Speeches
Remarks - Prime Minister XI Morning Tea
24 October 2019
Canberra, ACT
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: Well, thank you very much, Richard, and thanks to everyone who is here. Can I also acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, elders past and present and future and can I acknowledge any veterans who are here and any serving members of our Australian Defence Force and thank them for their service. Richard has already acknowledged, of course, the players and the captains and coaches and my colleagues, the Deputy Prime Minister who was an absolute cricket tragic, still playing and his last grand final was just this last season completed. I'm sure he'll be backing up again. So I'm qualified to carry some drinks today, he's actually qualified to do a bit more than that. So it's great to have the Deputy Prime Minister here.
It's also great to have the Attorney-General here. Christian Porter is also another great cricket tragic in our parliamentary ranks and I know he wouldn't miss out on this and it's great to have you here as well, Christian. This Prime Minister’s XI match has a tremendous heritage going back to 1951 and it has always played an important role in the annual cricketing calendar. And it's always been an opportunity for experienced players to show their leadership and to share their skills and for new and emerging players to come into the ranks and show the selectors what they're capable of as we're going into a new season.
This is a very strong squad which I'm pleased to have worked with Cricket Australia, but I've got to say they've done the heavy lifting. I was very happy to approve the roster, as I'd call it in my favourite code, but it is a very strong team of youth and experience and to have Dizzy, Jason Gillespie, coaching the team for the first time this year. He needs no introduction to any cricket audiences anywhere in Australia or around the world for that matter. And Jason, it's wonderful to have you as part of the squad this year coaching and to have co-captains for the first time also this time with Peter and Dan, it's wonderful to be sharing this opportunity with both of you.
But I've got to tell you, there's a bit of a record to follow. George did a great job last year as our captain, ensuring it was the first time the PM's XI had won for quite a few years when we had the game against South Africa last year. So, no pressure, but I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job and you’re up against an incredibly strong team from Sri Lanka this year.
It's also great to see this year going to a T20 format. I think that's going to be great for the cricket-watching public here in Canberra. I was talking about it on radio, local Canberra radio this morning [inaudible] and here in Canberra, it'll be one of two fixtures that they'll have played in this wonderful part of Australia. And so it's a great opportunity for people after work tonight to come down to Manuka and enjoy what I think will be a tremendous match between these wonderful and highly-strength teams. We're obviously going into a three match T20 series a with Sri Lanka, which I think is going to be tremendously exciting and I want to thank all the Sri Lankan players and the captain and everyone for being here and being part of this important match, but also what I know will be a very exciting series coming up and will lead into a great series with a matches also with the touring teams from Pakistan and New Zealand and with the Kiwis playing those big matches both on Boxing Day and the New Year's Test up in Sydney. That's going be a tremendous summer of cricket.
Of course, to Peter, we welcome him in his capacity as being part of the wonderful Ashes squad, which has brought home the Ashes to Australia and retain those. And we thank all of that team for the wonderful efforts they put in over there in the United Kingdom. But to all of the players who are going out there today, and I've got a particularly mentioned Daniel Fallins from the Sutherland Shire District Cricket Club. I’ve got to say, there is one requirement in this team, that there must be someone from Sutherland on each occasion and we’re pleased to see that. He certainly got there on merit and I'm really pleased to see, I'm sure [inaudible] will also be pretty happy to see you playing out there this evening.
It's also great to see those who are backing up again this year. Jason, from New South Wales, Jason Sangha, and you were part of that winning team last year and we're looking forward to seeing a great effort from you this evening. Can I also make mention of our female cricketers as well. Now, the Governor-General has a female team and that's his province and I think that's a fantastic part also of our cricketing calendar. But I want to acknowledge our female cricketers, the Southern Stars who recently won their three game one-day international series and a three-game T20 international series against Sri Lanka. And they have set a new world record for the most one-day international wins by a women's team in a row, which is 18. And to see the great strength of our women's game in cricket as we're seeing in so many other sports codes at the moment is just wonderful to see. And it's making these great codes, whether it's cricket or other sporting codes, accessible to women. As Richard knows, it's something we want to encourage right across the country. That's why we're putting serious investments in the changerooms at local sporting fields all around the country to make them accessible both to men and to women, to boys and to girls. And so they can look up at the players we're seeing here today, whether it's the Australian players or to the Sri Lankan players or in our men's teams or our women's teams and they can see themselves in their mind's eye, whether it's the baggy green or anything else, and see themselves doing that one day. And we want them to look up to that with some aspiration.
So I want to congratulate you all for your efforts to get to where you are today, in both the Australians PM's XI team and the Sri Lankan squad. Lasith, again, I want to thank you for bringing all of your team out and I wish you all the best for the series. I know you always enjoy your time when you're here in Australia and the relationship that Australia has with Sri Lanka is a very important one and we are great partners in so many areas and we have a deep respect and love for the people of Sri Lanka which I know that the people of Sri Lanka understand when it goes right back to the terrible events of the tsunami many years ago you know where the Australian people were in and most recently with the terrible events that occurred during the Easter attacks you know how Australians poured out their heart to the Sri Lankan people, not only here in Australia, but right across Sri Lanka. And we know that that's still a process and we want everyone back in Sri Lanka to know that Australians are very much with them as they continue to go through that difficult time. To the 4,000 Sri Lankans odd who lived here in the Canberra, come out tonight and support your boys and to all those Australians who can make their way out after work tonight. Maybe if you're in the public service, the boss will give you a bit of an early leave pass so you can get to the ground early, like William.
[Laughter]
And we look forward to a wonderful night of cricket. Thank you all very much
Address - Australian Migration and Settlement Awards
23 October 2019
Canberra, ACT
PRIME MINISTER: Well it’s great to be here, it’s great to see you again Rhys, great for us to catch up, thank you for stepping up and being here this evening.
Can I also acknowledge the Ngunnawal people tonight, their elders past and present, and future, can I acknowledge if there are any members of the Australian Defence Forces here tonight, any veterans who may be with us and simply say to you on behalf of a very grateful nation, thank you very very much for your service.
And our migration community over generations have made up those numbers certainly, those who’ve served in uniform to defend the very country that they’ve come to call home. And so particularly tonight, those members of our Defence Forces those who’ve served, as veterans, who’ve come from other places and called, not only this nation home. But then turned up to defend it as well in our uniform. Thank you so very very much.
To Innes, I thank you for your leadership of the council, Carla you have been doing a fabulous job, I remember many years ago when I was in opposition and I was working in these areas and was working with you when you were working in one of the Ministerial offices at the time, you’ve showed a, I think, commitment to this area of work in Australia’s nation-building which is outstanding. I reckon the OAM is a pretty good call.
To Peter Scanlon, Peter is an extraordinary Australian. I’ve known him for many years. He’s tried to convert me into a North Melbourne supporter in the past, with some success to the extent that it’s extracted a sympathy whenever North Melbourne is playing.
But it’s been the work that The Huddle has done down there in North Melbourne which is world-leading and nation-leading. And I remember one of the first times I visited, and I was so excited about what was being achieved there and we talked before about the [inaudible], and that’s true all around the country. So Peter, thank you for your tremendous philanthropic leadership in this important area.
David Coleman is here tonight as Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services, and Multicultural Affairs.
As are my Cabinet colleagues, Anne Ruston as Minister for Families and Social Services; and Stuart Robert who’s the Minister for Government Services and NDIS; Michael Sukkar is here, as Minister for Housing and Assistant Treasurer, Senator Kenneally is here as Shadow Minister for Immigration, a role I know well from times past.
And I know Anthony will be joining us in the near-future and I think it’s great that we can come here tonight as this event always has been, we’ve been coming here for many many years, a bipartisan affair as we really celebrate the things that make Australia so strong and Andrew Giles I understand is also here as the Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs.
Paris Aristotle is here, he’s a great mate, he’s been doing tremendous work in the settlement services area, over a long period of time; and Joseph Assaf. I suspect I’ll see many of you Monday night for the Ethnic Business awards which is Jenny’s favourite event of the year as we see the amazing work that is done by ethnic business leaders in our country, creating jobs and the stories are just sensational.
But tonight is a celebration of Australia’s migration program and Australia’s settlement.
And we are, and give yourselves a round of applause, we are the most successful immigration, and multicultural nation in the world.
[Applause]
Some may say that’s debatable, I don’t agree. It’s not debatable, it’s an established fact.
And tonight we acknowledge the work, and honour the work you do to make sure that remains the case, assisting new migrants to settle, and refugees to settle in our country successfully; to promote greater understanding within the community of the migration program; of fostering partnerships across government, corporate Australia and the community sector so services make a real difference.
All this means Australians are kept together, which is our goal. Our national unity.
Please, never lose sight of what an impact of what you do, does for our nation.
It builds a strong and cohesive Australia.
Because when you organise an English language conversation club at your church, or local café, or host welcome barbeques for new arrivals in your community, or hold networking events at neighbourhood art and craft groups, or help migrants with job and rental applications or with the paperwork for school enrolments, what you’re doing and so much more than that has ripple effects far beyond the level of that one individual for whom you’re changing their life.
You’re knitting Australians together, you’re strengthening the bonds that actually bind us all as Australians, and that means we all benefit.
All Australians.
Regardless of our background.
And when our local streets and towns feel vibrant and welcome and comfortable; when we connect together because we recognise our similarities and what we have in common and our great passion for this wonderful country, with ease and mutual respect, this is why we can make that claim.
That’s harmony and that’s cohesion – quietly at work within our community.
And that’s why, as I said, we are the most successful multicultural and immigration society in the world today.
Now we’ve long understood that our nation is greater because of the ideas, and ambitions and energy and dedication and sacrifice of immigrants to our country.
And you know what, if you’re not a first Australian, you’re an immigrant. It’s just an issue of timing.
Our story has three chapters as a nation:
The chapter that we acknowledged at the commencement of tonight’s proceedings, of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples — including those who left us long long long ago, and whose stories are still unfolding, and the contributions of those who will emerge in the generations to come is truly exciting.
Then of course there was the chapter of the arrival, of the settlement period, of the British and the democratic institutions that were brought to Australia that we rely on to this day.
One of those arrivals, he wasn’t a £10 Pom, he didn’t pay for the privilege, it was compulsory, was my fifth great grandfather, William Roberts, who came here on the Scarborough in the first fleet, for stealing £5 and some yarn valued at nine shillings; and he married my fifth great grandmother Kezia Brown, who came here on the Neptune, the second fleet, for stealing clothing from her employer.
We’ve all come from somewhere else at some stage. It’s just a question of timing.
And the stories of immigrants whether those of my great-great, many long times, grandparents, who are married at St Phillips in Sydney and carved out a future for themselves and their family in what was a difficult environment in what is now western Sydney.
That story, although it is historical, is not different from the second chapter of immigration in this country.
Where people have come, from all corners of the earth – a chapter bursting with dreams, daring and ambition.
They too found difficulties and challenges, and felt a long long way away from what was familiar.
The Afghan cameleers who explored our brown outback, and the Japanese pearl divers who fanned across our blue oceans, and the Chinese who panned for gold.
The migrants who escaped horrors of Europe as Rhys was saying, to work on the Snowy Hydro. Seventy years ago, we celebrated just in these last few weeks.
The post-war new Australians whose hands built the West Gate Bridge and so many roads, railways and ports.
And are doing again today.
They broke new ground – literally and figuratively.
And new migrants continue to do so, until now, and beyond.
We have in Australia a lot to offer.
And in return, our migrants have had a lot to give, coming to make a contribution, not seeking to take one.
That’s why our migration program will always be valued. And why I always will value it.
It’s why we must ensure it continues to receive stewardship of the highest order.
Our approach to regional migration, I think is a good example, and something Minister Coleman has been taking a strong lead on.
Regional visas form a central element to our broader Population Plan - a plan geared to easing pressure on the big capitals while supporting the growth of those regions that want more people.
Like those from Shepparton who I was meeting with today.
Shep has been an extraordinary, I think example of what can be achieved in regional migration in this country.
As you know the Government, we have a permanent migration program of 160,000 places, and within that cap, now 23,000 places for regional visas up from the 18,000 places that we established before.
Because we put a priority on regional settlement.
We are seeing very positive results, with more than 6,350 regional visas granted already in the first quarter of this program - an increase of 124 per cent compared with the same period last year.
I think this is great!
And we are well on track to meet that 23,000 regional visas by the end of the program year.
But Ladies and Gentlemen, migration is only successful if we continue to build the community trust and support for it to really work, as everyone I think here tonight understands.
Public confidence in our migration program is one of the great achievements of modern Australia, and the surveys that Peter has been supporting for many many years, Peter Scanlon, demonstrate that.
It’s been upheld though by some important foundational pillars: a skills-based migration program, at its heart. And a strong border protection framework which gives Australians confidence, as Secretary Pezullo said, the rest of the world wants what we’re having. When it comes to our migration program.
They, I can tell you as I move around the world today, people understand the success of migration in Australia and the arrangements we put around it, and they want to know how we do it.
And on settlement services, as we were hearing before, not just world standard, it’s the best in the world. There is no one who does settlement services, in the world today, better than Australia.
And these things provide the assurance that the program is there to serve our national interest and to add value, but one point I think Innes would agree with me on, in addition to what I’ve said, a skills-based program, a strong border protection framework so people can know that the program is working in the national interest.
There’s another one we’ve got to do better at.
To support social cohesion, public interest, in supporting migration.
And I want to spend a few minutes if you’ll indulge me to talk about that, and that is the capacity of our national training system. Our vocational education and training sector. To train Australians for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
See, people support our migration program, and they also want to see Australians go into those jobs. And they understand that when we’re training Australians for the jobs that we need, they understand that our opportunities are greater than that. And we need the migration program to continue to support it.
We don’t want people to think that we need a migration program because we’re not training Australians well enough. We want them to know both!
That we are training Australians to the best that we can to make sure that they’re having those opportunities, and indeed the second generation, the children of migrants and great grand children of migrants, but then others will come because so great is the opportunity here in Australia that we will continue to have that invitation to skills and migration throughout the world.
So the quality of our skills training is vital to maintaining public confidence in our migration program.
There are around 4 million VET students in Australia. Some 20 per cent of those students come from homes with English as a second language.
These are Australia’s future plumbers, builders, nurses, computer technicians. They deserve the same first-class education as students at our best universities.
And we need to fix our skills system.
There’s an obvious thread connecting the skills Australia is producing and the skills that we seek from overseas.
And that’s what I hear from business leaders, from small business, and others who are looking to get people into a job, and to get Australians into a job.
The VET sector is complex, it’s difficult to navigate, and it is not producing enough people with the right skills that businesses, industry and the economy need.
There are many excellent VET providers, don’t get me wrong. TAFE amongst them. But the overall system is not keeping pace with the needs of these individuals and businesses that employ them and a changing economy.
We’re too slow at identifying the skills Australia needs now, and what we’ll need in the future. And too many Australians are locked out of the labour force due to a lack of relevant skills.
And that leads to the skills shortages which are holding businesses in Australia back from employing so many more.
And it means we’re at risk of not preserving the hard-won public confidence in our migration program – which relies on skilling our workforce at home, even as we seek skilled people from around the world.
So we’ve got to honour that compact. Too much is at stake.
We need a system that simply focuses on getting people the skills that are needed today that employers are wanting to employ people with.
We need a system focused on those who are the beneficiaries of the program, not the providers of it.
I’m not that fussed, through which chain of delivery the training comes. Public sector, private sector, there are great operators in all of these sectors.
But I don’t want them to be focused on them, I want them to be focused on the skills we need and the businesses that are going to employ those people.
That’s why we commissioned Steven Joyce prior to the last election to undertake a root-and-branch review of our vocational education and training system.
The background to the Joyce recommendations is a new era of technological change transforming the nature of jobs.
We know the labour market is continuing to shift towards higher skilled jobs. Emerging technologies, the internet of things, AI, automation are driving a shift from routine to non-routine, cognitive jobs.
Yet what’s not been fully appreciated is the central conclusion of his report.
It’s a misconception, he argues, that university education is the only or even the most suitable stream for learning the skills Australians need to succeed.
“If anything,” he says- and I quote, “it’s likely that vocational and work-based training will be more important in the future as technology-driven changes to jobs and tasks need to be quickly transmitted across industries and around workplaces.”
So these are real opportunities for Australians of all ages, of all backgrounds, if we get this right.
And I want to thank particularly the state and territory Premiers and Ministers, who have engaged with the Commonwealth on this task. Putting politics aside. Understanding the real weaknesses in the system. And joining up together in a real federal effort, to have a good go at ensuring we get the changes we need to make.
We know that among the areas of most acute skills shortage are technicians and trades workers, ranging across construction trades, electricians and automation trades workers.
We are also facing higher workforce demands across the disability, aged care and child care sectors.
According to Deloitte, growth in demand for good VET qualifications - advanced diploma, diploma and certificate III and IV qualifications, is expected to outpace growth in supply over the next five to ten years, leading to a tightening skills market.
So in the Budget this year, we made significant investments to improve the architecture of the VET system and to position it as a modern, agile alternative to classroom-based education.
We’re working as I said with the states to achieve all of that, moving people into great jobs. And we must all pull together and do the hard work to deliver better training.
So that’s how we keep our promise to the Australian community – by making all of these pillars, you might say well why has he come here tonight to talk about VET? We’re all sort of involved in settlement services, and we’re all here involved in assisting migrants to come to Australia. And that’s great! But what I need to be focused on as a Prime Minister, with my Ministers. Is not only ensuring that we continue to support those important services, as David is doing such an excellent job of doing, but it’s not just about saying we believe and know that Australia is the best immigration country in the world today, it’s about doing the things that make sure that Australia stays that way.
So maintaining that discipline, and that targeted focus on skills based education and training, maintaining that focus on ensuring that the skills migration is the heart of the program, and ensuring that we run a border protection regime that gives Australians confidence about the whole scheme, so it can continue to perform is very important.
So tonight, we are paying tribute to all those who are making such a tremendous contribution to our multicultural nation.
And again thank you to the Migration Council of Australia for your continued guardianship of Australia’s extraordinary multicultural and migration success.
And I want to congratulate all of tonight’s nominees and all recipients for bringing strength, and character and unity to our nation.
Thank you.
Address - Prime Minister's Literary Awards
23 October 2019
Canberra, ACT
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much, Paul, for your introduction. Can I also acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, their elders past, present and emerging. Can I also acknowledge any members of the Australian Defence Forces and veterans who are with us and say thank you for your service.
Can I thank Annabel who makes any event one that we always begin with a smile - often at our expense.
[Laughter]
But it is always one with a smile and done with a generous nature. And an author, of course, in her own right, of which my wife is a keen fan of, consuming not only her books but what she writes about in her books, particularly the recipes. And so I am very grateful for your work, Annabel, in particular.
It’s wonderful to be here to celebrate these Literary Awards, the Prime Minister’s Awards. Last week, I was celebrating the Prime Minister’s… It’s a division.
[Laughter]
To be continued.
************
[Applause]
Congratulations, Meredith. I was going to say that you’re on my reading list this Christmas. I’m looking forward to delving into your great work.
But as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by the bells, you are the nation’s storytellers. And in that job, it is not just the responsibility that you have to tell your art but there is a leadership role that you play in what you do as our nation’s storytellers.
And it doesn’t matter if those stories are works of fiction, non-fiction, history, poetry, any of these. Children’s books, young adult books - all of these are so instructive in our lives.
I think I reminded this audience last year that there are three books that never leave my consciousness. David Malouf’s The Great World, Peter Carey’s Illywhacker, and Kate Grenville’s The Secret River.
These are books - we’ve all read many books - but you know there are some that just hover over you and linger throughout your experience, and these are three that have always informed mine.
Now, Annabel rightly said that this is a… or Paul did, that this is a generous prize in terms of its prize money, but those who are involved in these great works of leadership in writing, I know you don’t do it for the money.
The reason I know that is because in our own family, and this is probably the reason why I haven’t sought to go on to literacy sort of heights, Annabel, is because the bar has been set pretty high in our family with Dame Mary Gilmore, who was my great-great-aunt.
And what I can tell you is that while she may not have left a great estate for the family in terms of her material wealth, she left this country a great estate in terms of her body of work. And it’s a great privilege for us today to share in her work and her estate, I’m told through my family, was around about 12,000 quid when she left.
She lived in a small apartment on Darlinghurst Road in Kings Cross. Her place was just above the Kings Cross Station and my father, who was a police officer, a beat police officer at the time, would go and visit her quite regularly. She wasn’t wealthy, she wasn’t an A-lister, but her poetry touched people and she touched this country and she touched its soul.
Recently, when I was in the United States and the President was giving a toast to Australia, he started reciting a poem and it was Dame Mary’s. And I thought, well, I’ll have to remind him after he’s finished that this was actually my great-great-aunt and it was something that he already knew of.
And that fact that her stories and her poetry had reached well beyond our shores I thought was great for Australia because she was so passionate about Australia. I can assure you that Dame Mary and I probably would have had one or two political arguments if she were around today. She lived in a different time and there are different challenges but I know this - she was very passionate about her country, as all of you are.
And the great list of names who are part of our great tradition - Henry Lawson, Banjo Patterson, Judith Wright, Les Murray, Miles Franklin, Tim Winton, Kate Grenville, Patrick White, Bryce Courtney, Colleen McCullough, Paul Jennings and the great Charles Bean our great war historian.
But it’s also how it affects our daily lives with our families. And Jenny has done an extraordinary job in our family, from the very early stages of our children, of investing in them the great mind-broadening activity of reading. She was reading to them before they could even speak and she used to read every night and I would join her when I would have the great opportunity to be there.
And so they’re great, avid readers today. I was just talking to my youngest daughter Lily this morning and she was telling me - I didn’t need to ask, she just told me - about the latest book that she had picked up and it was about a dog that lives in a hotel in Melbourne. It’s actually a true story, ‘The Adventures of Mr Walker’, and she was really excited about getting home to read it tonight.
And that’s why you do what you do because it’s opening minds, it’s exciting the passions, it’s unleashing the creative spirits of Australian all around. You don’t have to be an author to get it, you just have to be a reader, I think, to get it, and in so many ways with those things.
Next time I come back I promise to talk about the prizes!
[Laughter]
************
So this is a speech in three acts.
[Laughter]
And I just was literally coming to point of saying thank you to all those who have been nominated. Thank you to all of those who have supported those in their tremendous work. No writer works without a muse or those who support them through what is a very difficult and emotional process and an incredibly taxing intellectual process as well.
I was reading this week about some of the processes people go through to try and crack through when the block hits and as you’re seeking that inspiration. People go for a walk or go to the pub or do whatever they need to do.
But I want to thank you for your perseverance in going through to produce the magnificent works that you have done for our nation.
Can I also thank, as Annabel did, the judging panel as well. This was a tough call with all of these works so thank you very much for the effort that you’ve invested in paying great respect to all of these authors who you have treated with great sensitivity and care and respect in the way that you’ve assessed their works. You would acknowledge, I’m sure, all of their great contributions, as do I.
But, as is always the case with awards of this nature, one is singled out. And you’ve already heard from Meredith and I think that this is… I couldn’t agree more with what you were saying as I heard you just from the wings there. Bringing and shedding light, I think, to expose myths and at the same time focus these important discussions where they need to. So I am genuinely looking forward to having a good read of your work over the Christmas break.
So with that, I want to congratulate everyone for being a part of this. I want to thank Paul for his work and his Department’s work and how they have worked to ensure they have been able to bring this day together again this year.
And without further ado, let’s hand out some more awards, Annabel.
Address - Anniversary of National Apology to victims and survivors of institutional sexual abuse
22 October 2019
PRIME MINISTER: Mr Speaker I move that the House commemorate the anniversary of the National Apology to the victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.
Mr Speaker, I join with all in our Chamber today, I join with the Leader of the Opposition, I join with all of those across the country as we mark the first anniversary of the Australian Government and Parliament’s Apology to the victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.
I remember that day incredibly well. It is burned in my memory forever. And I remember on that occasion speaking of those around the country for whom they still would not be able to get out of bed without the horrific memory of what they have lived with ever since those un-utterable things were done to them all those years ago, or even most recently.
And so we come again today and as we commemorate this day, they, the survivors, are the ones we have in the front of our minds and deep in our hearts.
And we also remember those for whom it was just too much. And they are no longer with us.
A year ago our nation said sorry.
I described it as a sorry, that we dare not ask for forgiveness. A sorry, that does not insult with an incredible promise. A sorry, as if we lie just prostrate before those to whom it’s offered, with nothing to say other than to reflect on the terrible events that had affected their lives.
We acknowledged a national trauma, a national trauma that was hiding in plain sight.
The silenced voices, and what I described as the muffled cries in the darkness. And the never-heard please of tortured souls. That is still true today.
Ritual crimes of sexual abuse, committed by enemies in our midst. Enemies that all too often cloaked their evil in the roles where they should be trusted more than any: teachers, priests, pastors, coaches, and counsellors.
Because they held positions upon which our society deemed respectful, they were believed. A survivor named Ann said “my mother believed them rather than me”.
As a parent, those words still just make me shudder.
Our apology, that brought all parties, all people in this place, together in this House – was one of our most difficult moments, but always the Parliament at its best. And I particularly want to thank the then-leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten, for his partnership on that day. For sharing and carrying that burden on behalf of this Parliament with me on that day as we stood in this place as we spoke to those who stood, sat I should say, silently up on the chairs and around the galleries and those whom are back here today, and as we went out on to the lawns also, and when we went into the Great Hall. So thank you Bill. Thank you very much.
We both can tell those stories, and I met Aunty Mary Hooker a Bungelong women, who last year was on the lawns of Parliament after the Apology. I remember as I was reminded of that event today, and she told me she gave evidence at the Royal Commission because she said, the truth needed to be told. Now Auntie Mary, she passed away almost two weeks ago. And until the time of her death, she had on the television in her home, a photo of the two of us from that day. It wasn’t about any one Prime Minister, it was about what that day meant to her, and how that at least provided what we did in this place a year ago, some measure of solace.
The apology required us to confront a question. A terrible question, too horrible to ask even: why weren’t the children of our nation loved, nurtured and protected?
So we said sorry.
For the hurt and the horrors.
For the violation of dignity and self-worth.
For what was done; the acts- too unspeakable
And then sorry for what was not done, and should have been. As we looked the other way instead of helping or intervening.
Sorry to the families who were forever scarred or destroyed.
Sorry to those who weren’t believed.
Our failure as a nation was catastrophic and inexcusable, and no apology can undo it.
Yet we apologised because we should, and we must’ve. And I’d like to think of it as an on-going and continuous apology.
I agree with the survivor who said, “child sexual abuse is not just a crime against the person, but is also a crime that attacks the social fabric of the nation.”
And in these acts, the fabric of our society was rent.
And our apology was just one humble but important step in trying to mend it.
On this day one year ago, we paid tribute to the thousands of people who came forward bravely and with the courage to tell their story to the Royal Commission.
There weren’t just a few – the numbers make you shudder, 17,000 came forward and nearly 8,000 recounted their abuse in private sessions of the Royal Commission.
A year ago, we pledged that we would report back, I pledged we would report back to the Australian Parliament, to the people on the progress we are making on the implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission.
Because it’s only actions now that can prove the worth of our sentiments. And that is what today is the opportunity to do, but in providing these introductory comments I think it’s important for us to go back to where we were a year ago and just simply allow the horror of those events to impact us with a heavy blow.
Mr Speaker, the Government will continue to report annually on this progress as we should, of the Royal Commission’s 409 recommendations, the 84 regarding redress have been addressed, through the implementation of the National Redress Scheme.
The Commonwealth has a further 122 recommendations that we are working on, either wholly or partially with our state and territory colleagues.
I’m pleased that work on these recommendations is well advanced. Around a third have already been implemented and the remainder are well underway.
The Commonwealth has also taken on a national leadership role for more than 30 additional recommendations that were primarily addressed to the states and territories, and we’re working closely with those states and territories on these matters.
We tabled the first Annual Progress Report last December and we’ll continue doing that each year for five consecutive years. But frankly as long as it takes.
All states and territories also published 2018 Annual Progress Reports and will also provide annual reporting.
This year we have also encouraged a further 42 non-government institutions whose conduct was called into question at the Royal Commission to report on their actions and to change their practices.
The public accountability across governments and non-government institutions is crucial and vital
Mr Speaker, one year on I can report that the National Redress Scheme has been operating for just over a year and is giving survivors access to counselling and psychological services, monetary payments, and, for those who want one – a direct personal response from an institution where the abuse occurred.
So far, more than 600 payments have been made totalling more than $50 million, with an average redress payment of $80,000.
More than 60 non-government institutions, or groups of institutions, are now participating in the Scheme, and that represents tens of thousands of locations across Australia where this happened.
And there are other institutions who have though, chosen not to join.
Perhaps, captured by lawyers, legal advice, perhaps deaf to the cause of justice.
All they are doing in not joining this, is doubling down on the crime, and doubling down on the hurt.
And so to them I say, who have not joined, join.
Do the decent thing, do the right, do the honourable thing.
It’s not just what survivors expect. And their families and the families of those who did not survive, It’s what every, decent, honest, Australian demands.
And we, in this place, all as one demand as well.
I also acknowledge that the Redress Scheme needs to do better in supporting survivors.
The rate of response it is not good enough and it must improve.
Applications haven’t been processed as fast as I want them to be.
That is why earlier today Minister Ruston announced a further investment of $11.7 million in the National Redress Scheme to improve its operation and better support survivors.
The funding will support case management of applications to reduce the number of different people a survivor may be required to deal with while their application is being processed.
It will also allow the Government to hire more independent decision makers to finalise applications as quickly as possible.
On the 5 March 2019, the Government committed funding of $52.1 million also to boost support services for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse:
This funding will support 34 existing agencies to June 2021 as well as five additional providers to offer Redress Support Services to survivors in remote and regional areas, male survivors, survivors with a disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survivors.
The Royal Commission made many recommendations for the Australian, State and Territory governments to work together to prevent the horrors of the past from occurring again.
One of those was a National Strategy to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse.
I can report that all governments are currently working on a 10 year strategy.
Over 350 consultations have taken place as part of that work.
I expect it will be released in coming months.
As recommended by the Royal Commission, the strategy will include education and awareness-raising; improved support services for victims; initiatives targeted at offender prevention and at children with harmful sexual behaviours; and, improved information sharing, data and research.
We’ve also been working with our state and territory colleagues to enhance Working With Children Checks in line with Royal Commission recommendations.
We’re closer to our goal of making the standard of checks consistent across the country, and have started rolling out a database to be able to share this information more easily.
This database will also allow agencies that issue these checks to be aware of whether an applicant has been refused a check in another jurisdiction.
In response to the Royal Commission, the Parliament has recently passed the Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Act.
This Act introduces new ‘failure to report’ and ‘failure to protect’ offences, much needed for Commonwealth Officials who have care, supervision or authority over children.
It strengthens laws for forced marriage and for overseas child sexual abuse committed by Australian citizens and residents.
To address challenges facing our law enforcement agencies, the Act also strengthens child sexual abuse material laws, including in relation to material accessed online.
The Act also amends Commonwealth laws so they are no longer using the term ‘child pornography’, an outdated phrase that did not reflect the heinous criminal acts depicted in child sexual abuse materials.
We’re close to finalising our Online Safety Charter, which sets out the Government’s expectations, on behalf of the Australian community, for social media services, content hosts and other technology companies.
Businesses that interact with children in the real world have to meet high standards of safety, and digital businesses should be treated no differently.
The charter is due for release by the end of this year.
The eSafety Commissioner is making the online environment safer for children by developing resources for Australian schools and organisations to provide best practice online safety education.
The Royal Commission produced some ground-breaking research work on the nature and scale of sexual abuse in Australia.
And we want to build on that work.
And that’s why we’ve announced Australia’s first National Child Maltreatment Study.
This will be the most comprehensive study of its kind undertaken anywhere in the world.
We’re establishing a National Centre for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse.
The Royal Commission recommended the National Centre should:
raise awareness of the impact of abuse,
increase our workforce’s knowledge and their competence in responding to victims and survivors, and
coordinating a national research agenda.
The Government has committed $25.5 million over five years to establish that centre and I’ve asked all states and territories to contribute also.
We’ll be consulting on the scope, functions and governance arrangements in coming months.
The Royal Commission also found that more needs to be done to ensure that places where children and young people meet are safe.
So I was pleased earlier this year when COAG endorsed the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.
There are ten principles, and they include things like making sure that organisational leadership take responsibility for child safety; staff and volunteers are properly trained to care for our children; and that children are taken seriously.
All Government agencies are implementing these principles.
We’re also working with state and territory governments to get them implemented consistently across our nation.
We also want, organisations that work with children to adopt these principles so they can guide their decision making and how they operate.
Mr Speaker earlier today Minister Ruston handed over to the Parliament the parchment etched with the Apology’s wording.
It will now take its place in the Members’ Hall, along with other items that tell some of the stories of our nation.
It’s not one of the pretty stories. It’s not one of the stories we can be proud of, only one that we can be deeply ashamed of.
The oak table used by Queen Victoria when signing the Royal Assent that enacted Australia’s Constitution is there.
The Yirrkala Bark petitions are there.
But also, are the apologies made to the Stolen Generations; to the Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants; and for the forced adoptions.
These items of ceremony, struggle and suffering sit in the symbolic heart of our Australian Parliament, on public display because that’s who we are as a people. We do confront the ghosts and horrible deeds of our past, because it’s right to do so. But we also do it as a living memory to us all that we should never see them repeated. And for it to be here in this please, let it be a remembrance for us. Let it call us to account. Because these things are part of our national story, and we’ve got to own all our stories to be a complete people.
Many of the survivors, Mr Speaker, who gave evidence to the Royal Commission were asked to share a message with the Australian people about their experiences as part of this display and more than 1,000 Australians have done so.
One of them, whose name is not known, wrote to us and said, “Let our voice echo”.
Well it does Mr Speaker. In this chamber today, and may it ever be so.
May all those brave voices continue to echo. Let it bounce but not just that, permeate into how we remember what they have told us.
They are believed, we said a year ago. We believe you. We still believe you. We will forever believe you.
And we are sorry as we said a year ago, and we remain sorry.
Remarks - Deepavali Celebration Function
21 October 2019
Canberra, ACT
PRIME MINISTER: Once again, Namaste.
[Applause]
The High Commissioner, fellow Members of Parliament, in particular Josh Frydenberg the Treasurer is here from our Cabinet, as indeed of course is Alan Tudge, a member of our Cabinet, and David Coleman, our Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs amongst many other things and to all the colleagues who are here from all sides of politics, can I welcome you all.
Friends, for more than fourteen years, the doors of this Parliament have been thrown open to celebrate Deepavali.
And this is getting bigger and bigger every year, like everything in India does.
[Laughter]
We have lots of great events in this Great Hall but the best events are the ones where the community is involved and I get to wear something like this.
[Applause]
The turnout tonight is wonderful and there is a great spirit about the gathering we are having here this evening. And we join with hundreds of millions around the world participating in this 2,500 year old festival of faith.
A wonderful celebration of light over darkness.
Of knowledge over ignorance.
Of good over evil.
I said in a similar gathering here in this Parliament a week ago, a Prayer Breakfast, and I talked about the importance of faith in people’s lives.
And I said that faith wasn’t about piety. Faith was about understanding our human frailty.
And in that understanding of human frailty, we are connected all to each other in our vulnerabilities.
And so when we understand that, we do pray for knowledge over ignorance and we do pray for light over darkness and we do pray for good over evil, which this wonderful celebration is about.
More than 700,000 people of Indian descent now call Australian home. Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Muslims amongst many others.
It is our fastest-growing diaspora in Australia and it is a community that has given so incredibly much to Australia.
India is the world’s biggest democracy and it is one of the greatest beacons of light to democracy and we are pleased to see a wonderful powerful economy being built on such a strong, democratic foundation.
There is so much we share together - democracy, language and even a national day. The links and history between our peoples are great, through both peace and war.
We are the most successful multicultural country on earth in Australia.
[Applause]
And as I often talk about in functions like this, there are many metaphors which are given to explain multiculturalism in Australia.
But the one I like best is garam masala.
[Laughter]
Garam masala, that better? Getting there?
Getting the cloves, the cardamom, you put it all together. You have one of them on their own - rubbish.
[Laughter]
It doesn’t leave a good taste in the mouth.
But when you blend them all together, you taste them, you grind them up - wow.
[Applause]
And that is the fragrance that comes from Australia’s multicultural society, of which those of Hindu faith and the Indian national people have come here representing so magnificently.
But there is more to acknowledge in this relationship.
We often speak of the 26,000 Australians who were casualties at Gallipoli.
But what we don’t often speak of is the 1,400 Indians who fell, and the more than 3,500 who were wounded in that battle, side by side with our ANZACs.
Last year, a small community in Cherrybrook, in Julian Leeser’s electorate, and he’s here. No one is more committed to this relationship than Julien, I can assure you, because he’s actually learning to speak Indian. Congratulations.
[Applause]
And they raised the funds to erect a memorial to the Indian soldiers who joined the AIF.
I’m reminded of the story of the Garhwal Rifles – Indian troops who served on the Western Front.
They suffered through all the horrors and hardships of trench warfare in the Great War.
On Christmas Eve, 1914, they were dug in near the French village, a small little French village of Neuve-Chapelle.
And then something odd happened.
The guns fell silent and music could be heard from the German lines and we know the story of Christmas carols.
It was the Christmas Truce – a spontaneous act of peace and compassion seen up and down the Western Front.
The Indians looked on as the Germans began to place small candle-lit trees along their trenches.
And while that reminded those of the Christian faith of Christmas, the lights reminded those of the Hindu faith of Deepavali.
This was a story and an experience which is often remembered amongst those of the Christian faith when they look back at that time.
But here was an engagement with another faith, a little piece of home, far away on a foreign shore, in a foreign war.
And so the guns would remain silent on that Christmas Day.
And so light, for that short period of time, did prevail over darkness.
Good did prevail over evil.
And there was a Deepavali message we can all embrace regardless of whatever faith we have.
So I wish you all a very happy and joyous and prosperous Deepavali.
[Applause]
It is a wonderful time for family, it is a wonderful time for friends and community to reflect on the wonderful life that those who have come to Australia over many generations or more recently and the contribution that you’ve been able to make and that we can celebrate together.
But best of all, it’s a wonderful time of celebration and some really good food. Enjoy.
[Applause]
Remarks - Lunch with Australian and Indonesian Business Community
20 October 2019
Australian Embassy, Jakarta
PRIME MINISTER: Well, thank you very much Gary. And I can thank you and all of our incredible Commission staff here at Jakarta for the tremendous job you do in managing what is such an important relationship for Australia. You bring incredible experience to the role and we rely on it so much in our understanding of things on the ground here. Not just from your own experience but of course your ability to bring such an incredible crowd here today, on a day which is a significant one for Indonesia and I’m sure there are plenty other events going on today as there should be. It is a tremendous day for Indonesia and the fact you’ve all chosen to be with us here today I think says a lot about how you see our Commission here in Jakarta and in Indonesia and that also I think through the regular reporting and advice that we get from Gary enables us to get a very good handle on what’s happening here on the ground. And it’s particularly great to see so many here today, not just Australian expats, who you know, you can never keep them away from a barbecue any day. But to see so many of our Indonesian National friends here with us today. Can I acknowledge the presence of the KADIN, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry led by Rosan Roeslani, thank you very much. Can I also acknowledge APINDO, the Indonesian Employers Association led by Hariyadi Sukamdani. Did I get that right? Almost. Almost. I had a lot of small cards for this evening. And of course the Indonesia Australia Business Council led by former Ambassador to Australia, Hamzah Thayeb. As well as the distinguished CEO’s and present Commissioners from the business community. It’s true I used to be in tourism so it’s only appropriate that I say it’s wonderful to be in wonderful Indonesia which I understand is the new slogan used by Indonesia. And it’s an honour for me to attend of course the inauguration this afternoon on the Jenny and the President Widodo, who is a good friend, he is a good friend of Australia, he’s a tremendous friend to Australia. But he’s also a good friend of mine. And of previous Prime Ministers as well, Prime Ministers Abbott and Turnbull who had an outstanding relationship and we appreciate that very much. And the time we have been able to spend together over a period and the achievements that we have been able to progress with. He’s a close partner as is Indonesia. In his own life he’s achieved incredible things having come from humble beginnings to the very highest office. He’s achieved something important for Indonesia’s democracy I think, he has in his own story demonstrated what is possible to every single little Indonesian boy and girl in that true tradition of democracy that wherever you’re born, wherever you are, whatever your background, whatever your up-bringing that you can indeed rise to be the President of this great country. And I think that is one of the big things that we’ll be celebrated again on this second occasion of his inauguration. And as a friend I am so pleased to be here with Jenny and join Iriana as well this afternoon to celebrate his great achievement in his re-election. I’m a big fan of re-elections, I think they’re great.
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]
He’s achieved a lot, social and structural infrastructure, airports, seaports, highways, underground metro rail here in Jakarta. And when any leader is elected for the first time they usually get a honeymoon and when they get elected a second time the people generally say well let's just get back to work. And that’s exactly what he’s doing. I know he’s been visiting areas hardest hit by the fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra. And I do want to express our deepest sympathies for the people of those provinces and for the nation of Indonesia. Sadly on too many occasions I text my friend Jokowi and simply to say I’m so terribly sorry to hear of this terrible event or that terrible event, natural disasters and he’s always so kind in his messages back to me. And so appreciative of the fact that Australians would be mindful of the things that Indonesia are facing from one moment to another. It’s such an extraordinarily large country and covers so many different places within this incredible country. And he’s a President that I think very much is wanting to transport himself to so many parts of the country at any one time and I got to say he did that literally at the last election with his holograph. There are only two people I know who have done that in an election campaign, President Widodo and Prime Minister Modi who I understand he got the idea from, in his first one. But both leaders of countries that are trying to connect with people in so many different parts and to use that technology I think says a lot about him that he wanted to reach out. And he wanted to connect with people right across this country. It was also with some shock, some real shock that we learnt of the terrible stabbing of the Coordinator Mr Wiranto last week and that was very upsetting and I’m pleased to know that, have told me today, that he’s making a good recovery and equally on that occasion we passed on immediately our deep concerns. Not just obviously about the fact that such an attack could have occurred but indeed happened in relation to the Coordinating Minister. He has been at the forefront of our cooperation with Indonesia on counter terrorism and we continue to have our thoughts with him. Now we are great neighbours, we are longstanding partners, we are old friends. It’s amazing Australia can have such a close relationship with a country who we rarely play in sport. It’s usually often goes with some of the relations we have we tease each other as those in Great Britain would be teasing us over the rugby this week. It says a lot that this is a relationship we have that goes well beyond those sorts of things. There are other points of connection which draw us together. From the sailors of the Makassar who traded with indigenous Australian communities 300 years ago, to Australia's support after the Second World War for Indonesia’s independence, 2019 the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations. I was relaying today to President Widodo that the mere sight of the new capital that he’s seeking to establish, I relayed to him that that’s where my grandfather was at the end of the Second World War serving with the 7th AIF. And we shared some stories about that part of Indonesia and Borneo and the role that our own forces played in liberating this part of the world all those years ago. But for one simple purpose, to see the country become what it is today and to be able to be here and celebrate such a wonderful day as we are. There are so many different parts to our relationship and it’s a warm afternoon and I don’t want to play you long by running through all of them because you know them well. Let me just say this, last time I was here it was to secure a vital agreement to our comprehensive strategic partnership which we signed on that occasion. And even since then there have been doubters and those who would say that it wouldn’t come to this time, it wouldn’t get to this point, we wouldn’t be able to finalise the text. But I can tell you, tomorrow morning in the Australian Parliament at the House of Representatives, it will pass the House of Representatives it will be ratified by our House of Representatives and it will soon go after that, to our Senate where it will be also ratified by within the next few weeks. It has gone through our Parliamentary Committee process, through our standing committee on treaties and has received a strong endorsement, as it should, as it should. Because the overwhelming benefits of this arrangement see both of our countries open up to each other even more, is what’s so critically needed at this point in time. Indonesia and Australia’s economic relationship is underdone, it really is. And we need to remedy that. I’m talking to the people under this beautiful canopy this afternoon who can change that, who can change the dynamic and ensure that we are getting beyond those that are getting the essence when it comes to investment decisions and engagements between our countries, between business partners and looking at new projects and the projects are right across the great spectrum. Whether it’s in our education sector which is so important presently to our relationship. We already have Australian tertiary institutions who are present here and we want to see more. I know the President wants to see that too. And the skills partnership that we are developing between Australia and Indonesia is absolutely critical. In tourism, in healthcare, aged care, telecommunications, energy, infrastructure, mining of course. Of course. And other professional services. Right now Australia this is the most popular destination for Indonesian students with almost 20,000 Indonesian students enrolments in Australia this year. And I think we will see more of this open up in the years ahead. So this afternoon I simply want to say to you, thank you for being the true believers in this relationship because you wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t been. You’ve been here working away looking at the Australian expatriates who are here and those in the Indonesian community here, you’ve been working away with this relationship for some time with the hope and the vision that at a point we would reach this stage of the relationship. Well I can tell you, we are here. We are here. But the journey does continue on from this point of view, from this point on. And it’s a relationship which just isn’t about our economics. One of the other things I absolutely prize in our relationship with Indonesia is the leadership they provide within the Indo-Pacific region. Indeed it is the very Indonesian concept of the Indo-Pacific which is now driving the Indo-Pacific agenda. And President Widodo has been so central to that being conceived and then championed. It is an idea, a notion, a conception that has been supported strongly, passionately by Australia, led by Japan and now India and other parts of the Indo-Pacific. And it’s an Indo-Pacific notion that is based on the idea of independent sovereign nation states running their own show. Seeking to lift the living standards of their people. Opening up the interaction between economies but at all times retaining sovereignty over what goes on and how they run their own countries. And that is a respect that I think is borne out of the ASEAN concept, an ASEAN concept that Australia has been a partner with for 45 years and a great advocate for it and we see ASEAN at the centre of our engagement with the Indo-Pacific. President Widodo and Indonesia are leading peers within the Indo-Pacific. Whether it’s their understanding of the importance to keep freedom of navigation, freedom of overflight, ensuring there are open routes for trade and commerce, ensuring the peace and stability of the region by working together with partners to provide balance and stability which affords every single nation their sovereignty and their independence. Indonesia, I find in the middle and at the centre of every one of these conversations and standing right beside them making the same points is Australia. So I want to thank you all again for being here this afternoon. Sausages are on. Please enjoy.
Address - Prime Minister's Prizes for Science Awards Dinner
16 October 2019
Canberra, ACT
PRIME MINISTER: Well thank you very much for the introduction and can I start also by thanking Auntie Violet for her wonderful welcome to country. And can I also acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, elders past and present and of course emerging like her young little granddaughter and the many others that form part of her wonderful extended family. Can I also thank and acknowledge the many colleagues who are here this evening from both sides of the House. And of the Senate of course. From all sides of politics. Because when it comes to the issues that we're celebrating tonight I think it is all about celebrating you, and we come together in this great building, our parliament, our people’s place. That we all together acknowledge your tremendous efforts but particularly to Karen Andrews, the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, and Dan Tehan, the Minister for Education, Anne Ruston the Minister for Families and Social Services, and Brendan O'Connor the Shadow Minister for Science and the Shadow Minister for Employment and Industry. Together with the many senior officials here tonight and in particular I acknowledge Dr Alan Finkle who I absolutely thoroughly enjoy working with and the tremendous job he does and the many others who were here this evening.
It is 20 years since these awards were first inaugurated and I'm sure amongst all of you here tonight the reason you have been able to achieve so many things in your scientific career is because of the mentors that nurtured you along the way. And so it is humbling to be here tonight to present, as Prime Minister, these awards that were inaugurated by one of my great mentors, John Howard, when he initiated this all those years ago together with the scientific community. It's great to celebrate the place of science in our national life. Now I'm sure one of the reasons John did that all those years ago is it's not a bad thing for politicians to understand in a room like this, that they're not the smartest people in the room. Sometimes they like to think they are, and the good ones know they never are. And when I look out at this room, there'd be no contest with the incredible array of talent and ability that is assembled amongst us all this evening.
Now all of you will have your favourite scientist I have no doubt, tonight I want to start like I did last year because you know I'm a great admirer of the scientist and explorer Captain James Cook and next year marks the 250th anniversary of Endeavour’s voyage to the Pacific, a voyage in 1770 which was a truly momentous event and in its time it was like going to the moon. Maybe that's why NASA, and I particularly want to acknowledge Dr Paul Scully Power who is here this evening, our space industry ambassador, was why NASA named a space shuttle after the RMS Endeavour and carried in the cockpit, a wooden fragment of the Endeavour. The Voyage of Endeavour added enormously to the world's knowledge and navigation, geography and science. And it is in that age old human quest to know more about the world that we honour, and we have long given up the flawed idea as Aunty Violet reminded us, that Cook discovered Australia. It was well discovered well before that. And for tens of thousands of years, she says she knows, you're absolutely right Aunty Violet. But Cook’s voyage did connect ‘Terra Australis’ to the rest of the world in the truly literal sense he put the continent on a map. And only because he was able to chart it himself and he was a man of enormous abilities, with many of his maps still being used into the modern age, pre-settlers. But he was also an illustrator of truth. He certainly endeavoured to be. But the advancement of nations and the advancement of science are intertwined, and of all the challenges of our time.
It's the science challenges that are ones that most inspire us and assist us. Cyber security, soil degradation, water management, plastics as we were just hearing in our oceans, drought mitigation, climate change, economic competitiveness, technological innovation, energy security, defence capability, disease management, and there’s a much longer list than that as you know, what you do is central to the advancement of humankind. But it's also very essential to our advancement as a nation. Your success in Australia's advancement are also intertwined and we are seeing this in so many ways. I was fascinated to see a recent study that found that the most common degree for ASX top 50 CEOs in Australia today is now a science degree. Not management, not economics, thankfully not even law! It was science. And as a - bachelor with a degree in applied science, social science, economic geography, I’m pleased to count myself a humble member of a much more advanced community. Science is all about asking questions as we heard, as we were listening to those nominees tonight- testing assumptions, critical thinking, and as those who work in the lab know it's all about sheer doggedness and determination and persistence. There's a lot of perspiration in the determination of science and these are skills we need now more than ever in a new era that we find ourselves in, an era of great technological advancement and change, and enormous opportunities but also enormous risks, enormous ethical challenges for us to navigate together.
What you do is so important to our economy, it’s science and technology that is now driving our global economy. The jobs of the future and the jobs of today. Lifting the living standards of your fellow Australians. Every one of my Ministers understands this. The centrality of science to the challenges our country faces. Minister for Health Greg Hunt knows how critical advancements in pharmaceuticals are to the lives of hundreds of thousands of Australians and that is why he's added over 2,100 new or amended medicines and treatments to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme worth more than $11 billion dollars. We created a $20 billion dollar Medical Research Future Fund a major injection of medical research funding on top of our longstanding commitment through the National Health and Medical Research Council. The Minister for Water Resources knows how vital science is to water management and protecting our waterways from the ravages of drought. At the same time combatting the curse of salinity and that's why we've committed some $3.5 billion to dams, weirs, pipelines. We're going to use the best available science to determine where and how our water resources can be sustainably developed through our new national water grid authority. And in this drought the Murray-Darling Basin and the other parts of the country which are under enormous strain, are benefiting from all the work undertaken over the past decade making the most efficient use of water. The Minister for Environment Sussan Ley knows that it's only the application of science that will protect our Great Barrier Reef. And the Minister for Agriculture knows that soil degradation is becoming a major impediment to productivity in agriculture and that's why we're investing $40 million in important research on how to lift soil performance and bring soil science into broader farming communities, and along with the Assistant Minister for waste reduction and environmental management the Minister for Environment is taking an active interest in what is happening to our recycling and plastics in our oceans. Already we’ve committed $100 million dollars to support the manufacture also of lower emissions and energy efficient recycled products. And another $20 million dollars to fund new and innovative solutions to plastic, waste and recycling. The Minister for Home Affairs is overseeing a $230 million investment in cybersecurity with a further commitment of $156 million to grow our cybersecurity resilience and workforce. While the Minister for Defence, and Defence Industries also know how important science is to ensure that we can rebuild the capability of our defence forces to where it once was with our $200 billion dollar rebuild of our Defence capability. But as Karen knows, our Minister for Science, science sits with industry because the collaboration between researchers and business is so vital to industry and jobs and we see this clearly in our work to expand our footprint in the space industry. Space is a $345 billion dollar global industry. And it's why we've established the Australian Space Agency and recently announced a further $150 million dollars to invest, not in NASA, they’ve got enough money, to invest in the Australian space industry.
[Applause]
Australian businesses, in an R&D partnership that will see Australia very much, and these businesses and the scientists we have here connected up and part of the supply chain which is going to take NASA's mission to the moon and Mars. So again we see this great intersection of science, innovation, the economy. That's why I've asked the Industry and Education ministers who are here with us tonight to explore how we can better align the work of research and business sectors around our national priorities, to bring these streams together to see a new level of collaboration. I've got to say the biggest frustration I have in this area is the lack of collaboration. It doesn't not exist, but it can exist at such a greater level between our scientific community, between our academic community, between our business community, and ensuring that these are aligned. And I've had some incredibly useful and exciting conversations on this with Alan Finkel who is as passionate a believer in this as any.
But tonight we're going to celebrate some, and honour, some great scientists, but before I do, in conclusion let me do this, I want to honour one- who is not here tonight, but we should acknowledge and that is Emeritus Professor Jaques Miller from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. The professor is a former winner of the Prime Minister's Science prize back in 2003. And when I was recently in Washington on the very same morning that I was on the South Lawn of the White House, Professor Miller was in New York being awarded the Lasker prize. He shared the prize with an American, Professor Max Cooper and their work separately changed the course of immunology. Professor Miller's ground-breaking discovery on the function of the thymus paved the way for critical research into vaccine development, organ transplants, identifying and treating auto immune diseases, and immunotherapy to treat cancer. The Lasker judges said his discoveries had ‘launched the course of modern immunology’. That is extraordinary. And for an Australia to be achieving that at such an international level can only fill all of our hearts with pride. Discoveries that have launched the common course of modern immunology. That's an incredible achievement. And I know Sir Gustav Nossal was proud of him too, like Professor Miller, Sir Gust was a migrant to Australia and they both attended the same primary school and medical school just a year apart from one another. Sir Gus said that Professor Miller's work had influenced most of the work on immunology that has gone on in Australia for decades. Professor Miller's award confirms to me and the world that we are certainly a nation of excellence, achievement and stature, in the great world of science, we’re still a nation where a young kid coming to Australia without a word of English, growing up here, learning here, mentored here, can literally change the world through science, and the people around the world aren’t just noticing, they’re benefitting, no matter where you call home. We're all safe. We're all healthy. Because of the work of Australian scientists and researchers, and that's what we gather together to celebrate in honouring you this evening.
So to all of tonight's nominees, congratulations on your nominations. I know that through the sheer exhilaration of the work you do. You have already in your own mind, achieved the great satisfaction of the discoveries and progress and research that you've undertaken. I know you don't do it for prizes but it's not bad to come up and get one. And for it to be acknowledged. And for it to be acknowledged here in this place. And so, for the same reasons that John Howard stood in this same place 20 years ago, I'm pleased to stand here tonight and acknowledge your contribution, and say thank you on behalf of a grateful nation.
National Farmers’ Federation 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner
Connecting With Regional Australia
14 October 2019
You know, one of the first calls I made when I became Prime Minister just over a year ago was to Fiona.
I was pretty honest. I said, look: I might not know one end of a sheep from the other. I might have more expertise with the plate than the paddock. But I know how important our farmers are.
I want to listen to them. I want to learn from them. And I want to walk with them.
Before I’d even sworn in my Cabinet, I was on a plane up to Quilpie to listen to Annabel and Steve Tully on their property Bunginderry in western Queensland! The Tully family has been there since the 1850s and is still there.
I went up there as a suburban boy from Sydney.
It wasn’t the first time I had been in such places. But what I saw and what I heard has stayed with me as I prepared and set the course for our drought response.
While I saw the ravages of the drought and the toughness of life on the land, I also saw the optimism of the people living that life. Their resilience and hardiness. Their hope and courage. And the strength of their close-knit communities across the generations.
Since then I’ve continued to make a priority of listening to the stories of so many more – in places like Dubbo in central NSW and Stanthorpe in southeast Queensland and Burnie in northwest Tassie.
They’re not just growers and graziers. They’re scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs. They work with cutting-edge technology. They study weather patterns and adapt to shifting global markets. They are the frontline of conservation and land management.
That’s why our farmers and graziers are amongst the best in the world.
Australian agricultural producers have a bright future.
They produce more than 90 per cent of our domestic food. Few countries can boast that.
And this supports hundreds of thousands of local jobs. And generates tens of billions of dollars in exports for our nation.
This industry has a strength in its diversity - the size of our continent means that different parts of regional Australia will be experiencing different growing and trading environments than other parts of our country.
It means even with drought, this past year, agriculture contributed $58 billion to our economy.
Regional Australia is a vital part of Australia’s economic landscape. And that is why we are now bringing together our plan to ensure our agricultural sector becomes a $100 billion sector by 2030.
This plan is focused on ensuring that our farmers have the tools they need to capitalise when times are good, and the hand-up they need to get through the tough times.
Right now, our immediate focus and priority is on dealing with and responding to the devastating drought.
Following the National Drought Summit we held a year ago, we have been rolling out the national drought response plan that was produced from that Summit, with the strong endorsement and support of the NFF.
And we have been doing so consistent with the revised National Agreement with the States and Territories on drought that set out clear responsibilities between each level of Government.
Under the agreement, the Commonwealth is responsible for looking after our farmers through the Farm Household Allowance, the Future Drought Fund (to enhance drought preparedness and resilience) and providing incentives for preparedness through taxation concessions, Farm Management Deposit Scheme and concessional loans.
States and Territories are responsible for animal welfare and land management, including through transport subsidies for fodder and water, and capacity building programs to improve business skills.
No drought response plan can make it rain. Nor can any drought response make life as it was when the rain used to fall. Droughts are hard and take an enormous toll, as this drought continues to.
Our job is to seek to support, sustain and build resilience in the face of this awful drought. This will not mean that rural and regional communities will be relieved of all the awful burdens of drought, nor will it mean that farming and grazing families, and those in the towns also impacted, will not have to make hard decisions about their futures.
This includes, as it always does, farmers and graziers deciding to choose a different life. Only they can decide this for themselves. Our job is to help them make the best decision for them and their families future.
And there will not always be agreement about what the right responses are. There is often disagreement, including within rural communities themselves about appropriate responses. This is why it is important to listen.
Anyone promising you different outcomes, simplistic solutions or creating expectations of unrealistic outcomes, is not being honest with you. They are leading you on, and making your burden even harder to carry. I won’t do that. I will listen, speak honestly and take all actions we can to ensure our efforts are both practical and effective.
So far we have committed more than $7 billion in measures at the federal level. While the biggest component of this is the Future Drought Fund, it is also important to note that around an additional $300 million was spent last year, with the same planned again this year and next year also.
It’s either already out the door, going out the door or budgeted to go out the door in real spending to support our drought response plan.
Our drought response plan is clear, and it has three pillars - immediate action for farmers and graziers, support for the wider rural communities, and long-term resilience and preparedness.
Our plan has also been informed through the extensive consultation, feedback and advice from our former Coordinator-General for Drought, Major General Stephen Day, earlier work of Barnaby Joyce as the Drought Envoy.
First, in the here and now, we’re looking after our farming families.
In particular, the Farm Household Allowance is providing much-needed money to farming families – over the four years of payment households receive around $105,000 to put food on the table, fuel in the car, and for essentials like clothing.
Last year $114 million was spent on the allowance, supporting about 6,500 families, more than three times the $33 million the year before.
FHA is for all farmers in hardship, including drought.
We recently conducted an independent review of the allowance to see how it could still be improved.
So we have moved to make it a 4 in 10 year payment, relaxed the assessment rules to better reflect how farm businesses are run and lifted the threshold for off farm income and assets to ensure those farming and grazing families taking action to help themselves are not penalised for their efforts.
And we continue to simplify the application process.
This week I’ll be introducing the first package of legislative changes to improve FHA.
And our approach is not to set and forget – with the drought continuing, we will continue to listen and refine our approach and provide assistance that’s needed when it’s needed.
We’ve also put more rural financial counsellors to work to help farmers with financial planning and help them make well-informed decisions about their futures.
I was chatting with one of them in Dalby on Queensland’s Darling Downs last month. And I can tell you that they’ve been a Godsend in drought-affected areas.
We’ve invested $25 million to help our farmers combat pests and weeds; $2.7 million to improve regional weather and climate guides; and $77.2 million for Bureau of Meteorology radars.
We built the National Drought Map - all of your drought data needs are in one place. Where to find mental health support, state drought declared areas and where assistance is available.
We funded the National Farmers’ Federation to develop a new online FarmHub that provides a single, trusted point of access to information and services.
And we have $1 billion available in concessional loans through the Regional Investment Corporation. These loans help farmers prepare for, manage through and recover from drought.
There are $75 million in taxation measures - including accelerated fodder storage asset depreciation.
The Government is also supporting farmers through the $50 million Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate scheme. Already more than 2,100 farmers have access these rebates.
And recognising the prolonged drought is also taking its toll on permanent horticulture plantings, on 4 October we expanded the rebate to also provide support for de-silting and new bores for growers of permanent plantings like apples, stonefruit, avocadoes and grapes.
But the drought’s impact isn’t only felt on farms.
Spending also dries up in regional towns, threatening the prosperity of local businesses.
That’s why the second pillar of our plan for drought is about community.
We’re stimulating local economies by giving $1 million each to councils in drought-affected areas, and this means over 120 councils, all of whom have shown some signs of drought, can undertake practical projects for their communities.
Like the Dubbo Regional Council that used its funding to improve water supply in Stuart Town, put in shades at the local livestock markets, and install a disability-friendly public toilet in the CBD.
These projects help keep the local economy moving.
Importantly, where possible, these projects are using local labour and local suppliers to ensure the economic benefits are felt locally.
Farmers are among the most resilient people I know; but ongoing drought can hit them hard.
We have to help as much as we can with the mental health issues that accompany this.
So we’re providing $30 million for targeted mental health support in drought-affected areas plus more than $50 million funding for major charities – like The Salvos and Vinnies – to assist rural Australians in desperate need with up to $3,000 in individual support payments.
But our farmers also need to prepare for the future because this drought won’t be the last.
So the third pillar of our strategy is about long-term resilience.
Its centrepiece is the Future Drought Fund that was passed into law in July.
The Fund starts with an initial $3.9 billion investment, growing to $5 billion over the next decade.
This will provide a sustainable source of funding to improve drought resilience and preparedness.
When it does rain we need to make sure we have water storages in place to help drought proof us for the future.
Yesterday, I was at Dungowan Dam near Tamworth where the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and I announced a $1 billion package for major investments in water infrastructure in NSW.
Together, we are spending $650 million to upgrade Wyangala Dam, as well as $480 million for the new Dungowan Dam.
These are great examples of a state government partnering with us to deliver water infrastructure.
I’m pleased the Queensland Government has now also given the green light to Emu Swamp Dam. But I want them to get on and build it.
The local farmers have been pushing for this for a long time – in fact, they’re tipping in $24 million of their own money alongside the $42 million we’ve committed and up to $18.6 million from Queensland.
Reports suggest that water from a new dam could boost farm revenues by up to $75 million every single year.
So it sounds like a good investment to me!
In total, the Federal Government has now committed about $1.5 billion for 21 water projects across Australia.
These projects include:
Dams, like the Dungowan Dam I announced yesterday - a new 22.5 gigalitre dam;
Pipelines like the $20 million South West Loddon Rural Water Supply Project in Victoria that will include 88 km of pressurised pipeline to connect the Wimmera-Glenelg system in the west with the Goulburn system in north-central Victoria, 272 km of trunk mains pipeline to provide the core supply system; and 862 km of pipelines to provide access from the trunk mains to individual properties; and
Irrigation schemes like the $25.27 million project in Scottsdale in Tasmania. This project includes a 9,300 megalitre dam, a pump station, a mini-hydro power station that’s estimated to generate 623 kWh/ML; and, 92 kms of underground pipeline network, delivered under gravity pressure.
And there are still 50 more projects on the table – and we need all the states to get on board.
Much of the potential for growth in agriculture will come from more irrigation.
So making sure we have enough water is essential if agriculture is to become a $100 billion sector.
To make sure we’re building the right infrastructure in the right places at the right time, we’ve set up the National Water Grid Authority.
It began operating this month and will work with the states and territories to develop a national plan for investment in water infrastructure and identify a pipeline of projects.
This will deliver a more coherent approach to water infrastructure across the country.
And it will ensure our investment decisions are based on the best available science. It means having the first national plan for Water Infrastructure and supporting investment in that infrastructure like never before.
Dams and pipes will sustain our farms and our towns - and increasingly, we are going to find them powering our towns and cities as well.
And for those areas for whom the curse of drought was overtaken by the inundation of floods, in North Queensland, they know the swift response that was set in train by our Government to provide them with the confidence to rebuild.
Generations of effort and achievement washed away in 48 hours. How cruel was that? But we have had their backs.
To this end I wish to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of the North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency, led by the Hon. Shane Stone and all involved in getting that region back on its feet.
While the drought is biting, and floods have decimated herds, the sector remains strong and has a strong future.
Agriculture is a key pillar of the Australian way of life and the economy.
In fact, the total value of our agricultural production is currently almost $60 billion a year.
That’s 50 per cent more than a decade ago, even though we’ve been in drought for much of that time and even though trade tensions have impacted the value of our exports in the past year.
This is a real achievement. But I know we can do even better.
Our vision is for Australia to exceed $100 billion in farm gate output by 2030.
This is a bold vision. But it’s an achievable one. And a vision first outlined by the NFF.
The Agriculture Minister, Bridget McKenzie, will work with industry to develop the Agriculture 2030 plan to help the industry realise its vision.
There are enormous opportunities for our agricultural industries in the years and decades ahead!
The world’s population is expected to be 9.7 billion by 2050 and global demand for food is expected to rise by 54 per cent between now and then.
Much of this growth will come from Asia where the rising middle classes are seeking quality food.
Australian agriculture is well placed to meet this demand.
We have a reputation for quality, safe and sustainable products.
Our trade deals with China, Japan and Korea have already opened up large markets.
And we’re working on more trade deals to provide the best opportunities for our exporters.
Right now, we’re looking to ratify a trade agreement with Indonesia – the world’s 7th largest economy by purchasing power – and this would lower tariffs for producers of grains, beef, dairy and horticulture.
I’m also determined to secure a trade agreement with the European Union.
With over 500 million consumers, the EU is a huge potential market for our agricultural exports.
Many of our products are currently shut out of this market or can only come in in small quantities.
A trade deal would secure greater access for our exports to this $17 trillion market. And it would make a big contribution to the agriculture sector reaching its $100 billion goal by 2030.
And Post-Brexit, there will be a UK trade deal too.
The Government is investing in a range of other policies to help the industry achieve our $100 billion goal.
We’re making new investments in research and development – like a $35 million investment for a new Queensland-based research centre that will help future-proof farmers’ crops from drought.
We’re supporting the adoption of cutting-edge technologies – like drones that provide data on crop management – with the full adoption of digital agriculture potentially yielding $20 billion by 2050.
We’re building roads and rail networks, including inland rail, to help our farmers get their products to markets faster, and we’re removing red tape so it’s easier to transport farm equipment around the country.
We’re tackling the pests and weeds that cost our farmers billions of dollars a year.
We will keep farmers safe from protests and farm invasions through new anti vegan-terrorist laws. They don’t like being called vegan-terrorists, so let me say it again: vegan terrorists.
We’re also working with the industry to make sure it has the skilled workforce it needs.
And we’re improving the management of our soils and native vegetation.
Former Governor-General, Major-General Michael Jeffery has been re-appointed as the National Soils Advocate.
While we have areas of highly fertile soil, overall our soil is poorly structured and affected by salinity.
Our farmers are the stewards of this precious resource.
With around 60 per cent of our land used for agriculture, they are at the forefront of managing this vital asset on behalf of the rest of us.
We must support them in this so agriculture continues to prosper and provide for all Australians.
I made a decision early on to do my best to keep in contact with the families I’ve met in regional Australia.
Having spoken to hundreds of people in our regions over the past fourteen months, the difficult thing I struggle with - is knowing that no matter how hard you work, no matter the passion and diligence, there is so much about agriculture that is outside of our control - but we support each other because that is what we can do.
And with the hope of an optimist we look forward to, for those of us so minded we pray for, and as always together we plan for better days, to secure not just the economic future for our agricultural sector in Australia, but the way of life it has supported since our modern nation began.
Remarks - National Prayer Breakfast
14 October 2019
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much and can I thank you and particularly members of the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, the chairs do a tremendous job and I want to thank them for pulling this together today. Can I also thank the Governor-General, His Excellency, and Mrs Hurley for being with us here today and for that wonderful address that we’ve just heard. It encourages us all. It’s been absolutely tremendous. Selina, thank you also for your wonderful Welcome to Country. Thank you also to all those who offered such wonderful prayers here this morning, they were truly moving as we covered such an array of topics. Whether it was the drought impacting our country from right across our eastern states, whether it’s the natural disasters of which the Governor-General was reminding us all. Just yesterday I was with the Premier of NSW in Rappville, a very small little community in Northern NSW that has been absolutely devastated by the fires that ripped through and surrounded their community and our prayers must also be with them and all of those affected by all of the natural disasters which in this country we face with great frequency.
But I particularly have been asked to come along here today to do something very specific and that is to launch this publication, which is on your tables, ‘Amen: A History of Prayers in the Parliament’ which has been pulled together by the PM Glynn Institute, with great support from the Australian Catholic University. I want to thank them very much for pulling this together. Looking at how prayer forms such a part for the people of the world. And in a few short hours here in this place, as we gather here this morning around a prayer breakfast, we will come into the Parliament in both Chambers and we will acknowledge the first Australians, and their custodianship and stewardship of this land over generations, and then we will pray. I think that’s a good way to start the Parliament each and every day and may it always be the case that that’s how we commence our time in Parliament.
Because for me prayer... I suppose I should particularly say in this room, if anyone else believed in miracles I think they’d be here, you get a pretty good response. But I often talk about miracles being founded in prayer and recently I was in the United States - and I welcome Ambassador Culvahouse here this morning - and I was there with Jenny, and I can report that Jenny and I did meet at a Christian camp. We were very young [inaudible] and we were there, and as we were heading into the South Lawn of the White House, I turned to Jenny and said, ‘We’re a long way from the Central Coast now, darling.’ But while I was in Washington we went along to a wonderful church there, the National Capital Community Church, the Church of Pastor Mark Batterson and there’s a whole range of campuses there. He’s written a wonderful book on prayer which they gave me and I’ve been reading it since I’ve come back and where he talks about the only prayers that you can be assured are never answered, are the ones that are never prayed. I think that’s true and it’s a reminder of the importance of prayer.
What I like about prayer and what is so important about us coming together in our Parliament and praying, is prayer gives us a reminder of our humility and our vulnerability, and that forms a unity. Because there’s certainly one thing we all have in common, whether we sit in the green or red chairs in this place, or anywhere else, and that is our human frailty. It is our human vulnerability. It is one of the great misconceptions, I think, of religion that there’s something about piety. It is the complete reverse. The complete reverse. Faith, religion, is actually first and foremost an expression of our human frailty and vulnerability and an understanding that there are things far bigger than each of us. And so when we come together in prayer, we are reminded of that, and we are reminded that the great challenges we face in this world are ones that we need to continue to bring up in prayer. And that is what we do each day as we come together as a Parliament and that’s why I am particularly pleased to launch this publication here today. A reminder to each and every one of us, of the importance of understanding our vulnerability as human beings and the need to actually come together in an understanding of that vulnerability and then humility, as the Governor-General has reminded us, going about addressing those issues in weakness it says, we are made strong, and the acknowledgement of that is what we do as we come together each day in the Parliament.
So I want to thank everybody for the opportunity to be here today with you and to join with Anthony who is here. This is not a place for partisanship, this is a place of unity, commonality around these very principals. So I particularly want to thank the PM Glynn Institute for the great piece of work they’ve done in officially launching this this morning and let’s read it carefully and there’s a wonderful section in here which talks about the daily ritual, I won’t read it out, but I can tell you the page 21, it’s a good reminder that after the quietness and stillness of prayer, the chaos and disorder sometimes follows - let that not be the case this week. All the best, thank you very much, God bless.
Remarks - Rappville Public School
13 October 2019
Rappville, NSW
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much Gladys and thank you very much and to the Mayor and all of the other officials who are here with us, my colleagues who are here. Kevin Hogan the local member for Page, Michael McCormack the Deputy Prime Minister is here with me today, as is David Littleproud who is the Minister for responding to natural disasters at a Commonwealth level. But I think I want to just simply want to echo what Gladys has said in thanking this amazing community. The community that rallied together the other night so calmly and so effectively saved lives. There's no doubt about that.
Much has been lost in this community and as I've spoken to some of you and I've looked at the wreckage a lot has been lost. And for that, there's going to be real grief and profound sorrow. But when I see kids with their grandparents, when I see daughters with their fathers and the look between them and the look between the eyes of the community members here there is something that has not just survived this fire but has thrived through this fire. And that is the tremendous spirit of this community. And that is what is above and beyond everything else.
The support will come from the State and Commonwealth agencies, the payments particularly on disaster allowance, that starts on Monday. And I urge you to work with Kevin, the state members here to ensure that you're getting access to all of those supports because they are all coming. I've stood in a lot of disaster areas - too many frankly - as a Prime Minister and have known how those payments have been come and followed. There have been issues with assessment time, there are issues on insurance - all of that is still to be worked through and that will be hard. But the thing that will sustain you is what I've seen amongst all of you here today and we should be very appreciative, I think, of each other and the care you have shown to each other.
So we'll be here in the same way as the state government is. The services are being coordinated through the state government. I want to thank all the volunteers in particular. I want to thank particularly the cleaner of the school here that ensured it was kept unlocked on the night.
[Applause]
This will always be the centre of this community. Thank you for giving us an opportunity to come and spend some time with you. And we will be here again and we'll see how the community stands up again. But just as I said, I've stood in the middle of disaster zones of places like this in the past. I've also been there and stood there on the other side. I had one happen in my own community, it was in Sydney. It was a tornado that went through Kurnell and I saw similarly homes which were completely destroyed and ones standing next to them were untouched. And that community is strong today. And this community will be strong again. Thank you.
[Applause]
Remarks - Bankstown, NSW
Bushfires in NSW and QLD
9 October 2019
Bankstown, NSW
PRIME MINISTER: On a separate issue today I just want people to know, particularly those in northern New South Wales near Casino where up to 20 homes have been lost overnight, that our thoughts are very much with those communities and the emergency service workers and the others who are providing support today. But while that fire which has taken a terrible toll has eased, there remains very real pressures and very real dangers in Queensland where fires are also burning as well as in the Northern Territory, and in Western Australia, and so my encouragement to people would be to be looking very closely, and listening very carefully, to the warnings and other instructions that they may receive from time to time. These terrible events are events that our emergency services, fire authorities and others train for, and prepare for, and are resourced to be able to respond to these events but as always in these cases there is a tremendous volunteer community response that goes in to support families, and individuals, as they are dealing with the stress of these times and particularly those who have lost so much overnight. And so we thank those who are getting around them today, families and friends communities, as well as those who are there to provide other professional services. Of course we would expect the insurance companies to play their role in these circumstances and those responses will come in place I think we would expect very swiftly as well. So for now though our thoughts are with those who have lost a great deal, fortunately there's been no loss of life which is something always to be thankful for but there are remaining very serious threats today in those locations I’ve mentioned to you. For those communities around Casino it’s going to be a very tough day but know that Australians are with you. Thanks very much.
Remarks - Quickstep Factory Opening
9 October 2019
Bankstown, NSW
Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much it's a great pleasure to be here and can I acknowledge of course Melissa Price the Minister for Defence Industry and she's just returned from the United States and she's been doing some tremendous work there as an advocate for Australian industry, particularly of course the Australian Defence industry, which you've just heard this is a very strong focus for our government. Can I also acknowledge Tony Quick and Mark Burgess and all the management staff here at Quickstep and can I also acknowledge any serving members of the ADF and veterans who are a part of the crew here. Jobs, jobs, jobs that's this is about. Jobs that are well paid, a part of a vibrant manufacturing industry in Australia where we make things in this country. And we're respected for what we make in this country. I've recently returned from the United States, as has Melissa. That is the biggest investment partnership we have as a nation. Around $1.7 trillion invested in each other's economy. But also a relationship, the strategic dimensions of which in keeping Australia safe keeping the United States safe, providing a stable and peaceful world, where that agenda completely aligns with the investment and manufacturing and jobs agenda that both countries share.
Days like today help keep our economy strong and they help keep people in jobs and create more jobs, many more than 200 jobs here at this incredible plant standing in this $7 million room which is going to create even more jobs and further enhance the reputation of Australia as a great manufacturer, as a smart manufacturer, as an innovative manufacturer, as a manufacturer that can be depended upon in one of the toughest supply chains there is anywhere in the world. You know, if I was a pilot walking around this facility, I’d feel pretty good knowing the level of precision that is being exercised here and researched and innovated to ensure the proper workings of those strike fighters which those pilots will climb into and put themselves at risk for all of our security and for all of our defence. This really is an amazing success story for Australia, in seven years Quickstep has gone from a W.A. start-up, to a business that now employs 230 people. We're investing some $200 billion dollars as a government in the future of our defence forces. And we're doing that, raising our defence spending as a share of GDP to 2 per cent. And we will achieve that next year. Well ahead of schedule. Which means that Australia carries its own weight when it comes to our own strategic responsibilities, our own alliances, our own partnerships and the role that we play to ensure a stable and peaceful region, and to do that you've got to have the capability to back it up, and that's what's being built here. I want to congratulate Quickstep for the wonderful role they have played in demonstrating our capability and building that capability. They are a vital part of the Joint Strike Fighter program of which Australia is heavily invested and involved in. And it's not just about Quickstep, more than 50 Australian companies are part of the F 35 Joint Strike Fighters program global supply chain. Standing here in an Australia business where 230 people work, where we're expanding the capability of that business based on the investment, not just of the company themselves, but joint investments of the US and Australian governments I think speaks volumes about why I was in the United States and why Melissa was there. We were there because of this incredible relationship which is creating Australian capability, increasing the number of jobs both now and in the future but also playing a very significant role in ensuring the capability of our Defence forces and the interoperability that occurs between the US and Australia. Over the life of the F 35 capability Australian industry is expected to secure $5 billion dollars in contracts supporting around 5000 highly skilled Australian jobs. The reason I get particularly excited about our defence industry program, which Melissa leads, is because it's not just building the capability of our Defence forces, it is showcasing and developing the capability of our advanced manufacturing sector. That's what it's doing. It is rolling out new jobs new capabilities, new opportunities, new relationships, new respect for Australia not just in the United States but all around the world. And that's going to be a real source of opportunity for Australia in the decade ahead.
The global economy keeps changing. But what we're seeing here is a demonstration of the ability to adapt to that change and to meet it. And to better others in how we go about doing that. So to everybody at Quickstep, this really is a tremendous day for you I know you're enormously proud and what you've been able to achieve, and talking to your staff and those who've been involved in this project are rightly feeling pretty pumped, I think, about what you've been able to do here. But as Australians, I think you should feel even more proud of what you’re part of, and I know you are. And so it's very pleasing to be here with Melissa, to be here to open this particular facility. And I look forward to opening more. Not just here but in many other facilities around the country. This shows what the alliance is all about at the end of the day. Not just about our joint security, but our joint prosperity and how we work together to realise these opportunities together. So congratulations. Thank you for the opportunity for Melissa and I to be here and I look forward to pulling the curtain!
Speech - Lowy Lecture
“In our interest”
3 October 2019
Sydney Town Hall, NSW
PRIME MINISTER: Acknowledgment of Gadigal, service men and women and veterans.
Your Excellency Margaret Beazley AO QC, Governor of NSW and Mr Dennis Wilson
Our 25th Prime Minister, the Hon John Howard OM AC
Sir Frank Lowy - Chairman of the Lowy Institute
Michael Fullilove - Executive Director of the Lowy Institute
Colleagues, friends, ladies and gentlemen
It’s an honour to be giving this lecture which bears the name of a great Australian – Sir Frank Lowy.
When we see your name we’re reminded of what is possible in Australia.
You had nothing, yet you built an Australian empire that reached far beyond our shores.
Above all, your name and life reminds us that our most valuable inheritance is always found within, in our character.
And we should acknowledge on a night like this, it’s a character that owes so much to your own father.
A man who suffered to death at Birkenau because he would not be parted from his tallit and tefillin.
What character, what faith. Because of that example, his son became a blessing to our nation.
While your childhood was darkened by the Holocaust, your eyes have always remained defiantly bright with hope for the future.
In your speech last year for this Lecture you said “the list of our blessings is long” … and that you believe Australia has never been in a better position to influence international events, and to benefit from them.
I believe that too.
Tonight, it is a great privilege as Prime Minister to deliver this lecture, named in your honour.
As a politician, my instincts and passions have always been domestic.
Despite my activity of the past year, I am not one who naturally seeks out summits and international platforms. But as Prime Minister you must always be directed by the national interest.
As has been the case for Prime Ministers past, so much of Australia’s future right now is being shaped by events and relationships beyond our borders.
Australia cannot be an indifferent bystander to these events that impact our livelihoods, our safety and our sovereignty.
We must, as we have done previously, cultivate, marshal and bring our influence to bear to protect and promote our national interests.
Tonight I would like to talk about the new and challenging world that Australia faces. And how my government is responding to these challenges.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are living in a world in transition that former US Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson, has described as “an unusually delicate moment in time.”
A new economic and political order is still taking shape.
We have entered a new era of strategic competition - a not unnatural result of shifting power dynamics, in our modern, more multi-polar world and globalised economy.
It is a time of technological disruption, some of which is welcomed, some resented and feared.
A time when global supply chains have become integrated to an unprecedented degree, and more of our economies are dependent on global trade than at any other time, including the major economic powers of the United States, China, Japan and Europe.
There is both the promise and the threat of automation and artificial intelligence.
There are fears, overstated in my opinion, of technological bifurcation – a sort of economic ‘Iron Curtain’ coming down.
It is also an era of continuing security threats from terrorism, extremist Islam, anti-semitism, white supremacism, and evil on a local and global level.
An era where pragmatic international engagement, based on the cooperation of sovereign nation states, is being challenged by a new variant of globalism that seeks to elevate global institutions above the authority of nation states to direct national policies.
Of polarisation within and between societies.
An era in which elite opinion and attitudes have often become disconnected from the mainstream of their societies, and a sense of resentment and disappointment has emerged.
An era of insiders and outsiders, threatening social cohesion, provoking discontent and distrust.
Whether directly or indirectly, these changes impact Australians.
On our jobs, what we earn, our living standards and the essential services we rely on, that depend on a strong budget and strong economy.
On our environment, our oceans, our coasts, our grazing and pasture lands, our water resources, our soil, that depend upon our practical conservation.
On our safety, that depends on our national security, afforded by our alliances, our defence, diplomatic and intelligence capabilities, our adherence to the rule of law and our ability to enforce the law.
On our freedom, that depends on our dedication to national sovereignty, the resilience of our institutions, and our protections from foreign interference.
Dealing with uncertainty is not new.
This is not the first time our children have grown up in a time of global tension and disruption. This is a context and perspective I fear is too often missing in our contemporary discussion of global issues.
My generation grew up under the threat of nuclear Armageddon, hoping as Sting put it, that “the Russians loved their children too”.
My parents’ generation grew up during the greatest global conflict in world history, including the Holocaust, the invasion of what was then Australian soil in New Guinea, the bombing of Darwin and Japanese subs in Sydney Harbour sinking ferries.
My grandparents grew up during the war to end all wars, where every neighbourhood knew the cost as 60,000 Australians were killed out of a population of not even five million; who then went on to endure the Great Depression, before backing up to fight to defend our freedom in the Middle East and the Pacific.
Those generations recognised the challenges of their time, and responded with a practical resilience, optimism and resolve, rather than the anxiety inducing moral panic and sense of crisis evident in some circles today.
And at every stage Australia has played its part as a force for good, in partnership with those who shared our outlook and our values.
The key to progress was individual, like-minded sovereign nations acting together with enlightened self-interest.
The Marshall Plan.
The rebuilding of Japan.
The Colombo Plan.
A co-operative and respectful internationalism.
On occasion these efforts were forged through international institutions established to serve the states that formed them.
On other occasions, the work was done by looser coalitions of partners.
But in all cases, it was the principled actions of nation states, most often led by the United States, binding together the liberal democracies of the western world.
And in all cases these actions were underpinned by common values that anchor these societies.
As I recently reminded the United Nations General Assembly, these shared values filled the vacuum to win peace, provide stability, achieve prosperity and extend liberty essential for the human spirit to thrive.
We can never be complacent or take comfort that such achievements are permanent. They require eternal vigilance.
To preserve this legacy in the face of the uncertainties of our modern world, we must approach the future with the same optimism, confidence and resolve, of previous generations, and through our commitment to the values and beliefs that have always guided our way.
The approach my Government is taking to these challenges is straightforward.
Know who we are and what we stand for, and allow this to guide our constructive engagement in and expectations of our international cooperation, including global institutions, and ensure that our national interests remain paramount.
Build a strong open economy at home, connected to global prosperity, enabling our capacity to protect and pursue our national interests.
Know where we live and work to promote stability, prosperity and engagement in our region by championing the common interest of sovereignty and independence as the natural antidote to any possible threat of regional hegemony.
And maintain our unique relationships with the United States - our most important ally - and China - our comprehensive strategic partner - in good order, by rejecting the binary narrative of their strategic competition and instead valuing and nurturing the unconflicted benefit of our close association.
Knowing who we are and what we stand for is as true today as it ever was.
We will continue to bring clear objectives and enduring values to our international engagement.
Freedom of thought and expression … of spirit and faith … of our humanity, including inalienable human rights.
Freedom of exchange, free and open markets, free flow of capital and ideas.
Freedom from oppression and coercion, freedom of choice,
These have never been more important.
And they are under threat, not just from the direct challenge of competing worldviews, but the complacency of western liberal democratic societies that owe their liberty and prosperity to these values.
Australia does and must always seek to have a responsible and participative international agency in addressing global issues. This is positive and practical globalism. Our interests are not served by isolationism and protectionism.
But it also does not serve our national interests when international institutions demand conformity rather than independent cooperation on global issues.
The world works best when the character and distinctiveness of independent nations is preserved within a framework of mutual respect. This includes respecting electoral mandates of their constituencies.
We should avoid any reflex towards a negative globalism that coercively seeks to impose a mandate from an often ill defined borderless global community. And worse still, an unaccountable internationalist bureaucracy.
Globalism must facilitate, align and engage, rather than direct and centralise. As such an approach can corrode support for joint international action.
Only a national government, especially one accountable through the ballot box and the rule of law, can define its national interests. We can never answer to a higher authority than the people of Australia.
And under my leadership Australia’s international engagement will be squarely driven by Australia’s national interests.
To paraphrase former Prime Minister John Howard, as Australians, ‘we will decide our interests and the circumstances in which we seek to pursue them.’
This will not only include our international efforts to support global peace and stability and to promote open markets based on fair and transparent rules, but also other global standards that underpin commerce, investment and exchange.
When it comes to setting global standards, we’ve not been as involved as we could be.
We cannot afford to leave it to others to set the standards that will shape our global economy.
I’m determined for Australia will play a more active role in standards setting.
I have tasked the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to come back to me with a comprehensive audit of global institutions and rule-making processes where we have the greatest stake.
And I want to send a message here tonight that we will be looking to tap Australian expertise as part of our efforts.
Ladies and gentlemen, the foundation for robust and credible Australian engagement abroad is a strong economy at home.
Without a strong economy, we cannot protect the living standards of our people.
Without a strong economy we cannot keep our people safe, protect and preserve our environment, guarantee the essential services Australians rely on and invest in national defence and global order.
That’s why bringing the budget back into balance and keeping that way is so important.
A strong budget is a cornerstone of Australian sovereignty in an uncertain world.
We are one of only ten nations with a AAA credit rating from all key rating agencies.
At the same time, we are pursuing the most ambitious trade strategy in Australia’s history. One in five Australian jobs is now dependent on trade.
We have concluded, or are negotiating, trade deals with 17 out of our top 20 trading partners.
We are working towards an agreement with the EU.
And we stand ready to swiftly secure a trade agreement with the United Kingdom as soon as they are in a position to do so. Post Brexit, the UK will become an important partner and voice in the advocacy for our rules based trading system and the benefits of open and fair trade.
In the last six years we have secured duty-free or preferential access for our exporters to an extra 1.7 billion consumers.
70 per cent of Australia’s two-way trade is now covered by our trade agreements, up from 26 per cent when the Coalition was elected in 2013.
Today’s trade data confirmed once again the longest run in consecutive monthly trade balances in 45 years. And for the first time since 1975, our current account is in surplus.
We are working to revitalise and modernise the global trading system. To ensure it matches the speed of change in E-commerce and embraces the opportunities of the digital economy.
At home we are lowering taxes, removing the burden of over-regulation, embarking on overdue structural reform of our vocational training sector to ensure we are meeting the dynamic skills needs of our growing economy. And we are building the transport, energy and water infrastructure our economy needs to grow.
This is all part of the comprehensive national economic plan we are implementing to keep our economy strong.
Ladies and gentlemen, of course our approach to the world is shaped by where we live.
We are an Indo-Pacific nation.
We are playing our part to build a secure, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific of independent, sovereign and resilient states.
We have started with our Pacific Step-Up.
Australia’s national security and that of our Pacific family are intertwined.
This is a practical partnership supporting economic stability and prosperity, and strengthening security and resilience.
Our relationships with other nations in our region are flourishing.
We have concluded a landmark economic partnership agreement with Indonesia and aim to introduce implementing legislation next week.
And I look forward to attending the inauguration of re-elected President Widodo later this month.
In August we further strengthened our relationship with Vietnam, a nation of real consequence in our region.
Last year we elevated our relationship to a strategic partnership, reflecting our shared strategic interests and determination to expand cooperation even further.
ASEAN is at the core of our conception of the Indo-Pacific.
Next month we, our ASEAN partners and other nations in the region hope to conclude the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, embracing 16 economies with a combined population of 3.5 billion and combined GDP of US$25.7 billion.
The special importance of this agreement is that it will draw India more substantially into the Indo-Pacific economy.
India is a great success story of our region. A land of durable institutions and shared values.
A natural partner for Australia.
So I am honoured to accept the invitation of my friend Prime Minister Modi to visit India in January, including to deliver the inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue.
The visit will be accompanied by a business delegation that I have invited Ashok Jacob, Chair of the Australia-India Council Board, to lead. This will bring Government and business together to pursue our India Economic Strategy that has captured the attention of our Indian partners and must now be realised.
My visit will be another step in cementing India in the top tier of Australia’s partnerships.
Last week we took another step, when Foreign Ministers of the Quad countries - the USA, Australia, India and Japan - met in New York.
This is the first time the Quad has met at Ministerial level.
Our Government has worked patiently to restore trust and confidence following the Rudd Government’s policy to disconnect from the Quad.
I am pleased we have been able to restore this important forum for Australia and the region.
It is a key forum for exchanging views on challenges facing the region, including taking forward practical cooperation on maritime, terrorism and cyber issues.
It also complements the role of ASEAN and ASEAN-led architecture.
This has been achieved with Australia’s steadfast friendship and support from Japan, which is broader and deeper than ever before.
Japan is our Special Strategic Partner, our second-largest trading partner and a fellow ally of the United States.
Prime Minister Abe is not only a great friend of Australia, but also one of the region’s elder and most eminent statesmen.
That’s why I am also pleased to accept Prime Minister Abe’s invitation to visit Japan early next year.
And I also intend to put more effort into our relationship with the Republic of Korea - building on our significant trade, energy and infrastructure ties.
I met again recently with President Moon. We agree that our relationship has significant further potential, including in hydrogen, critical minerals and security.
I would add that the Indo-Pacific would be even stronger if Japan and the ROK can overcome their recent tensions.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I can report from my most recent visit to the US at the kind invitation of President and Mrs Trump, that the state of our relationship is strong.
Our alliance with the United States is our past, our present and our future.
It is the bedrock of our security.
And it’s one that we contribute to as we undertake the greatest peacetime recapitalisation of our Defence Force ever and increase spending on Defence to two per cent of our GDP.
Deep US engagement in the Indo-Pacific is essential for maintaining stability and prosperity.
But even during an era of great power competition, Australia does not have to choose between the United States and China.
China is our Comprehensive Strategic Partner.
The strategic importance of our relationship is clear.
China is a global power making significant investments in military capability as a result of its extraordinary economic success.
It is the major buyer of resources globally.
It is having a profound impact on the regional balance of power.
It’s now the world’s second largest economy accounting for 16 percent of world GDP in 2018
The world’s largest goods exporter since 2009 and the world’s largest trading nation since 2013.
The world’s largest manufacturer.
The world’s largest banking sector, the world’s second largest stock market and the world’s third largest bond market.
And the world’s largest holder of foreign reserves.
We have benefited from China’s economic rise, just as China has benefited from Australia’s reliable supply of high quality energy, resources, agricultural goods, and increasingly services.
China has in many ways changed the world, so we would expect the terms of its engagement to change too.
That’s why when we look at negotiating rules of the future of the global economy, for example, we would expect China’s obligations to reflect its greater power status.
This is a compliment, not a criticism.
And that is what I mean when describing China as a newly developed economy.
The rules and institutions that support global cooperation must reflect the modern world. It can’t be set and forget.
In conclusion let me simply say that we will continue to stand up for Australia. Will defend our reputation. Will defend our interests, our jobs, our living standards, our environment, our cohesive and tolerant society, our kid’s opportunities for the future.
We will strive to protect the promise of Australia to every Australian.
A promise that was made to a young Frank Lowy to enable him to become everything that he could be. That promise is now being kept to millions more Australians who have come to Australia to make a contribution and not take one, to respect our laws, our unique lifestyle and freedoms. And who along with our resident population continue to make our nation the envy of the world.
How good is Australia Sir Frank, and may it ever be so.
Thank you for your attention.
National Statement to the United Nations General Assembly
25 September 2019
New York City, United States of America
Much has changed since the United Nations was established.
Australia was there in the beginning. And we are here today because we continue to believe that differences can be resolved through dialogue and mutual respect.
Because we believe that an international rules-based order is essential for global stability, security and prosperity.
Because we know that you can’t have prosperity without peace.
The world today is complex and contested. Many fatalistically see a polarised world where countries feel pushed to make binary choices. Australia will continue to resist this path.
Australia will continue to seek to honestly maintain our great alliances and comprehensive partnerships in good repair, from our great and powerful friends to our smallest Pacific Island family neighbours.
Approaching its 75th anniversary next year, the UN must reform and evolve to respond effectively to the challenges of the 21st Century.
And to fulfil its core mandate, the UN must be ever mindful of the principles and values that have always been foundational to the UN’s efforts.
Peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law. Respect for the sovereignty and independence of all states. Open markets that facilitate the free flow of trade, capital and ideas. Freedom of faith, freedom of expression. Respect for human rights, and combatting disadvantage, discrimination and persecution based on disability, gender, religion, sexuality, age, race or ethnicity.
These are the liberal democratic values which underpinned the UN at its inception. These are Australia’s values. We believe they should remain the guiding principles and values for the UN into the future.
The alternate path of lowest common denominator transactionalism and relativism is a dead end.
The UN is the prime custodian of the rules-based order. It is also the custodian of mechanisms for dialogue and adjudication which buttress them.
It has a challenging task ahead of it.
For Australia’s part, we will continue to practice what we preach.
Last month, Australia ratified a maritime treaty setting out a new sea boundary with Timor‑Leste.
This followed the first-ever conciliation initiated under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
This demonstrates that the UN and its norms are central to a cooperative rules‑based approach to global challenges.
In the Pacific, we are also stepping up.
Australia is the single largest development partner for Pacific Island nations.
This is an instinctive response for Australia, consistent with our clear national interest and our commitment to our Pacific family, our vuvale, our whanau.
Our goal is simple - a Southwest Pacific that is secure strategically, stable economically, sovereign politically and sustainable environmentally.
The UN’s work in partnership with Australia has also helped to build a more sustainable and resilient Pacific: to support local climate change actions and resilience, to strive for gender equality through the empowerment of women and girls, to support continuing improvement in health outcomes and to bolster regional peace, including through the Bougainville Referendum Support Project.
Today I want to take the opportunity to speak about Australia’s response to the great global environmental challenges.
Firstly how Australia is acting to protect our oceans.
Australia is an island continent.
Australia has the world’s third largest maritime jurisdiction, stretching from the great Southern Ocean to the vast Pacific and Indian oceans.
Over 85 per cent of Australia’s population lives within just 50 kilometres of the coast.
Australia’s Indigenous peoples have been linked to the land and sea for more than 65,000 years.
Our oceans connect Australia with the world. Ninety nine per cent of Australia’s trade by volume is carried by sea. By 2025, marine industries will contribute around $100 billion each year to our economy.
Our prosperity and security rely on the established laws that govern freedom of navigation, be it in the Strait of Hormuz or closer to home.
Protecting our oceans is also one of the world’s more pressing environmental challenges.
To protect our oceans, Australia is committed to leading urgent action to combat plastic pollution choking our oceans; tackle over-exploitation of our fisheries, prevent ocean habitat destruction and of course take action on climate change.
Scientists estimate that in just 30 years’ time the weight of plastics in our oceans will exceed the weight of the fish in those oceans.
Recently, I announced that Australia will ban exports of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres, and we anticipate that starting in 2020. That’s about 1.4 million tonnes of potent recyclable material.
Australia is also leading on practical research and development into recycling - turning recycled plastic and glass into roads, manufacturing 100% recycled PET bottles and capturing methane and waste to create energy.
New technologies are coming on line with the potential to recycle used plastics into valuable new plastics - creating a circular plastics economy.
These include innovations like ‘bioplastics’ - compostable plastic replacements and technologies like the ‘Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor’ - an innovative Australian designed technology that converts end of life plastics into waxes, diesel and new plastics.
These innovations show us a truly circular economy is not only possible, but is achievable. And it’s of course, essential. And Australia intends to do more.
Australia will invest $167 million in an Australian Recycling Investment Plan.
Our focus is to create the right investment environment so that new technologies are commercialised - preventing pollution from entering our oceans, and creating valuable new products.
Australia supports the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy and we are working through the International Maritime Organization to address the way shipping contributes to plastics pollution in our oceans.
Australia supports the G20 work on marine plastic debris and the Osaka Blue Ocean Vision led of course by Prime Minister Abe.
We welcome the contributions and leadership from business and the private sector to address these challenges, including Australia’s own Minderoo Foundation. Industry led mechanisms for investing in new recycling technologies and mitigating plastic waste in rivers, beaches and oceans on a global scale is absolutely essential.
We must also act to safeguard the sustainability of our fisheries. This means cracking down on illegal fishing.
There are too many nations standing by while their nationals are thieving the livelihoods of their neighbours.
Australia is acting not only in our own interest but helping Pacific Island family to reduce illegal fishing which depletes the fish stocks Pacific Islanders rely on for jobs, revenue and their food security.
We have also worked together with Indonesia, and I congratulate President Widodo, we have been co-committed to an action plan to combat illegal fishing in Southeast Asia and thank Indonesia for their regional leadership.
And we are working with regional organisations to improve fisheries governance.
As well, we are providing patrol boats to 13 countries supported by aerial surveillance through our Pacific Maritime Security Program in Pacific Island nations to help them police illegal fishing in their waters.
We are leading efforts to preserve natural habitats and biodiversity, including through partnerships with other countries to protect migratory birds and their habitats.
And we have worked hard to prevent commercial whaling and to end whaling in the Southern Ocean.
Australia set up the International Partnership for Blue Carbon in 2015 with the aim of protecting and conserving mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
And our Great Barrier Reef remains one of the world’s most pristine areas of natural beauty. Feel free to visit it. Our reef is vibrant and resilient and protected under the world’s most comprehensive reef management plan.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has found that Australia’s management of our reef is ‘highly sophisticated’ and is considered by many as the ‘gold standard’ for large scale marine protected areas.
Australia’s $2 billion Reef 2050 Long Term Sustainability Plan is based on the best available science and draws on 40 years of analysis, underpinned by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Australia’s continued support for reef, coral and water quality science will ensure that the Great Barrier Reef remains one of the best managed World Heritage sites in the world.
Now, Australia is also taking real action on climate change and we are getting results.
We are successfully balancing our global responsibilities with sensible and practical policies to secure our environmental and our economic future.
Australia’s internal and global critics on climate change willingly overlook or perhaps ignore our achievements, as the facts simply don’t fit the narrative they wish to project about our contribution.
Australia is responsible for just 1.3 per cent of global emissions. Australia is doing our bit on climate change and we reject any suggestion to the contrary.
By 2020 Australia will have overachieved on our Kyoto commitments, reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 367 million tonnes more than required to meet our 2020 Kyoto target. Now there are few member countries, whether at this forum or the OECD who can make this claim.
Our latest estimates show both emissions per person and the emissions intensity of the economy are at their lowest levels in 29 years.
In 2012, it was estimated Australia would release some 693 million tonnes of emissions in 2020. As of 2018, this estimate has fallen to 540 million tonnes.
Australia’s electricity sector is producing less emissions. In the year to March 2019, emissions from Australia’s electricity sector were 15.7 per cent lower than the peak recorded in the year to June 2009.
While we are a resource rich country, it is important to note that Australia only accounts for around 5.5 per cent of the world’s coal production.
Having met and we will exceed our Kyoto targets, Australia will meet our Paris commitments as well and we stand by them.
We are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
This is a credible, fair, responsible and achievable contribution to global climate change action. It represents a halving of our emissions per person in Australia, or a two thirds reduction in emissions per unit of GDP.
At the centre of our domestic efforts is a $3.5 billion Climate Solutions Plan that I successfully took to our recent national election – supporting practical projects like capturing methane from waste, revegetation of degraded land and soil carbon.
Through our Climate Solutions Plan, we are supporting the transition to renewable energy – with projects such as Snowy 2.0, the largest pumped hydro station project in the Southern Hemisphere.
And we are investing significantly in research and development to use the best science and business expertise to commercialise new renewable technologies and integrate renewables into our electricity grid.
Australia now has the highest per capita investment in clean energy technologies of anywhere in the world and one in five Australian households has rooftop solar systems.
In 2018, $13.2 billion was invested in clean energy technologies in Australia. This builds on the estimated $10 billion invested in 2017.
We are also doing the right thing by our neighbours.
We recently committed to invest a further 500 million Australian dollars over five years from 2020 for renewable energy, climate change and resilience in the Pacific.
We have decided to invest this directly from within our international overseas development programme, rather than through additional budget commitments to the Global Green Climate Fund.
This enables us to target our support directly to Pacific Island nations, ensuring they receive this support more directly, in a more timely and targeted fashion.
At the same time, it provides greater transparency, fairness and accountability to Australian taxpayers who rightly demand attention and support from Government to address challenges at home, in particular bosting drought resilience through our investment in our national water grid infrastructure.
Australia is also committed with other countries to the Montreal Protocol, an agreement that will help protect the world from ozone depletion and combat climate change.
Under the Montreal Protocol, Australia will further accelerate its efforts and will use 60 per cent less HCFCs than permitted. I can proudly inform you that Australia is on track to fulfil our commitments and I urge all other countries to fulfil their commitments.
All of this adds up to significant and comprehensive action by Australia in response to the world’s greatest environmental challenges.
Australia is under no illusions about the challenges the global community confronts in the years ahead.
Today I want to reassure all members that Australia is carrying its own weight and more, just as we always have.
We are a generous nation playing our part in securing our shared future.
Reforming the rules of global governance, setting common standards to ensure global connectivity in the future, preventing conflict, building the capacity of developing nations, supporting essential health projects, protecting our oceans and taking action on climate change and getting results.
Like many leaders here, I get many letters from children in Australia concerned about their future.
I take them very seriously and I deeply respect their concerns and indeed I welcome their passion, especially when it comes to the environment.
My impulse is always to seek to respond positively and to encourage them. To provide context, perspective and particularly to generate hope.
To focus their minds and direct their energies to practical solutions and positive behaviour that will deliver enduring results for them.
To encourage them to learn more about science, technology, engineering and maths – because it’s through research, innovation and enterprise that the practical work of successfully managing our very real environmental challenges is achieved.
We must respect and harness the passion and aspiration of our younger generations, we must guard against others who would seek to compound or, worse, facelessly exploit their anxiety for their own agendas. We must similarly not allow their concerns to be dismissed or diminished as this can also increase their anxiety. What parent could do otherwise?
Our children have a right not just to their future but to their optimism.
Above all, we should let our children be children, let our kids be kids, let our teenagers be teenagers - while we work positively together to deliver the practical solutions for them and their future.
I am confident, once again, that Australia stands with you and together we have the wit and the capacity to surmount the challenges that come our way. Just as those who have come before us in this place have done, consistent with the values that have made that possible.
I thank you for your attention.
Speech and Q&A, American-Australian Association Reception
23 September 2019
New York, United States of America
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much. Well look, thank you for that wonderful welcome Jenny and I are thrilled to be here. The roll has been called so I don't think I'll go through all that again, but I’ve got to say it is particularly good to have Marise Payne here with me together here at the UN Marise and I really enjoy working together particularly in the important work of Australia's international relations. And she's doing a great job so it's great to see her in action here at the UN as well and so Marise, tremendous, and particularly on this occasion because it's felt like a bit of a tour with Joe on this occasion. I want to acknowledge Joe again, and in this city. Having been able to do it in Chicago and of course back in Washington, but here Joe as well, thank you for the great job that you've done and to acknowledge Melissa as well. She's been a great, great support and partner to you in this, in this very important job that you've done here in the United States and you've just done a fabulous job. Can- Ross and Nick are here, is Ross Vasta here?
UNKNOWN SPEAKER: You’ve got him working.
PRIME MINISTER: I've got him working! Ross is at work. Fantastic. Well Ross and both- Nick [Champion] are here representing our parliament here at the UN and it's great to have them in New York and observing all that's going on and particularly travelling to New York which I'm sure they’re starting to get very familiar with. Craig thank you for having us here and thanks for the [inaudible]. That's great and that’ll always go down well with AAA people there's no doubt that. This is my third time at the AAA, last two occasions on addressing the AAA have been slightly more formal occasions when I spoke as Treasurer on several occasions on previous visits so it's a great pleasure to come back here tonight as the Prime Minister and to basically talk a little bit about what we've been doing the last few days and why all of that is so incredibly important. But before I do that I think it's important to acknowledge the important work of the AAA. AAA has been around for 70 years. When Keith Murdoch, journalist and entrepreneur and patriarch of that Murdoch clan founded it here in New York in 1948, America and Australia were not even formal allies at that point when the AAA was established. But we were already old friends having served side by side since the first of those conflicts back in the First World War, and in every single one since. This morning I told the story when I was in Chicago of how this all began with Alfred Deakin writing off then Teddy Roosevelt saying I really think you should include, you should really include Australia in the great tour of the Great White Fleet that went all around the world. And it was the Secretary of State who had advocated that he take up Prime Minister Deakin’s call because he could see how important it would be for America to have relations and have a presence right throughout the Pacific. That was understood by Alfred Deakin at that time as well. So you know where we are today and the relationship we have today stands on the shoulders of so many that have gone before. Who could always see the great potential and the great strategic significance of this partnership but it's always been underpinned, it's always been underpinned by those incredibly fantastic values and beliefs that bind our countries together. Those beliefs now could not be more important. In Washington the other night there was a few of us gathered at Blair House and those beliefs, it has been a great joy to be able to come and celebrate as part of the events that have taken place over the last few days. What am I talking about? Entrepreneurship. The value of enterprise. The importance of free markets, the rule of law, the great victories of liberal democracy over generations. You know, we can take all that for granted today. We can sit back and see the world in which we live in which peace has been secured at a great price and incredible great international institutions have been established as a dividend of that peace to preserve what was supposed to be all of those great freedoms and liberties that came at such a great price. I sometimes worry that we've become a bit too familiar with the peace that was so hard fought and so hard built upon after the Second World War. We can become a bit familiar with it and then we can lose sight of it, of the foundations that provided it. That's why this is important to reflect all these things through the AAA because the things that are shared most between Australia and the United States is not just $1.7 trillion in investment between both countries, of which Anthony Pratt is the great champion of now, and the most significant demonstrator of it - 27 states. Amazing. Incredible. 27 states. And his business now shared between the United States and Australia where he's taking the- he learnt it all in Australia. He's changing America in the same way that he's done that in Australia. It's not just 1.7 trillion dollars in investment. It's just not the best trade deal the United States has with any other country of anywhere in the world. Because they don’t pay tariffs on anything that comes to Australia so it’s the best deal they have, a trade surplus they've enjoyed since the Truman administration. It's not just all of that and the defence size, it is the beliefs that underpin our two great democracies and I think that's why there is so much engagement. You’re going to go invest. You’re going to go and participate. You’re going to go and be involved when you get each other and you understand each other and you believe the same things. So these ties that we have are constantly reinforced every time we do business with each other. Every time we do an exercise with each other. Every time that students engage or are engaged in a research project. 40,000 research papers published last year between Australia and the United States, 40,000. It's incredible. It's amazing, why? Because we think the same way, we look through the world- to the world through the same lense. And that's why you come along tonight, fighting the New York traffic to be here. To be part of the AAA and understand its significance. That's what was seen all those years ago when the AAA was brought together and that's what has brought us back here tonight. That's what was celebrated for those of us who had the great, great privilege to be in the Rose Garden in the White House the other night. And we could be overwhelmed with the moment and we could reflect on what is clearly a wonderful and early understanding that the President I've been able to establish. But it's not about that, it's actually far more than that. It's about what began back in 1908 and was continued all through time now by people coming and being part of this relationship as you have this evening. And that will continue into the future and more importantly it must. Because we know what we believe is the hope of the world, at the end of the day. It really is. And if we don't believe that then I'd be surprised. And we’ve got to stir that up you know. Between Australia and the United States. We've got to stir that belief up. We've got to celebrate it. We gotta acknowledge it because it is the light. It is the thing that has ensured this wonderful advancement that we've seen in the western world and what liberal democracy has brought. And we should showcase it and we should celebrate it and most importantly we should stand up for it and seek to profess it and encourage others to go down a similar path. As I conclude, and I’m happy to take some questions, I want to- is AB here tonight Joe?
JOE HOCKEY: He had to go back to DC.
PRIME MINISTER: He had to go back to D.C. Well AB Culvahouse is our new ambassador, in Washington it’s great working with him. It's great to have John Berry here tonight. He does a great job with the AAA. He did a tremendous job as the Ambassador to the United- from the United States to Australia, and we all got to know him quite well when he was there and really great Christmas events. I remember one night I had to chase a certain Senator down to one of the parties you ran down there because I needed their vote that night. And I secured it by the way. I heard, he’s at the US ambassador’s residence! So I jumped in a comcar and got down as quickly as I could where my spies told me he was very much at the buffet. Anyway. John thank you for the great work you do for the AAA. Like everyone in this room tonight John sort of has a bit of a foot in both camps. As a proud American but also someone who loves Australia very much. And I couldn't think of anyone better to be so thriving at the level you do, the partnership we have here, so all of those who are involved in the exchange programs also, we want to celebrate you and what you are doing. And we look forward to so many more coming in your footsteps. But for now I think that's really what I wanted to say here tonight. The commerce, the education, the science, the research, defence, all of that is the product of what we believe and we must constantly go back to what we believe and reinforce that to each other and celebrate it in doing things that we do. Thank you so much for your attention.
Q&A
So do we have any questions for the Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Except for Nick- he gets that chance in Parliament.
[Laughter]
QUESTION: So you were Treasurer and you know a bit about the banking system in Australia. I work a lot with the banks in Australia, they’ve been through a fairly rigorous process over the last couple of years. Do you think, are they coming out of it in a good condition do you think? Do you think the financial system is better off for it?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah. Well, what our banks went through was different to what the banks went through in the United States. But the non-financial factors were really drawn into question. There was no way, there was never any issue about the rigour and the soundness of our banking system. We have, I would argue, the best banking system in the world, the most resilient, the most the most strong. I mean that's a key factor. Leveraged a bit- quite substantially I’d say, on the Triple-A credit rating that Australia holds which we are only one of 10 countries that do hold. So there was never any question about the robustness of our banking and financial system but there were questions about some of the conduct and that conduct was obviously something that needed to be addressed and I think on the other side of what's been happening over many years now particularly the banking executive accountability regime and a range of other reforms that have been brought through and now flow through after the royal commission and there's a very extensive implementation process that we're now engaged in, and consultation with, and the Treasurer is leading that and that will be important. One thing we have to be careful of though is as important as all of that is, we need our banks to keep lending. We can't be scared of our own shadows in our economy and this is very important. The animal spirits of our economy and the role of the banking and financial system in, to extending credit and the role I think of a lot of the new financial players in Australia- as Treasurer I was incredibly excited about what was happening in the fintech space, Australia's a leader in FinTech and I think we're really quite ahead of the pack in so many ways in that area and some of the work that we did announce recently where we are putting two billion dollars into supporting the securitisation to broaden the market for a lot of the finance that some of the FinTech players could access for then, their new platforms for small businesses I think is really important. I mean, capitalism needs to be fuelled and it needs the support of a healthy and vibrant banking sector which can, you know lean into that. And while it's important to address those sort of conduct issues with the banks we must be very, very careful that we don't lead our banks into a place where they’re being overly sheepish and that can really cut off the opportunities that we would otherwise have. That's where the jobs are going to come from. We're in Chicago today and we're at that 1871 initiative, not for profit there, and there is a lot of great Australian businesses that were involved in that and plenty of good ideas but if they don’t get access to capital well they're just going to be a story in a bar saying I had this great idea and it didn’t really go anywhere. It goes somewhere when someone puts some money down and that's something that's so important so I'm, our Government is going to work very hard to ensure that we continue to encourage our banks not just to do the right thing but by their customers as they must and should, but also to make sure they continue to lean into the economy.
QUESTION: Mr. Prime Minister thank you for joining us. My name is Kylie. Very glad to have you here tonight. What an amazing week you must have lined up. What topics are you most excited to tackle, and what do you think the biggest changes are going to come for us in the next year or so?
PRIME MINISTER: Great question, Kylie that’s a great Australian name. It's, well the topics we've already been into over the last few days, and that's everything from the indo-pacific to what we're doing in the Southwest Pacific strategically as part of our alliance and we’ve spent quite a bit of time on our Defence partnership. Critical Minerals and the supply chain, that we want to be able to establish with not just the United States but other key partners whether in Japan or Europe or other places. It’s important both for our minerals industry but it's important strategically. Frontier technologies, AI, and the future of frontier technologies and ensuring again that we're part of that process and what's happening in quantum computing at the moment. We had Michelle Simmons with us at the White House the other night in the Rose Garden a former Australian of the year. She was the smartest person in the room, there was no doubt about that, no one sought to contend for that position against Michelle Simmons. Those issues and ensuring that Australia is at the forefront and working with the United States and other partners to see those sectors develop, very, very significant. But as we come here, I mean the issues I'll be highlighting on Wednesday when I speak at the General Assembly is both the environmental and commercial issues that sit around a circular economy. Australia is taking action on climate change, as we should, we’re a country that meets our commitments, makes commitments meets them, has the programs in place and has had a lot of success in meeting our climate emissions reduction targets- 2020 next year. Kyoto targets we’ll smash it, three hundred sixty seven million tonnes. We will exceed the targets that have been set but there is a lot of incredibly urgent, immediate and short to medium term issues, which we also must address and that is in particular in the area plastics recycling and Anthony and I were having a great chat about this yesterday. Down at his new plant and we had a great chat about the cost structure of the supply chain of plastics recycling and there are a lot of challenges in all that. And we have to be able to try and smooth that process out so we can do with plastics what Anthony is doing with paper. In Australia what's 80 per cent- 80 per cent of recycled paper into cardboard in Australia you know what it is for plastics? 12 per cent. So you know we’ve got to get that number up. And that requires technology. But the other thing that's going to require is a commercial industry that actually does it. This shouldn't be a government industry. I mean it’s not with Anthony, it certainly not a government industry in your case, and it can be a viable, sustainable, big job creating, employing industry where it’s our waste, our responsibility and we can make that happen and where there is some further research that needs to be done into technologies then let's bring our best minds through our research institutions and others in CSIRO and the universities and Dan Tehan was just on the phone to me today talking about another project that he's been able to identify through the grants process that we’re already doing, how some of this could be converted into fuel and to energy. This shouldn't be, it doesn't require government in the middle of this and run all this with all sorts of committees and all those sort of things which we often see at the buildings a bit further down the road, what it just needs is industries that have the opportunity to invest as Anthony's business has done to transform the sector and I have every confidence that that can happen and I want Australia to be at the vanguard of leading an industry-led approach to a circular economy, not a government regulatory approach to that. I mean industry has the wit and the capital to do it and to make a dollar out of it, and once we’re making a dollar out of it, you won’t stop us.
QUESTION: Hey my name’s Will Marshall, I'm from Planet Labs. We build satellites. I was really excited to hear about your announcement just about NASA and taking part in the moon mission. I do firmly believe we should be spending most of our energies taking care of this planet but I think it's pretty exciting to inspire the next generation with plans to do science and exploration on other planets too. I know a lot of exciting stuff is happening in the commercial space sector now. It's really quite a Space 2.0 as we call it. And in some senses that could lead some of those efforts or at least be a strong partner. Have you thought about how Australia might capture some of that or help bring innovation in space to Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I'm so pleased you asked me that question. We made the announcement when we're in Washington that we're going to invest 150 million dollars in the Australian space industry. This is I think for some been a bit misunderstood back in Australia when we made this announcement. We're not sending a cheque to NASA. NASA doesn't need a cheque from Australia. The American government does not need a cheque from Australia. What this is about is getting in on the ground floor. And Joe was saying this to me today, I mean imagine if Australia had been on the ground floor of the iPhone, had Australia been on the ground floor of any of the major technologies that have come out of Silicon Valley and places like that. And made sure we were just right in there, ground floor. That's what we're doing on this. We're investing 150 million dollars through our own space agency in businesses and in people and technologies and capability in Australia. So Australian businesses and Australian scientists and others, can be part of what's going to happen here. And you know we’re going to look after this planet. We’ll learn things about what's happening other places about how to do that. And you know we don't know what we don't know, when it comes to these things. That's the great excitement of space exploration. So what this is about is jobs. It's 20,000 jobs. We're going to have in our space industry by 2030 and a 12 billion dollar industry by 2030. So that's worth investing in. Now we know there are a lot of challenges in our economy with jobs right across from one end of the country to the other. And we know we've got a lot of challenges like with drought at the moment. We're investing to help our farmers to deal with drought and our rural and regional communities, hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars directly going in support. But we've put aside 150 over the next five years to ensure that we can get in on this. And just like the Honeysuckle project of many years ago beaming those- the most famous images of all human history I would say, went through Australia and went- and inspired humanity for generations and people like Dr Andy Thomas ended up in space himself as a result and I suspect the same will happen now and we're to see that- we're gonna see the first woman on the moon, and that's going to be exciting and Australia wants to be part of that and we want to create jobs as part of that, in Australia.
Leaders' Dialogue on Strategic Responses to Terrorist and Violent Extremist Narratives
23 September 2019
UN Headquarters, New York
Thank the panel before us for their leadership on this issue.
So we all know more than we ever wanted to know about terrorism. In our part of the world together with New Zealand, that was brought home to us in a very real sense very recently. In Australia we’ve averted 16 separate attacks through the outstanding work of our agencies in recent years.
And we now face a new threat as we all know, to peaceful societies. And the terrorists and violent extremists are weaponising the internet by spreading hate.
And we have a simple rule that says that our expectations of behaviour in the physical world should be the same as our expectations for behaviour in the digital world. Similarly the rules of the physical world, should equally apply in the rules of the digital world. There should be no leave passes or different tolerances for different types of behaviour along the lines that exist in real space. So we cannot allow the internet to be weaponised by violent extremists.
The terrible events of Christchurch has united Government, industry, and civil society to make sure that this can never happen again. God forbid it does. It’s exposed significant shortcomings though, the events in Christchurch, in industry and government responses which we now all addressing.
The industry is taking steps to prevent this foreign content being streamed and uploaded, re-uploaded on digital platforms. And it must. This hadn’t been the priority before. But I'm glad it is quickly becoming one now.
Through the shared terrorist violent extremist Christchurch protocol, government and industry will now work in lockstep to respond to a live-streamed attack. That’s good. And we endorsed these guidelines and strategy.
We also have a role to play in combatting the shared global challenge. That is why in support of our close neighbour and friend New Zealand, Australia led the G20 Leader’s statement on preventing exploitation of the Internet, terrorism, and violent extremism. I want to thank, in particular, the President of the G20, Shinzo Abe for allowing that to be part of the meetings in Osaka.
In our neighbourhood the ASEAN Regional Forum. They called for change and to meet citizen’s expectations that they would be protected from online harms. And to deliver on the commitment to provide regular public reporting of the Christchurch Call.
Australia, New Zealand and the OECD are developing voluntary transparency reporting protocols on the major platforms. This will set the first global reporting standards for industry to meet. And I welcome the support of all of those who have sought to shape these protocols.
We'll start by delivering a benchmark to practice. Defining metrics and creating a common network so that we can measure progress and take action together. These are the practical steps that are necessary.
And I think there is a widespread agreement about the need to take action. But we've got to keep checking up on ourselves to make sure it actually happens. Or we’ll let down everybody outside this room who depends on it.
In Australia we're working with industry to combat violent extremist content including introducing new criminal offences to ensure that it is expeditiously removed and reported to the police.
The industry built this new digital world and we have to work closely with them to ensure we can deal with the technologies that can help protect us from this digital world as well. Without the industries deep and engaged involvement in this, as committed to solving this problem as they are to pursuing the commercial objectives for which they were formed. Then it will be very difficult to overcome.
One thing is clear though, digital platforms must not be used to facilitate terrorism and violent extremism. Our shared sense of humanity must and will prevail. And the rules of the physical world must apply in the digital.
So Australia stands with all those here today, to expect the public trust in the digital environment continue. Thank you.
Chicago Council on Global Affairs
23 September 2019
Robert R. McCormick Foundation Hall, Chicago, USA
Thank you very much Ivo and thank you all for coming out here this morning. The Council is a 98 year old organisation, and it’s stood for the opportunity to come and hear from a perspective and today I come from the Australian perspective and to contribute some of our thinking on what is a very complex world at the moment and where Australia sees its role in it and particularly our relationship with the United States. And so this is a great opportunity, there’s a whole bunch of things going on in New York at the moment but I know there’s a lot of things going on here in Chicago so we wanted to be here in Chicago to be part of this discussion here as well and it’s wonderful to be here and to address this body. I want to thank Ambassador Hockey for being here and Ambassador Culvahouse for being here, they’ve been doing a great job in managing the relationship that we have with AB down in Canberra and Joe who’s been here now for some years and he’s been doing a great job. And David Bushby who’s our new Consul-General and he’s just taken up the role here very recently in Chicago and looking forward to the great work he’s going to be doing.
It was a little over 120 years ago that Teddy Roosevelt gave a memorable speech titled ‘The Strenuous Life’, many of us in politics know it well. It was done at the Hamilton Club, which is just a few blocks from here in Chicago. And on that day in April 1899, he told his audience that “the twentieth century looms before us big with the fate of many nations.” He said that “if we are to be a really great people,” the United States, “we must strive in good faith to play a great part in the world.”
He added: “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though chequered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
Now he preached not a life of ease but one of strenuous endeavour. In Australia we put it this way, “If you have a go, you should get a go” and that is a theme that I have used to describe my own Government’s approach to encouraging Australians to pursue their own individual aspirations. I am sure TR would probably not mind that reference. Without a spirit of enterprise, of endeavour, of aspiration, no nation will deliver security, economic prosperity and national unity to its people.
And a guiding principle of mine is that regardless of our ability, our size or our circumstances, we are here to make a contribution, not just take one. That is actually what fairness means in Australia. The principle of mutual obligation and it applies at nations’ levels as well.
It’s also how we approach our alliance relationships, how we build a strong economy and a secure nation, how we provide for our families and enable them to contribute to their communities as well. So against that backdrop, I want to cover three themes.
First, I want to spell out what our approach as a nation is of strenuous endeavour – and what that means for the great alliance with the United States.
Second, I want to explain what it means for the approach that we will take to the new and more challenging global environment that confronts us all.
Third, I want to talk about Australia’s place in the global economic landscape; how we are ensuring that Australia is well-positioned to succeed in what is a rapidly changing global economy.
Now the importance of our alliance on this first point was set out in 1908, when our nation as a Commonwealth was only 7 years old, Australia’s second Prime Minister Alfred Deakin defied our principal ally, Great Britain at the time, and wrote directly to President Roosevelt, inviting the Great White Fleet to visit Australia. Deakin wrote that “no other Federation in the world possesses so many features [in common with] the United States as does the Commonwealth of Australia”.
President Roosevelt’s Secretary of State Elihu Root, strongly recommended that Australia be added to the fleet’s itinerary. He told the President: “The time will surely come, although probably after our day, when it will be important for the United States to have all ports friendly and all causes of sympathy alive in the Pacific”. That was a long-sighted view and it’s proved to be true.
The fleet certainly received a friendly welcome in the port of Sydney which is Joe and my hometown. On 20 August 1908, it is said that well over half a million Sydneysiders turned out to watch the arrival of the fleet. We saw at the Pentagon just this week a shot of that scene. Now that is quite a turnout for a city whose population at the time was only 600,000. That’s a big crowd. It was the largest gathering yet seen in Australia, far exceeding the numbers that had celebrated even the foundation of our Commonwealth as a nation just seven years before.
That visit was the beginning of a strong and enduring partnership between our nations and we have been alongside the United States in every conflict since.
We have always been prepared as Australians to make a contribution to that alliance, not just take one. You do that over 100 years and more and your alliance only gets stronger and stronger to the point where it is today. And public support for our alliances is incredibly strong. Your Council’s own survey as we were just discussing outside, of public attitudes to foreign policy published earlier this month found support for America’s security alliances has never been higher. And we welcome that.
You can be assured that we are determined to continue to expand and strengthen our alliance.
On this visit, we have agreed to increase our co-operation in space research. Now this isn’t about writing cheques to NASA or anything like that, this is about Australia as a Commonwealth investing in our own businesses in Australia, our own capability in Australia, to create jobs in Australia, in our space industry so our space industry can participate in the noble and visionary project of the return to the moon. Not about writing cheques to NASA, NASA’s got plenty of cheques, but the Australian industry needs to develop and frankly it’s about 20,000 jobs in Australia and turning an industry into Australia into a $12 billion industry by 2030. And so that industry in Australia can partner and participate with commercial partners here in the United States.
We are also working together to build an integrated supply chain on rare earths and critical minerals; this is both a strategic as well as an economic issue for Australia, essential for our defence and high technology applications. And we are deepening co-operation on so-called frontier technologies that will shape the global economy for decades and beyond. Very much in both our national interests.
We are substantially increasing our economic, security and infrastructure co-operation in the South West Pacific. We are modernising our alliance cooperation arrangements. The bottom line is that when we made a commitment to the alliance, we meant it and we will never take it for granted because there is a temptation and a great danger in complacency around alliances. To welcome the protections provided by them but not necessarily the obligations. It is a temptation that our nations have meticulously resisted and continue to.
We are committed to working with the US internationally because we agree it has borne too many burdens on its own. Australia will continue to pull its weight. We look to the United States often but we don’t leave it to the United States. We do not opt for the grey twilight. We do not shrink from strife. The challenges of a changing world are things we confront.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are grappling with the end of one era now and really what is the dawn of another.
Like TR more than 100 years ago, we confront a changing economic order and transformative technological change. This isn’t fresh news. Like TR, we should approach this challenge with confidence, resolve and clearly articulated principles to guide us. And this is the central focus of what my Government and Australia is doing in the Indo-Pacific.
It is the region where we live, it’s our neighbourhood. It’s the region that will continue to shape our prosperity, our security, our destiny and, increasingly, our global balance of power.
Our engagement with the Indo-Pacific will be shaped by five key principles. Firstly, a commitment to open markets and the free flow of trade based on rules, not power. Respect for sovereignty of nations, their independence, irrespective of their size. From the smallest Pacific nation to the largest economies in the world.
A commitment to burden-sharing with strong and resilient regional architecture. Respect for international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes. And a commitment to work together to resolve challenges of common interest including particularly on our oceans – we’re the biggest island continent in the world, our oceans impact heavily not just on our economy, on our security, but how we do life in Australia and always have not just in modern times but going down in over 60,000 years of the oldest living culture in the world, our Indigenous Australians. Oceans, climate, illegal fishing and plastics pollution. Practical issues that need addressing.
We also need to work together to find ways to reduce trade tensions that have developed over recent years.
China’s economic growth is welcomed by Australia and we recognise the economic maturity that it has now realised as a newly developed economy. This was the point of the world’s economic engagement with China. Having achieved this status, it is important that China’s trade arrangements, participation in addressing important global environmental challenges like the ones I just mentioned, that there is transparency in their partnerships and support for developing nations, all of this needs to reflect this new status and the responsibilities that go with it as a very major world power.
The world’s global institutions must adjust their settings for China, in recognition of this new status. That means more will be expected of course, as has always been the case for nations like the United States who’ve always had this standing.
So it is also true that China’s economic expansion was made possible by the stability underwritten by US strategic engagement and the international community who built the global trading system and welcomed China’s accession to the WTO.
We should remember that it was 75 years ago - at Bretton Woods - that the United States led the way in the creation of financial institutions and economic forums that established equitable rules to stabilise the international economy and remove the points of friction that had contributed to two world wars.
That was the dividend of peace. And investing that dividend of peace in a new world order. And I agree with the assessment made in the President’s 2017 National Security Strategy that while the global economic system continues to serve our interests, it needs some reform. We cannot pretend that rules that were written a generation ago remain appropriate for today. Why would that be true in this area and not in any other?
It is clear that global trade rules are no longer fit for purpose. In some cases, the rules were designed for a completely different economy in another era, one that simply doesn’t exist any more. In other cases, our rules are not comprehensive. And it is clear that our rules are not keeping pace with technological change that is happening at an unprecedented pace. But we do need the rules, we do need the rules. A study by Accenture estimated that digital commerce now drives 22 per cent of the world economy, you know these figures. A separate study by McKinsey Global Institute showed that data flows grew by a factor of 45 in the decade to 2016.
But there are many existing obstacles and many emerging barriers to the expansion of the digital economy. Left to proliferate, such barriers will distort and choke the global economy and the great benefits that have flowed to all nations. That’s why Australia is taking a leading role in developing e-commerce rules at the WTO. That’s a practical thing to do.
There is a broader imperative at work. We must demonstrate that collectively we have not lost our ability to adapt and adjust our trading system to new realities.
When there were 144 members of the WTO, the Director General at the time likened the WTO to a vehicle that had one accelerator and 143 brakes.
We cannot allow that to continue. We can no longer move at the speed of the lowest common denominator. It is time for the system to catch up with the world. And we intend to help that process in a practical way, making our contribution based on our experience and I’ve got to say we’re positive about it. The world has just reached a change point, that’s all. There’s no need to catastrophise it, there’s a need to understand it to adjust the institutions and the rules to accommodate it. There’s no need to engage in a heavily polarised debate on this issue, there’s a much more practical issue at the heart of all this and we just have to reset to ensure that can provide the same peace and stability and prosperity that will last. We’re totally up to it, we still have the wisdom and capability to achieve it and so Australia won’t be a bystander in that process, we’ll be involved. We’ll be rolling our sleeves up, we’ll be playing our part and just in case you think we’re doing that because we’re terribly friendly and wonderfully affable people, which we are, the real issue is it’s in our national interest.
The reason we’re here today is it’s a great Council, it’s a great institution, I’m here today because one in five Australian jobs depends on trade and our connection with the rest of the world depends on that. I’m here today because of what’s happening with plastics in our oceans is bad news for our local environment in Australia so we need to do something about it. I’m here today because of our friends in the Pacific, our family in the Pacific, people are stealing their fish, that’s got to stop if they want to have a secure future for their families and their people. And these issues are the things we need to move the dial on.
Ladies and gentlemen, moving onto the third point I want to talk about today, TR was right when he said in this city 120 years ago that “no country can long endure if its foundations are not laid deep in the material prosperity that comes from thrift, from business energy and enterprise.”
The Australian government understands this point very acutely. My government is unashamedly pro-growth. Every time the issue of inclusive growth comes up I say we’ve got to have growth first for it to be inclusive.
And there is a simple reason for it. Without a strong economy you cannot provide your citizens with the living standards they aspire to, the essential services they rely on, the protection and conservation of the environment they live in and the security under which they wish shelter.
That is why my government will always seek to promote and reward enterprise and aspiration and I think this is one of the great connections between Australia and the United States and we’ve talked a lot about growth on this trip.
The Australian economy is now in its 29th year of uninterrupted economic growth, that’s a world record. I think it’s one of our nation’s greatest achievements if not our greatest achievement. Since 1992, Australia’s economy has grown faster than any other developed country.
We are determined to build an even stronger economy. Most recently we have legislated A$158 billion in personal tax cuts because we believe Australians should keep more of what they earn and that acts as an incentive for them to get out and realise their aspirations.
And record tax relief for small and medium businesses similar to what you’ve achieved here in the United States.
This year our budget will be in surplus for the first time in 12 years. The Ambassador knows a lot about that too he did a lot of the heavy lifting as part of our government in its early days. We will eliminate net debt within a decade. Our AAA credit rating remains in place despite the tremendous shocks we’ve had to our economy. The most significant, and I’m not talking about the GFC, I’m talking about the end of the mining investment boom ripped $80 billion of capital investment out of our country and that sent a shock through the system far greater than the global financial crisis which was of more acute effect in the north Atlantic. In Australia the big hit to our economy actually came through that event and we retained our AAA credit rating through that process, one of only ten nations in the world to achieve this outcome from all key rating agencies.
We are pursuing the most ambitious trade strategy in Australia’s history. In the last six years we have secured duty-free or preferential access to an extra 1.7 billion consumers. Seventy per cent of Australia’s two-way trade is now covered by free trade agreements, up from 26 per cent when our government came to office in 2013.
We have concluded or are negotiating trade agreements with 17 of our top 20 trading partners. Australia gets it. You don’t get rich in Australia selling things to yourself, you’ve got to take it off shore, you’ve got to take your economy off shore and you’ve got to look out for prosperity and we’ve been doing that for a long time. That’s why we’re negotiating an ambitious FTA with the European Union, and hope to commence negotiations with the United Kingdom as soon as it leaves the EU.
These efforts are paying dividends. In the year to June 30, Australia recorded a record trade surplus of around A$50 billion, that’s three times larger than the previous record. Despite global headwinds, Australia has recorded 19 consecutive monthly trade surpluses and I hasten to add the United States continues to enjoy a healthy bilateral trade surplus with Australia of some A$29 billion in 2018 and just in case you were wondering, the US has had a trade surplus with Australia since the Truman administration. So there is no better deal than the one the US has with Australia, not a tariff on anything that comes in, that is the gold standard of trade relationships that set out I think where Australia sits in the economic landscape in the United States.
So ladies and gentlemen, our strong economy means we can plan for the future and we will maintain a defiant optimism in the complex and often confusing world that is out there. Why? Because we know who we are, we know what we’re about, we know what our principles are, we know who our friends are, we know who our partners are. We’ve got a clear plan and we want to work with everybody but we’re very clear and consistent we hope in our communication and in the way we follow through and how we live out our values and our relationships with other nations.
This investment means we can continue to meet commitments to our alliance partner. That we can play our part in particular.
We are building a stronger Defence Force by restoring Defence funding to 2 per cent of GDP by 2020-21. That will make us, by the way, the second of all five eye countries, it’ll make us greater than the United Kingdom and will make it also greater than Japan and it’ll also make us greater than Germany. And we embarked on the largest regeneration of the Navy since the Second World War, investing A$90 billion to invest in 57 new vessels mainly in Australia. And this is part of a broader A$200 billion defence capability upgrade that we’re doing.
We rely on the United States for a large share of this equipment. Australia spends over $A4.4 billion on US military hardware annually. That’s more than $A12 million per day. It means we are one of America’s most interoperable allies and most trusted I would say.
We are modernising our national infrastructure to ensure our economy is even more efficient and more productive. We are investing A$100 billion in nation-building infrastructure over the next decade. That’s a plan that others can invest in as well. Our plan will bust congestion, improve the lives of Australians, speed up supply chains and ensure our products reach global markets on time. We are building a new Inland rail network and a new airport in Western Sydney. And co-located with the new airport, the new Western Sydney Aerotropolis will become a global hub for sectors including defence and aerospace, freight and logistics, agribusiness, pharmaceutical industries and biotechnology.
As we expand our economy and make it more productive, we will continue to be open to foreign investment. The United States is by far the largest source of investment in Australia and the largest destination of Australian investment.
More than a quarter of all investment in Australia originated in the United States - nearly A$940 billion. US majority-owned affiliates in Australia employ 310,000 Australians, paying nearly $30 billion in wages and salaries annually. That’s why we’re here – it’s about jobs, it’s about wages for Australians.
It’s not one-way traffic. Australian investment in the United States is also growing strongly. Yesterday, with President Trump, I participated in the official opening of a new Pratt Industries manufacturing plant in Ohio – the largest new factory in the United States since President Trump was elected. And last month, Bluescope Steel, a great Australian steel company, announced a $1 billion expansion of its North Star steel mill in Delta, Ohio. These projects are the practical evidence of an ever closer economic relationship between our two countries. And there’ll be more as there’ll be more investment from the US and Australia.
So our great partnership, ladies and gentlemen, was started and cemented in the presidency of Teddy Roosevelt. A presidency that left an indelible mark on America and defined its place in the world. Our shared temper of mind and our capacity for strenuous endeavour have consolidated that friendship.
We think in similar ways. We share an instinct to ‘have a go’. And a reflex to support those who have that go so they get that go.
It is evident in the strength of our alliance. It is evident in the strength of our shared commitment to embracing the challenges of the new global order. And it is evident in the strength of our economies and our determination to improve the lives of our peoples.
Thank you so much for your kind attention.
MODERATOR IVO DAALDER: Well thank you that was terrific. It’s refreshing to start a Monday morning with defiant optimism, we’re not used to that these days, but it’s great to have. Also we really appreciate what you said about the alliance, it’s important to note our forces have been fighting alongside each other for over 100 years in every single war including for the last 18 years in Afghanistan, a remarkable testament to the strength of the alliance.
We have about 10 minutes so I’ll get to some of the questions from the audience, the first one though I want to get to is Ohio, we’re in the Mid West we’re in Chicago, it’s important the trade relationship you mentioned with the United States is really important, where do you see the future growth potential in that relationship between the United States and Australia, in particular how do you see the Mid West playing a role?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think in the two examples I outlined in terms of Australia’s big investments whether it’s Bluescope or what Anthony Pratt has been doing down there in Wapakoneta, there you go I got it right this time, that speaks I think of the ingenuity of Australians to understand where the opportunity is. You know I talk about Anthony’s business, they’re in 27 states now, what Australia has done in the recycling of paper and the mills process and the technology they built there through Pratt Industries in Australia, he’s basically brought that model to the United States where the level of recycling is much, much lower. So his business in Australia is probably about half the market in Australia [indistinct], in the United States it’s about five. But they have the technology and the know how to turn that into something much greater than that and they’re doing something much different to everybody else but they’re also doing something quite important environmentally as well. I think Anthony wouldn’t like me to describe him as a sort of environmental warrior although they’re the outcomes they’ve achieved, but his business model is just good for the environment, that’s where I think he’s really merged these things/
So why am I telling you this story? I’m telling you this because Australians are quite innovative investors, we deal with great technology in Australia to solve some of these big challenges. My own government is going to focus very heavily on the technology around waste management. It’s our waste it’s our responsibility, it’s a very practical that I want our government and our country to pursue but it’s going to create a lot of jobs too, it’s going to create lower cost industries for Australia and it’s going to create a clear environment so it’s just win win win.
So where we can see those opportunities, and I think there are a lot of those across the United States and we can bring a lot of that know how from what we’re doing in Australia here to the United States, and similarly I think the partnerships we can have in the agriculture sector, the ag tech sector, the fin tech sector, I mean the entire Mid West so much of its primary industries depends on this new technology, I mean technology is going to shape a lot of the opportunities here. Farming practices are going to change.
In Australia at the moment we are going through one of the worst droughts in memory but the resilience…drought is not a new thing in Australia and so our farmers have had to, by sheer will and necessity of the environment they live in, have had to develop some of the most advanced farming practices in the world. So there’s a great deal to learn off each other and I’m sure David will be exploring all of this in his new role as Consul.
MODERATOR: You talked about China, you described China as a success in fact off our policy, I think most people would agree with that but we are at a stage where there is debate certainly in the United States about the meaning of that success. So in our own opinion polling we find a very divided public between those who think China’s role and emergence in world power represents a critical threat to US security and those who say no actually it’s something that we can deal with. How would you describe the future strategic relationship [indistinct] China?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I think the first thing to do is acknowledge that Australia and the US come at this from a different perspective. We have a trade surplus with China, you have a trade deficit, and quite a significant one and so that is I think going to affect the lens through which you see China and its economic success, I suppose. From Australia’s point of view, the engagement with China has been enormously beneficial to our country and that’s what led us to develop the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership we have with China, the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement which was quite revolutionary [indistinct] and we want to see that continue.
The fact, as I was arguing in my presentation, has taken us to a place where China has a resource and capability that it never had before and it has invested a great deal of that in its own strategic defence and its capability and that obviously presents a different calculus to the Indo Pacific than existed 30 years ago. And so that’s why I just encourage everyone who’s engaging in this issue to sort of step back and appreciate the history of what’s happened here and to have a bit of, I think, confidence and optimism that there are options and there are ways that we can manage this into the future. The world can have two very large economies and they can be mutually beneficial but the point is we’ve got to go for the gear change now. It won’t continue to work if we try to force it into the old model and the old rules and understandings that have been there before that have led us to this point. They have served their purpose and now we need to find a new way of this working. So that’s why I’ve been quite supportive of the President trying to strike a new deal with China, there’s some serious issues which have to be addressed in that trade relationship. Issues which once addressed will also benefit Australia. Issues on forced technology transfer affect Australian companies too. IP issues affect Australian companies too. And there are global responsibilities on the environment and the other things which Australia is very invested in and everybody needs to pull their weight on that so with great economic power comes great responsibility and we need to step up and gear change.
MODERATOR: You described the centrality of Australia in at least the bilateral relationship, maybe together with Japan, one of the countries that has an extraordinarily important relationship with China and an extraordinarily important relationship with the United States. Is there a role for Australia either alone or perhaps together with one or two other countries to try and figure out a way that we can build a relationship between the United States and China that benefits both and also Australia? Is there something that you can do proactively?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course, and we’re doing it. It’s part of the reason for being here but it’s also important we work through things like the East Asia Summit, the close relationships as you say with Japan, with Indonesia with whom we’ve just completed a comprehensive partnership with them, and also with India as a major and a strongly emerging economy in the Indo Pacific region. So [indistinct] a small country, but one that is greatly respected and has I think very interesting insights into this [indistinct]…gave a very impressive overview when he spoke at the Shangri-La Conference earlier in the year. But the thing about the Indo Pacific, and Australia is no stranger to this either, our objective here is pretty straightforward, we want to be independent sovereign nations and to be able to get on and do what we do and run our countries the way our people choose to and that’s what is prized. And I find there a great complementarity of nations in the Indo Pacific. We all have our different histories, we all have our different ideologies or philosophies or systems of government, this is why I’m always encouraged by the ASEAN nations – a more eclectic group of nations you couldn’t find but we’ve been working pretty closely together for 45 years and I think that shows the attitude of the Indo Pacific and that is why ASEAN has been very much at the centre of how we look at the Indo Pacific and we enjoy that relationship.
So understanding that nations in the Indo Pacific who simply want to be independent and sovereign I think is the basis for great engagement and a coalition of positive intent.
MODERATOR: I know we’re out of time so I’m going to ask one soft ball question, which is coming at you from our audience, what do you believe Australia or Australians do better than any other nation or that the United States should bring into this country?
PRIME MINISTER: What do we do better? Look there’s heaps of things we do better. We’re going to have to push our flight back.
I’ll tell you what’s most important I think, I think what Australia really brings to the table is we’re a massively optimistic people. We’re a glass half full country. We’re a country that has achieved amazing things and we tend not to crow about it, we’re quite understated. But we’re a very strong and resilient country proud of what we achieved and what we’re doing in the world and most importantly to lift living standards for our own people.
We’ve got our challenges as I said, the drought at the moment is breaking the nation’s heart and while I’m a long way away from home this is something I’m getting regular reports on and I’m looking forward to getting home and getting out in those rural communities where they’re really hurting. But despite droughts, despite floods, despite wars, despite economic challenges, despite being a long way away from the rest of the world where [indistinct] has catered for centuries, we have prevailed and succeeded. And why? Because we have a go, and we get a go and when we do that I think we add something very special to the world.
MODERATOR: Mr Prime Minister I can’t think of a better leaving point than that optimism, that’s a great way to end, we really appreciate you coming.
Remarks, Factory Opening
22 September 2019
Wapakoneta, Ohio
Thank you. Well thank you Mr. President, Donald. It's wonderful to be here with you in Ohio. G’day Ohio How are you? You good?
Can I also acknowledge veterans who are here today. Put your hand up if you're a veteran here today. Thank you for your service.
Not just to the United States but to the great alliance between Australia and the United States.
Senator Rob Portman, Jim Jordan, it's great to see you guys here today. Ambassadors’ Hockey and Culvahouse you guys are doing a tremendous job.
But to Anthony Pratt and the whole Pratt Enterprise here and Ed, well done on a fabulous investment and project here.
It's great to be here and now, it's great to be here in Wapakoneta. Is that right? Is that close? Wapakoneta.
Now you think I'd do a little bit better than that. Now I understand from meeting the Aussies who are already here, are down the front here- Andrew, Brian, Alan, Edward, Martin. They're all here.
And they told me this is called Wapak, is that right? Here you go. Wapak.
But you'd think I'd get it a bit better because we've got Wagga Wagga, Wollongong, Wallerang, Wangaratta, Warrnambool, Woolloomooloo.
So you know, Wapak- that fits right in. This is a bit of Australia right here in Ohio. I reckon. There's a bit of Australia here.
Now as the President was saying the economy is so important. If you don't have a strong economy, well there's so many other things you can't do. You can't invest in the things that matter to people. People don't get jobs, and to have a strong economy and what we're seeing built here is just so exciting.
The President and I are here today because we believe in jobs. We believe in the way that jobs transform lives. How jobs give people choices. People are raising families, doing the right thing, building their communities, putting their kids through school, helping their neighbours, putting aside money for their retirement.
Jobs is what creates those choices and opportunities. So what we're celebrating here is jobs.
Now there's a very famous American that's come out of this wonderful town. You all know who it is, Neil Armstrong. A great American.
And unemployment in the United States has not been as low as it is since Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.
That is an amazing achievement Mr. President.
The lowest unemployment rate we've seen in United States for a very, very long time. And the reason it's happening is because people are investing. They're investing in policies that are reducing taxes like they are in my own country. They're investing in policies which is seeing their economies grow and people can see things happening and they want to be part of what is happening.
And that's what Anthony has seen right here in Ohio. Anthony is a wonderful Australian who's taken a good company to a great company. You might say a company as strong as steel to a company as strong as titanium, Mr. President.
This is a great Australian who is building an even greater company. And a company that is investing both in United States and of course in Australia. Twenty seven states he now is in. 70 factories.
But the thing about Anthony, which is true of all Australians, is we keep our promises. When we make a promise we keep it, when we make a promise to be in an alliance we keep that promise, and Anthony promised that he would invest in the United States with the election of the President and the jobs that are here are because this man keeps his promise.
So Mr. President thanks for the opportunity to be here today.
Thank you for the opportunity for Australia and the United States to work together in the way we do, not just an alliance based on security and our defence forces but an economic partnership where together we're making jobs great again.
Cheers.
https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42430
Remarks - Australian Embassy
21 September 2019
Washington DC, United States of America
PRIME MINISTER: Joe, to you and Melissa and your family it's wonderful to be here with you. And I really wanted to start off today on behalf of Jenny and I but not just us two but all of us from right around Australia to say thank you to both of you for what has been an outstanding ambassadorship that you've led here in Washington for Australia. When Joe came here, and the relationships which he's established here, the initiative around the Hundred Years of Mateship, this is, those of you know is 100 per cent Joe. It is it is how he looks at life, it's how he looks at the world, how he looks at others. It's about friendships, it's about personal connections.
And what you've been able to do with 100 years of mateship, mate, has been absolutely extraordinary and I think it's been a lesson to right across our missions all around the world that I had, we had all the Heads of Missions down in Canberra recently. And I was talking to them I said you guys are in the people business. You're in the business of getting on with other people and ensuring that we have great relationships with other people all around the world, it's because it's through those relationships that our heads of mission our ambassadors our High Commissioners form that we're able then to pursue through those very important personal relationships the broader policy agendas and alignment of our interests and even dealing with the odd difficult issue things like this.
And where you invest in those relationships then then you can be a great success as an ambassador. And so Joe you've taken that a whole new level. You've set a great bar for others to follow and I want to thank you and Melissa for the tremendous job you've done, but particularly with this Hundred Years of Mateship and you know when we've come here and I welcome all of the guests who are here but particularly the members of the cabinet who are here I can see Secretary Lighthizer down there and others who are here today. We really appreciate you coming and we were completely overwhelmed by the response that we've had. And in particular standing there yesterday morning on the South Lawn with the President.
And to be able to look out at around 5,000 people there seeing them waving Australian and US flags with both hands not just holding an Australian flag or some holding U.S. flag they were holding both and they're waving both and to see that as an Australian Prime Minister standing next to a US President, it just said everything about the nature of the relationship that we have.
But to see that topped off last night in what was the most magnificent, spellbinding, magical night crafted out of the imagination of Mrs. Trump. She was, wasn't she Jen, she was across every detail of last night and from the very touching remarks that the President made, referring to my great great aunt. I heard the start of the poem and I said that's, that's aunt Mary's poem! I'll have to tell him that when he's finished. And he ended up telling me so you know that's the sort of detail that shows an affection, it just shows a closeness and then to finish off, so I was already a bit weepy after that. And then at when Waltzing Matilda played.
That was just something that any Australian I think, although there was quite a few Americans who had been overcome by the emotion of that moment, I was overcome by it. It was great. And so I think that said it all about the relationship that we have together. And so we come here together this afternoon in a very Australian way around a barbecue and a few drinks and amongst friends and enjoy each other's company and in the spirit of mateship and that's really what this relationship is and that's how we'll keep getting stronger and stronger and stronger. And but the thing you know, politics is a, can be a really rough business.
But the elegance of politics I think the highest form of politics is when you're able to speak very clearly about the things you believe in and in this visit the President I've been saying the same things. Our belief in free markets, our belief in the power of the individual, our belief in peace and in liberty the rule of law, you know the things that have made the world the safe place that it is and has been since the end of the Second World War and together we've been building that. And these are things that sometimes we can take for granted. We can take for granted freedom of religion, we can take for granted any number of things. Things that have been so important that Australia and the United States have worked so closely together to create this peaceful, liberal democracy that we both enjoy and that we're keen for others to understand and be able to enjoy as well.
These things are important in the world today and Australia and United States stand together for these things and we will always stand together for these things. So this afternoon I think we can celebrate that, we can enjoy it and we can have a few drinks and we can get to know each other even a bit better more, we are going to plant a tree which is gonna be great. Which I understand is already planted. Joe was out there with a shovel this morning. Fantastic. So let me just conclude by saying thank you all for being here this afternoon.
And I want to, I want to finish where I began and that is to thank Joe and Melissa, Ambassador Hockey and Mrs. Hockey for the wonderful, wonderful job they've done here for Australia in the United States. You'll miss them, I'm sure, in this role in particular and it'll be our gain because we're going to see a lot more of them back home in Australia and when they return, and the things that they do back in Australia I'm sure they’ll do tremendous things. But what you've been able to do here Joe has been truly extraordinary and a grateful nation thanks you. All the best everyone cheers.
Remarks, Lunch Co-hosted by the Vice President and Secretary of State
20 September 2019
The Benjamin Franklin Room, US Department of State
SECRETARY OF STATE POMPEO: It is in fact that it is my great honour and privilege to welcome you Prime Minister Morrison to the State Department. You hosted, along with your beautiful wife, hosted Susan and me just last month in Sydney it was spectacular. For our next meal in America I want you to come out to the real outback in Kansas. Where the people much like all across America are kindred spirits with you all. Yeah we're both Continental democracies that show the values of freedom and liberty and of human rights. We're both Pacific nations settled by two explorers, pioneers and rebels from the old world. As Mark Twain once said he said after a visit to Australia quote "You have a spirit of independence which cannot be over praised." We Americans like our independence an awful lot too. And although the Aussie press in the room. I promise you I'm not siding with Republicans are the monarchists here. That's your business you all pick it. And throughout history our shared values and interests are brought us together time and time again we we fight alongside each other in the Battle of Hamel and Midway at Guadalcanal and Korea and in Vietnam. And in Afghanistan as well. And we have much more to achieve together in the years and decades ahead. And certainly our effort to achieve peace and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region is something that we will work closely together. So at this time. If I might I'd like to offer a toast. When General Douglas MacArthur spoke to your parliament at the height of World War II. He spoke of adding yet another link to the long chain of friendship. Which brings our two nations together. So here he is to that long and unbroken friendship, Cheers. Mr Vice President.
VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: Prime Minister Morrison. Mrs. Jenny Morrison. Secretary Pompeo. Attorney General Barr. Secretary Azar. Alex Azar. My friend. Other members of the cabinet and distinguished members of Congress who join us today and to the entire Australian delegation. It is Karen and my honour. To join the Secretary of State and Mrs. Pompeo to welcome you here to the State Department for your very first state visit to the United States of America. And we've had the great privilege to spend time with you in Australia as well and enjoyed enjoyed your and Jenny's hospitality. And while in the first instance you did not seek the office you now hold when the time came around to seek it you did seek it. And so allow me on behalf of all my fellow Americans to congratulate you on your success in the May elections. Mr. Prime Minister the people of Australia, said yes to your leadership. You were elected as a voice for the quiet Australians which if you'll permit me reminds me of someone who was elected to represent the forgotten men and women of America. And so you have. Begun your career. And I know I speak on behalf of that President when I say what a great honour it is to have you here. In our country and here in our nation's capital today. To celebrate as President Trump said today the unbreakable bond between America and Australia. A bond rooted in eternal ties of history, culture, and tradition. And today. I truly believe that as our two countries meet as you so eloquently put it, we are on the dawn of a second century of mateship. For more than a hundred years, hundred and one to be exact. We have grown together. We have fought together. And freedom has prospered beneath the American flag and the Australian flag. But the relationship between our two countries is is diverse and important and nowhere is that more growing than in the bustling commerce between our two nations, today we're proud to say the United States is the largest investor in Australia and you mentioned that in the Oval Office you're meeting with the President today. It makes our country the largest foreign employer in your country. But we're also very grateful that Australian companies employ more than seventy four thousand. Americans, and exports to Australia support more than a quarter of a million Australian jobs. The economic ties and the bonds of commerce have never been stronger between the United States and Australia. But it's about more than commerce and business. The relationship between Australia and the United States is also characterized by our mutual commitment to freedom. And our shared values. And I know I speak on behalf of the President and the Secretary of State. When I say how grateful we are for the strong partnership that Australia has provided to the United States in our shared commitment of a free and open Indo-Pacific. I promise you the United States of America will continue to stand with Australia and all freedom loving nations for an Indo-Pacific where independent nations can boldly pursue their own interests. Respect their neighbours as equals where societies beliefs and traditions can flourish side by side in a spirit of liberty. And we'll continue to look for new and renewed ways to build on that cooperation. We'll stand with you to uphold freedom of navigation in the seas and in this freedom of the airwaves in the skies. And let me also say as chairman of the National Space Council which President Trump recently reconstituted after 25 years of dormancy, how refreshing it was to hear you reflect on our shared aspirations to for renewed leadership in space. We are indeed as you said Mr. Prime Minister, we are going back to the moon and then to Mars and America and Australia we'll go together once again. So we have, we have security interests in common we have commerce interests in common. But clearly as I reflected when Karen and I visited Australia the first time just a few days before Anzac Day. The greatest ties that bind our two people are the ties that have been forged by the men and women who fought and died shoulder to shoulder in the defence of freedom. For more than 100 years. The sons and daughters of both our lands have fought together in every major conflict to defend our shared ideals from the Coral Sea to Kandahar our friendship has been forged in the fires of sacrifice even today in Afghanistan, Australian and American soldiers stand together. And as the president said. Together our people have laid down their lives to protect our civilization from tyranny. We've battled together against the menace of fascism, communism, radical Islamic terrorism. And let me say in the faith tradition that you and, you and I share. That ours is a nation that knows a no greater love has a man in this, than he should lay down his life for his friends. For more than 100 years it is that shared sacrifice that holds us most closely together and I promise you Mr. Prime Minister the American people will never forget Australia's fallen and never failed to honour their sacrifice along with our heroes for our freedom. So with gratitude for the extraordinary and historic alliance between the United States and Australia and for all that has meant to the world and with a confident hope that we have only begun to explore the depths and bounds of prosperity and security that can be derived from this extraordinary mateship. I'd like to invite everyone to raise a glass along with me and the Secretary of State and the prime minister. To you Prime Minister Morrison, to Mrs. Morrison to all the Australian people. And I will offer a toast with the blessing that you inscribe at the bottom of a letter that you sent to me not long ago, on behalf of the American people we toast and we pray. May the Lord bless you and keep you and all the good people of Australia. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you, May the Lord turn his face toward you and your good people and ours. And give us peace. God bless Australia and God bless America.
PRIME MINISTER MORRISON: Well Mr. Vice President, Mr. Secretary, Karen, Susan. It is a great pleasure for Jenny and I to be here with so many other Australians who I see here in the room and I see so many familiar faces. You pay us a great honour. Both the Secretary and the Vice President have showed great friendship towards me and to Jenny particularly since I've come into this role. I like the Mikes, I like the Mikes. I can tell you that for sure. And no it's not just me, Ambassador Hockey and Melissa is here with us today. I, particularly in this room I want to acknowledge the tremendous work that Ambassador Hockey has done in this tremendous relationship. Thank you Joe. There's no better there's no stronger nor any deeper relationship than that exists between the United States and Australia at the heart of our deep and abiding friendship are the values and beliefs that net us together. It was just over half a century ago that Australia's longest serving Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies the founder of the party that I lead today, said Australia and America are warmed by the same inner fires. He said this, we worked for the same kind of free world. We live in freedom. And we'll accept no other life. We govern ourselves in democracy and will not tolerate anything less. We cherish liberty and hold it safe. Providing hope for the rest of the world. We were born in the same era, sprang from the same stock and live for the same ideals. Australia and America share an affinity that reaches to our souls. Australia is a reliable alliance partner. But we are also a reliable economic partner as well as the Vice President said. As a trading nation. We know we don't get rich by selling things to ourselves. We know the benefits of open markets transparent rules and the importance of a level playing field. We've always looked beyond our shores for our prosperity. Our ambitious trade strategy is delivering dividends. We've posted a record yearly trade surplus of around 50 billion dollars Australian in the past year three times larger than our previous record. One in five Australian jobs depend on global trade. When people ask me why do you go here? Why do you go there? And leave our shores? One in five jobs in Australia depends on us doing just that. This makes us a champion for the economic success of other nations as well as our own. Because then we can do business with them. The US knows the value of the products and the smarts of our businesses have to offer here in the United States, the US has also benefited as we have significantly from our bilateral trade. And have enjoyed a trade surplus with Australia since the Truman administration. The US enjoys a higher merchandise trade surplus with Australia than with any other G20 nation. And U.S. exports enter Australia tariff free and quota free. And you can't get a better deal than that. So we're very happy to be the gold standard of U.S. trade partners anywhere in the world. Together we've invested some one point seven trillion Australian dollars in each other's economy with the United States being the single largest direct investor of any investor in our country, and more than a quarter of Australia's investment that goes beyond our shores goes here into the United States. Trade surplus or deficit, Australia will always keep our doors open because we back ourselves. Supporting that global trading system is therefore critical to our economic success and our future. And that's why we want to work closely and I thank the Vice President I think Secretary Pompeo. Because we want to work closely with the United States who is the architect of that system to ensure that the system keeps pace with the modern digital economy, is updated to provide a level playing field between established, developed economies and those that are newly established developed economies and to protect the IP of businesses in a highly competitive global marketplace. The rules have got to reflect the changes that have happened around the world. Trade and international engagement is the bulwark against global conflict. This was the post-war vision of the nations led by the United States that won the great peace. And this hasn't changed. But it won't be enough. Together we know that peace and stability cannot be taken for granted. Working together our democracies have been the ballast in unstable times and places guaranteeing safety and security to vulnerable people. As Australians it has never been our response to say this problem is too big, or our circumstances are so trying, that we should leave it to our great and powerful friend. We have never left it to the United States. Ours is not the journey of a free rider on the sacrifice of our friends. Nor will it ever be. Our defence spending will reach two per cent of GDP next financial year. That's up from just 1.56 per cent just six years ago which was the lowest level it had been since the Second World War before the Second World War. At that level we are second only to the United States of the Five Eyes nations, and greater than those much larger nations like Germany and Japan. We take our responsibility in our own neighbourhood very seriously and our Pacific step up which I want to thank the vice president for his keen interest both in that partnership that we are forging in the Pacific. But his commitment and interest and passion for the Pacific. We talk about it as our Pacific family, our Vuvale, if you're in Fiji, our Fanau if you're in Polynesia, To promote shared prosperity. Independence and sovereignty. In the broader Asia Pacific we have forged deep friendships with partnerships over decades with our ASEAN neighbours, with India, and Japan, Korea and we share a comprehensive strategic partnership with China our single largest trading partner where we have had success with partners in our region it has always been built on mutual respect for sovereignty and independence and to celebrate their economic success. It has also been made possible. By our alliance with the United States and your presence and engagement in our region which is so important because it provides the necessary stability in our region to pursue these relationships. Sustained US and economic and security engagement in the Indo-Pacific has never been more necessary. Beyond our region. We share a commitment to the sovereignty also and prosperity of Israel. For 70 years and especially recently we have in Australia together consistently advocated for the nation of Israel and for a peaceful future for the region. Most recently under my government we have taken an even stronger stand. Against the biased and unfair targeting of Israel in the UN General Assembly together with the United States and Mr. Vice President we will continue to do so. Australia may not be America's most powerful friend. But we are certainly as I said this morning your most sure and steadfast. We have just celebrated a century of mateship and at the dawn of a second century of mateship we draw strength from what we have achieved together so far. We commit to modernizing our alliance for the times and challenges we now face and we renew our belief in the values that will always sustain us in this endeavour. So let me also propose a toast. Not just to the Mikes, but to the Commonwealth of Australia. But importantly to these United States of America. And to the better world we have always believed in and toil together to achieve. God bless America.