Interview with Liam Bartlett, 6PR

15 March 2022

LIAM BARTLETT: Prime Minister, how are you?

PRIME MINISTER: It's great to be here in the West. It's tremendous to be back.

BARTLETT: Finally.

PRIME MINISTER: Yes, that's true. There's a few things too we had to be dealing with over on the east coast after I got out of COVID isolation. But I'm so pleased to be back here over the next few days, and there's a lot to do while we're here.

BARTLETT: Yes, well, floods notwithstanding, obviously, in your part of the world. But the borders …

PRIME MINISTER: True.

BARTLETT: … the borders are down and we're welcoming anybody. You’re proof, indeed.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I hope there's many more to follow and a lot of international visitors. We've also announced today cruise shipping - 17th of April - that's the start date again when they can start coming back, and that'll be appropriate to each of the states. But so that'll be happening again and and people can be travelling, and this is tremendous. We're getting through COVID. And I know in the West you've done a terrific job protecting Western Australians from COVID, but going through a challenging time now. But I have no doubt WA will push through, just like the other states and territories have.

BARTLETT: Prime Minister, look, I've got to say, you can tell an election’s coming up. I mean, we're being showered in gifts this morning with your announcement, bestowed with riches. It's all happening. Are we going mad with money, aren't we?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we've been very consistent in our support for Western Australia. I mean, over the last three Budgets, after we were elected at the last election, we've delivered in just in GST alone, an additional $4.9 billion to Western Australia. That was the deal that I put in place, that I championed when I was Treasurer, sealed as Prime Minister. And that alone has delivered an extra $4.9 billion directly to the state Budget here in Western Australia. That was a problem that no one previously was prepared to deal with. But I did, both as Treasurer and Prime Minister, and Western Australia are the beneficiaries of that. It’s almost $5 billion in just three years, and that continues on into the future. WA will continue to get their fair share of the GST and they'll get that forever based on the arrangements I put in place.

BARTLETT: And that's and that's great, and that's good news for us. But, you know, at a grassroots level, let's talk about just the average wage earner at the moment.

PRIME MINISTER: Sure.

BARTLETT: You know that many are feeling the pinch right across the country - I’m not just talking about WA - but the cost of living pressures right now, especially at the bowser. Will you consider consider cutting the fuel excise, Prime Minister?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the Budget’s in a couple of weeks’ time. But what I can tell you is we're very conscious of what these cost of living impacts are and particularly at the bowser. And as Australians know, that's being caused by what's occurring with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and and those at the bowser increases are even worse in many other places, including in New Zealand. But this is why next week, the pension’s going up $20 bucks for a single and $30 bucks for a, for a partner, a couple. And on top of that, you know, if you're earning $90,000 bucks today, you are paying $50 a week less tax than you were under Labor's tax rules when they were last in government. So we’ve delivered tax cuts to people. We’re, we've increased and increasing the pension next week by the highest level it's increased since 2013.

BARTLETT: Yeah. It’s not very much.

PRIME MINISTER: Electricity prices have fallen by eight per cent. Well it’s $20 bucks a fortnight …

BARTLETT: Prime Minister, please, it's 2.1 per cent, which is not even the inflation rate at the moment. So, you know, it's only just keeping up. Not quite.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, but my point is that costs, that costs taxpayers, that increase to the pension, over $2 billion a year, $2 billion a year.

BARTLETT: Ok, I understand, I understand it costs, you know, we can't pull it out of trees. But …

PRIME MINISTER: That's right.

BARTLETT: Do you intend to look at any reform to the pension? And, by that, I was having a chat to Gina Rinehart last week, and she's very keen on this. We've had a lot of, a lot of feedback from our listeners. You know, the ability of pensioners to earn income without being penalised. Is there any reform in that area on your radar?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we made some changes to the pension oh about five years ago when it came to how the various income tests worked, and, look, we will always look to see how we can ensure that people can do better than they are now. But all of this has to be done at the same time as ensuring that you're doing the right thing to ensure that you can keep affording all the many essential services that Australians rely on. We've got record funding into hospitals, into schools, and, as you know, the the funding we've had to put in to support people through COVID has been without precedent. I mean, in Western Australia alone, the COVID support has been $14 billion in direct economic support, and there's $455 million we put into Western Australia just on their health, hospital and health system. And, so, you know, the demands on the Budget over the last couple of years have been significant. And, as a result, you know, that's why we're doing everything we can to support people with lower taxes and increasing the pension. We've got electricity prices down by eight per cent in the last two years. And, so, you know, our inflation rate’s running at, running at 2.1 per cent a year. In the United States, it's running at almost eight per cent. In the UK, it's running at almost six per cent. And so the strong economic management we've had is cushioning the blow. There's still a blow, of course …

BARTLETT: There is a blow.

PRIME MINISTER: …when you’ve had increases in cost of living.

BARTLETT: There is a blow.

PRIME MINISTER: I don't deny that. But what I am saying is Australia has managed these effects and these impacts far better than anywhere else. And that means that when it comes to interest rates and the pressures on interest rates, under our economic management management, that pressure is less than it otherwise would be and we're seeing in other parts of the world.

BARTLETT: You mentioned New Zealand, Prime Minister, and where we're talking about fuel excise, New Zealand's reduced its excise for three months. Why wouldn't we do the same right now?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, a - their fuel prices are far higher than they are in Australia for a start. And, you know, excessively more. And but, as I said, the Budget’s …

BARTLETT: But you, you can do that.

PRIME MINISTER: Liam, the Budget’s at the end of this month, and we're looking at a whole range of issues.

BARTLETT: But you don't have to wait for the Budget, Prime Minister. You could do that tomorrow.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, you can't actually, you have to do it in Parliament. You can't just change the excise. Parliament has to sit and Parliament has to pass laws to give effect to that. So, no, you can't just change the excise like that. The Budget’s …

BARTLETT: You could call Parliament back if you wanted to.

PRIME MINISTER: The Budget, the Parliament is sitting in in a couple of weeks’ time and the Budget will be handed down then, and that's when we'll be addressing a whole range of issues, as we always do every year.

BARTLETT: Can you confirm, Prime Minister, that the excise on draught beer is set to be removed?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't know why this has been reported. I've done three Budgets as the Treasurer and I've done three Budgets as a Prime Minister, and before every single one of these people put a whole bunch of things up the flagpole and people say this is happening and that’s happening. And, well, on Budget night, that will become very clear. So it's my habit not to respond to that sort of speculation. The Budget’s at the end of the month and all of that will be made very clear one way or the other. But just because someone writes in the newspaper or say they believe it's true, doesn't mean it is.

BARTLETT: No, that's that’s that is true. So are you saying those reports are wrong?

PRIME MINISTER: I'm just saying there’s speculation before every Budget, and I'm not going to go down the path of ruling everything and everything out with every flag that people want to put up before the Budget. I haven't been going around saying that's what we're going to be doing. I haven't been hinting at anything like that. Other people are talking about that. That's for them to justify their speculation.

BARTLETT: Yes. Well, I'm asking you the question because you know it's been talked about a lot, and it does seem …

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, but not by me.

BARTLETT: No. But in these times, it seems a bit ridiculous, doesn't it, that you could potentially you could do it for beer, you could take the excise off for beer, but not for petrol, for example.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's a very good point. So I don't know and I don't understand the speculation.

BARTLETT: It's at times like this that you need flexibility in the Budget, don't you, Prime Minister, to help people with the cost of living. I mean, if your Treasurer had handled JobKeeper better and made those companies that took billions when they didn't need it, pay it back, you'd have a lot more to play with now, wouldn't you?

PRIME MINISTER: Look, I'm sorry about that I don't accept that premise at all, Liam. JobKeeper saved the Australian economy. It kept people in work and actually kept people alive.

BARTLETT: Well, you don't, you don't think there’s figures to back up the fact that a lot of companies didn't need it?

PRIME MINISTER: No, but understand what JobKeeper was - when JobKeeper was put in place, it was put in place with the certainty for all the businesses that were eligible that it would be in place for that duration of time. You don't get to go and change the rules halfway through, because people make decisions about investment, about keeping people in jobs, keeping their businesses going forward. Now this is one of the classic things the Labor Party does…

BARTLETT: Well, it's not the Labor Party, Prime Minister. It’s not the Labor Party.

PRIME MINISTER: The Labor Party were the ones who raised it, Liam, and the Labor Party said, oh, we support JobKeeper. And then after we'd done it, they said they wanted to extend it when we finished, and then they said we spent too much money on it. So you can't have it both ways. JobKeeper saved the Australian economy. It saved 700,000 jobs and it saved lives. So if the Labor Party want to have a crack at JobKeeper, well, they can. But they say they support it and they say they oppose it. They have an each way bet on everything. JobKeeper helped this country achieve one of the highest rates of growth in the advanced world. It helped us ensure that businesses could remain intact and bounce back. And then we had the Commonwealth Disaster Payments that we followed up with when those states who were going through further lockdowns were able to push through those times as well. So, you know, I know the Labor Party wants to bag JobKeeper. We think JobKeeper saved the country, and I think we're right.

BARTLETT: Look, I'm not talking about Labor Party at all. I'm having the opportunity to ask you a few questions, so I'm not basing it on anything the ALP has said. I'm basing it on pure financials and the financial records. Well, the ones we can see that are ASX listed because, of course, there was no public register. So we can't see the ones that effectively hid the payments. But we know there are a lot of people that didn't need it and there were billions wasted, Prime Minister, and those billions, those billions would be very helpful now.

PRIME MINISTER: No, I don't, I don't accept that Liam. I don’t. Liam I don’t accept that, because what you're saying is the rules should have changed halfway through the crisis. Now, if people get a tax cut, we don't change that halfway through the year, do we?

BARTLETT: Well, you could have tightened, you could have tightened the rules along the way, Prime Minister. Your Treasurer could have, but he chose not to.

PRIME MINISTER: No, we gave a clear commitment to give people certainty, to keep people in jobs, to keep investing in their businesses, to keep their apprentices in place to ensure that the Australian economy could get through. Now you don't go and pull the rug from the economy in the middle of a pandemic. That's what Labor Party wanted to do. We didn't think that was the right idea, so I don't agree with your suggestion.

BARTLETT: But what do you say for all those companies that made profits, that posted profits over and above the money they got in JobKeeper? How can you say that's not wasted?

PRIME MINISTER: What I'm saying is they were able to invest that in their companies. They were able to keep their companies going. They were able to keep all their employees in place …

BARTLETT: Oh lovely, the taxpayer, taxpayer-funded welfare. Lovely. That’s lovely.

PRIME MINISTER: Liam, I, look, I don't agree with you. You think JobKeeper didn't save the economy. I think it did. And I think there are businesses all across this country who know that to be true. And when you make a commitment to say you're going to give support during a period of unprecedented crisis, well you stick to your word. You don't change your, you don't change it half the way through. We stuck to our word and we gave the commitment and we got the Australian economy through.

BARTLETT: Alright. Prime Minister, the latest Newspoll, what do you think of those figures? It has you marked as the least trusted Prime Minister in more than a decade. How do you fix that?

PRIME MINISTER: Oh the polls, you know, they'll say what they'll say, but Australians are the ones who get to make the choice. And, you know, at this election there is a choice, and there's a choice between myself and my Government, that have managed the economy in a way that’s kept people in jobs at record levels. I mean, we've got unemployment down to 4.3 [sic 4.2] per cent and it's heading to less than, with a three in front of it. We've got youth unemployment down to nine per cent. We've got women's unemployment down to one of the lowest levels we’ve ever seen. We've got people in jobs. Businesses are investing, and our economy is one of the strongest performing advanced economies in the world. We know how to run a strong economy. And when you've got a strong economy, you've got a stronger future.

Now, the Labor Party, people know they don't know how to manage money, and they know that they haven't been able to manage a strong economy. And so it's a choice. And how people vote at this election will determine the economy they live in for the next 10 years, just like it did three years ago. Three years ago, we said we're going to keep the economy strong, and we did so, despite pandemic, despite cyclones, floods, bushfires, even mice plagues, and our economy is even stronger today than it was than before the pandemic. Our AAA credit rating is intact, one of only nine countries in the world to have done that, and particularly through the pandemic. So we've demonstrated our ability to manage a strong economy, and that means Australians can have confidence under our economic management that they can have a stronger future, because that's what pays for the pension. That's what pays for the defence needs that the country has. It’s what pays for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. If you can't run a strong economy, then you can't guarantee the essentials Australians rely on.

BARTLETT: What about, particularly in Western Australia, Prime Minister, because I know you've said in the past, and you're quite right, that it's not a vote against you and Mark McGowan. It's a vote against you and Anthony Albanese.

PRIME MINISTER: True.

BARTLETT: But it appears in this latest Newspoll voters consider you less caring and more arrogant than Albanese. I mean, how does that work? Do you think the ALP leader's makeover is doing the trick?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I had a bit of a giggle at my own expense last night about that. But at the same time, you know, I'm not pretending to be anyone else. You know, I'm not pretending to be Bob Hawke or John Howard or Kevin Rudd or Mark McGowan or anyone else. You know, I'm still wearing the same glasses I was a couple of years’ ago, and still wearing the same suits, because that's not what makes a Prime Minister. What makes a Prime Minister is being able to manage the economy and keep Australians safe. These are the things Australians rely on in a Prime Minister. And no makeover is going to make up or change the policy positions that Anthony Albanese has had for 20 to 30 years.

I mean, even on border protection, on border protection he said he could never implement a turn back policy on border protection because he couldn't ask people to do something that he wouldn't do himself. Now, that's what he said when that was happening. As Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, I implemented that policy and put an end to the border chaos that happened under the Labor Party when they were last in power. So when it comes to it, I've done the Budgets, I’ve run the fiscal policies. I've worked in the National Security Committee for about eight years. I’ve spent the time in the Budget Committees working through some of the most difficult challenges we've had. And at the end of the day, it's your ability to do those things that keeps Australians safe and keeps our economy strong.

BARTLETT: I remember those days very well. I remember when you were Minister for Immigration …

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.

BARTLETT: … in fact, doing an interview with you on the, on the, on the footpath outside Villawood Detention Centre. That's how long ago that was.

PRIME MINISTER: I remember that, too. Yeah, that was, I think, when the, when the riots were happening.

BARTLETT: Exactly, exactly.

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.

BARTLETT: But do you think this is going to get very personal, this election campaign? Because, it's real, I mean, I know there's always that presidential sort of style about it, and it's become more and more over the years. But this is really shaping up as a very personal sort of fight, isn’t it, between you and Albo.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, the Labor Party have been sledging me for the last three and a half years. They have a crack at me because they don’t like how I spend my time in my spare time. They have a crack at me for spending time with my family. They have a crack at me for when I turn up at a football game. They’ve been doing this for three and a half years and I'm quite used to them having these personal sledges against me. I’m big enough and ugly enough to take that on the chin and move on. I don't have a, you know, I'm not precious about those sort of things. But the election shouldn't be about that. The election should be about what I've been talking about. And that is, how do we keep our economy strong and how do we keep Australians safe.

I mean, we are living in a very, very unique time, and that is characterised by the pressures that are there in our global economy. We've got war again in Europe. We've got pressures in the Indo-Pacific here with China, in the Indo-Pacific region, and this is a time when experience counts. This is a time when people have demonstrated the ability to keep the economy strong, fund our Defence Forces. I mean, when Labor were in power, defence spending in Australia was 1.57 per cent, 1.57 per cent of the size of our economy. Today, under us, it's 2.1 per cent. If we'd left it where Labor had it when they were last in power, there would have been $55 billion less spent on defence over the last eight years, and $10 billion less in this year alone. So that's why I don’t buy this idea that Labor and the Greens are the same as the Liberals and Nationals when it comes to defence. Their record tells another story. They can say whatever they like, but that doesn't mean that's what they'll do.

I joked last night, I could say I can surf as well as Kelly Slater. I can say it, but I can't do it. And it's the same when it comes to Labor on the economy and national security.

BARTLETT: Prime Minister, I know you've got to take off, but just a final question on national security …

PRIME MINISTER: Sure.

BARTLETT: And I know it's not relating directly to our defence, but the situation in Ukraine. Is there anything else we can do of substance, in a material sense, or is there anything else we're contemplating that we can do?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, there is, and I can't go into the details of that for security reasons, but I've spoken to President Zelensky. I've been speaking to other European leaders constantly over the course of this crisis, and we're continuing to extend our sanctions to more and more individuals, which is done in concert with all the other countries. That is having a big impact on Russia's economy, and that's very important. But also, when it comes to defence support, we've already, as you know, put $25 million, sorry $50 million - I was thinking of the humanitarian component - $50 million US into supporting them with armaments in their defence. Now we're working closely with our other partners as to whether there is more we can do there. And certainly if we can and that will be useful, then we're very prepared to do that.

We've been processing visas of Ukrainians, of, particularly of family members here in Australia, and there would be over 2,000 now. Last check it was around 1,700 that we’d already processed. And those Ukrainians will be coming to Australia and getting residency here, for many of them, or some of them are coming on temporary skilled visas, which means they can have safe haven here during the course of this conflict. But most of them will want to return home. That's what the European leaders are telling me, and hopeful that they will be able to do that.

BARTLETT: Yes, ok. Prime Minister, thanks very much. Have a, have a good trip to Western Australia. I hope it's successful for you. And look, thanks for fronting up and taking the questions - the good and the bad. You always do that. I respect it. Good on you.

PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot, Liam. Good to talk to you. Great to be here in the West.

BARTLETT: You too.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43855

Working Together To Strengthen Regional Security Preparedness At Blackrock Camp

14 March 2022

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama today announced the official opening of the redeveloped Blackrock Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Camp in Nadi, Fiji.

Prime Minister Morrison said Australia was proud to call Fiji our partner, our friend and our family, and that Blackrock stood as testament to the strength of the bilateral relationship.

“The collaboration between the women and men of our armed forces and our officials in redeveloping Blackrock Camp has demonstrated the character of our broader relationship, and the values of family, mutual respect and mateship that underpin it,” Prime Minister Morrison said.

“This state-of-the-art facility will enhance Fiji’s peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capacity, and ensure intent is matched with resources to meet the common challenges and security of our shared region.

“It has become the norm for Fiji and Australia to back each other – and our broader Pacific family – at times of crisis. Blackrock Camp will now serve as a training and regional response hub for both disaster response and peacekeeping missions.”

Prime Minister Bainimarama thanked the Australian Government for its commitment to the project, and to deepening the relationship between the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and the Australian Defence Force.

“The Blackrock Training Camp is a testament to the peace-loving spirit of Fijians and the security and prosperity that Fiji and Australia strive for across the Pacific and throughout the world. This world-class training centre will ensure that Fijian peacekeepers are trained and equipped to uphold Fiji’s 47-year legacy of defending the defenseless in the world’s conflict-ridden regions,” Prime Minister Bainimarama said.

“Blackrock will also serve as the regional launching pad for joint deployments that put Fijian and Australian troops at the front line of the climate war raging throughout the Pacific. Our campaign to respond to the super-storms, floods, rising seas, bush fires, and other climate-driven disasters will not be won by guns, ammo, and artillery, but by seawalls, resilient infrastructure, and cutting-edge technology –– we look forward to continually building our joint capacity to respond to these new threats together.”

Australia’s investment in Blackrock Camp provides a strong foundation and model for other security infrastructure collaborations in Fiji.

Australia and Fiji are currently working together to upgrade the Republic of Fiji Navy’s Stanley Brown Wharf, which will house Fiji’s two Guardian-class Patrol Boats, and construction will shortly begin on a Maritime Essential Services Centre to be built in Suva.

These joint projects inject significant funds into the local economy and create jobs across Fiji.

Fiji and Australia are committed to working shoulder to shoulder with our Pacific family to advance our shared goals for a secure, stable, and resilient region.

The Republic of Fiji Military Forces and Australian Defence Forces are currently co-deployed on operations in Solomon Islands and Tonga and as a part of Operation Flood Assist in Australia.

Prime Minister Morrison participated virtually in the opening ceremony. He was represented in person by Minister for International Development and the Pacific Senator Zed Seselja, as well as Vice Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Vice Admiral David Johnston, and Secretary for Defence, Greg Moriarty.

Imagery is available at: https://images.defence.gov.au/S20220471

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-44174

Australia and the Netherlands Initiate MH17 Legal Proceedings

14 March 2022

Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women, Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations

Australia and the Netherlands today initiated legal proceedings against the Russian Federation in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014.

We have maintained since May 2018 that the Russian Federation is responsible under international law for the downing of Flight MH17.

Today’s joint action by Australia and the Netherlands is a major step forward in both countries’ fight for truth, justice and accountability for this horrific act of violence, which claimed the lives of 298 victims, 38 of whom called Australia home.

Australia and the Netherlands will rely on overwhelming evidence that:

1. Flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian Buk-TELAR surface-to-air missile system;

2. the missile system was transported from Russia to an agricultural field in the east of Ukraine on the morning of 17 July 2014 – an area under the control of Russian-backed separatists;

3. the missile system belonged to the Russian Federation’s 53rd Anti-Aircraft Military Brigade, and was accompanied by a trained Russian military crew;

4. from the launch site, the Buk-TELAR fired the missile that shot down Flight MH17, killing all 298 people on board;

5. the missile could only have been fired by the trained Russian crew of the Buk-TELAR, or at least by someone acting under their instruction, direction or control; and

6. the Buk missile system was returned to the Russian Federation shortly after the downing of Flight MH17.

In October 2020, Russia unilaterally withdrew from negotiations with Australia and the Netherlands regarding the downing of Flight MH17, and refused to return to the negotiating table despite repeated requests by Australia and the Netherlands.

The Russian Federation’s refusal to take responsibility for its role in the downing of Flight MH17 is unacceptable and the Australian Government has always said that it will not exclude any legal options in our pursuit of justice.

Today’s joint action under Article 84 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation is in addition to the Dutch national prosecution of four suspects for their individual criminal responsibility in the downing of Flight MH17.

Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine and the escalation of its aggression underscores the need to continue our enduring efforts to hold Russia to account for its blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, including threats to Ukraine’s sovereignty and airspace.

While we cannot take away the grief of those whose loved ones died as a result of Russia’s actions, the Australian Government will pursue every available avenue to ensure Russia is held to account so that this horrific act never happens again. 

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-44175

Interview with Chris Uhlmann, Weekend Today

13 March 2022

Chris Uhlmann: Prime Minister, welcome.

Prime Minister: Good morning, Chris.

Uhlmann: Were you too slow to act on the floods in New South Wales and Queensland?

Prime Minister: We moved as quickly as the Defence Forces and the agencies can, and I'll give you a good example. Back in 2011, in the Queensland floods, those terrible Brisbane floods, they moved as quickly and did everything as they possibly could on that occasion. This time around, four times the number of ADF on the ground a week earlier, almost a week earlier. Now that's a statement about the increase in the capability of our Defence Forces. But I understand the frustration, because in a disaster like I have seen up in Lismore, no response is ever going to be able to meet the overwhelming need. And the first response always comes from the community, Chris. It always comes from the community, and then it comes from the SES, and then the ADF comes and and supports that. But on the Monday, after the floods hit on the Sunday night, ADF were winching people off roofs and risking their own lives.

Uhlmann: And yet again, though, we seem to have this division between states and the Commonwealth, even on what a national emergency is and when it should be called, because Queensland doesn't want one called. Why is that? Why are we always seeing this division now?

Prime Minister: Well, I don't know if I'd quite put it that way. What I'd say is this: states obviously respond to emergencies. They run the SES, they run the police, they run the hospitals, they run all of those immediate responses. But whether it was the Queensland floods up in North Queensland some years ago, and I remember when I was up there in the middle of those floods, you know, the Queensland, North Queensland Cowboys were out in boats rescuing people. The whole community was out rescuing. That is what happens in relation to every natural disaster. The the SES or the Defence Forces, they don't replace that community response. They add to it, they support it, and they bring in the heavy equipment. But as I said, on the very day as the floods hit, ADF were winching people off roofs.

Uhlmann: And again, some of the SES were saying to people, don't get in those boats, don't get on those jet skis, don't go out there. Thousands of people might have died if that was the case. Are we in a situation now where there's been government overreach - governments are telling people they can do too much for them?

Prime Minister: I I have a lot of sympathy with that view, and I think we've seen that now. This idea, and I got a question like that when I was up there in northern New South Wales - why did people have to go and rescue their neighbours? Of course we need people to go and rescue their neighbours. We we need the community response. That is the first response because the community is always going to be the first ones there. To deploy nationally positioned Forces around the country and mobilise them with the equipment and the heavy equipment and the supplying and the provisioning - that, you can't just turn that off and on. You're never going to have an ADF base sitting around the corner in every single town. And let's not forget, this flood in the Northern Rivers and Lismore was a one in 500 year flood. And I was talking to a dairy farmer who had got his cattle to the place of safety in the milking shed, which was built above the highest ever flood they'd ever seen. And he lost all of his, pretty much all of his cattle. So this was quite an extraordinary event. And the bravery and response of the community - his son Matt rescued his dad, then went into town on his jet ski and rescued 40 people that night.

Uhlmann: But it won't be a one in 500 year event, will it? It might be a one in 10 year event. You've said now that Australia is becoming a harder place to live in. That's because of climate change, isn't it?

Prime Minister: Yes, it is.

Uhlmann: And the Coalition's been a long time coming to that conclusion, hasn't it?

Prime Minister: We've always, I think, been very clear on the issues of resilience, and when it comes to adaptation, and this is one of the big challenges. I mean, I gave this, I said this a couple of years ago. I said, we need to get emissions down, and we've got it down by more than 20 per cent. Canada can't say that. New Zealand can't say that. United States can't say that. Japan can't say that, but we can. But dealing with climate change isn't just about getting emissions down. It's about resilience and adaptation. Now let's talk about bushfires in that context. You want to deal with resilience on bushfires, you have to do fuel load management. You want to deal with floods, you've got to build dams. Now it hasn't been the Coalition that has been against reducing fuel loads and building dams in this country.

Uhlmann: But you might also need to build levees and you might also need to tell people that if you're living on a floodplain, there is nothing a government can do for you when it floods, particularly when it's one like this, or or you're building up against the bush. We have to look at building levees, don't we, and have to look at how and where we build?

Prime Minister: Well, you take a, you take a place like Grafton, which, you know, built levees many years ago - they still get floods. But when I spoke to the Mayor of Ballina when I was up there, those areas of Ballina that were actually built under the new planning guidelines, which are a bit higher, a bit more expensive, they they got through. Other parts of of Ballina didn't, did not, which were built in the older areas. And the Planning Minister in New South Wales Anthony Roberts has made this point about having that broader response that deals with planning issues. But when I spoke to the Mayor of Lismore, he was elected on a platform of getting the head water management and the levees and all of those flood mitigation works in place that had been resisted up there in Lismore for a very long time. He was elected on a platform to get this done and I've committed to him that we will spend over $100 million backing in a resilience plan that he was elected to get done. And I'm sure the New South Wales Government will join me fully.

Uhlmann: Prime Minister, it's been an extraordinary couple of years. You go back and look at the bushfires, then COVID-19 and then the floods. There are some who would say of you, across all of those sorts of things, there's been a familiar pattern, which is a lack of foresight, acting too slowly when the crisis comes and then blame shifting afterwards. Do you accept any of that as criticism of the way that you you behaved? Do you reflect on on those those things and think, I shouldn't have behaved that way, or I did something wrong?

Prime Minister: I don't accept Labor's narrative on that. And there's a, you know, a chorus of commentary which seeks to support that. And that's often the same chorus that didn't like how the last election went. But what I do accept is that in every single one of these cases you you learn many things. Now was Australia quick to move on JobKeeper? You know, $80 billion that effectively saved the Australian economy during the pandemic. Yes, of course we were. Was Australia one of the first movers to close the borders when it came on the pandemic, in particular to China? We were criticised for closing the borders for China and told we were being racist. Was Australia slow to move in calling out the origins of the virus? No, we weren't. Was Australia quick to move when it came to realigning our defence positioning and our our force structure and the alliances and partnerships we have with other countries, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom? These this web of protection we've built over the last two and a half years, to wake, basically, the western world up to the challenges we face? No, I don't think we have.

Uhlmann: Yeah, but you look, you're looking at the successes. But but the Labor Party has made this campaign about your character and about trust, and that does seem to have some resonance with the community. Why should people trust you with another three years in government, having looked at your record?

Prime Minister: Well, I'm not pretending to be someone else. I'm not pretending to ride on someone else's coat-tails. Australians know me and they know that I'm pretty resilient. But more importantly, the key answer to that question is because Australians need a strong economy, because Australians need to see those jobs, because Australia needs a government that knows how to stand up to the threats that we face. And that's what I've demonstrated. That's what my Government has demonstrated, and the plan we have to keep doing that means we will get even more Australians in jobs. I mean, through this pandemic we have one of the strongest economies in the world. December quarter figures show that our economy has outpaced all the G7 nations. Our our immunisation rate, 95 per cent, one of the highest in the world, and we've got more people in jobs after the pandemic than we had before the pandemic. So when you look at, when you look at the big things: Are more people in work? Are Australians safer? Have we built a more resilient country? Have we got one of the highest levels of pandemic preparedness in the world, rated number two? And if if they want to take my word for it, they can take Bill Gates' word for it.

Uhlmann: Let's look to some of the small things that really matter to people - the cost of petrol.

Prime Minister: Sure.

Uhlmann: The cost of housing. What can you possibly do about that - petrol $2.20 a litre now, $200 a tank - what can you do?

Prime Minister: Well, it is, it's roughly exactly what you're saying, I checked that again this morning. But I think Australians know that what's happening with petrol prices at the moment is being caused by what's happening with the war in Europe. I think Australians understand those issues. And so we're working with other countries around the world at the moment in terms of releasing fuel reserves to try and alleviate the pressure on fuel prices. The other thing we've done, particularly on energy prices, I mean, there is a a 75 per cent gap between the international price of gas and what we're paying here in Australia because of the gas mechanism we put in place, which kept, and that is the reason why, Chris, that electricity prices have fallen under, since I've been Prime Minister in particular.

Uhlmann: On petrol though, on petrol, you do have one lever. That's excise - 44 cents every litre. That's a Government excise. Can you cut that?

Prime Minister: The Budget is coming up at the end of this month, but I think Australians understand ...

Uhlmann: So is that a yes or a no? Can you cut it? Have you been thinking about cutting it?

Prime Minister: No, the answer is the Budget's at the end of this month. But my point is that excise, where it has sat, is not going to change what the fluctuations are in price, that is going to mean many times over any change you made in excise. I mean, we've seen it going from, you know, $1.70s to $2.20. That's that's that's gone above the total excise you even pay on fuel per litre. So what is driving fuel prices are things well beyond the shores of Australia, but you ask about housing. Since we were elected last at the last election, we have got more than 300,000 Australians into their home. They've bought it, they've bought it. Now, and that is at a time when housing prices have been increasing. And what we did was, is we alleviated the burden on the saving for the deposit. The biggest challenge Australians face in owning their first home or buying any home is saving for that deposit, and we cut that from 20 per cent down to five per cent. Now I've spoken to people we've got into homes. They've told me it's saved them eight years, eight years. So the things we can do, we do, and the things we can't do anything about, well, we understand them and work with other countries around the world to try and relieve those pressures.

Uhlmann: Speaking of the world that we're in at the moment, it's a fairly unsettling place, and China is clearly part of the, part of your concern, a real part of your concern. Do you have any red lines? Would you stop China from building building a military base, either in the Coral Sea or the South Pacific? Would you actually stop that from happening?

Prime Minister: Our Pacific Step-up, which has been another hallmark of what our Government has been doing, has been about working with our Pacific partners to ensure we can keep the our our region ...

Uhlmann: Do you have red lines in the Pacific? If they, if they said they were going to build a military base in Fiji, in Tonga, would you stop them?

Prime Minister: Well, they've they've been very clear about those aspirations ...

Uhlmann: And you'd stop them?

Prime Minister: But they haven't, have they? They haven't. They haven't. And one of the reasons that Australia is respected so well by our partners, whether it's the Americans or the Japanese or or the United States or sorry, the United Kingdom, or India or other countries, is because we work so hard on the relationships. Let me tell you about Fiji. In Fiji, we ensures that they, we got them vaccinated, at the biggest moment of their need. And Prime Minister Bainimarama accepted that support, and when help was offered from other places, he was able to say, no, we're good. The Australians have looked after us. That's how you achieve the goal. You work closely with our Pacific family, and I refer to them as family. I talk to Pacific leaders every single week and that is what ensures that we can block the incursion into our region, because we share values with the Pacific.

Uhlmann: Prime Minister, finally and briefly, 30 seconds, you're going up for election again. Why should the Australian people trust you again with another three years in government?

Prime Minister: Because we've delivered the jobs, we've got the economic plan, which means a strong economy, which means a stronger future for Australians. If you don't have a strong economy, you can't guarantee the essentials Australians rely on. You can't keep Australians safe, and you can't keep Australians going forward in what will be a very difficult period over the next three to five to 10 years. We've delivered on jobs, we've delivered on security, and that's what Australia needs.

Uhlmann: Prime Minister, thank you.

Prime Minister: Thank you.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43852

$13.7 Million To Support Our Defence Kids

12 March 2022

Prime Minister, Minister for Veteran's Affairs, Minister for Defence Personnel

More children of Australian veterans and Defence personnel will receive additional support thanks to a new $13.7 million investment in the successful Kookaburra Kids ‘Defence Kids’ mental health program.

This new investment comes as Kookaburra Kids celebrates its 20th year of providing services. It builds on our Government's investment of $2.1 million for a pilot of the Defence Kids program in 2016 and $7.7 million to expand the program in 2018.

The additional funding will see the program expanded to more regional areas: Wagga Wagga, Albury/Wodonga, the Mornington Peninsula, Bendigo, Ballarat, and Geelong.

For the first time, services will also be available for children in north and south Tasmania.

The Prime Minister said the Defence Kids program was making a massive difference to the lives of children of Defence families, and the funding would ensure it could reach even more kids and families.

“Being a kid can be tough enough, and there can be added challenges for kids from Defence and veteran families,” the Prime Minister said.

“Often, our Defence kids have to move away from friends, they change schools and they deal with a parent being away for extended periods of time or who may be facing mental health challenges.

“The Kookaburra Kids Defence Kids program helps kids to manage these challenges, and brings them together with others facing similar experiences.

“We want to give our Defence kids as much support as possible, and give our veterans and Defence members the confidence that their families are well looked after. The extension of this program will ensure just that.

“I also congratulate Kookaburra Kids on their 20th anniversary. From their start in the Shire, to now reaching out across the nation to help thousands more kids, it’s truly great work.”

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Andrew Gee said the additional funding would grow the program across the regions and provide access to even more kids.

“The Kookaburra Kids program has already had more than 4,300 engagements with children in the Defence and veteran community, and this significant additional investment will see more children reap the benefits,” Minister Gee said.

“Kids aged 8-18 years old can get involved by attending camps and activity days where they develop coping skills and resilience, building up their mental health while understanding their unique experience.

“The program delivers tailored, evidence-based, age-appropriate education, prevention and early intervention mental health services.

“Prevention is key in supporting our Defence kids and providing them with the help they need to thrive. I’m extremely supportive of anything that supports our Defence families.”

The funding will also see face-to-face services continue in all mainland capital cities as well as the regional centres of Townsville, the Hunter, Wollongong, Shoalhaven and the NSW South Coast.

To find out more about the Kookaburra Kids ‘Defence Kids’ program visit: https://kookaburrakids.org.au/our-programs/defence-kids-activities/

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43849

National Cabinet Statement

11 March 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 program.

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.

Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 3,136,920 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 5,549 people have died.

Globally there have been over 452.7 million cases and, sadly, over 6 million deaths, with 1,949,622 new cases and 7,240 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in many countries around the world.

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

Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to expand. To date, 54.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia, including over 12 million booster doses.

More than 94.7 per cent of Australians aged 16 years and over have now received a second dose, including more than 99 per cent of over 50 year olds.

Over 51 per cent of 5-11 year olds have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the first two months of their vaccination program. Second dose vaccinations for 5-11 year olds commenced earlier this week. 

National Cabinet noted that Australia has largely transitioned to Phase D of the National Plan, with states and territories and the Commonwealth considering removing the remaining restrictions in the coming months, subject to continued public health advice.

National Cabinet will meet again in June 2022.

COVID-19 and Influenza Winter Preparedness and Response

National Cabinet agreed to a nationally consistent approach to manage both the COVID-19 pandemic and the likely co-circulation of influenza during winter 2022, to minimise health impacts while supporting the economy, with following key principles:

a) focus public health policy on prevention of severe disease and targeting the most high risk cohorts for testing and treatments for both diseases;

b) maximise COVID-19 and influenza vaccination coverage;

c) ensure existing testing capacity is maintained, with agreed approaches to prioritise PCR testing for those at risk of severe disease, those in a household with someone at-risk, or those who would likely benefit from treatment;

d) transition to no longer requiring quarantining of all close contacts as soon as possible, with AHPPC to provide urgent advice as soon as possible to inform this transition, appropriate to each jurisdiction;

e) transition to not routinely undertaking PCR testing in otherwise healthy people with mild respiratory illness, and promote voluntary self-isolation while symptomatic for this group, following endorsement by AHPPC;

f) transition to PCR testing for multiple respiratory pathogens simultaneously (multiplex PCR);

g) ensure health, economic and social measures are in place to address the impacts of a possible new COVID-19 wave, including workforce shortages, supply chain issues, and pressures on specific sectors and individuals;

h) states and territories should continue to support fever clinics and other community-based testing arrangements where demand requires it, noting these testing centres should also offer multiplex PCR testing;

i) consistent messaging and communication strategies for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 and influenza across all jurisdictions and population cohorts, with a key area for the communication strategy emphasising the importance of receiving the influenza vaccine and being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 this year; and

j) reinforce business and individual responsibility for prevention, preparedness and response efforts.

National Cabinet further agreed that states and territories consider mandating influenza vaccination for aged care workers at residential aged care facilities.

National Cabinet noted that the Commonwealth is investing $2.1 billion to support and protect Australians against COVID-19 and influenza this winter and agreed to extend the COVID-19 National Partnership Agreement to 30 September 2022.

Resumption of Cruising

National Cabinet noted positive progress by the eastern states and the cruise industry to develop appropriate health protocols and common guidelines to support a safe return to cruising in their jurisdictions over the coming months.

COVID-19 Rapid Test Concessional Access Program

National Cabinet agreed to extend the COVID-19 Rapid Test Concessional Access Program to 31 July 2022, which will provide an additional 10 free RATs per eligible concession card holder over the additional three month period. The program will continue under the existing policy parameters, with costs to be shared on a 50:50 basis between the Commonwealth Government and each state and territory government.

Eligible Commonwealth concession card holders include those with a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card; Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold, White or Orange Card; Health Care Card or Low Income Health Card. 

Joint National Japanese Encephalitis Virus Response Plan 

National Cabinet noted the update on the Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) situation in Australia, from Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer and Chief Medical Officer. 

National Cabinet noted the development of the Joint National Japanese Encephalitis Virus Response Plan, which will be finalised and endorsed  by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and Chief Veterinary Officers in each jurisdiction. 

Consistent with this plan, National Cabinet agreed that each jurisdiction will undertake:

1. to coordinate a One Health response that will inform the coordination mechanisms nationally;

2. enhanced surveillance on mosquitoes, animals (including wildlife) and humans, consistent with what will be outlined in the national response plan to JEV and supporting surveillance plans;

3. comprehensive data sharing on a national, state and territory level to enable the development of a clear picture of the risk of the disease;

4. to commit to sharing lessons learned and strategies implemented for prevention, control, and response measures undertaken; and

5. to use consistent cross-government messaging and communication strategies to ensure the public has clear, factual and timely information, appropriate to the public health and animal health risk posed by JEV.

To support these initiatives the Commonwealth Government will provide approximately $70 million in funding for initiatives aimed at preventing exposure to the disease through vaccination and mosquito management systems, to protect people and animals most at risk during the current outbreak, and targeted communication for at-risk areas.

The Chief Veterinary Officer also briefed National Cabinet on the outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease in Indonesia. Lumpy Skin Disease affects cattle and water buffalo.

National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement 

National Cabinet noted that the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement (National Agreement) has come into effect, following signing by the Commonwealth, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australian, Tasmanian and Northern Territory Treasurers.  

The National Agreement addresses key recommendations from the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into Mental Health and the National Suicide Prevention Adviser’s Final Advice. It will: clarify roles and responsibilities; progress improvements in the mental health services available to adults, children and youth; establish collaborative approaches to monitoring and evaluation to ensure our services are providing people the help they need; reduce gaps in the system of care; expand and enhance the workforce, including the peer workforce; and work to improve mental health and suicide prevention for all Australians, across a range of settings.

The South Australian and New South Wales Governments have signed bilateral agreements with the Australian Government that will provide significant funding to implement initiatives under the National Agreement in their states. The Australian Government is continuing to work with all states on these important reforms. 

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-44173

New Joint Funding Program To Support Flood Victims With Accomodation And Grants

10 March 2022

Prime Minister, Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience, Deputy Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Regional NSW, Minister for police, New South Wales Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience

An additional $551.7 million will be provided to support flood affected communities across New South Wales as part of the next round of Commonwealth and New South Wales Government funding.

This funding builds on the initial $434.7 million in joint funding announced last week, to provide support for families, communities and businesses to recover from the devastating floods, totaling almost $1 billion in support across New South Wales.

This additional funding will provide support to small businesses, primary producers, councils, households, and families hard hit by the devastating floods.

The new funding provides $285.2 million for the new Temporary Housing Support package, which will support those on the Northern Rivers who cannot live in their homes while they’re being repaired or have lost their home entirely. It’s estimated that this could assist up to 25,000 households, and includes;

• Immediate hotel accommodation, to provide accommodation for four nights, with flexibility to increase while people make interim arrangements.

• Grants towards initial rental costs, from $6,000 for an individual up to $18,000 for a six person household

• Utilising Mobile Motor Homes and Recreation Camps for medium term accommodation

• Extending the Temporary Dwelling Program, which allows people to stay on their land in a caravan or demountable, for example.

There are also supports for 45 Local Government Areas to help with the removal of flood and storm related damage, debris and green waste.

Grants of up to $75,000 for primary producers and up to $50,000 for small businesses and not for profit organisations devastated by flooding will also be extended to the additional 28 disaster declared LGAs, delivered by the Rural Assistance Authority and Service NSW.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this support package would help families, communities and businesses as they continue their recovery.

“We will continue to stand side by side with those affected by these devastating floods, from the initial emergency response, to the clean-up and as they look to the future,” the Prime Minister said.

“Supporting the immediate housing needs is a further critical area of support. There are many more steps ahead of us to restore these devastated communities that experienced the equivalent of an inland tsunami.

“This next phase of funding is in addition to the Commonwealth’s Disaster Relief Payment of $1,000 and the 13-week income replacement for employees and small businesses, which has so far provided $310 million in support to more than 268,000 recipients.”

Premier Dominic Perrottet said it was vital the thousands of people who had been displaced were able to get started with their recovery.

“This support package will help those impacted by the floods to get back on their feet as quickly as possible,” Premier Perrottet said.

“Rebuilding won’t be a quick process and that is why we are using a flexible approach to provide people with the help they need now and into the future so communities can rebuild their homes and businesses as quickly as possible.”

Since 22 February, 45 LGAs have been declared as disaster areas and are eligible for support through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience Bridget McKenzie said this was the next phase of support offered by the Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments.

“Working together we are able to respond to the needs of the community as recovery starts, and I am continuing to work with my state counterparts to get the right support delivered to our communities,” Minister McKenzie said.

NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole said all available resources will be allocated to help communities that were already reeling from consecutive disasters.

“This flooding emergency has impacted thousands of people but we are working around the clock to make sure support is available for everyone who needs it,” Deputy Premier Toole said.

“We know the recovery will be long but we have the backs of the regional communities and we will be with them every step of the way in the weeks, months and years ahead.”

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said there were now numerous support options being delivered, including the locally-based Recovery Centres.

“As flood waters recede, we are setting up these one-stop shops for our flood-affected communities to register for clean-up services, financial assistance, insurance and legal support, business support and mental health services,” Minister Cooke said.

“The Recovery Centres will stay open for as long as necessary as will the Customer Care specialists which are available on 13 77 88.”

The new package includes;

• $285 million Temporary Housing Support package

• $75,000 primary producers and the $50,000 small business and not-for-profit grants extended to all disaster declared LGAs

• $1 million grants to additional 28 impacted councils to assist with their immediate social, built, economic and environmental needs.

• $90 million to assist with the clean-up and removal of flood and storm related damage, debris and green waste for the additional 28 disaster declared LGAs

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43848

Defence workforce to grow above 100,000

10 March 2022

Prime Minister, Minister for Defence

The size and capability of the Australian Defence Force will be significantly increased by the Morrison Government to keep Australians safe in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

Under the plan, the number of ADF personnel will increase by around 30 per cent by 2040, taking the total permanent ADF to almost 80,000 personnel. 

Overall, Defence’s total permanent workforce will increase to over 101,000 by 2040 – an increase of 18,500 over baseline growth already agreed in the 2020 Force Structure Plan.

The estimated cost of this expansion is at least $38 billion over the period to 2040, which is a significant investment in ensuring our ADF has the right people and skills to keep our nation safe.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there was never a more important time to invest in increasing the size of the Australian Defence Force.

“The first priority of my Government is keep Australians safe and to do that we need a bigger ADF with more soldiers, sailors and airmen and women to operate the cutting-edge capabilities we’re getting to protect Australia,” the Prime Minister said.

“Our world is becoming increasingly uncertain so it’s important we take steps now to protect our people and our national interest over the coming decades.

“You can’t flick a switch to increase your army, navy and air force overnight, growing the type of people and skills we need to face the threats of the future takes time, so we must start now so critical skills can be taught and experience gained.

“ADF personnel will be increased in every state and territory with a particular focus on capabilities associated with our trilateral security partnership between Australia, United Kingdom and United States (AUKUS), as well as air, sea, land, space and cyber.”

Labor’s defence spending as a share of GDP dropped to 1.56 per cent in the 2012-13 Budget - the lowest level of funding since 1938. In their last three years in Government, Labor cut Defence spending by 10.5 per cent in real terms. Our Government has increased investment in defence to more than two per cent of GDP.

Minister for Defence, the Hon Peter Dutton MP, said under the 2020 Force Structure Plan workforce growth was critical to deliver and operate the capabilities Defence needs to secure Australia’s strategic environment, protect Australia’s interests, and build a credible military force.

“Defence operates with a highly integrated workforce spanning the Australian Defence Force, civilians and industry providers, with each bringing specialised skills and expertise,” Minister Dutton said.

“This growth in workforce and expertise will enable us to deliver our nuclear powered submarines, ships, aircraft and advanced weapons. It will mean we can build warfighting capabilities in the domains of space, and information and cyber.

“It will also build the resilience we need in critical areas and enable our people to increase intelligence, information and communications capacity.

“Defence industry will also be fundamental to supporting Defence’s capability delivery and workforce growth to deliver current and enhanced technologies, systems and equipment.”

The Government remains committed to developing a strong, sustainable and secure Australian defence industry and supports leading edge national innovation. Through initiatives such as the Defence Industry Skilling and STEM Strategy, Defence continues to help industry equip itself with the skilled workforce it requires to support the Australian Defence Force.

The expanded defence workforce will span all states and territories, cities and regional areas with a majority of the growth expected to occur in QLD, NSW, SA and WA.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43845

Senator Kimberley Kitching

10 March 2022

The death of Senator Kimberley Kitching, at just 52, is a deep and terrible shock.

Senator Kitching was a serious parliamentarian who had a deep interest in Australia’s national security.

She had a passion about Australia’s national interest and argued for it.

She demonstrated that her passion for her country was always greater than any partisan view. She clearly loved her country and it genuinely showed.

I came to greatly respect the way Senator Kitching approached the issues.

Senator Kitching was a practicing Catholic and we witnessed her authentic faith in the life of the Parliament.  She followed her conscience and was fearless and I admired that.

She was respected by those on both sides of the Parliament - she was a parliamentarian in the truest sense. Senator Kitching was deeply respected by the Coalition.

To Senator Kitching’s family I extend the sympathies of the Government.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-44172

More support for NSW and Queensland flood zones

9 March 2022

Prime Minister, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience, Minister for Government Services, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme

More support is on the way for families, farms and businesses affected by the catastrophic flooding disaster in northern NSW and Queensland as part of an additional package of support from the Morrison Government.

As communities continue the recovery and clean-up effort led by Resilience NSW and regional recovery coordinator, Deputy Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, as well as by the Queensland Government and Major General Jake Ellwood, this further support from the Morrison Government will ensure people get money in their pockets to help get them through.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government was focused right now on the pressing needs of communities in NSW and Queensland.

“I intend to recommend to the Governor-General to make a National Emergency Declaration covering this severe weather and flooding event across New South Wales and Queensland to ensure all our emergency powers are available and that we cut through any red tape we might face in delivering services and support on the ground,” the Prime Minister said.

“I have made this decision today, in consultation with the Premiers, after further briefings from government agencies about the situation in northern NSW and seeing the catastrophe firsthand. We introduced the power to make a National Emergency Declaration after the Black Summer bushfires and it will ensure our Ministers and agencies don’t face any unnecessary bureaucracy as they roll out what communities need.

“The feedback we’ve had from communities, state governments and my own ministers who have visited the impacted areas has helped us identify where the gaps are right now, and how we can get support out the door quickly to where it’s needed.”

The National Recovery and Resilience Agency and Emergency Management Australia have assessed the flood extent area, the proportion of the populations affected, the latest residential impact assessments and the proportion of population seeking assistance for Disaster Recovery Payments to declare the Richmond Valley, Lismore and Clarence Valley LGAs are the highest impacted areas and in need of additional support. 

The Prime Minister said those three LGAs were facing catastrophic conditions. 

“The sheer scale and impact to these areas in northern NSW highlights the need for extra support right now,” the Prime Minister said. 

“While people in northern NSW aren’t able to work, are still clearing out their homes and businesses, the extra two lots of $1,000 payments we’re rolling out to eligible families and individuals will give them some certainty as they start to rebuild their lives.

“We can’t underestimate the long term mental health toll so many communities will be facing. As well as the new mental health supports we’re announcing, my government will closely monitor the situation to understand what else people need as they recover from these disasters.

“Resilience NSW and Deputy Commissioner Lanyon and the Queensland Government and Major General Ellwood will work alongside the Federal National Recovery and Resilience Agency (NRRA) to identify the priorities for the longer-term recovery under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

“We’ll work closely with the NSW and Queensland Governments to deliver further funding. It’s crises like this that the Emergency Response Fund was established to help support and it will help as part of the initiatives we deliver so communities across NSW and Queensland get back on their feet.”

This next phase of support includes:

• An additional two weekly disaster payments for the catastrophe zones in the Lismore, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley LGAs, automatically paid for those who have already claimed and received the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment, at the current rate of $1,000 per adult and $400 per child. These payments will be made from 15 and 22 March. The NRRA will also undertake assessment of possible additional LGAs that also meet the catastrophic impact assessment

• Support for Norco in northern NSW on a bespoke business support package, in partnership with the NSW Government, to help restore operations of this key business and employer

• $10 million to support the mental health of school-aged children in the Northern Rivers region affected by the recent flood event under the ‘Resilient Kids’ program

• $800,000 to extend the Regional Small Business Support Program to include small businesses impacted by the recent flood event in NSW and QLD for two RFCS regions, with a six month extension until 31 December 2022, as well as free and independent case managed financial counselling through the Rural Financial Counselling Service

• $5.4 million to boost existing legal assistance services operating within affected communities

• $25 million for emergency relief, food relief and financial counselling services

• Approximately $6.9 million in support payments of $10,000 to assist early childhood education and care (ECEC) services affected by the floods where they have been closed for more than seven days. More severely impacted services will also be able to apply for Community Child Care Fund Special Circumstances grants

• $7 million to expand the Commonwealth’s business recovery and resilience service, Strengthening Business, into at least 30 of the most flood affected regions of northern New South Wales (NSW) and south-eastern Queensland

• $31.2 million to deliver immediate and longer term local mental health support services for individuals, families, and communities impacted by the disaster and to support communities to recover and build resilience across the flood affected communities 

• $4.7 million to ensure the immediate continuity of primary health care services for flood-impacted Australians

Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience Bridget McKenzie said the Government was also looking at how to support primary producers particularly in northern NSW.

“As people turn their minds to the future, we want them to know they’ve got options and we’ll be there to help them,” Minister McKenzie said.

“That’s why we’re working with NSW and Queensland to identify the priorities for the longer-term recovery under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.”

Minister for Government Services Linda Reynolds said the additional $1,000 disaster payments would take immediate pressure off many families and allow them to focus on recovering from this major disaster event.

“The catastrophic scale and impact of what we’re seeing in this region of northern NSW is exactly why this extra support is needed,” Minister Reynolds said.

“The additional two $1,000 payments will automatically kick in for AGDRP recipients in the Lismore, Clarence Valley and Richmond Valley local government areas so there is no need for people to re-apply.

“Eligible adults in these three LGAs will receive a total payment of $3000 each, plus a total of $1,200 for each child. I’d encourage anyone who has not yet applied for the disaster payment to do so as soon as possible.”

The Federal Government has paid $238.9 million in disaster payments to 205,700 individuals impacted in NSW, since the payments opened on 1 March, including $16.5 million to 14,342 individuals in northern NSW. The Government has also paid $146.3 million in disaster payments to 125,200 individuals impacted in Queensland, since the payments opened on 28 February.

The Morrison Government has so far deployed more than 4,370 Australian Defence Force personnel to the flood zones, including 2,650 to northern NSW, and this support is expected to increase over coming days, with total deployments expected to reach 6,000 across NSW and Queensland by the end of the week.

The ADF are also deploying additional tractors, front end loaders, bob cats, dump and lift trucks into the region, and have been inserted into communities including Evans Head, Coraki, Woodburn and Broadwater by helicopter, and have been on the ground in Wilson’s Creek, Main Arm and Repentance Creek.

The latest round of support is in addition to the $434.7 million package announced last week by the Morrison and Perrottet Governments, including:

• Demand driven - $75,000 grants to assist primary producers that have suffered direct damage from the recent severe weather and flooding. NSW Government estimate this to initially be $111.5 million.

• Demand driven - $50,000 grants to assist small business and not-for-profit organisations that have suffered direct damage from the event. NSW Government estimate this to initially be $89.7 million.

• $210 million to assist affected communities with the clean-up and removal of flood and storm related damage, debris and green waste. This will enable LGAs to work with Resilience NSW and NSW Government agencies to coordinate clean-up activities in their communities.

• $1 million grants to impacted councils to assist with their immediate social, built, economic and environmental needs. This list may continue to grow.

• $6.5 million to provide Community Recovery Officers to support communities impacted by this event.

The Morrison and Palaszczuk Governments announced an initial $558.5 million jointly funded support package for flood affected Queensland communities in need, which included:

• Demand driven grants - $75,000 for farmers and primary producers

• Demand drive grants - $50,000 for affected small businesses and not-for-profit organisations

• Demand driven grants - $20,000 for sporting and community clubs and associations

• Nineteen affected councils will also be helped through a $1 million injection each to assist with urgent clean-up works.

People in NSW requiring assistance are urged to contact Service NSW on 13 77 88 or online at: www.service.nsw.gov.au/floods.

For more information on grants for primary producers, small businesses and non-profit organisations, phone the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority on 1800 623 946 or visit http://www.qrida.qld.gov.au.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43843

Q&A, AFR Business Summit

8 March 2022

Phil Coorey, Political Editor, AFR: Prime Minister, just, I feel like these are bookends here. A couple of years ago we were at this speech and you were essentially talking about having to throw your conservative economic philosophy out the window to manage with COVID. And now today you're talking about it's now time to return to a normalisation of the Budget and budget settings. And you were quite emphatic about the Build Back Better, which others have called The Great Reset. But having said that, can we seriously go back to everything as it was? And I was interested, you know, in what you're talking about supply chains and taking a greater role in ensuring the supply of critical goods. Andrew Liveris at the start of this crisis a couple of years ago, told the AFR that we, Australia, we drunk the free trade juice and decided that offshoring was the way to go. He said that era is now gone. Do we have to be a little bit more circumspect about our total embrace of, you know, the free market internationally? And do we have to be prepared perhaps to pay a bit more for some products in return for knowing they’re there when we need them? 

Prime Minister: Well, Phil, I think there is a recalibration that’s occurring and that's that’s sensible. Frankly the whole nature of conservatism is that, you know, you learn from the things that occur and you, and you make the transitions that are necessary. But the principles that underpin how you manage a Budget, how you grow our economy, I think remain. And those principles are that you need to be obviously mindful of the impact on your Budget of long-term impacts on structural spending. You need to exercise that fiscal responsibility, and where we have had to lean forward in an unprecedented way in recent years that was necessary. The alternative was to allow our economy to completely collapse and decay and not be able to respond on the other side.

And I think one of the key reasons we were able to retain our AAA credit rating, despite the incredible level of spending that had to be undertaken to pull the economy through, is that the ratings agencies could see that these were sensible investments - that they were time-limited investments, they were based on clear principles. Principles that I articulated in this very forum two years ago, and they could see the plan - they could see the plan to get in and they could see the plan to get out. And that's what we've done.

And then every step along the way, I must say, that every time, you know, it's one thing to say you will commit to this level of spending, which we did. That’s actually the easy part. The hard part is actually turning that off. And every time we wanted to turn it off, of course, the Labor Party and the Greens would say, oh no, you can't do that. And we know that they would have spent an extra $80 billion more than the Government would of in not being, having the discipline to turn things off when they needed to be turned off. But we stuck to our course. And I think that's been an important reason why we've been able to maintain the credibility of our fiscal responsibilities, which has been recognised, I think, in maintaining the ratings that we have.

But you're right to say, well, now we need to look at a world that is very different, and we need to look at a world where, you know, as I said, the economy is [inaudible] from global security. And we need to understand that supply chains are as much about trust as they are about efficiency. And this is a point Narendra Modi makes constantly and I often refer to it. And that's why the Quad, I think, has become a very important engine for understanding these critical supply chain issues. It doesn't mean we need to make everything in Australia. I’ve set out in our Modern Manufacturing Strategy - that Andrew had a very, Andrew Liveris had a very keen hand in - that there are some areas where we really need to lean into to achieve scale, and the Modern Manufacturing Strategy is about that. It's about ensuring that in some areas we can really get to scale and that can provide a real income generating opportunity for our country, and support the broader architecture of our economy. But there are other areas where we need to be having supply chains with trusted partners, and we need to build up the strength and durability of those links with those countries.

So I would say it is a more targeted form when it comes to open markets and and trade. I mean, we still have more than 75 per cent of our our trade covered by export agreements. And that's a good thing. And we're deep in discussions with the Indian Government right now about those, and that's all positive and that's all good. But like any business will manage its risk and diversify, Australia needs to be equally careful about that, both in how we manage our supply chains.

And when it comes to the Budget, you know, you've got to get it back to more normal settings. That doesn't mean you need to go through periods of massive cuts and things of that nature. That's not, that's not on our agenda. And that's just not the plan. This is done in a managed transition, in the same way we got the Budget back to balance, which took us, you know, six years to do that. We did that by growing the economy, reducing the rate of growth in expenditure down to less than two per cent over the forwards, which was the lowest level that we've seen expenditure growth at in this country fiscally in 50 years. And then, of course, it had to be increased because of the pandemic.

So, you know, you normalise this over time. You don't do it in one foul swoop. You don't need to go down that austerity path that others sometimes talk about. That is not our Government's fiscal plan. We do not think that would be the best way to manage the Budget. We still have very strong priorities in areas like aged care, mental health and, of course, supporting the National Disability Insurance Scheme. But you can't do that without a strong economy. That's what pays for it.

Phil Coorey, Political Editor, AFR: Ok, PM. On the other element of your speech. You’re keen for a business-led recovery, which gets us back to the pre-pandemic economic settings. There's no shortage of recruits in this room, I would suspect, who are willing. And I point out the BCA’s pre-Budget submission had a few ideas. One of your, one of the criticisms of the Government has been a lack of reform, and I understand you, obviously you've been busy with, you know, managing the pandemic and stuff. But if you do win the election, do you, do you have any aims, do you have any aims or goals to sort of undertake any form of reform, be it tax, or to at least have a look at it through a review? You know, other than just managing the economy, will there be scope beyond the pandemic for a reform agenda from your Government? 

Prime Minister: Well, Phil, I don't accept the premise of the question, and I never have. I know there are some who attend the Summit and may even sponsor it who think that economic reform in this country is about putting up the GST and putting up and putting on a carbon tax. Let me be very clear again - I have no interest in putting up the GST or putting on a carbon tax. I don't think that's certainty. I just think it's higher taxes. We've cut taxes. Small business taxes are at 25 per cent. We are abolishing, and have legislated to do so, an entire tier of the personal income tax system. Ninety-four per cent of Australians will pay no more in their marginal rate of tax than 30 cents in the dollar. That hasn't happened in generations, in generations.

The reforms, in particular, that we put in place to spur us through the pandemic on the instant asset write-off, which has been a policy of this Government for many years, and we've supercharged it during the course of the pandemic to bring in investment. And one of the most exciting things I've seen through the pandemic is I’ve walked into businesses and the first thing they want to show me after the apprentices they’ve kept on is the the new kit that they've been able to install in their manufacturing plants because of the instant asset write-off. I mean, look what Visy’s doing out there in Western Sydney, their recycling plants.

I mean, we have been on the tools when it comes to reducing taxes in this country for many, many years, and our reforms are in place. And so not only on that front, but whether it's been the lower tax agenda, the regulatory reform agenda. I've set out the five points. I mean, the investment in infrastructure. I mean, we are building, we are more than almost, more than a quarter of the way through building the Western Sydney Airport. I mean, people talked about that for, since the 60s. Our Government’s actually doing it. I mean, you go out there, it's, I encourage you to go out to the viewing platform. What is happening with the building of Western Sydney Airport is transformational. Now, plenty of others talked about it. I mean, my, the Leader of the Opposition actually went into Parliament on the basis of building it. But was Infrastructure Minister for six years and didn't lay a brick on it. We are actually doing it. And so on infrastructure, on skills - we have the highest level of skills trade training in the country in economic recorded history. Our work on net zero by 2050, with the $20 billion of support to go into the plan to actually achieve that, and transform our energy economy over that generation and make sure Australia is, continues to be an energy powerhouse exporter into the region for decades and generations to come. The data and digital economy reforms, which I went into some considerable detail at the Forum last year. I mean, that is transforming our economy and will put us in that top 10, and we're well on the way to do that. And we've just spent quite a bit of time talking about how we're completely turned on its head how we support manufacturing in this country. Now that might not be increasing the GST or putting on a carbon tax, but I can tell you, for this economy, for the threats faced, for the threats that we face, and the merger between economic security policy and national security policy, that's the reform agenda for this generation. We don't need to get all retro.

Phil Coorey, Political Editor, AFR: Given we’re squeezed for time PM, but I do need to ask you this. I’d just like your thoughts, and again, it's of interest to people in the room, on immigration. We had a cap of overseas, of 160,000 net overseas migration I think went negative during the pandemic. Some people in this room are calling for a catch up. And then to settle to a, to a level higher than the 160. What are your thoughts on that? Do we need to play catch up on immigration, or do we just let it restore, or do we need a higher cap? And what are the political considerations you take into account when you, when you're asked these sorts of questions? 

Prime Minister: Well, I think there’s some practical considerations first, Phil. And as a former Immigration Minister, I know this area very well. You just don’t turn the tap on and all of a sudden, 160,000 people turn up next week. This takes time. It will take time, just like it will in the tourism market, just like it will in the student market for these in-flows of people to build up again. And that will take some time. So I don't see us threatening the caps that have been in place, certainly not in the year that comes, and we'll monitor that very closely. 

I mean, take the international travel industry, for example. I mean, the travel industry has been decimated over the last two years. And while those who are free, independent travellers, you know, just book online and do all that, and that's a much bigger part of the travel market than it used to be, there is still a huge part, I mean, with the cruise industry, the organised tours, all of this - all goes through quite organised travel industry machines, and they have been completely decimated. And so we will see this come back over time, but I don't think we should think it's going to be immediate. And the same is true in building up those channels of people coming as migrants to Australia. Now, we want to encourage that and we want to support that, and we believe that is essential for Australia's economic recovery. But I think the more pressing need is actually just getting those wheels turning again and getting people coming again. And I think once that is fully operational and we can see that working, then the issues that you’re raising will come into focus. But right now, they're not presenting any impediment. 

Phil Coorey, Political Editor, AFR: Ok, Prime Minister. We’re out of time. So thank you very much for your speech and good luck on getting out of the, getting out of Kirribilli and back into the world. Thanks.

Prime Minister: Thanks Phil. Good to talk to you.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43842

Australia to build additional submarine base

7 March 2022

Prime Minister, Minister for Defence

A new submarine base will be built on the east coast of Australia to support the nation’s new nuclear-powered submarines, providing deployment opportunities in both the Indian and Pacific oceans. 

The new Future Navy Base will add capacity and capability to Fleet Base West in Western Australia, home of the Navy’s Collins-class submarines, which will also receive significant funding to support Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines and enable regular visits from the United States and United Kingdom’s nuclear-powered submarines.

The Department of Defence estimates that more than $10 billion will be needed for facility and infrastructure requirements to transition from Collins to the future nuclear-powered submarines, including the new east coast submarine base.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the decision to establish an east coast submarine base has been underway for many years and would enhance Australia’s strategic deterrent capability in the Pacific Ocean.

“Australia faces a difficult and dangerous security environment and we must continue to invest in growing the capability of our ADF to ensure we keep Australians safe,” the Prime Minister said.

“Under our AUKUS partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom we will have access to the best technology in the world to support our efforts to deter threats against our national interest in the Indo-Pacific.

“This new 20-year investment is vital for our strategic capabilities, but it will also provide long-term economic opportunities at both our submarine bases on the east coast and on the west coast.

“Our investments will also flow into our operations in Western Australia, with significant funding flowing to upgrade facilities there for our future submarines and to support our allies in the United States and United Kingdom.

“Fleet Base West will remain home to our current and future submarines, given its strategic importance on the Indian Ocean.”

Following significant work by the Department of Defence, which reviewed 19 potential sites, three preferred locations on the east coast have been identified, being Brisbane, Newcastle, and Port Kembla.

The locations were selected on submarine basing criteria, which included access to exercise operating areas, proximity to industrial infrastructure, and significant population centres to support personnel and recruitment. 

Minister for Defence Peter Dutton said the Australian Defence Force had not constructed a major new base since Robertson Barracks in the 1990s, and an extensive process would now begin.

“We took the important decision in 2021 to pursue nuclear-powered submarines with the support of our American and British partners, in response to the changing strategic environment,” Minister Dutton said.

“Nuclear-powered submarines have superior characteristics of stealth, speed, manoeuvrability, survivability and endurance when compared to conventional submarines. 

“With the ability to operate from both coasts, this will make our nuclear-powered submarines more responsive and resilient to meet the strategic environment.

“Today’s announcement will ensure Australia has the infrastructure and facilities ready to support those submarines when they enter service.

“A new Navy base on the east coast will also have significant advantages for training, personnel and for Australia’s defence industry.”

Navy’s current fleet of Collins-class submarines and other maritime capabilities will be able to be operated out of the new east coast base, which will provide critical support to the ADF’s undersea capability.

Defence will engage with state and local governments to determine the optimal site, which will be informed by the ongoing work of the Nuclear Powered Submarine Taskforce. This initial work is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43840

Q&A, Lowy Institute

7 March 2022

Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director, Lowy Institute: Let me start with Ukraine. I'm sure Mr Putin thought that this war would strengthen his position at home. But instead, as you said, Russia has been subjected to unprecedented sanctions - the freezing of its currency reserves, the devaluation of the ruble. We've seen protests in Moscow along with security crackdowns. In light of all this, do you think a regime change is more likely in Kyiv or in Moscow?

Prime Minister: Well, I  probably wouldn't speculate on either of those, at this point. But what I would say is this, there is no doubt that Mr Putin is not getting what he was seeking, and each and every day the resistance by Ukraine, I think, has been extraordinary, and the cost is piling up day on day on day. I think he's overestimated the capacity of how he might be able to prosecute this illegal war and the sheer callous disregard, not only for innocent civilians in Ukraine, but frankly, for the way that he has just sent young conscripts into the flames. I don't see how that would be resonating well back in Russia. There is a clear, I think, gap emerging between his ambition and what would be the reasonable nationalistic sentiment of Russians more broadly. And I really do applaud those in Russia who have been standing up. I applaud those Australians of Russian descent here who have been standing with with their Ukrainian fellow Australians. That, I think, is one of the, one of the most positive messages that can be sent out of a multicultural country like Australia. So I don't think it's playing out for Mr Putin as he thought. And it's certainly playing out far better than anyone would have anticipated for President Zelenskyy. And he has showed a forthrightness and a determination which has been inspiring, and that's why we lit up the Opera House. I mean, that's why so many countries have done similar things. Yes, we have to continue to encourage them to go forward with their efforts and continue to provide them with everything we can to support them. 

Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director, Lowy Institute: You mentioned that you had a call with President Zelenskyy at the weekend. Tell me, tell us a bit about his demeanour on that call and talk a bit more about your impressions of his leadership in the last couple of weeks. 

Prime Minister: Well, he's very focused. He's very determined. He has a clear plan. It obviously depends heavily on continuing to rally international support, both in a practical way when it comes to lethal defence support, as well as maintaining the pressure. And I think all Western countries, all those participating in these sanctions, need to hold fast and endure over the long-term. You know, some break in the, in the fighting that may occur should not enable the pressure or the vice to be, to be eased when it comes to Russia. And that's what they need. They need that continued international momentum. I talked about Russia having to pay an economic price, but they have to also pay a reputational price for this, a diplomatic price for this, and they are indeed paying that price. So he is just very focused on that element of his plan. He's very appreciative of the support, particularly from Australia, a long way away from Ukraine. I think when he first heard of our support, this was over over a week ago, we've been trying to get in touch with each other. But when he, I get a message saying, can't do the call tonight because we're I, you can fill in the rest of what he was up to. Probably the most reasonable excuse I've heard for not being able to complete a call on a particular night, and we’ve given him full support. But I'm pleased we could speak on Saturday night and I could just encourage him in what he's doing, and he needs that encouragement. We obviously talked about things like the no-fly zone and things of that nature, and additional support, air support. These are complex issues. I sense that he understands that, and he understands the delicate balance that has to be maintained by those who are supporting him. But, equally, the resistance and the fight in President Zelenskyy is something to behold.

Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director, Lowy Institute: PM, you said Ukraine has been a major wake up call, and I would say that the West has woken up. How confident are you that we’ll remain awake and that this solidarity will continue? 

Prime Minister: Well, I’m maybe not as confident as you, Michael, about how big the wake up is. I certainly hope that's true. And that's why I made the remarks about, this was not the product of President Putin seeking leverage to try and gain some marginal advantage in some negotiations and the usual European dance of diplomacy that goes around here. That’s not what this was. He planned this a long time ago, and he was absolutely determined to follow it through, and he went and told China he was going to do it, by the reports that we see, very clearly. And this is quite chilling. And so now we hear the theory’s, oh, it's just he’s all gone mad. No, he hasn’t. He's an autocrat and he's following through on his plans. And for all of us in the West and more broadly, I think we need to understand that autocrats don't play by the same rules as the rest of us. Their mindset is very different. And I found it quite chilling when I spoke to other leaders about conversations that they've had with President Putin about these issues, and they're subjected to a rather lengthy lecture on on nationalistic aspirations of Russia and what is rightly theirs. That has a chilling reverberation with similar lectures that I have been on the receiving end of about situations in the Indo-Pacific and what people claim to be theirs. So I think we have to be eternally vigilant on this, and this is very important for Australia. You know, we can't step back from this. I know it comes at a cost. I know it means that we have been targeted. But we must look clear eyed about the threats in our own region and what's occurring in Europe. And it was a very good discussion at the Quad the other night. Of course, all Quad members are concerned about what's happening in Europe. But the Quad wasn't set up to focus on Europe. The Quad was set up to focus on strategic issues, on humanitarian issues, economic development issues in the Indo-Pacific. And so President Biden and Narendra, Prime Minister Modi, and Prime Minister Kishida and I had a very lengthy conversation about why it's so important that a price is paid for this aggression. And that we understand fully the nature of the work and planning and determination of autocrats. 

Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director, Lowy Institute: Alright, let me go to Russia and China. Today you referred to an arc of autocracy, which I presume includes both Beijing and Moscow. Yesterday, the Defence Minister Peter Dutton called this relationship an unholy alliance. Tell us a bit about this relationship. How tight is the relationship? Could the invasion of Ukraine create a problem for the relationship? What can countries such as Australia do to weaken that relationship? 

Prime Minister: Well, I think the second last point you've made about the events - I assume what you’re saying about the events in the Ukraine and what that means for that relationship - I I would describe it more of an instinctive relationship, an opportunistic relationship, rather than a strategic one. China and Russia have got a fairly interesting history in terms of their engagement. I don’t think anything’s changed about that. But there does seem to be some alignment in the sort of world order that they would prefer, to the one that has been in place since the end of the Second World War. And we've seen that play out over a long time. So there has been a convenient fellow travelling, I think, and that's how I would describe it. I wouldn't for a moment seek to draw any parallels between the situation in the Taiwan Strait and Ukraine. I think these situations are entirely different, and the responses that would be expected in in the Taiwan Strait would be completely different to what has occurred in Ukraine. So I wouldn't want to alert or concern Australians simply because of what's occurring in the Ukraine then then a will, b will follow a, on on these things. I don't believe that. I think those circumstances and that situation is as it was before - tense, deserving of concern and attention, but not necessarily at all impacted by the events in Ukraine. What can Australia do? Keep calling this out. While most of the world was focused on what the actions of Russia was, I was quite adamant in speaking up on the fact was I was listening for the voice of the Chinese Government when it came to condemning the actions of Russia. And there was a chilling silence. And when I learned the other day that they were easing wheat trade restrictions for Russia, and throwing Russia an economic lifeline while the rest of the world was seeking to impose a heavy price, this, for me, just jars completely with what the broader international interest is here. Now, China has long claimed to a role as a, as one of the major powers in the world, and to be a contributor to global peace and stability. This is why I reinforce this point - that no country will have a bigger impact on concluding this terrible war in Ukraine than China. But so long as they have a bet each way on this, then I fear the bloodshed will continue. 

Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director, Lowy Institute: PM, let me ask you about institutions. You said today in your remarks, the well-motivated, altruistic ambitions of our international institutions has opened the door to this threat. And it reminded me of your 2019 Lowy lecture or, as it became known, the negative globalism speech, in which you voiced concerns about international institutions becoming overly powerful and demanding conformity. But let me ask you, wouldn't you say that international institutions have been very useful in the past two weeks? For example, hasn't the European Union stepped up? Ukraine has applied to join the UN, the EU, I should say. The UN and other institutions have condemned Mr Putin's aggression. Don't we want to see international institutions behaving just like this in relation to threats from countries like Russia and China?

Prime Minister: Of course, and I would call that positive globalism. I mean, my remarks several years ago, was it, was simply to draw attention to what I think are the less helpful elements of how international institutions operate. We are a great supporter of international institutions. And what I also said in that speech, as you may recall, is we then set out and have had some success. Think, of course, to the elevation, the election of Mathias Cormann, the Secretary-General of the OECD. We set out on a very clear path of seeking to have greater influence in these institutions to ensure they were focused on what we believe were the most pressing issues. And we have been working hand in glove with many other like-minded countries to ensure that international institutions are not being hollowed out and hollowed out in plain sight by some who would seek to take them in different directions. So we've worked on many candidacies of many countries to support them in a lot of these institutions, to ensure that they focus on a positive agenda. The point I was also making today, though, Michael, was that it is, it is right and good - so it's not so much a criticism as an observation - it is right and good that we would want international institutions to work with member states to try and deal with the big economic and environmental challenges that we face. This is a good thing. But by the very open nature of that process, we have become exposed to interference, to subversion, to a range of other things which can take that agenda off track. And, you know, there are a lot of concessions that have been given, whether it's been in trade or so many other things. In our own democracies, I mean, we are open democracies that are open to foreign investment and all of these things. This is a good thing. But at the same time, it comes with a double-edge risk, double-edged sword risk, of a vulnerability, and that has been taken advantage of. And I think that is clear. So what has been our response domestically? Foreign interference legislation, a raft of other measures, which have sought to improve the resilience of liberal democracies to these sorts of threats. And I think international institutions need to be just as wary of of these things, just as countries like Australia have. And Australia has led the way in this area. I mean, when I tabled those 14 points at the G7+, they were surprising. They were surprising to many around that table. And it's important that we continue to do that, because I said, if it's not us, then who is it? 

Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director, Lowy Institute: Let me come to AUKUS and Australian defence capabilities. How does the invasion of Ukraine affect the argument for nuclear-propelled submarines for Australia?

Prime Minister: Well, I don't think it changes it at all. I mean, it was already compelling and overwhelming. So I think, yeah, sure, I think it highlights the the work of autocracies, as I've outlined, and I think it highlights the the higher threat environment in which we need to operate and why we need greater capabilities. But I think all of those points were the driving forces of AUKUS before these events took place, and it continues to carry it. 

Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director, Lowy Institute: Yesterday, the Defence Minister Peter Dutton said that the discussions with the Americans and the Brits since the AUKUS announcement had been incredibly productive and the Government would make an announcement in the next couple of months about which boat we're going with and what we can do in the interim. Let me put a question to you from Ben Packham at The Australian. Will this announcement be made before the election? And if it is, will there be consultation with Labor, given the long timeframe of the program? 

Prime Minister: No, we don't anticipate that that decision will be made before the election. We don't, and and no one should expect it to. It won't be done in that timeframe. And as Ben rightly points out, that would involve a whole another process, particularly during a caretaker period leading up to the election. But I can confirm what Peter has said, that we have made a lot of progress. I mean, we haven't let the grass grow under our feet. Admiral Mead’s has been out here most recently. He’s been down in South Australia. We've been, there's been an enormous amount of work that has been going on in that 18-month process that we set out. But the 18-month process isn't just about deciding the technology option and the boat option we go forward with. It's, you've got to make that decision, and then there's a whole series of things that have to take place after that. But I stress this, as the Minister for Defence did - this is a trilateral partnership. This is not a procurement contest. This is a partnership where the decisions are being made together, which separates it from any other procurement arrangement that the Government has been involved with. The United States has proprietorship over the technology, not just over any technology that we would seek to use, but also over the UK use of such technology. So that is the nature of this partnership, and the partners are working incredibly well together. The speed at which what was effectively the treaty level arrangements that needed to be put in place and the how that was able to be secured was very encouraging. And when I was in the United States last year and we took the effort, as we should have, to go up onto the Hill and be briefing every Committee we could, the bipartisan leadership of both the House, there was massive support throughout the US system in the Executive and the Legislature and, of course, within the defence institutions themselves. Same is true in the UK. 

Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director, Lowy Institute: PM, I have a question from Andrew Kaldor, and Andrew asks as follows - the invasion of Ukraine has triggered a massive wave of people fleeing to Australia, fleeing to safety, I should say. Will Australia increase its quota of refugees to allow a larger number of these desperate people to resettle here? 

Prime Minister: Well, just like with Afghanistan, if we need to, we will. And, as I said, the first thing we did is we immediately put to the top of the pile all Ukrainian visa applications. Now, at that time, there was, this was two weeks ago, there was about 430 outstanding. They were quickly resolved, and over that two-week period we’ve now processed and granted some 1,700 visas already. Now they’re 1,700 visas in the normal migration program. And this is, I think, one of the points of difference with a Ukrainian migration. And that is, we are more likely to see them use many more points of our migration program - the family program, the skilled program, the student program, and so on. And there'll be a mixture of both temporary and permanent visas, because particularly in my discussion with the Polish Prime Minister the other night and other members of the European Union, their expectation is that one and a half people, million people have left Ukraine. But the overwhelming almost entirety of those will want to return to Ukraine if they can. And so that's why I I highlighted the potential role of an arrangement like the Kosovars arrangement, which was highly successful. We provided a temporary safe haven, and they were then able to return to their homeland, which is what they wanted to do. Now I expect we’ll see the same thing here with Ukraine. But, you know, we are preparing those options, but we are also not stepping back on on the commitments to our Afghan humanitarian program, which continues [inaudible].

Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director, Lowy Institute: PM just finally, PM just for the final question, let me go back to where we started with Ukraine. How do you think this dreadful event will end, and how confident are you that at the end of it, Ukraine will be sovereign, independent and whole?

Prime Minister: Well I’m not confident of that outcome at this point. But nor can Mr Putin be confident of the outcome he thought would come so easily. And I think this is a very important point. I think there has been an overestimation of Russia's capability. And that has been made more broadly. And I think that has been made in Russia. And I think that forces a recalibration of what some people think they can do. It might look all good on paper, it might look like what can be achieved from what the Generals and others tell you, but few strategies survive contact with the enemy, as our Defence Force Generals will tell you. And I think that has been lived out in a, in a very candid way in Ukraine. And what we will certainly see in Ukraine is a prolonged resurgence. I think what we'll see is a resistance in the Ukraine, which will only grow over time. I think any gains that will, that are potentially made will be very hard to hold. And this all goes to our view about what our response should be. And that is impose the heaviest possible price for as long as possible to deter any other autocrat from thinking they can go down a similar path, and it can be done easily or quickly.

Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director, Lowy Institute: Well, that's all we have time for this afternoon. Prime Minister, thank you again for joining us today. We know you have many commitments. These are very important issues and we're grateful to hear your thoughts on them. 

Prime Minister: Well, thank you, Michael, for the opportunity again, and thank everybody for their patience. There was a lot to get through today and I appreciate your attention. 

Dr Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director, Lowy Institute: Thanks again.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43839

Interview with Ben Fordham, 2GB

7 March 2022

BEN FORDHAM: PM, good morning to you. 

PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Ben.

FORDHAM: It's 2022. We're not a Third World country. How do we still have entire communities cut off and stranded?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, Ben, these are terrible, terrible floods, as you've said. These are floods that we have not seen in living memory in anyone's lifetime, and even before that. And so I can understand the great frustration you're seeing expressed. At the same time, there is an enormous effort that is being put in to get to everywhere that people can get to - the SES, I know the Premier has spoken about that, the tasking of the Defence Forces. You know, there's 2,000, not just there in the Northern Rivers, but also responding to flood crisis in south east Queensland and what we've seen here closer in here to Sydney.

But the real focus of the effort is up there in and around Lismore, which has had an experience that no one there has ever even heard of before in old stories, let alone in their own lived experience. But the rescues continue, the food drops continue, the road clearing continues. All of these, I mean, over the next 24 hours, further work in Mullumbimby, Murwillumbah, Crabbes Creek, Ocean Shores, Wardell, Kyogle, Nimbin, Bonalbo. I mean, there's a lot of places they're getting to in the next 24 hours and have already been in those places, particularly over the last 24 hours. There's food drops and helicopter assistance going into Evans Head over the next 24 hours. That should be happening very, very soon. So there's an enormous effort that's going in, Ben. The task is almost unimaginable for a flood we've ever seen in that part of Australia.

FORDHAM: I'm just going to keep repeating what's happening on the Sydney Harbour Bridge as we talk to the Prime Minister Scott Morrison, because I'm now seeing images coming in - this awful crash in the middle of the Harbour Bridge and this car is still on fire at the moment. Emergency services are doing their best to help people, but please stay right away from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and we will get some more details from emergency services as they come through.

And while that emergency is unfolding, PM, we're still dealing with the emergency in the north with the floods.

PRIME MINISTER: Correct.

FORDHAM: Can you just confirm for me because Bridget McKenzie, the Emergency Services Minister, said there are 5,000 army personnel on standby. I'm told only 455 are on the ground in northern New South Wales. So where are the rest?

PRIME MINISTER: Ah well no, the figures are higher than that, Ben. In terms of those on the ground, they increase every day. There are 2,000 that have been on standby, on the ground, both there and in south east Queensland.

FORDHAM: But when we say on standby, are they, are they actively working to help people at the moment, because I'm told ...

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, they're available for tasking. What we've done with these floods has been different to previous occasions. What we've done is we've put Brigadier Galloway is a head of the task group that is deploying all ADF support in flood assistance, what's called Flood Assist. As of last Thursday, state governments were given the authority to directly task ADF units to be able to go in and providing support, and there were 2,000 who were available to be deployed. And those ADF are continuing to roll in where they've been tasked, and ...
FORDHAM: And we appreciate what they're doing. But the concern, and I'm just relaying to you what I'm hearing from locals, because I've spent all weekend talking to them and they say, it's great to have them on standby, but we need more boots on the ground. Can I just read a few comments to you, because I've agreed to do this from people in the north. Jackie in Mullumbimby says, there are elderly, pregnant mothers and tiny babies stranded. People are lost and missing. Cars destroyed by floods are leaking fuel all over the streets. Lily says, my son and I were choppered out after living on top of a local pub for days. I lost my breast milk supply from the dehydration. We didn't have enough water to make formula. Jed, who's part of the Mud Army up north in New South Wales, says the Government was too slow to act. The clean-up and recovery has been organised and coordinated by untrained civilians. It's filthy work. There's dirty water and sewage everywhere.

I appreciate that these responsibilities are shared between the Commonwealth and the state and also local government. But I'll tell you what, PM, they're still crying out for help.

PRIME MINISTER: I know, Ben, and that's why the effort continues. I mean, specifically, food drops were were done in Mullumbimby by the ADF within the past 24 hours, as they were in many other of those centres. There are difficulties getting into a lot of these places currently. I mean, the ADF just can't miracly get through things that you can't get through to get to a particular location. That's why they're using the helicopters and other supports. That's why they're doing road clearing. I mean, we are in the worst of this disaster up around Lismore at present, the worst of it. And that means there's always difficulties, whether you're a fully advanced developed economy or not. The horror of what this flood has delivered upon those Northern Rivers community is without precedent. And so we're going to just keep working as quickly as we can with the state governments and local governments to be able to get in there and provide that support. But over 100 lives were directly, have already been directly saved by the efforts of the ADF literally winching people to safety, as have the brave efforts of so many in the SES. The command centres are there in both New South Wales and in Queensland, which are being coordinated by their very experienced teams and as I said, there's 2,000 who have been there, available and and have been tasked over the last three or four days, and that number ramps up to 5,000 over the next couple of days. And so it is well beyond anyone's expectation of what that flood was going to do.

FORDHAM: PM, I was planning on talking to you about a whole range of things, but we do have a major emergency unfolding on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I'm sure you'll understand why I've got to leave it here. Thanks so much for your time.

PRIME MINISTER: Hope everything's safe there as well, Ben [inaudible].

FORDHAM: Good on you. Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43837

Interview with Chris Smith, 2GB

5 March 2022

CHRIS SMITH: Scott Morrison on the line right now. Good morning to you, PM. This is all surreal, isn't it? Two fabulous legends in just 24 hours. 

PRIME MINISTER: Oh, it's just numb, Chris, I mean, I woke up to the news this morning like other Australians, just shocked and stunned at this terrible loss of Shane Warne. And, as you say, coming on the back of Rod Marsh, who was one of my childhood cricket heroes. And we spoke about him in Western Australia yesterday on local radio there. It is just that it is just absolutely numbing. And then you just saying there is, you know, how it was announced on a plane. It's a bit like that as people looked at their phones this morning and then saw the news. I can only think of these kids and the terrible shock they must be feeling at only 52. I only saw him a few months ago at the Sydney Test and we had a good chat and he was in great form. He looked great and he was in his usual cheeky self and best, which was fun. And you know, his commentary over the summer, which was a great summer of cricket, was just outstanding. And to think we just won't be seeing him is just quite hard to get your head around and thinking of the Test players over in Pakistan at the moment. I sent a message to Pat this morning just sending my best and only sent him one the day before about Rod. And of course, they've had that terrible blast over there in Pakistan, so they're all safe. But it's a terrible time. 

SMITH: Yeah. They've got some distractions to cope with. The blast, the loss of Rod Marsh, who a lot of the players had a lot of time for and spent a lot of time with. And so the same applies to Shane Warne. So many distractions at a very difficult time for them. I don't know what he voted, but how many times and I don't know how many times you met him, but I imagine he was respectful. Excuse me, to the members of Parliament too. 

PRIME MINISTER: Oh, he was. He was. He had his cheeky side, too, but it was always respectful. That's the thing about Shane and that when he heard I was in at the Test and I heard he was there, we arranged it to catch up and he just gave me some encouragement. It was a tough time over the summer and he just encouraged me to keep going. I appreciated that very much. I'm not talking in a political context. I'm talking about a lot of things the country were dealing with with COVID and and everything, and he just encouraged me to keep pushing ahead, and that was very kind of him doing that. He also gave me some tips on my bowling action, which he's done live on Fox a little while ago, we had a bit of a joke about that and he was actually pretty kind I gotta say on that front. But there was a lot more work to be done. 

SMITH: And the great thing about Shane Warne, he developed a new crowd that followed the cricket like families and women and children came back to the cricket after fast bowling had dominated the game for so long with, you know, the West Indies, etc. But all of a sudden we were able to work out exactly what spin bowling was and could see it with the help of technology. 

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, that's true. But I mean, you hung on every ball, every ball. Anything could happen. As Mike Gatting found out back in 1993. I'll never forget seeing that ball up late that night watching and and he just had no idea what happened. And after that, I mean, he's first one in an Ashes test and you take him all the way through to his 700th wicket in 2006 on Boxing Day. Everything in between was just, you hung on everything that he was doing. But I mean, his Test record is outstanding, but he's on one day internationals. I mean, he only captained not that many, actually, but he won most of them, and he was a good tactician and great, you know, in directing the team. So he was not just a great bowler to have on your side, he was a great cricketer to have on your side, and he was so enthused about the game. I mean, that series that Fox ran, I thought, was really honest and showed how honest Shane was. He knew he wasn't perfect, but he carried, as I said in my statement today, he carried his regrets in his achievements with equal weight. You know, he wasn't full of himself in that sense. He just understood the success and failure were both imposters, as others have said. And I think that helped him sort of try and keep a good balance on it. 

SMITH: Yeah and there was nothing nasty about what happened to him off the field, like he got carried away with his own self-importance, maybe through a short period of time, which he's admitted. And yet there was nothing nasty, didn't hurt people along the way, and he was very, very hurt by the loss of his marriage as we know. 

PRIME MINISTER: Of course. He was very human. I mean Shane was very human, and he wore his humanity on his sleeve and and and I think that was what we loved about him, actually. I mean, that's he was so charismatic and you know, you'd seen with the kids and and how many how many kids have been inspired by Shane Warne? I mean, and how many are playing now, literally now inspired by Shane Warne and and will be in generations to come, and we're very careful about comparing people to Don Bradman in this country, and rightly so. But, you know, if you were going to make a comparison, that's where you'd start. I mean, he was listed by Wisden as alongside the names of Bradman, Hobbs, Sobers and Vivian Richards as the 20th century cricketers of the century. I mean, these are people who completely changed the game, and that's why I mean, we've offered as has the state government of Victoria, a state funeral for Shane and I've been in touch with Cricket Australia this morning and with Lachlan to discuss that and a few other issues, but we'll work something up together with the Victorian Government. But of course, we want to respect the wishes of the Warne family as well. 

SMITH: So it could happen maybe at the MCG?

PRIME MINISTER: I'll let those sort that sort those arrangements out. I just wanted to be clear that, you know, Shane was a national figure. Not just Victorian. And Victorians should love and celebrate him great. Of course they should. But I think we want to do that as a nation as well. And so we'd look forward to playing our role there as part of that and I have been in touch with the Premier this morning to that end, and I'm sure that will all work through very well and the nation will have the opportunity to warmly remember him.

SMITH: Our thoughts and wishes to also for those people whose houses are basically under water in so many places and we've got some ominous weather forecast for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in Sydney. Maybe the worst has not passed us.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, no. And the recovery effort continues. I mean, we've already committed $1 billion in financial aid and support, and that's together with the state and territory state governments in Queensland and New South Wales (sic). Just this morning, we've just confirmed that $558.5 million will be jointly funded by ourselves and the Queensland Government, and I know you're broadcasting in the Queensland and that includes a primary producer grants of up to $75,000, $50,000 for affected small businesses and not for profit organisations. There's $20,000 for sporting and community clubs who have been hit hard, including those cricket clubs across south east Queensland. Now that is similar and there's a million dollars for each of the councils affected. We announced the same thing for New South Wales a few days earlier. I've been in pretty regular contact with Dom Perottet, who's up there in the northern rivers at the moment, and we've got 5,000 ADF pre-positioned and to be tasked by the state government agencies to recovery efforts and support. They've already been involved in any number of rescues and and moving heavy equipment and being on the ground. There's hundreds and hundreds, about 650, I think in total that have already been deployed. And I know that there are many other places like up in Evans Head and areas like that which are still waiting for that support. We're coming, we're coming. I've been speaking to the Premier about that and in the tasking of those Defence Force people who are there and ready, we've had them ready. And so we've got rid of all the barriers in between which those in the New South Wales agencies can just directly task those Defence Force assets and people and forces to go in and guide their efforts. But it will be done in a planned way, and that's what they're doing. 

SMITH: And how are you coping with COVID?

PRIME MINISTER: Oh mate, I have turned the corner. It's compared to what everyone else is going through, but it's of no consequence. It's just frustrating to be not being able to be up there. I would have liked to have been up there with the Premier and Bridget McKenzie, my Minister, who's up there as well as at the moment and to ensure things are going as they need to. And so that's really the pain. It's just the frustration that I'm here. But at another level, it enables me to deal with a lot of the things going on centrally because we've also got the very significant issues with Ukraine. And I was on a lot of calls on that over, particularly the last few nights. We had an important meeting with the President of the United States and Prime Ministers of Japan and India the other night. That was about 1 to 2:30am our time and that was very much about focusing on, well, yes, we're all doing particularly Australia, getting that both lethal and humanitarian support to Ukraine. But there are serious implications for all of this in the Indo-Pacific in our own region, and we need to send a strong message to autocrats that authoritarian regimes, that that sort of stuff is just not on and there will be heavy prices paid for that type of behaviour. 

SMITH: One final one. The fact that we know that Russian troops are using nuclear reactors to test target practise and now have commandeered them. Takes the threat to the next level, doesn't it? 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's very distressing. I mean, we know that Putin is a thug, and this adds a whole new level of recklessness. And but I've got to say, Australia has always been of the view that this is not someone who's persuaded, even by the threats and the sanctions that we've imposed, the reason we're doing this is not because I think it's going to change Putin's mind. But the reason we're doing this is that any, any nation that violates another nation like this in such an aggressive and unprovoked way needs to pay a heavy price and they need to pay it financially. They need to pay it politically and diplomatically. And that is occurring. I mean, the ruble has crashed. The interest rates have gone through the roof. They now can't raise sovereign debt because we shut off their central bank. We've kicked them out of the SWIFT system. And that was one of the things that Australia led the charge on, together with the United Kingdom convincing the United States and the Europeans to follow through. I spoke to the German Chancellor the other night and really thanked him for what he's done on Nordstream and they've, you know, massively ramped up their future commitments to defence spending. And that's important because the world needs to wake up to these thugs and authoritarian regimes. They don't play by the same rules as us, and we can't pretend that they will respond in the same way that like-minded countries would that have, you know, decent democracies and strong liberal values.

SMITH: All right, I'll let you I'll let you get back to juggling all of those balls. Thank you so much for your time.

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah. Anyway, Rest In Peace, Shane Warne. We loved you and and we look forward to honouring you in the appropriate way. 

SMITH: Well said, Thank you for your time. Alright, Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43836

Interview with Darren James, 3AW

5 March 2022

HOST: The Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Scott Morrison, has called through and joins us now. Prime Minister, good morning to you. 

PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. But it's not a very good morning today. It's numbingly shocking to hear about Shane Warne's passing today and plenty of other things going on in the country, of course, with the floods which are brewing in other parts of the country. But I think the whole country would have woken up in shock today. I know I certainly did. It was just terrible. 

HOST: It was terrible. It happened overnight and as I've told the story earlier, I thought there were tributes at that hour at 4:30 this morning being played with highlights of Shane. I thought it must be his birthday. They seem to be playing a lot of highlights. Then to hear the news of that he's passed away in Thailand was a huge shock and we've been looking back at his career, which you would have no doubt like all of us admired, Mr Prime Minister. 

PRIME MINISTER: Of course, I mean, he was one of those players that changed the game globally, not just here in Australia. We've had many great cricketers. I mean, we'd only just been mourning the loss of Rod Marsh the day before. So this comes as a double blow to the Australian cricket family and community. But with Shane Warne, that is just at such a young age, younger than me. That is a terrible shock to all those who knew and loved him. And I was only speaking to him at the Sydney Test earlier this year, and he was in fine form his usual wit and cheekiness, and he was giving me a few tips about my own bowling action on that occasion. I remember he wasn't too harsh either, I got to say he was very kind and he was such a character that was, I think, what Australians loved about him as well. I mean, he knew he wasn't perfect. His life was full of great achievements, but also regrets, and he carried them the same way with an honesty and a humility about it. I think, and I think people could see a lot of themselves in Shane in that way. And but his dedication and professionalism and talent and, you know, as a cricketer that was just unrivalled, he was extraordinary. 

HOST: Prime Minister, is it possible to find the right words for how the nation is feeling today? 

PRIME MINISTER: I think the first word is just shock. There's a numbness, I think, to this, and that will give way to an obvious sadness at losing someone like Shane from our community, not just the cricketing community, but the Australian community. And then there is just moments I think you move on to just reflection and you'll smile and you laugh and you remember the ball of the century. I mean, the look on Gatting's face, no one will ever forget. It was just, it was just one of the most amazing things. I remember I was watching it myself at the time, and I said what was that? And that was the whole thing about Shane's career. So I think just numb and shocked today, guys, I think is the real word. I've been in contact with Pat and to extend our, you know, condolences to the whole team over there. They've obviously had a shock as well over there with that blast that was 100 or so kilometres away from where they are. I've been speaking to the chair of Cricket Australia this morning about that, but also, of course, the Commonwealth Government will be offering a state funeral, of course for Shane, and we'll do that in concert with the State Government has done the same thing, which is totally appropriate, so we'll make the appropriate arrangements and of course, out of respect for what the Warne family wants and Cricket Australia. But, you know, at a national level, I think it's very important to honour him for the character he was. But most importantly, I think the way that, on how many occasions did Shane Warne lift the nation's spirits? On how many occasions.

HOST: Yeah and we've had we've had our Premier offer the family a state funeral. We've just heard. That's appropriate too. 

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, I've been in touch with Dan and we'll work something out obviously that, of course, in Victoria. But and to do that, I think to the way that is appropriate and I mean he is a person of national and state significance, there's no doubt about that. But to pass away in such a shock, I mean, I can only imagine what it must be like for his kids that must be must be just terrible for them to find out this way and our love and support are to them. We all throw our arms around them as well. 

HOST: Absolutely. Jackson, Brooke and Summar are all in our thoughts. Without giving secrets away. When you caught up with Warnie, would you talk cricket with him or did he want to talk to you about all the other affairs of the country? 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, to be honest, we didn't meet too on too many occasions. And but it was only, you know, we were, I was at the Sydney Test that day and I heard he was there, and he heard I was there. So we caught up for a bit and he gave me a bit of encouragement, I got to tell you, not just on my cricket action, which needs more than encouragement, but you know, he was interested in the things that happened across Australia. He was interested in the future of the country. And so, you know, we had a good private conversation about those things, and he was very encouraging and I really appreciated him because, you know, it was a tough time over that summer and particularly we were going through. And he just, you know, encouraged me to keep going, pressing ahead and doing what we needed to do. And that was very kind of him to do that. And I'll always remember that about him. He had a generous heart and he was an optimistic guy, and I loved his cheekiness. It was just, it was so Australian. 

HOST: You've got the COVID at the minute, you're up and about, you're sounding a bit full of it still, you travelling alright?

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, I'm on the mend. This thing, you know, it's a serious virus, but I've been doing okay and I appreciate the ask and I do appreciate all the kind words and encouragement I've had from people around the country. But I'm doing okay. There's a lot to push through. You know, the floods issue is very serious and I've been in contact again with the New South Wales Premier this morning and dealing with the issues in the northern rivers and overnight. So it's very hard for people there, but we're getting the support to where we need to get them, up there in Evans Head or anywhere else. I know it's really tough for you and everyone's working through the night, at all hours to get as much support as we can. I know Victorians would be sending their best to everyone in New South Wales and Queenslander who suffered under these terrible floods. 

HOST: Yeah, well, you keep your fluids up and also the great work of you sending that gear over to Ukraine, too. Was good to see the planes leaving just to support their country. You know, they are going through tough times, obviously. 

PRIME MINISTER: They are. And I said that those that lethal defence support would be on its way and it's on it is on its way. It will be there very shortly. And our thoughts are with all the people of Ukraine, particularly Ukrainian Australians here.

HOST: And Prime Minister we've got Rob Sinclair. This is his hour. He runs a business called E&S right and it's kitchen, bathroom, laundry. He was interested when you were cooking pizzas with Josh when he stayed at your joint. And he says if you need new appliances in the Lodge, anything kitchen, bathroom, laundry, he'll spin you a good deal. I mean, Prime Minister, I'd love to know what you've got on the Lodge, prime minister. You know what oven you're cooking on? 

HOST: Is it a gas or an [inaudible]? 

PRIME MINISTER: It's a big steel thing.

HOST: You got no idea. Blokes don't know their appliances Prime Minister, that's the problem. 

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah that's true, but we're well looked after there, but I tend to cook a bit more up at Kirribilli, but Josh, you know, he was he was he was a helpful hand in the kitchen. 

HOST: Sure. And you mentioned your bowling action before with you talking to Shane about your action. I hope it's better than former Prime Minister John Howard. 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, what had happened at the time, it hadn't been that long before I'd been up in Brisbane, and I was having a, throwing the arm over with some kids up there and Shane actually did a thing on Fox, where he did a full analysis of my action, which was quite kind. And I just mentioned this to him, he had a bit of a giggle about it. And he said you've obviously done it before. And I said, yeah, but no where near, you know, what others can. But anyway, it's a lot of fun. I enjoy getting out there and doing that with the kids in particular. And I know Shane did, too. You know how many kids did Shane Warne inspire? 

HOST: Yeah.

PRIME MINISTER: You know, that are out there today, our champions of today and not just today, but for generations to come. He'll have an impact on this game, you know, we dare not say like Bradman, but gosh, if there was anyone who you could put in the same league, it'd be Shane. 

HOST: Yeah. On that note, watch this space to some help from the government and the state to celebrate the life of Shane Warne, and hey really appreciate you calling through. Feel free to feel free to call through any time. 

PRIME MINISTER: Not at all. Thanks for the opportunity. All the best to everybody out there today. We remember Shane. 

HOST: Good on you. That's the Prime Minister, if you don't mind of Australia. ScoMo. Beautifully spoken.

HOST: He was very sincere and interested about all that, wasn't he? 

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43835

Financial help for flood-hit small businesses, primary producers and communities in SEQ

5 March 2022

Prime Minister, Premier of Queensland, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience

Financial support for flood-affected Queensland small businesses, farmers, not-for-profit organisations, and sporting and community clubs will now be available following a new agreement between the Prime Minister and Premier.

An initial $558.5 million, jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland governments will be provided to support communities in need.

Demand driven grants of up to $75,000 for primary producers, up to $50,000 for affected small businesses and not-for-profit organisations, and $20,000 for sporting and community clubs and associations will be available through Queensland Government agencies to help flood-affected communities get back on their feet.

These grants will be available through the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority, call 1800 623 946 or visit http://www.qrida.qld.gov.au.

Nineteen affected councils will also be helped through a $1 million injection each to assist with urgent clean-up works.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this package was the first phase of financial support to ensure flood-affected communities in Queensland get the support they need.

“I saw the devastation of this flood with my own eyes this week in Brisbane and I knew how important it was to get money in the hands of farmers, small businesses and local community groups across Queensland to help them rebuild and recover,” the Prime Minister said.

“This initial package is in addition to the federally funded $1,000 disaster relief payment and the 13-week income replacement for employees and small businesses, which to date has already paid out over $100 million, including $77 million to those affected in Queensland.

“We are continuing to work with the Queensland and New South Wales governments to develop further support packages to help them rebuild and respond as flood waters recede.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Queensland Government was committed to backing small businesses and primary producers across the region to recover as quickly as possible.

“I’ve seen first-hand the devastation this event has caused Queensland communities, many of which had already done it tough through the COVID pandemic and when Ex Tropical Cyclone Seth hit our state just two months ago,” Premier Palaszczuk said.

“It’s essential that we get our small businesses, primary producers and not-for-profits back up and running again to support our local jobs, economy and communities.

“Many small businesses and not-for-profits are experiencing loss of infrastructure, equipment, stock and trading, and primary producers are again facing losses to crops, equipment and infrastructure, but through these grants we’re here to help them in their recovery.

“Every council affected by these floods has different recovery priorities and a $1 million injection will help them to get on with the immediate clean-up activities that their communities need most. 

“This will be followed by reimbursements to councils and agencies across those 19 areas for costs incurred in counter disaster operations, such as sandbagging, and the restoration of essential public assets including roads and bridges.

“From the start of these floods we have said we are in this together and this extraordinary assistance package is an example of just that. We will continue to work with all impacted communities, and local governments, to identify what additional support may be required as Queensland’s recovery commences.”

Federal Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience Bridget McKenzie said the swift introduction of a comprehensive grants program will provide much needed support to key impacted areas of the community, including those sectors hit hardest.

“This has been an extraordinary event and it requires an extraordinary response.  The Commonwealth and Queensland governments have worked closely on this jointly funded package to help flood affected communities get back on their feet as quickly as possible,” Minister McKenzie said.

“We want small businesses, primary producers and not-for-profit organisations to be supported to progress their massive clean-up and repair efforts right now and these grants will help.

“While impact assessments are ongoing, it’s already clear these sectors have been hit very hard, which is why we’re not waiting another day to make these grants available.

“Sadly, many sporting and community clubs and associations have been devastated by these floods. We know how important these organisations are to each and every community, which is why this package also includes assistance to repair damaged infrastructure and replace lost equipment.

“This latest funding package builds upon emergency personal hardship assistance that has already been made available by both the Australian and Queensland governments.”

The payments are being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) for eligible applicants in the 19 local government areas of Brisbane, Fraser Coast, Gladstone, Gold Coast, Goondiwindi, Gympie, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, North Burnett, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, South Burnett, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba.

This DRFA assistance is in addition to assistance already available for cases of personal hardship, as well as for councils and agencies for counter disaster operations and the reconstruction of essential infrastructure.

Summary of extraordinary packages across affected 19 council areas:

• $1 million each for 19 affected councils for immediate clean-up activities

• $75,000 grants for affected primary producers (note – these grants are available in 17 local government areas activated for DRFA Category B primary producer assistance)

• $50,000 grants for affected small businesses and not-for-profit organisations

• $20,000 for sport and community clubs and associations.

For more information on grants for primary producers, small businesses and non-profit organisations, phone the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority on 1800 623 946 or visit http://www.qrida.qld.gov.au.

Information on disaster assistance can be found on the Queensland Reconstruction Authority’s website at www.qra.qld.gov.au.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43834

Shane Warne

5 March 2022

Australians have woken in shock and sadness to the awful news of the death of Shane Warne.

Shane was one of our greatest cricketers of all time, one of only a few that could approach the extraordinary achievements of the great Don Bradman.  His achievements were the product of his talent, his discipline and passion for the game he loved.

But Shane was more than this to Australians. Shane was one of our nation’s greatest characters.  His humour, his passion, his irreverence, his approachability ensured he was loved by all. Australians loved him. We all did.

There was something magical that he brought to our summers. The bleached blonde hair, the almost casual way he moved to send down a delivery, and his engagement with the crowd. He was one of a kind.

He inspired so many girls and boys to try their hand at cricket. He made it all look so easy. At some point, in most Australian backyards, we all tried to deliver a flipper.

As we heard as a commentator, behind the playfulness that we associated with Shane, there was a player who understood the strategies and intricacies of cricket as few others. A brilliance that will always be remembered alongside that of Bradman and Benaud.

There was also a generosity to so many people away from the cameras. With a smile and a g’day he’d bridge every gap.

Shane was his own man, following his own path. In those times when he could have been knocked down by the headlines, he got back up. He always did.

Shane was the “King of Spin” because there was none like him. The “ball of the century” will be talked about forever.

Our love and condolences go to Shane’s family and particularly his children Brooke, Jackson, and Summer.

We have lost one of Australia’s greatest cricketers and today we are bewildered by this sad and sudden loss.

In recognition of Shane Warne’s national achievements his family will be offered a state funeral by the Commonwealth Government. This will be done in consultation with the Warne family, Cricket Australia and the Victorian Government to ensure we honour Shane’s passing and memory.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-44171

Interview with Gareth Parker, 6PR

4 March 2022

GARETH PARKER: Who I'm pleased to say we've been able to make this work with, obviously some pretty busy scheduling issues, but he is the Prime Minister of Australia. Scott Morrison, good morning.

PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Gareth and caught Marsh, bowled Lillee. That's, I gotta say one of the most enduring memories of Australian cricket. It's a sad day. He was a childhood hero of mine that led me to actually try and be a wicketkeeper in primary school. Wasn't very good at it, but everyone wanted to be Rod Marsh. Everyone, you know, you put on the fake mo, all that sort of thing. He was part of the one of the most exciting periods in Australian cricket, world cricket, and he was at the centre of it. He was, he was just larger than life, and he committed his life to the whole game after that, you know, raising up great West Australian greats like Justin Langer, you know, and you know, how good a job has Justin Langer done for Australian cricket? Yeah, it's sad. It's really sad.

PARKER: And everyone's thoughts this morning with Ros and his three boys as well. Just, you know, a really sad day. And we feared the worst after that heart attack in Queensland last week. And now here we are. But there will be

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah and sorry to bang on about it, but I'm sure, I mean, I think one of the most enduring memories most Australians would have apart from all of those amazing catches and his, you know, his antics and his charisma and his great cricket was 1981 and where he stood up when it came to the, one of the most infamous incidents in Australian cricket. You know, he said, don't do it, mate. Don't do it, mate. Of course, I'm talking about the underarm. And you know, that said a lot about him as a sportsman and what cricket was about and without going into the ins and outs of all of that, because plenty of people have done that. But you know, he's a guy who always stood up for what he believed in and about the game. And I hope we've got so many more like him. I reckon we do.

PARKER: I think you're absolutely right about that. Prime Minister, an important call last night, which we'll come to in a moment.

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.

PARKER: But, how are you feeling? We can hear that your voice is not it's normal, well, it's not the normal Scott Morrison voice we used to hear, you do sound a little bit under the weather.

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, a bit, but certainly better than the last couple of days. So, so I appreciate all the very kind wishes I've had from everybody from right across the country, including from Mark McGowan. It was really nice to get a lovely message from Mark and about the family, so I appreciate that. But we are. We're getting through it. There's, there's so much on obviously the situation in Ukraine, but over here on the east coast, I heard the weather report just when I was waiting to come on, very different weather reports we're getting over here on this side and it's been a very, very dangerous and distressing situation here. I appreciate all the kind messages we've had from the West about what's happening over here. Of course, Western Australia is no stranger to natural disasters. In April last year, I was up there in Kalbarri when Seroja went through and you know, Australians had such a hard time with these disasters over recent years. And then of course, there's the pandemic.

PARKER: Just on the natural disasters story. Are you agreeing with the IPCC report that says that we should come to expect more of these because of climate change?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is what the Bureau of Meteorology is telling us. This is what all of these things tell us. And so, you know, there's obviously a lot of change that's occurring, and that's why we've got the policies that we have. But we've also got to deal with the practical issues of the here and now, and these impacts will continue. And so the resilience that we need to build up right across the country and that's why we established the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, which we set up. It was built on what we did with the North Queensland flood response. You might remember that back in 2018, wiped out about half of the cattle herd up there. And so we built up a lot of experience now in how we can better prepare for these events. I mean, Kalbarri was interesting because it was devastating to the community, but it was a place where cyclones normally didn't go that far south and hit. And as a result, the place was not built to withstand a cyclone of that force. So, you know, these are the lessons that we have to adapt to and climate resilience is, is, you know, something that has to become part of our everyday planning and preparations and certainly is from the federal government's point of view.

PARKER: We're seven days of fighting into this outrageous Russian invasion into Ukraine. Last night, you held a conversation with the leaders of Japan, India and the United States. What did you tell them?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, what I said was obviously we're outraged by what's occurred in Ukraine and the invasion of Ukraine and outlined the clear steps that Australia had taken because Russia must pay a heavy and lasting price for what it's doing, now, I'm not one of those who thinks that President Putin is one who is dissuaded from his murderous acts here. He will continue to press and do what he's going to do, but that should not stop the rest of the world from further pressing in and tightening the vise, that's incredibly important because Russia has, through President Putin has self-nominated as a pariah state. You know, we can line them up with, with North Korea and others. And they should be treated accordingly. And they are they are being they are paying a high price. I mean, their ruble has fallen, their interest rates have risen. Their central bank has been cut off. They've been, their institutions taken off the SWIFT payment system. This is having a very damaging impact on their economy and I think the targeted sanctions against individuals which ourselves, the United States, United Kingdom, so many others have been doing is having an impact on the oligarchs and the whole support system to President Putin. Now this all sends a very clear message to anyone else, any other autocratic regime, and we know about a few of those in our own region. And it should be a clear message to not take the wrong lesson out of this. If you seek to violate the international order, rules based order and the principles that underpin it, there will be a heavy transactional cost in reputation and in economic terms and and potentially even militarily, as you know, the world has also been providing support to Ukraine, including Australia, in providing missiles and other lethal support for Ukraine's defensive efforts.

PARKER: So are you talking about, Prime Minister, China and Taiwan there? Are you warning China that they should just hit pause if they've got any plans at all to do anything territorial about Taiwan?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I wouldn't conflate the issues of Taiwan and Ukraine. I think they're very different issues. I mean, Ukraine is not a member of NATO, and there's a clear red line when it comes to if Russia was to cross over into a NATO country, I think they'd know exactly what happens. So I wouldn't equateUkraine with Taiwan. There's also, I think, a very clear understanding of what the implications would be if China were to seek to realise its ambitions for Taiwan. But it's important for us to understand that autocratic regimes don't play by the same rules as liberal democracies and those who support an international order based on the rule of law. And I think there should be a lesson out of this, but I wasn't one of those who thought President Putin was, was just playing for time or seeking to gain some leverage. He'd been planning this for a long time. It's been revealed that he discussed that with President Xi, and that is of deep concern when you get an alignment,an instinctive alignment between countries like that. And as I said, we've got to call that out and I have called it out. I mean, China has eased trade restrictions on Russia for wheat. So has Pakistan, by the way, so at a time when they're invading another country, China has, has sought to ease trade restrictions and fire them an economic lifeline. And this is a key point I was making last night. I mean, the Quad is about the Indo-Pacific. It's not about Europe, and we're very focused on regional security, economic development, humanitarian support, COVID, et cetera, in our region. But we need to take the right lessons out of what is occurring Ukraine. And one is that autocrats will pursue their agendas and won't always play by the same rules as the rest of us, and we need to be prepared.

PARKER: So just on that and you know, Peter Dutton was right about this earlier in the week when he said that President Xi seems to be one of the only people Vladimir Putin listens to. Did you tell the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that you'd like to see more from him because India have been almost sitting on the sidelines of this, they've abstained from key votes at the UN security Council or at the UN.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I certainly wouldn't put them in the same category as China, not not even remotely. I mean, India has been in direct armed conflict with China.

PARKER: Of course, but just in terms of their reluctance to condemn Vladimir Putin.

PRIME MINISTER: And look and look, I think we've got to work patiently with our, with our partners who work for the same objectives as we do in the Indo-Pacific, and that's what we'll do. So I don't draw an equivalence between India and China whatsoever. And I do know from the discussions that we had last night that India is seeking to ensure that this violence ends. They have, they have some very real concerns right now. And some of the listeners who may, you know, family back in India will know that there's quite a, I think, 16,000 Indian students that are in the Ukraine who we’re trying to get out of there and get to safety. So they have a lot of issues that they're managing, so we'll work closely with them. But of course, we want to see the world not throw Russia a lifeline, and India certainly are not doing that. I mean, they're not easing their trade restrictions on, on Russia, but China is. And you know, I'm not saying that to be provocative or anything like that. I just think we have to call these things out. I've got, I've got form on doing that. I've been criticised for doing it before. I did it on COVID. I've done it on a range of issues and you know, we can't pretend that these things aren't going on, and Australia has a very clear, clear eyed view about what's going on in our region. And I think what's happened in Ukraine, hopefully will lead to a greater realisation about what autocrats are capable of.

PARKER: Just very quickly, Prime Minister, are you happy to see Australia one again with the WA border coming down?

PRIME MINISTER: Oh, I'm thrilled. I'm absolutely thrilled. And the moving scenes of families reunitedand people reunited over such a long way. My first response is to say thank you, Western Australia for your patience, your endurance. You had a very different experience of COVID to the rest of the country and you've had a great deal of success. You know, we've been pleased as a federal government to be there to support you. $14 billion in direct economic support, to JobKeeper cash flow boost payments, veterans care and other income support and $455 million directly to support WA's health response. And we still will continue to provide 50 per cent of the COVID health response. And that includes everything from testing centres, obviously paying for all the vaccines. But even the administration of the vaccines, there's mental health support, so that's all continuing. Western Australia has been, you know, has been very much foremost in our mind along with all the other rest of the country. So thanks for pushing through. Looking forward to the hospital system holding up in Western Australia, there's been plenty of time to make sure that's the case. Plenty of resource to support it and supporting Premier McGowan as he manages and gets that balance right. But also, I know he'll be taking the lessons from the east coast, which he had a, you know, a courtside seat for to see what was occurring there. Omicron is different to Delta and so the, this, what you use to manage Omicron is very different. I can say that from personal experience having now having Omicron and so managing that is, I think is getting the balance right is, is the key and he's best placed to make that judgement.

PARKER: Prime Minister, get well soon, and I'm sure we'll see you here in the West very soon.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I look forward to that. And and again, our sincere condolences to all of Rod Marsh's family and to all Western Australians, he was a great Western Australian, he was a great Aussie. Thank you very much.

PARKER: Good on you, PM. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on 6PR Breakfast.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43833

Thom Report

4 March 2022

Earlier today the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet provided me with advice following the process undertaken in relation to Dr Vivienne Thom’s report into serious allegations made by Ms Rachelle Miller regarding the then Minister for Human Services, Alan Tudge. These allegations related to events in 2017.

This process started in December last year, at my instruction, after serious allegations were raised by Ms Miller that required a fair, independent and vigorous investigation by a qualified and independent person.

Dr Vivienne Thom AM was appointed by my Department, following their recommendation. Dr Thom is an eminent and respected former public servant with more than thirty years of experience as Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, ombudsman and a statutory officer.

Ms Miller and Minister Tudge were invited to take part in this process by Dr Thom and the investigation was aimed at properly assessing views by a number of parties in relation to these issues. Ultimately, Ms Miller chose not to participate in the inquiry but the inquiry was able to draw on her public statements.

Dr Thom and the Department have sought to engage Ms Miller throughout this process through her nominated representative.

Dr Thom found that ‘the evidence considered in this Inquiry does not provide a basis for a finding that Mr Tudge’s conduct breached the Ministerial Standards’. I have accepted her advice.

Ms Miller and Minister Tudge have been provided with a full copy of this report.

In December, Minister Tudge agreed to my request to stand aside from the Ministry, while these allegations were examined. Today he has informed me that in the interests of his family and his own well-being and in order to focus on his re-election as the Member for Aston he is not seeking to return to the frontbench, and I support his decision.

Minister Stuart Robert will continue in his role as Acting Minister for Education and Youth and Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business.

The report by Dr Thom will be released in full today on my Department’s website, with minor redactions made to de-identify individuals.

These matters are deeply distressing both for Ms Miller and Mr Tudge, and the families who are affected by these events, and I know today will be a difficult day for them.

Support will continue to be available to Ms Miller, Mr Tudge and any current or former staff impacted by this report, should they seek it, through our Parliamentary Workplace Support Service or the Parliamentary Support Line.

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-44170