Media Releases
Radio interview with Fitzy & Wippa
23 November 2018
RYAN FITZGERALD: I tell you what; we’ve asked quite a few Prime Ministers if we could play at Kirribilli House. We were getting a lukewarm response.
MICHEAL WIPFLI: Bit quiet wasn’t it?
FITZY: I mean we know how busy Prime Ministers can be, but step up Scott Morrison, he jumped on board and today at Kirribilli House, the backyard cricket game is on!
[Promo plays]
FITZY: Brett Lee has confirmed this morning, we’ve got Ed Cowan as well, a former cricketer. There is going to be some great cricketers out there but all eyes, all of Australia will be looking at our Prime Minister Scott Morrison, to see what he can do with a bat and a ball. He joins us now, Prime Minister welcome!
WIPPA: Welcome!
PRIME MINISTER: Hey Fitzy, hey Wippa.
WIPPA: ScoMo have you had a look at the pitch this morning, how is it looking?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ve had the heavy roller out last night, up and back.
[Laughter]
WIPPA: Oh no.
PRIME MINISTER: It’s looking good mate.
FITZY: Do you get a key to Kirribilli House, do you have a key? Do you and the missus get one Scott and you can go in and out whenever you like?
PRIME MINISTER: Not one that I’ve found, but the door tends to be open when I get home.
[Laughter]
WIPPA: That’s not bad.
PRIME MINISTER: All hours of the night.
WIPPA: Not bad at all.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s all good, but maybe the dog has got the key, I dunno.
WIPPA: Some smart-talking from Karl Stefanovic, we saw that interview also this morning, suggesting that the hunt for the cellar will still continue on as part of today. Have you got a key to that one ScoMo?
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t know where it is. We’ll have to try and find it together.
FITZY: Alright. Now Scott you have been at Kirribilli House this morning, winds – I’m looking right now – 37 kmph at the moment.
WIPPA: Wow.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah it’s breezy.
FITZY: It is a bit breezy.
PRIME MINISTER: It’s coming in from the Randwick end.
FITZY: We didn’t ask you last time, what are you better at, batting or bowling?
PRIME MINISTER: Neither.
[Laughter]
WIPPA: I know that feeling mate. So does that make you nervous?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, I’m more for effort. More effort than skill.
WIPPA: ‘A’ for effort. Well, if we played with a league ball you’d be alright wouldn’t you Scott?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh I mean if I had to put it between the posts, it’d be alright, yeah.
WIPPA: But ScoMo, this is a big moment. Because prime ministers have failed famously in sporting events, do you feel the pressure of today?
PRIME MINISTER: A little. I’ve been watching those images of Bob Hawke getting one in the nut.
[Laughter]
WIPPA: Yes!
PRIME MINISTER: And of course John’s famous ball. But you know, I’ll see how I go, it should be a great day.
WIPPA: It’s going to be amazing.
PRIME MINISTER: It’s a great cause, it’s a really great cause.
FITZY: Yeah, Batting For Change and we’re going to have quite a few representatives there today. They are doing a brilliant job and we thank them so much for letting us be involved today. You need to choose a team though Prime Minister. Wippa’s XI or Fitzy’s XI? Wippa is in the red today, I am in the white, we are currently wearing our baggy reds. What is your decision Scott?
PRIME MINISTER: Well mate I’ve ‘umed and ahed’ over it but I’m going to go with Wippa and all because Wippa’s mum is coming.
[Laughter]
WIPPA: Oh ScoMo!
PRIME MINISTER: He played the big card, bringing mum in and you know, how do you say no to Wippa’s mum?
WIPPA: Well there’s not an actual offer from my mother at this stage Prime Minister and she hasn’t had an offer from a Prime Minister before either, so anything could happen.
FITZY: Well, wait until you see her before you get your bet in Prime Minister.
WIPPA: Could be quite distracting depending on how tight the top is.
FITZY: No, she’s lovely.
WIPPA: Let’s stop worrying about that Prime Minister.
FITZY: Okay so you’re choosing Wippa, teams are complete.
WIPPA: Bang, you’re in mate.
PRIME MINISTER: I want to play against Karl, I want to play against Karl.
WIPPA: Done.
FITZY: Karlos will be steaming in, but today, Kirribilli House?
PRIME MINISTER: Yep.
WIPPA: Love it.
FITZY: It all happens, Batting For Change, it is a great cause. We can’t wait to see you there Scott and thanks again for letting us use the grounds.
PRIME MINISTER: No, we’re really happy to have you here and Buddy the dog, he will be on the field, I see the rules allow him to be one of my fielders.
WIPPA: You’re bringing the dog!
PRIME MINISTER: If he gets the ball, you’re not going to catch him.
FITZY: Who is Buddy the dog Scott, is that your personal or is he a Kirribilli House dog?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah he’s our little dog.
FITZY: Oh beautiful, so Buddy is coming along?
PRIME MINISTER: Buddy will be there, little black dog, he’ll be running around. He loves getting the ball and taking off.
[Laughter]
Oh, and congratulations, can I say, to Ryan Carter, a great bloke who has founded this Batting For Change.
WIPPA: Absolutely.
PRIME MINISTER: I was talking to the Indian President about it yesterday when he was out, he’s going to the t20 and I said: “Well, we’ve got a bit of a match going on over at our place”.
[Laughter]
He decided to stay with the t20. Anyway, it should be a great day and well done guys.
FITZY: We love it, well done mate.
WIPPA: See you soon, really looking forward to it.
PRIME MINISTER: Okay, cheers.
Combatting Australian terrorists
22 November 2018
Prime Minister, Minister for Home Affairs
The Government is taking strong action to keep Australians safe.
The Government will seek to change the Australian Citizenship Act so dual citizens convicted of a terrorism offence in Australia could lose Australian citizenship irrespective of the sentence they receive.
Similar to the United Kingdom, the Government will develop a new Temporary Exclusion Orders scheme so Australians involved in terrorism overseas would be legally unable to return to Australia for up to two years.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government was constantly reviewing Australia’s laws and capabilities.
“We’ll do everything we can to stay ahead of the evolving threat of terrorism to keep Australians safe,” the Prime Minister said.
“The terrorist attack on Bourke Street in Melbourne on 9 November, and the recent arrests which thwarted an alleged terrorist attack, highlight once again the importance of robust measures to protect our community.
“Australia cannot be complacent.
“Our changes will make it easier to strip terrorists of their Australian citizenship. Terrorists forfeit their rights to be Australians when they carry out their evil acts.”
Mr Dutton said while three more dual citizens had lost Australian citizenship under the existing legislation because of their involvement with terrorist organisations offshore, taking the total to nine, more needed to be done.
“We now need to focus attention on strengthening the citizenship loss provisions which commenced in 2015 as they relate to terrorists within Australia, in order to protect our community.”
The proposed changes would enable the Minister to cease the citizenship of anyone who is convicted of a terrorism offence in Australia, irrespective of the sentence they receive. This removes the current requirement that a terrorist offender must be sentenced to at least six years’ imprisonment.
The Government will also change the threshold for determining dual citizenship. This change aims to improve the Minister’s scope to determine a person’s foreign citizenship status.
“We assess there are around 50 Australian dual citizens who may be eligible to lose citizenship under the current provisions, and even more with the changes we are announcing today,” Mr Dutton said.
The new Temporary Exclusion Orders scheme would enable authorities to delay, and then monitor and control, the return and re-entry to our community of Australian foreign fighters.
“We don’t want these people in our country,” the Prime Minister said.
“These Orders will mean we deal with Australians who travelled to the conflict zone in Iraq and Syria as far from our shores as possible.”
“The Australian Government’s first priority is to keep our community safe from those who seek to do us harm, and we will continue to keep our legislation and capabilities under constant review to meet emerging needs,” Mr Dutton said.
Boosting our economic ties with India
22 November 2018
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Trade Tourism and Investment
Today the Liberal National Government is pleased to release Australia’s response to the India Economic Strategy; a blueprint to transform our economic engagement.
The Government commissioned Mr Peter Varghese AO to write the report which was released in July 2018. An India Economic Strategy to 2035: Navigating from Potential to Delivery recommended practical measures to cement India as a top economic partner.
“This report provides a roadmap for our economic future with India,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
“India is the world’s fastest growing major economy and offers more opportunity for Australian business over the next 20 years than any other single market.”
The Government endorses the report and provides in-principle support to its 20 priority recommendations.
“Our work will focus on greater economic engagement targeting ten Indian states and ten key sectors, while providing practical support for Australian businesses entering or expanding operations in India,” said Minister Simon Birmingham.
“We thank Mr Varghese AO for his important work.”
India is now one of Australia’s key international partners.
“India and Australia are both committed to strengthening regional institutions and ensure markets remain open and facilitate the free flow of trade, capital and ideas,” Minister Payne said.
“India is set to become the world’s third largest economy by 2030 and reaching this goal will see India as a key driver of continued global economic growth.”
With a span out to 2035, the Government has agreed on an initial implementation plan. Key actions for the first 12 months include:
A Memorandum of Understanding between Austrade and Invest India to promote bilateral investment flows
The establishment of an Australia-India Food Partnership, opening up new opportunities for our agri-tech and services companies
Australia-India Strategic Research Fund grants of up to $500,000 designed to help researchers solve challenges shared by both nations, including energy storage, marine science and plant genomics
The expansion of the Australia-India Mining Partnership at the Indian School of Mines, connecting Australian companies to India’s minerals-rich North Eastern states, supported by the new Consulate-General in Kolkata
Engagement with airlines to increase direct flights through the Australia-India air services agreement.
Ministers across education, agribusiness, resources and tourism will oversee progress of the Government’s response and ongoing implementation of the India Economic Strategy.
The Prime Minister is hosting President Kovind in Australia this week, the first Indian President to visit our shores.
The Prime Minister, along with the Minister for Trade, and Minister for Resources will join President Kovind today at the launch of the Australian chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry – India Business Forum, which will serve as a platform for networking and policy advocacy for Indian businesses here in Australia.
“I look forward to continue discussing the opportunities presented in the India Economic Strategy with President Kovind, and how we can continue to work together to develop enhanced economic ties,” said the Prime Minister.
“Today’s steps are only the first on a long journey that will see Australia and India grow together.”
Global Compact for Migration
21 November 2018
Prime Minister, Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Australia is the most successful immigration nation on earth.
The rest of the world looks to Australia as an example of how to effectively manage borders and run a successful migration and humanitarian program.
That’s why when we are asked to sign up to international agreements that we believe will compromise our successful way of doing things, we will pass.
That’s why we have decided that Australia will not adopt the Global Compact for Migration in mid-December.
We believe that the Compact is inconsistent with our well-established policies and not in Australia’s interest.
We do not believe that adopting this agreement will add anything to enhancing our capacity to control our borders and manage our successful immigration program.
The Compact was promoted as way to promote safe, orderly and regular migration. We already achieve all of these goals.
We also believe that adopting the Compact would directly conflict with important principles that have underpinned our successful approach.
The Compact fails to adequately distinguish between people who enter Australia illegally and those who come to Australia the right way, particularly with respect to the provision of welfare and other benefits.
This is inconsistent with the management of Australia’s strong and orderly migration program under the Liberal National Government.
The Compact would risk encouraging illegal entry to Australia and reverse Australia’s hard-won successes in combating the people smuggling trade.
It would also be used by those who have sought to undermine Australia’s strong border protection laws and practices.
Australia is a nation built on migration. We have a long and successful history of well-managed migration that is designed to meet Australia’s economic and social needs.
Our settlement programs, focused on integration and inclusion, are the best in the world.
Australia will continue to strengthen our responses to people smuggling and human trafficking, promote regional cooperation and reinforce the obligation of countries to accept the return of their nationals.
Australia remains strongly committed to the Bali Process and similar regional cooperation to prevent people smuggling. We deeply value our partnerships in the region.
We will continue to make decisions in Australia’s best interest.
Interview with Alan Jones, 2GB
21 November 2018
ALAN JONES: Change negative gearing, that means your rent will go up because fewer people will be investing in property to take advantage of negative gearing. And if you own a property, well there will be fewer bidders for your property when you want to sell it, so your price goes down. Then, a 50 per cent increase in capital gains tax – my view, and I’ve told you this many times - is if the Coalition sticks to those arguments and doesn’t get side-tracked, there’s no way in the world Labor can win an election, but he’s got a fight on his hands, the Prime Minister. He’s on the line, Prime Minister good morning.
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning Alan.
JONES: How hard is it to prosecute that case?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think it’s changing because of what we’ve seen in the housing market most recently, which has been a real softening, which I know is of real concern to many Australians. The value of the most important asset that you have, what Labor is proposing is to smash the value of your house. It’s that simple. I mean when Paul Keating went and changed negative gearing back in the 80s he said: “Oh, this will be good and it won’t affect anything.” And guess what happened? Rents in Parramatta went up 20 per cent, 20 per cent. They had to be shamed into changing it back and now we’ve got Chris Bowen trying to emulate Paul Keating on that same change, beating his chest and saying; “It won’t be a problem”. Yeah it will. Your rents will go up and it will crash the value of your home.
JONES: This is, I’ve got to say Prime Minister, this was not a free kick to the Prime Minister, I’m raising these issues because this affects every Australian. There has to be an awareness of what the risk is, what risk is involved when you walk into that ballot box. Now, just on capital gains tax this doesn’t only apply to negative geared housing sales. I mean as I understand it – this point hasn’t been hammered – but all capital gains. This is if you’ve got shares, or a small business, or whatever, isn’t it?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s on everything.
JONES: That’s it.
PRIME MINISTER: It’s on everything, that goes up by 50 per cent. It’s an increased tax, as you say, of 50 percent on investment in everything. I mean how you think you can grow an economy – and there are lots of issues out there -
JONES: Everyone loves a bit of capital gain.
PRIME MINISTER: Well that’s the point, that’s why you invest, that your asset will appreciate. That’s why you do it, that’s how people pay for their retirement.
JONES: So just to explain again to our listeners, 50 per cent as things stand. 50 percent of the capital gain is now assessable for income tax rates?
PRIME MINISTER: That’s right.
JONES: That will rise to 75 per cent of the capital gain will be taxed?
PRIME MINISTER: Correct.
JONES: That’s a tax increase of 50 per cent.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah and that’s one of $200 billion of extra taxes which will be one big wet blanket on an economy that we’ve got back into shape, which is ensuring that over 100,000 young people got a job last year. That is the strongest youth jobs growth that this country has ever seen on economic record. So, growing jobs, getting unemployment down, getting the economy moving forward. And Bill Shorten thinks the best thing you can do for that in the future is throw a $200 billion wet blanket of tax over the top of it, by abolishing negative gearing as we know it, putting up capital gains tax, as you say taxing retirees. What I’ve said about that is, that’s a $5 billion slug every year by the way. What it is, is those retirees, those Australians -
JONES: Well let’s come to retirees, sorry I’ll just cut you off there. Let’s come to retirees. This specific issue now, retirees. Complicated language, “dividend imputation” – I hate it - “franking credits”, I hate that sort of stuff. This is to avoid double tax, because already, company tax has been paid. But the issue that has been scrapped by the Labor Party here, is the same issue that the shadow treasurer Simon Crean addressed in 1999 when he said: “We have no difficulty supporting the proposal because it’s our policy. It builds on the major reforms accomplished by Labor all those 15 years ago and improves the current taxation system faced by low income investors especially retired Australians.” Now the Labor Party is saying –
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah they’re abandoning that. Basically, retirees won’t get their tax refund.
JONES: That’s it.
PRIME MINISTER: I mean if I came up to anyone listening to this program who isn’t retired and I said: “Oh, that tax refund by the way, we’re going to take that back, you’re not going to get that.” Well, that is exactly what Bill Shorten and the Labor Party are saying to retirees, to small business owners all around the country. The reason they’re doing this Alan, is because they’re making big promises and –
JONES: They have to be paid for.
PRIME MINISTER: They have to be paid for and the way they’re going to do it – they say they’re going to do it – is by increasing taxes. But it’s a dumb game, because if you throw these taxes on the economy, you slow the economy down, which means you make less revenue because the economy isn’t performing as well. You get people going off paying taxes to going back onto receiving welfare – which is what happened under Labor last time. That is one of the key reasons we’ve been able to get our Budget going back into surplus next year.
JONES: Okay. Now, look you’re the leader here, are you confident though that every one of your people are singing off the same sheet of music? I mean those are the stories that win elections, is everyone singing that song?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah they are Alan. I mean there will be people outside of the Parliament, there will be people that aren’t in the team that runs onto the field, they’ll have their views and that’s alright. But the people in the team, the people lining up at the election, the people going to the people of Australia at the next election, we’re committed to having a stronger economy. We’re committed to delivering that for Australians. And not just to put the trophy on the shelf which says “AAA-rated economy, growing at over 3 per cent, unemployment down to five percent” – which as you said is full employment according to economists. We’re doing it because that’s what pays for hospitals and schools and the pension and affordable medicines and Medicare. See if you’re committed to Medicare you’ve got to be committed to a strong economy, because that’s what pays for it. This is the bit Labor never understands. They think they can pay for Medicare by jacking your taxes up. You know, it doesn’t work that way.
JONES: Right.
PRIME MINISTER: Businesses doing well, the economy doing well, employing people, that’s what pays for Medicare.
JONES: Okay, the Bradfield Oration – well done. But one sentence stood out and we talked about this yesterday on air here. “Australians are saying enough, enough, enough. The roads are closed, the buses and trains are full and the schools are taking no more enrollments. I hear what you’re saying, I hear you loud and clear,” and you’re talking about population. Now that’s all rhetoric. When are you going to announce that we are going to cut the rate of growth of migration? When will you announce that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that will go in next year’s Budget, because -
JONES: They want this next week.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah but Alan, what I announced the other night is a fair dinkum process to actually get the actual level right. I suggested the other night that we’re currently running about 30,000 below the cap -
JONES: But the cap’s too high.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s what I’m saying Alan.
JONES: Well, can’t you announce today?
PRIME MINISTER: No, because I do my homework before I make decisions. What I’m -
JONES: Well, the public are wanting a decision. It’s a big issue.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I know and this year’s migration program is set -
JONES: So you spelt the issue out -
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry, I’ll just finish.
JONES: Sorry –
PRIME MINISTER: What I’m saying is the migration program is set a year in advance. This year’s program is already set. We’re going to have to make a decision in next year’s Budget for the program that follows that.
What I’m saying is I’m asking each of the states and territories to tell me how many people they believe they can have next year. It’s up to the states to actually tell me that, because they’re the ones who build the hospitals and run the schools and put the roads in. They need to tell me what their infrastructure can carry.
JONES: I know, but out there the voter is very impatient. See, you made the case the other day -
PRIME MINISTER: I think that was a pretty big hint Alan. And people will know that I’ll follow the process and come to the right answer. But I’m not going to pull a figure out of the air. That’s not how you run a country.
JONES: Well we don’t like these hints but you said, just to clarify for our listeners, 54 per cent of Australia’s population increase in the two decades to 2016 came from migration, 54 per cent. But 75 per cent of that went to Sydney, Melbourne and south east Queensland.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s right.
JONES: Now you said; “We hear you, we hear you, we hear you.” We can’t pump in a million people every three years.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah but then there are - as we discussed last time Alan, that’s true, that’s what is happening in south eastern Australia - but you go to northern Australia, you go to Darwin as I was just last week, if you go to Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, they’re wanting more people.
JONES: Are you sure?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes I am Alan, absolutely. I’ve been in all of those places.
JONES: Because people from Rocky wrote to me and said; “Look, he’s going to build a Ring Road, we want jobs. Why is he talking about bringing people to Rocky? We want jobs, we haven’t got them.”
PRIME MINISTER: Well that’s why we’re building the Ring Road Alan. It’s a pretty big project.
JONES: They’re not the sort of jobs they’re talking about.
PRIME MINISTER: It’s the biggest project they’ve seen in Rocky for a very long time. What the advice I got from the officers up there - you know the people who run the show up there – is, their infrastructure can cope with more.
JONES: So you’re telling me that people are saying to you; “We want more people”?
PRIME MINISTER: You go to Adelaide, that’s what they’re telling you. Go to Tasmania, that’s what they’re telling you. Go to Western Australia -
JONES: Who is “they”, who’s telling you that?
PRIME MINISTER: People I walk into in the street Alan, and the Premiers of these states. I mean, not everywhere in Australia is Sydney or Melbourne. Every state, every place has a different experience.
JONES: Right just on that, okay. Last night, late last night, and you’re going to make an announcement today - very quick stuff this - you’re not going to sign up to the global compact on migration?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I’m not.
JONES: Okay, but are you going to sign up to the global compact on refugees?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it doesn’t work the same way. The global compact on migration would compromise Australia’s interest. Because, amongst many things, it doesn’t distinguish between those who legally enter Australia and those who come the right way.
JONES: No, but you’ve taken the debate a step further last night - and I agree with you, everyone agrees with what you said; “We don’t feel the need to join the internationalist clubs to work out how to get this done.” Now I’m just asking you; why do we need to join the internationalist club to work out how to deal with refugees? Why do we need to join the internationalist club to join to know what we’re going to do about climate change?
PRIME MINISTER: Well let me answer both of those questions. In terms of the one about refugees, it’s not a signed-up compact like this one on migration, it’s a completely different process. There’s no document you sign and when it went through the UN with a whole bunch of other issues which are completely inoffensive - and both Peter Dutton and Marise Payne when they advised me about this, made it really clear that that one wasn’t compromising.
JONES: Well, the Global Compact is about resettling more refugees. Is someone going to tell us how many refugees you can take?
PRIME MINISTER: No they’re not. That’s not what that does and we said very clearly -
JONES: Labor will sign up to all this stuff.
PRIME MINISTER: If I could just finish, what I’m saying is, on the other one, we put our clear reservations, we put those on the record. So it doesn’t bind us into anything and it doesn’t compromise what we do on our borders.
I would never allow something to compromise our borders, I worked too hard to ensure that we weren’t in that position. This Global Compact on Migration, it’s not a good deal. We’re not going to sign up to it because I believe it would compromise us. But I will consider each of these on their merits and I’ll do what I believe is right.
JONES: Well, I understand the Global Compact on Refugees is going to commit countries to resettling more refugees and that worries people.
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’re not going to do that.
JONES: Okay, well then don’t bloody sign the thing. Now look, next week it is, they’re off to Poland to ratify the Paris Agreement. Do we need to join the internationalist club to work out what we will be doing about energy and global warming and all that nonsense? Are you sending someone to Poland next week to ratify Paris?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s not high on my agenda, about who we’re sending, Alan. But I simply make this point, as I’ve made on your program now on numerous occasions. There is no loss to Australia, no loss to Australia by keeping to the commitment we sent early in our Government, which is the 26 per cent. It doesn’t change electricity prices.
JONES: Therefore, there is no need to go to Poland?
PRIME MINISTER: Let me tell you this though; I’ve just spent the last several weeks re-engaging, stepping up in the Southwest Pacific, which is an incredibly important issue for Australia’s security interests and Australia’s national interests. Now this is the number one issue amongst our Pacific Island partners.
JONES: Okay now we’ve been beaten by the bell. Therefore -
PRIME MINISTER: Just let me finish, this is very important. To not go ahead with where we are on this – I’m not putting any money into global climate funds, I’m not doing any of that rubbish – what I am doing though, is ensuring that we secure Australia’s national interest by working closely with our Pacific partners.
There is something to be lost if we were to walk away from the position we’re in and there’d be nothing to gain by walking away from the position we have. So I’ve made that call.
JONES: All right, we’ll resume the discussion next week. As the Prime Minister, you’ve also affected the programming here but don’t worry about that.
Thank you for your time, we’ll talk next week.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Alan.
Paying small business on time
21 November 2018
Prime Minister, Minister for Small and Family Business Skills and Vocational Education
Our Government is continuing to back millions of small and medium sized businesses with a new plan to ensure they get paid on time, boosting cash flow and helping them grow.
Cash flow is crucial to the health of any business, but especially small business.
Although there have been significant improvements, small businesses are still being shouldered with the burden of long payment times.
We have listened and we heard loud and clear from small business owners around Australia, and we are taking action to ensure small business is not being used as a bank.
To address this issue, we will work with the sector to develop an annual reporting framework, requiring large businesses over $100 million turnover to publish payment information on how they engage with small businesses.
It will cover 3,000 of the largest businesses in Australia – including foreign companies and government entities.
Through a new procurement policy we will require those same large businesses seeking to tender for government contracts to match our 20 day payment policy.
Small business is the backbone of our country and they need to get a fair go.
Trade between small, medium and large businesses totals more than $550 billion a year and the improvements we make through this action will improve our economic growth.
The Government currently pays invoices under $1 million within 30 days but we must do better.
By 1 July 2019 our commitment is to pay invoices under $1 million within 20 days.
All levels of government should set the standard and there should be no excuses for not paying small businesses on time.
We want all states to follow the lead of New South Wales and adopt this practice.
At our request, small business payment times will be placed on the COAG agenda for our next meeting on 12 December in Adelaide.
We will also do more to help small and medium sized business compete for government contracts with a new commitment to have 35 per cent of all contracts up to $20 million delivered by small businesses.
This builds on our existing 10 per cent procurement policy for small businesses.
Our commitment to small business is clear, we want them to pay less tax, deal with less red tape and have better access to finance to help grow their businesses.
We’re lowering the cost of funding for smaller banks and non-banks with a $2 billion fund, meaning cheaper loans for small and family businesses.
Because of our plan 3.3 million small and medium businesses will pay less tax, down to 25 per in 2021-22.
We’ve cut nearly $6 billion in Commonwealth red tape, while improving the ability of small business to offer employee share schemes and giving small business access to the $20,000 instant asset write off.
The Liberal National Government is backing small business.
Doorstop - HMAS Adelaide, Port Moresby
19 November 2018
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you so much for the opportunity to visit the crew here of the HMAS Adelaide and all the other parties who’ve been joining us here. Our allies, our supporters, our partners who have been part of this very important effort around the APEC Conference here in Port Moresby. It was a great privilege today to thank everyone on board today for their service and to remind them that our Government will always have their back while their serving and after they’ve served in supporting them in civilian life as veterans.
Earlier today, I had the very unique honour to be able to visit the Bomana War Cemetery, which is a place I’ve visited many times before. It was a great privilege to revisit today as a Prime Minister and to walk through the headstones, to go to the grave of Johnny French and Bruce Kingsbury – our VC recipients here in the Pacific – and it was a telling reminder of the deep commitment that we have here in the Pacific. Our position here in the Pacific, our friendship we have here in the Pacific, has been paid for with a very, very steep price and the men and women serving here today are serving in the same way. To enable the APEC Conference to go on here, under their cover, with their support, as part of a broader operation so people can gather in peace and talk about future prosperity. That’s what we’re about as a people. Our instincts are always towards peace, our instincts are always towards looking out from our shores and ensuring that we can deliver prosperity for our own people and for those in our region. So, I want to commend all those involved in the operation here over the last few months but not only those who’ve served in the Defence Forces but the volunteers who’ve come and been part of this effort here in APEC to ensure that PNG have put on such a tremendous performance when it comes to hosting APEC. The civilians, the volunteers and others who’ve been working on the ground – whether it’s St John’s Ambulance or others – they’ve done a fantastic job so we thank them for all of that.
Can I also thank Prime Minister O’Neill and all the people of Papua New Guinea for putting on such a successful APEC. You know, it’s not easy to host a meeting of this nature and for PNG to step up to do that over the last few weeks, obviously here but also the last year as the Chair of APEC, has been a very testing time. We all know there are lots of tensions presently when it comes to issues of trade and for APEC to be chaired by PNG at a time when there are tensions adds an additional burden and I think the way Prime Minister O’Neill chaired the meetings and chaired the year is a great credit to him and his wisdom and his commitment to the APEC principles which he observed to the letter and so I commend him on the way he did that and I also commend him on taking the actions yesterday – he’ll be issuing a Chair’s statement from the meeting which is how APEC works – and I’m sure that is a statement that will reflect his views about what was able to be achieved here and I know you’ll look forward to seeing it.
JOURNALIST: But no communique, Prime Minister, does that mean APEC is a failure?
PRIME MINISTER: No, it doesn’t. I mean, people have got to understand when there isn’t agreement that just means that the dialogue continues. I mean, we’ve got to stop kidding ourselves that everyone’s going to agree all the time. I mean, what family does that happen in?
JOURNALIST: It’s been happening for a long time.
PRIME MINISTER: Not everybody agrees all the time.
JOURNALIST: But they haven’t…
PRIME MINISTER: And on other occasions, when they do, fine, and when they don’t, they don’t. The issues we’re dealing with are real, the issues we’re dealing with are difficult and what was able to be achieved here were many areas of agreement and particularly in areas of a connectedness in the digital economy, we’re all still absolutely committed to stronger trading outcomes because we understand it here in the APEC family. We’ve been able to reduce tariffs, we’ve been able to increase the level and size of our economies and that’s all welcome but there are still some points of disagreement between the major players here at APEC and the fact that they disagree on a number of things that will be picked up at the G20 and this will be an ongoing discussion but that’s a matter for those parties. In terms of PNG, I think they’ve had a very successful chairing of APEC and I commend them strongly for their leadership here at APEC because, you know, sometimes if they’re not going to agree, you’ve just got to call it out and that’s what Papua New Guinea did. That’s what we did.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you’re going to have, obviously, very important meetings [inaudible]. Will the stakes for that meeting be raised by the failures to reach a consensus here in Papua New Guinea?
PRIME MINISTER: I think they’ve just being focused. Again, expectations in these sorts of environments that everybody’s going to agree all the time, I think, is sometimes very unrealistic. You know, whether a communique is reached or not I don’t think is the point. The outcome is the point. There was plenty of sound and fury when it came to NAFTA and NAFTA was realised. The agreements were landed with Mexico and with Canada and there’s plenty of noise at the moment about these issues now but what Australia has been doing is pursuing our interests and our interests are to continue to work with our partners in the region. Our comprehensive strategic partner in China, of course, but also our dear and long-held friend and ally, the United States. So we’ll continue to pursue our specific interests here and work together with our other partners – whether it was at the East Asia Summit or here at APEC and particularly last night, I was able to host our Pacific family and friends at the residence and we were able to talk about these issues together as well and our step-up initiative has been very warmly received by them and we announced last night, a number of other initiatives in Vanuatu and the Office of the Pacific and they were well-received.
So, we’ll keep pursuing our interests, these dialogues and these debates will continue, the Chair will issue a statement, I thought that took a lot of courage from the Chair to do that yesterday because if they’re not going to agree, if the major powers here are not going to agree, we shouldn’t be pretending that they do and we shouldn’t be trying to smooth that over for the sake of a communique and we should call it out. I can say very clearly that the other economies around the table here and nations that sat around the East Asia Summit, it has been made very clear to both the United States and China that we want to see these issues resolved. That’s what’s in our interest and we’ve reflected those positions to both China and the United States with the opportunities we’ve had here and as well in Singapore.
JOURNALIST: Is it fair to say that China and the United States are now further apart on trade and diplomacy in many respects than they had been in many decades and is it also fair to say that Australia is caught in the middle?
PRIME MINISTER: Australia will always be caught pursuing our interests.
JOURNALIST: But are we in the middle?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have partnerships with both and I’ve made that pretty clear. What I would say is I think we are making progress, just in the same way that progress was always being made to the landing of NAFTA when there was plenty of commentary which was suggesting otherwise and so I would just caution people not to get overly excited in their commentary about these sorts of things. The G20 will be coming up, we’ll see where that goes and I think there’s a clear frustration that has been expressed by many of the countries around the table and economies around the table at APEC that these matters need to be resolved and let’s not forget, there are real issues here. I mean, the WTO and the multilateral trading system was built largely by the Americans and it has been responsible for the biggest period of prosperity in the world’s history. I mean, we’ve had over a billion people come out of poverty as a result of what we’ve been able to achieve through these systems.
Now, something that was acknowledged and agreed at APEC was that systems like the WTO need a service simply because the economy is changing, and in particular the digital economy and the role that services are playing in our global economy. And the WTO has never really been well-geared to deal with those modern challenges of a modern trading environment. So of course the WTO needs a service. It’s not a perfect institution, there are no perfect institutions. And when you have large powers which have rapidly advanced economically over a relatively brief period of time in the space of history, then of course that is going to present issues that now have to be resolved between countries like the United States and China. So my point about all of this is, is these types of debates, these types of differences I don’t think are surprising. I really don’t think they’re surprising. What matters is getting the result.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] that the level of the two superpowers, is it now dangerous for our region and the rest of the world?
PRIME MINISTER: No I haven’t moved to that assessment. I think what can be dangerous is overstating these things.
JOURNALIST: PM, you’re just on an aircraft carrier off the coast of PNG. We had the Lombrum announcement. When will the Defence Force personnel on board vessels like this and Australians have a bit more clarity about what that trilateral agreement will mean for them?
PRIME MINISTER: Well as I said yesterday, we are participating in a PNG initiative. This is not a US-Australia initiative in Lombrum, this is a PNG initiative which the United States and Australia have been invited to participate in. So it will proceed at the progress and pace that is set by Papua New Guinea and there has already been quite a lot of work done on that leading into this announcement and more will be done and when we are in a position to make further announcements we will. But I just want to stress, we must absolutely respect the fact that this is a PNG initiative and we are working with them.
JOURNALIST: What does initiative mean though? What do you mean by initiative?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s their base and how the base is developed and what takes place there and how we cooperate there will be done at their invitation and on their terms.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on the WTO. Do you think it’s appropriate to consider China a developing country within that organisation given its depths these days?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that’s certainly the position that China has been presenting quite passionately over the last couple of weeks, and look I think it’s a judgement that countries are going to have to make ultimately in some time. But you look across the span of China’s development and of course, when you go to places like when you go to Shanghai and Guangzhou and Beijing and so on, well they’re great cities of the world with as much sophistication and developed status as, you know, Singapore, Sydney, London and New York. But when you look at the broad expanse of China’s population, I mean China is much bigger than Beijing and Shanghai. And there are hundreds of millions of people still who live in China who live in quite difficult circumstances. So look, I don’t think the question is as easy as that. I think it’s a much more complex position.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on domestic issues the Channel 9 and Fairfax merger [inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: Well that’s a matter for shareholders, and the law permits it and it’s been through the ACCC. So, you know, I always have a live and let live view of the Australian economy and this is what people have decided to do with the companies they own and they’ve come to those arrangements in a market-based system and good for them and it’s up to their shareholders to say yay or nay. So it’s not for me to suggest one way or the other. I have shares in neither operation so they’ll make their call and off they’ll go.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can we just get a word on your interaction with the troops on board today please?
PRIME MINISTER: Well thank you for the question and I’m happy to take another one. It was a great privilege, it was a great privilege to be able to talk to men and women right across many services here as well as our partners from PNG who you’ve been working with closely. And just the enthusiasm, the commitment and also to be sharing a few stories about my trips here and walking Kokoda and the Black Cat Track and some of the marvellous places here in PNG and to connect back to that tradition of service and values. I thought it was very special and I want to thank them very much for the honour of inviting me on board to share some time and I hope they liked the eggs.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, briefly on Nauru. You’ve said the Government that the children currently temporarily in Australia will be returned to Nauru at some point. When will that happen, is that a likely prospect?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there are no changes to the Government policy and we’ll continue to administer that in accordance with Government policy. But last one here?
JOURNALIST: I was going to ask, what have you learnt personally from the past seven or eight days during this diplomatic period? How have you found it face to face with other foreign leaders and what have you taken away from that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the first thing is Australia always has to stand up for its interests. Australian interests must be defined in Australia and that Australia must pursue that very independently as its own sovereign nation. And that’s what the other countries are doing and I think what I’ve learnt and what I was of the view before I came here is that we all work well in this region because we respect each other. And we work with other countries and we respect their independence and the more we connect, and this is Indonesia's position, President Widodo’s vision of the Indo Pacific, it’s about a connectedness of independent, sovereign states and economies respecting each other that within our economies, within our countries, we make our own decisions, we make our own way. But we look for opportunities to work together and that’s what makes our region prosperous. It’s not about control, it’s about collaboration and it’s about partnership.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, your shirt last night. How did the barbeque go, did they like the kangaroo snags? First of all, who were you wearing and what designer was it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well who knew that there was a Sharks Pacifica shirt? But there was and you’ll get to see it pretty regularly when season opens next year down at Shark Park. But it was a lot of fun, it was a great gathering. It really was a Sunday night family barbeque, it really was. We got together, we talked about the events of the last few days. They were very, very appreciative to Prime Minister O’Neill and myself and I must say Prime Minister Ardern as well for ensuring that the Pacific Island voice was given such a focus here. And I think that was a real achievement of Prime Minister O’Neill and we heard, we heard very carefully and we listened very carefully again last night. So the step up program will enable us to continue on with that, Assistant Minister Ruston was here with me last night and she’s now following through with all of those leaders and we were very happy to provide assistance where we did for them to be here and we’ll continue with all of those initiatives. So step up is stepping up and it’s now time for me to step up and get back to Australia, I’m looking forward to returning. Thanks very much.
Statement from the Prime Minister on APEC
19 November 2018
I congratulate Papua New Guinea for its excellent hosting of APEC 2018.
Over the course of a year of events, Papua New Guinea did an outstanding job under Prime Minister O’Neill’s leadership and stewardship.
Like other APEC delegations, Australia enjoyed PNG’s very warm hospitality and hosting arrangements, done in true PNG style. And Prime Minister O’Neill deftly chaired Leaders’ Week events. This was no easy task given the range of differing views in the room.
It’s important to remember the outstanding achievements of APEC economies. The economic growth, trade growth and improvements in the ease of doing business in the region have been nothing short of remarkable.
Australia remains a strong supporter of free trade, and the principles underpinning the global trading system. We are also a leading supporter of APEC, and a close friend of PNG and other APEC members.
The Papua New Guinea Electrification Partnership
18 November 2018
Papua New Guinea has invited Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States to work together to support its enhanced connectivity and the goal of connecting 70% of its population to electricity by 2030. Currently only about 13% of Papua New Guinea’s population have reliable access to electricity.
Access to electricity is key to Papua New Guinea’s economic growth. Electricity lifts the living standards of communities in cities, towns and remote villages. It allows schools and hospitals to deliver essential services. It is also an essential precursor for the growth of the private sector and industry, including small and medium enterprises.
Progress towards Papua New Guinea’s ambitious objectives will require large scale investment by both the public and private sectors. This includes investment in new generation capacity as well as transmission and distribution lines to connect households, service providers and businesses to the grid. Continued efforts to improve institutional and regulatory frameworks are also required in order to unlock private investment.
Papua New Guinea, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States intend to join together in a Papua New Guinea Electrification Partnership in support of Papua New Guinea’s objectives for electrification. This high level partnership forms part of the enduring economic and security partnership between our countries. This initiative will also be open to other partners that support principles and values which help maintain and promote a free, open, prosperous and rules based region.
The Papua New Guinea Electrification Partnership is intended to focus on the importance of principles-based, sustainable infrastructure development that is transparent, non-discriminatory, environmentally responsible, promotes fair and open competition, upholds robust standards, meets the genuine needs of the people of Papua New Guinea and avoids unsustainable debt burdens. It is intended to adopt a strong focus on investments that provide employment and training opportunities for local contractors and communities. It is also intended to focus not only on delivering high impact investments but ensuring improved coordination and governance within the energy sector.
Importantly, this initiative represents a true partnership between Papua New Guinea and its key partners to drive growth and development for communities throughout Papua New Guinea. The partnership is intended to be delivered in alignment with Papua New Guinea’s own plans and priorities and implemented in close conjunction with PNG Power Limited.
The Prime Ministers of Papua New Guinea (O’Neill), Australia (Morrison), Japan (Abe), New Zealand (Ardern) and the Vice President of the United States (Pence) have signed this Joint Statement to mark the announcement of this new multi-country initiative at APEC House. The announcement signals a strong commitment from these countries to supporting growth enabling investment in key economic infrastructure in Papua New Guinea.
Enhanced Security Cooperation with Vanuatu
18 November 2018
The Prime Ministers of Australia and Vanuatu are today announcing enhanced engagement to further build Vanuatu’s security capability.
This initiative underscores Australia’s commitment to working with Pacific partners to build a region that is secure strategically, stable economically and sovereign politically.
Australia’s enhanced engagement will include significant infrastructure upgrades for the Vanuatu Mobile Force and Police Maritime Wing, enhanced training and leadership opportunities for all three arms of the Vanuatu Police Force, and a new Defence Advisor in Vanuatu to support the strengthening of this important security relationship.
Australia will also provide additional support to the Vanuatu Police Force for new policing priorities including training for over 300 new police recruits.
Vanuatu and Australia will continue to deepen our security relationship, including through advancing a Bilateral Security Treaty.
Barbeque with Pacific Leaders
18 November 2018
Today I hosted a barbeque for my fellow Pacific leaders following the conclusion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Port Moresby.
We discussed opportunities for strengthening our cooperation as members of the Pacific family, including Australia’s recently announced initiatives for our region.
Building on these recent announcements, we will streamline access to Australia through the launch of a Pacific–Australia Card (PAC), an initiative designed to improve the travel experience of visiting Pacific Island leaders, including from the political, business and sporting spheres.
We will also deepen educational links by providing a new package of scholarships for Pacific students to study in Australian secondary schools, increase opportunities for technical education, and expand our school partnerships program (BRIDGE) to build teacher-to-teacher links with the Pacific.
Finally, we will encourage our churches to work more closely together through a new Church Partnerships Program.
These programs build on my joint announcement with the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the 15th of November, when we outlined plans to expand the Pacific Labour Scheme and establish a dedicated Office of the Pacific in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
I look forward to working closely together with my Pacific friends to implement these initiatives.
New Infrastructure at the University of Papua New Guinea
18 November 2018
Today I opened the new School of Business and Public Policy at the University of Papua New Guinea with Prime Minister the Hon Peter O’Neill CMG MP.
The new School is a symbol of the strong partnership between Papua New Guinea and Australia.
It forms part of the Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct, a partnership between Papua New Guinea and Australia that is supporting the development of the next generation of public sector leaders.
More than 5,000 Papua New Guineans have already benefitted from the Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct through participation in courses, academic programs and public discussion events.
In addition, the construction of the School has made a significant contribution to the local economy. Working with local companies, the project created hundreds of jobs and training opportunities for Papua New Guineans.
Prime Minister O’Neill and I are committed to building a closer partnership for our future, and the new School will support that partnership.
Doorstop, Port Moresby
18 November 2018
PRIME MINISTER: It’s great to be here in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. This is a very significant occasion for the people of Papua New Guinea and it’s just great to see people here swelling with pride about what their nation has been able to achieve in the space of just over a generation.
As I remarked to some of you yesterday, my grandfather was here on these wharves during the Second World War, he was over in Milne Bay and to see where this country has come to over that period of time, I think is tremendous. It clearly has many challenges in the future, but Australia will always be a deeply committed partner to the people of Papua New Guinea. It goes beyond economics, it goes beyond trade, it goes beyond everything. It is a deep-seated family commitment to the people of Papua New Guinea and they know that they will always be able to rely on us. We are their single largest provider of overseas development assistance, but the people-to-people contact is extraordinary.
It has been great to see Prime Minister O’Neill be able host this conference with such professionalism and such skill, I think it’s a great showcase to the Pacific. It’s provided an excellent backdrop also for Australia to be reinforcing the ‘step up’ initiative I announced just over a week ago. That has been incredibly well received by partners directly, whether it was the trilateral relationship we announced this week that has followed through into the announcement yesterday by Vice President Pence, how we’re working together as part of the PNG-led initiative at Lombrum, and here today joining also together with Prime Minister Abe and Prime Minister Adern, working to power up Papua New Guinea into the future. This is what ‘step up’ is all about. It’s about delivering on the ground, working with partners.
I can also say that yesterday I had the opportunity for a brief meeting with President Xi, which I welcomed. We were able to work on the very positive meetings that I had with Premier Li Keqiang in Singapore and that followed also the very positive meetings that our Foreign Ministers have had previously both in New York and here. This has been good progress that we have been making in each of our relationships. This was recognised of course by President Xi, but also the progress we’ve made at these more recent meetings. There was also a commitment that we would work together where there are opportunities to work together. There is no exclusion in the way we seek to work in the Pacific and where we can work together on important projects and partner for the good of the Pacific, well that’s what we want. We want the good of the Pacific. Because what’s good for the Pacific is good for Australia.
JOURNALIST: PM is Australia still seeking to build the domestic, PNG’s domestic undersea cable project, or is that one lost to Huawei?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there are a range of different projects. What we are here to talk about today is not that project. We have been involved with other projects that have also impacted other parts of the region and they are separate to that. That is a different project to the one we are talking about today.
JOURNALIST: Can I ask you about Lombrum, how big is the fund? How much is Australia going to spend and over what period of time?
PRIME MINISTER: We haven’t made those announcements yet. When we are in a position to do so we will. I should mention that in relation to the electrification project that Australia is putting in $25 million a year to support that project and we’ll be bringing other elements of the package that I announced in the ‘step up’ programme as required or as considered that will also work in with the other partners that are part of that project. But we need to stress very clearly, the Lombrum initiative is a PNG-led initiative. They are leading this project. They have invited ourselves and the United States, we were together with the United States part of the work up programme back in August and that has been able to inform our ongoing participation at this stage. As the project becomes more detailed then obviously we will be in a position to add to that.
JOURNALIST: What does it mean for our security umbrella?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s an important part of the strategic set of arrangements we have in place in our region, I think it’s fairly obvious. It not only provides the opportunity for the collaboration from a defence support point of view. But the other thing it does is it will also be the base for where the Pacific Patrol boats that we are gifting to Papua New Guinea will also be based. Now, ensuring that they have integrity over their fisheries that they possess in the Pacific is massively important to their economic security. So there are both civil as well as strategic elements to what we are doing. But at the end of the day Lombrum is a sovereign Papua New Guinea base. We are there at their invitation and we will work this project up at their pace and on their leadership.
JOURNALIST: It’s already been said by Christopher Pyne that he believes subject to consultations with PNG that it is likely, or probable, that Australian vessels will eventually be based at Lombrum. Do you think that it is probable also that over time US vessels could also be based at Lombrum?
PRIME MINISTER: Well they’re matters for the US to comment on.
JOURNALIST: Did you discuss the Lombrum initiative with President Xi?
PRIME MINISTER: It was a very brief meeting, so he didn’t raise it with me and I didn’t raise it with him. We were focused on our relationship and what we were doing together. That was particularly focusing on the very positive and quite lengthy meeting that Premier Li Keqiang and I had in Singapore and we were both very happy with the outcomes at that meeting and all the issues that we were able to address there. I left the discussion very encouraged.
JOURNALIST: The message being sent by the US in relation to China yesterday was very, very strong, particularly with the announcement about the former naval base on Manus Island. Do you share those same views that Vice President Pence shared yesterday about the Chinese risk to the region particularly the South Pacific?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I express Australia’s views and Australia’s view is that of course we want to see an Indo Pacific which is open and which is free and which respects all independent sovereign states and nations that are within the Indo Pacific. I believe that is ultimately what everybody wants and I think that’s the objective that we stay focussed on.
So I don’t get drawn in to the commentary on the various announcements or initiatives of the various parties that are involved here. Our role here is to ensure that we maximise Australia’s interests and that is done by working incredibly constructively with our long-term partner in the United States - a great friend and ally - and working very closely with the Chinese government with whom we also have an excellent Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which is advancing Australia’s economic interests.
Let’s not forget, Australia is home to a large number – over a million – Australians of Chinese descent and so there is a rich people to people contact between Australia and China as well. It is not beyond our wits and ability and interest to be able to draw both of these relationships together and work constructively with both.
JOURNALIST: Would you like to see the airport on Manus Island be a part of this base and that airport used for surveillance?
PRIME MINISTER: That’s detail we’re not getting into at this stage.
JOURNALIST: The Vice President said that, he would, the Unites States would work with PNG and Australia to protect the sovereignty of the waters surrounding PNG. Are we to read into that that would include increased freedom of navigation patrols, and secondly, when did you learn from the Vice President that the US was signing on to Manus?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, we’ve been aware of that over the last little while.
JOURNALIST: And in terms of the freedom of navigation, do you think -
PRIME MINISTER: Again, that is getting into a level of operational detail that I wouldn’t be commenting on here.
JOURNALIST: Article 4 and 5 of the 1951 ANZUS Treaty is still in very non-realistic language. Do you think the Pacific Island Defence Force and the sovereign states will seek the ANZUS treaty partners to review those two particular provisions of the 1951 Treaty, which still denies the ability of the Pacific Island States to raise their own army?
PRIME MINISTER: Well all aspects of our involvement at Lombrum are at the invitation of the Papua New Guinean Government. Anything we are doing there in partnership and cooperation with the government of Papua New Guinea, or any of the other partners who are involved there whether it’s the United States or anyone else, that is being done under the sovereignty and at the invitation of the Papua New Guinean Government. So, to the extent that other issues are raised in the context of that, well that is purely at the opportunity of the Papua New Guinean Government.
JOURNALIST: So what would you say to the Governor and others in Manus, the province, who are a bit concerned about this? They say it’s sort of PNG, the wording is - excuse me - what they have referred to as prostituting themselves out to Australia and the United States. What would you say to that criticism?
PRIME MINISTER: I’d say that’s an internal matter for Papua New Guinea and I’ll leave that internal within Papua New Guinea. I’m no stranger to dealing with those issues when it comes to Manus Island and the issues between provinces and the central government. I know full well to leave that to direct discussions between those participants.
JOURNALIST: PM, there has been a lot of internal wrangling over the wording of the communique, there’s obviously some very fiery words from both President Xi and Vice President Pence yesterday in terms of the trade dispute and things like that, and warnings from China about the dangers of trade wars and cold wars and hot wars.
Do you think we are no closer, and if anything we are further apart, to having a resolution to the trade war between China and the US?
PRIME MINISTER: I think every day brings us closer to a resolution of it. That was the nature of the discussion I had with Vice President Pence yesterday, the remarks that were made by the President in the White House I understand, yesterday. While there is much commentary and there are many things that are said, I think the practical elements of what all the other member economies here at APEC have made very clear in our discussions is, that of course we want to see these matters resolved sooner rather than later. It doesn’t assist broader economic growth. In fact, the IMF today made their contribution and highlighted that this could potentially, over a longer period of time if it were not to be resolved – not that they were highlighting that as a likelihood – but that that would have an impact on global and regional economic growth. We all understand that and those sentiments have been expressed both to the United States and to China.
So, I think they’re fully aware, fully aware, because these things also impact their economies, about the need to have a sensible resolution of these issues. The issues have become very well known, whether it’s on WTO, whether it’s on other matters like intellectual property and the like. These are all openly discussed and I think there is a lot more progress being made here than I think is probably being acknowledged. It is certainly not taking place in the context of the more excitable language about how some of these debates are occurring.
JOURNALIST: We are hearing some reports about a bit of a diplomatic blow up between Chinese officials and Papua New Guinean officials. Do you think the Chinese are perhaps a little surprised by the push back by some of the traditionally Western allies on their movements into the region and their keenness to expand?
PRIME MINISTER: In our role here we’ve been very supportive of Papua New Guinea obviously, not just in hosting this event. As you can see the HMAS Adelaide is out there in the waters and provided a backdrop to the Leaders’ meeting there as they looked out the window, so we’ve been here, we’ve had everyone from our Federal Police and other security assistance, we’ve had health officials here, I’ve even had my own brother here who is a paramedic and has been part of the St Johns Ambulance arrangements up here. I caught up with him yesterday and they have been doing a fantastic job.
So, we’ve all been very involved up here and that includes paying absolute respect to our host as Chair of the meeting to bring the communique to a final position. That is their responsibility as the Chair and we’re providing very strong support to the Chair in Papua New Guinea, PM O’Neill, to bring those matters to a head.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister APEC is about cooperation, but given the comments by Vice President Pence and President Xi in the last 24 hours, is this a fractious family relationship and how can it be repaired?
PRIME MINISTER: Well no, I don’t agree with your assessment. I think that overly exaggerates the situation and what I can tell you is, I think there is a lot more pragmatism going on here than people have been prepared to acknowledge in the commentary. There’s a lot of movement under the water, you know, like the duck that’ll paddle pretty quickly under the water. There’s a lot of that going on and I’m encouraged by that and I’m encouraged by the disposition at the end of the day to try and have something resolved. Because it’s basically in everybody’s interest, it’s in everybody’s interest for these matters to be resolved. If we’re patient, if we just stay measured, I think in both of our contributions and our assessment of these things, then I think we’ll continue to make a lot of progress.
JOURNALIST: If feels a bit like a security summit, doesn’t it?
PRIME MINISTER: I want to reassure Australians that what we are doing here is everything we can, to ensure that these matters are addressed pragmatically, constructively and at the end of the day in a way that will see our regional economy, and our regional partners here, that their interests are protected.
I mean, APEC is a group of economies and whether it was at the East Asian Summit earlier, independent sovereign states and nations who simply just want to get on with business. We’re all getting on with each other and we just want to keep getting on with each other. Because I observed that under APEC we have seen a more than a doubling, since it was first established, more than a doubling in the real GDP of these participating economies. On top of that the tariff barriers have fallen from an average of about 16 per cent down to 6 per cent.
So this is an organisation that has got some good results, that has really increased the prosperity of our region. That’s why we’re here. That’s why people come along here. They come here because they want to see the economies cooperate more for our mutual benefit. So today for example, I was focussed in my interventions on how we are taking fintech forward, how we’re taking forward financial technology which supports the digitisation of our economy, which is more inclusive to people in our region. What we were just talking about here, with the electrification initiative, this is about connecting remote areas of what is a very remote country where people live in poverty, to a future. Now how good is that? That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re doing it. That’s what ‘step up’ is all about, but I better step up and get back to the meeting.
JOURNALIST: PM just one more question on the bilateral relationship? China has extended visa free movement between Papua New Guinean politicians and diplomats and China, reciprocal. Would Australia consider that for its nearest neighbour, Papua New Guinea?
A: The Papua New Guinean Government, as well as all the other Pacific Island Forum nations are very well aware of the facilitation mechanisms that we are putting in place for each of them. This is an important part of how we are managing these relationships. As you know, we have provided some assistance for some of those states to be able to be represented here at the Forum. This is what we do, we’re friends, we’re family. We support our friends and family so they can participate. I think that has been one of the most important parts of APEC, that Papua New Guinea was able to bring the voice of the Pacific Island Forums to the strongest powers in the world. I think they should be commended for doing that. They have really raised the voice of Pacific Islands in this forum and Australia has always understood that voice and will continue to be a very strong supporter of that voice.
JOURNALIST: PM, I couldn’t help but notice the Chilean delegation chastised you for wearing a tie this morning, is this a gift that you’re wearing this afternoon?
PRIME MINISTER: [Laughter]
This was given to me by Rimbink Pato some years ago, when I was up here quite frequently and I thought I should wear it out of respect to our host. But the tie was actually designed by Peter O’Neill himself - so he’s not only a strong Prime Minister, he’s not too bad on the tie design either.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister you’ve got a barbeque with the Pacific Leaders tonight?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes we have, well, I’ll just comment quickly on that.
JOURNALIST: A bit of snags, a bit of kangaroo?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they’re all looking forward to it, which is great and I’m looking forward to hosting the Pacific Island Forum Leaders at the residence tonight.
JOURNALIST: Are you cooking?
PRIME MINISTER: I suspect I’ll turn a few things over on the barbeque and there’s a lot of interest and I just think it’s a great time. It’s a family BBQ, that’s what it is. It’s a Pacific family barbeque and we can talk about the events of the last couple of days and I can also be sharing with them a lot more about where we’re looking to work with them on, so many initiatives as part of our ‘step up’ programme in the Pacific. It’s been incredibly well received, both by Pacific Island Forum members, as well as our key partners in the region.
As I said to President Xi, we’ll work with everybody when we’re trying to focus on the development and the advancement of the Pacific. That’s what it’s about. There’s an opportunity to work together and we need to assist these countries to be stronger, because when they’re stronger both in their sovereignty, in their independence, in their economy, that’s all very good news for Australia. Important for Australia that we achieve those objectives. That’s why we’re doing it, because it helps individual Australians, that the Pacific Islands do better than they do now.
Thanks very much.
Doorstop - Port Moresby
17 November 2018
JOURNALIST: What can you tell us about the meeting Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: It was great to meet with Vice President Pence, it’s great to have the United States here in Papua New Guinea as part of the APEC Leaders Forum.
The partnership that we have with the United States is a broad one and it’s importantly focused here in the Pacific. That relationship is now going to a new level, we’ve got the trilateral partnership with the United States and Japan and Australia, investing and supporting infrastructure development throughout the region. But on top of that we’ll be working closely together with the United States under the PNG-led initiative at Lombrum in Manus Island.
So, by working together there under the leadership of the PNG initiative at Lombrum, that further enhances our level of cooperation.
The Australian Government is stepping up in the Pacific and we’re stepping up with important partners like the United States, like Japan. We’re keen to work with others but this initiative at Lombrum together under the PNG-led process, is I think, just another step in our big step up.
JOURNALIST: Won’t the US involvement in the naval base redevelopment be seen as the US trying to counter China in this region?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the US’s participation at Manus at Lombrum is at PNG’s invitation, as is ours. It’s their sovereign territory, that’s why we’re working together under their leadership. It’s their initiative and we’re pleased to be part of it. We will be working with Pacific Island nations at their invitation wherever we have that opportunity consistent with the programmes that we’re running. Those programmes are cultural programmes, they’re educational programmes, they’re strategic defence programmes, they’re communications and infrastructure and the cable and all of these sorts of measures. We’re looking to build up the Pacific.
JOURNALIST: Will US and Australian ships be based at the naval base?
PRIME MINISTER: All of the details we’ll be working through in the time ahead and the investments that we’ll be making. But the key thing here is the PNG Government has invited us to participate at Manus Island in the Lombrum initiative and they’ve invited the United States to do the same thing, so we’re pleased to be working together. This is a strong partnership designed to make a stronger Pacific, a more prosperous Pacific. For Australia, this is our family of nations that we work with here in the Pacific and we’ll be there very much as an equal family member.
Thank you.
Joint Statement of the Governments of Australia, Japan and the United States
17 November 2018
Joint Statement of The Governments of Australia, Japan, and the United States of America on the Trilateral Partnership for infrastructure investment in the Indo-Pacific
Today, the governments of Australia, Japan and the United States, sharing a commitment to maintain and promote an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, inclusive, prosperous, and secure, announce important progress in our shared dedication to addressing the infrastructure needs of the region.
On 12 November, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (Efic), the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), and the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) signed a Trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to operationalize the Trilateral Partnership for Infrastructure Investment in the Indo-Pacific announced in Washington, D.C., on 30 July. Through the MOU, we intend to work together to mobilize and support the deployment of private sector investment capital to deliver major new infrastructure projects, enhance digital connectivity and energy infrastructure, and achieve mutual development goals in the Indo-Pacific.
The Trilateral Partnership seeks to be a force-multiplier in the Indo-Pacific, providing a new vehicle through which countries in the region can coordinate to advance their infrastructure priorities. Importantly, the Trilateral Partnership intends to work with governments of the Indo-Pacific to support and encourage infrastructure projects that adhere to international standards and principles for development, including openness, transparency, and fiscal sustainability. This approach will help to meet the region’s genuine needs while avoiding unsustainable debt burdens for the nations of the region.
In the lead-up to the 2019 G20 Summit in Osaka, our three governments intend to work with other members of the G20 to promote quality infrastructure development.
The Trilateral Partnership intends to consult with governments of Indo-Pacific countries, including Papua New Guinea, to identify infrastructure projects for potential development and financing. In consultation with investors and infrastructure companies, the Trilateral Partners will evaluate priority infrastructure projects for possible joint development and financing, and consider sending trilateral project identification and pre-feasibility missions to work through a deliberative process with regional governments to develop specific project proposals.
These announcements, together with the underlying MOU, represent a substantial new commitment from Australia, Japan and the United States to the economic development of the Indo-Pacific through principles-based, sustainable investment in infrastructure.
Doorstop - Port Moresby
17 November 2018
PRIME MINISTER: Good, well great to be here in Port Moresby again, great to be speaking at the ABAC forum and very pleased to have had the opportunity to do so. I set out my views in the presentation, so I’m happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: You talked about the World Trade Organisation and how it needs to be reformed, how hard are some nations pushing to undermine the WTO at the moment, particularly the United States?
PRIME MINISTER: I think it’s very important in the bilateral discussions I’ve been having - both before coming here and as I’ll have here over the next few days - that we’re just listening carefully and we’re hearing what the various views are about what some of the frustrations are in relation to the WTO. There’s a lot of good work that has been done by Japan, the EU and others who are seeking to find a way forward on this issue. We’re very supportive of those efforts and so look, our role here is to listen carefully and to assist how we to collectively move this issue forward.
JOURNALIST: President Donald Trump has been one of the biggest supporters of protectionism, saying “America first,” were your comments in regards to the United States?
PRIME MINISTER: No, as I’ve said before coming here, I believe the United States wants to see open, freer trade. I think that’s their objective, I think that’s their goal. Now they are pursuing a particular course as to how they might wish to achieve it, but I believe their ultimate goal is to want to see more open and free trade around the world. Obviously, they will always pursue their national interest, like any sovereign, independent nation would. I welcome continued stronger involvement and investment of the United States, here particularly in the Pacific. I just referred to the trilateral arrangement we’ve been able to conclude with United States and Japan. The point I was making in my presentation is this – and it is as true in Australia as anywhere else - in Australia, we have always done well by looking outside our country and our people have prospered significantly as a result of that. It’s our job to articulate that back into our communities, into our local constituencies and actually make the case and that’s what I’ll be doing today. The reason you come to these event, the reason you’d be at APEC, or East Asia Summit, or the G20 – it’s not for the coffee, as good as the coffee might be - it’s actually to ensure that we can have better trading relationships, which means jobs, which means improved prosperity for our peoples. That’s why we do these things, that’s why I’m here.
JOURNALIST: When you say it’s more of a risk now than it ever has been, who are you referring to?
PRIME MINISTER: There is a view within our constituencies that protectionism is the way forward for some. That is an expression of people’s concerns about the way that economics and economic benefits have not reached all parts of our society and all parts of our economy. I talk about this frequently in Australia. That’s why it’s important that we continue to focus on the strong economic plan we have in Australia. I spoke about it in Darwin yesterday in relation to the regional City Deal; these arrangements are designed to improve our economy so the benefits of economic growth can be felt right across all of our people. What I’m talking about today is the need to make that case back into our communities. It’s good for our communities and that’s the argument I’m making.
JOURNALIST: But we’ve had a very clear message from Mike Pence that they’re contemplating escalating the trade war with China. Would that be a mistake and what would the consequences of that escalation be for Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: I tend to deal with issues as they occur not to offer commentary in a sort of prospective way, because I don’t think the alternative is helpful. What I’m stating and have said, actually consistently now, in my previous role and this one, is that I believe the objective of the United States is to achieve a more open and free trading environment, ultimately. That’s their ultimate goal. As we’ve seen them arrive at agreements with Canada and Mexico – at one point people said that was never going to happen – well, it did happen.
So my observation has been to, I suppose, take the advice when President Trump says; “Let’s just see what happens”. He says it quite a bit and I think there’s a bit of a hint in that. So why don’t we just see where this goes. I think it’s important that countries like Australia and Japan – and I discussed this at length with Prime Minister Abe yesterday – continue to have that positive engagement, listening very carefully to the issues -and I’ve said before, the many legitimate issues - that the United States raise and others raise and be careful stewards of how we can take the agenda forward together.
JOURNALIST: Do you share the American view about the theft of intellectual property that the Americans have accused China of doing, do you think that’s a real issue?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, these are concerns that have not just been raised recently, they have been raised by successive administrations and they’re issues that Australia confronts as well.
JOURNALIST: What risk does China play to us and our allies in the Pacific with their aggressive infrastructure expansion?
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t know if I’d describe it like that. I said when I outlined our ‘step-up’ initiative, that we were happy to work with all partners through the region, whether it’s the United States or China or indeed of course Japan. We have that trilateral arrangement that I referred to, but there are many others. I set out in the presentation then that those investments though, have got to be considered on their case, they’ve got to be transparent, they’ve got the be focused on the needs of the economy they’re in, they’ve got to be carefully put together so they don’t create a debt burden that is not sustainable for that country. So, I’ve set out some very clear markers and criteria of where countries can work together. Now, that’s what we’re doing with the United States and Japan and as cases present themselves we’d be very pleased to do that with China as well.
JOURNALIST: Do you believe that trilateral cooperation is plausible with China on infrastructure within the Pacific?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the trilateral arrangement is with the United States and -
JOURNALIST: I know, I appreciate that, but I mean when we had Wang Yi referring to trilateral cooperation and a prospect with Australia and Pacific nations, is that something that Australia would be willing to contemplate?
PRIME MINISTER: I have said it is.
JOURNALIST: Will you be getting any face time with the Chinese President while he is here?
PRIME MINISTER: I suspect we will come across each other, yeah, we’re all in the same place and we will also be in the G20 in a few weeks’ time. I had a very, very constructive and very lengthy meeting with Premier Li Keqiang in Singapore and we covered, as you know, a very wide range of issues at that meeting. So there will be, I’m sure, opportunities here and also Buenos Aires in a few weeks.
JOURNALIST: How much appetite do you actually think there is for Pacific countries to take on more debt? A lot of the analysts have said that they’re already very highly leveraged. Do you think there is actually much of a demand among Pacific countries that they can afford to take loans from Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: This is why projects effectively have to be bankable. We follow that discipline when it comes to infrastructure projects and that’s why the sort of projects we’ve been getting involved in, these are projects that have revenue streams as well. So that’s why they have to be carefully commercially considered and it’s not always just governments, it’s private partnerships as well. There’s private capital involved in these projects. So, I think we need to not limit ourselves to the very old notion of; “Well, here’s a loan to another Government and they build a road”. That’s now how things have been happening for some time. I pointed out in my presentation a number of examples where we’ve had good public-private partnerships which involved multiple countries and multiple corporates. I think that’s the way we can manage those things in the future.
Australia has an enormous amount of experience in the corporate sector for bringing these deals together, so I remain very optimistic as to how that can be achieved in the Pacific. The point I’m seeking to make is, Australia is very, very focused on our priority here in the Pacific, because we believe that it is very much in our interests. Australia, we have always been here. Our relationship with our Pacific Island friends and family is based on our deep connection and particularly here. I mean grandfather was here, in Port Moresby, on these wharves back in the ‘40s. He was here, working on these wharves, as a member of the Australian Defence Force, so our relationship goes deep, very deep. It’s based on real values and real connections. That’s why we’re here and that’s why we will always be here.
JOURNALIST: What’s our most important allegiance, America or China?
PRIME MINISTER: Pardon?
JOURNALIST: What’s our most important allegiance, America or China?
PRIME MINISTER: They’re both important. Thank you.
Visit to Australia by the President of the Republic of India
17 November 2018
I look forward to welcoming His Excellency Mr Ram Nath Kovind, President of the Republic of India, and his wife, Mrs Savita Kovind, to Australia from 21 to 23 November.
President Kovind’s visit is a historic occasion, the first ever state visit to Australia by an Indian President.
During his visit, the President will have the opportunity to engage with the Indian-Australian community, one of the largest in Australia, who make a valued contribution across all facets of Australian life.
Our two nations have deep economic, government and people-to-people ties. We are strong democracies and share a longstanding commitment to the rule of law.
India is a critical partner in the Indo-Pacific region and a strong economic contributor to Australia. In 2017, our trade relationship was worth more than $27 billion.
Australia and India are close strategic partners and I look forward to building on our relationship as it continues to grow in strength.
President Kovind and Mrs Kovind will travel to Sydney and Melbourne. Their visit follows a visit by the Governor-General, His Excellency General Sir Peter Cosgrove, and Lady Cosgrove to India in March.
Advancing Australia’s Interests at APEC
17 November 2018
It is a privilege to be attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit on 17–18 November in Port Moresby.
This year’s APEC forum is hosted by Australia’s close friend and neighbour Papua New Guinea (PNG).
APEC is critical to Australia’s vision for a stable and prosperous Indo‑Pacific region.
I will use this opportunity to advocate Australia’s long-standing interests in open trade and investment and to reinforce Australia’s commitment to the Pacific through our ‘step up’ initiative.
I’m eager to discuss the key role APEC and business play in facilitating economic cooperation between Indo-Pacific nations.
Hosting this event is a great opportunity for our closest neighbour to tell its story to the world. We are proud to support PNG to showcase itself and the Pacific region to APEC member economies.
I’m looking forward to congratulating Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister, and my friend, Peter O’Neill on a vibrant and successful APEC year, and speaking with other Pacific leaders.
I also welcome the opportunity to engage with other APEC economies during my time in Port Moresby, including the United States.
The Vice President of the United States Mike Pence will also visit Australia to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack in Cairns on 17 November.
Doorstop - Boyne Island, QLD
7 November 2018
KEN O’DOWD MP: Good morning everybody, thanks for coming. It’s great to have the Prime Minister Scott Morrison here today, Scott Morrison. We’re here at Boyne Island actually to show how him the industry really works and the demand on the energy future for this plant. It’s essential that we have baseload power and of course with baseload power comes coal-fired power stations of the HILE type. But there’s quite a lot of issues I’ll be talking to Scott with while he’s here, but without further ado, the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison.
PRIME MINISTER: Well thanks Ken, it’s great to be here. It’s great to be here at Boyne Island. This is what goes in all sorts of equipment all around the world and here it is its produced right here, some of the most practical things you can imagine. And there’s a thousand people whose jobs depend on this smelter, on this facility, both contractors and those who are permanently employed here, and in for the contractors business that they work for permanently employed in those businesses. And the reason I wanted to come here today is I wanted to see it first-hand because the Labor Party wants to push up the emissions reductions target to 45 per cent. A 45 per cent reduction. That’ll shut this shop down. That’s a thousand jobs. That will be the cost of what Labor wants to do when it comes to their plans for a 45 per cent emissions reductions target. Now we’ve got our target at 26 per cent, we made it some years ago and we’re sticking to it and we’re delivering on it. We’ve already smashed Kyoto 1 and we’re going to beat Kyoto 2. As I’ve said, we’re going to meet our 2030 targets I believe in a canter as well. And that means we can keep places like this open which are producing for all around the world.
Our Government is very pleased that our Government was able to ensure that the United States did not impose upon this operation an unfair tariff that would have cost jobs here in Boyne Island. And we were able to, as a Government, ensure against that which meant that they can keep operating and it’s also provided new opportunities because our Government is committed to opening our trade and ensuring we have bigger markets and newer markets. And so we are 100 per cent committed to keeping this Aluminium smelter open, and the way we’re going to do that is by not adopting reckless targets that will shut the coal-fired power industry down and will shut this smelter down and the thousand jobs that will be removed from here if Labor were to get their way and win the next election.
So Ken has been a champion for this smelter, he has been a champion for these jobs, and they’re jobs from all walks of life. I met a mum who has just come back to work, she has been here for three weeks. She’s got three young kids and she’s here, back working here as a smelter and it’s great and there’s other females getting employment here. About ten per cent of the workforce. As a dad of two daughters I think that’s tremendous to see. People working in process engineering and other important jobs, and right down to running things on the floor. So aluminium is a key part of our exports from Australia, but also supplying in production right around the country and it’s just great to see this operation doing so strongly and under our Government, it’ll stay open and it’ll keep doing strongly and it’ll have a big future. Under the Labor Party, they’ll shut this show down.
JOURNALIST: What did you think about the tailgaters today, how are you feeling about that Labor truck?
PRIME MINISTER: Didn’t pay any attention to them at all. And as usual, the Labor Party is lying. What has happened in Central Queensland is we’ve increased funding for the Central Queensland Health and Hospitals operation by over 20 per cent in the last two years and the state Labor government has ripped $9 billion out of hospitals and health here in Central Queensland. So the Commonwealth Government, our Government, has increased funding to hospitals and health. So don’t believe Labor’s lies. But you can believe this about Labor - if they’re elected, a thousand jobs here and this smelter will be shut down because of Labor’s reckless emissions reductions target. They won't be producing this anymore, they won’t be producing anything. They’ll shut the shop down.
JOURNALIST: Can I just get your thoughts on the Federal Government going against the advice of its own boarder experts when deciding Adani’s water scheme didn’t [inaudible] on the environment?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’ve put the environmental approvals in place for the Carmichael project and we expect those approvals and conditions of those approvals to be complied with.
JOURNALIST: One Nation has the potential to strip votes from the Coalition in Queensland. What would you say to people who are considering voting for One Nation?
PRIME MINISTER: You can only trust the Coalition Government, the LNP here in Queensland, to run a strong economy. You can’t trust the Labor Party on a strong economy, you can’t trust the minor parties to deliver a stronger economy and you can trust our Government to deliver a stronger economy. You can trust our Government to ensure that places like the Boyne Aluminium smelter stay open and that we have sensible policies that support a strong economy. We’re the ones who have been cutting taxes for small and family businesses, we’re the ones who have been supporting our economy with tax cuts right across the board. So only the Coalition Government, the LNP, has the sensible economic policies that can guarantee the economy that delivers funding for hospitals, like the 20 per cent increase we’ve seen for hospitals and health funding here in Central Queensland delivered by this Government over the last couple of years. That comes from a strong economy. If you can’t do that, it doesn’t matter what your opinion is on any other topics and the minor parties have plenty of opinions on a lot of things. But what they can’t do it ensure that we have a strong economy here to provide the jobs and the livelihoods and the services and support which Central Queenslanders need.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, in Gladstone you’re saying that you’ve increased federal funding for hospitals here.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, 20.6 per cent.
JOURNALIST: Yet we don’t have a paediatric facility for orthopaedics here, with a fracture clinic providing tele-health services for children who have broken limbs. Do you think that that’s delivering for our region?
PRIME MINISTER: Well you’d have to ask the Queensland state government why they cut $9 million out of health funding here in Central Queensland. So they run the hospitals, we’ve increased funding by over 20 per cent here in Central Queensland over the last two years. So if the state government has got to pull resources out of health here in Central Queensland, well you know, they’ve to be accountable for that. We’re stumping up, we’re doing the right thing, whether it’s on the ring road project where I was earlier up around Rocky today or whether standing here today saying we’re going to stand up for the Boyne Aluminium Smelter and not see the Labor Party rob a thousand workers of their jobs here, because that’s what’s at stake if Labor gets to put in their 45 per cent emissions reductions target. They will sell these jobs out to try and appease inner-city green groups in the major capital cities down south. That’s what they’re about, they’re not about protecting the jobs here. They’re about sipping almond lattes with green-left groups in inner-city suburbs is Sydney and Melbourne.
JOURNALIST: A Grattan Institute report found that most Aussies will retire with enough super. It’s recommended though loosening age pension tax...
PRIME MINISTER: I know what you’re referring to, yeah.
JOURNALIST: You know what I’m referring to. And tax brackets as well, tax breaks. Is that something that you’d consider?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah we’ve got no plans to change the legislation when it comes to the SGL and that’s been in place for some time. We want to make sure that Australian workers actually get these additional increases which goes to their future superannuation and particularly we want to make sure that they’re getting further support through their weekly pay packets and that’s the only way that you’re going to deliver that is with a stronger economy. I mean, Labor wants to tax the economy more. They want to slow the economy down, they want to take a big, dripping wet blanket and throw it over the Australian economy with higher taxes, negative gearing abolished as we know it. I mean, up here in Ken’s electorate, just like I was in Capricornia this morning, people who are working here, they have investment properties. It’s as prominent here as it is in the major cities in the country and what that means is that people have been investing in saving for their future, and Labor’s got their big tax baseball bat out and they’re going to whack their savings, they’re going to come and whack their futures, they’re going to come and whack their jobs with ridiculous emissions reductions targets which are only going to drive businesses out of business and Australians out of jobs.
JOURNALIST: Mr Morrison, last night at the pub I spoke to a Gladstone local...
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah I heard you about the pub last...
JOURNALIST: I’ve got another one for you, last night at the pub I spoke to a Gladstone local who has been voting for Ken for years, loves Ken but says he can’t vote for him at the next election because of all the instability with the Coalition. What do you have to say to Ken about that?
PRIME MINISTER: I think the ABC should stop coming up to press conferences and repeating the lines of the Labor Party every time I step up to the microphone. Yep?
JOURNALIST: Just on sharks, should the drum lines and nets be [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: Look this is a very serious issue and let’s not forget that, you know, we’ve had some tragedies here in recent days. And I feel for the families of those who have been lost in these tragic attacks. This is a matter for state governments have to tend to. I’m not going to make their job any more difficult by offering a public commentary on this. We’re happy to support in any way we can but I’m going to leave that to the state government authorities to manage this carefully in partnership with local communities and take the advice they need to take and to ensure that they’re providing the protections that are necessary because, particularly up here in Queensland, these things are important for our tourism industry and people need to have confidence that they’re being managed well. I’m not suggesting they’re not, I’m just saying I’m going to let the state government get on with their job and they can expect whatever support they need from us to help manage that carefully.
JOURNALIST: Were you aware of the Memorandum of Understanding that the Victorian Government signed with China before it was signed?
PRIME MINISTER: No I was not.
JOURNALIST: And does it represent a national security concern?
PRIME MINISTER: Well as I’ve said on a number of occasions, we’re getting on with business with China as a Government. Marise Payne is up in China now, the Trade Minister Simon Birmingham, he’s been up there. You know our record on trade. I mean one of the reasons we’ve been so forthright on trade is to be ensure that we protect things like the Boyne Aluminium Smelter. We made sure as a Government, and I pay tribute to the former Prime Minister and the former Trade Minister Steve Ciobo who did such great work to ensure that tariffs were not slapped on our products here coming out of this smelter. Now that not only ensured that this smelter can continue to export their product to the United States as they do, but it also meant that they could take new opportunities by doing exactly that. Our Government is committed to stronger trade, more open trade, great relationships with our partners. China is a great trading partner of Australia, we have a comprehensive strategic partnership with them. We’re getting on with business with China. I’ll be visiting with those leaders of China as I go up to APEC and the East Asia Summit and what I expect to find there is a very healthy working commercial relationship which will continue to deliver jobs and economic opportunities for Australia, which means we can pay for Medicare, we can pay for pensions, we can pay for affordable medicines and we can deliver the essential services that Australians rely on. But it’s been great to be here with Ken, and we’ve got to get back on the bus. Great to see you, thank you.
Interview with Adam Steer, ABC Darwin
16 November 2018
ADAM STEER: So, will the Federal Government’s latest stimulus package help revive our flagging economy? Prime Minister Scott Morrison good morning.
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning Adam good to be here.
ADAM STEER: This is one of your favourite songs.
[Wa Wa Nee - Stimulation plays]
So you love Wa Wa Nee, today is Oz Music Band T-Shirt Day, do you have a Wa Wa Nee t-shirt?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I don’t have a Wa Wa Nee t-shirt. But you know that was back in my time when I was at school and university and I had plenty of Midnight Oil and INXS t-shirts. That’s on my Australian Rock playlist, if people want to check that out on my Spotify. But no mate, they’re a lot of fun, it was a good time.
STEER: Speaking of stimulating things, it’s been 18 months since the Northern Territory and Federal Government signed a memorandum of understanding for a Darwin City Deal. You’ve now announced the Federal Government will match the Northern Territory Government’s $100 million spend on improving our capital city. Are you just announcing the deal, or are you signing the deal in Darwin today?
PRIME MINISTER: No, we’re putting this deal together today, we’re signing it today. This is, as you say, a matched commitment with the Northern Territory Government and it is all about the future of Darwin. Prior to this, we’ve already put $100 million into roads and congestion-busting infrastructure in and around Darwin. Now this comes on top of that, a further $100 million and the lion’s share of that is going into the Charles Darwin University education and civic precinct around Cavenagh Street.
This is a really important thing for the future of the city, it’s going to bring additional students into the city. It’s going to create an urban campus, a city campus here in Darwin. On top of that though, there’s another two very important projects. One is opening up Stokes Hill for those harbour foreshore opportunities, which will be worked through by the Territory Government into the future. But the other one is this urban living lab. Now I’ve just gotten back from Singapore and there’s been a very big part of the ASEAN agenda which was a new cities agenda, which we’ve been very much a part of. Many Australian firms are finding a lot of success working in cities around South East Asia, based on our experience in doing things like urban management, waste management and particularly in tropical cities like Darwin. So working with the CSIRO, Darwin will basically become a lab for how you run liveable cities in tropical areas all around the world.
So I think this will be a great launching pad for businesses to come here and invest, try new things and then take it to the rest of the region.
STEER: You’re signing the deal today, when will the money start to flow?
PRIME MINISTER: Well as the projects roll out. I mean, when it comes to –
STEER: Is it a loan or is it - ?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no it’s a grant. It’s all direct funding. On top of that, the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund are looking at also supporting the project, particularly around the education and civic precinct. So there’ll be further opportunities there. I mean there is more pre-construction, more pre-planning work that needs to be done with all of these projects and we’ll be doing that in partnership with the Territory Government. They’re investing in a number of other projects, the Arts Centre and things like that. This is all about making Darwin a more competitive city.
When I was Treasurer, I initiated the Productivity Review and it highlighted the efficiency of our cities as one of the most important things we can do, to lift productivity. What does that mean? Productivity means that people can earn more.
STEER: Speaking about when you were Treasurer, it’s the last time we spoke. You were talking then about the GST top-up that you gave to the Northern Territory. Was that contingent on the Northern Territory lifting their franking ban?
PRIME MININSTER: No.
STEER: Okay. Well, let’s -
PRIME MINISTER: I’m pleased that they did. But those decisions, as Nicole Manison said at the time and I said at the time, those decisions were taken independently of one another. But obviously the Commonwealth was very pleased to see that decision and I wish other state governments closer to the south east of the country would. I mean they have moratoriums on conventional gas in Victoria. I mean that is just putting people’s electricity prices up.
STEER: Last week as you are no doubt aware, Don Dale Youth Detention was set on fire, the TRG called in and tear gas fired to quell a riot after detainees stole the centre’s keys for the second time in three weeks. Why aren’t you putting any money to shut down and replace the detention centre ?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, as you know we initiated the Royal Commission and we’ve been acting on the recommendations of the Royal Commission with the Territory Government. The reason – you just mentioned it yourself – the reason we put in an extra $256 million in the GST arrangements for the Northern Territory was so they could actually be in a position to support essential services here in the Territory. Now, that includes their responsibilities when it comes to these facilities. I mean it is a Territory-run facility.
STEER: Yeah -
PRIME MINISTER: And we will work closely with them and are pursuing the recommendations of the Royal Commission. We are very concerned about the events and we will continue to work closely with them and address any issues that need to be addressed. But it is the responsibility of the Territory Government and we have ensured that they have not been worse off and in fact, are much better off -
STEER: But Prime Minister –
PRIME MINISTER: On the GST arrangements, so they can meet their responsibilities.
STEER: You funded the Royal Commission, which called for the immediate closure of the centre. What’s the point of spending that money on the Royal Commission if you aren’t going to follow it up?
PRIME MINISTER: It is a responsibility of the Territory Government -
STEER: But clearly the Territory Government, clearly -
PRIME MINISTER: Just like the police are the responsibility of the Territory Government, just like housing, just like education. We fund many of these things and we’ll work closely Adam, we’ll work very closely with the Territory Government. But in terms of stumping up, in just two years, over $300 million in direct Budget support for the Territory Government, I don’t think the Commonwealth could be accused of not turning up when the Territory needs us. And today we’re backing that in with a further $100 million to ensure the economic development –
STEER: But clearly the Northern Territory Government is not capable of fixing the situation. Just look at the last three weeks. Why won’t you help fund the replacement?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that is quite an incitement on the Territory Government you’ve just handed down there Adam. Look, I’m not making that commentary, what I am saying is that we’ve been supportive of the Territory Government with their Budget like no Government previously. We have ensured, not just on that issue, remote Indigenous housing, half a billion dollars the Commonwealth committed to support the Territory Government to address those very serious issues here in remote Indigenous housing. So we are stumping up time and time and time again.
Now you’ve made the commentary on the Territory Government. I’ll leave you to do that and we’ll work closely with them on these very serious and concerning issues.
STEER: Well today, you’re signing a deal worth $100 million to improve Darwin’s CBD?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
STEER: $200 million if you count the Northern Territory’s input as well, should the focus of the Commonwealth be on sorting our juvenile justice, rather than prettying up a city?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think that’s an unkind way to describe what we’re doing with the city. We’re making the city liveable and we’re making the city viable for future generations to ensure that it can back in the population growth plans that the Territory Government has announced, with real infrastructure that lifts living standards. Now, I believe that’s what Territorians would see as very important, so I wouldn’t diminish the project like that Adam. I think it’s a very good project for the Territory, plus the $100 million we’ve put into roads infrastructure.
We’re meeting out commitments in the Territory. We’re providing Budget support to the Territory like no previous Government, whether it’s on remote Indigenous housing or in general areas of service delivery, that’s what the $250 plus million extra was; to ensure the Territory could meet it’s responsibilities.
STEER: The Defence White Paper slated a $20 billion spend for the top end over the next 18 years, that includes $70 million upgrading Robertson Barracks, $1.2 Larrakia and the Kunanarra bases. Is that money still going to be spent in the top end of the Northern Territory?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah we’ve got $8 billion in Defence infrastructure upgrades coming into Darwin over the next decade and there’s over 5,000 Defence personnel – as you know – here in the Territory and particularly in and around Darwin. So they’re pretty big projects we’re investing in, around air capability, naval capability, rolling out some of our big programmes. Now, this is the biggest capital redevelopment and capability redevelopment of our Defence forces we’ve seen since the Second World War. We’re going to hit 2 per cent of GDP in Defence spending three years ahead of what we promised. And it’s not just the strategic significance of this, it’s the economic significance of this. Our Defence industry investments have been a key part of our economic growth plan. Now that has got unemployment in Australia down to five per cent. We had another good month of jobs figures come out this week and pleasingly, we also just had 40,000 plus full time jobs, more. Then on top of that, we had an improved, I’d say, wage data come out. The September quarter saw wages growing faster than inflation, not just in the quarter but through the year as well.
STEER: I just want to confirm Prime Minister, none of that Defence spend earmarked for the Northern Territory, is now being moved to Queensland?
PRIME MINISTER: No, we’ve got $8 billion worth of investment projects here in Darwin, they’re everything from P-8A aircraft support, the new aircraft combat systems, the explosive ordinance logistics programs, the air traffic control, the health command, it just goes on and on. It’s a big programme of works and I think that’s going to be a very important further stimulus to the Northern Territory economy.
STEER: You have been overseas and plagued by the debate over whether to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It’s been reported that you’ve told Indonesian ministers there is less than a fiver per cent chance that Australia will move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, is that correct?
PRIME MINISTER: No, it’s a complete furphy that report, an absolute furphy.
STEER: So is it on the cards, to move the embassy?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we have a process that we’re going through, that’s what I advised the Indonesian Government and we’ll follow our process. Australia will make its’ own decision when it comes to our foreign policy. I said at the time when I raised this issue; it’s a question we’re going to ask ourselves and it’s a question that I am going to consult on and that’s exactly what I have been doing. I was doing that as part of the East Asia Summit and I had a number of discussions on the topic. They were helpful and I was able to inform people of what our process is. There is a timetable on that, it will be done before Christmas, but Australia will make this decision, no one else. We will make it based on what we consider -
STEER: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: Our beliefs and our values and our interests.
STEER: Are you prepared to risk the Indonesian Free Trade Agreement over the move?
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t conflate the issues. I don’t conflate the issues. What we need to understand is that Australia has to set its’ own Australia foreign policy. All I have simply said Adam, is that some time ago, several weeks ago, that we were going to consider this question if we believed that it would advance the issues of the two state solution.
Now, what I am frustrated about, as are other leaders, is the lack of any progress towards a two state solution in the Middle East. This concerns us because we’re committed to it. Now, if it’s possible to advance this agenda by going down that path, then why couldn't we consider it? What I’m concerned about is, why would Bill Shorten not even want to ask the question? Then, when asking the question, would he want to take his cues from powers outside of Australia?
But look, the rest of the summit - I know there was a lot of focus on this in the Australian media - but very positive engagement with the Chinese leadership when I was there. I was pleased to see that we were able to get on with business with China. I think we’re moving into a new phase there, which I think is very good for Australia. Our positions have not changed, our consistency will be maintained but the relationship, I think, is very positive. I am looking further to further meetings when I head up to PNG tomorrow.
STEER: Well, let’s move to why you’re here today, significant events this afternoon. Laying a wreath with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, this is a very significant visit from the Prime Minister. He has been very diligent I think, in visiting many of these site around the world. It has been an important part of how he is leading his country and repositioning his country, which he has been successfully doing. But over 230 killed, as we know, in the bombing of Darwin. This was a scarring event for all time here in Australia and the fact that he is coming here today, I think in a very humble spirit, says a lot about him. I think it says a lot about where he is taking his country and it says a lot about the relationship with Australia.
So I hope today is an important day of healing for many. I know for some, whether they’re here in Darwin or anywhere else around the country - because people who were affected by that live all around the country, in my own electorate down in southern Sydney I know of people who were here at the time - I think it will be a difficult day for some, but I think an important one. So the ability to deal with those events but also hopefully to achieve reconciliation.
STEER: Prime Minister, thanks for your time this morning.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, good to be here Adam.