Media Releases
Media Statement - The Passing of Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva
12 September 2019
Prime Minister
Australia has lost a good friend with the passing of the Prime Minister of Tonga, Akilisi Pohiva.
The Pacific has lost a passionate leader in Akilisi Pohiva.
It was only a month ago that we met at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu.
He was warm and engaging. A shining light for Tonga and the Pacific who gave so much of himself to public life.
At 78, he chose to serve rather than put his feet up. He served in the Parliament for over thirty years.
His country’s democratic evolutions towards constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy will be one of his legacies.
Prime Minister Pohiva has been his country’s Prime Minister for the past five years.
There is a wonderful Tongan community in our country and I know there will be sadness at his passing.
I extend Australia’s sympathies to Akilisi Pohiva’s family and to the people of Tonga on their sad loss.
2019 Prime Minister's Literary Awards shortlists announced
12 September 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Communications Cyber Safety and the Arts
The shortlists for this year’s Prime Minister’s Literary Awards have today been announced by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP.
The Awards celebrate Australian writing across six genres, selecting exceptional works from Australia’s talented authors, illustrators, creators and historians. Such recognition allows them to share their creativity and research on a national and international scale.
The Prime Minister said each year the Awards attract high quality entries, appealing to all ages and interests.
“Today I announce this year’s shortlisted authors for the 2019 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards,” said the Prime Minister.
“This year we have a diverse selection shortlisted and I encourage everyone to pick one up and have a read, and celebrate our great local industry.”
Minister Fletcher said the judges had achieved an impressive task of reading through over 500 entries to shortlist the final 30.
“We’ve received an exceptional response to this year’s call for entries. It is great to see well established and new authors being part of the selection and to welcome back previously shortlisted authors and illustrators,” Minister Fletcher said.
“I also thank the judges and chairs for their commitment to the Awards and for the enormous amount of work involved.”
For more information about the books, authors and to see the judges’ comments, visit www.arts.gov.au/pmla.
The 2019 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards shortlists are:
Fiction
A Stolen Season, Rodney Hall, Picador
Beautiful Revolutionary, Laura Elizabeth Woollett, Scribe Publications
Saudade, Suneeta Peres da Costa, Giramondo Publishing
The Death of Noah Glass, Gail Jones, Text Publishing
Too Much Lip, Melissa Lucashenko, University of Queensland Press
Non-fiction
A Certain Light: A Memoir of Family, Loss and Hope, Cynthia Banham, Allen & Unwin
Axiomatic, Maria Tumarkin, Brow Books
Half the Perfect World: Writers, Dreamers and Drifters on Hydra, 1955–1964, Paul Genoni and Tanya Dalziell, Monash University Press
Rusted Off: Why Country Australia is Fed Up, Gabrielle Chan, Vintage Books
The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire, Chloe Hooper, Hamish Hamilton
Australian history
Dancing in Shadows: Histories of Nyungar Performance, Anna Haebich, UWA Publishing
Deep Time Dreaming: Uncovering Ancient Australia, Billy Griffiths, Black Inc.
The Bible in Australia: A Cultural History, Meredith Lake, NewSouth Publishing
The Land of Dreams: How Australians Won Their Freedom, 1788-1860, David Kemp, The Miegunyah Press
You Daughters of Freedom: The Australians Who Won the Vote and Inspired the World, Clare Wright, Text Publishing
Poetry
Blakwork, Alison Whittaker, Magabala Books
Click Here For What We Do, Pam Brown,Vagabond Press
Newcastle Sonnets, Keri Glastonbury, Giramondo Press
Sun Music: New and Selected Poems, Judith Beveridge, Giramondo Press
Viva the Real, Jill Jones, University of Queensland Press
Children’s literature
His Name Was Walter, Emily Rodda, Angus & Robertson
Sonam and the Silence, Eddie Ayres, illustrated by Ronak Taher, Allen & Unwin
The Feather, Margaret Wild, illustrated by Freya Blackwood, Little Hare Books
The Incredible Freedom Machines, Kirli Saunders, illustrated by Matt Ottley, Scholastic Press
Waiting for Chicken Smith, David Mackintosh, Little Hare Books
Young adult literature
Between Us, Clare Atkins, Black Inc.
Cicada, Shaun Tan, Lothian Children’s Book
Lenny’s Book of Everything, Karen Foxlee, Allen & Unwin
The Art of Taxidermy, Sharon Kernot, Text Publishing
The Things That Will Not Stand, Michael Gerard Bauer, Omnibus Books
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
12 September 2019
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning everyone. It’s great to have Senator Henderson here with me today on what is an historic day for Australia. This really is a day for Australians to celebrate. 50 per cent of the Senate is now represented by female Senators and if you go back to the days of Dame Dorothy Tagney, the first female Senator from the Labor Party to go into the Senate, to here today in 2019 to have half that representation being from female Senators is a truly great day for women all around Australia but for all men around Australia too. So I want to congratulate Senator Henderson on her return to the Parliament and for the contribution she is going to make. But I particularly want to recognise her, not only the all 38 women that are in the Senate but all of the women who went before those women in the Senate today who blazed the trail, who ensured that their voices were heard and that more female voices were heard. We still have a journey to go on this in the House of Representatives and the Liberal Party still has a journey to go as well on this issue. But I'm pleased that since becoming Prime Minister of the 28 members of Parliament that have joined our ranks here in Canberra, half of those have been women. That seven members of my Cabinet are women, the highest number ever in any Australian Cabinet. We still have a long way to go. We understand that. I intend to continue as I have started as Prime Minister. But today is a day not for any one side of politics, although we do celebrate the fact that the 38th Senator to be a woman has come from the Liberal Party but that is only because of the broader achievements that have been put in place by all political parties in this country. I commend all of the political parties for the work they have done in this area and we all still have work to do and we intend to get on and do it. But with that, I will ask Senator Henderson to make a few remarks and then I am happy to take questions.
SENATOR THE HON. SARAH HENDERSON: Prime Minister, good morning everyone, it is wonderful to be back. I am very proud that as I entered the Senate this morning, of course it is also a moment of history. We now have 50/50 women and men in the Australian Senate and of course, being a Liberal Senator for Victoria I'm exceptionally proud. I am looking forward very much to being back in the team and working very hard for the people of Victoria, including the people of Corangamite but particularly for regional Victoria. I have got a very strong focus on regional Victorians and I'm really looking forward to working very hard. It is also a special moment because my mum was a member of parliament and I think we're the only first mother and daughter both to be members of Parliament. My mother was in the Victorian state parliament. So making history in a couple of ways, a great day today. I am extremely proud so thank you very much.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Sarah. Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on Senate representation, there is a push on from within the Nationals to push that the states have two senators represent six regions in each State. Are you open to that idea?
PRIME MINISTER: This is something that happens in state parliaments around the country and I think there are merits that are attached that. But the political parties themselves, I think, endeavour and this is one of the reasons why I'm very keen to see, as we have in this case with Senator Henderson, someone coming from regional parts of Victoria. I would very much like to see that happen in New South Wales when they are given the opportunity to select a new Senator to come here when the formalities are concluded and we are in a position to do that. So I think these things have merit but they obviously have constitutional implications as well. What I want to see is I want to see more women in Parliament and I want to see more people from regional Australia in the Senate.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on female members, Gladys Liu, if I could ask, what is your view on the allegations surrounding her and the calls from Labor and Centre Alliance for her to be investigated by ASIO?
PRIME MINISTER: Gladys Liu has made a very clear statement. Let's be clear. Gladys gave a clumsy interview. She is a new member of Parliament. If that were the grounds for which people weren't sitting in the Parliament, it would be a pretty empty place and none of you would have had a good story in your lives. There are clumsy interviews that are given from time to time. On this occasion, one was given by a new member of Parliament. But let me tell you about Gladys Liu. Gladys Liu, yes, is a Chinese-born Australian. Born in Hong Kong. Gladys has overcome incredible challenges to be a member of this place. She's overcome disability. She's overcome domestic violence. She's overcome the challenges that people from many different backgrounds in our ethnic communities face in this country to actually come through the ranks of our own Party and to represent our Party here and represent the people of Chisholm in this Parliament. She is someone who has run a small business. She is someone who came here to get an education and has created a life here for her and her family. Now, she is a part of her community and as anyone in this building knows, particularly in communities of Chinese-Australians, there are many, many different organisations and those organisations confer membership of lots of different people, oftentimes without their knowledge. But these organisations are part of the community. Indeed, her Labor candidate at that very same election was a member of at least two of the organisations that Gladys has been a member of. Let me tell you what Gladys Liu hasn't done. What Gladys Liu hasn’t done is she hasn't had someone pay for her legal expenses, which we understand was up to about $40,000 in the case that Labor wants to create an equivalency over. She didn't take travel expenses personally. She didn't stand at a lectern like this in Sydney with a crest on the front of it with a person who actually paid for those expenses and advocate for a change in her Party's policy on the sensitive issue of the South China Sea. She didn't do any of these things. You know what Gladys Liu did? She is part of a community. She is a great Australian. What I am very concerned about - very concerned about - given what I have just outlined to you about her background is there is 1.2 million Australians of Chinese heritage in this country. This has a very grubby undertone in terms of the smear that is being placed on Gladys Liu and I think people should reflect very carefully in the way they have sought to attack Gladys over this matter and the broader smear that I think is implied in that over more than a million over Australians.
JOURNALIST: Thanks Prime Minister. A couple of things from that. Firstly, she has made that statement publicly but she hasn't made it to the Parliament. Why is she not required to do that or why are you not requiring her to do that? Secondly, do you advise your members not to have any association with these Chinese groups now? And are you saying this is racist?
PRIME MINISTER: I will let others draw their conclusions but what I do know is that… and firstly, let me deal with your first point. I would be happy to table Gladys's statement that she has made publicly in the Parliament, I have no problem with that. But what we aren’t going to get into is this accusation by Labor and seeking to exploit this issue. Gladys is a Chinese-born Australian. Does that make her in cahoots with the Chinese Government? Of course no. It is a ridiculous suggestion and I think it is an insult to every single Chinese-Australian in this country. You know, it wouldn't be the first time - wouldn't be the first time - the Labor Party has made comments like this in my home state of New South Wales. We all remember the last New South Wales state election. What did they say? "Asians will take your jobs". So the Labor Party have to take a good, hard look at themselves as to why they are pursuing this matter. They might want to dress it up as national security but I think 1.2 million Australians of Chinese heritage get the point and I don't think they would be too impressed by it.
JOURNALIST: A couple of questions on this. Firstly, have you inquired with Gladys Liu as to the nature of her work with the Chinese Consulate down in Melbourne? And secondly, what advice, if any, have you received from security agencies about Gladys Liu's background or the people with whom she associated?
PRIME MINISTER: Let me deal with the second question first, because this is a very important question. It's a point - and I'm not suggesting anything by your question that this is any sort of alliance or alignment in your reasoning for asking them. The Labor Party has been saying that these are questions the Government has to answer today. Anyone who sits around the National Security Committee of Cabinet table and anyone who takes the management of our national security issues, and how we deal with security agencies, seriously and to ensure that that is never compromised, to ensure that it is always carefully attended to, always knows that you are never in a position to be able to offer commentary on enquiries of that nature. That would be to undermine absolutely the nature of the relationship between agencies and the Government. Anyone who would suggest that responding to a question like that in that way provides any inference in any way, shape or form, would know that that could not be done. And what's worse, and I'm not suggesting you are doing this at all, but I think there is a concern, given what we saw in the Parliament yesterday, when Labor deliberately sought to ask questions, it would appear, as the Speaker inferred, with a view to them not being able to be actually raised under the Standing Orders simply to smear. Labor knows that that is the responsible answer to that question. So why do they raise it? They seek to smear an Australian of Chinese heritage simply for the fact that she did a clumsy interview. Now, if that were the case, the entire Labor frontbench would have to resign. She gave a clumsy interview. Fair enough. She is in her first term. She has been here for a few weeks and I think she should be extended some comfort and support. I know full well what Gladys Liu had to overcome to get here. I remember sitting in the Chamber and listening to her maiden speech. It was a story of great Australian success and you know, Australians of Chinese heritage, regardless I think of their political persuasion, celebrated the fact that we had the first Chinese-born Australian woman in our Parliament. And I think Labor should think carefully, think very carefully, at the way they're tressing up a political attack on Gladys Liu and I think they should reconsider the line that they've taken.
JOURNALIST: What of my first question about the work with the Chinese Consulate?
PRIME MINISTER: There is no matter before me that would give me concern.
JOURNALIST: On the broader issue, rather than speaking of the smoke and mirrors that we’re trying to around the advice or otherwise from security agencies, do you think it is worth considering, given the concern of foreign interference in Australia, ensuring that all MPs undergo security clearances so that we... the Australian people can be confident that everyone who is sitting in Parliament has passed those security checks?
PRIME MINISTER: Honestly I think that is not a practical suggestion given the broad range of candidates that you have at any election. There are foreign interference laws in this place. We know because we introduced them and the standards are very clear and the agencies undertake their work as is appropriate and deal with the Government on those matters as they consider is appropriate.
JOURNALIST: Three Australians detained in Iran, are you concerned by the timing of this given the action that Australia has taken in the Strait of Hormuz?
PRIME MINISTER: I refer to the comments made by the Foreign Minister. These are always very sensitive cases. They are never issues that are addressed well by offering public commentary on them, and I note that in at least one of these cases that is a view that has been expressed by family members. We will continue to pursue these matters in the interests of the Australians at the centre of these cases and we will do that carefully and we will do that in close consultation through our officials who have been part of this process now for some time. I will respect the wishes of the family and I will act in the best interests of those citizens.
JOURNALIST: You mentioned earlier some local Chinese community groups of which Ms Liu seems to have been a member. What concerns do you have about the China Overseas Exchange Association? It is not a local Chinese community group but an organ of the Communist Party of China?
PRIME MINISTER: Well look, we will always look at these issues carefully in terms of the impacts on Australia's interests and take whatever action we need to to ensure Australia's interests are not jeopardised.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, will you be speaking to your Iranian counterpart in relation to this?
PRIME MINISTER: It is the same answer as I just gave. Engaging in public commentary about process on consular cases is never in the interests of those who are caught up in these issues. So I will respect their family's views and respect their interests and I am going to limit my commentary to the matters I have already said.
JOURNALIST: Just on a general point, your Government is so concerned about foreign interference that it would pass foreign interference laws. Being involved in the reporting on this for the last four years a lot of that involves China and we have been accused of racism from start to the finish of that. Clearly there is a concern the Government has. How do you propose we report about this if it doesn't involve some people who are members of the Chinese-Australian community?
PRIME MINISTER: What I think the problem here is, is Gladys Liu has given a clumsy interview. That is all that's happened here. There is no credible suggestion of any inappropriate behaviour in relation to Gladys Liu. What we're left with is just a grubby smear by the Labor Party who is in one of their most desperate hours, unable to explain their position on anything and so they have gone after a Chinese-Australian woman, the first so elected in this Parliament. They should be celebrating her election, not attacking it. Thank you.
Visit to Australia by the Prime Minister of Fiji
11 September 2019
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, the Honourable Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, will visit Australia from 12 to 17 September as a Guest of Government.
I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Bainimarama to Australia as my guest.
Australia and Fiji, a key regional leader, have a strong friendship and a long history of cooperation, shared interests and values. We are all part of the same Pacific family, the Pacific vuvale.
During my visit to Suva in January, Prime Minister Bainimarama and I committed to holding more regular meetings to demonstrate our personal commitment to this relationship.
We will discuss shared regional challenges such as illegal fishing and climate change, opportunities for increased trade, investment and labour mobility, as well as strengthening our cooperation on defence and security.
Australia is committed to stepping up our engagement with Fiji and the Pacific more broadly to address common challenges and deepen longstanding ties in our region.
We want to ensure the Pacific prospers as a family, with each sovereign country charting its own course and shaping its own future.
Reappointment of Two Department Secretaries
11 September 2019
Prime Minister
I am pleased to announce the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), reappointed two Secretaries of Departments: Mr Chris Moraitis PSM as Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department; and Mr Michael Pezzullo as Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs.
Mr Moraitis was first appointed as Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department on 15 September 2014. Prior to that time, Mr Moraitis served with distinction in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including as Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea. As Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department, Mr Moraitis has overseen a range of significant reforms in Australia’s law and justice sector.
Mr Pezzullo’s term as Secretary commenced on 13 October 2014, prior to which he served with the Department of Defence and Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. Mr Pezzullo has served as the first Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, the creation of which was one of the largest restructures of Australia’s national security apparatus since Federation.
I congratulate them both and look forward to continue working with them.
Doorstop, Canberra ACT
10 September 2019
Prime Minister
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are social media companies doing enough to protect children? For example, Facebook is allowed to have encryption across all its apps. Is this a way of protecting paedophiles?
PRIME MINISTER: This is one of the issues that we raised when I was at the G7 not that long ago and obviously there is an important role to play for social media platforms, for digital platforms, whether that's on how they deal with things like eating disorders or how they deal with bullying or how they deal with sexual predators. I mean, these social media platforms, they bring all sorts of new opportunities in our modern life but they come with opportunities for those who have malevolent intent. And so it's been a key focus of our Government and myself actually as Prime Minister to heighten the level of awareness of this to ensure that countries are working together. Because these social media platforms extend beyond any country's boundaries and so it's important that we get all the large economies of the world working together. So we've done that at the G20, we've done that at the G7 and I'm now finding that these companies are actually reaching out to governments as well to work with us to see what more can be done by them. They're the ones who built this technology, they know how that works better than anyone else, and so engaging them in actually making social media platforms and digital platforms safer for all Australians I think is a very important goal and we'll keep applying ourselves to it.
JOURNALIST: How concerned are you by the way out this morning by Suicide Prevention Australia that if worsening rates of suicides continue they’ll actually increase by 40 per cent over the next 10 years?
PRIME MINISTER: We could not be more committed to taking on the challenge of our towards zero goal on suicide prevention. All the resources of our Government are directed towards this and I think my remarks earlier today reflect the Government's commitment.
JOURNALIST: ...suicide can be in some cases substance abuse. Can you guarantee that if you do introduce drug testing that there will be a rehab space for every single person that needs it?
PRIME MINISTER: We've put $10 million into the trial program - remember this is a trial program. We want to see if this can actually be effective in achieving the goals we will set and that is to assist people who are struggling with addiction to break their addiction and to be able to go forward and get themselves into employment and have a completely different life. And that's why we've put that $10 million in and that's what currently is there. And the reports today, that could mean more than $60,000 per person who would potentially be referred under this program and we see that as a positive investment because that investment can change that person's life. So this is why you do trials. You try things because these are difficult problems and you have to ensure that you're having a go at trying to fix these problems. Now, if you're not prepared to do that, well, you're clearly not committed to trying to address this issue. We're committed to addressing it and that's why we're seeking to put these trials in place.
JOURNALIST: Pushing people onto cashless welfare cars could further stigmatise and how do you square that with….
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't accept that.
JOURNALIST: Senator Lambie seems to be... seems to want more infrastructure, more rehabilitation centres to be built. Would the Government be open to that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're going to sit down with Senator Lambie. I mean, the Bill will be considered over the next few weeks, if not when Parliament returns again. The Senate is in charge of its own process and we’ll work closely with all the Senators. I would hope Labor would support it and the question is why won’t Labor support a fair dinkum trial to actually try and deal with one of the biggest challenges that we have and that is to help people break addictions and find themselves in employment and actually change their lives for the better.
JOURNALIST: Will it be awkward when the Fijian Prime Minister visits next week given he's been a bit critical of Australia’s climate policies?
PRIME MINISTER: Not at all. I have a wonderful relationship with Frank Bainimarama. We were texting each other on the very same day. I'm looking forward to seeing him again. We have a wonderful relationship.
JOURNALIST: And on the bushfires, can you tell me what government systems can people now access and what's your response to the worsening situation?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the emergency assistance payments that are actioned through the national program which the states are participants of, they are already starting to be made available, particularly in New South Wales and Queensland. There'll be further updates today provided on the Queensland fires. I understand that about 10 o'clock today or thereabouts we'll be in contact again with New South Wales and Queensland authorities. When these requests are being made we are actioning them immediately. The fires, as we know, extended into the Sunshine Coast yesterday. That has had a real impact there. So my simple message to Australians is to listen carefully to the warnings that are there, to follow those instructions, to not put yourself if at all possible in a position of risk and to provide support to one another as Australians always do in these circumstances. Once again, we've seen on display the great character and care of Australians when they're facing these sorts of disasters. And I want to thank everybody, all the volunteers who've been out there, all of those who've been out there providing assistance to people working in the evacuation centres or out there supporting the firefighters and indeed the firefighters themselves. They’re true national heroes. Thank you very much.
Interview with Leigh Sales, ABC 730 Report
9 September 2019
Prime Minister
LEIGH SALES: Prime Minister, thank you for your time.
PRIME MINISTER: Hi, Leigh. Good to be with you.
SALES: On your plan to extend the trial of welfare cards in Australia, you are a Liberal Government so your values are meant to be personal liberty, or one of them. Why not make it voluntary for people to sign up to income management if they feel they need some help instead of making it a compulsory nanny state kind of thing?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I am all in favour of things that work, Leigh. And what we want to do is get people off welfare and into work and what we have found in the trials we have been doing so far is this has been helping people actually get into jobs and better manage their own affairs when they are under a lot of pressure. So I just want to do what works, Leigh. This has been working so we want to keep extending the trials. One of the key reasons it has been working is because it has been embraced by the communities where it has been put in place and that has been a key part of the process that we have followed in the trials that we have had. We have seen youth unemployment rates up in Wide Bay fall over 27 per cent down to around about 18 per cent. Now, when you are getting those sorts of results, it is worth continuing to pursue those sort of programs.
SALES: You say you want to back things that work. The Australian National Audit Office report into the trials so far said that, ‘The approach to monitoring and evaluation was inadequate. As a consequence, it is difficult to conclude whether there had been a reduction in social harm and whether the card was a lower cost welfare quarantining approach.’ So the Auditor-General seems to think that the evidence is out.
PRIME MINISTER: It seems like we can make some further improvements, but what we do know is that the people who are involved themselves in these communities have welcomed them and supported the plan. So I am happy to keep giving it a go, Leigh.
SALES: Sorry to interrupt, Prime Minister. What are you basing it on? Because I am basing it on the Australian National Audit Office report. I’m just wondering what you’re basing it on?
PRIME MINISTER: I am basing this on the survey of people who have actually participated which has been done as part of the trials and has been part of the evaluation process.
SALES: People on welfare sometimes already feel a sense of shame about that. Isn't making something like this mandatory instead of opt-in potentially contributing to that sense of shame?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I don't think it is. I don't think it show be characterised in those terms at all. I think it should be seen for what it is, and that is a genuine attempt to do things that help people in these situations, to help them better manage the resources they have and to ensure that there is food on the table for the people who depend on these payments that are going into these families and that they can get themselves into a position to deal with issues in their own lives and they can go and get… can find themselves in employment and be in even greater control of their own lives.
SALES: The Government is also proposing drug testing for some welfare recipients. Illicit drug use has doubled among men in their 50s and 60s in the past 20 or so years. Will the testing include people receiving welfare in the form of the aged pension?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
SALES: So what forms of welfare will be subject to this?
PRIME MINISTER: Newstart and Youth Allowance.
SALES: And why are those the forms of welfare that you want to make subject to it?
PRIME MINISTER: Because these are the areas where we are trying to get people off welfare and into jobs and one of the biggest inhibitors to them getting jobs is substance abuse. That is what has been showing up in the impediments to people being able to get over these sort of addictions and there is an opportunity when people are engaging with the Government, when they are coming for support in the form of Newstart and other programs, to help get them the support that they need. Now, part of this program - and it is being trialled in three areas - is $10 million to provide the facilities for the referral services to help people get off these drugs. We are trying to help people get off drugs and get into work and try innovative new ways of doing that. And I think it’s worth a try.
SALES: Is the proposal really about getting people off drugs and into jobs or is it about kicking them off welfare and saving the money from that?
PRIME MINISTER: I think that is a very unkind way to put it, Leigh. I mean, I am not going to doubt people's motives when it comes to programs like this. This is about helping people deal with a life-inhibiting addiction, that helps them get off that and find themselves in employment where they have more choices and a brighter future. Why would you question the motives?
SALES: If it is drugs, they can only be helped if they are then channelled into rehab services and things of that nature, you mentioned...
PRIME MINISTER: That is what it does.
SALES: You mentioned $10 million extra going to it, but we already know from people who work in the sector that the services are inadequate for the existing need, let alone channelling more people into it.
PRIME MINISTER: So you are suggesting that we shouldn't have referral services?
SALES: No, I am suggesting it will be under-resourced.
PRIME MINISTER: Let me take you through it. The reason we are putting $10 million into those three areas to support those referral services is to be able to be sure that when we engage people in those services that they are actually getting the right outcomes. This is a trial, Leigh. We are trying to work out if this can work. I am really puzzled by the level of opposition to the Government trying to tackle a problem of drug addiction for people who are not in work and helping them get over it with referral to proper services and funding those services in those trial areas and if that works, well, that gives us the opportunity to take that out more broadly. That seems like a good plan to me.
SALES: We have been talking a bit about Newstart. A single person on Newstart has to live off $277 a week. A federal politician gets an extra $288 per day in travel allowance when they have to go to Canberra. Is that having a fair go and getting a fair go?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Leigh, when it comes to Newstart you know it goes up twice a year. It is a payment that is intended to support people between their employments and that is what it is designed to do. It is a payment that is made by taxpayers to help people in this situation. Now, what I want to ensure they do is they can get themselves back into work, but I also have big priorities on the Budget, Leigh. The big priorities on the Budget are to deal with in-home aged care places, to deal with youth suicide, to deal with the challenges that we have in the health system and the education system, which we have rapidly increased funding for. So we have got a lot of priorities on the Budget and my priority is more, frankly, in supporting increases in in-home aged care places than ramping up the welfare budget.
SALES: I understand that but when you’re looking at how the Government spends money, why is it fair to expect someone to live off $277 a week when at the same time you think it is fair that a politician should get $288 a day to help with travel costs associated with being in Canberra?
PRIME MINISTER: You are conflating two completely different things, Leigh. So I don't accept the comparison. What I do suggest is this though, the Government needs to support a welfare system that is sustainable. Newstart is there to help people. The dole is there to help people when they don't have a job and to get back on their feet. But I will tell you what I did do. I did increase the allowance that is paid to young people to help them actually go through the program of internships, which can get them into jobs. I increased that Newstart payment for young people participating in the Youth PaTH program. There are about 79,000 young people who have just done that. So it is not true to say that we haven't increased Newstart. I actually did increase it for young people who are part of a program to get themselves into a job.
SALES: Prime Minister...
PRIME MINISTER: And that program already has had some good initial results and that was something that we said we would try and we have given it a try and it is proving to be a good program.
SALES: Prime Minister, if we can turn to another subject. The Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe is concerned about the Australian economy and is trying to stimulate it by cutting interest rates. That puts money into the economy. But the Government is determined to deliver a surplus, which does the opposite, it keeps money out of the economy. Why are you intent on a fiscal policy that undercuts the country's monetary policy?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think that is an absurd proposition, Leigh. Fiscal policy and monetary policy are actually pulling in the right direction and they are pulling together. The Governor of the Reserve Bank...
SALES: They are pulling in opposite directions aren’t they?
PRIME MINISTER: No, Leigh, that is not how it works. And the Governor of the Reserve Bank is not calling on the Government to not have a surplus. That is a ridiculous suggestion. He is not suggesting that at all.
SALES: He wants people to spend money, he wants governments to spend money on infrastructure and so forth.
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
SALES: Having a surplus means by its nature, you are spending less money.
PRIME MINISTER: No, what it means, Leigh, is that we are ensuring that we are paying down the debt that has been built up from excessive spending in previous years...
SALES: But the question is, is it the time to do that, is it the right time for the economy to do that?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course it is the right time to reduce the debt. It’s at $375 billion, it’ll come down by $50 billion off 2018-19 over the next four years. I mean, this is the first year we have been able to get the Government living back within its means, and this is the opportunity to store up resilience and resources for further down the track. Now, that has been the plan we have been working to now for many years, but let me be clear about what the Reserve Bank... I have been working with Philip, Dr Lowe now for the last four years as a Treasurer and as a Prime Minister. The two initiatives that he's been most supportive of have been the tax cuts that we legislated and we delivered in the first sitting week of the Parliament and, on top of, it has been the infrastructure spending, which in the last Budget we increased from $75 billion to just over $100 billion. And since the election I have sat down with every single Premier with big projects, and we have been bringing projects into this current fiscal year and that spending will be just shy of $10 billion in this year alone, and we are moving on a lot of the smaller projects - the car park projects and things like this - which are smaller in nature and are able to be taken up now in a way that doesn't deal with a lot of the difficulties that we have with cost pressures in the system as a result of the large amount of works that are underway.
SALES: Dr Lowe thinks that bosses should give their workers bigger pay rises. Do you agree?
PRIME MINISTER: We want to see wages increase but we want to see wages increase off increased productivity and we want people to earn more from what they do and to be able to earn more from what they do by being more valuable in the work they do. That is why skills development is so important, that’s why technology is so important and that’s why infrastructure investment is so important. It is why opening up export markets is so important because it boosts our capacity to earn more as a country.
SALES: But in simple language, should bosses give workers a pay rise? Are profits too high and wages too low?
PRIME MINISTER: Non-mining wages, the total wages bill in the non-mining sector, is running at the same level as the compensation of employees in the national accounts. They are running both at 5 per cent. Those were the figures that came out in the national accounts. So they are running at the same level.
SALES: Prime Minister, thanks very much for your time tonight.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot Leigh. Good to be with you.
Condolence Motion for The Hon. Tim Fischer AC
9 September 2019
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Mr Speaker.
I move that the House record its deep sadness at the death on the 22nd of August 2019 of the Honourable Timothy Andrew Fischer AC, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Leader of the National Party, Minister for Trade, and Member for Farrer, and place on record its appreciation of his remarkable public service and tender its profound sympathy to his family.
Mr Speaker, Timothy Andrew Fischer was Australia all over. He was an Australian original, the boy from Boree Creek. He was loved, he was admired, he was respected, he was revered.
He became from humble beginnings in Boree Creek and at the recent memorial service which the Leader of the Opposition and I and many in this place had the opportunity to attend, we learned of his humble family beginnings in a very loving and hard-working family, and coming from such a modest start, to become the titan for regional Australia, was his greatest achievement.
Like Bob Hawke, who we remembered in this Chamber just a few short months ago, Tim transcended the political divide probably more than any I could nominate in this place.
That's why, I think, so many of us in this Chamber, and those who have been in this Chamber, we all have a Tim Fischer story, I suspect.
If you ever wanted to know what it's like to tour with Elvis, go on the Indian Pacific with Tim Fischer for three days. I did. And as you walked up and down the carriages, among so many other railway enthusiasts, there was none greater than Tim Fischer.
He would stop, he would sit, he would listen to their stories. Those big hands would shake the hands of his fellow Australians and people would just light up as they engaged with him. Because Tim had this amazing ability just to focus all of himself on whoever was opposite him and he made them the centre of the universe.
There was no trick to it. No performance in it. It was 100 per cent pure Tim, and they got 100 per cent of him when he was in that moment. This is why, Judy, he was so loved. So, so, so loved.
Tim knew this country like few others and he loved it as much as anybody possibly could. He was the best of us, and he made all those he encountered better too by knowing him.
Tim lived a life bigger than I suspect he could have imagined as a young boy on the family property. At just 11, Tim left the farm to board at Burke Hall and then Xavier College in Melbourne. It was a lonely time as his brother reminded us, but Tim was always willing to have a go, and by his final year he was made a prefect thanks to his dependability and trustworthiness in the reports. Characteristics that many in politics would later come to appreciate.
He also joined the school paper, that is where he got all his insights I’m sure, Mr Speaker, into his knowledge of the media and its wiles. A precursor to his habit later in life of writing columns for the local paper, and calling into newsrooms around the country to make sure they had his view of whatever the issue of the day might be.
Educated by the Jesuits, Tim embodied their core to be a man for others. It was always the Tim for others.
When the call came to serve his country in Vietnam, Tim served proudly and courageously. Given the option of going to university or serving, instead, in a special rural youth service at Holsworthy Barracks, he said no. You either do something properly or not at all.
Recognising the opportunity to gain something from his military experience, Tim applied and was one of the few accepted for officer training. After his training in 1967, second Lieutenant Tim Fischer was told if he wanted to go to Vietnam he would have to extend his service by nine months.
Typical of the man we know he did, not just once but twice. He returned to the farm humbly and modestly and worked quietly, through so much of what he saw in Vietnam. Not long back, Tim again heard the call to serve his country and at age 24, he entered the New South Wales Parliament as both the youngest ever country party MP and the first Vietnam veteran to serve in any Australian Parliament.
13 and a half years later, he came here, to Canberra. It is easy now when we remember Tim to think first of his many quirks and endearing traits.
The stoop, the hat, the big hands I have mentioned. His unique cadence, and its faint echo of a childhood speech impediment, that was never totally mastered. Then there was that singularity. That individuality that set him slightly apart, from the rest of the world.
Whether it was his famous and insatiable passion for trains, his love of Bhutan, and he remained a passionate adherent to the indicator of national happiness, all the way through his life. His trademark Akubra, or his command of chess, there was none like him.
But to only remember these things about Tim would do him a great injustice. He was a deep thinker, a true representative of the bush, a man respected throughout our region, a man of immense political skill, content with his own company but also one of the people.
He was a great Coalitionist, one of the greatest, I would say, and a formidable leader.
In 1993, when my side of politics lost what was called the unlosable election, under Tim’s leadership the Nationals actually picked up two seats. And in 1996, together with John Howard he delivered the Coalition one of our greatest ever victories, increasing Nationals representation yet again.
He threw himself into the role of Trade Minister, he was tireless, a respected negotiator who championed an end to protectionism and who championed a greater engagement with Asia.
As Trade Minister he built on 20 years of engagement in the region, and during that time he had visited almost every country in the region, except Sri Lanka and The Maldives. He did most of it at his own expense prior to coming to the job.
What did every visit and interaction teach him? Respect, mutual respect, that was his currency for engagement.
It seemed appropriate, that when I learned of Tim’s death, Jenny and I were on our way to Vietnam for our recent visit.
One of the first countries he visited as Trade Minister and Deputy Prime Minister was Vietnam. And during that visit he didn't just hold bilateral meetings, but he tended to his soul as well.
He visited an orphanage built by a Vietnam veteran’s reconstruction group, and he made a private visit to Long Tan, he made many trips to Vietnam, he said he wanted to help speed the healing of the scars of conflict because he said he could foresee a future of peace, cooperation and prosperity for both Australia and Vietnam, and he was right, and that is now being realised.
Tim was a man formidable character, former Deputy John Anderson, wrote, how he was magnificently freeing to work closely with someone who was essentially honest and transparent. And it was character that that defined his finest hour.
After Port Arthur, he put the well-being of Australians and what he knew to be right ahead of populist politics, gun laws were not popular in regional Australia. But he stood shoulder to shoulder with John Howard, and as John Howard said, showed tremendous guts, and leadership, and together they introduced and passed through this place, gun laws for which Australians will be forever, ever grateful, to Tim Fischer and to John Howard.
And we owe a special debt to Tim Fischer in his finest hour.
That was the campaign I am told that Tim was most proud of later in 1998, he had to face the backlash of the gun laws, and the first incarnation of One Nation.
And he took it on.
He didn't demonise those with a different view, instead he just sought to persuade them and in most cases he did, he was pretty persuasive, relentlessly persuasive. The Nationals only lost two seats at that election which was a remarkable outcome, in the course of the argument he was taking to his home territories.
When Tim left this place to genuinely spend more time with Judy and their two, their young sons, we lost him from the Parliament but we did not lose him from national service, he served at Tourism Australia, he served and championed the Royal Flying Doctor Service as chairman, he served with distinction as our first resident ambassador to the Holy See, working closely with the Vatican on the canonisation of Saint Mary McKillop, appointed by the Rudd Government.
I’m pleased to inform the House, as some may know, that Tim was held in such high regard, that in his final days, his Holiness Pope Francis awarded Tim the order of Saint Gregory the Great, in recognition of his personal services to the Holy See, and the example he set in his community and country.
Tim will also be remembered for his tireless advocacy of one of our greatest soldiers, General Sir John Monash, and it is fitting that Tim Fischer’s name will now join with that of Monash in a perpetual scholarship to be supported by the Government.
The Tim Fischer John Monash Scholarship will be awarded each year by the John Monash Foundation to a worthy scholar from a rural or regional background, to follow in his very big footsteps. It is a lasting legacy that pays tribute to Tim’s belief in education, service, leadership, but most of all his passion for the future of regional Australia.
In mourning Tim Fischer we remember a statesman, a mentor, a fierce advocate for the region, for our country and its people, but we mostly remember a very dear friend.
And to Judy, and Harrison, and Dominic, who have lost far more than the rest of us, an adored husband and father.
We thank you, for sharing Tim with the rest of us, Judy and Harrison, and Dominic, and Dominic is here today as is Judy. We thank all of his family, his brother is also here today who spoke so beautifully at the memorial service and thank you for sharing those stories with us.
We also thank you for caring for him so wonderfully in those final years.
Tim Fischer made this country a better place.
He made many of us better people.
Now may he rest in the arms of a loving God.
God bless, Tim Fischer.
Radio Interview with Terri Begley, ABC Southern Queensland
7 September 2019
Prime Minister
TERRI BEGLEY, ABC SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND PRESENTER: Prime Minister, thanks for talking to me this afternoon, no doubt you’ve been keeping close tabs on not only the fires here in Queensland but New South Wales as well. How have you been feeling as you’ve seen some of the vision of these blazes, as its unfolded here in Queensland and New South Wales?
PRIME MINISTER: Well It’s earmarked by two things Terri, and it’s obviously the terrible impact that it’s having on local communities, that’s very devastating, but as always and I’m sure in the calls that you’ve been getting today and the coverage that you’ve been providing, you’re always inspired by the way people respond in these circumstances and how the community comes together, I’ve been talking to Scotty Buchholz out there, Member for Wright, and was talking to David Littleproud earlier today and Barnaby Joyce, and they’re all working together - State Governments. But can I commend the ABC Terri, for the great job you’re doing here like you always do no matter where in the country it is, whether it was down in Tasmania during the fires we had in the Huon earlier in the year, or right up there in Gladstone last year, here you are again today keeping people informed and I think that’s a really important service and I commend you and all the volunteers who are out there manning the evacuation centres and out there fighting the fires themselves.
TERRI BEGLEY: Well we’re here just doing our job, it’s the people I think it really is as you say, those volunteers and the fire crews that have been doing really long shifts, it is dangerous country, it is tough weather conditions and they come back for a sandwich and a cup of tea and sort of shake it off and then head back out again and we know the volunteers, there have been many people getting in touch with the ABC, saying ‘what can we provide?’ Can we provide food? Can we provide water? Can- does anyone need blankets? Bedding? Can we take animals? You know, pets that are freaked out about what’s been happening. As you look at these developing situations in New South Wales and Queensland what sort of assistance have, are you already thinking about in the back of your mind for particularly those- we know that more than a dozen homes have been lost now here in Queensland, what could you offer them?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the information I have is this, 17 homes have now been confirmed lost in Queensland, and that includes Binna Burra and Stanthorpe and just talking to Scotty Buchholz before, you know it’s going to be you know a hard journey back for those families who haven’t yet got back to their properties, and so it’s about what you can do today obviously, supporting the effort to put the fires out and to deal with the immediate challenges, but you know these communities are going to need support over time, the Queensland Government I have no doubt will be raising the formal request for assistance that comes through in these circumstances, and that will be immediately met. And so we're working closely with them on that. But in all of these meetings that have been held with the local firefighters and local councils, our members whether it be Scotty or David or Barnaby or- are there asking what further is needed? And they have what they need, and that's what they're advising us. But second they need more. Well we've got a great national network of assets that could be brought to bear in these circumstances and we've got great leaders, professionals who are on the ground and know how to fight these fires and they're doing a great job.
TERRI BEGLEY: Prime Minister it is only the seventh day of spring and we're facing something like this, it was described as catastrophic fire conditions on Friday which is what Queensland and New South Wales have had to prepare for in the last couple of days. Do you worry about the fire danger for the rest of, not only spring but right through to summer, if it's- if it's like this at the moment?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I wouldn't be extrapolating from the conditions over the last few days, it's been quite extraordinary and that's certainly the advice I'm getting. I mean the winds are quite extraordinary they're going to take embers a long way. I'm pleased that those winds have slowed down, I mean there's even- even down where I am down in Sydney last night. I mean the winds were quite ferocious. So it's a bit of some extraordinary conditions that have been in place for, for the last sort of 48 hours. And so I think we have to sort of take that in context. But I mean we've aways got to be ready. We've always got to be prepared and that's why you know for some time now we've been building up the resources and the assets and the capabilities and the way that states and territories work together to ensure those assets can be brought to bear where they need to be. I mean I was inspired by what I saw down in Tasmania over the summer I was inspired by what I saw, what I saw up in Queensland. I was inspired by all of those efforts but it's been the way they've worked together and got things to where they need to get to fast that’s been most impressive.
TERRI BEGLEY: And finally Prime Minister your message you'd like to leave with our listeners this evening. This- as they look ahead particularly around the Scenic Rim around Applethorpe, Stanthorpe this afternoon, and the Gold Coast hinterland. What, what's your message to them tonight as they face another tough night?
PRIME MINISTER: Well to hold on to each other, and to hold on to each other with your families communities that, you'll get all the support that is needed to ensure that we deal with the fires but also in the recovery that takes place afterwards. That is, that has always been our first responsibility after the fires.
TERRI BEGLEY: Okay. I will-
PRIME MINISTER: Particularly there at Binna Burra and Stanthorpe. I mean there's gonna be some challenges there and we'll be there to work with the State Government to get it done. So just to offer words of encouragement support and the reliance people always put on each other in these circumstances always proves to be well, well-placed.
TERRI BEGLEY: We thank you for your time this afternoon. Now we'll get back to delivering that crucial information for people throughout this evening. Prime Minister thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you Terri and well done to the ABC again.
Doorstop - Salisbury South, SA
5 September 2019
Manufacturing Modernisation Fund; Economic growth; AFP investigation; Press freedom; Tamil asylum seeker family; Labor’s flip flopping on border protection; Remit of security and intelligence agencies; Infrastructure investment
Prime Minister
MR ANGELO KOTSES, MANAGING DIRECTOR & OWNER, BICKFORD’S GROUP: Welcome to Bickford’s. We’re here to open up our new production line that is world quality. It gives us an opportunity to upskill our people. It gives us a chance to bring out some new products like we're bringing out today. And it enables us to take products to the world. So on behalf of Bickford’s I’ve got to say thank you Premier for coming here. Thank you Premier for inviting the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, welcome. Thank you so much. Premier.
THE HON. STEVEN MARSHALL MP, PREMIER OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Well, it's a great day for South Australia. The Prime Minister has just opened this fantastic new facility, this world-class facility which is going to secure jobs in this state, right around this country and take the fabulous produce from South Australia, convert it into product and then export it interstate and overseas and bring money back into this state. So massive congratulations to Angelo, message congratulations to the PM. Thank you very much for coming along.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Premier. It's great to be here, Steven. This is a wonderful family business, a tremendous success story. But also a wonderful story of determination. A determination to make the best of things and to create a great family business, a great Australian business that is actually reaching out across the world. Today as you heard we put $2.5 million into this new line that has been put here at Bickford’s. Some $20 million worth of investment. It’s part of the program which is rolling on to a new program over the next four years which is a co-investment of $160 million into these types of initiatives all around the country. Whether it's here in South Australia or anywhere else around the country that has a $50 million direct injection of investment by the Commonwealth Government and Minister Karen Andrews will be announcing that and going into further details. But I thought it was important that on that same day we were launching this new nationwide program we were here talking about the investments that we're already making, and particularly here in South Australia.
The Australian economy is growing. Yesterday we saw figures which showed that the economy continues to grow. We're going into our 29th year of consecutive economic growth in this country. And the reason for it is because of companies like Bickford’s. Companies, family businesses, run by the Kotses family who continue to invest, train their workers to expand into new product lines, to seek out new markets. That's how you grow the Australian economy and that's what's happening here with this tremendous company that not only has a footprint here in South Australia but in Queensland as well and other places. So this is the story of the Australian economy. It's also the story of Australia's incredible immigration success. What we're also doing today is we're announcing the regional component of our immigration program. And the Minister for Immigration will be going into further details about that. But what the Premier and I have worked on for some time as part of this program earlier in the year is to ensure that we're getting those new people who want to come to Australia and make their future in Australia is in getting them to the places where we need them. With more jobs and more opportunities. And that includes right here in South Australia.
South Australia has a categorisation under the scheme which enables them to access the regional part of the permanent migration program. And that means… well I met a young engineer who has studied in Lahore and he's here putting together this plant together. The number of other workers that I spoke to here on the shop floor today come from all different parts of the world. From the Philippines, from India, from South Africa. This is a great story of Australia's immigration success as it is of Australia's family business success.
So I'm here because I believe in this company. I believe in the future of South Australia. And I believe in the future of the Australian economy which will continue to grow under sound economic management. Happy to take some questions on this matter and then we can move to questions on federal issues and I’m sure the Premier is happy to take a few questions on state issues.
JOURNALIST: How important is today’s bottling announcement in terms of local projects [inaudible] overseas produce?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it is connecting and providing the pull-through for those producers here in South Australia. I mean, whether it's in South Australia or other parts of the country - Australia's future as a food bowl for the rest of Asia. We [inaudible] more than 40 million people out of Australia already and that can grow. Our Ag 2030 Strategy is to see this generate $100 billion industry and that's what it’s capable of doing in our food sector through the agricultural produce and you won't find any better than here in South Australia. And that means the jobs and the economic investment that flows from those jobs goes into those regional communities and it makes them sustainable for the future. But, you know, to get stuff growing out there in the regional places you've got to have businesses like this that can take it and connect it in a processed form into markets all around the world. So that is why I'm here. This brings so many parts of Australia's economic plan together. Our export markets, our immigration program, our investing in technology, our investing in skills. All of this is necessary. I mean, the people who used to work on this line would have got paid a third of what they get paid today because of the skills required to do what they do today and the value add that they are putting with every single job that comes into this plan. So that is the future of Australia's manufacturing. Quality, good and growing wages, connected to markets right across our own part of the world and far more broadly.
JOURNALIST: You spoke about economic growth. Yesterday’s figures were some we hadn’t seen since the GFC. When you talk about a Budget surplus, is it worth it [inaudible] when the economy is going backwards?
PRIME MINISTER: The Australian economy grew by 1.4 per cent. Through the year at 1.9 per cent in year average terms which was only slightly below what we said it would be in the Budget for 2018-19. The Australian economy is growing. It's growing. In the last quarter, the UK economy went backwards. The German economy, the powerhouse of Europe, went backwards. Singapore went backwards. Australia went forward. So we're facing tough global economic times and South Australia is no stranger to that. But our economic plan is ensuring that Australia can grow through these challenges. And that's what yesterday's figures showed. The Labor Party likes to talk down the Australian economy and look, they’re welcome to do that if that's what they really think. I take a positive and optimistic view and yesterday's numbers supported that view because it showed the Australian economy was growing and is growing and the plan we have in place is supporting that growth. A plan we put in the Budget. The tough economic circumstances we face are no surprise to the Coalition. That's why we framed the Budget we did. Why did Labor go to the election saying ‘we want to put $387 billion of higher taxes on the economy’? That would have wiped… that would have been just a slap in the face not just to South Australia but jobs all around the country.
JOURNALIST: So you’re committed to that Budget surplus no matter what?
PRIME MINISTER: The surplus is a key part of the Government's economic plan and it works together with our investment in skills, our investment in infrastructure, our investment in expanding our trade markets in innovation, in research, in indeed the $160 million, $50 million of which is coming from the Commonwealth through the program which is being announced today.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned that an Ambassador's home has been raided by police even if she wasn't the target of the raids?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is a matter for the Australian Federal Police. I would expect... I'm not privy, as you wouldn't expect me to be, for an investigation undertaken by law enforcement authorities at a Commonwealth level to be aware of the operational details of that. It would be concerning if I was. So this is a matter for the AFP and I can only direct you to them in terms of what the nature of that is and I will continue to support them and the work they do each and every day. But the matters of that specifically is for the AFP.
JOURNALIST: Is this about sending a message to Government officials though?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s the AFP just doing their job. I've seen a lot of speculation about what this is about. They must have received operational briefings that haven’t been provided to the Government. I would caution people to not be speculative in looking at issues like this. I would caution against that. The details of this investigation would be known to the AFP and to draw links to other things I think is just mere speculation.
JOURNALIST: Anthony Albanese has called on you today to make an unequivocal statement in support of press freedoms after those raids. Will you do that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there's no question about the Government's commitment to press freedom. We're absolutely committed to press freedom. And we're also absolutely committed to every Australian being subject to the rule of law. I am. All of you are. Everyone who worked in this factory is. There's no one who is above the law in this country. And the law will apply. And a wonderful part about our democracy is press freedom. And that's not under threat in this country from my government or anyone else.
JOURNALIST: We’ve seen raid after raid. Would you say the Department of Home Affairs have too much power in this case, even though you talk about the AFP being independent?
PRIME MINISTER: No. I wouldn’t say that. Would you?
JOURNALIST: I’m asking you.
PRIME MINISTER: No, I don’t agree with that statement.
JOURNALIST: Is there adequate protection for whistleblowers?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
JOURNALIST: In regard to the Tamil family have you changed your mind in allowing them to stay?
PRIME MINISTER: No. The thing you know about me on border protection is I'm consistent. I've been consistent on this issue for my entire time in public life. When I say something, I mean it. I don't go flip-flopping around to suit the particular opinions of the day. I mean, Anthony Albanese said in 2013 that if you came to Australia illegally by boat then you should not be settled here. But then just in the past week he's changed his mind about that and says you should be settled here. Which is it? That's not how you run your borders. Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party have learned nothing from their failures. I absolutely understand the empathy and the compassion that is behind what has been suggested to the Government. I understand. But I also understand that you have to take decisions when it comes to the integrity of your immigration program and as that particularly applies to your border protection regime that ensures the integrity of that process. Because that's what saves lives. That's what ensures there is integrity in our process. Now, the family at the center of this, they are going through a court process. That court process should be respected. I'm certainly going to respect it. There are some 6,000 others that Labor allowed to come illegally into Australia who've been found not to be refugees. They're going through a court process. We will respect that too. There are 1,500 people who have been sent back to Sri Lanka who were found not to be refugees and they followed the process as well. I'm not going to go into some populist running of our program. I'm going to be consistent. Australians expect that of me and have always seen that from me. And what they're seeing from Labor and others is flip-flops. Flip-flops. And you cannot run your border Based on flip-flops.
JOURNALIST: But Prime Minister, if the Government has plans to extend the remit of spying agencies inside Australia, does the public have a right to know?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the Government doesn’t have that plan.
JOURNALIST: If you were, would the public have a right to know?
PRIME MINISTER: But the Government doesn’t have that plan. So, I mean, I don’t really know how to respond to the question. The Government has no such plans. It never did. And so it’s a hypothetical.
JOURNALIST: Can we expect to see evidence of your infrastructure talks with state leaders in the December mid-year economic figures?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, you’ll continue to see that. I mean, yesterday the national accounts figures, for example, would not have taken into account because of timing issues the tax cuts. Or the second cash rate reduction that was provided in July. And nor would it have taken into account the escalating level of infrastructure investment. That infrastructure investment this year will be just shy of $10 billion and that will scale up over the forward estimates to up to $12 billion. And it's over $100 billion over the next 10 years. And we've been working with the Premier and other premiers around the country - I was with Premier Andrews yesterday - about getting a lot of these projects that we’re both committed to and just getting them happening on the ground. And that's really important for jobs. Now, we are really starting to hit our head on the ceiling in terms of how much infrastructure work you can get underway at any one time. And that’s actually putting some cost pressures into the system, we saw that with a particular project in Melbourne yesterday. So we're getting cracking on this. We've got a plan to make the economy stronger. We took that plan to the Australian people. That plan included managing our money wisely to ensure that Australia got back to its first surplus in 12 years. The first whiff of a surplus and Labor wants to blow it all. That's how they wrecked the joint last time. The first hint of public opinion and they want to trash the border protection regime. These guys, they’re flip-flops. They’re flakes. And you can't run a country by being a flake. You've got to be consistent, stable, calm, measured, have a plan, implement your plan. That's what we're doing. That's what the Premier is doing here in South Australia. And that's why he'll be able to turn South Australia around.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, workers at Christmas Island are saying that all three detention facilities are operating fully staffed yet empty from February until the Tamil family was detained. What is that costing taxpayers and why aren’t you closing it?
PRIME MINISTER: We reopened those facilities to deal, on advice, by the Medivac Bill that was passed through the Parliament earlier this year. And by reopening that facility, strangely, there weren't so many applications. So I can say that I think it's been quite effective as part of our response to that measure and I'm looking forward to that Bill being reconsidered by the Parliament and our border protection regime being restored [inaudible].
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Christopher Pyne and Julie Bishop are giving evidence in front of a Senate committee on their new jobs. Do you think their new jobs pass the pub test?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet made it perfectly clear that they did. So that's a matter for him to advise me on and he did and he appeared before the inquiry. I mean, there's some politics going on here and some of that sort of thing. That sort of happens in the bubble. I’ll leave that stuff in the bubble and we're going to keep on cracking on building infrastructure, supporting manufacturing, creating jobs, and ensuring we realise the strong growth prospects for Australia’s future. Thanks very much.
Radio Interview with Leon Byner, 5AA
5 September 2019
Economic performance; Tax relief; Business payment times; Tamil asylum seeker family and border protection; NDIS and home care services; US/China trade tensions
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: Great to be here in Adelaide, Leon, and great to be back here on the program.
LEON BYNER: Why are you here, by the way?
PRIME MINISTER: We're out with the Premier today. We're announcing the Bickford’s new plant out there which we're doing together. We put some investment into that project, over $2 million. This is all about driving jobs, driving innovation, supporting local businesses and industries.
BYNER: Well that's good because the great performer of our economy is the huge surge in mineral and energy exports. We've got a $5.5 billion more than we thought we'd get, which is very good. Does that give you a little bit of armoury if you want to further stimulate the economy?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what we're seeing - and it wasn't just that, I mean consumption grew by 0.4 per cent yesterday in the national accounts - so that, combined with a very strong exports performance and you're right, the minerals sector played a huge part of that. And so why you would do anything that undermined your minerals sector is beyond me and certainly our Government won't be. We're very supportive of the resources sector and we want to see that continue. And one particular area we're keen to see developed is the critical minerals area, the rare earths, these types of things. They're a quite a boutique area of the minerals sector but there are particular clients for that, particularly in the United States, that's something we've been talking to them about and Japan and other places. So we want to see that grow. But our current account, we’re in a surplus for the first time since 1975. Skyhooks were topping the charts last time that happened. And it's great to see our export performance being as strong as it is and that doesn't happen by accident. I mean, we've been building our share of trade that's covered by our deals now from less than 30 per cent to 70 per cent and now we're working on deals with the European Union and the UK.
BYNER: With regards to the UK, you've got this amazing tussle going on as we speak.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
BYNER: Where Boris Johnson wants now to call an election because he wants out, conditional or unconditional, that's it. How are you viewing this?
PRIME MINISTER: Well look, it's not for us to interfere in the internal processes of the United Kingdom. I mean, obviously we watch these matters closely. It doesn't have a big impact on Australia and our own economy. Our own economy is growing. I know it is not growing as much as it has been but the UK economy went backwards in the last quarter. So did Germany, by the way, no slouch of an economy, and so did Singapore, by the way. So in the context of other economies that have gone backwards, Australia has continued to grow. But, you know, he's got, as I described it yesterday,0 he's dealing with a bag of full of angry cats at the moment and that's a pretty difficult challenge for him. But the sooner, I suppose, that the matter can stabilize and be reconciled then that's in the interests of the broader global economy. But it seems like there's still a fair way to go.
BYNER: All right. My question of the $5.9 billion more than what you thought you'd get surplus is predicated on this, that you've now put in a lot of tax cuts which you would hope will kick in. But the evidence, Prime Minister, suggests that so far people are using it to pay down debt and if they do that, that is not necessarily going to stimulate the economy, is it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well look, it all goes to support people's overall level of confidence. I mean, if you're able to... what people do with their own money is up to them.
BYNER: Sure.
PRIME MINISTER: We said at the election that we want people to keep more of what they earn and what they do with it it's up to them. See, I trust their own judgment about what they want to do.
BYNER: Yes, but you’re hoping to stimulate the economy though, aren’t you? Particularly retail.
PRIME MINISTER: I want people to keep more of what they earn. That's what I really want. They earned it and it's for them and how they invest it and the decisions they make and if that means they're reducing the financial pressures on them by reducing their debt burden then that frees them up as well. So look, there are always positives, and only positives in my view, by letting people keep more of their own money. Now, the figures that came out yesterday they were for the end of June. Now, the tax cuts didn't come in until July and they've been sort of rolling out.
BYNER: So you're hoping for a bump, aren't you?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, you’d expect that things would improve in the next quarter. And not only that, it didn't have the full impact of the cash rate reductions either. The first cash rate deduction came in in June, the second one came in in July. And let's not forget for the overwhelming majority of that quarter we were in an election campaign and people thought $387 billion worth of higher taxes will come on the economy, including on smashing the housing market. And I'm pleased that more recently we've seen the housing market stabilize, particularly in the eastern states. I know it's been tough in South Australia for some time and we've seen some improvement there and that's welcome.
BYNER: After you won the election you made a promise that I always remembered because for me it happened to be something that I'd been talking about a lot here and that is the payment of bills by the public sector but also the private sector. Now, you did say in a speech - and you'd remember this because it was completely your prerogative to do that - that you would demand all Australian companies set out their payment terms and you promised not to deal with companies that do not pay within say 20 days.
PRIME MINISTER: That was for the Commonwealth small and medium-sized businesses, that kicked in on the 1st of July this year.
BYNER: So $550 billion is out there that should be paid sooner. Are we going to see the result of this?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah this started on the 1st of July from the Commonwealth and the state governments I got their agreement last December that they would give us a timetable of when we're going to do it now. New South Wales has already moved to that...
BYNER: What about us?
PRIME MINISTER: ...and 20 days. I couldn't tell you off the top of my head, Leon. I'd have to check what the response has been from South Australia. But I do know the Commonwealth, as we promised, moved to that on the 1st of July this year.
BYNER: So you are now saying - just to be clear on this - that as of now if there are companies that are not paying within 20 days….
PRIME MINISTER: No, no, the Commonwealth Government.
BYNER: Yes, but there is also a side of private business to this as well.
PRIME MINISTER: I know, and we can't compel those businesses on their payment terms.
BYNER: No.
PRIME MINISTER: What we did is the Business Council of Australia, they have committed and have been signing people up to 30 days and in that speech you're referring to I was encouraging them to join us at 20 days. But you know, I think you'd do better than that. One of the reasons I'm so keen to see the economy digitised, for people to go to all do electronic and digital payment systems, is if you're on a real-time payment system what's called the new payments platform, it came in early last year. Then you can get paid in seconds, not 20 days. You can get paid in seconds.
BYNER: Are you confident that the private companies that haven't signed up to the Business Council yet are going to do what you're asking because there is a lot of money outstanding.
PRIME MINISTER: I think we'll continue to name them where they haven't. I'm happy to provide you with whatever list we have of those who don't and we can get that from the Business Council.
BYNER: You’re going to name and shame them?
PRIME MINISTER: Why wouldn't we? I mean, if you're a big company and you're not paying small businesses, you know, in a reasonable timeframe and for, you know... 20 days is a reasonable timeframe, then you're borrowing money from them at zero interest.
BYNER: Yes.
PRIME MINISTER: And that's not right. They’re not banks.
BYNER: Labor had a go at you and your religion over your refusal to intervene in the Tamil family case. Now, I want to point out, a lot of people don't know this. Justice Kirton in the decision that the Justice made observed that Nades the father of the family had returned to Sri Lanka three times and therefore rejected the claim that it was unsafe to go back. So are you still going to hold your position here?
PRIME MINISTER: The courts have made their decision and there are still matters going before the courts and I respect the decision of the courts. That's how we roll in this country. And the decision of those courts have been to find that there is no asylum claim here. Now, on that basis... I mean, it was Labor who said that no one who came to the country illegally by boat would settle here. Well, we're doing that. I mean, there are about 6,000 others who are going through a similar process that Labor let in. They've all had their claims assessed. They've been found not to be refugees. They're going through the appeals process and that's why when it comes to border protection you just have to be consistent and you have to have clear rules and clear principles. Now we do. If you illegally entered Australia by boat and there was, you know, 50,000 people who turned up this way under the Labor Party, then you have your claim assessed. That's happened. You can appeal that through the process. That's happening. But, you know, when it's done, it's done. And I understand people's feeling about this. I understand what motivates them about it and it's compassion, it's sincere sympathy for people's circumstances. I understand that. But, you know, that type of thinking last time led Kevin Rudd to turn the whole show to absolute chaos and tragedy.
BYNER: So even though there are 4,000 examples approximately where the Minister intervened, is the problem, Prime Minister, that this case is now so high profile that you'd be building a rod for your own back by making any intervention?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it would only exacerbate the first problem. I mean, the first problem is that we have a clear set of rules here and we have a clear policy and so we're not about to violate that policy. But this would only amplify that even further and I think that's what shows the inconsistency. I mean, Anthony Albanese said in 2013 that anyone who came illegally by boat shouldn’t be settled here. And then last week he said no, no we should make an exception on this case. Well which is it? I mean, what I learnt through experience in what we did to stop those boats coming is you have to be consistent. You have to be strong. You have to understand that Australians will feel very empathetically about these issues. But they will also, I think, respect the Government simply for being consistent because they know that if we were to fail to do that then the problems of the past would quickly resurface.
BYNER: Prime Minister, our state has had the unfortunate distinction of having two consecutive quarters of negative growth, which is not good. Now, you would be aware that the property sector in this state is in panic mode as our government seeks to extract more land tax from them. And given that you're trying to stimulate the economy and you're trying to get people to spend, what is your feeling? Because there's a re-evaluation going on too so even forgetting the amalgamation policy, people now are getting higher council bills, higher water bills, higher NRM levies. So in one sense, the Federal Government are giving them extra money but our State Government are taking it off them.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're for lower taxes and we're for taking the pressure off people wherever we can do so. I'm working constructively with all state governments of both political colours. Yesterday I was in Victoria with Dan Andrews where we were announcing additional funding for some infrastructure, a major project there. And today I'm standing with the South Australian Premier and we're announcing additional funding for Bickfords which is pursuing that project. We've got funding, $1.9 billion over the next four years which we're investing in local infrastructure projects here. The north-south corridor upgrades, all of these projects. So we're working with them to do what we can to play our role as part of our national economic plan to see South Australia move ahead. And we've known here for some time and you've spoken about it often, Leon. South Australia has its economic challenges and that's why our migration program when we're making further announcements about that today that there are some 23,000 visas which will be targeted towards regional areas which includes all of South Australia. So our plan, our national economic plan, is designed to have a positive impact here in South Australia. But for matters of the South Australian Government and how they're setting their tax arrangements and these things I’m going to leave to Steven Marshall. I'll be seeing him later today, I'm sure he's quite aware of the discussion...
BYNER: Do you have an opinion on this in general?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I'm not going to second guess his tax policy. I understand it actually results in a lower tax take on land tax.
BYNER: I can show you the budget papers, they don’t say that.
PRIME MINISTER: But my understanding is it results in a lower tax take from land tax. So he's actually going to get less revenue.
BYNER: Well, $54 million extra on the documents I’ve got. Prime Minister, the situation is that we've got terrible delays within NDIS and home care packages in terms of getting them out there to where it's needed. Of course, that's got a big effect on the way the economy is working. Are you going to try and do something about it?
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely. I mean, we'll have... I'm here today with the Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert. We’ll be catching up with Nicolle Flint a little later today. We're sitting down with people who are dealing with the NDIS.
BYNER: There's a long wait.
PRIME MINISTER: There is and we're reducing those waiting times. But I don't disagree that there needs to be more work done. We'll have 30,000 people here in South Australia who are fully on the scheme and that's, you know, that's quite an achievement to get to that. But the scheme is still far from perfect and we need to reduce these waiting times on in-home care packages as it relates to aged care. This is our top priority when it comes to aged care.
BYNER: What have you said to the bureaucracy about this?
PRIME MINISTER: Get it fixed. Reduce the time, improve the paperwork, get the system right.
BYNER: Prime Minister, people are going into aged care because they're waiting for their packages and they haven't fronted.
PRIME MINISTER: We've increased the number of in-home care packages over the last 18 months to two years in the thousands. But the demand is also great and it's much better to have people receiving care in-home than the cost of them going into residential aged care. We understand that as well. That's why we've been increasing the number of places and we're going to keep increasing the number of places.
BYNER: Do you acknowledge that it may be necessary and you'll wait and see obviously, but do you acknowledge that it may be necessary to offer some further stimulus to the Australian economy that is still very soft? I know we're all hoping that those tax cuts will cut in and do what you want them to do but if they don't, do we have a plan B?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have a Plan A and it's being implemented and I mean... see, what is happening in the global economy and the Australian economy now is not a surprise to me or the Treasurer or the Finance Minister, for that matter. We were aware of those circumstances and that's why we put in place the Budget we did in May. And in that Budget in May it wasn't just the tax cuts. It was investments in additional skills development, we upped the infrastructure spend by about $25 billion and brought spending forward into the forward estimates. Of that, over $100 billion almost half of that comes within the next four years. So much so that we’ve now got price pressures within the civil construction area because of the amount of work that we're pushing through the system on infrastructure. So there is a very significant investment being made and so what we will do is we will continue to monitor this closely, but we have a plan. We're putting it in place. And I've heard the Labor Party, as usual, they run around and they throw their arms around and they go into panic mode. That's not what Australia needs. They just need the sensible, calm implementation of the plan that we put in the Budget, that we took to the Australian people. We're putting that in place and we will continue to monitor how that's progressing. We’ll see what happens in the September quarter and that'll play into what happens in our mid-year economic statement at the end of the year. But look, Labor have often panicked in these circumstances and they've run up tens of billions if not hundreds of billions of worth of debt when they were in government when they did panic and we'll be paying that off for the next 10 years.
BYNER: Can we say, Prime Minister, that you trying to stimulate the economy with your side, the Federal side, that you're wanting to whip the states into gear to get them to speed up their infrastructure spending because they're the ones who ultimately spend the money.
PRIME MINISTER: That's true. And that's one of the first things I did after the election was sit down with all the Premiers one-on-one and we worked through the entire infrastructure schedule with them and then particularly on urban infrastructure. Alan Tudge the Minister has been then following that up with his counterparts. Michael McCormack has been doing the same with his counterparts with the states and territories to get those infrastructure programs rolling out. So yes, that's exactly what we're doing, Leon, and that's exactly what we should do.
BYNER: Given what's happening with China do you think you might need another miracle?
PRIME MINISTER: In what sense? Everybody always needs miracles in their daily life, no doubt.
[Laughter]
BYNER: But we rely so much on their economy and so are you a little trepidatious about what's going to happen?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, obviously the tensions between China and the United States on trade are having a big impact on global economic confidence. I mean, the truth is that as these things unfold there are opportunities that present along the way as well. And this is one of the reasons I was up in Vietnam. There are other countries in our region with which our trade relationship is growing. Our relationship with Indonesia is another important one. India is another one and I've been engaging with all of those countries and also of course with the United States where we have a great relationship. I’ll be in the White House in a few weeks’ time. So you've got to diversify. That's what you've got to do. But that's not something we've just decided to do. We've been doing it for five and a half years as a Government in spreading our trade base and that's why one of the reasons I took up that invitation from the French President Emmanuel Macron to go to the G7 was because I wanted to press the issues of the EU agreement with the German Chancellor and the Italian Prime Minister and of course the new UK Prime Minister in terms of advancing an agreement with the UK.
BYNER: Thank you for coming in today. Straight from the airport, I know it was a bit of a rush but appreciate the fact that you can talk to our state and let's hope you can get what you're hoping for.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that is in everyone's interests. Our economy is growing and we will always do well, I think, while people are working hard and that's what the people are certainly doing here in South Australia.
Doorstop Interview - Monash Freeway Upgrade announcement
4 September 2019
Prime Minister
DANIEL ANDREWS, PREMIER OF VICTORIA: It’s a great pleasure for colleagues and I to welcome the Prime Minister Scott Morrison to the outer South-East today, for what is a very significant announcement. Look, nothing is more important than getting things done, nothing is more important than building the road and rail, hospital and school infrastructure that we need for the future. And when you look at a growing community like this one, and indeed this entire corridor with the best part of 500,000 motorists using the Monash every day, it’s really important that we’ve committed to stage two and we’re making real progress to deliver stage two. The milestone we marked today with contracts being signed very soon and work starting in 2020 will mean that 36km of extra lanes, significant travel time savings, dealing with some real pinch points, that will be able to be achieved, that work will be done and finished by the end of 2022. If of course we can beat that timeline, then of course we will. This is great for local families to get home safer and sooner, it’s about delivering on the commitments that we made, it’s about getting on and getting things done and that really is the most important thing. Can I thank the Prime Minister on the partnership on this project and many others. There have been a lot of meetings, and a lot of discussions since the re-election of the Morrison Government about the agenda that was laid out and how we can work together to deliver those important projects large and small, projects like this all the way through to smaller but no less important station car park upgrades. Ministers have been working together very closely but I think that's what Victorians want. And now just on the issue of price and cost. We do know that there is some pressure in the market and we see that whether it's West Connex or North Connex up in Sydney. Projects as far away as Perth. There's a lot going on and that's great for jobs across our nation but it does put some pressure on prices. There is some cost pressure there, but my view on these things is pretty simple. These are not costs really. They're investments in jobs, economic opportunity for the future, and getting people home to their families safer and sooner. This is a really important project and an important milestone today and I thank the Prime Minister for his partnership. I thank him and his team for the work that's going on in lots of different areas and I think we'll have an opportunity to stand up celebrating different milestones and continuing to lay out a positive plan for our state over the months and years to come. And that is exactly what Victorians want and need. Now I think we're going to do- I’ll throw now to the Prime Minister but I think we might do perhaps separate media conferences on issues that you want to talk to me about, and issues you might want to talk to the PM about but thanks PM and over to you.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot Premier. It's great to be here with Dan Andrews today and our colleagues both at a local level, to have Jason Wood here, and our Ministers and of course I'm joined here by Alan Tudge the Minister for congestion busting Urban Infrastructure right around the country. But I want to thank Dan Andrews for the partnership. It's a partnership to get stuff done, to build stuff. I mean the elections are over, the Australian people and the people of Victoria have made their judgments and their judgment is that they want us to work closely together to get these projects done and that's exactly what both of us are doing. So I want to thank him and his team and for the way they've been engaging with us whether it's on the announcement that we're making today or on the work we're doing on the Melbourne airport link, the work we're doing on getting these car parks built and many other roads, whether it's the North East Link or many other projects that are on our agenda. We are busily working through those some one and a half billion dollars is being spent here in Victoria by the Commonwealth Government, working with the State Government just this year alone, and we're investing over 20 billion dollars here in Victoria over the next 10 years. Almost half of that's being spent over the current budget and forward estimates on a whole range of projects. I also want to thank the Premier for working with us to ensure we can get more of that happening sooner. This was one of our first objectives after the election, was to sit down not only with Premier Andrews but with Premier Berejiklian and Premiers all around the country to make sure that we're getting on with these projects. It's important for our economy that we get these projects done. Our infrastructure plan which was upgraded to over 100 billion dollars in the most recent budget is an important part of our national economic plan, a plan that did foresee the significant economic challenges that we're facing globally and the need to get these infrastructure projects on the ground. This project, a couple of important numbers- 600 jobs that's an important number, 22 minutes- 9 minutes on the way in; 13 minutes on the way back in the afternoon peak. That means people will get home sooner and safer, they get to work sooner and safer and 36 kilometres as the Premier said -the section that we're now working on. With these infrastructure projects there's always swings and roundabouts. Not literally, but in terms of how that impacts on on the costs of projects. The first stage of this project actually came in under, the second stage we've had those cost pressures and the Premier's right. We're seeing those cost pressures in other projects around the country. One of the reasons for that is we're doing so much all around the country. The infrastructure investments that are being made around the country are an important part of our national economic plan and that means that we're going to see some pressures here and there and particularly as we thankfully are seeing a bit of a pick-up in mining investment around the country that will also obviously have its flow through. But you know that means there's upward pressure for wages as well and those who are working on these projects and that's certainly a welcome factor in the economy as well. So I want to thank again the Premier, I want to thank Alan and his team, and Minister McCormack the Deputy Prime Minister for how we're rolling these out. This does mean, as Woody knows out here in Latrobe, that people will be able to bust through that congestion and you know Melbourne's a great city. It's a fantastic city. I reckon it's better than Vienna any other day of the week mate- any day of the week, and Sydney is hot on the heels I've got to say. But it's a great city but to ensure that it remains a great city. Then you got to invest in these infrastructure projects and get things done and that's what we're doing together. And that's why I think Melbournians can be very confident about the future of their city with these types of projects happening and they always have the strong backing of the Commonwealth Government. So I think the Premier is going to join me. We'll take some questions on this project and then I'll take some questions with my team on Federal matters and the Premier and his team will join you for questions on state matters.
JOURNALIST: …Coming from the difficulty of finding enough of the kinds of worker you need and therefore their wages go up, or is the cost of materials as well?
ANDREWS: Well there's a couple of parts to that. James there's pressure in terms of gravel, concrete. Whole range of those very basic raw materials that build these sorts of projects there's some significant pressure there and that's why we're having a big Extractive Industries Review, working to try and have more of that supply. In terms of labour or people. We have invested in free TAFE for reason we want, and particularly these sorts of courses. We want more and more people getting the skills they need for the job they want and the job that we need them to do. So the Prime Minister and I and COAG indeed had a long conversation about skills and about how we can make that vocational education and training system as dynamic, as industry friendly, as it possibly can be. So we're training the people that industry needs and that governments need. To get on and build those road and rail projects as well as new hospitals and new schools. All of that's really important. So that's a long way of saying I suppose there's pressure in lots of different areas. But again. I don't see this as a cost. These projects are a massive investment in protecting our quality of life setting us up for the future, creating jobs and opportunities. And when it comes to this road project- getting families home safer and sooner.
JOURNALIST: But in the press release from last year was saying $711 million. Now it's 1.4 billion-
ANDREWS: No, no, it’s 1.1.
JOURNALIST: 1.1, does that mean we just got it wrong? That’s a lot of extra money.
ANDREWS: What it means is that the best of engineering advice, the best of all the quantity surveying, the people who do for a living scope out projects. Was at that time around that 700 mark, we've gone and had a tender and the tender box has come back with the result that we're reporting to you today. Now that's more, but there is significant cost pressure and the alternative is well we won't build it or we start taking lanes off it, or we make it shorter. When given the choice between making this investment or compromising our promise. We've chosen to get on in partnership, make the investment, create the jobs, build the road network that we need today and into the future. That's great news and that's exactly what Victorians voted for. And it's exactly what Victorians want. there'll be times when we don't agree on things but where we can work together well we should absolutely do that and waste no time getting on and delivering. And that's the approach I've taken. That's the work we've done these last few months and essentially all of the Prime Minister's infrastructure agenda, we're working with him, in a partnership to help deliver that because if it's good for Victoria then you can count us in.
JOURNALIST: And if the West and the Northeast are going to have to pay tolls on new roads there, why not put a toll here to recoup some of those costs?
ANDREWS: Well the people who use roads, pay tolls. And we don't put tolls on existing roads. That's been our longstanding position and that position won't be changing, that position was put to the community at the last election and the one before that. So for instance the North East Link we were very clear that's going to be a toll road. We're also very clear the Monash is an existing road- it's being upgraded. And there won't be tolls beyond the arrangements that are there now.
JOURNALIST: Are you two still cooperating with each other about Monash rail? Where the line will head in? Out through the Monash precinct?
ANDREWS: We've, we had a discussion as recently as-
PRIME MINISTER: The short answer to that is yes.
JOURNALIST: Is it going to happen? Even with the suburban rail loop going through Monash?
ANDREWS: Well I think our most recent discussion was to say look there was a Monash rail commitment and there's funding there and we're very grateful for that funding. But since that time the notion of a suburban rail loop has come forward and we're making great progress on that and you've got to look at how those two projects work together, that's a fantastic problem to have. Now we've got multiple projects in the same corridor and that's why you sit down and that's why Ministers sit down and work through those issues carefully.
JOURNALIST: So have both?
ANDREWS: Well we'll have to wait and see. We’re not today to make announcements about those projects but we will be soon.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister is there a need for both?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, clearly the commitments we've made indicate our priorities is to dealing with both the rail and the road needs here. And I mean that's been a shift for us as a Commonwealth over the last three or four years, that we have been committed to rail projects. I've got to tell you the rail project that is top of our list at the moment is actually Melbourne Airport Rail. I mean that's five billion dollars that we're both in for, and that's the biggest game-changing city transforming infrastructure project other than the you know, the Western Sydney International Nancy-Bird Walton airport that's going on in the country today. These- and you talk about nation building projects Melbourne airport rail-link is certainly one of those. And so you know rail and road are needed here in Melbourne and we're working together on both.
JOURNALIST: Monash will go ahead then?
PRIME MINISTER: Well our commitment’s there but we're working through those issues together.
JOURNALIST: On airport rail, looks like some other options are being considered that would use the existing track from the city to Sunshine, is that acceptable? Is that a project that you’re looking at? Or is there only one dedicated track from the city to Sunshine?
PRIME MINISTER: Well what we've talked about, and what we've talked about together, is ensuring that we have a quick link there, out to Tulla, and that link to Sunshine is also very important in terms of how it connects to the Geelong project as well. But again these are really big projects and we're coming to the table in good faith to solve problems and to work together.
JOURNALIST: You would support dedicated tracks [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: That's been what we've been bringing to the table.
JOURNALIST: And when you say ‘quick link’ what do you mean? How quick will the trains-
PRIME MINISTER: Well I'm not using technical language,
ANDREWS: We can't quite do a timetable yet nor can we actually- nor can we actually give you like an exact price of what a journey will cost. But you've got to build something that people use. And if it's slow and congested and ‘stopping all stations’ people won't use it so-
JOURNALIST: People have to get off at Sunshine [inaudible]?
ANDREWS: Well again. There are there are two components to this project, as you, as I think you know and understand really well- there's Sunshine to the airport and there's the city to Sunshine there's a whole bunch of engineering decisions to be made there, there's a private sector- private sector proposal that's come forward and Treasury and Finance are working through that in the normal way. There are some key decisions to be made there but, be in no doubt we will build something that is efficient, effective, represents value for money for Victorian and Australian taxpayers and is something that people use. That's what we have to do, and I'm very confident we can get that balance right.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister are you interested in potentially looking at funding for the eastern side of the rail-loop the Premier’s proposing?
PRIME MINISTER: Look we've had some discussions around these issues, but the commitments we've made are all out on the public record. So that's the extent of our commitments.
JOURNALIST: And this project now that its- what’s the- who’s paying for what now? The split?
PRIME MINISTER: 50-50. I mean that's what this is. This is a genuine partnership and. In relation to question that was put earlier. There are swings and roundabouts and infrastructure projects and this is not the only project we're working together on, the costs on these projects move around all the time and we work closely on them and that enables you to shift your resources between projects to make sure you get them all done. And you know so what do you do when you're confronted with the reality of a material impact in the price of this project, well you face it. You deal with it. You're committed to actually getting the outcome. Construction starting next year, and so the spirit in which we came to the table on this was- you know this is a really big priority. So you know, we've just got to confront that. And commit to the decision we made and both pull our weight in making sure that we address it. You know, when you're building big projects, you’re coming up against this stuff all the time. Now you could just shrug your shoulders and walk away if you like, but I don't think anyone who lives here would thank either of us for doing that, they'd expect us to sort it out and we have.
JOURNALIST: Do you call the Premier every now and then and say, why don’t you take the money for the East-West link? There’s three billion dollars sitting there, is that still happening in your bro-mance?
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: I think both of our positions on this issue are well known. We don't need to remind each other of them. But the nature of the working relationship the Premier and I- I think have, is one that we focus on the stuff we can get done together. If we spend all our time talking about the stuff we disagree on, we'd get nothing done and no one would thank us for that.
ANDREWS: That’s right.
JOURNALIST: But how do you view that the Victorian Government is actually making moves to Heritage- seeking heritage protection of the Eastern Freeway. Do you see that as a means to stop any East West Link going ahead as the state opposition-
PRIME MINISTER: No I don't. And we have discussed that-
ANDREWS: We've had a discussion about that. And just to be very clear about this, as I’ve, as the Prime Minister knows and understands, we've had a conversation about this, we are exhausting that issue. So that any claim is dealt with, the status is there and understood, so that we don't have some spurious claim lodged in six months’ time that delays the North East Link by a further six months. Now that's been reported differently. But that's what's going on here. We are confirming and providing certainty in terms of the heritage status of that. Which I don't think is particularly strong and we've made no secret of that. But sometimes you've got to exhaust these things get certainty. Otherwise others, who don't like these big projects, will use them as a tool almost to stop us delivering. That's what this is about. And I've been very clear with the PM and his team about that.
PRIME MINISTER: So to answer your question, the communication is good. And it's honest and it's upfront and it's very transparent and that's enabling, particularly our ministers, to do the detail of this work. I think very effectively and I think we’re both appreciative for the work that they’ve both done. Okay.
ANDREWS: Thanks very much for that James.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: Well we might move to a Federal discussion and thanks very much Dan. Cheers thanks mate. Well on federal issues more broadly. I mean I've gone over our commitments in infrastructure here and Alan can answer any further questions that you have on that. But today, we've seen new record levels of bulk billing for Medicare. And the figures that have come out today up four full percentage points since we were first elected. We're very, we're very pleased about this. I mean Medicare has a strong friend in my government. And the proof of that is in these results. On the bulk billing rates that we're now seeing in this country from coast to coast. The other thing I'm pleased to say is with the last investment that is being made, that we are meeting our renewable energy target for 2020, today Australia has the highest investment per capita in renewable energy of any country in the world. In fact I understand if you put second and third together they still don't get to where we are. And so Australia is meeting our commitments when it comes to renewable energy. But we're also meeting our commitments and we're meeting our obligations when it comes to reliable energy, the reliable energy guarantee that we were able to steward through all the states and territories at the end of last year means we're getting the reliable power into the system and we're also ensuring that we're getting the renewable energy into the system, and when you go to projects whether it's battery of the nation and the link between Tasmania and the mainland, or whether it's the Snowy 2.0 or these other projects- we're making these big investments for the future of Australia's energy supply and we're working with all the states and territories to follow through on other sources of energy that can support lower costs for both energy for householders as well as importantly for industry, which is a key challenge into the future. Many other issues Josh Frydenberg Treasurer will be standing up on the national accounts this morning so I'll leave those issues to him to go into the detail of. But happy to take other matters more broadly.
JOURNALIST: On the renewable energy. Now you've met that one target. Are you going to implement new targets, new policies for the next phase of, you know, to promote further investment in the renewable sector?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the great success, and let's be clear, when we came to government in 2013 we said we're going to hit these targets. We said we're going to hit our Kyoto targets on emissions reduction, and we've put in place the policies to achieve it. Now there's a lot of noise that goes on about these issues, but the facts speak for themselves. Our government keeps and meets its commitments to the environment whether it's on renewable energy or emissions reduction. Now one of the great things about the way we've achieved this in renewable energy is renewable energy investment now stands on its own two feet. It doesn't need these subsidies into the future. It doesn't need governments telling the industry what to do. It is making its own way. Its trajectory has now been set and that means we have sustainable investment in sustainable renewable energy because it makes economic sense all on its own. It doesn't need government to hold its hand anymore. It's grown up and I think that's a tremendous thing.
JOURNALIST: What are your concerns about the Victorian Government's 50 per cent target?
PRIME MINISTER: We've been on record about those issues. And I'm not here today to provide a running commentary on the Victorian Government. I’m here to talk about what our government has done. We had our targets. We're meeting them.
JOURNALIST: You’d be aware the Energy Market Operator has predicted a worst case scenario of significant blackouts in Victoria over this Summer, if one unit goes down in one of the coal-fired generators, is that acceptable?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the sustainability of reliable power supply is a fundamental responsibility of state governments. That's what I've got to say about that.
JOURNALIST: On the economy, I know Frydenberg will be speaking about this later, but given that the retail figures are actually a whisper kind of in a negative, as flat. Does that not show that the economy is not in great shape and are you talking now stimulus. Is this stimulus that we're seeing right here?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I'll make a couple of points- the first one is that the figures that will come out today obviously relate to the June quarter, the tax cuts that we delivered actually happened in July and I saw one article today apparently claiming that things that happened in June are evidence of what happened in July. Well that's obviously ridiculous. We will watch closely as the June quarter unfolds. The impact of the measures that we put in place in the Budget in May. See the global economic headwinds we're facing right now, are no surprise to us. It wasn't the Liberal Party who went to the last election saying that taxes should increase by $387 billion. We thought that would be an absolutely catastrophic thing to do the Australian economy as we knew it was facing these challenges. So we said taxes should be cut. We said infrastructure spending should be increased. We said we should be investing more in infrastructure and skills. And these are the things that our plan is delivering. So these circumstances are circumstances that were taken into account in the May budget. So we will implement that plan and monitor closely its impact across the economy in the months ahead. So we've got a calm and measured and disciplined approach for dealing with this into the future. Yes the numbers today will be softer. They will come as no surprise to me but I think as we go into the back half of the year things will improve. Let's not forget that the German and the UK economies have had negative quarters, and they're no slouches, those economies. And the Australian economy I believe will continue to grow and it will grow because we're making these investments.
JOURNALIST: You’re not worried about a recession at all? With those global headwinds?
PRIME MINISTER: I'll let the figures speak for themselves.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: No. Well what we've got is a plan. And the plan is being implemented, and the plan already included those measures. And one of the things that, like today's project which I know Jason is thrilled about-
JASON WOOD MP, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR LATROBE: Absolutely.
PRIME MINISTER: He's been campaigning for this project, and fighting for the Monash you know all his political life. And so this is a great tribute to his efforts. But, being able to sit down, whether it's with Premier Andrews, or even the Queensland Premier, or Steven Marshall over in South Australia, and Gladys Berejiklian in New South Wales, or Will down in Tassie. And just going through the schedule as Allan has been doing, and getting as much of that happening as soon as possible. It's not extra money. It's all there. It's just making sure it happens according the timetable we've set. So it's about having a plan. We have one. We took it to the election. It was endorsed by the Australian people and we're implementing it and we will continue to manage it carefully. I mean Labor always has, at a federal level, knee-jerk reactions to this at a federal level. You know they throw their arms around and they flap about in a panic, and remember him they wanted to put three hundred eighty seven billion dollars of extra taxes on the economy. That was a terrible plan. We've already seen a rebound in the housing markets whether it's here in Victoria or elsewhere around the country. That's a positive for confidence in the economy and we need to keep building on that.
JOURNALIST: On the Biloela family, the Federal Court will to make a decision on that today.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
JOURNALIST: I mean you've got everyone from Alan Jones to the Greens in agreement on this particular issue. Do you ever think you're out of step with the general public on this one?
PRIME MINISTER: It's about doing the right thing by the national interest. It's not about chasing public sentiment. Our border protection, national security is not about chasing Twitter, public sentiment, or anyone else. It's about doing the right thing. And I think what we've seen from Labor on this issue is the same mistake they've been making for almost 20 years. They've never understood this. You must be consistent. You must be consistent. Otherwise you'd just send out the invitations. I understand absolutely the motivation. And the compassion that Australians have expressed in relation to this case. I understand that. And I understand that's what motivates the suggestions that they're making. But I also know, from bitter experience, that if you make the wrong calls on these issues then you invite tragedy, and you invite chaos. And this country has lived through that on two occasions. On both occasions because of the failures of policy and particularly by the Labor Party. And I will not allow that to happen a third time on my watch. Thanks very much.
Radio Interview with Neil Mitchell, 3AW
4 September 2019
Prime Minister
NEIL MITCHELL: …Three hundred and sixty million dollars on these- widening of the Monash. Why?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there's always swings and roundabouts with these projects. I mean stage one actually came in a little under. Since we first committed to this project and we've had the negotiations with the State Government, we've seen some movements in material costs, we've seen some movements in transport costs. There's a lot of projects going on, not just in Melbourne but around the country too and that's putting some price pressures into the system. But what we find over, you know, we've got a $101 billion program over the next decade and we will find that some projects will increase in costs, others will come under and so there's no overall variation to our overall budget over the period.
NEIL MITCHELL: State Government announced it March 18 last year. You confirmed it September 18 last year. This is the same project, just the price has gone up so really the only thing that’s new today is a price, cost blow-out.
PRIME MINISTER: What it's about is getting it done. And this means nine million-
NEIL MITCHELL: But it was announced in September last year.
PRIME MINISTER: Well as you go through detailed project costing Neil these dollars do move around.
NEIL MITCHELL: 360 million?
PRIME MINISTER: What's important is to get it done. This is nine minutes less on someone's commute time. This is 600 jobs. It's a really important part of dealing with congestion in the southeast. And we're really keen to see it happen. So one of the first things I did after the election is I sat down with Daniel Andrews here, as I did with all the Premiers, and we went over the pipeline of all the projects in all the states and territories and I said we've got to get these things happening, and this is one we've been working on since then so I'm pleased we're getting it done. I'm sure commuters and people who will be having access to those extra lanes over 32 kilometres will be happy about it too.
NEIL MITCHELL: So that's 360 million on a $711 million dollar project, it's almost 50 per cent blow-out.
PRIME MINISTER: We put 500 million in. And now we've increased that by 190. That's just the Commonwealth, so we're talking about a multiple billion dollar project here.
NEIL MITCHELL: Right but it's 360 million more than it was.
PRIME MINISTER: Well and I agree.
NEIL MITCHELL: It's a bit- a huge blow-out.
PRIME MINISTER: Well you know it's for the reasons that I've said so-
NEIL MITCHELL: But won't be done any quicker will it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well now it's getting under now. So that's a good thing.
NEIL MITCHELL: But that was always planned.
PRIME MINISTER: Yes that's right. But it's happening. That's the point and if we didn't commit to these funds Neil it wouldn't be happening. So-
NEIL MITCHELL: It's ready just in time for the next state election.
PRIME MINISTER: We've got to get it done.
NEIL MITCHELL: You know it's ready to open just as the state election hits.
PRIME MINISTER: Well I'm happy that it be open Neil. I don't think punters care when it's before the next election or after, they just want it done and that's what- that's what the Premier and I are working to achieve.
NEIL MITCHELL: I think the Premier cares about the timing. Does this mean East West Link is off the table?
PRIME MINISTER: Not from our point of view, but that's really up to the State Government. I mean-
NEIL MITCHELL: You'd still like to build it?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah. We would and our commitment remains exactly what I said it was before the election. There's been no change in the Premier's view about that and there's been no change in ours.
NEIL MITCHELL: Won't this, I mean, I agree that outbound we certainly need more lanes but isn't this just going to clog. Where does the traffic go when it gets closer to town?
PRIME MINISTER: Well its part- it's stage two and there'll be further stages as well.
NEIL MITCHELL: But you can't widen the tunnel.
PRIME MINISTER: Well it's nine minutes better.
NEIL MITCHELL: So what happens when you get to the tunnel?
PRIME MINISTER: Well you know these are projects right across the network where we're investing in roads which seek to overall reduce commute times Neil but if you're suggesting we shouldn't do it then I disagree.
NEIL MITCHELL: No but I'm- I'm worried about it is just creating a bottleneck as we get to the tunnel we can't widen the tunnel.
PRIME MINISTER: We'll deal with these projects one at a time.
NEIL MITCHELL: What you would look at widening the tunnel?
PRIME MINISTER: Well let's just keep working with the State Government to ensure we do the right thing by commuters here in Melbourne.
NEIL MITCHELL: Speaking the state government I read the Daniel Andrews is your new best friends is that right?
PRIME MINISTER: Well look to be honest we're from different sides of politics and I don't know if we share too many interests but one thing we do share an interest in is getting projects done. We both lead governments. I mean the elections are over now. There was one for us this year. There was one for him last year. And so you know as two leaders of two governments of different political colours we just want to get on and build things.
NEIL MITCHELL: The economy. Figures out today will confirm it's a bit soft, won't they?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I said that the other day- it has softened, what the final numbers are we'll see. But I was pretty pleased with the current account numbers that came out yesterday. That's the first current account surplus that we've had since 1975. I mean Sky Hooks were leading the charts back then.
NEIL MITCHELL: We were hardly in good shape in '75 though?
PRIME MINISTER: Well what I'm saying is our export performance today has been quite extraordinary and that's been building up over many years. I mean we've gone from covering our trade agreements that previously only covered about 28 per cent to 70 per cent, and so you know the work we've done to build our export markets as a government over the last five years is really paying dividends now and we're going to keep expanding those, both with the European Union and with the UK.
NEIL MITCHELL: But the economy's flagging I mean that's all terrific. But it's not doing a lot of good here at the moment, back here and various industry leaders are saying that well for example that the tax cuts have failed, they haven't stimulated spending.
PRIME MINISTER: Well that's a ridiculous comment. I mean the figures that are coming out today are for the June quarter, the tax cuts were passed in the September quarter. The current quarter.
NEIL MITCHELL: You're confidence still they'll work?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah of course I am. And not only that but we've had the cash rate changes, we've got the reductions, we've had the infrastructure program which is rolling out and we're going to spend one and a half billion dollars in infrastructure in Victoria this year, just this year.
NEIL MITCHELL: Are you prepared to spend still more on infrastructure to avoid recession?
PRIME MINISTER: Well what I'll do is continue to monitor the implementation of our plan, see Neil I'm not surprised by the difficulties we're seeing globally at the moment when we put the budget together in May I said we should cut taxes. We should spend more on infrastructure. I said we should invest more in skills transitioning. I said we need to keep the rate of job growth running which is above what our budget estimated. And we've seen record employment growth, we've got 1.4 million jobs have been created, we have had over 100,000 jobs in the last year for people aged over 55. So-
NEIL MITCHELL: Retail spending has contracted, are you concerned by that?
PRIME MINISTER: I know. Yeah I am concerned by that.
NEIL MITCHELL: What do you do about that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well you cut taxes, you build infrastructure, you invest in skills.
NEIL MITCHELL: Well you've done that and you're saying it hasn't flowed through yet?
PRIME MINISTER: No I'm saying that, that happened in the September quarter and the figures we're talking about today were for last year. So you can't govern by rear-vision mirror. You have to look forward. And when you look forward, what are you going to do? Expand your export markets, invest in skills, invest in infrastructure, provide tax relief. Now let's remember what the alternative was. Labor said-
NEIL MITCHELL: No the election is over. You just told me the election is over.
PRIME MINISTER: Well the election is over. But what would have happened if we'd actually increase taxes by $387 billion. That was their prescription for the economy. And that was dead wrong.
NEIL MITCHELL: Well let's talk about the future. Are you prepared to forego the surplus if necessary to provide stimulus?
PRIME MINISTER: The surplus provides an important guardrail for our economic decision making. We're not going to do what the Labour government did when they were last elected where they recklessly racked up debt which we are still paying for today and will for the next decade. We will carefully and soberly look at what's happening in the economy. We've got plans that we put in place in the budget to deal with exactly the situation we're talking about now. And we will watch those programs. That's why I sat down with the Premiers to make sure the infrastructure commitments happen, that they weren't on paper- they were pavement. They were concrete, they were bitumen.
NEIL MITCHELL: So are you prepared if necessary to forego the surplus to provide stimulation for the economy?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I'm not seeing anything at the moment which would-
NEIL MITCHELL: But you're reviewing. You said you're reviewing things, is part of the review the surplus?
PRIME MINISTER: And I'm not saying anything Neil that would draw that question to our considerations-
NEIL MITCHELL: That must be on the table if you're reviewing things that must be one of the issues on the table. What else-
PRIME MINISTER: No I don't believe- see we're putting the budget in a much stronger position Neil and that's taken us- It's this is the first budget surplus year we've been in for 12 years. And I know Labor and others are so quick to throw away those gains as they are on the gains we've had on border protection. They think you can just so carelessly throw this away at the first breath of wind. And our government won't do that we will stay the course, we will be consistent we'll be measured, we'll be reasoned, we've got our plans we'll implement them, and that's the stability I think Australians voted for.
NEIL MITCHELL: What- if you were to rate the economy out of 10 what would it be?
PRIME MINISTER: Well globally we're in the second fastest growing developed economy in the G7.
NEIL MITCHELL: So what do you give us out of 10?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I'll let others judge it but I mean, 1.4 million people who have got a job would say that's pretty good.
NEIL MITCHELL: Is recession a danger?
PRIME MINISTER: Look I don't see us going in that territory at all. I mean but let's remember Germany just had a negative quarter of growth. The UK just had a negative quarter of growth. Australia hasn't. The fact that Australia, albeit that today's growth figures I think over the year will show a softness. I think what we will also see is that in a tough climate we're actually battling away quite well and you know what I put that down to? I put that down to hardworking Australians starting businesses, going to work every day. That's who that's who I say the heroes of the Australian economy are.
NEIL MITCHELL: 19,000 Hong Kong residents in this country. There's a suggestion they be given visas to stay because of the dramas in Hong Kong. Would you look at that?
PRIME MINISTER: Look I think those sorts of issues are premature. I think what we have to do in this situation, as I've said all along, is just to remain calm we're closely assessing the situation, the Foreign Minister has particularly been doing that. I mean, we're in regular contact with our Consul General there in Hong Kong and we just urge the protesters to be peaceful. And we just urge the de-escalation of the situation.
NEIL MITCHELL: Do you urge China to show restraint?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course.
NEIL MITCHELL: I know we need them for trade. We need to get on with them. But by gee they sort of stand against everything we support don't they?
PRIME MINISTER: Look we're two different countries. But that doesn't mean you can't get on. I was in Vietnam the other day-
NEIL MITCHELL: It's hard to get on with a country that's got concentration camps.
PRIME MINISTER: Well it's not for us to go around and tell every country how they run their show.
NEIL MITCHELL: Well I hope we would have told Adolf Hitler that-
PRIME MINISTER: But we also raise these issues as you would expect us to, and we and we do it unapologetically. But we don't run China, but they are part of a global community and this is the point I've been making about China. China has- it was the point to see China grow, engage the global economy and become a more successful economy and bring tens, if not hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Well guess what? Mission accomplished. But that means today we're dealing with a different China from an economic standpoint than we were 30 years ago. So the challenge now is how do you integrate China both strategically and economically into a global economy and setting as a developed economy. And that means they've got to play by the same rules as everybody else whether that's on emissions reduction, on trade, or anything else. And that's I think the point the United States has made, and that's why I strongly support what the President's been saying about that.
NEIL MITCHELL: But isn't our morality affected by our economy here? And we're saying we can't really say what we'd like to say about China because we've got to trade with them?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we've been trading with China you know for decades-
NEIL MITCHELL: But we seem to turn a blind eye to some of their atrocities?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't think that's fair. And particularly it's not fair if you- and I know you're not suggesting this Neil, but when Australians are caught up in these issues as well. We raise these issues consistently and very, very strongly. And Australia- we were one of many who signed the most recent document that was calling out human rights issues that went to the United Nations.
NEIL MITCHELL: This Tamil family. Is it correct there are 6,000 other Tamils in a similar position?
PRIME MINISTER: Everyone has had their cases assessed as to whether they're refugees by the government that's my advice.
NEIL MITCHELL: These are illegal immigrants?
PRIME MINISTER: These are people who've had their refugee claims rejected and they are now going through the appeals process-
NEIL MITCHELL: Did they come illegally?
PRIME MINISTER: They illegally entered Australia.
NEIL MITCHELL: They illegally entered?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
NEIL MITCHELL: ok yep.
PRIME MINISTER: that my understanding of the figures that you're referring to. Now I'm happy to stand corrected on that, but that is that's my understanding of those.
NEIL MITCHELL: So there are 6,000 who have been- and they will be sent home.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah. And look as they should be. And if then, you know if Priya and Nades, and Kopika and Tharunicaa want to then come to Australia, well like fifteen hundred who have already been sent back before them, well they can seek to do that. And there are a range of-
NEIL MITCHELL: Would you expedite that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I'd apply the same rules that I apply to everybody else. I mean this is the whole point, to have a fair immigration system you don't create special cases just because Twitter says so.
NEIL MITCHELL: We do- I mean the opposition's saying that the Minister's intervened 4,000 times.
PRIME MINISTER: There are many interventions that take place-
NEIL MITCHELL: Has he intervened with illegal immigrants though?
PRIME MINISTER: Not to my knowledge. I'm not aware of all those 4,000 cases there many of them, I used to be an immigration Minister-
NEIL MITCHELL: Did you ever intervene in- these illegal immigrants will be allowed to stay even though they're illegal-
PRIME MINISTER: I cannot recall an occasion where I would have done that.
NEIL MITCHELL: I mean there have been various cases we've campaigned on who are not illegal immigrants. But that's another matter.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah exactly. And there are many cases where I intervened in those cases not those who illegally entered Australia. And this is the point. I mean Neil, this is a case which has been found that people- look and look let me say this first, I understand why Australians feel so strongly about this. And I don't for a second question their genuine compassionate motivation in raising the issue and I genuinely respect that.
NEIL MITCHELL: And you don't question the decency of this families?
PRIME MINISTER: No of course I don't. Of course I don't.
NEIL MITCHELL: Can we be sure they won't be persecuted when they get back? Yes, because and that's not only me that's saying it, the high court has found same. So you know-
NEIL MITCHELL: Are you annoyed that your religion has been brought into this, your faith.
PRIME MINISTER: I turn the other cheek Neil.
NEIL MITCHELL: That's probably a good idea. Um, can you explain to me the relationship between media and government?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it's the fifth estate.
NEIL MITCHELL: I mean you're not doing a great job in terms of freedom of the press by arresting journalists and searching journalists’ homes.
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry? Why would journalists not be subject to the law Neil?
NEIL MITCHELL: Well it depends what the law is. If it's suppressing legitimate information that's a problem.
PRIME MINISTER: Well I'm sorry. If people break the law in this country they should be same subject to the same laws as everybody else. Politicians and- people can search my home if they want, if they think, if they suspect me of a crime Neil. I don't place myself above the law, I don't see why anyone else would.
NEIL MITCHELL: The dinner with the Nine management on Monday night.
PRIME MINISTER: There was only one member of Nine there from memory.
NEIL MITCHELL: I thought there were a couple, anyway it was on the Today programme in the Nine facility and it's been criticised.
PRIME MINISTER: They hosted it.
NEIL MITCHELL: Whose idea was it?
PRIME MINISTER: I couldn't tell you I was just invited.
NEIL MITCHELL: It's not your problem!
PRIME MINISTER: No it's not.
NEIL MITCHELL: Do you see anything wrong with it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it's not really for me to say. I mean they were happy to host an event and I attended an event, I understand they attended a Labor Party event last night-
NEIL MITCHELL: Yeah but they didn't host it.
PRIME MINISTER: Well no. But that's really for them to explain not me.
NEIL MITCHELL: I think that's a fair point. Aussie Post prices going up did you approve that?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah. That has to come through us, but that doesn't affect the concession arrangements for pensioners and others, and it doesn't affect Christmas cards. But the fact is that people aren't using letters as much and the people who will pay the extra here are largely large corporates who use it. So this is largely falling on corporates and government this extra cost.
NEIL MITCHELL: You've been doing a lot of travel recently, do you enjoy the World stage? Or would you rather be at the footy?
PRIME MINISTER: I'd rather be at the footy to be honest. But you know it's an important part of the job. And at this part of the year there's always a lot of it. And you know I'm always very sensitive to the fact that Australians say, would be thinking, well you know he should be back here more often and I have a great deal of sympathy with that view. But you know this was the first opportunity we've had to sit down with the G7 as a country, and that's an important opportunity particularly when I'm trying to press trade agreements in Europe at the moment and with the UK and everything that's happening with Brexit. So it was an important opportunity. And Vietnam. Well this is going to be a huge relationship for Australia. And I'm really excited about that. And of course Timor-Leste celebrating their 20th year since the vote all those years ago- Australia played an important role in that. And I think it was great to be there and that was done on a bipartisan basis, I had Anthony there with me, because you know Australia supports Timor-Leste.
NEIL MITCHELL: You've got a state dinner with President Trump soon. He's a little different?
NEIL MITCHELL: He's unconventional. I think that's fair-
NEIL MITCHELL: How do you get on with him?
PRIME MINISTER: I get on very well with him. But more importantly our countries get on and I think that's the real connection. I mean he's a very different President to previous Presidents.
NEIL MITCHELL: Is he a good President?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah I, look we've got a straight up relationship and he respects Australia.
NEIL MITCHELL: That's avoiding the question. I can understand why. Is he a good President?
PRIME MINISTER: Is he a good president for Australia? Yes.
NEIL MITCHELL: Ok, Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, got a bit of strife over there but he has had time to-
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah he's got a bag full of angry cats at the moment.
NEIL MITCHELL: He has had time to have a go at you about the cricket in the Commons.
BORIS JOHNSON, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN: Prime Minister Morrison of Australia, who heroically masked his emotions in the face of the historic innings of Ben Stokes.
NEIL MITCHELL: You going to watch it tonight?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah I am going to watch it and Steve Smith will be back BoJo, so you know I'm looking forward to it.
NEIL MITCHELL: You're confident.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah look and that last test was an amazing test and we caught up the next morning and we'd both been watching it I'm sure the day before, and this is a great Test series. It's a great Test Series.
NEIL MITCHELL: Thank you for coming in, two little quick things- my city is better than your city Melbourne is rated ahead of Sydney. Sydney's come up because it's green. We've got a problem with crime but we're number two to Vienna, you're number three to Melbourne.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah well Vienna's beaches are rubbish so I'm sure we'll both get on top of them in the years ahead. That's why we got to invest in this infrastructure Neil. That's what we've got to do here and that's what we are doing. And Melbourne is a great city.
NEIL MITCHELL: And speaking of beaches I'm told that you surprised yourself winning the election, you in fact had a holiday booked in Fiji the week after the election? Is that right?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we did go to Fiji after the election.
NEIL MITCHELL: But that was a couple of weeks later I heard the week after?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no.
NEIL MITCHELL: Some colleagues said to me you were about to go off.
PRIME MINISTER: No it was several weeks after the election-
NEIL MITCHELL: You hadn't booked it earlier?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no I didn't arrange anything until after the election. I was focussed 100 per cent. I think as people saw me campaigning all the way up to the close of polls.
NEIL MITCHELL: Thank you so much for coming in.
PRIME MINISTER: Good on you Neil, great to be here.
NEIL MITCHELL: The Prime Minister, Scott Morrison.
Monash Freeway upgrades moving forward for Melbourne commuters
4 September 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Cities Urban Infrastructure and Population, Premier of Victoria, Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure
An extra 36 kilometres of new lanes will be added to the Monash Freeway under a joint Australian and Victorian Government plan to bust congestion in Melbourne’s east.
The Morrison and Andrews Governments have committed an extra $367.5 million towards the Stage 2 Upgrade of the Monash Freeway.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his Government had prioritised getting people out of traffic and off to work or back home sooner and safer.
“This project is a top-order congestion-busting priority for Melbourne and we’re going to get it done,” the Prime Minister said.
“This project is going to be a significant boost to the local economy which is why we’ve been working closely with Premiers like Daniel Andrews to get this work underway as quickly as possible.”
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the upgrade would significantly improve safety and reduce congestion for the 470,000 drivers making trips on the Monash each day.
“We’ve already delivered the first stage of upgrades on the Monash and we’re getting on with the next – to get people in Melbourne’s booming south east home safer and sooner,” the Premier said.
“The extra lanes will slash nearly ten minutes off the morning peak hour commute into town, and better connect the Monash with Eastlink.”
The second stage of the upgrade will expand the Monash from eight to ten lanes between Springvale Road and EastLink, and from four to six lanes between Clyde Road and Cardinia Road – slashing nine minutes off a morning peak hour trip between Pakenham and Malvern.
There will also be better connections at Beaconsfield, and links to an upgraded and extended O’Shea Road that will feature two extra lanes in each direction. The upgrade will also create a new outbound entry to the Monash Freeway at Police Road and a modified outbound Jacksons Road entry to EastLink making it easier and safer to access both the Monash and EastLink.
Federal Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said the project was a crucial next step in easing the frustration felt by Melbourne commuters.
“This will improve access along the Monash Freeway, it will slash nine minutes off a morning peak hour trip between Pakenham and Malvern and 13 minutes in the evening peak period,” Mr Tudge said.
Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said the next stage of upgrades to the Monash were part of the Victorian Government’s more than $50 billion investment in Victoria’s road and rail network.
“The next stage of the Monash Freeway Upgrade is part of our unprecedented investment in Victoria’s road and rail network – to get people home safer and sooner, wherever they live,” Minister Allan said.
Federal Member for La Trobe Jason Wood said the project would deliver long-lasting benefits for his local community.
“The project includes the upgrade of the Beaconsfield Interchange and the extension of O’Shea Road in Berwick, which will facilitate the Minta City development, opening 10,000 new job opportunities which would greatly benefit residents in the south east,” Mr Wood said.
Victorian Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale welcomed the important milestone on the project and the benefits it would bring.
“The extra lanes will make a real difference for local motorists, saving time and hassle in the morning and getting them home quicker at the end of the day,” Ms Crugnale said.
New intelligent transport technology will be rolled out along the freeway corridor to improve traffic flow and allow for real-time traffic management when accidents occur.
Construction of the new lanes will start early 2020 and is expected to be completed in late 2022.
This is the final stage of the $1.4 billion Monash Freeway Upgrade, being delivered by Major Road Projects Victoria.
Doorstop Interview - Nancy-Bird Walton Western Sydney Airport Experience Centre
2 September 2019
Prime Minister
ANGUS TAYLOR: Well welcome all to the great electorate of Hume where much of this project is occurring, I’m Angus Taylor and I'm delighted to be here with my local colleagues Melissa McIntosh, neighbouring electorate of Lindsay, where a great deal of the work around this new city is going on and also Stuart Ayres and Peter Sidgreaves, local state members, and of course my many ministerial colleagues here today. Prime Minister, Mathias Cormann, Alan Tudge, and of course Michael McCormack the Deputy Prime Minister. I am incredibly proud that this enormous project is going on, on the edge of my electorate and with it a new city being built, a 30 minute city, a city which will focus on local jobs. And of course I know Melissa as well is very, very focussed and very passionate about making sure we have more local jobs in Western Sydney and that of course is what this project is all about. Again thank you for being here and welcome here today.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much. Thanks Angus, Melissa and all the colleagues who are here with me today particularly Stuart Ayres, not only being a great member out here in Western Sydney but also representing the Premier today. I said outside, this is about jobs. Over 330,000 jobs created in the last year. Jobs for young people, jobs for older Australians as well. This is a rapidly changing part of Sydney. This project says an enormous amount about our Government's commitment to the future of the Australian economy. And the future of this wonderful city and state but also in particular the future of Western Sydney. Young people will come to this very experience centre, they'll see 25 million cubic metres of earth being moved to create this amazing airport, an airport that will reach out to the entire world connecting this growth part of our economy to the rest of the world whether it's freight, whether it's with passengers, whether it's the aero-tropolis and the technology industries and the logistics and freight industries that will build around this part of Sydney connecting to other parts of the country. This is how you grow an economy. This is how you keep an economy strong and it's been a hard fought battle over many years from the day we were elected five and a half years ago, almost six years ago now. We have been working to bring this about, making the changes that needed to be made, forcing ahead where we needed to force ahead together and in particular being able to work hand in glove together with the New South Wales State Government and local governments. This has been a true partnership to get us to where we are today but it's all about the future. It's all about jobs. And while the Australian economy faces difficult global challenges at present. These are challenges that we understood would come. That's why we committed to these projects so long ago. Early on in our term as a government, laying the foundations to get through the process to ensure that we can be where we're at today. And as Minister Tudge said earlier, a project that is on track, on budget, on timetable to deliver for the people of Australia. So it's very exciting to be here today. I'll leave it for the Deputy Prime Minister and Stuart Ayres to comment further on the project but to see the kids out here today and to know that they could look out that window and see their future, their future jobs. I spoke to one of the girls she said she wanted to be a pilot and others said “yeah I reckon I’ll work here”. She doesn't know what job yet, but she reckons her future is here as well. And that's what you want to hear. That's why we do these projects. That's why so many of us here because we so always been so committed to this project. We're incredibly excited about it and I'll ask the Deputy Prime Minister to say a few words and then Stuart Ayres.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, THE HON MICHAEL MCCORMACK MP: Thank you Prime Minister and it's great to be here in this wonderful modern new experience centre where locals and indeed people from right across Australia, right across the world, can come and see the new runway construction eventually can come and see planes taking off, landing, at what is Western Sydney's gateway to the world, at what is the world's gateway to Western Sydney. A state of the art airport being built right here in Western Sydney and a state of the art airport indeed being built by the Liberal Nationals Federal and State governments. We're getting on with building the nation building infrastructure that Australians want, need, deserve, and expect we're getting on with building not just for the here and now but for the future. Both the state and federal governments have an eye to the future. We have a plan. We have a vision. And right here right now we're getting on and doing that. Stewart.
STUART AYRES: Thank you very much. This is a trial blazing project that will change the face of Western Sydney and at its focus, it's about creating 200,000 new jobs in Western Sydney so people can work closer to home. This only happens when you have a Commonwealth and state government working hand in hand and absolutely committed to delivering for people here in Western Sydney. That's what we've got today, and that's why we're seeing over 20 billion dollars worth of infrastructure being invested in across western Sydney. The catalyst for that was this airport. We simply wouldn't be here unless the Commonwealth Government was brave enough to commit over five billion dollars in investment in this community, off the back of that we're seeing the formation of a new city, new rail lines, and new jobs closer to where people live. When we say nation building you couldn't get a better example than where you are standing today.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you Stuart, can I also thank Paul O'Sullivan and the whole team here at Western Sydney international Nancy-Bird Walton airport for the great job that they’ve been doing. But can I particularly thank the people of Western Sydney for their tremendous support for this project. It's been their support that has enabled us I think to move so quickly, and that support I know will continue to in the future because the people in Western Sydney see the benefits, they see what's in front of them and this experience centre will give them the further opportunity to see that on a daily basis. So thank you to the people of Western Sydney for getting behind this project and getting behind your future. Happy to take questions, why don’t we start with questions on this project first but I have no doubt there will be other matters you'd like to canvas.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister how much does this experience centre cost and who's paying for it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it's all within the scope of the Western Sydney Airport’s overall project budget.
JOURNALIST: But how much taxpayer money?
PRIME MINISTER: that's a commercial in-confidence matter.
JOURNALIST: So you can't tell us how much?
PRIME MINISTER: No because that was commercial in confidence.
JOURNALIST: Your media release says that you expect tourists will come here. Can you really expect that tourists will want to visit Sydney, go to the Opera House, Bondi Beach, Harbour Bridge, and the Western Sydney airport experience?
PRIME MINISTER: Why wouldn't they?
JOURNALIST: Do you really think they will?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, sure, why not?
JOURNALIST: How many tourists are you forecasting will visit?
PRIME MINISTER: As many as we can cater for. There'll be a lot of schoolkids coming here too which I think is really important. I mean when I was a kid we went out on an open excursion the Warragamba Dam we visited the experience centre just like this. I remember it to this day. And kids will remember going to this centre and they'll go home and they'll tell their parents, and they'll say what's happening out there the airport is fantastic mum and dad. And that's what this is about, it’s about people understanding what's happening in their community.
JOURNALIST: Do you expect it to become a tourist attraction? Do you?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm happy for people to come and visit it, why not! Look at the, look at the story that's being told. I mean if people are coming out to Western Sydney why wouldn't you stop in and have a look?
JOURNALIST: The first line of your media release says it will be- tourists will be coming here. I just wonder what the Government's basing that on?
PRIME MINISTER: Because it's a great facility that tells a wonderful story about Western Sydney.
JOURNALIST: Predominantly it’s just government promotional videos being played over and over again is that, you think it's a tourist attraction?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what I just saw was the history of Western Sydney. I'd encourage you to go and have a look at it and actually look at the videos that are there. It tells the story of the development of this entire part of this wonderful city. I'm very proud of my city. I have been a Sydneysider pretty much all of my life and I'm so proud of what this city has achieved, not just over my lifetime, but the generations of Australians who have made this city what it is, and going back into our Indigenous history, that's the story that's being told here. These are stories of Australia. I think people want to know the stories of Australia. And here they can hear them.
JOURNALIST: Is that why so many ministers are here today?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, so many ministers are here today because we're very excited about what we're doing. We're so pumped about this airport. I mean, you may not be familiar with the decisions that this Government had to take, to make this a reality. It was no small thing. No small thing at all. And there are a lot of brave decisions that had to be taken. So, yeah, we took them. And that's why this airport is being built and if it wasn't for our Government, this airport would not be being built.
JOURNALIST: PM on another issue - do you think people are rightly suspicious about the timing of the release of the information surrounding this sixth boat coming from Sri Lanka considering the current debate regarding the Tamil family?
PRIME MINISTER: It's just a simple fact. It's a fact.
JOURNALIST: But why release the information now?
PRIME MINISTER: We have regularly released this information, after these incidents have occurred. And it's a reminder, frankly, of the reality of the situation that this Government deals with on a day-to-day basis. I mean, I was there back in 2013. I was the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection back then. I remember the human tragedy. I remember the absolute chaos and dysfunction and I remember having to gather together people to address this very wicked problem which our Government addressed. But it's one that we remain vigilant about and it's one that we understand what is necessary to ensure that you can keep the integrity of your borders in place. I mean, I remember when it all turned to custard under Labor, I remember people standing in the Parliament and weeping. I remember people seeing the terrible scenes and wondering, "How did all this happen?" It happens when you forget what is necessary to keep your borders intact.
JOURNALIST: Can you understand why some members of the Australian public would be cynical about the timing?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: Given it happened four weeks ago?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, these are things that are regularly released after the event. People will remember very well that it was my policy not to release that information at the time of it happening. These things happen later. It's important that Australians understand the full perspective of the decisions that the Government has to take. And they remain difficult decisions. They remain very difficult decisions, and they're not taken easily. And that's why it's important that we have to continue on with the very successful program that we have had because I know what happens when people forget. I know what happens when people think it's OK to make an exception here or there. I remember what happened. I remember the deaths. I remember those terrible images, and I will never allow that to happen again if it's within my power, and where it's within my power, they are the decisions my Government takes.
JOURNALIST: Why not use discretion to let the Tamil family stay in Australia, wouldn't that be the humane thing to do?
PRIME MINISTER: 1,500 people have already been sent back to Sri Lanka under the same circumstances, we have a process in this country, under our border protection regime, if people have illegally entered Australia, as they did under the previous government, they had their claims assessed. In this case, their claims were found to be invalid. They were never told they could settle in Australia, they were aware of that the entire time, and while I understand the deep human issues around this, you have got to think about the implications for this. It went through every court, to our highest court in the land and every single one of those courts upheld the decisions that were taken: Now at a time when there are increasing push factors come out of Sri Lanka, the worst possible thing you can do was to send a decision, send a message which said, "You know what - if you come illegally to Australia, and the courts say you don't have a claim, and the Government say you don't have a claim, then the Government just might make an exception because there's been a public reaction. Now, that's not how you run strong borders. I know what happens when you send those messages back into those communities, whether it's in Sri Lanka or the more than 10,000 people sitting in Indonesia right now who would get on a boat tomorrow if they thought this Government was changing its position. So I do understand the real feeling about this and the desire for there to be an exception but I know what the consequences are of allowing those exceptions. They can return to Sri Lanka and they can make an application to come to Australia under the same processes as everyone else, anywhere else in the world. And I would hope they do. I would hope they do. But they didn't come to the country in the appropriate way. They have not been found to have an asylum claim. And to have changed our policy on this, or to exercise intervention powers on this, would be to send exactly the wrong message to those who are looking to sell tickets to vulnerable people looking to get on boats, it would send them the exact wrong message and that's not something that I in good conscious can allow to happen and nor can my ministers.
JOURNALIST: So are there any circumstances for this under which this family- they could stay?
PRIME MINISTER: There's a matter that’s currently before the courts and I’ll allow that to take its course through the courts. That’s a process, we have respected the process the entire way. But I need to be very clear to those who might be sitting in Indonesia or Sri Lanka or anywhere else - my Government's policy has not changed.
JOURNALIST: Do you think you're out of step and the Government is out of step with the public mood on this? I know- I’ve heard what you have said, but do you think you’re out of step?
PRIME MINISTER: It's not about the public mood, it's about what is the right decision in Australia's national interests to ensure that the integrity of our border protection regime is maintained. Because just like when Kevin Rudd thought it was alright to get rid of temporary protection visas in August of 2008 and then 50,000 people turned up on 800 boats and 1,200 people died, I'm sure he felt that it might have been the humane thing to do. But what I do know is that what followed was tragedy and chaos.
JOURNALIST: PM just to be clear - is it now the Government's policy that you will release information about boat arrivals four weeks after they come, is that now the policy?
PRIME MINISTER: The Government releases information as it believes it's important to do so.
JOURNALIST: And why was it important to do so today?
PRIME MINISTER: We followed a practice that we have in the past and I think that keeps the issue of the ever-present threat of illegal arrivals to Australia foremost in the public's mind.
JOURNALIST: Do you believe that people smuggling trade has restarted?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the evidence - it never stopped seeking to pursue its business. It just came up against a Government that was able to defeat it, time and time and time and time again. You know how that happened? Resolve. Determination. The ability to understand the consequences of decisions. The ability to maintain the integrity of a regime that has saved lives.
JOURNALIST: Just on another issue if I can?
PRIME MINISTER: Sure.
JOURNALIST: What is the Government doing to broaden the tourism market so we're not relying so much on visitors from one country such as China?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, this has been going on for some time now, and we have been - I was just in Vietnam just last- the week before last. We have always been diversifying our markets whether it's to India or whether it's to North America or indeed into Europe and other parts of South-East Asia. There has been incredibly strong growth out of China, and the China market remains a really important part of our international tourism industry, but whether it's on tourism or whether it’s on trade. Right now on trade we're working on two agreements. One prospectively, one right now. One is with the European Union and I was just discussing those matters with the German Chancellor and the Italian Prime Minister just the other day. And, of course, when Brexit occurs, then we'll be in a position to move off that starting line very quickly in the UK as well and I have discussed those matters with Prime Minister Johnson. So in this world of increasing global tensions, particularly between the two biggest economies in the world, it is important to diversify and the Government has taken action on that since we were first elected. Our trade agreements when we came to Government, I think from memory, covered about 27 per cent of our trade. It now covers 70 per cent. That's what diversification looks like. We're doing the same with our tourism markets.
JOURNALIST: The national accounts out tomorrow are expected to show weak growth in the Australian economy. Should Australians be preparing for a recession?
PRIME MINISTER: We were very aware of the challenges that Australia was facing in the global economy when we prepared this year's budget. That's why there's - we increased the infrastructure spend to $100 billion. That's why we put in place the tax cuts which we were able to legislate in that first week of July. That's why we invested in skills. That's why we have invested in expanding our trade agreements. All of this was part of this year's budget, in the full knowledge that we would be facing a very difficult quarter, particularly in that June quarter, and I suspect the June quarter results will be soft, but what matters is the plan that is already in place to address that, both now and into the future. I mean the June quarter, of course, does not include the second of the cash rate reductions from the RBA nor does it include the tax cuts that came through. And I note today that CoreLogic's house price data shows that we have seen an improvement, and they have put that improvement down to the stability in Federal Government and the other improvements that they have seen in credit easing as well as the cash rate and tax cut impacts on the economy. So our view is we have got the plan, let's have a look at the September quarter results which will take into account obviously the first round impacts of what came out of the tax cuts and the cash rate cuts, and then we'll go from there. You know, in difficult global economic times, Australians don't want a Government that responds with knee-jerk reactions. They voted for a Government that had a plan, that put that plan to them in the last Budget. They re-elected us as Government to implement that plan. We'll get about that plan in a very measured and cool-headed way. Last time, you know, we had a Government that reacted in a knee-jerk way, we're still paying the debt off now, and will be for the rest of this decade. What you'll get from my Government is a much more sound-headed, cool-headed, measured approach, which has laid out the plans like what were in here today. This is part of our economic plan. This is what we put in place years ago, to address these very circumstances.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can I ask - what is your reaction to the increasing violence in West Papua?
PRIME MINISTER: This is a matter that the UN is dealing with in the current human rights investigation and that's got the full cooperation of the Indonesian Government. And so, as we discussed at the recent Pacific Islands Forum, it's very important that that process is enabled to be facilitated and undertaken and we'll, I’ll wait for the outcomes of that process. We support that process and that's where our focus is. That's the practical measures that are being undertaken now and so let’s let that process follow before making any further comment.
JOURNALIST: How concerned are you about seventy year old Australian democracy activist Van Kham Chau, apologies for my pronunciation, being prosecuted in Vietnam?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, this will be a consular matter and I'll be referring that to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and if I have any further update to provide on that, but in these cases our consular officials do an outstanding job as they are in a number of places at the moment, in very sensitive circumstances. And it's always been my policy to ensure that we pursue these matters through diplomatic channels and I'm not in the habit of making public comment on them because I’ve never found that to assist the individuals involved.
JOURNALIST: Just on the sluggish economic times. Given what we have discussed, do you think the current payout perks to Senators and Members are too generous? I know there's an independent process there. Do you think given the difficult economic times it should be incumbent on politicians to voluntary look to shave some of those perks?
PRIME MINISTER: These are arrangements that were put in place some time ago, and I'm sure when anyone leaves a job, not of their own choosing, there are arrangements that are in place for people who do that. I mean if you were to be let go, made redundant today by your news organisation, then I'm sure there would be a contractual arrangement for you to have some support when you left that job not by your own hand.
JOURNALIST: I hope you don’t know something I don’t?
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: All I'm saying is these arrangements exist in the private sector, they exist in the public sector and they don't discriminate whether you're a politician or you're a journalist. Thanks very much.
First Class Views from Western Sydney Airport Experience Centre
2 September 2019
Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Finance, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Population, Minister for Cities Urban Infrastructure and Population, Member for Lindsay
Locals and tourists will be able to take in Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport years before a plane even takes off with today’s unveiling of the world-class experience centre.
Designed in conjunction with the local landscape, the centre will guide visitors through an exhibition space before opening to a viewing area where they will be able to see airport construction underway. Major earthworks are set to begin in early 2020.
The viewing area is also equipped with augmented reality, allowing visitors to view how the terminal and runway will look and where they will be positioned.
The centre will feature interactive digital videos including the history of the region, the importance of the airport to Western Sydney and the massive economic benefits.
The opening of the Western Sydney International Airport Experience Centre is another important milestone in the delivery of a new airport for Western Sydney, thanks to the Morrison Government’s $5.3 billion investment.
This centre will provide an opportunity for the people of Western Sydney to see first-hand the transformation underway in the region, driven by the airport’s development.
Western Sydney International will deliver jobs and economic growth for the region and this centre offers the chance for local people to feel like they are part of it.
Construction of the airport commenced last year and the airport is on track to open in 2026.
Throughout the construction period, the airport will support more than 11,000 jobs in Western Sydney, and is expected to support 28,000 full-time jobs within five years of the airport opening.
Employment targets have been set meaning that 30 per cent of jobs during construction will go to local Western Sydney residents, increasing to 50 per cent when the airport is operating.
In addition the Western Sydney City Deal – between the Australian and New South Wales Governments, together with Western Sydney Councils – is delivering a vibrant, liveable Western Parkland City and attracting international and Australian investment to the precinct around the airport.
Major Earthworks Contract Awarded for Western Sydney International Airport
1 September 2019
Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Finance, Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure, Member for Lindsay
Runways, roads, rail and terminal construction will soon be underway at Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport with the Morrison Government signing off on a key earthworks contract.
After a rigorous competitive tender process, the contract, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, will go to Lend Lease CPB, who will undertake one of Australia’s largest ever infrastructure earthworks projects.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said work under the contract would move around 25 million cubic metres of earth on the site to support construction of the major elements of the airport, including the runway and terminal.
“With the ink now signed on the contacts, this huge construction work is due to begin in early 2020, and it’ll mean hundreds of new jobs on the airport site,” the Prime Minister said.
“This is a game-changer for Western Sydney and things are starting to take shape.
“The Airport is going to mean more jobs for local workers and more opportunities for Western Sydney.”
The award of this contract is another major milestone in the delivery of the federally funded, $5.3 billion Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said this was an important first step in the construction of a once-in-a-lifetime infrastructure project.
“The construction of a major airport comes around once in a generation and this infrastructure project will not only provide job opportunities west of Sydney during the construction phase but also beyond 2026 when it opens,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
“When complete, the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport will ensure greater connectivity to other Australian cities, regional hubs and of course the world which benefits all Australians and visitors.”
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said that in reaching this next milestone the project was entering an exciting new phase.
“Since early earthworks started in September 2018, more than 1.5 million cubic metres of earth has been moved,” Minister Cormann said. “But construction activity has so far only concentrated on a small portion of the 1,780 hectare site.
“With the awarding of this contract, we will see work on the site ramp up significantly. The contractors will soon be working across an area of around 1,000 hectares, leading to greater progress and more jobs.
Minister for Population Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said the contract was one of the most significant steps in the delivery of the airport, which is due to open for business in 2026.
“We are keeping our promise to not only deliver a world-class airport for Western Sydney, but to turbo charge the transformation of the region,” Minister Tudge said.
“Stemming from the airport, the Western Sydney City Deal is delivering jobs, investment and infrastructure for the region, with work underway on a range of projects.”
Member for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh said she was committed to delivering infrastructure to ease congestion and create more local jobs in Western Sydney.
“The Airport, Aerotropolis and Science Park alongside the Western Sydney City Deal will create over 200,000 jobs and opportunities to train our local kids in the jobs of the future,” Ms McIntosh said.
Joint Press Conference with the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
30 August 2019
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: Prime Minister Ruak, thank you for the opportunity to be here today and your invitation to make some remarks. It is a great day for Timor-Leste. Today is all about Timor-Leste. This day, 20 years ago, when more than 400,000 people cast their ballots and decided their own future, a nation was born and democracy was celebrated. And the Foreign Minister Senator Payne was there as part of an Australian delegation to observe those elections. A delegation that I note was led by the late former Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer, who I know, who is no longer with us, would be celebrating this day very much.
I'm honoured to be here to celebrate these achievements. Your commitment to democracy, Prime Minister, and your nation forged through sacrifice is perhaps the greatest achievement of all. Last year more than 600,000 Timorese had their voices heard again at a peaceful election, the fourth since independence. But alongside democracy you’ve built strong institutions to uphold human rights and to prevent corruption. You have built roads, you have built schools, you have built hospitals, you have reduced poverty and you have saved lives through eliminating polio. These are truly great achievements and things for which the people of Timor-Leste, they should be very, very proud. As a neighbour but more importantly as a partner and as a friend, Australia celebrates those achievements with you and we are pleased to have been able to play the part that we have walking alongside Timor-Leste over this period of time. And there is so much more, as we've been discussing, that we can do together.
Our relationship is deep. It is long lasting. There is a sense of connection and affection that has been on display in our meetings today and has long been present and will endure into the future. In the last 20 years Australia and the people of Timor-Leste have worked together to increase development and improve regional security. Our relationship is much more than the sum of our achievements. At its heart is the relationship between the people and that is on display today. I was so pleased to be joined by so many other Australians at the lunch today and later this evening. The people of Australia are celebrating Timor-Leste today.
We celebrated with you in 1999 and we will always work closely with Timor-Leste. This year, 200 Australian students studied and returned here as part of the New Colombo Plan and 47 Timorese Australia Awards scholars are studying in Australia today. Australia is investing in the skills and capability of the Timorese people and I am pleased that Timor-Leste has also joined our new Pacific Labour Scheme. Our relationship will endure. We respect and celebrate your hard won sovereignty and independence and we will continue to walk with you.
So today we open a new chapter in our relationship and we have just had a wonderful conversation. I'm particularly proud during this visit to announce that Australia will be supporting Timor-Leste to establish a sub-sea cable link to Australia. As the first step, Australia will fund the front-end engineering and design process for a fibre optic cable linking Timor-Leste to Australia. Following the design process, Australia is ready to work with Timor-Leste on financing and construction options. That fibre optic cable will transform Timor-Leste’s digital connection with the world and reduce the barriers between people, skills, business, and governments. It's a project that will certainly change lives. We will also soon be working together as part of a new maritime security package. Australia will fund construction of facilities at Timor-Leste’s naval base and has offered to fund a concept design for a broader upgrade of the base. We'll also provide a vessel for Timor-Leste’s Guardian Class Patrol Boats crew to train in preparation for Australia's gift of two Australian Guardian Class Patrol Boats that will arrive here in 2020-2023. And this afternoon, the Prime Minister and I will exchange diplomatic notes at a special ceremony to bring our new Maritime Boundary Treaty into effect. So that is a moment for great celebration of an extraordinary young nation that we are pleased to call a friend.
What Timor-Leste has achieved in just 20 years is simply remarkable, and in the years ahead I look forward to this new chapter unfolding in our partnership. One where we revitalise our friendship and work together to ensure a better future for the people of both our countries. It's been lovely to have our meeting today and I look forward to welcoming you in Australia when you have that first opportunity. Thank you very much Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER RUAK: Today is a very important day for Timor-Leste. As you’ve seen 20 years ago, we have fought and eventually achieved our independence. So [inaudible] of the nation was not Timor-Leste’s alone with the support and the help of Australia and also the international community and thus we are here today to celebrate. So we’re celebrating this event not for the celebrations alone but also for the [inaudible] 20 years ago. So for a long time, 20 years, Australia has always been part of the support for our struggles for independence. So it’s invested resources to develop and invest in Timor-Leste. In 20 years Australia has invested a lot in many areas including agriculture, communications, defence and other related areas as well. Today will mark a new beginning, a new phase for both countries. Timor-Leste has decided to maintain and continue with this relationship and also open up new opportunities for corporations in various areas. So one of the areas the Prime Minister of Australia has just mentioned is the fibre optic in which to facilitate the access of internet. Another important area is maritime security borders, we know Australia has a lot of facilities, equipment and can help Timor-Leste maintain its border and security. Other important areas are border management and [inaudible]. As the Prime Minister of Australia said, today forward will be new beginnings, new corporations in those areas will certainly enhance the corporations further in the future between Australia and Timor-Leste. Lastly I would like to thank the Prime Minister for coming to Timor-Leste and partaking in the celebrations. I hope we will see each other, probably on my visit to Australia.
PRIME MINISTER: I understand there's going to be three questions from the journalists. Happy to begin with those from Timor-Leste if they would like to ask first and then there is Hannah Sinclair from SBS.
JOURNALIST: Welcome, Prime Minister Morrison. You’ve talked about opening a new chapter. Do you think that is possible while we haven’t closed the previous one with the trial of Witness K and Bernard Collaery still continuing?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's a domestic matter in Australia it's currently before the courts. So it's not a matter I intend to offer comment on. The key issue that will close today is the matter of maritime boundaries. That's something we've been working towards for many years and I think this is a tremendous thing for us to conclude today. Before coming here we were able to pass the necessary measures through our own Parliament and that was given high priority by our Parliament to ensure that I could come here today to be able to ensure that those matters were firmly settled.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, my question is directed to you. Do you think that Australia should drop the Witness K case? Should Australia drop the Witness K case?
PRIME MINISTER RUAK: As of now it’s a different event, Timor-Leste and Australia, we don’t exchange notes, this is a different case, a domestic case, I’m sure the Ministry of Justice in Australia will look into the issues, and Timor-Leste will look into the issues as well.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, we will exchange notes today but after the exchange of notes will Australia return 10 per cent of the revenues that have been collected a couple of years ago to Timor-Leste?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the agreement and what was worked through over quite a period of time was that those sharing arrangements commence from the time of the exchange. That’s what we’ve agreed and that’s what we will do. Next one was to Lizzie Pearl.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister Morrison, you’ve said that it’s a domestic issue but given there’s a lot of work being done to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, do you think it would be a good show of faith on Australia’s behalf to drop the case against Witness K?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s not a matter that is directed towards Timor-Leste. It’s a matter that is being addressed in Australia in relation to domestic matters.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: We entered into a process to come to an agreement on how these matters were to be determined and that’s what we’ve done. Both entered into that agreement knowingly and enthusiastically and as equal partners and that’s the agreement we have. What Australia has been doing for the last 20 years has been investing as the principal developing partner with Timor-Leste. Australia has invested some $1.7 billion directly through our various programmes and we continue to invest now over a $100 million every year. Why? Because we believe it be to the best for Timor-Leste, we believe in them having their economic security and political sovereignty and charting their own way forward. We work closely with a whole load of these projects. Today has been a wonderful opportunity. Whether it's talking about projects at the airport or elsewhere, border security, we have a big agenda of programmes we're going to keep working together on and Australia will keep investing. Thank you very much.
Interview with Ben Fordham, 2GB
29 August 2019
Prime Minister
BEN FORDHAM: Prime Minister, good afternoon to you.
PRIME MINISTER: G’day, Ben.
FORDHAM: Tell me what it was like there today saying goodbye to Tim Fischer.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Tim was a dear friend. I worked with him for several years, I’ve known him for about 25 years, and he was just a beautiful man. He was a giant of a man and he loved the country passionately. I know he was a big fan of that program Australia All Over and that's how I thought of him. He was Australia All Over. He oozed the place, he was very special and he was dearly loved by his wife Judy and his kids Dominic and Harrison who are adults now and they're doing well. And it was a wonderful tribute to just a wonderful bloke.
FORDHAM: You told a story today about a meeting between Tim Fischer and the Indian Transport Minister. Can you share that with us?
PRIME MINISTER: It was relayed to me by someone who used to work for him. Tim was mad about trains and he was over in India on a trade mission as the Trade Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. But this meeting got into his diary which he must have arranged himself with the Indian Transport Minister and he was fascinated by the Indian train network. And he was looking forward to going and chatting to this bloke about trains for quite some period of time only to emerge from the meeting deeply disappointed, saying to his staff, “That bloke, that man knows nothing about trains!” And off he stalked.
[Laughter]
I had plenty of conversations on trains with Tim. I've been on trains with Tim. I remember once we were on the Indian Pacific, we were having a board meeting on there actually, and you’d just band along there for ages and ages in a straight line. And then Tim was looking backwards out the window and he said, “The train's about to veer left.” And it did, he knew exactly the pinpoint on the track of where the Indian Pacific would turn. He was an extraordinary guy, he was a beautiful man.
FORDHAM: He was a one of a kind really, in many ways, and you see a lot of politicians who like to conform, they like to kind of fit in in that Canberra bubble, as you call it. He didn't care about being in the bubble or being square. He was just Tim Fischer.
PRIME MINISTER: He was. He had this amazing ability to just connect with people. When you were with Tim you knew you had his attention. He just sort of engaged with you, he listened to you. He's very, very generous that way. And there was no airs or graces about him and we were very privileged to know him and it was wonderful to see so many of his colleagues. Mr and Mrs Howard were there, John Anderson was there and his wife. It was wonderful to have they have them all there and just celebrating Tim's tremendous life and contribution.
FORDHAM: Well done on your tribute today. On a few other matters, if I can, you've said today you want to see a foreign-born child sex offender booted out of the country. This has just horrified everyone. Look, I mean, terrible things happen but when we see them happen on camera I think it really hits home because we think oh, I mean how could someone do this? He was walking up to a three-year-old girl in the shopping centre. He's a security guard, he lured her into a place where no one could see what he was doing and he assaulted her. You want this bloke punted out of the country, don't you?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah. It was abominable. And we have… I introduced a law back when I was Immigration Minister where if you can if you're on a visa in Australia and you’re convicted of an offence like this, then your visa gets cancelled and when you finish your sentence you get booted. So, you know, you serve your time and then you leave jail and you go straight into hardened immigration detention and then we put you on a plane and send you home. That never used to happen before our Government. And it's important that it does happen and Peter Dutton is accelerating that process in terms of cancelling his visa. I spoke to Peter's today and so he's taking the action and that's what should happen. I mean, he turned up illegally by boat, he was given a permanent protection visa by Labor, they lifted the bar. The Minister actually had to lift a restraint to give this guy a visa, as they did to thousands, and five years after turning up on a boat this is what he did in the shopping centre to a young girl. It's disgraceful.
FORDHAM: You've got two young daughters. When you see something like that... you just used the word restraint, it's hard to show restraint when you consider what he did to this poor little thing.
PRIME MINISTER: It's sickening and I feel for the family. And even, you know, we're talking about it… sadly, will bring it all back and they'll be going through a very difficult time and we need to make sure they're getting the support through the justice system that they need as a family to work through this difficult issue. This little girl will get lots of support. But, you know, this was someone you were supposed to trust.
FORDHAM: If I can ask you about another issue. Chris Uhlmann, the political editor of the Nine Network, has tweeted a photo this afternoon from the Barton offices of Prime Minister and Cabinet, so this is in Canberra, the Office of Prime Minister and Cabinet. It's a photograph taken from outside the women's toilets and there's a sign there saying, ‘Prime Minister and Cabinet is committed to staff inclusion and diversity.’ And this is outside the women's toilets. It says, ‘Please use the bathroom that best fits your gender identity.’ Are you aware of those signs?
PRIME MINISTER: It was brought to my attention, Ben, and then... honestly, this is what we call it the Canberra bubble. It's ridiculous. It'll be sorted out. I've had a chat to the incoming Secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet [inaudible]. I don’t think this is necessary. I think people can work out which room to use.
FORDHAM: What's your concern?
PRIME MINISTER: I just don't think it's necessary. I mean, it's just... it's over the top. You don’t need to do this stuff. It's just political correctness over the top. It's just not necessary. And I’ve got a pretty clear view about this and I'm sure this will be sorted.
FORDHAM: So what, the signs are going to go?
PRIME MINISTER: That's what I expect.
FORDHAM: I know you've got a busy schedule, I appreciate you sparing some time to talk to us this afternoon and well done in paying tribute to Tim Fischer, you spoke really well at his farewell today.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much, Ben. It was a great honour and privilege to pay tribute to Tim. We won't see another one like him. He was one of a kind and we loved him.
FORDHAM: Thanks, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Cheers.
Visit to Timor-Leste
29 August 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs
We will travel to Dili from 30 to 31 August 2019 to attend the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Popular Consultation, the referendum on the independence of Timor-Leste administered by the United Nations on 30 August 1999.
We are honoured to participate in what will be an historic moment for Timor-Leste and we will be joined by the Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese.
Our visit will further strengthen the partnership between Australia and Timor-Leste. We will bring into force the Treaty Between Australia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Establishing their Maritime Boundaries in the Timor Sea on 30 August 2019. This is an historic step forward for our two countries.
Australia is Timor-Leste’s largest development and security partner. We look forward to meeting Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak and opening a new chapter in our bilateral relationship, reinforced by regular dialogue, economic collaboration, cooperation on defence and policing, and development assistance.
Our Government is focused on deepening Australia’s relations with the Indo-Pacific, and we are fully committed to supporting the independence, sovereignty and economic sustainability of Timor-Leste.