to get rid of eighteen sets of traffic lights. It’s going to ensure that we are able to connect up the agricultural sector and it takes the big trucks out of the center of Rockhampton which is good for, you know, mums and dads driving their kids around Rockhampton just getting about their daily business. But it’s going to mean hundreds and hundreds of jobs, but it’s going to just be a massive investment in boosting the economy here in regional Queensland which is tremendous for jobs and for young families who are moving here and living here, it says you’ve got a big future here in Central Queensland and I get it, I’m up here listening to what people have said. Michelle Landry has been championing this project and I’ve heard what Michelle has got to say and we are going to back it in.
TIM: Now do you think… obviously this has been met with a lot of positive reaction from a lot of people here in CQ but have you heard from anyone that’s concerned now that a lot of business through town is going to be lost like petrol stations, motels. Has that concern been raised to you at the moment?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that will be all part of the planning that now gets underway to ensure it takes the right route and does all these things. But that’s an issue that is commonly raised when you do these types of projects around the country and the experience is that it’s the reverse. It actually revitalises the town. I mean, when you get the big trucks off your main roads and your main streets, it’s not that pleasant sitting there having a coffee while they are rolling by and so it actually works the other way. It actually revitalises and lets the town be the town and grow and expand – and the jobs that come, it’s all good. It’s just all good.
JESS: Now Mr Prime Minister, you said you were going to be in Gladstone this afternoon, is there any $800 million projects you are going to be announcing for the Gladstone region as well?
PRIME MINISTER: I’m down there visiting the Boyne aluminium smelter and obviously electricity, power prices these sorts of things are very important for jobs in Gladstone and I’ll be down there with Kenny O’Dowd and we’ll be visiting the Boyne aluminium smelter and I’ll be taking some briefings down there, look around there. I’m just there to listen there this afternoon and get first-hand understanding of what their challenges are. I mean that’s what I’m like. It doesn’t matter what portfolio I’ve had in the past, I’ve got to get there and I’ve got to get on the ground and I’ve to you know, hold the dirt in my hands or I’ve got to put my hands on the panels or the buttons or whatever they are doing there to really get it in terms of what their issues are.
TIM: Now, I do give a bit of a warning, they are probably want to get you to stick around because they are always looking for more workers so just be careful.
JESS: Yes they might stick you in orange jumpsuit.
TIM: If they give you a contract maybe just be careful.
PRIME MINISTER: Maybe they’ll make me a good offer, who knows.
TIM: It is great to see a Prime Minister in Central Queensland, it’s the first time a Prime Minister has come to Gladstone since I think it was about 2015 and we did want to focus on something. We’ve noticed obviously your bus that’s coming through all of Queensland at the moment, there is a signature on the side. Now, is it ScoMo? We understand that there’s the nicknames going in the media at the moment, is that something you’ve just gone you know what I’m going to own this, I’m Mr Prime Minister, I’m Scott Morrison but I’m ScoMo.
JESS: Or have you always been called ScoMo?
PRIME MINISTER: They have been calling me that for years and years, I mean some people are just getting to know me now and some people in the media too, they think it’s just sort of turned up in the last six months, well that’s rubbish. It’s been round for years, I mean I still sign if I’m going for a bank loan or something like that with my formal signature and if I’m signing official papers yeah, but I’ve been signing that way for things for people who ask me can you sign this bottle of wine or can you sign this photo or something like that. Or when I used to do budgets and people give me budget papers to sign, I’d just sign it ScoMo because you can’t read my other signature.
TIM: And then they can’t hack into your bank accounts either so it’s a win-win.
PRIME MINISTER: There you go, I hadn’t thought of that, there you go. You’re looking after me, good on you, Tim.
TIM: And just before we go Mr Prime Minister, I have one final question. Now, I’m sure that you might actually struggle with this now that you are the Prime Minister of our country but next week I am taking Jess my co-host on a camping trip.
JESS: Are we really asking the Prime Minister about this?
TIM: We are, and I was just wondering, were you a big camper because obviously I don’t think you could do too much of it now.
PRIME MINISTER: I was when I was much younger, in fact I am in Rocky today and when I first came to Rocky it was after I finished high school and me and a whole bunch of mates drove up here in a very old Kingswood and we went and stayed on Great Kepple - the resort was running back then but we couldn’t afford that - so we just camped on the beach in a tent and we were there for I think about a week or two I think. And we did the big road trip all the way up here so I did enjoy that when I was younger but these days I don’t get the opportunity so much. I’ve got two girls, nine and eleven. The youngest one probably wouldn’t mind to camp out but Jenn and I went for a camping trip many years ago and we got caught in the rain and we got washed out and we just went…
TIM: The one day it rains in Queensland and it got you.
PRIME MINISTER: That was up around northern New South Wales at the time where is does tend to rain a bit.
JESS: This is the thing I was concerned about, Mister Prime Minister, because Tim wants to take me camping and the only camping experience I’ve ever had there was a giant pool of water in my tent so I’m not looking forward to it. But if Great Kepple Island is good enough for the Prime Minister, it’s good enough for me.
TIM: You’re not better than the Prime Minister Jess, so if it’s good enough for Scott Morrison, it’s good enough for you.
JESS: Add Kepple to the list Tim.
PRIME MINISTER: The last camping I think I did was when I trekked up in Papua New Guinea, I trekked Kokoda many years ago which was great and the last one I did was up in the northern part of Papua New Guinea, what’s called the Black Cat Track, which where in 1943 the Australian Diggers fought with the Americans and pushed the Japanese back out of the northern part of Papua New Guinea and we went on about a six day trek through there and so spent a fair bit of time in a tent then. So I’m not a stranger to it so you’ll be right Jess, Tim will look after you don’t worry.
TIM: There you go Jess, you’ll be right, the official advice from our Prime Minister. We really appreciate you speaking to us Mr Prime Minister and thank you so much. It seems like you are bringing some great stuff here to Central Queensland.
PRIME MINISTER: All good, ScoMo out, cheers.
Doorstop - Kawana, QLD
7 November 2018
MICHELLE LANDRY: It’s wonderful to be here at Rocky’s Own today and to have the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister and they’re here to make some fantastic announcements. It’s the second time that the Prime Minister has been up here in a couple of months and he’s up here in his wonderful blue bus and it’s tripping around Queensland and it’s great to see. The Coalition Government has been putting billions and billions of dollars into the road network right across Australia and in my seat of Capricornia we have spent hundreds of millions of dollars. We’ve put money into four lanes for Rockhampton to Gracemere, the Walkerston bypass up in my electorate, money towards the four lanes on the northern approach to the highway and also upgrades to the Capricorn Highway. These are very important projects for this area and it’s just part of our plan for major infrastructure for the whole of our country. You know, when we look back at fifteen long years of Labor in this electorate, they did not too much, I can tell you. And so since I’ve been elected, nearly five years now, we have put billions of dollars into this area and I’m very proud to be part of this Government. I think that we see recent projects like the Rockhampton Levy Bank and that is going to be something that will keep the Highway open. We had built… raised Yeppoon floodway. That worked very well but we need to keep the Bruce open. So all these projects actually work towards that. So I will continue to fight for this area and I will now hand over to the Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Michelle, it’s great to be back here with you again in Rocky and it’s great to be here with the DPM Michael McCormack up here in Central Queensland. And it’s great to be continuing this run up the coast here throughout Queensland and what we’ve got a very simple thing to say to Queenslanders, and that is we’re backing Queenslanders. We know that if you create a stronger economy, then you can invest in the things that make a big difference here in Queensland. And what we’re here today to announce is $800 million reasons why we are backing Queensland and particularly here Central Queensland with our investment in the ring road project here in Rockhampton. This is a project that is going to keep Rockhampton and the surrounding districts moving. This is a project that is going to mean the roads here are safer, that the roads here are less congested. We’re going to bypass 18 sets of traffic lights with four lanes, which means that the freight and the work that is connecting all parts of the Queensland economy to the south and to the north will be connected up. It means saving time, it means greater economic benefits, it means more jobs.
We’re backing Queenslanders. I’ve been listening, I’ve been hearing, and I’m doing. Whether it’s the announcement I made earlier this week down in southern Queensland where we were talking about the light rail project or up to the north where I will be heading later today, where we’re investing $200 million in securing Townsville’s water future. Or right here in Rockhampton today, where I’ve announced $800 million to ensure that this billion dollar project, with the other 20 per cent to come from the state government, and we look forward to them coming on board with this important project for Central Queensland which will deliver those jobs and keep Central Queensland moving, keep Queensland moving, keep the Australian economy moving forward. The reason we can do this, the reason we can make these investments is because our Government believes, passionately, that you have to grow your economy.
That's why we're backing the 17,000 small businesses and family businesses here in the electorate of Capricornia with lower taxes and less paperwork. It's great to be here at Rocky’s Own, a great trucking company which is not only operating here in Central Queensland but right around the country, employing hundreds of Australians, and working closely with their Australians. The way you create a stronger economy is you have lower taxes. You ensure that you bring those employers and employees together. You don't try to drive a wedge between them. And Rocky’s is a great example of that here, working closely with their employers, making sure that they're doing the training right and they’re rewarding the drivers well. Even providing private health insurance to support their workers here as part of the great Australian business. So I'm really pleased to be here with Rocky’s today. This investment that we're making today is part of a much bigger investment which I'm going to ask Michael to run you through. But we're backing Queenslanders for a stronger economy, and that will secure their future, and that's what our Government is all about. Michael?
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, MICHAEL MCCORMACK: Well, thank you, Prime Minister Morrison. What a great investment this is by the Liberal National Federal Government. $800 million. A $1 billion project. And Brian Smith here at Rocky’s Own Transport, he knows full well just how important this announcement is here today. He has 150 trucks right across this nation, but many of them based here in Rockhampton. Many of them travel up and down the Bruce Highway. He's got trucks all over our nation, he's got 250 employees. He wants those truck drivers and their rigs to get home sooner and safer. He wants to make sure that when his truck drivers leave these depots with their expensive, with their big, with their modern rigs, that they get to where they need to go in the quickest time, but most importantly, in the safest way. And this $800 million investment by the Liberals and Nationals, this announcement today is going to mean a world of difference for Rocky’s Own Transport and for all truck drivers and indeed all road users who use the Bruce Highway. And it's going to be about a 20km ring road around Rockhampton to the west of this fine city. It's going to mean such a difference.
Now, we know that the $10 billion investment that the Liberal and Nationals have put into the Bruce Highway and are putting into the Bruce Highway has, already, since 2013, seen a 32 per cent reduction in fatal accidents along the Bruce. And I know how delighted that Lou O'Brien was when we made that announcement for the section D, section of the Bruce Highway. And Michelle Landry is absolutely ecstatic with the announcement we have made today. But it only happens, it only happens because we've got a strong economy and we're able to afford these things. But it also happens because of strong advocacy from members like Lou O'Brien and particularly here in Rockhampton, from the member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry. And I know how hard she fights for upgrades under the Regional Growth Fund for the levy bank. I know how hard she fights for little projects, for medium-sized projects and for large projects such as the Rockhampton ring road. That when it starts construction, it's going to create hundreds of jobs, but it's also, when completed, going to get truck drivers like the ones that Brian Smith has, at Rocky’s Own Transport, home, sooner and safer. That's what Michelle Landry represents. She represents infrastructure, she represents jobs, she represents delivery. That’s what we do.
We don't just talk about it, we deliver it, we build it. And when it comes to infrastructure, right up and down the Bruce, right throughout Queensland, particularly rural and regional Queensland, I know that members like Michelle Landry are going to be in there fighting hard for more delivery to ensure that we have safer roads, better connectivity, getting the wonderful products that we’ve got in rural and regional Queensland, indeed right throughout Australia, to markets quicker so that we can take advantage of those free trade arrangements.
But most importantly, getting our truck drivers home safer, making sure that other road users also understand that this infrastructure build that we're embarking upon, part of a $75 billion record decade-long infrastructure investment by the Liberals and Nationals, make sure that we get the infrastructure that we need, make sure that we get the infrastructure that is going to create jobs and create more safer options for our truck drivers and for all road users. So well done Michelle. Absolutely proud of you. Your continued delivery for Rockhampton and for Capricornia is to be admired, and congratulations to you for your continued advocacy for the residents, not just of Capricornia, but, indeed, all of Queensland.
PRIME MINISTER: Good on you, Michael. As I said, this project is fully funded in our Budget - 100 per cent fully funded. This isn't a promise. We're doing it. We're doing it. It's funded. We're doing it. Ok, happy to take questions. Let's talk about the ring road and other sort of local projects first and then happy to cover other issues as normal.
JOURNALIST: So if you're not re-elected, will you still build the road? Would the road still be built?
PRIME MINISTER: It's in the Budget. I mean, the only way that this road cannot be built is if any other government were to reverse that in the future. The money is in the Budget. It's in the medium term provisions and in the Budget in the forward estimates. So this money is locked in. It's voted in, it’s there, done.
JOURNALIST: So how important is that $200 million from the state?
PRIME MINISTER: Well of course it's important. This is a partnership. We're kicking in 80 per cent of the project to make it happen. And of course, we'd be expecting the state government to stump up and do their share, and if they didn't, I think they'd be letting Central Queenslanders down terribly.
JOURNALIST: The Labor candidate for Capricornia this morning said they had to drag the LNP kicking and screaming to support this project. What’s your response to that?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, that's a crock. That's what that is. I mean, they never put a dollar into it. This is what Bill Shorten does. He runs around and he hints at projects and he says he might do it and all the rest of it. I'll tell you what we've done. I’ve put the money in the Budget. We actually put it in the Budget and the money is real and it's there. At best, they only hinted that they might do 50 per cent of the project. It's a phoney promise that. That’s all you'll get from Bill Shorten. Bill Shorten makes promises all over the country. But I'll tell you why you can't trust Bill Shorten to deliver one thing that he says, is because he can't run a strong economy. Labor are terrible when it comes to managing the nation's finances. I remember first election that I ran in back in 2007, the Coalition government, a $20 billion surplus. Labor turned it into a $20 billion deficit pretty much straight off the bat. That's what Labor governments do. They can't manage money, and that means projects like this get put at risk if a Labor government is elected because they can't run a stronger economy. They're going to put $200 billion worth of higher taxes on the economy. Things like abolishing negative gearing as we know it and putting up capital gains tax. I don't know if you know, I was telling Michelle this this morning. There are more people who have negatively geared investments living in the electorate of Capricornia than living in my electorate of Cook in southern Sydney. You know, the miners up here, and you know we support the mining industry. I'm happy to say that here in the middle of Rockhampton, I’m happy to say it in Pitt Street in Sydney or down on Collins Street in Melbourne or out in Fitzroy or anywhere else. We back the mining industry. And those miners have gone and worked hard and they’ve invested in properties all across the country to secure their own future. And Bill Shorten wants to put all of that at risk. If you can't run a strong economy, you can't fund health, you can't fund Medicare, you can't fund affordable medicines and you can't fund the ring road project here in Rockhampton.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, how concerned are you that the recent turmoil within the Coalition is going to negatively impact your local members in this area like Michelle?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't agree with the premise of the question so I'm not concerned at all.
JOURNALIST: I spoke to a voter last night at the pub who said exactly that, exactly that, that they wouldn't vote for the LNP because of the instability. They also said that you short of skolling a beer at the pub wouldn’t convince them to vote for the LNP again. How worried are you?
PRIME MINISTER: I think that you have to stop talking to Labor voters. Or the Greens.
JOURNALIST: That was a former LNP voter.
PRIME MINISTER: I'm sure they were. I'm sure they were.
JOURNALIST: So you’re not concerned at all about these seats?
PRIME MINISTER: What I'm concerned about is people who work right across the country getting home on time.
JOURNALIST: But these particular seats?
PRIME MINISTER: Well people are concerned about getting home on time and spending time with their family and getting home safely. They're concerned about their health services. Did you know, in the local health services here, hospitals and health services here, the Commonwealth Government, our Government, the Liberal National Government, has increased funding to the Central Queensland hospitals and health service by 20 per cent over the last couple of years? The state Labor government has ripped out $9 million out of local hospitals and health services here in Central Queensland. So we've increased investment in health, we’ve increased investment in infrastructure. We've increased investment for the car park at the hospital, $7 million we put into that. So we're investing in the things that are making a material difference to the lives of people here in Rockhampton, in central Queensland. A material difference to the lives of people who live up in Townsville in terms of securing their water future.
A material difference to those who are living on the Gold Coast with the light rail project, which has been transformative to that city. We're delivering in terms of drought support and assistance for Queensland farmers and communities that have been terribly affected by drought. The first place I went was Quilpie and Longreach. We're delivering $1 million to every single council and shire that is drought-affected.
$30 million extra being put into charitable support to ensure that we can reach out and support the towns and communities affected by drought here in Queensland. That's what people are worried about. That's what they're focused on. Retirees are concerned about the fact that Bill Shorten wants to take thousands of dollars, rip it out of their pockets, with his shameful retirees tax. People who own homes and people who rent are worried that under, and they’re rightly worried, that Labor's abolition of negative gearing as we know it, will mean that rents will go up and property values - the one asset that Australian families invest in more than anything else - will go down. I mean, they have a plan for economic wreckage when it comes to their $200 billion of higher taxes. So I'm worried about those things. The Canberra bubble is worried about personalities, politics and identity issues. And you know, politics is not a soap opera and shouldn't be. It's about serious issues like roads and hospitals and education and a stronger economy. And that's what I'm focused on.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you’re headed to Gladstone for a party fundraiser. How is this not just a campaign trail to fill the LNP’s coffers?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm there to go to the aluminium smelter today.
JOURNALIST: So you’re not going to a party fundraiser lunch? Are people paying to have access to the PM?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm meeting with supporters all around Queensland. And I don't make any apologies for that. One of the reasons...
JOURNALIST: So no $5,000 a plate to sit beside you?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re raising funds for our campaign to make sure Bill Shorten never becomes prime minister in the country. And you know what, I'm getting great support for that campaign and I welcome it. I'm here to actually bring together our supporters and they're coming back. You know, you talk about last night at the pub. I had a family come up to me and said, “You know what, I walked away from the LNP and I'm back now, I'm back 100 per cent.” And I've been getting that message wherever I've been from the Gold Coast, all the way up to here to Rockhampton and I’m getting the same message when I was up in Cairns some weeks ago. And I know that Michael was up there not long ago and getting the same message from Queenslanders. Queensland LNP supporters and members and voters are coming back to the Liberal and National Parties because they know about what we believe and what we’re committed to and what we're delivering for them.
JOURNALIST: That’s interesting because the AFR is actually reporting today that this trip is going down, quote: “Like a turd in a well.” Are you actually feeling positive about this trip?
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t focus on the narks in Canberra. I don’t focus on the narks in Canberra, I focus on families here in Rockhampton. And what I know they need is they need this ring road project and we’re committing to it. So you know, I’m glad to be out of the Canberra bubble and you’ve clearly got a hotline to the Canberra bubble on your phone there as they’re feeding in the questions to you. But you know, the AFR can say that if they want. Not too many people are reading the AFR up here in Rockhampton. I’ll tell you what they’re reading - the front page of the local paper which says that we’re investing $800 million in a project that is only going to drive their region forward.
JOURNALIST: I’ve got a question for the Deputy Prime Minister. Do you want Barnaby Joyce as a candidate?
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Look I support Barnaby, he’s doing a wonderful job as the drought envoy and a great job as the member for New England and he has my support. He’s got the support of the Partyroom.
JOURNALIST: I understand he’s the only one who’s nominated. Has he been endorsed?
PRIME MINISTER: Well he’s going through the normal vetting process that I, that Barnaby, that every other National Party member, I know Michelle Landry has been through it. There are different timelines for different members but he’s going through the normal vetting processes as is the case with all National Party candidates. Whether they’re a candidate, whether they’re a sitting member, or indeed whether they’re the Deputy Prime Minister as I am. I went through the same vetting process and you have to fill out a long and involved form and you have to make certain undertakings. I’ve done that, Michelle has done that, and Barnaby is going through the process at the moment.
JOURNALIST: I’ve just got a question for the Prime Minister if that’s alright. This tour has been labelled a listening tour in some respects but last night there was an invite only event. Is it possible to be able to listen to potential voters if these events are invite only?
PRIME MINISTER: Well yesterday I walked through a crowd of 6,000 people down in Caloundra at the Melbourne Cup and it was in the general admission area. I walked through the pub last night and had the same chat with people in the pub and then I walked into another event. So I’m bumping into Queenslanders all over the place and you know, what I am doing here is I’m listening, I’m hearing and I’m doing. All three things. I mean the commitments we’re making to infrastructure, the commitments we’re making to family and small businesses. The commitments we’re making to not put up their taxes but in fact to drive taxes down. I mean the Labor Party wants to restore a whole new level of the tax system. Under our plan, under our legislated plan, 94 per cent of Australians won’t pay more than 32.5 cents as a marginal rate in tax. The Labor Party wants to abolish that. They want to restore the 37 cent tax rate if they’re elected. That’s what they’re promising. They want to take our $144 billion tax relief plan and chop it in half and turn it into a $70 billion plan and say to Australians who are going to work hard for the next ten years that you’ll face bracket creep. Under our plan that we’ve legislated in the last Budget, the majority of Australians under our plan will never face bracket creep because we’re abolishing an entire tier of the tax system. We’re getting small and family business taxes down and we’re not going go and rip off retirees by taking back their tax refunds, which is going to affect around 5,000 retirees and other Australians here in the electorate of Capricornia. And not to mention the 9,500 who will have their investments hit, their negative geared property investments, they have worked hard for. So we’re for lower taxes, we’re for a stronger economy. Bill Shorten is for a weaker economy, which means less jobs and not being able to fund the things that matter to all Australians.
JOURNALIST: You’re campaigning here in the midst of a NSW election. Are you actually going to go down to NSW to help out the candidate down there?
PRIME MINISTER: In NSW?
JOURNALIST: In NSW, yep.
PRIME MINISTER: No, no, NSW election, that’s in March.
JOURNALIST: Victoria?
PRIME MINISTER: So you’re talking about the Victorian election?
JOURNALIST: Victoria, sorry.
PRIME MINISTER: No well I’ll be down there soon.
JOURNALIST: Speaking of the NSW election, do you welcome Mark Latham’s return to…
PRIME MINISTER: Well you know, Mark Latham, it’s a bit like the Bachelor. He’s been handing out roses to the Labor Party, to the Liberal Democrats, and now he’s handing out one to One Nation. Who knows who he’ll go home with. Thanks very much.
Interview with Alan Jones, 2GB
7 November 2018
ALAN JONES: Prime Minister, good morning.
PRIME MINISTER: G’day Alan.
JONES: Prime Minister, just getting the message across before we go onto this other stuff. Daniel Andrews, the Premier of Victoria, has signed up to a secret agreement with China on a global infrastructure program. Has that been discussed with your Government?
PRIME MINISTER: It hasn’t been discussed with me, no, and that was a bit of a surprise when I saw it the other day. You know, we’ve had a very consistent policy on the Belt and Road Initiative now for years and we don’t have an MOU with the Chinese Government on those things. We’re getting on with business with China as you know, I mean Marise Payne will be up there, she is on her way up there today and Trade Minister Simon Birmingham, he has been there. You know, China is a very important business partner to Australia and that’s going well and that’s great. But we’ve always had a very consistent position on this and we’ve always been clear about it and when these things happen, then that creates mixed messages and it would have been helpful I think is they had been a bit more engaging on that.
JONES: Have you spoken to Andrews?
PRIME MINISTER: No I haven’t, he hasn’t spoken to me about it either.
JONES: But he’s signed an MOU, he’s signed an MOU – a Memorandum of Understanding – without raising this with the Federal Government and won’t release the details.
PRIME MINISTER: Well he should, and he should be upfront with the Victorian electors, he’s in the middle of an election at the moment. He doesn’t seem to have even explained it to his own Labor colleagues. I mean, foreign policy is the domain of the Commonwealth Government. I’d like to give him a few tips on how he should be running his police force down there because if you’re living in Victoria, he hasn’t been doing a pretty crash hot job on that. So if we want to start going over each other’s lines and giving advice about how we should run each other’s shows, how about having a police force in Victoria like the one we have in NSW. That might do a lot to give safety to people in Victoria.
JONES: Prime Minister, you’re past involvement in tourism – and this is of interest to all Australians – the Gold Coast is an important destination. I note you’ve tipped in $112 million of federal money for this what I think is the 3A project for the Light Rail and that’ll take it from Pacific Fair down to Burleigh Heads.
PRIME MINISTER: Yep.
JONES: Surely there’s got to be infrastructure money to knock down Coolangatta Airport in the interests of tourism and build something that is international, and then to get the Light Rail down to Coolangatta Airport. I mean how… why is that impossible?
PRIME MINISTER: Well first of all on the Light Rail, that’s the next stage. I think there are plans to take it all the way down. Now we’ve put $112 million as you say to get it down to Burleigh, going from Broadbeach down to Burleigh. Now we’ve put our money in, the state government yet hasn’t put their money in. It’s a bit like, you know, what we’ve been trying to do with Pines River up north on the Bruce Highway. I mean, we’ve put our money in and we’ve been trying to get the state government to do it for years. And so I’ve just announced up here today – we’re in Rockhampton today – we’re putting $800 million into the ring road project up here in Rockhampton which will be enormously important for their future economy and how things are going to operate up here. And as you know, we’ve put the investment into the pipeline project to secure Townsville’s future water supply, that’s $200 million. So we’re investing in the infrastructure that is going to make a very big difference to Queensland and we want the state government to pony up as well.
JONES: Sure, but I’m just saying, as a former tourism bloke, Coolangatta Airport, this is a mecca, the Gold Coast. People come from all over the world to go to the Gold Coast and it’s just a mess. A mess. Why can’t there be infrastructure money to rebuild Coolangatta Airport?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the owners of the airport I’m sure if they want to take it further would put forward proposals and they’d discuss that with the state government in particular and with the Commonwealth as is necessary. I mean, it is a very important part of the infrastructure of the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is going to continue to be a very big city.
JONES: Absolutely.
PRIME MINISTER: And the light rail, which we have already invested in. This will take our investment to about $570 million in that Gold Coast project and you know, it’s a linear city, it’s not like Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane for that matter. It’s a long strip as we know, and what it didn’t have was a spine in terms of a public transport spine, and that’s what we’ve been investing in. Now you know, it’s the biggest investment our Government has made in light rail anywhere in the country and I thought it was a very… the right place to do it, because you’ve got to build the infrastructure for the people and that’s what we’re doing there. And Coolangatta Airport, you know that will continue to grow and take international flights and if there’s further work that needs to be there I’m sure the Gold Coast Council and the state government will get together and start working on that project.
JONES: Can I just make this point to you, because the bus is about campaigning. You’re starting on the campaign trail, obviously they are now voting in America as to the future of Donald Trump. But his campaign was nothing if it wasn’t an attempt to differentiate in a big, big way how he was different from his opponents. Now, I don’t know whether you have noted or your staff have pointed out to you the recent provincial elections in Canada in the biggest province, Ontario. Now there was a bloke who was almost, I mean I have to say, incoherent in speech but nonetheless the Ontario economy was fantastic. Unemployment terrific, the lowest for several decades, GDP growth was 2 per cent, but the Ontario Financial Post wrote, “When voters looked at the economy this time, they plainly couldn’t get past one aspect of it that was actually in horrible shape – energy affordability.” Now this Kathleen Wynne was the Liberal leader – the equivalent for my listeners to the Labor Party – and the Financial Post, “Despite a favourable economic situation in Kathleen Wynne’s favour, it was her Party’s epic mismanagement of the electricity file in particular that dominated her opponents platform and captured voters’ minds. Meanwhile, her cap and trade system of carbon dioxide taxes was slowly making most other forms of energy needlessly more expensive as well. Liberal clownery on electricity prices almost defies description. Between 2008 and 2016, Ontario’s residential electricity costs grew by more than 70 per cent.” Now, ours have grown by more than 100 per cent.
In terms of differentiating yourself from the other side, why wouldn’t you say simply well look, we’re out of Paris, instead of just saying we’re going to go after the big generator companies. We’re going to slash billions of dollars from the subsidies, get rid of these renewable energy subsidies and you’ve made a massive differentiation from the other crowd.
PRIME MINISTER: Well Alan, we are getting rid of the subsidies. The subsidies are going out.
JONES: 2020.
PRIME MINISTER: What we don’t have…
JONES: 2020.
PRIME MINISTER: Is a reductions target that actually goes to 45 per cent. I mean, 26 per cent doesn’t make any difference to electricity prices at all, we’ve talked about that before. A 45 per cent emissions reductions target, which is Labor’s plan if they’re elected, then that will see an increase in electricity prices greater than what we saw from Julia Gillard’s carbon tax. So that’s the difference. There’ll be higher electricity prices under Labor and they’ll have a renewable energy target of 50 per cent.
JONES: It’s just that Paris, the name, the word Paris is a metaphor for hanging onto a past which has failed us. They are saying if you could just get out of this Paris thing, which is non-binding, but it is a metaphor and while ever you hang onto Paris and the signatories to Paris, people say, “Oh well he’s clinging to the past.” To carve a new future, right.
PRIME MINISTER: I’m not though, Alan. I’m not stuck in the past. I’m not interested in symbolism, I’m not interested in metaphors, I’m interested in electricity prices going down and what I’m telling you that 26 per cent we’re going to hit in a canter, it’s not going to make any difference to electricity prices. Angus Taylor is…
JONES: Then you don’t need Paris, rip it up.
PRIME MINISTER: Well Paris is also important to all of our Pacific neighbours, Alan, as I have discussed with you before. This is a very important issue within our own region and there are concerns…
JONES: Why, because global warming… what, because global warming is going to wash away the islands in the Pacific? That’s crap.
PRIME MINISTER: Well Alan, you’re entitled to that view and they’re entitled to their view where they live.
JONES: What, do you think that’s going to happen?
PRIME MINISTER: That’s not the point Alan.
JONES: Do you think that Bondi Beach is going to finish up at Bathurst?
PRIME MINISTER: No I don’t think that Alan, I don’t think that at all. But what I am saying is we have real strategic issues in the Pacific and the south-west Pacific, and all of these things have to be managed. I don’t think there’s any value, any value at all on electricity prices, it’s not going to change electricity prices one jot. Absolutely one jot.
JONES: No, but do you think all these rent-seekers in the Pacific should get money that you’ve said you’re not going to contribute to Paris. We’ve already tipped in $200 million. They’re rent-seekers, they just want money.
PRIME MINISTER: No I don’t think that’s very respectful to the Pacific Islands, Alan, I really don’t, and I don’t share that view. They’re part of the world in which we live here and we’ve always been doing the right thing by them and we think back to Papua New Guinea, they did the right thing by us when it came to our Diggers. So we have a very special relationship with the Pacific and we need to, for our own interest as well as that it’s part of the community and family of nations we live in in this part of the world. We do the right thing by them, they’ll do the right thing by us.
JONES: Ok two ones. The other things I talk about a major differentiation. Will you be cutting back, publicly and significantly, because we’ve got the world’s highest per capita immigration intake. Are you going to reduce the rate of immigration? This is a big issue out there, it’s all my correspondence, that’s what they’re talking about.
PRIME MINISTER: Alan, what our immigration policy is going to be, they are going to be built from the ground up. You’ve heard what Gladys has been saying in NSW, you’ve heard what has been said in other states and what our immigration policy should be is the sum of the number of people that our infrastructure can support. And instead of doing a top-down approach, what I’m doing with the states and territories now is saying, “You tell me how many people you can accommodate in your state and around your state.” And our immigration numbers will be based on how many people those states can support with the infrastructure and services they can provide.
JONES: So people listening to you will say well therefore it’s got to be cut because they know that they can’t accommodate what they’ve got now.
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’ll do the sums. In Sydney and in Melbourne I think that’s true.
JONES: When will you have them done?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the immigration programs are set in every Budget, Alan, but what happens here, I’m up in North Queensland, Rockhampton – Central Queensland I should say – North Queensland later today. But they say they can take another 10,000 people here in Rockhampton with the existing services and infrastructure they have. In Adelaide, they want more people… and the jobs. That’s why we’re putting the ring road in at $800 million. In Tasmania, their population is increasing and they want to increase it more. In South Australia, it’s the same. In Western Australia…
JONES: Do you think that’s what the people want, is that what the public are telling you?
PRIME MINISTER: That’s what they’re telling me in those states Alan, it is.
JONES: Ok. Righto, I want to get something before we go. Negative gearing, this is another big, big issue out there. There’s two big issues, population and Paris are two big issues. Negative gearing and stealing money from retirees. We’ll talk again next week I know but can I have a word from you on those two issues, negative gearing and Labor and stealing the money from the retirees.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, on negative gearing and increasing the capital gains tax by 50 per cent too, by the way, that’s a lose-lose. It’s a lose if you own a home and it’s a lose if you’re renting a home because your rent will go up and the value of the home you’re in or own as an investment property will go down. Now the Labor Party seems to think this is the best time in the world to do this because, you know, the market’s soft. Well, that’s what they thought about the mining industry when they came up with that stupid idea of the mining tax.
The Labor Party has a knack of finding the worst possible time to hit people with ridiculous taxes. And on the self-funded retirees, and retirees more generally, I mean there are literally a million people who are going to be hit by this $5 billion tax on retirees who did nothing other than buy Australian shares through their tax refund, they get some extra money. I mean, there’s thousands of people.
JONES: Right, we’ll start there next week. We’ll start there next week. You go, I’ve got to go and thank you for your time, talk to you next week.
PRIME MINISTER: Good on you Alan, cheers. Bye.
Interview with Central Queensland Radio, 990 AM 4RO
7 November 2018
PRIME MINISTER: It’s great to be here with Michelle Landry, it’s tremendous to be back here in Rocky.
AARON STEVENS: Absolutely. Michelle, good morning to you too.
MICHELLE LANDRY: Good morning Aaron good to see you face to face.
STEVENS: Absolutely, Prime Minister first of all, first thing is first. How did you go on the Cup yesterday?
PRIME MINISTER: We came 6th yesterday. But it was great to be backing Youngstar. There was a great story behind Youngstar, and the family. A great Aussie mare. She was the only girl in the field, so I was backing her. Backing the girls. I’ve got two daughters so I’ve got to look them in the eye when I go home.
STEVENS: Always. Good to have you in central Queensland. First official visit but as we were saying just a moment ago, you were only here after the budget a little while ago, and great to see you back in CQ. Terrific that you can bring an announcement with you.
PRIME MINISTER: It’s tremendous, 800 million reasons to be here today with Michelle and that’s to fund the ring road that’s going to take out 18 sets of traffic lights out of the way for road trains and other heavy vehicles that will be coming through and making their way up the coast and I think that’s going to be tremendous for safety too through Rocky throughout the town, I think it’s going to be great for the growth of the town. But it’s also great for the region and the jobs that are going to come just from the construction. More generally I think from the boost to the economy that these big projects give, it’s an 80/20 split. So 80 per cent of this will be funded by the Commonwealth, and that’s the real deal. That’s the real dollars. It’s in the budget. I actually put it in the Budget in May.
STEVENS: Well done.
PRIME MINISTER: So it is locked away, the funding is there, this isn’t a promise this is doing.
STEVENS: This is it.
PRIME MINISTER: This is doing now.
STEVENS: Once again, we see this money come into the region which is fantastic, but we wait for the digging to actually start. When will we see this project start?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll let Michelle talk a bit about that. There’s all the planning phases to go through and there’s already been some work done on that. The state have got to commit to their 20 per cent.
STEVENS: Exactly.
PRIME MINISTER: Bill Shorten was banging on about this project, didn’t put any money up and at best they only do 50/50. 50/50 the State Government doesn’t come up with the other 50, and that means the projects never happen. Right across the Bruce highway, we’re putting $10 billion into boosting the Bruce. From one end of the state to the other. This is real money. But Michelle did you want to talk about the process and the planning?
LANDRY: Yes, so there’s already $65 million on the table and that’s for the corridor, that’s so that there was no housing developments built in the way of where the corridor was to go. If people are facing difficulties of where the land is and all the rest of it. It’s under the state government with main roads and they are the ones that do up the plans, and all the rest of it, so there is a lot of work that’s been done on this, I haven’t got an actual date on when things are starting but with the work that we’ve already done, all that will go in together and also we have fast tracked the four lanes on the northern access to Rocky and that’s all to link in with it. So this bypass, the ring road, will actually go to the Yeppoon turnoff there, so that’s going to be fantastic for everybody and I’ve actually had some emails yesterday from the Gracemere Industrial estate saying, this is fabulous, we just avoid all those traffic lights, gets the big trucks out of town, and it’s just a win for everybody.
STEVENS: No question and not taking anything away from that investment, which is fantastic, but we know that the member for Capricornia and also the member for Flynn have got a long list of projects that they want to talk to you about. Why was the ring road number one on the list?
PRIME MINISTER: Because this is a project that not only deals with the safety issues and the flood proofing issues and these sorts of things but it is a massive economic (inaudible) for the region, this is what links the agricultural sector to the rest of the country, this is linking up jobs, linking up industries, it’s doing the right thing in terms of congestion management within Rockhampton, sure you don’t have traffic jams like you do in Sydney and Melbourne, I get that. But more people are going to come and base themselves and live here in Rocky and in central Queensland and we do want to see that.
We want to see more people come and live in regional parts of the country. I was just saying earlier this week further down the coast, I want to see a billion dollar spent by backpacker tourists in regional Australia. We’re just over $920 million at the moment, I want to see us hit a billion every year. That means places like Rocky, and right across Queensland, here in central Queensland, we are going to get the economic benefit of that and you need the infrastructure that’s going to support that growth, but there are going to be a lot of things we are doing. The Peak Downs highway, the bypass, the duplication of the Capricorn highway from Rocky up to Gracemere. Those three projects alone we are talking about $300 million which we are already in for. Another one which is the south Rockhampton flood levy. That project is now proceeding to a full business case under the regional growth fund. What that is, is a list of what Michelle and Ken have been doing for Central Queensland. These guys are relentless. They are relentless, I knew that as a Treasurer, gosh I know it as a Prime Minister now.
STEVENS: I knew that word was coming. While we are knocking on the door then we need to talk about things like Kepple, the convention centre for Yeppoon. Rookwood is obviously high up on the list.
PRIME MINISTER: We are already funding there, Rookwood.
STEVENS: I mean water infrastructure, we have had this spoken about a short time ago, is so important for central Queensland. So, Dominic Doblo actually asked me to ask you this question, when is the Federal Government to take control of all water in this country to make sure that it does get the sustainable direction that is deserves?
PRIME MINISTER: Just this week, I announced $200 million up in Townsville for the pipeline project and that’s in response to a taskforce report that we commissioned. We are getting on with that. We are committing to the real projects. Again, they’re not promises, they are real money in the Budget. So these are things we are delivering, not promising. Water infrastructure, particularly in the North and in Central Queensland are really important. That’s why we are on the weir here, we had to drag the state government kicking and screaming into that project an Michelle was there upfront and early and securing the commitment to the Rookwood weir and that’s just an indication of practical support. I’m talking about, when I’m going through Queensland, I’m listening and I’m hearing and when I come here and do, with $800 million for the Ring road project, on top of all of the other commitments, Michelle is a billion dollar deliverer up here.
STEVENS: The billion dollar woman.
PRIME MINISTER: The billion dollar woman. There you go.
LANDRY: Can I just touch base quickly on the Keppel Bay Sailing Club and Great Keppel Island, so Matthew Canavan and I have been to see Keppel Bay Sailing Club and it’s a fantastic project, we’re looking at avenues of how we can get the funding for that. With regards to Great Keppel Island, I was talking with Pat O'Driscoll, the real estate agent that is involved with that last night, those people are very passionate about getting this up and going, as am I. This has become very political, the member for Keppel but $25 million on the table in the dying days of the last state election, and that’s not going to cover anywhere near the cost of putting the power, the water, to that island, as well as the infrastructure at Emu Park, jetties and toilets and all this sort of stuff that they were going to build and then, after she wins the election on a promise of a lie really, because $25 million was never going to cut that. Then she says, “Oh well Michelle Landry should be putting $25 million on the table.” Well, I’ve never seen one single costing for this, and the experts and engineers that I’ve been speaking to are saying this will be $100 million plus. So, the state government need to get their act together on this, and actually get the figures, but we need to talk to those people are the island because they might use solar energy, for anything over there, so I just don’t think throwing more and more money into this bottomless pit that they seem to think that we have is going to solve the situation, they actually have to work out how much this is going to cost, and then come to the table and talk to us instead of playing politics on it, and smashing me in state parliament.
STEVENS: There you go, laying down gauntlet, if you get that fixed.
PRIME MINISTER: But Aaron, there are broader issues here with the economy which, I mean, the infrastructure projects are critically important, but also getting taxes down. There are 17,000 small businesses and family businesses here in Michelle’s electorate that benefit from the tax cuts that we’ve delivered to small and family businesses right across the area, I was up here, with one of my favourite businesses in the country, Coxon’s Radiators, last time, and we’ve been backing them in while they’ve had a turnover of less than $50 million, and we’re going to keep backing those small businesses in. There’s another real pernicious tax that Labor want to put on Australians and that’s the retiree tax. This is the tax, and there’s some 5,500 people here in Michelle’s electorate and in Ken’s electorate, a similar number, and these are electorates where people who get their share dividends, and their franked, and if they haven’t got a lot of money, and they’ve got no taxable income, what they get is a tax refund. It’s thousands, and thousands of dollars every year, and Bill Shorten is going to take that away. He is just going to take it away. And that’s thousands of dollars, that these retires have, and a lot of small and family businesses have these investments as well, that they don’t get to spend, as they go into Christmas o the kids presents, or taking that trip down to see their family, or fly them up and see them here. Pay their power bill, to get around, and the other one is, we back mining jobs, and I’m happy to say that here in the middle of Rockhampton, and I’m happy to say it in the middle of Perth, the middle of Sydney, or down in Melbourne, but you won’t hear Bill Shorten say that. He’ll come up here and he’ll talk about it perhaps, but you won’t hear him say it where it really matters, where you’ve got to support mining jobs, and that is back in the southern states, and in the southern capitals, and mining jobs are great for this region, we back them in, that’s a huge part of our future. I was making the same point at the pub last night, and mining is a big part of Queensland’s future of Australia’s future, and I’m not going to run the mining industry down, I’m going to talk it up.
STEVENS: That’s the reason for the uncertainty in central Queensland is around the future of mining and you can say, you back the mining industry in central Queensland?
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely. 100 per cent. This is good for jobs, it’s good for the economy, it’s been good for the Australian economy ever since we learnt how to use a shovel.
STEVENS: Absolutely.
PRIME MINISTER: It is absolutely the right thing for Australia and you’ve got to do it practically, and environmentally sustainably and you’ve got to comply with all the conditions and that’s fair enough. And mining companies understand that. You people going into the mining industry who are becoming the engineers and the mine managers and workers of the future, they get that too. They live here. They want the quality of the environment to be great.
STEVENS: So Adani has got your support?
PRIME MINISTER: The Carmichael mine has always had our support, and to facilitate it. The approvals have been provided, and the approvals have to be delivered on, by the company, and of course that has to be. Right across the Galilee Basin, we want to see the continued growth of this industry, it is supporting the livelihood of Queenslanders. It says it on the side of the bus – I’m backing Queenslanders, and if you back Queenslanders, then you don’t run down the mining industry, like the Labor party and Bill Shorten does any time he is having an almond latte in the suburbs of Melbourne.
STEVENS: I hope that boosts the confidence of people listening this morning, now, what’s next for you, you do head to Gladstone about midday today, what between now and then.
PRIME MINISTER: We’ve got the announcement today, which is exciting, and sorry to Labor it, but I’ve got to give Michelle a huge rap here because…
STEVENS: The one billion dollar woman.
PRIME MINISTER: She has really fought hard for this. You’d understand, all around the country there are a lot of competing demands this is a very big commitment and for Michelle to be able to be able to prevail and make the case and not just to me, not just to me as Treasurer previously, but now as Prime Minister, but with her colleagues, because she has got to stand up in that party room and say – look, I’ve been able to secure this, and for the rest of the party room to be able to go, good on you Michelle. So she’s been able to bring not just obviously me, but Michael McCormack, the leader of the National Party along on this, and now Josh Frydenberg as the Treasurer, but she has been able to bring our colleagues and our party room behind what we are going up here in central Queensland. Our party gets it – the LNP gets it about central Queensland and we’ll be here and we’ll be saying the same thing today, yesterday, and tomorrow, whether it’s about the mining industry or infrastructure or central Queensland’s future.
STEVENS: Keep knocking Michelle.
LANDRY: I will, I have a pathway to the Prime Minister’s office.
STEVENS: STEVENS: Well he says he backs the ladies.
PRIME MINISTER: I do, she’s my Youngstar.
STEVENS: Prime Minister Scott Morrison a pleasure, Michelle Landry, thank you very much for your time.
Interview with Mark & Caroline, Mix FM 92.7 Sunshine Coast
6 November 2018
PRIME MINISTER: Hey Mark and Caroline, how are you guys going?
CAROLINE HUTCHINSON: Yeah really well thank you. We’ve got so much to get to. First things first, who’s your tip for the Cup?
PRIME MINISTER: Youngstar. Youngstar, I think she’ll be a real favourite sentimentally out there today and I think she’s got a shot. But particularly, she’s named after Olivia Inglis who was lost in a terrible equestrian accident many years ago and I think that’d be really special to see Youngstar come home for Olivia, I reckon. I think Australians can really get behind that and cheer her on.
CAROLINE: Well I’ve got good news, our newsreader’s dad who is quite the punter, he agrees with you.
PRIME MINISTER: There you go.
CAROLINE: So you’re in good company.
MARK DARIN: I mean, I’m leaning towards the English billionaire that’s going to wear a g-string if he wins, but hey that’s a good story too.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: That’s a scary story.
CAROLINE: Very scary.
PRIME MINISTER: I’m not making that pledge, by the way.
MARK: Yeah, good.
PRIME MINISTER: You’ll be pleased to know.
CAROLINE: Hey, on the subject of pledges and you being in the bus and the ‘Scomobile’ and you being ScoMo – have you seen Steve Price getting into you on The Project? He does not get around ScoMo, does he?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh he’s just an old nark on that sort of stuff, he’s just a bit of a grumpy old man.
MARK: Ok.
PRIME MINISTER: I think he needs to cheer up a bit.
[Laughter]
CAROLINE: So you’re sticking with ScoMo?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I mean, it’s been with me for years, so it’s not new. It was actually a journalist who once called me that many years ago and it just sort of stuck. So you know, that’s where these things always come from.
MARK: Caroline and I were just having a chuckle, because we know you’ve got the bus, the bus is in town today. You’re going to be on the Sunshine Coast…
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, for the Cup, yeah.
MARK: But the bus, you’re not going to be on the bus for the whole 1,500 kilometre trip from here to Cairns.
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’re not going to Cairns. The bus was only ever going as far as Rockhampton, which is where the bus stops and then we’ll do the leap up to Townsville by plane because, you know, it’s a big state.
MARK: I know, I wouldn’t want 1,500 kms on the bus either.
PRIME MINISTER: I mean, you’ve got to be practical about these things.
MARK: I know, it’s going to take you four or five days.
PRIME MINISTER: I know, again, some other narks have been carrying on about that this morning. They’ve got to get over themselves.
CAROLINE: That’s right, you’re not a muso.
PRIME MINISTER: The Canberra bubble, they like to go into gotcha rubbish. The bus will go to Rockhampton, I’ll be up there and then we’ll hop up to Townsville, I’m looking forward to that, particularly seeing all the guys and girls up there at Lavarack.
CAROLINE: Alright, most importantly of all, you’re here on the Sunshine Coast today. We are definitely warming up for an election. What do we get, what are you going to announce today?
MARK: Pork-barrel us, Mr Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Well frankly, we’ve already been acting and already doing things up and right along up to the Sunshine Coast. The Caloundra Road, the Sunshine Motorway, there’s $813 million that we’re putting in there and that’s an important six-lane divided highway along 7 kilometres. We’ve got the Maroochydore Road Interchange Stage 1, that’s $187 million, the Pine River to Coloundra section, that’s a huge project, $1.4 billion we’ve been putting into that. So we’ve been putting a lot into the Bruce Highway, where we are boosting the Bruce, and when you look at what we’re doing with the rail link too, the Beerburrum rail link, all of these things are very important to the Sunshine Coast. Because I know there are a lot of people moving into the Sunshine Coast and we need to build the infrastructure to support people going into the Sunshine Coast and that’s exactly what we’re doing as a Government and we’re going to continue to back that in.
CAROLINE: Ok, and what about…
PRIME MINISTER: Ted O’Brien and Andrew Wallace, those guys have been all over this so that’s why we’re doing those investments.
CAROLINE: And what about the fight they are having with our Mayor at the moment? Those two men are locking horns with our Mayor, who used to be a paid-up member of the Liberal Party but he’s over you right now and he thinks you need to come up with some more money with our airport. Are you going to meet with Mark Jamieson?
PRIME MINISTER: That’s not in my schedule today but I’m happy to meet with mayors. I meet with mayors all the time and I know that Ted and Andrew do as well, so look we’ll work through all those…
CAROLINE: Not this one.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: Oh look, you know, I’m happy to meet with whoever it we’re talking about trying to get the right sort of stuff on the ground. But you know, there are a lot of airports around the country and we provide support for some of those and others the private sector has invested in as well. So everyone can do some lifting on these things.
CAROLINE: So no more money for us?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’ve just talked about billions on road and rail, that’s where we’re putting our effort. I mean, the state government is also responsible for all of these things. In fact, they’re the primary responsibility for all of these services and all these roads. But we’re going over and above the Sunshine Coast in terms of what we’re investing in roads and rail, in the billions, and we’re going to keep doing that because I know the Sunshine Coast is growing and we’ve got to get that infrastructure in there ahead of it.
MARK: Alright, Scott Morrison, look we’re going to leave it there. We know everyone wants to talk to you, we have tried to tell our audience today to keep it tidy as Corbould Park in front of the Prime Minister so hopefully they keep their socks up there.
PRIME MINISTER: I’m looking forward to that, I’m looking forward to getting out to Corbould Park this afternoon and meeting a lot of the people and enjoying the race.
MARK: There you go, Scott Morrison.
Interview with Bianca, Mike & Bob, 97.3 Brizzie FM
6 November 2018
BIANCA DYE: ScoMo, welcome to the show. You’re on this big road trip in the ‘ScoMo Express’ on your bus.
PRIME MINISTER: We are.
BIANCA: You’ve got lots of time to kill, do you Netflix and chill?
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: Plenty of Netflix, not so much of the chill.
[Laughter]
MIKE VAN ACKER: No, that’s probably for the best under the circumstances. People can see in through those windows, he’s the Prime Minister.
BIANCA: Nah ScoMo’s got tinting, he’s got tinting. Good morning and welcome to the show. So the ‘ScoMo Express’, this sounds like fun. What do you do to kill the time on a bus for all that time?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there’s things we do, we get off pretty frequently. We’re heading up to the Sunshine Coast at the moment, we’ve been in Brisbane overnight. We started down at the Gold Coast yesterday to announce what we’re doing with the Gold Coast Light Rail and the bus will get all the way up to Rocky, that’s as far as the bus will be going on this trip. But no, it’s a good opportunity to meet people, get our supporters together, we’re making a number of announcements along the way, backing Queenslanders, having a good listen to what they say is important to us and we’re hearing that and we’re getting on with it.
MIKE: I was just going to say ScoMo, yesterday you tipped in a whole bunch of cash for the Light Rail down in the Gold Coast, are we getting any presents here in Brisbane?
BIANCA: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: Well there’s quite a while between now and the next election and so we’ll have a bit more to say about that between now and then. But the Gold Coast Light Rail, that’s been an immensely successful project down there. This will be the third stage we’ve committed to but there’ll be more to talk about in Brisbane I’m sure between now and the next election, I can assure you.
BIANCA: My mum lives on the Goldy and you’re the reason why she has a social life because of that Light Rail so I’d just like to thank you for taking her off my hands, and I love the fact that it’s going to Burleigh as well. Listen, it’s exciting times. Is it a coincidence that you’re back in town the same night that Taylor Swift is here? Because we know you checked her out in Sydney.
PRIME MINISTER: We did, and she was fantastic. The concert in Sydney was tremendous, so all of you who are going out to see Tay Tay tonight, you’re going to really enjoy the show and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. It was raining when she was playing in Sydney the night I was there with the girls but it was a terrific night. She is just an amazing performer. We caught her on the ‘89 tour some years ago back in Sydney and you know, she is… every now and then I need to shake it off and I did that on Friday night.
MIKE: While we’re doing popular culture references, you’re married to Jenny, she’s the Jenny to your Forrest.
[Laughter]
BIANCA: What forest?
MIKE: Forrest Gump.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: I got it.
MIKE: I love you Jenny. Keep up, B. That’s why you’re the Prime Minister and Bianca isn’t.
BIANCA: Hey listen, speaking of what’s going on in town today, it is the Melbourne Cup, ScoMo. Our esteemed PM, who is your big tip for the race that stops all the offices around town?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’m going with a sentimental choice today and that’s Youngstar.
BIANCA: Right, right.
PRIME MINISTER: And Youngstar, for those of you who don’t know the story, she was named after Olivia Inglis who was killed in an equestrian accident in Scone when she was just 16. And the Inglis family named the horse Youngstar after her and I think it is a beautiful story and it’d be a great Cup moment if Youngstar was able to bring it home today. Craig Williams is the jockey and Chris Waller, who also trains Winx, he’s the trainer. So look, I reckon that would be a really great cup story if Youngstar were to get home today. If she can do that that’d be great for all the girls but great for all of Australia.
BIANCA: Fantastic, nice tip from the PM. Can I just ask you, just on the quiet ScoMo, what are the rules on a shared bus toilet? Do your staff get to use the same… what if they go before you? What happens?
MIKE: Is there a Prime Ministerial potty?
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: I think there is, I’m not sure. I’m not sure there’s been calls for it so far, so look I’ll keep you posted.
BIANCA: Alright let’s get down to some serious business, we want to find out about the real ScoMo. We want to take you on a journey, the Cosmo relationship quiz. ScoMo, this is what the women of Brisbane really want to know. Straight from the last edition of Cosmopolitan that closed this month, are you ready?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah got for it.
BIANCA: Alright here we go. Where did you meet your wife?
PRIME MINISTER: At Luna Park. I was about, I think I was 11 and she was 12.
BIANCA: What? You really are childhood sweethearts, aren’t you?
PRIME MINISTER: We are, we started going out when I was 16, she was 17, and we got married when we were 21.
MIKE: You walked in through that giant mouth and into each other’s hearts.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s it.
BIANCA: Where did you go for your first date? You can’t say Luna Park.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I can’t even recall. We sort of met properly when we were at a camp, a church camp, many years ago where we had been going for years. So I wouldn’t say there was a first date, we’d just known each other for some time and when we were in Year 12 and we’ve been together ever since. We’ve been married just over 28 years…
BIANCA: Oh, Mazel Tov.
PRIME MINISTER: Been together for even longer.
BIANCA: ScoMo, we need to know where your first pash was.
PRIME MINISTER: It was up at a place called Lake Munmorah, I think.
BIANCA: I know Lake Munmorah, on the Central Coast?
MIKE: Lake Pashmorah, I’d say.
[Laughter]
BIANCA: Lake I’m gonna get some more.
[Laughter]
MIKE: And Scott, would Jenny say that you are a romantic person?
PRIME MINISTER: I’d hope she would but I don’t think she would.
[Laughter]
BIANCA: Look what happens when you become PM, that’s disgraceful. You need to take her out on date night.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah look we try and do that as often as we can, but we just like getting together as a family on Saturday night. That’s what we try and reserve for each other, and I cook a curry which has been our tradition for many years now and it’s great fun and the girls help me with it and off we go.
BIANCA: Here’s the deal, ScoMo, next time you come in and visit us live, you are to bring in some of your homemade curry.
PRIME MINISTER: Sure, I’ll send you a picture of the one I did on Saturday night. It was a cracker.
[Laughter]
BIANCA: Prime Ministerial curry. Bloody good.
BIANCA: Fantastic, thank you so much for joining us, Prime Minister Scott Morrison. It’s nice to have a bit of fun. Enjoy your bus.
PRIME MINISTER: I will, it’s great to be here in Queensland listening to everybody. And to all those going out to Tay Tay tonight, shake it off and have a great time.
BIANCA: And may I make a quick suggestion – ginger tablets if you start getting sick on the bus.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: Good call. Go Youngstar.
MIKE: Thank you Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, thank you.
Doorstop - Kunda Park, QLD
6 November 2018
MEMBER FOR FAIRFAX, TED O’BRIEN: A very big welcome to the Prime Minister of Australia. You know, when you’re on a road trip throughout Queensland you can only stop at one place for a pie and a punt, and the Prime Minister has decided to stop at the Sunny Coast. And why not. It’s the lifestyle capital of Australia, we’re delighted to have the PM here in town today. So a big welcome PM. The Prime Minister likes to say that if you’re prepared to have a go in Australia, you’ll get a go, and there is no more prime example of a company that is having a go than Beefy’s Pies here in Kunda Park in Maroochydore. When you have over 20,000 pies travelling the Bruce Highway every week, our $10 billion Bruce Highway package makes a difference. When you have 160 employees and 10 shops, our company tax cuts make a difference. When you have a company with big growth aspirations, not just in Australia but beyond, our free trade agreements and the concessional loan for the Sunshine Coast International Airport makes a difference.
So Beefy’s Pies is a prime example where you have a company that is prepared to have a go and is getting a go. And that is very much thanks to this Government, our Government that gets the economy right. And as the Treasurer, it is thanks to Scott Morrison that we have the means by which we can help and medium businesses and as our Prime Minister, our Government will continue to help companies, particularly family businesses like this 20 year old business managed by the Hobbs, Beefy’s Pies. So with that, a very big welcome and thanks to coming to town, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much. Thank you very much Ted and Mark, [inaudible] and Shirley and I know Ron isn’t feeling quite that well today so he’ll be home watching the Cup. By the way, Youngstar, that’s who I’m backing today and after young Olivia who was lost some years ago I think that it’d just be a marvellous outcome, a really great Melbourne Cup moment if we saw Youngstar, Winx’s stablemate, get home today. If she can get there I think would really make Australians roar and I’ll certainly be putting my money on her today.
But we’re here because we’re not just backing Youngstar today, we’re backing small and family businesses all around the country, our Government. And that has been the theme over our last five years. As Ted has just said, those who are having a go should get a go. That’s what fairness in Australia means. If you have a go, you get a go and that’s what Beefy’s pies have been doing for many years now. They’ve been providing jobs for hundreds and hundreds of Queenslanders here on the Sunshine Coast and they’ve been working hard. I mean, the thing about family businesses, they don’t just run business like this. Over the course of their business’ life they’ve been to more 21sts, weddings, christenings, that you can care to name. Because their staff are like family. This is one unit, workers and employees and staff and the employers and the owners of the company all working together as one team.
And you know, that’s how Australia’s economy is going to continue to grow. By ensuring we all work together. You’ve heard me say many times now, we’re building an even stronger Australia by making our economy stronger, by keeping Australians safe, by keeping Australians together. I don’t want to see an industrial landscape in this country which throws back to the 1970s with strikes and call outs which is suffocating our economy. What I want to see is what we see here at Beefy’s Pies and small and family businesses right across the country. People who have worked here for 20 years, people who have worked here for 7 years. People who have worked here under apprenticeships here. The number of young people who have come through and got their trade in a small and family business like this. That’s the future of the Australian economy. Not an economy where workers are pitted against employers, where we actually work together as a team and as a unit. And that’s what the Liberal and National Parties will always stand for, and that’s why we stand by small and family businesses that protect their businesses by ensuring they look after their workers and they work closely with their workers and together they share in the prosperity that we see in small and family sized businesses all around the country. And they’re very important to regional Australia, small and family businesses. People here want to live here, they want to work here. And that’s what Beefy’s Pies has been making a reality for so many Queenslanders on the Sunny Coast here for a very long time.
But what we also know about the Sunny Coast is that it’s going to be home to more and more families in the future. And that’s why we’re investing in the infrastructure on the Bruce Highway, on the Beerburrum to Nambour rail line, around $400 million. We’re investing in the infrastructure which is going to support the growth of the Sunny Coast, so when families and more of them come to this whole area, then they’ll have the services that are needed and they’ll be able to get to where the jobs are and increasingly, those jobs are going to be right here on the Sunny Coast for those Australians who are making this their home.
Now, we’ve also got us backing small and family businesses by doing important things like getting their taxes down, by ensuring we get their electricity prices down and we take on the big energy companies and have the regulations in place to make sure that they do the right thing by companies here like Beefy’s Pies so they can make sure their business goes ahead. So whether it’s investing in infrastructure, getting their taxes down, getting their electricity prices down, reducing their paperwork so they can spend more time growing their business. That is how companies like Beefy’s Pies will continue to make our economy stronger.
Now, a couple of other issues I might just touch on. I’m very pleased to see, and we knew this was in train, that the Foreign Minister will be on her way to China tomorrow. That follows the Trade Minister being there as we speak. We’re getting on with business with China, that’s what our Government is doing. That means that business is important to Australia’s future. It’s creating the jobs, it’s creating the success for our economy, which means we can pay for hospitals, and schools and roads and all of the essentials that Australians rely on. Medicare, affordable medicines, we’re getting on with business with China. That’s what our Government is doing, and we’re doing it in a constructive way.
But also around the grounds today, we’ve got our Health Minister Greg Hunt. While I’m up here in Queensland, he’s out on his annual Walk for Autism down there in Victoria, and the Education Minister Dan Tehan, he’s out there concluding the rounds of school funding agreements. And yesterday, he was able to land the first of those with South Australia and we look forward to other states following suit very soon. So our Government is getting on with it, we’re just getting on with it. Here in Queensland, I’m listening, most importantly I’m hearing, and that means we’re doing. Whether it’s investing in the Bruce Highway, whether it’s backing small and family businesses. That’s what we’re about, we’re just getting on with it. Happy to take questions. You’re going to have to speak up.
JOURNALIST: Since you bought up the Foreign Minister’s visit to China, I wanted to ask you about that. How significant is that [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: I think it’s a very positive indication of the practical way we’re going about our relationship and our comprehensive strategic partnership with China. I think it shows that things are very much on track and I’m looking forward to meeting with my counterparts Li Keqiang and President Xi when I go to the East Asia Summit and APEC in the next few weeks. It’s a very positive relationship, we’re getting on with business in China.
But they're the not the only ones getting on with business with. The Finance Minister has been up in Indonesia over the course of the past week or so. And yesterday, we had Sri Mulyani, the Indonesian Finance Minister in Australia as a guest of Government here which is something we initiated when I was Treasurer and she met with Treasurer Frydenberg yesterday. So all of these relationships are very important. The Defence Minister today is meeting with defence industry firms. Our investment in restoring our defence forces to the capability after the previous government allowed defence spending to fall to where it was prior to the Second World War, it was a national disgrace. They didn't commission one naval ship. Now, we've turned all of that around in the last five years and Minister Pyne is in Sydney today and he is focusing on the defence industry relationships, as is Steven Ciobo, who has primary carriage for that very big investment program.
JOURNALIST: You mention APEC, are you... we're hearing that you'll be meeting Mike Pence and the Russian President and the Chinese President on the cruise ship of APEC. Can you tell us about that?
PRIME MINISTER: We'll have more to say about the programme of meetings in due course. I’m not going into that today. But these will be important meetings for us to highlight a couple of things. First of all, that Australia is a Pacific nation. I mean, this is where we live, and APEC being held, I think, in Papua New Guinea, our closest neighbour, I think is very important for Papua New Guinea and we've been very pleased to support them in their preparations. I met with Prime Minister O'Neil last week and got a further update on the meeting and the preparations. But also, as we said we announced our involvement their facility up at the Lombrum Base in Manus, which is an important strategic investment for us in partnership with PNG. So we'll be catching up with all those leaders and those countries that also share our part of the world and we'll be encouraging them all to take an increased interest in the Pacific and the Indo-Pacific and throughout the APEC region.
JOURNALIST: Can I ask you about the Sunshine Coast?
PRIME MINISTER: Please.
JOURNALIST: You mentioned the Bruce Highway a couple of times. Shouldn’t we be getting cars off the roads and backing fast rail?
PRIME MINISTER: Well what we're doing is we have a business case program already under way on the Sunshine Coast, looking at faster rail up here. On top of that, we've got the rail investment, around $400 million, that I already talked about on the Beerburrum to Nambour rail link. So it's not a choice of roads or rail. It's a choice which includes all of these options, and our Government has demonstrated our willingness to do that over the last five years. I mean, yesterday I was announcing down on the Gold Coast stage three of the Gold Coast Light Rail, and up here, we're looking at the additional rail options as well as those we've already committed to. And the reason for that is the Sunshine Coast is going to be home to thousands of new families.
You know, we've seen this in cities around Australia where areas that were once a bit outside the major capital city in Brisbane, and they become places where families move to, to get affordable housing and start their lives together. And over time, those cities develop their own momentum and they develop their own gravitas as economies and we will see that here on the Sunshine Coast. But for that to be realised, we have got to be investing in the roads, and we are. 80 per cent of those roadworks you were seeing from the Caloundra Road up to the Sunshine motorway. 80 per cent of the money is coming from the Commonwealth Government. So we're going to continue to invest in the congestion busting infrastructure that is going to provide a real future for families here on the Sunshine Coast and small businesses.
JOURNALIST: Have you ruled out the possibility of splitting the election in two?
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry I can’t hear you.
JOURNALIST: Have you ruled out the possibility of splitting the election in two and if so…
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah we've got no plans for that. That's just more Canberra bubble chatter.
JOURNALIST: Do you think that if you did split the election, the voters would punish you for that?
PRIME MINISTER: I think it's Canberra bubble chatter.
JOURNALIST: So you can rule it out?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ve said, we’ve got no plans to do it.
JOURNALIST: We had a shark attack overnight. Do we need a shark cull?
PRIME MINISTER: They're matters that I’ll leave for the state government. The Commonwealth has responsibilities for what it is responsible for and I think that the state government will be looking closely at those issues as you expect them to, and I'll leave it for their judgement.
JOURNALIST: You’re from Tourism Australia...
PRIME MINISTER: No, I'm the Prime Minister. That's my job today and that's my job tomorrow and I'll leave it to the state government to make those careful decisions and take the advice they need to to ensure that Australians are kept safe and visitors are kept safe.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] 80/20 rather than 50/50?
PRIME MINISTER: We're still waiting. We are still waiting for the state government to step up on the Pine River to Caloundra Road where we put in 80 per cent of the money in already. So look, the state government needs to start turning up on major infrastructure projects for the Sunshine Coast. Every single time we commit, they say, “Oh, we want more and more and more.” Well, we're investing in the growth of the Sunshine Coast and ensuring that the infrastructure can be provided to support that growth. But it's primarily the state government's responsibility.
You know, in New South Wales, they're just cracking on with it. They're getting on with it. We have got great partnerships with the New South Wales state government and the roads are getting built, the railways are getting built, the light rail is getting built and that's fantastic. We'd love to see the same thing here in Queensland. We're delivering 80-20 on key sections of the Bruce Highway, and it's just time for the state government to stop making excuses and stump up with the roads and the rail.
JOURNALIST: China got pretty angry with us under Malcolm Turnbull. Is the Morrison Government taking a softer approach to that relationship?
PRIME MINISTER: We're just getting on business with business with China, that's what our Government is doing.
JOURNALIST: Does it bother you that Victoria is striking deals with China?
PRIME MINISTER: I was surprised that the Victorian Government went into that arrangement without any discussions with the Commonwealth Government at all. Or taking what would seem any advice from the Commonwealth Government on what is a matter of international relations. And they're the responsibilities of the Commonwealth Government and I would have hoped that the Victorian Government would have taken a more cooperative approach to that process. They know full well our policy on those issues and I thought that that was not a very cooperative or helpful way to do things on such issues.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you’re on the bus tour. Why are you flying?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the bus is going all the way up to Rockie and that’s where it was always planning to go. I mean, it’s a big state and I need to cover as much of it in four days as I can. So we were never planning to take the bus to Townsville, we’d always planned to take that last leg up to Townsville by plane because that was the most effective way to get there and to spend the most time there with people on the ground. I mean, these visits aren’t about sitting on a bus. They’re about actually engaging with small businesses and our supporters and the people of Queensland and listening to them.
JOURNALIST: Then why have the bus?
PRIME MINISTER: Because it gets me from A to B.
JOURNALIST: Will you be taking the bus to Rockhampton from here?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes. The bus will be going to Rockhampton from here. That’s right.
JOURNALIST: With you on it?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ve got to get there earlier than the bus tonight.
JOURNALIST: So you will be flying to Rockhampton?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll get into Rockhampton tonight and I’ve got a programme tonight in Rockhampton and the bus can’t get me there quick enough so I’ve got to fly.
JOURNALIST: So you’ll be flying to Rockhampton and the bus will catch up with you and then you’ll fly onto Townsville?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll be flying onto Townsville. And your point is what?
JOURNALIST: I’m just interested in the point of the bus if you’re not on it.
PRIME MINISTER: I am on it, I just got off it.
JOURNALIST: But not onto Rockhampton or Townsville?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah well it’s a practical thing. I want to spend as much time on the ground with Queenslanders, and when I can be on the bus and go from place to place on the bus, that’s great. But I’m not going to sacrifice time with Queenslanders, listening to them and hearing them and talking to them about what’s important to them just to satisfy the media’s interest in the timetable for the bus.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, did you discuss the possibility of splitting the election at all with MPs?
PRIME MINISTER: The Government said we’ve got no plans to do it, it’s not on the agenda. It’s just not on the agenda so I’ll leave it up to the bubble to speculate about it. I’m not speculating about it. I’m interested in what Queenslanders are interested in, and that’s their roads, that’s their infrastructure, that’s the support that only we can provide for Medicare and affordable medicines because only our Government, the Liberal National Government, can deliver the strong economy that pays for all these things. You know, at this next election, there is a choice. You can trust a Government that can pay for Medicare because we’re running a stronger economy or you can believe the lies of the Labor Party which says they’re just going to heap more taxes on Australians because they don’t know how to control their spending. You put another $200 billion of higher taxes on small businesses, which is what their plan is, on mums and dads investing for their future in real estate, on retirees who simply own shares in listed companies and a living off the dividend imputation credit rebates that they get which is their absolute fair right to. If you take $5 billion out of the economy on a retirees tax, what do you think that’s going to do to the economy?
Labor will take a tax sledgehammer to our economy. A weaker economy will not be able to pay for Medicare and it won’t be able to pay for affordable medicines in the same way that our Government has and will continue to. Because only with a stronger economy can you pay for these things. What is at risk to Australians, what is at risk to Queenslanders, is an economic recipe put together by the Labor Party which will mean a weaker economy. And a weaker economy is not good for hospitals, it’s not good for schools, it’s not good for Medicare, it’s not good for affordable medicines, it's not good for pensions. The thing that is good for all of those things is a stronger economy and that’s what we’re focused on.
JOURNALIST: How much did you put on Youngstar?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll make that bet when I get to the course this afternoon.
JOURNALIST: On the nose or each way?
PRIME MINISTER: I’m putting on the nose, absolutely. Youngstar to win. Cheers.
Interview with Fitzy & Wippa, Nova
6 November 2018
RYAN FITZGERALD: Prime Minister Scott Morrison, welcome to the show.
MICHEAL WIPFLI: Welcome Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Hey guys, how you doing?
WIPPA: We’re very well mate.
PRIME MINISTER: We’re up here in Brisbane today.
FITZY: Oh, what are you doing up there, Scott?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re doing a big listening and doing tour up here in Queensland and eventually we’ll get up to Townsville. But Brisbane today, we’ll be on the Sunshine Coast for the Cup.
WIPPA: Was it Mick Fanning’s mum that gave you a hat, did I see that online?
PRIME MINISTER: It was, it was. Mick Fanning’s mum sent me a hat, a Ripcurl hat because she wanted me to be seen in an Australian surfwear hat and I went fair enough. Absolutely.
[Laughter]
WIPPA: I love that.
FITZY: You’ve got your own bus as well, Mr Morrison, which I see as well. Everyone is talking, do you sign your name as ScoMo, Scott?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah look, it’s not my official signature but I’ve been signing that way for some years now when people ask me to sign things. That’s what I do, but if you know I’m applying for a bank loan or something like that then I don’t do it.
[Laughter]
WIPPA: Have you always… I mean, people think that I got the name Wippa because I had to have a wacky radio name. But I’ve been called Wippa since grade two. When you were at school were you a ScoMo?
PRIME MINISTER: I was ScottyMo back then.
WIPPA: ScottyMo? The evolution.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: One of my best mates was a guy called Scotty Merriman and we were known as ScottyMe and Scotty Mo. But it was a journalist in Canberra many years ago who gave me that name and it sort of just stuck. You know, that’s how these things happen.
WIPPA: ScottyMe and Scotty Mo.
PRIME MINISTER: But we’ll take the bus up to Rockhampton and that’s as far as the bus will be going, because of time and all the rest of it. We want to get up to Townsville as well so that’s the quickest way, is to hop on the plane up to Townsville. So that’s what we’ve planned, it’s been good to be meeting people up here. It’s been a good week.
FITZY: Great, have you got your Spotify playlist on the bus while you have been travelling? We saw that the other day.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah no, I’ve got a whole heap of Spotify playlists. I’ve got that one which is all those old 80’s tunes from overseas but I’ve also got a very good Australian playlist and I’ve got a very special Tina Arena playlist.
WIPPA: Oh you would too, Tina’s classics.
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll share that with you.
FITZY: Have you met her yet, Scott?
PRIME MINISTER: I have, a few times now, yeah.
WIPPA: Oh yeah.
FITZY: Isn’t she amazing, Chains… what’s the show she’s doing at the moment?
SARAH MCGILVRAY: Oh Evita.
WIPPA: Oh, Don’t Cry for Me.
PRIME MINISTER: Jenny and I went and saw her at Evita and she was amazing. We saw her afterwards and she’s a superstar.
WIPPA: Yeah that’s great.
PRIME MINISTER: I’m like a gangly, you know, sixteen year old when I meet Tina.
FITZY: Yeah that’s right. Now Mr Morrison, we need to talk to you. We need to get really serious here, because I know you’re trying to solve a lot of problems at the moment and Australia do have a lot of problems. But one that we need to focus on is our great game of cricket and we’re not going too well at the moment, Prime Minister, are we?
PRIME MINISTER: Well my PM’s XI beat South Africa the other day.
WIPPA: I saw.
PRIME MINISTER: I was pretty happy with that. Maybe I’ll get a call out from the selectors to select the next team, who knows.
[Laughter]
FITZY: I’ve always wondered…
PRIME MINISTER: Bring back George Bailey.
WIPPA: Ready to go.
FITZY: But I’ve always wondered, it’s your XI. It’s your Prime Minister’s XI, do you get to choose a player, do you get to choose at least one player to go into that side?
PRIME MINISTER: Well yeah they send you their suggestions and all the sort of thing and you make a few back and Ben Dwarshuis, he was a player from Sutherland that I was keen to see play in the team. And just like when I picked the PM’s XIII that went up to play the Kumuls in PNG, we had quite a number of Sharks players who made that team, surprisingly.
[Laughter]
WIPPA: I don’t know how that happened.
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t know, just you know…
FITZY: I think we need to unite our cricketers, I think we need to get them together. We need to sort this out because we’ve got a big summer of cricket coming up. We’ve been talking about this for ages, Prime Minister, and we think probably the most iconic view in Australia is from your house, Kirribilli House. And we think, obviously the grassed area that overlooks the magnificent Sydney right there is a perfect place to play some backyard cricket. Has it ever been done before?
PRIME MINISTER: On the first of January each year the Prime Minister will host the visiting team, and this year I’ll be doing that with India on the first of January.
WIPPA: Ok.
PRIME MINISTER: And that’s happened in the past, but you boys would like to come around and throw the arm over?
FITZY: Oh look, you know what, there’s a great charity, Prime Minister, it’s called Batting for Change. And it looks after, you know, kids overseas and education of disadvantaged women playing in cricket-playing nations. We’ve been on board with this for a while but we thought this would be a great opportunity if we get some great Aussie cricketers together, some celebrities together. Prime Minister, if you’ve got some time we’d love to come and throw the arm over and play some cricket in your house.
PRIME MINISTER: Well how does Friday 23 November sound to you guys?
FITZY: What is that again?
PRIME MINISTER: We spoke about it last time and we can do that on the Friday.
WIPPA: Oh I’m busy.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t think the girls will be back from the West Indies by then, they’ve got their World Cup going on at the moment. They may be, I think Meg and the girls, I’m not sure if they’ll be back by then. But it’d be great to have some of the girls playing, the guys and some of the older players.
WIPPA: Love it, I love it.
PRIME MINISTER: I think it’d be terrific. And you know, one hand off the rock is out and in the water, definitely.
FITZY: Ok yeah, you set the rules. That is great, and you know what this’ll be the first time there will be a camera on you bowling as well, Prime Minister, so you’ve got to make sure that you’re hitting the stumps.
[Laughter]
WIPPA: Keep the tradition mate. Friday the 23rd.
PRIME MINISTER: I’m going to sleep well that night.
WIPPA: BYO ScoMo, is that alright? Roll in with a couple of eskys?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah mate that’d be fantastic, that would be absolutely the way to do it.
WIPPA: Oh I love this.
PRIME MINISTER: And I’ve heard a bit about this charity too. We play cricket with countries all around the world and some of them clearly are not as fortunate as we are and sport is a great way for people to sort of get involved and sort of get out of their day-to-day and this charity I understand is helping women in Sri Lanka and things like that and I think that’s tremendous. So mate, it’ll be great to have you guys around.
WIPPA: Lock it in.
FITZY: Brilliant, thank you very much. We know how busy you are, thank you for coming on the show and we’ll see you on Friday the 23rd of November, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: No worries, Buddy the dog will be looking forward to it. You’ve just got to be careful, if he takes the ball you may not get it back for at least a few minutes.
WIPPA: Well of course.
FITZY: Well dogs are fielders, if it hits the dog you’re out. That’s the thing, that’s always been the rule.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: He’ll be in the slips. Good on you guys.
WIPPA: Thanks Scott.
Interview with Hot Tomato FM, Gold Coast
5 November 2018
PRESENTER: Welcome to the Gold Coast, Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
PRIME MINISTER: Hey guys, how’re you going?
PRESENTER: Well thank you. Hey welcome and congratulations first. We’ve never spoken to you as our Prime Minister so it’s an honour for us, thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s great to be with you. Thanks for the invite.
PRESENTER: That’s the way. By the way, happy 50th birthday, was it the 13th of May? What’d you do?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I didn’t get to celebrate it because I was in the middle of delivering a Budget as Treasurer back then. So a few months later I got away with a few friends down the south coast of New South Wales and we had a great time together, some old uni mates and that sort of thing. It’s good to stay in touch with your mates and your friends and your family. They’re the ones that keep you grounded.
PRESENTER: I didn’t even know you were 50, I actually thought you looked a bit younger. And I’m not even trying to suck up to you.
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think you’re wonderful.
[Laughter]
PRESENTER: Alright now I’m going to ask a hard question. Here we go, here we go. So the big news today is that you are setting in your Budget $112 million to fund the Light Rail.
PRESENTER: So, what’s your favourite beer?
PRIME MINISTER: I can give you that, Hairy Man, it’s a brew from the Shire in Sydney. But anyway.
PRESENTER: Hairy Man. Oh ‘ello I do like hairy men -
PRIME MINISTER: Check ‘em out on Facebook.
PRESENTER: Now I know the Prime Minister does too. We have so much in common. But what’s happening with the Light Rail? Does this mean it’ll actually happen or are you going to have argy bargy with Annastacia Palaszczuk? Who’s my cousin, so be nice.
PRIME MINISTER: Well they need to stump up as well. I mean, this is a project in Queensland, we’ve already committed over $460 million to this project to date on Stages 1 and 2 and we’re putting $112 million into Stage 3 which will take it from Broadbeach South down to Burleigh Heads. So we’re calling on them to come and do their bit as well, like they have on the previous stages of the project. The Gold Coast is a big and growing city and it’s going to continue doing that over the next 20 years and it needs this infrastructure to deal with that population growth. I think the Light Rail has been a great success.
PRESENTER: It has.
PRIME MINISTER: A really great success and we want to see that success continue and that’s why we’re committed to go to Stage 3.
PRESENTER: Prime Minister, a million people a month are using it, it is a massive success. I think most people would love it extended except for about 2,000 people in Burleigh. But to me, it’s funny, what do the state government need to stump up? How much do they need to come up with and are we, like, at the end of a dinner party going: “Oh look I didn’t have the entrée, so I’d like to pay a bit less”?
PRIME MINISTER: Well obviously they’re going to put in the lion’s share because it’s a state government project. It’s very rare for a Commonwealth Government, the Federal Government, to invest in these sort of projects. We started this several years ago, I was Treasurer at the time and committed the first amount of funding to the project. That was going in particularly to support the Commonwealth Games and it has been such a success linking the Gold Coast all the way up and down where previously there wasn’t that transport infrastructure and so as a Government we’re very committed to doing these sorts of things where it makes a big difference. I think it is making a big difference. At the end of the day they’re the state government, they’re primarily responsible and the Council as well, they all have to throw in as well.
PRESENTER: The other thing that you’re plugging today is that you’re going to be changing the working visas for backpackers and one of the things that I’m impressed with is that they no longer need to leave jobs every six months and will be permitted to stay with an employer for up to a year. What made you decide to do this?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s just the strain which is on our horticultural industry, our ag industry, getting workers to actually get the fruit off the vine. Whether that’s up in Darwin or it’s here in Queensland or down in other parts of the country, in South Australia, this is a real big problem.
Look, I want Australians to do these jobs but when they don’t show up and they don’t do the work, we can’t let the fruit rot on the vine. This is what’s primarily driving it and we’ve had the feedback from the agricultural producers that they needed to be able to keep people there for longer. The reason for that is they don’t have to re-train people every time.
PRESENTER: Re-training is so expensive.
PRIME MINISTER: It costs them a lot of money and if it costs them a lot more money, it costs you a lot more money when you go to the fruit and veg shop. So it’s important to get the costs down. We’re simplifying it also for the Seasonal Worker Program coming out of the Pacific, and that’s targeted to a lot of areas around the country. So for those Islander workers who come out there’ll be a lower cost and less paperwork and they’ll be able to stay a little longer too.
PRESENTER: Alright, now can you extend that to au pair visas as well please? Because I love my au pairs and they all have to go and it upsets my kids, literally hysterically crying because they have to go and I know it’s something that’s argy bargy with Peter Dutton and that was awkward to even bring up his name to you but can you -
PRIME MINISTER: It was a little awkward.
PRESENTER: Look at that as well? Because you know, mums around the country are in the same boat with the farmers that we have people come and look after our kids so we can work to pay tax and then they have to go.
PRIME MINISTER: Well our priority is obviously on the ag sector and making sure that they economy is supported by being able to harvest. What this also does is if you spend two years in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa and in that second year you spend six months in a regional area, well, you can actually apply for a third year where there’s no conditions. So that’s going to be good for the tourism industry as well. The backpacker industry, I know from my time in tourism, is incredibly important to Australia particularly for regional Australia. Because, you know, backpackers don’t go home with any money in their pocket. Every dollar they earn here, they spend here. That’s the whole point. So that’s what we want to see them do and this I think will support the backpacker tourism industry right across Queensland, right across the country. But I know it’ll be particularly good for Queensland and that’s why I’m here this week telling people how we’re backing Queenslanders and listening to them and hearing them.
PRESENTER: I’m going to call my au pair a fruit picker and she can fruit off my lemon tree out the back and then I’ll get to keep her as long as I want.
PRESENTER: Prime Minister, you must freak out sometimes at some of the strange stories and requests that come to you because you’re the Prime Minister. For example, Pamela Anderson of Baywatch fame has asked you, literally, to get involved and see if you can get Julian Assange home out of the Ecuadorean Embassy.
I wonder are there any other embassies that I could just bloody go and live in please, if you could help me out. I’d love to just eat pizza and watch telly. But that’s a really difficult one with the United States being such a strong ally and he’s regarded as an enemy of the state, our press thinks he deserves the highest award we can…
PRESENTER: We’ve actually got Pamela Anderson asking you. Was this on…
PRESENTER: This was on 60 Minutes last night. Have a listen to this Prime Minister.
AUDIO RECORDING: Defend your friend and get Julian his passport back and take him back to Australia and be proud of him, and throw him a parade when he gets home.
PRESENTER: You want to throw him a parade?
PRIME MINISTER: Well…no. I’ve had plenty of mates who’ve asked me if they can be my special envoy to sort the issue out with Pamela Anderson. But putting that to one side, the serious issue is our position on that hasn’t changed and look she’s raised some other important issues about live sheep exports and the Government’s been doing quite a lot on that. We just had the Moss Review back, I mean I know maybe a bit of a hard policy topic, but we are acting on that with an Inspector eneral and an animal welfare branch sitting within the Department of Ag. There’s some pretty serious issues going on with live sheep and we’re acting on them.
PRESENTER: Prime Minister, you strike me as a pretty down to earth sort of bloke and I just want to ask you a really straight sort of question with a down to earth answer if we can; how can you make it cheaper for mums and dads to pay all the bills that we face these days.
PRIME MINISTER: Well to make sure the electricity companies can’t take them for a ride and use the regulations and laws to their advantage. I mean, they benefit from a pretty restricted market and they get a rails run and they’ve been getting it for a long time. So what we’re doing is changing the laws to make sure that it’s harder for them to do that and putting pressure on them to take the prices down. The system has been rigged a bit too long in their favour and that’s why we’re changing the laws to try and even it up and make sure the consumers get a better go.
PRESENTER: What about petrol? I mean, it’s forty bucks for a quarter of a tank these days.
PRIME MINISTER: This one’s a lot harder because what’s happening with petrol prices is largely being driven by things well beyond our shores. This is the world oil price, it’s exchange rates, it’s things like this and these things happen they go up and down. We’re expecting that to moderate in the months ahead and I certainly hope they do. Because I know it’ll be putting a real pressure on family budgets and for people getting around, tradies who’ve got their utes and have to get on site when they’re sometimes having to travel quite a bit during the course of the day. I think it is a real burden. We’ve got the ACCC who Is the cop on the beat which ensures and seeks to make sure that the companies aren’t doing anything wrong. but at the same time, you know, you’ve got to get on and use those mobile apps. I think that’s been one of the best things that have happened in recent times. You really can shop ahead, you can look around for the best deal. Before, it was a lot harder to do that so that gives the customers a bit more power but at the same time I know it’s a bit tough at the moment and we’ve got to hope that those prices internationally come down and provide some relief.
PRESENTER: And what about for electric vehicles, getting some more of them on the road. What can you guys do about making it easier and cheaper?
PRIME MINISTER: There’s not a lot that has to be done there, frankly. It’s just increasingly making sense and the price will come down with the technology. I don’t think government has to get in there and subsidise all this sort of stuff, it’ll just make sense. When it gets to the right price point people will buy it and off you go. There’s been some discussion about how we can work with others about getting recharging stations and those sorts of things, but a lot of the companies are doing that themselves as well. So if the companies and things are just going to get on with it anyway I don’t think we have to throw people’s taxpayer’s money around at it. We need them for hospitals and schools and things like that.
PRESENTER: I agree.
PRESENTER: Prime Minister, this morning we were talking about the Melbourne Cup that’s tomorrow, I imagine you’ll be there as the Prime Minister of this country-
PRIME MINISTER: No, I won’t actually I’ll be in Queensland.
PRESENTER: He’s here! He’s here for four days!
PRESENTER: You know that you can get to Melbourne in a day, right? There’s planes.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah sure. Look I’ll let the glitterati go down there for that day, they’ll have a lot of fun and I wish them all the best. But I’ll be happy to be here in Queensland.
PRESENTER: Well we were trying to name horses this morning using the first suburb we lived in plus what we had for dinner last night, so I was Clovelly Chickenboobs. What would the Prime Minister’s horse be called if- the first suburb you ever lived in and what you had for tea last night.
PRIME MINISTER: Bronte Lasagne.
PRESENTER: Bronte Lasagne.
PRESENTER: That’s a great horse name.
PRESENTER: Well, Bronte Lasagne. It has been great talking to you today, thank you for making time to be on our show and don’t be like Migaloo the white whale, as Wayne Swan said you were, rare sightings of you here in Queensland, please come back.
PRIME MINISTER: I will, thanks for having me on this morning. Great to be with you.
Interview with Mark Braybrook, 4BC
5 November 2018
MARK BRAYBROOK: The Prime Minister is in town and he’s on a bus tour from the Gold Coast to Townsville. He joins me on the line, giving up a few minutes of his valuable time. Prime Minister good afternoon.
PRIME MINISTER: G’day Mark how are you mate?
BRAYBROOK: I’m well thank you. Welcome to Queensland.
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s great to be here, great to have such a great welcome.
BRAYBROOK: What is the purpose of the visit?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we’re up here listening and hearing and we’re doing as well. On the doing, we announced down at the Gold Coast today that we’re putting an extra $112 million into the third stage of the light rail project that has been so successful down there in the Gold Coast. We’ve announced up at Townsville yesterday a very big project on securing their water future with the pipeline. As we move up and down the coast, we’ll be having a bit more to say about where we’re investing and what we’re doing. But it’s also a good opportunity for me to get out and talk to our supporters here in Queensland. And to connect with them and you know, I think that’s a very big task. But it’s part of what I’ve taken on as being the leader of the Party and of course, as Prime Minister, to rally our people and our supporters around what is a very important cause at the next election. That is to ensure that we can continue to have a strong economy. Because that’s what pays for the essential services that Australians rely on.
We’ve got unemployment coming down. We’ve got people getting off the unemployment ques. We’ve got our AAA credit rating restored and secure and we’re moving into a Budget balance next year, which means we can be investing in these important services and infrastructure that deals with population growth all across the state.
BRAYBROOK: Yeah, you do have some great messages to sell but do you have a sense of frustration that you’re not getting that cut-through to get that message out to the people? Or do you believe you are?
PRIME MINISTER: I believe we are and I think that’ll continue to be the case. I mean to come out of the events of several months ago, I mean of course that’s going to acquire a fair bit of static. But you know, people are focused of their own futures and what’s going on in their lives, in their towns and their communities and with the jobs that they have and the small businesses that they work for. That’s what matters to them and that’s what I’m here to reassure them about. That’s where my is too. We’re just totally focused on the things that will make our economy stronger, so we can guarantee those essential services. Keeping Australians safe and ensuring that we’re keeping Australians together. We don’t want to see employees being set against employers and parents of kids who go to state schools, being set against parents with kids who go to non-state schools. I mean today we had the Labor Party saying they want to have a throwback policy on industrial relations, back to the 70s for goodness sake. I mean that’ll smash our economy, that’s no way to run a strong economy. It’s very dangerous. Bill Shorten’s economic agenda is very dangerous for people’s jobs and livelihoods.
BRAYBROOK: Prime Minister, from the Gold Coast through Brisbane and parts of the north coast, you’ve got to go on that M1. You’re on your bus, how is the traffic and have you looked at the peak hour traffic coming the other way? Because you speak of infrastructure and people want infrastructure. They wasn’t our roads to flow. We’ve got a booming population. You’re on one of the most congested roads in south east Queensland, what can you do to ease those people you see on that road, trying to get home?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that’s why we put $1 billion for upgrades between Eight Miles Plain to Daily Hill and Varsity Lakes and Tugun, $110 million for the Mungeribar to Varsity Lakes section, and up to $115 million for the M1 Gateway Motorway rebuild. We’re got $10 billion dollars we’re putting into the Bruce Highway. We’ve got the Brisbane Metro project, we put $300 million in and later this year we will finish the Gateway Motorway North where we put $914 million in that. That’s created up to 1,000 jobs. Now we’re looking at, you know the Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Line, that’s just under $400 million. That’s taking things further north. So you know, we’re investing in the infrastructure that Brisbane, that south east Queensland needs to grow. We’ll continue to do that and that’s why when I say; “We don’t just listen, I don’t just listen, I hear.” I hear and those infrastructure projects are vital to improving and maintaining the standards of living here in south east Queensland.
BRAYBROOK: Well how important or how vital is Queensland for your Government to be reelected next year? Is that part of the reason why you’re here? That this is, Queensland is one of the key states, if not the big state for you?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I’ll tell you why Queensland is important. Queensland is important because we need the Queensland economy strong for the Australian economy to be strong. The truth is in recent times, the Queensland economy has not been preforming as well as the rest of the national economy. You know, we’re seeking to do something about that. We want to see the Queensland economy being stronger than it is today and the unemployment rate is high here. We want to get it down to where it is in other states like in New South Wales where it’s much less. They’ve had a great infrastructure programme led by the State Government down there in New South Wales. So that’s why I’m keen for the State Government to join us in these big projects and put the money into the things that is going to make Queensland’s economy stronger.
BRAYBROOK: Is there one particular issue that in the times you’ve been listening to people as Prime Minister, that concerns them the most heading into next year’s election?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh look, there is a range of issues and it all affects different families differently. I mean if you’re talking to drought-affected communities, which is the first place I went after becoming Prime Minister up in Quilpie up in western Queensland, their issues are different to those being faced by people sitting on motorways south and north of Brisbane. But what it really all is about is that people’s standard of living, people’s cost of living and their ability to deal with rising costs of living, that they feel they’re in a stronger position to deal with that. The way you deliver that is by ensuring you run an economy which is strong. You know, you can’t deal with rising costs of living, if you’re in an economy that’s weaker.
Now Labor wants to put $200 billion worth of higher taxes on our economy over the next ten years. I mean they are economy–suffocating taxes on everything from abolishing negative gearing as we know it, increasing capital gains tax and the worst, the worst I would say, particularly in the short term is they want to rip $5 billion out of the pockets of retirees, by taking away their tax refunds on their imputation credits. I mean this is just mad policy, which is going to take money out of the economy and put it in Bill Shorten’s election war chest. I mean that’s not how you run a strong economy. That’s how you suffocate one.
BRAYBROOK: Prime Minister do you believe that all the dramas of the last few months are behind now, and that the ship has steadied, you’re heading towards that election in good shape?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes I do and that work will continue. One of the other reasons I’m here in Queensland Mark is to say to our supporters, who are coming back to us in strong numbers here in Queensland in the LNP – and I really welcome that, I was at several functions today with our party members throughout south east Queensland – you know, they’re coming back. People are saying to me: “We want to come back, we want to be involved. We like where you’re heading and this is where we want to go and we certainly don’t want what Bill Shorten is going to do to the country.” So there’s a very strong negative reaction to Bill Shorten, but I’m getting a great reception from our Liberal Party base members and supportive members here, who I really am thrilled to see coming back to the Party.
BRAYBROOK: Prime Minister just before I let you go, Bob Katter has been back in the news again this afternoon, warning you as the Prime Minister he’s considering supporting a referral of Liberal MP Chris Crewther to the High Court. Your response to that?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, we’re talking to Bob all the time, we talk to crossbenchers all the time. They all have their various issues that they’re raising with us. I’ve been talking to Bob about quite a number of projects ever since I became Prime Minister. I’ll continue to do that. I mean in relation to Mr Crewther, Chris, there is no issue there. So look, we’ll just keep talking to Bob about things that he’s looking to pursue as a member up there in North Queensland. I’ll be up there later this week and I’m sure we’ll be able to manage all of that.
I mean the truth is after the Wentworth by-election which has now been declared, we were already out a member since Mr Turnbull left the Parliament. So I still always needed one extra vote to get 75 and that was the case from pretty much the time I became Prime Minister. In fact that time exactly or soon after, so that’s the same case now. The crossbenchers have made it very clear, they don’t want the Government to go to an early election, they don’t want to put the public through that. The Government will serve out its’ term, we’ll go to an election next year. And there will be a clear choice, between a stronger economy with more jobs and a secure future under our Government, or a weaker economy under Bill Shorten and a party that can’t manage Australia’s finances. You can’t guarantee services like Medicare if you don’t run a strong economy. That’s why we can be trusted on Medicare.
BRAYBROOK: Thanks very much for your time, I appreciate it.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot Mark, great to be with you.
Interview with Steve Austin, ABC Brisbane
5 November 2018
STEVE AUSTIN: You can’t miss him because his face is on the side of a big blue bus heading up the Bruce Highway from the Gold Coast to Townsville, he joins me now. Prime Minister you’re a brave man driving a blue bus into Maroon territory. Good afternoon to you.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: It’s a good point and it’s great to be here, it’s been wonderful to get such a strong reception, starting down on the Gold Coast there this morning about the $112 million for the light rail project Stage 3.
STEVE AUSTIN: Why have you prioritized the light rail project over something like the Cross River Rail in Brisbane or improving the rail links between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, who feel that they’re really neglected when it comes to transport infrastructure in south east Queensland?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s been a partnership with the state and local government on the Gold Coast light rail now for some years. This has been a significant project which has completely city-shaping and transforming on the Gold Coast. I mean as you know, there was nothing there previously and it was a linear city that was just only connected by road and a very congested one at that. You’ve also got population growth running down south east Queensland and on the Gold Coast there at significant rates and we’ve got to build the infrastructure for growing populations. But that’s why we’ve also put money into the M1. But it’s also why we’ve been putting money up north of Brisbane and linking up to the Sunshine Coast as well. The Beerburrum Rail Link projects we’re looking at, at the moment, we’re working with those and investing in the projects to the north on the Bruce Highway, which is going to reduce the congestion there. So those and of course there’s the Metro project as well. So we’re no stranger to investing in infrastructure all over Queensland and particularly here, whether it’s in Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast or the Gold Coast and indeed up in Townsville. We announced yesterday that we’d be putting $200 million into securing their water future, which is a very big deal in Townsville.
STEVE AUSTIN: South east Queensland feels that it’s under real development pressure and we’ve been warned by numerous organisations that we are facing a real congestion issue, a real problem that we will be virtual gridlock in about ten years unless really major decisions are taken. Is your Government looking to do anything about some of our south east Queensland like Brisbane-centric I know, but some of our infrastructure, traffic problems here in the heart of Brisbane?
PRIME MINISTER: Well look, we will continue to prioritise where we’re putting our investments, the State Government obviously will do the same thing in terms of what they’re looking at. But I mean the Brisbane Metro, we put $300 million into that. The Gateway Motorway North project which will be finished by the end of this year I think, that’s almost $1 billion that we’ve put into that. Then talking about what we’re talking up on the Sunshine Coast, there’s $319 million going to the Beerburrum to Nambour rail line. So I mean it’s not like we’re a stranger here. We are stumping up for Queensland infrastructure, ever since we were first elected back in 2013. Out forward there’s over $20 billion worth of projects we’ve been investing in Queensland. That’s what I’m really here to tell people about; that we’re backing in Queenslanders very, very strongly as a Government. Have been from the day we were elected.
STEVE AUSTIN: My guest is Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison. He’s travelling in the big blue bus up the coast, up the Bruce Highway to Townsville on a four day tour of what are usually described as marginal electorates, is that your aim Prime Minister? To go specifically to marginal electorates in Queensland?
PRIME MINISTER: Well no, I wouldn’t describe Moncreiff as one of those, which is where we started today. I mean we’re just getting in and about Queensland. I mean remember the first place I went after becoming Prime Minister was Queensland, which was out in Quilpie, out in western Queensland and went through Longreach. So we’ve been up in Cairns, we’ve been right up the top. We’ve been to the Gold Coast several times, we’ve been up on the Sunshine Coast dealing with the issues for strawberry farmers as you remember from several weeks ago.
STEVE AUSTIN: Yep.
PRIME MINISTER: I was back at a strawberry farm today actually, this time in Bert Van Manen’s electorate just between the electorates of Forde and Wright.
STEVE AUSTIN: It’s a surprise to me that we still haven’t found the cause or the person who allegedly started the needles in strawberries, that the police have not been able to sort of crack that. Have you heard anything, being at the farm today?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I’ve got nothing further to add to that, I was asked about that but it’s a matter for the Queensland Police who are leading that investigation. The Australian Federal Police have been supporting it and have been providing additional resources as required, but what I’m pleased about is that the strawberry sector, the industry, have been getting back on their feet. That’s been a great response from the Australian people all over the country. We’re very grateful for that and I want to encourage people to still do that. I mean we’re going into a different part of the season and they’re still growing them out at Stanthorpe they’re not going on the hinterland here anymore, because it’s out of season now. But down in Victoria they are and you know, it’s an all year round industry in different parts of the country. I just thought Australians showed tremendous responsiveness and of course our Government did, we got onto it and we passed that legislation within a day or so.
STEVE AUSTIN: My guest is the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison. This is ABC Radio Brisbane, Steve Austin is my name. While here you also announced or flagged changes to visa conditions for backpackers who come in and work on those farms, strawberry farms and other places. One of the questions that comes up a lot from listeners is that why are we making changes to suit international visitors when we have unemployed here in Queensland? Here in Australia? What is it about this work that they’re not getting hold of it or they’re not pursuing it? Can you put any flesh on the bone of that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, because –
STEVE AUSTIN: Why is it we’re making the changes for international visitors and not locally unemployed people?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re doing both actually. What I announced some weeks ago was to ensure that these jobs that were available were being connected into the jobactive network, so they could be presented to those who live in these areas. And if they don’t go and take those jobs, well obviously that has an impact on their eligibility to receive Newstart payments. So that’s what we did several weeks ago.
What I announced today was something I flagged, which is, you know we’ve still got to get the fruit off the vine. We’ve still got to get the apples off the trees and the strawberries out of the patch. Otherwise that will cause significant harm to our agricultural sector. So we’ve announced today some changes which means they’ll not be having to retrain people every six months and that those workers who have been working on their properties, they can work up to 12 months now and there are additional incentives for people to spend more time in regional areas. The thing about backpackers is, they don’t go home with money in their pockets. They go home having spent it all here. I want to see more than $1 billion spent every year by backpackers in regional parts of Australia. It’s just a bit over $920 million at the moment and I’d like to see us have that as a goal, to have that spend by backpackers in Australia. Over a billion dollars would be a real boon for our regional communities.
STEVE AUSTIN: So you see that by making these visa adjustments for backpacker workers, that’s actually an economic stimulus package for the Australian economy?
PRIME MINISTER: Particularly for regional economies, because they spend all the money there. We’ve put $5 million extra, I announced today, into Tourism Australia which they’ll spend over two years more heavily promoting backpacker tourism to Australia. I mean as you know, I came out of the tourism industry and backpackers come, they stay a long time, they travel all around the country, they drop their money everywhere in regional economies across Australia. That’s great for jobs, it’s great for the health and wellbeing of our economy. But we’ve also announced support for the Fair Farms initiative, to make sure that those who are working on these properties are treated right, that the farms have got to do the right thing by their employees who are taking on these jobs. We’ve also put money into the Fair Work Ombudsman to make sure workers are not exploited.
STEVE AUSTIN: Just on the issue of the economy, the Economist magazine last week or the week before wrote a very big feature article, the whole magazine, on “What the World can learn from Australia,” describing us as “perhaps the most successful rich economy.” But it strikes me that Australians don’t feel that. I mean for some reason in Australia – I’d be fascinated to know, give me your take on the Australian economy at the moment? Because here’s the Economist, last week says that we are perhaps the most successful rich economy in the world today. Yet if you were to walk down the streets of Brisbane, for some reason Australians don’t feel the effect of that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there’s two issues here, one is we need to make sure the strength of our economy and the benefits of it spread right across our economy and it reaches all Australians. Not all Australians have felt that, that is absolutely true and that is why we’ll continue to work on ensuring, particularly in rural and regional areas, but in other places, that people get the benefit of that economy. It’s true that the Queensland economy has not been running as strongly as the national economy. The unemployment rate in Queensland here is higher than it is around the rest of the country nationally in New South Wales and Victoria. Those states are doing much better economically than in Queensland. That’s why we want to see the Queensland economy go forward and that’s why we’re investing so much in the infrastructure and these types of arrangements I’ve announced today which I think will be very supportive of the Queensland economy.
Now the other point is the relative one and I think that’s the point that is made in the Economist magazine. That is, we are very blessed to live in this country and Queenslanders are very blessed living in Queensland. You know, sometimes, we’re looking at only what’s happening on our side of the fence and not looking at what’s happening on the other side of the fence. If you look at any other economies around the world, it’s a very different story.
But I must say I was very disappointed when Andrew Leigh, one of Labor’s economic spokespeople federally was out there trashing the Australian economy in New York this week. I mean what’s that about? You go out of your own country and you bag your own country’s economy in one of the biggest financial markets in the world? I can’t understand why Bill Shorten put up with that.
STEVE AUSTIN: Where are you going next on your four day Queensland tour?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll be enjoying the Melbourne Cup tomorrow with a lot of Queenslanders up there on the Sunshine Coast tomorrow. We’ll be heading up there and then we’ll be heading further north as the week progresses. As you said in your intro I’ll be finishing up in Townsville were we made that very big announcement securing their water supply. Last time I was in Townsville was when we announced the very big investment with the state Government to invest in their port infrastructure, to really open up the north Queensland economy. You know, if I bump into a few Cowboys players up there I’ll be pretty happy to see them as well. Who knows, JT might be about.
STEVE AUSTIN: You may not get out alive in a blue bus! But thanks for coming on the program.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot Steve, great to be talking to you. Cheers.
Doorstop - Broadbeach, Gold Coast
5 November 2018
THE HON STEVE CIOBO MP, MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY: It’s terrific to welcome the Prime Minister here to the Gold Coast again, now Australia’s sixth largest and one of the fastest growing cities in the country. We are here for a major infrastructure announcement and I’m not going to pre-empt what the Prime Minister is about to say, but I think everyone knows where we are going with this.
This is a significant investment that builds on the multi-billion dollar investment that the Liberal and National Government has made here on the Gold Coast from infrastructure through to health services through to education, record funding for tourism confidence that is driving our construction industry. All of this dedicated to growing the number of jobs here on the Gold Coast.The Gold Coast is also the small business capital of Australia, this is the place that the Liberal and National government are absolutely focused on making sure that we grow small and medium businesses, that they have the confidence to keep investing and the confidence to keep employing more Gold Coasties.
So it’s a terrific pleasure to welcome the Prime Minister here, day one of his tour through Queensland and part of the very strong commitment of Prime Minister Scott Morrison and of the Liberals and the Nationals to our investment here not only on the Gold Coast but indeed throughout Queensland. So over to you ScoMo.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Steven. Karen it is great to be here with you and Amanda as well and Steven to be here in your part of the Coast. It is day one of the run through Queensland today and we are here backing Queenslanders. We are here listening, we are hearing what Queenslanders are saying to us and particularly here on the Gold Coast and we’re getting on with it. We are doing, we are listening, we are hearing and we are doing here in Queensland, for what Queenslanders say are their priorities. And what we are here to announce is $112 million for Stage 3 of the Gold Coast Light Rail.
As Steven has said, this has been a multibillion-dollar project and the Commonwealth now will have invested and committed over half a billion dollars to this project since when it first commenced. This is a very significant investment. There is no greater investment that I am aware of in light rail by the Federal Government anywhere else in the country. What that says is two things; we get this is the right transport solution for the Gold Coast and where there is a good plan and strong plan to deal with the congestion-busting needs of infrastructure, then we are there. We show up and we back it in. This is a plan for the Gold Coast and it is a plan that we are backing in as a National Government. That is essential to ensure that the services and the infrastructure in place to support the population growth, that we are seeing here on the Gold Coast. This is a growing city. This is a bold city. This is an ambitious city with people who want to go ahead, start businesses and see the growth that has improved their lifestyle and that has improved their way of life and creating jobs for thousands of young people here on the Gold Coast. Which is exactly what we want to see. This is a real go ahead place and it needs go ahead infrastructure. That is why we are here, going ahead with our investment in the Gold Coast light rail Stage 3.
As usual, it’s going to require the partnership at all three levels of government. That partnership has existed for the first two stages and you have got to keep going. So we would welcome the contribution from both the state and local government to make sure we can keep this project going. It is going to create real opportunities here on the coast for jobs, some 2,400 jobs in the construction alone. 16 minutes to connect from Broadbeach down the Burleigh and that provides the next great iteration of this city-shaping piece of infrastructure here on the Gold Coast.
But it is part of our broader plan for Queensland. Over $20 billion in infrastructure projects all recommitted or underway since we first came to Government and that will continue to be rolled out, because Queensland needs the infrastructure to support its population, to maintain the high standards of living that Queenslanders work hard for. That is why I am here today with my colleagues to back that in strongly for the Gold Coast.
Now, Karen Andrews the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology knows a thing or two about how jobs get generated, but she is also a great local member. I will ask her to say a few things about what this means for the Gold Coast.
THE HON KAREN ANDREWS MP, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Thank you Prime Minister and the Coalition Government is absolutely leading the way with transport infrastructure here on the Gold Coast. We led the way with the $1 billion announcement for the upgrades to the M1 and we are leading the way today with $112 million to upgrade the light rail, take it further south from Broadbeach through the Burleigh. I have long supported the light rail going from Broadbeach all the way through to Burleigh. The issue remains as to where it will terminate at Burleigh and I call on the State Government and the local council to make sure that they consult properly with the community to make sure that the light rail meets the needs of the community, both for our residents and also for our tourists here on the Gold Coast.
The Gold Coast is a different city to every other city in Australia because we are a linear city, we don’t have a central CBD with everything radiating out from it. We are a linear city predominately north-south and we need to make sure that our transport infrastructure is designed and suitable to the needs of our localS and of our tourists here on the Gold Coast. I’m delighted that the light rail is being extended through to Burleigh it will make a significant difference to our tourists and our locals it will ease the burden on the M1 and everyone knows on the southern part of the Gold Coast there are some major bottlenecks there. We are fixing that, we led the way and we are now leading the way with light rail. It’s a fantastic announcement.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much. Amanda, the Senator for Queensland this is part of a big infrastructure investment for Queensland as well, so Amanda do you want to say a few words?
AMANDA STOKER: Good morning everybody. It’s wonderful to be part of a team in the Liberal National Coalition that cares so much about infrastructure. It’s a big word but what it means is very real. It means more money in your pocket because you’ve job building the thing. It means better memories for the tourists that come to this town, spend their money having good times together. It means getting home sooner, getting home safer, more time parents, more time with kids and that is where the rubber hits the road with infrastructure. It’s one of the reasons we are so committed to busting congestion here and throughout the state and I commend the team on the project.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much Amanda, happy to take some questions. But this is how you deal with population pressures; you build the infrastructure the cities need and you plan for the future.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you are obviously on this bus tour. Any announcements during his tour, are they going to offset by cuts elsewhere or higher taxes, how are they funded?
PRIME MINISTER: These are all fully funded, this particular investment is fully funded under the Budget I announced in May.
JOURNALIST: The M1 has been mentioned already a couple of times, is this sort of masking the issues there or is this going to complement it?
PRIME MINISTER: You need both of these working together. You need to invest in roads, you need to invest in rail. That’s why I talked about the light rail being, I think, a very sensible and clever way to deal with the transport needs here on the Gold Coast and it’s success over some years I think demonstrates the wisdom of that approach. That’s why you keep backing it in. If something Is working well you should back it in and that’s what we are doing here. This is working and we want it to keep working and we want to extend it’s effectiveness and extend it’s positive impact, on not just the Gold Coast but how it impacts more broadly on the region. Because it means the Gold Coast city will function more effectively with this infrastructure.
When I was Treasurer, I initiated a review by the Productivity Commission about what were the most important things you could do in the Australian economy to lift productivity. And one of the things they said, one of the most important things they said, is to make our cities more effective, make them more workable and them more liveable and that’s what this does. This is an investment in the productivity of South East Queensland and that’s why I think it’s such a sensible investment and one to do in partnership with the State Government and with the local council who have been partners on this project to date and big partners and I would expect that they would continue to be big partners to realise the full ambition of this important infrastructure.
The M1 absolutely, as Karen said, you are not going to get to site quickly in your ute if you are stuck in traffic or if you are running a van doing deliveries, you are not going to meet your targets each day if you are caught in traffic each day and you not going to get to work on time or get home on time to spend those precious moments you get with your family. That’s why we have also stumped up on the M1 and we’ll continue to do that with the budgets going forward.
JOURNALIST: There is no business case leading into this project, however why have you chosen this time to announce it?
PRIME MINISTER: Because you have got to, I think, show the commitment about where the project is going in the future. The homework still has to be done and the homework will be done on the project to make sure you execute it in exactly the right way. It’s not unlike what we are doing up in Townsville on the pipeline. The homework still needs to be done on the fine details on the project and its’ costings and all of that. But you have got to tell people where you are going.
Why I’m here in Queensland this week, is to say we know where we are going with Queensland. We have been listening carefully to Queenslanders particularly through our wonderful team of LNP members up here in Queensland. Whether it’s Entschy right up in the north or Karen in the south or David Littleproud out in the west, we have got a wonderful team right across the state who have been advocating the case for what Queensland needs for it’s infrastructure to grow and be successful in the future. So we have been listening, but more importantly, we have been hearing. We have been hearing what Queenslanders are saying and that is why we are doing. We’re here today, we are here to ‘do’.
JOURNALIST: Queensland’s Transport Minister has said the $112 million that this is a sixth of what this proposal is expected to cost and that it’s the smallest amount he has seen contributed to a project like this.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is the largest single investment of a Commonwealth government, a light rail project anywhere in the country. So, at the end of the day, Queensland Government is still responsible for infrastructure in Queensland. That is actually their day job and that is what they need to be involved in and supportive of. The Commonwealth has been showing up here to the tune of over half a billion worth of investment in this project and this adds to that today. I think that is an extraordinarily large commitment from the Commonwealth over the life of this project. Of course the State Government is going to fund the majority share of these projects. That is their job, that is what they are elected to do. They are elected to build this infrastructure. In fact, in many parts of the country, this sort of infrastructure is being built solely by state governments who haven't made any call on the Commonwealth Government to invest.
So we have turned up here because we think it’s very important to the city of the Gold Coast and the productivity of this city and the liveability of this city and its future success. So we are here, we have turned up the invitation is for them to show up too, for Stage 3. Thanks very much, great to be here on the Coast.
Doorstop - Chambers Flat, QLD
5 November 2018
BERT VAN MANEN MP, MEMBER FOR FORDE: Welcome to the Prime Minister Scott Morrison, thank you Scott again for coming out to the electorate of Forde. We’re here at the Chambers Flat Strawberry Farm and it’s another demonstration of this government’s support for small to medium local businesses that each and every day employ hundreds of thousands of Australians across the country. Today is a terrific day because we’re going to make some new announcements about how we support the industry. I’d also like to recognise Rachel from Growcom and Belinda from AUSVEG, thank you for joining us. As well as Senator Amanda Stoker and in particular I’d like to thank Laura and Peter for hosting us here at Chambers Flat Strawberry Farm. Thank you so very, very much.
As I said, it’s a terrific day again for our agricultural industries and our local businesses and our communities and without stealing any of the PM’s thunder, I’d like to hand over to the Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much Bert and Laura and Peter. Thanks very much for having us here at your place. Another great small family business and many generations, as you can see, still running around out here. We’ve got a future CEO of the farm down here I reckon, he’s pretty keen on the ice cream. It’s a pretty warm day up here in Queensland. It’s great to be here in Queensland, backing Queenslanders. I’d like to thank Mick Fanning’s mum for sending me this hat. She sent me this hat, backing in Australian companies as well.
What I’m here today to do is to talk about how we’re going to be supporting our regional communities, not just here in Bert’s community of Forde, not just here at this farm, but in farms like it and orchards and other horticultural operations all around the country. I said some weeks ago that we needed to ensure we could get the fruit off the vine, this was critically important to supporting our agricultural sector. I said at that time that we were working already on a program that would be dealing with getting them access to the labour they need to ensure their businesses can be successful.
Now, my view hasn't changed. We need to ensure that we get as many Australians into these jobs as we possibly can. I know Laura and Peter would want to see that as well. But we also have got to make sure that we actually get the job done. That's why I am announcing today that we are making some changes to the way the Working Holiday Visa program and the Seasonal Worker programs work.
What they mean is the following: The first is that we'll be extending the areas that qualify as regional to support those who are on working holiday visas, so they can get extensions into a second-year visa. It'll include places like exactly where we are today. The second thing that we're doing is we're allowing people to get up to 12 months working with the same employer now, not just the six months. Now, that's really important for this reason; because as I was just talking to Laura before, you get someone in, you train them, takes you a couple of months and then they can only then work for you for six months. Now, this means that they can go away and they can come back. They could go over to Laura and Peter's other place over at Stanthorpe and actually then work there are for a while and then come back here potentially. So it’s just a much more flexible operation. This is also true for abattoirs, where you have big companies who own abattoirs in other parts of the country. So those trained in one place, they're travelling around, or working somewhere and can't work in another part of the country. And the other thing we're doing is extending out an opportunity for a third-year visa for those who spend six months in their second year working in regional locations. For the Seasonal Workers Program coming from the Pacific, we're extending it out from six months to nine months, cutting the cost down to $300 and we’re also reducing a lot of the paperwork that they have to do as well.
All of this is designed to support small, family medium-sized businesses working in regional areas all around the country. You know, backpackers when they come to Australia - I know this from my time in tourism - they don't go home with any money in their pocket. Everything they earn here, they spend here. All the money goes back into the regional towns creating more and more jobs and a vibrant economy, all around the country. We want to see that continue. I want to see more than a billion dollars spent by backpackers in regional Australia. We're not quite at that mark yet, we’re around about $920 million or thereabouts. I want to see a billion dollars being spent by backpacker tourists in regional areas all across the country, putting real energy into those regional economies which means that there are more jobs, more security and that puts us on a road to an even stronger economy.
To support that, Tourism Australia is getting $5 million over two years to go out and further promote Australia to backpacker tourism. Now that's going to be great for Queensland. It's going to be great for the whole country but it’s particularly going to be great for Queensland, whether here where we are today or up further north -
[Interruption]
No offence Sky News, I'll never hear the end of that from Boris - ensuring right up to the tip of Queensland, right out west, all the way down here to the Gold Coast and the Hinterlands and places like that that backpackers can come and have a great time in Australia. Move around, they can work and at the same time, every dollar they're earning they’re plugging back into those local economies as well. This is all about backing Queenslanders, it is about backing agriculture, it is about backing Australia's regional future. This is what we're committed to as a government. I've been listening, I've been hearing this and now we're doing it.
BELINDA ADAMS, DIRECTOR, GROWCOM: Thank you, Prime Minister. It’s really fantastic to hear this news today because as an industry we need to have a sustainable workforce and we know that there’s lots of challenges surrounding that. So to hear that we’re backing our local people into jobs as well as our visa opportunities, I myself run a small production site on the Gold Coast and we predominantly employ Working Holiday Visas as well as locals. So we’ve got about a 50/50 split. But to hear now that we’re going to be able to run out to 12 months with our staff, that’s fantastic news. Because with only six months we feel like we’re constantly having to train our staff. So employing locals is really important to our business as well, and then we’ve got obviously, our access to our visa staff to support the business.
Over and above the announcement of Fair Farms receiving $1.5 million to roll out their program nationally, is just such an exciting opportunity for us all. As growers, we have zero tolerance for unethical employment and we really want to see the rest of the industry stand up and be accountable for the fantastic people that we get to work with on a daily basis. My crew at work are great people, they’re part of an extended family, we want them to have an enjoyable time, so all of the opportunities that have been announced today will allow that to happen. So we really are thankful that the Government has listened to us and has responded in such a quick and efficient way. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Okay let’s take some questions on the announcement today and happy to deal with those issues, and related ones, and if there are other political issues you want to discuss we can deal with those then.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the Nationals and some of the farmers were pushing for an agricultural visa, does that mean this is now off the table?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no. As a longer term, medium term plan, we’re still proofing up the case where the needs are and how something like that might work. What mattered most was right now and getting access to the labour that they needed right now, and that’s what I said. I said we would work on these answers first and these are answers that are being delivered right now. We’re also continuing to work on the measures that I announced a few weeks ago, which is wherever possible getting Australians into these jobs first. And longer term arrangements are ones we’ll continue to work on. What matters is getting the fruit off the tree, what matters is getting the strawberries off the field and getting them into the punnets and getting them out into the shops, getting them out there and getting them consumed. That's what today's announcement is really delivering on.
I really want to just mention again what was just stated about what's happening with Fair Farms. What the government will continue to do is make sure that people are being treated right when they come and work in Australia. This is important from a tourism industry point of view as well. People have got to be dealt with right. That's what our program is also supporting.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you as Treasurer introduced the backpacker’s tax, that was pretty unpopular with the tourism industry. Is that something that you could reconsider if you want backpackers to spend $1 billion here?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: Why not? If they spend all their money here, why are you taking -
PRIME MINISTER: Because when people come and they work they pay tax. We all pay tax when we work. If other people come here and work they pay tax too. They pay it at a concessional rate and I think it is a pretty fair deal.
JOURNALIST: On another issue, Prime Minister, is this the start of an election campaign?
PRIME MINISTER: This is me doing what I do - I'm out, I'm listening, I'm hearing and I'm doing. That's what I'm doing as a Prime Minister.
Whether it was the first time around when I heard, out of Queensland actually, about the real challenges that were being met by the strawberry industry, the strawberry sector, the strawberry farmers, I took immediate action. We passed laws through Parliament in about 36 hours. I'm always listening. I'm always looking to hear what those issues are. Where I can act, I will. I'll move straightaway. We've been working on this one over the last 10 weeks, ensuring we get the design of it right and make sure it links into what Tourism Australia is doing but as well how it links back into how Fair Farms operate and making sure people are getting treated right on farms. The package all has to come together. We have been listening. We have heard. And we are doing it.
JOURNALIST: Have we got any closer to finding out anything out about the needles in the strawberries?
PRIME MINISTER: I have no further update on that, no, I'm sorry.
JOURNALIST: The fact that these seats in Queensland, there’s eight of them, that are held with margins of less than five per cent for the LNP, does that factor into your visit at all?
PRIME MINISTER: The seat I started out in today is the seat of Moncrieff, which I don't know if you would count that as a marginal seat. It’s got a wonderful Member in Steven Ciobo. It’s about all of Queensland. I’m here to send a message to all of Queensland that I back Queenslanders. Yes, I may be from New South Wales, I may barrack for the Blues at State of Origin time, but Val Holmes does play for the Sharks so there you go. I am here to back Queenslanders because that's what our government does do. We get it. I get it. I mean, this is a state that has a go, always has had a go. I'm prepared to back that in. With the measures I've announced today, the measures I announced up in Townsville in terms of securing their water future with the pipeline project, the measures I announced today down on the Gold Coast for the extension of the Light Rail down into stage three, we're investing in the infrastructure that is dealing with the challenges that Queenslanders face. Whether it is on the water, on the roads or their rail or how their farms operate, we get it and we're getting on it.
JOURNALIST: Are you seeking donations from corporate Australia to the Liberal Party?
PRIME MINISTER: Have we finished dealing with issues on the ag visa and those sorts of things?
VAN MANEN: Can I just add to the Prime Minister's comments. It is not just his role now as Prime Minister, he’s been here in Queensland in his previous role as Treasurer and, prior to that, Immigration Minister, Scott has spent an enormous amount of time in Queensland, and a number of times in my electorate of Forde. So this is nothing new. He’s done it before. Yes, he has a new role -
PRIME MINISTER: And a bus. I have a bigger bus, the wheels are a bit different this time.
VAN MANEN: But he has frequently been in Queensland and supported Queensland and in particular supported me and my electorate of Forde.
JOURNALIST: This is a marginal electorate, is there anything that you're going to throw this way for this electorate?
PRIME MINISTER: Here I am announcing what we are today, Bert would have to be the most effective in Queensland when it comes to standing up for his constituents and he’s joined by every other member of the LNP standing up for Queensland. The LNP team in Canberra is a great team, they work together as a pack. They get together very, very often. They work through their priorities. I mean, that's how things like the M1 got funded. A billion dollars for the M1. Now, Bert led that charge. But that is obviously supporting a lot of other things happening up and down the coast. The work that's being down up with Luke Howarth in the north in the seat of Petrie, the work he’s done with Pete Dutton to ensure we’re getting important investment in roads north of Brisbane, then going up through the Sunshine Coast where I'm heading, look, Queensland has its challenges. It has its great future ahead of it. We want to make sure we're investing in things that realise Queenslanders futures.
JOURNALIST: Does losing your majority in the Parliament mean the Government is now more uncertain or more unstable?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't think a lot has changed in terms of how many votes we have to get to pass legislation, we still need 75. That's been the case for the entire time I've been Prime Minister, that will continue. We'll work, as I said we would, in the event that Wentworth were to fall to an independent. It's obviously easier if there is one extra, but with one less the Government will continue to function in the way you’d expect it to in a professional way and working closely with the crossbench.
JOURNALIST: So are you seeking donations from corporate Australia to the Liberal Party?
PRIME MINISTER: We seek support from everybody who believes in the same things we do.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned that the corporate sector is getting distracted by social issues, rather than supporting the Liberal Party?
PRIME MINISTER: I get concerned when people get distracted by things that have nothing to do with the focus of my Government or the focus of Queenslanders or the focus of the Australian people. That’s what I’m focused on and I’m certainly not distracted by any of that.
JOURNALIST: Why the bus? It's a very opposition tactic to go around on a bus. Usually we see PM’s on planes.
PRIME MINISTER: People can talk about the tactics and the politics. I've just got a message that I want to convey to Queenslanders and that is we're backing them. That we're the Government. We're the party that can deliver a secure economic future for Queenslanders. Bill Shorten can't do that. I mean, Bill Shorten is out there today, Andrew Leigh was rubbishing Australia's economy in New York. So one of Bill Shorten's most important economic team members was actually out there bucketing Australia in New York and our economy. I mean, that's just shocking. That's not on. Bill should have pulled him into line. He's done nothing about it. He just shrugs his shoulders. Now we hear this same economic spokesman for the Labor Party, Andrew Leigh, wants to take the country back to industry wide bargaining, he wants to take us back to the industrial relations system of the 1970s. Talk about throwback. That's what Labor's policy is on industrial relations, throwback to the 1970s when there were strikes and there were stoppages and the produce of places like this and others rotted on the wharves. That's Bill Shorten's vision of an industrial future for Australia. I'm for a vision of Australia in the workplace which is bringing employees and employers together. Not following some militant union agenda which tries to drive people apart.
One of the reasons why small and family businesses are so successful is they just have no truck with any of that nonsense. I walk into small and family businesses all over the country, there's no pickets going on there, there's none of this industrial anger going on there. It is just people, Australians, working together for the success of that business and they all prosper together. That's why small and medium, family-sized businesses are doing so well in this country, because they shut out all of that nonsense that militant unionism wants to try and wreak havoc on the Australian economy. Bill Shorten will be going all the way along with it. He gives out life memberships to militant unionists. Imagine what he would do as a Prime Minister?
JOURNALIST: Do you expect businesses to be vocal in the support of Coalition policies?
PRIME MINISTER: I expect them to make the right choices for the success of their businesses. And what I know is this, is the Australian economy will be stronger under the Liberal and National Parties. I mean, under the Liberal and National Parties, we've got growth with a three in front of it. With the Liberal and National Parties we have the Budget coming back into surplus. Under the Liberal and National Parties we have had youth employment grow at the strongest level on economic record in Australia. More than a million people have got jobs. Our AAA credit rating has been endorsed and upgraded under our financial management. Under the Liberal and National parties, you will have a stronger economy, which means your job is more secure, your pay is more secure, and, importantly, the services you rely on, like Medicare and schools, and hospitals, they're more secure because without a strong economy you can't pay for all of that. You can't pay for it with higher taxes. $200 billion in higher taxes from Bill Shorten will crush our economy, it'll crush the Queensland economy. It will shut the Queensland economy out. What we need are the continued strong policies which grow our economy, because when you do that, everybody does better.
Okay thanks very much.
Interview with Gold FM, Gold Coast
5 November 2018
PRESENTER: We love a Prime Minister who has a nickname and he is travelling around in the Scomobile. It’s great that you’re investing time in Queensland.
PRIME MINISTER: Well we are and we are investing in the Gold Coast, I’ve just announced the $112 million for stage three of the Gold Coast light rail, from Burleigh to Broadbeach. That’s a big investment. The Gold Coast light rail, I think, has been a tremendous investment for the Gold Coast, really changes the city, made is so much more accessible for people to live here and for people to visit. It’s a great project, we’re going to keep backing it in.
PRESENTER: Yeah it is. It’s been fantastic and now going all the way to the heavy rail as well. We see the difference, especially at some of our big events that the light rail is one of the major infrastructures now of the Gold Coast and there are so many towns now trying to copy it that it’s been testing now, and soon not only to Burleigh but it will get to the airport.
PRIME MINISTER: We’ll get it to Burleigh. We’re the first to stump up for stage three. It’s $122 million so we’ve almost put $600 million into this project to date with that commitment. So we’re doing our share and we’re just keen for the state government and the council now to come in and also support stage three. I mean they’ve also got the lion’s share responsibility there, after all they are the state government, it’s their state. We are stumping up and we are here to make the project, I mean 2,400 jobs will be in the construction alone. But it’s more the longer term benefit. Population growth here on the Gold Coast is high, it’s a growing city and it needs the infrastructure so we are backing it in, along with the M1 and everything else.
PRESENTER: You’re like the parent you go to when the other parent says no. So that parent, that’s the State Government, says no, and then you go to money bags, and money bags goes – don’t tell the other one, let’s do it. It’s not always mum that’s the bad one, excuse me. So your new nick name is money bags Scomo. Or Santa.
PRIME MINISTER: That was my old one when I was the Treasurer.
PRESENTER: Santa Scomo.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s Josh’s job now, to keep them in line.
PRESENTER: You could be saving money, you’ve got the bus. Are you staying in the bus? I’m a big fan of travelling around Australia, caravan and camping. You put that on Currumbin creek for the night or are you not staying on the bus?
PRIME MINISTER: We are heading up to Brisbane tonight. There are no beds in the bus, but there’s plenty of seats. I’ve got some colleagues with me at the moment, I’ve got Karen Andrews in the bus here with me, I’ve got Steve Ciobo because we are rolling around their electorates at the moment, we are just heading up to Bert Van Manen’s electorate up in Ford to make another announcement about backpackers who we are going to be…
PRESENTER: Dora the explorer! Backpacking, backpacking! You’re on fire on that bus.
BRIDGE: You are. You know what you’re doing, you’re getting off the bus, you’re making an announcement, you’re mic dropping, getting back on, going to another town.
PRESENTER: Esky is full, in the back there singing songs like on the way home from a footy trip. It would be fantastic on the bus.
PRIME MINISTER: Any suggestions for the play list would be gladly welcomed.
PRESENTER: We’ll put one together for you for sure. Finally, who would think an ex-playboy playmate, big star of Baywatch, that Pammy Anderson, I won’t say is in bed with Julian Assange because no one can be at the moment, but considering that she is a bit of a political advocate, this is what she had to say to you Scott Morrison last night on 60 minutes.
60 minutes reporter: Do you know who the Prime Minister is at the moment?
Pamela Anderson: At the moment I don’t because she’s new, he’s new, she new?
60 minutes reporter: He’s new.
Pamela Anderson: He’s news. Who is it?
60 minutes reporter: Scott Morrison.
Pamela Anderson: Scott Morrison. Ok well Scott – Defend your friend and get Julian his passport back and take him back to Australia and be proud of him and throw him a parade when he gets home.
PRIME MINISTER: If anyone can tell you what’s what. It’s Pamela Anderson, Scott.
PRESENTER: Maybe she only knows me by my nickname. Who knows?
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: I’ve had plenty of offers from people around the country to act as my special envoy to do the negations. Putting that to one side, the Government is not changing policy on Julian Assange, that’s for sure. But she raised some other issues around live sheep trade, and we are doing a lot on that at the moment. We just had a big review handed down, inspector general and animal welfare group is going to be set up in the Department of Agriculture. They’re serious issues. People are entitled to raise this stuff, regardless of whether they are a celebrity. I’m up here in Queensland this week, listening to people and hearing them. When you listen and you hear you get on with it and you do it, just like we are with the Gold Coast light rail.
PRESENTER: Beautiful. We look forward to it. As we mentioned, it is great to have you here in Queensland. We were ignored for a long time by a lot of Prime Ministers. We had a Prime Minister’s Cup here and we had to change the name because no Prime Minister would come to it.
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’m here for cup week in Melbourne, and I’m going to be in Queensland all week. This is where I want to be, we are backing Queenslanders and we have a great team of Queenslanders here from Scotty Buchholz out there in the west, here on the Gold Coast Stuey and Steve Ciobo and Karen do a great job here on the Coast as does Bert Van Manen and that’s why we’re backing it in.
PRESENTER: Just very quickly, before you go, who’s your tip for the cup then?
PRIME MINISTER: I’m having a good look at Youngstar. I think he’s an Australian horse, I can’t say I know a hell of a lot about horse racing to be honest. I’m a bit more of an aficionado on my Sharks. But Craig Williams is riding him, looking for his first win, I think it’s his first ride.
PRESENTER: Number 22.
PRIME MINISTER: Backing the underdog I suppose, the Aussie underdog.
$112 million for the Gold Coast Light Rail
5 November 2018
Today we lock in $112 million for the 6.4 kilometre extension of the Gold Coast Light Rail from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads.
We’re backing Queenslanders with economy building and congestion busting infrastructure.
Extending the light rail from Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads is a vital step to supporting a growing city like the Gold Coast, connecting communities to the services they need.
The project will bring many opportunities for urban revitalisation at the Burleigh Heads and Nobby Beach precincts and will support 2,400 jobs during construction and up to 39 per year during operation.
Our funding is locked in and ready to go from day one. Now it’s time for the Queensland Government to lock in their contribution.
The extension will also have an immediate impact on the South East Queensland region, providing better access to jobs and education opportunities.
Stage 3A will include eight new light rail stations, upgraded pedestrian and cycling facilities and an upgraded bus interchange facility at Burleigh Heads.
It will help support population growth and bust congestion on the Gold Coast – with the population expected to increase by 62 per cent to over 928,000 by 2041.
When complete, and operational in 2023, it will only take travellers around 16 minutes to travel between Broadbeach South Station and North Burleigh Heads.
Motorists on the M1 Motorway will also enjoy flow-on travel time savings and the local economy would benefit.
More than 5.2 million trips made since the opening of Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 2 in December 2017, the addition of Stage 3A will provide further transportation options for local trips, further alleviating congestion for motorists using the Gold Coast Highway to travel toward Brisbane.
It builds on a $460 million Liberal and Nationals’ Government contribution to the first two stages of Gold Coast Light Rail. A future Stage 3B would complete the entire corridor, connecting Coolangatta Airport with the earlier stages of the Gold Coast Light Rail.
Our Government is backing Queenslanders and this is all part of our $20 billion investment in economy building and congestion busting infrastructure, right across Queensland.
Doorstop - Diwali Festival, Paramatta Park
4 November 2018
JULIAN LEESER MP, MEMBER FOR BEOWRA: My name is Julian Leeser and I am the Member for Berowra and I am also the Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of India. It’s such a great delight to welcome the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison here to the Hindu Council’s Diwali celebration at Parramatta Park and the Minister for Immigration, the Hon. David Coleman.
This is the biggest Indian Festival in NSW, it’s the biggest Diwali festival in NSW and I think that it’s the first time a Prime Minister has visited this Festival, it’s particularly special. I want to wish all of my Indian constituents and all of Indian background a very happy Diwali. It’s wonderful to have a Prime Minister and Minister who are so supportive of our community.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you Julian, it’s great to be here with you and of course with David Coleman, the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and Border Protection.
It’s wonderful to be here, namaste, at this tremendous festival, this festival of faith, this festival of light, this festival of prosperity. The festival of the triumph of good over evil and there’ll be a wonderful fireworks display later on tonight. This is just one of the many, many different faith communities that come together from all around our country. This is the great thing about Australia; we’re a free country, free to believe. Freedom of faith, freedom of association, free to get together at our public parks and places all around the country and to celebrate what is to be an Australian here in Australia from the many different backgrounds that we have.
In terms of our relationship with the Indian community and India itself this is an area of enormous growth in terms of our relationship. Indian nationals moving to Australia today as David will tell you, is the fastest growing and largest of any group coming to Australia today. There is such an alignment of beliefs and values that make this such a happy fit. A very happy fit, so it’s great to be here today celebrating with the Hindu community here, out with the Indian community here in Parramatta. This is really Mumbai central in so many ways when you think about the community and how it comes together so I’m sure we’re going to have a great time.
It’s wonderful to see families coming together many, many different generations, everybody dressed up. That’s what multiculturalism in Australia is all about and I’m just pleased to be here and play my part as Prime Minister to lend my great support for a wonderful, community family faith event.
The ability to come and do this in this country is one of the reasons in fact, I’d argue one of the most important reasons, why our county is such a strong country. This is what we need to preserve, this is what we need to ensure to be maintained in the future. Our freedom of faith, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of gathering together and so with that I’ll hand over to the Minister who is responsible for ensuring we continue to uphold all of those great values. Thanks a lot David.
THE HON. DAVID COLEMAN MP, MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION, CITIZENSHIP AND MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS: Thank you, thanks PM. Good afternoon everyone. It’s wonderful to be here to celebrate Diwali. Thank you to the Hindu Council of Australia for putting on this fantastic event one of the biggest events held, not only in the Indian community but the Australian multicultural community more generally.
It’s a wonderful celebration of the triumph of light over darkness. When you think about that, that is a wonderful theme, it’s a great time every year when families come together, catch up, reflect on the year that’s past and the year to come. We are as the PM said, so fortunate to have a nation where people from all corners of the globe have immigrated to Australia, have made us stronger, more than five million people since the Second World War have immigrated to Australia and built what is the greatest country in the world. We are so fortunate to have our freedoms, our religious freedom, our freedoms of association and events like today remind us all what a wonderful multicultural society we are all so privileged to be a part of. Thanks very much.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks David. Happy to take some questions and happy Diwali. I’ve bought the family out with me tonight. There’re here, Jenny is all saried up and she looks fantastic and as do all the other wonderful people who have come out in traditional dress tonight.
JOURNALIST: A couple of questions on a little bit of a serious note, I’m Pawan Luthra from Indian Link, just want to take your views about keeping the numbers of immigration as they are. I understand there is a policy being thought about, regional migration but will the numbers be where they currently are going forward in the next couple of years?
PRIME MINISTER: The immigration program is one that is built from the ground up and we’ve got different population challenges all around the country. Places like Sydney and Melbourne, we’re feeling the pinch. The congestion-busting infrastructure where investing in in Sydney and Melbourne is designed to try and free up the cites and ensure they can continue to function effectively working together with the State Government here in NSW who’ve been a tremendous partner to work together to get this infrastructure in place which makes our cities more liveable. But you’ve got other parts of the country, over in Western Australia and up north and in Queensland and South Australia where they want to see more people come to the country. What my Government is about, is ensuring that we’re working with State and Territory governments to get the migration plans which support their population growth plans. So where the jobs are, so where the infrastructure is, where the services are, where health is, where schools are, that’s where we need to plan for the population to be. That means continuing to have a migration program which supports that.
As a Prime Minister, as an Immigration Minister, as a Treasurer, I’ve always been supportive of the positive role, economic social role that immigration has made in this country. Australia is the most successful immigration country in the world today. There is no doubt about that, it’s daylight second. We are the most successful immigration country in the world today, but we have to work hard to keep it that way. That means we have to manage our population growth to ensure that we manage the services that need to be delivered to a growing population and that we need to manage how that population lifts across the country and it’s just not here in Sydney and in Melbourne but right across the country, particularly in other areas where they need more population and they need the entrepreneurial spirit of the international community which is the first amongst the small and family businesses here in Sydney or in Melbourne or wherever else I go. We want to see those opportunities spread right across the country.
JOURNALIST: And as a follow up on the lighter side, it’s great to see Mrs Morrison in a sari.
PRIME MINSITER: She looks pretty good doesn’t she!
JOURNALIST: Did you find the sari for her?
PRIME MINSITER: No, no, Jenny actually owns it, she actually owns a sari. This is one that a friend helped her with this afternoon and I think she looks gorgeous in pink.
JOURNALIST: So you were practising for today, you cooked something Indian last night I believe?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes I did, I cooked a Mumbai chicken curry last night as I do on most Saturday nights when I’m home. It’s been a tradition in our family for many, many years now on a Saturday night it’s called curry night and friends come over or it’s just family it’s just a great time, just like it is in any family around the country. Getting together around food and I love cooking it, I think it’s great fun.
JOURNALIST: Do you have a favourite dish?
PRIME MINISTER: There are too many, but my daughter’s is butter chicken of course. What kid doesn’t like butter chicken? But for me, I’ve got to say the one I had last night which was the Mumbai chicken curry. Now I cooked it, but it was the one of the best ones I’ve had for a while. Jenny likes the Bangalore chicken curry but for me I think the Mumbai is going pretty well.
JOURNALIST: Do you like any sweets, Indian sweets?
PRIME MINISTER: No I’m not a big one on the sweets I’ve got to say, but maybe what I should do is a tour of all the sweets here.
JOURNALIST: Do you like Indian movies?
PRIME MINISTER: We watch a bit of Bollywood.
[Applause]
I think it’s all pretty good. I’ll give it a go, I think Julian is going to give it a crack a little later. I think that will be great fun.
JOURNALIST: So most of the immigrants here are skilled immigrants and with the recent focus on moving them to regional areas, what is your focus on creating jobs, skilled jobs outside the city area?
PRIME MINSTER: That is exactly the point and this is why I’m working with State and Territory governments, because they are the ones investing in the economic infrastructure. They’re the ones doing the planning about where the jobs are and that’s why it’s a real ground up programme making sure - and this is David’s absolute focus as the Minister - to ensure that the migration plans that we have marry very closely with the jobs plans, with the infrastructure plans with schools and hospitals. Where there’re going to be, we want people going into places where they’ll get all those opportunities and that will reinforce the growth in regional areas right around the country. But there will continue to be very vibrant, very lively - as we’ll see here tonight - migrant communities right across Sydney, right across Melbourne, right across Brisbane, Perth, everywhere. It is part of the fabric of our community.
I cannot think about my home town Sydney without thinking about places like Parramatta and how wonderful Parramatta is as Geoff Lee would say, how good is Parramatta? I’m not talking about the rugby league team now - my team’s the Sharks but Parramatta is not bad. So it’s a wonderful part of the fabric of our community and that’s on display here and that’s why when Julian asked me to come out. I knew Geoff really well as well and wanted me to come out to Diwali. It’s not my first time here, I’ve been here on other occasions and it’s great to be back here as Prime Minister. I know this is a real treat for David as well to see the vibrancy.
I’m going to finish on this point; this is a religious festival this is a festival of faith, it’s about optimism, it’s about hope it’s about triumph, it’s about family, it’s about looking into the future with positivity. These are the things about faith which uplift us and that’s why freedom of faith and freedom of religion and making sure we protect it is very, very important. Very important to me, it’s very important to my Minister’s and my team. It’s very important to the Liberal Party, extremely important to the Liberal Party that we protect the freedom of religion and faith in this country, whatever your faith or religion is. That’s what matters, your freedom to practise and pursue it and come together as a community like this is what Australia is all about.
Thanks very much.
Funds Flow for Townsville Water
4 November 2018
The Liberal and Nationals’ Government will invest up to $200 million to secure Townsville’s long-term water supply.
We are backing Queenslanders.
Up to $195 million will fully fund Stage 2 of the Haughton Pipeline extension and $5 million to compile the project’s business case.
Unlike Labor, we will fully fund Stage 2, with work starting immediately on the business case.
We are taking decisive action to secure Townsville’s water supply for decades to come – nothing is more important for a growing city.
More water means more jobs and this will support Townsville’s future development and continued growth.
LNP Member for Dawson George Christensen and LNP Candidate for Herbert Phillip Thompson have advocated daily for this project and we know how important it is for the city and local area. We understand the importance and necessity of secure water supplies, which is critical to building confidence and unlocking the potential of any city or community.
Over the past 18-months the Townsville Water Security Taskforce – initiated through the $250 million Townsville City Deal delivered by this Government – has been examining options for delivering Townsville’s water security.
Stage 1 and Stage 2 – coupled with the recycled water, demand management, leakage and pricing reforms which the Taskforce recommended be implemented by Council – will provide Townsville a long term, reliable and cost effective water supply system.
Work will commence subject to findings of the project’s business case, which is due to start immediately.
We want to reduce the cost of living for Townsville residents and it’s important we do our homework to ensure local residents aren’t slugged with any unnecessary charges down the track.
Funding committed through the City Deal for the Townsville Eastern Access Rail Corridor’s (TEARC) development will be re-allocated to enhance opportunities for Townsville’s development, including to support Stage 2 of the Haughton Pipeline.
This builds on the $75 million already allocated from our Government’s TEARC commitment to the Port of Townsville Channel Capacity Project, ensuring the Port remains globally competitive and is capable of hosting large cargo and passenger ships.
Our Government’s strong economic management is delivering important projects like the Haughton Pipeline, helping to strengthen our regional cities, while creating more opportunities for households and businesses.
The Liberal and Nationals’ Government is committed to building a stronger and more secure Australia, while backing our communities and generating jobs.
Further information at: https://citydeals.infrastructure.gov.au/townsville