Media Releases

Lachlan Nicolson 21/11/19 Lachlan Nicolson 21/11/19

Radio interview with Sabra Lane - ABC AM

21 November 2019

Prime Minister of Australia

SABRA LANE: The Prime Minister joins us now. Good morning, Prime Minister, and welcome to the program.

PRIME MINISTER: G’day Sabra.

LANE: You've said that you are appalled by this. The bank's chief executive, Brian Hartzer, is he the right person to sort this out given that he oversaw the 23 million breaches?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's ultimately a judgment for the board of Westpac, I mean it’s for the board to make decisions about who should be running banks, not governments. But all I know is AUSTRAC has been doing their job. They're the cop on the beat here. This is the second occasion with a major bank. You’ll remember their very successful investigation which led to the prosecution of Commonwealth Bank and the outcome there. So they're doing their job. The board and the executives of Westpac need to do theirs.

LANE: Should Mr Hartzer or someone resign? And you know, the bank self-reported this instance.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, these are things that the board and the management need to determine themselves. It's not for the government to say who should be in those jobs or not, but they should be taking this very seriously, reflecting on it very deeply, and taking the appropriate decisions for the protection of people's interests in Australia, their safety. As you've highlighted in your report, these are some very disturbing, very disturbing transactions involving despicable behaviour.

LANE: AUSTRAC says this is systemic. Have you been given guarantees that ANZ and NAB are in the clear of similar scandals?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, these issues were raised at the time of the CBA process. And these are things that the Treasury and the relevant agencies, particularly AUSTRAC, will be following through and pursuing very closely with all agencies.

LANE: To the fires, it's already been a very bad season. There are three emergency alerts this morning on Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. Victoria's on Code Red today. The former fire chief, Greg Mullins, he tried to meet with you in April to warn you that this season would be very bad. And that fire seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres are overlapping, making it increasingly difficult to source big water bombers. Why didn't you meet with him?

PRIME MINISTER: This is advice we already have from existing fire chiefs doing the existing job. This is why we put the additional resources into our emergency services and our aviation firefighting assets. These are things that were very well known to the government. I mean, it's the contribution of these issues to global weather conditions and to conditions here in Australia are known and acknowledged. And so we were getting on with the job of preparing for what is already being a very devastating fire season. I've got to say the national coordination and the response effort, I was up in Queensland yesterday, and I've been in touch with the South Australian Premier this morning, in New South Wales it's been outstanding also. The coordinated effort and the response, the learnings from, particularly, the Black Saturday fires have been put in action and that is saving lives and it's saving homes. So we've been getting on with the job.

LANE: He and twenty three other ex-fire chiefs did seek the meeting with you. He's gone to the top because he views this is as very urgent and doesn't think that the Government's factoring in climate change enough, already 250 homes have been lost. We're not even into summer yet.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, I take issue with- the preparations, I mean, we were taking the preparations and I think you've seen that demonstrated in the response effort from the state agencies working together closely with the Commonwealth. I mean, in February, I acknowledged the contribution of those factors to what was happening in Australia, amongst many other issues. But let me say this, Sabra, the suggestion that any way, shape or form with Australia accountable for 1.3 per cent of the world's emissions, that the individual actions of Australia are impacting directly on specific fire events, whether it's here or anywhere else in the world, that doesn't bear up to credible scientific evidence either. Climate change is a global phenomenon, and we're doing our bit as part of the response to climate change. We're taking action on climate change. But I think to suggest that with just that 1.3 per cent of global emissions that Australia doing something differently, more or less, would have changed the fire outcome this season. I don't think that stands up to any credible scientific evidence at all.

LANE: The former chief of Victorian Country Fire Service, Neil Bibby, says the federal government fundamentally doesn't like talking about climate change and that politics is the reason why the federal government is ignoring their advice. How do you respond?

PRIME MINISTER: We like taking action on climate change. That's what we like doing. We've got our commitments for Kyoto 2020. Remember, they are the commitments that were put in place to deal with the global climatic conditions that we're experiencing right now. And we not only lived up to those commitments for next year, but we will beat them by 367 million tonnes. If anything, Australia is an overachiever on our commitments, on global commitments, and for 2030, we will meet those as well with the mechanisms that we’ve put in place and we'll ensure we do achieve that and we'll take the action necessary to do that. So, you know, I'm up for taking action on it, not just jabbering on about it.

LANE: Goldman Sachs outlined in a report in September the need to adapt to the effects of climate change and that it could drive one of the largest infrastructure build-outs in history. How much of that thinking has been factored into the projects that you're bringing forward to try and stimulate the economy?

PRIME MINISTER: Well these projects are about strengthening our economy, creating jobs, building our productivity capacity for the future. Getting people home sooner and safer. And all these projects will be done in accordance with the environmental conditions and other approval processes that are in place in our state and territories and will work closely with them to ensure for longer term projects that they move swiftly. And so that the projects we're talking about now, like down in Milton Ulladulla. Now Milton Ulladulla and the Princes Highways, many of your listeners who live down that way, and I suspect, many in Canberra will be very familiar with how dangerous that stretch of road is. And these are the things we're fixing. This is where we've been working in partnership with state and territory governments to get priority infrastructure projects which are good for the economy, good for people's safety on the roads and get them happening now. These aren't once off sugar hit payments. I mean, that's here today, gone tomorrow. But you do pay for it for the next decade -

LANE: And what happens-

PRIME MINISTER: - are actually investing in the economy and investing in jobs.

LANE: What happens, though, Prime Minister, if the billions more you’re spending now don't fire up the economy? What is the next step to stimulate the economy, given that the RBA can't cut interest rates much further?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the RBA will make their decisions. The government will make our decisions. What we've been doing since the election is sitting down with state and territory Premiers and bringing forward these infrastructure projects. It was exactly the thing that Phil Lowe has been saying for some time and that we've been acting on for a long time. But you just don't go out and spend $3.8 billion dollars based on a phone call over the weekend. You get the planning right. You get the scheduling right. You talk to the states about what the priorities are because they're the ones who ultimately have to deliver the projects on the ground. We've done that work. We didn't rush it. We didn't rush around with our arms flapping in the air in some sort of panicked crisis as the Labor Party wanted us to do. We just took the sober, calm, methodical approach, got the projects ready, put the money in, stood up with Premiers from both sides of politics, everybody working together to get this done.

LANE: Come Budget time if interest rates are still at emergency lows, the nation's growth rate is still struggling and inflation is still low, and unemployment hasn't hit 4.5 per cent, which is the level that some economists think is required before there is a big jump in wages across the board. But you deliver a surplus. Will it be worth it?

PRIME MINISTER: Surplus pays down debt. This is very important. I mean, a surplus is not as I said in the speech last night at the BCA, money that’s sort of left down the back of the couch with no economic purpose. It pays down debt. We’ve got a $19 billion dollar-

LANE: But if the economy is still struggling will it be worth it?

PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s critically important for Australia's future financial resilience. I mean, we are facing headwinds not just now, Sabra, but for years to come. And you just don't go and erode all of your financial resources at a time like this. What you do is you make measured and careful decisions. Let's not forget, Germany, South Korea, Singapore, the UK, all had negative quarters. Australia grew at 1.4 per cent. We grew at half a per cent for the first two quarters of this calendar year. And the bank, the RBA, that is- Treasury, OECD, IMF, all of these organisations are saying that next year will be a stronger year for Australia. So look, what we will continue to do is be measured and we will continue to apply the discipline that has enables us to bring the Budget back into a position of strength so we can fund record levels of investment in to the NDIS. More than 100, 000 extra people will come onto the NDIS in the next 18 months or so, and that will be funded. That will also be putting significant resources into the economy, more funding in aged care, more funding in health and education, all of that on top of the tax relief that we've afforded, the extra infrastructure investment. Importantly, the drought relief and getting those stimulus payments into regional communities, that is having a big impact on those communities, positively.

LANE: A couple of weeks ago, you flagged action to stop what you called indulgent practices by some businesses who refuse to provide services like banking and insurance to the coal sector. What are you going to do about it?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, when we when we've finalised our arrangements, we'll make those announcements.

LANE: And when will you detail that? Would that be something that we should expect in weeks or months?

PRIME MINISTER: No, when it’s finalised we’ll make an announcement.

LANE: Some businesses are following the advice from regulators about future potential risks, APRA and the Reserve Bank have talked about the dangers of stranded assets. Shouldn't companies and boards be factoring that into purchasing decisions that they make now?

PRIME MINISTER: You mean in terms of any changes we might make?

LANE: Well in terms of making investment decisions based on climate risk and based on the possibility of stranded assets in the future?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, our climate action targets are set. They've been set for years. I mean, there's nothing unsure about the fact that we have a 26 per cent target for 2030. I mean, there's been no change to that for years. There's been absolute certainty. I mean, the renewable investments we're seeing in Australia are at record levels and at top-of-world scales. So Australia's action and Australia's response is incredibly well understood. And it hasn't changed and it's not changing. So I think there's a very clear and certain environment as there is a clear and certain environment about what the government's economic policy and direction is- one of stability and certainty, not one of chaos and panic that we saw under Labor, which meant that we're still paying for their recklessness when they lost their nerve years ago.

LANE: The interim report, you just touched on aged care. The interim report from the Commission says it needs fundamental reform and redesign, not a mere patching up. And that frequent minor shifts aren't actually helping, when the final report is returned. Is your commitment- is your government prepared to undertake thorough and widespread reform of this sector?

PRIME MINISTER: We’ve already begun that process and the reason I initiated the Royal Commission was to ensure that we could get to the absolute bottom of all of these issues. I mean, aged care is a very complex issue. As the interim report made very clear, this is not issues just over a few years, this is over 30 years. And I think the Australian public know that. I mean, all Australians, I think at some time in their lives and I'm no stranger to this either, you are dealing with elderly parents or loved ones or others who are going in to this system. And we all have many different experiences of it. And there are many challenges in the system which are which are further impacted by the ageing of the population and the demand pressures coming through. But what I will do, I mean, three issues were highlighted, issues around in-home aged care places; issues about young people being in these care facilities, and I'm pleased that we've got that number already down from 6,200 to 5,600. We're already seeing a change there and we're going to see more changes there. And it also deals with chemical restraints within the aged care system. Now, they are just some early issues that they're highlighting, but they've also highlighted, particularly in in-home aged care, that there needs to be change to how that system is run. And I agree with that. We agree with that. And so we're not just going to throw more money at a problem. Putting more money in will also be accompanied by fixing the system that you're putting the money into. Otherwise, you're wasting money and you're raising people's expectations of better outcomes that won't come without charge.

LANE: Prime Minister, we're out of time. Thank you for joining AM this morning.

PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot, Sabra. Good to talk to you.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42530

Stevie Lillis 21/11/19 Stevie Lillis 21/11/19

Road and rail investment to boost NSW

21 November 2019

Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Premier of NSW, Minister for Population Cities and Urban Infrastructure, NSW Minister for Transport and Roads, NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads

The New South Wales economy will be boosted by a $570 million infrastructure package to bust congestion and make regional roads safer.

The Morrison Government has been working with states and territories to bring forward critical road projects across Australia to drive jobs, strengthen the economy and get people home sooner and safer.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the NSW package included the acceleration of $530 million in federal funding across three major regional projects that would increase safety, improve freight productivity and boost tourism.

The Prime Minister said $212 million of the new package would be spent in the next 18 months as part of a $33 billion investment in NSW infrastructure from the Federal Government since the 2013 election.

“We’re bringing forward these important projects to cut travel times and make roads safer while boosting jobs and the economy,” the Prime Minister said.

“We can get these projects moving because of our responsible economic management rather than the sort of knee-jerk reactions we’ve seen in the past from Labor. This is a key part of our plan for a stronger economy and our pipeline of $100 billion worth of congestion-busting roads and rail.

“We’re also injecting $20 million in extra funding for the final link of the vital Pacific Highway upgrade and we’ve locked in $8.8 million for the Brig O’Johnston Bridge project at Clarence Town and $7.9 million for the Davey Road Interchange in Albury.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the Australian Government was investing heavily in key roads in regional NSW that are vital to improved safety and supporting the economy through improved connectivity to the regions and to our markets.

“The Government recognises the need for these key rural roads to receive the upgrades they need to be safer, more efficient transport corridors as soon as possible,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

“That is why we are bringing forward $185 million for the Toowoomba to Seymour corridor under the Roads of Strategic Importance initiative, with significant funding already allocated to Stage 2 of the Newell Highway’s Mungle Back Creek to Boggabilla project and $23 million allocated to the upgrade and sealing of priority sections of Tooraweenah Road.

“We are also accelerating a $200 million investment in the Newell Highway to support construction of the Parkes Bypass and the delivery of Inland Rail, as well as $145 million for the Princes Highway corridor, including the Milton-Ulladulla Bypass.”

Premier of NSW Gladys Berejiklian said the Australian and NSW governments had a strong record of working together to deliver crucial road and rail projects.

“Whether it’s completing the duplication of the Pacific Highway through to the Queensland border by 2020, including our massive joint investment in the Coffs Harbour Bypass, or delivering congestion-busting urban projects like WestConnex and NorthConnex, the results of our two governments’ close working relationship are plain for all to see,” the Premier said.

“I am especially pleased that accelerated federal funding for key initiatives such as the Newell Highway upgrades, and the Princes Highway corridor will enable us to get on with the job of delivering the state’s record infrastructure investment program.”

Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said the Government is getting on with the job of delivering congestion-busting projects for the people of NSW.

“We are continuing to work with the NSW Government to deliver signature projects in Sydney and across the State, including NorthConnex and Westconnex.”

“At the same time we are tackling local pinch points and smaller traffic headaches with our Urban Congestion Fund that will deliver 49 projects across Sydney and surrounds.”

NSW Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance welcomed the deal.

“Across the state, $55.6 billion is being invested in transport and roads infrastructure over the next four years, and we are pleased to be able to accelerate the delivery of some of the highest priority projects thanks to the Federal Government’s support,” Minister Constance said.

NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said the package announced today was a big win for regional areas would help fast track benefits of infrastructure investment for the bush.

“This is a fantastic example of federal and state governments working closely together to deliver concrete outcomes across the state, including for regional communities,” Minister Toole said.

Project funding brought forward

$185 million for the $300 million Toowoomba to Seymour (NSW section) Roads of Strategic Importance (ROSI) package
- Funding to flow immediately and over the next three years to enable the commencement of works after previously being allocated beyond 2020-21.
- The Australian Government is fully funding Stage 2 of the Mungle Back Creek to Boggabilla project ($81.1 million) and the Tooraweenah Road Upgrade project ($23 million).
- This package will deliver upgrades targeting increases in higher efficiency freight vehicle access and improving the overall efficiency and safety of the corridor.

$200 million for the $400 million Newell Highway Upgrades package
- Funding will flow from next year and the following three years to enable the commencement of works, including the Parkes Bypass, after previously being allocated beyond 2024-25.
- The Australian Government’s contribution to the package is $400 million.
- The NSW Government is partnering with the Australian Government on both funding and delivery of works on this corridor.
- Further investment decisions will be informed by the Australian Government’s Newell Highway Corridor Strategy and will target improved safety for all road users and help realise transport efficiency gains offered through the delivery of Inland Rail.

$145 million for the $500 million Princes Highway Corridor (NSW) package
- Funding will flow immediately and over the next three years to facilitate project development and expedite construction commencement, including the Milton-Ulladulla Bypass.
- The Australian Government has committed $500 million to upgrading the corridor.
- The NSW Government is partnering with the Australian Government on both funding and delivery of works on this corridor.
- The upgrades will support the implementation of the Princes Highway Corridor Strategy and target greater efficiency and safety for all road users, and improve the amenity for local communities.

Additional Funding

$20 million for the Pacific Highway Woolgoolga to Ballina project
- Funding to flow over the next year to enable completion of the project on-time in late 2020.
- Australian Government contribution to the project is $3.76 billion (including $3.48 billion towards construction and $282.3 million towards planning and preconstruction).
- The NSW Government are providing the remaining funding towards the project.

$4 million for the $20 million Dixons Long Point Crossing project
- Funding to flow immediately to progress planning and expedite construction commencement.
- The Australian Government is fully funding this $20 million project, which will ensure safer community access to the river crossing.
- The project includes construction of a bridge over the Macquarie River at Dixons Long Point, and the upgrade of Long Point Road and Ullamalla Road on either side of the bridge.
- Planning is underway with geotechnical studies and surveys to identify the most appropriate river crossing site.

Confirmed funding

$8.8 million for the Brig O’Johnston Bridge project
- Funding to flow from 2020-21 to enable the project to commence following completion of planning and design.
- Australian Government contribution to the project is $8.8 million.
$7.9 million for the Davey Road Interchange project
- Funding to flow immediately and over the next two years to expedite construction and delivery of road safety benefits.
- Australian Government is partnering with the NSW Government and the Albury City Council.
- The project involves the construction of south-facing on and off ramps at the existing Davey Road - Hume Freeway overpass, and an additional roundabout at the eastern ramp intersection with Davey Road.
- When complete, the new infrastructure will help to reduce travel times for heavy vehicles travelling into the north Albury area, and reduce operating costs for the freight industry.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42528

Lachlan Nicolson 20/11/19 Lachlan Nicolson 20/11/19

New measures delivering deregulation for Australian business

20 November 2019

Prime Minister, Treasurer, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Making it easier to export more Australian food and agriculture, streamlining project approval processes, helping small businesses employ more Australians and creating a one-stop shop for business registers are among the next wave of deregulation reform being delivered by the Morrison Government.

The Prime Minister said his government was focused on busting the obstacles that slow down and even stop business investment and new job creation.

“We want to create the space for businesses in our economy to back themselves and take our growth to the next level,” the Prime Minister said.

“Our Deregulation Agenda has a laser focus on reducing the regulatory compliance burden on business.

“The reforms we’re delivering hone in on what we’ve been hearing directly from Australian businesses that will help them grow and employ more people.”

The new reforms include:

A new online checklist – So employers know the exact steps to employing their first person. From minimum pay and conditions to tax and superannuation, and developing a new prototype ‘regtech’ platform to take employers step-by-step through the process of employing their first staff.
Simplifying business registers - Modernising Australia’s business registers to make it easier and faster for business to interact with government, including upgrading and consolidating 32 separate business registers onto a single system. The new registry will allow business to view and manage their data in one location using a tell-us-once principle and lay the foundation stone for future ‘regtech’ initiatives.
A single digital environmental approvals process and biodiversity database – Getting beneficial major projects up and running by transforming the approvals process, reducing approval times and bringing forward economic activity. Partnering with the Western Australian Government where there is a large pipeline of major projects coming forward over the next decade on the new system as a first step towards a consistent nationwide process and we will also develop a biodiversity database, that can be rolled out nationally, to store and share information, which will also help speed up assessments.
A modern export documents system – Replacing the existing paper based system with a new online system so food exporters can get their product to market faster and more simply with more secure certification as well as establishing a new trade information service for business on how to export. Also expanding the Trusted Trader Program and Known Consignor Scheme to expedite the flow of cargo.

“We will continue to work with the States and Territories and the business community to simplify Australia’s business environment and ensure regulation is fit for purpose,” the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said.

“The measures continue the Coalition Government’s commitment to reduce red tape and unnecessary regulation, making it easier for businesses to invest, create jobs and grow the economy.”

“We are tackling regulation from the viewpoint of business—putting ourselves in their shoes, getting down on the factory floor and looking at regulation from their perspective. There is always more work to do, but the Government has renewed our commitment to deregulation”, the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ben Morton said.

“An initial emphasis has been making it easier for businesses to navigate their existing regulatory environments.

“The Deregulation Taskforce is also working on opportunities to adopt technological or ‘regtech’ solutions which make it easier for business to cost-effectively navigate and comply with regulatory requirements.

“As well as overseeing the implementation of initial measures, the Taskforce will continue to identify more reforms to help business. There is more work to do and the Deregulation Taskforce will report back in the new year on further opportunities to reduce the regulatory burden focused on regulatory and legislative design and reduction.”

Further information is available on the Deregulation Taskforce webpage.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42527

Lachlan Nicolson 20/11/19 Lachlan Nicolson 20/11/19

Doorstop - Rochedale South, QLD

20 November 2019

Prime Minister of Australia

PRIME MINISTER: It’s great to be here in Queensland with Premier Palaszczuk, her colleagues and the Deputy Prime Minister and our federal colleagues to be talking about a great partnership to deliver $1.3 billion of additional and brought-forward expenditure by the Commonwealth, together with over $600 million from the state government, to put a real boost into the Queensland economy. And what’s good for the Queensland economy is good for the national economy. I want to thank the Queensland Premier as well as all the other states and territories Premiers and Chief Ministers for working so closely together with the Commonwealth to identify these projects that we can bring forward, that we can put additional investment into to both create the jobs and provide the support to our economy as it goes through a difficult time globally as we go through the drought. But at the same time, to ensure that we’re getting people home sooner and safer, that we’re getting on with these important projects. Whether they are in metropolitan areas like we are here today or out in rural and regional areas where we can see the benefits of that not just in the improved infrastructure and jobs it brings, particularly for those areas that are affected by drought, but by making our rural and regional roads safer for those communities as well.

This is part of a broader program of works that we’ve been bringing together as a Commonwealth since the last election, over the last six months, which means we’ll have $3.8 billion in brought-forward and additional investment going into our national economy and $1.7 billion of that will be in just over the next 18 months alone when it comes to the bring forward that investment and a third of that is all coming here to Queensland. There are big infrastructure and transport tasks here in Queensland, and it's important that governments of whatever political persuasion work together to get these projects done on the ground.

So this is the time to get this stuff done. I appreciate the way that Premier Palaszczuk and all of the state and territory Premiers and Chief Ministers have worked together collectively to do what's good for our economy, what's good for our community, to ensure safer and more efficient roads and rail infrastructure, and importantly, to provide support to regional and rural communities who are doing it so tough. So I'm going to ask the Premier to speak and the Minister speak and the Deputy Prime Minister who can talk particularly about where we've got to inland rail today and then happy to take questions. Premier.

THE HON ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: Thanks, PM, and it's great to have the Prime Minister here in Queensland. And as I've always said, we always work best when we work together. And this is a clear signal that we can sit down, we can work through things in the best interests of the people of this great state. And I know that we want to make sure that we continue to build the economy and get people out there into work. What this money means is accelerated money, it means that we can get on with the job of making sure that we have the key infrastructure that we need right across Queensland. It's not just the South East. This package includes money across regional Queensland, whether it's Cairns, Rockhampton, Mackay, the light rail on the Gold Coast, which now means we can get it shovel ready for next year, the extensions to the M1, we know how important the M1 is with 160,000 people travelling that each and every day, 210,000 down the southern end. So this is great news for Queensland. It's a great infrastructure package and I was just having coffee this morning and some people said to me, isn't it fantastic that you and the PM have got a package together for jobs for Queenslanders? And I hope that this is a sign of more things to come. I just want to thank the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister Mark Bailey, everybody who's been involved in working on this. It's been a lot of work behind the scenes. But at the end of the day, it's great news for Queensland and I’m pretty proud today. Thank you.

THE HON. MARK BAILEY MP, QLD MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS: This is a massive day for Queensland. The Palaszczuk Government has advocated for infrastructure funding and the Commonwealth has listened and this is a fantastic agreement for jobs, for roads, for light rail here in Queensland. This means those two M1 interchanges there are at exit 41 and 49 are fully funded. One of the highest growth population areas in the country [inaudible] there doubling the capacity across there. And, of course, light rail on the Gold Coast. What a fantastic boon for Gold Coast residents to see the third stage from Broadbeach to Burley being fully funded across all three levels of government. I'd like to acknowledge the work of Tom Tate the Mayor of Gold Coast who has been very much a part of this agreement. This is fantastic news, but we've taken the opportunity to deal with a whole lot of things here right across Queensland, not just here in the South East. So a massive acceleration of funding into the Cape York package to seal the Peninsula development road there, to open up the Cape and to make a safer road. That means a huge amount to the Cape York community. Acceleration of over $50 million in Mackay, there are accelerations there in Cairns and Rockhampton as well. And we're doing a joint business case to do the planning work for a rail line from Salisbury down to Beaudesert into Gladstone, Yarraville so those kinds of growth areas to get the rail going there as well. So this has been a fantastic and quite widespread deal between the Commonwealth and the Palaszczuk Government. I want to thank all the federal colleagues, the Deputy Prime Minister, in particular, Michael McCormack, has worked closely with us to work our way through a lot of issues. This is an excellent deal for jobs, for infrastructure and for Queensland.

THE HON. MICHAEL MCCORMACK MP, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Well, thank you, Mark. And yes, you are right, our officers get on very well and so do we. And we need to continue to do that. Continue to do that for and on behalf of Queensland and Queenslanders. It's a big state and a big state needs big infrastructure and a big infrastructure package we are announcing today. Delighted to be here with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, of course, Mark Bailey, the Minister here with whom I've worked so closely. Also, we have a number of Queensland members, local members and ministers. But also very, very pleased, I'm here with my federal colleagues, my federal LNP colleagues, Angie Bell and Bert van Manen. I know they've campaigned and they've fought hard to make sure that we've got a better M1 motorway and I know they've fought hard to make sure that we've got the right road and rail infrastructure in place to get people to where they need to be sooner and safer. And of course, with the M1, there's many, many tradies on it at the moment. We've got the kids to school. It's now tradies turn and tradies time. And the number of utes that go up and down this busy motorway during daylight hours and indeed after hours as well. Time is money for them. They need to get where they want to be as soon as they can, as safe as they can. And the upgrades that we're announcing today are going to be enabling them to do just that. But I'm a regional member and I know how important regional infrastructure is. And as Mark Bailey has just indicated, this package also includes a number of road infrastructure upgrades for Cairns and I know Warren Entsch is going to be delighted with that. I spoke to Michelle Landry and George Christensen last night about the upgrades for the ring roads at Rockhampton and Mackay, respectively. And they were very, very pleased that we're getting on, we’re fast-tracking those projects. What we want to see is more high-vis on the ground. What we want to see is more excavators pushing dirt around. This means jobs. This means an economic boost for Queensland. Queensland needs this boost. It's all about jobs. It's all about making sure we've got the right infrastructure in the right place. I'm delighted that the Queensland Government and the Australian Government have now come to terms for the intergovernmental agreement for the inland rail, that 1,700 kilometre corridor of commerce between Melbourne and Brisbane. And I know that this package also includes money for the Port of Brisbane, but more importantly, that inland rail, the Queensland component of that $9.3 billion nation-building infrastructure is going to benefit Queensland by around $7 billion. The majority of the construction work, 7,200 workers in the construction phase alone and the majority of the benefits are going to come to Queensland. Mark Bailey knows that, I know that, the Premier and the Prime Minister know that and I'm glad we've been able to reach agreement and sign off on that important nation-building infrastructure project. Because when the inland rail was first mooted, there was going to be a $10 tonne per saving for product moving it from inland to port, then, of course, to our export markets. Well, the CSIRO has now identified that that saving could be up to $94 a tonne and indeed an average saving of $76 a tonne. So that means more money in the Queensland economy, more money for the nation and when you have more money circulating around, that creates more jobs, that creates more trade and more opportunities. So well done. I'm pleased that this package today includes money for the Cunningham, the Warrego and the Bruce Highways as well as the M1. This is a great package, not just for the metropolitan areas and south east Queensland, but indeed for regional Queensland. When regional Queensland is strong, so too is the state and when Queensland is strong, so too is our nation. Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Michael. I'll ask the Premier to join me. Thanks for that geographical tour around Queensland too, mate, that was tremendous. He knows his way around, getting stuff done. Happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: It seems that peace has broken out, why has it taken so long? The Palaszczuk Government has been complaining since the Budget that there’s been no federal money for infrastructure here?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, there's been lots of federal money for infrastructure, but what we've been able to do over the last six months working together, not just with Premier Palaszczuk, but on Monday, I was standing up with Premier Marshall. We’ve painstakingly gone through this process of identifying the projects that could be brought forward, the scoping of works, the scheduling of works, the additional funds that may be required, the movement and things like material prices and things of that nature. And we've been able to arrive at this package of some $3.8 billion. So we've been working on this since the election and you don't just rush into spending $3.8 billion, spraying it around out of a hose. You actually do it carefully and you do it in consultation. And so I very much appreciate the working relationship that we've been able to proceed with to get to this announcement today. And I said, you know, around the country, it's $1.7 billion just in the next 18 months. Now, you add that to the tax cuts we put in place just after the election and the additional investment going into drought-affected communities with stimulus programmes there. That's $9.5 billion by the end of next financial year that would have gone in an extra investment in the Australian economy in a difficult time.

JOURNALIST: So is this a stimulus for a stalling economy?

PRIME MINISTER: This is investment for today with benefits for the future.

JOURNALIST: Given you’ve brought forward the infrastructure funding and Josh Frydenberg says we need to work for longer, is it time to revisit the timing of the income tax cuts?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't agree with your assessment of what Josh Frydenberg said. What Josh Frydenberg has simply said is we want people to have more opportunities in the future about how they participate in the economy. What they want to do is up to them. And we've got an ageing population in Australia and I think people living longer, being more healthy, having more options is a good thing. It's a good thing for them. It's a good thing for our economy and we want to have policies at federal and state levels that support people in the choices they want to make as they age. But our response as a government has been proportional. It's been measured. It's been careful and it's been well planned. This is no cash splash. That's what we've seen previously. What we've seen at the moment is a careful investment in the Queensland economy and the national economy at a time when the Australian Government understands the pressures that are on the economy.

JOURNALIST: Premier, last week you said the greatest threat to the Queensland economy is Scott Morrison. Do you still believe that given this is such a boost for the Queensland economy?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

THE HON. MICHAEL MCCORMACK MP, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT: There will be many tunnels.

THE HON ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: I'm very happy with the progress today. And look, earlier this year, the Prime Minister put out a call to states about ways in which we could fast-track infrastructure across the state. And as always, we have yearly plans. We have $49.7 billion of infrastructure planned over the next four years. We have our yearly infrastructure plan. So we're able to identify very clearly to the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, key projects that we think can get underway faster and sooner. So I'm really happy with the progress and it's a good day today for Queensland. I'm not going to shy away from that.

JOURNALIST: So there's been progress on the roads today, but how about with the hospital? There’s billions of dollars waiting there, are you willing to [inaudible] resolution? Premier, why won’t you sign onto the deal to get the…

THE HON ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: No, no, no, we’re very close to signing that. I think that's a matter of days away as well. And I've indicated that previously that we were keen to get that done as quickly as possible so I don’t have any problems there.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just back on Josh Frydenberg’s comments…

PRIME MINISTER: Before we moved to more general issues, I'm going to hold a more general federal press conference after this. At the moment, we're going to just stay on the infrastructure. The Premier is going to hold one as well so we can deal with, I'm sure, the many other things you'd like to raise.

JOURNALIST: Can you clarify if every state will have projects brought forward or get new funding as well?

PRIME MINISTER: Yes. They've all got brought forward or additional investment coming over the forward estimates.

JOURNALIST: How will you ensure that money is not wasted and you won’t run into capacity constraints with all the money going into these projects?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's been the process we've been working through. See, if we’d just rush to these announcements and hadn't worked through them, then you put these projects at greater risk of exactly what you're saying. So we've worked carefully with the state government and at the end of the day, it's the state government that manages the delivery of these projects. And so we listened carefully to their advice and what they believe is possible over this timeframe and to support them in those decisions, to roll these projects out on the ground. So we're backing the work that has been done to assess these projects and obviously, it's a matter for the Queensland Government to deliver them on the ground.

JOURNALIST: Premier, do you feel your stubbornness, I suppose, in holding out for another deal has resulted in what is more money for Queensland?

THE HON ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: In terms of signing up for the inland rail?

JOURNALIST: Yeah.

THE HON ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: Look, no, I actually think that we were very clear with the fact that we believe that there should be a fair share of funding coming into Queensland for infrastructure. And like I said, a total package today of $1.9 billion which will mean accelerated works and jobs for Queenslanders. You know, it's great news.

JOURNALIST: Premier, a few weeks ago you said that you were open to discussing with the Prime Minister a smaller version of the Bradfield Scheme. Have you had any conversations around that?

THE HON ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: No, we haven’t done that at the moment. Our department is still doing some work on that at the moment.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, have you considered or are you contributing to the Queensland bid for the Olympics?

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, we're putting from memory it was $15 million dollars to support the bid operation, it's not called a bid anymore. But the actual organisation that will come together to manage that process with the IOC and Ted O’Brien, who's been my representative here in Queensland, has been working very closely with the Premier on that project. They were recently overseas pursuing that with the IOC and I think that relationship is working really well. We’ve got a little bit more work to do, which we know before the end of the year. And I think that's progressing well. I think it'd be great for Brisbane, I think it'd be great for Queensland, it’d be great for Australia. Coming from the state that last hosted the Olympics in Australia, it was certainly good for Sydney. And the state government took the lead on it back then and the state government will take the lead on it here.

JOURNALIST: Do you need a confirmation on the number of dollars from the Federal Government and are you still on track for a before Christmas announcement?

THE HON ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: So we’re doing the value assessment at the moment. We expect to take that to cabinet before the end of the year and we have another meeting tomorrow with Ted O'Brien, John Coates and other representatives and there has been great cooperation at all levels of government in relation to this and I think it's been a very clear signal about the Olympics that it does need all levels of government to cooperate, and that's what we are seeing. So I'm very positive at this stage.

JOURNALIST: Just on the inland rail, has the intergovernmental agreement been signed? Is that what today is about?

THE HON. MICHAEL MCCORMACK MP, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Well, two things there. I've got it in my briefcase and if Mark wants to sign it today, I'll happily give him a pen. But otherwise, we were going to do an official signing at Toowoomba in a couple of weeks, weren’t we Mark? So I look forward to getting his autograph then.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just one some other questions…

PRIME MINISTER: Ok, we might move to other things. Thanks very much, Annastacia.

JOURNALIST: Tim Weeks, do you when he will be coming back to Australia?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, he is currently obviously going through his various health checks and other assessments in a safe place. Tim's in a safe place. He's out and he's coming home and we look forward to that very, very much. Again, I want to thank the leadership in Afghanistan. I want to thank the President of the United States, President Trump, Secretary Pompeo, and all of those who've been working on this for a very long time. And the fact that Tim and Mr King will be actually coming home to their respective countries, I think, is a great relief. And it just goes to show that if you stick at these things and you work at it quietly, you don't seek to showboat around this stuff, that you can get good outcomes for people. It's not always guaranteed. There are tremendous risks. And what has been able to be achieved here with Professor Weeks I think is just tremendous. And I couldn't be more thrilled. The Foreign Minister spoke to Tim's family, it was overnight I think, and they are just rapt and very grateful.

THE HON. MICHAEL MCCORMACK MP, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT: And given the fact that he has very close connections to Wagga Wagga, I'm delighted as my hometown and I know all Wagga Wagga is celebrating today the freedom, the safety of Timothy Weeks. Well done to everybody who helped make that happen.

JOURNALIST: Just out in the Pacific, there’s a huge measles problem. Are you concerned about what’s going on there in Samoa in particular?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, these are things we'll take advice on from our office of the Pacific and our Post. And we have always been able to respond and assist our Pacific family and friends when it comes to difficult health challenges and things of this nature. So there are established practices and procedures in place for that and we'll be following those as normal.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, I understand Westpac is being prosecuted for some sort of part in money laundering. Are you disappointed by that?

PRIME MINISTER: I'm appalled. I'm absolutely appalled. But what it also shows is two things - the banks need to keep lifting their game, but it also shows that our cop on the beat, AUSTRAC, is doing their job. Just as it was with the CommBank, just as has been again with Westpac. And, you know, they've just got to lift their game on this stuff. And the other thing they've got to do is, you know, they've got to keep supporting whether it's first home buyers or other home buyers or small businesses and others. All of this is not a leave pass to pull up the drawbridge in terms of the credit extension into the Australian economy. We're here today with a big vote of confidence in the Queensland and the Australian economy with a $3.8 billion investment nationally and a $1.3 billion investment here in Queensland. I'm optimistic about the Australian economy. Our economy is outperforming so many of our competitors in other developed nations around the world. You've got countries like Germany who have had negative quarters, Singapore and so on. And here is Australia battling against those headwinds and battling better than others. So I think Australians have reason to be optimistic and we are an optimistic government when it comes to the economy. And that's why we're making the structural investments that we're putting in place. We are investing in Australian aspiration and we're investing in that irrepressible optimism that I know Australians have about their future.

JOURNALIST: AUSTRAC found that Westpac had failed due diligence on transactions in the Philippines and South East Asia. Do you have any concerns that they may be taking part or helping to facilitate exploitation in those areas?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, these are sensitive matters, they're matters that will be before the courts. And so I'm not going to make any other observations other than what I've just done. I think that's the responsible thing to do in these cases. Obviously, it's appalling and distressing. The banks need to lift their game. But they also need to keep doing the lifting in terms of the vital channel of financial support that they provide to the economy, both with small and medium-sized businesses as well as with those in the housing market. Two-thirds of the Australian economy is not the government. It's actually the private sector and that's where we want to see the investment. And I know small and medium-sized businesses are wanting to be out there, taking advantage of things like the instant asset write off, the lower tax rates we've put in place, the quicker payment times we've put in place for small business contractors. I mean, if they're on digital payment systems now, they'll get paid in five days by the government. So these things are backing small and medium-sized businesses and we want to see the financial sector similarly doing that. So these events are not an excuse to keep doing the heavy lifting on that side of the economy, but it is a fairly damning indictment about some of the processes and procedures they've had in place.

Just quickly, last time you were here in Brisbane you were flagging those new laws about businesses boycotting other businesses. Has there been any headway with the legislation?

PRIME MINISTER: No, I said that we're working through those issues carefully. We support the right to protest. We also support the right for consumers to do what they ever want to do individually. I think the way that that's been characterised has been deliberately misleading. What we want to make sure is that decent, hardworking Australians working in small and medium-sized businesses here in Queensland, in particular, are not discriminated against because of the nature of the great work they do and the jobs they create. Thanks very much.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42525

Stevie Lillis 20/11/19 Stevie Lillis 20/11/19

Doorstop interview