Joint Statement On UK-Australia Virtual Summit

17 February 2022

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson MP, and the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, met virtually on 16 February (GMT) / 17 February (AEDT). They reaffirmed the unique relationship between Australia and the United Kingdom, built on shared values and common interests, and sustained by the deep bonds between our peoples. The Leaders reiterated their commitment to support a rules-based international order free from coercion, where the sovereign rights of all nations are respected and disputes are settled peacefully and in accordance with international law.

The Prime Ministers discussed the concerning situation on Ukraine’s border. They emphasised their unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. They agreed the need for de-escalation and underscored that any further Russian incursion in Ukraine would be a massive strategic mistake and have a stark humanitarian cost.

The Prime Ministers also discussed their countries’ shared commitment to promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. They agreed that, together with partners, they would ensure a free, open, inclusive and prosperous region. In that context, the UK committed £25 million to strengthen regional resilience in areas including cyberspace, state threats and maritime security. This complements Australia’s deep and longstanding involvement in regional security. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working with ASEAN and other partners in the region to ensure their countries’ support meets the region’s needs.

Leaders pledged to deepen and intensify cooperation across several key pillars.

Trade and Investment

The Prime Ministers applauded the conclusion of an ambitious, comprehensive and modern Free Trade Agreement – the UK’s first entirely new FTA negotiated since leaving the European Union. They welcomed the opportunities this would bring, and pledged to support strengthened ties between industries to realise these prospects. Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the FTA entering into force as soon as possible so our exporters, producers, workers, businesses and consumers can enjoy the benefits of this gold standard deal. The Prime Ministers acknowledged and applauded the major bilateral investments between the two countries. Australian superfunds and asset managers have invested tens of billions of pounds in UK infrastructure and renewable energy, supporting the UK’s Net Zero ambition and generating substantial returns for Australian savers and pensioners. They strongly encouraged investors to continue to seek out opportunities.

Leaders highlighted significant progress to support critical minerals supply chains, including through the establishment of a Joint Working Group on critical minerals in 2021. Australia and the UK are continuing to identify investment opportunities that would bolster Australia’s critical minerals sector and the UK’s manufacturing and energy ambitions, while supporting sustainable governance practices and international standards, research and development, and more resilient supply chains. They announced plans for a joint Australia-UK supply chain resilience capability building initiative which will engage interested countries to develop and improve public sector approaches to managing critical supply chain risks.

The Prime Ministers confirmed their commitment to a free, fair, inclusive and rules-based trade and investment environment and opposed the use of economic coercion. They reaffirmed their resolve to uphold and strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core.

Prime Minister Morrison welcomed progress made by the UK toward accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Both leaders look forward to continuing to work to complete UK accession as soon as possible.

AUKUS

Prime Minister Johnson and Prime Minister Morrison reaffirmed the commitment of Australia and the United Kingdom to AUKUS, working alongside the United States, as a cornerstone of their shared efforts to promote an open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific. Since AUKUS was announced in September 2021, all three partners have made significant progress in their collective endeavour to provide the Royal Australian Navy with a conventional-armed nuclear-powered submarine capability at the earliest possible date.

The Leaders welcomed the entry into force of the Exchange of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information Agreement (ENNPIA) on 8 February 2022, making it possible for the United Kingdom and the United States to share naval nuclear propulsion information with Australia. The agreement demonstrates the commitment of the three AUKUS partners to operating according to the highest standards of nuclear stewardship, in line with their long-standing global leadership on non-proliferation.

Leaders further welcomed the presence in Australia of UK and US officials to provide expert advice on the many facets of nuclear stewardship needed to operate a nuclear powered submarine capability. Significant progress is also being made by AUKUS partners on Advanced Capability collaboration, with officials from the three countries meeting this week in London to discuss cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and additional undersea capabilities. The Prime Ministers expressed their determination to continue to work closely together, in lockstep with President Biden, to make AUKUS a success, and looked forward to the next set of trilateral discussions at the end of the month in Australia.

Security and Defence

The Prime Ministers recalled the excellent collaboration between the Australian and UK navies, in particular during the UK’s Carrier Strike Group deployment to the Indo-Pacific. They committed to increased joint naval activity in the Indo Pacific: the UK has deployed two Offshore Patrol Vessels to the Indo-Pacific on an enduring basis.

The Prime Ministers committed to build societal awareness and resilience to foreign interference and strengthen our collective toolkits to detect, disrupt and deter current and future hostile activity by state actors, including the use of misinformation and disinformation. They noted that the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) were an important pillar for regional security, and committed to maintain strong cooperation with FPDA partners.

The Leaders committed to deepening cooperation on online safety and security, including: tackling child sexual exploitation and abuse, preventing terrorist use of the internet, and through a future bilateral agreement. The Leaders recognised the economic and social benefits that stem from a safe and secure online environment, as well as the need to proactively mitigate the risks of harm in a rapidly developing technological landscape. They emphasised their continued commitment to maintaining capabilities vital to the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes, through tightly controlled lawful access to communications content and appropriate safeguards, and collaboration to address emerging threats. Leaders welcomed the Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership to deter and respond to malicious cyber threats.

Climate and Environment

The Prime Ministers reaffirmed the two countries’ shared commitment to drive ambitious action to address climate change and its impacts, including through implementation of the Glasgow Climate Pact and the Paris Agreement, to keep 1.5 degrees of warming within reach, strengthen adaptation and resilience, and mobilise finance. The UK and Australia have committed to taking action this decade, with Nationally Determined Contributions reflecting their highest possible ambition. The UK has committed to reducing its emissions at least 68% by 2030 on 1990 levels and Australia has committed to reducing its emissions 26-28% by 2030 on 2005 levels, and is on track to achieve a reduction of up to 35% on 2005 levels by 2030.

Prime Ministers agreed to continue to work together to reach net zero by 2050 and agreed to accelerate the development of technologies essential for reaching this goal through our Clean Technology Partnership, and with other countries through the Glasgow Breakthroughs, Mission Innovation and the Clean Energy Ministerial. They emphasised our strong support for efforts to facilitate inclusive, clean energy transitions in the Indo-Pacific and beyond and agreed to work together through country platforms. Prime Minister Johnson welcomed Australia hosting an Indo-Pacific Clean Energy Supply Chain Forum in mid-2022, to help develop and preserve diverse, resilient and competitive clean energy supply chains.

The Prime Ministers reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to nature based solutions and emphasised support for the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.

Health

The Prime Ministers also set out their determination to overcome the current pandemic and to be better prepared for the future. Leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to expanding access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, — advancing toward vaccinating 70 per cent of the population in all countries by mid-2022 — including through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) and potential contributions for the upcoming CEPI replenishment. They recommitted to helping build a more responsive and resilient global health system, with a sustainably funded World Health Organization (WHO) at its core. They committed to work to ensure the new international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response that empowers a stronger, more independent WHO. They reaffirmed support for efforts to identify the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Science and Technology

Leaders recognised the breadth of science and technology cooperation between the two countries, and its importance to their mutual strategic advantage. They acknowledged the first anniversary of the UK-Australia Space Bridge agreement, and successful partnerships across climate, agriculture, cyber-security and communications. They agreed to enhance the agreement with a UK commitment to £1m for Earth Observation in Agroclimate to support global climate resilience. The Prime Ministers championed wider science and technology collaborations, through a Science Partnerships Series. This Series will bring our research communities closer together to co-create world class innovation and ground breaking science. Leaders agreed to pursue closer cooperation on quantum science and technology, as we develop our own national strategies.

Indo-Pacific Cooperation

Building on recent discussions at AUKMIN, Leaders renewed their commitment to an open, inclusive, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific and committed to strengthening collaboration in the region. Leaders agreed on the importance of advancing gender equality and the rights of women and girls.

Prime Minister Morrison welcomed the UK’s ‘Indo-Pacific Tilt’ and leaders made clear their long-term commitment to the region. Leaders welcomed the recent publication of Indo-Pacific Strategies by the United States and European Union and reaffirmed their commitment to work with these partners.

Leaders highlighted cooperation between Australia and the United Kingdom in support of Tonga following the recent eruption and tsunami.

Leaders welcomed deep cooperation with ASEAN, including the establishment of the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, ASEAN’s first, and the UK’s status as an official ASEAN Dialogue Partner. Leaders reiterated both countries’ strong support for ASEAN centrality, ASEAN-led regional architecture and ASEAN’s outlook on the Indo-Pacific. They expressed grave concerns about the situation in Myanmar and called for the immediate cessation of violence against civilian populations, the release of all those arbitrarily detained, including Australian Professor Sean Turnell, and unhindered humanitarian access. They urged the Myanmar military regime to implement ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus.

Leaders expressed grave concerns about credible reports of human rights violations in Xinjiang, and called on China to protect the rights, freedoms and high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.

Leaders further underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations, as a member where statehood is not a prerequisite and as an observer or guest where it is.

Leaders recognised the importance of countries being able to exercise their maritime rights and freedoms in the South China Sea consistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Leaders reiterated their strong opposition to any unilateral actions that could escalate tensions and undermine regional stability and the international rules-based order, including militarisation, coercion, and intimidation.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-44159

80th anniversary of the sinking of SS Vyner Brooke and the Bangka Island massacre

16 February 2022

Prime Minister, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Minister for Defence Personnel

Today we honour the service and sacrifice of the women of the Australian Army Nursing Service who served in Singapore, 80 years on from the sinking of the SS Vyner Brooke and the tragedy of the Bangka Island massacre.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the massacre represented one of the darkest chapters of World War II, but the tenacity and compassion of the victims and survivors lived on today.

“The memory and legacy of the victims and the survivors will never be forgotten,” the Prime Minister said.

“On this day, we remember the one who survived, the 21 who fell, the 5,000 nurses who served in the Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and other theatres of the Second World War, as well as the many thousands of Australian nurses who have served in wartime over a century and more.

“We remember their devotion to their patients, to their country and to their duty.”

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Andrew Gee said the attack on those evacuating Singapore and the brutal killings at Bangka Island stood out as one of the worst war-time atrocities against Australians.

“It is difficult to imagine the horrors faced by those who were attacked while trying to escape the conflict, including those Army nurses killed in the massacre on Bangka Island,” Minister Gee said.

“Of the 65 nurses who embarked upon the SS Vyner Brooke, only 24 survived the war, all of whom spent years as prisoners of war, living through deprivation and disease.”

In the days before the Fall of Singapore, the women of the Australian Army Nursing Service were evacuated on several ships, including the SS Vyner Brooke.

There were 65 Australian nurses among the 181, mostly women and children, who boarded the ship, unaware of the fate that lay ahead.

Two days out of Singapore, the Vyner Brooke was bombed and sunk by Japanese aircraft, and 12 of the Australian nurses on board were killed.

After spending between eight and 65 hours in the water, about 150 survivors made it ashore to Bangka Island, including one group that met up with survivors from other sunken ships at Radji Beach.

On 16 February 1942, Japanese troops arrived at the beach and separated the male survivors who were then shot and bayoneted.

The 22 Australian nurses and one British female civilian who remained were forced to wade into the ocean, where they were machine-gunned from behind.

Only one nurse, Sister Vivian Bullwinkel, and one British soldier, Private Cecil Kinsley, survived the Bangka Island massacre. Sister Bullwinkel was wounded and pretended to be dead until the Japanese left.

“Despite their wounds, Sister Bullwinkel and Private Kinsley bravely survived in the harsh jungle for 12 days, before finally giving themselves up,” Minister Gee said.

“Private Kingsley died days later, but Sister Bullwinkel survived the war and, despite spending three and a half years in captivity, was able to return home to Australia.

“After leaving the Army in 1947, Sister Bullwinkel continued in a number of senior nursing roles and was awarded many honours, including the Florence Nightingale Medal. She was also made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).

“On this 80th anniversary of the Bangka Island massacre, we remember the tragic story of the Vyner Brooke and pay our respects to all those who lost their lives.

“We remember all the courageous women of the Australian Army Nursing Service who served in Singapore, and all those who served in the Second World War.”

To learn more about the sinking of the Vyner Brooke, the Bangka Island massacre and Sister Vivian Bullwinkel, visit the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Anzac Portal.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43795

Interview with Ben Fordham, 2GB

15 February 2022

BEN FORDHAM: PM, good morning.

PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Ben.

FORDHAM: This has been a long time coming. Why now?

PRIME MINISTER: Because the law needs to be fixed. It needs to be changed. We've already expelled, just since the last election, 4,000 people on visas for the crimes that they committed. And the character test provisions - 10,000 since we first came to Government. When I was Immigration Minister, I signed off on quite a number of those. But the judges are handing down sentences which enables people to get around this, and we need an objective test. And the objective test is, if you've committed a crime - stalking, domestic violence, assaulting police officers, breaching AVOs, possessing weapons, concealing child abuse offences, date rape offences - we want to make sure that we can punt them. And the current law, when judges hand down lower sentences, and I know the frustration so many of your listeners would feel about that occurring more generally in the community. But in this area, we can make it an objective test, and there's only one person standing in the way of that, and that's Anthony Albanese. And you cannot have an each way bet on law and order. You can't have an each way bet on justice. If people have committed crimes who've come here as a visa holder, well, they have breached every single obligation they have to the country that gave them a visa and they should go. And I can back that up because we’ve punted 10,000 of them and we want to make sure we can keep doing that and get around the loopholes that others have used.

FORDHAM: Well, it's needed, because at the moment it looks like it's easier to punt a unvaccinated tennis star like Novak Djokovic than getting rid of someone who's involved in domestic abuse or sex offences or even murders.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, well, of course we did, we did reject that visa and he did have to leave, and that received a lot of attention. But, frankly, there are so many more cases where we are doing exactly the same thing, but we are being frustrated by soft decisions in the courts. And that we have, there are judgements that have been handed down, Ben, where we know, because I've even referred to it, that they haven't given a higher sentence because they’ve, they fear that they'll lose their visa. Now, that's not their decision. We have a law in this country which says if you commit a serious offence, then you go. Do not pass go. You're gone, you're out. And that's what I did as an Immigration Minister. It's what Peter Dutton did as an Immigration Minister. It's what, it's certainly what Alex Hawke has been doing as an Immigration Minister. But I tell you what, the Labor Party, you remember what they were like when they were last in government on our borders. This is the same thing. They couldn't bring themselves to do turn backs. And now they can't bring themselves to vote for laws which will enable us to turn back those who commit serious crimes in this country.

FORDHAM: Are you going to get support on this? Because I recall last time, I think it was around October, Labor and the Greens blocked a similar bill, didn't they?

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, they've been standing against this for 1,200 days. They have been fighting us on this for 1,200 days. You want a clear indication about the risk of Labor at the next election? There's 1,200 reasons right there. They, on these issues - keeping Australians safe, border security, an each way bet on national security. We already know that, you know, those who are, you know, are looking to threaten and coerce Australia, they've got a one way bet on each way Albo. And, you know, it's very important, people need to understand, this election there are very serious issues at stake, and Labor just cannot be trusted on these things. They're soft and weak.

FORDHAM: Still on national security, ASIO has revealed it foiled a plot by a wealthy puppeteer with links to a foreign country to interfere in our election. Now, I don't expect that you're going to be naming any suspects here, but can you tell us whether the interference came from China?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, I'm going to be discreet about this, and there are, there are very important reasons to I have to do that as Prime Minister, Ben. I'm sure you'll understand that. But I've seen these reports and I've seen these comments, and I'm very aware of the level of foreign interference that occurs in this country, and that's why our Government has taken a strong stand on it. We are very aware of the way that foreign governments seek to influence Australian politics, even down to the point of seeking to have preselections affected here in this country. And people have seen those reports, I’m not going to comment further on them. But I can tell you what it does, I know who, putting those issues to one side, the countries that are coercing us, I know they don't want to see the Liberal National Government re-elected. I know that much. I know they're not having a one way bet on us. They’re having a one way bet on others.

FORDHAM: You seem to be very keen to paint Anthony Albanese as soft on China. What evidence do you have to back that up?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it was just the other day when the new Chinese Ambassador was in Australia, he actually said that they should, you know, look at getting rid of ‘some’ of the sanctions they've put on Australian exporters. What does that mean? Some of them he's happy to trade away. Which ones? Wine producers in South Australia? Coal miners up in central Queensland or the Hunter? Lobster producers down in Tasmania? This is the problem with Labor - they always look to appease. Whereas we're in a very uncertain and challenging world and there's no time for weakness. We've stood up, we have totally stood up, and we know that that has drawn flak from from those who would seek to coerce us. But Australians know where I stand on these issues. I've demonstrated that day in, day out, through a pandemic, and we’ll continue to. We are the certainty when it comes to these issues in a very uncertain world, and they've demonstrated weakness.

FORDHAM: You sound very energetic this morning. You're in campaign mode, aren't you?

PRIME MINISTER: Mate, I'm in Prime Minister mode, and that's the mode I'm always in when it comes to standing up for Australians and ensuring our economy’s strong. Our unemployment rate is going below four per cent. 700,000 jobs were saved by JobKeeper as we went through that pandemic.

FORDHAM: Let me, let me ask you about Zali Steggall …

PRIME MINISTER: Sure.

FORDHAM: … who's the Independent MP in Warringah. She, of course, took the seat away from Tony Abbott. She's in trouble at the moment, accused of hiding a political donation, and it was a $100,000 cheque that was handed over from a coal baron John Kinghorn. But the $100,000 donation was hidden and split up eight ways to avoid having to declare it. So should she be paying that money back?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, what we've done, Ben, is a lot of the Independents and a lot of those, you know, ‘Voices of’ movements and all this sort of thing, we've introduced new laws into the Parliament to go impose on them the same transparency and disclosure arrangements on their supporters that political parties have to face up to. And I think what this highlights is there are a lot of people who are happy to throw stones, but they're often in glass houses. And …

FORDHAM: Was it deceitful for Zali Steggall to pretend, or her team, to pretend that these were eight separate donations, when it was one $100,000 cheque?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think it's very hard for her to explain this, but it's the same with all of these ‘Voices of’. You know, they say they, “Oh they used to be a Liberal.” No they didn’t, they actually were members of the Labor Party. The ‘Voices of’ movement is the voices of Labor and Anthony Albanese. That's what it is. And if people want to vote for Anthony Albanese and they want to support Anthony Albanese being the Prime Minister of this country, well, they can, they should vote for for the ‘Voices of’ movement because that's who they'll support, and they try to hide these things and they try to conceal them and they're not transparent about it. And I think that's what this is highlighting.

FORDHAM: You appeared on 60 Minutes on Sunday night and Jenny Morrison, your wife, was alongside you. And some people have been critical because they think it was Jenny who was having to step up and answer a lot of the hard questions, including about the Hawaiian holiday. Was this a case of you being asked the same questions and also taking responsibility, but, as we know in TV, they tend to put the answer to air that's most interesting? Or or was this all directed at Jenny?

PRIME MINISTER: No, it wasn't directed at Jenny, and Jenny’s amazing, and she can certainly speak for herself, as everybody knows and I've known for more than 30 or 40 years. But, no, I did an hour long interview as part of that and and then we sat down for a 45 minute interview together, and I've addressed those questions, particularly in relation to when we went away together as a family back in 2018 and offered my apologies on that. They were the same. So, yeah, no, Karl raised all those same issues with me in our own interview. So, you know, you know how television works. I mean, I don't think they were going to run the program for an hour and 45 minutes. If they did, then they would have heard everything I said as well.

FORDHAM: Now, lastly, there was a moment at the end of the story where you showed your talents on the ukulele. Let's just go back there for a moment.

[EXCERPT PLAYS]

FORDHAM: Now, Prime Minister, is this something that we can expect on the election campaign trail?

PRIME MINISTER: It's not the first time I've done that. But, you know, the thing about these things Ben, is it was, they wanted to talk about how we live and what we do. And yeah, that's what I do.

FORDHAM: Whose idea, whose idea was the ukulele?

PRIME MINISTER: Ah, well, we were talking about it and, you know, I decided to show Karl my ukulele talents, which are very limited.

FORDHAM: I’ve got a feeling, I’ve got a feeling, I know Karl Stefanovic has got all sorts of ideas and he's got some duds. And this was the Karl Stefanovic idea, for sure.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, to be honest, though, Ben, though, I mean, whether it's that or other things. I mean, people were having a crack at me the other day because I went to a hairdressing salon down-.

FORDHAM: Oh no, we saw that too.

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, I know. Let me, let me tell, let me be serious for a moment.

FORDHAM: I know, but I’ve got 20 seconds till the news.

PRIME MINISTER: Ok, well let me finish. What occurred there, I go into workplaces all the time. People show me how to weld. People show me how to do other things in factories and manufacturing plants. These were trainees and apprentices who wanted to show me what they're learning on the job. So if people want to sneer at me for that, if they want to sneer at me for other things like playing the ukulele, fine, they’re steering at millions of Australians who just get on with their lives and do a great job.

FORDHAM: I think you should take it along to the election debate with Anthony Albanese. That'll be entertaining. We've got to run, but thank you for jumping on the line.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43799

Interview with John Laws, 2SM

15 February 2022

JOHN LAWS: And to tell us more about the situation, generally, we've got the Prime Minister himself on the line. Prime Minister, good morning. 

PRIME MINISTER: G'day John, how are you? 

LAWS: Top of the world. What a lovely wife you've got. 

PRIME MINISTER: Mate, I've been punching about my weight for a very long time. There's no doubt about that. I'm, I am blessed. 

LAWS: Yes, you really. I just think she's an absolute delight. 

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah. Well, you know, she, she tells it pretty straight. She's always done that with me. She's strong and she's determined, but she's loving, caring and kind as well. 

LAWS: And lovely and lovely. Anyway, on to more boring things than your beautiful wife. What about, she's received a bit of a bullying since Sunday night's 60 Minute interview. How is she accepting that? I suppose she just accepts it?

PRIME MINISTER: Taylor Swift, the haters are gonna hate, shake it off. That's Jenny's approach, and Jenny is very grateful, I was speaking to her earlier today, and you know, we speak all the time. She's so grateful for the the overwhelming messages of support that she's received, from people right across the country, the very people she was talking about, John, and I know who listen to your program, those who just quietly get on about having, trying to have the best possible life. And that's what Jenny was talking about, and that's that's where her focus has always been, and mine. So she's just incredibly grateful for that. For the strong and overwhelming encouragement and kind messages that she received, there's always going to be those John who have a crack at you. 

LAWS: Oh yeah, tell me about it. 

PRIME MINISTER: I do. And you just you just park that over there in the bin and you get on with the job that you have and do the best you possibly can for the people who elected you to do it. 

LAWS: You're onto a good thing here when you say that you want to make it easier to deport foreign nationals who have committed serious criminal offences. I think that is a fantastic idea. 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we've been doing it. We need to go further. I mean, I started this when I was the Immigration Minister. I wasn't just stopping the boats back then, I was throwing out visa holders have committed terrible crimes, and one of the first things I did actually was there was a bloke called Alex Vella, who was the head of the Rebel motorcycle gang. 

LAWS: Oh yes, I remember him. 

PRIME MINISTER: And he went overseas and I cancelled his visa and he's still over there and they tried to challenge in the courts. You know, the previous government had let him stay and actually renewed his visa, but they've never been serious about this. We've cancelled 10,000 visas since we first came to government, 4,000 just since the last election. But there is a loophole that they are using, these criminals are using, to help them stay in the country when we try to cancel their visa. And that loophole is, is that if a judge gives them a sentence of less than two years for stalking, domestic violence, assaulting police officers, breaching AVOs, possessing weapons, concealing child abuse offences, date rape offences, all of this. If a judge goes and gives them a sentence of less than two years, even though that crime carries a sentence of two years, then they can appeal against the decision to toss them out. And all they have to get is is a judge who is prepared to do that and they and they get to stay. Now we want to change that. And the Labor Party are opposing this. They've opposed us for 1,200 days on trying to do this, 1,200. I mean, Anthony Albanese likes to talk about, well, whose side is he on, well he is clearly on the side of criminals. And if that's what side he wants to choose, well, he can explain that to the Australian people, but what it says to me is, you know, he just doesn't have the strength to do this stuff. He said he couldn't bring himself to turn boats back. I know how hard that is. I had to do it. 

LAWS: Yeah. 

PRIME MINISTER: And now we don't have people coming on boats and we stop that through strength. And you cannot be Prime Minister, if you do not have that strength.

LAWS: You want to make it easier to get rid of these people who have committed serious offences. And it's going to be called the Migration Amendment Character Test Bill. Kristina Keneally says the new laws will make it easier to deport people who commit trivial offences. But why would you want to do that? 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, she's wrong, and it's just another Labor excuse to try and hide the fact that they want to protect people who have committed acts of domestic violence. What this does is, is we're talking about serious offences and a serious offence that carries a potential penalty of two years or more. And what we're doing here is if the judge doesn't give that penalty, we're not letting that be there out. And that's why the law has to change and we want to change it. We've been improving this law for many years, and every time we improve it, the criminals find, try and find a loophole, which is what they've done, and we want to shut this down now, too. So Kristina Keneally wants people who have been convicted of domestic violence to stay in the country because the judge gave them a soft sentence. Well she has to explain that. We don't want that to happen. 

LAWS: We don't want it to happen either. We being the people. I can't you, I can't imagine anybody wanting that to happen. What's the matter with Kristina Keneally? 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's both. It's the entire Labor Party when it comes to these issues, John, they just, they just don't have the strength and it's not easy, but you have to do it. That's what keeping Australians safe means. And I've been doing that all throughout, from when I was an Immigration Minister through to a Prime Minister. You know, I don't flinch on these things. But Labor, they balk. They balked on turning boats back. They balked on the Pacific Solution. They balked on all of these things. They balked on defence spending. They balk on all of these issues. They, they want to appease when it comes to China, the Chinese Government, I should say, not the, we love the Chinese people and particularly Chinese Australians, are the most patriotic. 

LAWS: They are fantastic. That's right. 

PRIME MINISTER: … awesome, and, and we celebrate them. But we're not going to be coerced by the Chinese Government. We stood up to them, too. But, you know, Labor, when it just comes to these issues and keeping Australians safe, they're just soft. 

LAWS: How do you get on with your opposition leader? 

PRIME MINISTER: Professionally, but I couldn't say we have a close relationship. I don't think that's any surprise that we seek to work professionally as, as requires us both of our roles.

LAWS: I found him to be a very nice bloke, very interesting fellow to talk to. You wouldn't agree with that, I suppose?

PRIME MINISTER: I've been really not offering a comment. I'll let people work, work it out for themselves. But but when it comes to things that really matter, John, this is the stuff we're talking about. I mean, John, we're in a situation, as I have no doubt you appreciate, I mean, look at what's happening over in Europe at the moment. We've got Russian troops amassed on on the Ukraine border. 

LAWS: I know, that's frightening.

PRIME MINISTER: And we have, you know, tensions in our own region. We have, you know, global economic challenges that are ahead of us. These are very uncertain times and it's not a time for weakness. It's not a time for double mindedness and having an each way bet on these things. People, I have my critics, John. I don't doubt that. As a Prime Minister, you always do. You've spoken to all the Prime Ministers over the years and you know, we've all got our, we've all got our weaknesses. But I tell you one thing I don't have, and I suspect your listeners would agree, when it comes to national security, there's no weakness there. 

LAWS: No, nor should there be, not a not in this time, there shouldn't be. It's been a couple of weeks since you were ambushed at the National Press Club by Peter van Onselen. What do you make of the timing considering the messages are two years old? 

PRIME MINISTER: I don't make anything of it at all, John. I mean, the thing about the Canberra bubble is there's always people looking to make a headline for themselves, and there's always people looking to create controversy and throw mud around and get into all that sort of nonsense. And, you know, in a context, as a Prime Minister, when each day I'm dealing with national security, our economy, the challenges of COVID and getting our live, normal lives back. And you know, that sort of, sort of rubbish, I just put it in the bin. I don't think I'm, one of the things Jenny was saying about me the other night. I mean, it was I did an hour long interview with Karl and the one Jenny and I did together with Karl was about 45 minutes. So, you know, how those work, they’ll clip it up. I'm not criticising that, I'm just saying that's what they do. But, you know, I was asked about these same things. And what Jenny says about me is that I'm very focused and that I go immediately in the problem-solving mode when there are problems. And and so that's just what I get on and do. And so I I can block out all that white noise of of the of the harassment and the, you know, the character sledges and and all these others in the bubble trying to make a name for themselves to boost their own ratings and their own Twitter following. That's their business. I've got a serious job to do, and that's what I keep on doing. 

LAWS: Ok, those text messages were pretty harsh though. I mean, you've got to admit that, they were harsh. 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, John, you've been around politics a long time. I mean, if if, could you imagine what the text messages would have said back in the Hawke-Keating years or or in other times, could you imagine what those text messages would have said. Politicians, you know, they get passionate, they get, they get angry from time to time, they say all sorts of things and that still happens, whether they put it in a text message or not. But the point is, you know, what do you do about it? And you know, the Deputy Prime Minister and I are working very closely together on really serious things. And you know, I got I got some advice not long after I came into parliament from someone I respected a great deal, who’d been around the place a long time and they said never get bitter. If you get bitter in this job, you can't do your job. 

LAWS: Well, that's pretty right. If you get bitter in any job, you're in trouble. 

PRIME MINISTER: It's true. So, John, you know, it's you got to have a thick skin to be in politics, and I do and I can weather all that. And if you want to be the Prime Minister, you can't have a glass jaw. You can't sort of get all sooky about it. You've got to, you got to harden up if you're Prime Minister. And and and that's that's the tough nature of politics. And I know, I know many Australians feel, gee, I wish it wasn't like that. 

LAWS: Well, it is. 

PRIME MINISTER: It is what it's like. And to be able to stand up for Australia, as I have been doing, whether it's calling out where the virus came from or or standing up to coercion or, you know, throwing out Alex Vella all those years ago, that takes some mettle. And while people might have their criticisms of me, you know, in the mettle department, you know, there's there's there's plenty there.

LAWS: You need it. More than 30,000 aged care residents and staff were infected with COVID in January, and more than half of the facilities have been locked down. Yet the Aged Care Minister decided to go to the Ashes in January instead of a Senate select committee of COVID. Do you really think it's appropriate for him to hold the portfolio? Because I don't.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, John, I hear that and I can understand why people were really disappointed about that. I mean, remember, this is an enquiry that we set up as a Government. We supported that because we thought it was important that there be accountability and scrutiny throughout COVID. There aren't too many countries in the world that have done that. So we've made ourselves available. Our officials have. And, indeed, Richard had on other occasions to make ourselves available for that. What's happening in aged care is very, very difficult, John. There's no doubt about that. A pandemic does have an impact. But the Chief Medical Officer and the former Chief Medical Officer Professor Murphy, which many of your listeners, you know, they will know Brendan and Paul, in aged care, let me, can I just give you a few stats, because this is important. Australia has done by comparison to the rest of the world, I think, incredibly well. That doesn't mean every life lost is not a tragedy. Of course it is. We feel every single one. At the rate of of of those who have passed away in in Australia in aged care is about 398 to one million people of the population over 65. Now, that's a lot. I agree. But listen to what it is in Canada - it's 2,649. In the UK, it's 3,651. In the United States, it's 2,767. In Ireland, it's 1,385. In in France, it's 2,272, and in Spain, it's 2,919. My point about that, John, is it's like when we were dealing with the earlier waves in the pandemic. I mean, the rate of infections in UK aged care facilities was eight times what it was in Australia. A virus like this, when it's out in the community, is going to have an impact. And while all of those lives lost I I grieve for, I’m also thankful for the thousands of lives that we've actually saved through the tremendous work of our aged care workers and all those who have been involved, working with the industry to get those outcomes.

The other point I'd make is this, John. In aged care, as we all know, there are people who pass away every week. And, in fact, outside of COVID, normally about a thousand people pass away in aged care every week. That's what happens normally. And they have many, many different ailments and conditions and things. And, you know, my own father, that's what happened two years ago, and we all understand that. And with COVID, while there are people who are passing away with COVID, and this is what the Chief Medical Officer has said, that doesn't mean they've passed away because of COVID. They have many other other what is called co-morbidities and and many other conditions. And so, you know, we're at pains to stress this. The life lost is terrible and tragic. About half of those who have been affected have, were already in end of life care. And we all understand that, as well.

So we are going to keep doing everything we possibly can to ensure we minimise the impact, and compared to other countries around the world, we have been doing that and I think that's a credit to the great care and work that's been done in the sector. And we've got to keep applying ourselves as best as we possibly can. 

LAWS: Prime Minister, way, way back there somewhere, I asked you about a fellow called Richard Colbeck. You, you’ve cleverly skipped around, and you're very good at that, skipped around and didn't give me an answer. Is it still appropriate for Richard Colbeck to hold the portfolio that he does? 

PRIME MINISTER: Yes. And I'll tell you why. Because in the middle of this pandemic, John, we have to keep our focus on what we need to do ahead. And Richard has been working closely with the aged care sector constantly. And yep, you know, my preference is that he would have been at that hearing, and he understands that. But, that said, I need people who have got the corporate history and memory of everything we've been working through in this pandemic. And he has that, and he works closely with the aged care sector and that helps me minimise the impact of this pandemic in aged care facilities, which is what it's all about. It’s not about politics, it’s not about personalities. I have to make decisions about what I think is best to keep people alive and to have the best possible management of the pandemic. 

LAWS: Did you, did you reprimand him? 

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, we've spoken about it. We've spoken about it. 

LAWS: That's a very political answer. “We've spoken about it.” You speak about a lot of things. Did you reprimand him, though? 

PRIME MINISTER: Oh, look, John, these are conversations I have with my Ministers. I can assure you he's in no doubt about the fact that, where I would have preferred him to have been. You know, the politics of personalities and the gotcha and the scalps and all this sort of stuff, John, this place is obsessed with that. They're obsessed with the politics of this issue. I'm interested in the reality of this issue, which is caring for people in aged care. So I'm not going to get distracted about the politics and and those who are seeking - I'm not suggesting you're doing that John, at all - what I'm saying is this place in Canberra, you know what it's like, people focus on on those issues. I've got to stay focused on what's best for aged care.

LAWS: The aged care sector, speaking of, is facing a staffing crisis with thousands of workers in isolation or just giving up, quitting. You promised workers an $800 cash to staff, but what’s your, that's lovely. But what’s your long-term plan and what guarantees that that's going to be enough for the workers at these facilities, and that there will be enough workers anyway?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, there are two issues there. The first one is is ensuring that we can get as many of them back to work as quickly as we can. And that's why we changed the rules, and I convinced states to change the rules, which enabled them not to be taken out of the workforce because of being a close contact. So we did that, and we put the personal protective equipment and the, and the rapid antigen tests in place, which we're doing from last August, into aged care facilities, to do all that which can keep those those staff at work. But now the ones who can't turn up have COVID. So that's, you know, something you can't avoid.

And we've, as you said, we put the additional booster payments in there for aged care workers, which is the second time we’ve done that, not the first time, the second time we've done that. And that has been well-received by by the aged care sector. But we've changed the rules around student nurses, for example, increasing the number of hours they could work so they can supplement that workforce. And in the most acute situations, we are using the limited resources of the Defence Forces in this area to send in tactical teams to support in the most dire of situations, and that's proving to be very effective as well. 

The longer term approach to the aged care workforce actually also goes to training people to go into that workforce, making sure that our accreditation and qualification systems means that we can make better use of the people who want to go and work in this area. And that's an important part of it. There's a, there's a case before the Fair Work Commission, which they will determine. That's not determined by the Government. And and we will have to work with the outcome of that, of that hearing.

But aged care, but it’s the same in disability care, it's the same in many areas. We need more people in the workforce and we have, we're at record levels, pretty much, of workforce participation in this country. Unemployment is going below four per cent - haven't seen that in 50 years. We've got more trade apprentices in trade training today than we've ever had in this country since 1963. And we've got, you know, 1.1 million people we've been able to get back into jobs, as we've come through this pandemic. There’s about 250,000 more people in jobs today than there were before the pandemic. We've got a million extra women into work as well. So we've got some big workforce challenges in this country, and it's not restricted to aged care.

LAWS: No, it's not. You've ordered Australian embassy staff to evacuate Ukraine. I know we're going to run out of time in a minute. Reports that there could be a Russian attack within 72 hours, that's being talked about. Are they accurate reports?

PRIME MINISTER: We hope that doesn't happen, John. But that is, that is the very real risk at this time. You know, the potential risk, those troops are amassed on that border and it is, it is potentially imminent. But I wouldn't want to be saying anything that would suggest that this is, you know, a known, a known entity, a known fact. But we're very well aware of the assessments and that risk of that occurring at any moment is is there and it's real.

We've been, I mean, last night I convened a meeting of the National Security Committee of Cabinet. It was quite a lengthy meeting and we were into this issue in significant detail and looking at the and the responses and the the coordination we've had with our other partners and like-mindeds - United States, United Kingdom, Canada and so on - and working together with how we can act together. I've got to say one thing that does disappoint me, though, John, is that like-minded countries, - Australia, you know, France, everyone - have been very clear in their denunciation of what is, what Russia is doing. 

LAWS: Yes, which is great. 

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, which is great. But there's one country that's not doing it, John, and actually work with Russia in the National Security Council of the United Nations. And that was the Chinese Government. So this is, this is what makes this all very real. What's happening over in Ukraine is happening there, I understand that. But in our own region, we have a very large country and a Government that is not denouncing what Russia is threatening. And, John, they're threatening terrible violence on on Ukraine. 

LAWS: Oh, I know it's dreadful. It's frightening. 

PRIME MINISTER: It, they are threatening terrible violence, and that will also have a real impact on the global economy. We anticipate that it will have impact on oil prices and, you know, we’ll all feel that. And that will be, that will be the result of what's occurring over there. And when you have, you know, a large country in our own region that suggests that they want, you know, peace and harmony, but yet are not prepared to call out the actions of an autocratic state that wants to violate the territorial sovereignty of their neighbour, then that is very concerning.

LAWS: Very concerning.

PRIME MINISTER: Chilling. I’m calling that out and I'm prepared to always call that out, John. And I know that there'll be blowback against me for saying that internationally. Of course they will. There was blowback against me when I shut the border to China. There was blowback against me when I called out where the virus came from in China. There's always blowback against me when I stand up for Australia's interests, and I tell you, John, you you’ve got to be prepared to do it. And whether it's, whether it's throwing out people from Australia who have committed terrible crimes or standing up to those who want to coerce us, I mean, I don't agree with Anthony Albanese when he said, Oh, we've got to, you know, get things right with China. So there's some things that we can, you know, there's some things of these, of these trade sanctions they've put on us that they can, they can do, well that's good. Well, which ones does he want to keep?

LAWS: Well, that's the good question. Prime Prime Minister, I've got to go, and I know you've got to.

PRIME MINISTER: My bells are ringing too here John, so.

LAWS: Yeah, ok, it’s good to talk to you, as usual, and I hope we get to talk to each other again soon. 

PRIME MINISTER: I look forward to it, John, and thank you all so kindly for for what you had to say about Jenny. I really appreciate that, both of us. You’re very blessed in your life to have a wonderful woman. And so, so have I been. So thank you very much.

LAWS: Ok, that's a pleasure. Thank you very much for your time, Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43794

$2.26 billion to complete Adelaide's North-South Corridor

13 February 2022

Prime Minister, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, Minister for Finance, Premier of South Australia

As part of the Morrison Government’s plan for a strong economy, an additional $2.26 billion will be invested to complete the final stage of Adelaide’s North-South Corridor, creating thousands of jobs while ensuring residents get home sooner and safer.

The Torrens to Darlington (T2D) project is the final stage of the North-South Corridor, and once complete, will deliver 78 kilometres of non-stop motorway between Gawler and Old Noarlunga, slashing 20 minutes of commuting time and bypassing 21 sets of traffic lights.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this funding would ensure the entire North-South Corridor is delivered. 

“Our plan for a strong economy in South Australia is all about investing in life-changing infrastructure on our roads and in our important our defence industry projects, creating thousands of jobs in Adelaide,” the Prime Minister said.

“Our Government, together with the Marshall Government, is getting on with delivering what is the most significant infrastructure project ever undertaken in South Australia that will ensure a jobs boom for the next 10 years.

“Today we’re announcing $2.26 billion to help ensure the delivery of the final piece of this complex project, bringing our total investment in the North-South Corridor to over $6.8 billion.

“The investment in this project alone is expected to support around 4,900 jobs and slash travel times by up to 20 minutes between the River Torrens and Darlington and help ensure South Australians get home to family and friends safely.”

The 10.5km T2D project will be delivered over two stages, with stage one (Southern Tunnel) connecting Darlington to the Anzac Hwy and stage two  (Airport Link and Northern Tunnel) connecting the River Torrens and Anzac Highway.

The Morrison and Marshall Governments have already committed $5.422 billion to Stage 1 on a 50:50 basis.

Premier for South Australia, Steven Marshall, said having the funding locked in place for the whole T2D project means job security for South Australia’s construction sector for the next decade.

“This once-in-a-generation project is going to create a record number of jobs for South Australians and underpin the construction industry for the next ten years,” Premier Marshall said.

“Our strong partnership with the Morrison government means we are able to invest in projects that make a real difference to the everyday lives of South Australians and get people home faster and safer to spend more time doing what they love.”

Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher said the funding for this project builds on the Commonwealth’s existing $10.7 billion commitment for infrastructure in South Australia.

“Set to unlock Adelaide’s traffic network, the T2D will stimulate economic activity, helping ensure people, produce and products arrive where they need to be safer and sooner,” Minister Fletcher said.

“The Morrison Government remains committed to funding the delivery of significant infrastructure projects across South Australia and the nation, getting Australians home sooner and safer and helping freight move more quickly between our cities.”

Federal Minister for Finance and Senator for South Australia Simon Birmingham said the T2D would complete South Australia’s largest infrastructure project to deliver commuters a 78 km non-stop transit link from Noarlunga to Gawler.

“The vision of linking southern and northern Adelaide with a non stop motorway will finally be fully funded, fully delivered and is set to be a drivers paradise,” Minister Birmingham said.

“The Darlington interchange and northern stretch of the motorway have been transformational for road users, with this tunnelling of around 60 per cent of the final stretch allowing motorists to bypass approximately 21 sets of traffic lights and have one of the best transport experiences in the nation.

“With close cooperation and coordination, the federal and South Australian governments are backing critical infrastructure projects that are necessary to improving supply chains and helping South Australian commuters get home sooner and safer.”

The design for T2D consists of two tunnel sections joined by a lowered motorway, with the Southern Tunnel to connect Darlington to Anzac Highway, while the Northern Tunnel will be located north of Anzac Highway and connect to Torrensville.

The $9.9 billion project is jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian governments on a 50:50 basis, with construction expected to start in late 2023 and be finished by late 2030.

For more information, visit the South Australian Department for Infrastructure and Transport website.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43790

National Cabinet Statement

10 February 2022

National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s response to COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, the ongoing safe reopening of Australia, resumption of cruising in Australia, approaches to test, trace isolate and quarantine and the vaccine rollout and booster programme.

The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, provided an update on the spread of the Omicron variant. Overall case numbers continue to decline in Australia and the Omicron case variant continues to be the predominant variant in Australia and globally. Omicron continues to show greater infectivity than the Delta variant, but with much less severity in terms of hospitalisations, ICU and ventilated patients.

National Cabinet noted that the Omicron wave has peaked in most states and territories. Since peaks in mid-January, cases have fallen to 20 per cent of peak levels, hospitalisations to 63 per cent of peaks, ICU admissions of peaks and ventilated cases to 54 per cent of peaks.

Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 2,462,729 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 4,431 people have died.

Globally there have been over 402.6 million cases and, sadly, over 5.7 million deaths, with 2,241,749 new cases and 11,664 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in many countries around the world.

National Cabinet noted that since the COVID-19 Rapid Test Concessional Access program began, approximately 6.8 million Rapid Antigen Tests have been distributed to 1.6 million eligible concession card holders through community pharmacies.

Lieutenant General John Frewen, DSC, AM, Coordinator General of the National COVID Vaccine Taskforce (Operation COVID Shield) provided a detailed briefing on Australia’s vaccination rollout.

Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to expand. To date 51.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia, including 215,521 doses in the previous 24 hours.

In the previous 7 days, more than 1.3 million vaccines have been administered in Australia. More than 95.8 per cent of the Australian population aged 16 years and over have now had a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including over 99 per cent of over 50 year olds.

More than 93.9 per cent of Australians aged 16 years and over are now fully vaccinated, including more than 98.4 per cent of over 50 year olds and more than 99 per cent of Australians over 70 years of age.

Over 9.5 million booster doses have been administered to 46.3 per cent of Australians. More than 75.7 per cent of Australians aged 70 years of age and over have had a booster in the last 14 weeks since the booster program commenced.

More than 46.4 per cent of 5-11 year olds have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the first month of their vaccination program.

National Cabinet will meet again on Friday 11 March.

Phase D of the National Plan

National Cabinet noted the epidemiological advice that the peak of the Omicron wave has passed, with significant falls in the number of cases, hospitalisations and ICU admissions across most states and territories.

National Cabinet discussed the progress to Phase D under the National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response. The Commonwealth, states and territories will progressively transition to Phase D including further reopening of international borders and changes to domestic health settings to reduce restrictions on social and economic activities, while safely living with COVID-19. The Commonwealth, states and territories will make decisions over the near term on options to transition to Phase D, with further consideration by the next meeting of National Cabinet.

Resumption of Cruising

National Cabinet discussed the resumption of cruises in Australia, noting that there are shared responsibilities for the resumption of cruises between the Commonwealth, states and territories. National Cabinet agreed that following a decision by the Commonwealth to lift the bio-security orders that currently prevent cruise ships from coming to Australia that states and the Northern Territory would then determine when recommencement of cruises would occur in each jurisdiction, consistent with the previous agreement of the National Cabinet of 5 November 2021.

The Commonwealth, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland agreed to work with the industry to implement new protocols to enable the resumption of cruising over coming months.

Managing Public Health Restrictions on Residential Aged Care Facilities – Interim Guidance

National Cabinet endorsed new Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) advice to improve access to aged care facilities for families of residents.

The guidance considers the current context of the pandemic, and recommends revisions to allow greater flexibility in balancing the need to reduce transmission and the impact of social isolation on residents living in residential aged care facilities.

Specifically, the guidance more effectively balances the implementation of appropriate infection prevention and control measures with a resident’s right to live their life with minimal restrictions including through increased contact with family and loved ones.

National Cabinet endorsed the AHPPC statement on mandatory booster vaccinations in aged care facilities. Implementation of booster shot mandates will be made consistent with arrangements already in place through state and territory public health orders and equivalent arrangements. Vaccinations of aged care workers is being prioritised through Commonwealth in-reach clinics, primary care and state clinics.

ATAGI advice on defining ‘up-to-date' status for COVID-19 vaccination

National Cabinet noted that the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has updated their clinical advice to include that all individuals aged 16 years and over are recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose to maintain an ‘up-to-date’ status.

Consistent with current arrangements this booster dose is recommended from 3 months after the last primary dose and will now be recommended to be administered within 6 months of completing the primary schedule. Boosters are not recommended for children aged 5-15 years of age and ATAGI will continue to review the evidence on the need for a booster dose in this age cohort.

ATAGI has advised that a booster can be given safely and effectively at any time after 6 months to become ‘up-to-date’ in the event that the booster had not been received earlier.

In its advice ATAGI acknowledges that this change in definition of up-to-date status for COVID-19 vaccines may impact the status of an individual’s COVID-19 immunisation certificate, and sufficient time should be provided to support implementation of changes. ATAGI has recommended they be made effective by the end of March 2022.

National Cabinet noted ATAGI’s advice that these ‘up-to-date’ requirements be applicable for domestic situations and policy settings and noted the Commonwealth Government’s decision that the existing arrangements and definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ for the purposes of overseas travel and arrival into Australia will continue to be that individuals must have received a complete two dose primary course of a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved or recognised vaccine to be considered ‘fully vaccinated’. People entering Australia will not be required to have had a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Back to school

All jurisdictions provided an update on the successful return to school, supported by the Commonwealth’s 50:50 cost share with jurisdictions for rapid antigen testing.

National Cabinet further noted in the context of schools returning, that health system capacity continued to be maintained, and cases, hospitalisation and ICU numbers continued to fall across most states and territories.

Winter National COVID Preparedness

National Cabinet endorsed the Prime Minister’s recommendation for a Winter National COVID and Influenza Preparedness report for all jurisdictions to be presented to the next meeting of National Cabinet by the Commonwealth Department of Health.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-44158

Doorstop - Kingston, ACT

Prime Minister of Australia

PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, everyone. I always enjoy at the start of the Parliamentary year that we can come together in this way, and I particularly want to thank Archbishop Makarios who I know very well, and Jenny knows, and to see him here this morning was great. It was particularly nice to be here in a, in a Orthodox Church today. First time we've done that, and it reminded me, as we consider some of the big issues of today and the Parliamentary year, that people from all around the world have come to our country. And they've so often come from many different faiths and many different backgrounds. They’ve come from places where they were discriminated against for that faith and for that belief. And as Bishop Tarabay from the Maronite Church often reminds me, so many of those who came from Lebanon, in particular, came here because they wanted to get away from the persecution and discrimination that they suffered in their home country.

For so many Australians, their faith and their religion is their culture. You can't separate them. And when you listen to their stories, as I often do, they will tell stories over hundreds of years and even longer about how they as a, as a people of faith and religion have survived through some of the worst things you can possibly imagine in countries all around the world. But they came here to Australia so they could get away from that and they could start a new life. And so they could have their religious faith and they could have their belief and they could have their community and they could have their culture, and that they would not be discriminated against. I don't want them to be discriminated against, and before the last election I said I wanted there to be laws in place that ensured their freedom from that discrimination. And that's what this is about.

There are many other laws in our Parliament, many other laws that deal with many other things. And there's time and place to deal with those. But on this day, it's important that we remember that for so many Australians - it doesn't matter whether you’re Hindu, whether you're Sikh, whether you’re Christian, whether you’re Muslim, whether you’re Jewish, whether you have, choose to have no religious faith at all - that is also important to protect this country because we sing, ‘Australians all one and free’. And I hope that means something today as we gather together and we seek to put in place the opportunity for those who wish to live their religion here in this country and live their faith, which has such an important contribution to our country and always has - binding Australia together, not forcing it apart. This is why I made that pledge before the last election, and that is why I continue to stand very strongly on this point.

Now this will be a year where we will be faced with some very big choices. We’ll begin the Parliament this year by acknowledging the terrible events that have taken place in our own Parliament, and that began an important conversation in this country about how Australia can be better when it comes particularly to the treatment of women in our workplaces, in our society and in our lives. And I welcome that. It's been a difficult journey and an important one, a very important one, that our Government has embraced and I believe the Parliament has embraced, not as a political issue, but as one of shared objective and shared purpose. And so I look forward to that being progressed today.

More broadly, though, as we go into this year, Australians will be making an important choice about a strong economy and how to keep it, about how to keep Australians safe and our borders secure, about how to ensure that we grow together and not apart, as we ensure that that strong economy upon which everything else depends - the essential services that Australians rely on, the very safety that we have in this country - all of this will be the issues that I'm sure will weigh heavily on the minds of Australians this year as we work through to when the election is held.

But today is a time of prayer and reflection before we begin what will be, I think, a very important year for Australia, on which our future will be determined. And for our Government, it's about keeping Australians in a place where our economy is strong, we’re keeping Australians safe and we're keeping Australians together. And with that I’m happy to answer a few questions.

JOURNALIST: Are you confident that the Religious Discrimination Bill will pass before the next election?

PRIME MINISTER: I'm confident this is a very important bill, and I stand by it 100 per cent. And I'm standing with the millions of Australians for whom this is such an important issue. I gave them that pledge and I'm honouring that pledge, and I'm calling on the Parliament to honour it also. Australians at the last election elected our Government. We were very clear that this was a bill that we wanted to see passed, so it will go to the Parliament.

JOURNALIST: Will religious schools be able to expel trans students under the proposed amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act?

PRIME MINISTER: Well this bill does not provide for that. You’re referring to an existing law that was introduced by the Labor Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus. That is the Dreyfus law that you’re referring to. He put that in place. This bill does not seek to endorse that arrangement. That is an existing law. What we are dealing with here today are not those matters. They are going through a process with the Australian Law Reform Commission, as you know. What we're dealing with today is discrimination against people for their religious belief and faith. That's what that bill does. That bill does not do the things that you’re saying. That is an existing law that was introduced by the Labor Party when they were in Government.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, if you can’t get major legislation like this through the Parliament, isn't that a sign that your leadership is weak?

PRIME MINISTER: Let’s just see what happens.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, how do you plan on uniting your party on the Religious Discrimination Bill, and will you be listening to Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins’ speech at the National Press Club this week?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's going to be a busy week, I don't get the opportunity to listen to all those speeches, but I’ll certainly ensure that I’m aware of what they have said, and and I’m certainly, like the rest of the country, very interested in the contribution that they make and the contribution that they have made. I think the contribution they have made, as I said, has brought forward some very important issues that we’ve had to deal with and we should deal with and were long overdue, and I’m very pleased that they have been in the actions we're taking together as a Parliament to address those very serious issues.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you’ve had a, you have had a rough start to the year. You’ve had assaults on your character by members of your own side. You’re behind in the polls. Do you believe that you can turn things around yourself politically this fortnight?

PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43783

Chinese Media Online Briefing

8 February 2022

Prime Minister of Australia

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Hello, everybody, and welcome. My name's Alex Hawke, I'm the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Thank you for joining us. I just heard from the Prime Minister. We're just waiting for him to join us. He's just finishing something right now with his office. So I thought might just get underway and obviously start by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands as president emerging that we're all meeting on today and welcome you all from the various elements of the Chinese and multicultural media here in Australia. And thank you again for the work you're doing in communicating through the pandemic. Important and vital information in language through to communities about the needs of people and their health in this difficult time.

It's been a tough two years, so thank you for persevering and working with the government and our agencies and the health departments around the country to get that information out. And, and we really do appreciate it from the Australian Government. We've had a good vaccination rollout here and a well-received health programme, and I think that's a large, a large amount of the credit goes to the multicultural media in Australia in the work that you've done with communities and communicating so effectively. So thank you. 

But also in the meantime, Happy Chinese New Year and Kung Hai Fat Choi, we had a great night yesterday with the Prime Minister at Strathfield and my colleague Fiona Martin. You know, while there are, I think there's probably about a third of the Lunar New Year events normally on, and most of them are cancelled due to Omicron. We're trying to get to those that are on and they are a little bit less, well, well attended than usual. But people, I think, are celebrating in other ways at home and working ways to celebrate with family and in communities. But it's a little bit more muted than usual, unfortunately, like everything during the pandemic, but we're still celebrating. And I know in the Year of the Tiger will draw great confidence and inspiration, and I wish all of you personally and your outlets all the very best success and prosperity for the year ahead. 

And from my role as Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Minister, I do want to again highlight what a difficult time we've had for many communities in Australia. I think we all remember when the pandemic started, we had a conversation internationally about where the virus started in China and how it started, which impacted upon the Australian Chinese community here. And I know the Prime Minister went out of his way to communicate through to the Australian Chinese community, in particular our trust and understanding of them and their decisions, and ask for their advice and help in dealing with that conversation. And we did a good job there together as a community, as a country, people and government, the Chinese community here and offshore in, I think moving that conversation on and getting on with the very difficult times that we've had since then. But it was hard. And since then, I think, you know, we've also seen other things impact upon family based communities, the Chinese communities, the same as many other multicultural communities in Australia, reliant on family, reliant on community. So there are limits and restrictions and requirements to not see family, to not get together as a community have certainly impacted hard. And we're certainly starting to see people enjoying coming together again and slowly through on the Omicron get back together. So I know you are trusted outlets and sources of news. I just say to you, we've still got a lot of communicating to do about health messaging, and there's a lot in the booster programme with kids between five and 11 and a lot more health information. There's an appetite for health information for parents, for people who have custody of children and, of course, general appetite about what will happen next on travel, the return of family. And I know you've got some questions around that today, but you know, we together, I think we've done a lot. I know there's always more we can do. There is more in-language we need to be doing. And I appreciate your advice and your questions today. So I know the Prime Minister is going to join us very shortly and will welcome that. I just think if we will take a few minutes. 

I don't know if people wanted to start with a question to me, I don't want us to waste time here while we're just waiting for the Prime Minister to join us. So our emcee isn't with us either. So I wouldn't mind. I don't know. I know some people wanted to ask some questions, but I'm happy to go straight to people who have questions of me just to answer a question while we wait for the Prime Minister. And I think there was, it was it who was first in relation to that. I don't really know if there's an order. I could be a SBS Cantonese. Was it Winmas, are you there Winmas? 

Journalist: Yes, Mr Hawke. Good afternoon. Thank you for time today. My question is in regards to  PR. visa pathway for Hong Kong [inaudible]. Our audience, especially those from the Hong Kong community, has been very interested in the new policy, and some of them has actually expressed their gratitude to the Government for taking such steps. But with the pathway for those who has just started to consider moving to Australia or is going to apply for us, for example, a student visa that would take sort of, at least I would say at least five years, six years until they can actually apply for the PR pathway or the Hong Kong stream, streams with the 189 and 190. I'm just wondering if, if the Government can provide a sort of timeline on whether, whether you can guarantee, for example, how long this policy can be can remain there or if not whether the government would provide some sort of three years in advance notice for those who are actually planning to follow the pathway. Thank you. 

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Yeah, thank you Winmas, and I know you've had a long interest in this issue and you've certainly kept our Department of Home Affairs accountable at various periods in identifying our pathways in Government announcements and some gaps in them and things that we needed to think about. So thank you for your work in journalism and keeping us to account. We don't have any plans to change the pathway in the near future. From the Morrison Government's perspective, we were happy to offer a pathway to permanency here for people onshore. We've made, I have made on behalf of the Government some announcements about BNO holders, passport holders offshore, adding a few categories to that. And this will be a stable situation. People will qualify under these permanent residency pathways, but they'll have access to them, but we won't shorten them other than the announcements that we've already made, and I think I brought one forward by about one year. In relation to the length of time taken from application to completion and that is, it is a lawful permanent residency pathway. It's a non-controversial measure. We've been able to do that and provide that option for people from Hong Kong if they wish to take it up. And those people offshore who might be BNO holders and others who might want to come to Australia without, I think, creating controversy. So it's been a well-received announcement. It's a stable announcement, and I don't see any Australian government in the future, regardless of who it is changing that. However, the Morrison Government has made a commitment for the long term that we will have that offer for people from Hong Kong in place.

Journalist: Thank you, Minister.

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Thank you. Was there another question? I think we you know. Yes, thank you. Who's next?

Journalist: I have a question.

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Yeah, just wave to say your name because I'm trying to find you on the screen. 

Journalist: Raymond Chow from Sameway Magazine. But I think I'm in previous meetings with us about the AMEP, the AMEP undergoing reform to change from a linguistic approach to replaced by a settlement approach. I want to know would the government support or consider mobilising co-organisations to receive funding to pilot new approaches to deliver AMEP, which can integrate support from the local community groups to help the new migrants learn to acquire English to settle in Australia. Is this some put? Will you consider this to be some kind of plan in future to involve the or decisions? 

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Yeah, thank you, Raymond, this is an important question, and this issue is very important to the Government. We know that the more, all migrants can get get on top of their English, the better they do and the better access they have to work and social activities and other performance in Australia in relation to their prosperity and their success, education and otherwise. So we did invest in the AMEP, as you know, we unlocked for the first time the number of hours, that's working very well, although it does take time for us to get results meet, given the number of years to see how strongly people take up the opportunity of unlimited English language tuition and what that means for people. Your suggestion is a reasonable one. We need to think of how to enhance English language take-up, especially the people who don't have any English  from communities, especially with older migration populations that can often be the case, although you know it's not age limited the AMEP and sometimes formal tuition, as you point out, is not the only answer in relation to improving language skills, so we're not close minded about options to for communities to assist. Obviously, the first part is the, is the tuition. And uncapping it, I mean, we put aside up to a billion dollars for this, we've really invested in this. This is something that that investment in that English language tuition for all adult migrants to Australia will be a huge investment in their success. But we do want to look at how we work with communities to make sure where some people might not find formal tuition, the best pathway that will probably be the next piece of the puzzle Raymond, so it's a it's an important  issue you raise. I would say, you know, under the AMEP, we've got service providers that are connected to deliver these models as well, there are some complex arrangements. I won't go into those today, but I'll certainly provide some details to you. There are community organisations that offer language in different settings. We have migrant centres, often inside different migrant resource centres and other opportunities. I've seen some in Western Sydney, for example, but you're also suggesting community organisations and small organisations, even in migrant resource centres, as I understand your proposal. So I think it could work. We're open to looking at it. We're certainly investing in it. So, you know, it's a conversation we’d consider Raymond.

Journalist: OK, thank you.

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Yes. Who's next and just please speak up so I can see you there.

Journalist: Good afternoon Minister this is Fred from Sydney Today. I’ve got a question in regard of WeChat's. We know there are some controversy between Prime Minister Office and Tencent, and WeChat recently, and many federal MPs are calling the Government to ban WeChat. We'd love to know where the federal government stands on this issue. Are you considering banning WeChat in Australia?

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Look, this is a question for the Prime Minister. He might want to say something about it more formally, and I might let him do that. We, I have WeChat. I certainly used it prior to the last election. From the last election, we had some difficulty in relation to using WeChat. A lot of people have experienced this, accessing their accounts and using it. And you know, that's a shame because, you know, it is a very well utilised communications platform. A lot of people in Australia are on it. We would like to access it. And I think there's work to do. The Prime Minister will obviously have something to say about his account and what happened there. I've decided not to use my account until we can resolve some of these issues. I mean, I think the Australian government would absolutely love to be involved in WeChat  and to be utilising it to communicate with Australians it’s very frustrating that we can't and it's very frustrating that there's interference. So we want to reach out and resolve that and have cooperation about that because communication is vital and you've got to be communicating where people are and you've got to be talking to people where they'll want to want to be communicated at. And it's no different to any other of the social media or other communications platforms. But I know a lot of MPs in the parliament are quite frustrated that they're, at the terms of service and the way the accounts operated. And, you know, as a government and as a country, we're trying to resolve those issues. But you might want to ask the Prime Minister that question about his account as well.

Journalist: Thank you.

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Thanks. Thanks. And I think next one was from Kevin, is that right, Kevin did I see you there from the Chinese Herald. I thought I saw Kevin, but I might be wrong. OK. Who has a further question, I'm sorry about the delay, the Prime Minister will be with us pretty shortly.

Journalist: Hi Minister Hawke, this is Keith from Australian Chinese Daily might have a question that you could answer in regards to this, with, just just received not long ago the good news about international students and the press release with regards to visa workers and all that. I guess it's great news. Our readers would be receiving that well. The concerns that that might come from that is, I guess it goes back to COVID and Omicron them coming in might cause some angst within the communities, whereby would they be bringing the strand in. What are the current steps in preventing that as well what might be the next steps to ensure that that is being contained?

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Yeah, thank you Keith this is an important question. I think you're referring to my release that I've just put out actually today on the latest numbers on students and backpackers. Many of you will have seen it. If not, I recommend it to you. We are seeing student numbers return in good numbers, even 7000 more in the last week, and we're over 50000 heading towards 60 and further since our announcement late last year. We welcome them back. A lot of them are coming from China, obviously, but also India and other places. We required up front and you know, we obviously had the same requirements double vaccination. We've got the long recognised lists of vaccinations. That was an important decision. But another important decision was we decided to open the borders gradually. So we've put working holiday makers, students, but not visitor visas, not hundreds of thousands of tourists at the same time. And that was in recognition of the, you know, the economic benefit of migrants like students and working holiday makers and the exchange that education provides internationally and the importance of it to people. So by graduating the border opening, we've addressed some of that upfront. What you're concerned there with the community because it's not all open and it's not all shut, it's just phased in. And as the health advice evolves about Omicron, we're getting more advice about the plateauing of the wave in Australia and various states that have had it for a while and the hospital systems response to it. So we're looking forward to more advice in coming weeks about when we can unlock more cohorts, but it has worked very well so far. The numbers are increasing week on week of each cohorts, especially students, which I still think we have about 130,000 or 40,000 off shore student visas. And we would like them to come, you know, the Prime Minister recently announced incentives. We waived the visa fees. We've got a tourism campaign from our Trade Minister internationally saying, you know, we're open, students, we'd like you to come and working holiday makers, that's working very well. And we've spoken to the education providers, universities, the private providers about how they can take intakes throughout the year, given we've had two difficult years where they've been unable to take them. So we're, we're trying to work with the sector to be flexible and adaptable. And I've asked the Immigration Department, the Home Affairs Department to priority process students to do it in a timely fashion to make sure that we're meeting the demand as it comes through. So we believe we've prepared well. The balance has been struck well at the moment. We've got an eye on it that from the medical advice of how the health systems are performing. But the requirement for double vaccination means less risk. The graduated border opening means less risk. And you know, at the moment, we're just happy to receive more students and more working holiday makers as demand requires. And there is the reception you mentioned. I mean, if I talk to anybody in any business in the country at the moment, the only thing they want to ask me about is, you know, can you bring in some foreign students to come and help us working in our in our business? It doesn't matter what industry it is, it doesn't matter what sector it is. It doesn't matter what part of the country it is. So the reception is very warm at the moment. They want them to be here studying, they want them to be working. I think we have missed our foreign students as a country and I think business knows that and people are very receptive to, I mean, people in jobs as students are consuming. I mean, obviously, they bring offshore money. It's a virtuous cycle. The education is high quality. The diplomatic relations between Australia and the country of origin is high. You know, we have missed this exchange and that's why we put it first in the opening, the student opening, and it's the right decision. And at the moment, the balance is struck right, but we've got an eye on the on the volume versus the health system.

Journalist: Thank you.

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Thank you, so the next question, I think is from Cecil, is it.

Journalist: Yes, hi, thanks Mr Hawke. Just on foreign workers, what about skilled workers? What's the plan to get them back to fulfil all this nationwide skills shortage?

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Thank you. Yeah. So skilled workers are opening a lot of skill categories as well. At the same time, I didn't cover them in that previous answer. The numbers are OK. A lot of skilled workers during the pandemic who had visas, who were unable to enter Australia, what we're finding is because of their skills, they will have sought employment elsewhere or got another job, a lot of them. So we're now doing fresh applications. Demand is strong for skills to come to Australia now that we're open. But that might be a bit slower to continue the influx of skills because skilled people have a lot of options. If you've got a skill in demand in several countries and we were shut for a while, they were able to, you know, obviously go for another, another, another option. Although I will say this to you in terms of incoming applications demand is very strong at the moment now that we've been open. So again, the department's working to process those, our regional skills visas very strong and very in demand, and we're seeing that now that people [inaudible] offshore. And as I said, when we get the health advice which we take regularly, week in and week out, we'll be able to open up four more categories as well. But skills is a top priority meeting those skill shortages, especially in regions where they're a little bit more pronounced because you've been unable to move across state borders or unable to move across international borders for quite a long time. And at the same time, we've got unemployment at a record low and more Australians getting jobs at 4.2 per cent. But we've had huge demand for people in jobs and skills. We're very alive to that and we're working through the challenge of getting those skilled visas processed and through just recognising a lot of the ones that applied sometimes went to another country. Does that answer your question Cecil?

Journalist: Thank you very much.

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Well, I think I see your hand there Raymond, is that a second question?

Journalist: Yes.

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Yeah. Go ahead.

Journalist: Minister, I want to, i don’t know if it’s better to ask you or the Prime Minister, but I think this year the COVID pandemic enters a new stage. In an interview last month with the Victorian deputy CHO Ben Cowie, and he agreed that the present COVID pandemic story was a very complicated story, and more life education to the CALD committees must be done instead of just making public policy announcements to help Australia to fight this long term battle. So do you agree with this and view the federal government plan to give funding to support education through the CALD media to educate their audience and readers?

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Yes, this is a great question. I mean, I agree. We have done a lot during the pandemic and a lot more than sometimes people understand. We don't advertise this necessarily, but we have given millions and millions of dollars to small organisations to communicate in language directly about the pandemic and what was required. We had SBS translating to over 50 to 60 languages, all kinds of health information, I think, because of the pandemic and the nature of it. The Australian Government and all of our agencies have been more attuned to the importance of good quality translated materials. Good quality communications through outlets like yours, and we've been spending some money even to smaller organisations. We went through FECCA as well, giving money to community groups and other things to communicate. It has taught us, though some communities are very organised. Some people have very strong internal structures, community structures, family structures and they work very well and others have, have needed more support. So certainly it's not an even experience across the board. But yes, we I think we've learnt a lot during the pandemic about cultural communication, about working together, government and communities and also communities with different elements of the health department. And I would always agree with you that we need to prioritise that, especially where we're dealing with a health message. So Rosa I’ve just seen you come back on now, does that mean?

Host: Yes. Good afternoon. Sorry for the delay, everybody. I've got the Prime Minister, he should be just about to appear on the screen.

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: All right, so we might break in that question, whoever asked me, is it better to ask me or the Prime Minister, I would say it’s better to ask the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister: Can you see me Alex?

Host: Not yet, Prime Minister. I can see you on there, but not your picture yet. Got you, Welcome. We've just been having a good chat.

Prime Minister: Excellent. Excellent. Well, did you want me to say a couple of words first?

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Yes please over to you PM.

Prime Minister: Well, Xin Nian Kuai Le and Kung Hai Fat Choi. We were out in Burwood last night with Alex, but also with Fiona and our team, David Coleman and others. And it's simply, that precinct has developed up to those from Sydney up there in Burwood. It was so good to see so many families out together again. It's been very tough during the pandemic and and on how many occasions now have we said I'm sorry, people can't come together at this time of year, and this year they've been able to do so far more. And I think that's that's just great. There was young kids, there was families, there was food, there was everything. So that was really exciting to see. It was very, very pleasing. And I'm looking forward to engaging in a bit more of that over the next few days.

It has been a difficult time right around the country, but in Australia, our economy continues to perform incredibly well in the face of the pandemic, and our management of the pandemic has seen us have one of the lowest fatality rates from COVID anywhere in the world. One of the strongest economy, with our unemployment rate falling to 4.2 per cent and heading to low four per cent. And we've got youth unemployment now [inaudible] now at 10, we've got record numbers of trade of printing and we're seeing confidence start to lift again. As we've come through this, Omicron latest wave. Our biggest states are coming through their peak and the pressure's coming off our hospitals. Other parts of the country can, but lessons learnt in in the east coast in December and early January will play out well in those other states that will now go through it. So while we can never be overconfident when it comes to this virus, it has a habit of rewriting the rules on us constantly, which makes things very challenging. And we keep this moving ahead and a couple of areas where we would move ahead. Most importantly, in the last couple of months has been the reopening to students and to and to working holiday makers. And that's tremendous. I mean, that's important to us, both from the economic side for Australia in terms of having those students and visitors. But it's also very important in terms of the labour force challenges. One of the discussions I was having with some of the business owners last night was, you know, the challenges of the workforce and backpackers and our students are important parts of our labour force, particularly in the hospitality sector and especially, I've got to say, in a multicultural community. So those are those elements only opening up again has been positive. And as you know, we've reopened the borders completely to Singapore with New Zealand and more recently with Korea and with Japan. Now we're looking to opening the borders to balance of visitors, I hope, in the not too distant future, but we just want to be, we're getting some medical health advice on what we expect the impact of that might be on the hospital system and we just want to be a bit more confident about that before we take that next step, but that we will welcome that when that occurs. And that will, I think, set us up strongly as we we deal with the the other side of the peak of the Omicron variant and we do all we can through the booster programme and so on to get it back to as much normality as we can this year. And I know for so many families who have families back in China and Hong Kong that they have missed them terribly and have those connections, particularly at times of the year like this and to be able to, I think, move into a place where we'll be able to see each other again. Families can be reconnected and reunited, then that's what we're all looking forward to.

But from an economic point of view, we've got a very strong plan. It has five key elements to it. First of all, lower taxes and cutting regulation. Secondly, it's about investing in infrastructure and skills development. Our workforce needs in Australia are very important and so our migration programme has always been made a positive contribution to that challenge and skills migration to Australia has been one of the important pillars of economic success in this country since the Second World War. So this is important to our economic plan. It's not just as it is investing heavily in the skills development of Australians, as I said, we've got those record numbers of trade apprentices and trade training at the moment, 220,000. But it is about the education of our own population. But that being supplemented by our highly successful skilled migration programme, which Alex runs. The third area, is to ensure that we have affordable, reliable energy that, as you know, we have committed to net zero by 2050. But with a plan that's about technology, not taxes. And we've built important technology partnerships with many countries around the world and invested $21 billion in developing hydrogen technologies, carbon capture storage technologies. We're building new energy generation capabilities up in the Hunter with gas plants, Snowy Hydro Affordable Energy in Australia is critical to our economic growth, particularly in our regional areas. Electricity prices under our policies have actually fallen by eight per cent over the last two years. The next part of the plan is making sure Australia is a top 10 digital and data economy by 2030, and we're well on the way to that. And that's in all areas of activity of, whether it's in the finance sector, whether it's the way small and medium sized enterprises harness digital technology. Over the course of COVID, we have seen an explosion of capability in our SME sector, which has taken on new data and digital technology. And that is particularly been the case, I believe, with multicultural, small and medium sized enterprises. One of the great dimensions of contribution of multicultural communities, particularly the Chinese community, is their entrepreneurialism, and you’re into business, you're in tech and that is really helped fuel that ambition. And I think there is a big [inaudible] data and digital connections with businesses from the multicultural communities of Australia. And finally, it's about the fifth point is about building up our sovereign manufacturing capability and having secure supply chains. And a big part of that is the linkage which we just announced when I announced it at the Press Club two days ago of our accelerator programme and our Trailblazer Universities programme. Now what this is about is we want research entrepreneurs in this country. China has them, the United States has them. They are in Singapore, they're in Japan. There are many places and we want more of them here in Australia, and we want to see a stronger connection between our researchers in our universities and the incentives in place for those universities to see those researchers become entrepreneurs and connect up with business. And so there are many opportunities there, I think, for foreign students who are participating in Australian universities. So, you know, it's more of the Harvard model where people want to go and study, not just because they're going to get a great education, but they may well start a business and develop technology or other innovations that set them up for the future. And they'll, they'll find those here in Australia who can they can work with to that end. So there are five things that are driving unemployment down to less than four per cent, and we've got a lot more to do. And, and as we look to the future, keeping Australia's economy strong is the key to a stronger future for all Australians. And that's where we're very focussed. So I might leave it there, Alex, and happy to take questions.

Host: Thank you, Prime Minister. The first question is from Michelle Zheng from a AUWE News. Go ahead, Michelle.

Journalist: Hi Prime Minister, my question is, do think all the visitors from all countries, including China mainland, could come to Australia before Easter holiday?

Prime Minister: I do. That's what I hope for, subject to the health advice we're currently waiting on, that is certainly my ambition to see that happen, of course. So what quarantine requirements by the states and territories would be a matter for them, but they would, of course, be the requirement for full vaccination to enter Australia. And that's, that's the requirement now. But I believe we're moving towards that and we're living with the virus here in Australia and quite successfully. And so, yes, I can see that occurring, but we're not quite there yet, but I don't think it's too far away.

Journalist: Thank you, Prime Minister.

Host: The next question is from Wendy Huang from Daily Chinese Herald. Go ahead, Wendy.

Journalist: Thank you, Prime Minister, for your time today. I was actually going to ask a question about the economy, but you've given us such a good overview, so I hope you don't mind me asking another question about China's new Ambassador, Xiao Qian. He's expressed a willingness to repair the strained relationship between China and Australia. I was wondering whether you've spoken to him yet and what your plans are to rebuild this relationship?

Prime Minister: No, we haven't spoken yet, and look we’ve always wanted a positive relationship with China, where we can trade with each other, but that must come without any strings. The Chinese Government has set out 14 points that is causing them concern and and they're not points that, that we could ever, that we could ever appease, so and nor would we plan to. But that said, that position of Australia and that of China, I don't think means that we still can't work together, particularly on humanitarian issues and many other issues and economic issues. And we had done that previously very successfully. And frankly, we continue to, the trading relationship continues. We are currently subject to a range of what we believe are a very unfair and targeted actions against Australia. And there hasn't been any dialogue between ministers at a political level in, with Chinese government for some time now. But that is not, there is no barrier to that occurring for Australia, and we are happy to meet and discuss matters and resume those discussions at any time. But the only condition on that is that we're not about to go and accede to any of those 14 points, which I suspect you're all very familiar with. And we think that's entirely reasonable from our point of view. And so, but we remain very interested in that engagement, as many countries do with China. And we would and our economic relationship to that end continues. But we would like to see that occurring at the at the political level and whether it does or not is, is really, I think, in the hands of the Chinese Government because the offer for us to talk has never been removed.

Journalist: Thank you, Prime Minister.

Host: The next question is from Yuye Lu from SBS Mandarin program.

Journalist: Thank you. Hello, Prime Minister. So my question for you is regarding your WeChat account. So your office has set up the WeChat account to better engage with Chinese Australian communities during last election but with the two thousand and twenty two year election coming up, the account was reportedly hijacked and renamed. So I know your office is working to get that account restored, are there any updates if the account does get restored are you going to use that as a channel to connect with Chinese Australian voters in the next election?

Prime Minister: Well, we'd love to, but we don't control WeChat, effectively that is ultimately goes all the way back to the Chinese Government. So we were using that as a, as a vehicle to speak with the Chinese community here in Australia. And I understand it is a common platform used for that purpose. And so you know where, where Australians are, I'm very happy to engage with them in those places and on those platforms and particularly Chinese Australians. So that was a good opportunity for us to speak through that channel. And I hope there might be an opportunity for that. But given the way that effectively that account was, was we were denied access to that's very, would be very difficult for us to, I think, move forward on that. But if there is an opportunity, then perhaps we will do that. But at the moment, all I can say is that I'm very disappointed that, that I have been censored in that way, In wanting to speak to Australians here. I mean, Chinese Australians love Australia, passionate patriots who love our democracy, who love the opportunities and have built families and businesses over generations and generations and generations, but also have a very strong ethnic linkage back to their, to their country of ancestry. And I respect and understand it, and we celebrate it, we’re celebrating it at the moment. And I think that's a wonderful part of Australia. But where democracy, where there's freedom of speech and and the ability to speak to each other in an uncensored way. And that's what Australia is about. But that opportunity is not being afforded to me as the Prime Minister of the country, but I notice it's being afforded to my political opponents, but people can read into that what they like.

Host: Thank you. The next question is from Fred Zhang from Melbourne's today. Go ahead, Fred.

Journalist: Good afternoon, Prime Minister Sir. Good to see you again.

Prime Minister: Nice to see you, too.

Journalist: So my question, I was planning to ask about a China Australia relationship, and you have an that properly, so I want to ask with the federal election approaching, many Chinese Australians feel they are not properly represented in the federal level, especially in the parliament. They are looking forward to see more Chinese Australians in the parliament, do you welcome more Chinese Australians, regardless of which party, to support in the federal political level.

Prime Minister: Well, I welcome more Liberal National parliamentarians in the parliament, and and what their ethnicity and origin is is is also important. But I don't welcome having more Labor members in the parliament because I don't want I don't think a Labor government would be good for the country. I wouldn't be good for the economy. It wouldn't be good for Australia's national security. It wouldn't be good for our taxes and stronger support for small and medium sized enterprises and all of the things that I know are so important to the Chinese Australian community. But that said, Gladys Liu is a wonderful part of our team, and where there's the opportunity for more people of Chinese background and ancestry to join our team and be part of our team well I welcome that with open arms. But you asked me the question, would I welcome that if it were from members of the other side of politics, well, my my objective is to ensure that we can continue to serve this country, as its government. And while I welcome the diversity that we're increasingly seeing in our parliament, that's tremendous and and in particularly in terms of the contribution of Chinese ancestry Australians. But first and foremost, my request to the Chinese Australian community is vote Liberal vote National.

Journalist: Thank you, Prime Minister.

Host: The next question is from Hannah Zhang at ACB News. Go ahead, Hannah. Hannah you must be just on mute. We'll just get you unmute please. Sorry, Hannah, we can't hear you. I might let you just see if you can fix that and we'll just go to the next question. Keith Tan from Australia Chinese Daily. Go ahead, Keith.

Journalist: Good afternoon, Prime Minister, and thank you for the greeting and the praises that you have provided to the Australian community over your Chinese New Year messaging for the year of the Tiger. You've answered quite a lot of good questions, especially with regards to the relationship and also about the five pillars of approach that you have for businesses and researchers and, of course, the improvement in the labour force. One comment, I guess in this as well, a question from the community are the Chinese business owners in itself have and would like to receive more confidence from the government, whereby we in Australia being Australians should be protected in that sense and will be also looked after and that the relationship, no matter how it is currently or in future, we are still being affected by the Australian Government. So the question might be is how could you provide more confidence to them?

Prime Minister: One of Australia's great strengths is that we're a stable democracy,  governed by the rule of law and people's property rights, none of these things are arbitrary. They're secure because that's the nature of our constitution, and that's the nature of our, of our government and and how Australia runs. And so certainly, I mean citizens are citizens. Their ethnicity and race is irrelevant in terms of their rights and obligations and and all of those things. Our constitution is blind to that and it should be. And and so the investments and commitments that Australians of Chinese ancestry have made are no different to any other Australian and are as secure as those as their neighbours as it should be. Because Australia is the most successful multicultural nation in the world and we are, I'm very confident of that. I don't think it's arguably I think it is. And I think, you know, daylight is second and when it comes to that. And one of the reasons for that is I think we see every Australian as an Australian first, what their ethnic background is or racial background or first language is or ancestry or any of that, what their gender is for that matter, that is secondary tertiary to them being an Australian first. And so I would give you that absolute confidence. And I think Australia is in a position to do that when it comes to the investment in Australia by Chinese investments from overseas, where we have a very thorough process to regulate foreign investments. It's a it's blind and non-discriminatory in nature. And as a result, when decisions are made to allow investments and those investments can be made and we manage those issues of sovereign risk very, very carefully. And so any decisions we make on foreign investment are very carefully made because we want people to have that certainty and where the rules are, we set them out. And Australia has one of the most liberal foreign investment regimes in South East Asia. I mean, we [inaudible] most of the countries in East Asia, particularly China, like you can in Australia, and the certainty that you're afforded through your investment in Australia is many times over that what you could I'm sure, see in in China. So I mean, I think Australia is is an absolute refuge for certainty, refuge for certainty when it comes to people's economic investments in this country [inaudible] firmly and deeply and strongly, because that's what makes our country strong.

Journalist: Thank you.

Host: Thanks Prime Minister, I believe Mr Hawke has to leave us now, so.

Prime Minister: Thanks, Alex.

The Hon. Alex Hawke MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Thanks, Prime Minister. Thanks, everybody. Thank you for everything you're doing and helping us communicate on the pandemic as well. As I said earlier, the Prime Minister deeply appreciate it, we’ve a bit more to go. We'll keep working with you and all your outlets on on that communication. Thank you all. Thank you PM.

Prime Minister: Thanks mate.

Host: Prime Minister, I know we're coming to time, but if we can just try to get Hannah back, Hannah, can you hear us and can we hear you?

Journalist: And sorry about that. Can you hear me now?

Prime Minister: Yes.

Journalist: Oh, great. And good afternoon, Prime Minister. This is Hannah from ACB News. Thank you so much for hosting this event and having us today. ACB an investment and finance news provider, so we have more focus on the economy. And today we have a question regarding to regarding the economic recovery plan. So the economic recovery plan in 2020 to 2021 provided tax incentives for eligible businesses, such as tax refunds for losses against prior year’s profits. Temporary full expensing extension. Those tax incentives will be extended to 2023. And apart from the tax incentives, we also see a patent box for encouraging investment in Australian medical and biotech technologies company. Would you please introduce more about the patent box as many Australian Chinese are working in this industry, and many of them are interested in investing in medical and biotech technology companies? Thank you very much.

Prime Minister: Well, thank you. Further details on tax issues and many of the programs which you rightly referred to, which have played a very significant role in Australia's economic comeback. One of the reasons that Australia's economy is strong, has had a stronger recovery. It has performed stronger than any other country in the G7, both in employment terms GDP. We really are, I think, taking things forward and that the tax incentives which we put in place have contributed significantly to that. There are many others that the research and development tax incentives you mentioned the, of course, the loss carry back investment allowance measures for full expensing. All of this has seen a very strong surge in investment. And what's great about that is even through a pandemic, when we've seen such impacts on consumer demand here, businesses are investing and they're investing because they're confident about the future of the Australian economy and where it's heading. And that's, that's a great vote of support, I think, from business and investors in Australia. And it's not just from those in Australia. I mean, we're hearing that from investment houses all around the world. They're looking at our performance and saying that's a safe place to be, and there's some very good opportunities. But you rightly say that we need to further develop other new opportunities in these new sectors, and that was the fifth point of the plan I set out on manufacturing. Now the patent box, which we announced in last year's budget that is there to encourage investment in medical and biotech technologies, and it will reduce income tax from innovative research to encourage businesses to undertake R&D here in Australia, which I suspect, you know, and this programme is very early in its in its development and implementation. But we see that combining with the measures that I announced just this week some $1.6 billion and to drive research efforts in our universities together with our entrepreneurial sector. So I'd be, I would be encouraging the partnering up on research programmes with university partners and ensuring that's part of a commercial model here in Australia, which sees an ecosystem develop, which we're very keen to establish. So there'll be more to be said about all that, particularly once we get to the budget. But we take investment, particularly in these new tech sectors, to support the development of our manufacturing sector in Australia. Under our opponents one in eight manufacturing jobs were lost under Labor when they were last in office. One in eight went. We've turned all that around and we know that to drive those manufacturing jobs and opportunities and income earning opportunities, then we need to invest more in our R&D, in our technology, in our infrastructure and our skilled labour force to ensure that they are able to support a growing manufacturing sector with new products and new innovations.

Host: Thanks, Prime Minister. We have come to a time now, so if you'd like to make some closing remarks before you sign off, please.

Prime Minister: Well, sure. Thank you, Rosa, and thank you for joining us. I'm sorry, I was a little delayed coming on to the call. I want to finish where Alex did, and that is to thank you for your communications to Australians in the Chinese Australian community throughout COVID. Australia has saved more than 40,000 lives through COVID. And you know, I never tire of reflecting on that. Our response to COVID had it not been the way that we had done things here and it had gone the way of what we'd seen in countries just like Australia, in Europe or the United States or North America or UK, 40,000 Australians would have been dead right now. And so that is something Australians have achieved together and I will never forget after the virus started and was coming out of Wuhan. The incredible work done by the Chinese community, where there were many people coming back from China and the precautions they took in their own communities and isolating and wearing masks and being very, very considerate but also very careful. I believe that provided a very significant role in how Australia was able to avoid where so many other countries went with COVID and the communications into the Chinese Australian community have been critical to maintaining that. So I'm very grateful to you and all of your publications. You've kept your, your subscribers and your readers safe. In many cases, I'm sure you've kept them alive by the work that you've done, so I thank you for that. Moving forward, we're one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, strongest economies and lowest fatality rates. And that sets Australia up, I think, to be very successful in the years ahead. But that will only come from the strength of our people and our Chinese Australian community is a powerhouse for the Australian population. It is just always been a massively contributing, entrepreneurial, hardworking, strong values based community that has really, really added so much to our country. And so I'm very passionate about our Chinese Australian community. I love the family values that are part of the Chinese Australian community. I love the work ethic that's there. I love the entrepreneurial spirit. I met a young bloke last night, Burwood, he's 21. He started his own business. It's, it's the Smiling Noodle out there in Burwood, I'll give it a plug. If you're out that way, I suggest you look it up. It was pretty good. Young people in our multicultural community, starting businesses that just lights me up, it really does and I see it more in our multicultural communities, particularly in the Chinese Australian community, than I see in most. And that's to be celebrated, and that's one of the things I celebrate when we get to Lunar New Year. It's that contribution and that's, that passion that Chinese Australians have for our country. So I'm keen to connect with more as much as I can, and I thank you for the opportunity that you give me to do that. So thank you again, Xin Nian Kuai Le again and Kung Hai Fat Choi.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43784

Defence Surges To Support Aged Care Sector

7 February 2022

Prime Minister, Minister for Defence, Minister for Health and Aged Care, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Minister for Sport

The Morrison Government will deploy up to 1,700 Australian Defence Force personnel to support staff in the aged care sector.

This immediate support through the Department of Health will help stabilise outbreaks and support staff shortages in residential aged care facilities.

Over the weekend, ADF personnel undertook induction training with healthcare provider Aspen Medical and joined civilian staff in aged care facilities that afternoon.

Defence will deploy four Quick Response Support Teams this week. These teams will consist of nurses and general support staff and will expand to a total of 10 teams from next week.

Defence is readying specialist teams of 50 personnel in the four states experiencing greatest pressure (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia) from 9 February. Defence is ready to expand this commitment to up to 200 personnel in each state and territory, or up to 1,700 personnel, if required.

The ADF is not a shadow workforce and cannot replace skilled aged care workers, but they will assist across facilities including logistics and general duties tasks. For example screening of entrants to facilities, providing companionship to residents, supporting with meals and other non-direct care functions to take the pressure off qualified aged care workers and medical staff. Where they are medically qualified, ADF personnel will assist with those duties.

This effort builds on the significant contribution Defence has made to help the effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic including more than 24,000 ADF who have contributed to Operation COVID-19 ASSIST including quarantine compliance and management, contact tracing, ambulance driving, delivery of food to vulnerable Australians, and during the outbreaks in aged care in Victoria in 2020.

This ADF surge is in addition to the work already underway to support the aged care sector. That includes delivering 10.7 million rapid antigen tests to facilities since August, provision of 42.9 million masks and 15.7 million gowns and covering more than 80,000 shifts with our Government’s surge workforce initiative.

Under an agreement with the private hospitals, additional staff are being made available for aged care and the changes to furloughing guidance is providing additional capacity. This is on top of a successful program to recruit retired staff to return to the workforce and re-deploying staff on other aged care programs to assist with on the ground support.

It follows interim guidance to the sector, issued in early January, which set out advice to residential and home care providers aimed at protecting the workforce and limiting exposure risks through strengthened screening, including use of rapid antigen tests and additional PPE requirements.

By the end of today, 100 per cent of aged care facilities across the country will have received a booster clinic.

Our whole of government effort will continue our work to help provide safe and quality care to vulnerable older Australians.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43780

Morrison Government to deliver reduced premiums through reinsurance pool

7 February 2022

Prime Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience, Minister for Regionalisation, Minister for Regionalisation, Regional Communications and Regional Education, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness, Social and Community Housing

The Morrison Government has finalised the design of the reinsurance pool for cyclone and related flood damage, following consultation on the draft legislation.

The reinsurance pool will be backed by a $10 billion annually reinstated Commonwealth guarantee and be administered by the Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation from 1 July 2022.

Over 880,000 residential, strata and small business property insurance policies in northern Australia are expected to be eligible to be covered by the reinsurance pool for the risk of cyclone and related flood damage.

The pool is expected to reduce insurance premiums by up to $2.9 billion for eligible household, strata and small business insurance policies over 10 years. Homeowners in northern Australia with the most acute cost pressures are expected to benefit from up to 46 per cent premium discounts, strata properties up to a 58 per cent discount and SMEs up to a 34 per cent discount.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the establishment of a reinsurance pool would deliver on the Government’s commitment to maximising northern Australia’s potential and to ensure Australians in cyclone-prone areas have access to affordable insurance.

“We’ve listened closely to our team including Warren Entsch and Phil Thompson so we can cut the cost of insurance for households, strata and small businesses,” the Prime Minister said.

“This is about making northern Australia even more resilient and liveable.”

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said that the Government was committed to the benefits flowing through to policyholders as soon as possible, and had directed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to undertake price monitoring.

“As a critical integrity measure, price monitoring by the ACCC will provide transparency on how the benefits of the pool are being passed onto policyholders,” the Treasurer said.

Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud said by reducing the insurance premiums in northern Australia, the Government is removing an obstacle to development so the great potential of the region is achieved.

“This will save households money and give them greater financial freedom and it will give businesses access to more capital to invest and grow,” Minister Littleproud said.

Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience Bridget McKenzie said this is yet another significant investment by the Government to ensure we are better prepared for disasters - before they strike.

“Northern Australia is particularly prone to extreme weather events and we want to support people and communities to mitigate against the damage that is caused when cyclones and flooding hit the region. This investment will give communities confidence that the Government is backing them to be better prepared,” Minister McKenzie said.

Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar said that the Government had listened to the feedback it had received throughout the consultation and design process and has made key changes to ensure the reinsurance pool delivers on its objectives.

“The Government has committed to expanding the pool to provide coverage for small business marine property insurance from 1 July 2023. We have also made adjustments to ensure that more strata properties will benefit from the pool,” Minister Sukkar said.

The Government intends to introduce legislation for the reinsurance pool in the first week of Parliament in February 2022, with the pool on track for the scheduled 1 July start date.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43779

Reopening to tourists and other international travellers to secure our economic recovery

7 February 2022

Prime Minister, Minister for Health and Aged Care, Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment

Australia will reopen to all fully vaccinated visa holders, welcoming the return of tourists, business travellers, and other visitors from 21 February. 

These changes will ensure we protect the health of Australians, while we continue to secure our economic recovery.

Australia’s health system has demonstrated its resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including though the recent Omicron wave. With improving health conditions, including a recent 23 per cent decline in hospitalisations due to COVID, the National Security Committee of Cabinet today agreed Australia is ready to further progress the staged reopening of our international border.

Visa holders who are not fully vaccinated will still require a valid travel exemption to enter Australia, and will be subject to state and territory quarantine requirements.

Today’s announcement will give certainty to our vital tourism industry, and allow them to start planning, hiring and preparing for our reopening. In 2018-19, tourism generated more than $60 billion for the Australian economy, with more than 660,000 jobs dependent on the industry.

Since the Morrison Government commenced Australia’s staged international border reopening on 1 November 2021 we have seen almost 580,000 arrivals come to Australia including to reunite with loved ones, work or study.

The Commonwealth continues to work with States and Territories on the safe resumption of the cruise industry and looks forward to further announcements on this in due course.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-44157

Doorstop - North Parramatta, NSW

6 February 2022

PRIME MINISTER: My great privilege for Jenny and I and my family to join with the Abdallah and Sakr families on what is always a sad day, but it's also a day of hope. I forgive. These are powerful words. And the Abdallah family and the Sakr family have brought them back into our language as Australians. And they've demonstrated the power of them. As prime minister, you learn a lot about human frailties as you move around this country, but you also learn a lot about human resilience and the strength and indeed the faith of so many Australians who have gone through such difficult times. But the grief and the sadness and the sorrow that the Abdallah and the Sakr families have known and live with is unimaginable. But you've seen their great faith and grace on display, and it is a lesson to us all. I4Give is a very important day, and it's one that I hope continues to grow, not just here in this country, but something uniquely Australian that catches on far beyond our shores because the power of forgiveness is as those of us who know in our own lives, it is incredibly transformative. As Danny says, you have a choice to be bitter or to be better. And I think that's an encouragement for all of us. 

Today, I also want to pay my respects and give my thanks to Her Majesty today with that remarkable length of service. I've had the great privilege to meet Her Majesty on several occasions, and I have never met anyone more impressive, more remarkable. Her wisdom, her kindness, her sense of duty is something that I think all of us here in Australia can be very grateful for. And so to you, Your Majesty from Australia, thank you for all your many years of service. And may God save The Queen. 

And finally, as we go into this parliamentary week, there are many important matters that we'll be addressing. One of those we will be addressing very early on is the issue of the opening up of our international borders to international visitors again. As people will know, we have already opened up our borders to skilled migrants and backpackers and students. And that has been happening now for some months. And we are considering the further opening of the borders to international visitors as many of our states now move through and pass their peaks. The key issue that we have been examining and I have asked for advice from our health officials now over recent weeks, is how that decision could impact on our hospitals, which has been our primary consideration. But the previous opening up of the borders has gone very well and we are looking forward and to be able to make that decision to open up our borders and welcome visitors back to Australia again as soon as we safely and possibly can. But I really do not believe that is far away. 

Challenges in aged care and so many other areas continue. I thank all of those who continue to work so incredibly hard to deal with the situation, which is so incredibly tough, and now I'm happy to take a few questions. 

JOURNALIST: [inaudible]. 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, quite easy, actually, because, you know, politics is a brutal business and anyone who pretends it's not and anybody who pretends that from time to time, people don't get angry or bitter and don't act like other human beings, then if you can't accept and understand each other's frailties and be forgiving in those circumstances, then frankly, that says a lot more about you than it does about others. And so that is what my faith is always informed me to do the same as it has so many others, and I'm thankful for that. You know, politicians, they're no different to anyone else. And people say things and people feel things. People get angry, people get bitter. Of course they do. That's all of us. And so who am I to be judging someone else? 

JOURNALIST: And how are you going to keep the public [inaudible].

PRIME MINISTER: No, I don't believe so, because our record speaks to our working relationship. And I think as I said yesterday, we have both surprised each other. We hadn't had a close relationship in the past. But as we came together, him as the leader of the Nationals and I as the leader of the Liberals, as the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, we have to continue to combat this pandemic. We've landed the biggest international security agreement Australia has been able to deliver since ANZUS itself, and we continue to drive the unemployment rate down below four per cent. These are the achievements of our government as we fight a pandemic and have one of the strongest economies going through this pandemic. One of the lowest death rates of any country in the world and one of the highest vaccination rates. So together, Barnaby and I are getting on with it. We understand the frailties of all individuals and human beings. And if people think it's any different in politics to their own lives, they'd be mistaken. So we'll just get on with it the same way Australians get on with it. 

JOURNALIST: If the Deputy Prime Minister thinks you're a liar, why should voters think differently? 

PRIME MINISTER: Because he doesn't think that. And he made that very clear yesterday. 

JOURNALIST: [inaudible], when you were a Minister, [inaudible], changed observation?

PRIME MINISTER: We work together directly, a prime minister and a deputy prime minister work very closely together and his observations of me, and that relationship has completely transformed his view that he had as a backbencher at a time when his head was in a very different place. 

JOURNALIST: [inaudible], liar and a horrible person, why are members of your own party turning against you now? 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't believe that's the case. And my record with my party members and my party in the parliament has been the most united Liberal Party and the Coalition that we have seen. I mean, we've worked together to achieve a net zero commitment by 2050. Everybody said we couldn't have done that as a Coalition. But the Deputy Prime Minister and I, we agreed that. We have our differences when it comes to issues and we work through them and we get to results as we have on that issue. So our record is one of working together and working for Australia. Now, I'm sure if anyone went out there and checked what everybody has ever said about them, including all of us here, you will find people who will say not the most pleasant things about you. No one is immune to that. The question is, how do you respond to it as an individual? And today, on I forgive day, I think we get a very good lesson about that. I think this day is all about understanding human frailty. Human frailty, it's real. We all share it. We all live with it and we all need to be more understanding of it. Politicians are no different to people watching me now. People asking me questions now. People anywhere around the country. We all need to be more understanding of each other in that way. And that's certainly the approach that I adopt, especially with my colleagues. 

JOURNALIST: [inaudible] what is being said about you. What about those who are leaking? What's being said about [inaudible] how do you forgive that? 

PRIME MINISTER: None of them are in my Cabinet. 

JOURNALIST: [inaudible].

PRIME MINISTER: I don't let them distract me. We're facing a global pandemic which we've fought for the last two years. We fought through fires, through floods, through pestilence, cyclones, and we've been leading this country through one of the most difficult times we have known since the Second World War and the Great Depression. What people send around in texts, I frankly could not care less about. And frankly, Australians are far more interested in their jobs and their lives than what people are sending in text messages to each other. I'm focused on what they need. I am focused on their needs. I'm focused on their frustrations and focused on continuing to lead this country through this pandemic and to the strong economy and a strong society I know we will have on the other side. And we have the plan to achieve that. That's the plan that's been taking us through. And that's the plan that will continue to take us through. But today is all about remembering Antony, Angelina and Sienna and Veronique. It's about remembering the incredible act of grace by the Aballah and the Sakr families. It's about learning from their terrible experience and taking those lessons to ourselves and finding the strength within us all because we're all suffering from the same human condition. And finding the way forward and a huge part of that is to forgive. Thanks very much, everyone.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43778

Acknowledging The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

6 February 2022

oday marks 70 years since The Queen’s accession.

Understandably, The Queen traditionally does not mark this day with any joy, as the day marks the anniversary of the passing of her father.

So later in the year, there will be appropriate celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee.

Still, today marks an extraordinary milestone.

For over half of our history as a Federation, The Queen has been our monarch. Most Australians have known no other sovereign. She has been a constant presence in a changing world.

The Queen’s reign has spanned 15 Australian prime ministers with Sir Robert Menzies being the first.

Australians have a deep respect and affection for The Queen.

The Queen has carried out her duties with diligence and dignity, always upholding her deep faith as well as her respect for the constitutional tradition she was born into.

On this anniversary, I extend the gratitude of the Australian people.

Tonight, iconic buildings and monuments in many parts of Australia will be lit up in royal purple for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. This anniversary is a truly remarkable milestone in a remarkable life.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-44156

Interview with Gareth Parker, 6PR

3 February 2022

GARETH PARKER: Joining me on the line is the Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison. Prime Minister, good morning.

PRIME MINISTER: G'day Gareth.

PARKER: It's been an interesting couple of days for you.

PRIME MINISTER: It always is mate.

PARKER: It's sort of the summer apology tour after the Omicron wave in the eastern states, which so far we've avoided the worst off in Western Australia. My sense is that most West Australians are thankful for that. Did Mark McGowan do the right thing by deferring the planned border reopening?

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, I think he did. I mean, Omicron, as we learnt over the summer, is a completely different virus. I mean, the things we're doing before don't work the same way under the Omicron virus. And as a result, you've got to reset and you've got to rethink the things you were doing. On the eastern states, as you've been seeing while you've been over here. We have changed how close contact rules work because that impacts then on the workforce and how many people you have working in health and aged care and in food distribution centres, driving trucks. So you've really had to completely change and that's what we were doing over the summer and that had some pretty significant impacts. But you know, Omicron is what brought that about. And I think that's the big lesson from the eastern states for the West when they inevitably move, as the Premier, Mark, has said into this Omicron phase that the lessons from the East Coast would be applied there and that when his health system, he believes is ready to go, I'm sure he will take that next step.

PARKER: So, so when's the right time for us to join back in there because I was talking to Anthony Albanese about this earlier. He's been in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales just in the last week. Many West Australians would like to be able to travel unencumbered for their work or to see their family or even maybe take a holiday.

PRIME MINISTER: Oh, I have no doubt about that, but I think what we've seen in the West is they want to do that. They want to do it safely, too. And that's why we've been investing heavily to support Western Australians over the course of the pandemic. I mean, we put more than $14 billion in direct economic supports to Western Australians over the course of this pandemic. And importantly, we've been supporting them with their hospital funding as well. I mean, you may not realise, but 50/50 of all the expenditure on COVID in Western Australia is done 50/50 with the federal government, whether it's buying tests or whatever, that might be additional costs in hospitals, even manning and having people at the testing clinics, that's being funded 50/50 with the Commonwealth Government. It's a joint effort and the figures on the vaccinations in Western Australia are encouraging. I mean, you've gone over that 90 per cent on two dose mark, you know you're over 40 per cent on on the on the booster shot as well. In fact, your double dose rate in WA is now higher than Queensland, and that's a that's a great effort. Because you haven't had the spread of the virus in WA, like eastern states have. So I think that's a pretty stunning effort from Western Australia to catch up and to be where they now are on boosters.

PARKER: But Prime Minister, are you saying that it's safe to travel from Brisbane to Melbourne or from Adelaide to Sydney, but not from Perth to anywhere?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm saying that's the Premier's call. That's what I'm saying. And he has to make that decision based on what he thinks his health system is ready to absorb. Now we've been investing in that hospital system, and you and I have spoken many, many times about the boost to the WA state budget from our GST deal, which I put together and argued for and got across the whole Commonwealth of states. I had to argue that case for the West in the East. No one did that more than me, as you know, and we landed that. And that has put Western Australia in a very good position to be investing in their hospital system and get it ready. But at the end of the day, Mark McGowan is going to make that call and we've been supporting him.

PARKER: I'll come back to you on East versus West in a moment because there's something quite important that I want to just get your view on. But but just just perhaps one more on COVID. The Premier Mark McGowan has emphasised almost daily the number of COVID deaths over this summer Omicron wave in the rest of the country, running at sort of 40, 50, 60, 70, sometimes more a day. Thankfully, it looks as though that level is coming down. Is that level of death acceptable to you?

PRIME MINISTER: None of these deaths at the end of the day, whether here in Australia or around the world, I mean, that's what the virus has done, and we have to remember that this is the virus doing this and it's doing it all around the world. And Australia has one of the lowest death rates from COVID, including from Omicron, of anywhere in the world. And yes, every single one of these deaths is heartbreaking for those families. But equally, every life we have saved is a great blessing. Now we've saved over 40,000 lives in this country and many of those in Western Australia. Now that is something that Australians can say we've been able to push through and achieve. Many, many tens of thousands of lives saved. So, you know, the Omicron variant is not as is not as severe, but it is far more far more contagious. And so while its its severity is low, because so many people have it, then obviously it has that greater volume of cases and some that become more severe. And that is the battle with Omicron. It is a very different virus that behaves differently. And so that's why when Western Australia, when Omicron, it will get there at some point. The Premier understands that, we both understand that looking at how you manage that when it's there is very different to what it was with Delta. And that's the lesson from the East Coast and particularly around close contact rules, because the virus can do worse things with rules that don't work than the virus can do on its own.

PARKER: We're seeing that at the moment with the 14 day quarantine rules for schools, for example. I just wonder whether you think that that should change quickly to 7 days like the rest of the country.

PRIME MINISTER: I mean, the Premier has been sitting around our national cabinet table with us and seeing what's been happening. The East Coast and the virus has had a very different course in different parts of the country, and that has been most stark in the West. And so that means what's happened there has been different to the rest of the country and I've always acknowledged that, just like, I've always understood how the Western Australian economy works differently to the rest of the country, why I thought the GST is different, so I've always recognised that. So it is different. But I think the point is that when they're ready then they can move. But ultimately they need to get ready and learn from lessons.

On 14 days, now we dropped that in the East Coast because that was taking people off trucks out of distribution centres, out of hospitals, out of schools. And we've got kids back now here in New South Wales and my kids are back. You know,I got an alert the other day saying oh, there was a case, they're back at school today, they left first thing this morning and will be back home this afternoon. They're doing their thing. Their education is continuing. We're living with it here, and our experience in the East is different to the West, and the West has done incredibly well. And I commend Mark for that and the work that we've done together. We're working together right now on the challenges regarding the rail lines. I appreciate the strong cooperation we’ve had on that. We always work together to try and solve these problems and understand that it is different in the West.

PARKER: And that's exactly the issue that I wanted to go to. And I think there's been way too much east versus west rhetoric from both sides over the last two years. My view has always been that we need each other, you know, the East needs the West and the West needs the East.

PRIME MINISTER: I agree.

PARKER: This rail line is exposed a significant vulnerability has it. Paul Scurrah from the rail operator Pacific National earlier this week called for more money to be spent on the rail line so there's more resilient to future flooding events. Is that something the government will consider?

PRIME MINISTER: We'll work through all these issues, particularly with the Premier, the South Australian Premier as well. Barnaby Joyce has, you know, just flew straight into gear on attacking this challenge and working with both premiers, and we're getting through it. And we've made some changes to regulations around trucks and licences and things like this. And that means things can keep flying, but it's going to take a little while to restore that line, and I think people understand that. But it does highlight those vulnerabilities. It's one of the reasons, you know, go back to the other side of the country. When you look down in Tasmania, they've got the Bass Strait and the what is called the [inaudible], which is that basically an extension chord between Tasmania and the rest of the country, you know, that's it's a similar sort of issue. And what we do there with shipping and the West, you know, it's a land sea in effect between the West and the East and and you know, those connections are incredibly important. I think COVID has highlighted that as well.

PARKER: The starters gun has sort of been fired in the election campaign, I think, this week. That's my observation. You've been saying May for months and months now. So that's I presume when we're going to the polls. But and we alluded to this earlier event, we've all had revelations this week that apparently some colleagues in the Liberal Party think that you're a horrible person and you're a psycho. There's ministers currently stood down over personal conduct. We've got the issues over the RATs, cost of living emerging as a big issue for households. And then there’s Newspoll. How do you convince West Australians that you're the man for the job for another term?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think there are two very important issues, and, you know, there's a lot of politics that goes on in between elections and that's true and I'm looking forward to the opportunity I'll have to come and speak to West Australians directly. But when it comes to their job and the security of their job and their future, when it comes to, you know, getting people into a home, we've got 300,000 Australians into their own home over the course since the last election through our home guarantee scheme, the homebuilder scheme. When it comes to getting that education, the skills, we've got 220,000 apprentices in trade training at the moment around the country, so many of them in Western Australia. That's the highest level since 1963, and we've got unemployment heading to below four per cent and youth unemployment below 10 and a million more women in jobs. So we've had the plan to get those jobs and we've got the plan to keep those jobs and keep growing those jobs, whether it be in our manufacturing sector, our resources sector, we've always stood up for the resources sector. We've never had an each way bet on that like our opponents. So we have the plan to keep that economy strong and take Australia forward from small businesses to large.

And then it comes to the issues of national security. We live in an incredibly, incredibly more dangerous and uncertain world, and we've stood up for Australia in the middle of all. We’ve had our critics, including in the West. But we will always stand up and not appease for Australia. What we will do is will stand up for Australia. We won't trade away Australia's values or interests. And we've been very clear that investments in defence, cyber security, national security, standing up to the big tech companies when they undermine our society, people can trust us to run the economy, run the finances and ensure that we stand up for Australia's interests in a very, very changing and often hostile world.

Now the other thing that's going to happen on the other side of the election, whichever way you're voting. Mark McGowan's the Premier the next day. So it's not a state election, it's a federal election. It's about who do you want to be prime minister? You've got Mark McGowan. He was strongly supported at the last election, and he's premier either way, the next day after. And we've always worked very well together.

PARKER: So you don't want a contest of Scott Morrison versus Mark McGowan. You want a contest versus Anthony Albanese.

PRIME MINISTER: And that's because it's not one between Mark and I any more than it's a contest between meaning any other premier. I've met 65 times in the national cabinet, calling them together. That's more than any prime minister has met with any premiers, any time in our history to deal and work together through this pandemic, and Mark's been an important part of that. And he's openly acknowledged that process and has been a keen advocate for it. And it's been good to have him around the table and to have that perspective and for the eastern states to understand that perspective. So it's not just me standing up for Western Australia, we're together on that on many occasions.

PARKER: Well, Prime Minister, I hope the next time that we talk on air, it's in Perth. We hope we can get you, or at least somewhere else in the western third of the continent. We'd like to see you on our side of the country ASAP.

PRIME MINISTER: You and me both. Looking forward to it.

PARKER: Good on you, Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43776

Entries Open For Prime Minister's Literary Awards

3 February 2022

Prime Minister, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts

The 2022 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, which celebrate Australia’s outstanding literary talent, are now open for entries.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said each year the Awards attract exceptional entries from our many talented and diverse writers.

“The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards recognise excellence, and every year they showcase to the nation and the world a collection of unique works of great quality and appeal,” the Prime Minister said.

“I strongly encourage Australia’s authors, illustrators, historians and poets to put forward their stories for this year’s Awards, as we celebrate the significant contribution that their works make to our story as a nation.”

Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher said the Awards importantly recognise and celebrate the diverse role writing plays in shaping Australia’s cultural and intellectual life.

“These Awards acknowledge the benefits we all receive from the intense, arduous and sustained creative work done by writers,” Minister Fletcher said.

“Their work entertains, informs and educates. In short, it enriches their readers’ lives.”

The Awards are presented in six categories – children’s literature, young adult literature, fiction, poetry, non-fiction, Australian history – with a total prize pool of $600,000.

Entries, which close on Friday 4 March, are sought for books published in the 2021 calendar year.

For more information about the Awards and to apply, visit: www.arts.gov.au/pmla

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43775

Interview with Paul Murray, Sky News

3 February 2022

Paul Murray: Prime Minister, nice to see you again. 

Prime Minister: Good to see you, Paul. 

Murray: Now before we get into everything, I've got a selection of breads here, I need you to rank them from most expensive to the least expensive. We might do that a bit later.

Prime Minister: Sure. We'll make some toast. 

Murray: Our mate, Chris Kenny has a great line about the National Press Club that it's it's a home game for Labor people and an away game for Liberal people. 

Prime Minister: Sure. 

Murray: They came at you really hard yesterday and that's fine. People can come hard, but it seems so personal. So what's happening inside you when it's that personal? 

Prime Minister: You have the same human reactions as anyone else does, Paul, but at the same time, you know, I never let that sort of distract me. I know what they're trying to do. And yes, it was one of the more brutal outings at the press club. I've been there many, many, many times and there's been some experiences there, and that's okay. But I just expect them to apply the same blowtorch to the to the to my opponents. And if they do that, fair enough. But if they don't, well people make up their own mind what that's all about.

Murray: Why do you think when people go you that it is always personal? It's very rarely about the idea or the policy, or it's always seemingly personal? 

Prime Minister: Well, I remember they used to do the same thing to John Howard, remember? And so, you know, when you've got unemployment down to 4.2 per cent, when you've got youth unemployment to under 10, you have 220,000 trade apprentices in training, the highest level since 1963. You know, you've got one of the lowest fatality rates from COVID in the world, strongest economies, highest vaccination rates. Well, I'm not surprised they're going to come after me on personal attacks, and that's what my opponents have done over the last three years. I mean, they've had one job get up every day and sledge me. The jobs I've had over the last three years are about keeping Australians safe. I mean, COVID has been a big part of that. But one of the things I said yesterday was COVID hasn't been the only thing going on, and we can't forget that. I mean, the world we're living at the moment, we know, I'm not just talking about Ukraine, I'm more significantly talking about what's happened in our region, while we're battling COVID, we were putting together AUKUS. While we were battling COVID, we were finalising an agreement which took us three years to do with Japan on defence. These were the things that were going on at the same time, as well as obviously dealing with big challenge with veterans services, aged care reforms, the royal commission response. So it's been very busy. And when you go to the press club, these are the things you like to talk about. But instead, we talk about, you know, text messages between people somewhere else. But what does that mean for someone's job? Nothing. The stuff that we were talking about and I brought to the press club yesterday was about things that put people in work. And, you know, we're looking at an unemployment rate with a 3 in front of it. That hasn't happened for 50 years. 

Murray: So can you do that as well as eventual international border changes? Or is that something that can only happen when you know the February numbers come in and we're past the Omicron stuff? How do we get to 3? 

Prime Minister: One of the things that is honestly kept inspiring me over the pandemic has been how quickly our economy has bounced back after each of these shocks, whether it was the initial waves, whether it was the lockdowns, whether it was, you know, what we're even experiencing now and the resilience of the Australian economy. Now that didn't happen by accident. When the pandemic hit, the Australian economy was strong and we worked very hard to achieve that. And the balance sheet of the country, you remember that we brought the budget back into balance and got there just before the pandemic hit. So that meant we could respond and invest. But the things we've invested in, not just keeping businesses alive and people in work. We've been investing in manufacturing capability. We've been investing in our defence capability. We've been investing in our agricultural sector and soils and these issues and making sure that our ag sector there is doing well. We're investing in energy, we're building, we're building gas fired power plants in Kurri Kurri. I've always been for it and we'll build it the way we designed it …

Murray: And each way is now on board with it, it's okay!

Prime Minister: Well he is, he is. But you know, you know, next week could be a different thing. Who knows? 

Murray: Yeah. 

Prime Minister: You know, all about it. But all of these issues are building the economy. And the reason we're on our way to an unemployment rate with a 3 in front of it is because of that economic plan that we have been implementing and now expanding. 

Murray: When you talk about the alternative, is that they've got runs on the board from when they weren’t in government 25 years ago, but when they were there last time with Rudd-Gillard-Rudd-Rudd, good luck with KK on the borders. Good luck with, you know, the brother of the union bloke in defence versus Peter Dutton. 

Prime Minister: Yeah. 

Murray: You name it, but these are always, a lot of people talk about presidential campaigns. They all are to some degree. But how important is people seeing what comes with the alternative? 

Prime Minister: Oh, well, I think it's vital because you've gotta weigh both of them up and that's, you know, everyone has a role in I think bringing that to the fore so Australians can understand the choice and the consequences of those choices. But you make a very good point about the team, and I've got a great team and I'm very proud of my team. I mean, we've been able to take Australia through this very challenging time because I've had very good people doing their jobs and doing them so faithfully each and every day. And you do have to line up well, who's the Defence Minister for my team? Well, it's Peter Dutton. Theirs is the guy who was one of the failed immigration ministers, Brendan O'Connor. I remember because I was the shadow minister at the time, who was one of their worst, arguably their worst. He couldn't secure the borders. And Anthony Albanese thinks he's the right bloke to defend the country. So there's a lot of them. Josh Frydenberg has delivered three budgets now. We've done those together and he has done a terrific job, whether it's JobKeeper or very targeted ways we've spent. Now I know a lot of your viewers are going, gee, you guys have had to spend a lot. It's not something we do instinctively, but we've been able to maintain our AAA credit rating. And when they look at your AAA credit rating and what they assess, because as a Treasurer, I remember it, I did three budgets of my own, they look at not just what the level of spending is, but what you're spending on. So take JobKeeper, for example, saved the economy, saved businesses, saved lives, I believed. And they looked at how it had a start date and a stop date. Now our opponents, they were going to keep going, $11 billion a month. They wanted to keep going and said, well, we're going to fall off a cliff. That didn't happen. Employment actually went up. Same thing, $6 billion to pay people to get a vaccination they've already had. And this stuff goes on and on. There's the discipline of the way Josh has crafted this, this investment, and particularly we are talking about young apprentices. That's an investment. That's a big investment. That is why they've looked at how we manage the finances and said, you've been making the right calls. We know the debt is increased. We know you've had to spend more, but you've done it in a disciplined way and you have turn off points. You know, this is not for government to be in there forever, and you're protecting your longer term budget by turning a lot of this stuff off when it's no longer needed. 

Murray: So last question, a lot of people watching this show are deeply invested in your prime ministership. They want you to go around for another three years, so talk to them about why they should fight just as hard as they did last time, this time.

Prime Minister: Everything we said at the last election remains true. All the things that we were fighting to ensure we could do for this country remain exactly the same challenges we keep fighting now. And there are many of them. But the two big ones, I mean, at an election, the country will go in one of two directions. Paul Keating said that. Change the government, change the course of the country. And that's true. 

So what is the course we're on? The course we're on is an economy that's bouncing back and coming back strongly with a strong and resilient health system. We're investing in the essentials that Australians rely on in the health system and their education. But what makes all of this possible is a strong economy. And strong economic management is more important now than it's ever been, and we have the runs on the board here. We've got the experience and we've got the plans that are achieving those results. So that is at stake. 

What else is at stake is the security of our nation and the safety of Australians. Now, no one doubts my resolve when it comes up to standing up to those who are going to have a crack at this country. I always put Australia first. I never take an each way bet on national security. I don't think, I saw what Anthony Albanese said the other day when he talked about how we should be dealing with China. Oh, you know, we'll have to get rid of some of those things. So what is he saying to the Tasmanian lobster farmers or the beef producers up in central Queensland, up there in Rockhampton or the wine growers down there in South Australia? Which one of these is he going to trade off? Because in national security, there are only really two courses you can go down. You can appease or you can stand up for what you believe in as a country. And no one has any doubts, I think, about our government when it comes to which path we take.

Murray: PM, nice to talk. 

Prime Minister: Thanks Paul.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43774

Interview with Sabra Lane, ABC AM

2 February 2022

SABRA LANE: Prime Minister, welcome to AM.

PRIME MINISTER: G’day, Sabra.

LANE: You've acknowledged many Australians are frustrated with the Government, and that perhaps you raised hopes for a summer that were dashed. But you're appear unwilling to say that you're sorry. Why is sorry the hardest word for you to say?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I remember in the vaccine rollout, we, I said exactly that. I said, but, and I said that and and then said, we've got to get on and fix it, and that's what we did. And that's one of the, one of the things I referred to yesterday when I said we didn’t get everything right. I mean, if, I think if we'd had the Sir General Frewen’s operation there from the start, I think that would have made a big difference. Now, I remember the day I made the decision to call him in because we were having those frustrations, and it did make a big difference. And I said last year that we'd hoped to have everyone being able to be offered that vaccine by October. And we ended up achieving that by about, I think it was about the 23rd, 25th of October. So despite all those challenges, we were able to turn it around, and that was really my point yesterday. You learn lessons along the way, you work problems, you fix them. That's what happens in a pandemic. We're all sorry about the how the pandemic's impact on our livelihoods and our lives, and it's happened all over the world. No country’s got everything right, and Australia has got more of it right than most countries, and that's demonstrated by having saved 40,000 lives, one of the strongest economies in the advanced world, and one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. So on the, on those big ticket items, Australia’s performed very well.

LANE: Former Premier Peter Beattie made an art form of saying sorry, and voters seem to really value that and reward him for it with re-election. Are you worried that voters might punish you for not saying sorry?

PRIME MINISTER: I think I’ve been very honest with people. I was very honest with them yesterday where I thought the lessons were …

LANE: Sorry, usually usually when people do take responsibility for a problem, they say sorry.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, what I think’s important is the experience that you get from working through those challenges. That is what helps people actually work through the next set of challenges. And that's what I was explaining yesterday. Of course, nobody gets everything right, and I don't think anybody expects everything to go perfectly for any government. And I think it's an unrealistic expectation, as people would expect. And, so, look, I'm just getting on with the job. And, of course, as a Government, we're sorry for, you know, the impacts of the pandemic on everybody's lives and livelihoods. I mean, in particular as we went into that summer, yes, we were optimistic. The vaccines that we'd all, all Australians have worked hard on to get done over that course of the year were meant to protect us. And then Omicron came along and completely turned that on its head, and no country picked that, no country at all.

LANE: Current current polling has Labor leading the Coalition 56 to 44 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. Your personal figures have have slumped. How do you turn that around in 10 weeks?

PRIME MINISTER: At the end of the day, the election will come and people will focus on that, and they'll focus on the choice they have to make. And there is a clear choice.

LANE: And your record.

PRIME MINISTER: There’s me, there’s me as Prime Minister and and the Liberal Nationals as a Government, that will see, we believe, unemployment go to having a three in front of it for the first time in 50 years, and the experience that we've developed in dealing with this pandemic, and there are many challenges still ahead. And economic management, national security, these issues and whether there kids can get a job, whether there businesses will be able to thrive with good strong economic management, keeping downward pressure on the cost of living, interest rates. All of this, which we're doing - getting apprentices into trade training, highest level that we've ever seen in recorded economic history in Australia. Or the alternative, which is Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party, and …

LANE: But what about your record? Your record is also on the line.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, exactly. And and that's a record of of job creation. It's a record of economic management. It's a record of having balanced the Budget before the pandemic hit, so we could respond in the way we have. A record of having the lowest, one of the lowest rates of fatality from COVID in the world. One of the strongest economies, a AAA credit rating that has been maintained - one of only nine countries to do so in the entire world - and one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. We've got people, and we’ve got young people in particular, who were kept in jobs through the pandemic, particularly the apprentices. So we haven't lost a generation of skills that would have otherwise gone through the pandemic. We’ve got record levels of funding into education and health. In particular yesterday, I highlighted that our mental health response to the pandemic was one of the, if not the, strongest in the world. A billion dollars invested, and while we had surging demand for mental health support services, the investments we made saved lives. Every life lost by suicide is a terrible tragedy. Unthinkable, unspeakable. But every live lost, every life saved, is a blessing. And the death by suicide rate during the pandemic actually fell. So Australians have achieved quite remarkable things over this pandemic, and at the same time, we've been keeping Australians safe in our region, and you know very well, and your listeners know very well, the great uncertainty that is occurring in our region. And we’ve stood up, we’ve stood up to those who threaten our interests.

LANE: Sorry Prime Minister, we've got a few subjects, we’ve got a few subjects to get on with.

PRIME MINISTER: Oh, you asked me why they would like to support me at the election Sabra, I was very happy to answer the question.

LANE: Ok, well, let's talk about the bonus payments - $800 for aged care workers. They've been welcomed by many, but many in the sector say that's just not enough. The starting wage is about $800 a week. Why don't they deserve a permanent boost?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, that is being dealt with by the Fair Work Commission, and that's the appropriate place for that to be determined. But what we announced yesterday …

LANE: But the Government's, the Government's not intervening there. Why can't the Government actually bring itself to say that these workers deserve more?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have a process for setting wages. And what we've and that is being done through the Fair Work Commission, and where we intervene is what we announced yesterday. And it's not the first time we did it, and we did it earlier on in the pandemic. And I remember when we did that, the same union leaders criticising us now were the ones who, when we did it the first time, said it was a very good initiative. So I think people can see through that. Our challenge right now, though, Sabra, is to ensure that we're providing that extra support to keep people there in these aged care facilities, because the workforce challenges in those facilities in the pandemic is very stressed. And that’s what we need to do right now in this pandemic, and that is what we are doing.

LANE: If you’re hoping for an unemployment rate with a three in front of it, if that happens, thousands of jobs might become available and aged care workers might simply just walk away from the sector to a job where they can earn the same pay without all the stress of trying to care for people with COVID. We heard on AM yesterday people are leaving already. How confident are you that that bonus payment will stop that from happening?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the bonus payment is there to deal with the situation right now. The longer term issue is being addressed by the Fair Work Commission. And I'm sure that the very issues you've raised are the ones that they'll be carefully considering.

LANE: The sector is buckling. BaptistCare says it can't push through, that workers must receive fair and competitive compensation for the critical work they do, and endlessly isolating residents in their rooms and preventing visits from friends and family is not sustainable. It wrote an open letter to you about this last week. How do you respond?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, that that help has been coming, and it'll continue to flow. It's incredibly tough in the aged care sector, aged care sector during this pandemic, and the support we’ve provided - some eight million rapid antigen tests, that's going back to to August. The support we're providing through PPE equipment, additional the training that's been put in place, the wage subsidies, support for vaccinations. Ninety-nine per cent of those aged care facilities, the priority, have been visited, and we've been vaccinating both the workers and the residents at the same time. Seventy per cent of residents have taken up those vaccinations and have been vaccinated. But I'm not disputing the fact that it's really tough for the aged care sector providers. It's really tough for the staff. It's really tough for the the Government officials who are working with them every single day to try and give them as much support as we possibly can.

LANE: What more? What more? You can’t do anymore?

PRIME MINISTER: Where more can be done, we will be doing it and finding that, working with the sector the way we always have. But during the course of this pandemic, again, while it doesn't soften the blow, I think the international comparisons are relevant. Right now, outbreaks in Canada in aged care facilities are 13 times higher than they are in Australia, and they have the same vaccination rate as us. In the United Kingdom, back when we go back to what happened during the very difficult days in Victoria, I mean, the rates of infection in UK aged care centres was eight times what it was in Australia, and that was before we had the vaccines. And while there was terrible loss of life here in Australia, we saved many, many, many lives by working together with the aged care sector. So I'm not denying it's tough. Pandemics are tough, they're really tough, and they've been toughest on those working in our health sector, and especially those in aged care.

LANE: A text message from Gladys Berejiklian about you was read out at the National Press Club yesterday saying that you were a horrible, horrible person, and a Channel 10 reports that a Cabinet Minister apparently said that you were a psycho. Ms Berejiklian hasn't denied sending that text. She says she has no recollection. Will that harm you? It adds to the assessments of you like that given by the French President.

PRIME MINISTER: Anonymous sledging that neither of us know anything about, as Gladys herself has said. That's certainly not been my experience with the former Premier …

LANE: She she hasn't denied sending the text.

PRIME MINISTER: There’s, that’s not my experience with the former Premier. It's certainly not been the subject of any discussions that we've had, and we worked very closely together through the pandemic, through many other challenges - restoring the New South Wales economy. We did work closely together. So, you know, I can't speak to it really because I don't know anything about it, and Gladys doesn't know anything about it. And those who are raising it, well, there’s frankly a lot of questions being asked of them at the moment.

LANE: How confident are you of re-election?

PRIME MINISTER: I'm confident in the Australian people making good judgements about their future and understanding the consequences of this next election. And as we get closer to that election, they’ll weigh it up and they know there's a choice. It's not a referendum. It's a choice between two alternatives - a Government that has shown the experience and has shown the record on the economy to keep it strong and keep Australians safe, and working hard, particularly in regional Australia, and not selling them out. You won't hear me saying one thing about the coal industry up in Queensland and another thing about the coal industry in the inner city suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne. And but that's what you hear from Anthony Albanese. He just tells everybody what they want to hear and has an each way bet on everything, and you can't have an each way bet on Australia's economic future and our national security.

LANE: Prime Minister, thanks for talking to AM this morning.

PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot, Sabra.

LANE: The Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43773

Interview with Ray Hadley, 2GB

2 February 2022

Ray Hadley: Prime Minister, good morning, 

Prime Minister: G’day, Ray. Yeah, yeah, you know, I think that's pretty fair. You and I, from time to time haven’t always agreed, but it's always great to come on the program, mate. 

Hadley: You know, we’ve had some barneys, some very good ones and [inaudible] ones in fact.

Prime Minister: Very good.

Hadley: We’ve been in the same cartoons from time to time when I [inaudible], but I’m not [inaudible] today.

Prime Minister: They have. Here we are together.

Hadley: Now, yeah, just on this. I don't often feel sorry for people, I felt a bit sorry for you yesterday. Some of the questioning that you were subjected to was in a manner to try and embarrass you and cause you as much pain as they possibly could. And I've been critical of you, premiers and anyone else during the last two years, and you admitted yesterday you haven’t always got it right. There are different things you’d do differently, and there different things you’d say differently. But at the end of the day, we've got through it almost, almost, bar Omicron, and we're travelling alright. But, I mean, I just don't know why the left want to attack you in the manner they did yesterday, when Anthony Albanese, your opponent, gets a rails run. That's not his fault, by the way, but that's the way things seem to work out. 

Prime Minister: Well, that’s,  look, I'm I’m happy to face the music. I've been doing it all throughout my political life. And always happy to turn up and do that. So there really, the real question is, yep, it was pretty brutal yesterday. But, you know, I thought it would be, frankly. And if they're prepared to apply the same blowtorch to Anthony Albanese, then, fair enough. And, so, that's really a matter for them. You know, there's a big decision coming up for Australians, and there's a lot at stake. I mean, we live in a very uncertain world. We're continuing to deal with the pandemic. We're not out of it yet. And there's still challenges and you never know where the next turn in the road’s going to come from. But that's only one of many things. I mean, what we're seeing with the pressure on inflation over the United States and in the United Kingdom. Here in Australia, those pressures are less, but they're still there. So how we manage our economy through this, keeping that downward pressure on interest rates, keeping electricity prices down, which are down eight per cent over the last two years, that economic challenge is very significant. And then you've got the security challenges in the region, very significant, whether it's the contest between United States and China, what we're seeing in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, what's happening in Ukraine. This is a very, very dangerous time, and and the ability to manage and stand up for Australia's interests in this, be prepared to stand up to those who would bully us, is very important. So Australians will focus on that when they get into a ballot box. Answering a telephone call on a poll, yeah, people will express frustration, no doubt. And you know, I understand that frustration, as you've already said. So when you walk into the ballot box and you vote for Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party, that's what you get. And then you've got to live with it, and what that does to the economy and Australia's national security interests. And you can't take an each way bet on these things, but he's happy to have one every other day.

Hadley: As is evident by Kurri Kurri announcement this week.

Prime Minister: It will cost an extra $1.6 billion I hear for that. So he's really racking the spending up too.

Hadley: Currying the favour in Kurri Kurri. I have suggested to him previously that Kristina Keneally needs to be put into witness protection. The last time she was trotted out by, the Newspoll, by the way, was saying the same thing in 2019. You were going to get bashed up, and it didn't turn out that way.

Prime Minister: Yeah.

Hadley: And she played a role in that. She's the most unsuccessful Labor Premier ever in the history of New South Wales politics. And then I keep saying to people, and I said to Paul Murray last night, If you vote for Anthony Albanese and, you know, you think he's going to be a pretty good Prime Minister, well, the package includes Kristina Keneally, Chris Bowen and Bill Shorten. Good luck with that.

Prime Minister: Well, I’d keep going, and I think they’re the, they’re the right, the right comparison. I mean, when it comes to economic security, I mean, Josh Frydenberg has now delivered three Budgets and they've been very good Budgets that have helped us get through this pandemic and have one of the strongest economies coming through the pandemic. And we're now looking at getting unemployment down to having a three in front of it, the first time we've achieved that in 50 years. In more time than that we now have, and I know, I know lots of tradies listen to you Ray, because they tell me, there are more apprentices in trade training right now - 220,000 of them. That is the highest level that we've seen since records began in 1963. And one of the things Josh and I did right at the start of the pandemic is we were incredibly concerned that we were going to have a generation of lost skills, because the first people that were going to get put off site were the apprentices - first on, last off. And we said we can't let that happen. These these young people, and not just young people, people in mid-career transition and so on. I’ve met plenty of of middle-aged apprentices. We needed to keep them in their apprenticeship. And so we increased the wage subsidies for them. And I've spent the last two years meeting those apprentices, many of them now finishing their apprenticeships because they were two years’ in, and they're still on the tools, they're still in the job. And they are now going on, you know, to be full, fully paid employees on their own ticket. So, on economic security, you’ve got Josh Frydenberg, or you’ve got, or you’ve got Sneaky Jim. Or you’ve got on Defence, you've got Peter Dutton, who's a regular guest on your program, doing an outstanding job as Defence Minister, and someone most people wouldn't have heard of, Brendan O'Connor. But you might remember this about Brendan O'Connor. He was one of Labor's failed Immigration Ministers that couldn't control our borders. And Anthony Albanese thinks he's the guy that should be standing up for Australia's interests and Defence Forces in the most difficult circumstances we've seen since before the Second World War. And then you're right to say, when it comes to Kristina Keneally, well, her record in New South Wales is well known. But who do you trust to protect those borders, her, or Karen Andrews from Queensland, together with myself, and we've shown our resolve on those issues. So you can go right across the board, right across the line up and you see all of these contrasts. You vote Labor, you get Labor.

Hadley: Just one final thing, I know you're pressed for time, but I've been concerned, as has many people in New South Wales, with your State Executive here. Philip Ruddock issued a direction, we thought, which was voted down by the State Executive, where people like Alex Hawke, Sussan Ley and others have to go to preselection. We are getting closer to May. When are we going to have somewhat of a definitive answer in New South Wales as to who's going to stand, and get rid of this nonsense that's coming from the State Executive, which seems to be, you know, promoting the fact they want you not to be Prime Minister by their actions, and disregarding the, you know, the directions of someone like Philip Ruddock, who's forgotten more than most of them know about politics. 

Prime Minister: Well, it is very frustrating, and there's some childish games going on there. You know, people who play games in politics rather than, and can often forget what it's all about, which is getting an unemployment rate down with a three in front of it, protecting Australia's security interests, and getting Australians into jobs and into trade training. And they need to sort this out. And if they can't sort it out, well, frankly, the Federal Executive, we're talking, Sussan Ley is an outstanding Cabinet Minister, and she's one of eight female Cabinet Ministers I have in my Cabinet. That is the highest number of females in a Federal Cabinet in Australia's history. And she's a standout, and she's been great for the people of Farrer, too. She is a great Liberal advocate for the bush and regional towns like Albury and and places like that. And so she's been magnificent. Now if they can't endorse her, well, they should get out of the way and let the Federal Executive ensure that we can get that done. But those playing games in the New South Wales Parliament, the Liberal Party, I should say, the the organisation need to ensure they focus on winning this election for the goodness of the Australian people and forget their factional rubbish.

Hadley: Ok, when are you going to take the big stick to them then, if in fact they still are recalcitrant in the coming days, let alone weeks, when do you pull the pin and say, no, the games are over, this is what's happening?

Prime Minister: Well, there's a process to follow, but, you know, I've been working closely with Dom Perrottet on this and he's been very supportive of what we're trying to achieve here as well. And so it's time for those who, you know, don’t do this for a living, to really allow those who really need to get on for the sake of the Australian people here. Now, I don't often talk about these things, Ray, as you know, very openly, these organisational matters.

Hadley: No.

Prime Minister: But you've raised it. And I think it's very important, for all Liberals out there, particularly New South Wales, to ensure that we're all very focused on the job we have. And that is to ensure we keep Australia's economy strong, we keep Australians safe, we grow together and not apart through our economy, keeping our region strong, and that's what we've all got to be focused on. That's what my team’s focused on. I know that's what the overwhelming majority of Liberal Party members and supporters want to see happen. And so I'm sure that the President there, Philip, and Chris Stone, will do, will get this matter on, sorted out. There’s there’s ample time to sort this. And we will. And and I’ve got to, you know, I thought I'd be candid with you in answering you honestly.

Hadley: Ok. Now one final thing. I thought the best comment this morning came from Karl Stefanovic, my friend and colleague on Today, when he concluded the conversation with you by looking at Ally and saying, ‘Can I see your phone and look at the text messages you send to your friends after we finish a shift?’ Because I'm sure, knowing Karl is cuckoo, they're not very complimentary, and I'm sure that if I encountered some of my colleagues over the last 40 years I’d find, well, texts weren’t around 40 years ago, but more recently, I’d find some very unkind texts about me as well, as I’ve sent some very unkind texts about people.

Prime Minister: Well, you know, I thought that was pretty funny when I heard it later as well, and it goes to, you know, what people send as texts to each other, what does that mean for someone's job or whether their kids are getting training or what that means for the cost of living? I mean, these things that get focused on, they’re they're not the things that matter to people. I'm sure those listening in right now, they want to know we're focused on them. I am. And and what scuttlebutt goes around really doesn't distract me. You know, all you’ve got to do is look at anyone's Twitter feed and you can see more vile than you can imagine, that comes through, which is another problem. But, you know, you just, it comes with the job. You know, you're in public life. We’ve got big shoulders. We know it comes with the job, that this stuff flies around. So long as you keep focusing on the things that matter, that's what Australians expect of us, and that's what I've always sought to do. Whether it’s stopping the boats or dealing with reforms in welfare, balancing Budgets and now coming through this pandemic, that's the experience I believe Australia needs to go forward. And as we get closer to the election, I think Australians will really focus on that and they'll know there's a real choice here. With Anthony Albanese, what you see is not what you're going to get. What you see on the other side of the election is what you’ll get. And he's been very sneaky in not telling you about what he's about, and Kurri Kurri is a good example. He was against it. Now he’s for it. He's got to spend another $1.6 billion on it. I mean, the guy’s all over the shop. At least problem no where I stand, even if they don’t agree with me.

Hadley: Well, my Twitter feed’s called The Ray Hadley Morning Show. Prime Minister, thanks for your time. 

Prime Minister: Good on you Ray, good to chat.

Hadley: All the best. Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43771

Interview with Allison Langdon, Today Show

2 February 2022

ALLISON LANGDON: Prime Minister, good morning. 

PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Ally.

LANGDON: I'll tell you what, bit of a bad day for you in the office yesterday, wasn't it? 

PRIME MINISTER: Every day I get to serve the Australian people is a good day. It has its challenges, it goes with the job, and you keep pressing ahead and get things done. 

LANGDON: Some days are better than others, I'm sure. But look, I mean, that text exchange yesterday was pretty shocking to hear, and you were put on the spot. It was live on television. What was running through your mind? 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't know the status of that. I never accept at face value that things are put to me, particularly when they're done anonymously. I mean, there was no context to it or any really details behind it. It was clearly done for sensationalist purposes. That's what happens from time to time. It was a pretty robust day at the the press conference. I'm sure the Press Gallery will be just as hard on my opponent as we go into the election. They were pretty rough on me yesterday, but that's alright, that goes with the job. 

I was happy to face those questions and importantly, what yesterday was about was setting out very clearly that economic plan, which I believe will see unemployment get to a three in front of it, which we haven't seen in 50 years. I mean, our jobs performance during this pandemic has been extraordinary. We've got a million more women in work since we were elected, and this is really transforming people's lives. Jobs change people's lives, they change families, they change communities. And that's why I'm so focused on getting people into work. Unemployment's at 4.2 per cent. We've got more trade apprentices in training today since 1963, when records began. So our economy is performing strongly through the pandemic, and that means Australians can look forward to the future with confidence, and economic management means more than ever before. 

LANGDON: So you must have been so dirty that this is something, when you're trying to get that message out there, this was deliberately leaked to damage you, and this goes to your character. It goes to your trustworthiness. Who does that?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, someone who we don't know, and I just don't really let it fuss me, Ally. I mean, in this job, you take the brickbats and you take the bouquets. I mean, go and read my social media feed. There's no shortage of people who vent, and there's no shortage of people who say nice things. If you're going to spend each day consumed by that, you don't get the important work done for the Australian people, which is about putting pressure down on the cost of living. I mean, electricity prices have fallen by eight per cent in the last two years. You've got 300,000 Australians, I said yesterday, that we have directly helped into buying their home since the last election - 300,000 through the Home Guarantee Scheme, through the HomeBuilder program. You know, Australians have been getting on with things. I'm getting on with things. We're going to push through this pandemic. We've got the lowest death rate, the highest vaccination rate of most countries in the world, and one of the strongest economies. And on those big issues, our pandemic response measures up very well. But it hasn't been perfect, and I was fairly honest with Australians about that yesterday. No countries’ has, but I'd rather be in Australia than anywhere else. 

LANGDON: Look, I can understand why you’re wanting to dismiss this, and I agree that I think people sitting at home, they don't really care about what people within your own party have to say about you for too long, anyway. It’s not what sticks with them. 

PRIME MINISTER: It doesn’t affect their job, it doesn’t affect the price of things that they're paying for. It it doesn't affect their futures. So, you know, you have big, broad shoulders and you learn from experience, and experience is going to count in the years’ ahead and the ability to push through and stand up to those in, whether in our region or elsewhere, that really do threaten our interests.

LANGDON: But there is still someone out there, though, there's still someone there trying to do you in. It doesn't get a greater betrayal than that, does it? 

PRIME MINISTER: I really don't care, Ally, what people who want to anonymously throw this stuff around. I mean, the journalist who raised it is facing his own questions. So, look, I'll leave others to carry on about that. There are too many other important things for me to worry about who's gossiping about me.

LANGDON: Yeah, look, good point. And you raised it yesterday, you admitted that you made mistakes with the pandemic. If you take responsibility, what is the drama with apologising? 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, last year, when the vaccine rollout was not going as well as we had hoped, I did exactly that, and we said we were going to get about and fix it, and that's what we did. And what I said yesterday is, you know, in hindsight, we would have brought General Frewen in at the outset, not when we were dealing with those problems. And that turned it around. A year ago we said we wanted everyone to be offered a vaccine by October. We ended up meeting that mark in October. And, so, we did turn it around. And that experience through the pandemic is going to be very valuable in the years ahead. I mean, the years ahead, there's some really big challenges. There's the economic challenges that we have. We've got inflation running at seven per cent in the United States. Thankfully, here in Australia, the inflation pressures are a lot lower at 3.5 per cent. We've got, it's five per cent in the United Kingdom. You know, we've got those electricity, those electricity prices down, and these are the things that we're going to be facing - great global insecurity in the region, particularly with the tension between China and the United States and what that means for security. You can see what's happening in Ukraine. You don't, you want to have someone who knows how to stand up for Australia's interests and to be able to push through a lot of these challenges and make sure Australia can come through. 

LANGDON: Hey, Prime Minister, do you know the cost of bread today? 

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, I do. But, I mean, which one do you want? Do you want the rye bread, do you want the multigrain?

LANGDON: The one with the seeds.

PRIME MINISTER: Do you want the sourdough? And if we're going to get on to milk, are we just going to be the ones that come from dairy? Or is it the almond? I mean, you go to most family's fridges, they've got three types of different milk. I don't know what you put in your coffee, but, you know, look, honestly, the gotcha stuff from Gallery journalists, whatever. I was honest with people yesterday, and people know that. And yeah $2 bucks 60, $3 bucks 40, $1.60 to $1.80, you know, a litre, yeah, that's what it is. But what matters is the economic policies and the plans that we have to keep putting downward pressure on costs of living. That's what matters. And that's what we're doing. And I think those electricity prices figures demonstrate that, the number of trade apprentices we've got in training, the jobs that have been created, particularly for women and young people. This has been very important. It's transformational. We are pushing through this pandemic. 

One of the things I said yesterday is people know I'm a very optimistic person. And the reason for that is I have a great faith in the Australian people and their resilience, which I know is what I've relied on for Australia to come through. So I was honest with them yesterday. There are big challenges ahead. The experience we've gained as a Government is going to be invaluable to meet the challenges before us. But the record we have, as I said, 40,000 lives saved, and in particular, the work done by our mental health counsellors, where we put a billion dollars into our mental health support program. Very few other countries understood the mental health challenge like Australia did, and while every life lost through death by suicide is a heartbreaking tragedy, every life saved has been a blessing, and the actual death by suicide rate during the pandemic has fallen. So there is a lot we've got right. There are some things we could have done better, but in Australia we've done better than most in the world.

LANGDON: Look, and I think people appreciated your honesty yesterday, and I think a lot of people understand that the job that you face, you're not the one out there buying bread and milk. So for your honesty, that was great. But there is this drama there, and I think people have at home, where there is a thought, are you out of touch when your cost of living expenses, they are going up. Mortgages are going to go up if interest rates go up, what happens there, and wages are stagnant. So you say this is going to be election that's fought in regards to the economy and the cost of living, and that is something that is a very big pressure on most households right now. 

PRIME MINISTER: Oh, I agree, and that's the point I'm making, and that's why we've worked so hard to get those electricity prices down. And I agree with you, economic management and who's best able to manage the economy and deal with the serious threats that are out there in the economy is very central to the next election. And there's a choice. There's our record and our experience. You know, as Prime Minister, I've done three Budgets. As Treasurer I did three. I've sat around the national security table for some of the biggest challenges our country has faced since the Second World War for the last eight years. We've put in place the historic agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom in AUKUS to keep Australians safe, while locking down agreements with Japan on defence and comprehensive partnerships with India, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, ASEAN. I said yesterday one of the key lessons when you go through the pandemic is you, not all the rest of it stops. All the other threats are there. So you're absolutely right. Who can best manage the economy and who can best stand up for Australia's interests in a very insecure and unsecure world, that's very much central to the election.

LANGDON: Yep. Look, we've definitely got an election coming. And just quickly, Prime Minister, have you spoken to Gladys Berejiklian since yesterday?

PRIME MINISTER: No, I haven't. But I did see her statement yesterday, and I appreciate that. As you know, I took a very strong public stance, you know, defending her when she was under those attacks, which I thought were outrageous. And I stand by all of that.

LANGDON: Is she still a dear friend?

PRIME MINISTER: Of course.

LANGDON: Alright. Well, look, Prime Minister, you know, no one can write you off. I know they tried at the last election. There’s going to be a busy couple of months ahead and no doubt we'll be talking again soon. Thank you for your time this morning. 

PRIME MINISTER: No worries, enjoy your sourdough toast.

LANGDON: With with the little seed bits, they cost extra.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43770

Interview with David Koch and Natalie Barr, Sunrise

2 February 2022

DAVID KOCH: Prime Minister, morning to you.

PRIME MINISTER: Morning, David.

KOCH: Have you spoken to Gladys Berejiklian about those texts since yesterday?

PRIME MINISTER: No, I haven’t had the opportunity to do that, but I appreciate what Gladys said yesterday. In our own dealings with each other, it's always been very positive and I think we've worked very well together, as a Premier and a Prime Minister, to do very great things for for New South Wales in particular, whether it's building the Western Sydney Airport or getting the unemployment rate down, and particularly through the pandemic, we worked very closely. So they’re the results. I can't speak to the other things that are all anonymous and and and as Gladys has said, she doesn't recollect it, and it's certainly not a conversation her and I have ever had.

NATALIE BARR: Yeah. Did that hurt?

PRIME MINISTER: Oh, no one cares if the Prime Minister's feelings hurt, and that, I understand that. It doesn't matter. I mean, of course, people say nasty things about you as Prime Minister all the time. They say nasty things about people in the media. Just, you know, switch on your social media feed and you’ll get yourself quite a giggle. And, you know, I get one all the time. It goes with the job. But the job isn’t about, you know, what people say here and there. The job is about getting unemployment down. And yesterday, unemployment rate, as you'd know, both of you - a three per cent, with a three in front of it. We have not seen that for 50 years. Equally, we haven't seen the number of young people, particularly apprentices in trade training at 220,000, we've never had a figure like that in economic record, and that goes back to 1963.

KOCH: Ok.

PRIME MINISTER: So we are getting people in training, we are getting people in jobs, and an unemployment with a three in front of it, that that's fight, that's worth fighting for, and that's what we have been fighting for.

KOCH: Yep. We will get to that, because the economy has bounce bounced back incredibly well. But yesterday you were very honest. You admitted to mistakes in the vaccine rollout, saying you would have put it under a military operation earlier. But wasn’t the real mistake this time last year, you saying, it's not a race. You know, we can wait for the vaccines, that we didn't order enough from the very start and get it rolling quick enough, because it turned out to be a race.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, as I said very clearly yesterday, we had two big challenges. One was, of course, the blocking of the supplies that we had ordered. And there was also, later on, the big challenges of the AstraZeneca vaccine being limited into whom it could be provided for, because we had invested in ensuring we could manufacture that vaccine in Australia. The challenges we had early on around distribution was overwhelming how things were being managed at Health. And so that's why I brought in General Frewen and it turned around. I mean, I said a year ago that we had hoped, under the original plan that was taken both to my Cabinet and the National Cabinet, that everybody who wanted a vaccine would be able to get one by October. Now, we ended up hitting that mark in the mid to late October, and, so, we turned it around. And that was my point yesterday, David - that where you come across setbacks, you deal with them, you fix them, and you get on with it, and that's how you manage the vaccine. And that's what we've done.

BARR: Yeah, look, and I can appreciate that. But it's like The Hunger Games out here, the last couple of years. I suppose you you then had to get it off other countries. So, other countries have it. And it's like the RAT tests. The Doherty Institute said there are new variants coming. We're going to need these RAT tests, and other countries had lots of them. It feels like we're the last in line every time.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, other countries’ experiences are different to us. And I said this yesterday also. Over in the United Kingdom, they already had RAT tests because they had cases running at 30 and 50,000 a day for a very long time. That was not our experience of Delta. And there was no health advice that had come forward from any officials, no request from any state, that had foreseen the fact that we would have a variant but, for which the vaccine would not prevent transmission. And that's what changed in Australia. What happened in late November, remember, rapid antigen tests were only approved for home use in early November.

KOCH: I know.

PRIME MINISTER: And then we had a meeting five days later of the National Cabinet, National Cabinet. Well, you know, our regulatory authorities make decisions in the best, best health interests of Australians…

KOCH: But in the meantime, in the meantime …

PRIME MINISTER: David, if you wouldn't mind letting me finish. Rapid antigen tests were approved by the TGA. The TGA are the ones responsible for ensuring that they make the best health decisions for Australia. Now, right throughout this pandemic, it's been put to me over and over again, are you following the health advice? Have you listened to the health advice? The health advice was that the TGA would need to approve that, and they didn't approve it - and I'm not criticising them at all because rapid antigen tests are not as good as PCR tests.

KOCH: Well, you should be.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, no, because PCR tests are reliable, and in the Delta phase of the variant, in the Delta phase, PCR tests were the best thing to do.

KOCH: Ok.

PRIME MINISTER: Omicron changed all of that, and no country in the world picked Omicron, no country. So Australia has …

KOCH: Well, well, they were preparing though, because our only factory, producing 100,000 RATs a day, has said, is selling them all to America. The Americans beat us to our own factory and, in fact, the Americans have said to this Brisbane-based company, we’ll fund you to open a factory in America, and the Poms have done the same, and we just ignored it.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, hang on a sec, David, no, no David, no, it wasn't ignored. There was no application from that company at that time that had been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. In fact, one of the companies that people have spoken about actually had their approval pulled by the FDA in the United States. Now, we do have a company that makes rapid antigen tests, they’re out in Western Sydney, and they're doing that right now.

KOCH: [Inaudible] yeah.

PRIME MINISTER: But- and the one in Brisbane is still before the TGA, and they're being asked to give the data to show that their tests are actually reliable. Now, we know in the United States, one of those companies actually had their approval pulled. So I understand the frustration. Believe me, I understand it very well. But Australia is not going to compromise on the health standards and the health advice that protects Australians. And the same was true of the vaccine, because they had to approve the vaccine for use in Australia. And they did it quickly, but they did it right. They didn't take shortcuts. There was no emergency authorisation of the vaccines. They went through all the checks, and they did it for kids too. Because when kids get their jabs, I want parents to know that it's been through every check and every test. That's how you keep Australians safe. We've saved over 40,000 lives in this country through the way we've managed the pandemic. We've got one of the strongest economies and one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. And so when you look at those measures compared to the rest of the world, I know where I'd rather be.

BARR: Ok, let's talk about one of the other things yesterday. You were asked about a very common question that a lot of politicians, particularly prime ministers, get asked - the cost of basics like bread, like petrol, particularly RATs. I think a lot of people would forgive you, a lot of people don't know the exact price of a loaf of bread. But on rapid antigen tests, you're arguing with Anthony Albanese about whether everyday Australians should pay for these, and for you not to know that we're paying out here $15, $20 or more each for one of these. That's why people want them subsidised. Don't you think you should have?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, they are subsidised, first of all …

BARR: For four million people, but not for most people …

PRIME MINISTER: No, no, for 6.7 million people, actually, and to every Australian who goes to a public testing centre when they need that test. But, to be honest, I heard bread and milk in that question yesterday. It was a pretty robust and torrid time at the Press Club yesterday, and I must admit I didn't hear that the question about RAT. That's just the honest truth. Didn't hear it. It's about $15 to $20 bucks and can be, can be less than that. And as the ACCC said yesterday, if it gets above that, then they’re, they'll be coming after those who are price gouging. So, you know, to be honest, I didn't hear that part of the question. I heard bread and milk. And, you know, for the record, I mean, but it depends which bread. I mean, how many different types of bread have people got in their homes these days? How many types of different milk? I mean, not even all the milk actually comes from a cow anymore. I mean, there are so many different things that people have available, but, you know, if it's $2 bucks 60, $3 bucks 40, you know, you go down to my electorate, you'll get petrol for about $1.60 to $1.80, sorry, $1.60, $1.80, that’s what it is.

KOCH: Alright.

PRIME MINISTER: So, you know, it’s one of those old things they do at the Press Club to, you know, make a bit of a headline. But what's important, and this is very important - inflation in Australia and the pressures on inflation in Australia are not what they are in many other advanced economies like the United States, where inflation’s running twice what it is in Australia, and in the United Kingdom around five per cent. And that means there is less pressure on interest rates in this country because of how we're managing the pandemic. We've been ensuring that the Reserve Bank and the Federal Government have been aligning our policy on monetary policy and fiscal policy, and that means the two work together. And that's how you keep pressure on interest rates, which means you're dealing with the cost of living issues. I mean, electricity prices have fallen eight per cent in the last two years, eight per cent.

KOCH: Yep.

PRIME MINISTER: Now, that's because of what we've been doing to get those prices down. So when it comes to cost of living, you know, people, there are all sorts of different prices of bread and milk. But what matters is the Government has policies which puts downward pressure on them, and that's why economic management is so important.

KOCH: Ok. Prime Minister, I know you've got to go. Thanks for spending time with us. Appreciate it.

PRIME MINISTER: No worries, enjoy your almond latte.

KOCH: For the record, for the record, no, I'm rye bread, at $5 a loaf, Burgen. What about you? Are you a sourdough, or a, a multigrain?

PRIME MINISTER: Is that to me?

BARR: Yeah.

KOCH: Yeah.

PRIME MINISTER: I’m just normal white bread, white bread toast. That’s me.

KOCH: Oh you’re, you’re a fibber. Alright, thank you.

BARR: He’s off bread. Thank you very much, Prime Minister.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43769