Media Releases
Indigenous Education Boost
14 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Indigenous Affairs
Australia’s Closing the Gap targets will be redeveloped in partnership with Indigenous Australians for the first time with a direct focus on education as the key to unlocking the potential of this and future generations.
The Prime Minister said the 2019 Closing the Gap report highlighted successes across the country but that refreshed targets were an opportunity to work together to accelerate progress.
“Today is a day to celebrate what so many people have helped achieve, but we cannot hide from the fact that on average at the moment Indigenous children do not have the same opportunities as other children growing up in our country,” the Prime Minister said.
“With only two of the seven Closing the Gap targets on track to be met, it’s time to refresh what we’re doing.
“There is hope. Together there’s nothing we can’t achieve.
“The original targets were well intentioned but developed without the collaboration and accountability for states and territories and without input from Indigenous Australians.
“We want a Closing the Gap framework that’s developed alongside Indigenous Australians with targets based on science. That’s why the partnership we took and agreed through the Council of Australian Governments late last year is so important. These things take time, and we are committed to getting it right.”
The Prime Minister said his focus through the refreshed targets would be on education as the key area that can drive generational change, kickstarted by a funding boost for a suite of Indigenous education initiatives.
“Education is the key to skills, to better health, to jobs,” the Prime Minister said.
“Our new suite of initiatives builds on the record investments we’re making from the high chair to higher education to ensure the next generation of Indigenous businessmen and women, academics and workers get the education they need to have a foundation for a successful life.”
The package includes:
Teacher boost for remote Australia - Removing all or part of the HELP debt for 3,100 students to encourage more teachers to work and stay working in very remote areas
Youth Education Package - $200 million extra support to give more Indigenous students the support and mentoring they need through their secondary studies
Getting kids to school – Working community by community and school by school to invest $5 million in remote and very remote areas for projects that support and promote school attendance
The Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion said the new education measures were designed to build on the success of existing Government policies developed in partnership with local communities.
“We’ve seen huge success in working with Indigenous communities and organisations over the last five years, to deliver real and meaningful changes. The Indigenous Advancement Strategy has been able to double the number of Indigenous organisations delivering services to Indigenous people since its establishment in 2013,” Minister Scullion said.
“At the heart of our agenda has been getting children to attend school and stay at school. I’m pleased that with the Prime Ministers announcement today, we will be able to further increase our efforts and investment with remote communities.”
Minister Scullion also announced an additional commitment to the Indigenous business sector with the Indigenous Procurement Policy 2.0.
“The Indigenous Procurement Policy, better known as the IPP, has supercharged growth in the Indigenous business sector with 1,473 Indigenous businesses delivering 11,933 contracts worth over $1.83 billion since its establishment in 2015. This is a spectacular increase from the 30 Indigenous businesses winning just $6.2 million in contracts in 2012-13,” Minister Scullion said.
“So from 1 July 2019, the Indigenous Procurement Policy 2.0 will introduce a target of 3 per cent of the value of Commonwealth contracts are to be awarded to Indigenous businesses within a decade, adding to the existing IPP target that 3 per cent of the number of Commonwealth contracts are to go to Indigenous businesses.
“We are investing further in what we know, what the data shows and what Indigenous communities tell us, works.”
Radio interview with Ben Fordham, 2GB
13 February 2019
PRIME MINISTER: G’day Ben.
BEN FORDHAM: Thank you very much for joining us on the line.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s alright, Tony was making a lot of sense there, I didn’t want to interrupt him.
FORDHAM: I thought you might have been listening in and I know you’ve had a busy afternoon, so thank you for jumping on the line and talking to us. Look, he was suggesting that this was evidence, what we’re watching today, with Bill Shorten’s support of this medevac bill, that he’s not fit to be Prime Minister. Is that a blunt and honest assessment?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it is. He hasn’t got the ticker for it when it comes to this stuff. I mean when it comes to national security, you don’t trade in it, it’s an area of pure conviction, you do things because you believe it. You don’t sort of flip and flop, which he has done here. It’s very similar to what happened with Kim Beazley all those years ago and John Howard. It’s almost like a rerun and this is the great problem I have with Labor; they can never, ever, ever learn the lesson. They think they can fiddle with this stuff, just like they did when they got rid of temporary protection visas in 2008 and now the boats come. They think; “Oh, it won’t make any difference.”
I mean Bill Shorten said; “We’re getting the balance right.” The last Labor Prime Minister who said that was Kevin Rudd and they just never, ever learn.
FORDHAM: You’ve acted as Immigration Minister, you know more about stopping boats than anyone else in Australia; will people smugglers re-start their trade because of this bill?
PRIME MINISTER: That is the great risk we’re now facing. I’m going to do everything to make sure that doesn’t happen and the only thing standing between a boat and Australia is me and Peter Dutton and our Government. They know our resolve. But if we were not there, I can guarantee you they’d be coming thick and fast, that’s what would happen. Now if one comes, it will be the result of this weakening.
I had the National Security Committee meet this morning, which I convened. We took a number of decisions to strengthen what we were doing with Operation Sovereign Borders. We’ve done that. We’ve taken now, the step – sadly – we will have to re-open the Christmas Island detention centre. That will come at a cost and we haven’t finalized those costs yet. But that’s what Labor knew would be the consequences when they did this. They just disregarded the advice of the Chief of the Defence Force, the head of ASIO, the head of the Department of Home Affairs. They just went and did it anyway.
It showed terrible weakness on Bill Shorten’s part. I mean, it’s the only way I can put it Ben it was just sheer weakness.
FORDHAM: Is it right that there’s already been a reaction in parts of the world where people smugglers ply their trade, that there’s already chatter in that part of the world?
PRIME MINISTER: That doesn’t surprise me at all, because what they look for is a change of policy. Now, we haven’t changed our policy, but what the Parliament has done is to force one upon us. That’s just how the people smugglers work. See all these journalists down here in Canberra, in the bubble, they think all these little nuances matter - and the Labor Party think it - to the people smugglers. They just turn up to someone sitting up there in Indonesia and they say: “Guess what, they changed the laws down there in Australia, you can get on a boat now. Let’s go” that’s what they do. They think they’re all sort of glued to listening to journalists down here in Canberra, explaining the intricacies of these things. It’s nonsense.
FORDHAM: I can remember a Four Corners investigation into people smugglers and some of them that were based here in Australia and that was the case.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
FORDHAM: I remember the interviews with some of the people and they were just saying; ‘They kept lying to us and lying to us and lying to us about where we were going, what we were doing, what would happen when we were on the boat.” That’s obviously what they do.
PRIME MINISTER: They’re criminals. That’s what criminals do, they lie.
FORDHAM: Have our intelligence agencies actually heard any chatter though, because it’s being reported by David Speers, that he’s been told that Australia’s intelligence agencies believe that “the beast is stirring,” since the passage of the medevac bill? They’re trying to ensure that the beast doesn’t wake up, the beast of course being the people smuggling trade. Have you been told by our intelligence agencies that there is chatter?
PRIME MINISTER: I could never confirm that one way or the other Ben, because that’s intelligence that I receive as Prime Minister. So I can’t comment on that for obvious reasons, but what my job is, is to make sure that beast doesn’t wake up. I can tell you, Bill has given it a big poke, that’s what he has done. He’s done it willfully and he’s done it because he can’t stand up to the far left of his own Party. I mean you’ve got Tanya Plibersek running immigration and border protection for the Labor Party now. Just picture this for me; Bill Shorten chairing the National Security Committee with Tanya Plibersek sitting alongside him and whoever else they’ve got in there - and they are going to decide whether boats get turned back? I mean what they’ve done is, they’ve already said they’re going to give permanent visas to people who arrive illegally by boat, enter Australia illegally. They’ve already said that. They’re going to get rid of what we put back in place. They’ve now basically trashed offshore processing as we know it and they’re telling the Australian people, “Oh trust us, we’ll turn boats back.” Give me a break. Bill Shorten does not have the ticker or the mettle for that and he demonstrated that in the Parliament yesterday and if he ever tells anyone, “Oh the Coalition and us, we have the same border protection policy.” That’s complete guff. We don’t. He doesn’t have the strength for it, he doesn’t have the policies for it, he doesn’t have a clue about it.
FORDHAM: One of the issues here obviously is that when people get a medical transfer to Australia then a lot of them then launch legal actions to stay. I think out of those who have come here, more than half of them have done that, engaged lawyers and said; “Righto, I’m not going back.”
PRIME MINISTER: That’s exactly what happens, that’s exactly what happens. So look, this is why they play with this stuff thinking they can appease people in their own party. I mean, if Bill Shorten had any ticker he would have stood up to them and said; “No, no, we need to have strong borders. We said that the Coalition had got it right and that we’d stuffed it up and that we can never go back there.” That’s what he should have said. But he didn’t do that. He just rolled over. This bloke is seriously, seriously weak.
FORDHAM: I really got the sense watching you at the National Press Club that you are going to stick a stake in the ground on this and just stand to it and not budge a centimetre. And you made a call and I’m paraphrasing here, but you said; “Bill Shorten is looking for the middle ground here, but you can’t find middle ground on 1,200 people dying.” And I don’t know, it strikes me that you’ve got a very strong argument to go to the next election and also to say to people, “We don’t want to see hundreds of people drowning and dying like we saw last time.” I mean, who would risk that?
PRIME MINISTER: I remember the debates. I remember when that boat crashed up on the jagged rocks of Christmas Island. I remember the debates in the Parliament when the Labor members came in and they cried in the Parliament. The tears have run dry because their memories have gone. That’s what’s happened. They have not learned the lessons from those tragic events and they are doomed to repeat them if they’re elected.
FORDHAM: And if anyone is trying to convince you to change your mind, forget about it, it’s game on.
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely. I mean, I know what works. I know from bitter and difficult experience what works. Because I lived it and I did it with Tony and Peter who has done it since and we’re part of that team. And we’re going to do everything we can to make sure one doesn’t come. If one does come, it’s on Bill’s head and if one doesn’t come, I can assure you it’s because they know that Peter and I and Tony, we’re all still here and we’re going to do everything we can to stop them.
FORDHAM: Prime Minister, thanks for joining us, appreciate your time.
Hakeem al-Araibi
12 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Hakeem al-Araibi is home.
We welcome the Thai Government’s decision to allow Mr al-Araibi to return to Australia.
We know all Australians will deeply appreciate the decision, allowing him to return to his wife, family and friends.
The outpouring of support – from the Pascoe Vale Football Club, to the advocacy of Craig Foster and the Football Federation of Australia and so many others – is a testament to how deeply Mr al-Araibi’s situation touched Australians.
We also appreciate the efforts of Australian officials and diplomats in working towards this outcome.
We commend Thailand’s commitment to due process and human rights which had led the Thai Government to take this decision.
The people of Australia have a great affection for Thailand and the Thai people.
Australia and Thailand enjoy a long, deep and enduring partnership. We look forward to continuing to strengthen the friendship and partnership between our two nations.
We also acknowledge the constructive dialogue that we have had with Bahrain in helping to resolve this issue. Australia and Bahrain share an important and longstanding relationship which we will continue to build upon.
City Deal for South East Queensland
12 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Cities Urban Infrastructure and Population
The Morrison Government has committed to working with the Queensland Government and local councils in South East Queensland to develop a City Deal for the region.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Federal Government was already delivering billions of dollars of funding for congestion busting roads and rail projects and this new deal would help unlock further investment.
“I want people to get home sooner and have dinner as a family. I want tradies to spend less time on the road and more time at the worksite,” the Prime Minister said.
“We want to ensure Queensland remains a major tourism destination and one of the world’s premier locations to live, work and raise a family.”
It will be the second City Deal for Queensland following the policy being first established in Townsville.
It comes in addition to the Morrison Government piloting a Regional Deal for the Bundaberg Hervey Bay region.
The commitment to an SEQ City Deal is supported by Queensland LNP MPs and Senators who have campaigned for funding to support the diverse sectors within the region including tourism, manufacturing and education.
The Morrison Government has been working with the SEQ Council of Mayors, in particular Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, on the recently released People Mass Movement Study which explores the impact of population growth on the region’s ability to cope with future transport demand.
Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said the Liberal and Nationals Government was committed to the people of South East Queensland and to making the region even more liveable than it already is.
“South East Queensland is already home to over two thirds of the state’s population and is expected to accommodate 5.3 million people within 25 years’ time,” Minister Tudge said.
“We need to cater for this rising population and the SEQ City Deal will be a huge step forward in making sure the people of South East Queensland get the most out of living in this beautiful region.
“I along with the Prime Minister will be meeting with the SEQ Mayors to discuss the Deal, and we will also be working constructively with the Queensland Government as we have already in Townsville.”
The Liberal and Nationals Government is already investing $7.2 billion into major transport infrastructure projects within the region including:
$2.7 billion to upgrade the Bruce Highway north of Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast;
$1.2 billion for six projects to bust congestion on the M1 Pacific Motorway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast;
$1.1 billion to construct the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing;
$902 million to increase the efficiency of Brisbane’s motorway network by building the Gateway Upgrade North and;
$390 million to duplicate the North Coast Rail Line between Beerburrum and Landsborough and provide further improvements to Nambour
$300 million to support better public transport via the Brisbane Metro;
$207 million to support construction of Stage 2 (Gold Coast University Hospital to Helensvale), and Stage 3A (Broadbeach South to Burleigh Heads) of the Gold Coast Light Rail project;
$200 million for additional lanes on the Ipswich Motorway between Rocklea and Oxley;
$170 million for critical safety upgrades at the Yamanto and Amberley intersections with the Cunningham Highway; and
$20 million for safety and congestion works along Bribie Island Road.
Earlier this month the Morrison Government also committed $244 million for a range of local congestion busting road, and park and ride, projects through its $1 billion Urban Congestion Fund.
Doorstop, Canberra ACT
12 February 2019
PRIME MINISTER: I was pleased to be here this morning. As you heard, I give thanks for the answered prayers of so many Australians that Hakeem is coming home, we had confirmation of course of that overnight. We have seen the picture of him on the plane, with a smile on his face, and that’s great to see. And I particularly again want to thank the Thai Government for working with us so closely. I also want to thank the Bahrain Government for our interactions with them as well. We have excellent relationships with both of countries, but the best news of all is Hakeem will be in Australia this afternoon and I think that’s something we can give great thanks for and give great acknowledgment to all the fine work that’s been done by our officials, our Australians of the Year, everyone who has been involved. I thank them all very much.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, if you lose the medevac Bill today, why should you not drive to Government House and call an election?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s not a matter [inaudible], that’s why. I mean, the independents have said that themselves. So I think they’ve answered their own question. That matter will be determined I assume later in the Parliament today. I have made it pretty clear that the Bill is acceptable in no form. We will not be giving any comfort or any licence for the Parliament to support this in any way, shape or form.
JOURNALIST: Will you allow it to come on for a debate today though?
PRIME MINISTER: It does come on for a debate today, that’s the process.
JOURNALIST: So you will consider absolutely no Labor amendments to this Bill whatsoever?
PRIME MINISTER: This Bill is acceptable in absolutely no form. It only weakens our borders, it does not strengthen them. I will not give a leave pass to this Parliament to weaken our borders. Thanks very much.
Government delivers on future submarine program
11 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Defence, Minister for Defence Industry
Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch
A key plank of the Government’s plan to keep Australians safe has been locked in with the signing of the Attack class submarine Strategic Partnering Agreement with Naval Group.
The $50 billion Attack class program will see 12 regionally superior submarines designed and built in Australia for the Navy.
The formal signing of the Agreement is a defining moment for the country.
The submarines will help protect Australia’s security and prosperity for decades to come and also deepen the defence relationship between Australia and France.
Work on the submarines has taken place under the Design and Mobilisation Contract and this will continue uninterrupted under this Agreement.
Our Government is committed to maximising local industry involvement in the program to ensure Australians get the most out of this important national investment.
It’s estimated the program will generate an annual average of around 2,800 jobs, helping end the ‘valley of death’ in naval shipbuilding jobs we inherited from the Labor Party.
Work continues to deliver the first Attack class submarine, to be named HMAS Attack, in the early 2030s within budget.
The formalisation of this agreement represents the contractual basis for the program.
The decision to partner with Naval Group (formerly DCNS) was made in 2016, following a competitive evaluation process commenced by our Government after the Labor Party failed to commission even one single new ship for our Navy. During the negotiations, the Government focused on delivering an equitable and enduring agreement in the interests of our nation.
Other activities required to deliver this major program, including the development of the submarine construction yard at Osborne in South Australia, are continuing.
The Attack class submarines are a major pillar of our $90 billion National Shipbuilding Plan, which will see 54 naval vessels built in Australia, to meet the strategic requirements set out in our 2016 Defence White Paper and giving our Navy the edge it needs in an uncertain world.
Funding to support women and children escaping domestic violence
11 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Families sand Social Services, Minister for Women
Hundreds more women and children escaping domestic and family violence will have a safe place to sleep with a $78 million investment by the Morrison Government.
This investment includes a $60 million grants program for eligible organisations to provide new or expanded emergency accommodation facilities for those escaping domestic and family violence.
This program will build up to 450 safe places and assist up to 6,500 people per year. The grant program will be structured to encourage contributions from other levels of government, and from private and philanthropic sources.
A further $18 million will be invested in the Keeping Women Safe in their Homes program, which has assisted over 5,200 women since 2015-16, providing security upgrades and safety planning so women and children can remain in their own homes, if it is safe to do so.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this investment was a key commitment to the Fourth Action Plan 2019-2022, the final plan under the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022.
“The first priority of my government is to keep Australians safe and secure,” the Prime Minister said.
“I am focused on providing more support to women and children escaping domestic violence.
“The National Plan is one of the best examples of governments working together and the more we work together to solve this problem as partners, the better the outcome for victims and survivors of domestic violence.
“This is the third significant initiative we’ve funded for domestic violence support in as many months, following $67.2 million committed as part of the Women’s Economic Security Statement and a further $10.9 million towards 1800RESPECT, announced in late November.”
Minister for Families and Social Services Paul Fletcher said that this investment is designed to significantly increase our national stock of emergency accommodation for women and children escaping domestic violence.
“When a woman needs to escape domestic violence, often she has very little chance to plan – she may well have raced out of the house and jumped in the car with just the clothes on her back.
“That is why it is so important there is emergency accommodation available – so a woman in this situation can have a safe place to live while she works out what she will do next.”
“I have seen in my own electorate the vital work done by the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter, which has provided emergency accommodation to nearly 300 women, 72 per cent of whom needed help due to domestic violence.
Minister for Women Kelly O’Dwyer said women had the right to be safe in their homes, in their communities, online and in their workplaces.
“The Government has zero tolerance for violence against women and this new package will make a very real difference to women and children right across Australia.”
“Today’s announcement comes on top of the more than $350 million the Government has invested to improve women’s safety since 2015.”
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au.
New $662 million aged care package to support older Australians
10 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Health, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care
The Morrison Government is making a further significant investment in aged care, with $320 million for residential aged care and an additional 10,000 home care packages across all levels as part of a new $662 million package to support older Australians.
The $320 million residential aged care component equates to approximately $1,800 per permanent resident and will provide additional support to the sector, over the next 18-months, to deliver quality aged care services while the Government considers longer-term reform funding options.
It builds on the existing enhancements to the viability supplement and homelessness supplement and the $50 million investment to support the transition to the new quality standards.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said looking after older Australians was the Government’s top priority.
“We need to have a culture of respect and care and that’s why I announced the Royal Commission into Aged Care. It’s why as Prime Minister and Treasurer I have delivered thousands of additional home care places,” the Prime Minister said.
“These places give older Australians the choice about how and where they want to live their lives.
“Older Australians have worked hard all their life, paid taxes and done their fair share, and they deserve our support.
“While we are delivering record aged care funding, Bill Shorten is raiding the savings of almost 1 million retirees.”
This new $662 million investment aims to help speed up access to home care and ensure older Australians receive safe, high-quality services when and where they need them.
It will increase aged care access and further strengthen safety, quality and transparency and allow older Australians to live in their home longer and stay independent.
This latest funding will boost aged care through:
$282.4 million for 10,000 home care packages across all levels
A $320 million general subsidy boost in 2018-19 to benefit senior Australians receiving residential aged care services from increased support for aged care providers
A $4.2 million mandatory national aged care quality indicator program
$7.7 million to enhance the safety, quality and integrity of home care
$35.7 million to increase home care supplements for dementia and cognition and veterans
A $4.6 million trial of a new residential care funding tool to replace the Aged Care Funding Instrument
A new $7.4 million business advisory service for both residential and home care providers to help them improve their operations and share best practice.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said this new aged care funding boost would provide more services and security.
“Older Australians deserve the best care and support and our Government is delivering choice,” Minister Hunt said.
“This funding ensures our older Australian have the support they need to live in their homes longer or provide significant support for the residential aged care sector.”
Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt said the Liberal and Nationals Government was delivering record aged care funding.
“Under the Liberal and Nationals Government, aged care funding is increasing by about $1 billion each year,” Minister Wyatt said.
“This is about more choices for a longer life – giving older Australians more aged care options and the capacity to live independently for as long as possible.”
The mandatory national aged care quality indicator program for residential care includes an indicator on the use of physical restraint in line with our commitment to better regulate chemical and physical restraint in aged care.
This latest investment builds on our Government’s $552 million aged care boost in the December MYEFO, which included 10,000 high level home care packages, reduced home care fees, increased viability supplements for residential aged care, and a $98 million fee incentive for doctors visiting aged care homes.
Thanks to our Government’s strong economic management, in the past year we have announced 40,000 new home care packages and $115 million to grow the Commonwealth Home Support Program.
Unlike Labor, we are committed to funding this crucial support to those most in need. Our funding of $19.8 billion in 2018-19 is almost $6.5 billion more than Labor provided in its last full financial year (2012-13).
Doorstop with the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs
9 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Immigration Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs
PRIME MINISTER: Well, good morning. It’s great to be here with David Coleman, not only the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs but of course the Member for Banks and my neighbour as the Member for Cook. It’s wonderful to be here with David and to be part of the Lunar New Year celebrations which are going on all around the country. So xin nian kuai le to all of those and gong xi fa cai to everyone to continuing to engage in those celebrations from the Vietnamese, the Chinese and Korean communities. It’s a wonderful time of family and celebration and recognising the great contribution of particularly the Chinese community to Australia, and all of these communities, to Australia and the incredible, strong relationships that we have with China, with Korea and Vietnam. There is a major Vietnamese celebration on this evening where David will be representing me. So it’s wonderful to be here for that purpose, that’s why we’re in Penshurst.
But given we’re both together today I thought it was an important opportunity to make this very simple point to Bill Shorten; there is no form of this bill that is acceptable. This bill is not only a bill that will undermine – in any form – the Government’s successful border protection regime. It is also a completely unnecessary bill. Children, the last four with their bags packed to go to the United States, will be off Nauru. We have announced at the beginning of this week, a measure that does not require legislation, that provides the transparency and assurance to Australians about the medical services that are provided. There is no form of this bill that makes our border protection stronger or fairer. All it does is weaken that border protection. There is no middle ground to be sought here, there is only the right ground that we stand on, that we have stood on for decades. We’ve had to solve Labor’s problem of opening our borders, not once, but twice. And Labor are still enticed into this folly of seeking to undermine it. Already, they have said that they will abolish temporary protection visas, just like they did last time when the boats came.
They have already now put us in this position where Bill Shorten is still toying with the idea of passing legislation that would lead to the undermining of our successful border protection regime. He has finally accepted a briefing after five days. That briefing and the advice that the Government has received has been declassified and has been made available. What it says is pretty clear; if you go ahead with this, detention centres like the one at Christmas Island will have to be reopened. That will not only open our borders again but it will lead to a cost to tax payers of at least $1.4 billion, because those estimates don’t include the restarting of the boats, that’s just dealing with the 1,000 people that we would expect to make their way from the regional processing locations to Australia.
This bill is folly. This bill, however positively it might be motivated by some, it’s detail, it’s construction, can only unpick and undermine the strong border protection framework that we have worked hard to put in place and that has been successful.
If Bill breaks this, he owns it. If Bill breaks this, he has taken Australia into this position and it will be on his head in terms of what follows from this. We have always remained resolute in our position on border protection and we will remain exactly in that position.
I want to ask the Minister to make a few comments on that and then there’s one other matter I’d like to address before we take questions.
THE HON DAVE COLEMAN, MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION, CITIZENSHIP AND MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS: Thanks PM. Our Government has been extremely successful in securing our borders, stopping the boats and getting people out of detention. There were 2,000 kids in detention when we came to office, we got them all out. As the Prime Minister said, all of the children on Nauru but for four that will shortly travel to the United States, have been removed from Nauru. You can only do that when you have secure borders and when those borders are managed by the Government. Now Bill Shorten’s law – and let’s be clear on this, this is Bill Shorten’s law, it’s not Kerryn Phelp’s law. There’s one Kerryn Phelps but 19 Labor senators who already voted for this law. This isn’t theoretical, Labor voted for this law already in December and if they’d had their way, it would have become the law of Australia in December. That just shows the political opportunism of the Leader of the Opposition and his wiliness to play politics with this most crucial of issues.
Now if Bill Shorten’s law comes into being, we anticipate within weeks, substantially all of the 1,000 people who are on Manus and Nauru will come to Australia. We expect that will overwhelm our existing systems in the management of arrivals from offshore processing centres and we expect that will mean the Christmas Island detention centre will need to be reopened. Now we’ve closed 19 detention centres that Labor opened. The reason we’ve been able to close them is because we’ve secured our borders and stopped the boats. The law that Labor voted for in December is extraordinary, it is incredibly badly thought-through. It will lead to the effective end of offshore processing as we know it. What that means is that people smugglers say; “There’s an opportunity,” and the boats start again. Incredibly, Bill Shorten’s law applies not only to the people that are on Manus and Nauru now, but also any future arrivals. So any future arrival who comes to Manus or Nauru simply needs to get two doctors in Australia to say that they should come to Australia for assessment and they will come. That is an extraordinarily low bar and it means that the integrity of offshore processing will be fatally undermined. As the PM said; there is no middle ground on this. We have a very strong record and this law would bring to an end offshore processing and would lead to a restarting of boat arrivals.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you David. Now, we’re talking about border protection and on Monday I’ll be talking a lot more about our plan for a safer and more secure Australia and those issues go beyond defence and border protection and terrorism and things of that nature. They also go to keeping Australians safe in their homes and they go to keeping Australian kids safe online. That’s why I’m pleased that today we are announcing $10 million to support a grants programme, to support not-for-profit organisations that are working in our communities to keep kids safe online. Also, working with the Alannah and Madeline Foundation to work up a concept, a proposal that can lead to the establishment of digital licenses. This is I think an important initiative. There’s a lot of work still to be done, but today – David and I are parents, in fact our kids go to the same schools – and there’s nothing that more terrifies parents, it certainly does me as a dad of two girls, about the safety of kids online. We all have these conversations with our kids and we all need to, but we also need to work as a community to keep our kids safe online. It is a dangerous place. It’s a place where they can learn many things, where they can connect with their friends and that’s all fine, it has many positive purposes and uses. But we also need to know that our kids are as safe being online as they are at the local playground or in their school. That’s why I’m pleased to announce that this is part of what I mean when I say I want to keep Australians safe. It’s not just from terrorism, it’s not just from the external threats and the bolstering of our Defence Force and our security agencies. It’s about keeping our kids safe, it’s about keeping women safe, it’s about ensuring the broader safety of all Australians in our community and in their homes.
But Minister Fifield will have more to say about that later today and I want to thank the Alannah and Madeline Foundation for their cooperation in working through this. But also, again pay tribute to our Australian Heroes of the Year who started Dolly’s Dream, it’s a great legacy they’ve established and we’re pleased to work with them in any way we can.
Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Why is the Government assuming the cost over the next five years? Whether these people would have gone on to the US or other countries by then?
PRIME MINISTER: No, what we’ve done here is we have asked our agencies to tell us what we would have to do in the event this bill was passed. Their advice to us is that these detention centres would have to be reopened, because it would overwhelm our existing network. The cost of that over the Budget and forward estimates would be $1.4 billion and that’s a pretty conservative estimate. Because as I said, that doesn’t even take into account any restarting of arrivals which they also note is a likely outcome from this. So $1.4 billion is the opening gambit, it only gets worse from there. Remember when Labor lost control of the borders, it cost an additional $11.6 billion. That’s when Chris Bowen, the now shadow treasurer who wants to become the Treasurer, he couldn’t control the borders and it cost the Budget an additional $11.6 billion.
JOURNALIST: There are medical doctors saying this bill or some variation of this bill is necessary. Do you say -
PRIME MINISTER: No, I absolutely reject that. I absolutely reject it, we have the medical processes in place and what the Minister and I announced on Monday, I think provides an appropriate assurance and transparency around that process. We cannot have Australia’s borders determined by panels of medical professionals. They have a role to play in the system and they play that role, but ultimately that decision must rest with the sovereign, elected Government. You cannot contract these decisions out, you can’t compromise on this.
I’ve seen this before. When Labor were floundering in Government last time, I was the shadow minister, I saw it, I lived it every day. All they tried to do was solve the politics in the media cycle every day and they refused to confront, head-on, the serious problem. We’re not doing that. I’m not looking for a compromise with Bill Shorten, he’s the one who has created this diabolical situation. He’s the one who can end it by simply saying; “We’re voting against the bill, that’s it, we made a mistake.” Let’s move on.
JOURNALIST: So you can categorically [inaudible] rule out any coming to the table –
PRIME MINISTER: There’s no table to come to. There’s no table to come to, this isn’t about a compromise. There’s no need for this bill, it is completely unnecessary and the ground we’re on is the right ground. We’d simply say, if you’re for border protection, you’ll stand with us on this ground, to the Leader of the Opposition. Why he’s decided to go where he has gone, only he can explain. He’s already demonstrated to date a very serious weakness and failing. He has been tempted by the opportunity of some sort of political humiliation of the Government in the Parliament. Well, I’ll cop that if it means protecting our borders. If that’s what Bill Shorten prizes, he can have it. He can have it, I’ll have the Government’s position on stronger borders any day of the week.
JOURNALIST: Were the costings done by a Government department?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
JOURNALIST: By your office or a Minister’s office?
PRIME MINISTER: They were done by the Department of Finance. It was done as part of the process of Home Affairs advising the Government about what our response would have to be and those costings were done in the normal way by the Finance Department. It wasn’t about costing Opposition policies, this was about costing what the Government’s response would have to be in the event, as a contingency of this bill being passed. So they are official Finance costings.
JOURNALIST: How much would the Government save by winding back operations on Manus and Nauru?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, as you know Manus is closed. That centre has already closed and we maintain and will always maintain regional processing on Nauru because it is a key part of the border protection framework. I can tell you what it costs if we close it; at least $11.6 billion because that’s what it cost last time Labor lost control of the borders. You close regional processing and you shut it down at your peril. I remember having to argue until I was hoarse in Opposition; you must reopen offshore processing and Labor fought it and they fought and they fought it and they eventually relented in the dying days of their government. Yet here they are again. I mean how many elections do we have to have on this issue for the Labor Party to get it? We just want strong borders and to keep the policies that are working. Why is Bill Shorten playing around with this? It defies any sense and betrays a great weakness on his part.
JOURNALIST: Will you remove Tim Wilson as chair of the franking credits inquiry?
PRIME MINISTER: No of course not. I think Tim is giving a voice to retirees around the country and the Labor Party can’t stand it. They have treated these retirees with contempt and disrespect. They have said; “They don’t pay tax.” These are people who have paid tax all their lives, all their lives and it’s insulting and offensive what the Labor Party has been saying. I’m not surprised they’re furious and they’re turning up the hearing to voice that. Tim and his entire committee have given these Australians a voice and I think they should commended for that.
JOURNALIST: You’ve said this bill would mean murders and rapists will come to Australia.
PRIME MINISTER: I said it can allow it.
JOURNALIST: Are there murders and rapists in those detention centres?
PRIME MINISTER: This bill doesn’t just apply to those who are here now, it applies prospectively. What it fails to do is provide those protections, that’s just a simple legal fact. A simple legal fact and it makes the point that David has made and I think he’s put it rightly; this is Shorten’s bill. This is Shorten’s ‘ending offshore processing’ bill. That’s what this bill is, because if he votes against it, then it’s gone. If he votes for it, it’s likely to pass and what that bill does is it changes the border protection arrangement for the worse, not for the better. You can’t fix this bill, you can’t fix it. You can’t make it better, it’s an unnecessary bill. It’s time to bin it and for him to admit that this was not something they should have even entertained. That fact that they even entertained it I think has already given Australians sufficient cause for concern about the real weakness that lies at the heart of Bill Shorten and the Labor Party.
More support to keep children safe online
9 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Communications and the Arts
The Morrison Government is today announcing further measures to support families and keep children safe online.
We are investing $10 million in a new Online Safety Grants Program to enable non-government organisations (NGOs) to deliver practical online safety education and training projects.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said one of our Government’s top priorities was keeping our kids safe online.
“Every mum and dad, including me and Jen, worries about our kids when they go online. It’s terrifying for parents,” the Prime Minister said.
“Jenny and I sit down with our girls and talk to them about being safe and responsible.
“We all have a role to play to ensure our children have the tools and information they need to stay safe whenever they are online.
“We’ve seen too many tragic cases of online abuse and bullying. This new suite of measures will help keep our children stay safe online and support parents, community leaders and teachers to do our bit.
“Organisations, like the Alannah and Madeline Foundation and Dolly’s Dream are doing some great work in this space and we need to follow their lead.”
Following a request from eminent child psychologist Dr Michael Carr Gregg, the Government will commission a review of ‘digital licences’ and other tools designed to build and test children’s online safety skills.
The Government recognises that there are a number of organisations already doing good work in this space.
We will look at existing tools, in particular the ‘eSmart Digital Licence’ developed by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation.
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said our highest obligation as a society is to protect our kids and that’s why safety of children online is a major focus of this Government.
“We’ve already done some good work in the online environment. We’ve established the world’s first eSafety Commissioner. We’ve legislated a kids cyber-bullying material take-down regime. But the community expect us to do more,” Minister Fifield said.
The independent review will also explore the elements that make up an effective competency-based program for educating children about online safety.
The review will examine whether the current online safety training and testing tools available for children are effective, and if any improvements are needed.
“For our children and young people, the online world is now as much a part of their lives as the offline world. These measures will ensure they have the knowledge and practical skills they need to be safe and responsible online,” Minister Fifield said.
The Online Safety Grants Program will enable non-government organisations to deliver practical, on-the-ground improvements to online safety for Australian children.
The program will be administered by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner which was established by the Coalition in 2015 as a world-first statutory authority for the community’s online safety.
Today’s announcement builds on the $17 million Keeping our Children Safe Online package announced last December which included new resources for parents and carers, an online safety research program and the development of an Online Safety Charter for digital platforms.
Extraordinary measures to help North Queensland farmers
8 February 2019
Prime Minister, Premier of Queensland
Queensland farmers hit by devastating floods will receive more support, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk increasing grants from $25,000 to $75,000.
The Prime Minister said the assistance is being provided through the joint Commonwealth-Queensland Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
“Widespread flooding in Queensland has had an enormous impact on already struggling farmers, flattening crops and devastating livestock,” the Prime Minister said.
“The images of hundreds of dead cattle in western Queensland floodwaters is heartbreaking.
“The flooding is not over but we already know the situation is dire for many communities.
“Queensland’s farmers need our support now, which is why this assistance is being made available immediately.
“The money is available to farmers in nine local shires, and can be used for things like the hiring and leasing of equipment, purchasing fodder, salvaging feed or crops and repairing essential plant and equipment.
“The Commonwealth Government is also contributing $3 million to bolster mental health services on the ground.
“The Commonwealth’s contribution to North Queensland, as a result of these floods, is now over $100 million.”
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said stock losses would be immense with some farmers in Queensland reporting 100 per cent of their herds lost.
“Almost two years of rain has fallen on an area that weeks ago was in drought,” the Premier said.
“Weakened cattle that have managed to survive the floodwaters are still unable to get to feed as properties remain isolated and in some cases, the water continues to rise.
“We have had reports of a station near Julia Creek that normally runs approximately 70,000 head of cattle and they have only been able to locate 1,000 of their herd to date.
“Another producer in the same area has reported 3,000 head of cattle have been lost so we need to provide as much assistance as we can to these farmers immediately.
“The Queensland Government will continue to work closely with the Commonwealth Government to provide additional assistance to other impacted primary producers as information comes to hand.
“It’s important for all levels of government and industry to work together in response to these devastating and protracted floods and the Queensland Government and Queensland farmers thank the Commonwealth for their assistance so far.”
Prime Minister's Literary Awards open for entries
7 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Communications and the Arts
The 2019 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards are now open for entries.
The Prime Minister said the Awards celebrate Australia’s most talented authors, poets, illustrators and historians and acknowledge their influence on contemporary Australian literature and our understanding of Australian history.
“We’re committed to supporting the literary arts and its contribution to Australia’s cultural and intellectual life,” the Prime Minister said.
“I encourage all Australian authors, publishers and producers to take part in this prestigious award which continues to grow each year.”
Minister for Communications and the Arts Mitch Fifield said the Awards had supported hundreds of Australian authors since they were first established and continued to showcase the best of Australian writing.
“Over the past 11 years there have been 242 shortlisted authors and 70 winning authors. Last year we received more than 500 entries from emerging and established writers and illustrators highlighting the diversity of our literary sector,” Minister Fifield said.
Awards are presented across six categories: children’s and young adult literature, fiction, poetry, non-fiction and Australian history. The Australian history category is open to a range of media including journals, magazines, film, radio and online content.
Expert judging panels from across the industry assess all entries and make recommendations to the Prime Minister. Prize money is awarded in each category with up to $80,000 for winners and $5,000 for shortlisted books.
Submissions close on 15 March 2019.
To be eligible, entries must have been published or released between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018. Entry forms and guidelines are available at: www.arts.gov.au/pmla
$121 million to bust congestion in east and south-east Melbourne
7 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Cities Urban Infrastructure and Population
Motorists and public transport users in east and south-east Melbourne will benefit from a $121 million investment in congestion busting infrastructure.
The funding injection includes $68 million in park and ride facilities at six locations - Croydon, Mitcham, Ringwood, Ferntree Gully, Hampton and Bentleigh.
This investment will deliver more than 1,500 new car spaces for daily commuters who would otherwise have to sit in traffic when travelling to the CBD.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said additional car parking and removing pinch points and bottlenecks will make a real difference to the lives of people living in the outer east and south-east regions of Melbourne.
“Michael Sukkar, Tony Smith, Jason Wood and Tim Wilson have all called for congestion busting investments to help local families and businesses,” Prime Minister Morrison said.
“I am focused on delivering for Melbourne where congestion is increasingly taking away the time that families get to spend around the dinner table at night.
“We want people spending less time stuck in traffic and more time at home with their families and working in their businesses - this is what matters.”
The $121 million investment also includes:
$20 million for intersection upgrades, including traffic lights, and widening works in the southbound direction on the Maroondah Highway from Melba Highway to Ingram Road.
$17.8 million for eight intersection upgrades along the Princes Highway at Beaconsfield Avenue; O’Neil Road; Brunt Road; Bayview Road; Tivendale Road; McMullen Road; Arena Parade; and Thewlis Road.
$13 million to upgrade the McGregor Road and Pakenham Bypass interchange on the Princes Highway to assist motorists needing to exit or enter the Freeway from the east.
$2.5 million for improvements in the westbound direction on Plymouth Road between Narr-Maen Drive and Midhurst Road in Croydon.
In total, the Liberal and Nationals Government is delivering $261 million for 14 projects across Melbourne as part of the $1 billion Urban Congestion Fund.
Federal Member for Deakin Michael Sukkar said parking at local train stations has been an issue consistently raised by local residents.
“I am really pleased to be delivering this critical infrastructure, making life easier for local commuters who struggle to get a car park in the morning. Improving parking at our local train stations will also reduce congestion on our roads and further encourage commuters on to public transport,” said Mr Sukkar.
“The upgrade to Plymouth Rd will make school drop-offs and pick-ups safer for students and parents at local schools as well as take pressure off local roads around the McAdam Square Shopping Centre.”
Federal Member for Casey Tony Smith said $20 million of federal funding for duplication works and traffic lights in Coldstream will be warmly welcomed by the local community who have been advocating for these much needed improvements.
“Maroondah Highway is the key gateway to the Yarra Valley. When completed, the project will not only reduce congestion and improve safety for local residents and businesses, but also for those who commute from Yarra Glen and Healesville each day, and for the millions of tourists who drive through Coldstream to visit the Yarra Valley,” said Mr Smith.
Federal Member for La Trobe Jason Wood said he had been fighting for extra funding to help reduce congestion on local roads.
“I’m very pleased to deliver more than $30 million in funding to help with these two important local projects,” Mr Wood said.
“Because of our growing economy, we are able to deliver the services and infrastructure our community desperately needs.”
Federal Member for Goldstein Tim Wilson said car parking at train stations is critical to ease people’s daily commutes.
“This $8 million will be a game changer for public transport in Bayside and Glen Eira and conserve the liveability of our community,” Mr Wilson said.
Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said he understood the frustration of Melbourne commuters stuck in traffic on a daily basis.
“I’ve seen firsthand why congestion in Melbourne in now rated worse than Sydney,” Minister Tudge said.
“This investment will help to deliver a more reliable road network for Melbourne commuters and builds on a commitment of more than $20 billion to Victorian road and rail projects since 2013, including $7.8 billion in last year’s Budget.”
Major projects supported by the Liberal and Nationals Government, which are already underway across Melbourne, include the M80 Ring Road and Monash Freeway upgrades, the North East Link, and the Melbourne Airport Rail Link.
New multicultural centre for Berwick
7 February 2019
The Morrison Government is backing a new state-of-the-art Multicultural Education and Resource Centre in Berwick with a $500,000 grant.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the centre would feature its own library and be used as a place for the community to meet and spend quality time with each other.
“Our government is focused on keeping Australians together and this new centre will be a boost for Berwick and communities across Melbourne,” the Prime Minister said.
“Our $500,000 investment in the new centre is about giving people a place to meet friends and run cultural events.
“Backing local culture breathes life into a community, lifts local pride and boosts the morale of the people who live there.”
Federal Member for La Trobe Jason Wood said the new centre would showcase the community’s history and personality by bringing diverse members of the community together to share knowledge and skills.
“Whether young or old, this project will provide a place for Berwick residents to relax and socialise and enjoy the benefits of community life and culture.”
“A new facility like the Multicultural Education and Resource Centre will encourage people to come along and enjoy common experiences and reflect on what it means to belong.”
The estimated cost of the development is $1 million with the Australian Government providing $500,000, the Victorian Government $240,000 and Buddhist Vihara Victoria Incorporated $260,000.
Doorstop, Skye Victoria
6 February 2019
CHRIS CREWTHER MP: I’m Chris Crewther, the Federal Member for Dunkley. I’m here at the intersection of Greenwood Drive and Ballarto Road with the Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Minister Alan Tudge and the Mayor of Frankston City Council, Councillor Michael O’Reilly. I’m very pleased to be here today with the Prime Minister and the Minister to announce $30 million for intersection upgrades along Ballarto Road, including Greenwood Drive, Dion Drive, Potts Road and elsewhere. Since Carrum Downs, Skye and Sandhurst all came into my electorate, residents have raised with me on a continual basis how hard it is to get in and out of residential streets, particularly during peak hour times. Skye CFA have also raised the issue of just getting onto Ballarto Road to fight fires and that can be very difficult at peak times. So this will resolve intersections along the road, it will mean families can spend more time at home, it means safer roads and it means quicker response times for the Skye CFA along this road.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you. Well thank you very much Chris and to Alan and to Michael, thank you for being here with us today. Can I first of all congratulate you Chris. I mean, we can’t go and make these congestion-busting investments unless we have the people on the ground who know what they’re talking about and are in touch with their local communities. So the way the congestion-busting fund works is that Alan as the Minister for congestion busting, works with the local members to identify what those key priorities are. It can be as frustrating trying to get onto these key corridors, as it can sometimes be being on them. The congestion-busting fund, whether it’s here in Victoria or up in south east Queensland where I was last week, are all about doing two important things; getting families together at night, ensuring that parents can get home more readily and more safely and they can spend time together as a family. Secondly, it’s about ensuring that people running small businesses, tradies and others - and those that we’ve just heard from, the Skye CFA who I just met with just before coming here - can get to where they need to get to quickly and safely as well, to do the job. If you’re a tradie, you don’t get paid for sitting in a traffic jam or trying to get onto a road, you get paid for being on site. What this congestion-busting fund is delivering is exactly that.
$30 million here for Ballarto Road to do the upgrades, but also $50 million for two projects. $50 million for the Calder Corridor which I’ll ask Alan to speak to, and the Hume Corridor. These other important parts of the road network here that will enable people to be able to get home sooner, get home safer, to where they need to be.
So Alan, thanks again for the great planning work you’ve done. You’re linking all of these great projects together and it’s a great way to ensure that this urban congestion fund iS delivering exactly what it was designed to do when I handed down the Budget in May. Thanks Alan.
THE HON ALAN TUDGE MP, MINISTER FOR CITIES, URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND POPULATION: Well thanks very much, Prime Minister and Chris. We’ve got $20 billion worth of infrastructure projects being delivered here in Victoria. That included $7.8 billion just at the last Budget. Most of that money is going towards the big corridors, the big rail, the big road projects, such as $5 billion for the airport rail. Half a million dollars to upgrade the Monash. $225 million to electrify the line from Frankston to Baxter, which Chris has so strongly supported and many other projects. This urban congestion fund project is actually aimed at those small pinch points where, as the Prime Minister says, sometimes you spend as much time getting held up in traffic in those pinch points as you do being held up in traffic on the major corridors such as the Monash Freeway.
Today we’re announcing four projects. We’ve heard a little bit about Ballarto Road from Chris, $30 million going in there. We’re also funding two $50 million projects. The Calder Freeway, which is already heavily congested, particularly on the inbound traffic and there, we’re going to be investing money in order to improve the capacity from Gap Road all the way down to the Ring Road which is the most congested area. We estimate, the forecasts are, for the traffic to increase by 3,000 cars per hour to about 4,000 cars per hour during peak hour. If we don’t do anything, the traffic will slow by almost half. So we’re investing there to improve the traffic flow.
Then on the Hume Freeway - and everyone knows the Hume Freeway, it’s a massive corridor between here and Sydney - it’s particularly congested in the last section before you hit the Ring Road. So, another $50 million investment there to increase the capacity of that and that will complement some of the other work which we already have going on with the State Government at the intersection of O’Hearns Road and the Hume Freeway. Then this afternoon we’ll be announcing smaller projects with Kevin Andrews and that’s just a small corridor there of $10 million.
Together, these projects will really make a practical difference to the lives of Melburnians. I’m born and bred Melbourne; I know the congestion of this city. We need to be investing and we are investing and what these local projects are about, is getting people home sooner and safer.
MICHAEL O’REILLY, MAYOR OF FRANKSTON: I’ll just be very brief. First of all I’ll just thank the Prime Minister, our local member Chris Crewther and Minister Tudge for coming out today. The one thing I get as Mayor of Frankston is complaints about the traffic congestion here in Carrum Downs. There are only a few exits onto Ballarto Road and as you can see, it’s the middle of the day and we have already traffic going up and down in an extremely busy state. When this gets to rush hour, people are sitting in their cars, coming out of the intersections, constantly. So this is an amazing thing for not only Frankston City but for the people of Carrum Downs. So I thank everyone for their contribution.
PRIME MINISTER: So we’re listening and we’re doing. It’s a big priority for our Government; congestion-busting in growing cities all around the country. Let’s take some questions on the announcement today and then I’m happy to address other issues as well.
JOURNALIST: The state government says; “Thanks for this and now can we have $3 billion for the East-West Link”. Are you going to hand that over?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that currently is part of a contingency which is in the Budget and is still there, there's a Budget in April this year.
JOURNALIST: Are you able to elaborate a little bit more on exactly what upgrades are going to take place here at Ballarto Road? Is it widening, is it adding some lanes, duplicating?
PRIME MINISTER: I’d be happy for Chris to answer, explaining the details of the project.
CHRIS CREWTHER MP: So in a number of different intersections along this road, we are looking to upgrade those intersections so people can get in and out of the residential streets easier. So for example, they include lights, they include lanes so that people can actually merge with the traffic instead of sitting perpendicular with the intersection and it may include other upgrades as well to reduce that congestion. At Potts Road for example it will include lights and then the option to press a buzzer so the CFA can actually control those lights and get out to fires when they need to do that. But importantly, there are many roads along here that intersect such as Greenwood, Dion Drive, Potts Road and other intersections. We are looking to upgrade as many of those intersections as possible so people can spend more time at home with their families.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] you’ve asked the Premier to match this funding but he says he found out about it when he read it in the newspaper. Is that correct?
PRIME MINISTER: We welcome their investment in the project and we’ll work closely together with the Victorian Government. We work closely with them on a whole range of projects and I’m looking forward to working with Premier Andrews and that’s why I sent him a note after his recent re-election saying just that.
JOURNALIST: Are you meeting with him during your time in Melbourne?
PRIME MINISTER: Not today, but we catch up. I saw him just the other day actually when I was down here for the Anniversary of the Black Saturday Fires.
JOURNALIST: But a face to face meeting?
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t have one planned today, no.
JOURNALIST: Just to clarify, so you expect in the Budget there will be some announcement around the $3 billion?
PRIME MINISTER: I just said the Budget is in April, that’s all I said. There’s currently a contingency, that provision sits in the Budget currently on this and we’ll be looking at that. That’s there for the East West Link. That’s what it’s there for.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: It’s a contingent liability, it’s there in the event that it’s triggered by a state government wanting to do that project, then there is the contingent commitment that we’ve made and that’s how it sits on the books.
JOURNALIST: Hakeem al-Araibi and Thailand, have you managed to speak on the phone to your Thai counterpart?
PRIME MINISTER: I have written two letters now to the Thai Prime Minister and our consular officials and others have been using every opportunity they have, to press the case to bring Hakeem home. We’ve also been pressing that case with the Government of Bahrain as well.
I’d simply say this; it is within the executive authority of the Thai Government to actually enable him, under their law, to be returned to Australia. I have pointed this out in the engagements I have had with the Thai Prime Minister and what I have also stressed is that the Australian people and the Thai people have a wonderful people-to-people relationship. I have stressed just how strongly Australians feel about this and I would be very disappointed if as a result of how this matter has handled, that the relationship between us the Thai and Australian people were affected. I would be very disappointed about that. So I have appealed to the Prime Minister to take that into account. They do have the authority to use those executive controls for him to come home. So we’re going to continue to work patiently and respectfully to secure that outcome.
JOURNALIST: Labor is calling on Tim Wilson to resign over a conflict of interest. Do you think he has a conflict of interest?
PRIME MINISTER: So the Labor Party aren't content with arrogantly dismissing thousands upon thousands, hundreds of thousands of retirees around our country who they basically want to steal money from with higher taxes. Now they’re going to throw mud at the person who is giving those retirees a voice? Labor frankly have no shame when it comes to this issue. They don’t want to listen to retirees, they have arrogantly dismissed them and now they want to shut down people who are trying to give retirees a voice.
This is classic Labor, classic thuggish Labor, throwing mud wherever they can because they do not want to face up to the fact that they’re putting a $5 billion a year tax on the retirees. It’s egregious. These people have paid taxes all their lives and what does Chris Bowen and Bill Shorten say to them? They haven’t paid any tax. I mean seriously, how offensive is that? So look, they’ll throw mud, they’ll treat retirees with disrespect. But I tell you what; those retirees will be remembering Bill Shorten when they go into those ballot boxes.
JOURNALIST: So you won’t be sacking Tim Wilson?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: It’s $160,000 in taxpayers money, is it right to be politicising a parliamentary committee?
PRIME MINISTER: I think it is great that retirees all around the country have got a voice and they can bring forward their concerns in this forum. I mean, that’s what the Parliament is supposed to be about; giving Australians a voice. Bill Shorten wants to shut them down, arrogantly dismiss them and take their money. No wonder they’re upset.
JOURNALIST: On the Royal Commission Prime Minister, why would the Government continue grandfathering [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I note that the Labor Party is yet to fully respond to the Royal Commission. The Government has provided a full response, we did that when we released the Royal Commission Report on Monday. The Labor Party is still using words like “in principle” and all the rest of it, so I don’t know what their response is at this time. I’ll wait to see what their full response is, when they get around to providing it.
But what I do know is that we are acting on all 76 recommendations and we’re going to do it carefully and we’re going to do it in a considered way. I’ve been a Treasurer and when you’re preparing legislation and making big changes in the financial system, you do it carefully, because otherwise, you can put the system at risk. So Bill Shorten might want to cobble together legislation and throw it around in the Parliament, that may have been how he ran things when he was the Financial Services Minister and did nothing about Storm Financial and all the other financial collapses. He didn’t call a Royal Commission, he didn’t do anything. So now, we will wait for him to give his response. But as a Government, we’ll be taking action on this for years, we will continue to take action and we’ll continue to take action on the 76 recommendations of the report.
JOURNALIST: On the Phelps bill, is it fair to say that any two doctors can sign off on an asylum seeker coming to Australia and the only way it can be rejected is if a Minister decides it’s on national security grounds?
PRIME MINISTER: What the Phelps inspired bill does is contract border protection away from the government to any two doctors. It can be any two doctors. No one has been pre-approved, it could be no one who has any sense or understanding of what the security issues are at risk. There is insufficient provisions in that bill to do any proper security assessments. But worse than that, it doesn’t provide for the usual arrangements which would enable us to reject someone coming to Australia because they have a criminal history. They may be a paedophile, they may be a rapist, they may be a murderer and this bill would mean that we would just have to take them.
So this is what will happen. If Bill Shorten does not put national security ahead of his own political opportunism, hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of single males - because there are no kids on Nauru as you know, I made that clear on Sunday, the last four are on their way to the United States - hundreds of them will have to be transferred to Australia at the directive of doctors, not the Government. This will mean we will have to reopen detention centres that we closed, like Christmas Island. We shut Christmas Island. This will cost a serious amount of money on the Australian taxpayer and it’ll undermine the successful border protection framework that has stopped the boats and ensured the integrity of our borders for the last five and a half years.
So I said to Bill Shorten last night; if you break it, you own it. And I would implore him to step back and put national interest and national security ahead of what is just flagrant political opportunism.
JOURNALIST: If you lose that vote, will that be a trigger for an election?
PRIME MINISTER: No, of course not. Why would it be?
JOURNALIST: Is it actually going to get to a vote in the next two weeks, the next two sitting weeks?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that’s how it’s scheduled, yeah.
JOURNALIST: Will you try and delay it?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: Has Cathy McGowan given you an assurance she won’t vote for the Kerryn Phelps bill?
PRIME MINISTER: Cathy is still considering her position, but let me be clear, this isn’t about Cathy McGowan. This is about Bill Shorten. This bill passes if Bill Shorten votes for it. So the border protection framework which has been so successful, which I was the architect of, if Bill Shorten wants to tear it down, he will instruct his party to vote for this bill coming back from the Senate.
So it’s on you, Bill. Here’s the test. Whichever way it goes, we will have passed the test, because we have stood up for having the right border protection framework in Australia. As for Bill Shorten, who knows what he believes?
JOURNALIST: On the banks, they had their best day on the share market in a long time yesterday. It is a sign that the Royal Commission was a bit soft on them?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I think what it showed was that Commissioner Hayne has done a very sound and responsible job. I think he has managed the issues in a very appropriate way. I think it’s a very well-considered report and it provides a lot of action for us to now follow through on, which we are doing. But equally, he has been able to do it in a way which has minimised disruptions to the financial system which has always been a key issue. We had seen as a result of the Commission a tightening in credit around the country which has had an economic impact which Australians full well know. That’s why we have to continue to manage this issue very carefully.
We will take the action that is necessary, we will do it in a responsible and measured way as the Treasurer has been indicating and illustrating. The financial system is in a safe pair of hands in terms of ensuring that it continues to perform the vital role it does in the Australian economy and the Labor Party will just frankly play politics with it. Remember, the financial system is where you get your mortgage, it’s where you get your loans, it’s how you finance your car, it’s how you run your business, it’s what your job depends on. So you don’t go around just playing around with this sort of thing. You’ve got to be very careful and considered in how you do these things and that’s exactly what the Government has done. My voice is starting to give way, so...
JOURNALIST: Are you sick a bit?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh well I’ve been up in Townsville, I’ve been down in Hobart, we’ve been travelling a lot and I’ve met thousands upon thousands of people, literally, wishing them all a happy Chinese New Year as well so you’re bound to pick up a bug here or there.
JOURNALIST: Huang Xiangmo, do you think he’ll ever be allowed back into Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: Well look, you wouldn’t expect me to comment on those issues. They’re sensitive matters. The Government has always acted consistent with the advice that we receive and that’s what has happened on this occasion.
JOURNALIST: With the money he has donated to the major parties, should it be returned?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, from the first of January this year, the bill that we put to the Parliament to outlaw foreign donations - so the Liberal Party and the National Party, that was our initiative - that came into effect on the first of January this year and we’re fully compliant with it.
We’ve introduced the law to ban foreign donations. That’s what we did, that’s the action we took. In relation to past donations, well the actions we’ve been taking in relation to this gentleman, that’s based on information that exists today. I’m not in a position to say what the position was several years ago. So where these things have happened in good faith - and we know that donations have been made to many political parties, not just one - then we have prospective laws that deal with that into the future and I think that’s the responsible way to deal with it.
JOURNALIST: Just on climate change, the Climate Council has released a report today talking about Australia’s extreme weather. What are you doing about climate change?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re going to reduce emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2030 through our Emissions Reductions Fund and the many other measures that we have. We’re meeting our targets, that’s what we’re doing. We’ve set our targets, we’re meeting them. We hit Kyoto 1, we’re going to smash Kyoto 2 and we’ll meet 2030 in a canter with the measures we’ll have in place to achieve that.
So I think Australians expect their Government to take action on climate change and we are, but what we won’t do it this; we won’t put a 45 per cent target on the Australian economy that will shut down industries, that will shut down jobs. That’s what the Labor Party wants to do. It’s bad enough that they want to put $200 billion of higher taxes on Australians all around the country. A deadweight on the Australian economy, as we go into some difficult times. They want to make matters worse with a reckless target that will shut down jobs all across Australia. We won’t be doing that, we have a responsible target and we have the programs to meet them. Thanks very much.
$140 million to bust congestion north & south of Melbourne
6 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Cities Urban Infrastructure and Population
Photo: (AAP Image/Stefan Postles)
Motorists north and south of Melbourne will be getting home sooner and safer after a $140 million injection to bust congestion.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the funding would make a real difference to the lives of people living in Frankston and surrounding Bayside areas, as well as those commuting north of the city.
“We want Melburnians to get home sooner and safer with help from our Urban Congestion Fund,” the Prime Minister said.
“Our plan for a stronger economy means we can back the local projects that will help bust congestion around the city and suburbs.
“I want people to spend less time stuck in traffic jams and more time at home with their families and working in their businesses, that’s what matters.
“Chris Crewther has made it clear how much pressure congestion is putting on Bayside families and businesses given how quickly that area of Melbourne is growing. Help is on the way.”
The Government has committed $30 million to upgrading Ballarto Road – a key east-west arterial that experiences significant congestion, and carries up to 12,000 vehicles a day. The project will include intersection upgrades to reduce congestion and allow traffic to enter the main roads safely from residential streets.
The funding forms part of a $261.3 million investment in Melbourne’s road network through the Coalition Government’s $1 billion Urban Congestion Fund.
Federal Member for Dunkley Chris Crewther said he had been fighting for extra funding to help reduce congestion on local roads.
“So many residents of Carrum Downs, Skye and Sandhurst, along with Skye CFA, have told me how hard it is to get in and out of Ballarto Road to and from their residential streets. So I’ve been fighting for funding to resolve this major congestion issue,” Mr Crewther said.
“With so many families and businesses living in and moving into the area, we’re coming to the rescue to stop locals from being stuck in traffic, to keep people safe and to ensure they can spend more time at home with their families.”
Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said he had lived most of his life in the outer suburbs of Melbourne so had seen firsthand why congestion in Melbourne in now rated worse than Sydney.
“I know the frustration that Melbourne motorists feel which is why we’re targeting local traffic headaches as well as major highways,” Minister Tudge said.
“Our Urban Congestion Fund is helping to deliver a more reliable road network for Melbourne commuters and freight, and support critical access to employment centres and freight hubs.
Estimates put the cost of congestion in Australia’s capital cities at $25 billion per year, projected to reach $40 billion by 2030.
The most congested section of the Calder Freeway – 23.3 kms from Sunbury to the M80 Ring Road – will receive a $50 million boost. A further $50 million will target the expected massive increase in peak hour traffic on parts of the Hume Freeway. In 2011, 2,500 vehicles travelled on the Hume during peak hour periods, expected to jump to 4,300 by 2031. The Fitzsimons Lane and Main Road corridor in Eltham will also receive $10 million to tackle congested sections.
The Coalition has committed more than $20 billion in Victorian roads and rail since 2013, including $7.8 billion provided in last year’s Budget.
Minister Tudge said major urban infrastructure projects already underway across Melbourne included the M80 Ring Road and Monash Freeway upgrades, the North East Link, and the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, and builds on our work that is already busting congestion including the CityLink Tulla Widening project,” Minister Tudge said.
“The Urban Congestion Fund will deliver a more reliable road network for commuters and freight, and support critical access to employment centres and freight hubs. This is as much about hitting those local traffic headaches as it is about the major highways and providing a safer journey home for motorists,” Minister Tudge said.
Nominations open for PM's Science Prize
6 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Industry Science and Technology
The quest to find Australia’s top scientists, innovators and science teachers is on again with nominations opening for this year’s Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science.
From pure research to innovative commercial applications to teaching excellence, the prizes recognise our best and brightest.
This year nominating is easier than ever, to ensure as many nominations as possible.
Nominations close on 12 March, with $750,000 in prize money to be distributed across seven categories.
The main prizes for Science and Innovation are each worth $250,000. Five other prizes of $50,000 each recognise early to mid-career researchers, innovators working towards commercialising their research and science teachers - in both primary and secondary schools.
Previous recipients include Emeritus Professor Kurt Lambeck, awarded the $250,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science last year for his work transforming our understanding of our living planet, and Dr Lee Berger who took out the $50,000 Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year for her work solving the mystery of frog extinction.
Our Government recognises the importance of science and technology as key drivers of Australia’s economy, and the jobs of the future. That’s why we invested $2.4 billion in Australia’s research, science and technology capabilities in last year’s Budget, underscored by a $1.9 billion investment to update our National Research Infrastructure – ensuring our ongoing strength in these sectors generates more jobs and higher living standards for all Australians.
To nominate someone you need to hold a professional qualification in a similar field as your nominee, get their agreement and their CV, and submit 500 words on why they deserve a prize.
For more information visit industry.gov.au/pmscienceprizes
Funding boost for Australia's para-athletes
6 February 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Regional Services Sport Local Government and Decentralisation
Photo: AAP Image/Dean Lewins
Australian para-athletes bound for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will benefit from a $12 million funding boost aimed at making it easier for them to achieve their dreams on the world stage.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said our Paralympic team was one of the best in the world.
“Our team is an inspiration to all Australians, especially those who are conquering their disability and we are backing them for success at Tokyo 2020,” Mr Morrison said.
“Their efforts continue to boost participation in para-sports, increased recognition for para-athletes but most importantly encourage all those living with a disability to be able to achieve whatever they set their minds to.
“This funding ensures that these role models have a competitive edge and have the best chance of success."
The package will see $8 million given to ensure one of Australia’s largest contingents of athletes gets the opportunity to play at the world’s premier event for athletes with a disability.
A further $4 million will be provided to support the construction of a Community, Education and Events Centre at Paralympic Australia’s Victorian base which is managed in partnership with the Essendon Football Club at Tullamarine. The new development will feature accessible training and accommodation facilities for para-athletes as well as a Paralympic museum.
Sport Minister Bridget McKenzie said our Paralympic Team was a source of huge inspiration to all Australians.
“By helping to secure their ongoing success through this funding, it will inspire more and more para-athletes to get involved in sport and physical exercise,” Minister McKenzie said.
“The recent Gold Coast Commonwealth Games not only integrated para-athletes with able-bodied athletes in the same program, it also featured amazing performances from our elite para-athletes.
“We want to build on the success of 2018 Winter Paralympic results where Simon Patmore won Australia’s first gold medal in 16 years and our Paralympians represent the best of our Australian values of dedication, hard work, excellence and good sportsmanship.
“This investment demonstrates our commitment to the Australian Paralympic Team.”
Paralympics Australia is preparing to send one of its largest ever teams to Tokyo 2020 with around 180 Para-athletes from 16 sports to be supported by pilots and guides for vision impaired athletes; ramp assistants for boccia athletes; coaches; managers; and medical, technical, and administration personnel.
The funding boost coincides with the launch of the new ‘Paralympics Australia’ brand which will continue to build on the huge momentum and growth that the Paralympic movement is experiencing.
Transcript - Jones & Co
5 February 2019
ALAN JONES: Thank you for your time.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Alan.
JONES: Just a quick one on Townsville, I know you have been there.
PRIME MINISTER: I have. Look, all the best of Australia is on display in Townsville, as you’d expect it to be. Last night, when I arrived there it was still raining, but it’s subsided and the water level dropped quite a lot today. And so families are now facing the hard task of walking back into homes with mud all the way through. I met with quite a lot of them today, young kids, and you know the bedroom, the carpet and everything. So that’s going to be the tough part of this week as they go back. But I’ve got to tell you, the Third Brigade are heroes. The emergency service workers, the Red Cross, all of them, the evacuation centres. I walked down one street, at one end of the street they had been inundated, at the other end it had just lapped on where the sandbags were and everyone down that end of the street were down helping people at the other.
JONES: Can I just tell you what they’re saying though on struggle street. They’re not harsh, we’re not harsh about foreign aid, our foreign aid bill is $4.2 billion. We give $1.3 billion to the Pacific, they say that’s important, the Pacific are part of our family. But there is another $3 billion, they say to me, “Why doesn’t the Prime Minister ring these countries and say, “listen I’ve got to look after my own people first, I’m going to have to allocate all of that $3 billion up here.” Now I know you’ve said $1,000 for adults and $400 for kids. You’re a father, you know how far $1,000 and $400 go, it doesn’t go anywhere.
PRIME MINISTER: It goes much more than that. I mean, there is a 13 week disaster allowance payment for those whose incomes are disrupted…
JONES: But are you going to throw any money in there to restore and rehabilitate these people?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course we are, and that’s exactly why I was up there today and that’s the next phase of the recovery. We went to Category C today in terms of the assistance that’s provided.
JONES: They’ve lost businesses.
PRIME MINISTER: I know, and that’s what this support does. It provides concessional loans for businesses to get through, it provides that additional support. So 13 weeks of allowances. So that’s about $12,000.
JONES: How would you like to get a concessional loan though, you can’t pay it back.
PRIME MINISTER: We’re going to be spending tens of millions of dollars in Townsville just on the income support payments and the emergency payments alone. That’s before we get into the infrastructure side of things on the other side of this. So there will be no shortage of assistance, there will be no shortage of cash support and other support that is needed for Townsville to rebuild, just as it is down in Huonville. I mean, one of the things in Tasmania - I was there the previous day – while large tracks of Tasmania have been incinerated, things like the Walls of Jerusalem, Cradle Mountain are unaffected. The best thing Australians can do to support the Tasmanians with the bushfires is have a holiday in Tasmania.
JONES: Absolutely true. Look, this has come back this Kerryn Phelps bill. I think, and we both think, that this is just diabolical.
PRIME MINISTER: So do I.
JONES: I was under the impression… Pardon?
PRIME MINISTER: So do I, it is diabolical.
JONES: You have written though Mr Shorten…
PRIME MINISTER: I have.
JONES: I was under the impression that you would be voting against the bill.
PRIME MINISTER: We are.
JONES: You’re going to vote against the bull?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course.
JONES: But there is an argument that that would create a constitutional crisis and you’d be frightened of going to an election.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s rubbish.
JONES: Well where does this business come from about you proposing a so-called ‘medical transfer clinical assurance panel’ to quote, “Provide clinical assurance on decisions about medical evacuations.” In other words, you’re not going to outsource it to two doctors but you’re going to actually agree with the Phelps proposal.
PRIME MINISTER: No no, that’s not what it is at all Alan. What it is is this: the way it works currently is clinicians decide whether someone should be transferred, OK? That’s not going to change. There’s clinicians who work within the Department of Home Affairs and they make the decisions about who moves and who doesn’t and that’s overseen by the Department of Home Affairs. All that I have done is made sure that the Australian people have got an assurance about how well that process works. They can’t change the decisions, they can’t reverse the decisions, the decisions all remain with the Department of Home Affairs and that does two things. One, it gives Australians confidence - as they should have – in the medical care that is being provided and it keeps the decision with the Government. I won’t be compromising on this Bill. If the Labor Party want to support this Bill and abolish offshore processing as they know it, it’ll be on their head. And if we lose that vote next week, so be it. We won’t be going off to the polls. The election is in May. I will simply ignore it and we’ll get on with business. But I’m not going to be howled down by the Labor Party who want to dismantle a border protection system I had a key hand in building.
JONES: The Kerryn Phelps… just one thing, can I sum up. The Kerryn Phelps Bill as I see it simply, in language that struggle street understands, is outsourcing immigration policy to two doctors.
PRIME MINISTER: And it is worse than that. Let me take you through it. Yes, it is that. You just need two doctors on Skype who say, “Well I can’t really see from here so you need to be brought to Australia so I can see you here.” That’s it. 400 people will come, single males from Manus Island, Nauru, within weeks, which will overwhelm our detention system. We’ve closed 19 detention centres. We’ll have to re-open Christmas Island. We’ll have to re-open detention centres that we were able to close because of our strong border protection policies. But it gets worse. In those circumstances they say, “Oh, but if there is a negative security assessment.” They give them a very short period of time. Now some of these people will never have even gone through that process, and as Peta will recall, security assessments particularly for those who have no papers are very difficult to determine.
But there is more, when it comes to character issues on our Migration Act, we can reject people. Now, there is nothing to stop in that case someone who is a paedophile, a rapist, who has committed murder, any of these other crimes, can just be moved on the say so of a couple of doctors on Skype. This is a stupid Bill, it is written by people who haven’t got the faintest idea how this works. We do and I am so appalled that the Labor Party would even play this sort of political game to get a cheap vote in the House next week. If that’s what he wants, if Bill Shorten is going to sell out our border protection to get a cheap, opportunistic win in the Parliament next week, well he can have it. I will stay on the side of strong border protection and he can take a running jump.
PETA CREDLIN: Well PM, he has already supported it. Labor have supported it in the Upper House.
PRIME MINISTER: They’ve already voted for it.
CREDLIN: Absolutely. So it’s through one Chamber of Parliament. I don’t see any indication publicly from the Opposition Leader that he’s going to back down. You’ve written to him, I’ve read a copy of the letter. Four pages of detailed argument why this is a very, very stupid move for border protection, for national sovereignty, for all the things that the Government has fought to turn around in the last six years. Have you heard from Bill Shorten, is he prepared to reconsider this?
PRIME MINISTER: No he hasn’t responded to me as yet. We will see. He is writing more letters at the moment on other topics. It is a big question of character, though.
JONES: But just summing up simply, because you’ve got to get this message through simply. Doesn’t even such a minor change, isn’t that really an incentive to people smugglers to start up?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh there’s no doubt. It is exactly as you said with the fishing boat captain from Indonesia. But Labor, don’t forget, their promising not temporary visas in Australia. They’re promising permanent visas in Australia. The first thing that happened in August 2008, when the boats started coming, we remember, Labor abolished temporary protection visas that were put in by the Howard Government. That’s when the boats started. Labor’s policy at this election is to abolish temporary protection visas again. That means anyone who illegally entered Australia can be given a permanent visa, which means citizenship. Now we stopped it.
CREDLIN: So you’re not scared of the fight next week?
PRIME MINISTER: Not at all Peta.
CREDLIN: One of the messages that kept coming out in the last few days is that you’re looking to find a back door way to avoid the Phelps vote. But if it goes to a vote, you’re prepared to stand and fight on principle?
PRIME MINISTER: We’ll vote it down.
CREDLIN: That will harden your support?
PRIME MINISTER: If that means that the vote goes down, it will be on Bill Shorten’s head. Now, Bill Shorten wants me to blame the crossbenchers for this. No no, Bill, it’s all on your head. You vote against it. You break it, you own it.
JONES: Good on you. Just on letters, to get away from all of this, you actually have written to the Prime Minister of Thailand about that soccer player Hakeem which I find a disgraceful episode, he’s gone there. Bahrain is seeking extradition, Interpol apparently, someone has dobbed this fellow in. You have written to the Prime Minister of Thailand about 10 days ago, has he responded?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah he has, we got a response the other night. I have also written to him again, that letter crossed over on my second because I was very disturbed at the appearance of Hakeem at the hearing the other day. He was shackled and I thought that was, I thought that was very upsetting and I know it would have upset many Australians and I’m respectfully reminding the Thai Prime Minister that Australians feel very strongly about this. Very, very strongly.
JONES: We helped rescue people from a cave, didn’t we?
PRIME MINISTER: This is true and they were our Australians of the Year, in fact. And so we will continue to make these representations, not just to Thailand but also to Bahrain as well, and we are. Our officials are doing a very good job.
JONES: The bloke’s in jail.
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’re in a process there but as I said on the road the other day, it’s not my job to get upset, it’s my job to get him home.
JONES: Just let me allude to a speech you made last week, you said it’s important to remind all of us that our economy cannot be taken for granted. That the economy is real, its impacts are real, and most importantly it’s about people. Now that’s all terrific but in 2007 Kevin 07, the people in the public, the voters, the people you are talking to now didn’t seem to understand that it was real, what Howard and Costello had achieved. It would be safe with Labor. Threw them out, we’ve now seen what’s happened subsequently. How are you going to prosecute this case when Chris Bowen is talking about $20 billion of taxes…
PRIME MINISTER: $200 billion. Or as you said the other day, $20 thousand million.
JONES: That’s right, $20 thousand million, I’m telling you to say it and I’ve got it mixed up myself. $20 thousand million worth of taxes.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s true and the most pernicious is this retiree tax. $5 billion a year stolen from the lives of retired Australians but also small business owners and others who are affected. Tim Wilson and the House Committee have been holding these hearings around the country. When I was up in Queensland they were holding them. The stories, just one after the other, and Labor’s response is to arrogantly dismiss them and now start flinging dirt at anyone who accuses them on this. This retiree tax isn’t reform, there’s no reform. It is just a naked tax grab. You know, the reason people put up taxes – if you can’t control how much you tax, you can’t control how much you spend. This is the way we’ve got the Budget back into surplus, which we will have for the first time in 12 years on the 2nd of April this year. You control your taxes, you control your spending, your economy grows and we all move forward. It’s taken us 12 years to get back from Labor last time.
JONES: Let me take you to a point that Chris Bowen has made which, if I might say to you, critically I don’t think your Government has addressed. I’ve never heard a more nonsense observation, he said, “Why are we the only country in the world who would let people claim an income tax refund when they paid no income tax in this year? It’s generous but it’s not sustainable.” Can I suggest to you that there are plenty of examples of refunds being paid to people and businesses who paid no tax. Half the population pay no net tax.
PRIME MINISTER: Well this is right. In cases when you take in all the benefits and so on, you can have cases of people earning up to 80,000 a year and they pay no net tax. You still have thankfully a majority of people who do but that said, we’re close to a tipping point and I think that’s very concerning. And look, Chris just doesn’t seem to understand how the tax system works. I mean, the way company tax works is basically a withholding tax and you end up paying it on what your own personal tax rate is. Now, there is a reason why retirees have a zero tax rate. It’s because they’re in the retirement phase and they’ve paid taxes all their life. The most offensive thing Labor says about the retiree tax is they haven’t paid any tax. Give me a break, they’ve been paying tax all their lives.
JONES: Good on you.
PRIME MINISTER: And in comes the big dark hand of Labor to rip it out of your pockets.
JONES: Well done.
PRIME MINISTER: We’re fighting this every day and Australians are waking up to it. And it’s not just the retirees.
JONES: It’s a good argument, that. They’ve paid tax all their life, that answers that argument. There are a lot of people who pay no tax and get a refund at the end of the year. Thems are the rules. Every Labor leader up until now has agreed with the current system about franking credits.
PRIME MINISTER: They have. It was bipartisan policy and the reason they’re doing it is because they don’t know how to control their spending.
JONES: And Kim Beazley argued, and Simon Crean who was the leader said, “We must do this because it’s fair.”
CREDLIN: And look, they’re angry because in the 2016 Budget the Liberal Party hit them with superannuation changes when Tony Abbott and you were elected under the same banner in 2013 said there wouldn’t be. I’m going to ask you a question, put you in the hot seat, will there be any changes if you’re elected next term on superannuation or do you rule them out?
PRIME MINISTER: I rule them out.
CREDLIN: No further changes?
PRIME MINISTER: No, none. I think last time I was on the program I said the same thing.
JONES: Can we just take this negative gearing thing, just very very simple. I mean, there is a bit of a housing crisis at the moment. Negative gearing is related to tax, so people say well I’ve got a choice to where I’m going to put my $600,000, I’ll put it in an investment property and I’ll get certain tax benefits. But by putting it in an investment property, I actually am going to rent it so there is a greater pool of rental properties and accommodation.
PRIME MINISTER: 30 per cent of the housing market is rental accommodation as a result of mum and dad investors.
JONES: So if suddenly that incentive doesn’t exist, I’ll take my $600,000 and I’ll put it into BHP shares. Therefore, there is less rental accommodation. Rent goes up but there’s fewer people bidding on Peta’s house when she goes to sell it. So Peta’s house is worth less. Now here we are attacking a house owner and a renter, how the hell can you win an election?
PRIME MINISTER: This is exactly as it is. This is how I describe their policy. You buy a house now, it’s like buying a car. The minute you drive the car off the lot, the value goes down because you’re selling it to a smaller market. It is exactly the same now under Labor’s policy for buying a house and it affects everybody’s house.
JONES: Can I just be a bit critical of you here if I might. Do you think you’re fighting on too many front? I think with an election coming, there are certain issues here which really dramatically… I mean, I’m not really worried about tariffs on kavas or whatever you were talking about in Fiji.
PRIME MINISTER: That was a very specific issue for them.
JONES: Right, these are powerful points. See, if you take the Capital Gains Tax. Now again, it’s a simple issue, isn’t it. I mean, you don’t buy anything, an asset, for the sake of it and make a loss. You hope you’ll make a quid.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s right.
JONES: There’s nothing wrong with making a quid. They’re going to increase the tax on the Capital Gain by 50 per cent.
PRIME MINISTER: 50 per cent on everything, not just on… it’s on shops, small businesses. See, you were talking about negative gearing before. Capital Gains Tax works the same way. Small businesses will go and invest in a rental property or in their own shops and things like this and this is what hits them. And it’s not just them - one in five of them are police officers. Peta knows, my dad was a police officer. One in five police officers negative gear. One in five. Labor likes to make out that they’re all, you know, dentists from well to do suburbs who own eight properties. That’s rubbish.
CREDLIN: No, it’s ordinary people.
PRIME MINISTER: The vast majority of people… you know, there are more people who negative gear properties in the federal electorate of Capricornia based on Rockhampton than in my southern seat of Cook in Sydney. Because people up there have worked in the mining industry, in the construction industry, and they’re creating opportunities for themselves. Labor hates it when people want to do better. They basically just want to keep everybody where they are, dependent on the Government.
JONES: We’re going to go, you’ve got to go somewhere else. You’ve been everywhere today. Just one final question, how could anybody vote for a Government that is talking about a 50 per cent renewable energy target or do you think the public are wedded to the view that this is the answer to our energy future? Don’t people understand what happened in South Australia, what’s just happened in Victoria? 200,000 homes reliant. Hazelwood is closed, 25 per cent of the power is gone. Liddell is likely to close here. Yet everyday - you are a Sydney man – the power that drives the toaster and the hot water in your kitchen, 92 per cent of that power is generated by coal-fired power. They are talking about renewable energy, how do you prosecute that case?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s pretty simple. A 45 per cent emissions reduction target wipes out Australian industries. I mean, the Boyne Island Smelter up there in Gladstone is gone. That’s 1,000 jobs. It’s gone. They can’t exist under Labor’s 45 per cent emissions reductions target. Australians want us to take sensible and practical and achievable action when it comes to our environment. But they do not want to sell our economy. They don’t.
CREDLIN: …investing in new, coal-fired power station this side of an election? Do we think anyone is going to get into the market?
PRIME MINISTER: Well you couldn’t build one of this side of the election.
CREDLIN: No, I’m not suggesting that at all PM. But people have been talking underwater. The Finkel Report says HELE is the way to go, it’s the most available, it’s cheaper.
PRIME MINISTER: Well they’ve got to make it stack up, as you know. I mean, the new ones…
JONES: You could build a dam.
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’re putting money into dams as you know, and there’s quite a number, we’re doing one up in North Queensland in Hughenden, that’s one we’ve been moving on over the last few months.
CREDLIN: But coal today, in the ABS stats, is our number one export. It’s propping up everyone’s budgets right around the country, yet we’re treating it like it’s a demon property here in Australia, likes it’s kryptonite. Do you think we’ll see a coal-fired power station?
PRIME MINISTER: I believe we’ll see, whether it’s that or that extended life of existing stations done on a commercial basis, but it all has to be done on a commercial basis.
JONES: But can you look down the camera here before you go and just say, as the Prime Minister of Australia, you want to tell all Australians there is no future other than a future in the dark if we don’t understand the importance of coal-fired power to the economic and personal well-being of Australians.
PRIME MINISTER: Well I will say, I don’t care where the power comes from, so long as it’s reliable and it turns up every day…
JONES: And affordable.
PRIME MINISTER: And of course affordable. And it is going to, that is going to be a big part of the mix for a very long time to come.
JONES: Coal, you mean.
PRIME MINISTER: Now that is true, as is gas, as is hydro.
JONES: There’s the camera, what do you say to the Australian people? Coal is going to be a part of mix.
PRIME MINISTER: I’d really like them to get the gas out from under the ground, Alan, they’ve locked it up here in New South Wales and in Victoria for too long and you know what that’s done to electricity prices? That.
JONES: Coal-fired power. Listen, good to talk to you.
PRIME MINISTER: You too.
JONES: Thank you for what you’re doing and we’ll talk again, we hope.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah and congratulations to Johnny Morris too, I think he’s going to do a great job down with those Sharks, what do you reckon?
JONES: Hmm, well this is Cronulla of course, the Prime Minister is a Cronulla supporter. I think what the Rugby League has done to Shane Flanagan is a disgrace.
PRIME MINISTER: Well you know my view on that, you and I are both big fans of Shane and he has got a wonderful family and he has been a great son of the Shire down there.
JONES: A good man.
PRIME MINISTER: He is a good man.
JONES: He made the mistake of speaking to his players when they were really facing personal crisis. If that’s a mistake, I’m on Shane Flanagan’s side.
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’ve both always been on that side, for a long time.
JONES: Go and get the cap on, we’ll see you next time.
Doorstop, Townsville
5 February 2019
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there are many privileges to being Prime Minister but the greatest of those is to meet Australians when they’re facing some of their greatest challenges and seeing their true mettle. This is on display here again today in Townsville.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to see it down in Tasmania and today I see exactly the same spirit, exactly the same courage, exactly the same care and compassion for each other. It is a great privilege to see this in our country. It is who we are and I want to thank everyone here in Townsville for all the incredible work they’re doing. We are here at the Ignatius College evacuation centre, run by the Red Cross. I want to thank the Red Cross for the tremendous work they've been doing here. I'm joined, of course, by Linda Reynolds the Assistant Minister, by Phillip Thompson, the LNP candidate here in Herbert who has been out there filling bags, helping people, getting them off roofs and being part of the general effort just as a member of the community and former Defence Force person here in Townsville. We've got George here as well, as you know, our local member and Ian Macdonald who has been here for 30 years in Townsville. I'm most glad that both Ian and George can join me here today as we've gone around and have been getting our briefings.
As the waters recede here and we start to move from the response phase to the recovery phase, there will be big shocks for the community. As we've seen this morning, as they return to their homes, as they assess the damage to their homes; yes, there’s the physical loss, but there is also the mental shock and just coming to terms with it. We saw that firsthand this morning. I'm pleased that we were able to provide some comfort, but I really want to thank the Defence Forces and emergency services personnel, QPOL and everybody for the work they’re doing here. The gratitude from the people from the surrounding areas is sensational and it comes naturally, because they've seen what people have done. I mean to hear stories of how people were evacuated in the middle of the night - floodwaters, dark, with kids - the fact that we've had in that, the loss of life, I'm aware of a couple of reports which aren’t confirmed, but the fact that people are safe today here in Townsville I think is an extraordinary achievement and is something that I think the people of Townsville can pat themselves on the back on. They've held together and they've kept each other safe. As you go through evacuation centre here and you talk to people in other places, the homes that they've been put up in, there is going to be a lot more of that. Over the next few weeks there is going to be a lot more of that.
On Monday as you know, here in Townsville I announced that the emergency disaster payment was available straight away. That's as of Monday and the disaster allowance also kicked in from Monday. I will ask Linda to talk a about it more about that. So for those eligible for those payments - and there will be a large number here in Townsville - I would encourage them to get in touch with Human Services, Centrelink, to make sure they're accessing those immediate payments. There will be tens of millions spent here in Townsville to support the local community get back up on their feet, just in those cash assistance payments alone, income support payments. Then of course there is the work that will be done, Category 3 assistance. I understand the Premier has announced that she is requesting that, in her statement at a media conference just a few minutes ago. Of course we’re happy to provide that. Every request that has been made of us, our answer is; “Yes and quickly”. We also initiated last night, I gave the instruction for the Defence Forces to support airlifts. There is one that will be getting off the ground very soon and that is going into Cairns. We need those shelves stocked and to the extent that the grocers and the food retailers need further support, that will be available to them to make sure we keep the shelves stocked and that people can have the basic necessities looked after.
So it is a matter of thanking all of those who have planned, who have prepared. I mean, here alone in Townsville, about 5,500 serving men and women and they’re serving their own local community right now. They are out there, many of whom - hundreds of them - their own homes are affected and they have been out there helping others. I think that's a tribute to our serving men and women, but to all of those who are putting in at the moment, on behalf of a very grateful nation, thank you for being great Australians.
Linda, why don’t you talk a bit more about those payments and the immediate next step?
SENATOR THE HON LINDA REYNOLDS, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS: Thank you very much, Prime Minister. Well as the Assistant Minister for Home Affairs, I'm responsible to ensure that all Commonwealth agencies are coordinated and providing all possible assistance to the Queensland authorities and of course to the local communities here. So for anybody here in Townsville or in surrounding areas who have been impacted, please contact Centrelink straight away. Payments will be able to be applied for as soon as today. So if your income has been affected, if you can't get to work, if you can't get your primary produce out to market, if you are a sole trader and your business is closed, please contact Centrelink. Because you can apply for the Disaster Recovery Allowance. So please do that. If you are in emergency need and you have had water in your house for example, you can also ask for the Disaster Relief Payment and that's up to $1,000 right away to help you over the next few days and weeks.
Of course over the coming weeks we will continue to work very closely with the Premier and the Queensland Government. We are expecting a request today from the Premier to start the next phase for the Category C payments. We’ll work through with the Queensland Government to actually assist small businesses and communities on the road to recovery.
I think given the extent of the disaster that the Prime Minister and I have seen here today, we will be working very closely with the local community, the local members and also a lot of the civil society organisations here, who have been doing such an outstanding job.
Can I just say, as an Army officer myself I could not have been any prouder of the work that the Army forces have done here. We met many people today who are in there briefing the Prime Minister, who have been out there since 3:00 in the morning, saving others in their houses, when their own house has been inundated and their families were in evacuation centres. So, personally, to all of the military forces and to the RAF crews who are now en route to Cairns delivering much-needed food, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. We have every right to be very proud of you. That of course goes to the emergency services personnel that the Prime Minister and I have met. Again, they have been out there supporting others in the community, saving lives and we've heard the most extraordinary stories. But the thing that sticks with me now as the federal Minister responsible is the stories of courage and resilience from the local communities we visited this morning, and just how quickly these floodwaters came up and how quickly people needed to be evacuated. So as federal Minister, again that's the sort of thing we will be working with the community in the longer-term to see if there are ways that we can make some of our suburbs and communities more resilient to these once in 100 year floods. Thank you, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Linda and good on you 3rd Brigade, very proud of you, very proud. Insurance companies as well, they will be stepping up. I will be expecting them to step up and that's what I believe they will do. We will make sure that they do so, but I have no reason to think that they won't. So we will be looking for them to be here and doing what you’d expect of them in these circumstances as well.
So, happy to take some questions on the issues here and then as usual happy once we've done that to extend to other matters of the day.
JOURNALIST: We've seen a lot of emotional scenes, you spoke about what you’ve seen there. What was it like for you going through those streets today?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, it was frankly quite overwhelming. I think people are in shock. I think the kids are amazingly resilient, but for mums and dads as they look at their kids and they think about, you know, just how tight things got trying to get out the other night and I think they are very grateful that - while there have been property losses and damage - they just look at each other and say: "Thank goodness we've got each other." You can replace things, but you can't replace loved ones. But the real shock the community we were in this morning. Some people hadn't been there that long, you know, it’s a lot of young families, they've worked so hard to get themselves into these homes. To see them just damaged so badly, it must just be heartbreaking and it clearly was. So to provide some comfort, of course, that was our pleasure to do today, but the real work is to make sure that they can get through the clean-up and rebuild their lives. We know that's what's happens, it's just going to be tough. It’s going to be tough for a while.
ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS: One of the things perhaps, what we saw this morning that stuck with me, is that with many of the people we talked to, they didn't have any insurance at all or were very underinsured. So I think for the local community, one of the things moving forward to today is really to work with local agencies and supporting those who don't have any furniture to go back to and don’t have any means to clean-up their property.
PRIME MINISTER: There are a lot of not-for-profits who can help with that, too.
ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS: Yes.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you confident that places should be built on flood plains? Like, do you think some of these shouldn’t have been built in places like that?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I'm not going to get into those issues today. I mean I'm here today to lend my support and the country's support to the people of Townsville. With all natural disasters, there is always work that is done following that, to learn the lessons and they are really matters for the State Government and the local authorities, I think, to determine. I'm sure they will work through those issue. Right now, my priority is making sure we get the emergency assistance payments to people. That people know that they are there and that they can take advantage of those and that can help them deal with the most immediate needs that they have today.
JOURNALIST: Is it time for more Federal Government infrastructure spending to protect North Queenslanders and North Queensland communities, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, last time I was here I was announcing $100 billion for water infrastructure here in Townsville. So there’s been no shortage of our commitment to infrastructure here in North Queensland. We have been investing heavily here and we will continue to do that. I know Phil Thompson has been a great advocate for that and we’re happy to back him and George and Ian in on those projects. So I think our record here speaks for itself on those things.
JOURNALIST: What about funding for the upgrade of the Inland Road so these communities can be supplied when the coastal routes are cut?
PRIME MINISTER: Well lessons will be taken from these events and there is a State responsibility here as well. We will work with state governments, but our commitment in the hundreds of millions that we've committed here in North Queensland and more, I think speaks for itself.
JOURNALIST: So the road maybe?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think I've answered your question.
ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS: Just one thing on that too. Once we've got through this initial period - because as the Prime Minister said, this is all about assisting people now, getting through the next few days and weeks - but one of the issues we need further advice from the Queensland Government on, is it’s not just the quantum of money that’s spent on infrastructure, it’s actually its suitability to deal with floods and natural disasters. So there is certainly an issue in terms of the quality and type of infrastructure we have here in Far North Queensland as we rebuild.
PRIME MINISTER: George, you want to comment?
GEORGE CHRISTENSEN MP, MEMBER FOR MACKAY: There’s a several kilometre section south of here that everyone knows; the Haughton River Bridge which has flooded. That's really where the southern access to Townsville has been cut off mainly. Within a few weeks actually, we’re starting a rebuild, an upgrade of that project on the Bruce Highway with about half a billion dollars from the Federal Government going into it. So these things are being done.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: Any others? We can have a one-on-one interview, but I’m happy to share it around a bit.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: Okay let's stay on Townsville, we are in Townsville.
JOURNALIST: There has been a record number of weather events in North Queensland in recent years, cyclones, floods. Does it make you think of climate change, does it affect your thinking on it?
PRIME MINISTER: My thinking right now is about the people of Townsville and making sure they get the emergency support they need. I'm not engaging in broader policy debates today, I'm engaging in today is the needs of people here on the ground, people in evacuation centres, with some trepidation going back into their homes and finding what they're going to find. That's what I'm focused on today, not politics.
JOURNALIST: PM, if we can move on?
PRIME MINISTER: If you’d like to move to other issues, we can do that.
JOURNALIST: On the Phelps refugee transfer bill, can you ever see yourself supporting that?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: Would you consider changing your proposal to get McGowan’s support?
PRIME MINISTER: I've set out what we propose to do. I won't compromise our border protection system. If the Labor Party want to support the Phelps bill and the boats start again, it's on their head.
JOURNALIST: On the Royal Commission, Labor say it would agree to extending Parliament to implement some of those recommendation. Are you open to changing the sitting schedule?
PRIME MINISTER: We are going to take action on all 76 recommendations coming from the Royal Commission. I want to commend the Treasurer and his team for ensuring that the Government was able to put out a full response to the Royal Commission's report which we did over the weekend and took that through the normal process. That means that markets both had certainty yesterday and today, I should say, which has been very important.
We've been taking action when it comes to the financial sector now for years. The Banking Executive Accountability Regime, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, $176 million extra for resources for enforcement and now we’re moving forward on the compensation schemes and through the industry to ensure that people get their right of hearing when it comes to the matters they are concerned about. They are important recommendations. We've considered them carefully. We’re taking action on all 76.
The Labor Party might want to engage in all sorts of politics on this. We are just getting on with it, because we've been getting on with it for years now. In fact, our actions have already gone beyond what the royal commission has actually recommended, because we've been taking action on this issue for years.
JOURNALIST: Malcolm Turnbull has been talking about [inaudible]…
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]…will the Government apologise for not calling this Royal Commission sooner?
PRIME MINISTER: I’d just refer to what I said to you last year, I expressed last year my own regret as Treasurer when it came to being very focused on the issues of financial system stability, but I expressed my own regret at some of the human factors that needed greater consideration in terms of calling the Royal Commission. But let me be frank; I called the Royal Commission. I introduced the Banking Executive Accountability Regime. We introduced the Australian Financial Complaints Authority. We introduced the additional resources and support for ASIC. We acted on the Financial Systems Inquiry that we implemented when we came to Government in 2013.
As a government, we have been taking action on this issue from the day we were first elected. Labor were in Government for 6 years; Storm Financial, financial crisis after financial crisis. Bill Shorten was the Financial Services Minister for goodness sake. Did he call a Royal Commission then? No. Did he take action then? No.
Our government has taken action from the day we were elected on these issues. I expressed my regret last year and I meant it, but we just got on with it. Australians know it's about the action that you take, so I initiated the Royal Commission. I've responded to the Royal Commission as Prime Minister, with the Treasurer and our entire team. We are taking action on all 76 recommendations.
I noted Malcolm's comments earlier and I think they’re in line with what I've just said to you now.
JOURNALIST: Can I just clarify, is that the Government saying sorry that it didn’t call this 18 months before?
PRIME MINISTER: I refer you to my comments last year, I said I regretted that last year.
JOURNALIST: Why do you think you failed to call it earlier? What was blocking you being able to do that?
PRIME MINISTER: As Treasurer you’re always going to be focused and you are going to be careful about what the potential impacts are on a financial system on which everybody's livelihoods depend. Your mortgage, your loan, everything goes through the financial system. I was being very careful. You could accuse me of being overly cautious and I was concerned in particular about what it would mean for credit restrictions in the economy and how that could slow the economy down.
Now we know that that has been one of the things that actually has happened. That has impacted on the economy. But we've called it, we've done it, it was done, I think in a very timely and thorough way and I want to thank particularly Justice Hayne and all of his team for the very thorough job that they did. Over 10,000 cases, submissions that they carefully considered which have informed the recommendations that they've put forward. So we've just got on with it. The politics of this - who cares? It’s not about the politics, it’s about those who are impacted by the egregious behaviour of the banks and the policies of those banks. They’re the ones who the Royal Commissioner has called out and he in particular has said - just as I did when the Laker Inquiry came down from APRA when I was Treasurer - he called out the boards of those banks, the boards of these big public companies and he has laid the blame fairly at their feet. That’s exactly where it should be.
JOURNALIST: Donations by banks to political parties, creates a fairly obvious conflict of interest. Should that be stopped?
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t believe there is a conflict of interest, I mean I called a Royal Commission on the banks. I think that speaks for itself. I also introduced the bank levy you might remember. They didn’t like that too much either.
JOURNALIST: But you received thousands of dollars from banks and you took so long to call a Royal Commission. That, in people’s minds [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: That would be a false impression. I mean the fact that I instituted the bank levy I think shows very clearly that on every occasion I’ve always acted on behalf of the Australian customer. What we’re going to be very careful of as we take action on all of these 76 recommendations is that we’re going to be very careful we don’t unwittingly put even more power in the hands of the banks.
JOURNALIST: Retail trade figures are down 0.4 of a per cent, is that a concern?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah it was a difficult period coming into the back end of the year and you know I want to see the economy strengthen. But that’s a reminder of the tough headwinds we’re facing. It’s a reminder of why you need people who know what they’re doing when it comes to managing a Budget and ensuring that we have good economic policies in place. I mean at the beginning of last week I was up here in Queensland again and I was down in Brisbane. I released the second iteration of our economic plan; getting taxes down, supporting small and family businesses, investing in the infrastructure that Australians need, our defence procurement policies, expanding our markets. All of this is designed to ensure that our economy is more resilience and stronger.
You know, when you’ve got a stronger economy, it means you can turn up here and ay we’re going to spend tens of millions providing disaster recovery. I cannot allow it to be said that the Government will not to everything and pay every bill to support people here in Townsville or in Tasmania. There can be no suggestion by anyone that the Commonwealth is not doing everything that we should be doing and I’d say even more.
JOURNALIST: How long are you staying up here in North Queensland in Townsville with the people affected by the flooding?
PRIME MINISTER: My plan is not to get in the way, my plan is to be here, show my support as I’ve done today and then get out of their hair and allow them to get back to what they’re doing. My team here will remain and they’ll continue to do things here in North Queensland but my purpose with coming today and It’s just today to show my support for the people of Townsville, just as I did for the people of Tasmania, particularly down in the Huon Valley. That’s why I’ve been here to see things firsthand. So as we go back to Parliament next week and as my Cabinet meets and as Ian and George in particular and Phil and Linda report back to us on further steps that we might take, I’ve seen it for myself.
JOURNALIST: Just on what we’ve seen on Four Corners last night? About Border Force targeting Saudi women travelling alone, are you comfortable that they’re denying them their rights to apply for asylum?
PRIME MINISTER: Australia has always, where people have come through the right method and made their applications for asylum in Australia, we are one of the most generous countries in the world. But we do insist that people go through a proper process for doing that and we’ll always insist on those proper processes. But you know, Australians, we’ve had the Women at Risk programme and I increased the numbers in the Women at Risk programme when I was Minister many years ago. That means thousands and thousands and thousands of women have come to Australia under that programme and I’m very pleased that as a Government, that’s been one of our real achievements. We have supported more women at risk through our refugee and humanitarian programme than previous governments. We upped the intake. We made sure we’ve been able to respond to that and we’ll continue to do that. Just recently in fact David Coleman further increased that intake for the Women at Risk programme. It’s been one of our most successful components of our refugee and humanitarian programme.
JOURNALIST: Do you condone that their basic human rights are being denied by not being able to apply for asylum?
PRIME MINISTER: Well they can apply for asylum.
JOURNALIST: Even if they’re being [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I haven’t seen that report, I was flying up here last night so I haven’t seen the report. But people can apply.
JOURNALIST: Would you be concerned if you heard that was what’s happening?
PRIME MINISTER: It hasn’t been established to me that it is what’s happening.
JOURNALIST: Will you recall Parliament for two extra weeks in March to ensure the banking royal commission –
PRIME MINISTER: I’ve already responded to that.
JOURNALIST: What about NAB? Your thoughts on the CEO who has been speaking about this, coming back?
PRIME MINISTER: Well you know Commissioner Hayne was pretty sharp in his assessment and I think that gives them a lot to reflect on.
JOURNALIST: What sort of reflection would you be doing if you were in his position?
PRIME MINISTER: I wouldn’t be so bold as to suggest, but I think Commissioner Hayne was pretty sharp.
JOURNALIST: Julia Banks. The former Prime Minister and colleague Malcolm Turnbull describing her as an outstanding candidate and also giving a bit of a lukewarm reception to the idea of you guys winning at the election. What are your thoughts on that? Bit of sniping?
PRIME MINISTER: I’m not a commentator. What I know is Greg Hunt has been serving his community since 2001 and he’s done an extraordinary job. He’s a great local member and he’s a fantastic Minister and I’m so pleased to have him in my team and that’s why he’ll be back as part of my team after the next election. It’s our intention to go to that election and to ensure that Australia can have the strong economy that it needs for the next decade. Now you don’t become a resilient nation by making your economy weaker. The Labor Party wants to put $200 billion worth of extra taxes on the economy. That will just drag our economy down. Self-funded retirees, all retirees, are not exempt. The arrogance that they have shown towards those retirees – and they’re here experiencing floods in Townsville – and they’ve got a $5 billion tax coming their way from Bill Shorten. The way that they have just arrogantly dismissed those people’s concerns I think speaks volumes. If they’re this arrogant to you before an election, imagine what Bill Shorten would be like if he actually won one. He thinks he’s already got it in the bag.