Media Releases
Doorstop - Adelaide Convention Centre
17 August 2019
2019 election; Pacific relationships; Global economy; Land tax; Naval shipbuilding; GetUp!
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: It’s great to be here in South Australia. Can I also acknowledge the return of three Senators including Alex Antic who it’s great to have here as part of our team and in the room I had the opportunity to thank all our members and it’s great to have a very strong South Australian team representing our Party in the Parliament and in the Government.
JOURNALIST: So it’s a victory lap here?
PRIME MINISTER: No, this is a victory for the Australians who didn’t want to pay higher taxes, who want to follow their aspirations not the aspirations of politicians. That's what the election was about. It wasn't about the Liberal Party, it wasn't about me, it wasn't about individual members of the Liberal Party. It was about Australians who just want to get on with their lives. And to be confident about the future. Who love their country and just want to see it better. They don’t believe Australia's broken, they think Australia's the greatest country in the world to live. And they just have a positive view about our future.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Michael McCormack's comments about fruit pickers and the Pacific region, has that just inflamed an already inflammatory situation?
PRIME MINISTER: Australia has the deepest engagement and biggest commitment of any nation in the world in the Pacific. Australians should be very proud of the way we work closely with our Pacific family. And we're there for the difficult conversations, we’re there for every type of conversation with our Pacific family. Just like any family that comes around the table we discuss all these things through. We talk them all through. And that's what Australians have always done in the Pacific. We've always been there. We will always be there. And regardless of whatever issues we have to work through at the time, our Pacific family knows that Australia will always be for them. For the simple reason is that they're part of the community in which we live and that is the view of my government.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned about all the talk of recession in the U.S. and the impact it might have on Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: The world events at present are quite convulsing and we're seeing that not just on the economic issues but we're seeing it in the global security issues as well. And that's why it is a time for calm, it's for measured conversation. For seeking to de-escalate things rather than escalate them. And that's certainly Australia's approach as we engage with our allies and partners around the world. We knew as a Government that Australia was facing a difficult global environment particularly economically when we frame this year's budget. So these events are no surprise to our government. We knew that we would have to have an economy where taxes would be lower and people can keep more of what they earn. That we knew that we would have to increase the level of infrastructure investment which we did by $23 billion in the last budget. We knew that we would have to be taking bigger steps when it comes to the skills needs of Australians and that's something on which I think we will have an excellent partnership with the South Australian Government going forward. We knew that we needed to continue to strengthen the Australian economy and not weigh it down right across the board with what Labour were proposing which was higher taxes. That's why we delivered the budget we did. That's why we put the plan we did to the Australian people. And I think Australians were also aware of the challenges ahead and that's why they chose that plan.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister you mentioned Senator Antic before, he wrote a letter this week criticising the state government policy on land tax. Do you share his concerns? Or do you think it’s a good policy?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the Liberals are for lower taxes and the tax bill under this plan I'm advised will actually be lower. But we're all for lower taxes and that's what Liberals have always been about.
JOURNALIST: But the land tax bill for some people will increase quite markedly under these aggregation changes?
PRIME MINISTER: I'll leave those matters to the state government.
JOURNALIST: What about submarine jobs for South Australia. Certainly there has been no indication South Australia will keep the maintenance jobs. Will you give that guarantee today?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it's a process underway and I want to commend Steven Marshall for the way he's respected and approached that process. I spoke about it in my remarks today, he has great confidence in South Australia's capability. And he's engaged with that process. He knows it's a process that's focussed on the national interest. He knows that there is a lot of work here and that work is going to be spread around where it's best done and that will mean there'll be jobs for both of the states that seem to be having this conversation-
JOURNALIST: So South Australia's jobs aren't safe. That's what you’re saying?
PRIME MINISTER: No, that's what you're saying.
JOURNALIST: No no no I'm asking you will you guarantee those maintenance jobs here?
PRIME MINISTER: The process is working through that as it should. And I have a great confidence in the capability of South Australia as I do of Western Australia and the way this will be determined is not in some sort of political process. This will be done in accordance with the national interest and I really respect the way that Steven Marshall is backing the capability of his state rather than looking for political pressure or special deals.
JOURNALIST: Do you prefer the Premier’s quiet advocacy on the subs issue or do you respect the west's public campaigning?
PRIME MINISTER: Well premiers will make their own choices about how they wish to engage in this debate. It's not for me to give them coaching on these things. But I simply say is that I respect the way that Steven Marshall is not only, has confidence in South Australia's capability and he's going to let that speak for itself [inaudible].
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on GetUp!, what are you proposing to do [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll have more to say about it as time goes on but this is no this is no longer a wolf in sheep's clothing. GetUp! is a wolf in wolf’s clothing and I think Australians are seeing that. I mean I thought their behaviour in the most recent election was disgraceful. It wasn't only the sort of misogynist attacks we saw here on Nicolle Flint but the pillorying of the Surf Lifesaving Association and taking surfing rescues and seeing it as some sort of sort of light entertainment for political advocacy and what they did re Tony Abbott. And frankly the way they engaged in the attacks on Josh Frydenberg and now we're seeing anti-Semitic attacks on Josh Frydenberg. We saw the same thing with Julian Leeser in New South Wales. I'm very concerned about the disturbing rise of anti-Semitism in Australia. I'm very disturbed about it particularly what I'm seeing. It is a very worrying trend. I believe ordinary Australians are sickened by it. I think they deplore it. We're talking about a small handful of people here I hope. And I expect, but you know, GetUp! have to be accountable for what they say and do. If they want to be in the political space, fine, call yourself a political party, you’re against the Liberal Party. We get that. That's okay. There's no problem with that. Just don't pretend you're independent and that's what they're seeking to do and I don't think they've been straight up with the Australian people at all. Australians know where Liberals stand, Australians know where I stand and they can always have that assurance. Thank you.
Press Conference - Tuvalu
16 August 2019
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER SOPOAGA: Everybody, thank you very much. I'm happy to say that the leaders of the Pacific Island Forum here in Tuvalu managed to work together and to stay together and to come through decisions leading to the conclusion of the communique out of the Forum. Also managed to agree and conclude a strong climate change statement from the forum here in Tuvalu. The substance is there. I share the two documents that we issued and circulated. And I'm very, very happy for the atmosphere and the final result of the work of leaders here in Tuvalu. Thank you very much. Now I invite our colleague, Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, to say some comments and remarks and then Vanuatu say some comments and we take questions. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER MORRISON: Thank you very much, Prime Minister Sopoaga, and can I congratulate you and Tuvalu on your excellent hosting of the Pacific Islands Forum and I particularly thank all of the people of Tuvalu for their wonderful reception we had last night and the presentation of cultural performances. It was certainly a big family there last night and what was on display, I think, spoke very much of the spirit of what this meeting has been like. I always speak about Australia's engagement in the Pacific and particularly this Forum meeting as a family gathering and it was very much in that spirit and I want to thank you for your leadership of the Forum, your chairing of the forum and being able to guide us to the completed communique and declaration that we were able to agree yesterday.
Australia's program is to Step Up in the Pacific and that means standing up with our Pacific family when it comes to the issues that are obviously of greatest concern and particularly to Pacific Island nations for whom the threats and challenges of climate change, both now and in the future, are literal. They are self-evident for any of us who have been here over the course of the last few days or elsewhere in the Pacific over a longer period of time and that's why Australia has made the commitments that we have in this area as part of our Paris undertakings and that's why Australia is meeting and not only just will meet its 2020 Kyoto target that we've signed up to, but we will beat them significantly, some 367 billion tonnes and on 2030 we will similarly meet those commitments with the programs that Australia has already outlined.
I also wanted to commend the forum on addressing the many other significant issues in the region. Some of them going back to World War II and dealing with the wrecks and unexploded ordnances, to issues around nuclear testing in the region. But one topic that was particularly, I think, helpful yesterday was the discussion that we had about fishing resources and illegal fishing in the Pacific. This is basically thieving the resources of the Pacific and this is outrageous. Australia works closely with all of our Pacific Island nations, especially through the patrol-class vessels which are provided right across the region, our aerial surveillance to ensure the Pacific Islands resources can be kept secure. But it is essential that all countries ensure that their nationals behave appropriately when it comes to illegal fishing in the Pacific. There's also the threats of plastics pollution and other things which are impacting on the lives of particularly Pacific Island nations but I'd say also Australia. At the end of the day, we want our children to have futures and that means we want them to have jobs and we began this process when I arrived the day before yesterday talking about our partnerships when it came to vocational education and training and indeed the 30 traineeships that we provided here in Tuvalu. So very pleased to be here again. I commend the Chair on his excellent leading of this meeting and we're stepping up, we're standing up and we're getting on with it. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER SOPOAGA: Thank you very much, Prime Minister Morrison. To our colleague, Foreign Minister of Vanuatu, Ralph.
FOREIGN MINISTER OF VANUATU, RALPH REGENVANU: Thank you, Prime Minister, and let me join the Prime Minister of Australia in congratulating you on a very successful event and also your excellent leadership of this meeting and for chairing the meeting yesterday, which was quite a marathon. As the incoming chair and a new member of the troika as of this week, Vanuatu looks forward to trying to beat the standards you set here. It's going to be very difficult, especially in terms of the food and the entertainment. But we are looking forward to hosting the next forum at the same time as our independence anniversary, 40th independence anniversary next year. I would just like to say in short that we feel that the communique that came out on the climate change declaration is a strong platform for which we can then move towards our next meeting in Vanuatu and I commend the leaders for how they produced those two documents and agreed to them and I think they are strong statements and we welcome them and we look forward to working on them in the coming year and after that.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER SOPOAGA: Thank you very much. I believe we have worked to the best that we could and certainly I appreciate the views of leaders respectively and I also appreciate the contributions that leaders make and, of course, we come, we bring our common interest and our national interest on our own. But we always try to move towards a common understanding and therefore raise the recommendations outcome on issues that we can find common grounds and, of course, we... there are preferences, expectations as well. But I think the outcome is a very good outcome, probably the best outcome given the context and circumstances. I fully respect Mr. Regenvanu’s response. But I think it comes from this spirit that we, and we have a very, very strong statement. And one thing that I need to also acknowledge the PIF leaders is the decision to endorse and the language of the small island states leaders which involved the two world climate change such alarming statement. Basically that is also supported by pacific small island developing states. That is a very, very powerful gesture from the PIF leaders. Of course we had to be, accepted, as discussed properly. And I'm grateful we came to that decision. That I say as leaders. Outcomes, decision outcomes contains the language on climate change based on the perspectives of Pacific small island developing states. And I think that further amplifies what our leaders of the PIF climate change statement on the issues that are very, very urgent, caused to, our emissions, significant emission reductions in order to respond to the IPCC special report on 1.5 degrees. So I think it is a strong platform for us to move forward as we prepare to go to the world. To New York. U.N. Secretary-General for climate change summit. So I think it is a platform we can certainly base our forward work on.
JOURNALIST: Mr Sopoaga, how did you and the other Pacific leaders react to Mr Morrison’s arguments about the Australian economy and the need to protect that from de-climate change?
PRIME MINISTER SOPOAGA: Because I appreciated the discussion that took place then of course in this type of setting you- we come to try to move towards convergence of thinking of ideas. I'm grateful that we had a discussion with Prime Minister Morrison before we started the retreat. In fact some ideas were already exchanged between Australia and leaders and countries. So a bit, the understanding basically was to focus more on the impacts of people and on families on the future of young people from the impacts of climate change. And I'm glad that there must be I think how to, for the leaders to appreciate each other's stance and allows us to make those very concrete decisions that are now reflected in the communique. It’s a matter for this community to continue to always focus on the common good rather than on the device you mentioned I think it is useful that way for us to project, production of the forum coming together and try to find common ground and work on both this.
JOURNALIST: Kelly from the Marshall Islands Journal. You have underlined that these are very [inaudible] so the language that you use regarding nuclear contaminants, could that have been stronger and if so what is your message to people at home who have been told for half a century that they can’t live on their land and that now they cannot [inaudible] on their motherland?
PRIME MINISTER SOPOAGA: I fully appreciate the sentiments and I strongly support a necessity and urgency for addressing what is already coming out, happening and impacting on our people in the Pacific. And of course we at least hope very, very strongly against those leakage of nuclear waste in the Pacific and the need to address them as urgently as possible. Beyond that there is very strong concern about contamination of the food chain resulting from this leakage and therefore the leaders aspired to call on those who are responsible to clean this waste and do something about it urgently. We the leaders doing that here in Funafuti. 35 years ago agreed to set the Treaty of Rarotonga. The South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone. This region. It was supposed to be nuclear free under that nuclear free zone treatment which is an international document anyway. And everybody I think should respect that comments are made by their leaders including some 35 years ago. Therefore there is also a need for all countries I think the idea commitments for countries to sign on and ratify does it keep it to, under comprehensive test of nuclear weapons in the world. And I think the intervention by the executive secretary here to the leaders was very good. Yes, and I'm glad it went in to the communique. You know we- I certainly hope we can take that matter further for proper addressing.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Jackson Williams from Sky News, last night you used very strong language saying you wished you could do more or achieved more for your peoples, you’ve also singled out Australia this morning, you’ve really toned down your language, has your Australian counterpart tried to bring you into line?
PRIME MINISTER SOPOAGA: That's the expectation on Tuvalu point of view of course we expect, and I have to be frank, we had very, very open discussion with the Prime Minister of Australia in the leaders’ meeting yesterday of course I cannot disclose all what was discussed and that is the nature of negotiations. The nature of leadership. But we have stressed very strongly during our exchange between me and Scott. You are concerned about your saving your economies maybe all your situation in Australia. I'm concerned about saving my people in Tuvalu and likewise the leaders of other smaller countries. That was the tone of the discussion. Please though don't expect them to be calm and you know we found out more of that. But that sort of atmosphere it was never that we were exchanging flowery language and not swearing, but of course we were all expressing the concerns of leaders. And was very happy with the exchange. It was frank, Prime Minister Morrison of course stated his position and I stated my positions and other leaders, we need to save these people. The Prime Minister of Tonga actually cried in the retreat did you know that? The leader of Tonga actually shed tears in front of the leaders of the nation about returning to the presentation from the two young warriors of climate change. The other- when they started this week. So that is the atmosphere. It was done in an open, honest, consideration of many other issues. Prime Minister Morrison will tell you very well, but that's the situation. Families come together, of course they argue, there are differences of course. They accuse and criticise but at the end of the day we have to maintain the canoe to be taking the approach, the canoe can save the people and every focus will be on the Commonwealth. Everybody should move together in the spirit of the forum. I think the time it’s no use to start, to a blaming game and I think also the media has a role to harness these situations we can move together rather than standing by accusing each other and pointing fingers at each other.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible] Prime Minister [inaudible] what measures do you [inaudible] regionally to enhance women’s leadership?
PRIME MINISTER SOPOAGA: I think that is an issue that is well accepted here in Tuvalu. There was discussion of that this matter recently but now the women are doing much better than the men. If you’ve seen here in Tuvalu, where the women’s vote, only one lady is there in Parliament but in other institutions of government there is very strong visibility and presence of women and also in the civil service of Tuvalu, very small, women are dominating and I'm very, very proud of what the women are doing and culturally what we’ve done was done by the women. Anyway.
PRIME MINISTER MORRISON: Just a simple statement, in Australia in my own cabinet we have the largest number of women in my cabinet that we’ve had in our history, and proportion of women in our parliament rises each election I'm pleased that my own party it rose at the last election. From 20 per cent to 25 per cent but we’ve still got a long way to go. And there need to be measures in place to support that. And that’s the position right across the Pacific. We want to see a greater participation of women in the political process. A greater participation of women in parliaments, as it is so often the case, that the leadership of women throughout the region who take leadership positions and the more that occurs the better for the Pacific and [inaudible].
JOURNALIST: Foreign Minister Regenvanu, in the communique there is a commitment to address the issue of human rights in West Papua as next year's forum host, do you think this will be on the agenda? And do you think that the statement this year goes far enough to address the rights of the people in West Papua?
FOREIGN MINISTER REGENVANU: I think the forum leaders were very clear this year that and as a result of the uh worsening situation, just in the last year. For West Papua. And I think the response by the leaders was very clear and measured. The resolution was to allow to visit the territory and provide an honest and frank account of what's happening to the leaders of the next meeting and I think that's a very positive step forward. This is an issue which has been on the forum’s agenda for many years and in the last few years the resolution has been about constructive engagement, opening constructive engagement with Indonesia on the issue. And I think the leaders recognize that without opening constructive engagement, had not necessarily achieved the improvements in human rights that were desired. So I think the situation in [inaudible] over the past year has caused the leaders to elevate the tone of the resolution. . I think it's a very good and well timed resolution that will achieve results and I’m looking forward to the forum [inaudible] and all countries implementing the resolution in terms of making sure that all parties cooperate on the action required.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister Sopoaga, on the smaller island states made this decision once the leaders have endorsed a summary of their decision they’re also directing the secretariat to institute a process of tabling the Small Island States- Small Island States leader’s decision at the leaders meeting, would you care to clarify what that means? That you’re directing the forum secretariat on the process of the tabling of that report. Given I suppose we know you came under the declaration-
PRIME MINISTER SOPOAGA: [Inaudible] Yes indeed. It is the wish of the leaders to seek clarity on the process the SIS is the grouping of the forum that makes up the – those with special situation, unique because of their smallness, because of their isolation and vulnerabilities. But the criteria and the process in which this group sub-grouping of the forum is working, is rather, ambiguous, unclear. There are areas where we need to provide clarity so that their issues and the management of the issues are properly handled within the process of the larger Pacific Islands Forum. So that is where the call is coming from, is simply seeking more clarity and procedural clarity and therefore the secretariat of forum secretary has been tasked to provide this perhaps in the next meeting. It has nothing to do with me no. Questioning would be the medium necessity for such a sub-group simply to provide procedural clarity on the process.
JOURNALIST : Activity starts [inaudible] China and the United States today at the Forum, Mr Morrison, how do you see strategic competition in the region and do you think island states sovereignty is at all at risk from the behaviour of the big actors?
PRIME MINISTER MORRISON: Well I’d say this, one of the strengths of the Pacific Island Forum is it works together to protect and enhance the independence and sovereignty of all the pacific island nation states and all Pacific states. This is one of the key things that I think binds all these nations together, proud peoples with a very ancient way of life, and to be able to preserve that way of life to preserve their economic security and sovereignty, to preserve their fisheries, to preserve their environment, to protect it both now and in the future. These are the cooperative discussions that take place here and I must say that the strategic competition you referred to was absent in the discussions yesterday completely, that wasn’t the context for any discussions this was a family getting together and talking about the things that they’re dealing with most practically and so that has been the tenor and tone of these discussions and so Australia will always be working with partners to ensure that they can protect their independence, their sovereignty, in their region.
Doorstop - Funafuti, Tuvalu
16 August 2019
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: Hi everyone. The last few days, I think, have been a very successful demonstration of the way the Pacific Island Forum works together. You’ve heard me describe it as a family on many occasions and that's exactly as it has operated. We’ve come together, we've talked about serious issues as we discussed last night after I presented to you after the meeting closed. And it was great to join the Prime Minister last night at the cultural gathering after I left you. It was a great sense of a feeling of pride amongst the people of Tuvalu to be able to host an event like this. You've all been here for a few days, I think you’ve got a good conception of what this means for them. And we’ve been very pleased to play our role in supporting that effort, whether it's been the construction of the facilities here, particularly assisting in the airlift of many of the participants to be here to make this event the success it has been, particularly given the issues we've been discussing. The impacts of changing climate cannot be more apparent for countries like Tuvalu. These are regular discussions in a place like Tuvalu, they are very practical discussions, they are not about ideology, they’re not about partisanship, they’re not about all of the other things which tend to dominate those debates in countries a long way away from here. They are very practical issues that are very sensitive and we’ve sought to address that in good spirit and I think that has been reciprocated.
So I’m pleased we’ve been able to reach the agreements that we have and that provides a platform for going forward. And all the commitments, I should stress, that they made here by Australia are consistent with the commitments that we have given and Australian government policy in relation particularly to our commitments to 2030 Paris emissions reduction targets. Australia is absolutely on track to meet, as we are indeed, to exceed the 2020 targets under the Kyoto Protocol. And there was also a good opportunity to talk to Pacific leaders about what Australia has been doing because there were a number of Pacific leaders who was surprised to hear from me about the record of Australia's achievements on emissions reduction. That's not a message that has been getting through to them. That’s not a message they’ve been reading about out of Australia. It was a surprise to them that Australia has the highest investment in renewable energy per capita in the world. In the world. Record levels of investment. These were messages that they received very positively and they were very glad to hear about that and they were surprised that they hadn't heard more about that. And so it was good to be able to have those sorts of discussions directly as a family and talk about what we're all doing and I was pleased that the declaration acknowledged the efforts of all the Forum members in what we've been doing, particularly to address climate.
But going forward it's not just the challenges of climate we have to address for the environment. The issue of plastics pollution in the Pacific is a very serious one and I was able to talk to the Norwegian Foreign Minister and Minister Hawke has been talking to her as well. It's an agenda we share with Norway. But it's also an agenda we share with Indonesia where President Widodo has been showing a lot of global leadership on that issue and I intend for that to become an even more significant part of Australia's global environmental advocacy in the years ahead. And that starts with making sure we take care of our own waste. Our waste, our responsibility and ensuring that we're recycling our waste in Australia, not shipping it off to other third countries so it can find itself, particularly in terms of plastics, floating off the Great Barrier Reef or other parts of the Pacific. And I'm not sure if you're familiar with the research but, I mean, that isn't just about visual pollution or anything like that. It actually gets its way into the food chain of the Pacific and it ends up deteriorating fertility in Pacific Island peoples and that's why these issues are so important. So we'll take action there, we’ll take action on illegal fishing. Australia is the biggest partner for cracking down on illegal fishing in this region. We support it both with our patrol boats, we support it with our aerial surveillance and that means that we are protecting their resources. There are nations whose nationals are out stealing the Pacific's fish and they are stealing their livelihoods. And that has to stop and those nations have to stop it.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Prime Minister Sopoaga said today that during discussions that were quite frank yesterday, he said the stances where he was trying to save his people while you were trying to save Australia’s economy. That’s a very strong statement, do you have a response to that?
PRIME MINISTER: The conversations I also would note were very respectful as well. And I understand the deep sensitivity to these issues, particularly where we're standing, and I showed respect towards that in my engagements. It's not just about Australia's economy, it's about how Australia can continue to provide the support that we do across the Pacific region. I mean, we are the biggest investor in the Pacific's development and protection of any nation on the planet. We invest $1.4 billion in the region every year. That's the highest it's ever been, under my Government, and we've gone from about one in five dollars on aid that we've spent out of Australia's aid budget and we'll be approaching almost two in five in the next couple of years. So our commitment here is significant, not only to the protection of the environment but for the way of life of the Pacific peoples. And so this was a good opportunity, I think, to reinforce all of that. I understand the deep sensitivities. As I said, it's not a theoretical issue, it's not a dinner party conversation here in the Pacific. It's a real conversation and we had a real conversation last night.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you talk about illegal fishing and some countries stealing the resources of the Pacific. Which countries are you referring to?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, those are all matters of public record. I don't intend to prosecute that here. I simply make this point - that Australia is in the top 15 countries in the world for actually protecting fisheries and that's where we sit and that's where our commitment to the region sits.
JOURNALIST: How did you justify using carry-over credits towards the Paris targets?
PRIME MINISTER: Because that's what was enabled under the Kyoto Protocol and Australia plays by the rules. You know, the reason we can have carry over credits is because we have them. We've actually overachieved on our targets.
JOURNALIST: But how did you actually overachieve? Didn’t the Kyoto 1 actually allow for an increase in emissions on the baseline?
PRIME MINISTER: We have met our Kyoto 2020 targets. We will absolutely meet them. We'll exceed them by 367 million tonnes. There are only three other countries that have done that.
JOURNALIST: But didn’t Kyoto 1 allow for 108 per cent of baseline emissions and Australia achieved 103?
PRIME MINISTER: Our 2030 commitments will see us 26 below our 2005 levels. There are countries that will triple their emissions - triple their emissions - from 2005 levels by 2030 and that even sits under the Paris Agreement. See, Australia accounts for 1.3 per cent of the world's emissions. Australia on its own won't cool the climate and if we're serious about it, we've got to actually understand that emissions don't have a nationality. And where the bulk of emissions come from, that's what's threatening the world's climate.
JOURNALIST: PM, you spoke to Mr Sogavare earlier. I was just wondering what you said to him about threats to nation's sovereignty in the Pacific?
PRIME MINISTER: You have to be a bit more specific. It’s a bit of an obtuse question.
JOURNALIST: Did you discuss, you know, economic threats to sovereignty in the region and issues such as that.
PRIME MINISTER: No, no, we simply talked about Australia's support for Solomons. I mean, the RAMSI initiative that we were engaged in and led has restored civil order in Solomon Islands. This is something I think everyone who participated in that initiative can be extremely proud of. I mean, you can't have a viable and functional economy, let alone government, unless you have civil order. And the work that was done through RAMSI to establish that over a long period of time was put to its greatest test following the most recent election when the royal constabulary stood up and put down a protest that really could have threatened the stability of Solomon Islands following the election. Now, that showed that RAMSI worked. And so our commitment to Solomons is ensuring that we realise the benefits of that very long-term investment and involvement of Australians and to ensure that continues into the future. So we're obviously going to help them in any way they can, having established their own civil independence internally to ensure that their sovereignty continues externally.
JOURNALIST: Did Australia force Pacific nations to settle for the status quo in the communique?
PRIME MINISTER: We agreed as a family a communique which is what happens at every single Forum meeting.
JOURNALIST: Would you frame the language as watered-down as Frank Bainimarama has done?
PRIME MINISTER: That's not language I'd use but I respect the rights of other Forum members to use whatever language they like him.
JOURNALIST: Will you commit to coming to every Pacific Island Forum leaders meeting for as long as you’re Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: I'd certainly like to and intend to.
JOURNALIST: PM, China's ambassador overnight in the UK said some pretty strong things about Beijing's preparedness to act in the Hong Kong situation. We have many Australians there. Are we making any plans to evacuate Australian citizens?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is a very sensitive situation. It's a very concerning situation and anything I would say would only be to encourage a de-escalation of the situation in Hong Kong. And for those who are protesting to do so peacefully and for that to be respected. And to support any initiative that de-escalates tensions. That's plan A, that's what we have to focus on right now. And I welcome what I believe are constructive contributions from others who are seeking the same thing. President Trump and others, we just simply want to see the tensions de-escalate there and so people would just go on about their peaceful lives. You're absolutely right about the number of Australians and those holding Australian passports, dual citizens that live in Hong Kong. There are tens of thousands. And so this is obviously something we're watching closely. We're monitoring the situation but right now our efforts are to address the de-escalation of the situation.
JOURNALIST: What would be the ramifications if they did descend into violence?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't think it's helpful for me to speculate on that other than to say that we're monitoring the situation closely and that our first attempt is and, I think, I hope will be successful along with other countries, is to see that de-escalate. But largely that's a matter that has to be resolved internally within Hong Kong itself and more broadly within China.
JOURNALIST: If you had friends or family members planning a trip to Hong Kong would you advise them to reconsider the need to travel?
PRIME MINISTER: I'd advise them to read the travel advice for Hong Kong as I would for anyone going to any part of the world. They should always do that and I mean that quite seriously. I mean, if you are travelling... Australians, you know, we love getting about. We like experiencing the world and, you know, the world can be a dangerous place. Many of you know local members of Parliament well and a number of times that when we're called upon to try and assist one of our constituents who find themselves in a bit of bother somewhere in some part of the world, it's not uncommon. It happens quite a lot and in many cases you say, ‘Gee, I wish they'd wish they'd read the travel advice.’ because that advice is there to protect Australians and to ensure that they can travel safely around the world and I’d encourage them to make use of it.
JOURNALIST: We have America and China addressing the Forum today. What would you... what would your sort of comments to the great powers be or advice or requests in terms of their interaction with the region?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't think they need any coaching from me. I'm sure they've come well-prepared. It was nice to meet the Secretary of the Interior today, I hadn’t met him before. And we had a good chat and he's looking forward to my visit to Washington and I'm looking forward to that as well. When I'm there we'll obviously have the opportunity to talk about some of the things we've talked about here. I mean, one of the great virtues of Australia being in the Pacific Island Forum which members expressed yesterday was that, you know, Australia sits in the G20. I'm off to the G7, we're invited by President Macron to participate in that Forum, the first time we've done that Forum. And that means that this provides a channel, a link, a point a connection for the Pacific and we take that responsibility for the Pacific very seriously.
JOURNALIST: Jacinda Ardern, Hilda Heine and [inaudible] have called for leaders to do more to ensure that action is actually progressed on domestic violence, treatment of women, saying that some leaders aren’t fully acknowledging the problem or there is the right words in place, policies, that we’re not seeing outcomes. What should leaders be doing to ensure this improves?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I mean, I can only offer Australia's example about what we're doing. As you know we've got the Fourth National Action Plan that we have committed to, funded and just agreed that further with Premiers last week. That Action Plan, I think, speaks frankly and in a bipartisan or multi partisan I should say, apartisan probably even better, way about addressing the scourge of domestic violence in Australia. I think the first thing we all have to admit that we've all got our challenges in that area. We've all got our problems in that area. Australia has and it doesn't matter what part of the country it is. It can happen in a remote Indigenous community. It can happen in the suburbs of my home electorate in southern Sydney. And so I think the first thing we all have to understand is it's happening in our communities, and none of us can turn a blind eye to it. We have to acknowledge it and address it very, very seriously. We do that as part of our aid program, working with Pacific Island nations all around the region. I mean, the Prime Minister's XIII, for example, when we were up in Papua New Guinea was promoting the message of anti-domestic violence. And sport is a very powerful tool for communicating these messages culturally into communities. It's one of the great advantages I think Australia has in our engagement with the Pacific is we have such a strong cultural understanding. We can finish each other's sentences, we do understand where we're coming from. We're interested in the same things, we've got similar types of heritages although, you know, we're very different people. So we can have those conversations, I think, in a more effective way. So I endorse what [inaudible] said and Prime Minister Ardern and Australia supports that absolutely and I took that opportunity to do the same yesterday. Thank you.
Doorstop - Funafuti, Tuvalu
15 August 2019
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: It’s great to be joined by Minister Hawke. First of all, let me say we’ll be joining the singing shortly. And it's been a long day today but it's been a great day to come together as a Pacific family and to talk through the issues that families do talk through. And I was very pleased that we were able to come to agreed statements on a range of very important issues, not just to the Pacific but to Australia as well. We want a viable, sustainable, successful, sovereign, independent set of Pacific Island states, working together of course with New Zealand and Australia. And for them to maintain and realise their way of life here in the Pacific Islands. As you can hear behind me it's not just about preserving your environment or just protecting your economy, it's actually preserving a way of life here in the Pacific. And this is the connection that we make with Pacific peoples all around the region.
So today, yes we were able to further address following the Boe Declaration from a year ago. Specific commitments in relation to taking action on climate change, which is something Australia has been doing for many years now. That's why we are going to meet our Kyoto targets, that's why we are going to meet our Paris targets, and our commitments today reflected what we have already committed to when it comes to the Paris Agreement. Now, on top of that at the meeting today we talked through important issues of illegal fishing and the preservation of fisheries. We talked about the importance of dealing with plastics pollution throughout the blue Pacific. We talked about issues relating to their local economy - skills development, and we made an announcement on that yesterday. We made our announcements, not only those on the $500 million to go in resilience works in the Pacific which are very obvious for the need of those here as we stand in Tuvalu. But we also committed $2 million today to deal with oil spill clean-ups as we saw most recently in Solomon Islands, where we played a very positive role along with New Zealand. And so there are so many practical things. We just work together with Pacific Island nations, and that was the nature of our conversations today. And as is the nature in the Pacific, you work through and you talk through all of the issues. And that's what enables you to come together in a spirit of commitment.
Now, on top of that, I would not make only one other comment. I have been aware of Brendan Nelson's announcement for some time and I want to thank Brendan for the amazing job he's done at the War Memorial. We've been very pleased as a Government to support the major proposal that he and his board have brought to the Government for a major upgrade of the War Memorial. I want to commend him not just for that because that took enormous leadership and vision, but it also took a vision from him to introduce so many new practices the War Memorial. And the evening service which he's been running now for many, many times I'm sure so many Australians have had the good fortune to participate in. It has become part of the official proceedings, if you like, of the opening of Parliament now as we all gather together as a Parliament for those who are able to be there on that afternoon. So I want to thank you, Brendan, and for everything you've done. You have really honoured that great institution of our War Memorial and you'll be a hard act to follow, though I can assure you that the Government will be working hard to find a suitable successor.
So happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you were in the meeting today. Can you clarify for us precisely what was agreed? Because we understand there has been both a communique and a statement on climate change. Can you take us through precisely what was agreed to today?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the communique and the declaration which had been agreed today, and that text has all been signed off on and that will be released by the secretariat in due course. So I'm not going to jump the gun. We're here as a guest Tuvalu and as a member of Pacific Island Forum and they have their processes for releasing those documents and I'll allow them to do that. But what those documents do is commit again to realising that here in the Pacific in particular and Pacific Island nations, the impact of climate change, the impact of rising sea levels, it's not a theory. It's real, it's happening to them right now and has been for some time. And so the actions and directions that are set out in both of those documents, I think, speak about our collective commitment to continue to address those issues. But look, there are issues that are raised in the communique that deal with, you know, dealing with old war wrecks in the sea, that deal with unexploded munitions, that deal with issues going back to nuclear testing in the Pacific…
JOURNALIST: So I understand there was an agreement on almost everything, but not one thing and that is the small island states outcomes forum, is that correct? That was one area where leaders did not agree.
PRIME MINISTER: There are two… the Pacific Island Forum has its leaders meeting and it agrees the things that it agrees. And then the small island states have their own forum that sits within that and it's not incumbent on the leader’s forum to have to run a ruler over that. So I want them to be able to express freely and for that to be unconstrained by any views that Australia might have, or New Zealand, or anyone else.
JOURNALIST: But Australia is alone, Australia is isolated.
PRIME MINISTER: No. No, not at all. We agreed our statement tonight and that statement on the small island states was exactly the same as what was agreed last time, and that was particularly recommended by New Zealand. So we followed that language of last year and I thought that was a sensible thing to do and I thank Jacinda Ardern for the suggestion.
JOURNALIST: PM, PM, Mr Sopoaga identified Australia as the one qualifier on that statement which the upshot of that…
PRIME MINISTER: On the small islands states?
JOURNALIST: On the small island states as the qualifier on the small island states...
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the statement does not specify. In fact, it is done as a general statement that enables any state - any state - to express qualifications about anything in the small island states resolution. So where Australia wants to do that, we can. It just means that what the small island states agree when they come together is not binding on all the other members of the Forum.
JOURNALIST: The rest of the question though is that the upshot of that means that Australia is left isolated on the question of coal and going carbon neutral by 2050. What did you tell the PIF leaders…
PRIME MINISTER: Hang on, no I’m sorry, I have to correct you. I have to correct you about that because that's not what the statement says. And the small island states resolution which they meet and then the Pacific Island Forum just simply says we note… we endorse with qualification. Now, that qualification extends to every single member. It just doesn't extend to Australia. And as far as I'm aware, no member state has expressed anything about what their possible qualifications are. Let me finish. What I simply have to say is that unless you've directly spoken to states who have set out what their qualifications are or are not, then just you just can't make that assumption and you'd be wrong.
JOURNALIST: Mr Morrison, you’ve mentioned all the other issues that were discussed in the leader’s retreat. But from day one there was a call for all the Pacific Island state on Australia's reliance on coal. Is that also the point of discussion?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Australia's reliance on coal is actually falling. That's what's happening to Australia's reliance on coal and that will continue to happen as our economy goes through a transition, not just over the next 10 years but the next 20 and 30 years and that is where what is happening in Australia. It's also what's happening in the United States, by the way, and what Australia has done over the last six years is taken what was around a 700 million tonne deficit in terms of what we were expecting to happen in 2020 with our current, our then projection of carbon emissions. And we've turned that around into a 367 million surplus. So Australia's actions on climate change have actually produced a more than a billion tonne turnaround on carbon emissions. Now, that means that by 2030, our carbon emissions are going to be lower than they were in 2005 by 26 per cent. Now, that's a good thing and that's the action Australians are taking and it was acknowledged today, the actions that Australians are taking. But not just Australia - all the members of the Forum community that we're all taking and we need to be mindful that the thing that warms the globe are where there are nations that are not just increasing their emissions by small amounts but by doubling and trebling them over their 2005 levels.
JOURNALIST: So you’re claiming that Australia is not at odds with every single other Pacific Island nation with regards to the endorsement of the SIS meeting outcome?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm just simply saying that it is not incumbent on any member state to endorse that statement. It's a statement by the small Pacific states. What I can say is we're all completely in agreement on both the communique, which is the purpose of the Forum, and on the Declaration on Climate which was also agreed by all the members as a family.
JOURNALIST: Are you upset by comments made by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday where she said that Australia had to be accountable to the Pacific?
PRIME MINISTER: I think they were taken out of context, one. But two, look, I want to thank Jacinda Ardern for her contributions and as I do all the members at the meeting today. But I'm accountable to the Australian people. That's who I'm accountable for and Australia comes here, I think, with a very strong record of not only what we've done to turn our situation around to reduce our emissions to meet our 2030 target, but we come here having invested already by the end of this financial year $500 million - $500 million - which includes some $200 million through the Global Environmental Fund. And that money is going into serious resilience works right across the world, but particularly in the Pacific. Now what we're doing at the end of this financial year is putting down another $500 million and that is all going here into the Pacific Islands to address things of resilience. So that is big commitment stuff which is greatly appreciated by the Forum island states.
JOURNALIST: The communique on climate change that you have agreed to tonight, does that include a reference to the 1.5 degree limit that Pacific Island states want to see?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah it does, as does the Paris Agreement and our commitment to that statement today simply mirrors our commitment in the Paris Agreement.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on Jacinda Ardern’s comments, Alan Jones said today he believes you should shove a sock down her throat. Do you condemn this comment?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I've only just come out of the meeting after 12 hours…
JOURNALIST: I can give you the full quote if that’s helpful.
PRIME MINISTER: The comment has been relayed to me and I must say on what's been reported to me I find that very disappointing and of course that is way out of line. I have two daughters, so you can expect me to... that's how I would feel personally about. I'll leave others to explain what they've said and how they've said it. But I thank, as I said before, Prime Minister Ardern for the way she worked together with all the Pacific Islands Forum members today, including Australia. You know, we don't always have to agree, and we don't. But when we disagree, we should do it well. And I'm all for, you know, there being lively debate and lively discussion. But I've said for some time now, as Australian journalists would know, we've got to learn to disagree better. And showing respect to one another as we did tonight as we did tonight, as we did all day today. Showing respect for the challenges, the existential challenges faced by Pacific Islands.
JOURNALIST: How’s the Step Up?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s looking great, it’s looking great. We showed up, we’re stepping up and it’s getting on.
JOURNALIST: Sorry, do you mean to say you disagreed better today? Like, is that a confirmation you were disagreeing?
PRIME MINISTER: No, my comment was in relation to the comments reported by Mr Jones.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, a number of leaders this week have asked Australia not only to contribute directly bilaterally with them about climate finance but also to the Green Climate Fund. President Trump, yourself have both announced that you won't be contributing to the new replenishment of the Fund.
PRIME MINISTER: No, I won’t.
JOURNALIST: Has the discussion this week changed your mind on that?
PRIME MINISTER: No, it hasn't. Because I just want to invest directly in helping the Pacific family here. I don't need to send a cheque via Geneva or New York or wherever it has to go. And I've heard a lot of frustrations, frankly, with the Fund for Pacific Island members, the time it takes. I mean, Alex, Minister Hawke, he has had those meetings as well. So look, what we're doing is we want to help our family in the Pacific deal with resilience challenges of climate change. And so we're just going to do that directly and get on with it. We'll do it quicker. We'll do it better. And I think we'll do it in a greater partnership, so that's exactly what we're doing. But there were so many issues discussed today, that was that I think the real practical thing about it. I said yesterday that families get together, they talk about the things that matter and that's whether your kids can get jobs and where they have a future and a way of life you want to protect here in the Pacific. That's what we talked about today and I thought it was a really good discussion and I enjoyed the time immensely. Right now, I'm looking to go and enjoy a bit of time with our hosts. So thank you all very much.
Pacific Islands Forum
13 August 2019
Prime Minister
I will travel to Tuvalu from 14-16 August for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting, joined by the Minister for International Development and the Pacific Alex Hawke.
The PIF is the Pacific’s principal regional forum and I look forward to working together with regional leaders to advance our common interests in a sovereign, independent and prosperous Pacific family.
I acknowledge the theme of this year’s meeting, ‘Securing Our Future in the Pacific’, which builds on the Blue Pacific narrative and aligns with the Boe Declaration. I look forward to discussing vital regional issues including climate change and the challenges the Pacific faces as well as regional security.
My first decision after being elected was to attend the PIF, underlining my commitment and that of my Government to the Pacific region.
Through the Pacific Step-up, my Government will continue to work with our partners to build a Pacific region that is secure strategically, stable economically and sovereign politically.
Doorstop - Downer Rosehill Processing Facility
13 August 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Industry Science and Technology
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning everyone, it’s great to be here with Minister Karen Andrews and it’s also great to be here with Peter Schmigel from the Australian Council of Recycling. It’s great to be here at the Downer site which is doing something absolutely amazing about Australia’s future. What I am holding here is asphalt and 83 per cent of this is recycled materials. Now, the challenge we have as a country is to make sure this makes up more and more and more of our the asphalt used in this country, and that more and more of our waste that we've seen collected here around this plant is being converted for reuse, commercially done for reuse. And to create the jobs that come with that recycling. For every 10,000 ton of materials that we divert from landfill into these sorts of recycled uses, that creates a net six jobs. We currently export one and a half million tonnes of waste of plastics and glass and paper offshore every year. Now, as you know at the meeting of Chief Ministers and Premiers last week, we agreed that we're going to put an end to that and we're going to put a date on the end of that. But what we will be doing between now and then is ensuring that we have a plan between state and commonwealth governments to ensure we can scale up the scope of activities that we're seeing here right across the country so there is the capability to take that waste. And whether it's turning into asphalt or whether it's turning into plastic benches or turning it into energy that that is the capability our country has.
We're going to be taking away the easy options over time and we're going to be facilitating the commercially viable sustainable options for the future which can see our waste be reused. Because it's our waste and that means it's our responsibility in terms of how we deal with it. Now, that will make sure that we're doing our bit to make sure plastics and other recycled material isn't finding its way into our local waterways and into our oceans. But not just here, but elsewhere around the world. I'll be heading off to Tuvalu tomorrow as part of the Pacific Island Forum and we're already working with Pacific Island nations to reduce plastic pollutions in their oceans. We have about a $60 million dollar program running currently. We've got a $100 million which is going through the CFC to ensure that we're focussing on commercial options for recycling that particularly deals with things like glass and paper and plastics.
Today we're announcing a program which I'll ask Karen to talk more about which is putting $20 million into the research and collaboration piece with businesses to ensure we're identifying new technologies, new opportunities to enable commercially viable recycling enterprises and projects to get off the ground. Government's role, as we discussed with Premiers and Chief Ministers last week at COAG, is actually to fill the gap often on the knowledge base. If a company like Downer here who has invested considerable amounts to get this plant up and running over several years and is excitingly looking to do a similar plant up in Queensland and they are to be commended for taking that initiative. But the research piece that has to be done across a whole range of these recyclable materials is one that government can step into. But it's one we have to do in partnership with business, it's one we have to do in partnership with the scientific community to ensure that these new applications are reliable and can be proven. It's not up always to the companies to go out there and provide those guarantees. We can assist by ensuring the guarantees are there about the integrity of this material by ensuring we're doing the research and the science work as well to prove this up.
The other part of the piece is, you know, we are the biggest client for road pace and asphalt, together with the state governments, of anyone in the country. And as we discussed last week with Premiers and Chief Ministers- what we do about procurement, what we do about the specifications that go into the things that we buy as governments can have a massive impact on the pull-through and providing the certainty that is necessary for the commercial sector to be making the investment which leads to this.
So this is part of a coordinated plan to change these numbers - 12 per cent of our plastics are recycled in this country. That is a figure that we have to change for the future and that is a figure we can change. We have the wit, we have the companies, and we certainly have the waste. It's just a matter of ensuring that we have a scaled-up capability to convert that waste into these commercial uses and that that becomes the norm in the future. So it's a concerted effort between state and federal governments and local governments. It was also good to have feedback from the Australian Local Government Association last Friday as well because they're a big player in this as well. We want to see this done affordably. We don't want to see this lead to increased costs - in fact, we want to see it lead to reduced costs because of the important scientific work that is done, the collaboration that has achieved. So this is part of a big plan. There are a few issues that are raised more with me by kids than plastics in the ocean. I know mine do, on a daily basis, almost, and so it's exciting for our kids. But more importantly, it's exciting for our economy because it means a cleaner environment and it means more jobs. Karen, tell us about this great program.
THE HON. KAREN ANDREWS MP, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Thank you Prime Minister. The $20 million that we’re unlocking today will certainly go towards supporting our environment because we’ll be looking at what we can do with waste recycling, but specifically it will target work that we can do for plastics recycling. So the cooperative research centre projects are short-term projects, they’re for a maximum of three years. There’s matched funding of between $100,000 and $3 million that will go to industry and researchers and research organisations through collaboration to look at what we can do to increase the recycling that we are doing here, to look at opportunities for us to use recycled materials in many more applications that we currently do. Now, you’ve heard from the Prime Minister about recycled plastic, hard plastic, soft plastic, and also glass being used in roads and in fact a one kilometre stretch of road with two lanes can use up to 500,000 plastic bags in its production along with other materials. What we want to do in Australia is build the industry research and collaboration and connections and make sure that we are looking at innovative ways to recycle and to build our waste recycling industry here in Australia. So this is an industry of the future. It’s much more than just the process of recycling the material. There will be jobs in many areas, including design, including the production process and then in after-production processes. So it’s an opportunity for people from all walks of life to be part of waste recycling and that industry here in Australia. So if you’re interested in the jobs of the future, waste recycling is going to deliver that to you and with more recycling waste in Australia, it is going to generate three times as many jobs through recycling plastics.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Karen, Pete?
PETER SCHMIGEL, CEO OF AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF RECYCLING: Peter Schmigel, Australian Council of Recycling. How good is it to have a recycling Prime Minister? The announcements made last week and the leadership shown by our Prime Minister will have a transformative effect on the recycling industry. If we succeed in keeping that material in this country recycled here, remanufactured here, we’re looking at about 5,000 additional jobs in this industry on top of the 50,000 that exist already. The elements of the announcement by the Prime Minister, by COAG and by Karen today are exactly right. We want a hand, we need investment in technology and infrastructure like Downer has here in Western Sydney - Western Sydney being the largest region in the country for recycling jobs. That’s exactly right, and the other side of the coin that the Prime Minister absolutely rightly underscored is buying recycling. It’s one thing to collect things, it’s one thing to put things in your bin. It’s a whole other story to actually go out there and make the roads out of recycled content, to make packaging out of recycled content. We need both the supply and the demand, the push and the pull. The Prime Minister’s leadership, COAG’s decision last week was exactly that right note for our recycling industry.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Pete. Happy to take questions. Let me tell you why I’ve become so worked up about this. When I learned about that 12 per cent figure, I got really angry. Because tell our kids and we tell ourselves that when you put that plastic bottle in the separated bin, that there is a promise there coming back saying well this is going to get recycled, it’s going to be reused somewhere. And that promise is being broken to people. So it doesn’t matter whether you’re the biggest environmental warrior there is or you’re at the other end and you’re just going about your day. Everyone is doing that and I think that promise to them is being broken. And we’ve got to keep that promise, and that’s why it’s so important that we take these initiatives and this is what has really fired my Government up about it. It’s just a very practical thing that we should do and it should be commercial. It shouldn’t have subsidies from now until the end of time, but there will be a need to ensure that this can get to a scalable, commercial capability and once it does that, they're off and running. And that's where we want to be. OK. Happy to take questions on this first because Pete's with us and then Pete will stand amongst all the other luminous vests. And happy to take questions on other issues. We've been very comprehensive it would seem Pete.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister would you recommend people planning a trip to Hong Kong, cancel those arrangements?
PRIME MINISTER: Well they should be informed of the travel advice which the Foreign Minister and DFAT have provided, and as you know we've made some changes to that recently so people should always check with the travel advice which is updated regularly, and whether any changes to circumstances that warrant further revisions to that travel advice then they should be taking note of that.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister are you concerned about China flexing its muscle on the unrest in Hong Kong, there's been a notable escalation of the rhetoric talking about the protesters as showing signs of terrorism?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that's certainly not the rhetoric that I would certainly use to describe those events. And of course we're concerned particularly because of the number of Australians, residents and citizens that are in Hong Kong both on a long term basis and on a short term basis, it is one of our most busy consulates and so our consular role there at the moment is very heightened and they're very active. I mean they were out at the airport just the other day and providing support and assistance to people. And our mission there will continue to do that. And- but as always my view is one to seek to de-escalate things, to encourage the Chief Executive of Hong Kong to be listening carefully to what people are saying in Hong Kong and work towards a peaceful and calm resolution of what is a very serious issue.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned that the cancellation of flights shows that the situation is escalating?
PRIME MINISTER: I am concerned like I think anyone is. But the response that you take to any of these difficult situations is always one of calm, always one of measured response, always one of providing practical assistance to our own citizens and residents who are in need of our assistance and we're doing that. And to seek that those who are in authority in Hong Kong, the administration there in Hong Kong, to be able to deal with the matter peacefully and to resolve it in a positive way.
JOURNALIST: How concerned are you that journalists have been targeted. A lot of injuries to the face, and the types of gas being used to quell the protesters?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm concerned like everyone is about these events, and I'm keen to see them de-escalate.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on another matter- infrastructure Australia says the nation needs to spend 200 billion [dollars] on infrastructure every five years to keep pace with population growth, are you confident your government doing enough on that front?
PRIME MINISTER: Well on the report that was released today I think it's worth noting, that it predated the 2019-20 budget which had $23 billion specifically, extra in projects including 160 congestion-busting projects which for example includes 30 commuter car parks in the city- in Melbourne itself. And so there has already been a significant addition in terms of what the Commonwealth has been doing to the information that that report was based on. It's also good to know that since we came to government under Labor we went from around 6 and a half billion to 10 billion a year in investment that has been made at a Commonwealth level in this type of infrastructure. In addition to that, there was the population strategy which we released last April before the election, before that, was in March which actually brings together a planning framework with the state and territory governments which was again reviewed at the meeting of Premiers and Chief Ministers last Friday. So what the report calls for is obviously continued, and upgraded investment in infrastructure. The government's doing that and we're doing it cooperatively with state governments. One of the key issues again we discussed last week and I've been doing bilaterally with each of the premiers is to ensure that the projects that we've committed to, in many cases these are projects we are 100 per cent funding particularly the smaller congestion-busting projects in our cities that we can get on with them and we can get them done. The money's there, the money's there to get on with it and that's exactly what we're seeking to do in cooperation and in partnership with the states. But it also calls for an integrated way of managing population growth and that's why we've made the changes to the way that our visa program works, particularly our temporary visa program and our pathway to permanent visa programs to ensure that we're putting the population where it is needed, not where it adds to further pressures whether it be on infrastructure, schools or other hospitals, other important services. So the report is right to stress those solutions. And the government is also right to continue to implement those solutions as we've demonstrated that we have.
JOURNALIST: The infrastructure report warns that the cost of playing catch up means that the costs of public transport and roads will double. Are you concerned about that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well one of the reasons why we're starting to see some cost pressures in the infrastructure sector is because we're building so much, and we really are starting to hit our head on the ceiling if not already there, when it comes to the very significant range of projects that are being delivered, particularly in Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales. But I've got to say in Western Australia where there has been some spare capacity following the come-off the mining investment boom a lot of that spare capacity was going into those big projects we're doing in Western Australia. But those pressures are already there and present on the east coast of Australia. And that's why you know we can always invest in infrastructure and must, but we're now at that point where we've got to ensure that the contracting that we're doing in our infrastructure programs is making better use of our Tier 2 and Tier 3 contractors. I mean there isn't a lot of big Tier 1 contractors that operate in Australia and most of them are overseas-owned and we want to see a lot more of those Tier 2 contractors involved in these in these works. Now a good example of that is what the NSW Government is doing on the Pacific Highway and they've been breaking those contracts down and we've seen an increased percentage of Tier 2 contractors getting that work. Now that not only has the capability building objective fulfilled, of lifting the capacity of those companies up but it means more of the jobs and more of the local skills-building is happening at a regional level on infrastructure projects which aren’t just in the cities but they're all way across the country supporting local regional economie
JOURNALIST: In light of this infrastructure report though do you think the government projects go far enough, or what would you like to see?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we've got a $100 billion 10 year program. We've lifted the average annual spend from six and a half billion under Labour to ten billion under our government. So we've had a 50 per cent increase, and more, in what we are investing as a government in infrastructure and we've put in place the population management practices and frameworks to support that. So that's what's required. That's what we're doing. That's what we'll keep doing.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, this morning you announced $500 million in aid for Pacific nations regarding climate change consequences. Is it not two-faced to promise that amount of money but then support Adani which will produce 4.6 billion tonnes of carbon into our atmosphere?
PRIME MINISTER: Well. Australia's going to meet its 2030 Paris commitments. Australia's going to smash its 2020 commitments when it comes to meeting our emissions reduction targets. So Australia meets its commitments, and we will always meet our commitments. And that is a point that I'll be making again when I meet with Pacific leaders. So Australia is doing its bit and it's doing it in I think in a very effective way. And that includes by the way I should stress, work that we're doing in terms of reducing the emissions of waste in this country that are- that have been a big contributor. One of the key things through the- what was the Emissions Reduction Fund, now the Climate Solutions Fund was actually investing in projects which was reducing the emissions from landfill. And that's been a big part of our success in meeting those 2020 targets and 2030 as I've said we will meet in a canter as well. The investments we're making in the Pacific go beyond the $300 million that we've already invested up until 2020. Now, these are projects that we're investing in which are things like roads and bridges and climate mitigation works in these Pacific countries and also to assist them with developing their own energy sources which can be home grown, home-delivered, which improves the viability of their local economies. So I would describe these as very practical projects. These aren't, you know, this isn't cheques that we're sending off to some remote fund in Geneva to spend who knows where. We stopped that practice. What we do now, with the investments we make in the Pacific when it comes to supporting them deal with a changing climate is to help them with the mitigation and resilience works which are needed in these islands and those needs are very real. And so we're turning up, we're showing up. So what's Step Up is all about in the Pacific it's about showing up with this type of support. I mean, we invest already about one and a half billion dollars - just shy of that - in overseas development assistance to the Pacific nations. That is the biggest provider of development assistance of any country in the world. And so when it comes to our commitment to the Pacific, they will find no greater family or friend than Australia.
QUESTION: So will Australia then accept climate refugees in the future if we’re their biggest friends?
PRIME MINISTER: We will continue to support the Pacific. Thank you very much.
Stepping up Climate Resilience in the Pacific
13 August 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for International Development and the Pacific
The Morrison Government is stepping up its renewable energy investment and climate and disaster resilience support in the Pacific by partnering with our nearest neighbours to protect their security and livelihoods.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia recognised the specific climate change challenges the Pacific faced.
The Prime Minister said he would detail a climate change and oceans package at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu this week that included $500 million over five years from 2020 from existing aid funds to help Pacific nations invest in renewable energy and climate and disaster resilience.
“The Pacific is our home, which we share as a family of nations. We’re here to work with our Pacific partners to confront the potential challenges they face in the years ahead,” the Prime Minister said.
“The $500 million we’re investing for the Pacific’s renewable energy and its climate change and disaster resilience builds on the $300 million for 2016-2020. This highlights our commitment to not just meeting our emissions reduction obligations at home but supporting our neighbours and friends.
“Australia is doing our part to cut global emissions and our Climate Solutions Package sets out to the last tonne how we will meet our 2030 target that will see us halve emissions per person and reduce the emissions intensity of our economy by two-thirds. The fact Australia leads the world in per capita investment in clean energy, we have the world’s most successful green bank in the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and that we’re on track to have around a quarter of our electricity needs met by renewables by 2020 all underscores the work underway to reduce our global emissions.
“Our commitments to support the Pacific highlight the meaningful action we’re taking to live up to our role as signatories to the Boe Declaration 2018, which outlines the threat climate change poses to the Pacific.”
The additional $500 million will be used to invest in renewable energy, ensure new infrastructure can withstand disasters and ensure health services are well positioned to respond to changing needs. Our investments to date have contributed to projects as diverse as:
ensuring roads and bridges we help build are more resilient to extreme weather in Papua New Guinea so that its people have continued access to markets and can visit their families during times of disaster;
the Tina River Hydropower project which will provide power to most of Honiara in Solomon Islands for years to come; and
building climate resilient schools in Kiribati.
The climate change and oceans package also includes a new climate infrastructure window in the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific to advance the region’s energy ambitions, as well as new bilateral climate change dialogues with Pacific Island countries to better understand their needs and ambitions.
The Government has also set aside $140 million from the aid budget for the Australian Private Sector Mobilisation Climate Fund to mobilise significant private sector investments in low emissions, climate-resilient solutions for the Pacific and Southeast Asia. The fund will ultimately develop a significant portfolio of projects with contributions from the private sector and other agencies.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said the new package aligned well with the Morrison government’s Pacific Step-Up, which was deepening Australia’s engagement with its neighbours and maintaining its role as the partner of choice in the region.
“The funding will continue projects that have meant school children can be safer in their school buildings, farmers and business people can have more assured access to markets and households can have cheaper and more reliable renewable energy.
“Australia has and will continue to be a steadfast partner on climate action and on supporting the resilience and health of our Blue Pacific continent.”
Minister for International Development and the Pacific Alex Hawke said, “These commitments demonstrate that when Australia says we will work more closely than ever with Pacific states on issues of greatest concern, including climate change, Australia means it.
“In the Boe Declaration, Pacific nations agreed that climate change is the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and well-being of their peoples. The Pacific is Australia’s home and we share the region’s responsibilities and challenges – particularly the impact of climate change.
“This package demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the Boe Declaration and Australia’s long-term commitment to our Pacific family.
Australia will continue to be a champion for the needs of the Pacific through our Step Up programme whether it’s for the environment, for security or for investment to support a region that is secure strategically, stable economically and sovereign politically.
A Greener Recycling Industry
13 August 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Industry Science and Technology
The Morrison Government is taking practical steps toward a cleaner environment with a new $20 million commitment for innovative projects to grow our domestic recycling industry.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the funding was part of his Government’s commitment to work with the states to establish a timetable to ban the export of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres.
“We are committed to protecting our nation’s environment while also building our capacity to turn recycling into products that people want and need,” the Prime Minister said.
“By engaging industry and researchers we can make sure we’re seeing these changes introduced in a way that cuts costs for businesses and ultimately even creates jobs.”
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the funding would create Australian jobs, while reducing global plastic pollution.
“This funding will strengthen Australia’s recycling industry and help us achieve higher recycling rates,” Minister Andrews said.
“Boosting our onshore plastic recycling industry has the potential to create over three times as many jobs as exporting our plastic waste, ensuring a more sustainable and prosperous future.”
Recent figures suggest only 12 per cent of the 103kg of plastic waste generated per person in Australia each year is recycled, mostly overseas.
This funding will be made available through Round 8 of the Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) grants which open today.
In addition to the funding for projects in plastic recycling, $10.8 million is available for critical minerals projects. The round is also open to general applications from all industry sectors.
CRC-P grants are up to $3 million, over a period of up to three years.
$233 million in funding has been committed to CRC-Ps since 2016 and this commitment further builds on the Morrison Government’s plan to protect our environment, strengthen Australian industry and create 1.25 million new jobs in the next five years.
Applications for Round 8 will close at 5:00pm AEST, 24 September 2019.
Information on how to apply, and details of previous grant recipients is available at www.business.gov.au/crc-p
Doorstop - Holsworthy NSW
12 August 2019
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: As you just heard me say to the wonderful troops here from 2nd Commando [Regiment], the Australian Government has committed to $3 billion over the next 20 years and half a billion dollars over the next four years as part of a programme called GREYFIN which is going to significantly upgrade the kit and the other tools and resources available to our Commando and Special Forces teams all around the country. Our Special Forces are at the leading edge of the world and in fact, are sought after both for their expertise and advice with our partner forces all around the world. What I've seen on display today is a level of expertise, a level of capability that Australia should feel very proud of in terms of our serving men and women. But equally, one that should also make them feel safe. It's their job to keep us safe. It's my job as Prime Minister - our most important priority - is to keep Australians safe. And these are the people who are doing that job, not just overseas, but also through their capabilities here to deal with domestic counter-terrorism. And we want to thank them very much for their service and the best way to do that is making sure that they have the capability to continue to do that job for the next 20 years.
I mean, the sorts of things that you see around me today. These are the sorts of things that are going to be upgraded as part of that half a billion-dollar commitment over the next four years. And over the next 20 years, we will see it go through another generation of heightened levels of technology, heightened levels of research and innovation to ensure that we have the best possible capability for them to do the most dangerous of jobs.
So I want to thank them very much for their service, not only those who are serving here today but all who've served in 2nd Commando [Regiment] over the years. They have an impeccable record. The level of rotation of their services overseas, in Afghanistan in particular, has been simply extraordinary. And so we thank them for their service and of course, we thank their families also for the sacrifices that they've undertaken to enable their partners to be, and dads and mums, to be able to serve. So thank you to them.
This is going to be a very important part of our commitment, the biggest single commitment to upgrading the capability of our defence forces since the Second World War. This forms part of our commitment to increasing defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP, which is what we need to be doing to ensure that our Defence Forces are ready and fit and able and capable of being able to keep Australians safe in the 21st century.
Happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, is the extra money a sign that you’re anticipating more deployments? And where would you see those deployments taking place?
PRIME MINISTER: This is about ensuring that our Special Forces continue to be on the leading edge of capability. Because the threats are always there, and the challenges are always there, and we must always be prepared to face them, not just now but for the next 20 years. And so whatever calls are made upon Australia, wherever we're asked to turn out or indeed where we are taking the lead ourselves then we need to make sure that our forces are in a position to do so and that's what it does.
JOURNALIST: But how can the extra spending be justified when some members of the Special Forces remain under investigation for war crimes?
PRIME MINISTER: To keep Australians safe. It's that simple. Those matters you refer to are matters for another investigation because, in this country, that's how we ensure there's transparency around these matters. The $3 billion investment is to keep Australians safe, and in particular to keep those who are doing that job on our behalf, putting themselves in harm's way, safe as well as they go about that task. This is one of the most important investments that I can make as a Prime Minister, to ensure that our Special Forces are equipped to do the job that we require of them to protect Australia and to keep Australians safe.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, have you made a decision on joining the U.K. and the U.S. to police the Persian Gulf?
PRIME MINISTER: Not at this point. We are consulting with other countries that are either already indicated their preparedness to join such an operation and those who are considering it, to ensure that we are fully informed of what the operations are and any role that Australia can play, as I said the other day. This is a very specific task that's about keeping shipping lanes open, about de-escalating tensions, and ensuring that there is freedom of navigation. These issues are very important to Australia and they're very important to all peace-loving people.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, do you have any concerns about Healius being taken over by a foreign company?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they’re questions that go to the Foreign Investment Review Board and ultimately to the Treasurer and our foreign investment laws only allow foreign investments where we don't think it's contrary to the national interest. And so you can expect those conditions, those analyses to be done on any such investments to ensure that Australia's national interest is always first and foremost in any decisions that are taken.
JOURNALIST: Do you support the right of backbenchers like Andrew Hastie to make public comments about… make warnings about China's strategic advances?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I refer, I made comments comment about that the other day. I'd simply say this - that the Government is fully aware of the complexity that is involved in our region and the challenges that we face in the future. It is a highly complex environment and we are fully aware and doing what is necessary to ensure we can manage those complex relationships going into the future. And we also are careful as a Government to ensure that we don't seek to make them even more complex than they need to. And that's what Australians can always count on. We will be measured. We will be careful and we will put Australia's national interests first. It's Australia's national interests that our Government is focused on, in how we manage our relationships, whether it be here specifically in the Indo-Pacific or more broadly around the world. We know who our allies are, we know who our partners are, our strategic partners in the region, and we're for an independent, sovereign Indo-Pacific. And our judgments and the measures that we're taking, the comments that we make, the way we engage with our partners are all designed to achieve that. It is in Australia's national interest to have an independent and sovereign Indo-Pacific where all the nations of this part of the world can engage with each other freely, according to international norms and the rule of law, to ensure each of those countries can pursue their own interests and certainly so Australia can pursue ours.
JOURNALIST: Do you think that Andrew Hastie’s comments likening the rise of China to the rise of Nazi Germany were inflammatory and did make those problems more complex?
PRIME MINISTER: I made comments on that the other day, so I don't feel the need to anything further to it.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you mentioned it’s the biggest increase in spending since the Second World War. Why is it in the national interest to suddenly up our spending to the 2 per cent of GDP?
PRIME MINISTER: Because when we came to government it had fallen to the lowest level since before the Second World War and it was imperative that we brought our capability of our Defence Forces, whether it's our Special Forces here, or our naval capability, or Air Force capability. This day last week I was up at the Land 400 project up in Queensland and we are going through the process of upgrading the capability. Because as a sovereign nation, we need to be in a position to pursue our national interests, to defend it where necessary, to join with our allies and partners to do so when called upon. Because this is what keeps Australia free and this is what keeps Australia safe. And my Government will always do what's necessary to keep Australia free and to keep Australia safe and those who stand behind you right now are involved in that task each and every day and they will always have our full support and backing to do that job. So we're pleased to make these investments. They're important investments to make and my Government will keep making them. Thank you very much.
Backing our special forces with cutting edge equipment
12 August 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Defence
Australia’s Special Forces will be better equipped to keep Australians safe thanks to a $3 billion investment in cutting edge equipment under the Coalition Government.
The Government has approved the first stage of Project GREYFIN, which will provide the first $500 million of a $3 billion planned investment over 20 years.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the funding will ensure our Special Forces can better respond to threats, including that of terrorism.
“I’ve always said keeping Australians safe is my Government’s number one priority. That’s why we’re ensuring the men and women in our Special Forces have the equipment and training they need to succeed in their operations,” said Mr Morrison.
“Australian Special Forces undertake complex, highly demanding operations in high threat environments.
“Global threats will continue to evolve in ways which threaten Australia's interests. This funding will ensure our Special Forces have cutting edge capabilities to stay ahead of those who might threaten Australia's interests.”
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds says project GREYFIN ensures our Special Forces have the best body armour; weapons; diving, parachuting, roping and climbing systems; medical search and rescue; communications; human performance training and support; and everything else they need to help ensure Australia’s security.
“Our Special Forces, now more than ever, need to be ready and able to deploy on operations anywhere in the world, at short notice, and in very uncertain conditions.
“This first stage of funding enables our Special Forces to engage with intelligence, science and technology, and innovation organisations to ensure future threats and opportunities are assessed, to make sure we are delivering them the capability they need in the future.”
Project GREYFIN presents significant opportunities for Australian defence industries. These will span from small-to-large enterprises depending on the capabilities being acquired.
This commitment continues to pursue the special operations capability enhancements outlined in the Defence White Paper 2016.
The Coalition Government is investing more than $200 billion in Australia’s defence capability over the next decade – the nation’s biggest peacetime investment in Defence. By 2020-21, we will have restored investment in Defence to 2 per cent of GDP.
Fourth Action Plan to reduce violence against women and their children
10 August 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Women, Minister for Families and Social Services
The Morrison Government is delivering on its priority to keep Australians safe and secure through a significant agreement from the Council of Australian Governments on the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010‑2022.
The Fourth Action Plan sets an ambitious agenda to eradicate violence against women and their children across five national priorities.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his Government would deliver a record $340 million in funding with a clear objective to prevent violence before it happens, as well as supporting those Australians affected by domestic violence. Addressing the specific needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is also a key priority of the plan.
“All women and children must be able to live safe and free from violence. My Government‘s priority is to make sure every Australian has choice and control over their own lives.
“Prevention is the centrepiece of this package. We want to change attitudes to violence, and help those who think violence is an option to stop.”
As part of the Morrison Government’s $68.3 million investment in prevention, we are providing $20.9 million for Our Watch to establish a national prevention hub and deliver a range of community outreach programs to increase the understanding of the drivers of violence against women, and behaviours and attitudes that underpin this violence.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne said the first three action plans of the National Plan have made significant progress, but more work is needed to reduce the rates of violence.
“Over the past ten years we have seen an improvement in the knowledge and attitudes of Australians towards violence against women,” Minister Payne said.
“To step up this progress, we are elevating primary prevention as a key priority of the Fourth Action Plan to help stop domestic, family and sexual violence before it starts.”
“We are also calling out sexual violence and sexual harassment more than ever before, investing $16.5 million in prevention and response initiatives.”
Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston said Lifeline Australia had been awarded $26.2 million to continue the DV-Alert program to support about 18,500 frontline workers to recognise, respond and refer appropriately to domestic and family violence.
“Lifeline has been working with the Government for many years to build capability in the workforce to understand and take action to support women experiencing violence and this funding will allow them to continue their important work,” Minister Ruston said.
The Morrison Government is continuing work with states and territories to develop a national implementation plan, which will outline the policies and programs all governments will implement to address the Fourth Action Plan priorities, as well as setting out how performance will be monitored and measured over the life of the Plan. The implementation plan will be released later this year.
Since 2013, the Australian Government has committed more than $852 million to reducing violence against women and their children. This includes the $340 million committed in the 2019-20 Budget:
$328 million to support the Fourth Action Plan
$4.9 million to better support former partners of veterans impacted by domestic violence
$7.8 million for dedicated men’s support workers in all Family Advocacy and Support Services.
Visit plan4womenssafety.dss.gov.au for more information on the Fourth Action Plan.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000. For sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling services call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au
Joint Press Conference, COAG
9 August 2019
Prime Minister
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, In regards to recycling, you’re heading off to the Pacific Islands Forum next week. Australia has received some criticism in regards to climate change. Is this something you are hoping Australia can take to that Forum to show Australia has got an eye on the environment, it has got [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think it's certainly relevant to the discussion we have with Pacific Island leaders. I mean, that is, of course, separate to the other issues that we engage with them on matters of climate change and the significant investments that we make in assisting our Pacific Island family of nations able to deal with the impacts of climate change. And we have significant... hundreds of millions of investments in those projects and other mitigation works that are undertaken throughout the region. And so no, I think the two things do go together and I think they do demonstrate the commitment that we have to a cleaner blue in the Pacific.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
MINISTER: Well look, I think we've got to take this one step at a time and how quickly we're able to move to that waste not being exported is really going to be a function of the plan that comes back to us from our Environment Ministers. There is already various levies in place and funds that are held at state levels which are there to support the development of and capability of our waste management industries. I mean, New South Wales certainly has those arrangements in place, as do other states and territories. And so it is about building that industry capability, but it is also about ensuring that we've got the pull through from the users of recycled and converted waste. Now, that can be road base, sure, and we are the biggest purchasers of infrastructure and the builders of roads in the country. But equally, it can be the conversion of bio waste into energy and that is by a waste which is actually held in landfill. So there's a range of emerging and new technologies. We've got several CRC that are working this area. We’ve got the CSIRO which is specifically referred to today in the Communique. So there is the work on the science, but there's also the work on the economics because we want to be able to see this change introduced in the way, I think, as Michael described it as an opportunity, not as a cost. This should not have to cost us more - in fact, hopefully costs us less. And for all of that we're creating jobs in a future industry which is waste recycling and reuse collection also need to stress that we need to think about how we're generating waste at the same time. And there are a range of issues there as well which I'm sure will come back as part of the strategy. But, you know, this stuff won't change unless you say there's going to be a point in time where we are not going to be able to put this stuff on a ship and send it off to someone else. So we've got to start thinking about what we're going to do when that happens. Now, I would like that date to be as soon is practicable and I think that is a view shared amongst all leaders here today. But it's got to be done in partnership, in consultation with industry as Premier Berejiklian was keen to point out and she's absolutely right. We want this to be a seamless change, but it's going to be a change.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: No I don’t think it would be. I think it could happen a lot sooner than that.
JOURNALIST: Premier Berejiklian, you’re [Inaudible]
PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Yeah look, just to stress. What we signed this morning was a commitment in relation to freeing up infrastructure dollars to put back into those communities that are currently suffering. So if we can do a better job in actually increasing water storage and capacity, that's going to help our communities into the future. And so that was what we signed up to and that was something I was glad to sign up to because it will have a positive impact on the communities in New South Wales that are currently suffering the most. Because the more water we capture through better infrastructure, the better we can distribute it in the appropriate way. Secondly, there was an acknowledgement from my colleagues that all states have to pull their weight when it comes to the plan and certainly we will increase and continue to ensure transparency so that all communities are absolutely clear on what each state is doing in that regard. The objectives of the plan itself are not in question - it's how we deal with the plan given the current stresses on New South Wales and other parts of the Basin that are covered and certainly New South Wales today reiterated our position in relation to the extra work we're doing in an aspect of the plan with Victoria that was agreed to last week and we reiterated that today. We reiterated the fact that we need to acknowledge the contribution that New South Wales and other states make to the plan and that every state has to do its bit in maximising its own water capacity issues to ensure that the burden is evenly distributed.
JOURNALIST: The apprenticeship and traineeship numbers are at a ten-year low. Numbers have almost halved, I think, since 2012. How committed are you to increasing those numbers?
PRIME MINISTER: We're very committed and I'm not just committed to increasing the numbers for the numbers sake. You can train a lot of people, but if you’re not training them to actually do a job then what's the point of that? And I think this is one of the fundamental issues we've got to address in our vocational education and training system and all states and territories who sit here have got great projects that are happening and other projects that can learn from what others are doing and what we want to ensure is that we've got a system that employers can have confidence in. Because it's training people to do the things that they need them to do in their businesses and it needs to be agile, it needs to be modern, it needs to be up to date. It can take you twelve months to change a qualification in this country. I mean, that's not agile and that needs to be improved. I want and we all want, students, whatever age they are. They could be 21, they could be 61 and going through a career change, or 41, or whatever age it is. And I want them to have confidence that that system is going to help them with their future intentions and their future careers. And I want mums and dads to be confident about the choice of their kids for a trade, for a technical or skills-based education. It is not second prize. It is whatever the prize is that that student is looking for and that young Australian or older Australia is looking for and to help them achieve their goals in life. And I think there are some very serious issues that we need to address as a team here to ensure that's the system that we're moving to and that's what we agreed to do today. That type of a system is the system that we want to see in the future. Now, the Joyce Review that I commissioned prior to the last election, and there were several initiatives that came out of that including the National Skills Commission which is being stood up and was funded in the Budget, that Joyce Review from the Commonwealth's point of view provides a very good blueprint as to how we can take that forward. But we also acknowledge today all states and territories are in different phases of this process and all have different needs. So it's not a matter of the Commonwealth doing it or the states doing it. This is a shared project and a shared responsibility. You need the tactile nature of South Australia, for example, understanding what particular needs they need addressed for the economy that they're building, which is different to what it is in New South Wales. There's no question about that. And on top of that, you've got the difference of regional areas where the cost of training someone might be a lot higher than it is in a major metro area. And we need to understand those differences and ensure funding models reflect that. So it is a huge job. But just throwing a whole bunch of money at it and saying you want to put more people through the system doesn't solve the problem.
JOURNALIST: Premier Berejiklian on this topic, you talked earlier in the week about how you want to see VET and universities treated the same. There is no mention of university education in the communique here, only VET. Are you happy with that language?
PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Yeah, I mean my colleagues also go to the fact with what we all had violent agreement on which is that vocational education and training is equal to other forms of tertiary education. And if we want to be a nation that has the right skills for our existing industries, but also emerging industries, we need to have that in a good strong position. And in New South Wales, as I know in other states, there's a natural conversation now occurring between universities and TAFEs and that is something we’ll encourage at a state level. And I always, when we talk about education post-secondary school, we should be talking about universities and TAFE in the same breath because the options available should be of equal quality, of equal opportunity and equal accessibility to the community.
JOURNALIST: Premier McGowan, you mentioned yesterday that you were concerned about comments that were made by Liberal MP Andrew Hastie in regards to China. Did you raise those concerns to the Prime Minister in the course of today or overnight? Last night you were having dinner. How would you characterize the current situation in Hong Kong and what would you say if there was to be a situation where China was to use military force in that area?
PREMIER MCGOWAN: Well, the Prime Minister and I have lots of discussions and obviously China is one of those very relevant to Western Australia because a quarter of our state's economy is dependent upon our state's trading relationship with China. So that's probably 300,000 jobs is dependent upon it and we export as a state over $60 billion worth of products to China and we import $4 billion from China. So obviously, Australia's trade position is very dependent upon that relationship and in particular iron ore, oil and gas, agriculture and the like. The strongest relationship essentially is between Western Australia and China and half our state's exports go to China. 40 per cent of the nation's exports actually come out of Western Australia and as I said, half of that is to China. So obviously I'm very sensitive to the relationship. I thought Mr Hastie's comments yesterday were completely and utterly unnecessary and inflammatory and he has not done his state any good service because obviously thousands of his own constituents jobs depend upon this trading relationship. Now, I know there's some disquiet about China and lots of people perhaps don't appreciate or support the relationship, but it is in our national interest that we have a strong relationship with China or else thousands of our citizens will be out of work and our national income will go down very significantly. In relation to Hong Kong, well obviously it's a bit outside my area of responsibility, but clearly I'd like to see that matter not result in any violence or repression.
PRIME MINISTER: Well I thank everyone for their attendance here today. Can I particularly thank my colleagues and can I once again, Premier Palaszczuk, thank you very much for hosting us all here today in Cairns. It's been a great place to come, I think, as a group and demonstrate our commitment to the north of Australia, particularly here in North Queensland, and I also thank you on behalf of the Commonwealth for the tremendous working partnership we've had in addressing the floods in North Queensland. It has really been a tremendous partnership and I'm sure all of those in North Queensland have appreciated as well. Thank you all very much.
Joint Remarks, COAG
9 August 2019
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: Welcome everyone. Can I start first of all by thanking Premier Palaszczuk, particularly the city of Cairns for their tremendous welcome to COAG. It’s great to have these meetings in regional Australia, and it’s particularly good to be having it here in northern Australia and indeed North Queensland. It’s always such an encouraging thing when we come back to northern Australia and particularly to Cairns to see the incredible changes that have been taking place in Cairns and the infrastructure that’s being developed and the services and particularly the growth we’re seeing in the tourist market which is very important to this part of the country. So can I commend Premier Palaszczuk and all Queenslanders for giving us such a warm welcome to this meeting and I will throw to Premier Palaszczuk in just a moment.
Can I also thank all of my colleagues who are here today - as well Chief Minister Barr who had to return to Canberra - for the teamwork that has been on display amongst Australia’s leaders today. And to be able to focus on the issues of very practical importance to the everyday lives of Australians and the spirit of which people have come together to focus on the things that we can agree on, the things that don’t separate us, and the things that genuinely we can work very well together on, both in this meeting and indeed the last one we had in Adelaide. I think there's been a real spirit of cooperation that I very much want to thank all Premiers and Chief Ministers for. There's no doubt there are things from time to time between the Commonwealth and states and territories and indeed between states and territories where there'll be differences of view. But I can assure you at this gathering, once again, there has been a strong focus on the things that we can agree on and take forward.
So whether it's a cleaner environment - and I'll speak about that shortly - getting people home sooner and safer, strengthening our economy in particular by making sure that we're removing some of the burdens and some of the bureaucratic obstacles that can delay projects and major investments that are so important for jobs, and connecting communities all around the country with important infrastructure. I mean, what you see represented here are the biggest infrastructure spenders in the country and all governments represented here have very significant infrastructure programs and the Commonwealth is participating in all of those and getting those projects on the ground sooner to ensure that they can support both our economy and the connectedness of our communities is very important.
On top of that, we spent quite a bit of time today and last night talking about one of the really big challenges that our country faces, and that is in a modern economy ensuring that Australians are trained for the jobs they have today and the jobs they'll have in the future. Now, that isn't just in the high technology areas. It is in, in particular, the areas of human service delivery in this country. Whether it's aged care or caring for people with disabilities. These are strong growth areas for jobs in our economies all around the country and ensuring that we have training programs, packages, oversight of those updated credentials and that it is incredibly responsive to the demands of employers in the future. These are high-level issues that we've agreed on today and agreed a programme of work to go through - particularly our skills ministers - to ensure that we're getting people trained for the jobs that they are doing and will be doing and that employers need to grow their businesses and grow our economy. The skills agenda is one that we all feel very passionately about and one that I know we're going to continue to work very closely together on. We spend over $7 billion a year on that agenda and we want to make sure that that money works harder for all Australians.
On important social issues we all share the goal of going towards a to zero policy on suicide in this country. It breaks the heart of every single member represented here, and I know for all of those listening. We all know a story, and whether it's of a veteran, a young girl in an Indigenous community, whether it's a 47 year old male living in one of our suburbs and one of our big cities. The issues of isolation, issues of family breakdown, relationship breakdown, mental illness, the impacts of the drug and alcohol addiction. All of these issues - homelessness and so on - contribute towards this very serious curse that is on our country and we're all very committed to breaking this by ensuring that we have mental health as a national priority. And that just doesn't mean the clinical support which is provided on mental health. But all of the many other conditioning factors and contributing factors that can trigger, make worse, or in the worst of all certain situations, lead to an Australian taking their own life. And so this is an area of great agreement. There is lots of projects and work going on across all of our jurisdictions. We have a Royal Commission going on in Victoria presently, the Commonwealth has committed over $700 million in our most recent Budget and this is a shared area of responsibility, but also a shared area of passion to ensure that we work together to break that curse.
Another area where we have worked together on for some time now is the National Action Plan to address domestic violence and violence against women, and the Fourth Action Plan agenda was agreed today. That builds on those plans that went prior to this plan. Of course, there is well over $300 million dollars in support coming out of the Commonwealth model and the states are similarly stumping up to address this issue. And so we're pleased to take that forward again and there was a good discussion about how we take that agenda now into a fifth national action plan in the future as we implement this current one.
One of the most practical areas where we can work together though is for a cleaner environment. And I don't think there is a community you will walk into today or a young child that you speak to who won't tell you about the problem of plastics coming through our waterways, ending up in our oceans. And you know, there's an implied promise that when you take that plastic bottle and you put it in that little plastic bin that it's not going to end up in the ocean somewhere or in a river somewhere or in a landfill somewhere. People think it's going to be recycled. But only about 12 per cent of it is. And so what we agreed to do today was to request our environment ministers. We're laying it out very clearly that there will be no export of plastics and paper and glass to other countries where it runs the risk of ending up floating around in our oceans. Whether off the Great Barrier Reef, which we know there's strong evidence of that, or anywhere else. And so by making that clear and agreeing to work together with a plan as to when that ban can take effect, working with industry to ensure and consulting them closely to ensure that we have the capacity in place of our waste and recycling sector to reuse, to collect, and also to reduce our waste in these areas as well, with the consumer activity, then that means we can have a very serious impact on this outcome.
Now, we all have different responsibilities when it comes to dealing with waste. But it's our waste and it's our responsibility. And that's why I think setting a very clear path forward as leaders that we do not want to see this go into the ocean. We do not want to see it go into our waterways and we'll do everything that was in our remit to achieve that goal I think is a very important outcome of today's COAG meeting and one that I would hope would give Australians all around the country a degree of confidence and satisfaction that when we get together in forums like this we get stuff done. So on that point, I'm now happy to pass over to my colleagues and our host Premier Palaszczuk. But before I do that just let me make one more remark and that is to thank Dr Parkinson, the Secretary of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, who's been around this gathering for a very long time who will soon be retiring. On behalf of all of us, Martin, thank you very much for the great work you've done for the Australian people. Thank you.
[Applause]
Premier Palaszczuk. How good is Queensland?
[Laughter]
PREMIER PALASZCZUK: How good is Queensland, exactly.
PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: You’re going to have to say that to all the states.
[Laughter]
PREMIER PALASZCZUK: Except you can't say that during State of Origin. Prime Minister, look, thank you and Premiers and First Ministers, it's absolutely wonderful to host you here in Cairns. And can I commend the Prime Minister in actually taking COAG for the first time ever outside a capital city to a regional city. But not only that, to the north of our state and I know that the people of Cairns have been very excited for months and I know that everyone is enjoying themselves. In fact, we saw the tourists wearing their thongs, going on the boats to Green Island and out to the Great Barrier Reef this morning as we were coming here. And today's work has been really, really good.
I just want to comment on a couple of quick things because I know some people have to catch planes. But I think the Prime Minister's comments about doing more about how we reuse our waste and our plastics is so important for our environment, sitting here on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, over 2000 kilometres long. It's something that we should be…. it's our national treasure and it's something that tourists come to see from all around the world and that's why we're putting in place in Queensland a Resource Recovery Fund of $100 million. We want to attract investment here to look at how we can recycle more.
Secondly, we know there are huge challenges across the nation and here in Queensland as we look to what are the skills that we need for the future. We've identified 139 skills and what we're saying to employers is that we will pay your training component if you put on an apprentice. I want to see 60,000 apprenticeships here in Queensland over the next four years. And for the work that's happening at the Commonwealth level, looking at those needs across the nation, we have to remember that regional Queensland is also really important and we have different skills demands, depending on what the industries are across Queensland.
And the final thing I wanted to say is that in relation to just to the south of us in Townsville in the north west we have cooperated very closely when it comes to issues around natural disasters and recovery. And there has been a lot of issues with people there in terms of mental health and I really commend the Commonwealth, working with all of the states and territories, about tackling issues around mental health and also for the collaboration that we've seen. Nothing is more important than people and ensuring that people get back on their feet after a natural disaster. In Queensland, unfortunately, we've seen our fair share of natural disasters. But I know that when we all work together, we work the best, and that's at a local, state and federal level.
But once again I just want to thank everyone for coming and I know that there are some issues in the southern states as they're battling some fierce winds and storms. I just want to pass on my best to all the people in those states because you're always with us when we go through troubles up here.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Premier. We might go to the Australian Local Government Association and I think just walk down the tables is probably the easiest way to do it. So thank you David.
ALGA PRESIDENT DAVID O’LOUGHLIN: Thanks Prime Minister, and delighted to have you put plastics and reducing waste and recycling it on the agenda, on the national agenda. Certainly, councils across the country have been asking for national leadership for some time on this topic and it is a great example of how three levels of government can work together to really make a difference and it's fantastic how to discuss today. Local government is at the coalface of collecting and sorting waste. We've got households right across the nation who do their best to make sure that they sort their waste out at home, put it in the right bin, and their confidence of late has been dented when they found out that their recycling is not being recycled as well as they'd hoped. So we're hoping that this measure puts it firmly on the Environment Minister’s and the states and ourselves as well as a national government that we need to do better and we must do better. There's a lot of opportunity in this space. There are a lot of jobs that can be created onshore here in Australia to recycle this material to get it into hot mix, to get into the spray seal, to get into road base, to create high-value products. And we as governments, all three levels of government, need to be part of the solution. I'm told that if all government-specified plastics as part of the mix for hot mix and spray seal on our roads - we are one of the biggest spenders on roads in the nation - collectively that we could use as much as half of the plastics waste being generated today. It’s a huge part of the solution, as is reducing the creation of plastics waste, as he is eventually reducing the importation of plastics waste. So it's a great agenda item and congratulations Prime Minister for putting on the agenda. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you. Premier Hodgman.
PREMIER HODGMAN: Thank you, Prime Minister and colleagues, and it's a delight to be here with you all today and to remind ourselves of the beauty and the power of our federation and coming together at a COAG that no matter where you're from, the size of your state or what part of the country in which you live, we're all equal. We all have the same issues and challenges that confront us. But there is more that brings us together than divides us. And it was at this point the last time we met that I'd hoped we would again come together and I want to congratulate you, Prime Minister, on your re-election, and to note that a lot of what your government was doing and is doing now very much aligns with Tasmania's priorities and the things that are important to the people who live in the island state. And that includes ensuring that our economy continues to remain strong. Because now Tasmania's economy is one of the best performing in the country, and with that brings some challenges. Skills shortages amongst them, and we've got a number of initiatives that are designed to bring more people into our economy and to support Tasmania's strong, prosperous economic conditions. But we need to get more people with that skill set and it is a matter of national importance.
Similarly, our energy and our environment, two of Tasmania's great assets. So to elevate both of those to the national level and to position Tasmania as Australia's renewable energy battery is an important economic opportunity for Tasmania, but also an important environmental one for our country, as indeed is reducing the impact of waste in our community. So I do strongly welcome the elevation of those issues to the national agenda.
As I do as Tasmania's Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence. I appreciate the collaborative effort that we are taking as governments across the country to deal with that. And similarly in mental health and supporting people who are vulnerable through better collaboration and support services across the country. I think that is a very positive thing for us to focus so much of our time on.
So can I just compliment you PM for what is, I think, one of the most collaborative COAG meetings I've attended - and I must say I've attended more than anyone else at this table and it was…
PRIME MINISTER: Long may you continue.
...a positive thing and they typically are. But your leadership in bringing us together on these matters which there is a shared priority and with the sole objective is just getting on and doing it. That's what people expect from us and I think that's what we've delivered.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you Will. Premier Berejiklian.
PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Thank you, PM, and thank you to colleagues. It was, I want to echo, a very constructive meeting today and from New South Wales perspective there's just three things I want to highlight. Firstly, to thank the PM and our state colleagues for acknowledging the deep drought impacting New South Wales as we signed an agreement today through the Murray-Darling Basin Plan to provide infrastructure funding to communities to ensure water capacity moving forward into the future and I look forward to ongoing discussions in that regard.
Secondly, a reiteration and confirmation of states being able to work with the Commonwealth even more closely moving forward in relation to infrastructure priorities and delivery and that's a very positive move that all of us accepted.
And thirdly, commend the PM and our state colleagues for putting VET skills and industry at top of mind. The future of jobs in our states and nation is critical not just in existing industries but also in emerging ones and we need to make sure our education system at a tertiary level in vocational education and training certainly meets those challenges. So I want to echo the issues raised by those who've already spoken and thank the PM and all the state Premiers and First Ministers for a very constructive meeting.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Gladys. Premier Marshall?
PREMIER MARSHALL: Well thank you very much, Prime Minister. I'm here representing South Australia but also as the chair of the CAF which is, of course, the Council for the Australian Federation. And it's fair enough to say that the CAF agenda and the COAG agenda is very, very much in alignment at the moment. The issues which were discussed at the CAF are transferred directly into the COAG. We feel very much supported by the Prime Minister and the agenda of COAG that we can raise issues in a respectful way and they're dealt with. We also want to... I personally want to thank the Prime Minister for the two side meetings that have occurred during COAG. First of all for northern Australia, but more in particular for my state, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan side meeting that was held and I thank all of the people that attended that meeting. We had a full complement of people today. There was a reiteration of our commitment to that Plan, but there's also a coming together and understanding of our very difficult conditions right across our country at the moment with dry conditions and in fact drought conditions in much of the country and we need to be working together at this difficult time so that we can implement that Plan, but do it in a way which is going to be respectful for communities all along the Murray-Darling Basin.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much, Steven. Premier Andrews?
PREMIER ANDREWS: Thanks very much PM. Can I say that this has been one of the very best COAG meetings that I've attended in the last five years. So I thank the Prime Minister and my colleagues for the tone of the meeting but also the commitment to getting things done. Nothing is more important than us taking real action or setting up processes that will lead to real action in good time to support the people that we are here to look after. Whether that be through ensuring that every Victorian, every Australian gets the skills they need for the job they want. Without that, we can't keep building the infrastructure that we've all been elected to get on with. And the same extends to a whole range of social policy improvements as well. Whether it’s taking action on family violence, mental health reform, the rollout of the NDIS. Workforce and skills are central to that. So I want to thank the Prime Minister and colleagues for acknowledging just how important vocational education and training is. We can do better in this space and I'm very confident we will.
Just finally on that point, we have to change the way TAFE and vocational education and non-university pathways are viewed. This is a first-class option, not anything less than that. I make these points a lot that the infrastructure in Melbourne and across Victoria is being built by TAFE and VET qualified people. I'm very proud of them and I think that the words we've settled on today, the process, the action that we've taken indicates that all of Australia's governments are proud of the work that our tradies do and we want to see more and more of them, as well as others that are qualified through that vocational education and training pathway.
Just very quickly, can I acknowledge the great opportunity we have as well through the spirit of cooperation and agreement. A very good discussion last night. All of us are doing good things to make a broken mental health system better, to support some of the most vulnerable in our nation at their most vulnerable time. We can, of course, do more and we can do better. And there's a great commitment out of today's meeting and a long discussion last night to share best practice, and perhaps in so doing find a new way to talk about health. Rather than quarrelling and arguing maybe we can find a much more positive way to engage on funding our hospitals better and supporting those who need those services most. In the end, PM, thank you so much for what's been a really fantastic meeting.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much Dan, I appreciate that. Premier McGowan.
PREMIER MCGOWAN: Thanks, Prime Minister. Firstly, thanks to Annastacia for inviting us here to Cairns. This is my first ever visit to Cairns. I'm very impressed and I do like the idea of COAG being held outside the capitals and so I look forward to next year to hosting COAG in a regional West Australian location so that we show our appreciation, in particular, of regional Australia. But also, you know, regional Australia also gets the feeling that we are connected to people from the regions. From Western Australia's point of view, three issues I wanted to mention are one, we raised the issue of regulatory approvals, in particular, Commonwealth regulatory approvals through the EPBC Act and making sure that they were more efficient and quicker so that we can get on with the job of building essential infrastructure and creating jobs in the states and also making sure that Commonwealth… other Commonwealth legislation aligns with the states and we can get on in particular and make sure that mining titles are preserved and protected across Western Australia.
Second point, coastal erosion. As you might be aware, we have various communities in Western Australia deeply affected by sea-level change as a consequence of climate change. The group agreed that we can refer this to Environment Ministers for scientific analysis and report back. In the future, it would be fair to say the Commonwealth is reluctant to do more than that. But I do think that coastal erosion and in particular the impact on houses, roads, rail, communities across Australia will grow as an issue, particularly as sea-level rise occurs and I suspect in future years the Commonwealth, states and local governments will need to reach accommodations and agreements around those things.
The third thing, I was very pleased the Prime Minister put the issue of waste on the agenda. It's one of the most important issues in our community - in fact, in the world. If I was to ask my ten year old daughter what she cares most about are two things - cruelty to dogs and secondly, you know, dolphins, whales, turtles, marine life being impacted by plastics. Obviously. Ten year olds are going to be voters before we know it and so young people care deeply about these issues and people at leadership levels in government taking these issues up is very important. So getting Australia leading the world in trying to remove disposable plastics from our waste stream so we don't poison and kill creatures in our oceans and terrestrial life across Australia is very, very important and I want to be a part of that.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Mark. Our ten year old daughters share a lot in common.
PREMIER MCGOWAN: That's right.
PRIME MINISTER: Chief Minister Gunner.
CHIEF MINISTER GUNNER: Thank you, Prime Minister. We are meeting in north Australia, that part of our country which is closest to the rest of the world. For perspective, from Darwin, the capital of the north, it is quicker and easier to fly to Singapore and Shenzhen than Canberra. And when you fly south, you fly over 20 odd million people. And when you fly north, you fly over hundreds of millions of people. It's why the north is the natural place for export. It's why developing our north, growing our population here, investing in infrastructure here and making sure our first people are front and centre of that is crucial to our nation's future security and prosperity. The developing the north agenda is coming to the end of its first five-year action plan. We have agreed that the next five-year action plan will start being developed in Katherine later this year. This is crucial. We see, as a very important project in developing our north, a new ship lift for Darwin. The Territory Government’s position, the Australian Government’s position remains unchanged on this. There will be a ship lift built and I'll be meeting with the NAIF later today to advance the due diligence for that.
I want to thank the Prime Minister for his leadership on waste. I will be taking lead on this with our environment minister in the Northern Territory. We want to see waste not as a problem but as another person's treasure, opportunity, to try and find as many jobs as possible in how we deal with this and the challenge the Prime Minister has set us. Finally, but just as importantly, along with our economic challenges we have got shared social challenges and other First Ministers have touched upon this. I just want to thank my colleagues for agreeing that the next summit on reducing violence against women will be hosted in Alice Springs. Thank you.
Opening Remarks, COAG
9 August 2019
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: It's great to have the meeting of COAG up in the far north. To the Premier of Queensland who is our host here and all of my colleagues around the table. It's great to be in the north and it's also great to be in regional Australia, coming together in this group. It's a topic that I know all the Premiers, Chief Ministers and of course myself all feel very strongly about - ensuring that what we're doing is reaching rural communities and creating the same opportunities for people in these parts of the country as do in our major metropolitan areas.
Can I thank the Queensland Government and particularly the Premier for their support in the arrangements they have pulled together today.
We will work very collegiately today. I want to thank all Premiers and Chief Ministers for the strong spirit of cooperation that I've been detecting as we’ve arrived and as we had at our last meeting, which I thought was also a very cooperative meeting that we had in South Australia and I think we can continue on that tone today.
When you look across the agenda of issues that we are addressing, they really are very significant issues that our country is facing. Everything from how we manage population, growing our economies by ensuring that regulation and other matters don't get in the way of investment, trade and jobs.
Tackling the big skills challenges of our country and making sure the more than $7 billion that we spend a year together on ensuring that our people are trained for the jobs not just of today, but into the future, and at any age. And that our systems are working hard for those Australians who want jobs and Australians who want to employ Australians into jobs.
Tackling, continuing to tackle reducing violence against women and children. It's been a long-running agenda item of this group and we're making significant progress and we’ll be making further progress today.
Mental health and addressing the challenges of suicide prevention is something that our Government has set with the towards zero goal as a national priority. I thank particularly the Premiers and Chief Ministers on the work that they're doing in that area and we'll have further to say about that over the course of the day.
But it's not just about addressing those serious health and social challenges. It's our environmental challenges as well, which is dear to the hearts of all members of this group. And the discussion we’ve already had around waste management and addressing the issue of non-reusable plastics and how that can be better managed across all of our jurisdictions and how we can work together to achieve that. I know this is, as you all do, is an issue of great concern right across the community and I'm very encouraged by some of the progress we're already making on that front.
Addressing issues of Closing the Gap and how we work better together on that front. At the Closing the Gap address earlier this year we were able to come to a whole new level of agreement in how we work with the peak groups of Indigenous Australia and that agenda is working positively. But there's obviously a lot more work to do.
So a very busy agenda. I want to thank everybody for being here and particularly the Premier of New South Wales, making a late-night run to get here and be able to be with us today. So Gladys, I know it's been a busy week for you and your Parliament. But your commitment to this forum I think is demonstrated by that late-night run up the coast. So thank you very much.
So with that, I think we'll get on with it.
Radio interview with Alan Jones, 2GB
9 August 2019
Prime Minister
ALAN JONES: Prime Minister, good morning.
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning Alan, how are you? Good to hear you back on the air.
JONES: Thank you. Thank you very much. Can I just - there's a lot of things to cover - can I just raise with you first though that Cricket Australia yesterday announced mandatory new guidelines for the inclusion of transgender players. The policy is to be adopted by every cricket club in the country. Juniors, women, indoor grade, the works. Under the guidelines, every club must accept a player based on the gender with which they identify. Clubs must not ask any player to undergo a medical examination for the purpose of gender verification. It simply comes down to if a player identifies as a boy or a girl and that player must have access to change rooms facilities and the lot. Is this stuff going to happen in a country that you lead?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think it's pretty heavy-handed to put it pretty mildly. I mean, the thing about sport is it should be driven locally by local clubs and I have no doubt that if there are these sorts of issues that they be managed practically at a club level. And whether it's rugby, whether it's cricket, whether it's netball, whether it's... whatever it is, the clubs should run sport and they're the ones where the volunteers come. That's where the barbecues are, that's where all these are. And when you get these sort of quite heavy-handed…
JONES: This is mandatory. This is mandatory. This is policy.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s what I’m saying. That’s about the heaviest hand you can have.
JONES: Well are you going to pick the phone up and talk to this bloke?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Alan, this has only come up overnight…
JONES: It has.
PRIME MINISTER: I have been focused on the COAG meetings here and I’m sure the Sport Minister will have a bit to say about this at some point with them. But I just think local sport should be run by local sport. And I think…
JONES: Well, see Scott, what the point is this is not for tomorrow or the next day. I mean, I rate this as one of the biggest stories in the country. A women's under 15 team will now have to - must - accept a player who was born a boy but identifies as a girl. This person would bowl faster, would hit the ball further, and some people are writing. I put this up on my Facebook page, it's gone nuts and they're saying this is the end of women's sport as we know it. This is national leadership, isn't it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well look, Alan, to be honest, making sure people are skilled to get a job, dealing with mental health challenges. All of these things are the things that I'm focusing on at COAG today, not this issue to be quite honest with you.
JONES: But you’ve got girls, you've got daughters. Daughters who go into school and those daughters under this rule, cricketers, can go into their changing room.
PRIME MINISTER: Look, Alan, I think it's a very sensitive issue. I would need to have Cricket Australia understand that this is a very heavy-handed approach they’re taking with local sport, and I think there are far more practical ways to handle these issues than these sort of heavy mandatory ways of doing it. And I'm sure these issues have been quite carefully and practically managed at a club level already, and so why is there is that necessary to get the sledgehammer out on this is mystifying me. But I think we just need to get the issue in perspective and ensure we manage it calmly.
JONES: Newspaper reports said you were going to see how that region up there was recovering from the floods. The Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the floods were in February. It’s now August and they haven't seen the initial $242 million dollar package for reconstruction and that the local council is footing the bill. And Jenny Hill, now I know she's a Labor mayor, she said she was even unaware of your arrival. She was advised by local journalists. Now, there were 22,000 homes and properties in Townsville damaged or destroyed in February. You pledged $3 billion. How come in August they haven't seen any of the money?
PRIME MINISTER: The State Government has got it. That's what I told them yesterday. Jenny got her figures wrong yesterday and she was called out on it.
JONES: But they haven't got any money, whether it's the state government or the federal government. What's going to happen?
PRIME MINISTER: They’re a council, and state governments are responsible for councils. We send the money to the state government - and they have it, it's actually in their bank account - and why the state government hasn't given it to Jenny is a matter she has to raise with the Premier.
JONES: It doesn't help these poor people where their homes have been destroyed, does it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well of course not. That's why they should access the funds from the state government. The state government should be working with them to deliver those.
JONES: If it was a tsunami in Indonesia the payments wouldn’t be held off, would they?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we're not holding them up.
JONES: What is it you’re saying, we'll leave it to the state government? Are you exercising a little bit of direction? Have you spoken to Palaszczuk?
PRIME MINISTER: We’ve been working with them on these issues ever since the floods first hit and there's been no question about the responsiveness of the Commonwealth Government to this, whether it's on the pastoral and grazing properties out to the west or what happened in Townsville specifically. Our response to those floods was the best we've seen from a Commonwealth Government and we've worked closely. So I'm not going to jump into the politics of…
JONES: But you’re saying you’re just a post office, in other words.
PRIME MINISTER: Alan, with respect, I don't think that's a fair way to present it. The way the funding works on all of these issues is the Commonwealth provides money to the states and then the states provide them to the councils. We actually had a High Court case around this which prevented the Commonwealth from making direct payments to councils. So we have to abide by the law like anyone else. The money is in the state government's bank account.
JONES: How much?
PRIME MINISTER: The entire amount.
JONES: So you said $3 billion. You've handed over $3 billion?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no, the money that's Jenny is referring to that she's trying to access. That is with the State Government.
JONES: Gosh, I'd hate to be a person whose house was destroyed in February.
PRIME MINISTER: We've been providing that help, Alan, and I've been in Townsville many times since the floods and we’ve set up a recovery agency to deal directly with this, which Shane Stone has been leading, and I don't think it's helpful for any level of government to be playing politics with flood support funding and I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to get drawn into it either.
JONES: Did you pledge though $3 billion for relief?
PRIME MINISTER: Over five years, yes, and that's being rolled out.
JONES: And all your commitment has been paid to the state government?
PRIME MINISTER: Not the $3 billion.
JONES: No, no, no, no, over five years.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah the $3 billion... there are two amounts. There's money that's going directly through the state government to support the sort of works that Jenny is talking about. There's also funds that we're putting which is the 50 per cent livestock grants that we're providing, which is shared half and half with the farmers… sorry, the graziers when they're putting stock back on their property. I mean, there's hundreds of millions in that program. It is a very comprehensive program of recovery for the north and it's been very successful, Alan.
JONES: I know, it's just that these people…
PRIME MINISTER: You know, people up there, they’ll tell you…
JONES: Get yourself to Townsville, I know. I've been up there, as you have. But the people haven’t seen the money. Can I just raise something else…
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they have out in the West, Alan, that's not fair to say they haven't seen the money. They have seen the money because my office has...
JONES: I said Townsville, I meant Townsville.
PRIME MINISTER: ...saying thank you for the support the Commonwealth Government has given.
JONES: I've given you credit for that, I'm talking about Townsville. Look I want to cover a bit of ground here, we don't get you often. I just raised yesterday and on TV - and you must join us on TV shortly - but almost 30,000 older Australians died or were forced into aged care last year when they were waiting to be approved for home care packages. And the Royal Commission into aged care has found that more than 44 seniors a day - over 16,000 a year - are waiting for home care packages. It's extraordinary. And they're dying waiting. Now, I've been inundated with letters: ‘Good morning Alan. I have a level 4 package from aged care. I've been told there are no caregivers in my area. I only wanted a hand to shower and get my dinner in the evening. I've been told maybe I should go into a nursing home.’ Another: ‘I've been told I may receive level 2 package by Christmas. It makes my life hard. I have no family to help me with anything. I'm unable to leave home without assistance. I have cancer and they can't get the home care package.’ What the hell is happening?
PRIME MINISTER: We've increased the number of home care places by 40,000 over the last couple of years and where we can keep increasing those packages, Alan, I will. Because people are increasingly - and I think this is a good trend - wanting to stay at home and not to be going into residential care.
JONES: Sure.
PRIME MINISTER: And so we're going to keep doing that and increasing the number of in-home care places available through the system.
JONES: But 44 seniors a day dying waiting for their home care package.
PRIME MINISTER: And that's why we're increasing the number of in-home care places, Alan. It's a big project, it's an expensive project, and that's why it's got a priority from my Government to increase the number of places that are available. But one of your letter writers made another point here which is very important, and that is with increased ageing of the population as well as in the disabilities area there is a greater demand for people to be trained to be able to go and provide those services. And we need more people in those jobs and that's why reforming the way we do training in this country and getting more money to people to train them to do those jobs, particularly not just in the cities but in regional areas, is also a big priority. It's actually one of the things we’re going to be talking about at COAG today.
JONES: OK, well I'm sure at COAG you’re armed with these stats because again the board was on fire over TAFE. The national apprenticeships and traineeship numbers have fallen from 446,000 in 2012 to 295,000 last year. And TAFE is the only institution you can trust to deliver genuine vocational training. But there were 150 private colleges, which you rightly stripped of accreditation and that's correct. But since 2012 more than 5,700 New South Wales TAFE teachers have lost their jobs. 27 TAFE colleges in New South Wales have been sold. 5,689 TAFE teachers have lost their jobs, the same in Victoria. Now it's easy isn't it? If you want to fix vocational education, give these people some money.
PRIME MINISTER: 16 per cent of everybody who gets trained is done in TAFE. So more than 80 per cent is done outside of TAFE. That's... I mean, that's an important stat. TAFE is an important part of the system but it is actually, in the grand scheme of things, it's nowhere near the dominant part of the system. And the problem I've got at the moment is the way that the system is funded and the way the system is run and that's where the money really does look like a post box. There's no ties on it, it just goes to the states and they make a whole bunch of decisions. What we're not doing at the moment is the qualifications and the accreditations are not keeping pace with the modern economy and employers aren't getting the people out of the training system they need that can actually make their business work better. And so I had a major review done of this before the election. That has come back. We already had the National Skills Commission which was announced as a result of that, plus our support for 80,000 additional apprentices by changing the subsidy arrangements to get more apprentices. The figures you referred to, the big change there actually wasn’t in trade-based apprenticeships and traineeships, Alan, it was non-trade. So it wasn't for plumbers and carpenters and things like that. That has remained more consistent. But we did have that terrible incident a few years ago which was the VET Fee-Help scam that was going where we had all this money being pumped into the system and it was supporting basically, you know, dodgy courses. Now, that had to get fixed and we had and that's why you've seen some of those numbers bounce around. It's a huge issue and that's why it's on the COAG agenda and I had a good discussion with the Premiers last night about it and I hope we can make some more progress.
JONES: 75 per cent of employers are having problems recruiting qualified or skilled workers. We always run out of time. I want to cover this with you. I raised with your Treasurer Josh Frydenberg - he told me this was all too difficult - China has said now they'll refinance all Papua New Guinea's debt. And this mob are our nearest neighbours across the water. Money has never been cheaper, and I posed to the Treasurer, why wouldn't we convert - you've been the Treasurer - our entire federal debt to a 30-year term? Borrow a trillion dollars. The interest would be about $20 billion, we currently pay $17 billion anyway. It can't all be 30 year terms, we know that. Some of that might be 10 years, some of them might be for 30. However, $600 billion would pay off all our debt. We gave $400 billion to the Future Fund over the past year, it returned 9.7 per cent. So the $1 trillion would cost you now $20 billion a year. The $400 billion would generate $30 to $40 billion dollars in the Future Fund. There's your money. You say to Papua New Guinea, ‘We'll finance your debt, $12 billion.’ We'll still have 18 billion left and we can build all our infrastructure. Coal-fired power stations, dams, the lot. Your Treasurer said, ‘Oh, it's too difficult’.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there's a lot in that. Let me unpack it. First of all, re Papua New Guinea. The Prime Minister yesterday clarified what that report was in terms of him refinancing his debt. And I've been in touch with him on the same day, and so that refinancing the debt in terms of what was reported and that been done by China, that is not something that they are progressing. The second point is, Alan, what you've just said we already do quite a bit of that. For example, in the Future Fund, we could have started drawing down money from the Future Fund this past year. And as Treasurer, I made sure we didn't do that because for the very reason you say. You're earning more in the Future Fund then you can to borrow money. Now, I remember when people were giving me a really hard time about gross debt being higher than it could otherwise be. And the reason for that is we were holding about $80 billion worth of gross debt that was being used so we wouldn't have to draw down on the Future Fund, because the Future Fund would keep earning.
JONES: I understand that, but why would you refinance all your debt at the current interest rate? Why wouldn't you refinance all your debt at the current interest rate and you’d pay off all your debt?
PRIME MINISTER: We do that. That's exactly what the Australian Office of Financial Management does. That's their day job. They continue to roll over the securities they issue into the international debt markets to ensure that we've got the best financed debt anywhere in the world, and our Triple-A credit rating that we've been able to sustain is a good reason why we can do that. You can't put all your debt, as you said, on 30-year terms. We were the first government to ever do a 30-year bond issuance. So this is something we do all the time. And when it comes to financing our infrastructure program, I mean, that's $100 billion dollars. Now that is where the debt is. The debt Australia has is actually to finance all of those projects to ensure we're not drawing down the Future Fund and if we were - and we're working closely with Papua New Guinea on these issues - because we want to make sure they’re sovereign.
JONES: We’re always beaten by the bell, there are a million things I… perhaps we can talk again next week. But it's always good to have you on, the public love hearing what is happening. So good luck up there. Talk again soon.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Alan.
Doorstop - Cairns QLD
8 August 2019
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: I am so pleased that everyone has been able to come together to focus on Queensland’s bid for the 2032 Olympics. Queensland is going to be taking up the flag for Australia, and so as far as the Olympics are concerned, we are all Queenslanders. We are going to be working very hard to support the bid and we’ve already got $10 million down for the bid and I look forward meeting with the other partners in this process. Obviously, Queensland taking the lead together with the councils and we’re really there to just provide the strong backing of the Federal Government. And Ted, as my representative on this process, will be working very closely with all levels of government, but also with the sporting organisations, working through the Sports Minister at a federal level. But I think it’s really exciting. I mean, are you excited? I am, I think it’s tremendous.
JOURNALIST: Very excited. And $10 million, just a little drop in the ocean. If we don’t get it… I mean, is it worth a shot for $10 million?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh look, this is absolutely worth a shot. I mean, I’m a Sydney boy and I know what it did to our city and I know what it did for Australia and I know what it did for the national economy at that time as well. And I know what it can do for Queensland and for Australia. So look, they had me at hello when this was first raised. When I was up in Osaka I had the opportunity to meet with the IOC President John Coates and I was already in bidding mode. I was already in there, selling hard. Because I think the opportunity for Queensland is really, really exciting and we have a lot to offer. I joked with Dr Bach at the time, I said, “See, you’ve got to understand the rivalry between Queensland and New South Wales. Queensland will want to do it even better than Sydney.” And we all know the Sydney games were the best ever, we think. But I have no doubt Queenslanders will want to go one better. That’s great for the games, that’s great for Australia. So I’m really looking forward to working to see how we can back them in. We’re going to have a go, we’re going to get a go, we’re going to get the Games. Thanks very much.
Doorstop - Giru
8 August 2019
Prime Minister
GEORGE CHRISTENSEN MP, MEMBER FOR DAWSON: Thanks very much, ladies and gentlemen, for coming along. It's great to be here on the McKenzie Farm, here at Horseshoe Lagoon in the Burdekin. Thanks very much to Andrew, the manager, for letting us on-site and also thanks to Gary Stockham who has made the PM an official cane-cutter. So that's an honorary North Queensland badge that you've got there, PM.
Look, it's serious business why we're here, though, today. Obviously with the floods that we had throughout North Queensland, the Haughton River really overflowed. It flooded various properties along the river and also in tributaries coming off the river. There were dozens of cane farmers affected throughout the region. Gary's farm, in particular, was one of those that was pretty badly affected, pushing sand and debris God knows where into the paddocks, that are all going to have to be laser levelled, wrecking pipes, and in some cases on other farms, pumps, a whole heap of equipment that has had to be restored. And thankfully, given the swift action that the PM brought to bear, these farmers have been able to access assistance from the Federal Government and also there has been assistance coming from the State Government, and it has been swift and very much well received. So thank you, PM, and without any further ado, I will hand over to you.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, George, and it is great to be here with Phil Thompson, our newly minted Member for Herbert in Townsville - he has made a great start in the Parliament - and to have Shane Stone here as head of the recovery agency, that has also, I think, been doing an extraordinary job.
It has been about six months since the floods hit North Queensland and while the nation's eyes were very much on what was happening not only in Townsville, but pretty soon after what was happening to the west and the absolute devastation that we saw to graziers and primary producers right across the region. So it wasn't just what was being hit in terms of the livestock industry, particularly for cattle, but it was cane growers, it was people across a broad range of different primary producing activities, and of course there was the impact that was occurring in Townsville itself and the damage and devastation that occurred.
What we saw from the local community on that occasion was surely… of course, it was expected because that's how Australians respond and that's how North Queenslanders respond. But it didn't make it any less courageous, it didn't make it any less brave, it didn't make it any less impressive, because it was all of those things. And to see the response that came from everybody was extraordinary. Often, six months on, the rest of the country can move on, but the challenges that still exist here are here, and I've come here today just to reassure everybody that we haven't taken our foot off the pedal on any of these things. And particularly through Shane Stone and his agency and working with our local members here and working with the council and working with the State Government, we remain very much up to the line on ensuring we are dealing with the many challenges that still confront.
Yes, we were able to get a lot of money out the door very quickly, and that responsiveness of the Federal Public Service, particularly the Human Services Department, getting those cheques to people, getting it into people's hands, was really important not just to provide that immediate assistance, but also to make it really clear that we were moving blockages and obstacles out of the way so that people knew we were standing with them, and that was also true when it came to putting in place the measures to support business, to support primary producers, and here in particular with Gary I mean, there is 41,000 in a particular grant to help him do some of the work that he was doing in restoring pumps and things like that, and now there is a further 34,000 that we've been able to approve through the appropriate process, and that's what is happening right across the district, right across the region, that's what the recovery agency has been doing, working hand in glove with local communities, listening very carefully, trying to get bureaucracy out of the way wherever they can and identify the next challenges coming up.
One of the big challenges we have got in the wake of a flood like that is prickly acacia, and I will give you a close-up of this map in a sec, but all the threats of the prickly acacia sit right in Queensland and that's why it's so important for us to work together to get this problem solved now, so it doesn't become a huge problem in the future. As Shane was saying to me, 20 years from now, if we don't address this, people will be saying, "What were they doing?" I tell you what we are doing. We have put $5 million in, additional, new money through the agency to ensure we can tackle the issue of the spread of prickly acacia which can be devastating to primary producers into the future unless we get this in hand. Now, we would love the Queensland Government to go and put the other $5 million in, we want them to do that, and I hope they do, not rebadge old money they are already spending, but new commitments because the problem is bigger, the problem is new in terms of what it's likely to be in the future, and so we need that additional commitment, and I hope to raise that again with the Premier when I meet with her this afternoon and tomorrow over the course of COAG. But we will seek to do this in the most cooperative way we can, and we will continue to work together, to be fair, as we have, and I want to commend them for the work they have done working with us, particularly (inaudible)… and things like that which Shane can talk about, they have been doing a great job in helping farmers and producers get back on their feet.
So today it is that extra $5 million we are putting into addressing that prickly acacia issue going forward and you will continue to see the support, whether it's the $75,000 in individual support grants, whether it's the restocking grants I mean, there is over $3 billion in support that has come in across the region to help them rebuild.
So, it's six months on, we're still here, everyone else is still here and we will continue to be here in the future, informed heavily, of course, by our people on the ground which is Phil Thompson and George, and of course Shane and his team as part of the recovery agency, and continue to apply ourselves to the rebuild. It is a generational task in particular parts of the country which have been affected here, and as I was talking to Gary today, what we're doing here is not just restoring a living, because it is a living what people do here, but it's also a way of life and we're restoring that, too, and that way of life, I think, is very important to who we are as Australians, and we all want to see that way of life preserved and continued here in North Queensland. I’m going to ask Shane to talk a bit about the response and the challenges, and then we're happy to take some questions. Shane.
SHANE STONE, NORTH QUEENSLAND LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY RECOVERY AGENCY: Gary, of course, represents the human face of the people that we've been working with throughout the region, and can I say that we hit the ground running on 1st March and in the intervening period, we have now gone past the $100 million mark for the initial $40,000, $50,000 loans for small business and $75,000 grants for the agricultural sector. Can I say that never in the history of the Federation have we seen a response that was so timely, locally led, locally implemented and delivered on the ground than the Morrison Government approach. We got out there and we got on with it. We have a funding envelope of some $3.3 billion over the life of the agency which runs for five years. So we still have a lot to do, there is still a lot to be addressed in the region. Mental health issues remain top of mind. We have made special funding available to ensure that no kid who lives in these isolated areas has to be pulled out of boarding schools. We have assisted local governments in giving them grants upfront to deal with everything from carcass removal through to rate relief for small business in these small communities. Because if these small communities fold and disappear, then you have a major challenge in the region. And understand this: We don't do this because we feel sorry for farmers; we do this because there is a social utility in the agricultural sector. It directly impacts our balance of trade, it directly impacts the employment opportunities of Australians, families that are on the land, whether they are growing watermelons, cane, or raising cattle, sheep or goats because they are all casualties out there, and it's great to be here with you today, Gary, because you're the living proof of what can be achieved to give you that hand-up. It is not a hand-out, it is a hand-up to get you back into business. Thank you, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot, Shane, and thanks, Gary, and thanks to Anthony too for the tips on the header. I was giving him some advice that he really should pop the question to your niece.
UNKNOWN: Rigteo. She will be thrilled.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: Anyway. Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Jenny Hill said the Townsville Council is $242 million out of pocket at this stage and asking when that will be reimbursed. Are you aware of that situation?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, all the money is with the State Government. She just needs to knock on the door.
JOURNALIST: What has been the hold up from the State Government? Why has the money not be released?
PRIME MINISTER: You’ll have to ask them.
JOURNALIST: You had a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson last night. Do you want to give us an insight as to what was discussed or what you canvassed?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, look, as people know, there has been a very disturbing series of events that we've seen in the Straits of Hormuz, and freedom of navigation and safe shipping lanes is very important to the global economy and that is a matter that is as important in that part of the world as it is in many other parts of the world, and these are matters that we discussed with the United States when we had Secretary of State and Secretary of Defence here on the weekend. So I spoke to Boris Johnson last night and indicated to him that we were looking very carefully at our participation in this initiative which we would see as an international, multinational initiative. This is not a unilateral initiative by any one country, and it is about safe shipping lanes, it is about de-escalating tensions and making sure that the current situation does not worsen. So we've engaged with both the United States and the United Kingdom in understanding what role Australia could play here. We haven't made any decisions on this yet. We want to be fully satisfied about the operational arrangements that are in place. But the point I want to stress is this is about a multinational engagement which has been put together. It is very early days yet and it will be a while before these things, I think, will come together. So we're taking it step by step, but we are working with our allies, we are working with our partners, and this should be clearly divorced from the broader issues that relate to Iran and the JCPOA. That's a separate issue. This is about safe shipping lanes and ensuring that we can restore at least some stability to what is a very unstable part of the world at the moment. So I appreciated that chat with Boris Johnson. It was actually officially the first chat I've had with him since he became Prime Minister. I spoke to him just a few hours just before he was sworn in to congratulate him on becoming the leader of the UK Conservatives. But I'm pleased with the way the parties are all looking at this and there are other countries who are in a similar position to us at the moment who are just engaging before making any full decisions, so we'll have a bit more to say about that down the track.
JOURNALIST: Do you agree with Andrew Hastie’s comments that China poses an unprecedented test to Australia's national strategy?
PRIME MINISTER: I just refer to the speech I gave a few months ago, before I went to the G20, and I set out pretty clearly what the challenges were there and continuing to successfully manage our strategic allies and comprehensive strategic partners.
JOURNALIST: Do you believe he might be damaging the relationship with China given his extreme language on China?
PRIME MINISTER: We will continue to manage these relationships with the way that I set out in that speech I gave at Bloomberg before I went to the G20. These issues are not new and the challenges in doing this are not new. They are well known to the Government and they are things that the Government has been very proactive about for some time. We will continue to work, to have a cooperative arrangement with China. Of course, there is much to be gained from that relationship, particularly from the trade side, but let's not forget that relationship is far broader than just the economic one. But equally, our relationship with the United States is a very special one indeed and there is a deep connection on values and that's of no surprise to anyone, so we believe we can continue to manage these relationships together, but I don't think anyone is in any way unaware of the challenges that present there, and so to that end I don't think it's really offering anything new.
JOURNALIST: Are the comments jeopardising the relationship?
PRIME MINISTER: Pardon?
JOURNALIST: Are the comments jeopardising that relationship?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I don't believe so.
JOURNALIST: Not comparing China’s expansion to the expansion of Nazi Germany, that's not harming the situation?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, these are – Andrew, of course, is not a minister within the Government and he is free to make comments he wishes to make as a member of the backbench and so he entirely entitled to provide his perspective, but what's important is that the Government maintains, I think, the very consistent approach that we have on these issues. We are very clear about what decisions we’ve taken in relation to that partnership we have with China. We're very transparent about how we do that, and we seek to work closely with them, in the same way we do with everyone in the region. A sovereign, independent Indo-Pacific is crucial to Australia's national interests. It's crucial to our strategic interests more broadly for the region, and that's something we're working very hard with all of our partners in the region, whether that's Indonesia, whether that's India, whether it's Japan, New Zealand, and next week I will be at the Pacific Islands Forum, working closely with our family of nations there. So this is a proactive thing Australia is doing, and will continue to do. We are very aware of the complexity of the world in which we live and we've fashioned our policies to address that not just recently, but actually over quite an extensive period of time as a government.
JOURNALIST: PM, we are moving forward with Stage 2 of the Haughton Pipeline.
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, we are.
JOURNALIST: When can we expect that funding to be released?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, right now we are in the stages of sitting down with the State Government and addressing those issues, but our commitment to that pipeline, as was secured by the now Member for Herbert, along with the many other projects that we are pursuing in the district of course, the Haughton River Bridge, which we saw all the works on the way in - over $400 million from our Government being invested in those projects - and, of course, the port and what will be achieved there with the dredging that, I think, will provide a really strong economic base for the region. And it's nice to see the that we funded almost complete. Last time I was here, it wasn't, and I got to tour the site and it hadn't obviously proceeded to that stage. So that’s encouraging to see that, and hopefully, that will encourage the Cowboys on tonight.
JOURNALIST: How quickly will we see gas reservation in Australia and how much will companies be forced to stockpile here?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what we've announced is an acceleration of the process to consider those issues. There is no determination on those issues at this point.
JOURNALIST: Would you welcome more Indian investment in Australian coal mines?
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry?
JOURNALIST: Would you welcome more Indian investment in Australian coal mines?
PRIME MINISTER: I welcome investment in Australia's resources industry every day of the week, not just from India. It creates jobs - I think that's good - and like any investor, whether they're domestic or foreign, they of course must comply with all the relevant environmental controls and processes, and we've also got to make sure that those controls and processes are completely navigable, don't serve as a disincentive to investment and under what is necessary and only what is necessary and aren't used as a proxy for some other political agenda, and we need to make sure that people who want to invest in Australia, they will get a go to do that, consistent with our national interests.
JOURNALIST: Report what are your hopes and expectations of COAG?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there is a lot of issues on the COAG agenda for tomorrow, but the biggest one, I think, apart from the things we’ve picked up from earlier meetings, addressing domestic violence which is an ongoing agenda there, which we've been working on, we've made a lot of progress on that front, but the big one for me is skills development. This is an area, I think, of frustration for all jurisdictions and it is particularly a frustration more importantly for businesses who want to employ people and people who want to get trained so that they can get employed. And the system at the moment is letting us down on that front, and so it's important that the Commonwealth and states come together to ensure that it is a far less bureaucratic, a far less public service-driven sector, and it is actually about the needs of businesses who want to employ people and people who want to get trained to be employed. And I'm confident we can make some progress on that issue. We spent a lot of money together on that issue, over $7 billion a year, and we need to make sure that's well spent. My message also is to… and it's not just young people who are involved in technical education. I mean, people are coming out of industries that are changing and moving into new industries, people who are going to work in the human services field and things like aged care, disability care and support, new cyber technology areas. All the technology training that needs to be done in these areas goes right across the spectrum of people's ages and experiences, and we need to make sure that we are training people for those jobs. It is not an historical exercise; it is actually a future-focused endeavour, getting our skills and vocational training systems right. It is not perpetuating any one type of provider in the system, it's not about the providers, whether they be public in TAFE or private, it’s actually about the people who want jobs and people who want to employ people. That's where the focus has to be. And I fear that, as the Joyce Review found, which I initiated well before the election, and we announced in the last budget, the National Skills Commission, work to build up the foundational skills of particularly disadvantaged Australians, including Indigenous Australians, making sure that they can get themselves into training and be able to be trained and they have the foundational skills on a range of things like literacy and a range of other matters, that they can go on and be successful. It is supposed to help. My message to those young people or those who are elsewhere engaged in the technical education system is TAFE is as good as uni. Vocational education is as good as uni, and I've got to say some of the people that I've met who have been most successful in business, they've done it out of a trade and technical qualification, and we want to really lift the status of vocational education in Australia. You ask me my passion about what we're going to be talking about at COAG, it is about how we can get people better trained in our economy, support employers who want to put people into better trades so that they can make their businesses do better.
JOURNALIST: Kenneth Hayne has said that the use of slogans is undermining institutions in the place of policy debate. You are well-known for using slogans, like, “Stop the boats”, “Have a go, get a go”. Do you take any responsibility for that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I did stop the boats and people who do have a go do get a go under my policies, so I think that's a pretty good plan. Cheers.
Radio interview with Pricey, Triple M Townsville
8 August 2019
Prime Minister
PRICEY: Hello?
PRIME MINISTER: G’day Pricey.
PRICEY: Yes it is.
PRIME MINISTER: How are you mate?
PRICEY: Good mate, who is that?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s ScoMo.
PRICEY: Hello Mr Prime Minister. Are you going to the footy?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I'm not.
PRICEY: Well, what did you come up here for?
PRIME MINISTER: I've got head up to Cairns. But I'm here to do some things today...
PRICEY: But hang on a sec, forget about Cairns, you’ve got to stay and go to the footy.
PRIME MINISTER: I've got to go to COAG. I've got all the Premiers coming together and the Chief Ministers.
PRIME MINISTER: Oh don’t worry about them.
[Laughter]
PRICEY: No, no. Look, it’s the footy, ScoMo. Mate, welcome to our city. Mind you, with the way the weather is in Canberra that's extremely wise of you.
PRIME MINISTER: It is, it’s beautiful up here, it is absolutely gorgeous.
PRICEY: When did you get here, last night?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah got in late yesterday afternoon.
PRICEY: Good stuff. Now, we’ve got to think about our city, mate. A couple of things I wanted to mention to you. Five million bucks for Oasis, you promised that. We're getting it?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
PRICEY: Righto. Now, we getting cash or are you going to do what the Premier does and give us $2.50 this year and keep going year after year?
PRIME MINISTER: No, well there is $4.2 [million] to complete the construction and that's what we're doing today.
PRICEY: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: And we're also announcing that the $5 million today for dealing with prickly acacia.
PRICEY: Yeah, yeah. That's amazing, that's amazing. I thought it was going to be $10 million?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the state government… it was supposed to be $5 million each.
PRICEY: Right.
PRIME MINISTER: The state government just wanted to give money that they're already giving and count it as new money.
PRICEY: Yeah. So are we going to get that off them as well?
PRIME MINISTER: That's up to them. But we're not going to make it contingent on us putting our $5 million. We're going to do that and hopefully they'll stump up later.
PRICEY: Hey, you know that amazes me. I'm sorry to interrupt, but you say it depends on them. Don't you guys get along? I know you’re different brands but, you know, it's all for the same thing and that's the betterment of life up here.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we get along OK. But at the end of the day, they make their own decisions about what they do.
PRICEY: But you're the boss, aren't you? Can't you say, ‘Hey, I'm Prime Minister, you give them their five million bucks’.
PRIME MINISTER: They’re the Queensland Government, the people elected them and they should hold them accountable.
[Laughter]
PRICEY: Oh, we do. Actually, you gave them $232 million from the State Government. Are we going to see more of that?
PRIME MINISTER: More of…?
PRICEY: The $232 [million], you know, for the flood from Brissy. We just don't want them building bridges, that's all.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we put over $3 billion dollars into the flood recovery, not just on this side of the range but on the other. And we're continuing to do that. I'm going up to visit a cane farmer today actually who's been one of the many who've been accessing the various programmes we've had for flood recovery. So it's not just graziers that have obviously been supported, and not just those with cattle, but cane farmers and others who have been affected have been able to access those really important programs to help them get back up on their feet. We will be talking to veterans today also. We’ve got the wellbeing centre which will be coming here into Townsville.
PRICEY: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: So there's a lot going on. Of course, there's the work that's underway on the pipeline project now. We're following up and delivering on our commitment there as well, and the Deputy Prime Minister was up here a little while ago and he was making that announcement. So everything we've committed to, Pricey, I can assure you we're getting on and delivering.
PRICEY: It's not written in pencil, it's written in blood, eh Mr Prime Minister? Well maybe not blood.
PRIME MINISTER: Look at Phil Thompson, because Phil has got off to a tremendous start in the Parliament. He brings a unique perspective on the world as an ex-serviceman.
PRICEY: On that point, do you think we - and certainly our Federal Government - does enough for our diggers?
PRIME MINISTER: We can never do enough, that's the simple answer. But we are certainly doing more, and things like the wellbeing centre for veterans here in Townsville, I think, is an important part of that.
PRICEY: Are you following through on the wellbeing throughout the country too? Will it be helped over the years to come?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
PRICEY: I know the set up is there, but will you keep an eye on it and make sure that they have all they need?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
PRICEY: Righto, OK. That sort of says it all, ScoMo. Mate, so you’re heading up to Cairns. What are you going to do in Cairns? I missed that.
PRIME MINISTER: We’ve got COAG, that's the all the Premiers and Chief Ministers are coming together which happens each year, and sometimes more than once a year. So we're meeting up there and one of the things we’re going to be talking about there is skills and training and apprenticeships and this is something we made some big announcements about in the Budget. And you know, we've had an election between now and then and it's important to remind everybody we did have a very big Budget in May. And one of the things that it focused on was trying to reform and change and do better how we get people trained in this country. It's a bit of a mismatch.
PRICEY: Yeah for many years we dumped tech colleges which was quite extraordinary. Just quickly with the problem in South Australia too, renewables. What's your thought on that and are you as a government negotiating with more Indian firms to dig a bit out of the basin?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, on the first point we've got record renewable investment coming into Australia at the moment. So, I mean…
PRICEY: Well it didn’t work too well in South Australia.
PRIME MINISTER: It's the firming capability which is required to support those renewable investments and that's why there's a range. We've got a whole range of reliable power underwriting projects which we're working on at the moment and a few other things with some of the other states. That requires transmission and interconnectors, like South Australia. There's a project going on at the moment between South Australia and New South Wales. When it comes to the mining sector and the resources sector, and very clearly in the election, you know, we've got opportunities here and we want to see them realised and and it just means that the regulatory processes need to be followed - as everyone believes they should - and that that's done in a very timely way and let the jobs flow and the opportunities come.
PRICEY: Does China own too much of Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: We've got very tough rules on this and every single one of these now is looked at individually, as it should be, and the decision was taken. I know there's a lot of talk, people talk about the Darwin Port.
PRICEY: Yes.
PRIME MINISTER: That was not approved by the Federal Government.
PRICEY: OK.
PRIME MINISTER: That was not sold with the Federal Government’s approval, it was done at the time when the states and territories could sell these things without going to the Federal Government.
PRICEY: Righto.
PRIME MINISTER: And when I was Treasurer I changed that.
PRICEY: So you’ve changed it now and you do a lease and not own or...?
PRIME MINISTER: You’d have to go to the Treasurer and the Treasurer can put any conditions on these things, including saying no.
PRICEY: Righto. Mate, thanks for coming to our city, Mr Prime Minister. We wish you well up in Cairns, which is of course a northern suburb of Townsville.
[Laughter]
PRICEY: You’re welcome anytime, good o you mate. And look after the diggers.
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll make sure I tell them that. And go the Cowboys, I do hope they get up.
PRICEY: Good on you mate.
Appointment of Director-General of Security
8 August 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Home Affairs
The Governor General has accepted the Government’s recommendation to appoint Mr Mike Burgess to lead the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) as Director-General of Security.
Mr Burgess is currently Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), where he leads work across the spectrum of operations required of a contemporary signals intelligence and security agency, including foreign intelligence, cyber security and offensive operations in support of the Australian Government and Australian Defence Forces.
Mr Burgess has significant experience across intelligence and cyber security having previously served as a member of the Federal Government’s Naval Shipbuilding Advisory Board, Deputy Director for Cyber and Information Security at the Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) and as Chief Information Security Officer at Telstra.
He brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of Australia’s national information, intelligence and security landscape gained through many years of experience spanning public service and private industry.
ASIO plays a critical role in protecting Australians from security threats including foreign interference and terrorism.
We congratulate Mr Burgess on his appointment to this vital role at a time when Australia faces an unprecedented level of complex emerging threats at home and abroad.
The Government would like to thank and congratulate the outgoing Director-General, Mr Duncan Lewis AO DSC CSC for his distinguished career dedicated to protecting Australians and their interests at home and abroad. In addition to his leadership at ASIO, Mr Lewis has served in senior military and civilian roles including commanding Australian Special Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, Secretary of the Department of Defence and as Australia’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, The European Union and NATO.
Mr Burgess will assume the role from Mr Lewis on September 15, 2019.
We wish Mr Lewis and his family every success in their future endeavours.
North Queensland getting back to business
8 August 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Water Resources Drought Rural Finance Natural Disaster and Emergency Management
More than $100 million in grants and loans has been approved for the North Queensland flood recovery effort, with the Morrison Government today announcing a further $5 million to tackle a land-destroying weed.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his team had been working closely with the local community to support the recovery and clean up in the six months since the devastating monsoon flood.
“We all knew this would be tough but we’re committed to being here for North Queenslanders every step of the way in the recovery,” the Prime Minister said.
“From the immediate disaster recovery support to the mental health support and infrastructure grants and loans to this funding to combat prickly acacia, this is about ensuring we have a long-term reconstruction plan in place.”
LNP Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson said he was in constant contact between the North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency the Morrison Government had established as well as Ministers who could help address issues that locals were raising with him and his office.
“I know we can rebuild bigger and better than we were even before these floods,” Mr Thompson said.
“As the new local Federal Member it’s my job to make sure everyone who needs support is getting support for this recovery and I’ve been getting out to speak directly to as many people as I can who have been affected to make sure no stone is left unturned.”
Minister for Agriculture Bridget McKenzie said the Commonwealth’s $5 million to fight prickly acacia would flow to areas in greatest need to tackle this invasive pest, with or without the backing from the Queensland Government for the $5 million they had pledged.
“These floods didn’t just have a devastating immediate impact, but with prickly acacia springing up after it was washed into new areas it’s clear there are still consequences we need to keep on the lookout for,” Minister McKenzie said.
“Tackling this invasive weed to help North Queensland should be above politicking. We’re getting on with the job and won’t be waiting for the state Labor Government to stump up to their promise.”
Minister for Natural Disaster and Emergency Management David Littleproud said with more than $3.3 billion committed to help with the North Queensland flood recovery on the table there had been a steady take-up in the loans and grants on offer.
“This is an investment in hard-working Queenslanders,” Minister Littleproud said.
“We’ve already approved $100 million in grants and loans for people who are ready to rebuild. We’ve put a lot of money on the table because we know there’s no quick fix and we’re in it for the long-haul.”
The Morrison Government has committed more than $3.3 billion to assist people, businesses and communities affected, including $118 million already paid to close to 100,000 applicants in Disaster Recovery Payments and Disaster Recovery Allowances, $4 million to non-government and boarding schools impacted by floods, and $2.6 million for mental health support.
The North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency (NQLIRA), led by Shane Stone AC PGDK QC, is coordinating the Australian Government’s response. The Agency is now working with communities to develop a strategy for the long-term recovery of the region and its preparedness for future events.
For more information on NQLIRA and the range of assistance measures available to individuals, businesses and communities, visit www.nqlira.gov.au.