Media Releases
Interview with David Koch and Natalie Barr, Sunrise
27 October 2021
Natalie Barr: Scott Morrison will be at Glasgow next week, and he joins us live this morning. Morning, Prime Minister, thank you for your time. Tell us, have you heard anything about the Queen's condition this morning and is a cancellation a blow for next week's summit?
Prime Minister: No, I haven't heard anything further but have had the great privilege to meet Her Majesty on several occasions, and all Australians wish her a speedy recovery, of course. It's disappointing she won't be able to attend the summit. I'm sure everyone would have been looking forward to seeing her there. She's a, she's an extraordinary person and we just wish her all the very, very best.
David Koch: A lot to get through tonight, Prime Minister. Other news overnight, Singapore has confirmed, will allow Aussies to travel there quarantine free from November 8, US also announced changes to travel requirements. Fully vaccinated travellers will be able to get in there now. World opening up. Are we ready to travel again?
Prime Minister: Yeah, we are. Over half a million Australians have already been able to download their international vaccination certificate. I can announce today that last night the Health Minister signed off on the fact from the 1st of November, Australians who are double vaccinated will be able to travel overseas. As we've flagged and that's we're looking forward to that. We're getting very close now to announcing the the reciprocal arrangement with Singapore. As you know, those flights from Qantas start on the 22nd of November, and I flagged last week that we're working to a timetable around about then, which will see other visa holders in addition to Australians returning or going to Singapore and returning who are double vaccinated, being able to come to Australia. So the national plan is working. The national plan provides for this. The national plan is about opening Australia up, and that's because the vaccination rates are climbing so high. Today, I can tell you that Australia's first dose vaccination rate is now higher than the United Kingdom, higher than the United Kingdom, already higher than the United States. And that's as a percentage of the whole population. So well done, Australia. South Australia is over 80 per cent first vaxxed rates today to so well done to those in South Australia.
Koch: Yeah, we've done a great job. Just on that, do you support unvaccinated tennis players being allowed into the Australian Open?
Prime Minister: All the same rules have to apply to everyone. If I wasn't double vaccinated when I got home from Glasgow, I'd be doing two weeks of quarantine in Sydney, so the same rules apply to everyone. Whether you're a grand slam winner, a prime minister or a business traveller, a student or whoever. Same rules. The states will set the rules about the quarantine as they are.
Koch: So they'll be able to come in and quarantine unvaccinated tennis players?
Prime Minister: Correct.
Barr: Okay.
Prime Minister: Yeah, that's the rule. That's a rule that applies where they have those arrangements. There are many people who still come to Australia at the moment under particular arrangements. But if you're not vaccinated, you'll have to quarantine in Victoria.
Koch: OK, let's move on to the climate change issue, which is a big one from overnight. We now, you've given us a roadmap to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. It will largely rely on new technologies. Australia's copped a lot of criticism in the past over its lack of climate action. What will this roadmap do for us?
Prime Minister: Well, let's deal with the first point. Australia has reduced our emissions by more than 20 per cent. That's what we've actually achieved. That's greater than the US, the UK, New Zealand, Canada. We've got the highest rate of rooftop solar in the world. We've got record rates of renewable investment. So Australia is taking action on climate change. Is getting the results that other countries are not getting. And the way we're going to continue to achieve that is not by putting mandates on people and taxes on people. I mean, we didn't get this by having higher taxes or laws. We didn't get a COVID vaccine by having to pass laws on people and put taxes on them. Technology is the thing that has driven the biggest changes we've ever seen, and that's the pathway to get to net zero. We don't have to shut Australia down, stop digging things up, stop planting things to achieve net zero. Australians don't have to be punished to achieve net zero. That's not our plan. That's not the Australian way. And our plan, which is the Australian way, our plan to get to net zero by 2050 gets that balance right. And that's why I think it's the right plan for Australia.
Barr: So a lot of you know, a bit of criticism on it. Industry, big business, says it's actually an incomplete policy because you're not explaining any detail, any costs, 30 per cent of it is technology that will be developed sometime in the future. 40 per cent of it is stuff we're already doing. What do you say to that?
Prime Minister: Well, I reject that and it's 15 per cent which is relying on future technologies. And anyone who says they can predict every technology that's going to turn up over the next 30 years is having you on. You know, there are those who want higher taxes to achieve this. They want big, strong, big regulations forcing people to do things. And I think what our plan exposes is the myth of that. You know, there are those who say if we go down the path to net zero by 2050, we're all ruined. Well, that's not true. The world is changing, the world is moving, and we need a plan that protects Australia from those changes but realises the opportunity. But then there are the others who say you can only do this by punishing Australians, by punishing rural and regional Australia, shutting everything down, taking people's jobs away. They're wrong too. Our plan gets the balance right in the middle, which says that we can get there with technology. We are getting there. We're demonstrating it already. We're going to do it the Australian way, and we're not going to have people from overseas telling us what our economy is about and how it works. We know and we'll do the right thing for Australia, particularly in rural and regional areas.
Koch: Let's take the politics out of it. Obviously, you support the plan. Obviously, Labor will criticise. But Australia's premier technology guru Mike Cannon-Brookes from Atlassian says this is just more BS. CNN says it's the weakest climate pledge of any rich country going to Glasgow. The New York Times says this plan is built on hope and little else.
Prime Minister: No, I reject all of that because I mean, there are people out there who want Australia to tax people, put regulations on them, shut things down, stop Australians doing things that are the lifeblood of rural and regional Australia. We're not doing that. We don't have to do that. That is the big myth that is exposed. You don't have to shut Australia down for us to achieve our emissions reductions. We've already achieved more than 20 per cent emissions reduction and we've grown our economy by 45 per cent. We've got a million people working in manufacturing again under our policies. Under Labor, one in eight manufacturing jobs went. So we're getting this done. Now they might not like how we're doing it, but we're getting the results. Australia's actions and results speak more than the words of others, and we're getting it done. Australians want it done, but they don't want to throw their livelihoods away.
Koch: Even David Attenborough is having a go at us. Blimey, that's embarrassing.
Prime Minister: No it's not. I'm not embarrassed at all when it comes to doing what's right by Australia. Everyone else who doesn't understand Australia, our economy and the challenges that we have here, they're entitled to their opinions. But I'm going to do what's right for Australia and Australia is getting results. As I said, our emissions reduction better than New Zealand, better than the United States, better than Canada, better than Japan. We're getting it done. Our emissions are down. Our economy is up. We're actually showing them the way.
Barr: So we're the best in the world, that's ...
Koch: OK. Prime Minister, appreciate your time. Thank you.
Prime Minister: Thanks a lot, guys.
Australia-ASEAN Leaders' Summit and East Asia Summit
27 October 2021
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Women
Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are enhancing our relationship.
At the historic first annual ASEAN-Australia Leaders’ Summit today, ASEAN leaders agreed to establish a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between ASEAN and Australia. This milestone underscores Australia’s commitment to ASEAN’s central role in the Indo-Pacific and positions our partnership for the future.
Australia supports a peaceful, stable, resilient, and prosperous region, with ASEAN at its heart.
A strong, united, and resilient ASEAN is vital to our region’s success and supports Australia’s own security and prosperity.
To mark this new chapter, Australia will invest $154 million into our cooperation with ASEAN through:
a new Australia for ASEAN Futures Initiative, which will provide $124 million to support projects that address complex challenges including health security, terrorism and transnational crime, energy security, promoting the circular economy and healthy oceans, and support implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP);
one hundred Australia for ASEAN Scholarships to support emerging ASEAN leaders to study in Australia in fields that advance the AOIP under its priority areas of cooperation – maritime, connectivity, economic, and sustainable development cooperation; and
an Australia for ASEAN Digital Transformation and Futures Skills initiative to support
long-term economic recovery through 350 Vocational Education and Training (VET) scholarships, technical assistance partnerships between Australian and ASEAN training institutions, and new skills policy dialogue.
These investments represent the largest ever increase in Australia’s development cooperation program with ASEAN. It builds on the $500 million package previously announced, consistent with the four key areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, and our ongoing bilateral development partnerships with ASEAN Members.
Australia is ASEAN’s oldest dialogue partner and the Prime Minister discussed our deepening cooperation on health, economic and security priorities in the region, as well as the shared challenge of climate change and Australia’s target of net zero emissions by 2050.
Technology advancements that support countries to grow jobs and their economies while cutting emissions will be central to the work Australia and ASEAN nations will do to tackle climate change as Comprehensive Strategic Partners.
The new Partnership builds on the steps announced by Foreign Minister Payne on 7 August 2021 to strengthen the Australia-ASEAN partnership, including a new package of initiatives under Partnerships for Recovery to meet the health security, economic and stability challenges in our region, including COVID-19.
Today the Prime Minister was also pleased to underscore Australia’s commitment to provide the Indo-Pacific region with at least 60 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of 2022. From late 2021 to mid-2022, we will share at least 10 million doses from our domestic supply with ASEAN countries. This builds on the almost four million doses we have already delivered, and is in addition to more than 20 million vaccines we are procuring for our partners in Southeast Asia through UNICEF, including as a part of our $100 million investment in the Quad Vaccine Partnership. We are also ensuring critical delivery support across Southeast Asia, to get vaccines to those who need them most.
With vaccination levels in Australia continuing to rise, we will be reopening to the world in coming days and we are continuing our work with our friends in Southeast Asia to establish new COVID‑safe travel arrangements, so our communities can reunite in person.
In addition to today’s Summit, tonight’s East Asia Summit is the Indo-Pacific’s key leader-led forum to discuss our region’s most pressing strategic challenges. At the Summit, the Prime Minister will outline Australia’s priorities in the Indo‑Pacific, and our ideas to foster a peaceful, resilient and secure region.
On Monday this week, the Prime Minister also addressed the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit virtually. As a bloc, ASEAN represents Australia’s second largest trading partner. Building on this relationship will be central to our shared recovery, including through our growing network of trade agreements such as the ASEAN-Australia New Zealand Free Trade Area and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Australia congratulates Brunei for its leadership as ASEAN Chair during a very challenging year, and thanks His Majesty as host.
Opinion Piece - The Australian Way
26 October 2021
Australians want action on climate change. And so do I.
But they also don’t want their electricity bills to skyrocket, the lights to go off, for their jobs to be put at risk or for the way of life in rural and regional communities to be sacrificed.
Australians want a 2050 plan on net zero emissions that does the right thing on climate change and secures their future in a changing world. They also want a plan that is fair and practical.
People in rural and regional areas know the impacts of climate change far better than those of us living in the cities. But the burden of taking action on climate change should not fall unfairly on rural and regional Australians, especially those dependent on traditional industries such as mining and agriculture.
Only the Liberals and the Nationals working together can be trusted to get this balance right.
We understand the threats faced but also the opportunities that can be realised.
There have been few issues more challenging for the Liberals and Nationals during the past twenty years than addressing climate change and its impact on rural and regional communities.
Our decision to now agree to a plan to achieve the target of net zero emissions by 2050 has not been taken lightly.
We didn’t just agree to this without carefully thinking through all the consequences and impacts, especially in rural and regional areas.
We have not and would never make a blank cheque commitment or impose new taxes, as Labor has, to achieve net zero. That would leave Australians footing the bill.
Decisions overseas are bringing about major changes in the global economy that will impact on Australia’s future prospects, both positively and negatively.
As Prime Minister I am determined to shield our nation from the negative impact of these changes while positioning us to take advantage of the many opportunities presented, especially for rural and regional Australia.
At Glasgow I will confirm that Australia will continue to play our part. We will set a target to achieve net zero by 2050, and have a clear plan for achieving it. I always said I would not set a target to achieve net zero by 2050 unless we had a plan to achieve it. We now have that plan.
We will do this the Australian way. Through technology, not taxes. By respecting people's choices and not enforcing mandates on what people can do and buy. By keeping our industries and regions running and household power bills down by ensuring energy is affordable and reliable. By being transparent about what we are achieving, and expecting the same of other countries.
And we will invest in rural and regional Australia to ensure they succeed and are protected under our plan.
I will remind the world that emissions in Australia have actually fallen by more than 20 per cent on 2005 levels. That is more than New Zealand, Canada, Japan and the United States. We have beaten our 2020 emissions reduction target and are well on our way to meet and beat our 2030 target.
We won’t be lectured by others who do not understand Australia. The Australian Way is all about how you do it, and not if you do it. It’s about getting it done.
We will also not be breaking the pledge we made at the last election by changing our 2030 emission reductions targets. I said we would meet and beat this target and we will. So at Glasgow I will update what we now believe we will achieve, demonstrating that performance is worth more than empty ambition. That’s the Australian way.
The path to net zero is also not a straight line. In fact, as Bill Gates argues, forcing outcomes by 2030 with unrealistic targets can divert resources from technologies with longer lead times that will be essential to achieving 2050 objectives. So we will keep making sensible commitments and doing our best to exceed them.
Key to this approach is investment in new energy technologies, like hydrogen and low cost solar, to ensure our manufacturing, resources, agricultural and transport sectors can secure their future, especially in rural and regional areas.
These technologies are set out in our Technology Investment Roadmap.
We want our heavy industries, like mining, to stay open, remain competitive and adapt, so they remain viable for as long as global demand allows.
We will not support any mandate - domestic or international - to force closure of our resources or agricultural industries.
We have taken the time to deal with the hard issues that need to be confronted to get it right. We have listened carefully and understand both the concerns and the strong aspirations that Australians have when it comes to dealing with climate change.
At the end of the day it all comes down to whether you have a credible plan to get the job done. It’s no longer about the ‘if’, but the ‘how’, and Australians can always trust the Coalition to have the right economic plan to enable Australia to deal with the challenge of climate change.
Interview with Paul Murray, Sky News
26 October 2021
Paul Murray: So, in 2019, you thanked the quiet Australians. You know tonight that many of those quiet Australians are angry, many of them getting in touch with myself, and no doubt you've heard as well. They are furious about the decision the Government has made. Let's talk directly to those people watching tonight who might have been throwing something at the telly for the past few days.
Prime Minister: Sure.
Murray: What do you say to the quiet Australians who think we're exactly the opposite of where we were in 2019?
Prime Minister: Well, in 2019, there was two plans. There was Bill Shorten's plan, which said he wanted to reduce emissions by 2030, by 45 per cent, and there was our plan to reduce it by 26 to 28 per cent. Now, that's what we've gone ahead with. The 45 per cent plan was rejected - that would have put terrible costs on the Australian community. It would have forced things that didn't have to be forced, and we've gone down the other path and that's exactly what we've done. I mean, emissions have actually fallen by 20 per cent since 2005, but yet our economy has grown by 45 per cent. There’s three million people in jobs. In fact, there are now a million people in manufacturing jobs here in Australia now. Under Labor, we lost one in eight manufacturing jobs. It's now back up over a million and that's happened during COVID. So, the last election was about those two issues - a 45 per cent emissions reduction target from Labor, which we rejected, and a 26 to 28 per cent, which I took to the last election. And, of course, we were successful, and that's what we have done. But the other thing, Paul, I'd say to your viewers who who are concerned about this is this, the world is making their decisions about this. They are deciding whether it's in Japan or South Korea or indeed the United States and Europe and other places, they're making decisions and those decisions about how they're responding to climate change obviously have an impact on Australia. We understand that. They're not decisions Australia are taking. They’re decisions other countries are taking. And, so, we understand that the world economy is changing and we have to ensure that we can protect Australia from those negative impacts and realise any opportunities, and there are many of them that will come to us. And, so, what we've done today is enabled Australia to realise that. We can't just shut Australia off from the rest of the world and think none of that is happening. It is happening. Investment will go in different directions. The cost of what we borrow will go up. All of these things will happen unless we can work with this. And Australians are already doing it. That's the point, Paul. There's nothing in our plan today that takes away one job, that takes away one dollar, that puts up electricity prices by one cent. Everything we're doing under our plan is just encouraging Australians to do what they're already doing. We're not telling people what cars they can buy or what choices they have to make. That's not our plan. That's what the Labor Party does. A commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 I said I would only ever contemplate if we had a plan that enabled us to achieve it. And what we've been able to determine is that can happen without taxes, without mandating anything, keeping the lights on, and making sure we're very open and transparent about what the impacts are. And, so, that's what we've done. We can't just pretend these things aren't going to happen from overseas. These things are occurring. And as Prime Minister, I need to protect Australia from those impacts. Decisions being made in other parts of the world, going to have an impact here. Our plan helps us both protect Australians from that and realise the opportunities so we can succeed, as we have all along.
Murray: Does anything change to that 2030 plan, the plan that people agreed to in 2019 that they recommit to potentially again in 2022? Because it seems that that has been sort of lost in all the noise here. And I know there's a discussion from 2030 to 2050, but what changes between now and 2030 from what has always been the plan, as even legislated by the Government after Paris?
Prime Minister: Well, it wasn't legislated, but nothing has changed. Nothing has changed at all. Exactly what I took to the last election. And there was no discussion of net zero by 2050 at the next, at the last election. That wasn't the debate at the last election. It was a choice between those two 2030 plans. We haven't changed our plan. In fact, it goes back to the 26 to 28 per cent, was originally set by Tony, followed up then by Malcolm. And, of course, we've maintained that position and I took it to the last election. So, nothing has changed about that. The only thing that's changed is Australia is actually, through the things they're doing themselves, is seeing our emissions fall faster than had been anticipated. So, we'll comfortably achieve those 26 to 28 per cent reductions. In fact, with the technology and changes that we're investing in, we believe that could fall by as much as 35 per cent. But that's not, we're not closing down a thing. We're not asking anything to be closed down. We're going to keep digging. We're going to keep mining. We're going to keep farming. We're going to keep doing all of these things. And nothing in our plan is about shutting any of those things down. And, so, I can understand why viewers might think, well, you know, if you commit to this, that means all these things have to shut down. No, that's not true. These things will continue to operate as long as there are markets to serve and and we can keep going with those things, we will. So, our mining and resources industry, in particular, when you think about the things that are needed to be produced in steel and aluminium and all the various things that make up a lot of this new clean energy technology, critical minerals, rare earths, they're all here in the ground in Australia. We'll be digging them up. I was talking to the head of Rio today, Rio Tinto - exactly where they're heading. I mean, our mining and resources industry are going to excel in Australia. They're going to go stronger. Of course, things will change as consumer choices, countries like in Japan and Korea who are already making these choices. So, you know, Paul, there'll be some who'll tell people who are watching tonight, who tell them that, oh, if we don't commit to this, then nothing's going to change. That's not true. It's not being honest. It's not being honest. There are things that are changing around the world, and we're wise to that. And the Liberals and Nationals, honestly, we have wrestled with this thing. It's been really hard, but we made the decision that it's in the country's best interests to ensure that we don't cut Australia off from the opportunities, that we don't mandate things to close or shut things down. We're not doing any of that. What we're doing is making sure we can realise the opportunities and protect against the risks. That's what a sensible government does.
Murray: So, we've seen the pie charts, I’ve shown them plenty of times on the show, right, which show China, a giant chunk, the rest of the world, a giant chunk, the United States, Russia, and then the small little sliver that is Australia. Again, to people watching who will often say, why are we going to do anything when China can do whatever the hell it wants till 2030? Where does the pressure start to come on to China? Because it feels like, you know, all day, every day I read about what Australia’s doing, but I don’t read much about what China is doing.
Prime Minister: That's a fair point. And this is the, this is the argument I've been making when I've been at a lot of these international events. I've been saying pretty simply, you're not going to deal with climate change by getting countries, advanced countries to put taxes on themselves and think that's going to solve climate change. That's not going to happen in China. It's not going to happen in India. It's not going to happen in Vietnam or Indonesia or any of these other places. Their emissions will just keep going up. There's only one way that you fix this, and that is through technology that can be affordable and scaled and operate, whether it's here in Australia or in Indonesia or elsewhere, at a price that is competitive to the alternatives. And that's what our plan is about. It's not about trying to shut things down, it's about giving us the technology tools to do it cheaper, to do it smarter. And we, I want Australia to be in that. I don't want Australia to be locked out of it. And that's the great risk we faced. And, so, it's important we do that. And your viewers are right about, Australia is a very small proportion. That is true. But what I want to ensure is Australia is not excluded, that Australia is not cut off from that investment that might otherwise come. People want to invest in a country where there's a plan to develop these things, and that's what this is. And I think that's going to see more investment come in to Australia. I think it's going to create more jobs. It's going to support rural and regional communities. I mean, our fund here that is driving a lot of this technological change - $20 billion over 10 years. Now, that $20 billion, it's going into rural and regional areas. And there'll be more that we will do to support rural and regional communities be successful in the future, because we know both their way of life, their living and their costs of living are incredibly important.
Murray: Why can't nuclear be part of the technological options for the next 30 years?
Prime Minister: Well, we'll see what happens down the track. But right now, right now there's a moratorium on nuclear here in Australia, and the Labor Party are totally opposed to it. And I'm just not going to put Australia through the argument, which doesn't get us anywhere because the moratorium isn't lifted, and for the Labor Party to run around at the next election and get themself elected on the basis of a scare campaign. I mean, that's just what would happen. It would, I mean, I'm not about to hand the Labor Party that sort of an opportunity. They're opposed to it. They don't ever want to consider it, they say. But I think if Australia is to move ahead, just as my predecessors and going back many years now, have always said that in the Liberal and Nationals, unless there's a bipartisan commitment to this, then it won't, it'll be too difficult to proceed with at this point. But, you know, it’s, we'll see what happens down the track. There'll be a lot of developments in this space that are occurring overseas - small modular reactors, within the next decade, I expect to see them in the United States. They've done environmental approvals for those. So, we'll watch all that very closely. But we have no intention of lifting that moratorium. We believe we can get to net zero by 2050 through this technological plan. And that's the way we've set ourselves.
Murray: Now, we know that there's a fistful of poles, probably a pile of poles, that’ll say, got to do something, want something, we want people to do more, all the rest of it, right. But, equally, you know, there's a fistful of poles that say people aren’t willing to pay anything to do it. So, what do you say to people watching tonight about what the cost is here - either the cost of transition 20 years away, about a job that exists now that won’t exist in 20 years, what do you say about the cost of a power bill, the cost of the money to the Budget to help prop up technologies? Because the truth is, this can't be done without any cost. But give us an idea about the sense of cost that you see beyond 2030.
Prime Minister: Oh, I can tell it what it is right now. And the low emissions technology roadmap, which sits at the heart of how we achieve this, is a $20 billion investment over the next decade, and that will draw into it - because it's a partnered investment program - between about $60 and $100 billion from the private sector and other participants. And that is what will fuel, which will drive the technological development and things like hydrogen and batteries and carbon capture and storage. I mean, right now, in the Parliament right now, we are trying to change the law, which enables us to invest in carbon capture and storage, which is what is called a negative emissions technology, which will continue to support the way that we use fossil fuels right now, whether they be coal or gas, to ensure that they continue to provide reliable power in this country. Now, the Labor Party’s voting against that. They’ve voted against it seven times. So, we've just got a practical view about this, Paul. This is a practical problem which needs a practical solution. You know, I've been in place, this place, 15 years, and people have been arguing about this for the last 15 years, and I've heard people screaming at each other from both ends of the spectrum - you know, we're all going to be ruined either way. And, you know, I think most Australians just want to deal with this, to deal with it in a no fuss way, to not shut things down and take people's jobs away from them. They understand the world's a complex place and things are changing around the world. Australia deciding to do net zero by 2050 is not going to change that. But the changes that are taking place around the world will still happen. And I'm just not going to let that happen to Australians. I've got a plan to protect them and to help them go forward. And you know, you can trust the Liberals and Nationals for an economic plan to deal with this. I mean, the environmental issues are very important. But what really matters now is, who's got the best economic plan to deal with this? Who do you trust at the end of the day to have an economic plan that can help navigate us through this very challenging period, especially in rural and regional? Do you trust the Labor Party, who every time they get the opportunity they'll just regulate you more and put more taxes on you? Do you trust the others who are just going to shout from the sidelines and shout at the clouds? Or do you trust people who’ve been able to manage a strong economy?
Interview with Oliver Peterson, 6PR
26 October 2021
Oliver Peterson: We've got the Prime Minister joining us live from Parliament House in Canberra, as the federal government today released the plan for a net zero carbon emission future by 2050. Scott Morrison. Good afternoon.
Prime Minister: G'day Oly, good to be with you. G'day to everyone in the West.
Peterson: You call this the Australian way. What does it all mean?
Prime Minister: What it means is we can get to net zero emissions by 2050, not by putting on taxes, not by telling people what they have to buy and what they have to do. We can get there and keep affordable, reliable energy, and we can get there through the technologies which we're developing and which Western Australia is going to play a huge part in. And particularly with critical minerals and things such as lithium and nickel and copper, all of this, which is needed to produce batteries, renewables and electric vehicles. This is how we get there. This can be a positive for Australia. We know that around the world, they're responding to climate change and that can have an impact on us. But the way to respond is to engage it. To achieve it. To do it our way. And to make sure we realise the opportunities.
Peterson: The Greens leader Adam Bandt says your plan is reliant on that technology you just mentioned. But he argues much of this technology doesn't exist yet. Does he have a point that much of the plan is still relying on hope?
Prime Minister: No, he doesn't have a point. He just wants to tax you, and he wants to shut everything down, he'd shut most of Western Australia down if he had half a chance. And that's not the way that you achieve this. The way you achieve this is realise what Western Australians have always known, where people understood that they had to go and create great big mining industries like in the Pilbara. I mean, you had to actually go and create those. And, but the technologies we're talking about now, whether they be batteries or hydrogen technology in particular. I mean, I was just speaking with the head of Rio today. I often talk to Twiggy Forrest. They are already doing this up there. They are already putting hydrogen in the big remote mining trucks. This is already happening in Australia. Australia is leading the way in many of these areas, so we just need to realise that and that is a far better way to do it. You don't want a carbon tax, you don't want to have to shut down your resources industries. That's not our plan. That's not what we will do. That's not the Australian way.
Peterson: Why the plan now Prime Minister?
Prime Minister: Because the COP26 is on this weekend, and that has always been a timetable for us to update what we'll be doing next. The last election, we made it really clear we rejected what Labor wanted to do, which was a 45 per cent reduction in emissions. We put forward a plan for 26 to 28 per cent by 2030. Australians accepted our plan. They rejected Labor's plan. Now the good news is we're making great progress on that. Australia's emissions have already fallen by over 20 per cent since 2005. And what we released today is, we believe by 2030 that will fall by 35 per cent. No tax is needed, no telling people what they have to drive and what they have to do. Just the technologies and the other work we're doing is ensuring that we're making real progress. And at the same time, since 2005, our economy has grown by 45 per cent. There's three million more jobs, and right now there are now a million Australians back in manufacturing jobs. And that comes in particular from a lot of the work we've been doing over the last few years.
Peterson: You've previously made mention of this being tied to national security. Did Joe Biden and Boris Johnson force your hand?
Prime Minister: Of course not. We decide what our policy is here, and this is in Australia's interest to do this. And this actually positions particularly rural and regional areas of the country to be real, real winners in this, because what we're talking about these technologies where the $20 billion of investment that the government is making, which will pull in between $60 and $100 billion from investors all around the world, that's going to find its way into regional areas because that's where the technology has to be. That's where it has to be implemented. That's where it's going to fuel our heavy industries, not just in Western Australia, but all around the country. So this is in our interest to do it. That said, of course, they have some strong views on this, but their plans are different to ours. They're going down a different path. We're going to get into the path of technology, not taxes.
Peterson: But signing up to net zero emissions by 2050 is not contingent at all, say on the AUKUS agreement, for example?
Prime Minister: Of course not.
Peterson: What's it going to cost Prime Minister?
Prime Minister: Well, as I've said, the low emissions technology plan is $20 billion of investment, and that will pull together private investment of between $60 and $100 billion. I mean, there is money around the world which is looking to solve these big technology problems. You know, it's not unlike what happened with the COVID vaccine. I mean, when we were in the middle of COVID, there had never been a coronavirus vaccine, but the world decided to crack that technology, and they did. We now have MRNA vaccines, which were almost science fiction before COVID. Now we're going to invest together with partners around the world, private investors, to ensure we're cracking the hydrogen problem. That we're going to get low cost solar down to about $15 per megawatt hour, that we get energy storage at under $100 per megawatt hour. That we get carbon capture and storage at under $20 per ton of CO2. That we make low emission steel and aluminium. That we have both blue and green hydrogen and that we can measure soil carbon at under $3 per hectare, per year. They're the details of the plan. If you can achieve those changes in technology, all realisable, then you can hit these targets and you can make this happen without having to tax anybody.
Peterson: So you say Australians will be $2,000 better off by pursuing this plan? Is that how you arrived at the figure you've just outlined to our listeners? Let's be crystal clear about this. You believe by 2050, they will not have to pay more for their electricity?
Prime Minister: That's right, because this is what the technology does. This is why you do it. If you do nothing, this is the real risk. If you do nothing, then you cut Australia off from that waterfall of investment that will come to support these new technologies. They're not going to come invest in a country that doesn't have a plan like this. They will go elsewhere. The opportunity will pass Australia by, and it will make it harder for Australia to compete in that world. See, the world is changing, responding to climate change. Decisions are being made all around the world about what they want to buy, what they want to do, that impact on Australia. Now we get that and we need to respond to that and we need to be proactive about it. And that means this plan from the Commonwealth Government, from the Australian Government, provides the framework, the opportunity for everyone else to participate and move ahead.
Peterson: Will you legislate the plan?
Prime Minister: No, you don't have to. We've had the 2020 targets and the 2030 targets. None of those have been legislated. You only legislate if you want to try and force people to do anything. We don't want to force people to do anything because we know Australians want to do this and they're already doing it. We've already cut emissions by 20 per cent and we haven't legislated any of it. I mean, the idea that you have to legislate this is what the Labor Party thinks because they like to tax people. They like to force people to do things. They like to tell people what they have to do and what they buy. But for a miner in WA in particular, flying in and out of the mines, what this means is there'll be new resource opportunities in addition to the ones that are already there. I mean, the critical minerals that go into making this new, clean energy technology will rely heavily on what's in the ground in Western Australia. It is essential for all of these countries to meet these targets we're talking about, to be taking the minerals that are there in Western Australia that make all of these plans work. So it's a great opportunity. You wouldn't want to cut yourself off from it. And by not going down this path, we would, and that would be a dud idea.
Peterson: Speaking of new opportunities, lots of announcements regarding hydrogen and renewables. Will nuclear power also come into the mix now?
Prime Minister: Well, it's a watching technology, but it's not one that we're lifting the moratorium on. We've always said that that would have to be done on a bipartisan basis. We're not going to get into the political games with the Labor Party on those things. They're totally opposed to that. So we're not going to go down that path while they have that view. But a lot of that technology, what's called small modular reactors, many of your listeners may be aware of those, those technologies are still developing in the United States and other places. But here in Australia, we haven't had that. And so we're able to do what I've said today, achieve a net zero outcome by 2050 without having to do that.
Peterson: On a couple of other issues, Prime Minister, the nationwide search continues for four year old Cleo Smith missing, possibly abducted now for 11 days. Our collective hearts obviously go out to the family. Is the federal government assistance there on offer to the search?
Prime Minister: Well, of course. And this is heartbreaking. I just want to assure everybody over there in WA, particularly the family and friends of poor Cleo, this is really capturing the minds of the country. It certainly has captured our minds here and our hearts go out to them. But in terms of technology and tradecraft, the AFP have some very advanced capabilities, leading edge, not just here in Australia, but all around the world. And as much as I'd love to reveal exactly of what some of those are and how they're being used, we certainly can't talk about that on air, but the AFP are there and they've joined that process. I'm very pleased to say that they're helping in every way they possibly can through their intelligence capabilities, their technology and their forensics abilities. I just hope we can find Cleo mate. I just really do. I think the whole nation is just waiting and hoping and praying.
Peterson: We certainly are. Since announcing that Queensland will be opening up with no more threats of lockdowns from mid-December, Premier Palaszczuk has seen an uptick in Queensland's daily rate of vaccinations. In WA though the daily rate has flatlined since Premier McGowan's refusal to follow suit, he's instead resorted to obviously mandates and fines. Do you think that Mark McGowan should offer some sort of carrot alongside the stick, giving West Aussies that aim for before Christmas?
Prime Minister: Well, I am pleased that we're finally over 60 per cent on a double dose in WA. I know other states are well in advance of that, I mean, over in New South Wales, 85.5%, in Victoria they're at 75.9. Tassie, where there hasn't been COVID, just like in WA, 72.6 double dose. We're heading to have some of the highest vaccination rates anywhere in the world and where it has been successful in other states and territories, it has been because people, you know, want to reclaim what they've lost. They want to be able to connect with people again. They want to be able to do what they were doing before. That's proven to be the strongest of all possible incentives. And you know, we of course, we want to open up safely, but to stay safely open, that's what the national plan is all about. And so I just want to encourage Western Australians to go out there, get vaccinated, get connected again. Let's move forward together. Let's bring the whole country together again.
Peterson: Should we set a date in WA?
Prime Minister: Well, what matters is achieving the target rates of vaccination. That's what enables you to open safely. And it would be great to see Western Australia achieving those vaccination rates of 70 and 80 per cent before the end of the year. I'd love to see that. So let's go, WA. Let's go.
Peterson: And one last on the federal election, how concerned are you about the Liberal seats in Western Australia, given obviously the state Libs are in disarray. Do you think that could rub off at a federal level?
Prime Minister: Well, I think Western Australians understand very clearly that at the federal election, it's a choice between the Liberals led by me and the Labor Party, led by Anthony Albanese. If you vote Labor, you don't get Mark McGowan, you get Anthony Albanese and Mark McGowan's going to be the Premier of WA either way. And we worked incredibly, incredibly close closely with Mark on infrastructure issues and the many other issues, GST being the biggest one. He knows that it has been our government in particular that delivered the GST deal for WA that was so long in the waiting for and we're very pleased to do that. So I think Western Australians understand if they want a strong economy and a strong national security government to work closely with the needs of Western Australia and gets it, the right way to achieve that is with a Liberal led government at a federal level. We'll work closely with Mark McGowan. He hasn't got his name on the ballot on this one. That's Anthony Albanese. He's got his name on the ballot for the next one, and it's a choice between me and him and our parties.
Peterson: Prime Minister, appreciate your time. Safe travels to Glasgow. Thank you.
Prime Minister: Good on you, Oly. Good to talk to you.
Australia's Plan to Reach Our Net Zero Target by 2050
26 October 2021
Prime Minister, Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction
The Morrison Government will act in a practical, responsible way to deliver net zero emissions by 2050 while preserving Australian jobs and generating new opportunities for industries and regional Australia.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor today released Australia’s Long Term Emissions Reduction Plan (the Plan), to deliver net zero emissions by 2050.
The technology-driven plan sets out a credible pathway to net zero by 2050, while preserving our existing industries, establishing Australia as a leader in low emissions technologies, and positioning our regions to prosper.
The Plan is based on our existing policies and will be guided by five principles that will ensure Australia’s shift to a net zero economy will not put industries, regions or jobs at risk.
The principles are: technology not taxes; expand choices not mandates; drive down the cost of a range of new technologies; keep energy prices down with affordable and reliable power; and, be accountable for progress.
The Plan focuses on driving down technology costs and accelerating their deployment at scale across the economy.
Over the next decade, our existing $20 billion investment in low emissions technology is expected to unlock at least $80 billion of total private and public investment, including in clean hydrogen, carbon capture and storage and energy storage.
The Plan also identifies the potential for continued technology advances and breakthroughs to unlock ultra low cost solar. As part of the annual update to the Technology Investment Roadmap, we have set a stretch goal of solar electricity generation at $15 per megawatt hour (MWh). Australia is a world leader in renewable energy, and cheap, clean electricity is integral to lowering emissions in the electricity sector and other industries in Australia.
The Plan shows how our priority technologies will deliver 85 per cent of the emissions reductions necessary to achieve net zero by 2050. This is achieved through our strong track record, with emissions already more than 20 per cent lower than 2005 levels, the Technology Investment Roadmap which will reduce emissions by around 40 per cent, global technology trends that will reduce emissions by 15 per cent, and high-integrity offsets that will achieve at least a further 10 per cent reduction.
It recognises the role future technology breakthroughs will play in closing the gap, with new and emerging technologies to reduce emissions by a further 15 per cent by 2050.
The Plan rules out taxes or a legislated mechanism, because these regressive approaches would impose costs on households, businesses and regions least able to afford them.
It includes five-yearly reviews that will enable us to evaluate progress, and adapt to advances in technology.
The Prime Minister said the Plan would continue to reduce Australia’s emissions while keeping our economy growing, maintaining affordable, reliable energy, and ensuring our regions remain strong.
“Australia now has a target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and we have a clear plan for achieving it,” the Prime Minister said. “The Plan outlines responsible, practical action to achieve net zero that is in our national interest.
“The Plan will deliver results through technology, not taxes. It respects people’s choice, and will not force mandates on what people can do or buy. It guarantees that we keep downward pressure on energy prices and secures reliable power. It will ensure Australia continues to serve traditional markets, while taking advantage of new economic opportunities.
“The Plan has the prosperity and wellbeing of regional Australia at its core. We have an opportunity to act now to harness existing regional strengths, unlock new areas of growth, and diversify economic activity in regions. We will invest in rural and regional Australia to ensure it succeeds and is protected under the Plan.
“Australia will continue to build on our record of reducing emissions and achieve our targets in the Australian way.”
Minister Taylor said Australia’s emissions reduction story had been one of consistent achievement, and the Plan had been designed for Australia.
“Our Plan continues the policies and initiatives that we have already put in place and that have proven to be successful, while preserving existing industries and jobs, and supporting regional Australia,” Minister Taylor said. “It will not shut down coal or gas production, or require displacement of productive agricultural land.
“Between 2005 and 2021, Australia’s emissions fell by 20.8 per cent, outpacing the reductions of the United States, Canada and New Zealand, and every other major commodity exporting nation in the world. The most recent forecast shows we will cut our emissions by up to 35 per cent by 2030.
“Under our Plan, the Technology Investment Roadmap and global trends will see Australia reduce its emissions by 85 per cent by 2050. We are committed to closing the gap to net zero over the next three decades in a way that is consistent with Liberal Party and National Party values.
“Our Plan is built on a set of key principles; the most important being technology, not taxes. Unlike Labor, we won’t introduce a carbon tax that drives Australian jobs overseas and punishes the most vulnerable in our community through higher prices for electricity and other essentials.”
Latest official projections released today show Australia is on track to reduce emissions by up to 35 per cent by 2030, well above our target of 26 to 28 per cent.
The Plan will maintain this momentum.
The Plan can be found at: industry.gov.au/LongTermEmissionsReduction
More information at: positiveenergy.gov.au and link to projections.
Media Statement
25 October 2021
Today I announce the Minister for Resources and Water the Hon Keith Pitt MP will be added to the Cabinet.
Minister Pitt is a powerful voice for the resources sector and ensuring that we build upon Australia’s strength in traditional exports, while harnessing opportunities in the new energy economy and critical minerals.
Minister Pitt has been a strong advocate for regional and rural communities, both in his portfolio responsibilities and as a local MP, and will work closely with the Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction the Hon Angus Taylor MP to ensure we reach our emissions reduction targets through technology that will empower our industries and regional communities.
Only the Coalition can be trusted to grow our economy, maintain affordable and reliable energy prices, protect our resource industries and manufacturing base that supports rural and regional communities, and take practical and responsible action to achieve our emissions reduction targets.
Interview with Ray Hadley, 2GB
22 October 2021
RAY HADLEY: Turning our attention to other matters. On the line. Prime Minister, good morning to you.
PRIME MINISTER: G'day Ray, good to be with you.
HADLEY: Nice to chat again. Look, this announcement has been made about the National Strategy for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse. I think it's one of the most important initiatives we've had since, of course, with the help of Tony Abbott, when Julia Gillard called for the Royal Commission into the abuse of children. As you know, I've been part of Bravehearts for two decades trying to get a better deal for children who are survivors of these sorts of assaults. So just outline what we're going to do as we launch into National Children's Week next week.
PRIME MINISTER: Well Ray, first, I do want to acknowledge this has been a long term campaign for you over pretty much most of your broadcasting career, and that has helped drive, I think, many initiatives, including the ones we're talking about now. Today indeed is the third anniversary of that national apology to the victims of institutional child sexual abuse. And it is always a very difficult day. And I know, for many of those who are the victims because it does bring things back, and our first task is to help as much as we can with the healing and in many cases, that may prove too much. But for many, I think we're making progress there and the National Redress Scheme, which is making those payments now over half a billion dollars has been paid out under that scheme. We've been able to name and shame those organisations into participating in that scheme. And so that's making progress so that the restoration and healing is as best as we possibly can, given just the unspeakable things that happened to Australians over the course of many, many years. And the Royal Commission, as you said, that Julia Gillard initiated was a very important process in helping a lot of people along that along that very difficult journey.
But the other thing we have to do is we've got to go after these people with everything we've got. Those who are perpetrating these crimes, those who groom and wherever they're doing it, and the package of measures that we've had in place already through our national strategy to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse, which is attacking it at every single point. Additional funding for the AFP. Additional funding for AUSTRAC. Working through the Department of Home Affairs. Working with those overseas to track these people down. More relationships with sporting organisations. Giving greater resources to the Attorney-General's Department to both go after those to prosecute, as well as legal assistance to those who are victims as well. So the E-Safety Commissioner and I got to say, Ray, this is probably one that enlists most Australians in the fight. And that is, you know, when I was a kid, as you know, my dad, my father was a policeman and he was pretty aware of what would occur in society all those years ago, and he'd be very careful about where I was physically as a kid. But today, you know, with our kids, your grandkids, where they go is online. That's the unsafe place. And that's where we're putting so much of our effort now as well. I was over in Western Australia a little while back when I could go to Western Australia and I visited the centre that we have there, which is working online, tracking down these criminals and seeing the work they were doing with detector dogs. We've put money into these new detector dogs that can actually sniff out those chips. It's amazing. They can find them in a house. They, you know, because these grubs will go on, you know, conceal these images, these awful images and all sorts of places which they peddle. And the AFP and the technology that has been developed is simply remarkable. So mate, we are just at this every place we can with every resource we can provide.
HADLEY: You see, you hit on a very good point and I've declared this before. My late mother was a victim of child sexual abuse and it impacted her for her entire life, and that's probably why I got involved in this issue. And what happened through the early part of last century and into this century was children should be seen, not heard. How dare you say that about Uncle John or Father Brown or whoever else you're talking about. Don't you dare suggest something like that happened and these kids were just absolutely ignored in many cases because of, you know, the accusations are made against adults. And that's changed. But the point you make about the internet now you and I both know with your girls and with my grandchildren and my children, I wouldn't just let them get out of the pool, lock the gate and go inside. And, you know, have a feed.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
HADLEY: You'd watch them, you'd watch them, you'd keep an eye on them. You'd make sure they were safe in that pool. Well, now we're talking about a pool of low life animals that are out there on the internet. So if you wouldn't let your kids swim, you know the little ones without keeping an eye on them with their floaties on and the rest of it, so you shouldn't let your kids get on the internet without some form of supervision.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's right. We need to understand the risks as parents as well, and look, the truth is, most parents do. I mean, the work we've done on online education programmes, 94 per cent of parents think their child's online safety is important. We all do practical things. I mean, with my kids, I won't go too much about what happens on our house. But you know, we make sure the kids don't have their devices in their rooms at night or and things like this, they don't play online games and things like that. But because my kids are quite young, you know, they're 12 and 14. And so parents have and I mean, I wish I knew more about this so I could keep my kids safer and endeavour to do so. And so does Jen. But as parents, this is a place where we can take action to keep our kids safety, safer. The E-Safety Commissioner, which we established one of the first things we did actually in government that is world leading in in the powers it has and the ability not just to deal with this area of protecting children, but as you're aware about Erin Molan's law and that sort of stuff that we've done there, which take down material and be able to prosecute people who troll others and destroy their lives. I mean, the online world, you know, the laws that apply in the physical world. So a grub can't do this at a local swimming pool or down in the change rooms at the beach. They can't do that and they they can be pursued there. The same rules have to apply in the online world. And that's where we have to continue to get even stronger and our laws have to be updated so we can catch these grubs.
HADLEY: OK, now I think you'd agree with me, the AFP and the Queensland coppers and New South Wales coppers and I don't know as much about other jurisdictions. They do an amazing job and particularly Queensland. They have this arrangement with authorities in the United States of America, and they share information and they track down people. And many of the things I've reported recently have been on the back of someone in the United States contacting New South Wales or Queensland Police and saying you need to target this person, you need to go to their house now, they're doing this. However, however, and I don't know what federal government could do as opposed to state governments. There's a sad inadequacy when it comes to sentencing these people. Now I'll give you the prime example. There were two blokes who adopted a little child in Queensland, and they sold that little boy for sex to other like minded people. Had they been caught in Queensland, they might have got, you know, five, six or seven years. Thankfully, they went to the United States of America, and the Queensland authorities advised those in America. One is now serving 45 years. The other one's about 35 years. There's a complete disconnect between the work you're talking about and the money your government is spending on these authorities and the judiciary. Now you'll remember that the man in charge of the Royal Commission, a Supreme Court Justice said, and I paraphrase what he said. He dealt with many of these cases before, but he'd never been so impacted by all the stories he gathered. And I think that changed his attitude in relation to maybe how he would have dealt with paedophiles prior to the Royal Commission. If you understand what I mean, there needs to be a more awareness from the judiciary about the damage done for the life of the victim.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, and I think that's what all of this process does as well, Ray. And that's why we keep bringing our attention and focus back onto these things constantly. You make a very good point about the police. Operation Arkstone, which you'd be familiar with. That's AFP, New South Wales, Queensland, WA, has so far removed 55 children from direct harm and charged 21 people with 1,300 offences. So those prosecutions, those investigations, as you say, linking up with those overseas, and we're doing that, particularly with other countries throughout the Indo-Pacific and across Asia. But also, you know, you've got to have the follow through on the penalties and the sentencing and that has to flow through to the judiciary who have to put these grubs away and for a very, very long time and there can't be tolerance on that. And look, I think, you know, we've all got a role to play here. And look, I think this is something that everybody shares a view about and there's always great support to go and do these things. What I'm, what I'm, I suppose, encouraged by it, because when you look at all this, it's not it's not hard to get depressed about it and particularly with the hideous nature of these things. But I got to tell you when I went and spent time with the AFP and just how they're doing this and the sophistication of the tools they've now got, which with enabled them to have and the relationships they have, you know, we're beginning to win this, but we've got a long way to go.
HADLEY: I want to just qualify. The Royal Commissioner I refer to is Supreme Court Justice Peter McClellan. And he did an outstanding job, an outstanding job. But the point I wanted to make was even allowing for his previous history as a Justice of the Supreme Court. It took the Royal Commission to take him to a position that he got to finally, saying I've got to rethink this matter, as opposed to his role simply as a Judge in the Supreme Court previously. But he's done, I don't want in any way, I don't detract from his great work.
PRIME MINISTER: Sure, I'd agree.
HADLEY: Now, did you get, did you get a smile out of Alan Joyce this morning? Did he crack up for a smile, Alan, because he's a good little mate of mine, but he's been, he's been a bit cranky for a while, Alan, because he hasn't been able to get these planes off the ground and now they will be off the ground.
PRIME MINISTER: They will be off the ground, 11,000 people, staff coming back to work. This is just awesome. And look from the Member for Cook, Southern Sydney, the Shire and St George. A lot of them work out of my electorate. They work for Qantas, they work at the airport. I know what they've been doing. They've been working different jobs. They've been working at bottle-os, they've been working in call centres. They've been, you know, they've been making their way through. But we put a lot of resource into helping Qantas and Virgin through this. I mean, so many other countries lost their airlines. We've kept both of them through the pandemic and one went through administration and they're back. They'll be flying in. And from the 1st of November, Australia, we're doing Australians first. So Australian residents, citizens and this now includes their direct family, which I've just signed off just this week, which will include parents as well. So, you know, particularly there's a lot of people out of India, in the UK, the US who want to come home and be here for Christmas and be with their family here at Christmas. So that will enable that. That will start in November. We got to get that right first. And I know there's a lot of Australians who want to get home, so I want them to get the seats on these planes first. And then we'll see how the recognition of the international vaccination certificates from other countries goes, that we can see how that plays out over November. And then I can just see us moving into other groups as well. And I said this morning that I think it's achievable, that we'd be able to begin having international visitation through Sydney and the other, I mean, I mean, you would've seen reports about Victoria looking to go in a similar direction as New South Wales. That's fantastic. Love to see it happen in Queensland, up in Queensland, those Queensland listeners, we've got to get those vaccination rates up. That's what's going to open those borders. It's 59.37 in Queensland today second dose, 74.1 [first]. So come on Queensland, let's go.
HADLEY: Yeah, well, they're pushing it hard after they weren't pushing it so hard, the Queensland Premier. But I can't criticise her though, because she's allowed me to go back to Queensland on December 17, I hope, even allowing for this bloke who's gone up there from Melbourne on Wednesday. Just on that issue …
PRIME MINISTER: I remember, some months ago, people go, oh, they say they weren't going to do it. I was very confident that as we got to where we've got where the vaccination rates get to, where we get to that, you know, the natural order of things would get these outcomes. So it's good it's opening up, but there is a lot of Queenslanders, that are still about 8,000 that can't get home. I think we've got to get them home. We've got to get quarantine working for them so they can get home.
HADLEY: Just one final question, and I know I sound like a broken record. We want to get to 95. Although Professor Graeme Stewart, the clinical immunologist Westmead, tells me no Ray, 97-98. We want to get 95 per cent fully vaxxed. Do the anti-vaxxers drive you as mad as they do me?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we all respect everybody's right to have their view, it's a free country. But what you don't have a right to do in this country is hurt someone else and do things that disrespect others, and we all should respect each other. But that, I mean, I'm very frustrated by this case up in Queensland, and you've made some remarks on it. I probably won't be as colourful as you, Ray. But I get your point. And you know, you know, it's all right for people to have a view about whether they should be vaccinated or not. But you've got to cooperate. You've got to do the right thing, you've got to follow the rules. Why? Because that's just doing the right thing by other Australians. And to not do that, well, that's disrespecting other Australians. And that's just not the way we do things in this country and you're putting other people at risk and other people's businesses, other people's livelihoods. And that's just selfish.
HADLEY: You're right.
PRIME MINISTER: So there's a difference between sticking up for your rights and having freedom of speech and just being selfish.
HADLEY: Well, you're right. You're not as colourful as me, so I'll get back to it. I'll see you later. Have a good weekend.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot, Ray. Cheers.
Prime Minister's Literary Awards Shortlists Announced For 2021
22 October 2021
Prime Minister, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts
The 2021 Prime Minister's Literary Awards shortlists capture the full diversity and range of Australia’s vibrant literary sector.
The shortlists have been announced today by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher.
The Awards acknowledge the significant contribution literature, history and poetry have in connecting us to Australian voices and our story as a nation.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this year’s shortlists celebrated Australia’s talented literary sector in a year when so many Australians turned to reading.
“Australia’s storytellers and historians have provided a place for reflection as we have faced the ongoing challenges of the pandemic,” the Prime Minister said.
“That’s the power of our literature and the stories being told. Congratulations to everyone shortlisted, and thank you to the judges.”
Minister Fletcher said the 2021 shortlists highlight the exceptional talent of Australian writers.
“This year’s shortlists have captured diverse voices that make up Australia’s talented literary community,” Minister Fletcher said.
“Our writers, poets, historians and illustrators have continued to produce works of literary excellence, making the judging for this year’s shortlist incredibly difficult. We received more than 470 entries, and our judges had the difficult task of selecting 30 books.
“Congratulations to the shortlisted authors and thank you to the judges for their expertise and commitment.”
Winners of the 2021 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards will be announced in December.
For more information on the shortlists, including judging panel comments, visit: www.arts.gov.au/pm-literary-awards/current-awards
The 2021 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards shortlists are:
Fiction
A Treacherous Country, K.M. Kruimink, Allen & Unwin
In the Time of Foxes, Jo Lennan, Simon & Schuster: Scribner Australia
Lucky’s, Andrew Pippos, Pan Macmillan: Picador Australia
The Bass Rock, Evie Wyld, Penguin Random House: Vintage
The Labyrinth, Amanda Lohrey, Text Publishing
Non-fiction
Flight Lines: Across the Globe on a Journey with the Astonishing Ultramarathon Birds, Andrew Darby, Allen & Unwin
The Altar Boys, Suzanne Smith, HarperCollins Publishing: ABC Books
The Details: On Love, Death and Reading, Tegan Bennett Daylight, Simon & Schuster: Scribner Australia
The Stranger Artist: Life at the Edge of Kimberley Painting, Quentin Sprague, Hardie Grant Publishing
Truganini: Journey Through the Apocalypse, Cassandra Pybus, Allen & Unwin
Australian history
Ceremony Men: Making Ethnography and the Return of the Strehlow Collection, Jason M. Gibson, State University of New York Press
Pathfinders: A History of Aboriginal Trackers in NSW, Michael Bennett, NewSouth Publishing
People of the River: Lost Worlds of Early Australia, Grace Karskens, Allen & Unwin
Representing Australian Aboriginal Music and Dance 1930-1970, Amanda Harris, Bloomsbury Publishing
The Convict Valley: The Bloody Struggle on Australia's Early Frontier, Mark Dunn, Allen & Unwin
Poetry
Change Machine, Jaya Savige, University of Queensland Press
Homer Street, Laurie Duggan, Giramondo Publishing
Nothing to Declare, Mags Webster, Puncher & Wattmann
Shorter Lives, John A. Scott, Puncher & Wattmann
The Strangest Place, New and Selected Poems, Stephen Edgar, Black Pepper
Children’s literature
Fly on the Wall, Remy Lai, Walker Books Australia,
How to Make a Bird, Meg McKinlay, illustrated by Matt Ottley, Walker Books Australia
The January Stars, Kate Constable, Allen & Unwin
The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst, Jaclyn Moriarty, illustrated by Kelly Canby, Allen & Unwin
The Year the Maps Changed, Danielle Binks, Hachette Australia: Lothian Children’s Books
Young adult literature
Loner, Georgina Young, Text Publishing
Metal Fish, Falling Snow, Cath Moore, Text Publishing
The End of the World is Bigger than Love, Davina Bell, Text Publishing
The F Team, Rawah Arja , Giramondo Publishing
When Rain Turns to Snow, Jane Godwin, Hachette Australia: Lothian Children’s Books
Interview with David Koch and Natalie Barr, Sunrise
21 October 2021
David Koch: Prime Minister Scott Morrison joins us now. Prime Minister, a lot to talk about this morning. Victoria opening up new freedoms. Is that the right thing to do, even though case numbers are still high?
Prime Minister: Well, I can officially confirm, just got the figures, Victoria has reached 70.51 per cent vaccination rate double dose right across the state, and good on Tassie, too, because they've hit 70.6 per cent. Right across the country now, 70.83 per cent, and under the National Plan that means they can now move into Phase B. They can start taking the steps, as you say, at 11.59 tonight. The longest road has been journeyed in Victoria, and that long road really open, starts to open up tonight. But, as always, all states and territories coming from a different starting point. They’ll all cautiously find their way back. This is not a big opening in that first step. In the Australian way, we move cautiously, but we move deliberately, so we can safely open up so we can remain open safely. That's the key. We've got to stay open once we get open.
Natalie Barr: Yeah. And as we've seen in the last couple of weeks, Prime Minister, restaurants, cafes, a lot of businesses are really crying out for staff. They don't seem to be able to get enough, by any means.
Prime Minister: Yeah.
Barr: Would you consider opening the international borders to students, to backpackers, those sort of people, earlier than, I think, what you've said, next year?
Prime Minister: Well, we've said on students, in particular, and on skilled migration, I, we’ll see that happening in New South Wales next month. We'll start seeing that in late November, early December. On international visitors, well, we'll see how Australians coming back first goes there. And I have no doubt that Victoria also will start going down that path. So, that's what the National Plan does. When we get to international visitors more broadly, well, we'll see how that's going, because we have to ensure that we just keep opening up consistently, safely. We keep taking steps each and every day so we can stay safely open. We don't want to see what's happened in other parts of the world where people have moved too fast. We have done this scientifically, let me stress. These 70 per cent and 80 per cent vaccination rates, as targets, have been set through the best scientific analysis in the world by Melbourne's own Doherty Institute. There wasn't some calendar day that this was done. This was based on achieving scientifically proven vaccination targets. That's the Australian way. That's how we've been able to save lives and save livelihoods.
Koch: Prime Minister, do you think it's a bit weird, though, that some families can welcome a relative from London for Christmas, but not from Perth who are in our own country?
Prime Minister: Oh, sure. Of course that, yeah, no, I think that's, I think that's a fair point. And, look, I think the scenes in Victoria of families being reunited after so long was tremendous to see. I think that's great. I welcome the fact that Queensland now has gone to home quarantine in specific circumstances, but there's 8,000 Queenslanders we want to see get home to Queensland as well. And whether it's in WA [sic] or Western Australia, the message is very clear: let's get those vaccination rates up. There are enough vaccines in Queensland, in Western Australia, South Australia, the rest of the country to ensure that we can hit those double dose vaccination rates, which achieves that outcome. That's how you get there under the National Plan. That's what we're seeing in New South Wales, here in the ACT, now in Victoria, Tasmania in the future, they're moving forward as well. Hitting those vaccination rates is what opens Australia up safely and enables us to remain safely open.
Barr: So, you support WA’s decision to wait until maybe Easter next year to reopen?
Prime Minister: Well, I don't believe it will take that long, frankly. I just don't. I mean, I remember some months ago you asked me on this very program what would happen, and I said, “Well, let's see what happens.” And at that stage, other states were saying they wouldn't open up by Christmas, and now they are. So, let's just see what happens. Let's get those vaccination rates up. That's what matters. Let's just get people vaccinated, and that gives everybody the opportunity to take these steps forward under the National Plan. But the National Plan is working. We are opening up and we're doing it safely. That's the important thing.
Koch: What does the National Plan say about the unvaccinated? Because in New South Wales, unvaccinated residents, from December 1, get the same restriction, get the same freedoms as vaccinated. In Victoria, that's not going to happen. They haven't put a date on it, they're saying, you know, don't wait us out, get vaccinated, who knows when you'll get the same freedom. Who's right?
Prime Minister: Well, you have to be careful about those who are unvaccinated, because as we're seeing all around the world, the hospitals are full of people who are unvaccinated. That's where the pandemic goes to. The virus finds the people who are unvaccinated, and that's what can put stress and strain on your hospital system. That's why you've got to get those vaccination rates up to 80 per cent. Once you get past 80 per cent, and you have that strong level of protection in the community, I mean, New South Wales is now well over 80 per cent. Australia is now en route to being one of the most vaccinated countries on the planet, and that's being achieved because of the tremendous response we've had from Australians. By the end of this month, there will be enough vaccines to ensure that everyone who wanted a vaccine will have been able to have get one. Now, that's what we said would happen, we, right back last year. Now, we had our challenges, as you know. You've asked me about it on this program. But we overcame those challenges, we've got over those issues, and now we're achieving those marks. And, so, I want to thank Australians for working with us to get over those problems, and we've got there, and particularly today, well done, Victoria. Enjoy 11.59 tonight. You've earned it. But let's do it safely. Let's do it carefully, because we want to stay safely open, and I'm sure that will be the case.
Barr: Ok, let's talk about booster shots.
Prime Minister: Yep.
Barr: We know that the drug companies are in the midst of trying to get them through. Where are we at with that?
Prime Minister: Yeah, we will finalise the plan for boosters. I've asked for that to be ready for our next meeting of National Cabinet, certainly, which is in November. We'll start doing the booster shots in aged care facilities. We have one, if not the most, protected aged care system on vaccination in the world today. I mean, with both the vaccination of aged care workers and, of course, the vaccination of residents themselves. And that's why during this very significant third wave of the virus we've had here in Australia, we haven't seen what we saw last year when, of course, we didn't have the vaccines. So, that booster program, that will be finalised over the next couple of weeks. That's what I've asked to come back from, from the Minister for Health. He is and he has been working on that and he made some comments about that yesterday. I mean, Greg Hunt has done a fantastic job, together with General Frewen and Brendan Murphy, Professor Murphy, and all of the team to get that going. TGA still has, and ATAGI, they still have a bit of work to do there. That'll get done and that will enable us to get that booster program starting next month.
Koch: Ok, I know you’ve got to go, but just quickly …
Prime Minister: And there's plenty of vaccines for the boosters too, I should say.
Koch: Good.
Prime Minister: There's plenty of vaccines for the boosters. They're all sorted.
Koch: Good to hear. Before you go, Glasgow Glasgow Climate Change Summit coming up, 2050 net zero emissions target that you want across a line. How close are the Nationals to agreeing?
Prime Minister: Look, we're working together. The decision will be made by Cabinet, by the Government before I head to Glasgow about this time next week.
Koch: Yeah.
Prime Minister: And I'm looking forward to us coming to a conclusion on that. See, this is a big challenge. It's, there's a lot of things to work through. The impacts of what's happening globally with the world's response to climate change, of course, they'll have impacts here on rural and regional communities, and Australians will be able to trust my Government to do the right thing by them to achieve what we need to achieve in our response to climate change and to ensure the jobs and the futures of people in rural and regional Australia are protected and supported into the future. Embracing new technologies, while at the same time keeping our industries and jobs forging ahead. We’ve reduced emissions 20 per cent on 2005 levels. United States can't say that. New Zealand can't say that. Canada can't say that. We can. We hit our targets, we meet our targets, we beat our targets, and that's our record. And I'm looking forward to sharing that news with the world and the commitments we intend to make going forward.
Koch: Prime Minister, appreciate your time. Thank you.
Prime Minister: Thanks a lot, guys.
National Centre To Provide Leadership In Supporting Victims And Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse
21 October 2021
Prime Minister, Minister for Families and Social Services, Minister for Women's Safety
Tomorrow marks the third anniversary of the National Apology for Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, commemorating the childhoods that were stolen and renewing the Government’s commitment and responsibility to protecting Australia’s children.
In honour, the Morrison Government announced that the Blue Knot Foundation, along with its key consortium partners the Australian Childhood Foundation and The Healing Foundation, would establish and deliver the National Centre for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on this day three years ago we confronted our failure to listen, to believe, and to provide justice.
“We must continue to make sure that victims and survivors remain at the forefront of our minds and deep in our hearts, while ensuring the words we speak spur action,” the Prime Minister said.
“The National Centre will be an online central point of information that will help build capability of the sector to better support survivors of institutional child sexual abuse and ensure the wrongs of the past never happen again.
“The National Centre will shine a national lens on preventing child sexual abuse, improve outcomes for survivors, and increase awareness and understanding of the impacts of abuse.”
Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston said the Blue Knot Foundation had a wealth of experience raising awareness and reducing stigma related to child sexual abuse.
“Although we cannot take away the pain and suffering that many Australians have experienced, delivering the National Centre is one critical step to alleviate further traumatisation of those living with the legacy of past child sexual abuse,” Minister Ruston said.
“The Blue Knot Foundation will draw on the expertise of businesses, the sector, and the invaluable knowledge of victims and survivors to inform improved primary prevention, secondary support and tertiary intervention.”
In response to a recommendation from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse the Morrison Government committed $22.5 million for the establishment and operation costs of the National Centre over five years.
The National Centre is expected to be established by the end of 2021.
For more information, visit the DSS website.
Interview with Ally Langdon, Today Show
21 October 2021
Ally Langdon: Prime Minister Scott Morrison joins us now in Canberra. PM, nice to see you. Tassie's also at 70 per cent. Did you do a little dance when you heard those words?
Prime Minister: I must admit I did, and I'm really pleased for both Victoria and Tassie. Victoria at 70.51 per cent, a fantastic effort. 70.6 there in Tasmania. Victoria has had the hardest and the longest road when it comes to COVID-19. They've had to go through so much and so it was great to see those wonderful scenes of people being reunited yesterday and we'll see that more in the future. They're opening safely so they can stay safely open. And to Tassie especially, where COVID rates have been very low, but they've still been hitting those high vax rates. So well down Tassie, but particularly Victoria, you've worked long and hard for this, well done.
Langdon: So just show us what that dance looks like exactly, Prime Minister.
Prime Minister: I'll wait till the whole country's there, then you'll see it.
Langdon: I'll tell you what, though. For someone who said it wasn't a race, you're celebrating the victory.
Prime Minister: Well, it's always how you bring it home. That's the end. I mean, we've had our challenges with this programme, but we, you know, we originally said even last year that we hope to be at a point that we would be hitting these, these vaccination rates in October. And we've overcome those challenges and we've got it on track. And I particularly thank Greg Hunt and General Frewen and Professor Murphy. We've all worked together with Australians to get us to this point. There's further to go, though. We've got to keep those vaccination rates continuing to lift and to your viewers, particularly in Queensland and Western Australia, we're still in the 50s, we're on the right side of the 50s, but we need that to keep going up so they can have the same things that we're now starting to see in New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria and increasingly Tasmania, South Australia too. We want to get people home and both from overseas, but also within Australia. Get them back into Queensland. We want to see, there's 8,000 people looking to get home to Queensland, about 7,000 looking to get home to South Australia, and it's important that we get Australians home and reunited.
Langdon: Look, I mean, you just touched on there, this big gap we've got between states and territories, some in their 50s, New South Wales and the ACT charging ahead. Do you have any concerns with the pace that New South Wales has set coming out of lockdown because Dominic Perrottet, he's going beyond the health advice.
Prime Minister: Well, no, that's not my understanding. They're acting consistent as I understand it, with their health advice and consistent with the National Plan ...
Langdon: The Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant yesterday, just to clarify, would not completely support the moves that Dominic Perrottet has moved.
Prime Minister: Well, that's other's commentary. But what I'm saying is, what the steps that are being taken in New South Wales, they've moved to a position where they won't be having quarantine for those coming back from the 1st of November. All Australians right around the country from the 1st of November will be able to leave if they're double vaccinated and they'll be able to come back into New South Wales without quarantine. I expect we'll start seeing that happen in other states and territories as those vaccination rates continue to rise. But the good news is our double vax right now is higher than the United States. Our first vaccination rate is higher than countries like Israel and Germany and the EU, the OECD average. And in a couple of days time, our first dose vaccination rates are going to pass the United Kingdom. So Australians, as you say, we're finishing strong and that's what matters.
Langdon: All of this though, as Mark McGowan, I mean he's talking about April, maybe later before reopening. What are you going to do about him?
Prime Minister: Well, we're going to get vax rates higher in Western Australia. That's that's what we have to do. And I've heard those dates. But I mean, they said Queensland wasn't going to open before Christmas. Queensland is opening before Christmas. I said at the time, the national plan, you know, that's the deal. People are keeping their side of the deal. Victorians have kept their side of the deal. 70.51 per cent. Tassie are keeping their side of the deal and we've all got to keep ours. The federal government, we're opening up on the international borders and it's important that all governments around the country reward that effort from Australians getting vaccinated. Why? Because these are scientifically proven targets that provide the protection to people so we can safely open. I know Australians, whether in Western Australia or Queensland, I mean, I know they have concerns about COVID. I get that. I understand it. That's why vaccination is so important. Vaccination gives the confidence to move forward.
Langdon: Well, Prime Minister, I can guarantee that WA is not going to be open for Christmas. Who's causing you more dramas at the moment, is it McGowan or Barnaby Joyce?
Prime Minister: Neither because we're both working to the national plans for the country and getting things done. I'm looking forward to bringing some of those important issues together before I head off to Glasgow. This is an important challenge, addressing climate change. But we also have to ensure that the world's response to climate change, which will have an impact on rural and regional parts of the country. We need to ensure that our plans are addressing those needs. You know, so Australians can rely on my government. They can trust my government, my Coalition Government to ensure that the rural and regional needs of the country are addressed, while we also do what we need to do on addressing climate change. We've reduced emissions by over 20 per cent already. Canada, New Zealand, United States, none of them can say that. We meet and beat our targets. That's how Australians do things.
Langdon: Well, Barnaby reckons he's going to get his list of demands to you today. It sounds like it's going to be expensive. You're going to show him the money?
Prime Minister: We're going to continue working this through and come to the right decision for Australia. The Cabinet will make that decision before I head off to Glasgow. But what's important is we're getting emissions down. We're getting jobs up. We're ensuring we're addressing the challenges of climate change. We're dealing with supporting the jobs and futures of people in rural and regional Australia. The Nationals, together with the Liberals, are working together to support rural and regional Australia and making sure that we're doing the right thing to take action on climate change.
Langdon: Are you looking forward to seeing the French President over there in Glasgow? Could be awkward.
Prime Minister: Well, I am sure we'll bump into each other along the way. But you know, look, we understand that, we've talked about this. Australia has to make decisions in our national interests. That's what we've done. We want a great relationship with the French, but that means also Australia has to do things that we have to do at times and we'll work through the other issues.
Langdon: Yep, we all get that. I just reckon it's going to be a little awkward when you two walk into the room at the same time.
Prime Minister: Well look, perhaps.
Langdon: But it is what it is. We get that. Hey, look how we had Jacqui Lambie earlier. She was talking about former Attorney General Christian Porter, and you blocking an investigation into who paid his legal fees. This was her on the show.
[EXCERPT PLAYS]
Langdon: She has a point, doesn't she?
Prime Minister: Well, what we've referred to the privileges committee is this broader issue of these crowdsourcing funding arrangements, I mean, there are a number of members of Parliament who have had these arrangements and they're in the parliament now. There isn't just one. And so what we've referred to the privileges committee is to ensure that they can get some clear rules when politicians are defamed and how they can actually defend themselves. And so let's let's get those rules very clear for everybody. Some will try and pursue this as a political trial, and I get that that's what that's what political parties do. The Labor Party will have their go, others will have their go, the politics …
Langdon: But come on, I mean this is the nation's former top legal officer that we're talking about here, potentially accepting money from what we don't know, could be criminals, foreign powers, or nothing sinister at all. I mean, forget the pub test. This doesn't pass any kind of test.
Prime Minister: Well, well, the former member has resigned from the Cabinet, and that matter was dealt with decisively. What I'm saying here, though, Ally, is there are many other members of Parliament who have been in this situation about how they fund legal costs to pursue defamation actions. And that's not just one member. There are other members and we've got to get the rules clear. That's why we've referred that matter to the privileges committee. If others want to play politics with it, that's their prerogative. I want to make sure the rules are right so the integrity is protected. So the government has referred those issues to the privileges committee to ensure the rules are clear and that everybody can be judged on the same basis.
Langdon: OK, and let's just to finish focus on on the good stuff that's happening today with Victoria opening tonight. The vax rates. Who would you say out of all the states and territories, is your favourite child right now?
Prime Minister: Well, it's probably more who am I happiest for today. I've got my two daughters and I love them all as much every single day. But on some days one of them has something to really cheer and celebrate for, and it's great to be cheering and celebrate with our Victorian Australians today and also to Tassie, Tasmanian Australians. So today, you know, I'm doing that little dance with Victoria and Tassie.
Langdon: I can't believe you just told us your favourite child, that you answered it. Victoria and Tassie.
Prime Minister: Who I am happy for.
Langdon: It is a great day for them. And that was the dance he did when he heard 70 percent. Nice to see you this morning, Prime Minister. Thanks for your time.
Prime Minister: Thanks, Ally. All the best.
Langdon: You too.
Victory in Sight in Battle of Our Generation
21 October 2021
Over the past almost two years, Victoria, like so much of the world, has been engaged in the battle of our generation: beating COVID-19.
With the state reaching the 70 per cent double dose vaccination milestone, victory is in sight.
I want to thank each and every Victorian for the incredible job you’ve done.
Again and again, Victorians have stepped up. Thank you to all Victorians who have had a double dose of a COVID-19 vaccine – and to those who have a first or second dose booked in.
I welcome Premier Andrews’ announcement to safely reopen as part of the National Plan.
Bringing down state borders and bringing down the international border. Reuniting families and friends. Getting businesses going again. Increasing job opportunities.
And I look forward to the safe easing of more restrictions across Victoria as the vaccination rate continues to surge.
Victorians have sacrificed so much over the course of extended lockdowns.
Crucially, you’ve rolled up your sleeves, with a first dose vaccination rate of almost 90 per cent – that’s higher than the UK.
If Victoria was a country it would be the 12th most vaccinated in the OECD on first doses.
Having reached 70 per cent double dose – a critical early mark of the National Plan – you’re about to start reclaiming your lives.
It’s a new chapter, as you begin to open up safely. And stay safely open.
We’ll see relaxations for the fully vaccinated at restaurants, cafes, cinemas, gyms, religious gatherings, weddings and funerals. Children are heading back to school.
Next month, when the 80 per cent fully vaccinated target is met, Victorians will enjoy even more freedoms. We’re taking our lives back.
And it’s been achieved by Victorians – and Australians and their governments from all states and territories – signing up to the National Plan. Working together.
The Morrison Government rolled up its sleeves with significant vaccine supply and record economic support.
We have provided Victorians with more than 10.8 million COVID-19 vaccines, including almost 685,000 doses that were brought forward to deal directly with outbreaks.
Our Government has provided Victorians with over $51 billion in economic support to date, the highest per capita support of any state.
Over $28 billion in JobKeeper Payments, over $5 billion in Coronavirus Supplement, and to combat the impact of Delta, over $3.7 billion in COVID-19 Disaster Payments and over $2.4 billion as our half of Business Support Payments.
We've saved lives and livelihoods the Australian way, and now Australians are reclaiming their Australian way of life.
Whether you’re in Victoria or NSW, Queensland or Western Australia, we can feel proud.
We have now administered more than 33 million vaccines around the country.
That’s over 85 per cent of eligible over 16s who have had a first dose and the 70 per cent double dose mark now also achieved nationally (70.01 per cent).
Australia’s double dose vaccination rate has surpassed the United States, and over the coming month we are on track to overtake Israel, France and Germany.
And with first doses administered to around two thirds of 12 to 15-year-olds, thank you to all those parents and kids for responding magnificently to the challenge.
I can understand in Victoria how tough the lockdowns have been. However, vaccinations are clearly winning the fight. The vaccines are doing their job. The vaccines are working.
As a result, freedoms are very close for every state or territory that has at some stage been subject to lockdown, or for those states locked in and wanting to see loved ones interstate.
Planes are ready for take off again, as we prepare to reignite international travel and bring Australians home.
All of this has been achieved by following the National Plan, and Australians getting vaccinated at record rates.
We understand that every state is starting at a different point, but we all want the same ending – to bring our country together again, and join the rest of the world.
I know all Premiers and Chief Ministers want this. It’s what the National Plan that we agreed to is all about.
For locked down states, it’s been about winning freedoms back. For others, it’s about protecting the freedoms you’ve been fortunate to enjoy by safely reopening as a nation.
But for everyone, it’s about getting back to living our lives as we once did, as best we can.
The vaccine supply is there for everyone. Right now.
So please, go and get your second jab. If you haven’t already, please get your first dose. Encourage your friends and family to also get vaccinated.
Victoria, you know this has been the battle of our generation. It’s been long and tough. There have been many sacrifices.
We can’t be complacent. We still have to take one step at a time safely and ensure we always put that safety goal first as we reopen our country.
So thank you again. For rolling up your sleeves, not just in terms of getting the vaccines, but for the sacrifices you’ve made and the resilience you’ve demonstrated.
And thank you to the thousands of nurses, doctors, pharmacists and health care workers who have cared for us, protected us and vaccinated us.
Let’s bring this home – that 70 per cent has to become an 80.
And most importantly, ensure that we are back together with our families, friends and loved ones this Christmas. Making this Christmas the best ever.
Australia's First Mission to the Moon
13 October 2021
Prime Minister, Minister for Science and Technology, Minister for Defence Industry
Australia is heading to the Moon, with the Morrison Government reaching an agreement with NASA for an Australian made rover to be included in a future mission.
Leading Australian businesses and researchers will come together to develop the rover, backed by $50 million in funding from the Trailblazer program in the Government’s Moon to Mars initiative.
The semi-autonomous rover will collect lunar soil that contains oxides, and using separate equipment, NASA will aim to extract oxygen from the soil. This is a key step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon and supporting future missions to Mars.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia’s mission to the Moon would contribute to growing our economy in our COVID-19 recovery, and create more jobs for Australians.
“This is an incredible opportunity for Australia to succeed in the global space sector, and is central to our Government’s vision to secure more jobs and a larger share of the growing space economy,” the Prime Minister said.
“By 2030, we want to triple the size of our space sector – adding $12 billion to our economy and creating up to 20,000 new, high-skilled jobs – providing more opportunities for Australians and industries.
“Our Government has invested more than $700 million in the civil space sector since July 2018, supporting core industries including manufacturing, robotics, engineering, mining and resources.
“This mission to the Moon is just one exciting way that we can create opportunity and jobs for the future, and our Government will ensure Australians reap the benefits.”
Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said the milestone agreement would usher-in a new era for the Australian space sector.
“With our expertise in robotics technology, NASA wants to partner with us on this project to the Moon, creating our own lunar history,” Minister Price said.
“As well as putting Australia front and centre for scientific discoveries, our $50 million in support gives Australian businesses and researchers the opportunity to contribute to NASA’s mission to the Moon and beyond.
“It will build the Australian space sector’s capability and capacity and showcase Australia’s strengths to the world, as well as inspire a whole new generation of young people to enter careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.”
Head of the Australian Space Agency Enrico Palermo said the mission would demonstrate Australian industry’s world leading skills and experience in remote operations, drawing from our expertise in the resources and mining sector.
“Australia is at the cutting-edge of robotics technology and systems for remote operations, which are going to be central to setting up a sustainable presence on the Moon and eventually supporting human exploration of Mars,” Mr Palermo said.
“This agreement will leverage our expertise in remote operations to grow our space sector here at home, while developments that come from preparing for space will make sure our resources sector keeps powering ahead too.”
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said: “This agreement will serve to strengthen the long-time relationship between the United States and Australia in areas related to space exploration – a relationship that goes back more than half a century to the days of the Apollo program.
“By working together with the Australian Space Agency and our partners around the world, NASA will uncover more discoveries and accomplish more research through the Artemis program.”
Under the agreement, NASA will fly the rover to the Moon as early as 2026, provided it meets a range of conditions during its development.
The Trailblazer program is expected to open later this year, with applications to be submitted in early 2022. For more information, visit space.gov.au.
G20 Extraordinary Leaders' Meeting On Afghanistan
12 October 2021
On Tuesday evening, I will participate in a virtual G20 Extraordinary Leaders’ Meeting on Afghanistan.
Since the Taliban’s takeover in August, Australia has evacuated around 4,100 people as part of our evacuation operations from Kabul International Airport and helped to secure visa and settlement arrangements for thousands of people from Afghanistan.
It is crucial that the world’s major economies work together to support the people of Afghanistan.
We must be coordinated in our approach to Afghanistan’s immediate humanitarian needs, to demand the Taliban regime ensure safe passage from Afghanistan for foreign citizens and visa holders, and to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorism.
I stand with G20 members in supporting international agencies delivering much needed humanitarian assistance on the ground. Australia is committed to helping Afghanistan build a stable and secure future.
I thank Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi for convening this important meeting.
Veterans Recognised In Civilian Life
7 October 2021
Joint Media Release
The Hon. Scott Morrison MP
Prime Minister
The Hon. Andrew Gee MP
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
Minister for Defence Personnel
The 2021 Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Awards have recognised the outstanding contributions made by veterans in the civilian workforce and the organisations that support them and their families.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this year’s eight Awards recipients highlighted the exceptional contribution of veteran employees, employers and entrepreneurs to the business world, after they transition out of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
“Veterans have so much to offer the businesses of our country,” the Prime Minister said.
“In the ADF, our service men and women demonstrate skill, loyalty, dedication, perseverance, service and sacrifice. They understand mission, are trained problem solvers, deal with stress, and always have a go.
“You won’t find a better employee than the highly-skilled men and women who have served in the ADF, and the Veterans’ Employment Awards celebrate that path into the civilian workforce.
“I congratulate all the nominees and winners of this year’s Awards for their leadership in demonstrating the value and contribution that our veterans continue to provide to the workforce.
“I would like to particularly acknowledge the winner of the Veteran Employee of the Year Award, Ben Davoren, for his contribution post-service as Business Development Manager at TacMed Australia.
“Ben deployed on combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and has shared his ADF knowledge and experience to train our first responders, positively impacting the lives of many.”
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Andrew Gee said the Royal Australian Navy veteran and proprietor of Meru Foods, Chris de Bono, was a natural fit for Veterans’ Entrepreneur of the Year.
“Mr de Bono has successfully transitioned skills he gained during his 14 years in the Navy and the Reserves to start an innovative food company that is now servicing domestic and international restaurant markets. Meru Foods has been specialising in producing fermented soy products in Tasmania since 2017. Mr de Bono is an outstanding example of an entrepreneurial and dedicated individual who is leading the way in private business,” Minister Gee said.
“Our nation’s veterans are some of the most capable operators in business. They are leaders, critical thinkers and problem solvers. Quite simply our veterans are a national asset.
“The qualifications and skills of veterans can be applied to any workplace, and Australian businesses recognise that our defence force personnel are among the most highly-skilled in the world.
“We know that the men and women who serve in uniform are our nation’s best, and it’s an honour to celebrate the achievements of all our veterans in civilian life.”
Each year around 5,500 Australian men and women transition from service into civilian life. The annual Awards are part of the Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Program and are an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate veterans and the organisations who employ and support them and their families.
Further information about the Awards and the 2021 winners can be found on the Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Program website, and images and other materials are available on Dropbox.
The full list of winners is below.
CATEGORY WINNER
Veteran Employee of the Year Ben Davoren, TacMed Australia
Veteran Entrepreneur of the Year Chris de Bono, Meru Foods
Veterans’ Employer of the Year – Large BAE Systems Australia
Veterans’ Employer of the Year – Medium HENSOLDT Australia
Veterans’ Employer of the Year – Small Australian Expedition Vehicles
Excellence in Supporting Veteran Employment Working Spirit
Excellence in Supporting Partner Employment Alison Bannister Career Coaching
Public Sector Excellence in Supporting Veteran Employment NSW Government Veterans Employment Program
Interview with Gareth Parker, 6PR
5 October 2021
Gareth Parker: Mr Scott Morrison joins me on 6PR Breakfast. Prime Minister, good morning.
Prime Minister: Good morning, Gareth. Great to be with you.
Parker: Thank you very much for your time. A new treatment for COVID-19 today. Still experimental. Is that correct?
Prime Minister: Yeah, it is. It's still a couple more months in the US for the trials that they're having, but they're very, very promising. It's a new drug. It's called molnupiravir. Don't try and spell it. It's like all of these drugs it would be great if they came up with some easy names, I've got to tell you, but it's a tablet form. It's 10, a course of 10 tablets. We've got 300,000 of those courses on order. And to put that in perspective, you know, there's been about 113,000 Australians who have contracted COVID in the last two years. So it's a significant order that should definitely deal with the challenges that we have. And that's on top of the existing treatments, which is sotrovimab and remdesivir, which you get in hospital. These treatments with tablets means you'll be able to have them at home, be able to get them in a prescribed form with the prescription from your pharmacist, which means you won't have, hopefully won't have to go to hospital. That's what it should reduce significantly. But I stress it's no substitute for the vaccine. The vaccine is what you need because that's what will reduce your likelihood of ending up in ICU by 86 per cent. So get vaccinated. But in the cases where people may contract COVID in the future, this will be an important treatment which will reduce the severity of that illness and the impact on our hospitals.
Parker: So is it fair to call this another line of defence?
Prime Minister: Oh, absolutely. Just like the two treatments that we have now, but it's an even more effective one because it can get out and about right out into the community. You know, we don't have the issues of refrigeration, cold chain storage, all of that that was, you know, originally present with the Pfizer vaccine. So this really does spread our ability to to reduce the impact of COVID where people contract it. But the best way to ensure that's the case is that people get vaccinated, but that becomes another line of defence and both on our hospital system. But of course, ensuring that people don't suffer serious illness and it all adds up to one thing - living with COVID. This is what living with COVID looks like.
Parker: Right. I just want to ask you about the point about getting vaccinated because it is just a fact. It is a fact that in this state, we are the slowest to get vaccinated in the nation. 48 and a half per cent fully vaccinated, 66 per cent first dose, both significantly behind the national averages. Does that concern you?
Prime Minister: Well, it does, but I think the primary reason for it though Gareth, is that there's been so little COVID in WA. I mean, where the vaccination rates are highest like in New South Wales, that's where they're in lockdown. And so, you know, people obviously want to get out of lockdown, and so there's a big incentive to go and get vaccinated. And so it's important that there are these clear, you know, encouragements that people can see them getting their lives back from getting vaccinated. That's an important part of the incentive and living with COVID and being able to travel again, not just overseas, but indeed around the country. And I know that's what everybody would like to see happen ultimately in Western Australia. But they also don't want to go through the process of lockdowns and other things like that, should COVID become, get into the community in Western Australia. So the Western Australian situation, I think, is quite different to the rest of the country. I acknowledge that. Something I acknowledge with the Premier all the time. But the ultimate goal where I think we both want to get to is a place where you know, people can get their lives back, and that means being able to connect with the rest of the country and the rest of the world.
Parker: So should the Premier here, Mark McGowan, set a date to say, look, this is the date that we're working towards to reopen borders as something to drive that vaccination rate? Get it happening sooner?
Prime Minister: Well, the national plan sets out that when you hit 80 per cent, these things are possible and that's what should be the focus. Getting to a level of vaccination, I mean, there's no magic in a date, but there is real medical support for achieving an 80 per cent vaccination rate.
Parker: You might never get there though, the dynamic I think, is correct in that there's no COVID. So people are, you know, they're not in a rush to go and get jabbed because there's no COVID and becomes a circular argument.
Prime Minister: Well, we are seeing the vaccination rates rise in WA, not as quickly as in other states, but I think we will see them continue to rise and we want to do whatever we can do to support the state government and in the work they're doing. We're, of course, doing the work directly ourselves as well in WA, and we want to see those vaccination rates keep lifting. But it is true, until you can get to 80 per cent, the risks involved of opening up to international travel and all of those sorts of things, you know, will be real. It's true that people in Sydney and quite possibly Melbourne will be travelling to Bali by Christmas. But no one in WA.
Parker: Has Mark McGowan ever given you any indication about the capacity of the West Australian hospital system to live with COVID once it is circulating in the community, have you had those discussions with him?
Prime Minister: Yeah, we have them, we have them all the time and in particular at national cabinet. But this has been one of the most important items, if not the most, on our agenda for many, many, many months …
Parker: And so is he giving you any indication that he's worried about our ability to cope?
Prime Minister: Well, of course there are concerns, but that's why you do the planning, and that's why all states have been doing that. I mean, New South Wales will be going into their peak period very, very soon, and they're coping well. Victoria, the same. All states need to prepare and plan for it. It does put pressure on the system for a period, and then it peaks and then it moves, it moves away. We've pumped a lot of money into the Western Australian hospital system. We've increased our funding to WA hospitals by 72.8 per cent over the course of our government. Now that compares to an increase from the WA Government by around 18.4 per cent. And you also know that we've through the GST deal, which I can assure you as Prime Minister, it's the deal I did. It's the deal I put together, both as Treasurer and Prime Minister. And it's a deal that sticks and that's pumped almost $5 billion extra into the WA budget to ensure that they can deal with these priority issues. So I have no doubt that the Premier will direct it to those priorities and ensure that his hospital system will stack up.
Parker: Dominic Perrottet could be well, Premier of New South Wales today. Does that mean that the GST issue is back on the table? He'd like it to be.
Prime Minister: No. The deal is done. It's ended. It's not something I'm revisiting. I mean, I was serious. I believe WA wasn't getting their fair share of the GST. I was absolutely convinced by that argument when I was Treasurer and set about fixing it. And as Prime Minister, I ensured that it happened. And WA is almost $5 billion so far better off because of that decision. And the one person you can trust to keep a deal is the one who did the deal, and that's me.
Parker: Is Gladys Berejiklian going to find a home in the federal parliament, do you think, even though she's under this ICAC cloud?
Prime Minister: Well, those issues obviously are the priority to work through, and it's terribly devastating that she took that decision. I think people in New South Wales would very much like her to be continuing on in the role that she was doing. And sadly, that process led to that outcome. And but she's got a lot left more to contribute. Absolutely no doubt. And I know Gladys very well. We've known each other for a very long time and she's very dedicated to public service and I know that she'll want to keep serving. And so if there's an opportunity to do that, then I'm quite sure she'd want to find a way to provide that service. Doesn't necessarily need to be in an elected office or something like that. But if that's what she'd like to do, then I'm sure there'll be plenty of opportunities.
Parker: There's an election due sometime between now and May, are you expecting to be able to campaign on the ground here in Western Australia?
Prime Minister: Well, it's not really up to me, is it? That's up to the WA Premier as to whether he opens the borders or not, to anyone from the eastern states and their decisions that he'll take in WA's interests. And I understand that. I know what the powers are, they’re his, but I also know that we want to be able to bring the country together and open up safely and stay safely open. That's what the national plan is about. The situation in WA is quite different to the rest of the country, and I've always got that about WA. I mean, it's very different to all the other states and territories. And that's why I think the Premier and I've, you know, in almost all cases have worked very well together. You know, we come from different sides of politics, but we've always managed to be able to get stuff done.
Parker: Prime Minister, thank you very much for your time this morning.
Prime Minister: Thanks a lot, Gareth. Good to talk to you.
Australia secures access to additional COVID-19 treatment
5 October 2021
Prime Minister, Minister for Health and Aged Care
Australia will have access to an additional COVID-19 treatment following the Morrison Government’s deal to purchase 300,000 courses of the promising oral COVID-19 treatment Molnupiravir.
Molnupiravir is an oral antiviral that is being developed for the first-line treatment of COVID-19 in adult patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms.
Treatment with Molnupiravir has been shown to stop people with COVID-19 developing serious symptoms, keeping them out of hospital and preventing serious illness and death.
Whilst Molnupiravir is in late stage clinical trials, the agreement between Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) is for supply to Australia should it be approved by the Therapeutic Good Administration (TGA), which could occur in early 2022.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government was ensuring Australians had access not only to COVID-19 vaccines, but also promising treatments.
“Vaccines and new treatments like this will boost our National Plan to safely reopen Australia and keep Australia safely open,” the Prime Minister said.
“Throughout this pandemic we’ve been closely watching developments for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments and Molnupiravir will be ready to go in Australia should it be approved by the TGA.
“While our vaccination rate continues to climb, we’ve been investing in and closely monitoring research into COVID-19 treatments and we are securing supply of promising treatments.
“If the medical experts at the TGA approve this treatment for use, it will join other COVID-19 treatments such as sotrovimab and remdesivir which are already available to Australian doctors to help treat those with COVID-19.”
Molnupiravir is a capsule that is taken twice a day for 5 days by adult patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 symptoms and does not need to be refrigerated, allowing it to be used in the community or as a targeted intervention at high-risk locations and in rural areas.
The makers of Molnupiravir, MSD and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, have recently announced that Molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalisation or death from COVID-19 by 50 per cent at a planned interim analysis of the Phase 3 trial.
Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt added that these positive results added to the ongoing analysis the TGA has been undertaking into Molnupiravir.
“All COVID-19 treatment assessment processes are being treated with the greatest priority as part of the Government’s response to the pandemic,” Minister Hunt said.
“The TGA is allowing data on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 treatments to be provided as it is available to allow for an early approval for use in Australia without skipping any steps.
“Vaccination remains the most important and safest way for Australians to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID-19 – and almost 80 per cent of Australians aged 16 and over have now had their first dose.
“In addition to this, our Government will continue to seek access to further treatments which will assist with Australians living with COVID-19.
On 9 August 2021 the TGA granted provisional determination to MSD in relation to Molnupiravir which means MSD is now eligible to apply for provisional registration for Molnupiravir in Australia. Provisional determination is the first step in the process and it is anticipated that MSD will submit a final application for provisional registration shortly.
The TGA’s consideration of Molnupiravir will occur in late 2021 and a TGA approval and delivery of the treatment to the National Medical Stockpile would occur in early 2022.
In addition to Molnupiravir, Australia has secured two dedicated COVID-19 treatments, remdesivir and sotrovimab, which are already being used to treat patients with COVID-19 across the country.
Interview with Neil Breen, 4BC
5 October 2021
Neil Breen: Good morning to you, Prime Minister.
Prime Minister: G’day, Neil.
Breen: So, we bought 300,000 doses of this. It doesn't seem many, but I suppose we're waiting for the TGA to give it the tick.
Prime Minister: Well, when you think that only 113,000 people in Australia have actually contracted COVID in the last two years, 300,000 doses - that's courses, I should say, because there’s 10 tablets in a course.
Breen: Oh, ok.
Prime Minister: Almost triple the number of people who've contracted COVID in the past two years. And that's in addition to Sotrovimab and Remdesivir, which are the current treatments that are used, and they're done in the hospitals. There’s about, over 30,000 courses of that, for Sotrovimab, and then more for Remdesivir. But, the new drug, Molnupiravir, as you say, it’s a tablet, so you don't have to go to hospital for it. You can get it from the pharmacist, if it's prescribed. You can have it at home. It stops you developing that serious illness that can put you in an ICU. But, what I want to stress is, though, the best protection against COVID is the vaccine. That is the first, that is the first way to ensure that you're protected, and that will reduce your chance of ending up in an ICU by 86 per cent, and 90 per cent on fatalities. So, the vaccine is number one. But, for those who do contract it, that means it will reduce the pressure on hospital systems for those who actually can still contract the virus into the future. It still has a couple of months of clinical trials to go in the United States, but the results have been very positive. And, as you say, because it's a tablet and you don't have the cold chain storage refrigeration issues, any of that, it just shows how the medical science is moving very quickly to help us live with this virus. And, so, it's important that we get on and live with the virus because, you know, we've got to move on as a country. The National Plan enables us to achieve that, once we particularly hit 80 per cent. New South Wales is doing very well, and we'd love to see Queensland and other states see those vaccination rates increase.
Breen: Well, I think, when you talk about vaccination rates, Prime Minister, you copped a lot of heat about the rollout of vaccinations, but the story today in Australia truly is astonishing. Ninety five per cent of over 70s had a first dose, 95 per cent. Almost 80 per cent have had a second dose. That's the most vulnerable - over 70s. Then 90 per cent of over 50s have had a first dose. I doubted that we’d get to 80. We're going to sail past 80 in Australia.
Prime Minister: Well, I think we will get above 80 per cent and it'll keep growing. And I think Australia will end up having one of the, one of the higher vaccination rates anywhere in the world, eventually. And, look, we had to overcome some challenges. There's no doubt about that. Early on, those doses didn't turn up from overseas. Then we had those who were, you know, talking down AstraZeneca, and even some suggesting that people shouldn’t even take it, which was really devastating for vaccination rates. But, we turned that around. And, you know, I take responsibility for the challenges we had, and I said that at the time. I said I'd get it fixed, and we have got it fixed, because we're basically back now where we hoped to have been, pretty much, by this time of the year when we started the vaccination program. And today we'll go past, we expect, 80 per cent first dose vaccinations right around the country. And, of course, you know, in New South Wales, they're up at almost 90 per cent now, on first doses. So, people are really responding and I really want to encourage people right across Brisbane, right across south east Queensland and the whole state, to keep going and get those vaccinations, because we want to see the country open up. We want to reunite people with their family. We want people to be able to travel overseas. I mean, next month, New South Wales, Australians and residents, will be able to travel overseas and return. People who are overseas, Australians and residents, they'll be able to fly back into Sydney next month. I'd love to see that happening in Queensland, and I'd love people to be able to take a holiday in Queensland and before they can take one overseas. But, it would seem that they’ll get the chance in Fiji or Bali before they will in Queensland at the moment.
Breen: Well, the crazy situation is, Prime Minister, that people in New South Wales will be able to travel overseas and back. Yet Queenslanders who are interstate, and we’ve brought many stories here to 4BC Breakfast, and the media in Queensland has, about Queenslanders who lost loved ones interstate, who are stuck interstate, are not able to return to their own state. As Prime Minister, how do you feel about the fact that people can't even go back to their home in this country at the moment?
Prime Minister: Well, I'm devastated by it. I mean, we've worked hard to save lives, over 30,000 lives saved. We've worked hard to save livelihoods. A million people have been able to get back into work since COVID started. But, I want people to have their lives back. That's what I want, and that's what the National Plan is designed to achieve. That's what getting to 80 per cent vaccination rates and a soft opening at 70 per cent is designed to achieve. That's the deal, and I'm going to keep my side of the deal with Australians on this, and it's important that we’re able to move forward. Sure, that comes with, you know, that comes with some changes, and yes, there will be additional pressure in, particularly in the short term, as we move through that. But, we have to move through it and we will get through it. The Chief Health Officer in Queensland made that very clear, that their system can cope. And, you know, we've increased our funding to hospitals up in Queensland significantly, ever since we came to Government. We've increased our funding to hospitals in Queensland, since we came to Government, by 99.2 per cent.
Breen: But, our Premier still wants more money. She’s saying that it's up to you to give her more money.
Prime Minister: Well, we're not going to respond to shakedowns in a pandemic. And, you know, what we've done is we've showered the states in money, whether it's in JobKeeper and economic support payments. The Federal Government, and not to mention partnering on the Olympics 50-50, the infrastructure funding. We've been stepping up. Now, we’re living up to our responsibilities. I said we've increased hospital funding by 99.3 per cent, 99.2 per cent. Over the same period, the State Government has increased it by 55.3 per cent. Now, they’ve had 18 months, two years to get ready for this. I welcome the comments by the Chief Health Officer there that says they’re ready. The work that we've seen shows that the Queensland hospital system can deal with this, but it's important that we move forward, because we've got to bring the country together. There's the opportunity to do that. Vaccination is the path. Queenslanders are getting on with that and I'm just encouraging them to keep doing it, and they've got to have the encouragement which says, okay, we get vaccinated, that should mean we're able to do the things we used to do.
Breen: Yeah, because the messages have been conflicting. The Premier says we're not ready. The Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the hospitals are ready. Jeannette Young, as you said, were that we're ready. The AMA Queensland’s holding crisis meetings today about the ramping in in Queensland hospitals. They're saying we're not ready. So, whenever these problems are around, everyone turns to you in Canberra and says, you fix it, Prime Minister.
Prime Minister: Well, public hospitals are the responsibility of the Queensland Government, and what was it, Queensland hospitals are for Queenslanders, I think the Premier said. And, but, you know, they're funded, you know, jointly by Federal and state governments. But, look, I have confidence that they can deal with this, and they've got to obviously set their priorities and make sure that they're providing support needed in the hospitals. And, if they, you know, they need to increase funding there, from their own resources, I mean, they're in the same position to borrow money as the Federal Government, if that's what they believe they need to do. But, we've provided considerable support right across the pandemic, which I'm sure Queenslanders understand, because they, you know, they received JobKeeper, they received the economic supports. And we just announced some more supports most recently with the Queensland Government, supporting into the tourism sector, particularly down into that, in that Gold Coast region, where they've been so hit by the borders. So, we've been stepping up and look, I believe that Queensland will be able to deal with those pressures based on what, as you say, what Jeannette has said. And I think we've got to get on with it and move forward, but we can't allow, sort of, shakedowns to occur on funding. That's politics. What needs to be done is just getting on with the job, and we're certainly doing that and we've provided, you know, considerable, incredible support over a long period of time.
Breen: Politics plays with climate change as well. It's a big issue for you. The Glasgow Climate Summit is coming up. Are you going to attend?
Prime Minister: Well, we haven't made a final decision on that. Australia will, of course, be represented at that Summit. I note that the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is also not attending. She's going to make her contribution in other ways. I mean, she's got things to deal with back in New Zealand - the APEC Summit, they’re still dealing with COVID. I mean, it's going to be a very important time, and the point I'd make to Australians is this: the first people I need to explain what we're doing on this issue is to Australians, not people overseas. I need to explain to Australians our plan for how we can go forward to this new energy economy, the risks that are there that we're trying to deal with, and make sure that we will remain competitive over the next generation and more. I mean, the world is changing, and we've got to ensure that we put Australia in the strongest possible position to keep our jobs, to keep our industries, and to ensure our regions, in particular, are able to be brought through what is a global change that's occurring. So, the people I'm most interested in aren't overseas when it comes to this issue, it’s people in Australia, and I want to ensure that I'm in a position to be able to explain to them about how our plans work. And, on top of that, at that time of year, we'll be dealing with opening up, issues around COVID, international travel starting, bringing people home, students. There’ll be a lot on here. So, I've already been out of the country a few times this year. I’ve, in the last 12 months I've spent about 50 days in quarantine, and I've got another week to go now. So, you know, we've got to prioritise where's the best place for me to be. But, Australia will definitely be represented at a very senior level. It's an important conference, but equally, you know, we've got to make the judgements about where my responsibilities are first and foremost, and that’s to the Australian people.
Breen: Maybe you can quarantine at home for seven days with a negative test. That's where we're heading, aren’t we?
Prime Minister: Well, yeah, home quarantine is what's going to enable international travel to start, because you can do that at scale. I mean, hotel quarantine has a use by date on it and, unless you're unvaccinated, that will continue. That will continue in New South Wales, by the way, for those Australian residents or citizens. They'll be caps still on unvaccinated returns to Australia, but very soon in New South Wales - love to see this happen in Queensland, I think it’ll happen in Victoria second - there will be the lifting of caps for people to return to Australia, as Australians, if they're, if they're vaccinated. And I'm looking forward to that, because it's very hard to get people home under these circumstances and a lot of them want to come home, particularly for Christmas. I'd love it if they could fly into Brisbane for Christmas. But, really, that's up to getting to those vaccination rates up to 80 per cent, and having a home quarantine model in place and working in Queensland.
Breen: Prime Minister Scott Morrison, thanks for your time this Morning on 4BC Breakfast.
Prime Minister: Thanks a lot, Neil. All the best.
Interview with Karl Stefanovic, Today Show
5 October 2021
Karl Stefanovic: Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Canberra. PM, good morning to you. Nice to have your company this morning.
Prime Minister: G'day Karl, from quarantine again.
Stefanovic: Yeah, you loving it?
Prime Minister: 50 days in quarantine in the past year, but you know, that's what's necessary, and we're all going to push through. Whether it's in New South Wales, Victoria, ACT, we're pushing through.
Stefanovic: I take it you're not loving it. Look, have you spoken to Dominic Perrottet this morning at all?
Prime Minister: No, not today, I mean, I spoke to Dom over the weekend. We actually speak pretty regularly, actually, I mean, $10 billion of support into New South Wales over the last few months through the lockdown, you know, been working closely as we have right through the pandemic as you'd expect us to. So, but that's a decision for the New South Wales parliamentary party room today, and they'll make their call. But what's most important is they keep going in the direction that they've been going in, and I have no doubt that will be the case.
Stefanovic: I heard last time you spoke it was on like Donkey Kong. Is that true?
Prime Minister: Well, you know, we've got a good, robust relationship, we've known each other a long time. It's a real relationship. So when we disagree, we disagree and the next day we're straight back into it. That's how people who get on well together, work together. Occasionally, you have the odd disagreement, and that's real. But Australians know that. And Dom and I, you know, we've got a long term relationship working together, and we share very, very sound beliefs.
Stefanovic: By all reports, you described him as painful to deal with. Is that true?
Prime Minister: No, no. I wouldn't say that. Not at all. I mean, he puts his case strongly. I put my case strongly. Why would you have it any other way? He stands up for New South Wales. I look after the national interest. I mean, you know, we can't kid ourselves. I mean, politicians are real people. Every now and then we disagree and we will take it up with each other. I mean, why would you pretend it to be anything different?
Stefanovic: Let's move on to more important matters. The Queensland Premier has delivered you an ultimatum last Friday. Spend more on hospitals or they just won't open up. They clearly have dramas with people being turned away from hospitals now. How do you expect them to cope and will you come to the party with more money for Queensland?
Prime Minister: Well, I'm not going to respond to shakedown politics in a pandemic. I mean, Queensland needs to run their hospital system. Since we came to government, we've increased funding for public hospitals in Queensland by almost 100 per cent, 99 per cent. The Queensland Government have increased it by just over 50 per cent, so they need to sort their problems in Queensland. The Chief Health Officer in Queensland says they can cope with the surge that will come from COVID. She seems to be at odds with the Premier. So look, I'm just not going to play politics with hospital funding.
We have been showering the states with money over the course of COVID, whether it's been in JobKeeper or economic supports, including in Queensland, where they haven't had lockdowns, but we've still been providing business support for those affected by their border closure. You know, we've got a 50/50 funding deal on the Olympics, so we cannot be accused of not coming to the support of Queenslanders. We have done that consistently in floods, in fires, in COVID. And so they need to get on and run their public hospital system and not shift- seek to make excuses about it, get on and do their job. They’re responsible for it.
Stefanovic: So Annastacia Palaszczuk says alright that's fine, I just won't open up.
Prime Minister: Well, she's got to take that up with the Queensland people then. I mean, to go down this point and say, well, you know, I'm going to hold the federal government to ransom and to seek to extort from them money on the basis of COVID, I just don't think is the right way to go. We've been working with them constructively. We've supported them time and time and time again in joint funding initiatives. We've shared 50/50 the costs of COVID on the health system, more than $30 billion around the country, we've pumped into health support right around the country. So we've been doing our bit. Of course there are challenges, but as a state government, they've got to be responsible for their state health system. New South Wales is getting on with it. Victoria is getting on with it. The ACT is getting on with it. So Queensland need to get on with it.
Stefanovic: Ok, just said then extorting money. Obviously, relationship's not going that well then.
Prime Minister: Well, I'm just calling it as I see it, Karl. I mean to suggest that they're not going to open the borders unless I send them cash. How else would you like me to call it?
Stefanovic: Calling it for what it is.
Prime Minister: That's exactly right. I mean, you know, we are supporting the Queensland Government and have been consistently. Queenslanders know that, you know, when I was able to travel to Queensland, the number of businesses I went into, they said thank you for JobKeeper, that saved my business, that saved my employees. The funds we put into sharing the costs in the hospital system to date, you know, over $6 billion I think it is in total that we've injected straight into the hospital systems and health systems of state governments to get us through COVID. We've been doing the heavy lifting when it comes to economic support. You know, we're all responsible for things as governments, state governments are responsible for their things and they need to make sure that they are covering them off.
Stefanovic: You've been very conciliatory with all the state premiers, including the Queensland Premier, that clearly stops today.
Prime Minister: No, it doesn't stop. We'll continue to work with all the state governments, but we're not going to respond to those sort of, you know, ‘give me the money or else’ type demands and that's what this is. It's playing politics with COVID. The Chief Health Officer of the Queensland Government has said that their hospital system can deal with this. So, you know, I'm quoting their own health advice.
Stefanovic: Ok, tell me about the government's new antiviral COVID pill. You've invested in it. How does it work and when will it arrive?
Prime Minister: Well, there's still a couple of months to go on trials in the United States, but this new drug is a tablet. It's a course of 10. So what it means is you won't have to go into hospital to get it. But the first thing you need to do is get vaccinated. It's not a substitute for a vaccine. But there are 300,000 courses of this, of this antiviral pill, a course of pills. And what it means is, is that it reduces seriously reduces the chances of you getting severe symptoms if you actually get COVID. But don't forget, almost you reduce your chance of ending up in an ICU from the vaccine by almost 90 per cent. I think it's 86 per cent. So vaccine first, but these treatments means that we're going to be able to live with the virus. So even in the unfortunate situation, if you do contract the virus, then we'll have the treatments to ensure that we can lessen these symptoms, reduce the chance of you ending up on ICU, which can put pressure on the hospital systems. Again, federal government investing in treatments which will reduce pressure on the hospital system.
Stefanovic: Ok, a couple of quick ones. Have you managed to talk to Emmanuel Macron yet. Has he returned your calls?
Prime Minister: Not yet, but we'll be patient on that. We understand, you know, the challenges are there for the moment. Spoken to a lot of other European leaders, and everybody's keen for us to move on and ensure that we work together, particularly in our part of the world, which is very dynamic. And there are a lot of uncertainties in our part of the world. And France has a big place here in the Indo-Pacific, and we look forward to continuing that work together as soon as possible. So much of it continues now, I've got to say, Karl.
Stefanovic: You really ticked him off that, didn't you?
Prime Minister: Well, you know, of course, there was no easy way to discontinue a contract of that scale. Of course, that was going to be disappointing, but I've got to make decisions in Australia's national interest, not France's. And it was in Australia's national interest to ensure we didn't proceed with that, and we have the nuclear submarine programme in place, which is the best way to protect and defend Australia.
Stefanovic: Ok, you going to Glasgow?
Prime Minister: Haven't made that decision yet, Karl, like the New Zealand Prime Minister, she won't be attending, she's indicated. Will face another 14 days, but in quarantine, if I do go there. We will be represented at a very senior level. But my first responsibility once we agree our plan for technology and the plan that will see us reduce emissions over the long term, my first responsibility is to explain that to Australians, not to people overseas, at overseas conferences. It's an important conference, but the people I need to talk to most about our plan to reduce emissions and transition our economy over the next 30 years is to Australians, people in the Hunter Valley, people up there in Queensland, people in Victoria, in the west. They need to understand and I want the opportunity to explain directly to them what our plan means for them because our plan is for them. It's about them, it's about their jobs and their future, and they are the people who need to hear from me first.
Stefanovic: You've also got, you know, a little bit of chat to have with your own party, with the Nats, I mean, has a bit to sort out.
Prime Minister: Well, difficult decisions, that's what's involved with them, Karl. I mean, it's a bit like we were talking earlier in the conversation. We can't avoid these difficult questions, and it does require a lot of debate internally to work it through together. But what I'm doing is working to bring the government together on a clear plan to reduce emissions. Transition to this new economy, which is coming and make sure that Australia is not left in an uncompetitive position. I want to keep those jobs in rural and regional Australia. We're going to get there through technology, not higher taxes. That can absolutely be achieved and we can do the right thing by future generations. But we don't have to, you know, turn the Australian economy off to achieve that. And that's certainly not our plan. Our plan will set out how we'll get there, not just why we'll get there and when we get there, it's the how that matters, because it's the how that determines what the costs are, how we protect jobs, how we ensure that the Australian economy remains strong into the future.
Stefanovic: Good to talk to you, PM. Best of luck with it. There's a bit on.
Prime Minister: Thanks a lot, Karl.