Media Releases
Respect and recognition for Australian veterans
3 November 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel
Australian Defence Force veterans will be able to access thousands of special discounts as businesses across the nation say ‘thank you for your service’.
The new Veteran Card released today by the Morrison Government will be available to all veterans as a practical demonstration of respect and recognition for their service.
Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel Darren Chester will officially launch the Veteran Card today, which gives Australian business owners the opportunity to practically demonstrate thanks and respect for those who have served.
The Prime Minister said Australians had a great deal of respect for those who have served our nation in the uniforms of the Navy, Army and Air Force, and through the Veteran Card, veterans would have access to more than 10,000 offers from around 500 businesses, both over the counter and online.
“Much like the lapel pin gives every day Australians the opportunity to recognise veterans and thank them for their service, the offers available through the veteran card allow the business community to show its thanks,” the Prime Minister said.
“The broader recognition package we’ve developed which includes the Veterans Covenant, the lapel pin and card is a way each and every one of us, including the business community, can say to our veterans ‘thank you for your service’.”
Businesses honouring the Veteran Card include retailers, travel and tourism operators, accommodation and car hire, entertainment, hospitality, restaurants, as well as service and trade industries such as gyms to automotive mechanics. Offers are generally discounts on goods, gift cards and services, and range from 2.5 per cent to 40 per cent off. For more information on the offers available to Veteran Card holders, visit www.apod.com.au
More than 33,000 veterans and reservists have already applied and will begin receiving their covenant packs in the coming days.
Mr Chester will launch the card at Pushys in Fyshwick this morning along with representatives from other participating businesses and Australian Partners of Defence (APOD), which is partnering with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to connect clients with the business community.
“Our Government is committed to putting veterans and their families first and we provide more than $11 billion every year in support for veterans and their families,” Mr Chester said.
“Bringing corporate Australia on board will be a tangible benefit to the veteran community, with the card providing access to services and benefits for eligible veterans.
“We are proud to be partnering with APOD — an organisation founded and run by veteran families for veteran families — to ensure veterans can easily find local businesses in their area that are showing that respect and recognition of their service.
“There are a wide range of businesses already participating, from retailers with hundreds of outlets Australia-wide through to veteran-owned and operated small businesses.
“There is no set criteria for how businesses choose to show that respect and recognition, but I have no doubt we will see the numbers grow with more businesses supporting the covenant and veterans and their families have made.
“I encourage all businesses to get on board with the Australian Defence Veterans’ Covenant and show their respect and recognition for those who have served to defend our nation.”
Businesses honouring the Veteran Card include retailers, travel and tourism operators, accommodation and car hire, entertainment, hospitality, restaurants, as well as service and trade industries such as gyms to automotive mechanics. Offers are generally discounts on goods, gift cards and services, and range from 2.5 per cent to 40 per cent off. For more information on the offers available to Veteran Card holders, visit www.apod.com.au
The Covenant encourages better recognition of the unique nature of military service and helps veterans and their families connect with the broader Australian community. More information on how to apply for and support the Covenant is available at www.recognition.dva.gov.au
Open Arms – Veterans and Families Counselling, provides support for current and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families. Free and confidential help is available 24/7. Phone 1800 011 046 (international: +61 1800 011 046 or +61 8 8241 4546) or visit www.OpenArms.gov.au
Visit to Thailand for East Asia Summit
2 November 2019
Prime Minister of Australia
I will travel to Bangkok, Thailand from 3 to 4 November for the 14th East Asia Summit and 3rd Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit alongside some of Australia’s key international partners, who are vital to a secure and stable region, and the investment and trade that support jobs and our economy.
I look forward to hosting a Business Breakfast with both Australian and Thai business leaders to advance Australian jobs and opportunities abroad, and engage with those Thai businesses that are investing in Australia and those looking to increase their investment.
I will also attend a dedication service for the Hellfire Pass Memorial to honour the service of the brave Australians who were imprisoned there during the Second World War.
The East Asia Summit is the premier leaders’ forum for discussing the strategic challenges facing our region, providing a valuable platform to work with our ASEAN partners and the broader Indo-Pacific to ensure our region remains peaceful and prosperous. The RCEP Summit will consider progress toward a free trade agreement between 16 member nations that account for one-third of the global economy and 71 per cent of Australia’s exports.
At the EAS Summit, I will highlight Australia’s support and commitment to a vision for an Indo-Pacific region that has ASEAN at its centre, is open and inclusive, sovereign and independent and where the rights of all states are respected. I also warmly welcome ASEAN’s adoption of its Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
This year marks 45 years since Australia became ASEAN’s first Dialogue Partner in 1974. Since then we have continued to build on our strong partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and look forward to further advancing our shared interests at the East Asia Summit.
ASEAN and its forums, such as the East Asia Summit, play a central role in supporting the rules and norms that have underpinned prosperity, security and stability in our region for more than 50 years.
Q&A, 2019 Queensland Resources Council Annual Lunch
1 November 2019
Prime Minister of Australia
QUESTION: Prime Minister, my name is Kylie Morris, I'm a correspondent for Britain's Channel 4 News. I'm just wondering, given the efforts that other nations are making to reduce their carbon emissions, and given that places like the Great Barrier Reef are - we know - under threat from climate change, your own government has issued an outlook report saying that climate change poses the greatest threat to the Reef. How can Australia justify opening new coal mines at this time in the Galilee Basin?
[Booing]
PRIME MINISTER: Because we have the best mining industry in the world.
[Applause]
That understands how to do this job properly and to do it sensitively and to care for the environment, because they are in a country which has a serious plan to address climate change and a resources sector that understands how to manage the impacts of climate change. I would refer you to the comments that I made recently at the UN General Assembly. I'm very proud of what Australia has been able to achieve. You may not know this - that since we came to government, we will meet and beat our Kyoto emissions reduction targets by 367 million tonnes. Now, when we came to government, we were likely to miss that mark by some 700 million tonnes. That’s a billion-tonne turnaround that the country has produced from when we first made those commitments to meet the Kyoto 2020 targets. And we’re going to meet our Paris targets as well, which we remain committed to. Australia is doing its bit. But Australia is not going to write a blank cheque with its own economy on this issue, which requires action from right around the globe. We are doing our bit. We will continue to do our bit. The resources industry will continue to do its bit. I would encourage you, while you're here - I don't know whether you are resident here or not or just visiting - but there is plenty of other information I am sure we can share with you which might be able to inform you on these matters.
[Applause]
QUESTION: Thank you very much. My name is John O'Brien, I'm the proponent of the CopperString Project. I want to thank you, PM, for your address but also for your initial support for the project. And I really want to congratulate you on your stated vision. It is so important that we have a vision of what we want and to have that sustainable resources sector which is an internationally attractive investment location. It is so critical. One of the key parts of that, though, from the resources sector is electricity supply and the cost of that and how it is provided. And electricity is actually a state responsibility. And I'm really keen to understand, it's a bit of a philosophical question, how do you address that problem of alignment of policy across each of the states in the federal area to deliver that energy, that fundamental alignment for delivering energy that supports your vision for the resources sector?
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you for the question. A couple of things. First of all, I think one of the biggest changes that have been made in policy in this area and [inaudible] will know all about this because she had a key part in its development several years ago, and that is the reliability guarantee that was passed over a year ago now - I think it was just over a year ago - by the state and territory governments which ensures that within the national energy electricity market, there is a requirement to meet reliability supply throughout that market. And what that means is that it's giving greater certainty and stability for investment in reliable power generation. It's agnostic to the form of reliable power generation. And just this week, you would have heard Angus Taylor the Energy Minister announce a number of new measures which included an expansion of the Clean Energy Fund, which is providing additional concessional finance to be supporting a range of new both infrastructure projects from generation to transmission, to ensure we can firm up the reliability and the frequency of the grid. And that's important investment. We also announced a series of projects for underwriting, which basically means underwriting take-off agreements across a series of products from gas products, hydro projects, there was one coal project in Vales Point in New South Wales. We are taking our interventions there to provide that support. There is also a project which we announced during the election campaign which is one that had some recent attention and that is the report that we are having done independently on how we meet the reliable power generation needs of North Queensland to support heavy industry. That project I anticipate being completed by the end of this year. Angus Taylor is overseeing that through his officials and we have committed to get that done by the end of this year. And that will identify the key projects that can go forward from that. And obviously there's the Collinsville Project, which strikes me as being a particularly useful project, but it's got to go through the same processes as all the other projects and to identify what's the best way that we can support ensuring that North Queensland's heavy industry requirements are met.
But our approach to all of these issues I've got to say, is just practical. There are practical problems, they can appear in supply, they can be in transmission, they can be for householders in the retail sector. In the gas industry, there are other challenges and are just seeking to work with the sector, work with the state and territory governments to remove obstacles where we see them, fix problems where they are identified and put in place practical solutions. The project you've talked about, as you know, we’ve been providing some support to that around some feasibility work. Ultimately, decisions are going to be made about the viability of these projects. But we don't want to see these projects at least not get to a phase where they can be seriously commercially entertained. And we want commercially viable and sustainable energy production generation assets right across the country. Here in Queensland, you do have the youngest coal fleet here in Queensland. And that is why we did the interconnecter upgrade into New South Wales, because they need to access that. That's going to provide opportunities here in Queensland. We want to see more investment, we want to see energy prices down, we want to see access to gas, not just in Queensland but in other states as well, particularly New South Wales and Victoria. Because the gas supply to our commercial industrial users is critically important. Without it, our industries will not succeed and some may not survive. So I'm very keen to see the gas opened up like it is here in Queensland, in New South Wales and in Victoria. In Western Australia they have another system and they have good access over there. So there is a suite of policies but the focus is practical problem solving to ensure that the commercial industry can deliver on the needs both now and long-term both affordably and sustainably.
[Applause]
QUESTION: Prime Minister, John [inaudible]. Firstly, let me add my voice to many that have preceeded me and congratulate you on a magnificent, and for Australia, very fortuitous, election victory. I’ve actually got two questions and the first one is of greater national importance. How do you think the Sharks will go next year?
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: Oh Ok. Well, we’re going without a home ground next year but you never know, that could just provide the false sense of confidence of others when they come down south to play us. But I’m looking forward to the season like I always do. I’m particularly looking forward to the Magic Round up here in Brisbane next year. I thought that was a wonderful innovation into the game this year, I know all the players had a great time and really were pleased to be part of the great festival atmosphere and the people of Queensland came out in support of the Magic Round I thought famously well. So look, that’s got to be on the calendar, I think forever, so long as the Sharks win. I can write that into the contract or something.
PRESENTER: I think you can, you can do what you want.
QUESTION: Would you like the easy question now?
PRIME MINISTER: Please.
QUESTION: How can your government ensure that the multinational companies who have been invited here by various governments develop our gas reserves in a timely manner, particularly with respect to the time frame when we have a gas shortage in this country?
PRIME MINISTER: That’s a good question. Look, there are a range of approvals and consents as they all know that require particular actions on their part. What we don’t want to do is interfere in the normal commercial processes that go on between those companies. I mean, we’re not running some sort of state-run gas sector here in Australia. That’s not what we’re seeking to do. We want the industry to [inaudible] the sovereign risk of those types of interventions. But at the end of the day, the things that we can do, I think, is really to make sure that the regulatory process is streamlined so if there are delays, it’s not down to decisions that are being made by our officials and our government processes. I’d like to see the same thing happen at a state level. This is an unrelated issue but I’ve got to say, particularly with the drought at the moment, I welcome the great support we’ve had from the New South Wales Government particularly in getting some major dam projects going. And it’s not just because they’re putting money in, it’s because they’re clearing blockages away from getting the projects done. I know Deb made a very big announcement last night about her commitment and the LNP’s commitment to water infrastructure in Queensland. I welcome that very strongly and I hope that we have the opportunity to build those dams together because it’s great to see a Queensland leader who wants to build dams.
[Applause]
PRESENTER: I think we’re done. We’ve covered many issues, including the Sharks. Please thank our Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much.
[Applause]
PRIME MINISTER: Just one more thing. It was alluded to before by Ian. When we were dealing with the immediate aftermath of the terrible floods that devastated North Queensland, not just in Townsville but particularly west of the range, I personally saw the heartbreak of those farming families as there were carcasses just littered from one end of their property to the other. And as we, in those early days, were working together with the state government and the local governments, the challenge of actually getting through that carcass disposal period, that was met in huge part by the mining and resources sector. They turned up in these communities [inaudible] and it was not just incredibly practical and generous but gave everybody an enormous shot in the arm. Glencore and so many others who just turned up for their communities, I want to say thank you very, very much and we continue to see that as we deal with this dreadful drought. We see the resources sector being a partner in actually helping our rural communities get through this drought. I was asked in the Parliament - Pete and the other guys will remember this - the other day, I was asked should we stop… you know, was the mining industry responsible for the drought? And it was an offensive question from the Greens. The mining industry is helping our farmers at a time of drought like I’ve never seen before and I want to say thank you to the resources industry as a whole for the tremendous work you’re doing to help our farmers. Thank you.
Mining industry to receive skills boost
1 November 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia
Trainees and apprentices will be taught skills that better match the needs of employers in the mining industry, under a Skills Organisations Pilot announced by the Coalition Government today.
The Pilot will ensure trainees and apprentices, particularly those in remote areas, are part of a growing workforce to support the mining industry, as well as the broader Australian economy.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the Pilot will ensure more Australians are able to get a highly-skilled job.
“This is about making sure more Australians are able to find a job, particularly kids in remote areas. I want these kids to come out of training college with the skills they need to go land a job in the mining industry,” said the Prime Minister.
“We need to make sure we are teaching the skills employers are demanding whether they be heavy diesel fitters, automotive electricians, communication technicians or mine engineers.
“I know that mining is a high-skill, high-wage industry and this is a further statement of confidence in the industry’s future. It recognises mining’s critical role as a creator of job opportunities in regional and remote Australia, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
“A stronger mining sector means a stronger Australian economy.”
Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, said the industry is committed to ensuring the availability of high-quality training and strong employment pathways for learners.
“Establishing a Skills Organisation Pilot in this important industry will help ensure the ongoing availability of a highly skilled workforce to support the mining industry, as well as the broader Australian economy,” said Minister Cash.
“The Australian Government is committed to a strong vocational education and training (VET) system that is able to deliver a strong and adaptable workforce, and provide employers with access to the skilled workforce needed to grow their businesses.
“Australia’s mining services sector creates jobs, builds skills, and attracts investment supporting more Australian jobs.
“Strengthening this sector is just one more step we are taking toward strengthening our economy and generating more jobs for more Australians.”
Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matt Canavan said it was critical for Australia to have a well-trained mining workforce to take full advantage of booming demand for our world class commodities.
“Our resources sector is one of the powerhouses of our economy but it can’t happen without the talented people who make it up,” Minister Canavan said.
“Our high quality and clean resources have never been in higher demand and now is the time to invest in our resources sector skills base.
“More than a million Australians work in the resources sector - that’s about one in every 10 jobs. Investing in the skills of these workers is an investment in Australian families and communities.
“Creating a nationwide curriculum under this Pilot will help enhance, expand and advance the skills of our resources workers, securing the sector’s future for decades to come.
“I am especially enthused to get more kids excited about what’s under the ground. The technologies to explore our underground are just as technical as those that launch us into space. Australia leads the world in exploration and young Australians don’t need to play Minecraft to dig, they can do it right here in their backyard.”
The Skills Organisation Pilot will be co-funded by the Coalition Government and the Mineral Councils of Australia, signifying the important buy-in from the sector.
Earlier this year, the Government announced a $585 million Delivering skills for today and tomorrow package aimed at strengthening Australia’s vocational education and training system.
As part of the package, the Government committed to establishing two Skills Organisation Pilots in the priority industries of human services care and digital technologies, and is now adding the mining sector to the initiative.
The Pilots give the target industries the opportunity to shape the national training system to be more responsive to their particular skills needs, and to ensure that employers have confidence in the quality of VET graduates.
Radio Interview with Neil Mitchell, 3AW
1 November 2019
Prime Minister of Australia
NEIL MITCHELL: Scott Morrison, good morning.
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Neil, good to be back.
MITCHELL: Well, thank you for your time. I've read the speech you're delivering today and we've had massive disruption in this town by protesters over a couple of weeks. You've promising to take them on. You accuse them of economic sabotage and said you want to outlaw, quote, ‘Indulgent and selfish practices’. How? What can you do?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we've already taken action against their cousins who wanted to invade farms and we put legislation through to protect our farmers from that type of economic vandalism. And there's, of course, a right to protest in this country. But I think they're really starting to push the envelope with where we've got reports of people getting spat at just because they're wearing a business shirt on their way to work in Melbourne. This is, I think, getting well beyond the pale. And so, look, you know, we're looking at the options that we have there. There's also the broader issue of what I'm seeing in secondary boycotts have been effectively put in place through this type of activism, just targeting decent small businesses who are providing services to the mining industry. And they're being black banned and they're being harassed. And this is not something that any Australian should have to put up with. So by all means, people have a right to protest. But, you know, we live in a country where we should respect each other and try and disagree a little better than what we're seeing on display there.
MITCHELL: Would you like to make secondary boycotts or bans like that illegal?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, these are things we're looking very carefully at. I'm flagging that today. I mean, we need to progress, I think, cautiously. But if it's not okay to have secondary boycotts being run by unions and we get rid of those a long time ago, it's not okay for environmental… well they’re not environmental, they’re activist groups. That's what they are. And to be able to disrupt people's jobs, their livelihoods and to harass in the way that we've seen down in Melbourne, it's just... it's ugly. And I don't think it's good for our country.
MITCHELL: Would you look at permits to protest?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, those are things that the state governments, I think... I mean, they control those sorts of issues. What I'm talking about is the injury that is being done to people’s businesses and deliberately and wilfully, which is the same thing we saw from those who were organising the protests on people's farms. And we've put laws in place to deal with that. And so I'm simply signalling that I think Australians respect and understand the right to protest, it’s part of our democracy. But we also expect each other to behave in a way that also isn't seeking to injure fellow Australians, particularly their jobs.
MITCHELL: But how do you draw the line? How do you define it? You won't march on the road and block intersections? You won't fight with police? I mean, how do you define it?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm not talking about those issues, they’re matters for state governments. What I'm talking about is the injury that is done to people's businesses by secondary boycotts being run by these anarchist groups. And the victims, they're basically targeting people's businesses and trying to drive them out of business simply because they're contracting to legitimate lawful resources companies who create a lot of jobs, particularly in regional Australia. I mean, the first people to turn up when I went up to north Queensland and the floods were on out in west Queensland were the mining companies with their equipment to help them remove the carcasses. So, I mean, they're a very important industry. I respect the right to protest, but people have got to respect other Australians too when they do it.
MITCHELL: So just finally, what's your timeframe when you would look to introduce legislation on this?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't have one at the moment. The Industrial Relations Minister and the Attorney-General and I are working on these issues. I'm careful about how I go forward on these things, Neil. The vegan farmers laws, as you know, went through the Parliament and that's happened in the last few months. And so we'll continue to move on this one. I’m just making it pretty clear that this type of behaviour, secondary boycotting companies just going about their business, is not on.
MITCHELL: Prime Minister, something else. You're fond of saying - and I usually agree with you - how good is Australia? But in two days you've had two reports. One shows we're desperately failing the mentally ill, a million people untreated, no room for suicide people in care. Today, aged care and the Royal Commission calls it ‘cruel and harmful; diminishing Australia; needs urgent action’. How can you say ‘how good is Australia’ when you have those sort of reports?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, Australia is always a great country. And the reason that we can initiate, as I did one of my first acts as Prime Minister - a Royal Commission into this, is one of the reasons we are a good country. Because we're prepared to acknowledge where we get things wrong, not buck pass. My initiative here was to get this Royal Commission so we could get this rather shocking and very difficult to read information. I mean, we all have connections, personal, into those who need this care. And it doesn't matter whether they’re your family or not your family, they should all have the same type of standard of care right across the country. And so we do need to acknowledge what's coming forth in the Royal Commission...
MITCHELL: But it doesn't fix it. I understand you initiated and you said it would be difficult and you're right. But exposing it doesn't fix it. We need to fix it. Specifically.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s the start of the process, we need the Royal Commission and now they haven't come forward with recommendations yet.
MITCHELL: Well, yes, they have, they said they want immediate funding in home care.
PRIME MINISTER: They did, they haven’t made recommendations but they've highlighted those three things in particular. One is the need for more in-home aged care.
MITCHELL: They said immediate funding, will they get it?
PRIME MINISTER: What I was about to tell you is that we will be making a response on those issues before the end of the year. One of the reasons I've been waiting for this report is because I wanted that to inform the final decisions we were going to make around in-home aged care funding before we finalise the mid-year update. I spoke again to the Treasurer, the Finance Minister, last night and the Minister, Richard Colbeck. We have been looking for that input from the Royal Commission to inform this next set of decisions. It's one of the reasons, Neil, I'm so careful about our spending in the Budget, because I've been saying for some time now that we knew we would need to address issues coming out of this Royal Commission on aged care. That's why I initiated it in the first place so we could know what we needed to do and confront that. The other two things that I've seen come out of this, there's also the issues around the overmedication...
MITCHELL: The chemical restraint, yep.
PRIME MINISTER: The chemical restraint. And there have already been some things that's been done in all these areas. But there's so much more to do, which is what the Royal Commission is highlighting. And there's a seventh pharmacy agreement which is underway now. I saw the pharmacists last night, actually, and we talked very briefly about that issue. There's a process with states and territories. And then there's the issue of younger people.
MITCHELL: Yeah, 6000 young disabled people in nursing homes.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's fallen from 6,200 to 5,600 over the last two years. But there's so much more to go. One of the other things I did when I first became Prime Minister, I came up here to Brisbane, where there's an amazing organisation called Youngcare, and they actually build homes for young people with serious disabilities so they don't have to go into aged care facilities. And we need more of that model to support how they do their work. So all of these three things, I couldn't agree with more. We've got to acknowledge the problem. We know there's a lot more work to do and we've got to create a new culture of respect for older Australians, which is what I said when we first announced this. I think that's at the heart of what the report says.
MITCHELL: I agree. But there's an urgent problem here. You say you'll have decisions by the end of the year. Will money be spent? Will money being available by the end of the year?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
MITCHELL: How much?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll announce it once we've gone through that process.
MITCHELL: So it is that urgent? You’ll have money out there by Christmas?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
MITCHELL: Is profit motive part of the problem here?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, whether it's... I mean, let's go back to where this all started with the aged care facility in South Australia. It was a publicly run one. I mean, it doesn't matter whether it's public, private or not for profit. We have seen abuses and we're seeing substandard care across all fields. So, I mean, you've got to address the issues in each of those sectors.
MITCHELL: Mental health, will there be money for that as well? A million Australians not getting treatment are needed.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we've already acted in the last Budget. We put over $750 million into that. As you know, we put additional resources into headspaces around the country and with our towards zero suicides adviser who's working right across government. She's bringing forward to me at the moment a whole series of proposals based on the work that she's doing. The mental health of our nation is critical. And the Health Minister has been talking with the states just in today and in recent days about a new agreement that can go around mental health. On mental health I think we've been sort of getting more on the front foot on this. It's certainly been a priority that I've placed. And it's everything from supporting, you know, great organisations like Batyr, which is an organisation that goes into schools and helps young people understand how to deal with anxiety and the help available to them. But it also extends to putting support in for people in our rural communities who are dealing with the drought where we’ve upped the funding there too, but more resource needed there. That's why we need a strong Budget.
MITCHELL: Well, can I raise a couple of other quick issues? The economy, the economy. And you talk about money and the need to spend money. Isn't it time to put the surplus as less of a priority? And look, did you see Shayne Elliott from the ANZ yesterday said we're not in recession, technically, but people feel like they're in a recession. They are hurting so much.
PRIME MINISTER: That’s why we want the banks to lend.
MITCHELL: Well, yeah, but what about the surplus? Are you irrevocably linked to a surplus?
PRIME MINISTER: We're linked to responsible fiscal management.
MITCHELL: Well, that doesn't necessarily mean a surplus.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what it means is having clear priorities about where you're going to put your funds. And that's aged care, that's mental health, that's supporting the drought and these are the priorities, and it's supporting our veterans.
MITCHELL: I agree. Does that mean that you will forgo a surplus if necessary?
PRIME MINISTER: It means we will honour all of those priorities. And I believe the two of them can be achieved together.
MITCHELL: You can still get a surplus? What about stimulating the economy? What about those people who are hurting so much?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, this stimulus idea last time involved sending cheques to dead people. And it was an absolute waste of taxpayers funds.
MITCHELL: Well, you can do it better than that. Do you accept what Shayne Elliot is saying that people are hurting? People feel we're in a recession.
PRIME MINISTER: I've always accepted that. That's why we've had budgets that have delivered record levels of tax relief to Australians. That's why we're bringing forward infrastructure projects, including in Victoria. I mean, a lot of the work since the election, in particular. I’ve just been sitting down with Dan Andrews. We've met on numerous occasions now, just getting projects brought forward, ones that we can move quicker or providing additional support. The last time we spoke we were talking about the Monash Freeway, getting these projects moving more quickly. And I genuinely appreciate the support I've had from the Victorian Government to achieve that. So tax relief and infrastructure spending are things that are already happening. It's not like there's not investment going into these things. There is record investment.
MITCHELL: No, fair enough. But just to be clear, the surplus remains a priority? The surplus will continue?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, of course it does, because that's important for our resilience to the future. You can go and blow the Budget now on ineffective measures and that just reduces your ability to support mental health and veterans and aged care. Because the aged care, there'll be an immediate response, which is what I was referring to when you asked me a second ago. But there's also a medium and long term response which will have to prepare for as we go into next year's Budget and the Budget after that.
MITCHELL: Prime Minister, we broadcast to regional Victoria. Parts of Victoria are hit by drought as badly as some other parts of the country. I just want to play you something, Judy Collingburn runs a small drought aid operation in northern Victoria. I asked her what the message was for you.
[EXCERPT]
JUDY COLLINGBURN: Do something about it. The farmers are really suffering. Like, the Darling River, you know, is bone dry and the farmers up there have got no water. And, you know, the new bit of water they’ve got they can't use it because it's so rank. He's got to do something. Small towns along the Darling River started dying and farmers are just going to walk off their land. And it's just... it's devastating and it's upsetting. We go up and see the farmers and just see... you can see it in their faces. It's just astronomical. And Mr Morrison needs to do something.
MITCHELL: Can you offer them any hope, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we can offer the support that we've been delivering and we're increasing it. I mean, not including the Future Drought Fund, there is around $2.5 billion of support. Now, if you're on the Farm Household Allowance, which we’ve eased up and eased up on all the restrictions and assessments as to how people can access it, that will over a four year period give you $125,000 per farming family. And just last, just a couple of weeks ago, we included another $13,000 additional payment, supplement payment, on those issues. The response has three parts. There's the direct financial assistance through things like Farm Household Allowance. We’ve given over $60 million to groups like the Salvos and Vinnies to provide $3,000 emergency payments for people in these towns to support them with bills and put food on the table. Then there's the programme of putting a million dollars into all of these Shires so they can keep the local economies moving and ensure we're getting those people on jobs. On the farms, we’ve provided rebate assistance for work they're doing on the farms so the farmhands can continue to get work on those farms, on doing stuff like piping or doing dog fences up in Queensland or doing work on turkey nests and things like that. And then, of course, there's the longer-term water infrastructure projects, which is part of our National Water Grid. But there's serious money going into those new dam works, 21 projects all around the country right now.
MITCHELL: Ok, just quickly on something else. Can you just explain to me in very simple terms…
PRIME MINISTER: Can I just stress on that, Neil, there'll be more to come too. It's not set and forget, there’ll be more assistance and we'll have more to say about that soon.
MITCHELL: By Christmas as well?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
MITCHELL: Ok. Where do we stand on the continuing Uyghur concentration camps in China? I'm confused. I mean, Australia has been very strongly criticised out of China today. Where do... what is the Australian Government attitude on these concentration camps?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we've been very consistent and both the Foreign Minister and I and the Trade Minister and others, we've just consistently raised our concerns about these issues directly with the Chinese government and that has been included in working together with other countries…
MITCHELL: Do we believe they're immoral?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, you've seen the pictures. I mean, it's fairly straightforward. I mean, we've raised these issues as great human rights abuses and concerns. We've done it directly. We haven't just done it in public. We've always raised these issues consistently and the Foreign Minister has done this on every occasion she's had. And, you know, the thing about our relationship with China is it has to be an honest one. It has to be a transparent one. And we just have to act consistently with our values, which is what we're doing. The Chinese government will make their comments about what they believe is occurring there. And we'll continue with other countries around the world to raise the concerns that we have.
MITCHELL: The Chinese say, they’ve lodged ‘stern representations with Australia about this’. Have they?
PRIME MINISTER: They've made various statements and when I've raised matters myself and the Foreign Minister has raised they have their view about what's occurring there and they are obviously a part of that relationship entitled to raise those matters directly with us. But it's not something that I seek to have define our relationship. I mean, the relationship is defined on the things you agree on, not the things you disagree on. But it's important that, you know, Australians understand that we’ll always act consistently with our values. And we'll do it in a very consistent way.
MITCHELL: Have you told the Victorian Premier that signing up to the Belt and Road agreement - he took the second step recently in China - is not a good idea?
PRIME MINISTER: We said that at the time.
MITCHELL: What's he compromising here? What's he doing?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, you'd have to ask him.
MITCHELL: No, no, no. But, you know, he signed it. You know, you've had advice not to sign it. What is he risking?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we haven't been part of that project. And for a start, foreign affairs is actually run by the Commonwealth Government. I'm not about to come and run the Victorian police force.
MITCHELL: But haven't you got advice not to be part of it?
PRIME MINISTER: We have chosen not to be part of that initiative.
MITCHELL: Why?
PRIME MINISTER: ...individual companies have. Well, these are sensitive matters and all of that. And they're not ones that I tend to go into public commentary about.
MITCHELL: So you've got advice not to be part of it for reasons you won’t explain? Which I can understand.
PRIME MINISTER: I’ll just give the same answer I gave you, Neil.
MITCHELL: Fair enough. All right, just finally, China embraces censorship. And we've got this campaign for the ‘right to know’ here. And it's a simple one, a silly one, perhaps highlights it. Can you explain to me - and I can understand threats to national security and everything - how being told what taxpayers are paying Scott Cam to promote apprenticeships is a threat to national security? Why does that have to be secret?
PRIME MINISTER: It's not about national security, it’s about a commercial-in-confidence relationship in the same way you have commercial-in-confidence relationships with any number of different suppliers. You have it over infrastructure projects. You have it over any number of commercial arrangements. It's just that's a protection that's provided to individual Australians that their own commercial arrangements aren't exposed.
MITCHELL: So you don't think the public deserves to know where their money's going?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're bound by a commercial-in-confidence arrangement, which is contractual.
MITCHELL: You didn’t have to sign it.
PRIME MINISTER: Your companies you work for and others do a similar thing...
MITCHELL: But I'm not paid by the taxpayer.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there are a lot of companies that do business with the government who seek those commercial-in-confidence arrangements. It's not a new practice. It's quite a longstanding one.
MITCHELL: Can you negotiate a way through this? You've got every media organisation in the country concerned about the right to know, about suppression of information, about raids on journalists.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'd make a couple of points. The first one is we’ve got the inquiry, which has gone over to the Joint Standing Committee, which is looking at that. I'll wait for that to come back before taking any further action there. The second thing we've done is that the Home Affairs Minister has given a clear directive to the Federal Police, which both codifies what our expectations are about how they pursue these things, as well as providing, I think, some better processes about how they make decisions about what they do. And I stress, the Government doesn’t tell the AFP where they go or what do.
MITCHELL: But won’t the Minister have the power of veto?
PRIME MINISTER: That was the third I was going to come to. In many areas, the Attorney-General has those powers and they were extended in this actually to protect press freedoms. I mean, what happens under that is that the AFP would have initiated the investigation. The prosecutor would want to actually come and prosecute a journalist and under this arrangement, the Attorney-General would be able to prevent that from happening at the end of the process. But if the journalists would like him not to have that power and allow the prosecutors to just proceed, well, that could be done.
MITCHELL: Don't you see the danger in that? I mean, Daniel Andrews would have me prosecuted tomorrow if he could. Somebody else might not. I mean, why do, when you have a politician making these sort of decisions? It's obviously dangerous.
PRIME MINISTER: I think, with great respect, Neil, I think you're misrepresenting the process. The Attorney-General is not initiating anything. What is initiated is by the law enforcement agency…
MITCHELL: But he’s got the power of veto.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's only to stop it proceeding.
MITCHELL: Yeah, Ok.
PRIME MINISTER: The power is to stop the prosecution, not to not to allow it, not to initiate it. I mean, the prosecutor comes to the Attorney-General and says, we would like to prosecute person X, and the Attorney-General has the ability under that arrangement to say no. If he says nothing, then they prosecute.
MITCHELL: I thank you for your time. If we go much longer, your office will never speak to me again.
PRIME MINISTER: Always happy to chat.
MITCHELL: Hey, you’re not coming to the Cup, are you? You working on Tuesday?
PRIME MINISTER: I am. Yeah. And I won't be able to get down there, but I'm sure I'll catch it like everybody else somewhere around the country.
MITCHELL: So it's not a Taylor Swift boycott, isn't it?
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: No, I love Taylor Swift. I think she’s fantastic.
MITCHELL: Thank you very much. The Prime Minister, Scott Morrison. Sadly, she doesn't love the Melbourne Cup. Scott Morrison.
$1 Billion boost for power reliability
30 October 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Finance, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction
Power reliability will get a $1 billion boost as part of the Liberal National Government’s plan to ensure Australian households, businesses and industries get a fair deal on energy.
The Liberal National Government will establish a $1 billion Grid Reliability Fund to support Government investment in new energy generation, storage and transmission infrastructure, including eligible projects shortlisted under the Underwriting New Generation Investments (UNGI) program.
The new $1 billion fund will be administered by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), drawing on the energy and financial markets expertise that has seen the CEFC invest more than $7 billion in clean energy since its establishment in 2012. The Fund represents the first new capital provided to the CEFC since it began.
The Prime Minister said the Fund would also help unlock private sector investment for projects that would secure the grid and put downward pressure on prices.
“This is a yet another initiative by our Government taking more action to bring power prices down and keep the lights on,” the Prime Minister said.
“We’re delivering immediate relief through our new price safety net and banning sneaky late payment fees but we’ve also got our eye to the future with the projects this new Fund will back.
“Our work to date and this new initiative will help deliver an energy system that isn’t a roadblock to businesses growing and employing more people and that isn’t stinging family hip-pockets.”
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the fund would ensure sufficient reliable generation capacity is available to meet periods of high demand.
“The Grid Reliability Fund builds on our strong action to stabilise the grid and get the energy generation balance right, to deliver affordable, 24/7 reliable power,” said Minister Taylor.
“It is no secret that the National Electricity Market is under pressure – this fund is designed to tackle that and is part of a suite of initiatives that the Government is delivering to ensure when people flick the switch, the lights come on and stay on.”
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said the Government would update the CEFC enabling legislation to ensure the Grid Reliability Fund could support suitable projects.
“The Grid Reliability Fund will provide the Clean Energy Finance Corporation with additional capacity to support affordability, reliability and security of supply, which ultimately puts downward pressure on energy prices,” Minister Cormann said.
The Fund will prioritise investments in jurisdictions where state and territory governments are working with the Commonwealth towards an agreed reliability goal and to ensure sufficient reliable generation capacity is available to meet periods of high demand.
Eligible investments will include:
Energy storage projects including pumped hydro and batteries,
Transmission and distribution infrastructure, and
Grid stabilising technologies.
Further announcements on individual projects, including shortlisted UNGI projects, will be made as the Commonwealth reaches agreements with individual project proponents.
The Government will only refer UNGI projects that reflect the CEFC’s legislative mandate for consideration under the Fund.
The Grid Reliability Fund is an important initiative in the Government’s A Fair Deal on Energy policy and will contribute to meeting our $70 per MWh price target and maintaining and increasing supply of reliable electricity.
View the energy policy blueprint here: https://www.energy.gov.au/energy-policy-blueprint-fair-deal-energy.
First Look at Western Sydney International Terminal
29 October 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Finance, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women, Minister for Population Cities and Urban Infrastructure
Australia has been given its first look at Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport with today’s release of the first design images.
The design is the next step in Western Sydney International taking shape, with major earthworks set to commence next year that will lead to the construction of runways, roads, rail and the terminal.
The innovative design of the country’s biggest aviation project in decades follows the appointment of the architects who will design the terminal precinct.
Successful architectural team Zaha Hadid Architects, and Australian architects, Cox Architecture won the honour to design the terminal precinct following a competitive process which generated more than 40 design entrants.
The winning design focuses on the customer journey while paying tribute to the Western Sydney region and natural landscape. It passed a range of value-for-money and technical reviews.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the designs showed the once-in-a-generation infrastructure project coming to life.
“This is set to be the largest gateway to Australia and these designs are another step to making it a reality,” the Prime Minister said.
“Designed alongside locals and built by local workers the airport will deliver massive economic benefits to the region.”
The appointment of the architectural design team and the first look at the terminal design is a major milestone in the delivery of the federally funded, $5.3 billion Western Sydney International.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said designing and constructing a terminal capable of catering for 10 million passengers annually was a significant challenge.
“To meet the challenge the terminal will be designed for modular expansion, to accommodate the long term capacity of up to 80 million passengers anticipated every year by the early 2060s,” Minister Cormann said.
To be considered for the design project, interested firms were required to have experience designing an airport of similar size and complexity to Western Sydney International in the past five years. The final decision on the winning design was made by a panel of some of Australia’s most renowned architects.
Liberal Senator for Western Sydney Marise Payne said the competitive process undertaken for the terminal precinct design led to the very best outcome for Western Sydney.
“The iconic final design ensures that air travel will be accessible for locals, as well as locking in new opportunities for people who want to work, shop and meet at the terminal precinct,” Senator Payne said.
The airport has committed to delivering 30 per cent of direct job opportunities to Western Sydney residents and is currently exceeding that target.
Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said Western Sydney would be the big winner as the airport continues to take shape.
“The construction phase alone will support 11,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Western Sydney region,” Minister Tudge said.
“Within the first five years of the airport opening it is expected to support 28,000 full time jobs for the people of Western Sydney.”
The design process encouraged the demonstration on how local university students would be included on the design team.
Member for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh said designing an airport and working through concepts with local students is important.
“I am pleased to see that Zaha Hadid Architects and Australian architects Cox Architecture will work with Western Sydney University students, local Aboriginal groups and other stakeholders to further refine and enhance the concepts to arrive at the final design,” Ms McIntosh said.
“This is the first step in preparing our local kids for the jobs of the future by playing such an integral role through the design of the Airport. We know that post construction over 28,000 jobs will be created and we want our kids to take those opportunities.”
Interview with Paul Murray - Paul Murray Live, Sky News Australia
29 October 2019
Prime Minister
PAUL MURRAY: We've got a lot of questions from people and we'll get into some of them, some of them are detailed, some of them are generic. I’ll ask a vague question first. To those who think you're not doing enough or you don't care or you don't understand how serious it is, why is that perception false?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't think the information has got out there about the response that we have made. Literally the day I became Prime Minister, Michael McCormack and I sat down and we were of the same mind. The most important thing we had to do was to up our level of response to the drought. And so as people know I went straight to Quilpie, and from that day to this, this has dominated both mine and Michael’s attention. We have announced and implemented a large amount of measures since that time. We had the National Drought Summit, you’ll recall, where we got everyone in the whole country together and from that flowed another set of initiatives. See, the thing about a drought is it keeps going on, and you can't just say at any one point in time ‘well, that's it. That's all that's all the measures.’ You don’t stop listening and stop working on the next set of measures, you keep responding. David Littleproud talks about, it’s like this, it's like walking up a flight of stairs, and as the drought continues, well, you keep stepping up. And you also need to be in a position to keep stepping up in the future.
So our response has three components. The first component is to provide direct assistance to farmers and graziers in their households. The second component is to support the communities in which they live, and that are affected more broadly by the loss of income going in to those communities because of the drought. And the third is to do with longer term resilience issues. And they're all important. And our response has covered all three and continues to be added to. The first one, the farm household allowance, what that means is over just over a four year period, they will have received each family, about $125, 000 dollars each family. Now that's on top of what other income they may be able to earn. See if you go on Newstart, let’s say you lose your job in the city and you go on Newstart, you can't earn $100,000 dollars and still get Newstart. You can’t have $5.5 million dollars in assets and still get Newstart. So that's what we do with Farm Household Allowance. And it's the right program and we’ve eased it up, 4 years out of every 10, when we started it was 3 years forever. And we raised the income and assets tests, so it meant that more people could get access. Then we put money into the communities themselves by putting money into the councils, $1 million dollars. And we've had five rounds of that as the drought’s got worse, we've put more and more in. And then the other work we’ve done is around water infrastructure. That's both on-farm so people in times of drought, those who were able to, they will go and upgrade their turkey-nests and do that sort of work or they’ll put other irrigation piping in and this sort of stuff. And we put in $50 million dollars’ worth of rebates to support them to do that, and there was other grants and support to sink bores. There was grants to support pest and weed management on the properties, and there was $75 million of tax incentives to actually build new silage facilities. So that's also keeping the farm labourers in work for those who can do that work, you know, they're not, you know, not getting the army in to do that. They're actually employing people to do them in the towns. And when the fodder is being transported to these farms, it’s using contractors, there are truck drivers affected by this. I mean, people say, ‘oh, you should bring the army in’, why would I want to displace someone getting a job, driving a truck or doing some water infrastructure work or mending some fences, dog fencing up in Queensland where a lot of that money went. So it's comprehensive, and we're going to keep doing it. And we'll be announcing more measures soon too.
MURRAY: I might ask about that military stuff in a second, cause that's quite a lot of questions because as a symbol of urgency, I think is why people might be relying on that. But John writes to me and he says, what did you think of the TV footage of a farmer standing on the Bank of the Murray River? He was crying as he was watching water flowing through to a red gum forest. Why are there still environmental flows at a time of drought?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the environmental flows are part of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, as everyone knows. And when you're talking about the Darling, well there's nothing really flowing down that. And in the Murray, there's water that is up in the Hume Dam and others that flows through in the allocations, which are determined by the state governments I should stress, and the environmental flows are a part of that. But that's an allocation, it's not, there's not that physical water necessarily in all cases which is being held there. I remember when I was growing up and I was studying these issues at university. Now I'm not a farmer and I've never pretended to be, but one of the biggest issues in that Basin was salinity. And that was killing our agricultural sector. The salinity. And one of the things the Basin Plan has achieved over a long period of time as it has been addressing those issues, is salinity. But we're looking at that issue very carefully. The other issue down there is the price of water and there are some agricultural production that today can't actually earn enough to buy the water. And that's why we’ve got those issues, particularly with the almond farmers down that way, and the water was going to where the users can pay for it. Now, that's a separate issue. That's about running a national water market and the Murray-Darling Basin plan. It's got nothing to do with drought. I should stress, on the Murray, that's about how the plan is working. And there are legitimate discussions that are being held around that and I have met with many of those farmers as well, and Sussan Ley in particular has been bringing those concerns to me, and I’m meeting with the Murray-Darling Basin team this week.
MURRAY: Gordon from Canberra says, my question to the PM relates to towns that are running out of water due to the drought. Australia has a national power grid. Why don’t we have a national water grid?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we are putting that very water grid in place now. We only stood up this month and that will build, and that will be managing some 21 national projects which are running in several states around the country, including the Dungowan Dam, and I was up there with the Premier announcing it the other day. And so there is this network of water infrastructure. But what I need to stress is when you're managing a drought, that everyone has a job, Commonwealth Government has a job, state governments have a job, local councillors have got a job. And our job is to look after directly those farm households with income support, to look after their welfare. And we've also put money into these towns as well. But we've let them make the decisions. So we've put $1 million bucks into over 120 shires and council areas. But we've said you've got the projects. You tell us what you think is most important. You make those decisions. And those projects have been everything from upgrading the local amenities block, and the town hall, which has put people in work, through to water cartage as well. State governments look after the animal welfare. Now, what that means is, the fodder subsidies, the freight subsidies, that's done by state governments and they pay for that. And those programs exist in New South Wales and in Queensland. Now, I've been assured by the New South Wales government that they have the arrangements in place to support those towns, that as their water draws right down, that they will be having the water in place in those towns to avoid that outcome. Now, that's their job, but it's a bit like saying, ‘well Scomo, why haven't you put more New South Wales police officers on the beat during a time?’ Or when that situation was happening down in Victoria some time ago and there was a real law and order problem down in Victoria, ‘Why won't you put more Victorian police officers on the beat?’ Well, it's because we don't run the Victoria Police Force or the New South Wales Police Force. In a drought, everyone has to do their jobs and we'll do our job. State Governments need to do their job. And local councils need to do theirs.
MURRARY: Well this, you may have pre-empted this one, which is Wayne who’s watching us in Rockhampton tonight. He says the PM could allay the fears about the drought, if we could, buy fodder from places like the US, New Zealand or wherever has it, by the shipload, send a ship to all the large ports in drought areas, sell this hay at $10 dollars a bale, which farmers would be prepared to pay, with the federal government picking up the difference in any way. Apart from sourcing it, what's your view about the federal government subsidising or outright buying the feed that would keep the animals alive?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, getting access- this is what's been advised to us from the feed sector, and that is, they haven't asked us to do that. There is Australian farmers who are actually growing feed and they’re selling it into this environment, and that's important to them. But there are also Australian farmers who are buying feed that aren’t necessarily affected by drought. Now, what they say to us is you go and subsidise something, and that pushes up the price. But again, that's not a matter that we're getting directly involved in because it's not for us to determine fodder subsidies or freight subsidies, the New South Wales and Queensland governments will be making their judgments on that. Now, I've been meeting obviously, as you’d expect with the National Farmers Federation pretty regularly and certainly the drought minister, and ag ministers have as well. They haven't recommended, they had their drought strategy they released just last week I think it was, they have not recommended additional freight or fodder subsidies. Now, it's a contested area. The thing in a drought is, I understand mate, while everybody feels passionately, this isn't a competition about who feels the most. We all feel it, all feel it. Your viewers will feel it. Listeners around the country. They all feel it, but most importantly, the people who are experiencing it are feeling it. So I'm not particularly- I'm less concerned about how I feel or how those who are delivering the support feel, or how politicians feel about this and what parties they are from, who cares? What matters is not how we feel, but what we do and what we do is important. And so I'm listening carefully to those producers around the country, and those communities. That's why we've kept stepping up. People have said, ‘Why have you gone and announced this again, and this again? Why couldn’t you have done that before?’ Because we made one announcement, we’ve gone back, how’s that going? Need a bit more? Ok great, we’ve worked that through, here’s the next announcement. And that's going to keep happening for as long as it takes, until it rains. But, you know, after the rain, the support is going to need to be there because people are going to need to restock. People have to get back on their feet and we need to be there for them then too. And we will be.
MURRAY: Noel says, he's ex-military. The best people to handle a drought situation is the military as they know how to put plans into action now. We have a natural disaster and water security issues, so let's make an immediate response rather than buggerising around with politicians. Noel, watching us in Mackay.
PRIME MINISTER: I want people whether they’re dam builders, water carters, fodder transporters, earth moving equipment on farms, farm hands, I want them doing the work because then they’re employed and that's good for the towns. That's why, I understand the- again, I understand the sense of feeling of urgency, but that's why we make these funds available at a local level directly within the farm, to ensure that they can be employed to do these very, very jobs. One thing you got to be careful of in this drought, is also do no harm. You want to help, but in your enthusiasm and in your passion and strong feeling to assist people, you don’t want to hurt at the same time and put someone out of a job. And we saw the same thing up in North Queensland when they had the floods. And the army had a role there for a period of time, particularly when we’re assisting with things like carcass removal and transporting some things around in an urgent situation, because that all happened in the space of 48 hours. So you’ve got to address the crisis situation as you find it, the drought is something that goes on for a very long period of time. And so if we believed that the, bringing in the military at particular points to assist, well those resources are available. But so far, that would mean putting someone out of a job to do just that, putting someone out of a job in a town that we want them to be in a job in. So they’ll go to the local IGA, or they’ll go to the local pub, or they’ll you know, pay for whatever they need to pay for, in the town.
MURRAY: This is from me. How do we make sure that that we don't get a school-halls like effect when you've got a lot of money and a lot of assistance going around…
PRIME MINISTER: It’s a good point.
MURRAY: …that we don't end up with a $800,000 dollars for a patio.
PRIME MINISTER: But this is very important. And that's why the program that we've had is sort of dripped out. So there’s time for the local councils, they already had some projects ready and that their current budgets weren't allowing them to do. And so that enabled them to go over some backlog of projects that had already gone through that proper process. And by having $1 million in to each council, that's a program that they can locally manage and not lead to those sorts of outcomes, because those big school hall programmes, that came from writing huge cheques to big contractors that ran across a whole state. And we know what happened. We want this- you know, we need this to be very targeted and we need to make sure we contain the benefit in these towns. I mean, a lot has been said about how much we're putting in, well the big number is about $7.5 billion. Now, that includes the Future Drought Fund. That's $5 billion. So let's put that to one side. There's $2.5 billion thereabouts over from last year all the way over about a 5 year period that we're putting into this. And each year alone, particularly right now, there's over $300 million dollars going in. And that's largely, almost all of that going into things like Farm Household Allowance, you know, the $65 million dollars we've given to Vinnies and the Salvos to go and give people $3,000 dollar payments to help them meet whatever bill they had coming up or put food on the table. It's, you know, $30 million or thereabouts that is going into things like mental health and health care support in these towns, rural financial counsellors, which I've got to tell you, they have been the angels of the drought. They have sat around kitchen tables and they've helped families make decisions, sometimes very difficult decisions. See in a drought, you can't wave a wand and make it like it was before the rain stopped falling. Droughts are hard. They're horrible. They're tough. They're difficult. And that is what droughts are. And we can provide a lot of support and assistance through that program together with state governments. But we don’t make it rain. And during that period, families will make difficult decisions and they need the best information and the best help to make those decisions for them. And the rural financial counsellors have been really important to that project, and they've been a key part of how we've tried to help people make the best decisions for them and their families.
MURRAY: PM, I look forward to doing this again very soon.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Paul.
Doorstop - Mortdale, NSW
28 October 2019
Prime Minister
DAVID COLEMAN MP: Well good morning everyone and welcome to Ace Gutters here in Mortdale here in the heart of the Banks electorate. It’s really fantastic to be here and I want to thank Ace Gutters for having us today. Stewart Porter and Geoff Hall and all the team who have welcomed us to this substantial employer here in the St. George district. Great to be here with the PM, the Premier, Minister Taylor and Minister Kean to talk about the really important issue of electricity prices which matters so much here in the Banks electorate and indeed right around the country. So I’ll hand over now to the Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks David, thanks also to Ace who are a tremendous local family company here in southern Sydney doing a fantastic job, employing a lot of people and one of the great things as you walk around this place is - it’s great to be here with Gladys, she would know as well - the number of people here who have been working here a long time because they’re a company that keeps looking ahead. As we look around at this factory, what we see is a company that is investing in its future, that it’s confident about its future, that it is taking the steps that it can to keep its electricity costs under control. In fact, they were telling us today they have been able to start getting them down in more recent times. They’ve invested using a lot of the programmes that are provided by both that state and the Commonwealth government for them to invest in their own renewable energy opportunities and we congratulate them for taking those investment decisions. Now, they’re taking their investment decisions for their future and the New South Wales and Commonwealth Government is going to take investment decisions to secure their future as a manufacturing company here in New South Wales.
What we’re seeking to do today by underwriting this investment together by Transgrid is to hook New South Wales up to reliable power generation coming out of Queensland where they have a lot more of that going into the future and we need to make sure that businesses here, manufacturing businesses here in particular in New South Wales get access to that reliable power that can help them get their power prices down. More competition, more supply, that’s how you get power prices down. And combined with the many other measures that we’ve been putting in place, particularly for our commercial and industrial companies. We want to get power prices down and have been having success with residential customers, ensuring that they get a better deal out of the big energy companies. Last week, we just passed through the House of Representatives the big stick legislation which gets consumers on more of a level playing field with those big energy companies. But the other thing we’re doing is we’re working to get a better deal for our manufacturing and our business customers because that’s where the jobs are. We’ve got record jobs growth around the country, three years of month after month after month of employment growth. And the same thing is happening here in New South Wales. The way you keep that going is you ensure that you keep businesses in business by getting their electricity prices down. So basically, investing in what is a very big extension cord and ensuring that we’re connecting up to that important power supply coming out of Queensland for New South Wales businesses is a great move for them and it will help them keep their energy costs under control, put downward pressure on those prices and ensure that they can keep employing the people they have in these incredibly far-sighted businesses that we see here in Ace Gutters.
It’s also great to be working with the New South Wales Government. Whether it’s on water security, on transport infrastructure or on energy security for the state, we have a wonderful partner with New South Wales, prepared to not only invest but to clear away the bureaucratic blockages which means these projects can go ahead. If we did not make this investment today as two government in underwriting this, we would have to wait until after next May before that happened through the normal AER process. So thank you so much, Gladys, we’re always around the same table together and getting things done.
THE HON. GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN, PREMIER OF NSW: Absolutely. Thank you, PM, and I think today demonstrates that when the federal government and the state government work together, we are able to ensure the really vital energy security of the future. And as we know, the Liddell Power Station ends its life in April 2023 and this is part of the solution for New South Wales. It’s ensuring our energy security for the future to ensure that households and businesses like Ace Gutters keep their prices down. We are proudly the state that has the highest jobs growth, the lowest unemployment, our economy is growing rapidly. We want to keep that going and we want to reduce the burden for businesses, for households wherever we can. More importantly, we also need to ensure our energy security. I want to thank the PM and his team for working so closely with the New South Wales government. This interconnector will provide an additional 190 megawatts of energy to New South Wales. It will also ensure a back-up system in place when the grid gets overloaded. This is the type of investment and the type of programmes we’re working on together to ensure that when it comes to energy security, not crisis managing but quite the opposite. We’re planning for the future, we’re making sure that we’re meeting the energy requirements now and also into the future and that’s the type of investment we like to make as a government. We like to plan ahead to ensure that as the system evolves, as new projects come online, that energy security is maintained, that downward pressure on generation prices is maintained because ultimately, that means that New South Wales can remain in the strong position it is. And again, I want to thank the Prime Minister and his team because by working closely together on energy security, on water security, we are able to get things done to make a difference for our citizens, not just today but also for decades to come. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Now, Angus and Matt have been putting this together. So tell us a bit more about it, Angus.
THE HON. ANGUS TAYLOR MP, MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION: Thanks, PM. It is absolutely fantastic to be back here at Ace Gutters. I was here before the election talking to the business, as I did many businesses, about our election commitments. And this is part of a suite of initiatives that we committed to and are all part of making sure that we have affordable, reliable power for our electricity grid in the coming years. Now, this will add 190 megawatts of capacity to the New South Wales markets. And on the worst possible day, that can make the difference, that can make the difference between the lights going out and the lights staying on. So it’s a very substantial initiative from that point of view. But it also adds supply into the market to ensure that all the time, we’ve got extra competitive pressure in the market, pushing down wholesale prices. Now, industrial businesses like this one are very sensitive to wholesale prices. We know they need to be low to keep the jobs in businesses like this in the suburbs and the regions right across New South Wales and of course Australia. Can I add that this collaboration with the New South Wales government is enormously important. In this particular case, it’s an underwriting agreement to make sure we can accelerate the investment that will take place, preferably under a regulated framework, to complete by late 2021. But the broader collaboration with New South Wales in ensuring that we have reliable and affordable power is absolutely essential to the people of NSW and of course the people in other states. Because this is an extension cord between New South Wales and Queensland, it’s not just good for New South Wales, it’s also good for Queensland. So thank you very much also to the New South Wales government for being involved in this all-important initiative.
PRIME MINISTER: Matt?
THE HON. MATT KEAN, NSW MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT: Thank you, Prime Minister. Well, this announcement is all about keeping the lights on and driving prices down. And it’s great working with a federal government that is absolutely committed to these objectives. Today’s announcement will fast-track the construction of the Queensland-New South Wales interconnector, bringing 190 megawatts of additional capacity into the market just when we need it. With the proposed closure of the Liddell coal-fired power station in April of 2023, this additional capacity will ensure we achieve those objectives of keeping the lights on and driving down prices.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can you be sure that prices will be lower? I mean, this is obviously a big investment from Transgrid, they’ll want to recoup the cost, won’t they? How can you guarantee that won’t be passed onto retailers?
PRIME MINISTER: The net present value of this, the additional net value that is put in the system, is some $200 million. So that is after the investment has taken place. And so that’s what this does, that actually puts value into the system and more power into the system and then the laws of economics do the rest. More supply, more connectivity and as Angus was saying, we are going into summer. Of course, there are going to be hot days in summer. There will be big loads on the system in summer and that 190 megawatts can be the difference in those circumstances about the continuity and reliability of supply but also the more regular supply, each and every day, that is offered by this interconnector between the two states means that that is keeping the pressure down on prices each and every single day. It is not the only interconnector we're working on. As you know, the Marinus Link between Tasmania and Victoria is a project we’re well advanced in the feasibility of working with the Tasmanian government on. So whether it’s interconnectors, whether it’s underwriting, these are the things we need to do to guarantee the reliability of power supply as well as its affordability.
JOURNALIST: This guarantees the reliability for more traditional power sources. What about similar sort of underwritings or investment in renewables here in New South Wales?
PRIME MINISTER: We have had considerable across the country. As you know, we have record investments in renewable energy which has been supported by the RET and New South Wales has been doing similar things.
THE HON. GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN, PREMIER OF NSW: We have about 17,000 megawatts of programmes in place in both traditional forms of energy but also renewables going through the pipelines in New South Wales. So we think we have the balance right in this state and most importantly we're now securing our energy for the future as well. And to the PM’s point, New South Wales also has plans in relation to interconnectors with Victoria and South Australia and they are still in the planning stages. So for New South Wales, this is a four-pronged strategy in terms of our transmission. We are kicking it off with the Queensland interconnector.
JOURNALIST: PM, do you have a response to the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?
PRIME MINISTER: I will but I'm happy to take questions on energy before I move to other matters.
JOURNALIST: I have a question for Mister Taylor. Do you have any updates on the feasibility studies on the Collinsville power station up in Queensland?
THE HON. ANGUS TAYLOR MP, MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION: Nothing additional to what is already out in the press.
PRIME MINISTER: There is an independent process going on in relation to north Queensland which is what we promised at the last election. That independent process has determined what are the best responses to ensure the reliable power generation capability to support north Queensland heavy industry. We expect that process should be concluded towards the end of this year and that would enable us to then consider what next steps are, in terms of whether it is Collinsville or others. The Collinsville project is a very good project but it needs to go through the same process as all the others. That is the integrity that Australians would expect.
JOURNALIST: Just back to the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. What is your response to that?
PRIME MINISTER: The first thing is to say that I welcome the significant outcome here which has seen Al-Baghdadi being killed as a result of this very targeted and very successful operation led by the United States. We welcome that, obviously. We have been involved in a campaign with our allies for many years now to defeat Da’esh and this outcome is a very significant one in that campaign. But I stress it is not the end of the campaign. This is a many-headed monster with Da’esh. And as you cut one off, another one inevitably arises. So while we welcome this news and we particularly congratulated President Trump and the US on their initiative here and their leading of this operation and its success, we are mindful that the threat continues and we must remain ever-vigilant and we will continue to be so ever-vigilant, working with our partners around the world. We also can never be complacent about the threats present at home and that’s why we have invested heavily in Australia's counter-terrorism abilities and to ensure that we do everything we can to keep Australians safe and a big part of that is working closely with the New South Wales government, with whom we have outstanding cooperation between law enforcement and counter-terrorism agencies and we thank New South Wales government and the New South Wales police in particular for the great support they give to our counter-terrorism efforts.
JOURNALIST: Were you given a heads up on the operation?
PRIME MINISTER: You wouldn't expect me to comment on those sorts of things, I'm sure.
JOURNALIST: Can I rephrase, were any Australians involved in any capacity?
PRIME MINISTER: This was a US operation.
JOURNALIST: There has been a bit of criticism from Senator Dodson about the fact that you didn't attend the closing ceremony, I suppose, at Uluru. Is that warranted criticism?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, neither Anthony Albanese or I were present at that event. My schedule didn't, frankly, permit me to be there. I can't be in two places at once. I was in Western Australia on the weekend and I was travelling back with my family from the West Australian, I was there for the West Australian Telethon. Can I congratulate all those in the West for some $42 million raised to support sick kids in WA. This is a significant event in Western Australia held on Saturday evening and, of course, on Sunday morning I was there supporting our Diamonds with their great win over the Silver Ferns with my family. So you know, as a Prime Minister, you like to be in as many places you can be but you can't always be in those places, as I'm sure Mr Albanese understands as well. This is a significant change up in Uluru. I think it's a timely one. The tourism industry will, of course, adjust and move on and I think will go from strength to strength. As you know, I have some background in that area and it has been a conversation that has been around for a long time. It is timely that we have moved on with that issue. There have been similar changes made to arrangements for walkers and others around Katajuta and other places in central Australia. The industry has moved on and continued to flourish and be successful. So I have no doubt that will occur and at the same time, I think the wishes of the indigenous people have been respected and that is also a very good step forward.
JOURNALIST: Just one on the drought, PM, will drought-affected communities know more this week about the next instalment of assistance?
PRIME MINISTER: We are considering further measures and have been now for some time. We have also been announcing new measures. It was only two weeks ago that I was with the Premier and we were announcing water infrastructure proposals in Dungowan and New South Wales. The week before that I was up in Dalby announcing new measures for the Farm Household Allowance which would see the rules relaxed to enable more farmers to gain access to that allowance and more money going into drought-affected communities through the Drought Communities Program, more money going into the sinking of bores which is something the New South Wales government has done a tremendous job on here in New South Wales. New South Wales is getting the water to those communities which will be in a very difficult position in the months ahead. I commend them for the work they are doing there. The drought continues and our response continues. There is no set and forget when it comes to both the Commonwealth and I'm sure the New South Wales government's response to drought. We are considering additional measures, working with the National Farmers Federation on those. I have held meetings with them recently and the Cabinet will, once we have finalised those assessments, we will make further announcements.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what do you make of Dean Smith's suggestions to broaden and increase the GST?
PRIME MINISTER: We're not doing it.
JOURNALIST: Just one for Minister Taylor, if I may? Minister, you have obviously put a statement out about the Clover Moore issue but have you had a chance to personally apologise to her?
THE HON. ANGUS TAYLOR MP, MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION: I have made the statement and I have said in that statement that I will be sending her a letter. I don't have anything more to add to that today.
JOURNALIST: Have you done that yet?
THE HON. ANGUS TAYLOR MP, MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION: We'll be sending the letter this week.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, everyone. Thank you to Ace Gutters, the power is on. Cheers.
Ensuring the future of reliable electricity supply for NSW
28 October 2019
Prime Minister, Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Minister for Energy and Environment
The Morrison and Berejiklian Governments are delivering reliable and affordable energy, making the New South Wales-Queensland Interconnector (QNI) happen.
The Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments will jointly underwrite up to $102 million of the QNI upgrade to ensure the security of electricity in NSW.
This will allow TransGrid, the network transmission service provider for NSW, to fast track critical early works for QNI ahead of the final regulatory determination of the Australian Energy Regulator (AER).
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the decision to underwrite QNI will unlock important transmission infrastructure and back the future of the New South Wales energy grid.
“This is about putting downward pressure on wholesale prices to make sure businesses and households have access to reliable and affordable power.
“Industry needs certainty. They need to know their electricity won’t cut out, and their power bill won’t suddenly double. You can’t run a business like that, and you can’t employ people.
“That’s why we are underwriting this interconnector. It’s a practical step to make sure it happens, and it happens quickly,” said the Prime Minister.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the NSW Government is committed to providing reliable and affordable electricity to the people of NSW.
“The QNI upgrade will ease cost of living pressures for people across NSW, providing reliable and affordable power to households and businesses,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Last year, the NSW Government announced its Transmission Infrastructure Strategy which outlined our commitment to accelerate the delivery of key interconnector projects, including the QNI.”
Mr Taylor said the support will put downward pressure on wholesale prices and deliver essential transmission for the NSW industries and jobs that rely on affordable, reliable energy.
“The QNI upgrade will facilitate greater competition between generators in the electricity market, helping to reduce wholesale prices,” said Mr Taylor.
“This is great news for the energy-intensive industries, and the jobs and regional economies that rely on them. With wholesale prices making up around a third of an average retail electricity bill, this will also deliver price relief for households and small businesses.
“Along with the Victoria-New South Wales Interconnector (VNI), this will strengthen the backbone of the National Electricity Market, reduce network bottlenecks and make the energy market more efficient.”
Mr Kean said the new agreement with the Australian Government and TransGrid is the most cost-effective option for the people of New South Wales up to, and after, the closure of the Liddell power station in April 2023.
“Fast tracking QNI is just one of the ways we’re delivering on our commitment to keep the lights on and to keep power costs down as the energy market transitions,” Mr Kean said.
This program compliments work that TransGrid will progress on the VNI – which will further increase competition as well as removing constraints that prevent generation from getting to where it’s needed.
The Commonwealth Government will share the underwriting liability with New South Wales through a 50/50 split.
The Morrison and Berejiklian Governments are working closely as part of the Liddell Taskforce to mitigate other potential supply risks from the closure of Liddell.
The NSW–Queensland transmission interconnector was declared a high-priority project under the Australian Energy Market Operator’s Integrated System Plan. Through this joint agreement, upgrades to QNI will be brought forward to late 2021, delivering an extra 190 MW of capacity into NSW during peak demand periods.
Regulatory approval processes for QNI are already well progressed due to the New South Wales Government’s Transmission Infrastructure Strategy, with further action needed to ensure QNI is fully operational by the summer of 2022–23.
Joint Media Statement on the death of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi
28 October 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women, Minister for Defence
The announcement by US President Donald Trump confirming the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is welcomed by Australia.
Al-Baghdadi died in a US-led raid on his hideout in northwest Syria on 26 October.
He led a murderous, terrorist group responsible for widespread misery and destruction across large parts of Iraq and Syria.
He also inspired or directed cowardly attacks by ISIS followers against innocent civilians around the world, some of whom were Australian.
He was responsible for ordering ethnic cleansing, sexual slavery, and other crimes against humanity.
Al-Baghdadi’s death is a significant blow to ISIS and another important step in preventing its revitalisation. It is important to remember his death does not represent the end of the campaign to defeat this terrorist group and the extremism it embodies.
ISIS and its perverted ideology continue to pose security threats in the Middle East region and beyond.
Australia remains an active contributor to the 79-member Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, and is committed to playing our part in the evolving counter-terrorism fight. Keeping Australians safe from terrorist attacks remains a foremost priority for the Government.
Australian Defence Force personnel continue to support Coalition operations against ISIS.
The Australian Government thanks Australian and Coalition military forces who, for many years, have helped in the efforts to defeat ISIS.
We honour the courage and sacrifice of Iraqi Security Forces in the liberation of their land from the ruthless occupation of ISIS.
We also restate our deep respect for the Syrian Democratic Forces, who have been steadfast and courageous security partners in the counter-ISIS coalition.
Australia will continue to work closely with Coalition partners and the wider international community to counter ISIS, including by stemming their financing, and stopping terrorist groups using the internet as a tool of recruitment and propaganda.
Interview with Basil Zempilas, Telethon
26 October 2019
Prime Minister
BASIL ZEMPILAS: Lovely to have you in the West and lovely to have you at Telethon for the very first time. I'm sure, Prime Minister, you've heard a lot about it.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, we have and we were with you, Basil, when we were handing out all the proceeds of Telethon last time and so look, how good's the West? How good’s Telethon? How good is this?
[Applause]
That's how good it is and the work, how good the work it does is the important thing. And so we're looking forward to a great next 26 hours, I think it is, and thanks to all the sponsors who are getting behind it, but thank you to the people of Western Australia. This is such a Western Australian thing.
[Applause]
The big hearts of Western Australia on display. And tonight, of course, I think it's important that the Australian government does its bit and we want to get this off to a big start.
ZEMPILAS: Before you do that, before you do that, because it would be remiss of us not to speak to your beautiful wife tonight, the lovely Jenny Morrison, everybody make her welcome again.
[Applause]
MRS MORRISON: Thank you everybody.
ZEMPILAS: Wonderful that you could come over and, if it's okay, I might say that you've come over as a family this weekend.
MRS MORRISON: We absolutely have. We have brought our beautiful daughters with us, Abbey and Lily, and we're having a great time in the West.
ZEMPILAS: Oh, it's great to have you here and you've got not just Telethon tonight. You're here with us. You're going to the Lexus Ball but tomorrow, a very special family event all together.
PRIME MINISTER: We'll be out there barracking for the Diamonds in the morning against the Silver Ferns. They're playing here in Perth, so go the Diamond girls, and look, I won't be running the water for them tomorrow, I can tell you. It's too important a game for me to get in the way. So I wish the girls all the best and we'll be cheering them on.
ZEMPILAS: Prime Minister, you've had such an amazing year, is there - other than the election victory - is there something that stands out especially for you?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh look, it's a great privilege to do this job on behalf of all Australians and it's just the number of people you get to meet, Basil, and tonight's no exception to that. Meeting young Eva and Callum before we came out here and their parents, which is a great reminder about what this is all about. But it's such an amazing country. But when you see it celebrated in the way that you're doing here through Telethon and to Kerry Stokes and all the team and who had been involved with this for so long, it is such a great institution and we want to see it keep going and want to see it top $38 million this year.
ZEMPILAS: Well said. Jenny, you mentioned that the girls are here and I think something like this as parents, it makes us all realize how lucky we are. And not everybody has been necessarily as fortunate with their children's health as we have. So it's a special time in that way, isn't it?
MRS MORRISON: Absolutely. It's such a... it's a privilege to come over here today and really get behind the Telethon. It's really important. All our children are really important to us. Mine are. I'd be devastated if something was happening to my children. So we really, really feel for kids that are having such a hard time. So we all need to get behind the Telethon over here.
ZEMPILAS: And that's why we asked them to donate. Can I ask, beautiful in red. We’re painting the town red, that's the theme of Telethon this year. Is there an Aussie designer that you'd like to give a shout out to?
MRS MORRISON: Well, I'd love to thank Alex and Genevieve from Ginger and Smart. They're my little, favourite people and they do beautiful, beautiful Australian design and we like to support Australians.
ZEMPILAS: Let's hear it for Alex and Genevieve, haven't they done an amazing job. Prime Minister, as always, you scrub up magnificently as well.
PRIME MINISTER: Not as well as Jenny, she always looks good. That's why it's great to come to events like this, she gets to dress up. She looks awesome.
MRS MORRISON: Yeah, but guys can just like, you know, pull on a suit and a shirt and a tie and they can go out the door. They don't have to do any of the...
ZEMPILAS: It's not that easy, Jenny. Well, you're probably right. It is pretty easy for us. Prime Minister, it is our great privilege to have you here. We're so delighted that you could make the trip over and bring the family for what's going to be a special weekend, which makes it even more special for us. Jenny, thank you for being here and now, Prime Minister, on behalf of the Australian Government, we'd loved to get our Bankwest Telethon tally just kicking on a little higher than it is at the moment.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the Australian Government, has every year, has supported Telethon, going back to many years ago when John Howard started that process. Earlier this year, we actually put $13 million into the Telethon Kids Institute earlier this year, as a wholly separate exercise for the wonderful work they do. Tonight, though, for Telethon, last year we put in $2 million. Tonight we're putting in $2.5 million.
ZEMPILAS: Wow. Wow. $2.5 million from the Australian Government. Ladies and gentlemen, let's have a look at the Bankwest tally and say what that does and there we go. Boom. $2.7 million. Prime Minister, Mrs Morrison, thank you so much for being here. It means a lot to us and it means a lot to Telethon. And thank you on behalf of the Australian people for your generosity.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Basil. Have a great Telethon, mate, thanks for everything you and all the great seven talent teams. I'll come and run some water for [inaudible] a little later, and have a great Telethon.
ZEMPILAS: You too. Lovely to see you. The Prime Minister, and Mrs Morrison.
Australia's submarines in the national interest
26 October 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Defence
Australia’s submarine capability is an essential component of our defence force.
As the Indo-Pacific region experiences a new era of strategic competition, our submarine fleet is vital in keeping Australians safe and our sea lanes open.
Today our fleet of six Collins Class submarine incorporates the most advanced technology of any conventional submarines.
Three of the six submarines are consistently available for tasking as it attends to its most solemn duty – the protection of the nation and our people.
This cannot be achieved without the skills, courage and professionalism of our hard-working submariners.
Today we thanked the men and women of the Royal Australian Navy, at HMAS Stirling in Perth.
Being a submariner is no easy job. We ask our people who protect our nation to spend long periods of time away from their families, and they often can’t talk about what they do.
But it is also a highly rewarding career, working around the world on one of our best navy assets with a crew of great mates.
As the Morrison Government delivers our $90 billion Naval Shipbuilding Plan, the largest regeneration of the Navy since the Second World War, we will be building 57 naval vessels in Australia, by Australian workers, with Australian steel.
These vessels will be the backbone of the ADF’s maritime capability and will generate 15,000 new jobs across defence industry, from diesel fitters to electricians and carpenters.
The Navy has been an integral part of the nation it has served with great distinction for over a century.
We are rebuilding our fleet and transforming our navy to ensure a potent capability for whatever challenges this century brings our nation.
Morrison Government increases regional migration target
26 October 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure, Minister for Education, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs
The Morrison Government is stepping up its commitment to regional Australia by ensuring our migration system encourages skilled migrants to live and work in our smaller cities and regions.
In March this year, the Government announced it would reduce the permanent migration cap from 190,000 to 160,000 places, and within that set aside 23,000 places for regional visas.
Following unprecedented growth (124 per cent) in the number of regional visas granted in the first quarter of this programme year, the Government is increasing the total number of regional places to 25,000.
The definition of regional Australia for migration purposes will also change. Perth and the Gold Coast will no longer be classified as major cities, ensuring they remain an attractive destination for skilled migrants and international students.
The new definition will come into effect on 16 November.
Locations outside of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane will have access to the 25,000 visa places, priority processing and international university graduates who live in these locations will be eligible to apply for more time in Australia on a post-study work visa.
The new system is a key pillar of the Government's Population Plan. It will ease the pressures in our three largest capital cities, while providing incentives for migrants to live and work in regional Australia.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: “We’re using our migration programme to back our regions to grow to take the population pressure off our major capital cities and by supporting strong regions we’re creating an even stronger economy for Australia.
“These changes will boost the appeal for so many cities and regional centres that are looking to grow their population to support local services like schools and health care, while attracting new workers and students, meaning more jobs and more investment.”
Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said the boost in regional migration formed a central plank of the Government’s plan for managing Australia’s future population.
“Almost 70 per cent of our population growth in recent years has been into Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, increasing the pressures being felt across our major cities,” Minister Tudge said.
“Migration has been the primary driver of this growth, and these changes means more migrants and international students will live, work and study in our smaller cities and regional areas.”
Minister for Education Dan Tehan said attracting more students, both Australian and international, to study in the regions is part of the Morrison Government’s focus on regional higher education.
“International Education made a $35 billion contribution to the economy last year, yet just three per cent of the 690,000 international students were enrolled in regional Australia,” Minister Tehan said.
“We want the entire country to share in the job, business and cultural opportunities that come with international students. International students who study in regional Australia also rate their living and learning experience higher than students based in metropolitan centres.”
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman said the Government would continue to with work State and Territory Governments and regional communities to ensure Australia’s migration system meets the needs of our cities and regions.
“We know areas of regional Australia want to grow – grow their economies, grow their education sectors and grow their communities,” Minister Coleman said.
“We will continue to review our regional migration settings to ensure they continue to support regional Australia.”
To ensure the Government meets its targets and continues to support regional Australia, Minister Coleman has deployed Regional Outreach Officers to the regions to promote skilled migration initiatives and provide dedicated support to regional employers, helping them understand their skilled visa options.
Migration definitions
Definition
Locations
Regional incentives
Major Cities
Sydney
Melbourne
Brisbane
Cities and major regional centres
Perth
Adelaide
Gold Coast
Sunshine Coast Canberra Newcastle/Lake Macquarie
Wollongong/Illawarra Geelong
Hobart
Access to the dedicated 25,000 regional places.
Priority processing on regional visas.
Access to the Regional Occupations List – more jobs compared to non-regional lists.
International students studying at regional universities will be eligible to access an additional year in Australia on a post-study work visa.
Regional centres and other regional areas
All other locations
Access to the dedicated 25,000 regional places.
Priority processing on regional visas.
Access to the Regional Occupations List – more jobs compared to non-regional lists.
International students studying at regional universities will be eligible to access an additional 2 years in Australia on a post-study work visa.
Priority in negotiating region-specific Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs).
Statement - Malka Leifer Extradition Case
23 October 2019
Prime Minister
Today I met with courageous sisters Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer.
Their brave campaign for justice for the horrific allegations of abuse committed against them, and others, is to be commended and supported.
We acknowledge how deeply traumatic and painful it must be for those having to revisit the hurts of the past, and we acknowledge the immense bravery of the victims in this case, and all similar cases.
We stand with them.
My Government is strongly committed to ensuring that justice is served in the case of Malka Leifer.
This matter is currently before the justice system in Israel and we call for the matter to be resolved transparently and quickly. We also reaffirm our commitment to have Malka Leifer extradited to Australia to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse.
I have previously raised this commitment with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will continue to raise this issue with the incoming Israeli leadership. The matter has also been raised frequently by Foreign Minister Marise Payne and the embassy officials.
Australia is a strong and committed friend and partner of Israel.
That friendship is based on many things, including our shared commitment to justice, democracy and the rule of law.
The Australian Government will be unswerving in seeking justice in this matter.
We are committed to ensuring all Australian children are safe and protected from abuse.
Winners of the Prime Minister's Literary Awards
23 October 2019
Prime Minister, Minister for Communications Cyber Safety and the Arts
From an account of an artist community living on a Greek island to a tale of four kids and their teacher solving a decades-old mystery, the Prime Minister’s literary awards for 2019 celebrate the diversity of Australian writing.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher handed down the Awards today which recognise the significant contribution literature, history and poetry make towards shaping our Australian identity.
“Congratulations to the outstanding winners of this year’s Awards. We are fortunate to have such remarkable authors, poets, illustrators, creators and historians committed to bringing Australian stories to life,” said the Prime Minister.
“This year’s short list showcases the diversity of our great country. I really encourage Australians of all ages to pick up a copy of one of this year’s excellent entries.”
Minister Fletcher reinforced the Government’s commitment to supporting Australian literature, history and poetry through the annual Awards.
“These Awards have recognised individual excellence in Australian literature for more than a decade,” Minister Fletcher said.
“Literature is vital in a civilised society. There is something very special about a book as the fruit of sustained and disciplined artistic and intellectual effort. With these awards the Prime Minister on behalf of the nation is recognising outstanding works by Australian authors – as well as acknowledging the importance of literature in the life of our nation, and expressing the Government's gratitude to every author.”
The Awards are presented in six categories – children's literature, young adult literature, fiction, poetry, non-fiction, Australian history – with a total prize pool of $600,000.
For more information about this year’s winning and shortlisted books, authors and judges’ comments visit www.arts.gov.au/pmla.
Winners | 2019 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards
Fiction
The Death of Noah Glass, Gail Jones, Text Publishing
Non-fiction
Half the Perfect World: Writers, Dreamers and Drifters on Hydra, 1955–1964, Paul Genoni and Tanya Dalziell, Monash University Press
Australian history
The Bible in Australia: A Cultural History, Meredith Lake, NewSouth Publishing
Poetry
Sun Music: New and Selected Poems, Judith Beveridge, Giramondo Press
Children’s literature
His Name Was Walter, Emily Rodda, Angus & Robertson
Young adult literature
The Things That Will Not Stand, Michael Gerard Bauer, Omnibus Books
Transcript - Radio Interview with Oliver Peterson, 6PR
22 October 2019
Prime Minister
OLIVER PETERSON, 6PR PERTH LIVE HOST: And from Federal Parliament in Canberra is the Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, good afternoon, welcome to Perth Live.
PRIME MINISTER: G’day Oli, how are you mate?
PETERSON: I’m very well PM. Now the big stick laws allowing the government to intervene in the electricity market have been going through the parliament today.
PRIME MINISTER: Correct
PETERSON: But here in WA we’re not on your National Energy Grid…
PRIME MINISTER: No.
PETERSON: So how are 6PR listeners going to benefit from this?
PRIME MINISTER: Well they apply right across the country and what they do is they apply to companies that can use their market power and you’ve got big energy companies too like the rest of the country and where they’re seen and found to be doing that to punish customers, well there’s a range of remedies in this legislation which there are things the Government can do. Now it starts off at fairly modest level where the ACCC is the cop on the beat, they can issue warning notices, and infringement notices but that goes ups to civil penalties and fines and then ultimately if you have a big energy company that is doing this then there is a power for forced divestment but that’s in the most extreme of circumstances and if it’s a fully government-owned power company then it can only be divested to other fully government-owned, of ownership of that company, so there’s no issues of privatisation here. But look, what is it all about? It’s about trying to give the customers more power and to balance it up when you’ve got those big energy companies able to pretty much charge you where’ve they want…
PETERSON: Sure.
PRIME MINISTER: We’ve been doing a lot of work for now for some years to try and just even the score up for customers.
PETERSON: Alright, ’cause as you just said the and here in Western Australia, state-owned, so would the Federal Government force the McGowan Government to sell the state-owned energy assets?
PRIME MINISTER: Well ultimately if it ever got to that situation I’m sure there would be a lot of discussion with the State Government in those circumstances and it may not ever come to exercising that option but the guarantee is, that no government-owned asset could be divested to anything other than full government ownership and the Commonwealth is obviously a government-owned entity.
PETERSON: Business says investment is going to dry up because these laws drive-up the risk that their investment will essentially be taken off them but don’t we need more investment in power to bring prices down. How’s this going to affect 6PR listeners paying less for their power?
PRIME MINISTER: Because it will even up the balance for them as customers in terms of how they deal with energy companies and we’ve been doing a lot of things on that front to ensure that things like the standard offers, the tricky late payment fees and all those sorts of things have been outlawed and we’ve been doing that for some time so I’m not surprised the big energy companies don’t like the idea that customers will have greater power in the market when dealing with them and of course they’re going to say those things, I’m not surprised by it, they always say that sort of thing and we’ve been able to overcome those arguments and getting full support for this legislation going through the Parliament now.
PETERSON: It’s been almost three months since you were here in Western Australia, you got any visits planned Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: This weekend! And it could have been come to hear Tex Perkins play this weekend, I heard the ad before that sounded really good…
PETERSON: You’re a fan of Tex Perkins are you Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: I love that album, Tex, Don and Charlie, I had it many, many years ago, and he’s a great Australian talent but let’s- getting back to the reason I’m coming which is Telethon on Saturday night, we’ve already put $10 million into Telethon over the years. It’s a great initiative, I get excited to see by how it brings a community together and gets the community focused on the really great charities and work that is done in Western Australia so we’re big supporters of it and we just want to come and lend our support on Saturday night.
PETERSON: Alright we’ll see you here on the weekend. Now Prime Minister, why is the Government obsessed with the budget surplus when you really could create some jobs by spending some dollars and pull the trigger on some job-creating infrastructure projects in Western Australia like Metronet for example.
PRIME MINISTER: We already are investing in Metronet and we’re already investing this year almost $10 billion in infrastructure all around the country. Our budget already is providing for massive investments in infrastructure as well as tax reductions for people right across the board. But you also need to ensure you have a budget that is good for tomorrow not just today. Now we are facing a lot of global uncertainty so, you know, this is what Kevin Rudd did when he was in power. He came in, panicked, blew the budget and we’re are still paying for it now. When people are saying we’re in Kevin Rudd’s debt they mean literally, the debt he left behind because he went and blew the budget. Now you know we had the stimulus funding for overpriced school halls, we had insulation and solar home programmes which cost $2 billion to implement and then $1 billion to fix, and then we had rooms actually catch alight, we had stimulus payments being sent to people who had actually deceased and even pets. Stimulus activity is proven to be ill-considered, poorly planned and results in massive waste which means taxpayers end up paying for it. It’s not free money, you have to pay for it and it’s taxpayers who foot the bill so we’re careful about our budget, we’re investing billions in infrastructure and we’ve provided additional support to the Western Australian budget, finally, by dealing with the injustice of what was occurring with the GST so WA gets that money now to be able to invest -n the priorities in WA and we think that’s the right way to do it. But that’s responsible economic management, not the panic and crisis that we saw from Labor.
PETERSON: Now we know it’s a national issue at the moment with low wages growth but particularly here in Perth, Prime Minister, and we get so many calls and emails, we’ve got a struggling Perth property market. Our listeners are particularly worried about being able to pay off their mortgages, can the Morrison Government reassure them?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the first thing you do is you don’t go and hit the property market with a sledgehammer by abolishing negative gearing, and putting up capital gains tax and the last election was very much about that. Could you imagine what would have happened to the Perth market if that had happened, it would have been an absolute disaster. But on top of that what we’re doing is ensuring that by investing in infrastructure, providing the tax relief that that’s putting the money in people’s own pockets and that’s not our money it’s theirs and we’re allowing them to keep more of it with our tax reductions for small and family businesses right across the board up to 50 million and that’s providing some breathing space for those businesses but on top of that for those who try to actually get into the market, of course we have a low interest rate environment at the moment but there’s still a really hard slog getting deposits together, for people to get into their first home. We’ve got the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme and the legislation for that went through the Parliament, that kicks off on the first of January this year coming. But the best way to ensure there is stronger wage growth, and we’ve had almost 1.5 million jobs created since we came to Government, more people working as a share of the population today than at any other time in our history. We’ve just gone three years where employment has increased every single month across the country and that’s happened every month for three years which is the strongest we’ve ever seen. Getting people into work, getting them off welfare, driving the economy forward with infrastructure investment and lower taxes.
PETERSON: Jobs, jobs, jobs that’s what Anne Aly said to me yesterday, the Member for Cowan and Prime Minister we could create more jobs by bringing the maintenance contract for the Collins Class submarines to Perth and remove that from Adelaide. Are you going to award it to WA?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it won’t be done on politics, it will be done on the careful consideration of the issues that are involved in actually running what is a very important programme in our Defence Forces. I mean, this is not some prize to be handed out or decided on the basis of politics, I think that would be a very dangerous way to run Government, we’ll do this is in the careful considered policy of listening to the advisers, doing the analysis and making the best decision in the national interest.
PETERSON: It makes some sort of logistical sense though doesn’t it if the submarines are based here in Perth, if the maintenance could be carried out here in Perth, it’s a win-win is it not?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, these are things that will be reviewed by those experts, in providing the Government with advice about those projects and Linda Reynolds is the Defence Minister, a great Western Australian, very familiar with all these issues but the thing is we’re not going to do this on politics, we don’t defend the country and its national interests and keep Australians safe by allowing politics to enter into those issues.
PETERSON: Your Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton claimed this morning that some asylum seekers may be faking sickness over the Medivac changes, is that really happening?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, of the 135 people that actually came under this arrangement only 13 were hospitalised, so I’ll let you make up your own mind. We didn’t think those laws were necessary when they were introduced, we did think they would undermine the border protection regime and we do think it should be returned to what we had in place before which was working. I don’t understand why Labor always wants to be break something that’s working and they never learn from their mistakes. Doctors were already involved in the process that we were running previously and that programme had been effectively bringing people to Australia where there was legitimate medical need but Labor, whether it’s on border protection or blowing the budget, doesn’t seem to have learnt anything from what they did. I know it was six years ago when they were in Government last but they don’t seem to have learnt anything still, since, because they are still advocating the same policies.
PETERSON: Prime Minister, if these so-called “Isis brides” undergo a DNA test and it’s proved that they are Australian citizens will they be brought back home?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there’s a lot of steps and there’s a lot of events that occur before you even get to that situation. The part of Syria where people are who are alleged to be Australians, they are in a very dangerous part of the world and there’s no suggestion that Australia is going to be running any extraction campaigns. It’s too dangerous, I’m not going to put any Australians in harm’s way. Now, were people to find themselves at border points and things like that well there’d be a normal process that would be followed but it would obviously be necessary to ensure that it was very clear about what any obligations Australia had at that time before going down that path.
PETERSON: A lot of our listeners don’t want these people to return home but one of our callers suggested in the last hour suggested that we’ve lost our generosity of spirit if we don’t allow them to return home, I mean after all they are Australian citizens Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that would have to be determined and that would have to be established.
PETERSON: Are you happy to see Justin Trudeau returned as the Canadian Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: You know I’ll talk to Justin tomorrow, I’ve worked with Justin over this past year at many of these events, I congratulate him, it was a very tightly fought election and he’s a pretty effective campaigner, very effective no doubt and at this stage it’s not clear whether he’ll form a minority government or majority government. But you know Australia has a very good relationship with Canada, it’s like with any of the countries we have a great relationship with. Our job as leaders is to ensure we manage those relationships well and take them to the next level and I get on very well with Justin and his wife Sophie, Jenny and I have met them on a number occasions now and we progress issues we can agree on. Justin and I, I wouldn’t say have the same political views on some issues but they’re things we can set aside where we work together on the relationship for the good of both countries.
PETERSON: One more before you go, I picked up The Aus this morning, now how confident are you of crushing Anthony Albanese because according to Troy Bramston in The Australian you want to take us to an early election but please tell us that’s not the case because we just had local council elections over the weekend…
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t know what on earth he’s basing that on, I’ve got no clue what he’s basing that on. You know we’re elected to govern, and that’s what we’re going to do. I’m not at all interested in elections at the moment, why would I be? We’ve just been reelected just recently and we’ve got a big term of work to do and that’s exactly what we’re going to get on and do, and we’ve got, particularly over on the eastern states, we’ve got the terrible issues of the drought, we’ve got the global economic conditions which has got us very focused on dealing with those varying infrastructure projects over in the West which I was talking to you about and getting those done. We’re delivering the highest level of education and hospitals funding that we’ve ever seen, we’ve got to get the NDIS up and happening and on very sensitive issues like we had in the Parliament this afternoon, it’s a year since the national apology for the survivors of institutional child sexual abuse and we’ve got a lot of work to do there on the redress scheme and getting that redress out to people who were affected by that. So my to do list is big and it’s full and there’s a lot to do and we’re just getting on with it. I’ll leave Labor to their own crisis and panic, they seem to be having their own problems. But I take nothing for granted and have head down, tail up doing the job.
PETERSON: Alright, before you go one very last one as I know you’re a Rugby League fan, we would love a team here in Perth, would it have the Prime Minister’s backing to bring the West Coast Pirates into the National Rugby League?
PRIME MINISTER: The West Coast Pirates? Well look it was some years ago when there was a Western Australian team…
PETERSON: Yeah the Western Reds.
PRIME MINISTER: and I’ve got to tell you when I came over for the State of Origin this year that was awesome, that was just simply awesome and it wasn’t just because New South Wales won but it was because the way the Perth crowd took to the game and that is now the record for the stadium. So I’ve got to tell you Western Australia certainly put their best foot forward. I’ll leave the running of the NRL to the NRL though, and Todd, and I’ll keep a focus on my Sharks, they’re staying at Cronulla I can assure you they’re not going anywhere.
PETERSON: The “Perth Sharks” has a good ring to it though as well?
PRIME MINISTER: No, they’ll be on the east coast but in terms of pirates or things like that all I would say is that I thought that was a phenomenal event in Perth and it wasn’t just the day of the game and it was the lead up all week and Perth is really just an awesome event city and it’s really establishing itself on that basis and I’d say well done.
PETERSON: We’ve got the NRL Nines as well next year too, Prime Minister we really appreciate your time on Perth Live this afternoon and welcome you here later in the week thank you very much.
PRIME MINISTER: Looking forward to coming, good on you Oli, cheers!
PETERSON: That is the Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison live on the line from Canberra.
https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42476
Motion - National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse
22 October 2019
Prime Minister
Mr Morrison: (Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service) (16:16): I move:
That the House commemorate the anniversary of the national apology to the survivors and victims of institutional child sexual abuse.
I join with all in our chamber today, I join with the Leader of the Opposition and I join with all of those across the country as we mark the first anniversary of the Australian government's and parliament's apology to the victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. I remember that day incredibly well. It is burned in my memory forever, and I remember on that occasion speaking of those around the country who still would not be able to get out of bed without the horrific memory of what they have lived with ever since those unutterable things were done to them all those years ago or even most recently. And so we come again today and, as we commemorate this day, they, the survivors, are the ones we have in the front of our minds and deep in our hearts. And we also remember those for whom it was just too much, and they are no longer with us.
A year ago, our nation said sorry. I described it as:
… a sorry that dare not ask for forgiveness … a sorry that does not insult with an incredible promise …
It was a sorry as if we lay prostrate before those to whom it was offered, with nothing to say other than to reflect on the terrible events that have afflicted their lives. We acknowledge the national trauma—a national trauma that was hiding in plain sight—the silenced voices and what I described as the 'muffled cries in the darkness' and 'the never-heard pleas of tortured souls'. That is still true today—ritual crimes of sexual abuse committed by enemies in our midst, enemies that all too often cloak their evil in roles where they should be trusted more than any: teachers, priests, pastors, coaches, counsellors. Because they held positions which our society deems respectable, they were believed. A survivor named Ann said, 'My mother believed them rather than me.' As a parent, those words still just make me shudder.
Our apology, which brought all parties, all people in this place, together in this House, was one of our most difficult moments, but it was also the parliament at its best. I particularly want to thank the then Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, for his partnership on that day, for sharing and carrying that burden on behalf of this parliament with me on that day as we stood in this place, as we spoke to those who sat silently in the chairs and around the gallery—many of whom are back here again today—and as we went out onto the lawns also and as we went into the Great Hall. So thank you, Bill. Thank you very much. We can both tell those stories.
Last year, I met Aunty Mary Hooker, a Bundjalung woman who was on the lawns of Parliament House after the apology . I was reminded of that today. She told me that she gave evidence to the royal commission because, she said, 'The truth needed to be told.' Aunty Mary passed away two weeks ago, and until the time of her death she had on the television in her home a photo of the two of us from that day. It wasn't about any one prime minister; it was about what that day meant to her and how what we did a year ago at least provided her with some measure of solace.
The apology required us to confront a question, a terrible question, too horrible to even ask: why weren't the children of our nation loved, nurtured and protected? So we said sorry for the hurt and the horrors, for the violation of dignity and self-worth, for what was done, the acts too unspeakable; sorry for what was not done, and should have been, as we looked the other way instead of helping or intervening; sorry to families who are forever scarred and destroyed; sorry to those who weren't believed. Our failure as a nation was catastrophic and inexcusable, and no apology can undo it, yet we apologised because we should have and we must have. And I would like to think of it as an ongoing, continuous apology. I agree with the survivor who said, 'Child sexual abuse is not just a crime against the person; it's also a crime that attacks the social fabric of the nation,' and in these acts the fabric of our society was rent, and our apology was just one humble but important step in trying to mend it.
On this day one year ago, we paid tribute to the thousands of people who came forward bravely, with courage, to tell their story to the royal commission. And there weren't just a few; the numbers make us shudder. Seventeen thousand came forward, and nearly 8,000 recounted their abuse in private sessions of the royal commission. A year ago, we pledged—I pledged—that we would report back to the Australian parliament, to the people, on the progress we are making on the implementation of the recommendations of the royal commission, because now it's only actions that can prove the worth of our sentiments, and that is what today is the opportunity to do. But, in providing these introductory comments, I think it's important for us to go back to where we were a year ago and simply allow the horror of those events to impact us with a heavy blow.
The government will continue to report annually on this progress, as we should. Of the royal commission's 409 recommendations, the 84 regarding redress have been addressed through the implementation of the National Redress Scheme. The Commonwealth has a further 122 recommendations that we are working on either wholly or partially with our state and territory colleagues. I am pleased that work on these recommendations will advance. Around one third have already been implemented, and the remainder are well underway. The Commonwealth has also taken on a national leadership role for more than 30 additional recommendations that were primarily addressed to the states and territories, and we are working closely with those states and territories on those matters.
We tabled the first annual progress report last December and we will continue doing that each year for five consecutive years or, frankly, for as long as it takes. All states and territories also published 2018 annual progress reports and will also provide annual reporting. This year, we have also encouraged a further 42 non-government institutions, whose conduct was called into question at the royal commission, to report on their actions and to change their practices. The public accountability across governments and non-government institutions is crucial and vital.
One year on, I can report the National Redress Scheme has been operating for just over a year and is giving survivors access to counselling, psychological services, monetary payments and, for those who want one, a direct personal response from an institution where the abuse occurred. So far, more than 600 payments have been made, totalling more than $50 million, with an average redress payment of $80,000. More than 60 non-government institutions or groups of institutions are now participating in the scheme, and that represents tens of thousands of locations across Australia where this happened. And there are other institutions that have chosen not to join, perhaps captured by lawyers, legal advice—perhaps deaf to the cause of justice. All they are doing in not joining this is doubling down on the crimes and doubling down on the hurt. And so to them who have not joined, I say: join. Do the decent thing. Do the right thing. Do the honourable thing. It is not just what survivors expect and their families and the families of those who did not survive; it is what every decent, honest Australian demands and what we in this place, all as one, demand as well.
I also acknowledge that the Redress Scheme needs to do better in supporting survivors. The rate of response is not good enough, and it must improve. Applications have not been processed as fast as I want them to be. That is why earlier today, Minister Ruston announced a further investment of $11.7 million in the National Redress Scheme, to improve its operation and to better support survivors. I want better outcomes. The funding will support case management of applications to reduce the number of different people a survivor may be required to deal with while their application is being processed. It will also allow the government to hire more independent decision-makers to finalise applications as quickly as possible.
On 5 March 2019, the government also committed funding of $52.1 million to boost support services for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. This funding will support 34 existing agencies to June 2021, as well as five additional providers, to offer redress support services to survivors in remote and regional areas, male survivors, survivors with a disability, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survivors as well.
The royal commission made many recommendations for the Australian state and territory governments to work together to prevent the horrors of the past from occurring again. One of those was a national strategy to prevent child sexual abuse, and I can report that all governments are currently working on a 10-year strategy. Over 350 consultations have now taken place as part of that work, and I expect it will be released in coming months. As recommended by the royal commission, the strategy will include education and awareness raising, improved support services for victims, initiatives targeted at offender prevention and at children with harmful sexual behaviours, and improved information sharing, data and research.
We've also been working with our state and territory colleagues to enhance working-with-children checks in line with royal commission recommendations. We're closer to our goal of making the standard of checks consistent across the country and have started rolling out a database to be able to share this information more easily. This database will also allow agencies that issue these checks to be aware of whether an applicant has been refused a check in another jurisdiction. In response to the royal commission, the parliament has recently passed the Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Bill 2019. The act introduces new failure-to-report and failure-to-protect offences—much needed for Commonwealth officials who have care, supervision or authority over children. It strengthens laws on forced marriage and overseas child sexual abuse committed by Australian citizens and residents. To address challenges facing our law enforcement agencies, the act strengthens child sexual abuse material laws, including in relation to material accessed online. The act also amends Commonwealth law so it is no longer using the term 'child pornography'—an outdated phrase that did not reflect the heinous criminal acts depicted in child sexual abuse materials.
We're close to finalising our online safety charter, which sets out the government's expectations—on behalf of the Australian community—for social media services, content hosts and other technology companies. Businesses that interact with children in the real world have to meet high standards of safety, and digital businesses should be treated no differently. The charter is due for release by the end of this year. The eSafety Commissioner is making the online environment safer for children by developing resources for Australian schools and organisations to provide best practise online safety education. The royal commission produced some groundbreaking research work on the nature and scale of sexual abuse in Australia. We want to build on that work, and that's why I've announced Australia's first national child maltreatment study. This will be the most comprehensive study of its kind undertaken anywhere in the world.
We're establishing the National Centre for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse. The royal commission recommended the national centre should raise awareness of the impact of abuse, increase our workforce's knowledge and their competence in responding to victims and survivors, and coordinate a national research agenda. The government has committed $25.5 million over five years to establish that centre. I've asked all states and territories to also contribute. We'll be consulting on the scope, function and governance arrangements in coming months.
The royal commission also found that more needs to be done to ensure that places where children and young people meet are safe, so I was pleased earlier this year when COAG endorsed the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. There are 10 principles, and they include things like making sure that leadership takes responsibility for child safety, that staff and volunteers are properly trained to care for our children and that children are taken seriously. All government agencies are implementing these principles. We're also working with state and territory governments to get them implemented consistently across our nation. We also want organisations that work with children to adopt these principles so they can guide their decision-making and the way they operate.
Earlier today, Minister Ruston handed over to the parliament the parchment etched with the apology's wording. It will now take its place in the Members Hall, along with other items that tell some of the stories of our nation. It's not one of the pretty stories. It's not one of the stories we can be proud of. It's only one that we can be deeply ashamed of. The oak table used by Queen Victoria when signing the royal assent that enacted Australia's Constitution is there and the Yirrkala bark petitions are there, but also are the apologies made to the Stolen Generations, to the forgotten Australians, to the former child migrants and for the forced adoptions. These items of ceremony, struggle and suffering sit in the symbolic heart of our Australian parliament on public display, because that's who we are as a people. We confront the ghosts and horrible misdeeds of our past because it's right to do so, but we also do it as a living memory to us all—that we should never see them repeated. For it to be here in this place, let it be a remembrance for us, let it call us to account, because these things are part of our national story, and we've got to own all our stories to be a complete people.
Many of the survivors who gave evidence to the royal commission were asked to share a message with the Australian people about their experiences as part of this display, and more than a thousand Australians have done so. One of them, whose name is not known, wrote to us and said, 'Let our voice echo.' Well, it does in this chamber today, and may it ever be so. May all those brave voices continue to echo. Let it bounce, but not just that; let it permeate into how we remember what they have told us. 'They are believed,' we said a year ago, 'We believe you.' We still believe you, we will forever believe you and we are sorry, as we said a year ago, and we remain sorry.
Doorstop - Australian Embassy, Jakarta
20 October 2019
Prime Minister
Prime Minister: I’m very pleased to be here today for the inauguration of President Widodo, and joined by my wife Jenny. This is the fourth occasion that an Australian Prime Minister has been here for the inauguration of the Indonesian President, starting on that first occasion with Prime Minister Howard, so I’m very pleased to be here today, particularly for the inauguration of President Widodo. He has been an extraordinary friend of Australia and his repeat election at this most recent election, I think speak volumes about Indonesia where we have someone such as President Widodo who has come very much from outside the Indonesian establishment and to have been successful at two successive elections is an extraordinary achievement. And it’s not just because he has the best smile of any leader I think in the world today, but he had a real passion for his people, and he is a very significant participant in our regional dialogues and his conception of the Indo Pacific ideal and how that has been relayed through ASEAN and the broader regional fora I think has been incredibly important. Australia has been a big partner with Indonesia, and in particular with President Widodo on that very construct of the Indo Pacific. It’s where we live, it’s where we engage, it’s where our future is, and it’s where so much of our present also is in terms of our trading relationships, our people-to-people relationships. So this is a very significant relationship. We have a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, it was the first place I visited and he was the first leader I met with after becoming Prime Minister just over a year ago. So we are very pleased to be here.
Also today we have had the opportunity for further bilateral discussions of course with President Widodo, but also with the Sultan of Brunei and Vice President Wang of China which was also a very positive and constructive meeting.
JOURNALIST: PM as you said you were here just over a year ago. The two of you hammered out the deal for the IA-CEPA agreement that looks like it’s going to be ratified by the Australian parliament by the end of the year. Did you discuss with President Widodo whether it would be ratified by the end of the year by the Indonesian parliament?
PRIME MINISTER: Well that’s, as you know James, let me go back a step. The House of Representatives will be considering this matter tomorrow, and we’ve arrange for that to be on the notice paper for tomorrow, for that to be progressed tomorrow in the House, and it will obviously move through to the Senate soon after that when they reconvene after Estimates and I was very pleased to be able to relay that to President Widodo today.
Now as you know, they have two options for proceeding: down the presidential path, or down the parliamentary path and it’s my understanding that they will continue to proceed down the parliamentary path and that’s still very much with them.
JOURNALIST: Just to clarify, he didn’t put a timeline on it or…
PRIME MINISTER: Not yet, no. But no issues were raised as to any of this presenting any obstacles.
JOURNALIST: Your meeting with Vice President Wang went quite considerably over time today, can you tell us what was discussed and whether he extended any invitation for you to come to Beijing?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it was a good meeting and as you say it was scheduled for half an hour and it almost went for twice that and I appreciated that. Vice President Wang, I should stress, was there as an envoy of President Xi, and so it is not for him to be offering invitations or doing those sorts of things. So that was not his remit today.
We had a great opportunity to discuss the full gamut of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership we have with China, and the many things both China and Australia have been saying in recent times and align those and focus on the positive elements of our relationship which are so optimistic and so bright. And so that was a great opportunity. It was constructive, it was positive, and it was a good opportunity to reflect across the broad spectrum of the relationship.
JOURNALIST: PM it sounds like you are taking heart from this meeting. How would you characterise, or interpret it though. Are you taking from this meeting that there is something of a diplomatic thaw with China?
PRIME MINISTER: I think what we saw today is that there is much analysis about the relationships that countries have with China and I think there is indeed a lot of over-analysis of those relationships and whether it’s the United States and China, or anyone else. And I simply made the point, which was well received, that Australia is an independent sovereign nation. Yes we are very much proud of our Western liberal democratic tradition, our open economy and our engagement with the rest of the world, and that gives us a set of eyes that look into the world very much from our perspective. And I respect the fact that whether it’s China, or indeed Indonesia or any other country in this part of the world, they will have their unique perspective and that’s all fine. There’s no issues with that. But what we also stressed today was, is that we will never feel corralled into any sort of binary assessment of these relationships. Binary assessments of a relationship which says pro-United States or pro-China, as Australia has a comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China and we have an enduring, and incredibly important alliance with the United States which is fundamental to our security. We have our biggest investment partnership with the United States and our biggest trade partnership with China and these are not mutually exclusive. And the comments that I’ve made, particularly more recently which have been quite stoically in support of this independent, anti-binary view, I think are very well received. I took the opportunity to congratulate China on where they were able to get to with the United States on the first phase of their trade discussions. I think that’s very good for the global economy and I think it bears out the optimism that we’ve always had about rejecting this binary nature.
It’s simply a fact that China has arrived at an incredibly impressive point in its economic history. It’s impossible to dispute that. And that means that they’ve done incredibly well and raises their level of technological achievement and capability. Similarly, more broadly in their economy but also say, militarily, and that’s a reflection of the significant progress they’ve made over that time. And so, you know, one can only acknowledge that and then pursue our partnership based on our interests, which are aligned with China to the extent that we have both done so incredibly well out of their success. And so that was the dominating part of our discussion today.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister there was some strong pushback from China’s Ambassador to Australia about your calls for China to be treated as a developed economy on the world stage. What sort feedback today did you get about those comments that you have made?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we had a good discussion about the course of history, I think it’s fair to say. We both, I think, were able to point to that incredible economic development that China has been able to achieve. The most rapid I think any of us have ever seen and certainly in our lifetime and arguably, well unarguably, in all of history. And so that means that China is the second largest economy in the world today, which is a point we discussed today. And as a result, that means that China has arrived at a very different point in how it engages economically with the rest of the world. I’ve never seen this as a surprising point, I think it’s quite an obvious point and as a result, the world will recalibrate as a result of their great success.
JOURNALIST: from what we heard of at the start of the meeting, it was requested by Australia. Is it stronger as a result of your discussion today, the relationship between the two countries, because the context has been one which has been tested?
PRIME MINISTER: The context of today was we were both here to celebrate the inauguration of the President of Indonesia, and given we were here, and both here, it seemed to us to be a good opportunity to sit down and have a chat, which we did. And it was a chat that we had very much in the spirit of the partnership that we have. And very much inoculated from all of the assessments that are made about the relationship. And that’s why I came out of the meeting pleased with the generous time that we both afforded to it and were happy to have extended today in our discussions. So I came out the discussion pleased that there is I think a very clear understanding of where Australia is coming from, our commitment to the relationship and I think that is understood and appreciated by China as well.
JOURNALIST: So beyond China, back to Jokowi for a second.
PRIME MINISTER: Sure, we are in Indonesia after all.
Journalist: We are indeed in Indonesia. You talked about IACEPA. You also touched on security I gather and trilateral arrangements with India as well, is that right?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, and RCEP too I should stress. We had a good discussion about the RCEP agreement. There’s a meeting in November in Bangkok of Trade Ministers – that will be very important, together with other partners in the region. We’re very keen to try and bring this together this year and that’s something that Indonesia also shares as an objective, and so we’re hopeful of some good progress on that meeting in November before the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Forum later this year.
The other matters, at our last meeting the President and I we discussed our trilateral agreement and relationship with India. We both see this as a very positive development. As you probably know, we’ve also had some great engagement with India most recently with the Quad, and there was a Ministerial level meeting of the Quad which was held for the first time in New York around the UN General Assembly. So all of these intermeshing, multilateral fora that we have willingly between independent nation states in this part of the world, I think is very positive, it’s very positive. It enables issues to be progressed, it provides a stabilising influence in the region, and that’s good for business, it’s good for investment, it’s good for peace, it’s good for stability, it’s good for social progress. And there is a great coalition of like-minded and shared interest parties right across this region, whether its India, or whether it’s China or whether it’s Australia or whether it’s Indonesia. This is a pragmatic and productive time.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister Australian media companies are campaigning for greater openness on whistle blower protection, freedom of information and so on. What would your government do, if anything, to response to that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we are, and we have a process currently going on the way at the moment in a joint parliamentary inquiry. We’ve already acted to issue the Minister for Home Affairs’ guidelines and direction which I think both well codify what the processes are, and in fact improve them, and I think that’s been well received, particularly by groups like the AFP which are finding those instructions very very helpful. So I do think that’s an improvement, but we’ll still await the report from the inquiry. But let me simply say this – my government will always believe in freedom of the press. It’s an important part of our freedoms as a liberal democracy. Also believe in the rule of law and that no one is above it, including me or anyone else, any journalist or anyone else. And the rule of law has to be applied evenly and fairly in the protection of our broader freedoms. And so I don’t think anyone is, I hope, looking for a leave pass on any of those things, I wouldn’t and nor should anyone else.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister can I just take you back to the free trade agreement between Australia and Indonesia which is approaching ratification. Many Australian businesses have been involved in ushering this through over the last decade or even longer, but at the same time as we seem to be close to the finishing line, in Indonesia there has been a law put out which appears to substantially affect the independence of the corruption eradication commission. Given that many Australian businesses are concerned about corruption in this country, what would you say to them?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’m not about to run a commentary on some domestic matters that are being pursued here in Indonesia, and so I won’t go to those matters specifically, other than to say that in any economic partnership, and it’s true for Australia. Right now in Australia my Assistant Minister Ben Morton, working together with the Treasurer and the Minister for Industrial Relations, in a separate line of work, is looking to see how we can streamline the system, remove unnecessary regulation, regulations that can sometimes impede investment and create uncertainly. That’s what we’re doing to ensure that we can attract investment and maintain investment, and that’s what we’ll continue to do. And so where businesses and pension funds and others are looking to invest in other countries, they’ll obviously be looking to see how they can best do that. So our example in this area, which is what I can speak to is that we will always seek and will always continue to seek to remove some of those barriers, because at the end of the day, if you want to see investment flow and trade, then you’ll obviously need stability and certainty for investors and that’s what they’re looking for and I believe that’s what IA-CEPA is all about. It’s about doing exactly that. I and my ministerial colleagues have had tremendous engagement with the Indonesian ministers here, talking about these very issues and how there can be greater investment from Australia in Indonesia. And the IA-CEPA in particular has some very big components that deal with skills transfer and education opportunities, and we are looking forward to those being realised by Australian universities up here in Indonesia.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on the freedom of the press, that you just mentioned that you’re a supporter of. Do you think that foreign journalists, and indeed foreign diplomats, should be free to visit Papua and West Papua, where we have all been banned for at least the last month?
PRIME MINISTER: Simply to say that this is an issue we discussed today, and the approach that we’ve always taken to these issues is to encourage an openness on these matters. And I’ve got to say, in all of my engagement with President Widodo I have found in him, personally, someone who has a great passion for Papua and for the living standards and conditions of the people of Papua – from President Widodo himself. It’s a matter that’s often discussed in our Pacific forums and I understand that at the recent election he secured over ninety percent of the vote in Papua. If I could get that in Cook back home I’d be very happy. But point being that he’s been there thirteen times as President, which is more than any of his predecessors, and I think the shows at his level, I think a dedication and ear to the challenges that are there, and that is something I welcome. So when he and I discuss these matters, I’m discussing them with someone that I think has a keen understanding, a keen interest, in actually seeking to address these issues in the best possible way. But ultimately it’s a matter for the Indonesian government, and we respect the Lombok Treaty absolutely, and it’s a matter for their judgement and decisions. But we have the type of relationship, both as two countries and myself, with the President, to be able to discuss these issues in a very constructive way.
JOURNALIST: And on your meeting with the Sultan of Brunei, similarly there have been issues recently that have hit the headlines there. Did you discuss the further implementation of Sharia Law and how that impacts on human rights in Brunei?
PRIME MINISTER: I have to say that the meeting with the Sultan today was a very brief one and there was a particular item that we were keen to discuss there and that was about Australia’s engagement with ASEAN. But that matter has been raised and has been dealt with at a Ministerial level.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister we’re in the fabulous building. It cost $400 million. President Widodo wants to build a new capital. Can you promise Australians that tax payers won’t spend another $400 million on another embassy on Borneo?
PRIME MINISTER: Well let me talk about why this embassy was built here and it has the security that it has today. You can go out into the garden and you can see the memorial to the people who have lost their lives when our embassy was the subject of a bombing attack. And so I’m never going to make excuses for the fact that we will always make sure that our officials, whether they’re working here in Indonesia, in Jakarta, or anywhere else around the world, they will have the facilities and the workspaces which is safe and enable them to do their job, and that is the promotion of Australia’s national interest. Now it is not up to Australia as to where a country puts its capital. That is a matter from them. The President and I actually discussed it today and obviously this is something that has a long timeline. In fact we discussed the fact that not far from the where this site is, in Balikpapan is where my grandfather actually served out the last part of his time during the Second World War when he was there with the 7th AIF. So that is a matter for Indonesia, and we would obviously, as a government, through those processes be looking to make sure that as best as possible, that our people are equipped, positioned and able to prosecute our interests as well as they do under the Ambassador here today.
JOURNALIST: Does that just mean that building another embassy costs $400 million in Indonesia?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think the question is frankly, very premature. This is not a matter that I expect to come before me in this budget cycle or any one soon. There is an enormous amount of work still to be done I think on that matter, and it’s entirely a matter for the Indonesian President and the Government of Indonesia and when decision are made and plans are laid, and all these sorts of things, well I think that’s the time when we can talk about those issues. But I don’t think there’s any event of any sort of significant allocation of any sort being made for those purposes any time soon.
JOURNALIST: Ita Buttrose has given a speech at the Lowy Institute where she flagged a return to the days of more international broadcasting as a soft power tool. Would your government consider funding that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we are already doing that. What I have funded the ABC to do more of, is greater participation in broadcasting in regional areas. That’s where I’ve got their attention at the moment – out serving our regional and rural communities, which they do such a fabulous job at. And the most recent increases that we gave the ABC were actually focussed on that job within Australia.
A big part of the Pacific Step Up was being able to access a great amount of Australian content – largely entertainment content and others kinds of cultural content which is part of the social diplomacy effort. And we’re working with a whole range of different broadcasters and content providers on those issues, as we should. But right now, I’m keen for the ABC to remain very focussed on the communities in Australia and the additional support that we gave to them to support rural and regional communities.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister you’ve said that the drought is the number call on the budget.
PRIME MINISTER: Correct.
JOURNALIST: Is the drought an important enough issue to merit a cross-party cabinet?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’ve noticed that point. If we as a government continue to consult widely and listen, most importantly, to people in rural and regional Australia. But I do note that even at a time, even when Australia actually was at war, there was no such war cabinet as described by the leader of the opposition. So they can explain the context of the nature of their proposal, but we were elected to get on with the job, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. I think those sorts of proposals are novel, but they sort of, don’t bear out against Australia’s government experience. If you’re not having a war cabinet involving non-government members in an actual time of war, and I point out that at the time of World War II breaking out, Sir Robert Menzies then, in the UAP who had sought to form coalitions both with the Labor Party and the Country Party at the time at a time of war, and that didn’t come to effect and ultimately a Labor government was formed at that time under John Curtin. So they can make those proposals, but our government is filled, both in Cabinet and on our benches, of Australians who have a direct experience and live in drought affected communities, right across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia, and indeed from other states where drought has affected them in the past. And so we have the right people and our ears are wide open and the commitments we’ve made on the drought continue. It is a rolling response.
Since returning from the United States we have announced a series of measures – whether it’s increased support directly to farm households through changes we’ve made to the Farm Household Allowance, both on its eligibility and indeed the additional supplementary payment; in additional support to communities through the Drought Communities Program – which is the second phase of what we do to respond to drought – helping those districts, towns and communities affected by drought; and thirdly, the significant announcements we’ve made in relation to water infrastructure all around the country – twenty one projects, two very significant projects announced just last weekend at Dungowan and throughout western New South Wales, looking after the long-term water resilience needs of Australia with infrastructure to support that program. So we have a clear plan, we’re going to get on with the plan, and we’re also going to work closely with the states and territories. On the issue of things like our fodder and freight subsidies, they come specifically into the remit of the state governments, and the New South Wales and Queensland governments have existing fodder and freight subsidies and whether they’re to be changed or expanded upon, well that’s a matter for those state governments. I note the New South Wales’ government I think, overnight, yesterday, made further announcements of community support on drought, and I welcome that. The Farmers’ Federation this week released their policy statement on drought and it aligns absolutely significantly with the responses that the Government has been making and I note that they didn’t call for additional freight and fodder subsidies from the states and territories, but that’s matter for the NFF. So we will continue on responding and supporting Australians who are living through this drought. We can’t make it rain, we can’t make it like it was before it stopped raining, but we can continue to help Australians make the decisions that they are making through the course of this drought and supporting them as we can and as we should, and we’ll continue to do that and we’ll consult with everybody, and just get on with the job.
JOURNALIST: Did you talk about the events in Northern Syria with President Jokowi today and the possibility of the return of foreign terrorist fighters, and what actions Australia and Indonesia and its other partners will take in this region against that.
PRIME MINISTER: Yes it was a brief discussion on those items today and not a surprising one because we both have nationals who are caught up in what’s happening there. It was a matter that I’m sure will get more discussion when we meet again. President Widodo is being inaugurated today so we weren’t going to have a long meeting on these matters today, but we will certainly return to them when we hook up again at the East Asia Summit in the not too distant future, because we do meet regularly about these things and are in quite regular contact with each other. But that is a challenge, as is our shared effort in combatting terrorism in our region. This is something that I know is very high on the President’s agenda with Australia on our cooperation, and it’s very high on our agenda with Indonesia. And we have had great success working closely together and we acknowledge the deep trust that exists between Australia and Indonesia in our operational and strategic cooperation when it comes to counting terrorism within our region. And I thank the President, and I thank the entire institutional infrastructure that goes in behind this relationship. It’s deep, it’s experienced and there’s a deep sense of trust too, which I think makes it work incredibly well. So thank you very much for your attention.
Visit to Indonesia for the inauguration of President Widodo
19 October 2019
Prime Minister
I will travel to Jakarta, Indonesia on 19-20 October 2019 for the inauguration of Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Australia is a close neighbour, partner and friend of Indonesia. I look forward to travelling to Indonesia again to reaffirm our unique bond and shared vision for a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
Building on the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that President Widodo and I announced last year, I look forward to furthering our cooperation on trade and investment, maritime issues, security, counter-terrorism, transnational crime, infrastructure and education. The Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) signed in March this year will help unlock the enormous potential of our economic relationship, which benefits both countries.
I look forward to congratulating President Widodo on his electoral victory and building on the strong friendship and deep partnership between our two countries.