Media Releases
Relief on the way for Cairns Hospital
19 January 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Health, Member for Leichardt
The Morrison Government is acting to take the pressure off Cairns Hospital’s waiting lists and clinical services with a $60 million investment in Stage 1 of the Cairns University Hospital.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government had been listening to Far North Queenslanders and was acting.
“By delivering our plan for a strong economy we can make investments in projects like the Cairns University Hospital that Far North Queenslanders want and need,” the Prime Minister said.
“This will mean world class research and health facilities for Cairns.
“The people of Cairns know the challenges facing the Hospital. We’re acting because we’ve been listening to locals like LNP Member Warren Entsch who has been a strong advocate for the project. The people ignoring the issue have been the Palaszczuk Labor Government and Bill Shorten.”
The Morrison Government’s investment means James Cook University can purchase land and deliver a world class medical research through the new Cairns Tropical Enterprise Centre in the Cairns University Hospital Precinct. That will enable research and education staff at Cairns Hospital to be relocated to the new facility, freeing up space for around 150 beds in the hospital for patients and clinical services.
LNP Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch said while Cairns Hospital services were reported to be at 90 per cent capacity, many residents had firsthand experience of delays when the hospital was overcrowded and had even been redirected to Townsville.
“The staff at the hospital do incredible work and this $60 million investment shows that we’ve got their backs, and the backs of the more than 250,000 people the Cairns Hospital helps to look after,” Mr Entsch said.
“Building hospitals is the responsibility of the state government but they’ve let this issue drag on for so long we’ve had to act. This $60 million investment comes on top of the $39 million funding boost we made to Cairns Hospital in the last year while Bill Shorten’s mates in the Queensland Labor Government slashed $627,000 and blew half a million dollars to change the name of the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital.
“It’s time for the Palaszczuk Labor Government to step up and commit to the second stage of the Cairns University Hospital.”
Minister for Health Greg Hunt said Stage 1 of the Cairns University Hospital would be “a game changer” for Cairns.
“Help is on the way for Cairns,” Minister Hunt said.
“Our landmark investment will help take the pressure off Cairns Hospital. The new top notch facilities will bring high quality medical staff and researchers to Cairns ensuring the best care for residents. The research will also hone in on issues for Cairns residents including melanoma and tropical diseases.
“We can only make investments like this through our new Community Health and Hospitals Fund because we’ve got a plan for a stronger economy and we’re bringing the Budget back to balance. That’s also why we’ve put a record of more than $7 billion on the table for Queensland to deliver more doctors, nurses and services through our public hospital funding agreement and it’s high time the Palaszczuk Labor Government signed up and stopped holding out on Queenslanders who need the extra support.
“Our responsible investment stands in stark contrast to the Labor Party, where any time Bill Shorten promises to spend money he’s doing it off the back of $200 billion in higher taxes he wants to slug on Australians.
Doorstop, Fiji
18 January 2019
PRIME MINISTER: Can I begin by saying how devastated I am by the despicable, tragic and violent killing of Aiia Maasarwe. Every woman in Australia, every person in Australia should be able to travel home safely. I can’t begin to think of what I would say to her family. But I am thinking about her attacker. I suspect it’s the same thing that many Australians are thinking today. So, I know the police will do their job and they'll deal with it. But the rest of the country has to wake up today and deal with the most despicable of crimes. So my heartfelt condolences on behalf of myself and Jenny and my family, to her family. I just pray you can find whatever comfort you can in the worst of all circumstances.
So that said on a more positive note it's been great to be here with Anne over the last few days here in Fiji and of course in Vanuatu prior, to be really bringing together and taking, as we've said yesterday, this relationship to a whole new level. We've made further announcements here today, particularly about support for this wonderful institution, the University of the South Pacific which is obviously not just here in Suva - although this is where the majority of students are - but it reaches right across the South Pacific, raising up generations now for 50 years of young people from the Pacific, to take on leadership roles. Not just obviously in government, but across the economy, science, research, teaching, nursing, right across so many different areas. It's an important institution and today we announce further commitments to support it into the future. It's part of our ‘step-up’, it's part of our showing up and demonstrating that here today, as we will into the future and Anne will be leading that charge, along with our heads of mission right across the region.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on climate change, you said in the speech that you’ve made commitments in the area of climate change and that you will add to them, particularly here in the Pacific. Can you just expand on what you meant? You’re referring to infrastructure?
PRIME MINISTER: Well not just in infrastructure. What I'm saying is that we keep our commitments as Australia and we have made solid commitments when it comes to emissions reduction. We have been keeping them and we will keep them. I have said that we have already made financial commitments here in the Pacific, some $200 million already invested. $100 million further here in Fiji alone, most recently. And into the future, we will continue to fund these resilience works in the Pacific and we'll do it directly. As I've said, we won't be doing it through global climate funds or anything like that, we'll be doing it directly in our ongoing programmes to support climate change resilience works and preparedness here in the Pacific. It's our home and we'll be working with fellow family members here to address the impacts of climate change here in the Pacific.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, will you be working and adding any more announcements to counteract the cause and the spread of climate change, or just the impact?
PRIME MINISTER: Well our commitments on emissions reductions address part of those and our commitments on resilience work deals with the impacts. So, we have a comprehensive response when it comes to climate change. We have sensible, achievable commitments that will continue to ensure that Australia has a prosperous economy and Australians will have the choices that they want in the future, while at the same time respecting the need to address the real impacts of climate change, both here in the Pacific and elsewhere, at home and around the world.
JOURNALIST: The Fijian Prime Minister last night had some very strong words on climate change in his speech. He said Australia should not put the interests of one industry ahead of the lives of Pacific nations. Is it time to go further in moving towards a clean energy future?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we are already pursuing those policies in a way that I believe is consistent with what the Prime Minister is expecting of Australia. They were discussions we had yesterday and we have been having very positive discussions about our future investments in this area. It's very much welcomed that we will be doing this directly in partnership, whether it's countries like Fiji here, or where we were in Vanuatu, or anywhere else throughout the region.
This is direct work we're doing with people here. We're not going do it through, you know, those who are a million miles away from the Pacific. We're going to do it with people who live here and live with the consequences here, which includes Australia and Australians.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you’ve obviously turned a new leaf here in a serious way with Fiji. No one is pretending that the last two elections haven’t been fair, but there are still persistent critics within civil society here who say that there are authoritarians still within Mr Bainimarama’s regime. Will we use our position with Fiji under this agreement, to press Frank Bainimarama on that point?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't accept the premise of your question -
JOURNALIST: But that’s what they’re saying.
PRIME MINISTER: As you've just said, this most recent election demonstrates itself the enormous advances - and this is a country where its economy has been growing year on year, for nine years -
JOURNALIST: But those criticisms remain, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: The leadership that's been demonstrated here is setting up Fiji for a decade of prosperity and stability and continued peace. This is something that I've looked for, for a long time, and I'm so pleased to see it realised here, as someone who's had a longstanding interest in the welfare of the people of Fiji.
JOURNALIST: Just on the rugby league announcement today. I know at Labor's National Conference, they proposed getting a PNG team in the NRL. Would you see this announcement today as a step towards a potential Pacific or Fijian team in the NRL?
PRIME MINISTER: Well today as you know, I announced that we’ll be facilitating the pathway of a Fijian team in the Intrust New South Wales Rugby League. That obviously provides opportunities down the track, not only for potentially something like that - I mean, that's a matter for the NRL, at the end of the day, the Australian Government doesn't run the NRL. From time to time, I'd like to.
[Laughter]
But that is something that is beyond the responsibilities of the Prime Minister. But I am pleased that we're able to take this next step and I really thank the NRL for being up here today.
The NRL does tremendous work in the Pacific. That's why they're an important partner in our ‘step up’ programme. The PM's XIII match this year up in Port Moresby carried the message about opposing domestic violence. Sport is such a powerful tool to address important messages like that, whether it's in Australia or PNG or indeed here in Fiji. So the NRL, netball, rugby, all of these different sports have a key role to play in our ‘step up’ arrangements here in the Pacific, as do the churches. As you know, it was the first time ever a Prime Minister has attended a prayer breakfast here in Fiji today. Now, people may expect me to do that, fair enough. But churches and religion here in Fiji play an important role in their society, an incredibly important role. It's part of the fabric of the community here. Working with church leaders here, we will have Melanesian church leaders coming to Australia in the next few weeks, as part of our engagement program of churches working with churches in Australia, where there already is a great deal of interchange.
So whether it's NRL, whether it’s church, whether it's other community ties, education - I'm about, as you know, to head up to Nandi we’re we’re going to turn the sod up at Blackrock - this is a very wide-ranging partnership.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on what Frank Bainimarama said last night, he said that he repeatedly urged your predecessor to honour his commitment to a clean energy future. Did Mr Bainimarama urge you to honour a clean energy future?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I wouldn't put it in those terms because I mean, the Prime Minister and I have had quite a number of conversations about this. This is our third bilateral meeting and it's been a topic throughout our discussions. He's very well aware of my commitments as Prime Minister. My first conversation with him following taking on the role of Prime Minister actually addressed this, where I made it very clear that Australia would continue to honour the commitments that we’ve made on emissions reduction. That was very well received. So on that point, I think we very much got off on the right foot and there was a clear understanding that those commitments were in place, as Australians would expect us to make.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on PACER Plus, did Frank Bainimarama indicate that it’s likely that Fiji will sign up in the coming two or three months?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh look, I wouldn't speculate too much on that. I mean, with these arrangements, you know, you've got to be patient. PACER Plus is stronger with Fiji, that's my point to the Fijian Government and the point I made to the Prime Minister. That's why we've engaged in this new trade and economic study. It's also now encompassing issues around double tax arrangements which was a matter that was raised. You never know, kava could be the key factor.
JOURNALIST: On kava though, Nigel Scullion, the Indigenous Affairs Minister in 2015 wanted it banned because it could have a negative impact on Aboriginal communities. How are you going to manage that when you have got more kava coming in?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that was the point I made when I made the announcement in Vanuatu. I said that we would do this in a way that would ensure we would mitigate against those risks. I'm very alive to those risks and I think they're real, particularly in remote Indigenous communities. But I don't think it's beyond our wit or capability to ensure that we can manage personal importation for private use, so that when Pacific communities get together in Ashfield in Sydney, they can get more than, you know, half a bowl of kava. I mean, it’s important to understand the cultural significance, the role kava plays in Pacific communities. So, there's a cultural element to this and of course, there's a commercial one ultimately as well. But, I mean, kava can be exported into the United States, New Zealand and other parts of the world. New Zealand is also a place where they have Indigenous communities, as it is in the United States. So these are things that I think are not beyond our ability to control, but I think Senator Scullion is right, as I have said also, that we manage those risks carefully.
JOURNALIST: On the Murray-Darling Basin Prime Minister, do you think that you would be prepared or the Government would be prepared to sit down and see if you can rewrite the Murray-Darling Basin Plan to account for some of the dramatic changes we have seen recently?
PRIME MINISTER: As I said yesterday, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a bipartisan arrangement. It’s the product of a lot of work that has been done by governments of both persuasions and the most recent serious scientific work that was done to inform the very issues that we're now seeing played out, was done by the previous government.
Now, we're pulling together the licence-holders, the environmental licence-holders, water-holders and the water managers and I think we need to look carefully at what is actually occurring. Of course, the drought, as the Deputy Prime Minister has said, has had a devastating impact on what we're seeing. There has been a perfect storm of other environmental factors, which has crystallised into the serious fish deaths that we've seen. But before we start ripping up bipartisan agreements that have been very important to how we manage that area, I think it's important that we inform ourselves more. We put $5 million in for the fish species recovery programme, we're getting people together who actively have responsibility for managing these flows and particularly the New South Wales Government, who has the lead role here. So we want to support them in the decisions they take.
I believe it's a very serious issue, but I also know that when you deal with serious issues like this, you don't get involved in knee-jerk responses. You act calmly, methodically, you work with people who know what they’re talking about and you make calm and rational decisions. Where possible you make them together, because I think it’s the bipartisanship, the absence of playing politics with the Murray-Darling Basin, which is so important to ensuring we have an economy that can manage water in the basin.
JOURNALIST: On the Melbourne murder, we obviously don’t know all the details yet, but it’s yet another woman who has been murdered by domestic violence or by a random attacker. Do we need to get more radical in our approach to dealing with male violence against women in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: We must be forever vigilant. That’s why I’m so sickened by the attack and frankly disturbed by it, as I’m sure Australians are all around the country. We’ve put in $350 million for programs to address domestic violence around Australia. There will be a fourth action plan that we will be announcing between now and the next election, particularly as we move into the Budget. It’s a top, priority order issue for our Government and has been. Again, it’s something that should enjoy bipartisan commitment, it’s not something that we should do anything other than express great empathy and sympathy for the families of those who have suffered a terrible loss and just redouble our efforts in every occasion. I mean, it is just so shocking, I’m speechless.
Alright, thank you.
Joint Statement with the Prime Minister of Fiji
18 January 2019
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama met yesterday in Suva and reaffirmed the breadth and scope of the friendship between Australia and Fiji. We are natural partners, with a long history of cooperation and shared interests and values.
In recognition of our close cooperation, yesterday we agreed to elevate our bilateral relationship with the ‘Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership’, a broad-ranging and comprehensive agreement that will pave the way for deeper security, economic and people-to-people links. Vuvale means ‘family’, and we are committed to working together as family to strengthen our bond, grow our partnership, embrace new opportunities and address common challenges. Officials will work over the coming months to finalise the text of the agreement.
In demonstration of our personal commitment to this relationship, we have agreed to hold more regular ministerial and high-level meetings and exchanges, beginning with welcoming Prime Minister Bainimarama as a Guest of Government this year.
We will strengthen our defence and security cooperation, building on last year’s commitment to jointly redevelop the Blackrock Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Camp. Through this initiative, Fiji’s foundations on peacebuilding and security cooperation will be strengthened. We marked the start of construction with a ceremony at the site in Nadi.
Australia will also deliver a comprehensive border security assistance package to help reinforce the integrity of Fiji’s borders. The package of initiatives will build on long-established partnerships between our border security agencies, and will contribute to strengthening border management and security across the region.
We are also pleased to continue our work under the Pacific Maritime Security Program (PMSP). The PMSP is a $2 billion (over 30 years) program, which consists of replacement Guardian-class patrol boats, integrated aerial surveillance, and enhancements to regional cooperation. Fiji will receive two replacement Guardian-class patrol boats under the PSMP.
We are committed to deepening our bilateral trade and investment relationship, including through further trade liberalisation and economic cooperation. To this end, we will commission a trade and economic scoping study to identify ways to capitalise on the many economic opportunities between our countries, including taking into account issues relating to double taxation.
Australia is committed to increasing labour mobility opportunities for Fiji and other Pacific countries. We will immediately begin work on Fiji’s entry into Australia’s Pacific Labour Scheme in 2019 so that Fiji can take advantage of this partnership.
Australia welcomes Fiji into the Pacific Medicines Testing Program, a joint initiative of the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Fiji joins nine other Pacific island countries participating in this program.
Our personal connections and people-to-people links form the foundation of our relationship. Fiji acknowledges and welcomes the technical assistance and capacity building initiatives that Australia provides to complement the modernisation efforts of the Fijian institutions. We discussed ways to facilitate travel between our two countries.
Sport, in particular, is a shared passion. As part of Australia’s new Australia-Pacific Sports Linkages Program, the Australian Government will provide support for the travel costs associated with entering a team from Fiji to compete in the NSWRL Intrust Super Premiership in 2020. This would see Fiji’s best athletes competing in one of Australia’s most-loved sporting events. We also look forward to pre-season NRL matches being played the Pacific, including one match in Fiji in 2021. To celebrate women in sports, the Australian Government will work with Netball Australia to assist the Fijian national team prepare for the Netball World Cup in the UK in July 2019, through in-country support.
We are also pleased to announce a new Australia-University of the South Pacific partnership, worth $84 million over six years (2019-24), to support efforts to meet the tertiary education needs of the Pacific. The partnership will also support the Pacific to implement its new Regional Education Framework, with a focus on improving the quality of teacher education in the region.
The Australian Government, in partnership with FreeTV, will also commit $17.1 million to provide 1,000 hours of new Australian television content each year for three years to Pacific broadcasters.
Australia congratulates Fiji on its hosting of the Asian Development Bank’s Annual Meeting in Nadi on 2-5 May 2019. Fiji will be the first Pacific island country to host this important event. Australia will provide in-kind and financial assistance to support Fiji’s hosting.
Australia also welcomes Fiji’s bid to host the Pacific Islands Forum in 2021, the PIF’s 50th anniversary year. The PIF plays an important role in fostering political, security and economic cooperation across the Pacific, and providing Pacific island countries a united voice on the global stage. Fiji reaffirms its commitment to work closely with other Pacific Leaders in safeguarding our collective interests.
Fiji also acknowledges Australia’s support on recent leadership roles in the global arena, namely for climate change and Oceans Conferences, and we will continue to work together on mutual and strategic interests such as climate change, ocean health and regional security.
We commit to work together to strengthen further the bilateral relationship and to contribute our best efforts to making the Pacific a region that is secure strategically, stable economically and sovereign politically.
Joint remarks with the Prime Minister of Fiji
17 January 2019
PRIME MINISTER BAINIMARAMA: Thank you members of the press, I am confident when I say that today’s bilateral was not only a clear success, it truly marks a new chapter in the Fiji-Australian relationship.
The Fijian economy is in the midst of record growth, our people are welcoming unprecedented opportunity and our voice is being amplified around the world. It’s refreshing to see that with Prime Minister Morrison and this new ‘step up’ in diplomacy, this new era of Fijian achievement is finally being given the attention it deserves.
I don’t need to dwell on the fact that in the years after 2006, the Fijian-Australian relationship was put to the test. From my conversation with Prime Minister Morrison, it’s clear now more than ever that we can put this behind us in the past, letting bygones be bygones. As our diplomatic relationship deepens from this meeting, it is my hope that our economies, our people and our partnership will rise to new heights.
Now that we have established a relationship based on trust and mutual respect, I am glad that we will no longer see diplomacy through headlines and hurried phone calls. I look forward to building on this progress with a more open, candid and direct line of communication with Canberra. I am proud to say that Prime Minister Morrison and I have dubbed a new Fiji-Australia Vuvale partnership aiming to consolidate our two countries’ relations in order to leverage new opportunities and address common challenges. In the Indigenous i-Taukei language, Vuvale means family. So I cannot think of a more appropriate name as we reset our relationship with the nation that more than 70,000 Fijians now call home, maybe a little bit more than that.
Prime Minister Morrison and I discussed security and defence cooperation including peace-keeping, border and maritime security, to strengthen relations in this area Fiji and Australia will jointly develop the Blackrock peace-keeping and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief camp in Nadi, something we will see much more of at tomorrow’s site visit. Once completed, the facility will provide an unprecedented level of assistance and safety to Fiji and the Pacific region.
Meanwhile it’s important to recognise that our partnerships today are broadening far beyond security, with Australia offering invaluable technical assistance and capacity-building to reshape and modernise Fijian institutions. Nowhere will this be more evident than in the Fijian classroom as we continue to build upon our ongoing education revolution that is transforming the way Fijians teach and learn, using lessons from the Aussies along the way, to make a more efficient and effective education sector.
We are also committed to further deepening trade and investment between Australia and Fiji. I am passionate about opening up new markets that will allow a new age of ambitious Fijian farmers and entrepreneurs to financial success, while giving Australians access to the quality of Fijian-made goods.
On this note, I thank the Prime Minister for yesterday’s landmark announcement that Australia will be easing restrictions on kava imports, a move that will undoubtedly enrich the lives of Fijian farmers for generations to come. As we look to loosen the flow of goods, we hope to do the same with our people, from easing visa applications, to enacting the Pacific Labour Scheme for the benefit of Fijian workers and Australia.
I hope to see great progress in the establishment of our people-to-people relationships across a broad front in 2019. I’ll have more to say tonight and I look forward to seeing you all at our official welcome dinner this evening. Vinaka vakalevu, thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: It is a great privilege and pleasure to be here with Prime Minister Bainimarama. As we’ve already said today I congratulate him on his re-election and I also congratulate him on his leadership of COP23. It is a privilege to be here with a leader of the Pacific and a leader of his nation and for us to be now taking our relationship between Australia and Fiji to a landmark level, a new level. I want to thank you Prime Minister for the way you’ve described where we’re now heading and what we’re going to achieve in the years ahead. To elevate our relationship, our bilateral relationship to a Fiji-Australia Vuvale partnership, this is really a centerpiece partnership in the Pacific, which speaks volumes about the type of relationship Australia is now looking to establish right across this region. We are different in our association with the Pacific, than almost any other developed nation anywhere else in the world, with the exception of New Zealand; and that is, we live together as a family of nations in the Pacific. Our interactions with each other, our engagement with each other, our partnership with each other, has to be done in the spirit of a family relationship. I think that’s what we’ve been able to achieve here today, in addressing the many issues that are before us and as the Prime Minister has said, they encompass quite a few issues.
Now I’ve learned a few things about the Prime Minister over the last couple of days and in our other meetings we’ve had in Australia. I’ve worked out particularly on this visit that we’ve both chosen well, in terms of Mrs Bainimarama and Jen and it was great for them to be able to meet here and I think we’ve done pretty well, you and I. Maybe punching a bit above our weight, but nevertheless I think we’ve done well and it’s great to have Jenny here as part of this visit. I know she’s been enjoying what she’s been doing this afternoon, visiting schools and other places. But also we share a very strong commitment to understanding that unless our countries have strong economies, then we cannot achieve what we want to achieve for our people.
A strong economy is what delivers our health services, our educations services, our schools, our nurses, our doctors, our disability support, all of these things. I want to commend the Prime Minister for the work that he has done here in Fiji, to strengthen the Fijian economy, an economy which can be battered by natural disasters and Australia is always the first to turn up and assist Fiji when those disasters strike. But it’s the resilience and the planning for the Fijian Government and its leader that enables and has enabled Fiji’s economy to strengthen, particularly over recent times and become able to deal with challenges that we all face into the future.
That’s why our economic relationship is so important to the Vuvale partnership. An economic relationship which sees Fiji very much as a hub in the Pacific economy. That’s why we were pleased today to announce and discuss the new trade and economic scoping study that will assist and inform both parties as we work through the Pacer Plus programme and to also deal with any double tax treaty arrangements which have been raised by Fiji with Australia.
So we have a process to carry those issues forward as to how we can strengthen our economic relationship. But that economic relationship is also strengthened by our investments in education, by our investments in stability within the region more broadly. Because out of stability, prosperity always flows and that’s what our economic agreements - whether they relate to the Seasonal Workers Program and the Pacific Labour Program, it is designed for the shared skilling of our labour forces. In Australia, we have major demands, particularly in our agricultural sector, our hospitality sector, our aged care and disability sector and we believe these programs can really provide support to both skill Fijian workers who will have the opportunity to work in Australia, but also share those skills when they come back and work in Fiji. Dealing with our short-term skills requirements, as well as dealing with the longer-term economic needs of Fiji.
Our comprehensive border security assistance package will help reinforce the integrity of Fiji’s borders and in the weeks ahead there will be high-level delegations coming from our border officials and others across our agencies, who will begin the work of putting the details into those arrangements. Of course there’s the Pacific Maritime Security Program which includes a $2 billion program over 30 years which consists of the replacement of the Guardian Class Patrol Boats, integrated aerial surveillance and enhancements to regional cooperation. Fiji will receive two replacement Guardian Class Patrol Boats under this program.
We’re beginning work on Fiji’s entry into the Australian Pacific Labour Scheme as I’ve mentioned. That has already occurred and we look forward to that playing out over the course of the next year and beyond.
We also welcome Fiji into the Pacific Medicines Testing Program. That’s a joint initiative of the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Fiji will join nine other Pacific Island countries that are participating in that program.
The Australia University of the South Pacific Partnership will be worth more than $84 million over the next six years and that is Australia’s investment ensuring the tertiary education system that has been provided here, will be able to meet future needs.
We’re also announcing the Australian Government, in partnership with Free TV Australia will commit some $17.1 million to provide 1,000 hours of new Australian television content each year for three years to Pacific broadcasters across the region. That would include opportunities obviously here in Fiji.
Finally, one thing we also have greatly in common is our passion for sport. I welcome the fact that Prime Minister Bainimarama is a Wallabies fan before he’s an All Blacks fan, but he’s always a Fiji fan first. But it is very encouraging to our boys, I’m sure Michael Cheika will be very pleased as I’m sure he already knows about your interest in the Wallabies. But what we’re pleased to say is, that shared passion has a practical element to the relationship between our countries; our Government will be providing support for the travel costs associated with Fiji entering a team to compete in the NSW Rugby League Intrust Super Premiership in 2020. We also look forward to pre-season NRL matches being played in the Pacific, including a match in Fiji in 2021. We’re also celebrating women in sports, particularly in these codes but also the Australian Government will work with Netball Australia to assist the Fijian national team prepare for the Netball World Cup in the UK in July 2019 through in-country support.
So you can see across all these initiatives, whether it’s in the economy, whether it’s in security, whether it’s in culture, whether it’s in sport, this is a broad based relationship. Today I’m just so pleased that Prime Minister Bainimarama and I were able to take that relationship to a new landmark level in the spirit of Vuvale and for that I say to him, vinaka vakalevu.
Doorstop, Fiji
17 January 2019
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s wonderful to be back in Fiji. It’s particularly great to be here in Suva and it’s wonderful to be part of what is a new phase, a new era, a landmark phase of Australia’s relationship with Fiji. I particularly want to thank Prime Minister Bainimarama for his acknowledgement today after our bilateral meeting of where this relationship is going in such a positive way and I’m looking forward to the future of this relationship and there are a number of announcements and visits we’ll be making while we’re here again over the next 24 hours.
But today I think has been a very successful bring together of the key elements that will make our relationship into the future even stronger. Our standing with Fiji, our relationship with Fiji I think has reached a new level and I thank Prime Minister Bainimarama for confirming that today.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the Vuvale Partnership, can you tell us specifically what it entails when, if you’re going to sign it when that might happen? Can you expand a bit on this Partnership?
PRIME MINISTER: Well vuvale as you know is the Fijian word for ‘families’, so that actually describes the type of relationship first that we’re talking about here. There are many different types of diplomatic relationships between countries, comprehensive strategic partnerships, I’m sure you’re familiar with these frameworks and statuses of partnerships between countries. The Vuvale Partnership I think is really outlining a very new kind of understanding and agreement between Australia and our Pacific Island family friends. This relationship and this new partnership we begin the process of negotiating and putting together.
What we’re announcing today is the commencement of that process, not its completion, and it’s starting with a pretty long book of things we’re getting done here in Fiji. The investment we’re making in the South Pacific University, the investments we’ve already made in Blackrock, the investments we’re making through opening up the Pacific Labour Scheme, the work we’re doing in the cultural space, particularly the announcement I made today, some $17 million across the Pacific for new content that will be made available to be shown on broadcasters across the Pacific including here in Fiji. The work we’re doing in the sports area, opening up to our competitions Fijian sports teams and indeed supporting the Fijian netball team to prepare for the next world cup. So we already start from a very strong place of initiatives, both new ones that I’m announcing here during my visit but also things that have already been in train for some time.
We very much see of Fiji at the centre of the Pacific economy and as a hub of the Pacific economy. And so whether it’s education and training, whether it’s the Pacific Labour Scheme that actually allows for the rotation of skills development and the meeting of Labour needs between our two countries, this is something that really is a win-win for both countries. A lot of substance, a lot of work still to do. I should also stress the border management element of this new partnership and we will have senior officials from Australia here in Fiji in the next couple of weeks to begin the work on the detail planning and discussions around the components of that.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on Neil Prakash, did Frank Bainimarama raise this issue with you today and what did he say?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: It wasn’t raised in any form?
PRIME MINISTER: He did not raise it with me, because this matter had already been dealt with before our meetings today. And as the Fijian Government has been saying, we have the same view. We’re here about a much bigger partnership and we’ve been able to work through those issues and move forward and I think that’s a tremendous thing.
JOURNALIST: Did you sense any sentiment from the Prime Minister that he didn’t want this issue to overshadow your visit?
PRIME MINISTER: No I wouldn’t describe it like that. I would describe it that what is important here is the new phase of our relationship. I mean, an Australian Prime Minister coming to Suva, coming to Fiji, this is the first time this has happened in quite some time. And as the Prime Minister outlined in his remarks at our joint press conference, to enable us to move past the events of some years ago is a major breakthrough for this relationship and I’m very pleased and proud to have been playing my part in achieving that. And so this is a relationship that’s moving up and moving on.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just two questions. On ‘bygones be bygones’, which is what Frank Bainimarama said, do you think previous Australian governments miscalculated when they decided to freeze out Fiji?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s not for me to commentate on my predecessors on this and previous governments. What it’s for me to do is to make sure I’m getting right as Prime Minister and that’s what I am doing and I feel that the Prime Minister and I have been able to strike a good rapport in now what has been my third bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister - two in Australia and one here again today - and as part of an official visit that provides further opportunities I think to deepen that relationship. And not just with the Prime Minister but across ministers of his cabinet and other officials. So I’m very pleased, as someone who has had a deep and long-standing interest in Fiji, a passion for the Fijian people and a passion for the relationship between Australia and Fiji, that we’re able to bring it to this new level.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, we’ve seen some fairly strident criticism reiterated by Concetta Fierravanti-Wells today about the risk of saddling Pacific nations with excessive debt. The timing you would have to say is quite excruciating on this visit. What’s your response to her concerns that some of these nations simply aren’t in a position to take out any more loans?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I don’t agree with your perspective that she’s offered and for this reason I would agree with the perspective that has been shared with me, not just by Pacific leaders across the region but our allies and partners well beyond our region. The Pacific step-up program has been incredibly well received and what we’re offering, whether it’s through our cultural programs, whether it’s through our education programs, whether it’s our infrastructure programs and particularly the infrastructure facility. Let’s not forget that that facility is made up of two components. $500 million in grants. Not loans, $500 million in grants. $1.5 billion in concessional finance.
Now, one of the things we can do as a nation that has a partnership with Fiji and other nations in the Pacific is work on projects that are bankable, work on projects that actually can support that type of finance, that we don’t allow projects to go ahead in that program which can’t support those types of financing arrangements and that fund just doesn’t also deal with governments. It deals with private sector operators as well who are investing and pursuing projects within the region. I also has a great response to the Pacific step-up program when I met with leaders amongst the G20 and as part of the ASEAN Forum earlier, sorry late last year, because they see this as an opportunity to leverage their own investments in a really great partnership with countries like Australia and indeed I would add New Zealand, who have great relationships with Pacific nations. We are in a very good position on the ground to identify the projects that really can turn the dial and make a difference, whether it’s in Fiji or anywhere else. So we have a very structured, focused program. It’s a responsible program and part of that program is building that capability to support financing of bankable projects.
JOURNALIST: Just on some Australian issues, on the Great Barrier Reef funding, why was the Government so hell-bent on offering this grant to a non-government partner rather than an agency such as the CSIRO?
PRIME MINISTER: Because this agency, this organisation, which is outside of government… for a start, I don’t think that government has all the answers and I don’t think government is the only organisation that can do things. There are many others, and this organisation, this foundation has a good reputation who have been able to identify priorities and projects, which includes the CSIRO. You know, sometimes it’s not good to give the money just to one group to fund itself. What we want to see is a legacy of having this capital amount there, to be able to support projects well into the future. The audit report today basically hit out of the park all of the Labor Party’s and all of the naysayers’ criticism of our Government, of our Ministers, of the former Prime Minister, myself, the Environment Minister and when Bill Shorten wants to apologise, he can.
JOURNALIST: Are you disappointed the Environment Department failed to follow appropriate guidelines on transparency, leaving the Ministers to base their decisions on a flawed process?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I don’t agree with your characterisation of those reports, that is I think, an overstatement. But what I would say is this; that where there are lessons to be learned, from any of these audit reports – I mean there are many audit reports – the purpose of them is to take the lessons and ensure the public service and others who are the subject of those, improve processes in the future. But the fundamental issue that the Government was accused of was an impropriety - by the Labor Party -on behalf of the Ministers. That was an outrageous slur and it has been rejected by the auditor’s report.
JOURNALIST: Live animal exports, how concerned are you about the reports that people were paid to potentially switch off ventilation or exhaust vents to distress sheep to get this footage?
PRIME MINISTER: I’m very disappointed that the politics of this issue has led to that sort of behaviour. What I’m focused on and my Government is focused on, is dealing with the actual issue. Australia has an outstanding record when it comes to animal welfare and we want to make sure that our systems and processes are always up to standard and we’re doing the right thing. So my focus is on getting it right and doing it right. I’m disappointed that those who seem only interested in playing the activist politics of this issue are more focused on those issues, but I’ll leave them to explain themselves. I’ll just focus on what the Australian people expect us to focus on; getting this right and doing what’s right.
JOURNALIST: We’ve seen a lot of fish deaths in Murray-Darling, Michael McCormack has said it’s probably time to tweak the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, are cotton farmers particularly being unfairly targeted over this or do you think they have a case to answer?
PRIME MINISTER: The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a bipartisan initiative. I think this is a very important point. I don’t want to see the disturbing scenes we’ve seen in relation to the fish deaths trigger some sort of pre-election political game being played with what is a very important area of environmental management for the Basin. Some years ago back in 2012, under the previous Government in fact, Labor had conducted scientific studies that were intended to inform the Murray-Darling Basin Plan that deals with these issues. It has been following that research and that science.
Now, we have already taken action to convene a meeting of the water managers and the license holders to review what has happened, we’ve put $5 million into a fish recovery programme, species recovery programme for native species. These are important measures that need to be undertaken, we’re just going to keep working the issue. Of course the New South Wales Government and the Minister there Niall Blair there, he is taking the lead role when it comes to the water flow issues, because they have responsibility for that, obviously as the state government. But we have to work with the state governments, they have majority carriage of the practical issues here. But we need to maintain the bipartisan support for this plan, I do not want to see this politicised, it is too important for Australia and all of those who depend on that system and for the future of our environment in that system. So we will continue to take, I think, a very sober, a very professional and a very responsible approach to dealing with what is a very distressing and disturbing issue, I know for many, many Australians.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, an issue regarding Neil Prakash [inaudible], the Immigration Director here says it’s not a problem for Fiji because he’s not a Fijian citizen. If he’s not a Fijian citizen, how can Australia strip him of his Australian citizenship?
PRIME MINISTER: Those matters were all dealt with before our discussions, I don’t propose to go into them any further. We will continue to act in accordance with our laws and the Fijian Government will act in accordance with theirs. But it’s been great to be here and part of this groundbreaking new relationship. It’s great to see it on the track that it is and I’m looking forward to further engagements not only with Prime Minister Bainimarama but everyday Fijians here as we get out and about over the next 24 hours.
Thank you very much.
Doorstop, Vanuatu
16 January 2019
PRIME MINISTER: Well g’day everyone. I’m glad you could join us, it’s tremendous to be here in Vanuatu. Last year I announced our Government’s ‘step up’ programme, our Pacific ‘step up’ programme and when you step up, you have to show up. You have to turn up and that’s what we’re doing right here. In this first visit here to Vanuatu and the first of many I hope, of Pacific Island nations who we see absolutely as family and as friends. We’re interested in their independence, in their sovereignty, in their prosperity, in their development, in their protection. To ensure they can have stability and a peaceful place in which to live their lives and their futures. For 40 years Australia has been here and in 2020 Vanuatu will celebrate 40 years of independence and they have come such a long way and there is so much more to be achieved. We’re very pleased to be a partner with them and an equal partner with them. So today, whether it’s the announcements that we’ve made regarding progressing the security treaty, to the investments we’re making in community policing, upgrading police stations, ensuring that we're investing in the roads and infrastructure they need and wide-ranging discussions on everything from trade to our support for the Pacific - and in particular Vanuatu - in terms of resilience on climate change.
All of this has been well received. We very much appreciate the direct and friendly and engaging partnership we have with Vanuatu, as we indeed have with all of our Pacific Island family and partners.
So, very pleased to be here and progressing that with my wife Jenny and looking forward to the rest of the programme.
JOURNALIST: Just on climate change, it’s obviously something we’re dealing with, with Vanuatu, we’re going to be helping them out with projects here. Were they concerned we're not doing enough back at home to combat climate change?
PRIME MINISTER: That wasn't raised with me today. These have been issues that the Prime Minister has expressed - particularly when he was at APEC - more generally. It's obviously an important issue to Vanuatu, as it is to Australia. Australia is not only keeping all of our commitments, but we’re making sure that the investments that we're making to combat climate change particularly in the Pacific, is going to be done directly; not through third parties, not through global climate funds. Directly, in direct investments on projects with individual Pacific Island nations. Those nations themselves have known the frustrations of dealing with large international bureaucracies. We're getting rid of all that. We're just going to deal directly with Pacific Island partners on the projects that make a difference to them and support their programmes to combat resilience on climate change.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, nations in the Pacific have made it clear they’d like to see more ambition when it comes to cutting emissions. Is that something that Australia is willing to contemplate under your Government?
PRIME MINISTER: What the response I have had is, they welcome the fact that Australia makes and keeps its commitments. We've made our commitments and we're keeping our commitments. We’re the ones who have kept the commitments on emissions reduction, not only on Kyoto 1 and we will on Kyoto 2. We will also meet - as I’ve said - at a canter, our commitments out to 2030 with the programmes we’ll ensure are in place in future. So Australia doesn't talk about this stuff, we do this stuff. When we say we’re going to work with the Pacific, we’re not going do it through, you know, departments and committees of international agencies. We're going to do it as friends and partners here in the region direct. Because we understand each other and we're genuine about our concern for the things that trouble them most.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on the security treaty you mentioned, Ralph Regenvanu the Foreign Minister has made it clear he wasn't in favour of it only yesterday. Do you believe it’s still a live option in that circumstance?
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely. It's been announced that we're progressing it as a security treaty and I think today has been a good opportunity, I think, to further outline and build understanding about what we're seeking to achieve here.
This is about everything from dealing with illegal foreign fishers and drug-traffickers to the most basic of community policing and security arrangements that make Vanuatu a peaceful place. This is a broad ranging agreement, and I think coming here personally and having the opportunity to talk through specifically what we're seeking to achieve, has ensured, I think, a very positive breakthrough here. Which means that we - not just here in Vanuatu, but in countries throughout the Pacific - will be looking to put those arrangements in place, because it's good for our region, good for our family region.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you talk about Australia being Vanuatu's partner of choice for security and economic development. The other partner they have though is China. What are you saying to Pacific Island countries, not just Vanuatu but others as well, that will warn them off making China their partner of choice?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s not about that. We're here because we’re for the independent sovereignty and prosperity of Vanuatu, because they are our Pacific neighbours and family. That’s why we're here. Our objectives and our motives here I think are very transparent to our family and friends here in the Pacific, particularly here in Vanuatu.
See, this question is put to me all the time. We don't have to choose. We just have to work cooperatively together. So, we will continue to do that, I have made that very clear in my engagements with, you know, the great powers in the region – there’s more than one, there are many - we engage with all of them. But I think the difference for Australia and indeed New Zealand is that this is where we live. This is our family area and we work together as equals. We’re very much about the success of all the Pacific Island nations, which is why I'm here.
JOURNALIST: We have heard several references now to family, the Pacific family. Yet, the vast majority of ni-Vanuatu don't have ready access to travel to Australia, to and from Australia or New Zealand for that matter. But right now, it's easier for any ni-Vanuatu person to travel to Europe than it is to their next door neighbour, to Australia. Do you see any grounds, any opportunity here to make travel to and from Australia easier for the average ni-Vanuatu?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there are three programmes, two of which were existing. One is the new Pacific Leaders Program that will provide for more regular access and more facilitated travel for those who have quite frequent interactions with Australia. That’s part of the new Pacific ‘step-up’ initiative. But in addition to that, the Seasonal Workers Program and the Pacific Labour Program are very important programs - not just for Australia, by the way - and they’re very much appreciated particularly in our agricultural sector. But they’re also appreciated programs across the Pacific and particularly here in Vanuatu, where another team of workers who went just towards the end of last year under that program and the remittances that flow to that and back into our economy.
Australia has always had a universal visa program. That has been one of the key points of architecture of our immigration and border protection system and it's not something we're changing. But we have particularly arrangements, whether it’s with Pacific Island countries, or others, that for more frequent exchanges then we have been able to provide some facilitated arrangements.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Vanuatu's Foreign Minister says the country is considering suing companies and countries responsible for emissions that lead to climate change. On that specifically, legal action, taking this issue to court, do you support Vanuatu and other countries that might be considering similar action?
PRIME MINISTER: Our support for Vanuatu is demonstrated in the practical things we do here and that speaks volumes. So $50 million to be here and support the recovery from Cyclone Pam. I mean Vanuatu doesn't doubt our friendship, they don’t doubt our partnership status and they don't doubt our commitment.
But Australia in terms of our commitments, we make them, we keep them. We show up, we turn up every time and that's what's valued.
JOURNALIST: But if they take legal action, they’re going to need other countries to support them.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that’s a matter for them.
JOURNALIST: Just on another issue if that’s alright? Superannuation, would you consider using the Future Fund as a default super fund as Kelly O’Dwyer has suggested?
PRIME MINISTER: I’m aware of that proposal, but talking about superannuation what I would simply say is Bill Kelty had called Bill Shorten out, on superannuation. He has basically said that he is an errand boy for the unions and the industry funds.
I mean, these proposals that came forward from the Productivity Commission - and they’re very sensible insights - best in show, these types of things, I think what it has highlighted is the real weakness that is there in the system, which is being built up by the power-grab of the unions when it comes to managing Australians’ money. As the Productivity Commission showed, that is costing Australians.
So we’ve done the work on that, we’ll carefully consider the Productivity Commission’s recommendations. I’m aware of that proposal, it’s not Government policy. What I have been more struck by with the Productivity Commission Report on superannuation is, it has totally called out how ordinary Australians’ savings are being undermined by a closed-shop mentality coming to manage where people’s money goes.
I mean, the fact that workers’ money can just, default, be siphoned off into a non-performing fund and that gets three cheers from Bill Shorten on behalf of the industry funds pulling his chain, well, I don’t think that’s good enough. I don’t think that’s a good enough explanation from Bill Shorten.
JOURNALIST: Back to the region, there’s a ‘stepping up’ by Australia in this region, can you say hand-on-heart that this ‘stepping up’ would be happening, if China’s presence wasn’t being felt here?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re here because we believe in the region and always have. We’ve always been here. We will always be here supporting our friends and family and partners in the Pacific. We have done it for decades. In fact we’ve been here for forty years, right here and we will continue to be here because we believe in the peace and prosperity and stability and independence and sovereignty of our region. That’s what creates a stable region for Australia. That’s what I think does the best for the people of the Pacific and the people of Vanuatu.
JOURNALIST: Can I ask, just back to Australian issues as well?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s like a tennis match.
[Laughter]
All inspired by the Australian Open.
JOURNALIST: Richard Di Natale has promised to send his MPs around the country to hold citizenship ceremonies in Councils who have been, don’t want to hold them. Can you prevent that or will you look to address that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is a stunt from Richard Di Natale. I think it is disrespecting the very serious issue of citizenship and is just a further attempt to try and undermine Australia Day.
Now, Australia Day is Australia’s national day. It’s not good enough to say that you just won’t change it. You’ve got to stand up for it and I’m standing up for it.
Bill Shorten will let it fade away, Australia Day. He won’t stand up for it, he’ll be dragged by the Greens, he’ll be dragged by those members of his own Party. You know he’s happy to mouth the words when it comes to Australia Day, but when it comes to actually stepping up, maintaining standards, making sure that the one day where a new citizen of Australia, a new Australian, should be able to get that great privilege and honour, should be on our national day.
My view is if you’re not prepared to hand out a citizenship on Australian Day, well you shouldn’t be allowed to hand one out at all.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, we’ve seen Theresa May - can we jump to Britain now - suffer a heavy, heavy defeat in the Commons over Brexit. What’s your view, can Theresa May’s Government stand in these circumstances and what are the prospects of any sort of workable Brexit?
PRIME MINISTER: Well a couple of things from Australia’s point of view. We have been working assiduously now for several years since the Brexit vote to ensure that we are addressing both our market access now in terms of the EU - which obviously still includes Great Britain under the current arrangements - but also to envisage how we would engage in a post-Brexit world as well, the circumstance of that are quite obviously unclear at the moment.
But Australians should feel very reassured that a safe and steady pair of hands has been managing what is a very uncertain and unstable set of arrangements. So we have continued to pursue Australia’s interests in all the scenarios. The second point I would make it while the uncertainty that is the immediate shock of what’s happening in terms of the issues with Brexit is there, the direct economic impacts on Australia - I know from my days as Treasurer - is limited.
But it does highlight the impacts of global uncertainty in the economy. Now, we’re already seeing some real tensions when it comes to trade and I have had plenty to say about that, particularly last year. In 2019 the global economy is facing more uncertainty than it was this time last year. At a time of increasing uncertainty in the global economy - largely things that Australia and indeed the Pacific or any other nations have no direct ability to influence one day or the other - it's very important that you manage your own economic affairs very tightly, that you ensure your economy remains strong. That's why I think the proposals that have been put about by our opponents to increase taxes by $200 billion over the next ten years - I mean, there’s never a good time to do that, in my view - but to do it at a time of global uncertainty, when the housing market has had a soft landing, but under what Labor is proposing, they could certainly turn it into a crash landing.
JOURNALIST: On trade, we’ve had an announcement of a pilot program to get a product into Australia, kava, coming in. Can you run us through why this was so necessary?
PRIME MINISTER: Well this is important to Vanuatu, it’s been raised for many years. We have to be careful about how we proceed on this because what we don’t want to see is the importation of kava into Australia create other challenges, particularly in Australian Indigenous communities. That has been the long-standing reservation that Australia has had, but I am confident that we can work together to come up with a programme which both protects Australians from any of those risks, but at the same time allows for the cultural experience and exchanges that would take place with Pacific peoples can continue at a much greater level.
I mean, there are currently import restrictions for personal use. It’s a very modest amount that can come in, which is hardly going to manage one family gathering I think in Western Sydney. I think we’ve just got to be practical about this, we’ll work up the details, we’ll be careful about how we proceed. But why is it important? Because it’s important to Vanuatu and it’s important for their industry. We’ve already helped Vanuatu in terms of trade and market access when it comes to kava in other markets around the world. It’s important here and we want to see them succeed. That’s why we want to do it, because we want to see them succeed and we want to remove unnecessary obstacles to their success. And that’s why we’re here; you step up, you turn up.
Thanks very much.
[ENDS]
Joint Statement with the Prime Minister of Vanuatu
16 January 2019
The Prime Ministers of Australia and Vanuatu have today reaffirmed the strong, enduring and multifaceted relationship between our countries. This relationship is based on common values, shared aspirations, respect and friendship, and our shared interest in the peace and prosperity of our home, the Pacific.
The Australian Prime Minister’s historic and first official visit to Vanuatu reinforces the importance of this relationship for both our countries, following on from the Prime Minister of Vanuatu’s official visit to Australia in June last year.
We work together to support economic and human development, national security and regional stability, climate and disaster resilience and response, and other areas important to our relationship and our region.
Today, we have undertaken to build on these firm foundations.
The links between people, communities, educators and students, sporting groups and churches in Australia and Vanuatu are longstanding and extensive. They are the ties that bind us. We want to build on those links and make them stronger.
In the spirit of this strong partnership, Australia is committed to helping Vanuatu achieve its national development goals, including in education and skills development in urban and rural areas to create jobs and economic growth; build climate resilient infrastructure; and support responsive and capable institutions to deliver services.
We are increasing labour mobility opportunities that will deliver dividends for Vanuatu workers and Australian businesses. Vanuatu already has the highest participation rate in the Pacific under the Seasonal Workers Program, and will benefit from the new Pacific Labour Scheme. We will work together to improve selection and preparation of new entrants, enhance links with Australian businesses and employers, and maximise skills development opportunities. We were pleased to welcome the first twelve ni-Vanuatu workers under the new scheme to Australia in December 2018.
We will deliver more high quality major infrastructure and economic investments together. On 16 January, we officially opened the Lini Highway upgrade – named in honour of Vanuatu’s founding father – and completed the Port Vila Urban Development project. This $39 million investment has transformed Port Vila’s road and drainage network, and provides public amenities such as walking paths, public restrooms and laundry facilities. The new $2 billion Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), announced in November 2018, will also provide substantial new sustainable infrastructure investment opportunities. This initiative will offer grant funding and long-term loans to support high priority infrastructure development in telecommunications, energy, transport and water.
Australia will continue to provide support for the reform and revitalisation of Vanuatu’s national television and radio broadcaster, the Vanuatu Broadcast and Telecommunications Corporation (VBTC).
Our passion for sports is a strong bond between us. The Australia-Pacific Sports Linkages Program provides a framework to develop sports cooperation and as part of this program, Australia will bring the Young Matildas to the Pacific in the second half of 2019. This will be the first Australian national football team tour of the Pacific since 2006.
Australia will continue to support Vanuatu in its development efforts in building its resilience, and response to and recovery from natural disasters. Australia’s $50 million investment in Tropical Cyclone Pam recovery and reconstruction has helped to rebuild community infrastructure and revitalise Vanuatu’s economy. Vanuatu currently faces challenges from volcanic activity in Ambae and Ambrym. In the face of these events, Australia always stands ready to assist our Pacific family. Australia has provided $5.5 million to assist people affected. Australia will also provide support to refurbish Port Vila Central Market House, damaged during Tropical Cyclone Pam.
We will continue to deepen our security partnership. We are working together to build police capability and improve infrastructure, and opened the upgraded Police College on 16 January. We are also upgrading infrastructure for the Vanuatu Mobile Force and Police Maritime Wing, and will support training and leadership opportunities. In addition to this, Australia will support the Government of Vanuatu to build a new police station on Malekula Island. We continue to work cooperatively to advance a bilateral security treaty. Guided by the Boe Declaration on regional security, we will also work together to address the Pacific’s unique security interests including transnational crime, human, environmental and cyber security.
Vanuatu will also receive a replacement Guardian-class patrol boat under the Pacific Maritime Security Program (PMSP). The PMSP is a $2 billion (over 30 years) program, which consists of replacement Guardian-class patrol boats, integrated aerial surveillance, and enhancements to regional cooperation.
Australia congratulates Vanuatu on its hosting of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2020. The PIF is a key multilateral forum for our region, and an opportunity for Pacific island countries to engage in dialogue on critical issues facing our future.
We greatly value the partnership between our countries and we will work together to support a Pacific region that is secure strategically, stable economically and sovereign politically.
Strengthening our relationships in the Pacific
16 January 2019
I will travel to Vanuatu and Fiji from 16-18 January 2019, along with the Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator the Hon Anne Ruston. As my first international engagements of the year, these visits reflect the depth of Australia’s commitment to our Pacific neighbours.
Australia enjoys a close relationship with Vanuatu. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas to reinforce Australia as Vanuatu’s economic, development and security partner of choice.
In Fiji, Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama and I will elevate the bilateral relationship between Australia and Fiji to a new level. We will deepen our economic and security cooperation, strengthen our people-to-people links and work together to respond to shared regional challenges.
I am committed to stepping up Australia’s engagement in the Pacific to support a stable and prosperous region.
I look forward to working closely together with my friends and partners in Vanuatu and Fiji to build strong bilateral relationships for the future.
Interview with David Koch, Sunrise
14 January 2019
DAVID KOCH: Prime Minister Scott Morrison joins us now from Kirribilli. Prime Minister, happy new year and welcome back.
PRIME MINISTER: Happy new year David.
KOCH: Out on holidays, what were the big issues people were talking to you about?
PRIME MINISTER: People want jobs and they want to be sure about their jobs. They want to be able to keep pace with the cost of living, they want to make sure that the services they rely on, like Medicare, that these things are guaranteed. They all know that this is a product of a strong economy and they know that the economy needs to be strong so we can continue to ensure that our country is doing as well as it can.
You know, quiet Australians out there David, are just going about their daily lives, they’re not out there in a rage on Twitter or anything like this. They’re raising their kids, they’re running their businesses, they're getting off to work, they are busy running their own lives. That’s where they heads are at and that is where my head is, that’s what I am focused on.
KOCH: Okay what was the reaction to you forcing Councils to do citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day and also telling people what to wear to those ceremonies? Do we really want the Prime Minister telling us what to do there?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’re responsible for citizenship, we’re responsible for maintaining the standards of citizenship, Councils basically get a license to run the ceremonies. Of all days, Australia Day, our national day, should be the day where migrants who have come to Australia and become new Australians, should have the opportunity to get their citizenship on that day. There are around 15,000 who will do that this year and we want to make sure that they have that opportunity and that our national day is not corroded and undermined by those who want to play politics with it, by shifting Australia Day citizenship ceremonies off to other days.
So if you want to run a ceremony and you’re a Council, you’re very welcome to do it. The vast majority, 70 per cent, do it on that that day, but others we insist do. And look, if you are getting citizenship on that day, by all means put the boardies and the thongs on after for the barbecue. But for the actual ceremony, like most who come, show the respect for the ceremony and the very serious thing that you are engaging in, which is citizenship of our great country.
KOCH: Federal Police have helped Malaysian authorities to stop 34 Sri Lankans and Indians boarding a boat to Australia. Three members of a people smuggling syndicate were also arrested. What’s your intelligence showing? Are we seeing increased activity by people smugglers in Asia focusing on Australia again?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the risk is always there and it’s always constant. The system we put in place under Operation Sovereign Borders which I initiated all those years ago, part of that is working closely with our regional partners to do exactly what the report says.
So you know I won't go into what other intelligence says, but the threat is always there. There are thousands of people up in Indonesia, if they get the green light from the Labor Party if they’re elected, who will want to get on boats and test the system. But under us, under our Government, that system has held firm. Operations Sovereign Borders has been a great success and we won't change any of it.
KOCH: Okay. Big year for you coming up, fresh from your holiday, it’s an election year, are you still focusing on May? Is that when the election is planned in your mind or have you changed your mind while on holidays?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, no changes there. The Budget will be handed down in April and that will be the first Budget surplus we’ve seen in over a decade. And coming into this year, as you’d know David, the economic storm clouds globally are a bit stronger than they were. In fact a lot stronger this time this year, than they were 12 months ago. There are other tensions out there, whether it’s trade tensions between our biggest world players, plus what’s happening in Europe.
KOCH: Yep.
PRIME MINISTER: So there are plenty of concerns out there, but we are in a strong position. But we will only stay there if we can keep on the strong economic track that we’re on. That doesn't mean high taxes, that’s for sure.
KOCH: So no election in March?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
KOCH: Okay, alright thank you for that. Welcome back, happy new year.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot David, cheers.
Interview with Deborah Knight, Today Show
14 January 2019
DEBORAH KNIGHT: The PM joins us now from Sydney. Prime Minister, a very good morning to you. You are looking refreshed I’ve got to say.
PRIME MINISTER: G’day Deb.
KNIGHT: Did you have a good Christmas break with the family?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah we did, we got down to the NSW south coast which we do every year, you know packed up the box trailer, threw to the kayaks on the roof and the bikes in the trailer. We had a great time. I recommend it, Shoalhaven Heads, hello everyone down at the Shoalhaven Heads Hotel, we had a great night together a few weeks ago.
KNIGHT: Good on you, the Aussie adventure. Well, you’re straight back into it and straight into the firing line too, Labor accusing you of playing politics with our national day. Is it really that big of an issue that it requires a Prime Ministerial decree on Australia Day ceremonies?
PRIME MINISTER: I believe so because I don't want to Australia Day undermined into the future and just see it sort of fade away. It’s one thing to say you are not going to change the day, but it’s another thing to really actually believe it and continue to make sure it is our premier national day. What better day than that day, for new Australians to be become Australians? We are the proudest and the most successful migrant country in the world and that is the day of all days that we should be handing out citizenship to celebrate that day and to celebrate the great migrant country we are.
Councils that don't want to do that for political reasons, well, they don't have to hold ceremonies. I mean, they don't hold them, we give them that right to do that and we want to make sure that they uphold the importance of that day, of Australia Day, and of citizenship. That’s why I have connected the two things together.
KNIGHT: The reality is though there are just seven Councils in the whole country who don't already hold ceremonies on Australia Day. 530 of them already doing what you want to enforce.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s not right, only 70 per cent of them hold on them on Australia Day actually. There are many that don't. There are some who have legitimate reasons, that they may not have any to hand out on that day, but we know there are many that don't.
If you want to hold Australia Day ceremonies and be given that privilege, well, Australia Day is the day, the first day that you must be handing them out.
KNIGHT: And on the issue of dress standards, you’ve come under fire yourself for your choice of footwear which we will talk about more in a moment. But what is more Australian, Prime Minister, than thongs and board shorts? If people want to wear that to a citizenship ceremony surely that’s up to them?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I don't think so. This is a very important institution, citizenship. You wouldn't turn up to your kids graduation or something like that dressed like that. You turn up and show respect for the day and the other participants as well. The vast majority of people who do come along to citizenship ceremonies - I have been to many of them - they come along and dress appropriately. I think out of respect for what is being offered, that great responsibility and privilege of citizenship, people should dress accordingly.
By all means chuck on the shorts and the thongs later for the barbecue or wherever you happen to be, that’s the appropriate dress for those occasions. But for a very solemn ceremony and positive ceremony like citizenship, I think it’s important to have those standards and show respect.
KNIGHT: Now we’ve seen another tragic loss of a young life at a music festival over the weekend, a 19 year old girl dying from a suspected drug overdose in Sydney. You’ve got young daughters yourself. Is there a duty of care here to consider all options, including trials of pill testing?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, first of all it’s just heartbreaking. I just can't imagine the horror that those parents are going through and parents of anyone who loses a child, it’s your worst nightmare. Of course governments and in this case the NSW Government, I’m sure Gladys is looking at every option that is reasonable and has a way of getting the balance right. We don't want to create a permissive culture around drugs in this country, we have got to remember that these are illegal drugs. Our law enforcement authorities are out there, trying -
KNIGHT: Should we look at pill testing though, more closely?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’m saying of course all options get considered but ultimately you have to get the balance right on this and this is a state matter. I’m not going to complicate that any by offering commentary on which is the best option, because they have to make those judgments.
But my heart does go out to those parents as I’m sure Gladys's heart goes out to those parents as well. This is a very difficult issue, there are no simple answers and there are many different opinions, but we have got to try to encourage our kids to make good choices and this is a very difficult issue I think, for us all to deal with. But if you lose your kids, gosh, that’s just unthinkable.
KNIGHT: Yeah absolutely. And there is a family grieving this morning, that is the case.
PRIME MINISTER: There is.
KNIGHT: Now there is continuing focus also on the lack of female representation in the Government. We are starting a new year here on the Today Show with two female hosts.
PRIME MINISTER: Congratulations.
KNIGHT: Thank you. What will you be doing to get more woman in your ranks?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re well down the path now of all the candidates being selected particularly, that was something I inherited and certainly it’s something we will focus our minds on into the future. But what’s more important is things like the funding that we provided for the McGrath Foundation for breast cancer. It’s important that we’re funding drugs like Kisqali for breast cancer and ovarian cancer. It’s important that we’ve got the gender pay gap down to the lowest level on record. We’ve got the highest level of female participation in the workforce ever, we have hit record levels in that space. We have childcare reforms that came in on the 1st of July last year which are working and is getting the cost of childcare under control and giving more women more choices. We’ve changed laws for superannuation to protect women's super and to make sure that they can have catch-up contributions.
So our policies to actually make the economic and health lives of women around the country have been getting results and importantly on domestic violence, some $350 million invested against the scourge of domestic violence in our community, with more to come as we go into the fourth Action Plan. And just most recently the 1800 RESPECT got an extra $10 million just before Christmas. It’s an important line for victims of domestic violence.
KNIGHT: And just quickly before I let you go, I mentioned the sneaker gate issue. How is your sneaker collection going after your choice of footwear Photoshopped out on the PM’s website? Do you want us to send you a new pair of sneakers out from the tennis? We’ve got a pair here, they’re fresh, they’re fancy, they’re new, if we can get a shot of them here. What do you reckon, should we pop them in the mail?
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: I can't see them because of the way that the hook up is being done, but I am quite happy with my old grubby sneakers. I didn't ask for them to get a shine from the Department and as I said, if they really want to Photoshop something they can do something with this if they really like. But I’m quite comfortable in my own skin and my own shoes.
[Laughter]
KNIGHT: Exactly. Well we do appreciate your time this morning and a big year ahead, an election year and no doubt we will be speaking to you during the course of the weeks and months ahead. Thanks for your time this morning.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot Deb and happy new year to you and all your viewers.
KNIGHT: Thank you so much.
Interview with Paul Kennedy, ABC News Breakfast
14 January 2019
PAUL KENNEDY: The Prime Minister joins us now live from Kirribilli. Good morning to you Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning Paul, happy new year.
KENNEDY: And to you. Firstly I just want to take you to your announcements on Australia Day ceremonies over the weekend. Now, in discussions on other issues recently, you spoke about diversity being a great characteristic of Australia. Why shouldn't that extend to a diversity of opinions on the best way to commemorate Australia Day?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there will be plenty of diversity of opinions but the Commonwealth, the Australian Government runs citizenship ceremonies and celebrating that diversity on Australia Day I think is very important. I think the best way to do that is to ensure we have citizenship ceremonies and celebrate the fact that we’re the most successful migrant country on earth.
KENNEDY: Yep.
PRIME MINISTER: Around 70 per cent of Councils do just that. But for new Australians, what better day to become an Australian on Australia's national day, which is Australia Day? I don't want to see that undermined.
KENNEDY: I have covered dozens of citizenship ceremonies, Mr Morrison, over the years. They’re great events. I have never seen people better presented. Why is it necessary to establish a new rule for dress code and tell them what to wear?
PRIME MINISTER: Well no, that’s not always the case. Maybe I’ve been to more than you have, but those citizenship ceremonies - the vast majority of people do come along, particularly the kids - but there are some who don’t do that. I think that doesn’t respect the other participants on that day or respect the very serious nature of what’s happening on that day. By all means wear the boardies and the thongs at the barbeque after, at the beach or wherever you're doing it. But on the day I think it’s important to have standards around these important institutions. Citizenship is a very important decision and a very important responsibility and privilege that is conferred on new Australians and it should be treated as such. They’re the standards.
KENNEDY: When I hear you talk about Australia Day, it seems that you think that it’s under threat from a lot of quarters. But most people don't think the date should be changed, you’re not going to change it and a Labor government, if it was to be elected, wouldn't change it. Is it really under threat?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’m not going to let it get eroded, that’s my point. I'm not just going to not change it, I’m going to ensure it doesn't get eroded and that it is constantly being reinvested in and continually held up as an important day for all Australians to come together on that day. That’s our historical day and we need to work together, to come together on that day to ensure that we can make it an important day for all Australians, whatever their background.
KENNEDY: Just finally on this matter, where have your discussions taken you on a new date to celebrate Indigenous Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: Well what I’m going to be doing this year - and I have had those discussions with my advisory council - on the day before Australia Day, there are ceremonies held all around the country, Indigenous ceremonies, they’re contemplative, reflective ceremonies. I think they are great, they have them here in Sydney, they have them in all parts of the country. I think they’re a good opportunity to pause and reflect. I commend those to anyone around the country who wants to go along to one. There aren't too many of them these days, but I would like to see that as a very informal tradition taken up around the country.
KENNEDY: Now Prime Minister, you wrote a newspaper piece published today that talks about what matters most to Australians and how they approach their lives. Towards the end you wrote something that interested me: "I won't be dragged off to the left or right, or intimidated by shouting". Now those terms, left and right, are not used widely in the suburbs of Australia, they’re political terms. How conscious are you of setting the pre-election tone for people within your Coalition Government?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ve always been clear where I stood, whether it’s on family issues or whether it’s on the rule of law or making sure we stand up for respect and integrity and all of these issues, a strong economy. These there the things that have guided me as a politician and as a person over a long period of time.
You know, what I found when I went to the Shoalhaven Heads Hotel, called in there with my family over the break, was people weren't there shouting at each other like you find on social media or otherwise in the media. They’re just quiet Australians living their lives and they need a strong economy to realise their future, to ensure the services they rely on are there for them and their families. That’s what I’m focused on. I’m focused on those quiet Australians out there, going to work every day, running their businesses, caring for others, doing their jobs and not having the time to frankly, to get caught up in the activism and Twitter shouting that seems to dominate the headlines these days.
KENNEDY: So can we say this campaign will be fought firmly in the social and economic middle ground?
PRIME MINISTER: I can tell you we're about a strong economy. If you don't have a strong economy you can't guarantee Medicare. We’re about lower taxes, and having lower taxes and having record health and education funding.
Every time you hear Bill Shorten talk about more money being spent, he is taxing you at the same time. I am for services without higher taxes and a stronger economy that can support Australians now and into the next decade, where they will live in that economy.
KENNEDY: What events or political circumstances might cause you to call an early election?
PRIME MINISTER: I am not contemplating one.
KENNEDY: So you’ve totally ruled that out? You’re going to have a Budget and then election after that, that’s firm?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re having a Budget in April, that will be the first surplus Budget we have seen in over a decade. That will demonstrate once again the soundness of our Government's economic management and fiscal responsibility. That has put the Budget back into shape, which means we can invest record levels in health and education, guaranteeing Medicare and ensuring that affordable medicines - medicines like for MS that I announced just before Christmas - can be paid for and delivered. That’s the dividend of a strong economy. We can't take it for granted. There are strong headwinds coming our way this year, whether it’s in trade or other things around the world.
Now is not the time for Labor to go and dump $200 billion of higher taxes on the Australian economy. It’s not a good plan.
KENNEDY: There are very few sitting days before the election even if it goes as you say it’s going to go in May, what is your number one legislative priority, your number one?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re continuing to take issues like national security and other things through the Parliament on a range of measures. But largely the legislative agenda we’ve been able to work through in the course of this year –
KENNEDY: What do you want to get through?
PRIME MINISTER: We want to make sure that we continue the momentum we’ve had with the measures on national security. They’re the things that have always kept my focus. But there are a range of remaining items that have been outstanding on the legislative agenda for this year and we’re just going to make sure we take them through. There’s some environmental legislation to that end that I know is important for native species and a few other things like this. So we’re going to keep our focus on finishing off that legislative programme, but this year it’s about the Budget, a Budget that will be in surplus. And keeping our economy strong to guarantee the essential services like Medicare that Australians rely on.
You can't guarantee them with higher taxes. You guarantee them through strong Budget management and a strong economy.
KENNEDY: The Agriculture Minister David Littleproud is warning of more fish deaths in the Murray-Darling Basin, what’s the Government going to do to address this and investigate the causes of the ecological situation?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s a devastating ecological event, I think particularly for those who live throughout the region, the sheer visual image of this is just terribly upsetting. What the Water Minister David Littleproud has done is he’s convening together the environmental waterholders and the water managers that work together under what is a bipartisan Murray-Darling Basin Plan and ensuring that they’re getting to the bottom of the issues that have come up most recently. There is $5 million that we want to put in through that strategy to look at the native fish recovery plan as well. So look, he is taking action with those that are responsible for it, the New South Wales Government and their Minister Niall Blair. They have responsibility for the water flows and I know they’re working constructively to deal with those issues. But the Murray Darling Basin Authority is a bipartisan initiative, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a bipartisan plan and I’m concerned today that some might want to play politics with that. There were reports done by scientists under Labor's contribution to that plan back in 2012 and the plan has been operating in accordance with that advice.
So we just need to keep on working on the issue. There’s a drought and this is one of the consequences of drought. There are many, and my focus on drought has not shifted one inch.
KENNEDY: Just briefly Prime Minister, you’re going on a trip to Pacific island nations this week, what do you hope to achieve from that?
PRIME MINISTER: This is part of our Pacific ‘step-up’. It’s part of our refocusing of our international efforts on our own region, in our own backyard and making sure we can make the biggest possible difference.
We will be there both in Fiji and Vanuatu, this will be the first visit of a Prime Minister outside of the Pacific Islands Forum to Vanuatu we understand, ever. This is really about demonstrating, following through on the announcements I made last year, about stepping up our security partnerships, stepping up our economic and cultural partnerships. There is also the work we’re doing with Blackrock in Fiji, which is very important about boosting the training and presence for police and other forces, international forces that Fijians are a big part of, around the world. This is a big partnership.
KENNEDY: Prime Minister, I know you’re short on time so I wanted to ask you, will the Neil Prakash citizenship mistake be addressed? Will you discuss that, is that on your agenda?
PRIME MINISTER: We’ve been dealing with that issue between the Governments over the last few weeks, including directly from leader to leader.
KENNEDY: Okay, finally you said yesterday you're a ‘Prime Minister for standards’ as we head full bore into that election campaign, I want to ask whether Australian politicians are to be held to the same standards as everyone else or a higher standard?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we should be should be setting standards, we are leaders in the community and people have high expectations of us. They’re things we always have to aspire to. I have never shirked away from that, where those standards are not met, then Australians are disappointed.
But we have a big task ahead of us this year. Those economic storm clouds are gathering. This is not a time to put our economic future at risk. The economy that we will all live in over the next decade, will determine choices for our kids, for our future and for the funding of services. So my focus is on ensuring the economy is strong so we can deliver for all Australians.
KENNEDY: Prime Minister thanks for your time this morning and we hope to see you more often on News Breakfast in the lead-up to the election.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks for being here with me this morning Paul.
Listening to our quiet Australians
14 January 2019
When I called into the Shoalhaven Heads Hotel on the NSW South Coast over the break, it was nice to spend time with Australians from all walks of life who had a positive outlook.
Locals, holiday makers staying at caravan parks, small business people from western Sydney, surf lifesavers, fishing and rural fire service members, professionals, kids, mums, retirees, pensioners. It was refreshing.
I wasn’t there on any political visit, just holidaying with Jen and the girls enjoying the flathead and chips like everyone else.
There was no sign of the angry mob on social and in other media, shouting at each other and telling us all what we’re supposed to do, think and say.
It was a great reminder that there are quite a lot of us who actually think Australia is a pretty great place and we don’t really have too much time to be angry. We’re too busy dealing with our own challenges and getting on with life.
And when we get the time to sit back and think about it, we are thankful that whatever we are facing, we are dealing with it in Australia as Australians.
So to provide some balance to the angry noisy voices, here is a summary of the unshouted views I’ve been picking up from us quieter Australians.
Firstly, we’re a lot more interested in everyday life.
We want jobs. We want our economy to be strong. We want our incomes to keep up with the cost of living - electricity prices, child care, our mortgage, private health insurance - and even better, allow us to get ahead. This tends to stress us out, but we are dealing with it.
We get that we have to pay taxes, and we get annoyed at those who dodge them, but we want our taxes to be as low as possible. So the politicians need to keep their spending under control and stop wasting money.
We want the services we rely on like Medicare and affordable medicines through the PBS taken care of, full stop. We want our kids to be safe and not get bullied at school and to spend time with them as a family as often as possible. We just want to see a smile on their faces.
That said, we worry about the world our kids are going to live in. It’s all much more complicated now.
Of course we worry about their education, the skills they need, the jobs and houses. But we have all heard about kids who haven’t been able to cope, eating disorders, depression and the tragic and devastating impact this has on families.
It scares the hell out of us.
We want to get paid and treated fairly at work, and with respect. Not much to ask. And we don’t like getting ripped off or being played for mugs, especially when others take advantage of our generosity or better natures.
We’re more than happy to pay for a welfare system that looks after those who are less fortunate or doing it tough, but welfare should never be a free ride. There should be rules and obligations and at the end of the day the best form of welfare is a job.
We reckon small and family businesses and farmers deserve a go, because we know they work hard, that they’re passionate about what they do, and they are part of our community.
We want to take care of our environment, especially locally. It’s where we live and play. We’re sympathetic to the big global environmental issues, because we really do care about the world we’re leaving for our kids.
But we’re not going to sign up to destroy our economy because of the extreme views of some. The rest of us know we have to balance many other responsibilities.
We know that traditional sources of energy like coal and gas will be around for a quite a while yet, but we know more of our energy is coming from renewables.
It’s happening and it makes sense in the long run. So let’s just have a sensible plan and get on with it.
But please, can we do it without being asked to pay higher taxes or shell out unaffordable taxpayer funded subsidies for the privilege. Just keep it sensible. We’ll get there.
We also get that we need to do our bit in the world for the environment.
Australians can always be counted on to make and keep our commitments, but Australians must always come first.
Of course we want our schools and hospitals to be well funded. That’s what the Government is supposed to do.
But surely we can do this without having to raise taxes all the time. That just makes it harder on all of us. Spend taxpayers money more carefully and make sure the economy is running well. That will pay for it.
Leave our taxes alone, we already pay too much.
And we’ve been around long enough to know that it’s not only about the money. Give me a good teacher for my kids over a new school hall any day.
And we have nothing at all against migrants. Migrants helped build this country. Seriously, just because we are frustrated with traffic jams or crowded trains, does not mean we want to shut the place down or insult our neighbours.
Those who want to hate don’t speak for me.
Just keep population growth under control by getting the migration settings right, make sure we build the houses and roads we need and get new migrants into jobs and not onto welfare.
That done, how good is it in Australia that we all get along as well as we do. We’d like to keep it that way.
We’d be a pretty dull lot without Australians from so many peoples from so many different backgrounds, starting with our indigenous Australians who were here first and who we respect.
As for religion, it’s our own personal business. What you believe is up to you, and no-one should give you a hard time about it. Just don’t tell us what to believe, or use your religion as an excuse to not obey our laws.
The same goes for sexuality. It’s your life, live it as you’re free to do and good luck to you.
And we want to be kept safe.
Whether it’s protecting our kids online, protecting women and older Australians from cowards who abuse them or our families when we are at the beach, local park or mall, or from extreme radical Islamic terrorists who should be called out for exactly who they are. This is the Government’s most important job.
We also expect those who we ask to do this job, our police and our defence forces, to get the resources they need and respect they deserve, this includes our veterans. Thank you for your service.
We know that Australia is not perfect, but we’d rather be here than anywhere else in the world.
Sure there are things we could have done better and must do better in the future. But there is no place like Australia and we’d like to keep it that way.
This is where I sit and what I believe.
I won’t be dragged off to the right or left or intimidated by the shouting. I’ve always had my feet firmly planted in the same place they’ve always been.
Family, hard work, common sense, respect, responsibility, a fair go for those who have a go and being prepared to help others.
This has always been what has driven me.
It seems I found a few fellow travellers at the Heads Hotel. It’s worth a visit. Tell Col I sent you and say hi.
Locking in the future of tourism and jobs in Kakadu
13 January 2019
Tourism will secure and drive much needed jobs and investment for the NT with an investment of up to $216 million from the Federal Government to upgrade Kakadu National Park and support the township of Jabiru transition to a tourism-based economy.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said backing tourism for the dual World Heritage listed destination, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, was key to delivering a stronger economy for the Northern Territory.
“Kakadu is one of Australia’s most important environmental and heritage assets, biggest tourism icons and home to 60,000 years of living Indigenous culture.
“As a Government we are committed to our stewardship responsibilities to this unique national treasure and supporting the thousands of Australians whose livelihoods and communities depend on it.
“Better services and infrastructure for Kakadu will mean more visitors and that means more jobs not just for Jabiru, but for the whole Territory,” the Prime Minister said.
“The Park already plays host to more than 200,000 tourists each year and we’ve been working closely with CLP candidate for Lingiari Jacinta Price and NT Senator Nigel Scullion on how we can deliver Kakadu the infrastructure and facilities it needs to be shown off to the world.
“With the closure of the Ranger mine set for 2021 we’ll be looking to partner with the NT Government to co-invest in this national tourism icon and future-proof the Park and the town.
“We want to ensure Kakadu and Jabiru and all the families and jobs they support are set for the future.”
The investment builds on the Government’s record support for the NT including announcements in the last year of a $260 million GST top-up payment for essential services like health and education, $550 million for Indigenous housing and $100 million for the Darwin City Deal.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said a mix of up to $70 million for roads to open up Kakadu and up to $111 million for tourism infrastructure and attractions would back the regional community by providing greater opportunity to grow the local economy and support Indigenous businesses and employment.
“From upgraded campgrounds to walking tracks, viewing platforms, signage, mobile and WiFi services, our support through infrastructure investment will lock Kakadu in as one of the jewels of Australian tourism,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
“Our Government’s investment in the NT will help to drive tourism and drive jobs.
“One of the most important elements of this initiative will be the new Kakadu Tourism Master Plan, to help grow tourism in the top end and ensure the region can reach its potential.”
The Park and town already support a significant portion of the 1,600 jobs and $103 million the Kakadu Arnhem region brings to the NT economy.
Minister for the Environment Melissa Price said Australia’s largest national park was already the envy of the world and that these upgrades would put it in a league of its own.
“We want to see people flocking to Kakadu from all over the world to see this incredible part of Australia,” Minister Price said.
“One of the most exciting initiatives will be an Indigenous-led World Heritage Kakadu Visitor Centre in Jabiru that we will fully fund with between $20-60 million alongside commercial partners.
“We’re also ensuring Jabiru and its community are supported into the future. That’s why we’re investing $35 million to support remediation of Jabiru and supporting local jobs and industry with this massive investment in Kakadu infrastructure.”
The Commonwealth will now seek to finalise this deal by entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with the NT Government, Energy Resources of Australia, and Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation on the transition of Jabiru, with the NT to take ongoing responsibility for municipal and essential services.
Vital funding boost to support Australian women with breast cancer
5 January 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Health
The Liberal National Government will increase the number of breast care nurses in Australia to almost 100 with a funding injection of $27 million to support women with breast cancer.
Every day across Australia, about 50 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Australian women.
This funding will support the expansion of the McGrath Breast Care Nurse Initiative. McGrath Breast Care Nurses are specially trained to care for people diagnosed with breast cancer, providing vital support to patients and their families.
This doubling of funding will ensure 98 specialist Breast Care Nurses by 2022/23, building on $20.5 million already invested by our Government in this initiative.
The funding will add another 41 nurses to the team of 57 currently funded by the Federal Government.
More than 30 specialist nurses will now be dedicated to supporting metastatic breast cancer patients and their loved ones.
Metastatic breast cancer requires complex care and these nurses will now be able to spend more time supporting patients and their families.
The McGrath Breast Care Nurse Initiative has supported more than 33,000 people since 2008 and was created to support women everywhere suffering from breast cancer.
Since 2013, the Liberal National Government has invested more than $10 billion in cancer support initiatives including research, treatment and cancer screening programs.
We recent invested $703 million to list Kisqali on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, a life-changing breast cancer medicine, supporting 3,000 women.
The PBS listing cut the cost of the medicine from $71,000 to $40.30 per script or $6.50 for concession card holders.
And on November 1 last year we provided a new Medicare item for 3D breast cancer scans, helping around 240,000 women each year.
New treatment for multiple sclerosis patients
23 December 2018
Prime Minister, Minister for Health
More than 6,000 Australians affected by the most common form of multiple sclerosis will save around $54,000 a year thanks to the listing of a new medicine on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Our Government’s plan for a stronger economy means we can guarantee essential services and list medicines like Mavenclad® on the PBS from 1 January 2019 for people with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
Listing Mavenclad will ensure this new treatment option is affordable for around 6,200 patients each year who are already accessing PBS subsidised medicines for MS, giving them an improved chance of reducing the damaging impact of MS on their lives.
With the Government covering almost all of the cost of the medicine through the PBS, patients will pay just $40.30 per script, or $6.50 for concessional patients.
While there is currently no cure for MS, by listing this key medicine on the PBS patients are set to face fewer relapses, less disease activity in the brain and less progression of disability.
Thanks to our strong economic management, we’ve ensured that every new, essential medicine recommended for listing by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee receives government subsidy to make it affordable for all Australians.
That means we are providing Australian patients with access to life-saving and life-changing medicines quicker than ever before.
The Committee is independent of Government by law and in practice. By law the Federal Government cannot list a new medicine without a positive recommendation from PBAC.
The recent 2018–19 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) highlights our Government is investing a further $1.4 billion in new medicines, saving sick Australians hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year.
We are now making on average one new or amended PBS listing every single day.
Since 2013 our Government has helped Australians with new medicine subsidies worth almost $10.5 billion.
Unlike Labor, we are subsidising all drugs recommended by the independent medical experts.
Our commitment to the PBS is rock solid. Together with Medicare, it is a foundation of our world-class health care system.
Doorstop, Kirribilli House
23 December 2018
PRIME MINISTER: Well first of all, welcome to Kirribilli everyone, and particularly to the special guests who have joined me here today who know what it is like to deal with the lived experience of living with Multiple Sclerosis in its many different forms. For our own family, for Jenny and I and Garry and his family, we have some knowledge of this and obviously Garry has a very detailed knowledge of it. And as I said a couple of years ago after delivering a Budget, I don’t know a better bloke than this one. The courage and determination that he has shown over the course of his life since he was first diagnosed - about 20 years ago now, wasn’t it Gaz - has just been tremendous. And the family that he has raised with Shell are just a tribute to the way that people living with Multiple Sclerosis can continue to just live their lives, make their own choices despite the limitation that this terrible disease puts on people.
We're joined by others today who have confronted that in different forms of relapsing and remitting MS. Since we were first elected back in 2013, our Government has invested $10 billion in Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme-listed medicines. These are medicines that change the lives of Australians and give them opportunities that they otherwise wouldn't have. I mean, of all of Australia's achievements, going back over a long period of time, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, I think, is one of the crowning achievements of our society. The fact that we can invest in affordable medicines, whether it is what we're talking about today, or the many other forms of treatments that we've announced, particularly in recent months, but over the last five years. That is, I think, a real credit to Australians that we're able to do that.
Now we know we're only able to do that because we can run a strong economy, we can run a strong Budget, which means today that we can announce that we are listing Mavenclad, which is an important drug that supports people with relapsing and remitting MS. This is going to benefit just over 6,000 people in Australia. It's going to ensure that what was previously costing over $50,000 a year will now be a script of around $40. Now that is a massive turnaround. It makes a huge difference. And Carol who is here, who has competed as a paralympian, whose competed at the highest level, has been on this drug before. She's back on it now. She knows firsthand the experience of what this drug can mean to people living with relapsing, remitting MS.
But this isn't the only thing we're doing on MS. Earlier this year we listed another drug on the PBS affecting thousands also. We continue to invest in research on MS, some three-quarters of a million we have put extra into research for MS just this year. We're going to continue to invest in research when it comes to MS. I mean, all of us will know - even my age - going back to when we were at primary school, the MS readathon. 50 years ago. We didn't know the answer then. We still don’t know it now. But particularly with Roy and Carol through the Trish Foundation and the many other foundations that support research into MS, they are looking for that cure. You know, one day we're going to wake up - as I was just talking to Roy and Carol - and we're going to have the answer. It's not going to happen by accident. It's going to come as a result of the determination and the continued funding of the incredible intelligence and determination of the researchers who research into MS, seeking every single day to find that cure. And I believe one day they will. I have no doubt about it. But they won't find it unless we continue to keep the tension in the cord. If we don't continue to fight this, and continue to apply ourselves each and every day to find that cure.
But in the meantime, we’re going to list drugs like Mavenclad, we’re going to list drugs that actually change the lives of those of those who are dealing with the lived experience of MS every single day. The roadmap for MS, which I was pleasured to be at the launch of just a few months ago, that's providing a way forward. We're working with MS Australia on that roadmap and this is, I think, an important day for those who deal with MS each and every day and their families. This is a Christmas a few days early for those who live with MS. But it's a gift from the Australian people, but it's a gift that is absolutely deserved. All Australians should be able to rely on their fellow Australians to ensure that we can do things like this. I just hope with the lifting of Mavenclad, that Christmas will just be that little bit better for those who are living with MS this year and their families. And so on behalf of those who live with the condition, I want to say thank you to all the Australians who by going out and going to work every day, paying their taxes, making the economy strong, means this can be achieved and this can be done today. So if there’s… unless anyone would like to say something? Dr Livingstone? Carol? Anyone? Yes, please, come through.
STUART ALLAN: Hi, my name is Stuart. I'm from Melbourne. I've had MS for 11 years now. I would just like to say one thing. I think as far as MS treatment goes, we really are the lucky country. We have some 15 treatments now available. The vast majority of those are listed on the PBS. I know people in other countries where they only have a couple of drugs to choose from. So, I would like to thank the Prime Minister and the Government for listing drugs like this. It's made a massive difference for my life, to the point now where I can nearly forget that I've got MS. And that's something that… that's a feeling that's hard to put into words really. I just can't thank everyone enough.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Stewart. Thank you, very, very much.
JOURNALIST: Stuart, can we get your last name please?
STUART ALLAN: Allan.
JOURNALIST: Can I just ask how you’ve managed to… have you been using this drug but had to pay for it out-of-pocket?
STUART ALLAN: Yes. I paid for this one out-of-pocket myself. I was actually the first person in the world to be prescribed it in 2010. And yes, since then it's made such a massive difference for me. I struggled on some of the other drugs and MS is one of the day ceases that's very individual. It's different in every patient and the drugs all work a little bit differently. So it's important that we have the choice. That choice can be the difference between one person having MS and then not, almost. So it's really important.
JOURNALIST: How difficult has it been to come up with the funds yourself?
STUART ALLAN: You just do what you need to do. Because, for me it made so much difference. The difference between working and not working. I work full-time and I love my job. I don't want to give that up. I don't think any of us should give that up. I think we have come to the point now where the science has progressed enough where we should be looking past even stopping the disease. We should be looking to have drugs that have no side effects or take for a longer period of time to get rid of that daily burden and I would like to encourage everyone who has MS just to keep checking with their neurologist. There might be newer drugs available, like this one, that might suit them better.
JOURNALIST: How much will you save now that this has been listed?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the drug for a year cost $54,000. It comes from $54,000 to a $40 script. But I mean Carol, maybe you would like to share some of your story? You have been on the drug before and are back on it again.
CAROL COOKE: I'm like Stewart. I started Mavenclad in 2010, and I was on it for a year, which changed my life. You know? I had no side effects whatsoever. I have been on about eight other drugs, which caused a lot of side effects. And when it was taken off the market, I had to go to something else. Which did the job. But I started back at the end of May on a program and it again changed my life. As a Paralympian I travel the world to compete. And so, not having to carry, you know, three months' worth of drugs on this drug is just incredible. It does - I'm like Stewart - you almost forget that you have MS. I mean, other than little things that I live with constantly, but they have become a norm in my life. But to not go through a relapse and - or to have small little changes but then they go away makes all the difference in the world.
JOURNALIST: How much of a financial burden has now been lifted from you?
CAROL COOKE: Sorry?
JOURNALIST: How much of a financial burden has now been lifted from you?
CAROL COOKE: For me, I was lucky in that I was on a program and was given the drug by my neurologist at the start of May. So, you know, I haven't had the burden that Stewart has and thank goodness. Because unfortunately, with MS, I had to leave full-time employment back in 2001 and, you know, we all define ourselves by what we do in life. And to not have a full-time job, it was almost like what am I going to tell people I do? But I'm - but you know I found another life as a Paralympian and I look at that as a full-time job right now. And as a speaker in the corporate world, and... But just having this drug on board has just changed the way I feel about myself, and the way I feel about MS, and it allows me to continue doing what I'm doing.
PRIME MINISTER: Why don't you come share a bit more about the drug itself and what this means from a clinical perspective?
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SUE HODGKINSON: Yes. So I actually was part of the program in 2010-11, when we first had access to it. Now… and at that time I found it to be quite a remarkably useful addition to what we've got. We've had - we are, I would agree with Stewart - we are very fortunate in this country that we have access to every one of the available medications in the best, really the best possible way in the world. Now we have got it - access to it again - I think a lot of people will find it a very useful extra thing that they can... that their neurologist can consider. It has... it's a very easy drug to take, which is a major advantage, and the... many of the side effects are relatively mild, if they exist. Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: Roy and Carol, why don't you - they have been running...
JOURNALIST: Could we get your full name please and your position as far as MS treatment is concerned?
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SUE HODGKINSON: Ok. So, my name is Associate Professor Sue Hodgkinson. I'm at Liverpool Hospital and I have been treating Multiple Sclerosis for many, many years. A long time.
JOURNALIST: Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Carol and Roy. They run the Trish Foundation. Maybe have a chat about research that we need and what you have been able to achieve with the Foundation.
JOURNALIST: Can we get your name?
CAROL LANGSFORD: Carol Langsford. I am Chair of the research foundation.
PRIME MINISTER: Maybe want to talk about today's announcement and what it means, you think, for MS and your Foundation.
CAROL LANGSFORD: Well, I'm absolutely thrilled that the Mavenclad has been made available because anything that gives people with MS the choice, just makes an enormous difference to their lives. If only it had been available for our daughter, Trish, who we lost back in 2002. But we established the Trish MS Research Foundation. We are very passionate about raising funds for research so that Australia's dedicated researchers can do their absolutely amazing work and find the cure so that all of the people living with MS won't have to worry anymore. But absolutely thrilled to see Mavenclad being available for people with MS because I know it will make an enormous difference to many people's lives.
PRIME MINISTER: Great.
JOURNALIST: Do you mind telling us a little bit about Trish?
CAROL LANGSFORD: She was an athlete. She actually captained the Australian women's cricket team, the youth team, before she was struck down with MS. So, she spent 4 and a half years in a nursing home. She was completely paralysed. She was having morphine. She understood everything we said but she couldn't communicate. It was just so sad. First, to laugh at her dad's crazy jokes, but couldn't communicate with us. That's why we're so passionate about raising funds for the researchers. Because no-one should have to go through that. No-one.
JOURNALIST: How old was she?
CAROL LANGSFORD: 23 when she got it and then she was 30 when lost her.
JOURNALIST: Do you think this drug would have helped her?
CAROL LANGSFORD: Yes. She did get one remission before she went downhill fast. I'm absolutely sure that we may even have her today if it had been available. Yep.
PRIME MINISTER: And finally just want to bring out Julie. She's been living with MS.
JOURNALIST: Julie can we get your full name please?
JULIE KENNEDY: I’m Julie Kennedy.
JOURNALIST: Thank you. Can you tell us how long you have had MS?
JULIE KENNEDY: I was diagnosed when I'm 23. I'm now 30. Seven years. I just had my daughter. She was six months when I was diagnosed with MS. Mavenclad has improved my life tremendously. It's improved my social scene. I'm able to go out, do things, not get dizzy. I couldn't sit is in restaurants before, couldn't go into shopping centres. So I'm really happy with the current medication at the moment. Yep.
JOURNALIST: What about the financial burden for you?
JULIE KENNEDY: I was lucky enough to get it through my neurologist so I didn't have to pay for it. So I'm really happy with that.
JOURNALIST: Do you know of others with MS who haven’t been so lucky in that way and they haven’t been able to access the drug?
JULIE KENNEDY: No, I don't. I only just met Stewart today. I'm the only person I know with MS.
PRIME MINISTER: One of the things we announced when we were down at COAG was also the $1.25 approximately we're putting into the community health and hospitals. One of the things that that is going to be funding is increased access to clinical trials across a whole range of drugs, and so that will mean that even where there are some programs which aren't listed on the PBS, there is an opportunity for more, as you have learnt today, some people can get that opportunity to participate in various programs, and so part of that $1.25 billion is going to the increased access to clinical trials. That said, this is an important announcement today. As you've heard from those who are living directly with MS and those who have lost loved ones as a result of their affliction with MS. This is another game changer. But it can’t happen unless we continue to ensure that our economy remains strong, our Budget is in a strong position. Because we know what has happened in the past when the Budget has fallen into disrepair that important life-saving medicines like this haven't been able to be listed. And that's not happening now. $10 billion worth of life-saving and life-improving medicines have been listed since we were elected in 2013. We will keep listing them. Every time they are recommended, we will keep listing them because we know the difference they make. But this one today, in particular, is a very important one to Jen and I, because we know something of it, but nothing - nothing - like what those who live with it directly and their direct families experience. So there is a very brave group of people here and I'm so pleased we are able to step up and do this today.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, making this announcement today - and you’ve got your brother in law Garry riding shotgun - what does it mean to you personally?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh look, it's special. Because this is what it's about. We talk about a strong economy. I do that a lot. You have probably noticed. But it's - that's not the goal. The strong economy is a means to an end. The reason I want a strong economy is because I want to list Mavenclad, or Orkambi, or any of the other life-saving drugs. It’s because I want to invest in hospitals, because I want to invest in schools at record levels like we're doing. That's why I want a strong economy. That's why I want a strong Budget. That is why on the 2nd of April next year when we bring the Budget back into surplus for the first time in 12 years, the reason that's a good thing - without increasing taxes - the reason that's a good thing is it means we can do this. For my Government, that's what it's about. The strong economy and a Budget surplus isn't some trophy you put on the shelf and admire. It's a means to an end, which is helping people all across the country. Remote Indigenous housing in the Northern Territory, we're investing $550 million. That's what a strong economy is about. And to ensure that we can deliver that, that's why it is special for me today. In this particular case, this particular drug doesn't deal with Garry's particular form of MS. We know that. But we do know there are other whose can benefit from this, over 6,000 a year. And really, that is why we do these jobs.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, would you be Ok if we went to other matters?
PRIME MINISTER: We can go to other political issues, but to do that, I might excuse all of our friends here who are going to get a cup of tea or play with Buddy, who will be keen to muck about. And I’m happy to deal with any other political issues of the day. Thanks, guys.
JOURNALIST: Are you able to give us an update on Indonesia and whether you have been in touch with your counterparts?
PRIME MINISTER: I have only received some initial reports. We understand that at present there are no foreigners, let alone Australians, who have been impacted by this. But, again, this is a terrible blow for Indonesia. The last report I had was 42 people who had perished in what they are calling a high-wave event. This comes on top of what had happened in Sulawesi and so as always, we're available to support the Indonesian Government with these things, as requested. There have been no such requests. I'm not anticipating any on this occasion. But should they be present, then obviously we will work with the Indonesian Government as they request.
JOURNALIST: News Corp is reporting that the NBN is over budget and behind schedule. Are you confident though that that is not the case?
PRIME MINISTER: That report is wrong. All my advice says that is absolutely wrong. We are on track for 2020. We will remain on track.
JOURNALIST: Will the Government be making any changes to the rollout of the NBN?
PRIME MINISTER: We're just going to keep on with the plan that's working and rolling it out on time.
JOURNALIST: Do you think there might be any issues with it though?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s a big project. A very big project. And we've turned around the mess that we inherited from Labor on the NBN and we're getting it connected all around the country. It's a big job. It's like most of the things Labor left - half baked, underfunded. We've got about the job of fixing them and getting them delivered on the ground.
JOURNALIST: Can I ask about your reaction to the allegations about George Christensen and his travel to South-East Asia?
PRIME MINISTER: I think George made it pretty clear about what the nature of those events were. And I think it's disappointing that even as recently as yesterday the Labor Party seemed to be wanting to kick it along. I just thought it was pretty grubby. His explanation is very clear and it speaks for itself. For people to kick this along for political purposes, or - you know, fascination purposes, I think, is very unfortunate.
JOURNALIST: His explanation pointed to a former senior government MP. Does that go to the internal divisions within the party and it’s not just a Labor smear campaign?
PRIME MINISTER: No. I made my comment on that. I think George's statement speaks for itself.
JOURNALIST: But in his statement he specifically says that this former senior Government minister and ex senior staffer had sided with Labor in the smear campaign. So it implicates your side.
PRIME MINISTER: I'm not familiar with those situations.
JOURNALIST: Did you know the AFP was looking into...
PRIME MINISTER: I don't go into what I know and don't know about AFP investigations. I think that would be an unwise course of action for a Prime Minister to take.
JOURNALIST: Well he has implicated your side. Is this something that is going to drag on into the election campaign and cause the Coalition more damage?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: Why not?
PRIME MINISTER: Because I don't believe it will.
JOURNALIST: He's stated that the former Coalition minister and a senior staffer were so involved in a smear campaign.
PRIME MINISTER: I don't believe it will carry forward.
JOURNALIST: Donald Trump's been increasingly assertive with his language towards the Federal Reserve and particularly Jerome Powell. Are you concerned by that and the potential impacts that might happen in Australian markets come Monday? And on the independence of the central banks?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I know enough as a former Treasurer not to get into a running commentary on conversations between Fed Reserve Governors and Presidents. I don't intend to do that now.
JOURNALIST: Do you think it is naive for President Trump to think IS has been defeated in Syria?
PRIME MINISTER: I have just been to Iraq, as you know. I have taken a whole series of briefings while I was there. I met with senior colleagues in the security space and officials since returning. We have to be very conscious of the potential for a resilient and a resurgent IS. And Daesh. And our presence will remain. We will continue to do the very important job we're doing throughout the Middle East. We will work constructively and collaboratively with our allies, and particularly the United States. That's exactly what we're doing now. Ensuring we understand what their plans are and proposals are, and understanding what that means for our own presence, and how we continue to conduct those operations that we're involved in, and ensuring most importantly the safety and security of our own people in what they are doing in the Middle East. But, also, to ensure that we're protecting against threats such as returned foreign fighters, where there are risks in terms of people coming back into our region, out of Syria and other places, and so you can rest assured that the Government is keeping a very close watch on these events. We're in regular dialogue, we're engaging with the US about what their plans are, and to ensure there can be some alignment with both their thinking and planning.
JOURNALIST: Just on that, Prime Minister, the British press is reporting a resurgence of Al-Qaeda today in the Sunday newspapers. They are talking about al-Qaeda's ambitions to hit airliners and airports. How concerned are you about that? And are Australian officials concerned that the US pull-out from Syria and reduction of troops in Afghanistan will embolden groups like Al-Qaeda and IS?
PRIME MINISTER: Australia is never complacent and our Government is never complacent about the threat of radical extremist violent Islam. Never complacent about it. And we're always forward-leaning in keeping Australians safe and working with allies and partners around the world, whether it's in the Middle East or, indeed, in our own region. It was a topic of my bilateral discussions in the recent summit season, particularly with regional leaders and how we work together, particularly where we have already successfully been able to work in areas like the Philippines and others to support ensuring that we defend against and protect against these threats. So, whether it's Al-Qaeda or whether it's Daesh, or whether it's Jamar Islamiah or any other radical violent extremist Islamic groups that would seek to do Australia harm, then our Government can always be relied upon. Our Government will always lean forward into this. Our Government is the one that has always legislated, always taken the lead. Our Government is the one that has had to drag others with us on this because they haven't been there from the get-go. We are always there from the get go when it comes to protecting Australia from the threat of radical extremist violent Islam.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, quickly on Christmas. Retailers are saying they are struggling. They want to get Australians to shop more. Are you worried about sluggish retail numbers for the Budget down the track? What is your message to Australians?
PRIME MINISTER: We have released the strongest Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal update that we have seen in years. The Budget has been improving, the economy continues to perform strongly, particularly on a relative with like economies around the world. The Australian economy has shown a resilience that many others have not. And that should be a cause, I think, for comfort for Australians at this time. Obviously, I think people are worried about the flat housing market at the moment. That's why I'm particularly concerned about the radical plans that - tax plans - that the Labor Party have for the housing market. I mean, taking a sledgehammer to the housing market at a time of softness is exactly what they did with the mining tax and the mining industry all those years ago. They hit the Australian economy with a sledgehammer always at the worst possible time. Now, there is no doubt that the prospect of a Labor tax on housing would causing Australians to be concerned. That's why we have been rightly raising this concern for many years. Same for retirees who face a $5 billion a year retiree tax. They are Labor's tax plans. What we released was a midyear update which is one of the strongest we've seen in a very long time and it's been done without increased taxes and that's what you will get from our Government. When we run a strong economy, when you run a strong Budget, it means that we're able to announce the life-saving and life preserving drugs we have been able to announce today. I’ve got to go and join those who are guests today here at Kirribilli. Get shopping for Christmas! Have a great Christmas! Thank you very much.
[ENDS]
Australia’s Commitments to Security in the Middle East
21 December 2018
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Defence
In keeping with our strong Alliance relationship, the Australian Government is consulting closely with the US Administration on the implementation of its recent announcement on Syria, and its long-term plans in Afghanistan. Australia has been among the most steadfast of US security partners in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Australia’s serving men and women continue to play an important role in the security and development of both Iraq and Afghanistan, including training troops to make their communities safer.
Since 2001, the purpose of Australia’s mission in Afghanistan has been to support the Afghan Government to help contain the threat from international terrorism.
Both the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh in Iraq and Syria continue to deny terrorist organisations safe havens in which to plan and export terror attacks across the globe, including to the Indo-Pacific. We cannot be complacent about this threat, including the threat of resurgence by Daesh.
With our international partners including the United States and NATO, Australia will continue to provide security, humanitarian and development assistance in the region.
Australia last month reiterated its ongoing commitment to support Afghanistan’s transition to stability and self-reliance, and welcomes recent progress towards a political settlement. Like our coalition partners, Australia recognises there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan.
Australia also continues to contribute to the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh, which has made substantial and sustained progress to degrade and defeat Daesh in Syria and Iraq. Since 2011, we have committed $433 million in humanitarian assistance to Syrians displaced by the conflict.
Thanking our troops for their service and sacrifice
20 December 2018
It has been an honour and a privilege to visit around 800 of Australia’s serving men and women in our defence forces here in Iraq and at our main Middle East logistical hub to thank them for their service.
Australians of all generations are proud of the service they are rendering for our country and I was able to see firsthand the professionalism, dedication and skills they are bringing to their respective tasks.
Our forces are highly regarded for the work they are doing here and deeply respected by our allies and partners.
It was my great privilege as Prime Minister to meet with as many of our service men and women as possible and thank them all for their service; not just personally but on behalf of our Government, the Parliament and most importantly, every single Australian.
Our ADF members serving overseas at this time of year are all making a real sacrifice to serve their country and in doing so be away from their families, friends and loved ones.
This is hard at the best of times and especially so at Christmas and we are thankful.
On my trip I have seen firsthand the work that members of the Australian Defence Force are undertaking, supporting the development and security of the region.
Our serving personnel in the region today and the tens of thousands who have served since 2001, have been vital in our efforts to combat radical Islamic terrorism, whether that be in Mosul, Kandahar or back at home.
Through our efforts in Baghdad and Taji, Australian Forces have trained over 40,000 Iraqi troops, building their capacity so they can continue to protect their people and make their communities safer.
That’s something to be proud of and it’s something we should all honour.
We will continue to work side by side with Iraqis, Afghans and our Coalition partners to destroy Da’esh and Al Qaeda.
During my visit I met with the Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abd Al-Mahdi to reinforce our ongoing commitment to fighting Da’esh and its sympathisers.
Addressing Task Group Taji - Iraq
20 December 2018
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you General Campbell. There’s two things I want to say to you all today; first of all it’s a great honour to be here with you, the Seventh Brigade. The Seventh Brigade has one of the richest histories in our defence forces, formed in 1915 it’s seen the toughest places that we’ve ever deployed to. Gallipoli, the Western Front, two VCs that I’m aware of, Daniel Keighran recently in Afghanistan and a fellow called Johnny French at the Battle of Milne Bay when the Seventh Brigade turned up. At Milne Bay Australia, the Seventh Brigade right there, was the first time the Japanese had been defeated on land up until that point in the Second World War. The turning point. While the Seventh Brigade was over there at the Battle of Milne Bay - the chockos were up there [inaudible] - doing their thing and it all turned around. Seventh Brigade went on to Long Tan, Afghanistan, everywhere. You’re always there. The honour that is in the heritage of your Brigade – and I know that there are groups from beyond the Seveth Brigade here and we’ve got some friends from New Zealand, so kia ora to you fellas and girls – but the honour that sits within your Brigade is something that you carry with you and you’ve brought it here. You’re honouring it here and so I’ve come to pay honour to you, continuing that legacy, for adding to that heritage each and every single one of you.
The other reason I’ve come here, apart from wishing you a Merry Christmas, is to say thank you. To say thank you for your service. To say thank you for your service from me, Scott Morrison, who lives in Port Hacking in southern Sydney, wife Jenny, two girls Abbey and Lily. On behalf of my family to you and all your families I want to say thank you very much for your service. I also want to say thank you to you as a Prime Minister, as a leader of a Government, as a Member of the Australian Parliament, on behalf of our entire nation.
Wherever I go in our great country, people honour and give thanks for our serving men and women. I hope you know that. You’ll feel it on ANZAC Day perhaps, you’ll feel it on special days, Armistice Day and so on. But know that each and every single day, Australians greatly value your service. And also know that when your service has been completed, know that Australians will always value it when you’re a veteran. When you’ve returned and you’ve returned to civilian life. But particularly at this time of year, I want to thank you, because for some, it may be the first time on deployment when you’ve been away from young families and partners, wives, husbands. For some this is not the first time, you’ve done it many, many times. And you’ve come up with routines and things that, you know, make sure that your kids and family still have something special on Christmas Day. But I understand it’s a sacrifice, I understand it’s a big thing to be away from your family at this time of year and that’s why I’ve decided to come here. Just to simply say thank you as one Australian to another and to honour your service and thank you for your service and to really appreciate how you are continuing the story of the Seventh Brigade. So, how good is the Seventh Brigade? That wasn’t a very enthusiastic response General Campbell, how good is the Seventh Brigade?
[Cheering]
Excellent, well Merry Christmas everyone. I’m going to get around and see as many of you as I can and I’d love to hear your stories. Love to hear what you’re looking forward to while you’re here, hear a bit about what life is like at home and we’ll do that now and it looks like there’s cake too so that’s pretty good. Anyway thanks very much it’s great to be here.
[Applause]
PRIME MINISTER: It’s great to be here in Iraq on behalf of all Australians just to say thank you for the service of the men and women who you can see standing behind me, but also to honour them and their Brigade and all of those who have gone before them, because they’re keeping up that tradition and they’re living that out here in their service. For many it’ll be their first Christmas away from family on a rotation. For some it’s something they’ve done many, many times and they have their own special traditions that they’ve been able to work up with their families and their kids to try and still make sure it’s a special family time. But we wish them well and we thank them for what they do, particularly at this time of the year. Please remember our service men and women overseas.
JOURNALIST: You tend to carve out a bit of time on your trips to honour our armed services, you did the Singapore War Memorial, obviously you’ve done various treks. How significant was it for you personally to be able to do this first trip as PM to come and actually shake hands with the troops and get to know them on a personal level?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s a great honour to say thank you for your service, whether you’re doing it in Australia at Enoggera where a lot of these servicemen and women are from, or up at Lavarack or over at HMAS Stirling. Wherever you go in Australia, but also here. Its one of the great privileges I think, for any Member of Parliament and certainly for a Prime Minister, so for me it’s always been a matter of honouring service and honouring the great tradition of service that they live out.
JOURNALIST: You’re a man of family and a man of faith, how much of an impact did that have, to go around and meet some of these young mums and dads that are away from their families come Christmas time?
PRIME MINISTER: It just makes you even more appreciative of the sacrifice and the service that they’re contributing for their country. I mean there’s mums here who have got one year olds at home. You know, a lot of the younger men and women here have got very young families, kids who are one or three. You know, they’re very special times for a young family and for them to be here and away from them on these occasions, that’s a real sacrifice. That’s a sacrifice they willingly make and it’s a choice they happily undertake and that just shows the spirit of the units they’re part of and the spirit of service that exists within our ADF.
JOURNALIST: Our troop numbers peaked in Iraq in about 2010 and now we’re into a more of a “train the trainer” role?
PRIME MINISTER: That’s correct.
JOURNALIST: From your perspective, can you see an end line in sight? Is it something form, your conversations, that you’ve heard soldiers ask you about?
PRIME MINISTER: Everyone who is here is very proud to be here. For some of them, they’ve sort of been planning for this for many years; to come and be on a rotation. This is the eight rotation through. Today, in discussions I had with the Iraqi Prime Minister, we talked about how Australia’s role is transitioning and moving – as you say – more into that traditional “train-trainer” role and that will continue to evolve. We’ll work that through with our coalition partners in the months and years ahead. But what is very clear is that Australia’s role here is greatly valued by the Iraqi Government. We’re here at their invitation, at their request. The contribution we’re making is very significant, extremely so. We’ve trained 40,000 security forces personnel here in Iraq but not only that, the special operations work that is being done by our best, is highly valued. Not just by the Iraqi Government but by our partners here in Iraq.
JOURNALIST: Just a couple more, you mentioned you met with the Iraqi PM today. On those two key metrics we’ve got about 600 troops in Iraq, we’ve got about $180 million in aid from 2014-2020. Was there any request to change either of those metrics dramatically? Do you see any of them shifting in a major way?
PRIME MINISTER: No and there was no such request either. I talked today about Australia being here because we support a free and independent and sovereign Iraq. Part of achieving that is being able to move to a point where this type of support in the future will be no longer necessary. That will be a recognition of their success. They, I think, seek that as much as anyone else, so the more we can help them achieve that and move to that position, I think that’ll be a positive day.
Our financial assistance is all humanitarian aid but what was particularly pleasing today in speaking to the Prime Minister was, his focus on economic development here in Iraq. He knows that having secured the country against Da’esh - there’s always the risk that they could resurge, ensuring they keep that down – but also ensuring that the economic opportunities, of education, all of that can be extended into all of the regions of Iraq. That’s what will make them free and independent and sovereign.
JOURNALIST: Just on Da’esh, you speak a lot at home about stamping out radical extremist Islam and it’s violent tendencies in that cohort. How important was it for you to come and witness what’s happening on the front line in the Middle East to stamp out the Islamic State?
PRIME MINISTER: Well one of the things that is done here is the whole issue of returning foreign fighters and the work we do here to track that because those members of Da’esh who have been defeated here will be seeking to find their way back into South East Asia or even back into Australia. It reinforces to me why we need the Temporary Exclusion Orders, why we need the special legislation that we’ve been able to pass and to ensure that we can tool ourselves up to protect Australians and to keep them safe from these sorts of radical Islamic threats. I think that is well understood here and that’s why they’re doing the work they’re doing. Thanks.
Office of National Intelligence
20 December 2018
Today the Office of National Intelligence (ONI) formally commences its role as the lead agency of Australia’s national intelligence community.
The evolution of the Office of National Assessments into ONI follows the recommendations of the 2017 Independent Intelligence Review. A key finding of the Review was that better coordination of our intelligence community was necessary to respond more effectively to the unprecedented changes in Australia's security environment.
As well as being Australia’s premier all-source intelligence assessment agency, ONI will coordinate, integrate and evaluate the work of the national intelligence community, which is now a major enterprise and should be managed as such.
The Director-General of National Intelligence will be the Prime Minister’s principal advisor on intelligence issues.
ONI’s mandate ensures that Australia has a contemporary national intelligence enterprise built on strong collaboration. By drawing together and leveraging the talent of our national intelligence community’s workforce – and the best technologies – ONI will help position Australia to better meet the challenges of its evolving security environment. ONI will play an important role in my commitment to keep Australians safe.