Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

30 July 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon. I’m joined today by the Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt and the convener, leader, chair of the Coalition of Indigenous Peak Groups, Pat Turner. And I want to come to the important reason that we're gathered together today, to speak about the finalisation of the Closing the Gap Agreements that have been historically reached between the group of Coalition Peaks, the Commonwealth and the states and territories. This is a very significant day, and I know one that both Ken and Pat have been working together on now for some time and I'm so pleased that we've come to this day. I think it's going to have a very meaningful impact on how we progress to ensure that young Indigenous boys and girls can grow up in this country with the same expectations as non-Indigenous boys and girls in this country. That's what we want to see. That's what it's all about. That, as Australians right across the country, we can have the same hopes, the same aspirations, the same goals, ultimately. It's not an easy road and there's still a long road ahead of us to achieve that. But what we're announcing today, I think, will make a very meaningful impact on achieving that journey together.

But before I do that and I know, with the indulgence of both Pat and Ken, I must start by saying that the numbers that we've seen today in Victoria are obviously very concerning and I share the Premier's concern about those. I also support the actions that he's taken on the advice that I've received also about the rate of transmission that is occurring in Victoria and we will be sharing with the Victorian Government any further advice that we have, drawing together the work of the expert medical panel, the AHPPC, who are meeting now, I understand, and any further advice that would come forward from that collective group as to what may assist in Victoria, we will certainly be sharing that with the Premier. And the instance of cases throughout the community, and particularly extending out on the Melbourne metro area into the Geelong region and surrounding areas, is of great concern. And we have now been in this lockdown now for some weeks and we are not getting the results we would hope for and as a result, the further measures that are taken are certainly necessary. They will come at an impact to the economy. We understand that. But, equally, not containing these outbreaks will have that effect also. And so it's important that we continue to work together to get on top of this and to take whatever actions are necessary. The decisions are being driven by the data and by the evidence, as the Premier said, and the actions that are being taken specifically to reduce mobility in the affected outbreak areas are very important and I would just continue to encourage people to comply and work cooperatively with the requests that are being made right across Victoria and elsewhere around the country. The most concerning part of the information released today was that there were a further 13 deaths. That brings to some 189 deaths now in Australia as a result of COVID-19 and some 105 that have occurred in Victoria. 10 out of those 13 deaths occurred in aged care and I will speak further after I have addressed the issues with Minister Wyatt and Pat Turner on the announcements that we're making today. But there's been a series of further measures that we've been taking there which have been making some progress. Aged care cases, including staff, account for just under about or around about 10 per cent of the total cases announced today. Specifically in aged care, there were 16 cases of residents. The balance, 74 in total, 58 were staff. And staff contracting the virus, my advice is predominantly from community transmission.

So, with that let me turn, with your agreement, to the important reason that we've gathered today, as serious as the pandemic is. The issue of achieving those aspirations for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians together are of great significance to our country, not just now but into the future. It is a national aspiration, a national goal, a national task. The process that we began around about two years ago, when we came together, began with listening as to why we were being unsuccessful in closing the gap. Any good process starts with listening and that's what we did as a Government. We listened carefully. And there were many discussions and there were many very unprecedented discussions, including here, in this very Cabinet room, as I sat early this year in January together with Indigenous leaders from peak groups, with Ken, and that was quite an extraordinary discussion. And it charged us up to keep going with the work that was being done to form the Agreement which we've reached today.

As we have been dealing with the pandemic, there have been two phrases, two concepts, that have come up in almost all the briefings that I've had. They talk about lines of effort and they talk about unity of effort. And as I was reflecting on this Agreement last night, I believe that's what this does. It sets out very clear lines of effort, which has been important. But, more importantly, it sets out the process of having a unity of effort. And when we do those two things together, that's where we make progress. Whether it's attacking a pandemic or attacking the very serious issues of Indigenous disadvantage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in this country. And the other thing we did as we listened and we identified these things, and we looked at how we had not been making the progress all of us wanted on closing the gap, we reflected on the fact that Closing the Gap and the initiative taken by Kevin Rudd was an entirely worthy initiative and an initiative deserving of credit. But, innocently, there were elements of how that was done which was misguided. That's not a criticism, that is a learning. A learning of these many years that have passed since then, as we've sought to live up to those worthy aspirations at that time. And one of the mistakes that have been made is, as we've looked at this as a Federal Government, we've decided what the gap is. We didn't look at the gap through the eyes of Indigenous Australians. We told Indigenous Australians what the gap was that we were going to close and somehow thought they should be thankful for that. That was wrong-headed. That wasn't the way to do it. We needed to understand what the gap was, looking through the lens and the eyes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They needed to tell us what the gap was that needed to be closed and that's what this task has been about. It has also been about understanding that this is not the task or role or responsibility of any one organisation, level of government, or nation of peoples across the country. This is the task of us all. And for that to be successful, we need a partnership between all of these groups. Understanding what these lines of effort are to achieve this unity of effort.

And so we set about achieving a partnership and setting out these 16, as I understand, particular areas of activity. Underpinned by four key things we're seeking to do to make them possible. And the first of those is partnership - a partnership of states and territories who have significant roles to play in achieving the outcomes that are set out here in this Agreement. This is not something the Commonwealth can even pretend to think it can do alone. It must be done together with the service delivery and policy arms of state and territory governments. But also with the delivery agencies of Indigenous organisations, which are on the ground, making a difference. Secondly, it's about building the capabilities of those on-the-ground, community-based organisations in Indigenous communities to deliver those services as best as they possibly can. It is about transforming mainstream government agencies and institutions and how they conceive these challenges and how they go about engaging and delivering their services and broader policies that impact on Indigenous Australians, whether they're directed to them specifically or not. And it's about getting the right data, the right evidence, and the right reporting that creates the transparency to drive the actions we're seeking to get progress from. The data then, as it's set out in each of these 16 areas, is incredibly well-presented in terms of what we need. It sets out the goal and those goals haven't changed drastically. But what it has done is identified the things that make that goal achievable and the signs you need to look for along the way to know you're going to meet that goal and how we're progressing against those key data points. And it gets granular. It says, "We're not just going to look up here, we're going to go down the community level, we're going to go and break this up by different groupings to understand where the real challenges are and where our progress is doing well." As Ken has often said, this process has to acknowledge the gains to drive the confidence that other areas can see achievement. But it's also about separating out where the accountabilities lie to get the action. And then there is the further data that is needed to drive the whole process and there are some serious weaknesses when it comes to the intelligence and information that we need to inform plans to eliminate Indigenous disadvantage in this country as much as we possibly can.

And so I find it a very practical document, Pat and Ken. I commend you on the work that it's done. It's realistic, it's shared, it's evidence-based and led, it's transparent, it's practical, it's ambitious. And from this point, the real work starts. And the plans that are needed from the Federal Government, from the state governments, the plans that need to find their way into budgets. But I tell you where we start - we start with what we have to do, and then we apply the resources to achieve that. This isn't about buckets of money, this is about changing the way we do things and ensuring that we apply the resources most effectively to achieve that. And with that I'll pass you on to Ken, and then to Pat.

THE HON. KEN WYATT MP, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Prime Minister, thank you very much. I want to acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, on whose land we are today, their elders past and present. The concept of Closing the Gap was an idea that arose from the Human Rights Commissioner of the day, Tom Calma. Tom put forward a series of propositions and the first signing of a Closing the Gap Agreement was done by a former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. The intentions were honourable. The outcomes were never achieved in the way that we had aspired to reach in the way of improving the lives of Indigenous Australians. And this particular Agreement is historic. Because it goes to the very thing that I said right at the beginning when I first came into this role - that we need to develop approaches to address the issues of inequality and inequity by having Indigenous Australians sitting and jointly designing, planning and developing a direction that is based on how we wrap around people, their life expectancy, their life expectations, and their aspirations from the community level through to the peak organisations. It's been an incredible privilege working with Pat and the 51 peak organisations. When we first started, it was 21. And then it grew. But the more people that were involved, the greater the depth of discussion around what do these targets mean? How will they change the lives of people? And how will we bring governments with us? And that was a critical part of the conversation, as to how do we then take it to the next stage? Because, primarily, it was the Prime Minister who tabled the Closing the Gap Report. There was no requirement for states and territories to do that.

This Agreement through the state and territory cabinet processes has endorsed a new approach. An approach that will involve Aboriginal people as partners in the design of the work of government agencies. It will involve transforming the way in which government agencies at every level, including local government, work with Indigenous Australians. It also commits, through the cabinet process, ministers in all portfolios to work towards achieving closure in the targets and the gap that is associated with the targets. But I think more importantly is the way in which the spirit of intent for the outcome we've achieved today in this Agreement was reached through the passion and commitment of so many people. I want to acknowledge Pat's leadership. If you work with Indigenous organisations, as she has done, she has certainly brought 51 significant leaders to the table, to agree on the targets that we have within the Agreement, including incarceration rates, including family safety and the safety of women, and expanding those targets to focus in key and critical areas. But I also want to acknowledge every state and territory Aboriginal Affairs Minister, because their officials and the officers from the National Indigenous Agency and the officers who worked with Pat in the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation worked paragraph by paragraph through the Agreement until all parties were satisfied. But the thing that is different this time is the enthusiasm of all to address these targets.

Prime Minister, I want to acknowledge you, because you've done something that no other Prime Minister has done, and that is to put faith in the Indigenous community to develop targets for us all to achieve. But for all of us to take responsibility for, and for all of us to be accountable for. And by all of us focusing on those three tranches, I am extremely optimistic that we will see closures in areas to a greater extent than what we've seen historically in the past. And the amount of goodwill means that the reforms that we seek to achieve will now be done in a way that is very different. It means a person living in Ampilatwatja or living in Balgo WA, or in Arrente country will have avenues in which to influence government policy and direction, and to have a say on those things that impact on them through our peaks, and through the other structures that exist within states and territories. So, I compliment all who are involved. And whilst I have been Minister, I've enjoyed the immense journey of the very meaty debates, but the way in which we have come together to produce a blueprint for improving the lives of our people across this nation, with flow-on effects for all Australians. It is part of the Morrison Government's commitment to having a change of direction that is going to make a difference on the ground with state and territory Premiers and Chief Ministers who, through National Cabinet, have signed up to this Agreement, along with the President of the Australian Local Government Association, so it means that local government equally will be involved in achieving the outcomes.

I'd now like to ask Pat to come forward and make her comments.

PAT TURNER AM: Thank you very much, Minister, and thank you, Prime Minister. Today truly is an historic occasion. This is the first time a National Agreement designed to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been developed and negotiated between Australian governments, local government, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives. We have come a long way as partners since the partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap came into effect in March last year and I want to thank each government for the spirit in which they have approached the partnership. I particularly want to thank you, Prime Minister, for your leadership in taking the first step in agreeing to establish a formal partnership between the Coalition of Peaks and governments on Closing the Gap. The Prime Minister probably didn't fully realise what he was committing to, and possibly no government did, but maybe that was a good thing at the time. Today we now have a comprehensive set of commitments from governments that places Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations at the centre of Closing the Gap. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people know what is best for our communities, not governments, and this National Agreement means that decisions of Government on Closing the Gap need to be negotiated and agreed with us.

But I have to say, the Prime Minister and Ken will know it hasn't always been easy, and some of our negotiations have been very hard-fought. For the Coalition of Peaks, the National Agreement is not just words. They represent actions that can make a real difference to the lives of our people, our families, and our communities. We have also had the voices of more than 4,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who participated in our engagements on what should be included in the new National Agreement, guiding us in our negotiations. The Coalition of Peaks is confident that the National Agreement, if fully implemented, has the potential to establish a strong policy foundation to give effect to what our people have been saying for a long time is needed to make a difference. The National Agreement may not include everything our people want or need to make lasting change to our lives, but this is a huge step forward. I also want to thank all the members of the Coalition of Peaks. This is the first time our community-controlled leadership have come together in this way to bring our collective experiences and expertise to the task of Closing the Gap, and it has been a real privilege to work with my colleagues in the Peaks.

It is important that we celebrate today's achievements. We are marking a turning point in Indigenous Affairs and the relationship between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and we have all played our parts. But the real hard work starts tomorrow, as we begin the implementation of the National Agreement in full partnership between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, organisations and representatives. Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Pat. Let's take questions on this matter and then we can return to the pandemic issues afterwards.

JOURNALIST: We've heard many moving and passionate speeches by Prime Ministers and Ministers over the last 12 years about this subject and every year moving speeches by Prime Ministers and Ministers lamenting the fact that governments have fallen woefully short of meeting the targets. What commitment can you give that these new targets will actually be met?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it has the full backing of our entire Government. I said when Ken was appointed as the first Minister for Indigenous Australians, as an Indigenous Australian, that every Minister in my Cabinet is a Minister for Indigenous Australians. Because that's the change, that's the shift that needs to have effect to actually make more progress. I think you're right, Mark, there's never been any lack of passion or commitment or dedication from this podium, no matter who stood behind it. Every Prime Minister that I know has shared this passion and this dedication but also the frustration that goes along with the lack of progress in this area. What I think is different about this process is there has been some humble learnings that has led to its development and its execution. There has been a recognition that in sometimes we have been too ambitious without understanding the detail of what you actually have to do to get there. And what I particularly like about this Agreement is how, as I explained before, it gets very granular about how you get there, and how you know when you're not getting there, and that's very important. This evidence-led process which has an accountability to it, which I think is very important. Now, I'd love to give you a guarantee, like every one of my predecessors would have and endeavoured, tried to, as I am today. But I am tempered by that bitter experience of my predecessors and my own. And so I take comfort in the fact that we've got a partnership now that we haven't had before. It's not because others didn't want it. I think the partnership is the product of the learnings, the humble learnings that have been necessary. So, I do hope, Mark, that we can live up to this. We owe it to everybody Indigenous boy and girl in the country today, and every Indigenous person in the country today.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, and Minister Wyatt, there's been some criticism of the fact that the domestic violence target is not being announced today and it's going to continue to be worked on. Can you explain why, given what we know about the over-representation of First Nations women as victims of domestic violence, why that is still being worked on and is not being announced today?

PRIME MINISTER: Sure, I'm happy to, and I'll let Ken and Pat speak to that because they've been directly involved in those decisions.

THE HON. KEN WYATT MP, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS:  In dealing with this issue we want zero tolerance of any domestic violence, of violence against women. I know that when the working group was going through this, the focus on just physical violence against women was seen as not sufficient. That hasn't lowered our bar for absolute extinction of domestic violence against any woman, and this fits within the Fourth National Plan that our Government has in place as well. But our senior women have asked that we do more work on that and I respect the request that they have made, and we will come back with further work. But the target is still zero tolerance of domestic violence against our women.

Pat?

PAT TURNER AM: Yes, thank you. So we do have some more work to do in our negotiations with all of the governments. It is a national priority and one that we take very seriously, and we hope to have that nutted out as we go through in the next few months and we start our work on the implementation plans to get some real nutty figures in there. Let me say on the National Agreement, it's very important that you read it in detail and you understand it because there are funding provisions that are already committed to in the National Agreement and they will come on board as we progress the important work now on the implementation plans and the important work that we have to do to make sure that we have the right people at the right table, at the right time, in the right place.

PRIME MINISTER: I think fundamentally, I mean, what I drew from all of that, was that because that further work is required is a statement of how serious that goal is taken, and the other contributing causes to how we achieve that goal. Not just the physical violence, which is deplorable, whether it is in Indigenous communities or non-Indigenous communities, as we know, and there are separate plans to deal with that issue more broadly in the country. But the many other non-physical ways that abuse occurs and the link between that and physical abuse and to ensure that we're getting that right. So I think it’s a statement of just how seriously the Agreement does take it and the partners do take it.

Yes, Chris?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister through you to Pat, can you tell us because of all the plans we've had in the past, why you think, in simple terms, there is reason to hope this time that young Indigenous children can have the future the Prime Minister hopes?

PAT TURNER AM: Yes. I think it's because we've been at the table and we'll continue to stay at the negotiating table to make sure that governments do change the way they do business with us, that their program and policy responses are informed by our experience and expertise and, as much as possible, that our own organisations, community-controlled organisations, are resourced to do the service delivery. We get much better outcomes when we deliver the services to our people ourselves. We're just as happy, we've always been accountable for what we've done. And we are certainly accountable to our communities the way we work and we're more accountable in terms of the scrutiny placed on our organisations. I'd like that to be all of that red tape to be reduced, of course, to enable us to get on with the job. But I believe because we're involved in all of those decisions from now on, that we will actually get better results. Now, everyone has got to work in the true spirit of the partnership and, you know, the resources have to be available when they're needed to ensure that the right areas are being but you have to understand that in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, there's been a long history of under-investment by governments and we're dealing with that legacy and we will deal with that legacy. But the issues are so interrelated. Just take the social determinants of health which are impacted by where you're born, how you're born, how you grow and how you live your life. Sir Michael Marmot is the world expert on this and he has spoken many times about this needing to be addressed in Australia. The World Health Organization wants it addressed. We want it addressed. So that will take a coordinated across-government effort and inter-government efforts and we'll be making sure that they do their very best. Because you have to improve where people live, how they live, their opportunities for engagement in the workforce in a real way to have jobs. We create more jobs if our organisations do the service delivery and are funded properly. We employ more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our organisations and we want that to happen because we want our people off of welfare dependency.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, is it fair to ask Indigenous organisations to close a gap that governments over the past 10 years have been unable to narrow in key areas, despite all the resources at their disposal? And how will these community-led organisations be funded to reach these important targets?

PRIME MINISTER: I think what Pat just outlined was a very good summary of the conclusions that have been drawn by this process. There have been significant resources directed to these tasks over many years but the way those resources have been applied have not always got the results. I've seen some of the most extraordinary responses and outcomes from some of the most modest elements of funding to community-based organisations and Clontarf is one that I often talked to you, I have a personal association with it, so I have a massive, declared bias, but how I've seen that change the lives of young Indigenous boys and men has just been extraordinary. That hasn't been the result of massive investments by governments. It's been the result of an extraordinary program and local community leadership and participation. So Pat's point is, and I agree with it, is that this process actually seeks to empower and better resource and support local-led delivery of services. This is where the Coalition of the Peaks comes into it. This is why we're talking to the Coalition of Peaks because they're the Indigenous organisations that deliver services in the communities. You don't get any more closer to the ground than that. Now that just, in the first instance, involves ensuring the balance of how funding is delivered and the channels through which funding is delivered is done properly and that's why Pat rightly says that the hard work starts tomorrow because that is one of the key areas that we're looking to adjust, and Ken and Pat will have a bit more to say about that in the near future. But you're right to note it as a key issue we've had to learn. That's why I hope this process then drives. And not just by the Commonwealth Government, by the way. What this process has recognised is it's fine for a Prime Minister to stand at a dispatch box once every year and talk about what the gaps are and how they're failing, but the Commonwealth is one part in a much bigger team of governments that actually deliver services to Indigenous people and fund those services.

JOURNALIST: Ms Turner, Just in achieving these goals, how important is it to make progress on tangential issues like remaining vigilant against things like institutionalised racism, and pursuing matters like constitutional recognition, Voices to Parliament, and so forth.

PAT TURNER AM: All those processes in relation to the Voice to Parliament, constitutional recognition, are complementary and should continue and will continue and the Minister, of course, is overseeing that. In relation to why we will get a tangible difference now is because our voices have been heard and will continue to be heard, but our influence, our expertise, our experience and our know-how, and the relationships that we have at the community level. So my day job is CEO of NACCHO, which is 143 Aboriginal community-controlled health services around Australia. We stepped in very early this year in our preparations for COVID-19. January we started and we worked in full partnership with every level of government, from the shires through to the state governments, and the Federal Government of course, and we were able to keep our communities pretty safe. Less than one per cent of our population, Australia wide, or out of the COVID numbers today, have tested positive. Overall, we had 59 cases confirmed. There's been a further 45 in Victoria as of 28th of July, and three, that I know of, in Western Sydney. Fortunately, we've had no deaths. Now, the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector has played a critical role in working in full partnership with governments to ensure that our people are protected and are safe and thank God we've had no deaths. And I want to say to all Victorians today, our hearts go out to you and we are with you every step of the way. To those who have lost family members in recent weeks to COVID, you know, please accept our deepest condolences. We don't want any more people in Australia to suffer the consequences of this dreadful virus, and every Australian must pull their weight to keep our people safe.

PRIME MINISTER: Well said, Pat. One of the most significant achievements Australia has had during the COVID pandemic is the extraordinary result in Indigenous communities, amongst Indigenous peoples. It was, I’ve got to say, around the National Cabinet table, together with our elderly, our highest concern as to how the pandemic might affect Australia, particularly in remote communities. Whether it is in the Northern Territory, Northern Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, it doesn't matter where it was and the way the services have worked together to get that outcome, Pat, I think is extraordinary. It's good working with people who know how to get things done.

Yes? Time for a couple more.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you speak about the implementation plans you're going to get from the states and territories and the historic work you're going to be doing with community-controlled organisations. If we fast-forward a year or two and you are seeing failures, what reassurance can you give that the onus of responsibility for that is still going to be with the Commonwealth?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it is going to be with everyone who signed up to this Agreement. That's the Commonwealth, that's the states and territories, that's the Coalition of Peaks. That's the whole point of this. That this is about accountability for what we each do and recognising the role we have to play. See, when we entered into this, I learnt and understood that if you want to make progress here, then you've got to get everybody to go together and this is the advice that Pat gave us, this is the learnings that Ken brought to the table. And so that's what we're doing. We're bringing people together, and applying ourselves in a unified effort to these lines of effort, defined by the voices of Indigenous people, coming back through the Coalition of Peaks. So, look, I hope in two years the story is better. But I can tell you what, if it is not, there'll be an accountability chain, there will be a set of data that will tell us why and there should be an ability that enables us to acknowledge that and make changes.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, given how entrenched some of these intergenerational issues are, specifically around incarceration rates, are you confident, given the over-representation of young people, in particular, in detention young Indigenous people, that these targets, these benefits, will reach to that generation now, or will this take almost a whole generation for them, for their children, say, to not to be facing those same rates?

PRIME MINISTER: There are gains to be made now, but Ken, you may want to comment on this as well. But there are gains that can be made now but there is an honesty in this Agreement which understands that other gains are generational. And I have been hearing that for generations too. That's a key issue of disappointment that generations have come and gone and the generational changes haven't been made. That's not to fail to acknowledge, though, the generational achievements that have been put in place. Of course, there have been some, and many, but our hope is higher.

THE HON. KEN WYATT MP, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Just adding to that, in the discussions I've had with states and territories, the understanding of the intergenerational impact is now very conscious in the minds of state and territory systems. WA, for example, has repealed its legislation in respect to being incarcerated for fine defaults. That's a major shift because you're releasing, and it's predominantly women, you’re releasing mothers back to their families. That example is important. I know a couple of other jurisdictions are looking at issues as well. But what we have to focus on is setting the foundation in the first 15 years of life so that children are successful and will not end up in the pathways that take them into conflict with systems that see them incarcerated. We also are looking at what are the programs we need to put in place for people coming out of imprisonment that will allow them to take opportunities. I want to acknowledge one of your organisations, Pat, in Kalgoorlie, the Aboriginal community-controlled Health Service now recruits people who've come out of jail. They look at the issue of recency of a crime but they also look at the way in which they can skill young people or people who've come out, and what they've said to me is that their workforce is completely loyal, they've been given a great opportunity and they're continuing to professionally develop into other leadership roles in the organisation. So we'll be looking at those elements as well as part of the implementation plans, but listening to Aboriginal families and communities on the ground as well. This is all part of the historic reform. It is now doing things with our people, not to them.

PRIME MINISTER: Just two more because then we have to move on. Here and here. You can ask the other the one later, Kath if you like.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, three weeks ago in Victoria when they went into lockdown, there was something like 680 cases, today there is more...

PRIME MINISTER: Hang on, we’re talking about Indigenous issues.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Pat mentioned that some of these negotiations had been pretty hard-fought. What were some of the sticking points, and Pat, can I ask of you, what are the areas you would like to see further action beyond what’s been announced today?

PAT TURNER AM: Well, there are the key priority areas that are identified in the Agreement. Let me say that this Agreement has, probably, the most transparency, the most monitoring and the most accountable mechanisms that have ever been included in an agreement, and this is the first time that there has been an agreement with the former COAG, now National Cabinet, and Local Government Association with an outside party. First time ever. And I'm glad it's First Nations people that have got that. But you will see, here, that every year, every level has to account for what it's done and we will be reviewing continuously and we have national targets. Even the priority reforms have targets that have to be reported upon. Targets are just a measure of how well they are doing, governments are doing, and the level of ambition that they've been prepared to commit to. The priority reforms, as I said, are the game changers here. They will change the way government works with our people and governments, you know, we've made it very clear, we want parity across the board and that's what we'll be aiming for.

PRIME MINISTER: We'll go here, then we’ll go to Kath. Then we have to draw that part of the press conference to a close. Then I'll move to the pandemic.

JOURNALIST: I have a question on Victoria as well.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it can wait. Katharine.

JOURNALIST: One on this and then the pandemic question, if I can, Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER: We'll come back to the pandemic one.

JOURNALIST: No worries, just…

PRIME MINISTER: We’ll have to deal with those later.

JOURNALIST: A closing the gap question.

PRIME MINISTER: Please.

JOURNALIST: You've all during this press conference narrated a highly successful process of co-design in terms of policy. Obviously there's been bumps and difficulties and all that sort of stuff, but you've got there. That's the principle at the heart of the voice, that Indigenous people be involved in government decision-making. So, doesn't the success of this project that you've all embarked upon make the case to accelerate the voice?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, there's never been a view from the Government that has in any way sought to not engage, and not listen, and not have Indigenous voices as part of the way we're making decisions, and I think that's what we've demonstrated. You know me, Katharine, I'm a very practical person about these issues. And I think what we're practically demonstrating is that model is already working, it is already occurring, and I will continue to operate in that way. And that's the process that, you know, Ken is also tracking down on the other matters that you've referred to.

MINISTER WYATT: Katharine, just very quickly, the work is continuing. The three groups are reaching a point at which they are considering models for Government to consider. The Coalition of Peaks is a very distinct group that will lead in many fronts in the closing the gap, but this is about giving all Indigenous people across this nation a chance to exercise their views on issues that impact directly on them at the community level as well.

PRIME MINISTER: So Pat, if I could say thank you.

PAT TURNER AM: Thank you very much, Prime Minister. And thank you, Minister. Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: Ken, thank you. Thanks very much. And as they go, I particularly want to acknowledge Tony Abbott. He has had an enormous impact on my understanding and appreciation of these issues when I worked with Tony many years ago, when we were in opposition, actually, and then in Government as Prime Minister. And I just want to acknowledge the impact that he has had in how we've been approaching these issues here today.

Let me turn to the issues of Victoria. I've already made a statement in relation to supporting the initiatives that the Victorian Premier has announced today and what were a very alarming level of figures that were revealed today. There has been somewhat of a sore tooth in terms of what we've seen in those numbers but, certainly, while some days have been lower, at that, elevated levels, that is a real cause for concern. Within those numbers, when you look at the broader trend that is occurring since the lockdown, I'm advised that we're still seeing around about, give or take, about 50 cases per day with no known source and that is the primary cause for concern. I mean, in New South Wales there are no known cases, with no known source, cases with no known source I should say. So that is actually at the heart of the concern about where this goes from here. That's why that tracing, and testing, that why the door-knocking that has been expanded with what the ADF are doing, and it is a very good program. ADF has also been enabled to increase their ability to participate in the actual conduct of the testing and they've been given accreditation to do that. So that's boosted those testing capabilities in a lot of those large centres and that's very welcome.

So as it has moved into other communities, that is obviously of great concern and we can’t rule out further restrictions or limitations to stem this outbreak. We'll be sharing our views again, with the Victorian Government about that, based on what the AHPPC is considering today and the advice that we're receiving directly. But I want to make it very clear that we support the moves taken because they’ve been very evidence-based by the Victorian Premier today.

Specifically in relation to aged care, just a couple of quick updates there, the situation in Epping Gardens I wouldn't say at this point is fully stable but there's been significant progress from yesterday. There's been further transfers from those facilities. There has been a significant change in the management of those facilities. Working together with the local health authorities there to ensure the workforce needs are being met, and the ADF have continued to play a role. As I said yesterday, it was our goal yesterday, through Services Australia, and the other communications mechanisms, to reach out, proactively, to every single family contact of those who were involved in that facility. I was advised last night and this morning, again, by the Minister that that - that attempt to contact every single one of those contacts was done yesterday. The work that is being done on communications is a combination of the facilities, themselves, where they can stand up that ability to make those regular contacts with the family, contacts of residents, they are doing that. If they have a problem in the ability to achieve that, then Minister Colbeck is working with them to put Services Australia teams in to make those calls and to ensure families can be kept in contact. So that is welcome.

A focus of the Victorian aged care response centre now is not only getting that further PPE out across Victoria and the facilities, and they were again packing those last night and getting them distributed, but it is also to be enforcing the training and enforcing the use of that PPE equipment in aged care facilities. There's been far too much anecdotal evidence that we've been receiving of PPE, despite the training, despite the PPE being there, not being used the way it should. And in discussions with the Minister, again this morning, we agreed, and that will be communicated through to centres, that failure to comply with those requirements of using PPE will lead to marking down on people's accreditation. That will occur. And so they need to ensure they follow those practices. They need to do that to ensure the protection, obviously, of their residents, but also to protect the staff at these facilities. I want staff to feel very confident going to work each day in aged care facilities. The PPE is there. The training has been there. And we are confirming that again with visits by teams to bring and refresh that training, wherever it is needed, and we're focusing obviously on those facilities that are in the areas of highest outbreaks and at greater risk, and where there are already cases.

But I can confirm to you to again that it is only a small number of facilities that I would still say were in the acute stage of the critical list that we have of just over a dozen centres. Stabilisation in many of those other centres has been established. But we are keeping on them on a close watching brief. And so it is really is now about ensuring that even where we haven’t quite a number of facilities, where there are cases, our advice is that they are being managed well within those facilities. But the AUSMAT teams, the first of those arrived today. Teams of South Australian nurses arrived the night before last. There is also the opportunity potentially to bring in some nurses from Western Australia - that was identified last night. So the resourcing of the staff needs is being worked on very well by the Aged Care Response Centre, and the integration of the work being done by the local hospitals, the public health unit of Victoria, together with the aged care regulators has stood up quite strongly in the last few days. Their task is to make sure that we don't see any further repeat of some of the more critical scenes that we’ve seen in places like Epping Gardens or St Basil's or facilities that have been in that category.

Happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: The Treasury Secretary this morning has indicated that the deteriorating virus situation in Victoria and also the tougher border restriction in Queensland are likely to weigh on the economic outcomes more than the Budget envisaged last week?

PRIME MINISTER: True.

JOURNALIST: Does that concern you? Is there anything more you need to do to counteract that economic downturn?

PRIME MINISTER: It doesn't surprise me, and we actually flagged that would be the case from these very podiums when we made that point. These economic numbers quickly outdate, based on the way that the pandemic impacts on the country. The Victorian wave is certainly having that impact. Decisions that are taken by other states can also impact that result as well. That's why we've been so cautious not rushing to longer-term scenarios. We'll put forward the four-year estimates in the normal way in the Budget, but as the Treasury Secretary, I think, demonstrated this morning, those estimates over a longer-term would have been quickly overtaken by the events that we’ve had. So it is a constant challenge and they are constantly re-working those numbers. But the supports we have, are designed to move with those circumstances. So if there, will certainly be more businesses in Victoria, as the Secretary, I think, indicated today, who will be relying on JobKeeper post-September than would have been anticipated otherwise. And you, it may well be the case. Decisions about borders in Queensland could lead to that outcome as well. I think that's a little too early to say at this point. Those changes could be made just as easily in a week or so, and that could be reversed, and that economic impact, hopefully, therefore would be avoided.

Yeah Phil, and then Katharine, and then I’ll come back over that way.

JOURNALIST: Premier Andrews mentioned again today one of the problems is sick people still going to work in Victoria. How serious are you about post pandemic leave? Are you thinking something economy-wide like the unions are asking for or is your focus more sector-specific where it's evidence-based?

PRIME MINISTER: Well I'm not going to be drawn on those questions at this point because we're still working those discussions through as part of the process that the Minister for Industrial Relations is engaged in. So I think it is best that those discussions are held there. We're conscious of the issues and we’re seriously pursuing them.

Katharine?

JOURNALIST: PM you flagged a second ago that there may be more restrictions after the AH... the acronym I always get wrong...

PRIME MINISTER: The medical expert panel, I think I find this is the, I find a little easier to say.

JOURNALIST: Thank you, sorry, there might be more restrictions, do you mean just in Victoria or do you mean more broadly? And also another if I may, Richard Colbeck yesterday afternoon sent a signal that the Commonwealth was looking at perhaps some additional support for people who want or need to withdraw their elderly residents from nursing homes in Victoria, there might be some support to bring them home. There wasn't a lot of detail. Can you expand on what might be?

PRIME MINISTER: No, I can't say any more than he said yesterday and I'd refer you to him as to how he's progressing with that. No, the AHPPC, which Professor Kelly is bringing it together today, is really focused on the Victorian situation. No, I don't anticipate there being a need based on the advice I have for other restrictions elsewhere in the country. I’m, while - I spoke to Premier Berejiklian this morning, to Gladys, and she is, rightly, constantly anxious but that's exactly where, I think, we should all be when it comes to those who are responsible for managing these situations. But the outbreaks are very well chronicled and the sources of those in New South Wales all defined. And so, I think that still gives us reason for, I think, encouragement in New South Wales. But not reason for complacency. I've never seen Gladys have a complacent day in her life. So I'm sure she's going to continue to apply that usual level of focus.

Just one at a time.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Ken Wyatt said this morning, that WA, the closed borders has meant we have had not had outbreaks of coronavirus which we have seen in other states like Victoria and New South Wales. Do you agree with that? Are there other WA Ministers who also do see the merit of this closed border or as that seemed to suggest this morning?

PRIME MINISTER: Let me be very clear what I would like to achieve in Western Australia. I would like to achieve a cooperative situation in Western Australia. My primary concern for Western Australians is the health and wellbeing of Australians living in Western Australia, and that's why we have put in place all the measures that we have. The constitution doesn't provide for unilateral decisions to close borders without there being a proper basis for those decisions. That is our understanding, that is my understanding of it. And so I am very keen to work with the Western Australian Premier to ensure that the, all the appropriate protections are in place for Western Australia. I mean I think the argument that was being had, is that there is a border between Western Australia and South Australia and the incidence of cases in South Australia is lower than it is in Western Australia and so I just think when these decisions are made, there needs to be the clear, transparent process of medical evidence to support those decisions and they should be done in concert. In the New South Wales - Victorian border, I engaged with the New South Wales Premier, the Victorian Premier, we agreed that was the right response and then we not only did that but then we worked together to ensure we were putting in place cooperatively, the arrangements of how the border was going to be managed and what the medical advice was that led us to that decision and then we supported those arrangements through the application of ADF resources, particularly in border towns, to work through any issues that followed. That is the process that I think should work in a Federation and I'm very happy and would love to engage with Premier McGowan along those lines and the Attorney General and the Minister for Finance, both very senior Western Australians in my Government, are seeking to do that even as we speak.

JOURNALIST: [inaudible] the border with New South Wales and Victoria, that would be OK, it’s just this indiscriminate border closure, that is the main clincher here for the Federal Government?

PRIME MINISTER: There is a constitutional issue here that goes well beyond the current circumstances. And I believe we can get an arrangement in place for Western Australia which completely addresses all of the Premier's public health concerns. And that can involve restrictions, it can involve restrictions on movements between states and from particular places and outbreak areas and resources to support that. At the very same time, it is the Commonwealth government that in response to the request from the West Australian Premier, is providing ADF resources to bolster their hotel quarantine. The biggest risk to Western Australia is the hotel quarantine, as we have seen in Victoria, and we are working hand in glove with the Premier there and look I enjoy a very good relationship with Mark McGowan. I have no truck with the, what has led to this case in terms of that process. But the fact is, there is a case that's going on. I warned the Premiers that this was likely to occur. I fear that it will result, based on the advice I have from the Attorney General, that it could leave Western Australia in a weaker position, so I would like to work with the Premier to ensure we leave Western Australians in a stronger position. That is what I want for Western Australians.

Yep? Here, and then I’ll keep coming around, then I’ll come over here.

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] coronavirus in Australia since this pandemic started, particularly in Victoria where the number of active cases have exploded by about around about 9,000 in 3 weeks since the lockdown. What's not going right there to suppress the virus?

PRIME MINISTER: Look, I would suggest to you a different way to look at this. The reason that we're having problems is because there is a coronavirus and sometimes I think we lose sight of this. The coronavirus finds its way into the nooks and crannies of our community and once it gets there, it takes hold. I mean, this is not unique to Australia. I was on a call last night, again, with Bibi Netanyahu. They have 1,900 cases a day. And there’s around, and the number of cases in Austria has doubled to 100 a day and there are many countries now experiencing further waves, Australia is with this Victorian wave. I have highlighted, I think, on so many occasions now, that the way we get on top of it, is ensuring that our testing and our tracing and our outbreak containment works effectively. Now, on some days, the virus wins. On other days, we beat it. But I think we've got to be careful not to slip into some idea that there is some golden immunity that Australia has in relation to this virus. This virus will be around for some time and we will direct every effort and every resource we have to stop its impact across our community and where there are lessons that need to be learned, they are getting learned. Where there is information that needs to be shared, then it is being shared. And where there are responsibilities and accountabilities that are needed, they are being addressed. But I don't want to give Australians, and I would urge in the reporting, that we don't create some false impression that somehow Australia has got a golden ticket in this. We don't. And I can tell you, speaking to many of these other leaders, I was talking to the Irish Prime Minister this morning, every country is dealing with this the best they can. That is what we're doing in Australia and I can tell you, we're doing better than most and many.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on Queensland, you’ve been pretty strong in your praise about the way New South Wales has handled this. Do you think the Premier's decision to shut off millions of Sydneysiders from being able to enter is sensible or is it an overreaction?

PRIME MINISTER: Look, I will leave others to commentate on this. All I say is the decisions, when it comes to these matters, should be based on the best possible medical advice and I note the decisions that were taken today by the Victorian Premier were on that basis and I'm aware of that advice and I'm aware of that evidence that supports those decisions and I think whatever decisions premiers are taking, they have to explain them and they have to outline to the public about what the medical evidence is to support those decisions. So I think that's the standard that all political leaders should be held to, I am happy to be, and I am sure other premiers are when you put those questions to them.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, overnight there was a very tense stand-off at Epping Gardens and you have just talked about some of the issues there. Health workers were allegedly blocked from separating residents who had tested positive to COVID-19 from others, and federal intervention was requested. How angry are you with that operator and why were families left in the dark? You say communication has improved but just this week a man was called 11 hours after his mother had died to be informed that she was dead by being told that her body was deteriorating unrefrigerated in her room.

PRIME MINISTER: These are the distressing situations that I was referring to earlier in the week and they are incredibly distressing. They are the product of a very severe crisis that occurred in a number of these centres and we have been fairly upfront about that and the reasons as to how that took place and why there has been the need to transfer many patients, as they become patients, into hospitals, both private and public, and we have had great cooperation in recent days to ensure that has been taking place so there have been some significant failings in those areas and that's what the team has been working to address and to ensure that we don't get a repeat of that, when there are outbreaks. Remembering that when you get an outbreak in the community, that does affect workforce, whether it is an aged care facility or in any other type of workplace. And one of the challenges, to go to one of the earlier questions, that we are facing in Victoria at the moment is we are still seeing too much transmission in workplaces. People, if you have got those symptoms, do not go to work. The Premier's been very clear about that in his impassioned pleas and I support them. But equally it is true, the restrictions that are put in place about going into people's homes and things like that more broadly, people can let their guard down in those environments and that is where the virus can find its way. So when it gets into a facility, it can have a significant impact. And that’s what the processes we have put in place over the course of the last week and even before that, but particularly over the last few days, are designed to ensure that the sort of very distressing things that have occurred don’t occur again.

Chris?

JOURNALIST: I am just wondering how you envisage that the economy recovers, given that the uncertainty of this virus means we’re making assumptions on a recovery which we just can't make. I mean, how can you ever really, as a state premier, open the border again, if you know that a virus case might get across?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the goal of the suppression strategy is zero community transmission. That is the goal. And in seven states and territories, we're pretty much at that goal, with a few notable but very small exceptions. I am quite confident that the measures that are in place in New South Wales and also in Queensland will address those cases that we have been reading about in these last 24-48 hours. In Victoria, the challenge is far greater. But all you can do, Chris, is do what we are doing and that is keep people in jobs, provide businesses with the support they need which either buys them time or buys them new opportunities. And I have referred to those on many occasions about the incredible innovation we have seen from businesses. The types of supports we put in place in Australia for businesses, employees, and welfare support is commensurate and in a very similar vein to pretty much all the other leaders I talk to. Many of them look at what we have done and they are replicating it. What we have done replicates some of the things they have done. There has been an enormous amount of collaboration and we are all dealing with the same problems and the uncertainty is one of those problems. So what you do is you just keep people in jobs, you look for every opportunity to build a COVID safe economy every opportunity you can to do that. And you put every other effort you can into finding a vaccine and making sure that when that vaccine is found, there is a global commitment that as soon as it is found it is shared and that is a critical issue I have been raising in many of my calls recently with other leaders and that has been well supported. Whoever finds it, wherever they are, I think there is a global responsibility to share that far and wide.

JOURNALIST: About $12 billion more has or is expected to be taken out of superannuation by the end of the year. Are you concerned that effectively that money is being taken for purposes that it is not intended for? That you will potentially have situations where people are less able to support themselves later on in life when they are in retirement? And what is the Government doing to step in and ensure that that money is not being inappropriately used?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's not my money. It’s not the Government's money. It is their money. The intent for which it is used is decided by the person whose money it is. The Government doesn't give people lectures about how they should spend their money, that is not the sort of Government we are. It is their money and if they believe they need it because they are facing hardship, because the rules are there to only be making this available in cases of that hardship, just as there has always been rules to support people to access their superannuation because of a particular hardship. That is not a new concept. It is a much bigger concept now given the hardship that people are facing. But the overwhelming majority of cases that my advice is that people are using it actually to restructure their own personal balance sheets. They are putting it against their debts and they are putting it against to support their mortgages and that strikes me as a very good opportunity for them to reduce their risk, to increase their financial resilience with their own resources and in many respects, you will find that by taking those decisions, they may be, I would argue, potentially much more financially advantageous decisions they are making by redeploying their own resources to those uses right now and put them even in a stronger position in the future. So no, I don't have those concerns, but I think it is very important to note, we are not a Government that tells people how they should spend their own money. Superannuation doesn't belong to the superannuation fund managers. It belongs to the superannuation fund members. It is their money and there are legitimate and I think very appropriate rules to enable people in this time of hardship to access their own money, to do with it what they believe is best for them. I will back them as to how they spend their money every day of the week. Thank you very much.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42955

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

29 July 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: Good morning everyone. I’m joined by Professor Murphy this morning in his capacity as the Secretary of the Department of Health. The reason for that is as Secretary for the Department of Health that he is directly overseeing the operations of the Department and engaging with the Victorian Government in relation to the aged care issues currently that we are addressing in Victoria. Of course, Professor Kelly would normally join me on broader issues and will continue to do that in our normal updates and briefings, whether it be on National Cabinet or on broader reporting that we do on the pandemic. But given that Professor Murphy is the one directly responsible in his duties as Secretary for the Health Department, that's why he joins me here today. I just wanted to make that very clear. Everyone is doing a tremendous job amongst our CMO team, as they are in the Department of Health and as you know there are many challenges.

The situation that we have been facing, particularly in recent days and weeks in Victoria for aged care, has been very distressing. It is very distressing first and foremost to the families of those who have loved ones in aged care facilities. The most vulnerable in our community have always been our highest concern when it comes to managing the health issues associated with this pandemic. That has always been true for the elderly, but it has also been true for those who have many other comorbidities, those who are undergoing chemotherapy treatments, those in Indigenous communities and remote areas. We have always been aware of those who have been most vulnerable in our community and elderly persons, particularly those in facilities which these days, as we know, aged care has changed. It's one of the reasons why I called the Royal Commission into aged care because the nature and demands on our aged care services have changed. In many ways, aged care facilities in many instances have become a form of pre-palliative care in Australia. Many years ago it was quite different, but these days, particularly with the in-home aged care options that we are continuing to expand across the country, more Australians are choosing and it is a good choice to be able to make, to remain at home. But those who have moved into aged care facilities are often moved in at a much more advanced stage and all of us who have had to make those decisions in relation to loved ones understand that and so I think that attaches to it a particular sensitivity in the challenges we're now facing.

The challenges of dealing with aged care are not unique to Australia. Indeed, in every country in the world where there is sustained community transmission, it is inevitable that this will find its way into aged care facilities. When it rains, everyone gets wet. And that is what we're seeing with broad-based community transmission in Victoria. As the Premier rightly said, if you are ill, do not go to work. That is true if you work in a meat processing plant, it is true if you work in a chemist shop, it is true if you work in a restaurant, it is true if you're a journalist, a politician, whoever you may be, an aged care worker especially. We have, I think, over 750 healthcare workers in particular in Victoria who have been infected with COVID. This is the product of community transmission and whatever workplace it is, then workplaces are vulnerable and that's why the Victoria Government has rightly put in place the protections they have to try and protect against that workplace transmission.

Now, in relation to aged care facilities in Victoria, there are over 430 such facilities in Melbourne. It's a large number of facilities. We have seen some very distressing and concerning situations arise in a handful of those facilities. In facilities such as St Basil's, in facilities such as Epping Gardens where we have been working very consistently over recent days, in Kirkbrae. There are a range of other facilities where there have been COVID cases, around 13 that we are keeping a very close watch on. There are facilities outside of that list of 13 who are obviously in areas where there is community outbreak which we are also watching, but they are not what you'd call the critical list of facilities where we have a keen level of focus. So it's important to understand, because I can understand if people in Victoria or even elsewhere as they're seeing it unfold the very distressing stories out of St Basil's and the other facilities which have been affected most acutely, that they will have concerns about the facility where their family is. The good news is broadly across the aged care system in Victoria, we have been able together, working together with the Victorian Government, able to avoid those quite distressing scenes in the overwhelming majority of those facilities. But we will not be complacent about it and the establishment of the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre has been a key initiative to ensure that we continue to stay on top and hopefully ahead of any potential threats that may emerge in those facilities.

I'll ask Professor Murphy to speak to a number of those distressing cases. As I said yesterday when I was in Queensland before returning here yesterday, I want to be as up-front with you as we possibly can about what has occurred in these facilities. And I said the Royal Commission will have absolute ability to go into the intricacies of these issues, and I hope they do because all lessons always must be learnt. But in the meantime, happy for us to convey as much as we possibly can because I believe that can provide some assurance to the public that we are aware of the problems that have occurred and more importantly are taking actions to deal with those problems and to try to prevent them in the case of any outbreaks that may occur in the future in these facilities. But I do stress, the principal cause for transmission into aged care facilities has been through workforce transmission. It has principally come through the infection of staff, more broadly in the community, in many cases completely unaware of that infection and by the time they became aware of that infection, then obviously they'd been in those facilities. And that is true in many workplaces around Victoria. In the case of aged care, then obviously the consequences of that and implications are far more serious to those for whom they're providing care.

The actions that have been to principally address the disruption in workforce in these facilities. Where cases have been identified in facilities, there had been an immediate isolation of entire workforces in these places. Now, if you take out an entire workforce in a facility, that is going to have obvious impacts for the continuity of care and very distressing consequences have flown from that. They trouble me deeply, I know they would trouble the Premier equally deeply, our ministers for health, we are all very distressed by those events that took place in those few facilities that were affected in this way. And so it has been important in those cases to move as quickly as we can to get workforces into those places. Those workforces have been drawn from broader nursing staff but also, in particular, in the Epping Gardens centre, they were supported by the ADF and on one occasion arranged quite late in the evening. But going forward, the key actions that were necessary were to ensure the cessation of all unnecessary elective surgery and to free up the private and public nursing workforces to support those aged care facilities. The aged care facilities that are in the most distressed situation, you wouldn't describe as being in a normal aged care environment with residents. They have moved effectively into an in-patient care type facility, akin to what you would see in a hospital. And so that requires in many cases an even higher standard of nursing care in those places and so getting access to that private and public nursing workforce is a critical part of the solution to ensure we can move people quickly into those situations. So I welcome the decision of the Premier yesterday to make those decisions in relation to elective surgery. That is already making a very big impact and I want to thank, particularly, the hospitals that have been in the clusters of areas around where these facilities are in working so quickly with our team in the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre to be able to make those staffing available.

The second area of response was to transfer patients - because they had become patients, in most cases - out of aged care facilities into both public and private hospitals. That has been an essential action, both to ensure that those Australians were getting the support and care they needed, but also that the facilities themselves could be brought back to a level of operations where the workforce could support it and that those who remain in those facilities could get the standard of care that we would all expect. So I thank the Premier also for his agreement to that step, working together to solve the problem. And that has also had a very significant impact. Last night, Professor Murphy can update you on this, but we had significant further transfers out of Epping Gardens, I understand, but there was also, I think, Wyndham Lodge as well, we had some transfers yesterday and a number of other facilities. That is relieving the pressure on those places and that is welcomed.

A third part of the response has been the calling in of AUSMAT teams. The first of those I anticipate to arrive tomorrow. Those teams, we hope, to get up to five within a reasonable period of time. They're teams of seven. They act as a first responder, if you like, into places that are going through a critical response need and to stabilise the situation and to provide not just the medical and clinical support but the leadership, medical leadership, that is required in those critical situations. And that is something they can supplement very, very effectively. And we welcome that support as well and that has been arranged, of course, by Minister Hunt to go in as part of that response. There is also the broader work which is being done on infection control. Professor Murphy can go through those figures, but some 150,000 aged care workers have been trained with those training modules that have been provided through the earlier response provided by the Commonwealth. It is also important that that will now be refreshed and part of the task that has been undertaken through the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre, led by Joe Buffone, has been to now coordinate teams to be going into facilities across Melbourne to ensure that we're getting compliance with infection control procedures. Part of the response team that has been going into places like St Basil's and others has also, in particular, in Epping Gardens today involves geriatricians as well as infection control specialists working together with senior nursing staff to ensure those facilities can be stabilised. St Basil's, I'm advised now, has been brought to a stable position and we're working very hard to ensure that Epping Gardens is in that position as quickly as possible.

The other critical part has been in communications and I want to commend Minister Colbeck for the work that he's been doing to ensure that we're getting as much communication to families as possible. As you know, there will be a principal point of contact for every resident with a family. And today, I'm advised that there will be outward calls to all of those family contacts in the Epping Gardens facility. That has already been done in relation to St Basil's and that is the practice that has been put in place. There is also a system that has been put in place where Services Australia is supporting the communication to families working with the nurses and others in the facilities who are providing those details to Services Australia so they can be communicated directly to families. It is our endeavour to contact families as often as possible to ensure they have the information of what is occurring with their loved ones.

I will leave it to Professor Murphy to go into more details of the response, but since returning yesterday, these are the things that have been put in place. I genuinely want to thank the Victorian Government for working with us to get these solutions in place. These are our shared responsibilities, as the Premier and I know. We have been in contact with each other this morning. We'll be speaking later today. We have been in regular contact over these issues and I want to assure Victorians, in particular, but Australians all around the country, premiers, chief ministers, myself, our officials, our teams are working together to just focus on the problem, to solve the problem, and to keep Australians safe. That's my sole objective.

Now, more broadly on the Victorian response, we continue to support that effort. The ADF obviously highly involved with that tasking and I can note today that the door knocking task that the ADF had been involved in will be expanded. That's proving to be very effective and so further resources are being directed towards that task. The testing regime in Victoria continues to run at a cracking pace and I commend them for the rollout of that program. Also I want to thank all states and territories. Last Friday, as I said to you, we agreed a national dashboard of key data that enables us to track even more closely the performance of all states and territories as they're going through their testing and their tracing regimes. Now, for many states and territories, we welcome the fact that they're entering zeros into those datasets and long may that be the case, but when those numbers move, it's important that we are able to identify those as early as possible. It is also pleasing to see that the outbreak in New South Wales has been contained. That has now been the case for many days and again I commend the New South Wales Government and the excellent tracing work they have been doing to stay on top of that. The response down in Batemans Bay has been particularly welcomed and I'm pleased to hear that the situation there has stabilised significantly and the broader cases that have been identified, they have moved on extremely fast to ensure that they can be contained.

Just finally, I just want to make a couple of points on the economic issues. It is clear that the Victorian wave that Australia is now experiencing, and that's how I honestly have to describe it. I mean, there's not a second wave that's going across the rest of the country, that is not occurring. There is a significant Victorian wave, but that Victorian wave is impacting the national economy more broadly. We're seeing that in the payroll data. That is the most, one of the most, timely datasets we see on employment. It is affecting other states. We're also seeing that on things like table bookings at restaurants and in states that aren't affected by COVID in the same way that Victoria has. So that's what I mean when I say Australia wins when Victoria wins. It's in the national interest, both from a health perspective and an economic perspective that we ensure that Victoria wins here and we're all backing Victoria to win and we're all putting everything we can behind Victoria to ensure they can do that and where we have shared responsibilities, we're working incredibly closely together.

I also welcome the announcement by APRA today, made before markets opened, which will ensure banks will have continued flexibility to be able to deal with the commitments that their clients have on their mortgages and business loans and things of that nature and I think that has shown a fleet-footedness by APRA in response to the crisis. Also, of interest, the Australian Office of Financial Management announced the syndication of a $15 billion, 50-year bond - sorry, 30-year bond. That is the second, I understand, of those 30-year bonds. One was done when I was Treasurer. They locked that in at some 1.9 percent. That means that we are changing the profile of our debt and ensuring that the interest costs on our debt, which have had to rise significantly, the amount of new issuances we have had have been at record levels, combined together with T-notes (Treasury notes), we’ve raised just some under $2 billion in recent months, $197.6 million to be exact, $132 million through bonds. These have been oversubscribed. That is an indication of the confidence that the world’s financial markets have in both how Australia is managing, I think, the COVID pandemic, but also the financial management of the country through this pandemic. And with that I'll pass you to Professor Murphy.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thank you Prime Minister. So in this evolving global pandemic with nearly 17 million reported cases and multiples of that unreported almost certainly, one of the key lessons is that where you have sustained, significant community transmission, there are tragedies in aged care. Aged care cannot be completely protected from sustained community transmission as we have seen in Victoria over recent weeks. Despite all the preparation, the infection control planning, the deployment of PPE, the pandemic and infection control plans that every facility has created, the restriction of visitors, the staff screening, all of those cannot protect against what the Prime Minister said was the inadvertent bringing into the facility of this virus.

One of the things we have all learned about this virus in the last six months is this terrible combination of a virus that can spread so easily in fit, young people, sometimes without any symptoms, and yet when it gets into our frail elderly people, it wreaks havoc. And it has a very significant death rate, fortunately some do recover and, but it is a very, very nasty virus with the elderly. We have always said from the beginning of this pandemic that we cannot completely protect our elderly unless we control community transmission.

So we do have outbreaks in 77 of our residential aged care facilities in Victoria. That is around about 10% of the 770 or thereabouts residential aged care facilities in that state. And given that there are 465 facilities in the outbreak hot zones, that in some respects shows just how well the others have done given the widespread community transmission that has occurred across that hot zone of the Melbourne metropolitan area and Mitchell Shire. Many facilities have protected their residents with extreme attention to detail and focus. It's not the fault that those facilities have outbreaks, that they have had cases introduced. We know that people, residents have often, families have said that sometimes they have observed breaches and we will look into any issues in the retrospective analysis of these significant outbreaks. But these incursions of this virus into facilities are essentially unavoidable. For most of those 77 facilities, there have only been one or two small cases. The public health response has been swift and prompt. Isolation, quarantining of contacts has brought the facility under very good and early control. In others, there have been substantial and bigger outbreaks. We have 13 facilities that we are keeping a very close eye on at the moment. Many with more than 20 cases. We now have across all of aged care, including homecare, 456 residents who are now Covid positive. That is still a relatively small proportion of the cases in Victoria but it is probably the highest concern group of people that are infected with this virus. There are also 381 staff who have now contracted Covid virus across the aged care sector. On top of that, there are many hundreds of hospital and healthcare workers who have also contracted coronavirus and there are also many hundreds, sorry, there are many hospital staff who have contracted, not hundreds but there are many hundreds of hospital staff who are in quarantine and isolation.

So the loss of staff with the virus, the loss of staff who are in quarantine, both in the aged care and hospital sector has put a huge strain on the workforce supply. It is essentially one workforce across health and aged care. That has been one of the most significant factors. The most tragic part of this aged care outbreak is that there have been 49 deaths in aged care. That is a terrible tragedy and there will be more. There will be more deaths with the number of aged care recipients that are infected. We know that, it is a certainty. We will see deaths every day and that is a tragedy. This virus, once it gets into many frail elderly people has an inevitable, fatal outcome in some cases. There is no effective treatment as we know, there are some treatments that can help a bit in some people, but essentially it has an inevitable outcome. We, our hearts go out to the families of those people who have lost their lives and to those families who will lose their loved ones in coming days and weeks. This is the concern above all that hits us in the health sector in this Covid pandemic. And that is one of the reasons why you have heard the Victorian Premier and the Chief Health Officer there talk to those younger and fitter people who aren't sick, who are spreading this virus in the community. That is the consequence of not doing the right thing if that is happening.

I will talk a little bit about two significant outbreaks. The first one that occupied us over many days last week and on the weekend was the St Basil's home for the aged. That, as the Prime Minister said, we had an event that we have not experienced before in the outbreak such as in New South Wales we had before, and the other outbreaks in Victoria where the nature of the outbreak was that the public health officials in Victoria decided that the entire staff of that facility should go into quarantine, management, staff, everyone - the whole staff. So we had to find, in partnership with Victoria, a new staff. new leadership. And that staff had to be found in a context where there essentially were no spare staff in Victoria because of the number of staff and contacts that were in quarantine and isolation. So it was very very difficult. Staff were found from all sorts of sources but they were not staff that knew this community and there is no doubt that there were, a very challenging situation and there were clearly deficiencies in care. Once those deficiencies in care became widely known to us last weekend, we immediately moved to decant residents from that facility. 64 have now been moved to hospital settings. There are 32 remaining. There is new management on site and all the reports are that this facility is now well-managed and care is good and we have that independently verified from a number of sources. But there were clearly deficiencies in care last week and stories which you will have heard reported and which troubled all of us about that. And obviously, the Minister for Aged Care, Minister Colbeck has undertaken to the families that we will do a review of that outbreak as we did in the two big outbreaks in New South Wales.

Our biggest concern at the moment is a facility in Epping; Epping Gardens. Again a facility where the great majority of the workforce had to go into quarantine. And a workforce had to be found very quickly. And that has been done with the huge support of the public hospitals in Victoria who also don't have any spare workforce but they have closed beds and wards and closed operating theatres with the elective surgery cancellation, and freed up their workforce to go out and support this facility. There are still issues in that facility. I understand that there are still concerns from families and staff. We are in the process of decanting a substantial number of those residents, up to 45 out of that facility. We are putting in some very senior workforce to cope with the loss of the many senior staff from that facility who unfortunately had to quarantine. We are very confident that we will have that facility stable like St Basil's in the next 24 hours.

There are 11 other facilities with significant sized outbreaks as the Prime Minister has said. Many of those facilities have quite large numbers of cases. But they are managing extremely well. Some of them have, they have all co-horted those residents, lessons we learnt from Newmarch House and Dorothy Henderson Lodge in New South Wales. So some of them have a floor of positive and some have a floor of negative. They are being supported by their local hospitals and they are being brought in to, with nursing staff, infectious diseases physicians, public health physicians and as the Prime Minister said, they are setting up a hospital in the home type environment in the residential aged care facilities. Many of those facilities have also decanted staff to private hospitals in significant numbers when they feel like the load on the facility, or that those residents need hospital care. On no occasion has there been a situation in Victoria where a doctor or a clinical staff member feels that someone would benefit from hospital care when that hasn’t been provided. But given that the events of the last few days, we have spent a lot of time with the Victorian Department of Health, working out ways to ensure that these sort of staffing shortages don't ever happen again. And we have now got a very strong agreement that priority will be given to meeting the staffing needs of every residential aged care facility with public hospital staff. They are the only staff at the moment we have left, we're looking at trying to bring in from interstate, additional nurses and trying to recruit new personal care workers from nursing students and other sources. But at the moment, the only staff that are available when there are mass quarantines of staff are the hospital workforce. And I can say with incredible gratitude to my colleagues who run the hospitals in Victoria, how much they have stood up and provided senior nurses, teams of nurses to go into facilities where there are staff shortages, where staff are in isolation or in quarantine, and step in and fill the gap and provide that leadership. We have seen that in several facilities over the last 24 hours and we have a guarantee now that this will happen and we will make sure that at no stage do we get a staffing situation which leads to those significant deficiencies in care.

We also have, with a very welcome announcement of the Victorian government, the cessation of non-urgent, elective surgery. We are freeing up significant private hospital capacity across Victoria and we will continue to transfer residents with Covid, or with high care needs from those facilities where it is seen necessary to make the care environment safe. You can make the care environment safe as we have seen in St Basil's at the moment. There are still some positive cases there, but things are stable and good by all accounts. So there are many other things we are doing. As the Prime Minister and Minister Hunt have said, we have set up a joint Victorian and Commonwealth government aged care response Centre where we now have a number of senior clinical staff, infection control, geriatrics, senior nursing staff, to respond to these issues, to rapidly deploy to a facility that has any issues. We have set up a workforce agency which will recruit staff from interstate, fly in some nurses from other states, create a new pool of nurses to help, and personal care workers to help support these facilities. We are also going to deploy a range of infection control enhancements. As the Prime Minister said, there was extensive training in infection control but when you're busy, things can slip and you need to have people coming in to supervise and ensure that you are doing the right thing. As Minister Hunt announced, we are also deploying face shields. Staff in residential aged care facilities are now wearing masks routinely but if we can put face shields on top, that provides additional protections, stops people touching their mask, and ensures that people are much more aware of infection control practices. We will be also making sure that every facility is visited by an infection control expert that can ensure that the training is up-to-date and that people are refreshed in that way. We are very, very keen to make sure that those facilities that don't have outbreaks continue their excellent protection and practice and we want to help bolster them. It has been very difficult for families because they have been generally prevented, except in limited circumstances, from visiting, but we have to keep anyone unnecessary out of these facilities to protect the residents.

Finally, I wouldn't be, it would be remiss of me not to say that the most important thing we can do to solve the residential aged care outbreak in Victoria is to control that community transmission. So to all of my fellow Victorians, and I am a Victorian at heart, please do what your Premier and Chief Health Officer is saying. Please keep that movement to an absolute minimum. Please do what you're being asked to do. Do it for your elderly, fellow Victorians because it is the community transmission that has caused this problem.

Thank you Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Brendan.

JOURNALIST: Dan Andrews said yesterday that he wouldn’t let his own mother into some of these aged care facilities, now given they’re regulated by the feds, how do you respond to his quite emotive criticisms of your government’s handling of these aged care facilities, and is there blame shifting going on?

PRIME MINISTER: I am not interested in any of that. What I'm interested in and I know what the Premier is interested in, is us working together to solve the problem. And the reports of, I think these things about how the Premier and I are working together are greatly exaggerated. The Premier and I enjoy a very good working relationship. We enjoy a high level of respect for each other and the responsibilities we each have. And we will continue to conduct those responsibilities as the public would expect us to do, and in fact as each of us would expect us to do. And I said earlier, that all of us, many of us I should say, have had to make decisions about our elderly loved ones who have gone into aged care. And it is an even harder decision these days because we know that, in many cases if not most, we are making decisions about placing our elderly loved ones into pre-palliative care. And that was certainly the case with my own father last year. And they are difficult decisions because you're coming to terms with what you know is the situation. And so I completely understand the emotion that is around this issue. We saw this with Minister Hunt yesterday, and I understand the emotion of whether it is the Premier or anyone else about these issues and that’s why I think we have to deal with them sensitively, which is what we are seeking to do. It’s why I’m so appreciative of some of the heroics of the nurses and nurses aides and assistants of some of those working in the most affected facilities is truly extraordinary. Whether it was the ADF nurses that went in at 11pm the other night into what was one of the most challenging circumstances they have certainly faced. Or whether it was those who just bravely got out of bed each day and said I'm going back to work today. I say thank you to them. They have concerns and we want to allay those concerns, particularly with the practices that Professor Murphy has outlined today. Whether that is in the provision of PPE equipment, and the additional support going into infection control, to assure the aged care workforce that they can get to work, they shouldn't go if they are not well, obviously. But those protections can be in place and that is what the Premier and I are keen to, I think, reinforce. The entire system depends on that operating effectively. The aged care system has challenges in it because of what I have said before. That is why I called a Royal Commission into Aged Care. I'm not naive to those challenges, and the significant demands that are going to be placed on the Commonwealth to respond to those. Already we have made some significant responses when it comes to in-home aged care places, and in the budget we will be making more. But what I am keen to stress today is the context and the context is that out of more than 430 aged care services and facilities in Melbourne, we have got some very serious and acute conditions in 3, arguably 4, and that includes previously Monash, which we had to completely transfer people out of. In the hundreds of other facilities around the state, particularly in the metropolitan area, then they have been managing extremely well. And so I would point to that experience to calm people's concerns and certainly to not add to the, any exaggeration of how that relationship is proceeding. The relationship is a very strong one. We have worked together for some period of time now and that working relationship undoubtedly will continue to serve both Victorians and Australians I think hopefully well.

David?

JOURNALIST: Why is it only today that some of this federal intervention is happening? Why wasn’t it not coming forward at the National Cabinet meeting on Friday? This crisis has been weeks in the making in aged care. Have you acted too slowly on this?

PRIME MINISTER: Well David, you must have missed the announcement that was made on Friday made about the establishment of the Victorian aged care response centre. That is what Professor Kelly announced from that very platform, that was one of the measures that were put in place because of the need to bring together the joint response. What had occurred over the weekend, in particular, which rapidly escalated the situation in a number of these facilities as I said was the complete withdrawal of the workforce. That is not something that happened in Newmarch in New South Wales. This was a new situation, that had not been anticipated or foreshadowed at a state level or considered at a federal level, that an entire staff of an entire facility where there had been a significant Covid outbreak would be completely removed. Effectively almost immediately. And so that placed an incredible strain on getting the continuity of care, staff that had to be drawn from not the usual sources, at different levels of training. Doing the best they possibly can, could under the circumstances but it is very distressing what those events lead to. And so what you are seeing David is that these circumstances that we are facing, constantly change. And they present new challenges. The challenges that we have in Victoria are very different to those that we experienced In Newmarch. In Newmarch, the majority of the staff were able to be retained in the facility to ensure that there was a continued continuity of care in those places. There was not broad based community transmission that led to what occurred in Newmarch. In Victoria, there has been and that means that more facilities are at risk and the fact that more facilities have not resulted in the circumstances we have seen in these, this small number of facilities in Victoria is welcome news, and encouraging news that by and large across the vast majority, the overwhelming majority of facilities, that those protections have proved sufficient to date, but we are not complacent about it and that is why we are taking the additional measures now. So we will continue to make the response, we will continue to respond to the cases that present, and we will continue to work together to get the right response.

We’ll come back over here to Andrew, and then Phil.

JOURNALIST: Professor Murphy, welcome back, I bet you’ve missed it. Can I ask you to update us on the ICU capacity down in Victoria and what thinking there might be or what planning there might be to boost that from other states and territories, perhaps by transferring patients? And Prime Minister can I also ask one about pandemic leave? Clearly you have resolved the issue in aged care but extending pandemic leave to others to ensure they aren't at work if they are told to be isolated. Can I ask that one as well?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So I haven’t got the actual data on ICU capacity, but we are very comfortable with that situation at the moment. The outbreak in Victoria has seen some hundreds of people in hospital but ICU occupancy is still well within its base and we have already substantial plans to expand ICU capacity in the public and private hospital system in Victoria. I don't think there would be any foreseeable need in the next - unless we had a very significant increase in the number of severe cases - to do that. This is one of the challenges at the moment in Victoria is that we have seen this problem in aged care but the hospital system has otherwise been coping very well. We can get back to you on the current data today on the ICU capacity. I have come prepared for aged care but all of our reports are that we are very comfortable with the ICU capacity in Victoria at the moment and with the already planned expansion capacity. There is a lot of potential expansion. That is not a current concern. Obviously we are watching it carefully.

PRIME MINISTER: I think that’s one of the biggest differences between now dealing with this Victorian wave and when we were dealing with the broader first national wave is the concerns we had in those in that first few months was we had to build up those ICU capabilities and not only is there that capability in Victoria that has been built up but obviously around the rest of the country. As you say, you can put a respirator on a plane and you can move it between states very quickly. So that is I think a welcome assurance to people that we have a much higher level of confidence today than we had back in April and March when it came to those issues. On the issue of pandemic leave, it is a matter I have discussed with the Minister for Industrial Relations and as you know there are ongoing discussions between the government, employer groups and employees about a range of issues around managing the pandemic. And that will be one of them.

JOURNALIST: PM, you spoke about the effect of Victoria on the economy more broadly. Until the Victorian outbreak, we were sort of on track to reopen a large amount of the domestic economy by now, mid to late July. Can you even estimate or guess when we might reach that point that we were supposed to be at now given what is happening in Victoria, at what stage we might get to having all the borders open and most of our commerce…?

PRIME MINISTER: Not at this stage Phil, with the status of the Victorian waive. I'm significantly encouraged by what we have seen in New South Wales. Where there has been a real test of the system with a number of outbreaks and the capability to get on top of those quickly should give all of the country great encouragement, that it is not an inevitable consequence that where there are outbreaks, it can result where, sadly the Victorian situation has come to. That's not a criticism, that’s, they’re just an observation of facts. So I think that is encouraging. It says that, yes, we can get on top of this when it occurs. So you know, there are a couple of cases in Queensland today. And a school has been closed for a short period of time to deal with that. I have a lot of confidence as expressed to me by the Chief Medical Officer this morning, the Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Kelly about the response to that situation and the readiness of their tracing capabilities in Queensland. So I think once we get a better read on where these numbers are in Victoria and hopefully we will see better numbers from Victoria today but we don’t know. But what I do know Phil, and I have got another meeting with that group of what was known as First Movers later today, is that a number of those are facing similar challenges to Australia. A lot of countries that went through that first period, as successfully or almost as successfully as Australia is now seeing this again. So this is not unique to Australia. But you know, I was at Walker Seafoods, a visit I made yesterday, it was tremendously encouraging because it just showed a business that was adapting and changing their business model, making use of the supports that were available to make decisions, keep people in work, grow their business get themselves out of it and when businesses are doing that and governments are doing what governments are doing, then it is my hope that we can have a better read on that in about a month from now. But I think any time before that, I mean, that’s I think a cautious estimate - a month from now, if we get a better read on that in the next couple of weeks then I will be the first to celebrate that.

Mark?

JOURNALIST: A couple of matters for Professor Murphy. Professor, it is reported this morning that you made a direct request to the Victorian government last week to further restrict elective surgery to free up nursing staff for these aged care facilities and that when that hadn't been done by Sunday, you are said to have been shocked that that was the case. The Victorian Government says the first communication they had with you about this matter was on Sunday and you didn't make any direct request. The first direct request came from the Prime Minister in a text message on Monday. Can you clarify those events please for the record? And secondly, the operators of Epping Gardens have distributed a memo to resident’s families saying that they wanted to transfer the elderly residents to state run hospitals and the Federal Department resisted that. Can you clarify that for us please?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So the, I have no evidence that the federal Department has resisted that at all. The Federal Department has been cooperating with the Victorian Department to find private hospital beds as quickly as possible, and we are in the process of transferring a significant number of residents. We have got to obviously comply with the residents wishes and their concerns. I have been in discussion with the Victorians authorities about elective surgery and I first discussed it with a senior official in the Victorian health department I think on the 15th July wondering what they were doing with elective surgery. I have had many informal discussions with people late last week, certainly on the weekend on Sunday I did say that this has become really crucial that this is stopped now and I did make a very formal request. But we have been discussing this over, late last week and on the weekend. So I think it is a bit of a storm in a teacup. They did, they had a Cabinet meeting and they have made a decision and that is the most important thing.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, WA Premier, Mark McGowan has said he won't be lifting the state's borders until he can be confident there is no community transmission in the Eastern States. Clearly there still is widespread community transmission in the situation in Victoria, given this and given the fact that you have said part of your suppression strategy, the goal is no community transmissions. Why is the Federal Government supporting Clive Palmer in his High Court challenge against WA’s hard border?

PRIME MINISTER: Let me be clear, we are not supporting Clive Palmer. An action has been brought in relation to the WA border. It goes to quite serious constitutional issues which the Commonwealth could not be silent about and my concern is that it is highly likely that the constitutional position that is being reviewed in this case will not fall in the Western Australian Government's favour. And what I am keen to do is to engage with the Western Australian Government to ensure that we can have appropriate health protections for the people of Western Australia to ensure that there is not transmission from areas associated with outbreaks, that was the basis of a position that I have been consistently putting to Premiers. It is absolutely critical that we do not get transference out of outbreak areas. That is our Government's policy. And so my fear is, is that if an all or nothing approach is taken to the border question, then that will not serve the people of any state well. And so I would welcome the opportunity to come to a position where we can address the genuine concerns that people might have in any other state, but particularly in Western Australia, to ensure that they are covered off and that is my only real objective here. The constitutional position is one that provides for there to be free movement of Australians across borders, that’s what a Federation is, and that that free movement should not be prevented. There are much more broader consequences of this case that go beyond specifically the pandemic and that is why the Commonwealth responsibly has to be able to put the responsible constitutional position. This is not done in aid of Mr Palmer in any way shape or form, in no way at all. I warned the states and territories that if they make arbitrary positions on borders that they are likely to find themselves in this situation, that someone is likely to bring a case and that this may well crystallise a constitutional position that would not be to their advantage so as I think the Finance Minister and our Senior West Australian has made the point in the West today, very keen to engage in a way with the Western Australian Government that protects the health of Western Australians and protects the health of Australia and the prosperity of Australia and so we are not seeking any sort of conflict here, whatsoever. We would like to have a very productive outcome here but I fear a sort of an all or nothing approach on the case is not the best way forward here because I think the constitutional position is fairly clear. Now it is not for me to bush lawyer that. I'm not a lawyer let alone a bush lawyer so, that is the advice I have from the Attorney-General, who is also a Western Australian. So I'm concerned about the sort of combative way that this is unfolding in Western Australia and I would like to find a much more productive way forward.

JOURNALIST: One of the consequences on your role as PM, of COVID, has been your ability to travel overseas to meet global leaders. We obviously know that is incredibly expensive and we've seen that virtual summits have been quite effective in the interim. After the crisis, do you intend to travel normally, or do you think that virtual summits will be a part of the future?

PRIME MINISTER: I hope they, virtual summits, are part of the future. I think there has rarely been a more frenetic period in which an Australian Prime Minister has engaged with other leaders, particularly as we have been dealing with the pandemic matters and most of my recent calls have particular been going to the issue of accessing vaccines and their production and things of that nature and we have another set of those calls later today. But the traditional method of leaders coming together also cannot be underestimated. I mean I don’t think it is a question of either or, I look forward to a time where you can do both. I note that European leaders now are starting to get back to face-to-face meetings under controlled circumstances, I indeed hope to be part of a series of those meetings in Washington later next month. But that is still scheduled to proceed and I'm looking forward to attending that and intend to, should it go forward. So look I think you have got to get the balance of both of them together but I think there has been, I mean just, I think this morning there was a meeting of the Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and our Deputy Prime Minister on these issues and once again the Canadian Government have been very complimentary of Australia’s approach to the pandemic. A lot of countries have looked to see what we have done here. You know we mark ourselves very hard in Australia, and we should. We should mark ourselves very hard when it comes to the care of the most vulnerable in our community and particularly the elderly. We should mark ourselves hard and so we should be concerned about the distressing circumstances that have unfolded in Victoria and that is a good thing, but we also need to understand that you are better being in Australia than anywhere else at the moment.

Kieran?

JOURNALIST: Queenslanders have declared Sydney, hot spot, the entire Sydney region a hot spot, so from Saturday residents from Sydney will be blocked from travelling to Queensland after two returned travellers tested positive. What is your reaction to that? And another question just on AUSMIN and China because Secretary Pompeo in the last few days has said that democracies like ours need to try and induce change within the Communist Party leadership. Is that a reasonable proposition? Would you get on board with that?

PRIME MINISTER: I think it is wise to ensure that there is no transfer of people from outbreak parts of the country to those where there isn’t an outbreak. That is as true from ensuring that there is no transfer from someone in a suburb of Sydney to another suburb of Sydney, to another state or territory. I think it's important to sort of put borders aside when it comes to those things. If you are not in an outbreak zone, well you don’t want people moving to where you are and otherwise you end up in the situation that we have ended up in broader Metropolitan Victoria. So I think that is very sensible that you limit movement of people out of outbreak zones and I support that very strongly. That is the basis of the position I have been advancing to the states and territories from the very outset. I talked about the need for testing, tracing and managing outbreaks. That is how you manage the pandemic and you keep your economy running. Now, on the broader issue of the AUSMIN meetings which have been very successful in Washington and these are good opportunities, as the G7-plus as it effectively will be when it  meets hopefully later next month, and other meetings of that nature, these are great opportunities for like-minded liberal democracies of developed economies to come together and share common views about how we work with each other, how we develop our economies and how we work together to promote peace and stability globally and particularly in the Indo-Pacific region and that has been the focus of these talks that we have had with AUSMIN on this occasion in Washington. And so I would agree that the more that like-minded liberal democracies, particularly those developed economies, but broader than that. The participation, I think, of India in these discussions which both Prime Minister Modi and I were able to attend in France last year, this is very helpful. The like-minded partnership that has increased, which is strengthening between Japan, Australia, the United States and India, not just on economic issues but broader strategic issues, I think contributes to a strategic balance in the Indo-Pacific which promotes peace and stability, which is what we want. We want a successful Indo-Pacific prosperous region. We want China's economy to be strong and successful. We want Malaysia 's economy to be strong, we want Indonesia’s, we want Australia’s, we want Japan’s, Korea’s, Myanmar’s, we want all of these places to be strong and for that to happen it has to occur on the basis of a stable balance within the region and I think the cooperative way which like-minded developed economies, liberal democracies are coming together, I see as a very positive force of peace and stability.

I suspect Chris has a question along similar lines.

JOURNALIST: You answered so magnificently I’ll move on. You mentioned the 30-year bond issue. There has been a lot of talk recently about modern monetary policy essentially so the government can borrow from itself forever. Are you compelled by that idea?

PRIME MINISTER: No.

Paul, you have been very patient.

JOURNALIST: Yeah, on pandemic leave, when did you ask the Industrial Relations Minister to consult on that issue? Does that indicate now you are inclined to provide it and why now when unions have asked for this for months?

PRIME MINISTER: I've spoken about that in recent days.

JOURNALIST: Can I ask, Senator Holly Hughes attended one of the COVID implicated Sydney restaurants and has chosen not to self-isolate, I understand.

PRIME MINISTER: I'm not aware of the circumstances of that so I can’t really comment on it.

JOURNALIST: How is the staffer forced to self-isolate?

PRIME MINISTER: I suspect he's been giving Netflix a pretty good workout. Hopefully he is doing a lot of work on other briefs and things of that nature which I suspect he more likely is. But I think what that demonstrated was the rapid nature of response of the New South Wales tracing effort. He was contacted very readily and I was informed on that on Sunday evening and immediately made the decision that he obviously would not be travelling the next day when I was going to Queensland and, sorry, on Tuesday when we were going to Queensland. And then we took the appropriate advice from the Acting Chief Medical Officer about how that was managed. As you probably observed, we are a bit more strict on how we practice social distancing than clearly the Press Gallery is today and as they are on most occasions when we’re standing out here. But we do follow that and I want to thank, particularly, my staff and the medical support I’ve provided and my own doctor here in Canberra who takes regular checks on me and that’s practiced pretty significantly here to ensure that I do not provide (inaudible) just the once.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are we in danger of being caught in a pre-election vortex with the Trump administration…

PRIME MINISTER: Sorry, I couldn’t quite hear you.

JOURNALIST: Are we in danger of being caught in the pre-election politics in the United States? Is that why we are slightly at odds on some points in that AUSMIN letter and not as strong as the United States had hoped?

PRIME MINISTER: Australia sets its foreign policy on our own national interests and while we have the deepest and most lasting friendships and alliances with the United States, that doesn’t mean we always share every view to its minute detail and there is often a difference in nuance or emphasis or timing and on occasion in substance. And part of that is because our economic composition and relationship with our region is different to the United States and so those economic issuances will be different. But there is no doubt about the core of that friendship and that partnership or about its objective. Now, we are both passionate, vibrant liberal democracies and thank God for that. And that means that in the seasonal politics, which is the electoral cycle, as is occurring wonderfully in New Zealand as well and many other democracies around the world, there will be elements of politics that comes into that. We see that in our own domestic situation, there are some state governments going into elections and there others that are not and that influences the policy and political debate here in Australia as well and I think we are all capable of separating those issues and I have no doubt in the engagements I have with leaders around our region that we can factor out what is the noise of politics and be able to focus clearly on the issues of substance.

JOURNALIST: Your Government has commissioned reports following the outbreaks at Dorothy Henderson Lodge and also at Newmarch House, why haven’t those reports been made public yet? Have they not been finished or are you looking at them internally and just to Professor Murphy, you have today said that you are going to be sending infectious disease experts into all the aged care facilities. Why was that not done until now, given the deadly impacts we have already seen?

PRIME MINISTER: I’ll ask Brendan to update on both of those.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: The Newmarch report is not completed yet. The Dorothy Henderson Lodge report has been provided to the Royal Commission. That will make it in the public domain because the Royal Commission into aged care has had a significant interest in these aged care outbreaks. So that will be published on the Royal Commission website. But the Newmarch report isn’t even completed yet. So that study is still going on.

JOURNALIST: (Inaudible)

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Well, there’s… you do not do these reviews until things are completely settled down and there is a calm. You don't do a review when things are still active. So the Newmarch review was a very long and complex process and it obviously had to be done remotely because people were in different states. So it has taken about three or four weeks and it is being written up at the moment. It will also be provided to the Royal Commission and it will also come into the public domain. The lessons we've talked about on many occasions. The lessons are that you need to cohort people, you need to obviously do communications. Newmarch, the most important lesson was communication with families was the biggest breakdown. The care and the infection control was strong. One of the lessons that Newmarch was bringing in very good infection control experts, which New South Wales Health did, and having really good PPE. So in terms of the Victorian infection control, there has been a lot of infection control training already. There was lots done early in the pandemic, there were roadshows, there were online modules, facilities did their own. What we are now saying is that we have freed up some workforce with the cancellation of elective surgery of some experienced theatre nurses, so that we have got a larger pool of people who can go out and just repeat the training that people have had already.

PRIME MINISTER: We have time for two more. One and two.

JOURNALIST: Given, following up on the pandemic leave, given the urgency of the situation in Victoria, can we expect to see something on that sooner than the October Budget and have you looked at the cost of not doing it, the cost to the broader community and not just the actual dollar cost of doing it?

PRIME MINISTER: Those discussions are continuing and when they are completed we will make some announcements.

JOURNALIST: Sorry, just deflation, first time in 22 years. Is that a good thing or bad thing for households?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, these most recent numbers are, I think, quite unique to the rather extraordinary circumstances we find ourselves in. What I know is good for Australia is people getting back into work and what I know is good for Australia is business having the confidence to open their doors again and what I know is good for Australia is that when there are more people in work, then that is providing the revenue to support the essential services that Australians rely on. We're going to see lots of numbers that will be interpreted many different ways and I'm not going to provide a commentary on that. A good example is a point I was making last week and this is the issue of unemployment. Now, for a long time we have always looked at the headline or the published rate of unemployment, measured rate of unemployment, as being the key indicator of unemployment in what is happening in the economy. Now, we know that is not the case in this pandemic. The measured unemployment rate understates the amount of unemployment that we are seeing in our economy at the moment and what we have occurring at the moment is we have the effective rate of unemployment actually falling while the measured rate of unemployment is rising. And I'm sure that some will take the opportunity to pick their figure, as to make whatever case they would like to make. But why the effective rate of unemployment is so important is it takes into account those you may have gone out of the workforce but in ordinary cases would still be in it, those who are working zero hours but may not be considered unemployed. I think we have to have a real, honest understanding of what's going on with unemployment in this country and that is why the Treasury have advised and we agree that the effective rate of unemployment is the right way to assess where the labour market is at the moment. And what is concerning to me is, more concerning to me, I must say, is the payroll data which shows that the Victorian wave is having this broader impact on the national economy and is in some cases slowing and in other cases reversing the upward trend that we were seeing in employment in the country. That is of great concern to me and so, you know, inflation traditionally shows a level of activity in the economy, a letter of positive, in acceptable bounds, of positive tension in the economy and clearly, the impact of the pandemic which has produced the COVID recession is having a negative impact on the economy and I think everybody understands that. So what do you do about it? What you do about it is get Australians back into jobs. You provide JobKeeper, you provide JobSeeker, you provide cash flow support, you give the instant asset write off, you do HomeBuilder, which is proving to be a great, a tremendous success, you provide support to the entertainment industry, you go and get films to come and base in Australia, you put $1 billion into skills training and create 340,000 places and support 180,000 apprentices. That is what you do and that is what we are doing and in the Budget there will be more. But for now, we are now focused on delivering the supports which are keeping people in jobs and keeping people in business and we are focusing on the health of the pandemic so we are saving lives and we’re saving livelihoods. Thank you all very much.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42953

Press Conference - Sydney, NSW

27 July 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: ...National COVID Commission and its re-formation as a Prime Minister's advisory body, an advisory board. But before I do that, I just wanted to make a number of comments in relation to the COVID-19 situation, updating on my statements after the National Cabinet meeting on Friday. Over the weekend, and today, the emergency response centre has been stood up in relation to aged care. That brings together all of the key agencies involved in supporting the aged care sector at a state and at a federal level and that’s being headed up by the National Chief Nurse Alison McMillan and we thank them for the work they have been doing, particularly over the weekend. The situation in Victoria, of course, the Premier will be updating Victorians and the country more broadly on those matters in his regular press conference, but just to suffice to say that the Federal Government continues to provide every support. The increasing deployment of ADF personnel across a broad range of tasks including as foreshadowed the door-to-door operations, right through to the tracing supports, logistic command support, supporting testing centres and that will continue.

It is important to understand that the challenges, and they are significant in the aged care sector, are a reminder that when community transmission occurs with COVID-19, the aged care sector will always be impacted. That is certainly the experience we have seen in other countries. When you have problems in aged care, it is a function of the community transmission. Now, this is an important point to note because it involves all of us, if you want to protect the most vulnerable in our community. That is why it is so important that those of us who may be in a less vulnerable position are continuing to follow the advice, performing the safe distancing and other practices about getting tested and remaining isolated when you are a close contact. All of this is incredibly important because when community transmission takes place, it is inevitable that it will find its way into the more vulnerable parts of our community and the aged care community is certainly one of those. Now, one of the key things being done in the aged care sector currently is transferring people who have contracted COVID into hospital facilities and we are making use of the private hospitals agreement that we put in place some months ago to free up beds in the private hospital area so we can transfer people out of those facilities into those beds and we are working closely with the Victorian state government about that process. I was in contact earlier today with the Premier on those issues. The other part of it is ensuring that the infection control management in aged care facilities is being closely monitored. We have already put 1.5 million masks into aged care facilities and about that number and a bit more are also further going into aged care facilities. That is part of a broader provision of personal protective equipment that has been deployed in Victoria. I should stress that the Commonwealth is not the only level of government that provides PPE material into the health system. Of course, the state governments also do that and, in fact, are the primary providers of that equipment into healthcare facilities in their jurisdiction but the national stockpile is being drawn upon to support their efforts to ensure that is in place. It is vital that in those aged care facilities that those infection control procedures are being followed. The Commonwealth put in place training for infection control in relation to COVID-19 in recent months and it is a matter now of ensuring that those infection control procedures are being adhered to strictly in those facilities. Because, obviously, in aged-care facilities you are dealing with the most vulnerable members of our community and that is where you see the most awful of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is where the loss of life, in particular, occurs, far more significantly than any other part of the community. Although it is true to say that others who are younger can be susceptible and it can prove fatal in some circumstances, as we have already seen.

So all effort is being deployed to ensure that we are doing what is necessary in the aged care sector. We’re also working closely with families. I note that the Federal Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck last night was on a Zoom call with one of the facilities and family members from those facilities. There is a single person which is identified for each family who is the contact person and I am advised that they are being kept up-to-date on a daily basis. That single-family contact member, obviously, who then rely on that family member to update other members of the family and that is what is put in place across, not just there, but all parts of the country, is my advice. So we will continue today to focus our efforts, particularly as we have been now for some time, on providing whatever support is necessary in the aged care sector.

The news in New South Wales is better, a lot better, and the work that is being done to trace cases to known sources has been very effective that gives us, obviously, a lot more cause for confidence in New South Wales. In Victoria, there is still a long way to go. We are still seeing case numbers at elevated levels and so, as we have seen from other jurisdictions, when you get community-based transmission, it does take some time to get that down. We saw that in the UK. We saw it in Europe. We have seen it in other places that have gone through sustained lockdowns and it does take some time. So, we just ask for the continued cooperation and goodwill of the people of Melbourne and Victoria more broadly to ensure that we can get on top of this and everyone will continue to work together to that end.

Now, moving to the purpose of today's announcement, I am pleased to announce that the COVID Coordination Commission, as it was known when it was first set up, was set up to assist and be an important channel of advice and channel of action to help the Commonwealth Government deal with difficult problem-solving tasks that were arising because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That extended in everything from ensuring that we had production capabilities for PPE and getting access to testing equipment, through to practical issues about ensuring that we were getting supplies to regional stores and things of that nature. And, at the time, I appointed Nev Power to head up that group and they have done a fantastic job working across so many different sectors and keeping me and keeping my Cabinet informed and up-to-date about what was happening on the ground. We believe that the Commission needs to now move into a new gear, as we have sort of moved through a lot of the early problem-solving tasks and as a result I have decided to re-establish it as an advisory board to myself as Prime Minister to work across the full spectrum of our JobMaker plan. Our JobMaker plan is designed to look at the post-COVID recovery and to set us up for that post-COVID recovery. The work we are doing in deregulation and approvals, on skills formation and skills support, on industrial relations, on infrastructure and transport, on energy, on taxation - all of these areas and key reforms of how we make our Federation work better. This is the JobMaker plan that is designed to get Australians in jobs to keep Australians in jobs and for those who have been unfortunately put out of a job because of COVID-19, to get them into a position where they can get back into work. It is all about the recovery process and you need changes and initiatives across a broad range of supply side elements of the economy.

Now, we draw our advice from many sources over the course of the pandemic. We have been careful to listen and to listen carefully. We obviously have listened to the health advice, but also and equally we have been listening to the economic advice, whether it be from the official institutions such as the Treasury or the Reserve Bank or it’s been listening to those in the industry sectors, the unions and others who we have drawn advice from, through the various processes we have had. But equally, we have been listening carefully to those in the economy who have had tremendous experience in many different sectors. And that has come through the COVID Coordination Commission. And so today, as I said, we are re-establishing that Commission and drawing together some new members who we believe will give it a broader spectrum of experience and expertise. So, Nev Power will continue on, in the role of Chairman of the COVID Commission Advisory Board, joined by the Deputy Chair David Thodey. Paul Little and Jane Halton, who have all been serving on it until now, and they will be joined by Mike Hirst. As you know, Mike was formerly head of Bendigo Bank and has a very good understanding of regional economies. Samantha Hogg from Tasmania who has been very active in the resources and the infrastructure sector and advised on and played roles in many government, as well as private sector, boards. Su McClusky is well respected in regional Australia and in the agricultural sector. She will be joined by Bao Hoang who has been very successful as founder and group CEO of the Roll’d Australia Proprietary Limited Organisation, working as a franchised outfit and working with small businesses across the country. Paul Howes, I have invited to join the group. I have known Paul for many years. We certainly haven't always agreed on everything, as he and I can attest to, but what this is about is getting people to work together. Paul can bring his experience in superannuation, workforce and workplace relations, to assist the work of the Commission and I thank him for agreeing to join. Laura Berry, who works in Indigenous business and Indigenous business procurement, will be joining the COVID Commission.

This is just about ensuring that we continue to listen and get the best advice, that experience to draw on and the expertise that is there. It is not to replace or supplant any other channel of advice I am drawing together - the industry bodies, the union organisations, all of those will continue through their formal channels to be putting their input into the Government as we continue to roll out our JobMaker plan and add further additions to that plan as we move forward into the Budget. The COVID Commission will work within government. It won't be an external agency. It will work within government and can form part of the Cabinet deliberative processes, which is an important innovation. So, as with work through particular submissions, we can be drawing on the expertise and the experience of the COVID Commission as with fashion those plans, as they make their way through the Expenditure Review Committee process, the Cabinet process and the decisions that are taken there and what is ultimately placed in this year's Budget and other decisions that are made.

We are about creating jobs. Jobs is the way out economically for Australia. This is an Australian plan, based on Australian values, based on Australian challenges and Australian solutions and that will continue to guide our efforts, practically dealing with the problems that we face, bringing the best minds together, bringing the country together to get behind the effort to ensure this we recover strongly from the COVID pandemic. We are still very much in the midst of it. We are still very much in the fight over it, against this pandemic and the impact it is having. But we also have a very strong plan to see us recover strongly on the other side. And with that, I'll ask Nev to make a few comments and then happy to take broader questions.

NEV POWER, CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL COVID-19 COMMISSION: Thank you very much, Prime Minister. Thanks, everyone. Good morning.

First, I would like to acknowledge the great work that all Australians have done across community and business in helping manage with the coronavirus and maximise the amount of business activity and jobs that we can sustain during the pandemic. As the Prime Minister said, we are in a transition now to focus much more specifically on creating jobs and accelerating the return of our economic activity, so that we can restore as many people’s lives and livelihoods black to where they were or as close to as we possibly can.

The Commission's really gone through three phases. The first was that problem solving, fixing phase that the PM mentioned. That was about the procurement and manufacture of PPE, was keeping material flowing through our ports and solving industrial relations issues that came up there, about ensuring supply to remote supermarkets and more recently supply out of the distribution centres that were impacted by the Melbourne outbreaks and looking for and developing alternative means to supply people in those suburbs. In addition to that, we have also worked to connect displaced people into areas of priority, to help work with health workers, to resolve issues in those areas. As part of this work, we have developed four task forces, which are working in addition to the commissioners and these are in energy, advanced manufacturing, not-for-profit and industrial relations and they are also providing an extended field of advice back into the commission to help us provide the best solutions that we can.

As we move into this third phase, we are very much focused around the recovery of the economy, but of course there will still be problems to solve and commissioners at various times will continue to do specific tasks. For example, Jane Halton’s task at the moment, looking at hotel quarantine nationally. We also recognise that as we come out of the virus, or as we learn to live with the virus, parts of the economy are going to be impacted for longer than other parts of the economy. So we need to focus on helping those people, but also on growing and accelerating those parts of the economy that can grow as fast as we can to create as many new jobs as we can as well as restoring old ones.

Clearly, the health and safety of all Australians is the number one priority. In parallel with that, we will be looking at how we can create as many jobs, get as many people back into work as possible and learn to live with the restrictions of the coronavirus, of physical distancing, personal hygiene and quick response to outbreaks in businesses across Australia, whether they are in hospitality or mining or infrastructure development or housing construction.

So, I would like to add my welcome to the new Commissioners. It gives us a very broad range of experience and networks across Australian business and, in particular, the addition of deepening skills in small-to-medium-sized businesses, agriculture and regional Australia. I would also like to acknowledge and thank the great work of our existing Commissioners and the people working on the commission and thank them for their continued effort, as we all try to do our very best to get people back to work and to restore as much of our economy to normal as we can.

Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Nev. Just hang on, on that note, can I also particularly thank Cath Tanna who is standing- not going to the next stage. Cath obviously has a very specific role within Energy Australia. And we need to manage conflicts going forward and Cath has done a great job up until now. We thank her very much for that. Greg Combet as well. Greg stood down about a month ago, I think it was now, about three weeks ago. Greg is still working with the Attorney and Industrial Relations Minister as working with the government representing the industry fund sector and we thank Greg very much for the work that he's done, both as a member of the Commission, but also the very practical work that he is doing as part of the other process that the Attorney is working through at present.

But Andrew, go ahead, mate. You are all fired up ready to go.

JOURNALIST: More than 500 cases today in Victoria. Are you concerned about the ability of the Victorian government to get on, be on top of this outbreak? We are hearing stories of people taking up to 9 days to get their test results back, particularly in regional Victoria. That makes contact tracing difficult. When you set up the bushfires royal commission, one of the terms of reference was when the Federal Government can intervene in terms of an emergency response. Are we heading that way here, first of all? And second of all, does Victoria need to go even harder lockdown?

PRIME MINISTER: Let me pick up on the last point first. The Premier also has been pretty clear about that. We are several weeks in, now to a six-week lockdown period in Victoria. The advice to me is it is premature at this point to be making those calls, but it’s also important to keep all of the options on the table. I heard the Premier say over the weekend that effectively mandatory masks indicated a whole other level and I would agree with him about that. He will take advice and make assessments, I would think, over the next week or so about what further may be required at the end of the period that he's set out. But, I stress again what I said in my earlier comments, and that is, we need to be patient. There has been significant community transmission in Victoria. That will take some time to get on top of and that is what the actions are directed to addressing right at this very moment. On the broader issues the Federal Government has just one job and that is to support the Victorian government in all of these initiatives. That is why there’s more than 1,400 ADF personnel in Victoria right now, supporting across a whole range of tasks, to give Victoria every effort, resource that they need to get on top of this. Tracing is clearly a challenge and that is why so much of the effort and resource has been put into that area. It is vital that the marks that are set, and that is - and I welcome the fact that particularly in recent days they have been able to seek to make contact with every positive case and then there is the further task of beyond that, of making that contact and then identifying any further contacts of those cases and trying to do that within that first 48 hours. They are the metrics that we set out last Friday at National Cabinet and that is what the goal clearly is. So, the Royal Commission that you make reference to is looking at a very similar issue when you are involved in national crises and I'll let the Royal Commission do their work on that. Whether that has broader application to circumstances like this, I am sure people will form judgements about that at the time but I’m certainly not going to pre-judge that. The royal commission is looking at that in the case of natural disasters and pandemics and natural disasters are, can be one and the same thing and, if not, they are very close cousins, that is for sure. I think there will always be lessons out of all of this. But right now, I just have one job and that is to give Dan Andrews and the Victorian government every support I can to help him, help Victorians and that is certainly what we are doing as a federal government.

JOURNALIST: What would your message be to the New South Wales community and indeed communities in other states? Watching, anxious now (inaudible)?

PRIME MINISTER: To stay alert. We have got to keep the tension in  the cord in all the other states and territories. The virus is still out there. It hasn't left the country. It is still here. It is not going to go anywhere. And our only defence against it is to ensure that our testing, tracing and outbreak containment capabilities are at the highest possible standard and, for that to be effective, there are certainly things that governments need to do and are doing. What we have seen in New South Wales has been a very effective tracing operation. Despite the threats and challenges that we have seen, they have been able to get on top of that, but they would be the first to tell you they are not out of the woods yet and there is still a bit of distance to travel. Those cases are still less than about 20 at the moment each day, but they could raise higher than that. That’s not out of the question, but the fact that they have been able to get on top of that so quickly is important. So governments need to do what they need to do, but equally for the rest of the country it is just a matter of continuing to practise the discipline, to stay in the habit about contacts and about keeping distances and about washing hands and downloading the app and doing all of these things. We must keep doing that until there is a vaccine and that vaccine has been introduced into the community to establish the immunity that is necessary. That is still some time away. But you have to do that while keeping your economy going, while keeping people in jobs, and the way you do all of that and protect the most vulnerable in your community is by following the very straight forward and disciplined steps that I have outlined.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the organisers of tomorrow’s Black Lives Matter rally in Sydney say they will go ahead even if they lose an appeal in the Supreme Court today. How would you describe that decision?

PRIME MINISTER: The decision of Black Lives Matter or the decision of the court?

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] to go ahead with the rally even if they lose in court?

PRIME MINISTER: I would describe it as breaking the law. That is what I would describe it as. That is what it is. We are all subject to the law. So I would encourage everybody to follow the law.

Sorry we might - there are five journalists here. I was happy to go around and get a question from everybody then come back to you.

JOURNALIST: On the economy, the Federal Government is spending $2.5 billion on a contract for detention, asylum seeker detention centres in Australia. How do you justify that level of spending, given there are only just over 1,000 people in detention centres onshore and we are facing the worst financial crisis in 100 years?

PRIME MINISTER: The detention network is an important part of a comprehensive Border Protection regime that has been the most successful in the world, in countering illegal entry into Australia. That is how I justify it.

JOURNALIST: Mr Power, actually, how heavily focused will you be on IR reforms as your remit shifts to creating jobs?

NEV POWER, CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL COVID-19 COMMISSION:  Our focus is primarily around workplace trends and workforce trends and how they are going to be impacted and particular focus around transitioning skills and helping people upskill and re-skill into the roles that are created and are restored in the economy. The Attorney-General has a specific group looking at the industrial relations reforms. So, we may have an opportunity to input to that, but it is not our primary focus.

JOURNALIST: Do you concede the Victorian government has let this get out of control? That the Victorian government is responsible for the fact they haven't done the contact tracing and testing quick enough on top of the hotel quarantine debacle?

PRIME MINISTER: I’m going to respond the same way I did to the earlier question, Andrew. It is my job to support Victoria, to help Victoria and that is what I am going to do.

JOURNALIST: 532 cases though Prime Minister, just how worried does that make you?

PRIME MINISTER: It is concerning, and of course we're concerned and that's why we're putting so much effort into it, but there nothing to be gained by the Federal Government engaging in some sort of commentary about this. People don't want commentary from their Prime Minister. They want action and the action we're putting on the ground is to give the Victorian Government every resource and support they need to get on top of this. And I know that's greatly appreciated by the Premier and I greatly appreciate the support that's been provided by other states and territories who we're working with closely to address the resource needs in Victoria. This has been a national effort. I think one of the things that has really marked Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the way the states and territories and the Federation has worked together like never before. Now, it's not perfect, we all know that, but as someone who's been around public life for some time, I have never seen the Federation work this well together and in such a constructive way. What we're announcing today with the COVID Commission is we want to keep that going. States and territories working together with the Commonwealth in the national interest, that's what's needed right now and that's what's happening right now, I believe, and we're seeing that work in the worst of cases like in Victoria, but equally in some of the best of cases as well to ensure that they can continue on in that vein and so I'll continue to lead a process that brings people together whether it's the advice that we're drawing from those in our economy, small business people, in the workplaces, those representing employees, those representing employers, investors, whether here or overseas, listening to our health professionals, our medical professionals. You’ve got to draw all this advice together when you're making these decisions and we're doing that as an Australian Government in our National Cabinet that draws together all the states and territories, and in our federal Cabinet which is the Government I lead.

JOURNALIST: Do you think the Treasurer's comments about a Reagan and Thatcher-style approach, do you agree with that? Is that the sort of approach you're after in terms of the recovery?

PRIME MINISTER: Well we're leading an Australian response to this. A uniquely Australian response and that Australian response requires us to address the supply side issues in our economy. And I've gone through them. And this is why the COVID commission today is so important. Already, it was a few weeks ago- a few months ago, I talked about the need to move on deregulation and approvals, and we've already seen action on that. We announced that all states and territories moving towards a single touch process on environmental planning and assessment, on skills I said we needed to do more there. And we now have seven states and territories signed up to a billion dollar programme to create 340,000 training places. Within weeks of me announcing that, I've said we need to take action when it comes to keeping flexibility in our workplaces. Now, we've had that flexibility under the JobKeeper arrangements, and I believe it is very important that in the next phase of JobKeeper, which runs out till the end of March, that it is very necessary for those firms that have been on JobKeeper, to continue to have access to those flexible arrangements. Now, I'm not proposing that as a permanent arrangement. I'm proposing that as a temporary arrangement to deal with the next phase of JobKeeper, because there will be firms who have been on JobKeeper, who have graduated out of it, but will still benefit greatly from having that flexibility. And what that will do, as we've already seen, is it will keep people in jobs. It's jobs that drive the Australian plan. Nothing else. Nothing else. What will create a job? What will keep people in a job? And this is why I've turned to people like Nev Power and the others who sit on the advisory board, as well as so many others right across the country to ensure that that is our focus.

JOURNALIST: On tax reform, do you think it's the state's responsibility to come up with that? Or are you going to take leadership on that and sort of indicate to the states what taxes you'd like to see them get rid of?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, state taxes are a matter for state governments. And so it is important that if states wish to make changes in that area, that they form a common view about what they would like to see happen. Otherwise, you can distract yourself from other important priorities by going down a path that may lead absolutely nowhere. So I think it's important in the first instance for states and territories to be clear about what they want to do and how they would seek to make changes. When they've come to that, and that's what we've tasked through the National Cabinet process, the group of Treasurers known as the Council of Federal Financial Relations. It's for them to reconcile that amongst themselves. Last time around, when there was reform in this area, I think there was some scepticism that followed with the time it took for many of the state taxes to go when the GST was introduced. Now, I think that's an issue that needs to be addressed in the community. I think people would need some confidence that there would be change there. So that's the process. I'm very happy with that process. I've made that very clear to Premiers as well, that if there are changes they want to make, if their Treasurers want to make, well they need to get together and they need to sort that out and they need to present a united position that we could actually move forward on. But in the meantime, I won't be distracted from what we can do in our own budget, in our own tax system to ensure we can drive the investment that is necessary to create the jobs that are necessary.

JOURNALIST: What’s the risk of, what’s the risk of increasing tensions with China by sending two Ministers overseas for talks with the US during the height of this pandemic?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't think there's anything extraordinary about the Australian Foreign Minister and Defence Minister attending AUSMIN talks face-to-face with our US counterparts. I intend to visit Washington myself and should the G7-plus meeting go ahead, which will be held in Washington. These are important opportunities for Australia. It would be extraordinary if we didn't seek to attend these meetings. Our alliance with the United States is the bedrock of Australia's defence strategy. So would it be highly irregular for us not to seek to take every opportunity for those meetings to be held face to face and I'm very pleased that they are proceeding on that basis. This is a regular dialogue that we have with the United States and it's a timely opportunity for us to be talking about the many issues that are involved in our partnership right now, and not just defence issues. In the foreign foreign affairs space there are many issues that Australia has an active interest in at the moment and we are keen to pursue those with as many like-minded countries as we possibly can.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on aged care, do you think the Federal and Victorian governments were too slow to intervene in the aged care workforces, given that we know that it was taking hold about three weeks ago?

PRIME MINISTER: No, we've been taking action on this for weeks now, for weeks and weeks. And I outline those actions to you, in particular, taking the initiative to train the workforces in aged care, particularly in infection control practises, to put in place the PPE equipment that was necessary in these aged care facilities and to move now as we are. The important thing, I think, to remember is we've just got to keep, got to keep learning. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer was making this point on the weekend that this is a virus that continues to throw up new challenges every single day. And you've got to take those learnings, you've got to share those learnings, and you've got to apply those learnings each and every day. The Australian people and the Australian governments all around the country are ensuring that Australia is arguably one of the most successful developed countries in the world in response to this coronavirus and that doesn't mean we're immune from challenges. Of course, we're going to face them each and every day. But when we face them, we need to bring together all the best minds, all the best will, and bring Australians together to confront those challenges. And that's why I've established the COVID commissioners, an advisory body to myself as Prime Minister, to ensure we're getting those perspectives, we're getting that feedback on all the decisions we're taking. We’ve got to make the right calls and we're putting every effort into making the right calls, which will keep Australians safe, which will keep as many Australians as possible in jobs, but most importantly, to keep keeping Australians together. Thank you all very much.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42951

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

24 July 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon everyone. Another important and successful meeting of the National Cabinet today.

There is no country in the world that is not dealing with the issues of COVID-19, over the course of just this past week, I've had the opportunity to speak to Prime Minister Trudeau, as well President Macron last night, and Prime Minister Netanyahu last night as well.

One of the key challenges we all have is, whether we're Prime Ministers, Premier, Chief Ministers, you've got to continually be learning about this virus, how it spreads, how you stay on top of it, how you get on top of it. And the swapping of information, the collegiate approach that is being taken from everything to how’s the best way to run a testing and tracing regime to working together to ensure, as Australia is, to achieve a vaccine and not just achieve a vaccine, but ensure we get access to the licensing arrangements to ensure that CSL can be here and producing the vaccine at the required quantities to ensure that we can vaccinate the Australian population. And then working with other countries to ensure that that is also occurring.

There is no shortage of issues that we must address, and that was also the case today as we came together as a National Cabinet. And of course, we focused first and foremost on the challenges that are in Victoria and New South Wales, and again expressed our strong support to Premier Andrews for all the work that is being done there, and the tremendous resource that is being applied to that, not just by the Commonwealth, but all states and territories. And once again, Premier Andrews was appreciative of that support and the collegiate way in which all Premiers and Chief Ministers and the Commonwealth are working together to assist with dealing with the outbreak in Victoria.

While there is some better news today out of Victoria, that is not something that we can assume will continue. And so we must maintain the full force of effort in Victoria. In New South Wales, the news is better. And I think what this demonstrates is that we're in this fight and in some fights, we'll be behind and in some fights we'll be ahead. But we're always in the fight in Australia. And what it demonstrates is that you can deal with outbreaks, you can get on top of them. But you've got to be constant about it and you've got to throw everything at it. And we will get on top of it in Victoria, because there is the determination and the cooperation to achieve that. And that was reinforced today.

Also, I want to stress that all other states and territories remain on alert and there is very much that sense around all of the other Premiers and Chief Ministers today, where in many cases, like in Western Australia and South Australia, they haven't had community transmission cases for over 100 days. They are just as alert to the risks in their jurisdictions as New South Wales and Victoria are. And that's important. I think the events both in Victoria and New South Wales are a reminder that the virus is still out there, it will still make its way and it will still throw everything at us and we must be prepared to respond. And so in relation to that, there are a number of measures that are continuing.

I just want to update you that there are currently, we have some 3,105 ADF personnel which are deployed around Australia under Lieutenant General Frewen's command, that are actively engaged in dealing with COVID-19 related issues. Now, the majority of those, just under half of those, are actually in Victoria. But we have 550, for example, in Queensland. We have 672 who are in New South Wales. There are 141 working federally on this issue directly. There are 114 in South Australia, 57 in Western Australia and 102 up in the Northern Territory. So the ADF is involved both in the frontline of outbreaks as well as in the operations rooms and command centres all around the country providing the support that is needed. The tasks they are involved in; everything from tracing and to as you've learned today, and I indicated earlier this week, knocking on doors. Where the manual tracing over phone and technology related, is unable to reach people, then we're knocking on doors in Victoria. And this is a challenge in particular communities and that's the experience in other parts of the world as well.

A couple of other points that were agreed on today was an affirmation of the suppression strategy that we've been working to nationally now for many, many months from the outset. The goal of that is obviously, and has always been no community transmission. There will always be cases that come because Australia has not completely shut itself off from the world. To do so would be reckless, but that no community transmission, when the vast majority of states and territories have been at now effectively for some time. And that's certainly where we want to get back to in Victoria and New South Wales, and that's where our efforts are focused.

We also adopted an important principle. But as is particularly relevant in times of outbreak is the need to ensure that your emergency response and your health response are integrated. There is a health response which Professor Kelly can speak to you about, but there is also emergency management responses, supporting towns particularly in regional areas and things of that nature and there’s a lot of logistics and coordination that needs to go into the emergency response. So the health and emergency side of these things must be fully integrated. That is substantially occurring and we've just decided to tighten up those processes and procedures to ensure that that occurs even more so in the future.

We agreed to an even more comprehensive set of national data measures which are necessary to ensure that we are collectively aware of what is occurring in all the states and territories and that we're picking up at the earliest possible opportunity where there may be some vulnerabilities. And Professor Kelly will speak more to that. That not only goes to case numbers and things of that nature which we've had for some time. But how quickly cases are being identified, contacts are made, isolated, tracing done for known contacts and then isolation and testing of those. Our testing regime remains very strong, and particularly in terms of reagent and the kit that is required to do all these things. But given the scale of testing that is taking place, particularly in New South Wales and Victoria, we're working to further upgrade the support that we have for labs around the country to ensure that we keep up that pace - which we will.

We also agreed and adopted a freight movement protocol, and it particularly relates to the movement of large freight across borders and the protocols that are needed for the drivers and how they act and how often they're tested and all of these types of things. And we agreed that we needed to go further than that - not just a protocol, and we have accepted the advice of the AHPPC, the medical expert panel, on that protocol. But all states and territories and the Commonwealth agreed that that needed greater enforcement and it needed to move towards a code, and that's where we'll be moving in the days ahead to formalise that further. And the enforcement of that will obviously be put in place by the states and territories who have those resources. Now, how they do that, whether that's by legislation or public health order, that will be a matter for them. In Queensland, for example, they have public health orders that can attend to that. But the states and territories will move on that.

Now on the economy, we heard from Steven Kennedy, Dr Kennedy again, as is the normal practice at National Cabinet, where we were able to brief on yesterday's, sorry, Tuesday's announcement on the JobKeeper and JobSeeker, and of course the economic statement that was released yesterday. And the Treasurer will be speaking to at the National Press Club very shortly. Those measures have been greatly appreciated by the states and territories. Combined with our health response, the Commonwealth balance sheet and direct fiscal measures now is in excess of $300 billion. The states response which builds on top of that, is around $42 billion. And so, there is a strong platform for states to take additional economic measures where they see the opportunity to do that, and there's a very, very significant platform of fiscal support and balance sheet support that the Commonwealth has provided, enables every extra dollar that they spend at a state level to go that much further.

We also agreed today, and I think this demonstrates, just how effective the National Cabinet is, not just directly on the health measures, but today, we agreed to fast track processes for those 15 major projects I spoke to some weeks ago. There's some 66,000 jobs in those 15 projects and they're worth about $72 billion in economic activity. So 15 major projects agreed for streamlined approvals processes to get these happening as soon as possible. It was also agreed amongst all the states and territories to move to a single touch process under the EPBC Act and that we would now be moving to deal directly for interim standards with some model jurisdictions and forming bilateral agreements with all states and territories to action that agreement. Seven out of eight states have also signed up to the skills agreement, the JobTrainer agreement, and we welcome that. And that has moved very quickly in the last week or so.

And the final point that was made in Dr Kennedy's briefing, and I'll pass on to Professor Kelly is, in relation to our goal when it comes to jobs. Our goal is to create jobs and to reduce the effective rate of unemployment. Now, I know there's been quite a bit of commentary and the Treasurer has addressed this also, and I'm sure will do more so in his presentation today. I can understand that Australians would be concerned, rightly, about seeing the measured rate, the headline rate of unemployment set where it is in the forecasts that have been released by Treasury. What the headline rate or the measured rate of unemployment doesn't take into account is changes in labour force, people who are on effectively zero hours. What the effective rate of unemployment does is that it does take that into account. And one of the key differences in this pandemic is the quite significant gap that exists between your effective rate of unemployment and your measured or headline rate of unemployment. And I would urge, because I can assure you that's the figure I'm looking at. Because the effective rate of unemployment means who has got a job and who is working and who is getting paid. That's what it means. And that's what we have to focus on. So while the headline rate of unemployment has been moving up and is expected to continue to move up, the effective rate of unemployment back in April was around 15%. It fell to 13.9% in May and it fell to 11.3% in June. That shows the improvement in the labour market. You will see a difference between the movement in the effective rate of unemployment and the measured rate of unemployment. And that's what Dr Kennedy was briefing the Premiers and the Chief Ministers on today. So our goal is to see that effective rate come down. And we've said right from the outset, the Treasurer and I, when we talked about the figures on the headline rate some months ago, we know that rate was higher. So we've done the work to actually assess that and identify that, and they're figures I've referred to.

So with that, I'll pass you on to Professor Kelly. Thank you.

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, ACTING CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, Prime Minister. So what we discussed in National Cabinet today was the normal update of the epidemiological situation in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic here in Australia. I'm sure everyone knows that the major issues that we're facing at the moment are in Victoria, and particularly in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire. And there is a much smaller number of cases that have been appearing in the community in New South Wales. So I gave that update, we talked about what that meant in terms of the capacity and capability to respond across the nation, but particularly in Victoria, and so that was the update from me.

The main issue today was to recommit to that suppression strategy, but to really demonstrate how aggressively we need to chase down every case, every day, to ensure that they are isolated, to make sure that the contacts of every case are also contacted themselves, and where necessary, be tested and isolate as soon as possible. That is the crucial component of our public health response. It has been from the beginning. And what has happened in Victoria over the last few weeks has demonstrated, firstly how difficult that is, and also when you get a large number of cases, that really exacerbates it. But that is the crucial component that we need to stress and everyone at National Cabinet agreed to that.

The second component is to continue with those personal issues we've been talking about all along. Those personal protective measures about hygiene, about physical distancing. If you're sick, stay at home and all of those messages remain important, even in the states where there is no community transmission. And all the Premiers signed up to that as well. There are other measures that may need to support that public health approach and that, those personal protective measures, and that was also part, has always has been, of the suppression strategy with that aim of no community transmission. That's our ultimate goal. Six out of eight jurisdictions are in that spot at the moment and our absolute focus now is to continue to work particularly with Victoria to get back to that situation.

So to support that plan, that continued suppression strategy, a series of Metrics to give a much more granular picture of what is happening as the PM has suggested was agreed, and that will lead to a much better sharing of that information to guide the public health response where it's needed, and particularly to guide what sort of supports can be put from other states and territories from the ADF and other resources, where we are in that situation as is occurring in Melbourne.

So to give you some examples of that - it's really about cases, how long between the test being done to the test result being related? We will want that regularly from all of the states and territories to make sure that that testing regime is remaining as it should be. How long from when that test is made available to the local authority until that case is contacted? And the aim there, absolutely, to really stress it is every case, every day. So we're really pushing hard and making sure that that information is available.

On aged care, because that is such a crucial component, and we know from all around the world that our most vulnerable people are our elderly, and particularly those in residential aged care. And we've seen some of those issues really emerging in the recent days and weeks in Melbourne. So we're asking for very granular information about that to guide our response. Similarly with the tracing and contact tracing and contacting those, and some other measures related to healthcare and particularly intensive care.

So those are the flags. That's the Metrics we've agreed to. We've agreed to certain flags that will demonstrate that there are issues, and a commitment again to sharing and transparency across the nation so that we can assist where we need. The commitment to being ready, even if we do not have community transmission, and assisting across the nation wherever that's required, whether that be the Defence Force, other Health Departments, or others as is required, and particularly in relation to our emergency management colleagues.

So I might leave it there, PM.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Professor.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on JobKeeper, some industry groups have said that the tougher eligibility test under JobKeeper 2.0 will be the death knell for them. So I'm wondering whether you'd be willing to consider changing that eligibility test so they only had to show a 30% reduction across the two quarters, June and September, rather than in both of them?

PRIME MINISTER: The test that’s been set out is over the quarters over which the program has been running. And JobKeeper is intended to be there for those businesses who have had a sustained fall in revenues as a result of COVID-19. That's the measure that has been established. I note that in other jurisdictions, they've applied an even tougher test on the second tranche of their measures. We didn't agree with that. The whole point is, here, is to support businesses that have had that significant impact. That's what it's there for, for those most impacted and that's what the policy is designed to do. But it's also why we believe for all firms that have been on JobKeeper up until now, that we believe it's very necessary for them to continue to have the industrial relations flexibility post the end of September. Now I also stress that the existing rate of JobKeeper will continue until the end of September. So that is still several months away. And we would certainly hope that as events unfold, that many of those businesses would see an improvement.

JOURNALIST: In the month of June, for example though, the automotive industry had a weird uptick in sales, something they weren't expecting because of a variety of reasons. They say that in itself, that one month of uptick in sales is going to make them ineligible for JobKeeper 2.0 but they're in dire circumstances and in a very bad position in most of the June quarter and the September quarter. So how do you respond to an industry that just sees no future beyond September 27?

PRIME MINISTER: Well I'm very pleased that they had that uptick in June and I believe that that probably had a fair bit to do with the instant asset write-off arrangements that we put in place to actually encourage people. So I'm glad that they've been significant beneficiaries of the tax incentives that we gave to businesses to actually go out and support them. That's what all of our measures are designed to do. We want businesses to be able to graduate out of JobKeeper. That's the point, not for them to be able to remain permanently dependent on JobKeeper. And businesses will be making lots of decisions over the next couple of months. The Government is making lots of decisions over the next couple of months. We need to get, as soon as we can and as best as we're able to, in a situation where we have fewer businesses dependent upon JobKeeper and that's the plan that we set out. Of course, the ATO, just as they have right now, to deal with distortions I suppose in the data or unusual events that occur in the data. We went through a lot of that early on in the process dealing with businesses that had had turnover impacts because of bushfires, and because of drought. And the ATO took that into account in making their assessments.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister what was the tenor of the EPBC Act discussion? Were all states in agreement on that? And what time frame are you looking at for single touch approvals and bilaterals between the states and commonwealth?

PRIME MINISTER: Well the tenor was really positive, I've got to say. There was a great deal of enthusiasm. I had hoped to have a group of first movers, and they were all first movers. They all wanted to be first movers on this, and I think that's great. And I think what that demonstrates is the states and territories and the Commonwealth want to get on with it. We want to create jobs. We want to get projects happening. We want to remove the impediments that are unnecessarily preventing investment and development from taking place. Now, this process will enable standards to be upheld, but to ensure process doesn't destroy projects. And, of course, I'm not surprised that the states and territories would be so enthusiastic and supportive of it, because they want jobs and they want to protect the environment, just like I do. So we will start the process now and in particular, WA has been very enthusiastic about this, as I've mentioned for some time. But equally, Queensland was very enthusiastic about it today. New South Wales, I mean, I can run through the lot, because they were all very keen to get moving on this. And so, there's still a lot of work to do on this. And so the next phase is that we have to move to put interim standards in place. We have got to move to put bilateral agreements and so that work starts now. It's a green light.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on that, would you be happy to devolve decisions to the states? And what's your view on whether there, on who or what at the federal level would have some power to check any decisions to make sure there's no dilution of federal...?

PRIME MINISTER: There's an assurance process in all of these things, David. But the whole point is to have a single touch decision. If we're both going to make decisions on it, what's the point in having a single touch decision? You have to get your standards right and you have got to get your assurance processes right around the holding of those standards.

Tom?

JOURNALIST: On the issue of a vaccine, in the event that the CSL and University of Queensland option doesn't eventuate, what discussions are you having with which countries about getting Australia's hands on a vaccine? Are you confident that we'll be at the head of the queue if there is an overseas vaccine available?

PRIME MINISTER: This is a topic I was discussing last night with President Macron. It's a topic that I've been discussing with the UK, particularly around the Oxford developments, which are very exciting. We're partners in programs like Gavi and so on, so we're very confident about our ability to move on those issues from all of these like-minded countries. And there are protocols in place for that to be achieved. And you're right to say that CSL has the capability in the majority, I would say, of the cases, where, how vaccines are progressing, to be able to reproduce that. There are, some vaccines research that is being done in the United States where there are very few places that have that capability. But no, we're working together on that. There’s, I've got to say, right from that first G20 meeting that we held many months ago, there was quite a strong commitment to ensure that if someone finds it, we've got to make it available. And any country that would hoard a vaccine discovery, I think, would not be met with welcome arms by the rest of the world. I think there's an absolute obligation on whoever finds this to share it with the world and you know, it was Australia through the Doherty Institute, was the first to genetically reproduce the COVID-19 virus. And we shared it. We didn't sell it. We didn't restrict it, we shared it. We made sure that everybody could get it. And we did it as soon as we found it. And that's the attitude, that's the leadership Australia has shown and that's what we'd expect from other countries when it comes to a vaccine.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you say the states agreed to no community transmission as the goal. What does that mean for that 3-stage exit strategy which was supposed to be the end of July. What would be your new thinking on that timeframe more broadly? And Professor Kelly if I may, we're two weeks in the Victorian lockdown. If the goal is no community transmission, how much longer would you have to see that lockdown put in place in order for that to be effective?

PRIME MINISTER: Well on your question - there's no change. Because there's no change in the strategy. This has always been our goal. There's no change. And this is what we've always been working to and you can expect that process to continue. Now, in Victoria, they've had to move back some steps. That's I think fairly obvious, and I think that Dan made the point well today that particularly when you're coming back out of a situation like they're in, then you've got to be confident about the protections building up more broadly as they re-emerge. So I'm sure that’s something and I know it's something that the Victorian Government is, will be looking at very closely. But I want to stress again, and Professor Kelly will make his own comments - this has always been the plan.

PROFESSOR KELLY: Thank you, PM. So firstly on the 3-step strategy. It was always designed to be a strategy for opening up, and if necessary, closing down. So we've seen that happen in Victoria in recent times, and to a certain extent in some parts of New South Wales, south-west Sydney and so forth, where those cases have been found. But all the other states have also committed to reconsidering their complete opening up. So there is no state in Australia, for example, that's going as far as New Zealand has done and basically getting back to a pre-COVID normal. Everyone agrees now that that alert phase that we're in at the moment is important, and so everyone has slowed down their three or four or five-step plan in the case of WA. In terms of what might happen in Victoria - I don't have a crystal ball on that. All we know is that we're continuing to see large numbers of cases that are being diagnosed every day. And I would just stress, again, the absolute importance firstly of chasing down every single case, every day and making sure that they are isolated. That is how we're going to get on top of this. How that works out into those other supportive things which are decreasing mobility, decreasing mixing across the population and some of those other measures in the retail space and so forth. That's a decision for the Victorian Government. But my absolute hope is that with data driving what we need to do and data supporting what we need to do, being shared with people that need to know it so that those absolutely important public health measures can be done, that will help.

JOURNALIST: Just on the Close The Gap reform committee, can I ask was there any discussion of this in today's National Cabinet meeting? And when are you expecting the states to sign off on the new targets and for those to be publicly released?

PRIME MINISTER: It was noted, it's all on their desk right now. So it is all with the states and territories right now. So I would hope that they will be able to progress that as soon as possible. Our Cabinet has signed off on it, and it is now with each individual state and territory.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, only today, the Victorian Government has moved to have the ADF knocking on doors in confirmed cases. Are you frustrated that that hasn't happened sooner? That there haven't been more take-up of ADF capability in Victoria?

PRIME MINISTER: It's my job to make that available. It's my job through Commodore Hill and Lieutenant General Frewen to make sure that we are providing every support we can to the Victorian Government. And that's exactly what we're doing. As I set out, it’s not just in Victoria but it's happening all around the country. All states, as you know, are very keen to stress their authority over these matters and the decisions that are taken, and the Victorian Government are doing that and we'll give them every support.

Michelle?

JOURNALIST: One area of substantial failure has been aged care. Now, I know a number of measures have been taken and there's been action to try to stop staff taking in the disease to those facilities. But, are you confident now that you're getting on top of this problem, that you're ahead of the game here. You're asking for more information, but obviously more and very fast action is needed. What are you planning to do?

PROFESSOR KELLY: So in aged care, I wouldn't say that it has been a failure up to now. It has been certainly a large number of aged care facilities have had either cases in staff or in residents in recent times in Victoria. When we look around the world, this has been a major issue for all countries, and so we're learning as we go. We certainly have had very rapid action wherever a case has been found, and we've put in place prevention in terms of the compulsory use of masks, for example, for all residents.

JOURNALIST: It's still pretty bad?

PROFESSOR KELLY: Yes, it's a real concern and so, actually, today in Melbourne, there is a, we're combining everyone who is involved in aged-care in Victoria so that they're in the same room and working through what else can be done to coordinate that action, there will be announcements over that over the coming days.

JOURNALIST: Today Dan Andrews talked about 25% of Victorians not answering the phone when called for contact tracing. Earlier in the week, it was half of people not isolating after getting a test. At the start of it, it was 30% of people in hotel quarantine refusing. Are you concerned at how Victoria is handling those very basic protocols? And does that raise your concern in terms of the Treasury assumption that that state will only be locked down for six weeks and back up to stage three by December?

PRIME MINISTER: Of course, that's concerning. And that's why the Victorian Government is taking the action they've been taking, and that's why the Australian Defence Forces are providing them with that resource to be able to go and knock on those doors. There are challenges in parts of Melbourne. That’s, I think that the Premier has been very clear about that, and that's why we genuinely seek everybody's cooperation. And all we can do is to give Victoria every support that we can to get the results. If they don't answer the phone, we'll knock on the door. If they don't come for testing, we'll drive a truck to the end of their street and we'll test them there. The way that you deal with this is you don't get frustrated about it. You don't wallow in concern about it. You just take action. You've just got to deal with what's in front of you. You can't deal with things as you'd like them to be. You've got to deal with things as they are and that's very much how we're all addressing this issue. So if there's a challenge, we've just got to get on top of it and you learn every single day. I mean, the aged care question that Michelle mentioned - the learnings that we've had from what occurred in New South Wales earlier with Newmarch, and particularly on the communications. I want to commend Minister Colbeck for the great work he's been doing to ensure that we're meeting the marks that we've set on communications with families around these issues. And that would be terribly distressing, terribly distressing for families with people in aged care facilities, and one of things we learned at Newmarch is that you've got to work very hard to maintain that communication. Communication is a big challenge when it comes to community adherence - particularly in some communities. That's why we're taking the additional steps. It's not just Australia that's dealing with this. Australia is facing the same problems that Bibi Netanyahu was mentioning to me last night, in Israel, and the same problems in parts of France and Paris. We've got outbreaks in Tokyo. We've got challenges in Hong Kong. So we're all dealing with it. But the way you deal with it is, you just deal with what's in front of you each day and you work your way through it. And Commodore Hill working strongly together with the leadership of the public health, and the emergency management in Victoria is certainly doing that on a daily basis.

Now we’ve got time I think for one more. No you’ve had one already Tom, so John, and then I'll leave you to the Treasurer.

JOURNALIST: To Professor Kelly. About the virus's infection rate. The Kirby Institute’s done some preliminary serological tests of random blood samples indicating that the actual infection rate might be more like 1 to 2 percent of Australians, which is much higher than what we're led to believe so far. Ms Chant from the New South Wales, Chief Medical Officer, she says it might be more like 1 percent. What do you think that the actual infection rate is? And what work is being undertaken to actually work out what the true infection rate is?

PROFESSOR KELLY: So there is the serological testing that you’ve mentioned, it is being led by, out of New South Wales on New South Wales data. I think that we have to be careful interpreting that data. I haven't seen the actual results yet, it's still in process. And whether that can be extrapolated to the whole of Australia is unlikely. Because this is based on our original, our first wave back in March and April which were mostly overseas cases, mostly people coming into Australia being isolated quickly. So the spread in the community, the community transmission was very low at that time. I would be extremely surprised if it was 1 percent. Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: Okay well thank you everyone, and for people as we go into this weekend, obviously, if you're in Melbourne, you're staying home. But elsewhere around the country, I'd just encourage everybody to exercise the appropriate caution and the social distancing practices which are so necessary for us to stay on our guard. We're in this fight. We are going to win this fight and we'll win it every day. Thank you very much.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42949

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

21 July 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: Well good morning everyone, the Treasurer is going to join me and he’s joining us in accordance with the arrangements that have been determined by the acting Chief Medical Officer and the ACT Chief Health Officer. There is a set of correspondence which we can make available to you to explain, but again as I am looking out at this crowd, can I please ask you to observe the social distancing arrangements, I should not really have to keep reminding people about these things and it's very important that that occurs, whether we are meeting in the courtyard or any other place, so thank you for your cooperation with that.

Welcome Treasurer, it’s nice to have you here, and to everyone in particular in Melbourne and across Victoria, we continue to stand with you each and every day, and while today is about making announcements in relation to JobKeeper and JobSeeker, I can confirm that I have spoken with Commodore Hill overnight and Lieutenant General Frewen again this morning, the ADF resources are in place in Victoria now, working closely with the Victorian government, making some real ground in terms of the arrangements they are putting in place, I intend to speak to the Premier later today, and have been in regular contact as you would expect, but today, it is to address the other significant element of the crisis and the challenge that our nation faces. We have always been addressing this crisis as a dual headed one. The health crisis and the economic crisis. The COVID-19 recession that it has become, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, and our national response to both of these challenges.

All throughout these crises, we have maintained a disciplined, focus on the principles that we have set out for dealing with each of them. In the economic area, ensuring that our measures are scalable, that they are targeted, that they are measured, that they are tempered, that they are temporary, that they are addressing the information as we know it.

One of the great challenges that all countries are facing in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the recession that has been consequential to that, has been that things change and they change quickly, and there is always new information, and while you seek to give as much forward planning as you possibly can to help businesses and individuals, households, families, to be able to plan for their future, I think there is a genuine understanding in the community that this is a virus that will plot its own course, and it will wreak its own havoc where it chooses to do so. What we are in charge of is our own response, and we need to calibrate that response, carefully, and to ensure that we are using the best possible information and advice to do that, when we are making those decisions, and it is always a trade-off by giving people as much time as you can but also waiting to ensure you get as much information as you can in to assess the effectiveness of your measures and how you can appropriately adjust them for the next phase and that is indeed what we have sought to do here. As a Government we have been very focused on providing practical problems, practical solutions I should say, to practical problems. That has been our focus. All options are put on the table, careful considerations apply, and we will deliver what is practically needed, whether that is directly from the Federal Government at a Commonwealth level, or it is providing the supports into the states and territories as they need it to deal with the challenges that they are facing. Another important principle has been that we have been working together. Sure, there will be differences from time to time between states and territories, and there have been those, but what we have also demonstrated as a federation that has been prepared to work together through some of the most difficult times, and to provide the support that is needed, to share the information that is necessary, and to give each other the encouragement and support, and that is true as a national population. As I know whether people live in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Tassie, right across the country, they are as equally I believe, concerned about the welfare, particularly of Victorians and those across the border towns at the moment, or across the Murray, and in those outbreak areas that we have seen in New South Wales.

What we have also said is that we don't set and forget when it comes to these arrangements. We continue to look at them and we continue to calibrate them to ensure they are being effective, and where they need to change, we will change them. Where they can work better, we will make those changes. But where they are proven to be effective we will maintain them. And we will respond to the circumstances as best as we understand them and we seek to understand where the direction is heading so that we can respond as needed. It's also important to note that these are very complex issues. There is no one thing that can remove from us this heavy burden that is on the country at the moment. All things have to be pursued. All partners have to be worked with, to ensure that we can put Australia in the best possible position that we possibly can. And it is true to say despite the hardship that is being felt, particularly in the southern states, in Victoria, New South Wales that Australia's performance has been a standout around the world, both from a health perspective and from an economic perspective because we have always seen the task to address both of these issues and we will continue to do so going forward.

And finally before I come to the measures, I said this yesterday, Australia is a country that just doesn't look to survive these things. We don't go through challenges with our heads looking down overwhelmed by the circumstances, that is not who we are. Who we are, is an innovative, adaptive people, supporting each other, reaching out to each other, drawing us all through, not for survival, but to be on the other side in a position where we can emerge strongly. We have been saying that since the outset and we're seeing that in the responses of Australian businesses, their employees, families, health professionals, bus drivers, checkout workers right across the country they're all doing their job and they will keep doing their job.

Now, something that's been doing its job in recent months has been JobKeeper and that is what the JobKeeper Review found. JobKeeper is doing its job and will continue to do its job through the decisions we're announcing today. Already just over $30 billion has been provided in support through the JobKeeper Program to almost 1 million businesses - 960,000, thereabouts - supporting some 3.5 million employees. The review has found, and I'll allow the Treasurer to go into more of the details of this, that it has been well targeted, that it has been effective in stemming the loss of business closures and job losses, that it has saved businesses and it has saved livelihoods. That is the feedback that I have been getting direct as I have spoken to Australians, employees, employers, all around the country. It has been the game-changer for them. Their businesses would not be here, their jobs would not be there were it not for the intervention and the way it was undertaken so quickly and so effectively. The report recommends that we should continue JobKeeper and we shall, but it needs to be done in a way that is responsive to the circumstances, that it needs to be done in a way that's aligned with changes that we make to JobSeeker, and it needs to be reflective of the conditions and how they can change and we have built always into the design of JobKeeper that potential. When I was asked here a little while ago about what was occurring in Victoria and will we be having a specific set of measures for Victoria? Well there was no need, because JobKeeper is designed to reflect where businesses are hurting the most and that's what the extension of the JobKeeper arrangements do today. Whether you're in Far North Queensland and have been hit by the devastating impact of the loss of the international tourism business, whether you're in the entertainment industry, whether you're in the business events industry, which I was meeting with yesterday, whether you’re in the film business, doesn't matter which sector you're in, the aviation sector, JobKeeper is designed to find its level with those businesses who need it most and the employees who need it the most. And it has been apparent to us for some time that there will be businesses who will continue to be affected heavily by those restrictions and as a result they'll be in a position to continue to get access to JobKeeper going forward.

The changes that we're making are several. The first of those is to apply the JobKeeper test for the 30% turnover reduction across the past two quarters and into the next quarter for continuing eligibility out to the end of March of next year. So there'll be the next quarter after September and then there'll be the March quarter. In both cases, businesses will have the test reapplied in relation to their turnover and it will be looking at their performance over this first six month period of the program and that will provide where it's needed, the gateway into the next phase of the program. The payment for JobKeeper will be reduced to $1,200 per fortnight and there will be a lower payment for those working less than 20 hours a week of $750 at the change over period towards the end of September. That will be revised again for the March quarter down to $1,000 for a full rate at 20 hours a week or more and $650 for less than 20 hours a week.

Now, I want to address this issue of the dual payments. One of the reasons JobKeeper was so successful is it was designed to be done as quickly as possible using existent payment methods. Even to deliver the two payments that we have here, there is still several months of work that need to be done by the Australian Taxation Office to enable a two-tiered payment system to be put in place. That was not available to the Government back in April. We needed to move quickly and get these payments in place. But I'd also say that we made the conscious decision to have a flat rate payment because we understood at that time that people were losing second and third jobs. The report points out some 39% loss of income from other jobs, and JobKeeper was designed to only be provided through one employer. So you couldn't go and get it from all your other employers if you had multiple jobs. You could only get it from the one employer. And so that meant we could concentrate the delivery of income support to people who were losing second and third jobs by ensuring that they got their income support through one employer. Now this also had an important aggregate demand impact of ensuring that we were channelling those payments to, at a flat rate right across the labour force. It was also meaning that in supporting that aggregate demand, that had a broader impact across the economy, we were also focused on ensuring that we did not get the crush on the Centrelink system, on the Services Australia system, and we were effectively using private payrolls to deliver social security support to Australians. If people who had been on reduced hours and part-time employment had otherwise not been receiving that JobKeeper payment, they would have been lining up at Centrelink and they would have been receiving an $1,100 payment and possibly more because of the other payment supports that were there. Ensuring that we had one flat payment across the entire labour force ensured that we were protecting our social security system and you will all remember the great strains that that system was under early during the crisis. So a key part of the design was to ensure that we leveraged private payrolls to ensure that we did not crush the Centrelink system. Had that system not been able to stand up and record levels of assessments and payments - two years' worth in the space of months - meant that we could get that support to people, we could continue to build up the system. Now, we're in a position where we can run a two-payment system and we can also ensure that people can make applications earlier in the JobSeeker arrangements which enables them to move on. So it was simple, it was deliverable, it protected the social security system. It ensured that a level of income support that would otherwise had been provided through other methods was coming through a single method. And at the time, of course, we were very concerned about where the economy was heading at that time. There were no jobs and so this was about just getting income support to people that were in desperate circumstances. So they're the changes that we're making to JobSeeker - JobKeeper, I should say.

Let me move to JobSeeker. The changes we're making there and we would otherwise be joined by the Minister for Social Services today but because of the restrictions that are in place and upon us today, she sends her apologies, but will be available for interviews later.

For JobSeeker, we're increasing the income-free area that is available to those who are on JobSeeker to $300. That means you can earn $300 without it affecting any of your JobSeeker payments. We're adjusting the COVID supplement down to $250. So that means you can earn $300 where you may have been getting $550 before, you can earn $300 and then there's the $250 supplement that will come through the COVID Supplement and that will run out till the end of this year. We will be reintroducing mutual obligation in two phases, from the 4th of August we will be requiring people to connect again to employment services and to undertake four job searches a month and the penalties regime will kick in if people refuse a job that has been provided and offered through that process. So if there is a job to be taken and a job that is being offered, then it is an obligation, a mutual obligation, for those who are on JobSeeker to take those jobs where they're on offer. This is important as we move through the next phase.

In the second phase which will be at the end of September, we will be moving to a higher rate of job search. We'll be reintroducing the assets test for eligibility for those payments and we'll be reintroducing liquid assets waiting period at that time. We will be maintaining the eased restrictions around sole traders for their eligibility for JobSeeker. We will be retaining that support for people to access it who are part-time and casual. We will be maintaining the waving of the ordinary waiting period waiver and we will be maintaining the partner income test thresholds that were introduced earlier as part of our response.

And so they're the changes we're making to JobSeeker. We will make further decisions about JobSeeker closer to the end of the year or potentially even in the Budget. It is our intention that we would expect that there would be likely a need to continue those supplements post-December, but there is a difference between JobKeeper and JobSeeker. JobKeeper requires that 6-month period for employers to be able to plan. For those who are on JobSeeker, their plan is there and that is for us to assist them where possible to get them back into employment, or as we announced last week with the JobTrainer program, to get them into skills training and skills training will obviously satisfy those mutual obligation arrangements. So our plan for those who aren't in a job is to help them get into a job or train them for a job. Our plan for those who are on JobKeeper in a business that is still eligible for that, is to maintain that support. But we are expecting to see fewer businesses on JobKeeper because they're making their way out. And we're looking forward to the time when they won't need it. When JobKeeper is not necessary, that will be a good day for Australia because that will mean our economy is getting back to a much higher level of performance and businesses are able to support their employees.

I should also stress that the existing arrangements for all of those who are watching, who are on JobKeeper now and are on JobSeeker now, these arrangements run out that you are currently on till the end - towards the end of September. Okay. So you will continue to get those current arrangements now. If you're in Victoria and worried about being shut down or you're unable to go to work or earn, the arrangements you're getting right now for JobSeeker and JobKeeper will be in place towards the end of September. And that was also a recommendation of the review.

Now, I apologise for the lengthy introduction and the Treasurer has even further comments to make so I'll allow him to do that. But this is about ensuring that we move to the next phase, we take the next step. This is the next step in our journey and it's the step on the journey that is back to keep Australia in a position where we have been able to mitigate, we have been able to prevent the worst of the impacts of this crisis wherever possible and we will continue to work night and day to ensure that's the case.

Treasurer.

THE HON. JOSH FRYDENBERG MP, TREASURER: Thank you, Prime Minister. Well, coronavirus has hit the Australian economy harder than any other event in the last 100 years. Between February and May, more than 2 million Australians either lost their jobs or saw their hours reduced. Now, the official unemployment rate stands at 7.4 per cent. But the effective unemployment rate is at 11.3 per cent when you take into account those who have left the workforce or those who are on zero hours. As we stand here today, 5 million Victorians are in lockdown. And it's against the backdrop of that very difficult and challenging economic environment that we are announcing the extension of JobKeeper. JobKeeper 2.0, together with the extension of the coronavirus JobSeeker supplement, will assist Australians right around the country.

As the Prime Minister alluded to, Treasury undertook a review of the JobKeeper program at the mid-way point. It was legislated for 6 months and they undertook a review at the mid-way point. They found that JobKeeper, which is the single largest economic measure that any Australian Government has ever taken has supported some 960,000 businesses and 3.5 million workers. It comprises around 30 per cent of the pre-COVID private sector workforce and Treasury's review found that JobKeeper met its three primary objectives, namely to save jobs and businesses, to maintain the formal connection between employers and employees, and to provide income support. It cited ABS data that 44 per cent of businesses on JobKeeper said that JobKeeper influenced their decision to keep their staff on. It has a number of cameos from various businesses on JobKeeper who have said that the JobKeeper program is why they remain open today. Importantly, the review also records females received, made up 47.1 per cent of the recipients under JobKeeper compared to 44.9 per cent of the private sector workforce. And that JobKeeper helped stabilise the loss of jobs across the economy. In the four weeks to mid-April, payroll jobs decreased by 8.1 per cent and after JobKeeper, jobs started to stabilise.

So today, as the Prime Minister said we're extending the JobKeeper program for another six months until the 28th March 2021. It comes at an estimated cost of around $16 billion. JobKeeper 2.0 will provide a two-tiered payment at a new rate depending on the hours worked. It was a conscious decision to introduce the flat $1,500 payment as it enabled us to get money to people who needed it most as fast as possible. However, one of the consequences of the flat payment equivalent to the minimum wage was that some recipients were receiving more under JobKeeper than they were pre-COVID. The two-tiered payment better reflects the pre-COVID income of these recipients. From the 28th September until the 3rd January next year, the two payments will be $1,200 and $750 with the lower payment for employees who work less than 20 hours a week in the month of February pre-COVID. From the 4th of January to the 28th of March, the two payments will be $1,000 and $650. To be eligible for the initial phase of JobKeeper, businesses had to see a reduction in turnover of 30 or 50 per cent depending on their size and charities a 15 per cent reduction. These tests remain the same but they will be reapplied at the end of September and again at the start of January. Employers will need to demonstrate that they have met the relevant decline in turnover in both the June and September quarters to be eligible for the JobKeeper payment in the December quarter, and employers will need to demonstrate that they have met the relevant decline in each of the previous three quarters ending on the 31st of December 2020 to remain eligible for the payment in the March quarter 2021.

As the economy gradually improves, Treasury expects that the number of JobKeeper recipients will reduce substantially. With around 1.4 million people remaining eligible in the December quarter 2020 and 1 million in the March quarter 2021. We know that the economic pain caused by COVID will end and that many businesses now struggling will be viable once again. This is why we're extending the payment to buy time to get businesses and employees to the other side. In conclusion, JobKeeper is the largest single economic measure any Government in Australia's history has undertaken. It's come at an extremely difficult time, but the Australian public know that the Morrison Government has their backs.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, this is the largest economic package as the Treasurer said. It's just gotten bigger. How much is this going to cost?

PRIME MINISTER: The Treasurer just addressed that and the full reconciliation not just of these measures but other measures that have been announced by the Government over these many months will be summarised in the economic statement on Thursday. Now, I want to stress again, the economic statement is not a mini-budget, it's not a Budget. The Budget is in October. What the statement on Thursday will do will reconcile and bring together the many programs that have been announced by the Government and implemented over these past months.

But, Treasurer? Did you want to answer that Josh?

TREASURER: Well, as you know, the original estimate was around $70 billion. And so this brings it to around $86 billion.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, we’ve seen now a year of JobKeeper, could we see some manifestation depending on the virus, of this scheme until the next election? And is it possible that the next election could be later next year or are you committed to going a full term?

PRIME MINISTER: Andrew, politics is nowhere near my mind. I mean, I don't think Australians could care less when the next election was and, frankly, right now it's got nothing factoring into my thinking not at all. I know it may totally fascinate people who stand in this courtyard, at least some of them, but it is just not a factor. I mean, we have got an outbreak in Victoria and people are dying and you're asking me questions about when the next election is. I think we need to focus on what the real issues are here and it’s not when the next election is.

Lanai?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you found that close to 900,000 people were paid more than their normal salary by getting JobKeeper. Do you accept that will still occur even with the changes that you're making today?

PRIME MINISTER: Well the Treasurer may want to comment on this as well. But look I think the scope of that will be diminished. But, again, I stress - JobKeeper can only be paid by one employer and many people who are either in casual employment, longer-term casual appointment or part time employment can have multiple jobs. Many do. They were the first jobs to go under this COVID recession and the delivery mechanism recognised that. So while they mightn't have got any income support from the other jobs they were working for, that was channelled through the one employer they did do it through. But by moving to a two payment system because we're in a position to be able to a that now and we have been able to extend and boost the capability of Services Australia to respond to the request - because we will now have people who are on a lower payment, on the $750 payment or the $650 payment. They'll also have an eligibility for JobSeeker as well. Had we not done that earlier, they would have been getting JobKeeper and applying for JobSeeker at exactly the same time putting inordinate stress on the JobSeeper system. And so we are now in a position having bolstered our systems over the last months to enable a two-tiered payment to be put in place which will diminish those - those outcomes that you have mentioned.

But, Josh?

TREASURER: Thanks, PM. Forecasting is difficult at the best of times, let alone in the middle of a pandemic. It's Treasury's forecast that that income transfer will be halved under the new arrangements with the two-tiered payment. Bearing in mind, as the Prime Minister has said 39 per cent of jobs lost across the economy were secondary jobs. So the income transfer numbers that the Treasury paper refers to does not take into account how many people lost a second job, nor does it take into account that under the flexible industrial relations changes that came in with JobKeeper, some employers and employees agreed for the employees to do more hours. And so they were doing more hours, which meant that they were making up for that otherwise income transfer.

JOURNALIST: What is the logic in reducing the JobKeeper rate just after Christmas and removing that JobSeeker supplement, isn't that, at Christmas, isn't that a very tough time to be reducing the payments to those people?

PRIME MINISTER: As I said earlier, we'll be making further announcements about what happens with JobSeeker post-December in a few months. We need to make those decisions closer to the time to have a better understanding of where the economy is at, remembering the JobSeeker arrangements has more an impact on incentives on the labour market. JobKeeper does not have those same disincentives and particularly given the redesign that has been put in place because it new can be done. So we want to be in a position to better assess where the situation is closer to the end of the year. We have always said that the JobKeeper and the JobSeeker COVID supplement were temporary measures. And, look, I think Australians understand that. They know that a current scheme that is burning cash, their cash, taxpayers' cash to the tune of some $11 billion a month cannot go on forever. Australians understand that. They also understand that JobSeeker at the elevated levels cannot go on forever. It was introduced at those very highly elevated levels because of the severe economic situations that were in place and the fact that there were no other jobs at all out there for people during those times and we wanted to boost that level of income support both for the economy, but also obviously to reduce hardship for individuals themselves. And so it has always been our view that it has to taper back. It has to scale down, we have to work ourselves off these supports because they're not enduring, they cannot be permanent, they were never designed to be permanent and in terms of longer-term arrangements around income supports, those decisions will be made at another time. What we're dealing with now is the next couple of months which the JobKeeper Review said these arrangements should stay in place until - well, it’s the 25th of September I think it is - and that the JobSeeker arrangements and JobKeeper should move in sync and so we'll be looking at that issue with JobSeeker closer to that time, but I want to be very clear - I am leaning heavily in to the notion that we would anticipate based on what we know right now that there would obviously need to be some continuation of the COVID supplement post-December.

PRIME MINISTER: Andrew, I think you had your question. Andrew?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you told us that mutual obligations is going to return in some form in August. What do you say to those people who think that would be quite a burden given that it's not an uncommon story to hear people applying for jobs where there are hundreds applying for the same job? And what flexibility will there be for states like Victoria or possibly other regions in months ahead, heaven forbid, that do have substantial lockdowns?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, again, this is why the design of the scheme, I think, it finds its level wherever a state or a particular area is, and the immediate, more immediate elements of the mutual obligations, no, I don't believe are onerous. It’s it's looking for four jobs a month and it is to reengage with employment services and it is to not to refuse a job if you're offered one. Now, I think they're very fair - very fair expectations that taxpayers should have. I have, I can't even nominate a conversation that I have had that I recall where Australians have not wanted to help other people in these circumstances, but it's not unreasonable once we get into this next phase for there to be some basic requirements. I think the ones that are initially coming in are very fair and reasonable. Remember last week though and I stress this, we understand that there are fewer jobs available for people now, of course there are, that's obvious. That's why we put in place the billion-dollar boost to training programs last week with the states and since I have stood here last week, Victoria have indicated they'll be coming on board. So that's seven states and territories that are signed up to that program and that will mean that there'll be training opportunities for people to upskill, reskill, to get themselves in a position if not in the next couple of months, but perhaps later to be able to get themselves into those positions so the JobTrainer works with JobSeeker which works with JobKeeper. All of these programs are designed to work together to give people the help they need.

Phil? And then Shane. And then Clare.

JOURNALIST: You may have partly answered this in Lanai’s question, just wondered if you could clarify - the Treasury said that JobSeeker should be reduced so it's no higher than JobKeeper so it doesn't act as a disincentive. The new level, the tier 2 level of JobKeeper is slightly lower than the new JobSeeker. Is that - is that contrary to Treasury’s advice that people would rather stay on JobSeeker than JobKeeper? Or you said people would be able to do both on the lower tier? COuld you explain,

PRIME MINISTER: Well they have been reduced by commensurate amounts. They have both been reduced by $300. So they’ve been reduced, so the existing complementarities have been maintained with the new arrangements. And remember, that on JobSeeker it's just not that payment that people receive and there'll be cameos that you'll have available to you which demonstrate with rental assistance and other payments even under with these changes, families or those depending on the dependents and other circumstances, will continue to be getting support above what those basic JobSeeker arrangements are.

JOURNALIST: [inaudible] JobSeeker and JobKeeper, is that the point,

PRIME MINISTER: It will all depend on people's circumstances, Phil. I mean it’s you know how complex the social services system is. And so depending on where people's circumstances are and their level of need, then there are a range of other payments they're entitled to. So it has - one of the reasons this has been a very complex exercise, it has not just been a matter of determining, "Well, what do you do with JobKeeper post-September?" You need to look at the integration between JobKeeper and the welfare system, and you also need to look at the training system. And so these announcements we have made over several days I think should demonstrate that this is an integrated package.

Shane? and then Clare.

JOURNALIST: Treasurer, the $16B for the, that's the cost of JobKeeper, what's the cost of the JobSeeker extension? Does it - will it continue for, say, parenting payments and other, I think, family farms household payments? And just finally, when you get to end of September when you reduce, is there an expectation that there will be firms laying off staff because they won't be able to keep on with the, $1,200 isn't quite enough? Do you expect that there'll be a lift in unemployment around that point?

TREASURER: Well, you'll see the employment numbers and the job- and the unemployment numbers when we get to the statement on Thursday. That puts out a couple of years worth of forecasts. It's fair to say the unemployment rate will continue to rise. That's also a factor of the participation rate increasing. When it comes to the JobSeeker coronavirus supplement, that's going to cost around $3.8 billion to extend it out to December. And again the total cost of that supplement is around $16.8 billion. And I have mentioned the cost of JobKeeper. So these are very substantial financial commitments.

PRIME MINISTER: Clare?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Treasury found the supports would potentially blunt the incentive to return to work, was that based on evidence of that happening now, was it speculative as to when the economy opens more? And did they have any findings around businesses who maybe resisted reopening because they knew their workers were on JobKeeper? Do you think this will push more businesses to reopen?

TREASURER: Thank you, Prime Minister. Well in terms of Treasury's analysis, obviously this has been conducted at the mid-way point when the economy's just opening up. Their comment on the disincentives, particularly around labour mobility, is more acute as the economy opens up. And what we know is that the National Cabinet had agreed on May the 8th for three stages - in three stages for the restrictions to be eased. So Treasury's numbers are based on assumptions from that 8th of May Cabinet decision outside of Victoria. I just want to be very clear, what Treasury has assumed in the basis of these numbers is that that lockdown goes for 6 weeks in Victoria and then restrictions come back, stage 1, and then stage 2 out to December. Treasury have very much tried in this very difficult environment to take into account what is happening in Victoria but also taking into account National Cabinet's decisions.

And your other question was?

JOURNALIST: [inaudible] with JobKeeper, were businesses happy to remain closed given the uncertainty?

TREASURER: Well I think businesses want to open. And indeed the more money they bring in through customers is money that the business can use to hire more people and maintain more staff. What JobKeeper is, is a wage subsidy, effectively, and also income transfer but effectively a wage subsidy to that employer so that they can keep on their staff and that has been proven to be the case.

PRIME MINISTER: The inclusion of sole traders too, I think is very important point Clare, for them to keep their businesses open. The fact we're maintaining the easing of eligibilities for sole traders both on JobSeeker and their continuing access to JobKeeper out to the end of this year I think is important.

Sam?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can we just step through the turnover changes to the test because that's important for businesses to know whether they're going to qualify or not. You’ve got 900,000 businesses now, 3.5 million workers.  How many, you know you must have a fair idea how many are going to be on this after that date. And also in relation to the overpayment of casuals, it looks like you've overpaid them $6 billion. Now I take your point that you're rolling out the system quickly but do you think that that $6 billion dollars that you overpaid casuals at a rate of about $550 a fortnight could have been better spent?

TREASURER: Well as you know that doesn't take into account the 39 per cent of jobs lost that have been lost that have been secondary jobs. That doesn't take into account what has happened in particular workplaces with more hours being worked under the flexible IR arrangements. But, to your question, Treasury's forecast is, as I said, for the December quarter 1.4 million recipients of which about 175,000 would be on the $750 payment and, for the March quarter, about 1 million recipients, of which around 125,000 will be on the $650 payment.

PRIME MINISTER: Just to pick up on Sam's point also, I mean the alternative, Sam, was to not have those payments to those people at all. And so if you were a part-time worker or a long-time casual, the only option to us in those circumstances at that time is they would not have received JobKeeper and they would have gone into the JobSeeker queues and that would have crashed the JobSeeker system. We're in a position at the end of September to put that two-tiered payment in. So, no, I wouldn't agree that that was something that could have been done differently or better because the alternative would have been to leave people exposed and, potentially, a stress on the government services system, Services Australia system, that could have proved absolutely chronic for that system to be able to work through the unprecedented demand they were receiving for those who were going to have to rely on the JobSeeker system.

JOURNALIST: Is there modelling on the poverty impact of reducing the JobSeeker payments, there’s been that prediction that it could send you know hundreds of thousands of families with children into poverty, what’s the impact of taking it down to $815?

PRIME MINISTER: Well that's not our advice. What we've done on JobSeeker is to increase the income-free area. Which is a really important part of the change. We want, we know there's not a lot of work out there. But where there's some work, we do not want people not to take that work because they're on a JobSeeker payment and think that will threaten it. So this will enable people to take a bit of work where they can get it and not have that threaten their JobSeeker payment. And we think that’s really important for the certainty of those individuals who want to work, I mean JobSeeker and JobKeeper are not do nothing payments. JobSeeker and JobKeeper are payments that support people's incomes but also do not, and are not designed to prevent them from going out and seeking work and to improve their circumstances. I mean I was in my own electorate yesterday and in my electorate we have more Qantas employees than any other electorate in the country. They've obviously been devastated by the impacts on the aviation sector. I have got pilots who are working stop-go signs, working at distribution centres, and they’re also continuing to be connected to their employer. And they'll fly again one day. But in the meantime they're not seeing JobKeeper as do-nothing money, they’re seeing it as a very helpful income support that keeps them connected to their business but at the same time doesn't prevent them from going and doing other work that’s out there. So you've got to get the combination of these incentives right. And that’s what we’ve attempted to do here.

Yep, here, and then John and then I’ll come back, yep?

JOURNALIST: Prime, Minister, you mentioned the aviation industry there. It is one of the industries that realistically isn’t going to be back up on its feet by March, live entertainment is another one that springs to mind, international tourism, do you anticipate that there might be a need to extend JobKeeper beyond March for certain industries?

PRIME MINISTER: I think that's premature. I’ve said before when we’re only a couple of months into a 6 months programme, now we’re 3 months into a 12-month program. I think where the world will be at the end of March is not something that we could speculate upon at this time. But I think what people - I hope what people see today was several months ago when these questions were put to both of us in this courtyard and the suggestion was that somehow the Government would not be extending arrangements, all we were simply saying was that we'd be looking at that at the time, we'd make judgements on where the country was at, where the economy was at, what the health situation was, and that's exactly what we've done and we've made decisions to continue to provide support, based on the evidence, based on the expert advice, based on what we believe the economy needs. Now when we make the next set of decisions, we'll be doing exactly the same thing. We'll be assessing it and we’ll do what we think is best for the country which is what we've sought to do today.

John?

JOURNALIST: Thank you Prime Minister. An unemployed person on JobSeeker will get $800 a fortnight untaxed plus other social welfare benefits. A part-time worker on JobKeeper working up to 20 hours a week will get less, $750 a fortnight. I’m just interested in understanding the thinking behind that because it sounds a bit counterintuitive?

PRIME MINISTER: What you're assuming is that no-one is doing any work. That's not an assumption you can make, and it is certainly not an assumption that Treasury has made. Treasury have made the point that on JobKeeper, for example, those businesses that may still require it, they will be making payments in addition to JobKeeper to staff doing additional hours. This is why it's so important that the industrial relations side of all of this is also brought into focus. These payments have given enormous support to people when they've needed it most. But the industrial relations flexibility that has been afforded to employers has also enabled those employers to keep people in jobs. I, I was at businesses yesterday where this was exactly the case. Where hours had been reduced so two people could have a job rather than one person could have a job. This flexibility will be vital to employers to keep more people in jobs, post-September, and in this next phase of JobKeeper. And we believe not just those who are eligible for JobKeeper but it will be needed more broadly as those who have graduated out of JobKeeper are getting more and more on their feet. I don't want to see people lose jobs post-September because of an industrial relations system which is so inflexible that it says to one person, "I have to employ you full-time", and says to the other, "so I’ll have to sack you." But that's the circumstances we are looking at in what will be a very challenged economy post September.

Yep?

JOURNALIST: Just on Victoria, we've seen another 300-plus cases of coronavirus down there, sadly 3 more deaths overnight, given that in the contact tracing teams there is no ADF support down there in Victoria picking up the phones unlike what New South Wales Health had early on in this pandemic. Would you like to see Victoria ask for the ADF support in that contract tracing teams given the numbers of cases they're seeing now are overwhelming their contract tracing teams. And what confidence do you have that Victoria can get on top of this virus down there?

PRIME MINISTER: Well we are in the fight in Victoria. And we are in the fight with them in Victoria and and Commodore Hill, who's been in place now down there since the weekend, I met with him over the phone last night he has been pulling together plans to address the very issues that you've raised and the use of ADF resources to support that effort. I want to be very clear: The ADF are not running these programs in Victoria. That is the responsibility of the Victorian Government. Their role is to advise, and assist, and support. And that is the tasking they've received from the CDF and myself. And so, they are working very closely with the public health officials in Victoria, sorry?

JOURNALIST: [inaudible] tracers,

PRIME MINISTER: This is what I'm saying. The ADF, where they believe that the ADF resource will be necessary to support that effort, then they'll be making that recommendation. But the challenge at the moment is getting the tasking right and getting the organisational structures right, and to ensuring that the resources that are there are being put to best use. And that's the great skill of the ADF. They bring an ability to manage complex tasks. And the complexity of the task in Victoria has risen to a level that I'd say we have not quite yet seen and, arguably, have not yet seen during the course of the pandemic. And so I'm very pleased Commodore Hill is down there and I have every confidence that Premier Andrews would be taking the advice, and he has been very open with me about how appreciative he is of that ADF support, and I would have no reason to think that the Victorian Government would stand in the way of that sort of support. It is an open account they have with us and they've been very appreciative. So I’d expect that to flow through. But we're still very much in the hard part of this fight, as you can see from the daily case numbers. I'm not expecting that to change a lot in the short term. And we just need to keep working the problem.

Yep? Then I'll come back over that way.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister you're saying you don't want to speculate about what it’ll look like what the economy will look like come March, but Treasury forecasts there's still be a million people who’ll be supported by JobKeeper come March. Doesn't that suggest that JobKeeper is going to extend well into 2021?

PRIME MINISTER: No, it doesn't mean any of that at all. Treasury needs to make estimates of where things are at, at different points in time. They'll be making estimates for this statement on Thursday, they’ll be making estimates for the Budget, they’ll be making estimates for the midyear statement, they’ll be preparing estimates for next year's Budget. So and they will continue to adjust those. I really do think, particularly in the middle of a pandemic, they can make the best estimates as they know the situation now but I think these circumstances are very open to change.

Josh?

TREASURER: And can I just say PM, we are in the fight of our lives. I mean, this is, this is a huge hit to the Australian and to the global economy. In the United States there has been 51 million jobless claims. The international labour organisation says over the 2 quarters March and June, some 600 million jobs have been lost globally. I mean, our friends in the region, and broader, in Europe and the United States, I mean, they are going through the most difficult times economically and from the health side. And Australia, as the Prime Minister has said, has performed so much better than pretty much any other developed nation on both the health side and also on the economic side. And the IMF singled Australia out as the only country to have its forecasts upgraded for this calendar year. So what we've seen from the Government is a full court press in terms of our comprehensive economic response but we're not out of the woods yet, and what we've outlined today should be of great relief to the Australian people.

PRIME MINISTER: Okay I'll go Rosie, Katherine, and then finish up with Michelle.

JOURNALIST: It’s Katina,

PRIME MINISTER: Oh sorry Katina!

JOURNALIST: You've said previously, and several of your Ministers have said that you are expecting that in the final quarter of this year, there would be a portion of people would move from JobKeeper to unemployment payments. What proportion of that 2.1 million people who won't be getting JobKeeper in the December quarter would you expect to be unemployed?

PRIME MINISTER: A couple of figures I think we need to bear in mind during the pandemic about how we're assessing the unemployment situation and the economic situation. I think the most important is the effective rate of unemployment. The headline rate at 7.4 [per cent] we know does not reflect the real unemployment situation that's happening on the ground. We did see a fall in the effective unemployment rate, as we said last week, and that is welcome because the effective unemployment rate washes out the movements of people between different types of payments and definitions, but their circumstances are often, essentially, the same. So we, of course we will see some people move from JobKeeper to JobSeeker - I expect that. I expect those who are on the second tier payment, I expect to see quite a number of those come into the JobSeeker arrangement, and Services Australia has stood up that ability for applications to be made pretty much from now, in advance. They won't trigger until circumstances are confirmed at a time when JobKeeper would terminate for that firm if they're in that situation or if they're at a lower payment. So I would expect that to that to happen.

I would also expect, not because of JobKeeper but we saw this decision recently with Qantas, I would expect businesses now, several months into the pandemic to be making their own decisions now about those who are going to be continually working in their businesses. They weren't in a position to do that back in April and that was one of the key reasons we did JobKeeper. We did it because no-one knew what the next day would bring let alone what the next month would bring. And we did not want to see businesses forced into the position to have to lay off workers, crystallising entitlements which would then create payments which would force them out of business as well, and you would have this snowball effect. And we've avoided that. We're many months, now, into the process. And so, I anticipate, just like businesses already have, they will make judgements about who they're going to keep on and then who they won't be able to keep on. But JobSeeker will be there for them. The additional training places will be there for them. And the ability to move to those over the next couple of months, if that's what they need, that will be there for them. So let's keep focused on I think what is the effective rate of unemployment, don't you agree, Josh, that is a better picture of what the situation is. But there'll be people moving around, in and out of the workforce, people who are moved from stood down completely to maybe a few hours a week. These are not normal times when it comes to these economic statistics but I can tell you which one I'm looking at, I’m looking at the effective rate of unemployment and the one I'm trying to take down.

Katharine?

JOURNALIST: Given the decisions you were just referencing in that answer that employers are going to make over the coming weeks and months and given the economic outlook, you're obviously tapering out the coronavirus supplement - you're cutting it - but do you now accept that the old base rate of Newstart was too low?

PRIME MINISTER: That's not a matter that we're looking at, at the moment. We've increased JobSeeker significantly through the pandemic and we're still in the pandemic phase. And given that we have no real - well, certainly no intention of that going back to the original JobSeeker base payment certainly by the end of December and as I've flagged, I would be very surprised if we weren't to extend it beyond then, then I think those sorts of issues are not ones that the Government is contemplating at this point. At some point I imagine that will come into our calculations but in the meantime, people are getting paid more on JobSeeker and they will continue to get paid more for some considerable time yet. But with the changes we've made today, particularly the reintroduction of mutual obligation, connecting people back up to employment services, getting them into training, getting back into that mode, I think is really important. Getting people on to this next step, as difficult as things might be we've got to get to the next step. We’ve got to keep moving forward.

Michelle?

JOURNALIST: You emphasised a number of times the importance of more flexible industrial relations arrangements and you're seeking to get these through the consensus talks that are going on. But if those talks don’t produce something that goes far enough or if they break down, are you willing to bring forward the industrial relations changes you believe are necessary?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, when I stood up at the Press Club and first mentioned that longer-term process, Michelle, as well as, as we've been working through these pandemic-type arrangements, these temporary arrangements, I can assure you, we'll put forward what we think is best for the Australian economy and for the Australian people. That's what we'll do. We'll seek to legislate that through the Parliament. We've been adopting a highly consultative approach. And I commend the Attorney and the Industrial Relations Minister, Christian Porter. And I thank Sally McManus and the whole dialogue that we've been having. But none of us are so naive to think that this will result in a complete agreement on all measures, and I can assure you the Government, the Government I lead, will continue to do the right thing we believe for the Australian people and for the Australian economy.

Thank you all very much.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42945

Press Conference - Miranda, NSW

20 July 2020

---

DYLAN RETIF, CEO DISPLAYWISE: So we’d like to thank the Prime Minister for coming out to our business today, DisplayWise, we design and build custom displays for the exhibition and event industry. Today we’ve had the opportunity to talk to the Prime Minister about the effects that COVID has had on the exhibition industry. He has given us his time today to talk through with a few industry bodies, so I’d like to welcome him to chat a bit more.

PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much Dylan. Well it’s tremendous to be back home here in the Shire today. But more importantly to be back here with Dylan and Jason who I have known for some years. I was in this business a couple of years ago, and a couple of years ago it was almost doubling every year in size, it was one of our great thriving small businesses, becoming a medium business, becoming a large business. And COVID-19 really put the shocks on that. But what has been tremendously encouraging about what Dylan and Jason have been able to achieve here at DisplayWise is that they have been able to keep everybody onboard. And you can see them working here behind us. Over 50 staff here have been kept here as a result of the JobKeeper program which has enabled DisplayWise and so many other businesses, almost a million businesses around the country, have been supported through this program. They have adapted, they have innovated, they have survived. And they have changed their product lines, they have reached out, and across their sector they have been creating, using the incredible tools and equipment that they have built up here, the capital they have got here to open new product lines, go online. And that has been one of the most inspiring things I have seen as Prime Minister all around the country, is the way that businesses have sought to adapt and to innovate to see themselves through.

As a government, we have been very pleased to be able to provide that support, whether it has been through JobKeeper, or our business cash flow supports, and indeed, the measures we will be announcing today with the Treasurer extending out those loan guarantees for small and medium-sized businesses. $1 million over a longer period of time, five years, and not just for working capital, but also to extend into new investments and as I have spoken to industry leaders here today, the exhibition and business events sector, not unlike the creative sector, the entertainment sector, significantly hit by COVID-19. But they are looking forward to the time ahead where they can plan and they can get their business moving again.

So it’s been a very good opportunity for me to come along here today, a place I know very well, and just to listen. One of the ways we have been able to be effective as a country, has been because we have been listening to what is happening on the ground and we have been adapting our policies and fine-tuning them over time. COVID-19 has been uncharted waters for the entire world. And here in Australia, we have been very focused on trying to stay head of the game, listening very carefully to what the needs of businesses and employers have been so they can keep people in jobs, and that has been our task and that will continue to be our task. The Treasurer and I will soon be making announcements about JobKeeper and JobSeeker, but we know how important JobKeeper has been. And there will be many businesses who, from when we first put JobKeeper in place, that they have been able to improve their conditions and they’ve been able to lift their turnover, and that is fantastic news and that is welcome and we want them to have continued success. But there are other parts of the economy, and here DisplayWise is no different, for whom their turnover will continue to be down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and because of the restrictions that have been put in place on the economy. And they will need continued support, and they will get continued support. And many businesses like them, as we work through those changes we will be announcing this week. And they will continue to adapt, they will continue to innovate, they will continue to employ and they will continue to look forward. And that’s our way through this.

That is why for Australians, in this matter, even though with the difficult situations we have down in Victoria at the moment, particularly those in Melbourne, and staying and getting on top of the issues here in New South Wales, where they are doing a great job, it is about doing that but it is also about lifting our heads and looking to the future.

So Dylan and Jason, thanks for the opportunity to come today and listen through the issues in the business events and the exhibition sector, this is a sector that can get back on its feet. We can get business events running again, we can get exhibitions running again, they can be done safely, they can be done economically and viably, and so today was a good opportunity to consult with the industry and get a good handle on some of the obstacles they have, some of the challenges that they will have to get across. And I look forward to raising those with the Premiers again this weekend, sorry, this Friday, as the National Cabinet meets, and working through with my own Ministers as we meet as Cabinet this week as well.

So we are going to keep looking forward. It's not just businesses in the Shire that are continuing to power on, although I am very proud of my Shire businesses here. I know that’s happening all around the country, and that is the sort of attitude and spirit we need. The sort of spirit that is on display here at DisplayWise.

Happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the Treasurer says the economy is transitioning away from the original support payments, JobKeeper and JobSeeker. What time period are you aiming to complete that transition?

PRIME MINISTER: We will have more to say about the next phase. But we have to look our supports and our programmes as a series of phases. And how many phases there are it is very difficult to say because there are so many uncertainties associated with COVID-19. Australia is faring better than almost any, if not every other developed economy in the world today. And the way we will continue to be able to try and stay ahead and minimise the impacts is by listening carefully. And to ensure that we can support businesses to make investments, to keep their staff together, where that is viable, and to be ready for when things change in their industries. Or to retrain workers, like we said last week with the JobTrainer program, some 340,000 places as well as $1.5 billion dollars of support for apprentices. I met a young apprentice here today, exactly the type of apprentice we are supporting through those programs, 180,000 of them, to stay in jobs and to keep up their skills and keep supporting businesses just like this. So it will be phased, and we will be announcing this week the next phase post September. It will be targeted, it will be temporary, it will be effective as the first round has been, but we do know that this first round has been very important. I mean, almost 1 million businesses, around 3.5 million employees, and there’s still 2 months to go on the current set of arrangements. What the Treasurer and I will announce this week won’t commence the day after we announce it, it will be several months from then. So there will be several months for businesses to adjust to the next phase. But the supports that have been in place since April will be in place until September, and then we'll move into a new phase. But I can assure you that businesses like the one we are standing in today and employees that depend on that business, will continue to get support.

JOURNALIST: Is it feasible to transition the majority of those 3.5 million JobKeeper recipients off their payments say, by Christmas?

PRIME MINISTER: The way the economy is rebuilding and moving through the COVID recession is where their own turnover is lifted, where their own business is growing then their business is in a stronger position to support people in jobs. And that's the way it should be. Where businesses have been unable to do that, then that is where we have stepped in with JobKeeper. And there are businesses that are down 90 percent still, there are businesses down even more than that in the most affected sectors. In the business events and the exhibition industry we have seen that and that is the feedback I have had this morning, but the same is true in the aviation sector, in the entertainment sector, many parts of the hospitality and the tourism industries, although it has been encouraging, I was in Queensland on Friday and I was pleased see and hear about the improvements that they have been seeing there with increased visitation. But my message to all Australians is the same. We want to keep moving forward. But to keep moving forward we have to remain disciplined, we have to keep doing the essentials right, we have to stay in the habit when it comes to social distancing and when it comes to downloading the COVIDSafe app, when it comes to ensuring that we wash our hands and sanitise, and that if we are out in the retail sector or out and about in the community, particularly in Victoria where it is mandatory in Melbourne, to wear a mask, and the message in Melbourne is to stay home. If you are having to go outside, that should be an exception. And if you are having to go outside, then you need to be wearing that mask and in New South Wales the recommendation now is that where, if you are not in a position to socially distance, particularly if you are in one of those areas that have been impacted, then the advice is you may wish to use a mask. But it is about staying in habit and staying disciplined, and the more we do that, the more businesses grow, the more certainty we have, the more jobs we have.

JOURNALIST: How much of your economic statement on Thursday requires legislation, and do you have a contingency plan if the medical advice says there should be no sitting of Parliament before the end of September?

PRIME MINISTER: The decision for the parliament not to sit for the next sitting fortnight was done on the basis of medical advice. It was frankly a no-brainer when it came to the medical advice and what was necessary, and I conveyed that to the Leader of the Opposition on Friday night. And he agreed that for that next sitting fortnight that was not good sense to bring people from all over the country, particularly from Victoria, and to create that risk. Not just for the ACT, but more broadly. We will continue to manage these issues carefully and exercise our responsibilities carefully. We know how important it is for the Parliament to meet and to sit. And I think there is also somewhat of a consensus across certainly the major parties that it’s important that it sit in person. That is an important part of how our Parliament functions. And we will be seeking to do that when the Parliament next sits which is on the 24th of August. And I would hope that we will be able to sit on that day, that is certainly my expectation and planning that we will be. And, but I will be consulting with my Manager of Government Business in the House of Representatives and the Leader of the Government in the Senate to work through those options and to make whatever contingency plans that are necessary. And we will consult the other parties in that process, but it is for the Government to determine those things as we have on this occasion and we will continue to consult on those things as we have.

JOURNALIST: Mr Morrison, a million dollars is a lot of money for a small to medium business to borrow, is it wise for them to do so when they have such limited cash flow at this moment in time?

PRIME MINISTER: Decisions that businesses take about what capital they need, and how much they borrow, are judgements for them. And they work that out with their banks, and they work it out with their accountants and their financial planners. And they make sound judgements. And what is exciting being here at DisplayWise, as Dylan tells me, is they’ve taken space across the road, because they are looking forward. And we do look forward in our economy, and I think Australians can be optimistic. I'm certainly optimistic, it's my natural disposition. But it's important for Australians to be optimistic. They will be looking sensibly at what their commercial opportunities are, and then they will make those judgements. So, see I have a lot of faith in Australian small business people. I have a lot of faith in their judgement about their business, and to make sound judgements about their future. What the Treasurer and I are seeking to do with our entire government is to back them in, to give them the support they need. And it's a challenging time for them. What I'm excited about with the announcement the Treasurer is making today, is that it’s allowing them to invest. Not just to get by. See, I just don't want Australia to survive the COVID recession, I want us to emerge strongly from it. We're not a country that just survives, we are a country that always seeks to thrive. That is what I know to be the culture and attitude of small businesses and medium sized businesses like the one we are in here today. And we want to back them in for that, and to help them lift their heads and look forward.

JOURNALIST: Has the government done it’s own assessment of the numbers who were pushed into poverty, poverty rather, as a result of changes to the economic statement announced Thursday?

PRIME MINISTER: The reason we’ve put in place the record income supports that we have, and provided the record level of fiscal stimulus and other incentives through the economy is to avoid that very outcome. Everything we are doing is seeking to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 recession on Australians, on Australian businesses, on employees, on businesses and employers. That is what we're doing each and every day. And every decision we are taking is to that end. And that is why Australia has been doing better than most, and many, if not all developed economies around the world. I mean, it is still tough, it is extremely tough out there. But at a time like this, I think all Australians will be pleased they’re in Australia and nowhere else.

JOURNALIST: PM are you comfortable with the tightening of the New South Wales-Victoria border that was announced yesterday and is coming into effect tomorrow, are you comfortable with that policy setting that’s in place?

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah I am, and this has been something that has been done cooperatively with Victoria. I spoke to Premier Berejiklian at length this morning about a number of issues. And this was one of them. And I think what we have seen in New South Wales with the cases that have presented, is the government really getting on top of the contact tracing very quickly and the isolation. I understand cases today announced have all known sources, that’s incredibly important. I was on a call as I am pretty much every day, most days, with our Chief Medical Officer and the Secretary of the Health Department, with Lieutenant General Frewen, who is heading up COVID Assist operations, and we’ve got Commodore Hill down there in Victoria, he has been in place for a few days now. He has been able to make a good assessment of the situation and I will be speaking to him later today or early tomorrow morning. I know that they have been making recommendations as to what needs to take place, and I'm sure that will get great support from Premier Andrews and his entire team. I got a text last night from Dan. They very much appreciate the support they are getting, and we're very pleased to provide it. I mean Victoria has an open account with us, an absolute open account. They will get what they need. I made the same point to New South Wales this morning. Their need is not as great, but we have hundreds of ADF personnel involved in supporting the New South Wales government, particularly around the border operations there with Victoria. And containing it around the border towns is very important. And that we don't get cases leaping forward out of those border towns and into other parts of New South Wales. So it is a sensitive time, it is an important time. I would ask particularly for those in Melbourne, I thank them for their patience, I thank them for their endurance, and in advance I continue to thank them for their kindness to one another. I think that is something we have to be very mindful of. As we go back into, as we are now back in lockdown in Melbourne, we need to be very careful of each other, we need to be mindful of each other's mental health and particularly the elderly in the community. There are a lot of services and supports in place, being provided by both the Commonwealth and the state governments there. And everyone who is delivering those services, wants to be as much help as they possibly can be and get that support to people who need it. So keep an eye out for each other, that’s what it means, by getting through these things together, and know once again whether you are in Melbourne or in the border towns along New South Wales, the Victorian border or elsewhere, if you're going through these difficult times, then the whole country is in behind you.

JOURNALIST: Is there anything more that the federal government can be doing to help with mask distribution in Victoria?

PRIME MINISTER: For some time now we have been aware of what would become a possibility with masks. I have received assurances for months now that there is a retail and wholesale capability to meet consumer needs. It is something we have tracked, but we have also built up mask production capability. The Commonwealth has been doing that, the states have been doing that, and there is the ability, my advice is, to meet that. It might require a bit of patience at the outset, if there’s a bit of a rush on. A rush hour, no matter how big a bridge you build, it will get a bit congested at the start but my advice is, we will keep doing that through the coordinated mechanism, that will ensure those supplies are there, and for the State Government who has decided to make that mandatory, I have no doubt they would have considered the supply issues when they made that decision.

Apart from that, thank you very much. Thanks for being here Dylan and Jason and the rest of the team. It's great to be back here in the Shire.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42943

Press Conference - Molendinar, QLD

20 July 2020

---

ANGIE BELL MP, MEMBER FOR MONCRIEFF: I’m Angie Bell, Member for Moncrieff, Well I’m absolutely thrilled to be here today in the beating heart of the Gold Coast, that is Creative Productions here in Molendinar, the owner, a local small business Dave Jackson, is, at his business here today to make a great announcement and I welcome with great gusto our Prime Minister to Moncrieff and also my Gold Coast colleagues and Minister Michaelia Cash also for this announcement today to support local jobs and to support local business in the movie industry so with no further ado I’ll introduce our Prime Minister, welcome to Moncrieff.

PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON: Thank you Angie, thank you Angie it’s great to be here, it’s great to be back in Queensland, it’s been a while since a Sydneysider had been able to be in Queensland so, I know many are enjoying that opportunity and it’s great to be here on the Gold Coast, it’s certainly warmer than it was in Canberra earlier this morning, and I know many southerners are enjoying that as well. Sadly, our friends in Victoria are unable to do that, particularly at this time. But before I say much more. Let me just open by saying it's six years since MH17 was felled and shot down. 38 Australians perished, were killed, in that attack. Some 298 souls were lost. And it is still a tragedy that continues to affect us all, and in all of the many meetings I've had with Prime Minister Rutte from, the Dutch Prime Minister, we have spoken about this constantly as we continue to seek justice for those Australian lives that were lost and were taken from us. And we are as outraged about it today as we were many years ago, and we will continue to fight for their families and all of their loved ones in remembrance of those who were lost.

But the reason for being here today is a much more positive one, and that is because we're about jobs. Our JobMaker plan is about ensuring that we have jobs right across Australia. And whether that is in the home building industry, whether that is in any parts of the hospitality; the tourism sector; the entertainment sector, where we announced some $250 million of support to get shows back on the road recently. We are about creating jobs and a big part of the jobs that we can create, which we've known, has been in the film and screen industry. So much of which is represented here on the Gold Coast. I've been here on many occasions, particularly with Cowboy Dave who I got to meet on the first occasion when I was here with Bert, and we made announcements about our support for the film industry. And every investment we have made as a Government in the film industry here and right across the country has been a good one. It's produced the results we had hoped for. It has produced the jobs. And jobs and everything from sanitation to water supplies; to sparkies to traidies; to actors; to special effects; and particularly Dave's business here. Our other Dave here today in the lighting industry and the technology side of this incredible business, with so much more of that business going down that path.

It creates jobs. And today we're extending and putting a seven year programme in place to the tune of $400 million to ensure that we can attract those big films and productions and screen events for them to be produced right here in Australia. Earlier today I was able to meet with Baz Luhrmann over at the Village Roadshow studios where they're filming Elvis, and was so encouraged by Baz's great passion for Australia, which is well known, and great passion for the Australian film industry. But I'll tell you what he's even more passionate about, I think, is he's so proud of the jobs that he creates in the productions that he puts here in Australia, and is so passionate about the further jobs that are going to come. Already since making this announcement this morning, we've heard from Screen Australia, some, Jerry Bruckheimer's outfit and Ron Howard's outfit have already reached out to Australia, on the basis of the announcement we have made today. There is serious interest in basing films here in Australia. We've already got Disney making films here; and we've got the Marvel syndicate; we've got Paramount Studios. All these big studios know our potential and capability here in Australia, and they've known it for many years. But they also know that this is a safe place to make a film. This is an industry that can be drawn on here in Australia to produce world-class productions. And whether it's Hollywood or Bollywood, or wherever they're coming from, they know they can come here and make the films that will create great success, that will generate the jobs. Whether it's from making coffees or, the quite sophisticated work which is done on prefabrication of sets, the film industry, reaches into so many different sectors. And people who work in the sector also work in other industries, particularly here around the Gold Coast, and so this is an investment in jobs. 8,000 jobs every year, every year supported by this investment alone. And that, combined with the many other supports that are provided, will mean that our film industry, our screen industry will be a key part of our COVID recovery.

There is a COVID recovery. We saw yesterday with the jobs numbers and Minister Cash will talk more about that. 210,000 jobs came back in June. They came back in June. The effective rate of unemployment fell from over 13 per cent, just down to just over 11 per cent. And we're seeing when we can open up our economy and get things moving again, then we see the jobs come back, and that gives us all hope. And particularly for those down in Victoria doing it so tough at the moment. I mean, world class studios, world class facilities, world class people down in Melbourne and in Victoria, who also have that capability to host these productions and provide that support. Just like in New South Wales or anywhere else around the country. And that's what we want to see happen. When you combine the $250 million we've already put into the entertainment sector with the $400 million we're putting in here, and the jobs that will come from that, we know we're investing in a strong and positive future. That's why we can lift our heads as Australians and know that we have a bright future ahead of us. And so we're very pleased to be part of bringing this not just to the Gold Coast, but all around the country today. And I want to invite Minister Cash to talk more about the job creation initiatives we're pursuing as a Government and how this fits into that broader JobMaker plan. Thanks Michaelia.

MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, SENATOR THE HON MICHAELIA CASH: Thank you Prime Minister, and it is fantastic to be here today on the Gold Coast with Angie Bell, the member for Moncrieff; the Prime Minister; and my colleagues, to talk about this important job-creating announcement.

And I want to acknowledge Dave from Creative Productions, who is hosting us here today. Dave started as a DJ at the age of 16 and he has built his business up. It's now located in three states in Australia to what it is today. He employs 30 full-time staff, and he's told the Prime Minister and my colleagues today, JobKeeper itself has enabled him to keep that important connection with those 30 staff throughout COVID-19. And that's what this Government is all about, job creation. Today, we're announcing a $400 million jobs boost for this screen industry. Often as Australians what we see is the final result of a production, and we don't necessarily remind ourselves that there are thousands and thousands of small businesses that really are the building block to get to that final production. And many of those small businesses are represented here today. Whether it's Linda and Chris who are making the fantastic coffee for us. Or we look at Floyd, really important part of it, Serious Waste Management, all the way through to Cowboy Dave, you've got to have somewhere to stay. And that is, of course, those fantastic caravans that are out there. Thousands and thousands of small local businesses are part of the screen industry. And as the Prime Minister said, this is about providing a pipeline of work, stimulating local jobs, stimulating local industry. But more than that, giving people the opportunity to upskill and reskill into an industry which provides so much to Australia each and every year. 8,000 jobs a year. That is what this $400 million investment boost for the screen industry is going to provide.

But it also backs in what the Prime Minister and I announced yesterday, which was of course, an additional investment of $2 billion in skills and training in Australia. So many people want to do a vocational education. They want to do an apprenticeship. And so yesterday we announced an additional $1.5 billion to extend and expand the supporting apprentices and trainees wage subsidy. Currently, that wage subsidy is supporting around 80,000 apprentices across Australia. That's a good thing because those apprentices are still in training and they are still in jobs. But we also recognise that people are still doing it tough, and that is why we have extended the wage subsidy for another six months. But we've also expanded it from just not just small businesses, but through to medium businesses with 199 or less employees. That's now going to cover around 180,000 apprentices throughout Australia. We want to see those apprentices kept in training and on the job. And that's why we've announced that $1.5 billion extension. And of course, yesterday we also announced a half a billion dollars put up by the Commonwealth for a JobTrainer fund to be matched by the states and territories. The Prime Minister and I were delighted that within one day, six states and territories already put their hands up and said, we're going to match that funding - we want to be part of promoting skills training across Australia. And that's why we're here today. A $400 million jobs boost for the screen industry. It's all about creating jobs.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you Michaelia. So lights, camera, jobs. That's what this is all about. Happy to take questions?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, how do you expect the effective unemployment rate to change over the next few months? And do some people just have to accept working less hours?

PRIME MINISTER: What we saw in yesterday's jobs numbers was that the effective rate of unemployment actually did fall between May and June. And we welcome that. But obviously, with what's occurred in Victoria, and we know that there is still some difficult months ahead of us out over the next few months. The unemployment rate, the official unemployment rate, 7.4 per cent, that's well short of where Treasury thought that would be at around 10 per cent by this time. So we're going to keep monitoring this, but our economic performance is bettering our estimates at this point. But we've still got a long way to go. And there are two things that we will continue to do. We will continue to support those businesses who are doing it incredibly tough and the Treasurer and I will have more to say about that next week and then particularly the employees who depend on those businesses for their livelihoods.

The second part of that is we need to maintain the flexibility in the workforce during these difficult times. We saw over 200,000 jobs come back into the economy. A majority of those were for young people and for women and that's welcome because they were they were the groups most affected by the downturn as a result of the coronavirus. And we had 20- just over 20,000 less people on JobSeeker at the end of June than we had at the end of May and the Minister for Government Services here, he can talk more about that. But that is welcome. And but the only way we're going to continue to get jobs back into the economy and reduce that rate of unemployment, particularly that effective rate of unemployment, is by seeing businesses succeed. It's businesses that create these jobs. And that's why we're making these investments. And investments, whether it's in the screen industry and in the residential construction industry, in the entertainment sector, in the aviation sector, which we've invested in heavily, who have been so, so especially impacted by the COVID virus and how it's impacted on on both their international business and their domestic business. It's great to see that there are more people in Queensland now in the tourism and the hospitality sector taking the opportunities that are here. And we're hoping that that's going to see an improvement in their turnover in their businesses. But you know what? Australian businesses, particularly small and medium sized businesses, they've been fighting back. They've been adapting. They've been overcoming. And it's that spirit of resilience that is going to see Australians get back into work. Stay in work. And that's where we're putting our trust and our faith. And it's in those hardworking small businesses and medium-sized businesses.

JOURNALIST: You're back in Queensland today and with an election coming up here, have you met with the Queensland Opposition Leader during your visit today?

PRIME MINISTER: No, I spoke to Deb Frecklington last night and let her know I was coming up here today. And she was very pleased with the announcement we're making today for Queensland. I also spoke with the Premier last night, and I filled out my, well I had the paperwork filled out, so I can tell you I'm certified and available, able to travel into Queensland and, and so that's that's welcome news. But we hope to see these arrangements a lot more easy to deal with in the future. We look forward to our economy continuing to open up because the more it opens up, the more jobs there are. The more jobs there are, the stronger we'll all be. And and we need every part of the country to succeed, for Australia to succeed, we need Victoria to succeed. We need Melbourne to succeed. We need the Gold Coast to succeed. And that's why we're here. The Gold Coast has done it tough in the tourism and hospitality industries. My colleagues here have shared with me on a regular basis, doing it really tough, and so today, I hope was a real shot in the arm for the Gold Coast. A big GC shot in the arm. And that will boost local businesses and give them that greater confidence to keep going out there.

JOURNALIST:  Prime Minister did you have to fill out a border pass to get here today?

PRIME MINISTER: Sorry I couldn't hear you.

JOURNALIST: Did you have to fill out a border pass to get here today?

PRIME MINISTER: Yes, I did.

JOURNALIST: Was that a smooth process?

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, it was.

JOURNALIST: Is this the first time you've been in Queensland since the borders re-opened?

PRIME MINISTER: Yes. I wasn't able to come before, the borders were shut. I was, I was not able to come to Queensland.

JOURNALIST: Since the borders re-opened rather?

PRIME MINISTER: This is the first time, yeah.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on that, the Queensland Government and Queensland Police want to see the border crossings moved into New South Wales. The New South Wales Government is pushing back - do you think…

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's a matter for Queensland. I mean, the difference here is that New South Wales and Victoria and the Commonwealth Government worked quite closely together to make the decision together on what was done on the New South Wales-Victorian border. And we have the Defence Forces which are supporting that arrangement on both sides of the border. Queensland made its own unilateral decision about its borders here. So really, how Queensland manages its borders is a matter for the Queensland Government.

JOURNALIST: In terms of Queensland wanting to move the border further south. Where would you stand on that?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's a matter for Queensland. Because Queensland has made their own decision about their border closures. And so it's it's a it's an issue and a problem for Queensland to sort out.

JOURNALIST: Similar to Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, would you like to see the Queensland and New South Wales Governments working together on this?

PRIME MINISTER: Oh well, I think the way that New South Wales and Victoria, and indeed the Commonwealth, work together on managing that very difficult issue has been very positive. I mean, I've worked closely with the Queensland Government. The National Cabinet has been a strong team working together. And right now, whether it's here in Queensland or down in New South Wales, states and territories all around the country are supporting the Victorian Government. Whether it's in testing or public health official's support or the Defence Forces from the Commonwealth, we're all working together to support Victoria at the moment. And whether it's up here or anywhere else in the country, we want Victoria to succeed. And while we can all be here in the way we are here today, those of, those Australians in Melbourne, across Victoria, are doing it a lot tougher. So we, they are very much in our thoughts.

Sorry one at a time, who would like to go first?

JOURNALIST: When will you release the local content quotas for broadcasters?

PRIME MINISTER: That's a discussion paper that is currently being pursued by the Minister. That process is still in train, so he'll update you when he's in a position to provide further details.

JOURNALIST: 428 new cases in Victoria, 3 additional deaths. Do you foresee any further lockdowns in Victoria?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, that'll be a decision for the Victorian Premier and his Government. At this stage, he has indicated publicly, as well as to us, that that's premature to be making any decisions on that. We would not have expected to see the results of the lockdown measures put in place in Victoria as yet. And I made very clear earlier this week, as indeed the Premier has, that we would expect to see some rather concerning numbers for a while, and we have, and as concerning as they are, that's not unanticipated, we would hope to see that change. And and we'll be watching that very closely in terms of any further supports we are called on. We have an open account with Victoria. I've said that to the Premier. He's got an open book with us. He can pull down what he needs as is required. And I've got to say, all the Premiers and Chief Ministers have been equally supportive to the Victorian Government. So it's a problem to solve in Victoria by the Victorian Government, but they're getting no shortage of help and assistance from the rest of the country. It's a national effort.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister we're told President Trump responded positively to Australia's defence update?

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, he did.

JOURNALIST: What ways was he positive?

PRIME MINISTER: We had a very good discussion this morning. We speak reasonably regularly. It was about a half hour discussion this morning. We covered a lot of issues, a lot of regional issues, of course the pandemic issues, the work that is being done by like-minded partners across the region, a lot of the global economic issues. And we were both able to speak of in recent times, both the US economy and the Australian economy, our recent jobs numbers were encouraging, just as they were in the US. And you know, we both want to see our economies go forward. We want to see people back in jobs. And we share a lot of common views on those things. But the United States is a is a, it's our most important alliance and it will always continue to be along those lines, and it was good to be able to update on what we've been doing on our front. We have troops on rotation now out through the Northern Territory. That's proceeding incredibly well. And this remains a big part of our joint effort. But I mean we have a very respectful and a very mutual partnership with the United States, and we appreciate the opportunity to engage regularly.

JOURNALIST: Did the President express any concerns about the amount of cases arising in the US, with you?

PRIME MINISTER: No. We know this US situation very well. So it didn't require a lot of discussion on that. And I was also able to say how 7 states and territories were going in Australia, which is extremely well. I mean, Australia's success in managing COVID has been well recognised around the world. And Australia is not the only country who is dealing with an outbreak like we are in Victoria and we've seen similar cases throughout Europe, Israel and the United States have also got their challenges. China has their challenges. And so the world is dealing with this, and outbreaks are not uncommon. The challenge is how you deal with them. And Australia is dealing with those challenges better than many, and better than most.

JOURNALIST: Was he complimentary of our response to the situation?

PRIME MINISTER: Yes, he was.

JOURNALIST: Can you elaborate on, was he envious of our response?

PRIME MINISTER: No, he was just very, very complimentary of Australia's response, not just on this issue, but on the responsibility we take in our region. I mean Australia, not only have we targeted 2 per cent of the size of our economy in our defence spending, doing our own heavy lifting on our own defence. But that is now a floor, it's not a target. And this is something that we believe is very important for stability and security in our region. The United States is a key partner in that stability and security, and working with many other like-minded countries in the region. And, you know, you want to have a partner that carries their own water, that carries their own weight. And Australia certainly does that. We're no passenger in any relationship that we have. And and that is greatly appreciated by our American friends.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister the Gold Coast Theme Park operators say they were in the final signing stages of a deal, a funding deal, with the federal government when that fell through can we expect anymore support for our theme parks?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're here with $400 million of support for the screen industry. And the financial markets, and the banks, and others, where they can provide that support to sectors where they've got bankable proposals, they do. The Commonwealth is not an active lender in this space, and we do, by rare exception in these circumstances, and those things are looked at very carefully. And we wish the theme parks all the very best with their re-opening. And I'm I'm sure if there are things that the Queensland Government want to do to support them, then I'm sure they will. But the Federal Government looks at these issues on a national basis. And the first port-of-call on these things is always with the state governments. So we would encourage them to continue the very good discussions I think they've had with the Queensland Government. But it's great to see the parks re-opening. It's great to see Australia re-opening, because Australia re-opens, Australians are going back to work. And that's where we want to be. COVID-19 is going to be with us for some time, until we can find a vaccine, and mass produce that vaccine, and distribute it, we're going to be dealing with these uncertainties. But what's so fantastic is the resilience, the innovation, the determination, that we see from Australian businesses, just like the one we stand in today. And their heads are up, they're looking forward, they're looking for opportunities. And today we are backing that in with $400 million in investments to see those jobs come, 8,000 jobs a year. And that's a great return on an investment for an industry that has so much to offer this country.

Thanks very much everyone.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42942

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

16 July 2020

---

Prime Minister: Good afternoon, everyone. The Australian economy is fighting back. The jobs of Australians depend on that fight. The incomes of Australians depend on that fight and we are in it and we are making progress. It doesn't mean we don't have setbacks. We are currently experiencing some right now. The unemployment figures that were released just within the last hour have been for June. In July, I expect that we will see an impact from what is occurring in Victoria. But what it has demonstrated in June that as Australia has opened up again, as people have gone back into their businesses and opened their doors, as Australians have been endeavouring to live with this virus and to press on, then we've seen Australians get back into work and this has been a core objective of our approach over these past many months and it remains the focus of our approach, together with managing the health situation in Victoria and other states as outbreaks and other challenges emerge.

Of particular importance in the figures that we've seen today is that of the 210,000 jobs added in June, 60 per cent of the jobs regained were for women and 50 per cent of the jobs regained were for youth. Underemployment has fallen and we've seen an improvement in hours. The majority of jobs obviously were in part-time employment, not in full-time employment. That's to be expected in the economic situation that we've seen emerge over these many months. But what I'm encouraged by about that is the flexibility that we've seen in the labour force has meant that it's been able to keep people in jobs, maybe not as many hours as they once had, but they’re still in jobs and even better, the people who are working alongside them are also still in a job because of those flexible arrangements that have been in place for employers to keep more and more people on. Now, these are not ordinary times, still by a long shot and the Government's responses, both in our thinking and the measures that we've delivered, have certainly not been ordinary. We must continue to adopt this approach as we deal with the virus as it impacts us here in Australia as indeed as it impacts around the world. We've got to deal with what is in front of us each and every day as we are with the situation in particular in Victoria but as well as in New South Wales, where I've been in constant contact with the premiers and health officials in recent days as is our normal practice.

But we’ve also got to plan for the way ahead. We have delivered much needed support over these many months through a raft of programs; JobSeeker, JobKeeper, HomeBuilder, the important programs we put in for the entertainment sector most recently, the supports we’ve provided in the childcare sector, the supports provided with the cash flow assistance to businesses. Right across the board, we have been providing the necessary support that has provided a shock absorber for our economy, for people's jobs, for people’s incomes, for people’s businesses which has meant that in Australia, while the blow has been harsh, compared to what has been seen in most other developed economies around the world, we've been able to mitigate a lot of the blow. But there are still difficult challenges ahead, both on the health front and certainly on an economic front. One of the key challenges we've been working through as a Federal Cabinet, our Cabinet, together here with Michaelia Cash, with Senator Cash, but also in the National Cabinet with all the state and territory leaders, has been the need to ensure that as we build back and through the COVID-19 economic recession, that we are not only providing the economic supports for people to get through each day but we’re helping them to make the adjustments for the future. A key part of that will be the training and skills that they will need to re-skill and up-skill and get those initial skills as they are coming out of school to ensure that they can look for and find work both in a COVID and post-COVID economy. Now, we know that there are fewer jobs available for the number of people who are out there and now is not a time to be standing idle. And so what we’re announcing today is ensuring that there will be additional support to ensure that those who are unable to get themselves into a new position, that we are providing the opportunity for them like never before to get greater access to skilling and training in the areas they need to get that training to find those jobs that will be prevalent in the COVID and post-COVID economy.

And so today we are making a very big commitment of some $2 billion in two particular areas to support the upskilling and reskilling of Australians. The first of those is something I've flagged when I spoke at the Press Club many weeks ago when I spoke about JobMaker plan. It has many components and one of those was the skills Australians need and I flagged we would be seeking to move towards a new way of working with the states and territories to deliver on the skills that Australians who were looking to get a job and be trained for a job and businesses who are looking for people to do those jobs. The way it's been done in the past, we don't believe has been effective. We were prepared and are prepared to invest more but in a better system and what we are announcing today with $500 million for investment this year between now and the end of the financial year, starting at the beginning of September, is to create those places for Australians to get access to that vocational educational training right across the board, but particularly in those skills areas that the National Skills Commissioner has identified where there will be the greatest needs for those skills. It is sad and it is upsetting for many Australians that the industries and the places where they've been working, they will find it very difficult to find new employment in those sectors with those skills, potentially for some time. And so we want to ensure they have the opportunity to make decisions so they can take on new skills and be able to find employment in other sectors, potentially, so they can actually move forward with their own lives. Similarly, for businesses in those sectors, they will need skilled staff and those businesses will need to rely on a system delivering greater levels of training.

Now, it's not just for young people. It's worth pointing out that half of VET students are aged above 30. Half of those training in vocational education and training are aged over 30 and over 15 per cent are aged over 50. So this program we are announcing today, $500 million from the Commonwealth matched by the states and territories. This will mean training support for whatever stage of the labour market or your life-cycle you are in. You may have been at a job for many years and you are now having to make a change. You may have been running your own business, you may have been a sole trader. You may have been doing something completely different and one of the things I've been so encouraged by, despite the difficulty of the times, as I've gone around and spoken to people and I've heard their stories about the changes they've been making and the adjustments they've been making, understanding the situation they are in, being honest about the reality of the situation they face and making many difficult decisions about how they are going to make their way forward. Today's decision, today’s announcement, working with the states and territories, is going to make those decisions that little bit more easier for them, knowing they will be getting the training and skills support that they will need.

Now, the other decision we are making today is to extend the arrangements we have for apprentices and that means we’ve already supported some 80,000 apprentices and small businesses at a cost of some $1.3 billion. We are extending that now to small and medium-sized businesses which means 180,000 apprentices, we believe, will be supported between now and the end of March. Now that provides for a wage subsidy of up to $7,000, half of their wage. That would be extended to small and medium-sized businesses. That will come at a cost between now and the end of March of some $1.5 billion.

We are very determined to look ahead and I would say to Australians, as difficult as these times are, let's not look down, let's look up, let's lift our heads. Today's employment figures shows there is hope. Today's employment figures shows that we have done it before and we can do it again. We will continue to apply every resource we have available to ensure we get on top of the health situation with the virus in Victoria and supporting the many needs that are there and across the other states and territories. That is our absolute commitment. But equally, we need to ensure that we don't allow these setbacks to hold us back. Australians are incredibly resilient and even as we go through these difficult times, let's lift our heads, let’s keep looking forward. Today's announcement on these skills supports are about looking forward to the jobs into the future and to ensure Australians can make the choices they need to get into those jobs by getting the training they need right now.

Michaelia?

Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small And Family Business: Thank you, Prime Minister. Ladies and gentlemen, skills reform, as the Prime Minister has said, is a fundamental priority for the Morrison Government. At the election in May last year we took to the election a comprehensive agenda for skills reform in Australia. That was endorsed by the Australian people since that time I've been working cooperatively with my state and territory skills counterparts on a roadmap for reform. Earlier this year, you will be aware that both the state, territory and Commonwealth governments announced $80 million in matched funding for a new skill set in infection disease control. Why? Because we understand that as a result of COVID-19, this is a skill set that is now needed and so that was developed and funded in record time and is now already being rolled out to market. We also announced earlier this year as a result of COVID-19 a $1.3 billion wage subsidy for apprentices and trainees. That was for small businesses with less than 20 employees. As the Prime Minister has said, that is currently supporting around 80,000 apprentices. That means those apprentices, despite the impact of COVID-19, are still in training and still in a job. That is a good thing. And what we are announcing today is a further $2 billion investment in Australians and in their skills and training. $1.5 billion is an extension of the original support for apprentice and trainee wage subsidy. We are now extending that to small and medium businesses, businesses now with up to 200 employees. We now expect that apprentice wage subsidy will support around 180,000 apprentices across Australia. That's an opportunity for 180,000 apprentices and trainees to remain in their job and in training, which is exactly where we want them to be.

But we are also announcing today a matched funding commitment of $1 billion, $500 million from the Commonwealth and $500 million from the states and territories, to support training in areas of real demand. I am now working constructively, as I have done now since the election, with my state and territory counterparts to put in place bilateral agreements. This funding will support the creation of in excess of 340,000 new training places, and the key to this announcement is that we will work with the National Skills Commission and state and territories to ensure that the training that is being funded is in areas of demand. We want to ensure that Australians, when they put their hands up and say, yes, I want to undertake a vocational education and training qualification, they know they are training for a job. And as part of this reform process, states and territories have agreed to sign on to a new heads of agreement setting out a clear process forward between now and August of next year to completely reform vocational education and training in Australia. You’d be aware that the current funding arrangement is just not getting the outcomes that Australians and employers deserve. Under the agreement that Labor put in place, the Commonwealth merely places $1.5 billion into it each year. There is no line of sight, there is no transparency, there’s no KPIs. There is also no commitment from the states themselves to actually have to put any funding in. So we are now going to work again cooperatively with the states and territories to put in place a new funding agreement that ensures that funding is directly linked to skills, relevance and ultimately jobs. Because that is what we’re all about as a Government. Ensuring that Australians are trained for the jobs of both today and tomorrow.

Prime Minister: Phil?

Journalist: PM, a couple of months ago in this courtyard when we spoke about or you spoke about lifting the economic restrictions in three steps towards mid-July. You said there would be setbacks and mistakes made. At the time, did you anticipate something of the scale of Victoria in terms of the size of the outbreak and the need to reimpose restrictions to the extent they have been reimposed?

Prime Minister: The extent of the outbreak in Victoria is beyond what we would have, hoped would have occurred. I think that's fairly self-evident. And that is why you have seen the scale of the response from the Commonwealth to support Victoria, and that has resulted now in over 1,000 now, ADF personnel now being rolled out. Which we’ve been speaking to the Victorian government about for some time, and we appreciate them accepting that, and that's now been put in place. A key part of that task - the thing that the ADF can often bring is when problems moved to a whole new scale, their logistics and management capabilities are very strong, and we've got to get on top of the tracing challenge in Victoria and ensuring that we have senior level support out of the ADF to support the Chief Health Officer in Victoria and Deputy Chief Health Officer, who is running that task. I think it is very essential. I made a comment yesterday, I think it was, that it's important that we get on top of those regional cases as well, particularly while they are still at relatively quite low levels, and I'm keen to see the statistics improve on that front as well. But the Victorian situation is very concerning. But as I think the Chief Health Officer in Victoria was remarking today, they are, I think, hopeful that what we are seeing is those figures starting to level out. I said yesterday that I thought this would still be at a high level for some time, but as the effects of the lockdown I think kick in, then hopefully we will see those new case numbers fall. And so, yes, it is a big setback in Victoria. In New South Wales, I am encouraged by the information and news that I'm getting from the Premier there and from the Health Minister, who has just been in a meeting - I think is still in a meeting - with all the other health ministers around the country right now looking at how they can further support the situation in Victoria. But in New South Wales they have moved incredibly quickly, I think, to do the detective work on what has happened at the Crossroads Hotel, which will always be known both literally and I think figuratively by its name. That demonstrates I think in New South Wales how effectively the states can respond to this, and the best protection against the virus, to live with the virus, to live alongside the virus, and to open up your economy - you don't protect your economy by continually shutting things down. That's what you have to do when things get to the point they have in Victoria. But you can continue to move forward in the way that New South Wales is demonstrating by building that capability for tracing, for testing and so on, and that's been quite effective in this case, and hopefully we will see that situation continue to improve as well. But as we know there are no guarantees. We are always in uncharted waters.

David?

Journalist: The package today offers the wage subsidy for apprentices who are in work today, but it doesn't have an incentive for employers to take on new apprentices in the months ahead. But are we going to see school leavers who leave who don't want to go to university who might otherwise be jobless if they didn't have the chance to take up an apprenticeship? So are you looking at further help for those who are going to be leaving school at the end of this year who will need more options?

Prime Minister: Well, there’s 340,000 training places in this package that runs from September through to the end of June. That doesn't just support those who have left the workforce through no fault of their own, but that also is supporting school leavers as well at the end of this year. It's important for people if they want to take on new apprentices that they are able to hold their current apprentices, and that is the most urgent need as we speak right now. But Michaelia, do you want to add to that?

Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small And Family Business: David, certainly in terms of the types of courses that will be funded, we will be working with the individual states and territories, depending on what their labour market needs are. You may find some states would prefer to fund pre-apprenticeships and short courses, whereas others states I’ve been talking to have said we would like to fund full qualifications. So certainly there is the spread of courses depending on what your particular state or territory has in demand, and in particular, as the Prime Minister has said, for young school leavers at the end of this year, doing a pre-apprenticeship, what a great way, what a great entre into what could potentially be an apprenticeship.

Prime Minister: I can confirm that so far New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia, Queensland, the Northern Territory and the ACT have all either fully signed up - completed the paperwork - or the pen is heading to the paper as we speak. Victoria, obviously, is dealing with many other issues at the moment, and Dan and I have had quite a few very good discussions about this. In fact, it was Premier Andrews very early on in the piece in the National Cabinet together with myself who was really pushing this as an item that really had to be firm on the National Cabinet’s agenda. So we are having very positive discussions with Victoria, but we appreciate they’ve got some other challenges.

Journalist: What evidence has there been in recent months that apprentices have been laid off? And, PM, what would you say to someone who is approaching the end of school, what sort of job they should be looking for, given what you know about the challenges ahead in the years ahead?

Prime Minister: Michaelia, do you want to cover those?

Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small And Family Business: In relation to apprentices, the data, the most recent data that the Commonwealth has shows that just under 6 per cent of apprentices - and there are around 260,000 currently in training, apprentices and trainees, in training in Australia - have either been suspended or cancelled. So that's around 16,000. But that is why the wage subsidy, the support for apprentices and training wage subsidy was so important, because it is currently supporting around 80,000 of those apprentices - bearing in mind some will also be on JobKeeper. But it also shows why the decision, the announcement today to extend the wage subsidy will ensure that up to 180,000 are kept in their job or in training. But it is around 16,000 or just under 6 per cent have been suspended or cancelled.

Prime Minister: 80,000 supported by the programme -

Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small And Family Business: Absolutely, 8,000 supported by the programme, we also obviously have the rural and regional wage subsidy, that was snapped up overnight when it was announced. That created in excess of 3,300 places. We obviously had the incentive in terms of our election commitment last year to create an additional 80,000 places. So the figures are looking OK.

Prime Minister: JobTrainer works hand in glove with JobKeeper, JobSeeker they all work together to deal with those who are either in a business that is able to keep them connected to that business, to those that have to go onto JobSeeker. This provides both two pathways, one into training through JobTrainer, one into hopefully new employment in those sectors which are in a position to take on new staff. In relation to your second question, my advice to young people is to look forward, not to look back, and that's what the National Skills Commissioner initiative and the National Careers Institute initiative is all about. These were reforms that came out of the Joyce review that was done before the last election and that we have been implementing since that election and having the National Skills Commissioner legislated and come through the Parliament in our last sitting, what we knew was absent, particularly for young school leavers and those going through career transition over the course of their lives, was the lack of helpful information for them to make the exact decision that you are talking about and too much of our skills identification which has been done both through the migration program and through the employment programs has been looking in the rear vision mirror, and it looks like what has been needed in the past rather than what is needed in the future and so the research and economic work which has been done by Adam Boyton as the Skills Commissioner is to actually give young people the answer to that very question. And there are a whole range of new opportunities. If you are down in South Australia Premier Marshall is building that state and particularly Adelaide as a cybersecurity hub. There's also the National Space Agency there, and I could talk a lot more about Lot 14 it’s an exciting project. But premiers are pursuing a different focus in each of their states, and the skills that will be identified as part of this process will match that process that the states are doing. But the problem in the past has been that it's looking too much in the rear vision mirror rather than through the front windscreen. As we come out of this COVID crisis and work through the COVID crisis and the COVID recession we must keep looking forward.

Journalist: Just on the JobTrainer, even prior to the pandemic there was a fairly large decline in the number of businesses taking on apprenticeships and internships. One of the many reasons they gave for that was that there weren’t jobs on the outside of that. Once they finished, there just were not the jobs there and they were concerned that if they took on apprentices there would not be anywhere for them to go once they finish their training. How confident are you that this program will reverse that decline first of all but second of all actually create those jobs on the outset?

Prime Minister: Jobs are created by businesses and an economy that is growing. They are not created by training programs. They are created by businesses opening their doors, employing people and doing better than they are today. Certainly before we went into the COVID crisis and the COVID recession we had seen 1.5 million jobs and more created since we were first elected, and a large number of those jobs were for young people. So we were seeing employment created in our economy. It was one of the biggest successes of the economy at that time. What we've seen in today's job numbers is the ability of the economy to restore those losses. We have seen a restoration of, there’s 210,000 jobs. We’ve returned about a third of the jobs lost by youth by June and around a quarter of the jobs that were lost by women. Now that was after, of those 874,000 jobs that were lost overall. We have seen the biggest return of those jobs in June in those sectors most affected, and you would have seen that in the payroll data that came out earlier in the week, where you saw the strongest surge being back, among young people. Now this something we thought would happen, and I'm very pleased to see that it has happened, but it could just as easily be impacted by more recent events, and we will keep monitoring that closely. But where there is a need to further invest to support young people or people of any age as they are looking to transition as a result of the economic shocks that we've experienced in recent months, then as a Government I think we've demonstrated time and again that we have been prepared to do what it takes. We have not been locked in thinking of the past or constrained in any way. We are just solving practical problems with practical solutions.

Kath?

Journalist: Prime Minister does, you've said that the unemployment numbers or the employment numbers today give cause for hope and just picking up the analysis you’ve just made about the recovery in the jobs market, do they also underscore the importance of having income support that ties workers to jobs in the way that JobKeeper does.

Prime Minister: Income supports I've said now for months, they've been very necessary over the course of this COVID recession and they will continue to be necessary and I've flagged now for months that there would be a further phase of this but it will be targeted it will be demand driven it will go to those most in need and the Treasurer and I will have more to say about that next week. We have been putting further touches on that just over the last few days to ensure that the decisions we've made are as timely and targeted as possible. One of the great challenges as we manage through this crisis is there are so many unknowns, there are so many uncertainties and to have a very clear eye view about what the world will look like in a few months from now is not an easy task but we believe we've been able to fine tune those decisions well over recent weeks, taking into account the advice that we've received from the review and I look forward to making those announcements next week.

Journalist: Victoria's Chief Health Officer has said that he would love to have a debate about elimination versus suppression. Is that up for debate? What is National Cabinet's position?

Prime Minister: National Cabinet’s position has always been an aggressive suppression strategy and that remains our view and it's certainly the view of my Government. I’d refer people to the Deputy Chief Health Officer's article today which I think sets out the arguments very well. If you're looking at an eradication strategy, not just the economic impacts, and let’s note that those countries that have pursued that have suffered far greater economic hits than Australia has, so you're talking about hundreds of thousands of more people unemployed for a start and other businesses closed and livelihoods destroyed and then you got to weigh that up against what it actually achieves. Let’s not forget that in Victoria they had the hardest lockdowns of everybody and theirs is the state that has succumbed to that outbreak and the outbreak was initiated by a failure in hotel quarantine by returning Australians. Now the idea that people wouldn't be allowed to return to Australia or exporters can't sell their products overseas or we halt all shipping to Australia, that's where the risk comes from and the great risk of an eradication strategy is, if you pretend to it, and you are overwhelmed by any confidence that comes for it, all you need is one break and it rushes through your community very quickly because people become even more complacent and so it is a very risky strategy and one that can be very illusory and it's one that the AHPPC and particularly the Chief Medical Officers both prior, and acting now have been very consistent on and the discussions we have had around the National Cabinet table have been very supportive of that approach and I’ve got to say that the states that have been most supportive of it particularly have been New South Wales and Victoria and so that’s the path we are on. If you get to elimination as a result of this process, well, well and good. If that's the byproduct, well and good but you can't mortgage off your economy for what would prove to be a very illusory goal by that process. That is certainly the health advice that I have and it’s certainly also the economic advice I have.

Journalist: ...Industrial relations working party meetings, what do you hope comes out of that to add momentum to the jobs recovery and just to clarify, you said before that you expected full-time jobs to go down in June, that doesn't quite sound right when June was meant to be the month where restrictions were easing people were rehiring, why would full-time jobs go down then?

Prime Minister: Because there are still going to be, I mean we are still living in a COVID economy and what I’m pleased about is when the choices were made about people staying in jobs or there being more full-time jobs, that employers decided for more jobs and what we are seeing is if you like is a sharing of hours across existing employees and there will be many employees who are, who have been on JobKeeper and on JobKeeper, their hours have been able to be reduced as a result of the industrial relations changes that were part of that programme and that as much as anything else, including the income support payments, has kept people in jobs. We've got to be very clear about this, if we return to the inflexibility during the course of this crisis of the industrial relations arrangements that existed prior to the introduction of JobKeeper, then Australians will lose their jobs. It will put people on the unemployment queues because businesses will not have the ability to ensure that that work is able to be provided to more Australians to keep them in their jobs. Now we are working constructively to that end and as economies particularly, sorry businesses particularly those who are rebuilding, and they would have seen their turnover improved, they will still, I think, benefit from having those flexible arrangements which will keep more and more people in jobs. There are two parts to what we've been doing on income supports, there’s the fiscal side of it, there’s the cheque, but there is also the flexibility that has been provided to employers that has enabled them to keep people in jobs and I think what you've seen today in today’s employment numbers is exactly that outcome, it’s the combination. Now, as we know, the effective rate of unemployment is likely to be far higher than what is illustrated here in these numbers and the Treasurer and I and the Employment Minister have not been shy about pointing to that fact, we’re not seeking to understate that. Of course, that is disappointing but another fact that is important in today’s numbers is the lift in the participation rate. That is very welcome. That means that more people went back out there and we want to keep seeing more people going back out there and that's why it's important to keep going forward and to not put our heads down and not to adopt a defeatist attitude in relation to the virus. That is not the Australian way and it’s certainly not my Government's way.

Yep, Rosie.

Journalist: Does Australia back the US in saying China has no legal grounds to its nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea which it's using to impose its will on the region and what will Australia do to safeguard the rules-based order in the South China Sea and the territorial rights of Southeast Asian nations?

Prime Minister: Australia has played a very constructive role in relation to the South China Sea. We had an observer status when the matter was being considered and we have continued to advocate very strongly for freedom of navigation through those waters and we've been very supportive, whether it's been of Indonesia or I remember standing next to Prime Minister Phuc in Vietnam and commending him on the strong position that he has taken in relation to their interests being compromised in relation to the South China Sea. So look, Australia will continue to adopt a very supportive position of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. We back that up with our own actions and our own initiatives and our own statements. But we will say it the Australian way and we will say it in the way that’s in our interest to make those statements and will continue to adopt a very consistent position. It is a matter that is frequently raised when we have dialogue with our colleagues, whether it's been at several East Asia Summits or other opportunities I have in bilaterals with my counterparts in the region. It is an issue of keen interest, and it is one that Australia has taken a keen interest in. But we've engaged respectfully and we've engaged proactively and we've engaged practically.

Journalist: Prime Minister and Minister Cash, WA is struggling with one of the worst unemployment rates around the country at 8.7 per cent, the second highest. It's a state that contributes a significant amount to the Federal bottom line through resource exports. Why do you think its unemployment rate is so high? Has the state's border policy contributed to it? And what are you doing to help WA specifically?

Prime Minister: Well, I’m going to defer to my Western Australian colleague first I think, given that question.

Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small And Family Business: Look, obviously it’s disappointing as a Western Australian Senator that Western Australia's unemployment figure is so high. And certainly, I think the Federal Government's been very clear that there are no health reasons to keep the borders closed. However, that is a decision the McGowan Government has made and they are entitled to make that decision. Certainly, in terms of what we're doing as a Federal Government to assist Western Australia in creating jobs, you only have to look at the infrastructure spend that we are bringing forward. When you spend money on infrastructure, you create jobs, and certainly that is something that we've been working very well I would say, Prime Minister, with the McGowan Government to bring forward projects.

Prime Minister: The HomeBuilder program, for example, Western Australia was the first out of the blocks in backing up that program, and the Western Australian construction industry has had some of the more difficult times and that was pre-COVID. And so they are very quick to do that. I welcome the fact that the Western Australian Government is particularly moving on the deregulation agenda on planning and approvals. I also welcome the statements today and the action being taken by the New South Wales Government. At National Cabinet last week the Productivity Commissioner joined us and spoke of the priority of having a flexible arrangement when it comes to deregulation, to aid the recovery and aid the generation of jobs. So every state and territory has its challenges. As you know, I've been very consistent in my view when it comes to the Federation and what was agreed over 100 years ago when it came to the free movement of Australians across our nation and where there are needs to take precautions for health reasons and that should be done on health advice. But we're one country and will succeed by being one country, and that's the way forward for Australia.

Got time for one more.

Journalist: Can I question about interstate freight…

Prime Minister: Sorry, you might start that again.

Journalist: Sorry, just a question about interstate freight, which is important to our economy. We've learned that a truck driver from Melbourne brought the virus to the Crossroads Hotel. Now, truck drivers are exempt from border closures. Should they be subject to a new public health order to stop them from going to pubs and interacting with lots of people?

Prime Minister: Well, look, there's a couple of issues here. One is how an initial outbreak is first identified and where individuals are appropriately traced on contacts then that is your first defence against the very things that you're talking about, that people don't get in the truck in the first place because they've been a known contact of someone with a case, then that is your defence against that. And that wouldn't just apply to truck drivers, it applies to pharmacists, it applies to doctors, to nurses, to police officers, Members of Parliament, everybody. This is why the tracing is so important. And to have the capability not just to make the calls and to trace the calls and but it is also to ensure that the way that workload is managed is appropriately tasking all the resources there to make sure you keep up to date with it. And so the key defence as we move forward is to ensure that you have the testing and the isolation of those cases that are positive and the prompt tracing of all those cases. New South Wales has done incredibly well on that on the Crossroads case in recent days and I think that will have prevented the flow on, potentially, of other cases that could arise in the type of circumstances that you're talking about. But the industry, I'm sure, will continue to look at that, as will the chief health officers, as will our Chief Medical Officer and if there is a need for any further measures along the lines that you said, I have no doubt that they will make that recommendation to the premiers and I and we would act on their advice, as we have been very consistent in doing all the time.

But for now, we will leave it at that. And for all those young people, for all those older people, for whatever age you are in our workforce, we know that this is one of the hardest times, if not the hardest time, in your life you've experienced out there in the labour market. And we want you to know that through JobTrainer, through JobSeeker, through JobKeeper, the Australian Government is right there. We’re there quickly, we’re there with the sort of support that you need to enable you to hopefully get back into a job. But if not, to give you the skills you need to get into that job, that will be there. But most of all, Australia, let's keep our heads up. Let's not allow our heads to go down. Let's keep our heads up. Let's keep going forward. Thank you all very much.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42933

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

10 July 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon, everyone. Today I’m joined by Professor Paul Murphy - sorry, Professor Paul Kelly. I’ve got Brendan Murphy still on the brain. You are not far from us, Brendan. But it is great to have Professor Kelly with us today, he has taken over, of course, the role of Chief Medical Officer and attended his first National Cabinet meeting today. It is the 23rd time the National Cabinet has met in the last 4 months. 

Before I go to the details of that, I just wanted to note that last night I held a very productive summit meeting with Prime Minister Abe from Japan. We had a very warm and constructive discussion. Very aligned on our goals, both for the region and more broadly on the global issues that we discussed and had further discussions regarding our ongoing defence cooperation and particularly following on from the agreement we signed this week on space cooperation, there are many other topics that we covered. But it was about an hour and a half long meeting which is well over what we had originally planned and I think that just goes to the depth of relationship that we have been able to establish. Of course, we discussed at length our various experiences with COVID-19 and Japan currently has been experiencing an uptick, a spike in their numbers in not too dissimilar way we are seeing in Australia, which I will come to now.

The news from Victoria remains very concerning. The Premier will stand up later today and he’ll update the situation there, but it is concerning. They have called for help, they are getting help, but the key here is that all states and territories again reaffirmed their support for Victoria in providing whatever resources they needed to deal with the outbreak in Victoria. To stick to the plan, to stick to the strategy, and to ensure that is well resourced and well implemented. And that was the focus of the briefing that Premier Andrews gave to National Cabinet today and he received strong support from all of his colleagues. The resourcing that is being put in, whether it is in testing or tracing or the support particularly in New South Wales and in South Australia in managing the border town issues is significant, and of course, the Commonwealth is supporting that strongly as well.

Another key part of the discussion today was that we need to be very careful to protect against complacency in other parts of the country. Now, this is particularly true behind closed doors, not just out in the open. This is a lesson outside of the Victorian experience. It is important that we're seeing in organised venues, those sorts of activities, in the main, although there are some examples to the contrary, that the rules are seeking to be followed. But when we're at home and there are people around, we still have to practise the social distancing. It is still not OK for hugs and handshakes. It's important to maintain the discipline of the social distancing behind closed doors, not just out in the public space. The restrictions on people being able to go to each other's houses have been eased, right across the country, with the obvious exception of Victoria. And to ensure that continues, then it is important that social distancing is the norm, it is not the exception, it is the norm and it is going to be the norm with us for a very long time, until at least we have a vaccine that can be mass-produced and made available across the population. So even in places like in Western Australia, for example, where there is a considerable easing of restrictions, it is very important that the social distancing practices, the washing the hands, the no handshakes, all of these things, downloading of the COVIDSafe app, is important. Because if there were to be an outbreak in any of those places in Queensland, in South Australia, in Northern Territory, Western Australia, Tasmania, then if social distancing is no longer the habit then we would see outbreaks in those places spread more rapidly. So just because everything's okay now does not mean you go back to the way you were doing things before in terms of social distancing. So I say that as an encouragement and I say that as reflecting the views of the National Cabinet. We will do everything we can to ensure the protections are in place should those things occur, but the community also has a role to maintain their discipline when it comes to social distancing and the things that are attendant to that. That is also true, particularly for the younger population, particularly for the younger population. And we would encourage that disciplined practice to continue. Of course, welcome the Queensland reopening today which is now effective, to all states and territories except for Victoria, obviously, and that is another reminder as to why it is important to maintain the discipline around the social distancing protections.

We also agreed today a reduction in the number of inbound arrivals into Australia across those ports that are able to accept visitors- sorry, I should say returning Australian citizens and residents. Of course, there are no flights going into Melbourne, into Victoria, for obvious reasons, and to ensure that we are mitigating and managing that risk, they will be cut by just over half across all the various ports that are taking those visitors. Sorry, those residents returning to Australia. There is also a view across the National Cabinet that they are all effectively moving to a charging system for the hotel quarantine that is in place for those returning visitors. Some states already have it, some states are moving towards that, and I will leave that to them to make their announcements at the appropriate time and where possible, we will seek to have some sort of national uniformity across those pricings and we are sharing that information with the states and territories.

We also agreed today that there would be a nationwide review of hotel quarantine. That will be undertaken by the former Health Secretary Jane Halton, she currently sits on the COVID commission. As part of that group, she will be undertaking that review working with states and territories and that again is an important step in providing reassurances, making sure that as we look into each of the states and territories and how they are managing their quarantine, that it is meeting the standards that the AHPPC have advised upon, and as our country opens up again, with the exception of Victoria, that we can ensure we have even greater confidence in those quarantine arrangements as they are being put in place.

Other issues that were discussed, we had a very productive discussion today on economic issues around skills and the skills needs and skills training needs for Australians over the next 6- 9 months. Also we had Michael Brennan from the Productivity Commission come and present on the regulatory challenges. He made I think very important points that more flexible economies would be the most successful in recovering from the COVID-19 recession around the world and how we manage regulation and deregulation is very important to maintaining and achieving that flexibility to support our economic recovery. We have referred a series of recommendations that he has made to the Treasurer 's grouping, the council of federal financial relations, in particular, we have asked them to come back to us as quickly as possible on the, what they call the time-based deregulations that have been in place. The changes that have been made to regulation for a limited time in relation to COVID-19 across a whole range of economic activity, and the potential for those to be extended out further and potentially even extended indefinitely. Because in many cases they have had quite a positive economic impact.

Just finally, I also took the opportunity while I had Premiers and Chief Ministers with me to update them on the announcement I made yesterday in relation to arrangements for Hong Kong, and that we were not anticipating large volumes of people seeking to enter the country following the announcement we made yesterday. As I explained yesterday, that is not the nature of the arrangements we put in place yesterday. But it received a strong encouragement for the actions and decisions that we’ve taken and in addition to that, a keenness for states and territories to work with us as we seek to attract footloose businesses and industries that may be seeking to relocate. And we will work closely with the state and territory governments to ensure we can give effect to that plan.

And with that, I will hand you over to Professor Kelly.

PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, ACTING CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER:  Thank you Prime Minister. So we are in a very different phase compared with the last National Cabinet meeting. As the Prime Minister said, this is my first one but I think it is very clear now that there is a community transmission issue in Melbourne. The good news there at the moment, it is confined to Melbourne and all of the things that have happened in the last week or two in relation to controlling that pandemic, we are very much all of one mind as to what needs to be done. The Prime Minister mentioned that all of the states and territories, in terms of public health response are assisting, particularly in this very difficult and time-consuming contact tracing exercise, for every case that we see and we have seen many in the last week, there are contacts that also need to be phoned, given advice and also isolated for their own protection and the protection of the wider community. So this increase in cases, particularly locally acquired cases, particularly those that are not related to known clusters, are a concern. There are differences compared with that first peak that we had back in March - April, in terms of the people that are being affected by the virus, there are many more younger people. This reflects one large cluster in a particular college in Melbourne, but also the fact that there are large families and interrelated clusters as well as in those public-housing towers that we know about in north Melbourne. They are doing a lot of testing, that is leading of course to finding cases and that will continue to be a major focus. The Prime Minister mentioned, we have good modelling advice now about this which backs up that issue. We are all at risk regardless of whether we are living in Perth, if we are living in a rural area, those messages we have been giving all throughout about the physical distancing, the hand hygiene, the cough hygiene, etc, people need to continue to listen to that. We can see what happens very quickly, with this incredibly infectious virus. It can spread throughout the community and unless we're taking note of those very simple but effective ways of stopping that transmission, then we are all at risk. So we are all in this together, we know that what we need to do and we are well prepared and now we're enacting those plans in Victoria and all states and territories and the Commonwealth are here in support. I might leave it there. PM?

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much Paul. I’m happy to go to questions.

JOURNALIST: How quickly do you want to see the results from Jane Halton's review of what’s been going on, and I'm assuming that you are not waiting for that review before you offer more Federal assistance on hotel quarantine or on contact tracing? Can you just step us through what more you will do?

PRIME MINISTER: Sure, on hotel quarantine, in Victoria that issue is more moot because there are no planes coming in. So that is not a pressing issue in Victoria. The pressing issue in Victoria, and Paul might want to add to this, is on the tracing. That support is there right now and that support is being provided by every State and Territory jurisdiction has offered those resources. New South Wales is doing the lions share of that. They have an excellent capacity there. It means that a lot of this resource presently, in a lot of States and Territories where there are virtually no cases, certainly in community transmission, only as a result of returning travellers, a lot of that capacity has sat idle which means it doesn't need to sit idle now, it can be put to work in Victoria and is being put to work in Victoria. The challenges of those many months really did create a very capable workforce in this area and that is now at the disposal of any State or Territory that could find themselves in this situation. There is no hesitation in the standing offer that the Commonwealth has for all States and Territories. The decision that we took to reduce the number of returned travellers to Australia at this time was to ensure that we could put our focus on the resources needed to do the testing and the tracing and not have to have resources diverted to other tasks. We will review that as the weeks go by but for now, that is where we have reduced it. It is a reduction of over 4,000 people coming each week and that is spread across those ports of entry and that will take effect from Monday.

But Paul, did you want to add anything to that?

PROFESSOR KELLY: Just to say that there are, we have developed guidelines at the national level at the AHPPC in relation to quarantine. They are very detailed. We have had close looks at this at the national level already through the AHPPC and also the communicable diseases network of Australia. Various states have done their own internal reviews and just to be clear that the quarantine is with the States, but this is a way of looking at quarantine in a more detailed fashion and we have given some suggestions to Jane Halton about the types of things that we would really like to have checked. To be clear, there have been a lot of people who have come into hotel quarantine, there have been very few breaches but we have seen, as has been reported in Victoria, a single breach, even if it's low risk can lead to a catastrophic outcome. So we absolutely need to know that this is working as best as it can and that is the reason why we definitely support that.

PRIME MINISTER: Just to be specific, what has been recommended to be included in the review by the AHPPC, the medical expert panel is infection prevention and control training for clinical, hotel and security staff, compliance with infection and controlled requirements of the same staff, evidence of community cases and attributed to cases in international travellers in hotel quarantine including cases in hotel and security staff, rates of compliance with testing, legislative and contractual basis for mandatory testing, management of suspected and confirmed cases, provision and effectiveness of support services in medical, mental health, Social Services and financial support. Management of vulnerable people, management of cultural diversity, logistics arrangements and administrative arrangements and changing capacity requirements related to changes in border restrictions. So you can see there it is a very comprehensive set of issues that Jane, who was well known and well respected in this field and she will give us a, I think a very good steer early on about the time she will need to conduct that review effectively.

JOURNALIST: Dr Kelly, What is the advice now on wearing masks?

PROFESSOR KELLY: The advice has, for places where there is ongoing community transmission, so this for the moment is greater Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire, is that people - of course, the overarching advice is people should stay at home unless they need to go out. But assuming that people do need to go out, what has not changed is if people have symptoms and they need to go for a test, for example, which we would definitely encourage, they should wear a mask. Other people, where physical distancing cannot be guaranteed, they should also wear a mask in Melbourne and Mitchell shire.

PRIME MINISTER: The National Cabinet - in those circumstances that the Chief Medical Officer has outlined, it is not a broad application across the country but in designated areas that have been affected in the way that they have in those parts of Victoria, that is the advice and that was adopted by National Cabinet today.

JOURNALIST: Just to be clear Prime Minister, if you're going out in Melbourne today, you should be wearing a mask?

PRIME MINISTER: Paul?

PROFESSOR KELLY: That is the advice if you cannot guarantee physical distancing. So in these circumstances, some of you might want to consider that. But from here to where you are, no.

PRIME MINISTER: Paul and I don't need to. However, you are all clustered together as usual.

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] is there a hard figure as to how many people are allowed to come into Australia? Will that change when Victoria begins to reopen its borders and do you concede it will be more difficult for people to come home?

PRIME MINISTER: It will be more difficult because there will be a reduction in the available capacity for people to be coming back to Australia. So that is the consequence of this decision today by the National Cabinet. More broadly, when Victoria is in a position at some stage in the future to resume receiving flights, well, that will obviously change the capacity at that time. I would say also, at a time when Victoria was able to take flights again, then obviously the challenges to the system presently caused by the outbreak in Victoria would have subsided and that then, of course, would mean that there would be less pressure on the system nationally. So until that is under control, or even beyond that, it has been under control and Victoria is able to take up those flights again, then we will be in a restricted capacity for the foreseeable future.

JOURNALIST: Could you just detail some of those recommendations?

PRIME MINISTER: Which recommendations?

JOURNALIST: Michael Brennan’s? And what was the response from the premiers to those recommendations?

PRIME MINISTER: Very welcoming. This was the presentation we had hoped to have a fortnight ago but we were obviously dealing with the Victorian situation which was as acute then as it was today. But it went across a series of areas from heavy vehicle arrangements, planning and development approvals, ease of starting a new business. These were the areas that were highlighted...

JOURNALIST: Industrial relations?

PRIME MINISTER: No, these were, they were not measures he put on his agenda today. They are matters that are dealt with by the Federal Government. This was a report to states. It was focusing largely on state government approval processes and business regulation processes. And I think there is quite a bit more work to do there. He gave a very good summary of a lot of the work that is already taking place in the states and territories and gave some good examples of those initiatives, whether they be in Queensland, New South Wales or WA or anywhere else. But his point was that if you want to have a stronger recovery, then your economy needs to have flexibility and the regulation that can constrain that flexibility can constrain job creation and the economic performance of the country.

Greg?

JOURNALIST: With JobKeeper, will you extend that based on the level of distress of a business, or will it be extended based on the sectors that are suffering the most in this crisis? And Professor Kelly, do you know why the Victorian health officials did not conduct follow-ups with, daily follow-ups, with the close contacts of COVID-19 cases and is that out of line with best practice?

PRIME MINISTER: I’ll let you deal with that first Paul, if you want?

PROFESSOR KELLY: So, as I mentioned earlier, there, with a large number of cases, there are a large number of contacts. That is particularly in the case where people are moving more around the city and in close contact with people. So every single case can generate 20, 30 other people that need to be called. So this is a large logistic exercise. It is the reason why we have come in with support from all of the other contact tracers from around Australia and now as of today from the National Incident Room, as well, in the Commonwealth. We are giving all the support we can. Definitely the key performance indicator here is finding the people that have proved to be positive and making sure that they know about that and that they are isolating themselves at home as quickly as possible. So we are doing everything we can to support the Victorians in this effort and we will continue to do so.

PRIME MINISTER: On the other question, just as when we initiated what has been the largest ever level of income support any Government has ever provided to the Australian community at any time, it was targeted for those who needed it most. The next phase of our support will also be targeted nationally to those who need it the most and we haven't and when we're...

JOURNALIST: Is that based on a loss of revenue rather than...

PRIME MINISTER: The details of our decisions will be set out at the time of releasing the economic statement, as I have been saying for some weeks, and there is no change to that timetable. I do note today, regrettably, that the Labor Party has engaged in fearmongering during a pandemic and I think this is disgraceful. They are saying things that are blatantly untrue. I have made it very clear that there would be a further stage of income support and to make people feel more uncertain in this climate I think is disgraceful and I think it reflects badly on their leadership.

JOURNALIST: PM, the cap on Australians returning home. How will that actually be administered? Have the airlines been told, been given quotas that they can only return so many people? Will there be a sort of a triage system, priority given perhaps to women, children, the elderly, the sick, things like that? How do you envisage that?

PRIME MINISTER: In the same way that it has been put in place until now. So there will be no changes. There already are restrictions on it right now and it will be handled the same way with the airlines and the priorities that are done through the Australian Border Force that exist right now.

JOURNALIST: Isn't the effect of the cap that Australian citizens will be effectively barred from coming to Australia? Is that unfair to some, do you share frustrations of people...

PRIME MINISTER: Well, you have to make judgements in the national interest. There will be capacity for people to return to Australia, as there has been now for months, for many months. So there will be continuing access to Australia but the number of available positions on flights will be less and I don't think that is surprising or unreasonable in the circumstances that we find ourselves in. We have to put the national interest first and the health of Australia first and Australians and that is the basis of the decision we have taken. And if we are in a position to expand that capacity again in the future then we will do so, but we will do that on the basis of the advice that we are receiving, on the quarantine task that is there, but the many other tasks which right now are focused more on the issue of testing and tracing to contain the outbreak. So we will respond to the health needs.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the ADF has been offered to boost Victoria's tracing and monitoring team. Has that offer been taken up by Daniel Andrews yet, and if not, are you confident that they have the ability to control this outbreak? And just on the review of hotel quarantine, do you have any reason to believe that any other states have had any significant breaches, do you believe that there is any issues in other States?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I have no reason to. The review is not being initiated because of that suspicion, the review is being initiated on the basis of good advice from the medical expert panel and good practice. That is why we are initiating that review. If there are issues that are identified as part of that process, that would be its purpose, to discover those things and to address them where necessary. I think that is a matter of good practice. In relation to testing and tracing support, the Victorian Government will have everything they need, not just from the Commonwealth, but also from all states and territories. So they are not short of anything they need, from any part of any government in Australia. That was reaffirmed to them today and which requirements the Victorian Government seek to be filled is a matter for them and that question is better directed to the Premier.

JOURNALIST: It still seems that the gold standard is human beings rather than technology. Do you think that you oversold the benefits of the app, is there any emerging signs in Melbourne that the application is becoming more useful? And if Professor Kelly could also answer in relation to those claims that the two clusters in the towers and in the college are linked, do we know where it started?

PRIME MINISTER: In relation to your first question Sam, no, I don't share your view. I think the two work together. They were always intended to work together and they are working together. That is why I would continue to encourage people, wherever you happen to be, to download the COVIDSafe app. In most parts of the country, I mean, there are no community transmission cases, so therefore, you wouldn't expect it to be having a high level of use. It is being used in Victoria and the other methods of tracing are also being used and the two work together.

Paul?

PRIME MINISTER: So firstly, on contacts, with the lock down restrictions that have come into play this week in greater Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, there will be less movement around towns. So those incidental contacts will be less. Having said that, the app has been used. It is being used in Victoria. At this stage, it hasn't actually led to a large number of contacts over and above what has been captured by the other...

JOURNALIST: [inaudible] any contacts?

PROFESSOR KELLY: Yes, it has, but it has been a very minimal number because it has really been that person to person contact by phone that has given most of the detail.

JOURNALIST: So 19 aged care facilities in Victoria have positive cases, what are you doing to prevent another Newmarch?

PRIME MINISTER: Paul, did you want to respond to that?

PROFESSOR KELLY: So aged care facilities, obviously, are a major concern to us and we have seen issues, very few issues, so Newmarch and Dorothy Henderson Lodge, pretty much the only large outbreaks we’ve seen. Very different to many other countries. And we should be clear about putting this in context. Yesterday in the US there were 60,000 new cases. We are nowhere near that at the moment. But in terms of aged care facilities in particular, yes, we are remaining very vigilant with that. I get a daily report, our Victorian colleagues and also the Commonwealth officials in Victoria are very closely monitoring the situation. We have regular contact with the aged care sector and specifically with aged care facilities in those areas of concern, so Greater Melbourne. At the moment it is going very well.

PRIME MINISTER: Michelle?

JOURNALIST: We have heard a lot of discussion about schools at these press conferences. So I wonder whether you're surprised or even shocked at the extent of the outbreak in the school in Melbourne and what are your thoughts about schools more generally now in light of that?

PROFESSOR KELLY: So there are several aspects to that question, and I will go through each of them. There is an outbreak in one particular college in Melbourne and some smaller ones related to other schools. I didn’t answer your other question about those linkages, I don't have the details of the linkages, but I know our Victorian colleagues are looking very closely at the various clusters and as they look more closely, they are finding linkages. So it is possible they are closely linked. In terms of schools, I’ll just reiterate my position which I am absolutely certain of on the basis of evidence, and we look at this continually, about the risk to children. So the risk to children of this virus is much less than in adults and that is very clear right around the world in terms of the severity of the illness. In terms of this particular cluster in this college in Melbourne, most of that appears to be related to family interactions rather than interactions at the school. After all, they are on school holidays in Melbourne.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what does this mean for plans for a trans-Tasman travel bubble and international students coming to Australia? Is there any modelling in terms of the cost to the economy and keeping international borders closed and on returning travellers, is there any support for those that can't afford two weeks in a hotel?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, on the latter point, that’s a matter that would be addressed by the states and territories as in terms of any hardship support that they wish to provide to offset any of those arrangements, then that is a matter entirely for the states and territories and I will leave that to them. In relation to the trans-Tasman safe travel zone, I will be speaking to Prime Minister Ardern about that again this afternoon. We had contact this morning, in particular, because I was pleased to see that Helen Clark had been appointed as part of the independent panel for pandemic preparedness and response, to lead the evaluation of the international response to COVID-19. We had a brief text exchange on that and we will discuss that further this afternoon. There is no sort of imminent starting date. There is still a lot more work to be done to get to a point of having that trans-Tasman safe travel zone. We discussed that today at National Cabinet about what states and territories could or would participate in that so there is a bit more work to do there. Obviously the Victorian situation, although it is isolated, I mean the rest of the country's seven states and territories would be potentially in a position to be involved in that. But we will hear further from the New Zealanders. It is an issue of interest in terms of how we can engage again with the rest of the world, but I think we will have to be very patient about that. It is a topic that Prime Minister Abe and I discussed last night and it is pleasing to know that Japan, for example, would be seeing Australia as a potential place where there might be opportunities to reopen some very, very restricted and limited form of travel. I mean, particularly for scientists, business interests, these sorts of things. So we welcome that. But I think there is still quite a bit of way to go. What will determine this ultimately, Brett, is the health advice and the arrangements that can be put in place to achieve that. Now, I think it is self-evident that the fact that Australia cannot have international flights is damaging to our economy. That is obvious. You don't need modelling to tell you that, and the sooner we get some arrangements that are workable and safe, well obviously we would seek to achieve that.

JOURNALIST: Overnight, China Daily came out with an editorial saying that Australia is not irreplaceable. Obviously the Chinese...

PRIME MINISTER: With what, sorry?

JOURNALIST: Australia is not irreplaceable, in regards to the announcement yesterday in relation to Hong Kong. How concerned are you that we will see further retaliation in relation to trade from China in consequence of the announcement in relation to Hong Kong?

PRIME MINISTER: Australia will just continue to stand up for our interests and we will continue to pursue our policies consistent with those interests.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on Malaysia, there are five Australian journalists that are facing potential sedition charges for their reporting in Malaysia at the moment. How concerned are you about those developments and have you had conversations with your Malaysian counterparts over that?

PRIME MINISTER: I haven’t been briefed on that matter so I am not in a position to respond.

JOURNALIST: Professor Kelly, could I ask, what did the medical advice say about the current capacity of hotel quarantine and did the AHPPC recommend a cut of just over a half in international arrivals, to focus on testing and tracing?

PROFESSOR KELLY: Well, firstly I’d say the absolute focus needs to be at the moment the situation in Melbourne and as I’ve said the testing, tracing and isolation component is a key component to that. So in terms of public health elements, that needs to be the main focus. Not only in Victoria but everyone else that is assisting with that process right throughout Australia. In relation to hotel quarantine and its capacity, that is a really a matter for the states and the Prime Minister has discussed that and the discussions that happen in Nat Cab and they will be worked through on the public health capacity but also other capacity, security and so forth, which is outside of my remit.

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] the current number of arrivals?

PROFESSOR KELLY: Well, the advice was that we should be concentrating where the main game is and the main game is in relation to the community transmission that is happening in Melbourne. That is the way to protect the Australian public's health.

PRIME MINISTER: Okay last one, Clare?

JOURNALIST: Professor Kelly, given that Victoria has just recorded 300 new cases today, when will we know for sure what the impact might be on the New South Wales border towns and should there be more targeting testing on those areas where Victorians cross the border a lot?

PROFESSOR KELLY: So certainly there is more targeted testing. That is happening not only on the border but in rural and regional Victoria. The key component of that will be whether it can be contained in Melbourne. At the moment, 99 per cent of the cases are in greater Melbourne and Mitchell Shire. So at the moment that appears to be holding. There have been some cases in rural Victoria. They are all related to Melbourne. There’s been a couple of cases as you know, a small number of cases here in the ACT related to Melbourne and so that is what we need to keep a close focus on.

JOURNALIST: How long will it take epidemiologically to know if it has crossed the border?

PROFESSOR KELLY: Oh I see. So we know that the usual incubation period is about a week so within a week we may be seeing, be able to see something. But it will take a couple of incubation periods, even four incubation periods, to know whether this is under control. Hence the six week lockdown in Melbourne.

PRIME MINISTER: Okay. Now, just on a practical issue. As you know, it is school holidays and Jenny and the girls are going to be taking some time next week on the outskirts of Sydney but given the changing and critical situation we have got, a serious situation in Victoria, I will not be joining them for that full time. I also won't be standing aside from the tasks I have each day. We have the capacity now with technology where I can be with them where they are and at the same time continue to take the briefings and the calls and meetings that I need to in the middle of dealing with the situation, whether it be Victoria or the many other situations that we are facing around the country. Look, as a dad, as you’d expect, I will take some time if I can get it during that period to wet a line or whatever the girls want to do, but at the same time I can assure you that we will remain absolutely focused on the things we need to focus on over the next week. We are in the final stages of preparing the economic statement for the following week. I will be returning back here to Canberra late next week, where I am sure you will get to see me again out here. But as I am sure people know who may be watching at home, just because I am not standing in front of a camera it does not mean I am not behind my desk or doing what I need to do on a daily basis. So I would ask for people's understanding on that, and a lot to do over the course of the next week and I thank you again, Professor Kelly, for joining me here on this occasion.

And a reminder everyone, again, to everybody down in Victoria, the whole country is with you. All of the country is with you. The resources of the nation are there to support you at this very, very difficult time, to do what is necessary to get life as closely back to normal as we possibly can in the shortest period of time. But it will require your continued patience and your continued discipline which you are showing, in the research that we say today from Professor Kelly, we saw that there was an immediate response from those in the outbreak zones and those areas when these measures were announced and there was a very swift response from them, and we appreciate that. And for the rest of the country who are not in that situation, let’s guard against complacency, let’s make sure that we maintain the social distancing, following all of those good habits when it comes to a COVID safe community and a COVID safe economy. Lives and livelihoods, of course, depend on it. Just because there may be very few cases where you live, do not think for a second that there aren’t sets of circumstances that could see the virus outbreak again and find its way. So we all continue to have this important responsibility and this important discipline that we have to be able to maintain. Thank you all very much.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42930

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

9 July 2020

---

Prime Minister: Good afternoon. I’m pleased to be joined by the Acting Minister for Immigration Alan Tudge today. But before we go to today’s announcement regarding matters in Hong Kong, let me make a couple of comments about the continuing situation in Victoria. 

Again, I want to thank all Melburnians, all Victorians, for your patience and those who live in the border towns along the New South Wales-Victoria border, I want to thank you for your patience in managing what has, I'm sure, been a very disruptive last few days. What we're calling for across Victoria, particularly in Melbourne but along those border town areas as well, is continuing patience as issues settle in terms of the arrangements that are in place for movement of people necessarily across those borders, dealing with freight movements, things of that nature. I've spoken to the Victorian Premier again today. Around about 25,000, on average, tests are being done every day in Victoria, and particularly obviously in those key areas in Melbourne. That is an industrial scale of testing, which is an essential part of dealing with the outbreak in Victoria, and the Premier obviously will make further comments today about the situation as it sits presently. 

But I do want to thank Victorians for how they're responding, and thank them for their continued patience. They know the drill. We all know the drill when it comes to social distancing, making sure we wash our hands, and download the COVIDSafe app, and all of the necessary parts of staying safe, COVID-safe, in the community. And I'd say more broadly across the country that we must guard against complacency, that we must continue to follow those social distancing protocols all around Australia, even in states or territories where the number of cases is effectively zero. Please don't think that any of the states or territories are immune. And if there were to be issues that presented in any of those states and territories, the best defence that we have, especially in the first instance, is that all citizens, all residents right across the country, are continuing to practise the appropriate social distancing and other measures. We've seen the images in many parts of the country where I think we are seeing some of that lapse. And it's important, because we do not want to see the situation in Victoria repeated in any other part of the country. 

The National Cabinet will meet tomorrow and obviously go over these issues once again. And so I'd thank all of those, particularly around border towns, as the New South Wales Premier has been stressing today to stay away from those border towns, if that is something you can do and exercise that discretion, exercise that judgement. That would include for family gatherings or things of that nature. I think it will assist everybody else who's involved in managing the border there, if they don't have additional pressure or additional demand on them, that will certainly help them do their job and it will make the circumstances for those in those border towns less stressing. Although, no doubt, it will continue to be stressing for some days yet. So, a thank you again to everyone in Victoria and a reminder to everyone else around the country against complacency, to stay on our guard, to be patient and to be conscientious.

The purpose of being here today, though, is to make a number of announcements that have been considered and agreed by the National Security Committee of Cabinet and, indeed, by the Cabinet earlier this week. Firstly, let me say that our Government, together with other governments around the world, have been very consistent in expressing our concerns about the imposition of the national security law on Hong Kong. Today we have agreed to announce that that national security law constitutes a fundamental change of circumstances in respect to our extradition agreement with Hong Kong and so Australia today has taken steps to suspend our extradition agreement. We have formally notified Hong Kong and advised the Chinese authorities. I also note that our travel advice for Hong Kong has been updated, and we'd encourage Australians to refer to that travel advice. 

The other issue that we are addressing is one that, as a result of changes that have occurred in Hong Kong, that there will be citizens of Hong Kong who may be looking to move elsewhere, to start a new life somewhere else, to take their skills, their businesses and things that they have been running under the previous set of rules and arrangements in Hong Kong, and seek that opportunity elsewhere. Australia has always been a very welcoming country to such people from all around the world, and our immigration system is the best in the world. It has the best controls, it has the best targeting, it has the best focus, and immigration as a result has been a pillar of the strength of our nation, not just our economy but our society as well. We are a great immigration nation. I would argue we are the best. And many countries have learned from our success in managing immigration in the national interest, and we will continue to do that. But our immigration program provides some particular opportunities for those who have been living as citizens in Hong Kong, and around 10,000, or thereabouts, of Hong Kong citizens and residents are currently in Australia on student visas or on temporary work visas. 

What we've agreed to do is we've agreed to adjust the policy settings to ensure that for skilled and graduate visa holders, we will be extending visas by five years from today, with a pathway to permanent residency at the end of those five years. Now, that means if you're a current or future student, you'll be able to stay for a total of five years once you've graduated with a pathway to permanent residency at the end of that period. Now, if you're a temporary graduate or skilled visa holder, your visa will be extended to provide an additional five years from today, in addition to the time you've already been in Australia with a pathway to permanent residency at the end of that period. And we will also provide a five year visa with a pathway to permanent residency for future Hong Kong applicants for temporary skilled visas, subject to meeting an updated skills list and appropriate labour market testing. We will also put arrangements in place to ensure we focus on Hong Kong applicants to study and work in regional areas, to help address skills shortages in those areas, with express pathways to permanent residency, as already applies after three years. And we will also look at new incentives and arrangements to attract export-orientated Hong Kong-based businesses to relocate to Australia, particularly where they have a strong potential for future growth and employment of Australians. 

So, for existing temporary work visa holders, student visa holders, and graduate student visa holders, they can be here for five years. Five years. And that is an extension from their existing arrangements that they would have now. Some of them would be some way into their current visa, they're already here - another five years. Those who are looking to the end of their study and they would normally get two years, that will be extended to five years. And the other part is, of course, through our global talent program, to be working with states and territories, and I'll be discussing this with states and territories tomorrow at National Cabinet, at ways where if there are businesses that wish to relocate to Australia, creating jobs, bringing investment, creating opportunities for Australia, then we will be very proactive in seeking to encourage that and to see that business activity, those jobs, created here in Australia. 

Now, I want to stress that we are not expecting large numbers of applicants in any time soon. What we have in place is the normal application mechanisms for these visas. The same rules apply to getting a student visa, the same rules apply to getting a temporary work visa. The same market testing restrictions are in place in terms of labour market testing for the awarding of temporary skilled visas. All of that remains the same. What we are doing is extending the opportunity for those visas out to five years in total and looking to recruit, if you like, other businesses that may become footloose as a result of the changes that have occurred in Hong Kong. And I imagine that there will be many other countries in the region and around the world that would indeed be seeking to attract those businesses to Australia and talented applicants as well, as they make their own decisions about where they wish to live in the future. Australia will be part of that group of countries which will be both encouraging, welcoming, and taking steps to ensure we're actively engaged. And so with that I'll hand it over to the Acting Minister for Immigration and many other things, Alan Tudge, and ask you to go through the details. Thank you.

The Hon. Alan Tudge MP, Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: Well, thanks very much, Prime Minister. As you'd be aware, Hong Kong has immense global talent and great businesses there, and we want to attract more of them to Australia. Because that will generate more wealth and more jobs for Australians. Now, we already do very well in terms of attracting people from Hong Kong, but today we're outlining some further opportunities for skilled people, for entrepreneurs, for significant investors, and for businesses to come to our country. Let me go through some of the specific measures which the PM has touched on. First up, in relation to students, so the current and future students from Hong Kong will be eligible for a five year temporary graduate visa on the successful conclusion of their studies and that will come with a pathway for permanent residency. So, former students who are already on a graduate visa will have up to five years from now as well. Now, students who decide to study at a regional campus will be able to continue with the current regime, where they can get permanent residency after three years. 

In relation to temporary skilled visas, current temporary skilled visa holders from Hong Kong who are in Australia at the moment will be eligible for an additional five years in Australia, with a pathway to permanent residency at the end of that period. And that is about 600 people in Australia at the moment, not a huge number. Future Hong Kong applicants for temporary skilled visas will also be eligible for a five year visa, provided they meet existing criteria. Now, that is that you must fit with one of the skills shortage criteria, and that list will be updated shortly and it's going to be a significantly reduced list compared to what it is today. Of course, there will need to be labour market testing as well from the sponsoring employer to prove that they are unable to find an Australian to do the job. Of course, a person can also qualify through the global talent temporary visa scheme, which is where we really target the exceptionally talented people, particularly in the IT fields, to come here on a temporary basis, if the employer particularly is willing to pay above the high-income threshold. These future temporary skilled visa holders will also have a pathway to permanent residency after five years. Now, in relation to, you know, what I call the super talent, of which there are many in Hong Kong, we started the Global Talent Scheme Visa not that long ago, with the idea of providing a permanent residency visa for the absolute super global talent. And we certainly know that there is some of that talent in Hong Kong, and we will be continuing with our program there, but we'll be prioritising applicants from Hong Kong for that scheme and providing some additional resources there as well to target those particular individuals who are real job-multiplying people, who create businesses, who are entrepreneurs, who have that tech talent that the world is looking for, frankly. And they will then have a permanent residency visa to enable them to come into the country. That will be the same as well for our Business Investment Programs as well, where again we'll be prioritising some of the applicants from Hong Kong to come into Australia. Same criteria still applies for those applicants. But they'll get priority if they're applying from Hong Kong. We'll also be supporting future applications, we'll be reopening the visa application centre in Hong Kong, which was shut down during the COVID-19, at the beginning of the COVID-19 period. 

Finally, just in relation to attracting businesses from Hong Kong. As the PM mentioned, we believe developing new incentives for export-oriented Hong Kong-based businesses to relocate to Australia. And with these economic incentives will also be visa pathways for all critical staff to come to Australia and have a pathway to permanent residency. Now, we know that there are over 1,000 international businesses who have their regional headquarters presently in Hong Kong and we also know that many have already signalled that they're looking to relocate elsewhere in the world. And this includes media businesses, financial services businesses, large consulting businesses, which have already signalled that they're looking elsewhere. And we want them to look to Australia, to come to, and set up shop. And so we'll be developing incentives for them to do so, but with that a package of visas as well, so that all the critical staff can come and potentially relocate in one of our cities or a region, and be able to get pathways to permanent residency. So, that, I think, is a great opportunity for Australia. These companies will be looking elsewhere, so we'll need to be competitive, but that's what we're going to be looking at and developing those incentives over the next period, the next few weeks. 

Just let me repeat again - there is so much talent in Hong Kong. There are great businesses in Hong Kong. And we know that many individuals now might be looking elsewhere, because they do want to be in a freer country, they want to be in a democratic country, and we want to make it attractive for that super talent to consider Australia and that's what these measures do.

Prime Minister: Thank you, Alan. I should also stress that the refugee and humanitarian stream remains available for those who are seeking to apply through that channel and that is available to people all around the world. What we're announcing here today relates to the existing components of our immigration program and this will all be accommodated very comfortably within the existing caps that we have on the overall level of visas for permanent residency into Australia. And that is particularly the case because of the significant decline in intake that has occurred because of COVID, and we don't expect that to change quickly and so there is ample room. But I want to stress again that this is being done with continued strong labour market testing, and this is about creating jobs in Australia.

Journalist: Prime Minister, [Inaudible] visa arrangements, critically also the suspension of the extradition agreement. What statement is the Australian Government making about China's adherence to One Country, Two Systems principles? And if it is a system fundamentally defunct now, where does that leave other agreements with an autonomous Hong Kong, even the free trade agreement?

Prime Minister: Well, our decision to suspend the extradition agreement with Hong Kong represents an acknowledgement of the fundamental change of circumstances in relation to Hong Kong because of the new security law. Which, in our view - and this is not just our view, this is, I'd say, a shared view of many countries - of that it undermines the One Country, Two Systems framework, and Hong Kong's own basic law and the high degree of autonomy guaranteed in the Sino-British Joint Declaration that was set out there. And that is a matter of public record from Australia's point of view. What we are announcing here today, both with the extradition agreement, there's an update to our travel advice, but in particular what we're doing here in the visa arrangements is recognising that that has taken place. And so Australia is adjusting its laws, our sovereign laws, our sovereign immigration program, things that we have responsibility for and jurisdiction over, to reflect the changes that we're seeing take place there.

Journalist: Prime Minister, do you expect this is going to put any extra pressure on international arrivals? I know yesterday you were saying there's not a good case for any redistribution of arrivals from WA to other states. Will WA see more arrivals, not less? Or are you considering, you know, the prioritisation of those who are overseas, maybe people who couldn’t come back three, four months ago are going to have to wait a lot longer to do so in the future to start taking that pressure off states, regarding those international arrivals?

Prime Minister: Well, I'll be doing exactly what I said I was going to do yesterday. Tomorrow I will be taking to National Cabinet a proposal that would ease the pressure on our points of entry, whether that's in Sydney or Perth or Brisbane or Adelaide, in particular. Those four ports are the ones that are taking the majority - or all, I should say - of those returning Australians. New South Wales, by far and away the most. And all of this will be accommodated within those restrictions. And we are not anticipating a surge of arrivals as a result of this. I mean, the decision to relocate your life, your business, where you're going to study as a new applicant is a significant decision. It's not something that I'm sure people would do overnight. The most significant impact of the decisions we've made today are for those around 10,000 people who are already in Australia, they're already here, they're studying, they're working, they're part of our community. They won't add one additional person to the population of Australia because they're already here. There's about, I think, 3,000, or thereabouts, Alan, about 3,500, who are existing visa holders in the areas I've noted, and the Minister has noted, who are currently outside of Australia. And they would be able to return to Australia under those visas, under the normal arrangements, and that is within the restrictions that we've put in place.

Journalist: The situation in Melbourne, how concerned are you that people are avoiding having virus tests because they can't afford not to work while they wait for the results? And what consideration is your Government giving to paid pandemic leave?

Prime Minister: Well, we've put in place JobKeeper, we've provided JobSeeker. These are the supports that the Government has provided, which are at record levels. This country has never seen a level of income support provided by a federal government like they're seeing now. And we will continue to provide that. I mean, during the course particularly of these next six weeks, that is entirely within the current set of arrangements for JobSeeker and for JobKeeper. And so that support will continue. And the support for placement, the Victorian Government has also put some arrangements in place to support other members of the community, as other states have. And this is a shared responsibility and the Commonwealth is certainly doing overwhelmingly its share of the heavy lifting in providing income support to people all around the country.

Journalist: [Inaudible]

Prime Minister: No, I’ve answered the question.

Journalist: Prime Minister, just back on Hong Kong, I know you're obviously saying you expect low numbers to begin with. Have there been any projections on how many people you are expecting, based on recent visa applications, inquiries into the consulate in Hong Kong? Are we talking about hundreds rather than thousands?

Prime Minister: Well, I'll let the Minister respond. You shouldn't draw any, I suspect, parallels between what Australia is announcing here than with what you would have seen announced in the UK, for example. The UK has a very special relationship with Hong Kong and a very special set of responsibilities. And they're talking about numbers which are not in contemplation in Australia. We're not seeing anything along those lines. As I say, most of the changes will impact on those who are already here in Australia. And at this stage, having just announced it, there's no indication, obviously, as of yet, about the level of interest. But I would be very confident that it will be able to be accommodated within a reasonable, whether it's in the hundreds, or we’re certainly not talking about tens of thousands, or anything of that nature. We're talking at a modest level I would have thought. And if it were to ramp up over time then we would make whatever adjustments we had to ensure that that could be accommodated and absorbed. Alan?

The Hon. Alan Tudge MP, Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs: I’d just add further to that, I mean in a typical financial year, we would have about 4,000 people from Hong Kong who would arrive, and about 3,000 of those would be students, and about a thousand who would be in the temporary skilled or graduate visa - or temporary skilled categories. Is this going to change markedly? It's difficult to say. But obviously the limit is still going to be on the quarantining arrangements here. I mean, the students aren't coming into the country until we've got those situations opened up. We've had the pilots, et cetera. But it also points out that these aren't things which will happen overnight, because you have to put in your application, that needs to be processed, you need to get your affairs in order. For a permanent residency visa, that often takes 6-9 months. For a temporary visa, that's sometimes shortened. But I think you're talking in the hundreds or low thousands rather than the figures which the PM mentioned.

Journalist: Prime Minister, has Australia basically made a judgement that it no longer believes the citizens of its largest trading partner are safe? Are you prepared for further trade strikes and retaliation from Beijing in response to this?

Prime Minister: Well, I don't agree with your assessment of the nature of the travel advices that have been provided. I'll let the travel advice speak for itself, rather than it be editorialised on. And those are matters entirely for the Chinese Communist Party Government. They're not matters for Australia. We will make decisions about what's in our interests, and we will make decisions about our laws and our advisories, and we will do that rationally and soberly and consistently. And that's exactly what we've done, and we will continue to do that on that basis.

Journalist: In regards to Victoria, there are growing claims that the Victorian Government chose to use security guards to guard hotels in order to cosy up to unions. Can I ask you what your thoughts are in regards to that? And also the idea that some of the democratic principles in Victoria seem to be under threat, with the Labor Party taking control of the state wing down there and not necessarily telling voters which minister is responsible for what's happened? Does that concern you?

Prime Minister: Well, my practice in relation to what's been happening in Victoria is the same that I've applied in other states when they've had troubles. I haven't seen myself as a commentator on those state governments. I've seen myself simply seeking to help them deal with the problems that they've had. And there have been challenges in other states before Victoria, admittedly not as significant as this. But I'd never found it terribly helpful to get into a commentary on those state governments. It was much better, I think, for me and my Government just to provide them every support we can. Now, I can understand that many, many people in Victoria will be feeling very frustrated at the moment, and many are very angry and I'm aware of where they're directing that frustration and anger. But it won't help the situation if I were to engage in any of that. I have a good working relationship with the Victorian Government and it's our job just to work together to solve this and to get on top of it and we'll continue to apply our resources to that end. Now, as is a matter of public record, the Commonwealth has made available the offer, consistently, about ADF support in Victoria to assist with any of the tasks, which included quarantine, if that was what they wished. But ultimately state governments have got to make decisions about how they want to use those resources and deploy those resources and, of course, they're accountable for the decisions that they make, and who they contract to do the job is a matter for them. And they've got to explain those decisions in their jurisdiction, like I have to explain the decisions I make in ours. Sorry, one at a time.

Journalist: Prime Minister, the announcement mostly focuses on people already here in Australia. But for those future applicants, do you expect any countermeasures from China that might make it difficult for those people to come to Australia to take up that offer? In effect, preventing or making it harder for people to leave Hong Kong to take up this offer?

Prime Minister: Well, I don't. But if that were to occur, that would be very disappointing.

Journalist: Home lending figures came out today. Huge plunge, double-digit plunge. This is a time with record low interest rates as well. We've also seen a couple of months of sliding house prices. Do you have any concerns about the housing market? And what can the Government do to avoid a house price collapse?

Prime Minister: Well, the thing about the Australian housing market is that demand has always outstripped supply, particularly in those markets which have been most heated and we're talking largely about the eastern seaboard markets there. I mean, the situation in Perth and Adelaide has been a bit different. But even down in Hobart more recently, we've seen an undersupply of housing and oversupply of demand. And that has always been what's driven the housing market. It hasn't been driven by speculative investor bubbles or speculative credit, things like that, which we've seen occur in other countries. And I think one of the problems about the commentary about the housing market is too often the analysis has appropriated the conditions of other places and applied them to Australia and that application has been completely misguided. Of course you're going to see a resistance, a concern amongst consumers during the times we're experiencing right now. It would be surprising if we did not see that. But I think, fundamentally, the structural position of the housing markets in Australia would tell a far more stronger tale in terms of their resilience. That's why I welcomed particularly yesterday the decisions by the banks to be able to continue to roll over and defer payments in relation to debts. That's important. That's one of the many changes that have been important to date and will be important later in the year and we're working through very similar issues. So, I think it would be presumptive, or a little premature is probably the better word, to be making medium or even short-term forecasts about the Australian property market at the moment. I think we'll see issues work their way through, and this is why it's important that we continue to deal with these crises as a dual, two, that is, economic and health. Getting on top of the health supports, the economic performance and vice versa. And that's why around the rest of the country, which isn't in isolation, it's important that we continue to open up our economies between states and the trade and commerce that takes place between states and territories, because that's how the jobs come back. The jobs come back, then the strength of markets, particularly housing markets, are supported by that. I'm encouraged that in the housing markets, in particular, that those who have taken advantage of the opportunity to draw down on their super balances, I'm advised by the banks that many have actually put it into their mortgages to improve their resilience with their mortgage and in the housing market. And that strikes me as a fairly common-sense thing to do.

Journalist: Prime Minister, Greg Hunt has said that seven out of the eight states and territories have done hotel quarantine well. So, why is there the need to ease that pressure on the system? How low do you think the cap on arrivals should go? And how will it be allocated?

Prime Minister: Well, I'll be discussing those matters with the National Cabinet tomorrow.

Journalist: Prime Minister, have you had discussions with the ACT about getting Victorian MPs and staffers and ministers into the ACT? Are we going see ministers moving here to get around the border closures?

Prime Minister: Look, it's still early days today, but I'm pleased that the ACT Government enabled my colleague to join me here today, under quite strict conditions. And I appreciate Andrew Barr’s and the Chief Health Officer here in the ACT's practical management of those issues. But there are still many more to manage. Parliament doesn't return until August, so there's a bit to sort out between now and then. So, we'll deal with those issues carefully and there is an engagement between the Parliament and the ACT Government about how those issues will be managed for the return of Parliament. And, indeed, for ministers, some ministers were already here when the decision was taken in relation to Victoria. But their families are in Victoria, so there will need to be, I think, some practical arrangements put in place. I can tell you they'll all be well-behaved and will follow the rules, as you would expect, just as Minister Tudge has today. Thank you all very much.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42928

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

8 July 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon everyone. At this very podium some months ago I said that Australians would be tested like we have never been tested before but we're a strong nation. And that we would meet those tests. And that will be true again now with the situation we're facing in Victoria. This is a global pandemic. There are no guarantees in a global pandemic. You have to deal with the situations that are in front of you. You need to deal with them consistent with your strategy and your plan and you need to bring the country together to focus every resource on fixing the problem and ensuring that we can keep Australians safe and that we can protect lives and we can protect livelihoods. This is the challenge we still face. There has not been a day of complacency when it has come to dealing with this challenge, I can assure you, on behalf of the Australian Government. And through the National Cabinet we have worked together to address all of these challenges and that will continue. 

For the people, in particular, of Melbourne, this is hard. This is a hard call on you. It's tough. And it will test you and it will strain, but you have done it once before and you will be able to do it again because you have proven that. You have demonstrated your ability to deal with this. It's happening in Melbourne now. Of course, there's always the risk it could happen in other cities and every step is being taken to seek to prevent that wherever possible. But we're all Melburnians now when it comes to the challenges we face. We're all Victorians now because we're all Australians and that's where the challenge is right now. And so I want to thank all the Premiers, I spoke to most of them yesterday, I’ve spoken to more of them today, for the great support they're giving to Victoria whether it's in managing the very challenging issues now on the New South Wales/Victorian border or the testing that is being done in Tasmania or in South Australia, or indeed, New South Wales or Queensland, the tracing work that is being done drawing on the health professionals from Western Australia all the way to the east coast, this is a national coordinated effort and over the last several days that has been where my focus has been, working with those Premiers, working with the Chief Medical Officer, working with those on the ground as we are coordinating our response to support the efforts in Victoria. And so that's why there are 350 ADF people down there supporting the New South Wales effort on the border. That's why there are already around 200 ADF who are already supporting in the area of medical testing and other logistical support. That's why there is some several hundred, in fact the numbers of Commonwealth public servants up about 800, 900, supporting the door-to-door efforts. So it is a very significant Commonwealth effort to support what is happening in Victoria right now and we will prevail and we will get on top of it and we will protect the rest of the country because, as I have engaged with other leaders around the world, they are facing the same challenges, whether in Europe or elsewhere, they are seeing as they're opening up their economy again and fighting for the jobs of their own citizens just as I'm fighting for the jobs of our citizens, then they find there are outbreaks and there are cases, the one in Melbourne is particularly serious, but on an international scale, it is well within the band and so it is not surprising and that's why we need to continue to apply our focus and our effort and just work together as we did in March and in April and in May and in June and so we will do it in July, and August, September, October, November, December, and into next year if necessary. That is what we will do and that's what we'll continue to do. So I do reach out to those people - families, young kids, older residents, people working in essential occupations and just reach out to them and say the nation is with you and we will be with you each and every day because your success is our success. Our success depends on how well you're able to get through and so whether it's the mental health support that needs to go in, whether it's the housing support that needs to be in place, these are the issues that over the last several days we have been dealing with to ensure that Victoria gets all the support they need. So with those remarks, I hope that addresses, as it should, the very significant issues we're now facing.

And now I'd like to turn, if you indulge me to the reason I have asked the Aged Care Minister to join me here today. And I think this is important because as we deal with the challenges of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 recession that is attendant to that and has created these two great crises Australia now deals with, the work of Government continues. The needs out across the country are just as present as they were before and one of the most significant areas of need that we have been addressing as a Government since the 2018-19 Budget in particular, has been the challenges of in-home aged care. Now, it was only last year after the receipt of the interim report of the Aged Care Royal Commission that we immediately responded to the immediate request that there be additional places provided for in-home aged care and we immediately moved to put an additional 10,000 places. Today I'm announcing with the Minister an additional 6,100 in-home aged care places which will bring to an additional 50,000 places at a cost of some $3 billion that we have announced since the 18-19 budget. And every opportunity we have had as a Government to increase the number of in-home aged care places since the 18-19 budget, the midyear update that followed, the Budget that followed that, the mid year update that followed that, and now where we are here today, where we had hoped to have a Budget obviously earlier this year, but that won't be until October, we believe that was necessary to make this announcement now and we will take every opportunity in the future including the Budget and the midyear statement that follows to continue to address this task. This is about ensuring that Australians, as they age, have greater choices, that families have greater choices. We have many challenges in this country at the moment, but we will see our economy strengthen, we will see Australians kept safe whether it's from COVID or the many other threats that this nation faces, and we will guarantee the essential services that Australians rely on and this is a very good example of that in meeting the needs of our elderly and the in-home aged care places that they need and there'll be more. And we will do that in a responsible budget management which the Treasurer and the Finance Minister and I and other members of the Cabinet will continue to apply the discipline to, so we can meet all of those challenges. 

But with that, I'll ask Richard to make a few comments about the specifics and then I'm happy to take your questions.

SENATOR THE HON. RICHARD COLBECK, MINISTER FOR AGED CARE AND SENIOR AUSTRALIANS: Thanks, PM. So the additional 6,100 packages is evenly split between levels 1, 2 and 3 packages. Their rollout will commence immediately. And as the Prime Minister has said, that takes our investment in home care packages to 50,000 since the 18-19 Budget and investment of over $3 billion. And as the Prime Minister has said - it continues our commitment to providing choice for senior Australians as they age, but also the opportunity for them to stay safe, be at home and age at home if that's their choice. We're also announcing today that the royal commission reporting date will be extended to the 26th February. So that's a 3 and half month extension to the royal commission - the commission having had to close down for about three months due to COVID, had requested an extension and we're announcing an extension to the 26th of February. And Commissioner Pagone will become the chair instead of the acting chair of the commission as part of the announcement we are making today with respect to the extension of the commission.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, our second most popular state is now shut-off from the rest of the country. There are increased caseloads by the day. Is this more than just the localised outbreak that you have talked about, or are you confident that this is under control?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, there are three rings of containment and the rings of containment has always been part of the Government's national plan together with the states and territories. There are those suburbs specifically where we are seeking, I should say the Victorian Government is seeking to ensure that containment measures are there. Then there's the broader Melbourne metropolitan area and including the Mitchell Shire and then beyond that there's the Victorian border. And as each of those rings does its job, it puts less pressure on the ring external to it. And I know that the New South Wales Premier, I spoke to her again this morning, is very focused on ensuring that there is appropriate protections around those border towns and - you know, I saw the same queues as everyone else this morning. And as I flagged on Monday afternoon in a radio interview, there will be some, there will be some disruption for a period of time as these arrangements are put in place. That's, I think, to be expected and there will be some inconvenience and that's regrettable and we ask for people to show patience about that. I mean, the case numbers today, slightly less than what they were yesterday and we would hope to get better news on those case numbers. I mean the level of testing has been significant and we need to stay on top of that, but the isolation of those who are found to have had COVID is important as it always has been. I'd be saying to those particularly in New South Wales and those in the border towns that, particularly in the border towns, we're not seeking to see people move from there up to Sydney or places like that. I think for the time being, it's wise and good common sense that if you live in and around those border towns, that you’d stay close to those towns at present and not be going off to family events or other things more broadly across the state. The Premier has indicated similar sentiments this morning and I support that. Similarly people living elsewhere across New South Wales, now is not the time to make your way to close by the Victorian border. That's just not good common sense. And we’d ask people to exercise good judgement about those things. There's lots of family events and other gatherings that take place and if people could exercise some judgement about their attendance of those particularly around border towns, then I think that's the right thing to do.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, given the breaches with hotel quarantine in Victoria, is there any case for slowing down the arrival of people into Australia at international airports? Is there a problem with the sheer load of, that’s coming there? Should that be considered?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the short answer to that is yes and I'll be taking a proposal to that end to National Cabinet on Friday and I have been discussing that with Premiers over the last sort of 24 hours. I had a good discussion with Premier McGowan about the same thing yesterday. I mean the fact is that New South Wales has been bearing the largest burden of people returning to Australia and they're people, they're Queenslanders, they're Western Australians, they're Tasmanians and New South Wales has done the heavy-lifting on that and foot the bill for it too, I should say. And I thought that was one of the, another good example of how the National Cabinet was working. No-one was squabbling about money about who was going to pick up the bill for quarantine. The large states, which were New South Wales and Victoria, accepted that and got on with it. And I commend them for that. Now, in Victoria, we have suspended those flights coming in and that has meant that people have moved on to other flights going into other capitals and we have looked at that and as I said I'll be taking a proposal to National Cabinet to slow that down as of this Friday.

JOURNALIST: You previously been opposed to border closures and you’ve said the borders should reopen. So is it safe to say that you have now changed your position on that in light of the community transmission in Victoria?

PRIME MINISTER: No, no, it's not. 

JOURNALIST: And in relation to JobKeeper, there will obviously be a lot of anxiety now about when that runs out. Is it potentially an option to extend JobKeeper for longer by geography, just in Victoria?

PRIME MINISTER: Two points. First of all, no my position on borders hasn't changed. We need to understand what's happened here in Victoria. What we have effectively done is Victoria has self-isolated. So that creates a protection for all the other states and territories at the one time and it doesn't leave it to the arbitrary decision of one Premier or another Premier. I mean, my view about people moving from New South Wales to Queensland or to South Australia or Western Australia has not changed. When you have a situation of an outbreak, you contain the outbreak. And that outbreak is presently in Melbourne. And to ensure we don't get further breaches of that, that outbreak is being contained now at the Victorian border. And that has always been the approach. Arbitrary decisions about state borders is a separate issue and we'll continue to maintain our position that Australia is one country, and that response that is needed in relation to outbreaks, well, that will be put in place and that will provide the appropriate protections and that's what's being done. This is about Victoria isolating itself, not other states shutting itself off from Victoria. And there is a key difference in that.

JOURNALIST: If the situation escalates will there be a need to be...

PRIME MINISTER: Sorry, on JobKeeper on the other issue. I’ve answered this question many times. And I have been consistent in saying that there'll be a further phase of support that goes beyond September. So there's been - and there will be, and I said that to the Victorian Premier and as I said to Alan Joyce some weeks ago when the specific issues of Qantas were raised and the Treasurer has said the same thing. There will be a further phase of how we continue to provide support and as I was able to assure the Premier the other night, just like I can assure people in, in industries or in businesses or parts of the country that are more affected by COVID than others, then where there is the need, then there will continue to be support. And so this is about tailoring a national program to provide support where the support is needed and because of what has happened in Victoria, obviously the need there will be far greater than was previously and that need will be met.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the McGowan Government did ask for the Federal Government to help enforce those caps on international tourists into WA. Is that something you will do? And just on Victoria - Ministers Porter and Cormann say the AFL grand final should be held in Perth if it can’t be held at the MCG. Is that something you support, that you’d like to see, and also the Minister for Sport, maybe can I have your opinion as well?

PRIME MINISTER: I spoke to Premier McGowan yesterday. The issue is not redistributing the load from Western Australia to other states. I mean Western Australia has been taking about a quarter of what New South Wales has. So I don't think there's a strong case that Western Australia should carry any lesser load than it has been up until this time. I mean, Queensland and New South Wales are taking far more than Western Australia and, you know, the same issues need to be managed there and Western Australia is a strong and competent state and I'm sure they can manage their share of the burden. The issue is what the overall level of returning Australians are and that's why I'll be bringing a proposal on Friday to reduce that load which means it's - that's a lesser load for everybody rather than shifting Western Australia's load on to someone else. I'm sure Western Australian pride would prohibit any suggestion that another state would have to carry Western Australia's water on something like this.

JOURNALIST: On the grand final, and Ministers Porter and Cormann said if it can’t be held at the MCG, which is more of a likelihood now...

PRIME MINISTER: To be honest, where the AFL grand final is being played at the moment is one of the furthest things from my mind. It really is. I mean, the AFL, I'm sure will sort that out and states and territories will sort that out. Right now, we're dealing with a pandemic outbreak in Victoria - right now.

JOURNALIST: If the situation escalates, will there be a need to reimpose some of the nationwide restrictions?

PRIME MINISTER: That is not something that is being put to me now, that's not the advice that we're receiving. Let's remember that seven states and territories around the country remain in a very strong position when it comes to our response to COVID-19. That's what we're seeking to continue to protect. That doesn't mean there won't be cases in any of those states and territories, but the rest of the programs in those states and territories are, outside of trying to deal with some of the issues around the border towns and New South Wales and Victoria, I'm sure the Premier will say more about that when she's in a position to do so, but more broadly - I think the rest of the country is getting on with it which means they're opening up and their jobs are coming back and that's welcome news but obviously the impact in Victoria is significant and very disappointing, but it's something that we will work together to build up again just like we did last time. 

Yeah, Michelle?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on your proposal to restrict people coming in, are you thinking of a pause or of just containing numbers? And would people be likely to have to pay for their own quarantine?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's more a containing numbers, I mean, there is a volume that can be accommodated by the states and territories currently, but they certainly wouldn't want to see that increase. With Melbourne shutdown from that point of view, then taking on higher burdens is what we're seeking to avoid. In relation to paying - that is a decision for the states and territories. The states and territories can send people a bill today if they wish and if they wish to do that, then the Commonwealth would have no objection to that. They'd be acting solely within their rights to do that. I think that would be a completely understandable proposition for people who have been away for some time and there's been many opportunities for people to return. If they're choosing to do so now, they have obviously delayed that decision for a period.

JOURNALIST: Any idea of the pipeline of numbers?

PRIME MINISTER: Compared to normal volumes, Michelle, it's very, very low to what you normally expect and it's still very low now. But at this time, we don't want to put any more pressure on the system than is absolutely necessary. 

Rosie?

JOURNALIST: Just on the rings of containment, to clarify, are you supportive of Daniel Andrews's six-week lockdown of greater Melbourne? And on JobKeeper, are you suggesting that someone in a job in Victoria may be able to get income support for longer compared to someone in the same job in, say, Brisbane because of what has happened there?

PRIME MINISTER: No, I'm not suggesting that at all. We're running a national programme of support. That national programme of support will give people in the same areas of need the same support. So it's not a state-based programme or anything like that, in the same way it has operated up until now. It's been something that has operated nationally and something that has been directed towards businesses that have had that fall-off in turnover and to their employees, and similarly JobSeeker is applied across the nation. So these programmes act very much as automatic stabilisers in these circumstances and that's the design element that will continue. I mean, what we have done in providing the support we have, is we have been very careful about the design of the support we have provided. We haven't made the mistakes of trying to invent new systems because of the great difficulties that presents, as we saw during the GFC. And I note that the Deloitte report that came out this year which showed that we were able to get the support out there significantly and sooner than happened last time. And I think that was because we followed that very disciplined position of using existing channels, making sure it was well calibrated and targeted and temporary and that's what we have done. I think all Australians know that level of support can't go on forever. But the needs are continuing and we understand that. We have understood that for some time and we have been preparing our next phase on the basis of that understanding. 

Shane?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what would bringing forward the 2022/23 tax cuts to, say, the October Budget do for the economy?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, any decisions on those matters are matters for the Budget and other budgets beyond that. So that's a matter that the Treasurer and I will address in the context of the Budget, not today.

JOURNALIST: Face masks, Prime Minister, there does seem to be a shift in thinking on this from the World Health Organization, citing growing evidence, they say, that the virus is spread through the air. In view of that, I think the AMA is adopting a position in Victoria as well. Have you sought any revised or updated medical advice on whether they should?

PRIME MINISTER: The medical panel gives us advice on this issue pretty much every time we meet and sometimes more often than that. So it has been a constant stream of advice from the medical expert panel, from the AHPPC, and they will continue to provide that advice and we will continue to follow it.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on China, the updated travel warning about Australians facing detention in China, are you expecting any, sort of, criticism from the Chinese Government about that? And can you provide an update on your consideration of resettlement options for Hong Kongers?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we are still considering that matter, to go to your second question, and I'll have more to say about that soon. In relation to the other matter, officials upgraded that advice as it's been communicated and as yet I haven't had anything put in front of me, but from time to time travel advisories are changed and on this occasion, the officials have upgraded that advice.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can you confirm that your preference for supporting the people of Hong Kong is to use existing pathways rather than creating something new? And secondly, to follow-up Rosie's question, are you supportive of the lockdown of greater Melbourne?

PRIME MINISTER: Look, we continue to be concerned about issues in Hong Kong, as many nations are, and we have remained in close contact with other like-minded countries about this issue. This is about how we, as a nation, are responding domestically to these issues. So these are decisions for Australia about who we provide visas to and on what terms and over what period of time. They're Australian sovereign issues. They aren’t about other countries, they’re about our country. So we'll make decisions about our visa program and how we run that in accordance with the rules that we set and as I said before, I'll have more to say about that soon, not today. On the issue of the broader shutdown of Melbourne, this is a matter that the Premier advised me of and, of course, based on their advice and the advice that I have received from the Chief Medical Officer, then this was necessary. I hope it isn't for that long. I hope it's for as short a period as possible. But given the seriousness of the issue and the containment that was occurring in the initial postcodes and what was occurring there, that this was a more practical measure in the Premier's view and the advice that he had received. So it's not my job to second-guess Premiers on these things. It's my job, as the Prime Minister, to rally the governments of Australia and our own Government and the people of Australia to support Victorians in this time of need.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, I note your earlier comments before. Can I just ask, are you considering bringing forward those tax cuts? I note your comment before. Are you considering bringing forward those tax cuts? It would seem from what the Opposition said today with Jim Chalmers that they’re seeking some clarity on that. And once we start to establish travel bridges with other nations, would you be looking to impose a tax on those Australians looking to travel overseas to help recoup some of the expenses the Government has paid here, locally, and also to encourage people to travel at home?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, there's a lot of speculation on all those questions. So I don't intend to engage in what is the normal budget speculation when you lead up to a budget. Those matters will be addressed in the Budget. So, I mean, we haven't even concluded any arrangements with any other countries at the moment and it will be some time yet before we even were able to achieve that even for New Zealand or potentially any countries in the Pacific.

JOURNALIST: Would you think about it?

PRIME MINISTER: I'm not here to tell people what I'm thinking about, I'm here to tell people what we're doing. The Government is focused on dealing with what's happening right now in Australia. Those issues are not matters that are pressing upon the Government.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, a large proportion of the new cases in Victoria of community transmission have come in the younger population, people in their 20s.

PRIME MINISTER: True.

JOURNALIST: How concerned are you about creeping complacency within the community? And what would be your message to those young people in Victoria and around the rest of the country who think this virus is not their problem?

PRIME MINISTER: Doesn't matter what age you are, it doesn’t matter what job you have, it doesn't matter what your income is, it matters that we all just together, continue to follow the sensible medical advice that has kept Australia in one of the most envied positions in the world in relation to our COVID-19 response. And we all have responsibilities there and we all owe it to each other to keep exercising them. As a Government, it's our job to ensure we're continuing to follow the strategy we put in place and support that with resources. Whether it's in supporting people through incredibly difficult economic times, whether it's supporting our elderly with the announcement we have made today and getting on with the job of providing the Government that we promised to deliver, whether it is supporting through the ADF on the ground the measures that are necessary to contain the spread of the virus. We will keep doing our job and I know Australians will keep doing theirs. And right now, that job is if you're a Melburnian, is to tough it out and it will be tough, but know the rest of the country is with you. The rest of the country knows that the sacrifice that you're going through right now is not just for you and your own family, but it's for the broader Australian community. And I want to thank Melburnians. I mean, I want to thank them very much for how they're dealing with this right now. I can imagine the frustration. You can imagine a business that had just started opening up again and now they got to close down again. Heartbreaking. Frustrating. Talking to their staff, kids were about to go back to school, the uncertainty that is attached to all of that, we all understand. But this is a virus that doesn't, you know, communicate itself in terms of its intentions or how it's going to behave. We're dealing with a lot of unknowns here and that means that there will be circumstances like this and how we respond is what we have control over. We don't have control over the virus, as such, but we do have control over how we respond and I think how Melburnians, in particular, and Victorians more broadly, are dealing with this very hard news is commendable and I thank you very, very much for it. And we will stay on the job in supporting you and giving the Victorian Government every help they need, not just the Australian Government, but all the other state and territory governments as well. On Friday, the National Cabinet will meet, as it does, on a fortnightly basis. There'll be a number of matters that will be considered in relation to this and I'll be able to update you more about those things on Friday. Thank you all very much.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42895

Address, Launch of the 2020 Defence Strategic Update

1 July 2020

---

Thank you very much, Linda, and thank you all for joining us here today.

Can I particularly commence by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people, their elders past and present, and of course leaders emerging for the future.

And as is always my practice, and particularly on occasions such as today, can I acknowledge any veterans who are here in the room with us today and serving members of our defence forces, of which there are many, and to simply say on behalf of an incredibly grateful nation, once again thank you for your service.

Can I also, of course, acknowledge my many Ministerial and Parliamentary colleagues who are here with us today and I will speak of Linda in just a moment.

But to ministers Hawke and Price who are here with us, doing such a tremendous job in critical areas of our defence operations and in defence engagement, both in the building of that capability through Minister Price, and rolling out the enormous commitments and the industry capability that is essential to achieve what we're speaking of today.

But also to Minister Hawke who has been leading our approach in the Pacific Step Up, bringing together not just the defence components of that, but the international development components of that and bringing that into one strategic initiative that has seen our standing amongst our Pacific family rise to whole new levels that is so essential to what I am setting out today.

Senator Molan is here, of course, who has been a long-time friend and a consularery on many matters regarding defence, border protection and many other things, Jim, and it's good to see you here today and thank you for being here.

Can I also acknowledge the Chief of Defence Force General Campbell and Secretary Moriarty and all of the defence leadership that is here today. Your skill, your experience, your integrity is so written into these documents and gives Minister Reynolds and I and the entire Cabinet and the National Security Committee of Cabinet great confidence in the advice that we receive.

And that when we make decisions, we are making them on the best possible advice and experience. And the leadership that you're showing across the services, together with your service chiefs represented here today, is exemplary.

It really is a strong period for our defence forces under your leadership.

That, of course, leads me to Minister Reynolds.

Not only a serving reservist herself with deep engagement in matters of defence over her professional life, but she has brought a clarity to this portfolio. She has brought an accountable to this portfolio which is absolutely essential.

As Linda and I just this morning, or last night, again reflecting on the depth of what is in these documents. There is, of course, the many more apparent elements of the strategy that we're outlining today - the hardware, the equipment, all of these sorts of things, and, of course, that draws significant public attention.

But at the end of the day, that's not what makes it work. What makes it work are the people who drive it and the accountabilities that are placed upon the plans that we see here today. And that is what Linda, in particular, has driven so far in her time as Minister.

There is an accountability to these plans that she insists on, as I know the service chiefs and others are very well aware of, and the Secretary, and that gives me a lot of confidence because the investments we're making here today and for the longer term require the accountability of implementation.

It's significant and so I commend you, Linda, for the terrific job you have had in bringing this all together as part of my team and I also thank the many members of the National Security Committee of Cabinet as well who have been integrally involved in the development of this.

And it goes without saying that we all pass on our thanks to the Finance Minister and the Treasurer who have had a keen interest in what we have been working on for now for some time.

So it is an honour to be here today. It is a pivotal day for Australia and for our defence forces.

It is an honour to be here at ADFA to launch the Australian Government’s 2020 Defence Strategic Update and the 2024 Structure Plan, these two very important documents that will guide our nation through one of the most challenging times we have known since the 1930s and the early 1940s.

A plan for Australia's future in the most important area of a Federal Government's responsibility.

The cadets of the Australian Defence Force Academy who would normally sit in this lecture theatre today will be asked to confront many of the challenges that are set out here throughout the course of their careers.

But more than that, to live up to the ideals and traditions of the ADF serving and protecting Australia.

And at times, that work will be in accordance with plans already developed and it will be also at other times responding quickly to the unexpected.

Our times are a testament to that challenge.

This year, the ADF has provided crucial support to Australians during our Black Summer bushfires.

And now a response to a once-in-a-Century pandemic.

Senator Seselja, who is also here with us today, has been very familiar seeing that support here in his own home territory, here in the ACT and so often in his other responsibilities.

At the height of the operation Bushfire Assist, led by Major General Justin - Jake, as he's known - Elwood, 6,500 ADF personnel provided support to state and territory fire and emergency services across our nation.

It was a proud time for our defence forces and in particular the unprecedented compulsory callout of 3,000 ADF Reservists, who are proud at the best of times, but to be able to be serving as reservists in their own country at a time of great need, so many of them that I was able to meet around the country felt a great pride in being able to deliver that service.

And I thank their employers once again for supporting them in their efforts.

Then we went through, when we thought life was going to return to normal as the fires receded, of course it didn't.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit and once again the ADF has responded with Operation COVID-19 Assist.

At its peak, it has involved around 2,200 personnel across Australia.

In April, there was an outbreak of coronavirus in the north-west regional hospital in Burnie, an outbreak that included staff across the hospital.

The ADF responded with a 50-person deployment to assist the hospital.

For two weeks the ADF's medical professionals treated and supported more than 400 locals who entered the hospital's doors.

This support was not just practical, but it was a great confidence-booster at a time of great anxiety in north western Tasmania.

Premier Gutwein, to this day, continues to offer his thanks to the tremendous support provided by the ADF.

Meanwhile, in Shepparton, engineer and maintenance specialists from the Army Logistical Training Centre and the Joint Logistics Unit worked on lifting vital PPE capacity at the Med-Con plant and thanks to them, Med-Con surgical face mask production has an output capacity of 200 million masks per year.

From contract tracing to quarantine support and isolation checking, the ADF has demonstrated again its capability, professionalism and adaptability.

Lieutenant General John Frewen and the COVID-19 Task Force, I want to thank you very much for your calm and methodical way of getting the job done, yet again.

And the jobs continue with more than 200 personnel right now in Victoria and others standing by ready, if needed, to go and assist with the current outbreak.

And if we need reminding, 2020 has demonstrated in no uncertain terms that the challenges and threats we face as a nation are constantly evolving.

The enduring responsibility of Government, though, is timeless - to protect Australia's national interest, our sovereignty, our values and the security of the Australian people.

This responsibility requires sustained commitment, focus, application.

It requires strong economic management to support the necessary investment and it demands tough and difficult choices.

As the Australian Strategic Policy Institute noted in the 2012-13 Defence Budget Brief, just prior to our Government's 2013 election, the Defence Budget had fallen to 1.56 per cent of GDP.

That was the lowest level since 1938.

Now, to illustrate the real-world implications of this, there were no major domestic naval shipbuilding projects commissioned in the six years that followed the end of the Howard Government in 2007 and the decisions they made to acquire the Hobart-class air warfare destroyers and the Canberra-class LHDs.

I want to assure the men and women of the ADF, who inherit a proud tradition and carry it, that our Government, my Government, will not repeat those mistakes of the past.

We will ensure, together, that you are always properly supported as you face the challenges of today tomorrow, and you carry out the decisions that we make, that you undertake on our behalf and on behalf of the Australian people.

Despite the many pressures on the Budget - and, of course, during this COVID-19 recession, they have only accelerated - I reaffirm today that our Government's commitment is to properly fund Defence with the certainty of a new 10-year funding model that goes beyond our achievement of reaching two-percent of our economy of GDP this year.

This simple truth is this: even as we stare down the COVID pandemic at home, we need to also prepare for a post-COVID world that is poorer, that is more dangerous, and that is more disorderly.

We have been a favoured isle, with many natural advantages for many decades, but we have not seen the conflation of global, economic and strategic uncertainty now being experienced here in Australia in our region since the existential threat we faced when the global and regional order collapsed in the 1930s and 1940s.

That is a sobering thought, and it's something I have reflected on quite a lot lately, as we've considered the dire economic circumstances we face.

That period of the 1930s has been something I have been revisiting on a very regular basis, and when you connect both the economic challenges and the global uncertainty, it can be very haunting.

But not overwhelming.

It requires a response.

Now, we must face that reality, understanding that we have moved into a new and less benign strategic area, one in which the institutions of patterns of cooperation that have benefited our prosperity and security for decades, are now under increasing - and I would suggest almost irreversible - strain.

The Indo-Pacific is the epicentre of rising strategic competition.

Our region will not only shape our future, increasingly though, it is the focus of the dominant global contest of our age.

This is the setting for it.

Tensions over territorial claims are rising across the Indo-Pacific region, as we have seen recently on the disputed border between India and China, and the South China Sea, and the East China Sea.

The risk of miscalculation and even conflict is heightening.

Regional military modernisation is occurring at an unprecedented rate.

Capabilities and reach are expanding.

Previous assumptions of enduring advantage and technological edge are no longer constants and cannot be relied upon.

Coercive activities are rife.

Disinformation and foreign interference have been enabled and accelerated by new and emerging technologies.

And, of course, terrorism hasn't gone away and the evil ideologies that underpin it and they remain a tenacious threat.

State sovereignty is under pressure, as are rules and norms and the stability that these provide.

Relations between China and the United States are fractious at best, as they compete for political, economic and technological supremacy.

But it's important to acknowledge that they are not the only actors of consequence.

The rest of the world, and Australia, are not just bystanders to this.

It's not just China and the United States that will determine whether our region stays on path for free and open trade, investment and cooperation that has underpinned stability and prosperity, the people-to-people relationships that bind our region together.

Japan, India, the Republic of Korea, the countries of South-East Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and the Pacific all have agency, choices to make, parts to play and of course, so does Australia.

There is a new dynamic of strategic competition and the largely benign security environment, as I've noted, that Australia has enjoyed, basically from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the global financial crisis, that's gone.

Since the Government's 2016 Defence White Paper was released, we have witnessed an acceleration of the strategic trends that were already underway.

The pandemic has accelerated and accentuated many of those trends, and that is why today I'm launching the 2020 Defence Strategic Update.

It represents a significant pivot.

It outlines the shifts and challenges I've foreshadowed and mentioned.

It makes clear the strategic environment we face and this clarity will guide Australia's actions.

The update sees an evolution of strategic defence objectives in accord with our new strategic environment.

The objectives outlined in the 2016 Defence White Paper saw an equal weighting across the three areas of Australia and its northern approach, South-East Asia and the Pacific and operations in support of the rules-based global order.

In this update, the Government has directed Defence to prioritise, to make choices, ADF's geographical focus on our immediate region, the area ranging from the north-east Indian Ocean through maritime and mainland South-East Asia to Papua New Guinea and the south-west Pacific.

The Government has set three new strategic objectives to guide all Defence planning, including force structure, force generation, international engagement and operations.

They are these:

Shape Australia’s strategic environment.

Deter actions against Australia’s interests.

And respond with credible military force, when required.

We must be alert to the full range of current and future threats, including ones in which Australia's sovereignty and security may be tested.

These new policies will require forestructure and capability adjustments.

These must be able to hold potential adversaries, forces, and infrastructure at risk from greater distance and therefore influence their calculus of costs involved in threatening Australia's interests.

This includes developing capabilities in areas such as longer-range strike weapons, cyber-capabilities, area denial systems, and at the same time our actions must be true to who we are as a nation, a people, what we value, for ourselves, our friends, for our neighbours.

Soon after becoming Prime Minister, I said that our decisions as a nation are a reflection of our character and our values, and so are these decisions today. What we believe in. And if need be, what we will defend.

As one of the world's oldest liberal democracies, we know who we are, we know what we believe, we know what we're about, we know what we stand for, and we know what we'll defend.

We're about having the freedom to live our lives as we choose in an open and democratic liberal society without coercion, without fear.

We're about the rule of law.

We're about being good neighbours, pulling our weight, lending a hand and not leaving the heavy lifting and hard tasks to others.

We don't seek to entangle or intimidate or silence our neighbours.

We respect their sovereignty.

We champion it.

And we expect others to respect ours.

Sovereignty means self-respect, freedom to be who we are, ourselves, independence, free-thinking.

We will never surrender this.

Never. Ever.

Everything my Government does is designed to build our national resilience and protect our sovereignty, our freedom, our values and our independence.

This is our great trust.

Australia's defence and capability planning has been updated accordingly and is detailed in the 2024 Structure Plan, which I am also launching today.

And the good news is that we're already pointed in the right direction.

This journey didn't start today. It's been happening for some time.

The Government made a commitment to deliver a more potent, capable and agile ADF in the 2016 White Paper, and we went further than that.

We've backed it up with the investments, something that is often peculiar for white papers.

We are undertaking the biggest regeneration of our Navy since the Second World War and have charted the transition to a fifth-generation Air Force.

This includes the F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter, the most advanced Strike Fighter in the world.

The Joint Strike Fighter will strengthen our high-tech industrial defence capability as well.

Minister Price and I have been out there seeing it being built in south-western Sydney, parts of it.

Over 50 Australian companies are already sharing more than $1.7 billion in contracts as part of the global JSF program, truly exciting.

Greater mobility, protection and strike power also for our Army.

New infrastructure to enhance the delivery of our war-fighting capabilities, from logistics and intelligence to bases, which also brings benefits for many local and regional communities, including Indigenous communities.

And to implement the Defence Strategic Update, my Government is making a further commitment to better position defence to respond to rapid changes in the environment that I've noted.

We're again providing long-term funding certainty for Defence and defence industry.

That enables them to plan with confidence.

An updated 10-year funding model that will enable defence to deliver the strategy and the complex capabilities it requires to keep us safe.

This will see capability investment grow to $270 billion over the next decade.

Now, that's up from $195 billion we committed in the decade following the 2016 Defence White Paper.

So what will this deliver?

It will expand our plans to acquire sophisticated maritime long-range missiles, air-launched strike and anti-ship weapons, as well as additional land-based weapons.

That's right. That's what we're going to do.

We will also invest in more highly integrated and automated sensors and weapons, including potential development of hypersonic weapons systems, and this investment will see us build on Defence’s collaboration with Australian industry, which is already at a new level.

In 2016, the Government released the Defence Industry Policy Statement.

In 2018, we launched the Defence Industrial Capability Plan.

As I said, we're not starting here today. We've been long at this task.

This was followed by the release of the defence policy for industry participation last year.

These steps have all been about making sure we have a robust, resilient and innovative defence industrial base, a base that maximises Australian participation and supports highly skilled Australian jobs and local investment, whether it's the small arms and ammunition being designed and manufactured at Force Ordnance in South Australia, or new capabilities such as Boeing Australia's autonomous “Loyal Wingman”, designed and produced in Brisbane and Melbourne.

We're on track with the delivery of our Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles that we've just seen outside here today, an example of which we've got for you to see.

These new armoured vehicles will provide better protection, firepower and mobility to the men and women on the ground, and they will be built right here in Australia, and it's a similar story for our naval shipbuilding industry.

The Naval Shipbuilding Plan in 2017 set out a long-term vision for a strong, sustainable and innovative naval shipbuilding industry here in Australia.

Three years on, we are delivering on that vision.

Continuous naval shipbuilding in South Australia and Western Australia is now under way.

The Arafura class offshore patrol vessels are in production.

The Guardian class Pacific patrol boats are being delivered to our Pacific families, which I know Minister Hawke has been on a number of those deliveries and they couldn't be more pleased, really couldn't.

The Hunter class frigates and Attack class submarines are now both on contract and progressing well and we will cut steel on the first Hunter prototypes at our new Osborne Shipyard in Adelaide later this year.

These naval shipbuilding programs are on track and they are on budget.

The 2024 structure plan now includes plans for the acquisition or upgrade of up to 23 different classes of Navy and Army vessels, representing a total investment of almost $183 billion, up to that.

This program is delivering thousands of jobs, even more important as we come out of the COVID-19 recession, and this will grow over the coming years.

Minister Price has ensured we have been bringing forward elements of our defence procurement and investment as part of our activity to support the JobMaker program more broadly in response to the corona recession.

Laying the foundation, though, more broadly, in all of these areas of shipbuilding, for advanced shipbuilding for generations to come, so Australia can be in a strong position.

Now, these actions that we've taken since 2016, and those that I'm announcing today,  will deliver the cutting-edge capabilities necessary to achieve what we have set out as our objectives.

The first objective is to shape Australia's strategic environment.

Now, the Indo-Pacific is where we live and we want an open, sovereign Indo-Pacific, free from coercion and hegemony.

We want a region where all countries, large and small, can engage freely with each other and guided by international rules and norms.

These are not unreasonable objectives or ambitions or requests.

Where countries can pursue their own interests peacefully and without external interference, because this means Australia can pursue our interests too.

Indo-Pacific is where Australia has our greatest influence and can make the most meaningful impact and contribution and we intend to.

And it is also where our need is most pressing.

Before the pandemic, the ADF was participating in almost 50 bilateral, mini-lateral and multilateral exercises in our region each year with great success.

We have deepened defence and security cooperation with partners new and old, including the United States, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.

And we are working more closely than ever with our Pacific family.

As part of the Pacific Step Up, which I launched at Lavarack Barracks on, I remember, a very warm day, up there in November 2018 in Townsville, we're working in partnership with Pacific countries to grow economies, build resilience and enhance regional stability.

And the transformation of Blackrock in Fiji has been part of this.

And as I said when I visited there last year, it's so much more than the bricks and mortar. It symbolises an enduring commitment to a stable, secure and sovereign region.

It speaks of a deep relationship, a commitment we've made to all members of our Pacific family, our vuvale our whanau.

They've stepped up in return, particularly in the bushfires this year, when PNG and Fiji provided military assistance and so many of our Pacific neighbours donated so generously.

It was wonderful to see Linda's posts of them singing in mess halls around the country, and just their enthusiasm.

My good friend, James Marape, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, would be calling me saying they're on their way and he was keen to understand how they were going each and every day and I'd share the stories and when he smiles, that's a lot of brightness coming back at you. He was so excited.

That's how friends and family deal with each other and the same was true of Prime Minister Bainimarama as well, so proud that they could be there for us, as we have been there for them on so many occasions and always will.

So Australia's commitment to the region will only intensify.

Our sharpened focus will see Defence forming even deeper links and trust with regional Armed Forces and a further expansion in our defence diplomacy cooperation, capability and capacity-building.

Our new strategic settings will also make us a better and more efficient ally. It means a lot to us.

We've always pulled our weight. We want to continue to do so as challenges increase.

We remain prepared to make military contributions outside of our immediate region, where it is in our national interests to do so, underscored, including in support of US-led coalitions, and where it matches the capability we have to offer, a capability built - as Minister Reynolds often reminds me - a capability built to deal with our objectives and where that can be applied in other theatres for other purposes, then, of course, we show up.

But we cannot allow such consideration of contingencies to drive our forestructure to the detriment of ensuring we have credible capability to respond to any challenge in our immediate region.

Our first job is always our first job, and it is in our region we must be most capable and the military contributions we make to partnerships and to our ever-closer alliance with the United States, which is the foundation of our defence policy.

The security assurances and intelligence-sharing and technological industrial cooperation we enjoy with the United States are, and will remain, critical to our national security.

They are enduring.

But if we are to be a better and more effective ally, we must be prepared to invest in our own security.

Part of this means improving our awareness of what's happening in the region, and this will include expanding our world-leading Jindalee Over-the-horizon Radar Network to provide wide area surveillance for Australia's eastern approaches, complementing the existing surveillance of our north and west.

We will also increase our investment in intelligence under-sea surveillance and cyber capabilities to enhance our situational awareness.

Improving situational awareness provides the foundation for the second of our objectives which is deterring actions against Australia's interests.

Now, Australia has a highly effective, deployable and integrated military force of which we are so proud.

But maintaining what is a highly capable, but largely defensive force will not equip us to deter attacks against Australia, or our sovereign interests in the challenging strategic environment we face.

The ADF now needs stronger deterrence capabilities, capabilities that can hold potential adversaries, their forces, and critical infrastructure at risk from a distance, thereby deterring an attack on Australia and helping to prevent war.

Of course, we can't match all the capabilities in our region. That's not the point of what we're announcing today.

That is why we need to ensure our deterrence capabilities play to our strengths.

Australia will invest in longer-range strike weapons, cyber capabilities and area denial.

As mentioned, we are expanding our plans to acquire long range maritime and land strike capabilities and to invest in more highly integrated sensors and weapons.

We will increase the Australian Defence Force's ability to influence and deny operations directed against our interests.

The threshold of traditional armed conflict in what experts call the grey zone, which is becoming ever present and ever expanding.

This will involve boosting Defence's special operations, intelligence, and offensive cyber capabilities as well as its present operations, capacity-building efforts and engagement activities.

$15 billion investment in cyber and information warfare capabilities says a lot about where the world is at and where the threats are coming from, and it will range across all key touch points of capability - people, platforms, technology, research.

Our investments in these capabilities will enable Defence to more effectively counter cyber attacks on Australia, on Defence and our deployed forces.

And this will be part of my Government's broader investment in Australia's cyber defences, resources and capabilities.

It's no secret - nor have we sought to make it one - that the cyber threat landscape is evolving rapidly and soon we will announce, as a Government, our new Cyber Security Strategy, building on our 2016 strategy, and its $230 million investment in incorporating our $156 million cybersecurity commitment from last year.

It will include funding of $1.35 billion over the next decade to enhance the cybersecurity capabilities and assistance provided to Australians through the Australian Signals Directorate, represented here today and of course also the Australian Cyber Security Centre.

The focus will extend well beyond defence capabilities with, for example, over $31 million devoted to enhancing the ability of the ASD to disrupt cyber crime offshore, taking the fight to foreign criminals that seek to target Australians and providing assistance to federal, state and territory law enforcement agencies.

Over $12 million will go to new strategic mitigations and disruption options, enabling ASD and Australia's major telecommunications providers to prevent malicious cyber activity from reaching millions of Australians.

And I want to thank Australian industry, Australian businesses, for the response to my statement of several weeks ago, where we alerted them to the increasing nature of cyber activity in Australia and I'm advised by ASD the response from the business community has been extremely strong, as well as from state and territory and local governments.

We appreciate that. We'd encourage you to continue to engage. You are joined in this great effort with us.

Now, the third objective our Defence Strategy Update is ensuring Australia can respond to threats with credible military force when required.

The strategic environment and the heightened risk of miscalculation in the region makes this a necessity.

There's much more tension in the cord these days.

We need an ADF that is ready now, but is also future-ready, and this means streamlining our capability development acquisition processes as well as bolstering supply chain security, heightened by what we've seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because responding credibly to threats doesn't simply come down to the ADF.

It's about the system that surrounds it, supports it, the ecosystem that it is a part of, and this is the hard bit - it's about the support and structures that has to do with the job.

We learned that with the health system during the pandemic.

It's equally true for our defence capability.

It's about Australia having what we need when we need it and the ability to provide it.

And to achieve these aims, the Government will invest accordingly in resilience and the ADF's ability to respond to an array of challenges at the same time.

That includes investment in the logistics systems that will improve the ADF's ability to deploy globally and support our allies where it is in Australia's interests.

And over time, we will significantly expand the ADF's guided weapons and explosive ordinance stockholdings.

We will modernise and reform the ADF supply system, including expansion of its fuel holdings and deployable fuel and water systems.

We will prioritise our investment in critical military infrastructure, such as the $1.6 billion upgrade to RAAF Base Tindall, where I was recently, just before the pandemic really took hold.

Furthermore, the Government will significantly increase investment in defence space capabilities, a whole new theatre, including a network of satellites so we have an independent communications network and we're going to invest some $7 billion in those space capabilities over the coming decade, working closely with industry and other government agencies, including the Australian Space Agency, headquartered in Adelaide where I was there to open that agency not that long ago.

Working with key partners and allies, we will take advantage of Australia's unique geographical position to better contribute to collective space domain awareness and we will look to enhance the ADF's ability to counter emerging threats in the space domain and ensure our continued access to space-based intelligence and reconnaissance.

And we'll increase our investment in Australia’s technology and innovation programs, partnering with defence industry, research institutions and education providers while also rethinking how Defence can better support during natural disasters.

The defence of Australia is a big team effort and it goes well beyond those who wear uniforms.

It really reaches almost into every aspect of our community and Australian life.

And that's important because we all have a stake in it.

We all have a part to play always to hold dear what we value most.

Ladies and gentlemen, the strategic challenges of today and tomorrow call Australia, in many ways as we've been called before, at difficult times.

To play our part in a region where peace, stability, and prosperity cannot be taken for granted.

2020 has demonstrated once again the multiple challenges and radical uncertainty we face, eerily haunted by similar times many years ago in the 1930s.

Today, with the Indo-Pacific experiencing fundamental shifts and increased threats, our commitment will only deepen.

Our Defence Force will need to be prepared for any future, no matter how unlikely, and hopefully not needed in the worst of circumstances.

And I'm very confident, very confident, in both the leadership and the plans of our Defence Forces, their resources, the people, whether from those in command to those following commands, there is a great culture, a tremendous culture, that will build even stronger in the future under the leadership that I know is in place from Minister Reynolds and the Chief of Defence Force, General Campbell, and Secretary Moriarty.

It has the budget certainty, our defence effort, of the Government's 10-year funding model and our sustained record of taking defence and national security seriously.

I acknowledged Jim Molan before. It was Jim who convinced our Government before we came to government of the strategic need to make the big commitment to have the budget to do the things that Australia needed to defend itself.

We're putting into action all of this, with the Defence Strategic Update and Force Structure plan.

We're Stepping Up, once again, for Australia to protect our sovereignty, to preserve peace, which we value, to help our region meet the challenges of the 21st century together.

Because that is how we will keep Australians safe.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42881

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

26 June 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: The Chief Medical Officer and I thought we should congratulate our Matildas, the bid team, the Trans-Tasman team that has been able to secure the 2023 Women's World Cup. I think it's wonderful. If we could do backflips like Sam Kerr we would, but I’m not going to try that out here in this courtyard. That’s one of the other rules of the courtyard, no backflips, you’ll use that one day again I’m sure, Riley. It is great news, wonderful news, at a time when Australians are doing it so hard, so hard, each and every day, to get that bright spot of news with this wonderful event coming. It'll be the largest and undoubtedly will be the best. We can look forward to a magnificent event and to be part of so many other events as Australia grows out of the COVID crisis, grows out of the COVID recession and this will be an important milestone ahead for us to look forward to and build towards that point. So congratulations to all those who are involved and we thank all of those who supported Australia's bid. I've been in contact with Prime Minister Ardern this morning, as well, to congratulate the Kiwis. It will be great doing this together, when the world comes Down Under.

So on that, we might move to more formal mode, Brendan. On, obviously, a more serious note, there are a million new cases being reported of COVID-19 around the world every week. We are seeing the virus take hold in places like South America now at a level difficult to imagine and we are anticipating similar types of scenarios in Africa and other parts of the world as the virus makes its way. The challenge being faced globally only gets more complicated, more complex, more difficult. And against that backdrop, Australia's performance is remarkable, and that is a tribute to all who are involved. Certainly, of course, we have some challenges in Victoria at the moment but I think that does put it in perspective. We remain on track, the curve remains flat. But where you get bumps and when you get outbreaks, then you need to manage them and you need to respond to them, and that is exactly what is happening. And I commend the Victorian Government and I commend the other state governments who are supporting Victoria, and of course as the Federal Government is, at National Cabinet today there was a great sense of solidarity in supporting Victoria because this could occur in Queensland, it could occur in Western Australia, it could occur in Tasmania, New South Wales, in any other place. And one of the, some of the outbreaks occurred coming out of quarantine, out of hotels. There are hotel quarantines occurring in other states and territories as well. So it is a reminder that outbreaks will happen, but at National Cabinet today they remained firm on sticking with the three-step plan and continuing to make their announcements of easing restrictions that will continue into next month. Premiers will be making their own announcements about those issues either today or in the days that follow. Obviously, there is a challenge for now in Victoria and we had a rather extensive discussion about that outbreak and the response and the support that is being provided and can continue to be provided by other states, whether it's with testing resources and capabilities, or it is with health officers that are available to support the efforts in Victoria. And I have no doubt Victoria will return the favour at another time when another state or another territory is faced with that type of a situation. There was also, I think, a very good understanding that this is a localised outbreak. It is not all of Victoria. It is a part of the suburbs of Melbourne and the response is very much localised. It is also very culturally appropriate. It is a response that is bringing the health system, literally, to people's front door and to their street, to ensure that they can get the maximum rate of testing and be able to isolate those who have been infected by the virus.

And what this should say to Australians should be a message of confidence. There will be outbreaks. What matters is the response. There will be outbreaks and what matters is that we continue to build our capability to deal with those outbreaks. As you see the response on the ground, that is a reassurance to Australians all around the country that we can deal with this, and we will continue to deal with this. And while it may cause concern and anxiety in some parts of the community, please be reassured, states and territories, the Commonwealth, we're all working together to ensure that where these things happen then we can appropriately respond with all the resources that are necessary, with a tailored plan to deal with the very specific nature of any particular event.

So all states committed to continue on with the various plans that they have and they're making those announcements. Today we also agreed, and noted the advice of the Medical Expert Panel, that the two-square metre rule can be moved to for smaller premises. Smaller premises will be determined by the jurisdiction but, as a rule of thumb, that's around about 100 square metres. So that means for much smaller premises that would have otherwise been trying to stick to a four-square metre rule arrangement, this just gives them a bit more room for them to be taking more patrons. That had been considered by the AHPPC and so where jurisdictions choose to do that, it is up to them to make those decisions. In Tasmania and Western Australia they've already moved to that two-square metre arrangement, so other states will be free to consider that. Previously there had been a more formal rule around four-square metres and I think it just shows the flexibility that is now being able to be built into the response, based on the experience that everybody is having and is being shared.

The AHPPC, the medical expert panel, has also been tasked to develop a roadmap for advice to the National Cabinet on entertainment venues to assist with industry planning around major productions and events. At the announcement we made yesterday, one of the key issues that still we knew needed to be addressed was that they need greater certainty about when they can start planning events for. Whether that’s 12 months away or six months away, so the plan will be addressing what may be possible for venues three months from now, six months, nine months, 12 months and so on. And that will assist those producers and other event planners with getting moving now and as a result being able to access and seek support through the entertainment support package that we announced yesterday. For example, South Australia is moving to 50 per cent attendance in theatres. And the Premier of South Australia, Steven Marshall, was pleased to report he had been at the theatre the night before. And that was wonderful to see those venues opening up again.

The National Cabinet also adopted the recommendations of the medical expert panel on a public health workforce strategy. This is about continuing to invest and support the development of a public health workforce on testing and tracing and localised outbreak responses. And so we need to remain ever vigilant and keep building up that expertise and the states and territories spoke about how that resource will be able to move around the country. There'll be much of it which is resident within a particular jurisdiction. But as we're seeing now in Victoria, officers and other officials will be able to move into other jurisdictions where there is a need. And there was an absolute commitment from everyone to be able to move those personnel where they needed to be to respond to any particular demand.

National Cabinet also confirmed the advice that the 14-day quarantine period kept at 14 days. But Brendan will talk about some of the testing arrangements that will be a little different going through that. There was also a statement which was adopted on the safe return to entertainment venues, which went into quite granular detail, which I won't make tedious by going through here. Quite specific rules about how they prepare venues and manage access and egress and so on. And we also received a briefing on the economic impacts from Dr Kennedy this afternoon. The Treasurer and I will be meeting with the CEOs of all the major banks. And a couple of issues will be there, particularly the issue of deferral of loans and the issues that are emerging in a few months from now and getting a better understanding of what their proposed practises will be there and we'll be speaking to them about those issues. Also around getting access to finance in relation to new construction and rebuilds, obviously supported by the HomeBuilder programme at a Commonwealth level, but the state governments as well. We want to make sure that those who've decided to go ahead with those plans who don't already have finance are in a position to get access to that finance. And we also raised the issues around getting approvals for HomeBuilder programmes, for particular homes and redevelopments, particularly those affected in bushfire regions and that is most acute in New South Wales and in Victoria.

We also had a cyber security update. You'll remember the statement I made a week ago and it was a good opportunity a week on, after there had been a lot of technical briefings at officials levels with all premiers, chief ministers together for Rachel Noble from ASD to brief all premiers and chief ministers on those issues.

Outside of that, this is the Chief Medical Officer’s last briefing is the Chief Medical Officer. He's been in the living rooms of Australians now for many months. And I know, Brendan, you have been a person of great assurance to Australians with your calm way of explaining what are often very complex things. You've given Australians, I think, a great peace of mind. Brendan is taking up the role of Secretary of the Department of Health, which we delayed because of the seriousness of this issue and his keenness to continue on in that role and until he was in a position to now hand it over to Dr Kelly. And so I want to thank you very much, not just for the way you've reached out to Australians, Professor Murphy, but the outstanding leadership you've shown across the AHPPC, the medical expert panel, and the unfailing advice that you've provided to me and to my ministers and to my Cabinet. And so we thank you very much. He told me a little story before, he bumped into a little boy, was it?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: A little girl.

PRIME MINISTER: A little girl who said, how did you get out of the television? I'm sure some of you get that from time to time, but I think it's a sign of endearment. And so thank you very much. And I'll hand over the CMO.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thanks, PM. So as the PM has said, this virus is accelerating around the world. We are in a very fortunate island, but we will remain at risk of importation of cases for the foreseeable future. Every day in Australia we have cases in hotel quarantine, mostly in New South Wales and Victoria, because they're taking the lion's share of that hotel quarantine hotel. Hotel quarantine is never going to be 100 percent perfect and importation our borders, whilst we have done so well with borders, we can't be absolutely sure that there won't be more and continuing imports of cases. We also, as we've said, can't be sure that there isn't small amounts of virus circulating in parts of the country. So the outbreaks, mini outbreak, we've seen in Victoria is what we predicted. What we planned for. When I took to the National Cabinet the plan for reopening, removing restrictions, we assured National Cabinet that the likelihood of outbreaks was high and that we were ready to respond to them. And that is exactly what the Victorian health authorities are doing right now. They have a huge team, they’re contact tracing over a thousand people. They're testing extraordinary numbers of people. And that's a way to bring a localised outbreak under control, to go to where the problem is, engage with the population test, isolate, quarantine, standard public health response. We're seeing some continuing cases, 20 to 30 a day in Victoria over this week. That's what you'd expect. That is absolutely what you'd expect as you bring this outbreak under control. The cases that are detected today were infected five to seven days ago. So the fact that we're not seeing a major escalation in numbers is reassuring. And we are very confident that the Victorian response which is being assisted, as the PM has said, by people from interstate as well. It's good, strong and appropriate and it's focal. So we're dealing with the problem. We may see more such outbreaks. We're very likely to see more such outbreaks, not just in Victoria, could be anywhere in the country. We're prepared. We're responding. And we're very, very comfortable with the way things are going.

As the PM has said, we have to reiterate the importance of 14 days quarantine for returning international travellers. That is because the risk is still very high. The country risk profile is changing all the time. We're seeing important cases in hotel quarantine from a different range of countries now. We are going to start testing people on entry to quarantine and testing people before they leave quarantine to see whether a testing regimen might help in the future to modify that quarantine in certain circumstances. But at the moment, even though we know it's a burden on our returning citizens and permanent residents, it's something that the great majority are very happy to put up with because they know it's protecting their fellow Australians from the importation of this virus.

So I was very confident to be able to reassure National Cabinet on my last day as CMO that we remain on track. We remain on track with our reopening and we remain prepared to respond to outbreaks as and when they occur. I'd like to thank the PM for his kind words. Particularly, I would like to thank my fellow members of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee. Any achievements that I might have had as a collective achievement. The wisdom of that group is extraordinary. Every member of the Federation of Australia has responded well. One of the great legacies of this outbreak is how our Federation has worked well. At the health level, we have consensus cooperative assisting each other and we have taken the best expert advice and given it fearlessly to our first ministers who have taken that advice on every occasion. That makes me very proud. I won't be moving away from the COVID response as Secretary of the Health Department. I will still be very much involved. I just won't have to appear in front of too many television cameras. Thank you very much.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you.

JOURNALIST: You stood here not too long ago and told Australians to stop it when it came to panic buying. You said it was ridiculous. How disappointed are you to see that today there's been limits introduced again on toilet paper in Coles and Woolworths and what's your message to Australia?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's the same message I gave last time. Stop it. It's ridiculous. But more importantly, those restrictions have been put in place, the coordination commission that works around these issues has been working with the suppliers and the retail outlets to put that in place. I'm sure it will pass, as it did last time, and there's no need for it. And I think today it's important to reassure people the outbreak doesn't mean there's a problem. The response to that outbreak is strong, which means that Australians can have confidence. Of course, there are going to be challenges, as Brendan Murphy has just said, but we're on top of it and we will continue to work together to stay on top of it. As a result, there is no need for the anxiety that would lead to that type of behaviour. Mark.

JOURNALIST: What concerns do you have about attempts at foreign interference into Australia's political systems? And what information can you share about the raids in Sydney today?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's a matter that is being pursued by the taskforce, which became operational last December, which we established. The details of that I'm not at liberty to go into, as I'm sure you'd expect. But it's been an investigation that has been going on for some time. It's taken, it's elevated to a new level today. I think the actions of the Australian Federal Police and ASIO demonstrate that the threats in this area are real. The need to take action is necessary. And the Government is absolutely determined to ensure that nobody interferes with Australia's activities. We won't cop anyone coming and seeking to interfere in our political system, in our energy sector, in any area of the perceived area of opportunity for an outside actor. We won't cop it. We are a resilient people. We will stand up to it and we will take action, as what you've seen today demonstrates.

JOURNALIST: PM, you said you and your Treasurer were talking to the banks later today. What is it you'll be seeking? Specifically on loan deferrals, will you be asking for greater flexibility in terms of avoiding a cliff, for example?

PRIME MINISTER: The discussions are of a broad nature. It is an opportunity for the Treasurer and I to effectively get on each other's page in terms of where we're at and where we're seeing the economy and the impacts, what they're seeing in their own information through their own networks and their own data, we can share similar things. It's to address some of the very real issues you've just noted. The Government has a range of measures in place until September. The banks also. And we do want to ensure there's smooth transitions that occur. As I've said now and on numerous occasions, there are parts of the economy now which are building back up and that's welcome. That's great. And we need to ensure that what we're doing in providing supports is not getting in the way of that or preventing that. But equally, there are parts of our economy, and we had a very heartbreaking example of that yesterday with Qantas, and equally sitting down and working with the entertainment sector. And, of course, there's the tourism sector, particularly in regional and remote parts of the country, that will experience these downturns for much longer and obviously, they will need ongoing support. And so we're looking to make sure that we're integrating all of that and ensuring there is as smooth a transition as possible and that we're all working to the same end.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on the economy reopening, is it a reasonable approach for a state to reopen its borders in July, but exclude residents from localised hotspots? Is that a reasonable approach you think could be taken? Are you still expecting that all states will reopen in July except WA?

PRIME MINISTER: That is my expectation. The other point I'd make in response to your first question. Yes, I do think that is a reasonable way to do that. And that's exactly what the Northern Territory government is doing. The Northern Territory government is opening up and I commend the Chief Minister, Michael Gunner, for that approach. If you're, you know, you have to fill out a statutory declaration going into the Northern Territory about where you've come from and if you've come from a hotspot, well, you have to go in quarantine. And that's entirely reasonable because what that does is reinforces that this is about where the hotspot is and these are localised outbreaks. You know, if you live in Wangaratta, as I said yesterday, or Wagga, you're just as affected by what's happening in the hotspots of Melbourne. And so to have those sort of broad-brush type restrictions really, I don't think makes an enormous amount of sense. And so this is part, I think, of a more tailored, more localised response to outbreaks. Of course, people shouldn't be going out of those areas and nor should people be going into those areas. That's how you manage an outbreak. And that's exactly what the Victorian government is doing. That's how the New South Wales government has also responded in terms of the hot zones. And I welcome the approach followed by the Northern Territory.

JOURNALIST: When do you expect international students to start returning to university campuses across Australia?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're still working on those issues with a number of states and territories and we've got some good plans there. But that won't happen until Australian students are back at universities. That won't happen unless Australians can move from one part of the country to where that's happening.

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] safe corridor. Sorry to interrupt you.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, they are the prerequisites. Australians have to be back at those universities first and the borders of the states in which those campuses are, need to be opened first. And so there are a range of prerequisites that the states are well aware of. And they'll be applied.

JOURNALIST: Can I just ask about the hotel quarantine arrangements for international arrivals. Professor Murphy has mentioned that everyone will be tested now for COVID. We heard this morning that 30 per cent of the people in quarantine in Melbourne are refusing tests. Will Home Affairs be requiring travellers to sign a consent form before they return to Australia? Or do the states need to upgrade their emergency powers to be able to compel people to be tested? And have we seen the same sorts of figures in New South Wales as well?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll ask the Chief Medical Officer to respond also. But it is a matter for the states in terms of what's done within their borders, within their jurisdictions in complying with health requests.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So, yes, I think that 30 per cent is quite a high rate. Other states haven't seen the same rate of refusal, but the states have the powers and they obviously will work it through locally. But you have powers to say to someone, well, we won't let you out of quarantine until you've been tested and had a clear test. So there... I think most people, when they understand it and particularly we will, as you say, make sure that people understand before they come that this is a requirement. And I think most people will cooperate with that arrangement.

JOURNALIST: Just on the Women's World Cup. Were you surprised by the outcome? And what do you make of our biscuit-loving English friends who want to eat our Tim Tams but don't want us to host the World Cup? Are we going to retaliate with a Tim Tam tariff for Boris?

PRIME MINISTER: No, there'll be no Tim Tam tariffs. But look, my reaction to the result is one of being thrilled. And I got the news through the evening last night, in the middle of the night, and was really pleased. I mean, the Commonwealth obviously put $5 million into this bid and because we believed in it, so I wasn't surprised. But I was thrilled. And there will be the opportunity, I'm sure, for me to have a chat with Boris at some point and I'm sure he'll make it up to me some other way.

JOURNALIST: Just on that ASIO activity up in Sydney. From the briefings that you've had, how concerning or how serious are the matters that are under investigation in this matter?

PRIME MINISTER: They're extremely serious. The actions that have been taken by ASIO and the AFP demonstrate that seriousness. The careful nature of the way they're undertaking these investigations. I was briefed on these matters last night and advised that they would be taking these actions. These are matters that I am also aware have been under investigation for some time. They’re operational matters, they are decisions taken by those agencies rightly. But the reason they could go and do that in the way they have done it is because our Government a) put the laws in place to ensure that doing things that are under investigation here are contrary to laws in Australia. And secondly, to set up and give the capacity to ASIO and the AFP to go and enforce it. So our Government made the laws to counter foreign interference, and we've provided the resources and the enforcement resources in particular to go and make those laws a reality.

JOURNALIST: On the entertainment package, do you anticipate that young Australians will be able to enjoy outdoor music festivals this summer? And if I may, just on the smaller music venues, what do you say to some smaller venues who might not be eligible for direct support and feel frustrated that their support comes from them taking out further debt through concessional loans?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the grants and the loans apply across a vast array of business sizes, so they wouldn't be discounted for that reason at all. This can be from quite small events through to quite large events. So they would not be excluded from that. And I would hope that they would think through how they might approach the Minister's programme to be able to access that support, to get those projects up and away. The arts and entertainment sector already is benefiting as they constantly, when I meet with them, show their appreciation for through the JobKeeper programme, but also the JobSeeker programme, which for many that is the programme which they've used. But for many others it has been the JobKeeper programme. So in terms of the outdoor venues, well, that's a matter more in the hands of the states and territories, but we are already seeing an easing of those restrictions. I think there is an appetite to get back to something. But it would sort of, I would assume, and Brendan I'm sure you'd comment, have to be under quite controlled circumstances. And this is one of the reasons why we've asked the medical expert panel to look at what a road map would be for the entertainment sector so they can actually make some decisions about what is possible. But the key things that the expert advice has been focusing on is the ability to know who's there, where they are when they're there and who they're coming in contact with and how those social distancing measures are being... enforced is the wrong word, but practised. And so as time goes on, we're finding that states and territories, as well as operators, are finding more innovative ways to respect the social distancing and conduct their business. And so I would hope that it would not be beyond their imagination to be able to overcome those issues and I would hope that we would see that happen as soon as it can be practically arranged. But Brendan?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So, Prime Minister, I couldn't do more expert advice than you did. But the principle really is exactly as the PM has said, to make sure who's there so that there are tickets with you can contact people. And at least initially, whilst we're getting confidence that people are seated and are able to distance. So at the moment, many states are already planning to have music, live music events in outdoor stadiums where you can put people in seats. The sort of festivals where people crowded together in an uncontrolled fashion are more risky and they're probably a bit later down the track. But in some states, as they get more confident, they may look at those in increasing size.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Bain Capital has agreed to buy Virgin. Have you received any assurances that jobs and routes will be saved?

PRIME MINISTER: I have been in the National Cabinet meeting all this morning, I've just only received the news while we were there earlier today about the success of that programme. I am pleased that a successful bidder has emerged from that process. That's what we anticipated would happen and I look forward to Virgin going forward and more importantly, for the jobs that are in Virgin to be being able to be secured. It is a sector, though, as we saw with Qantas yesterday, that faces very, very significant difficulties. Virgin is now focusing, obviously, on the domestic operations and the domestic operations have a much more positive outlook than the international operations. And so, therefore, you would hope that they would be able to move to a more profitable situation, at least for those operations, given they're keen to focus on those things, but it's a good next step. There's still a long way to go and the Government will continue to provide the broader support that it has been providing.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister yesterday an audit found a massive failure in the Environment Department's management of the EPBC Act. You've spoken about the need to cut green tape before. This showed that there's been massive blow-outs in approval times. A former Environment Department official has linked those blow-outs to declining budget over the last seven years. Will you commit to giving the Department the resources it needs to manage the environmental legislation effectively?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we did, and that's why they've been able to reduce the backlog of those environmental approvals, which postdate that report down to just a handful now. And that's why we have had the review of the EPBC Act, which we're expecting very soon, and there will be some options we would hope that would seek to streamline those approval processes to ensure that resources can be applied where they can be most effectively used and to do that work in concert with states and territories. It's been a matter that we were to have looked at more closely today in the National Cabinet. But given the need to address the issues in Victoria, we've delayed that discussion for a further fortnight. So the short answer to your question is, we're already doing it.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just again on state borders. What assurances did Queensland give you about opening their borders by July 10? And were you surprised on Victoria's decision to walk away from the offer of a thousand or the request for 1,000 troops to 150?

PRIME MINISTER: On the first one, I understand the Premier of Queensland, there is the existing date of July 10. And I understand that they are reviewing that and they'll be making further announcements about that date in coming days. And they have a review and they'll take that advice and they'll make a further decision. But as far as I'm aware, the date is July 10 and if there's any change to that, then that is something the Premier would advise. On the issue of the Defence Force deployment to Victoria, I had a discussion on, well, several discussions, many discussions with the Premier over the course of this week going back to last Saturday and talking of what the issues were. The medical expert panel met on the Sunday. There was a review of where there may be gaps that we might have to assist with and they were then operationalised. I spoke to the Premier on Tuesday night and he set out a number of areas where they would need support. That actually didn't include the issues around that large number of 1,000 for the quarantine. That was a further request that came the following day, as I understand from officials, and that was a request that was subsequently withdrawn, I assume as a result of further discussions by officials in Victoria. But the point is this. Where any state needs some support here, then we will provide it. And these situations can be quite fluid and the needs can change in a short period of time if they didn't end up needing that additional support and that can be done by their police service, well, good. But if they needed additional support from the Federal Government, then it would have been there. And I spoke to General Campbell late on Tuesday night, and he had the show ready to go the next day. And that's what the states can expect. But I've got to say, I was very pleased by the solidarity of the Premiers today in supporting Victoria. As I said, it could be them on another occasion and I think it showed us, as Brendan Murphy was saying, the way the federation is working. Sure, they have their odd words about each other from time to time, about which state they should visit, which borders they want to shut to each other from time to time. I'm for all the borders to go and for the jobs to open. But what is important is that they are all supporting each other with their resources and with their learnings. Sam?

JOURNALIST: A question on jobKeeper and providing certainty with businesses going forward, the turnover test currently operates that you qualify once and that's it but you have to put in our data monthly. Obviously, that could be switched over to a monthly qualifying period. Now, that's something the Treasury review has looked at. Is that something that you see applying before September potentially or only after September if you were to extend JobKeeper for some specific industries?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I've said consistently that the scheme will run as it was intended to run until the end of September and there are no changes to that.

JOURNALIST: But does that preclude changing the turnover test?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, that would be a change to the scheme. And so I've said I mean, that the point about JobKeeper and putting it in for six months when other countries only put it in for three months was to give stability and a platform for employees and employers alike so they could operate with confidence about what that set of arrangements were. And I have no doubt that there are many businesses now, fortunately, who have moved back above that threshold. I suspect that's absolutely the case and I certainly hope it is for their sake and their employees. But we are working under the arrangements we put in the legislation and will continue to do that for the current phase of that programme. In relation to future phases of what we will need to do in terms of aggregate demand stimulus, well, as I've said on numerous occasions, we'll be announcing that in time for the economic statement. And these are considerations that the Government is still working through. But as I've assured, whether it be Qantas or those in the entertainment sector or the tourism and hospitality sector or regions like North Queensland, we get it. We understand that they are going to be hurting more for longer than other parts of the economy. And so we will continue to tailor our fiscal supports to those areas that will continue to need them. Our hope is more and more parts of the economy won't need them and they'll be able to move forward. But on this point in particular, the income support side of it is really important, but so is the industrial relations flexibility, and that is the constant feedback we have as well. I mean, if we were to go to a situation where the industrial relations flexibility was withdrawn post September, what that would mean is, the rigid rules around full time employment and part time employment, which employers are now managing to keep people in jobs and to manage and share hours and doing things like that. If those rigid rules were reinforced, and we talked about this at National Cabinet today, then those who are on part time hours would be most at risk because in order to fulfil the requirement of the full time hours at the full rates, then I fear that that could lead to part time employment being lost unnecessarily. And we know that and particularly women are affected, would be affected if part time jobs were to go as well as, you know, more than 12-month casual employees who have more casual hours. That's where businesses may have to regrettably move, if that were the case. So it's important in talking about ongoing fiscal support that we also talk about ongoing industrial relations flexibility. Industrial relations inflexibility in this environment will cost jobs. And there are obviously issues that we're talking through. Last one. Two more.

JOURNALIST: What was the feedback you got from premiers and chief ministers about that issue and how long…. What's your sense of how long that extra flexibility will be needed for?

PRIME MINISTER: They’re all matters under discussion. I'm not going to go into the comments of individual premiers and chief ministers, only to say that there is a great unity of purpose about keeping as many people in jobs as possible. We all want to see that and I'm very appreciative of all the premiers and chief ministers commitment to the practical goal of that. And that often means we're all doing things that some might find a little different. But we're all focusing on the same task.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on the international border, yesterday Qantas, the boss, said basically he doesn't think it's going to open until late next year at the very earliest. Do you share that pessimism? Is there no chance of travelling overseas in the next at least 12 months?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we hope that we might be able to come to an arrangement with New Zealand far earlier than that. Whether we do that with other Pacific nations, I know there's interest from that perspective as well. There've been a number of other countries that have expressed an interest, given our health success in Australia. That doesn't necessarily mean that they would be invitations we would take up. So as you look around the world and you see the intensity of the virus escalating, not decelerating, then I think it is not unreasonable for Alan Joyce to form the view that he has. But no one really knows. And that's the problem. And that's just the uncertainty we have to deal with. And as we make so many decisions, you can't always do it on full information and you have to make judgements based on the best possible advice on where you think things are going and whether it's our health advisers or our economic advisers, Treasury or others, that's what we're seeking to do. And that's why it is good to know what the next step will be three months from now or six months. But the earlier you try and make those decisions, the greater uncertainty there is about the environment you're making decisions about. And so we will continue to just scrutinise those things very diligently. This has been an incredibly busy week with meetings of the Expenditure Review Committee and Cabinets and there've been numerous meetings and the Treasurer and I, we spend a lot of time together at the best of times, but at the moment, we are as inseparable as any two people could be. And there is a lot more work to do. Okay. Thank you. Yes, I'm sorry, John, then we’ll have to go.

JOURNALIST: IR flexibility beyond September. Is that sort of a separate thing you're talking about, but related to the Christian Porter five-group process…

PRIME MINISTER: Yes, separate thing.

JOURNALIST: And is it... would it require legislation or could employers and employees get together and do it themselves, or would it require legislation?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it worked far more effectively when it was done by legislation earlier this year. But we are talking about another phase. That's the point I've been trying to make now for some time. We've had this phase of six months. There'll be another phase beyond that and there'll be a separate set of challenges that we have to deal with there. And we also have to be mindful of the resources that are available to do this task. Today, the financial statements for May have been released today and you'll see there's a lot of red ink on those statements. And you'll see there the significant change in the fiscal position that has occurred as a result of the last few months. Now, we don't step back from the decisions we've taken. They've been absolutely necessary to ensure that Australia has not only had one of the best health responses to the COVID crisis and that continues, but also one of the best economic responses. Last night I had a call with Chancellor Merkel and we were talking about these issues and Australia's success in this area is well appreciated and understood. But it was another good opportunity to swap notes. Thanks, everyone.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42869

Press Conference - Eden, NSW

23 June 2020

---

THE HON. ANDREW CONSTANCE MP, MEMBER FOR BEGA: Well, first of all, welcome to everybody and I particularly want to acknowledge the Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, who is with us today. Minister Littleproud, who on behalf of the region I want to acknowledge as our bushfire recovery minister at a federal level and Fiona Kotvojs, who I worked very closely with, of course, and Trevor Hicks. Today is an important day, and I will tell you why. Because [inaudible] particularly our timber industry and the workforce and Malcom McComb and Kel Henry and the team here at Pentarch who have turned this mill around during the toughest of times. And we are in the toughest of times. We're still in intense drought here in the southeast. And as Fiona gets around, particularly the feedback we're getting from the community is, you know, we're in tough times. We're resilient. We're positive. And we're going to stick together. And that comes through good community leadership. And I want to particularly acknowledge Fiona for that over the last six months, in particular by working alongside her through what has been without doubt the most trying and deepest and darkest of times.

Our community has been through a lot, but what's brought people together is the way in which people are positive, resilient and looking forward to the future. And I have one message today, particularly to the people of Eden-Monaro as one of the state members in the region. And I've been in opposition and I've been in government. But let me tell you, the power of having someone who can be a decision maker as part of a government is what is really important, and particularly a government under Scott Morrison's leadership at a time when we are facing an incredibly powerful virus which could strike anyone down at any time. And we have seen complacency creep in. Yet at a local level, people are responding to the leadership that's been on display because partisan politics have been pushed aside and everyone's come together. The Prime Minister has done an incredible job through the National Cabinet process to keep us all safe, keep our economy going as best it can and I want to recognise that. I want to thank them on behalf of the local community and I again want to reiterate the importance of electing Fiona to be a decision maker as part of a government. You know, if you reflect on some of the members past in Eden-Monaro, both Labor and Liberal, Jim Snow, Gary Nairn, Mike Kelly, the most effective times they had was when they were elected as part of a government, particularly Gary Nairn under the Howard years. And what we saw through those years and that strong leadership. You know, that's what, of course, is key to this byelection. So I'd urge everybody to reflect on that as they cast their vote and the importance of supporting Fiona to be a decision maker, not someone down a corridor, you know, working out political games, but someone who was part of a team that is saving Australia from the most horrible of times.

So on that note, it's a great opportunity to invite the Prime Minister to say a few words. It was great to be with him yesterday. It's great to be with him today. He's following me everywhere. So, it's good stuff. Over to you, Scott.

PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Andrew. Well, it's great to be here with you, Andrew, and great to be joined by David Littleproud and Trevor and Fiona Kotvojs, the Liberal Candidate for Eden-Monaro and to be with Fiona again today. Can I just start off, Andrew, by thanking you not just for your presence here today, but in the many months since the start of this year, there's been so much to do. I want to commend you for your very strong local leadership across your community. And I remember when we caught up at the memorial service in Sydney when we honoured those firefighters who'd fallen and at that time we were working through the very, the very real issue of small business grants across particularly across the fire affected areas of the south coast of New South Wales and your electorate. Not just, of course, there but in the many other fire affected paths. And, you know, that programme wasn't working. It wasn't delivering as much as we wanted it to. And together with the National Bushfire Recovery Agency and David Littleproud, we got that programme right, and there's over 4,000 small businesses now that across the Eden-Monaro electorate have who benefited from that small business support grants programme of $10,000. And it's just another great example of when you have state members, federal members working together, what you can achieve. And Andrew's right to raise those issues. We were right to sit down and work it out and get it sorted. And I want to commend David Littleproud for the work he did on that as well.

Andrew makes the right point, is that when you have a member on the ground in your team as part of a government, you can get just so much more done. Last time I was talking about the Eden Mill was when I was talking to Mal back when the fires were still burning and we needed to get the ADF out here to support them and to know that just within a few days of the site being handed over, they were back at full strength here with people here cleaning up the site and that's continued here today.

Jobs is what everything is about. Last Friday, I was standing with Fiona as we were out in Cooma and we were dealing with the jobs that were going to come from the Snowy 2.0 project. Here, we're talking about jobs again in Eden. But it's not just jobs in Eden we're talking about today. It's jobs up in Batlow and Tumbarumba and other parts of Eden-Monaro, but also other parts of the country. In the wine country of the Adelaide Hills and parts just outside of Canberra. What we need in this next phase, having put particularly in Eden-Monaro, over $100 million in recovery and support already through disaster recovery payments, through the Small Business Grants programme, through the primary producer grants and the primary producer loans. That's helping people and has been helping people get back on their feet. But now it's about the longer term future. And talking to Mal about their investment plans here, they will be supported by the plans we're announcing today. And that's $86 million in three tranches of programmes. The first of those, around $50 million, is going into the timber industry, recognising how important the forestry sector is to build back those jobs, not just here, but throughout the community. Some 600 jobs here in Eden depend on this mill right here and its continuation and the investment that needs to go in. And we're going to back that investment in, across the country. But particularly here, we've got $50 million overall going into that forestry programme to support mills, just like this one, to create the jobs and look into the future and make their own investments.

Some $30 million or around $120,000 an orchard is going into the apple industry. Now, it was actually on the very day that I went and visited the COVID-19 Information Centre, Emergency Response Centre, in Canberra. That same day, I was out in Batlow and I was out at Tumbarumba and we were sitting down and talking to the orchardists there about how they were going to build back. And the thing about orchards is it takes quite a while to sow those new orchards in. And it's not one or two years, it is a decade at least for them to build back and they were having to make decisions about whether they are going to stay and have another crack and go forward again or they were going to give up. And I said we were going to work on a plan together to ensure that we get the orchards back and we were going to support them in doing that. So today, $120,000 an orchard on average as part of that $30 million programme to get these orchards back and planted and restored and not just what that does for those producers and the many jobs that go around those producers, but how that affects the broader region.

And then there's another $5 million to support smoke taint of grapes. Now, that's particularly going to be in the Adelaide Hills more broadly when we're speaking nationally. But these are all the things that were affecting the key job creating and supporting industries in bushfire affected areas. First comes the disaster support, then comes the build back up through the recovery grants, which helps businesses get back on their feet. And then you’ve got to plan and put the investment in for the future to make sure those jobs are not just here in the next 12 months, but here in the next five years and 10 years and chatting to those who are working here today, they've been here, some of them, for up to 50 years, some from as little a few months here on contract. And it just goes to show the longevity of the jobs and how that can support communities. If we'd lost the mill, we would have lost the community. And it's so important that we put those investments into these businesses, to these industries that are so critical in these regional parts of the country.

So that's what we've done and we're going to continue to invest and we're going to continue to support. And on that note, I'll hand it over to David Littleproud to talk more specifically about the programmes.

THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, DROUGHT AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Thanks, PM. It's great to be back here. I was here three or four months ago and saw the devastation that not only the mill felt, but also the entire community. So it's important that we as a government made sure that our recovery wasn't Canberra led, it was locally led. So we've sat and listened and understood the needs of each of these communities and today is the next down payment. We immediately put relief out there. The first phase of this fire disaster was relief. Nearly $240 million has gone out of the bank account of the Australian Government into the pockets of those that most need it. To give them some dignity and respect in the here and now when they were going through this disaster. That was the first phase. The second phase was to set up a $2 billion fund. We estimated $500 million that would be spent by the 30th of June. We're going to have a billion of that out by the 30th of June. We've doubled that commitment because of the work that we've done with state governments and with Andrew Colvin on the ground listening and understanding where those pressure points need to be. And in fact, a complementary piece of that was only announced recently, $450 million in those local economic recovery plans so the community decides how this gets rebuilt. Not us, not the politicians, but the community. They direct how do we build back better.

But this is another investment today in the next phase of the recovery, the next phase of jobs. In these communities, as Andrew said, it has been intersected by drought, fire, now Covid-19. We haven't taken the foot off the accelerator in response to any of those. We thought calmly through each of the responses to make sure that we protect the livelihoods of those people that have been impacted the most. And so today, I think it's a reflection not just on the timber industry, but we're looking at the apple industry; $120,000 per hectare to help those farmers rebuild, to rebuild the infrastructure, to replant, to put netting back up, to put the irrigation back in. Understanding they are five to seven years away from an income, but understanding the jobs that they create in those local communities and the export opportunities that they've taken up in creating wealth for regional rural Australia. We've understood as well about the wine industry. We were able to put the $75,000 on the ground straightaway where those wineries and vineyards had been damaged by fire. But we've understood and listened to industry and let them direct us to the regions that need the help from smoke taint. I visited one in Victoria and I've given it a crack and let me tell you, it doesn't taste real good. So we've acknowledged that we needed to do something for that part of the industry that has also been hit by COVID, because normally they have many tourists going through at this time of the year. So we've protected them and are giving them some support through that.

But today, with the timber industry here in particular, is an import investment in the future of the 11 mills across New South Wales. But the three across here in Eden-Monaro that Fiona and Trevor know intimately. The jobs that they create, an investment in their future, not just building back by building back better with the infrastructure that'll make this mill more sustainable into the future. That'll protect the 70 jobs that are here and the 600 jobs that are around them. The $10 million to be able to get that resource that’s sitting out on the ground out there that's burnt and be able to do something with it rather than let it sit on the ground and waste away. That's an investment in this community and the jobs of this country and the economy of this country. And I just say this is an important step and I just hope that considering what happened straight after the fires and the abhorrent behaviour of some of the green groups in basically thinking they were dancing on the grave of this sawmill, of these people's jobs, because they felt that this mill was going to be destroyed and stopped forever, shut down. I just say this is a celebration, a celebration of our economy and it's now time, and I just say to Anthony Albanese, where does he sit? Does he want to support the jobs? I'd hope that he'd come out straight away and say today that this investment, not just in this mill, but the three across Eden-Monaro that are being impacted, this is a great investment in those communities, in their futures. I know Joel Fitzgibbon will be out there straight away. Joel's opinion is pretty strong and it's pretty clear. Where's Albo? This is about character. This is about Albo showing some character and showing what his principles are. I mean, we only heard today that he had met the bloke he thought he’d never met before or had little to do with, he had sat down with him. I mean, let's be honest. There's no way in the world you would not know who this Somyurek guy is. With all due respect, he's a power broker in Victoria and if you go and see him two years ago, I reckon there's a fair reason he was there. It was there to square up with Bill Shorten. The way to get the numbers, the way to get to the Labor leadership, was through this character. So this is really about Mr Albanese showing some real character, backing these men and women that are here today that get up in the morning, do a lot for this nation, do a lot for this community. That's just a question of character. Come out, back us. Joel will be out in a few minutes. You could beat him, but you can also clear up what you've done in the past.

PRIME MINISTER: Well, happy to take some questions.

JOURNALIST: Can you or Minister Littleproud...

PRIME MINISTER: I’m happy to go to the Canberra gallery, but if they've got some local journalist here today, I'm happy to give them the first questions.

JOURNALIST: A bushfire question?

PRIME MINISTER: If we’ve got local journalists. Denise?

JOURNALIST: Can you just give us a bit more detail about what this announcement means for this mill here?

PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, sure. David, do you want to go through that?

THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, DROUGHT AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Yeah, so of the $41 million, a mill such as this can apply for a grant of between one and five million dollars to invest in the infrastructure that they will need to rebuild or to to actually enhance the productivity of this and the sustainability of this mill. So this is a competitive grant process for mills, not only here in New South Wales, but in Victoria, South Australia and even in Queensland, where they'll be able to put in place an application to invest in some infrastructure. We’ve already been talking to Mal about what their investment will be and their application will be. And then there's also around the storage, around creating storage capacity for a lot of that timber that's been damaged that can still be used because of the technology that businesses like this have invested in in the past to ensure that these 70 men and women that work here continue to have jobs and gives us and buys us time, effectively, until the resource continues to regrow and they're able to source timber from other parts. This is the challenge that not only the apple producers have, but also the timber industry have. They've got some challenges about supply for some time to come. And we have to work smarter in the way that we invest Australian taxpayer’s money and protect these jobs, creating the new jobs and making it a more sustainable industry. So this will be an important grant money that they can apply for and has to be matched by the company itself. So it's not just a handout. They've got to put some skin in the game and show they're going to make an investment in this community as well.

JOURNALIST: And one follow up question, what could be done about the supply chain? Is there money being put into and furthering the resource or developing new forests?

THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, DROUGHT AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Well, there already has been. In fact, we took to the election a national forestry plan that created a number of hubs and those hubs under Assistant Minister Duniam are being created as we speak. And a lot of the legwork in identifying those, whether they be in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and even in my home state of Queensland, are already underway. And we're working with the forestry industry to make sure that they are located in areas that will make sure that we have a sustainable industry in the future. There's money set aside, the job is getting done. It’s basically all systems go for a sustainable forestry industry in the future. We are going to be a billion short trees by 2030. We've just seen the decimation of a large stockpile of that and we need to make sure that we invest in that. We put the foot on the accelerator and Minister Duniam is all geared up to go.

JOURNALIST: Can you confirm that the deadline for the clean up of burnt properties has been pushed back to July 31?

THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, DROUGHT AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Well, obviously, the New South Wales government is running that. The Australian Government is partnering and paying half the bill. It's an unprecedented measure that the Australian Government and New South Wales Government went into that was to put more money back into those people that lost their homes so that their insurance would pay for more of the improvements that they need to rebuild. The New South Wales Government initially told us 30th of June, they've subsequently come back to the 31st of July. Now, I don't think that's passing dispersions but you’ve got to understand, as we just heard before, the building behind you has asbestos in it. These are complex arrangements in which the New South Wales Government is working through with their contractor as quickly as they can, but as safely as they can. You can understand you cannot put your fellow Australians at risk. And New South Wales has put the foot on the accelerator. Victoria won't be finished till August. South Australia's homes have been completed. But New South Wales is on track to complete by the 31st of July, as the last information we were provided.

JOURNALIST: Is that acceptable?

THE HON. ANDREW CONSTANCE MP, MEMBER FOR BEGA: Look, we've seen Lang O'Rourke get through 3,000 homes. What's happened is that, unfortunately, some people have come forward late because of the incredible trauma they've been through and more properties have actually been discovered through the process that need the clean up. So, you know, I don't think there is any issue here, to be honest with you. I mean, I've seen it in my own laneway. The way that Lang O'Rourke have worked with the community, they’ve just got in, got the job done. You couldn't have imagined the fact that we've had this many homes lost to this event. It’s a lot of people. But we've had people come and obviously come through late for various reasons and that's why and to be honest with you, if you look at the magnitude, we are talking hundreds and hundreds of thousands of tonnes of debris that has had to be cleared away. So it's been an incredible exercise. I don't want you left with any impression that this is because of contractors or delays or government. This is just a process that the community is working through and they've been incredibly patient, incredibly good…

JOURNALIST: Are there any residents in Eden still waiting on temporary accommodation?

THE HON. ANDREW CONSTANCE MP, MEMBER FOR BEGA: Look, in terms of the residents, right, the challenge that we've faced with bushfire recovery is a lot of people want to go back to their, quite rightfully, their own properties. Be with their neighbours, be with their local community. And it's fair to say in a community like ours, we don't have the housing stock that you might have in a metropolitan area. So, you know, that's why people are now being supported through programmes that the state government is running to have pods on their land, working through temporary housing and all forms of different models. But when you live away from a community, in the case of some of the communities here, you drive past Kiah, you know, you're 20 minutes from town. It's inconvenient to be away from your property and in some cases feeding animals and the likes. We've got to support people on an individual basis, and that's what we're doing.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can I just ask a couple of Eden-Monaro questions? The first one is talking to people in the electorate, a lot of businesses down here, obviously tourism in particular, they get 60 or 70 per cent of their income at Christmas. So they're saying we're desperate to know what's going to happen between September and Christmas. And the second question is, somewhere like here in Eden, if you want to, because you've talked about skills, if you want to build your skills base, you've got to get to Bega before you can find a TAFE. Is there something the Government can do to actually put more funding into TAFE in local communities like this that have been so hard hit by so many multiple disasters?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, a couple of things first. I mean, there were the small business support grants, over 4,000 of those that have gone out here in Eden-Monaro. 10,000, that's the programme I was referring to that Andrew and I worked on with David to get delivered. That was an important, a very important change in how that programme was being delivered. Then on top of that, there was the $10,000 cash flow support that was put in through out of the COVID response, and that can go a lot higher than $10,000, as you know. On top of that, you've got a similar number of small businesses and others who have actually been benefiting from the JobKeeper arrangements and, as you know, JobKeeper kicked in for those who'd had a 30 per cent fall in their turnover. As you know, the Government is still working through, we're not even halfway through this programme yet, and the data about where the economy is going and three months from now is very difficult to determine. So we're in very, right in the middle of working through those processes to be able to make a decision about the supports that can continue to be provided after that time and we'll be making those decisions and handing that down with the economic statement in late July. One of the things I would stress is the uncertainty around the outlook is very difficult to contend with when you're making decisions that involve programmes that are running at a cost of nearly $11 billion a month. So you need to consider those carefully and you need to target your support where you need to send it. I've always said, right from the outset, that there'll be parts of this country that will feel the impact of the Covid-19 recession far longer than other parts. Whether that's here or whether that's up in North Queensland or parts of Western Australia or other parts of the country, and it's predominantly in regional areas that proportionally will fill that will feel that pinch. And that's what the Treasurer and I and the Cabinet are working very closely on to make sure we get the balance of those supports right as we move into the next phase. There will be a next phase. It's good to see that in parts of the country, they're opening up again and people are getting back to their employment coming in. And they're in a much better position than they were back in March when we set this programme up. But there are many others which aren't in that position. And if you go into the creative industries and the entertainment industries, they have seen no change and that's not surprising, given the social distancing rules that apply. So we are calibrating and targeting how we're going to provide that support and we're working on those responses right now and we'll announce them in July. On the issue of skills, TAFE education accounts for, over all training and education in the country, I think it's about 13 or 12 per cent. And so TAFE aren’t the only providers of skills education in this country. And a lot of the skills training can occur right on sites all around the country. And what we want is a vibrant skills sector that can deliver training where the training needs to be provided. Whether it's on this mill or it's in the town or elsewhere or close by, some will be delivered through public institutions like TAFE. Others will be delivered through private providers and contractors delivering right on the sites through registered training providers. What we have at the moment, though, is not a good enough matching of the skills that people need for the jobs that are there and the training that is being offered at the moment. It's too sclerotic. It's too caught up in its own models. And that's why we set up the Skills Commission. That's why we've set up the Skills Commissioner. That's why at the National Cabinet we are having, I've got to say, the most positive conversation I've had the privilege to be involved in with Premiers and Chief Ministers about how we can make our skills system work better. Because it is a partnership. It's not unlike what we do in hospitals and schools. I think people rightly have an expectation that both the Commonwealth and the State Government will work together on this. There are shared responsibilities and that is very much the case for skills training. It's not just at TAFEs, an important part of it, but it is actually not even the majority part of it. It plays its role. But there are so many other providers that make up the sector and we want to make sure that they're lined up with the skills that people need for the jobs that are going to be there to employ them.

JOURNALIST: Could I just clarify this point about the JobSeeker, though if you’re…

PRIME MINISTER: JobKeeper, or JobSeeker? Or both?

JOURNALIST: Well, both, really.

PRIME MINISTER: We’re working through both.

JOURNALIST: Yeah, but what I'm just trying to clarify is whether your message to voters in Eden-Monaro is that as you move into this next phase, even if JobKeeper is not there, you're basically reassuring them that there will be some form of support for those industries and those businesses and employees who might not be able to know when to make the hard calls until Christmas?

PRIME MINISTER: Look, all I'm saying and I don't want to say anything that isn't very clear. And what I'm trying to say to people is we understand that different sectors and different parts of the country are going to be impacted far worse than others. And we have demonstrated right from the get go that those who have really needed the help, we've been there, straight away. Didn't have to wait for figures to come in, we were in there and we're in there for long. Six months was our JobKeeper programme. Now, similar programmes overseas went for three months. We put it in for six months to give people that certainty and I think that certainly has been incredibly important for confidence, which we've seen consumer confidence rebound to almost, I'd say, completely to the levels lost from when COVID hit. And business confidence is also climbing and it climbed almost to the day of when we put JobKeeper in place. And I think a key reason for that is that people understood that the Government was going to be there and I can assure you, we're going to continue to be there for those who are going to continue to need that support and how that is delivered and how it's calibrated and how it's paid for, well, they are the issues that we're working through at the moment. But our Government has demonstrated absolutely through the biggest ever income support programme ever delivered by a federal government in the worst economic crisis we've seen since the Great Depression, that we've always stepped up.

JOURNALIST: Are you considering a Royal Commission into…. Are you considering a Royal Commission into the Robodebt scheme, in particular claims that some people committed suicide after receiving debt notices?

PRIME MINISTER: We have no plans for one of those, no. I notice that last week the Labor Party actually voted against an inquiry, for such an inquiry in the Senate last week. So they seem to be having a bet way.

JOURNALIST: Why don’t you think a Royal Commission is necessary?

PRIME MINISTER: Because we're fixing the problem. We are aware of what the issue is and we're fixing the problem and we're getting the payments made and we're working through that process now. We're righting the issues. Let's not forget what this issue is about is the use of income averaging as the primary reason for raising a debt. That is the same practice that was used by the Labor Party as has been used by the Government. That is what the legal issue is, and that's what we are now fixing with those who've been impacted by it.

JOURNALIST: So there's no need for further investigation into suggestions that..?

PRIME MINISTER: Because we're fixing the problem.

JOURNALIST: One of the issues they're trying to address with that Royal Commission is trying to find out when the Government was aware that it was actually illegal. So that's not something that you’d be…?

PRIME MINISTER: That's a matter that's currently going through a legal process. I'm not going to comment on it.

JOURNALIST: Should Dyson Heydon's companion of the Order of Australia be revoked after…. in light of the sexual harassment allegations?

PRIME MINISTER: Allegations of this sort are obviously very disturbing and very concerning and they're incredibly serious. And the High Court has been dealing with that and the Chief Justice has made her comments about this, as I understand, and there will be a proper formal process that will be followed, I'm sure, in addressing those allegations. As you know, people's awards and honours, if those processes end in a place where people have, where those allegations have been upheld, then there's a normal process for honours to be dealt with at that time. But it's not appropriate to presuppose those processes. That's not the way these things should be handled. There should be a proper process to deal with this. There will be. They’re very serious allegations. They're very concerning and very disturbing. And on that basis, I would expect those processes to do their job.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just in terms of these measures you're introducing today, they’re actually quite specific and they'll mainly benefit voters in Eden-Monaro. So how is this not pork barrelling?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think that's a pretty offensive question to people who've lost everything in bushfires. These measures are targeted to areas that have been affected by the bushfires. In Victoria, in New South Wales, in South Australia, in Queensland. Now, Eden-Monaro is a big electorate but it is not that big, to cover four states. This is about helping communities rebuild. Rebuild their communities, rebuild their industries, regather their jobs, and these investments are part of a broader plan that started with the disaster recovery payments, the grants to support small business and primary producers. And now the grants now supporting the re-establishment and growth and investment in industries sitting alongside the local economic recovery plans that have been recently announced. This is about rebuilding communities. This is about rebuilding economies. Now, that is exactly the point that we've been making through Fiona Kotvojs as candidates, as the Liberal Candidate for Eden-Monaro. These two next years are going to be incredibly important. Andrew made this point, I thought, extremely well. The next two years are going to be critical for all of these communities. We're going to be investing in these communities and we're going to be relying on working with those communities to make sure we're getting that right. And to have Fiona Kotvojs as part of my team, the Liberal Candidate for Eden-Monaro working with us day in, day out to make sure these programmes are hitting the ground as they as they should, just as we work closely with Andrew to make sure we're getting our grant programmes aligned. That's why I need Fiona in my team. And by supporting Fiona at the byelection, you can ensure that she's there working with me to get that job done, working with Andrew to get the job done here on the ground so we can see the jobs retained and indeed grown in the years ahead and we see all of these communities building back better, rebuilding communities, rebuilding their economies.

Thanks very much, everyone. Thank you.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42862

Press Conference - West Pennant Hills, NSW

22 June 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: Welcome, everyone. It's wonderful to be here with the Premier of New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian, the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, and Andrew Constance, the Minister for transport. 

This is a very important day for New South Wales and particularly for Sydney and more broadly across the country, because this is one of those big projects and we've been announcing a lot of new projects starting lately. But it's great to also be talking about projects that we've got done. Over 8,000 people will have been involved in important jobs here, building this incredibly important piece of infrastructure that will keep freight moving, that will keep people moving, get you home sooner and safer. Make sure you can meet the commitments that are being made with freight deliveries, taking big traffic off suburban roads and making a real difference to local residents. And what's also exciting about this project is not just the jobs, but it's the partnerships that have been formed, the partnerships between state, federal governments and together with the private sector to deliver once again incredibly important infrastructure. 

Our infrastructure works, our infrastructure programmes are so much part of the economic recovery that we are now embarked on as we come out of the COVID crisis. The works that we're doing together with the New South Wales government and many other governments around the country announcing further investments. Last Monday, I announced $1.5 billion dollars of additional investments on road safety projects and other bring forwards of projects with the Deputy Prime Minister. Infrastructure will be a key to jobs as we grow out of the Covid-19 recession. And I want to thank very much the Premier of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, as a former transport minister, a former Treasurer and now Premier. And for myself, going through similar channels, starting off with immigration. But these projects, I think, has showed the continuity of application of the New South Wales government in getting these big projects done Gladys, and we've been so pleased to be a partner with you. I know our local members here up in northern Sydney and importantly, those up on the Central Coast, which will benefit greatly from this project, are thrilled. It's evidence of delivery on the ground by our governments and getting on with the delivery of these major projects. And so with that, I'll ask the Premier to make a few comments. Then we'll hear from the deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport. 

THE HON GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN, PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES:  Great. Thank you, PM. It's always great to be here and welcoming a brand new piece of infrastructure in New South Wales, a collaborative project. State and federal government working together with the private sector to deliver this fantastic piece of a new tunnel, 9 kilometres, bypassing 21 traffic lights. I'm really excited by what this means for the people of the Central Coast. It will save at least half an hour a day, 15 minutes, at least each day. And many would argue even more when you sit in traffic above ground. And for local members and local residents in the vicinity of these tunnels at either end and above ground, it does mean less congestion, less freight. Most of the freight will be happening in-tunnel. So this is good news all round. 

And as I've been saying even before COVID, infrastructure equals jobs, projects equal jobs. It is so important for our economic recovery that we keep building and we've managed through COVID to keep all of our government based construction jobs going. And that's something we intend to accelerate. In addition to the federal government's acceleration programme, as you know, the New South Wales government kicked in an extra $3 billion dollars to accelerate some of those smaller and medium sized projects in New South Wales. But I'm thrilled to be here with the PM, the Deputy Prime Minister, Ministerial and parliamentary colleagues, from state and federal both levels, to celebrate what is a wonderful symbol of things moving forward, a wonderful symbol of how we’ll help our economic recovery, keep the jobs going, but also improve quality of life. Because at the end of the day, that's what a big transport project does. It reduces travel times, improves safety and improves quality of life. And that's what this is all about. 

THE HON MICHAEL MCCORMACK, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Well, thank you, Premier, and acknowledge the Prime Minister and acknowledge Andrew Constance, the transport minister in New South Wales, I'd like to especially acknowledge too Paul Fletcher, and Julian Leeser, local members behind me. Local members who understand the importance of congestion busting infrastructure. And that's what this project is. $412.3 million dollars by both Commonwealth and the state governments in a $3 billion dollar project as Premier Berejiklian just said a 9 kilometre project. It's amazing to actually go through it and to consider, as I drove out here, how many sets of traffic lights along Pennant Hills Road we had to stop at and then start again. Well, that's not going to happen for the tradies, for the truckies, for the local motorists, who Paul and Julian represent so well in the federal parliament. They know that their local road is going to be freed up of much of that traffic. Thousands of trucks are off Pennant Hills Road and into the tunnel and making sure that we ease that congestion. And for those truckies and for those tradies and for people using the tunnel, they're going to get where they need to get sooner and safer. They're going to get their jobs done quicker. They're going to get that freight, that task that they do so diligently well, each and every day on behalf of all Australians done quicker. And so that's incredibly good. 

But what is also incredibly good is that you are, if you are in Newcastle and you want to drive to Melbourne, you can get there now that 1,028 kilometre journey without actually having to encounter a set of traffic lights. Just consider that, Newcastle to Melbourne without a set of traffic lights. That's infrastructure. That's delivery. That's what the Liberal and Nationals governments are doing at the federal and state level. And we're doing it because we want to build a better future. We want to build a better Australia. And that's what we're doing with each and every bit of our infrastructure. As the Prime Minister has just said, last week we announced $1.5 billion dollars of new money. And of course, today around the country, a lot of those bring forwards that we've asked the states to do are now being unveiled and announced. We're getting on. We're building better infrastructure, whether it's in the west of Sydney, whether it's in the metropolitan area here in Sydney, indeed, whether it's in rural and remote Australia, we’re building better infrastructure and we're building it so that Australians can get to where they need to be sooner and safer. 

I'd like to ask Andrew to make a few comments. 

THE HON ANDREW CONSTANCE, MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND ROADS: Well, thanks, everybody. This is a tunnel that's a life changer for everybody and to have the support of the Prime Minister and the Premier together, this has been years in the digging and it's now proved up to be an absolute game changer for everybody. Just echoing particularly that the fact that we've got state and federal members here, but particularly the benefits, to the central coast is going to be one in which it does benefit the tradies and our freight task particularly, in terms of Pennant Hills Road. It's one of the worst in the country in terms of congestion. And I know there's a 15 minute timesaving, but I bet it's more than that particularly on a Friday afternoon in the middle of the peak. We are going to see 5,000 trucks removed from local roads that grade. We're going to see tens of thousands of cars on this on this motorway very soon in the next couple of months. The tunnels cater for about a 100,000 vehicles, even potentially more. And it's just great in the knowledge that we've built this for the future. And we do, we must recognise our private sector partners who came to government with an unsolicited proposal many years ago. And together, the federal and state government working together have been able to deliver it in partnership. So that's a great outcome for everyone. 

PRIME MINISTER: Happy to take questions. Can I also thank, I'm sure the Premier will join me, the more than 8,000 people who were on the tools here. Thank you for their incredible efforts to bring this project about and and the companies that work closely with them to achieve that. And as I was discussing with Andrew in the bus on the way here, they'll be picking up their tools and they'll be applying them to new projects now, there's quite a great pipeline of projects here in New South Wales, Premier. So thank you. Happy to take questions. Yeah?

JOURNALIST: No hard hat, no PPE?

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Oh it’s my fault, that’s my fault. 

PRIME MINISTER: I was following the premier's prerogative. Here we are. 

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: I take responsibility for that, yep.

JOURNALIST: What’s the [inaudible] behind the [inaudible] for truck drivers to use the tunnel, doesn’t that stop from [inaudible] doesn’t that take away from [inaudible]?

MINISTER CONSTANCE:  Well why would you go and build a tunnel if you're gonna have trucks not use it? I mean, that's why we put the penalty in place. We want the trucks off the streets and we want them down underground and away from those communities above ground. I think all the local members would tell you that, Liz. But the one thing I would observe is that a quarter of the accidents have been happening on Pennant Hills Road involve a truck. We've seen 360 accidents in the last 4 years. 122 of them have involved trucks. Unfortunately, 60 people have ended up in hospital as a result. So for us, it's not only about congestion, it's about safety. And that's why we're very keen to ensure that the trucks use the tunnel. There is going to be toll gantries above ground. They will pick up trucks who should be otherwise underground and there will be a penalty applied. So it's important. And those local trucks that need to do the deliveries, they're able to do so. 

JOURNALIST: If you want them to use the tunnel, why is it going to cost them $23.50 each time they use it?

MINISTER CONSTANCE: Well, again, it's it's similar to the M2 in terms of the toll. But think about the wear and tear on trucks stopping at 21 traffic lights above ground. Think of the time savings. Think of the freight benefit. So, you know, we're going to see billions of dollars in uplift economically as a result of the time savings associated with NorthConnex. So it makes absolute sense economically and socially. And, you know, I'll reiterate, you know, particularly for people to be able to get home to their loved ones at the end of the day. This is the type of infrastructure which is life changing. It's more time with families. It's more time with kids, less time stuck in motor vehicles. And that's the great benefit of it. 

JOURNALIST: When is it actually going to be open?

MINISTER CONSTANCE: Well it, in the next couple of months, what they're doing at the moment is just doing final testing on the fans, the mechanics and the electrics, speed signs and the like. They need to make sure it's right before you stick a car in it. And that's what they're doing. And we'll come back to you with a final date through Transurban very soon. But, you know, this is not years off now, it’s just a month or two. 

JOURNALIST: Given you are cutting fines in half for people on centrelink benefits, could you look at Transurban cutting its toll in half?

MINISTER CONSTANCE: Well, let's just be clear in terms of the announcement yesterday, an application has to be made by the person doing it tough and it is considered. So, you know, I think that's really important, in terms of affordability we put a number of cost of living benefits in place through our rebates, including rebates on licences and rego to assist those who obviously, you know, are getting about. And the other thing about it is we still have the free road alternative for those who can choose to use that. We're not a government unlike Labor, who tunnel funnelled all their tollways. We're actually giving people, and maintaining the free option. 

JOURNALIST: Is it fair that somebody who breaks the law will have welfare benefits in half price -

MINISTER CONSTANCE: As I said, there's an application process and approval process, and that's consistent with what has always existed. 

JOURNALIST: So nothing’s changed?

JOURNALIST: On the, can you talk us through the light installations, I mean someone might think that’s a distraction, what’s the [inaudible] lights?

MINISTER CONSTANCE: Yeah, so, look, it's based on the European experience with long tunnels and it's designed to maintain the concentration of drivers. If you think about a nine kilometre tunnel looking at the same concrete walls, it's designed to actually alert drivers and keep them, their minds engaged with the driving in front of them. And that's why it's important, it’s based on European experience. And it's a measure that's been adopted here. And I think everyone would agree it's a feature of the tunnel, but it's also designed to improve people's concentration when driving along a 9 kilometre tunnel.

JOURNALIST: How much did these installations cost?

MINISTER CONSTANCE: I’d have to check on the exact cost in terms of that, but I mean, again, you know, we have seen a contribution made by the state and the Commonwealth. But, of course, because it was an unsolicited proposal brought forward by Transurban, you'd have to put that question to them.

JOURNALIST: Why won’t there be a toll free period for this road, and was it ever considered?

MINISTER CONSTANCE: Again. You know, we don't, as we've seen with other examples, we're making improvements to the motorway network in Sydney at the moment. And again, you've seen improvements with the M1 further up the road. And I think the Deputy Prime Minister was there the other day in terms of the widening of the M1. But again, you know, ultimately people will still have the free road option. But, you know, ultimately, like WestConnex, we're just going to get on with the job, and obviously the [inaudible] concession over the length of the period needs to be in place. Infrastructure has got to be paid for. 

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on the coronavirus, obviously Victoria is going through some cases of community transmission in certain hot-spots, do you think it would be a good idea to support say hyper-local lockdowns of those areas that are experiencing community transmission or perhaps is it a time for Victoria to close their borders?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, let me make this point first. We said there would be bumps along the road. We said there would not be zero cases. We said there would be outbreaks. So the fact that there are outbreaks should not come as a surprise. This is a Covid-19 pandemic that is intensifying around the world. And Australia still remains by a very long stretch in a very, very, very good position. And localised containment rings, rings of containment, have always been part of the plan, together with, of course, the isolation. The borders work. The contact tracing, and it's another timely reminder as to why people should be downloading the COVIDSafe app as they're moving around more and more in the community. And there is the localised responses. These were all the measures that we set out, both from the National Cabinet and directly from myself as our responses, our health system has been built up. The tracing capability here, particularly in New South Wales, is outstanding, and all other states, including the Commonwealth, will lend support as is necessary to other states and territories. That's Victoria presently. And I was speaking to the Premier of Victoria on the weekend and we talked through their responses. They have paused and where they are going to, to the next level. That's understandable in the circumstances. They have localised outbreaks where they're considering more stronger measures in those localised areas rather than having that extended across the state. That's sensible under the circumstances, and we'd hope that that would mean that some of those restrictions could be eased once the risk has passed. But this is a practise that's been placed, followed in other countries. Israel, for example, does exactly the same thing when they have localised outbreaks. And that's the way we live with Covid-19. This is part of living with Covid-19. And we will continue on with the process of opening up our economy and getting people back into work. But there will be setbacks from time to time. But we've built up the systems to deal with the setbacks. 

JOURNALIST: So you would support, and Victoria is going to look at implementing stronger restrictions potentially - in those type of local - 

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the Premier's already mentioned that, the Premier has already flagged those responses.

JOURNALIST: Premier, has there been consideration of a Victoria - New South Wales border closure?

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: No, I certainly have been briefed, I’m in regular contact with our health experts. The border between New South Wales and Victoria will continue to stay open. However, as is consistent with the health advice from Victoria and also New South Wales, nobody from New South Wales should be travelling to those hotspots at this present time. And people should consider whether they should be travelling to Melbourne at this point in time whilst community transmission is where it is. But certainly can I thank, in particular, the more than 8,800 people that came forward and got tested in New South Wales in the last 24 hours. That is a fantastic rate of testing for a weekend. And I'm so deeply grateful because I know many people in the community argue why some restrictions are in place and why that may seem inconsistent or otherwise. But they're working. So please keep respecting them. I'm so deeply grateful to our citizens. We only had two cases out of those, 8,800 one was in a returned traveller and the other one is still under investigation. It's a bit of an unusual case the other one, and it may prove not to be a case, but in any event, those numbers are heartening and we need to keep coming forward and getting tested with the mildest of symptoms. Please know that when you do have a situation, as Victoria's experiencing, we need to make sure we keep up to date with the advice on a daily basis. So the advice that, the strongest advice we have today is that you should not be travelling to those hotspots at all unless absolutely essential. But we recommend nobody travelling to those hot spots. And certainly the Victorian government and the Victorian health experts have also suggested to people living in those hot spots not to travel around and not to move anywhere and certainly not to go interstate. And that is their own advice in Victoria. And we obviously strongly endorse that. But we're also asking people to consider their trips to Melbourne as community transmission at the moment is higher than what what they would like. What we would like. But having said that, we said from the beginning, once you start easing restrictions, we will expect case numbers to go up. But it's a question of how you monitor them, how you clamp down on them, how you make sure people are coming forward to get tested. It would be wonderful to think that we’re through the pandemic, but we're not, we have to live with this until there's a cure or a vaccine. And it's how you manage these spikes that allows the community to keep being able to be active and working and having a good life, a good quality of life. And that is our intention. So I appreciate what Victoria's going through, but don't assume it won't happen in New South Wales or anywhere else. It can happen very quickly, just with a couple of cases, not, a couple of incidents of people spreading the virus unintentionally can can reduce it, can cause a spike. And we have to be very conscious of that. It's a good wakeup call for all of us. But again, I'm so deeply grateful for the number of citizens in New South Wales that keep coming forward, that keep respecting the restrictions as hard as it's been, at this stage we have no intention of changing our course in New South Wales. However, we do issue that travel warning, recommend people not travel to those hotspots that have been identified by the Victorian government and certainly consider travel to Melbourne at this point in time, given the hotspots. 

JOURNALIST: So are you recommending people do not travel to Melbourne, you’re saying consider travelling, should people if they’re looking to go to Melbourne for school holidays, should they go or should they stay [inaudible]?

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Well, at this stage, the advice is do not travel to those hotspots at all. So do not go to those hotspots, reconsider your plans, reconsider what you're doing. But certainly Melbourne is a discretion. We would recommend people not at this stage travel to Melbourne unless they have to. However, that is, there is a level of discretion there. But the strong recommendation from the New South Wales government, including our health officials, is do not travel to those hotspots at all. And consider your travel to Melbourne at this stage. 

JOURNALIST: How can we stop infected Victorians coming here though, their school holidays are about to?

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Well, that's why the health experts in Victoria themselves have said to all of their citizens in Victoria, do not travel interstate, especially if you're from those hotspot communities. So that's the message from Victoria Health. And that is certainly what the message that we endorse. And we say to people here, please, please note that if you have the mildest symptom, you shouldn't be leaving the house. You should be getting tested. You shouldn't be travelling anywhere. And especially unless you know you're COVID free. You shouldn't be travelling outside the state of Victoria. And that's certainly the advice coming from the Victorian government itself. 

JOURNALIST: [inaudible] that part of their problem is family spreads and that families aren’t taking it [inaudible] do you think that’s a problem here in New South Wales as well, [inaudible] been able to pick it up yet?

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Well, our rate of testing is the highest in the nation and per head of population, New South Wales has by far the highest rate of testing, which we're incredibly proud of. That's what's allowed us to keep the community spread under control. But it also comes down to people doing the right thing. And you can't police what 8 million citizens do every day. We're relying on the goodwill of our citizens, coupled with the good advice from our experts and the good action from government and business. Business has been amazing, to see how COVIDSafe they've been in the main. Our businesses have been working so well under very difficult circumstances. So it's really been a community effort. Yes, you have rules and regulations and advice in place, but it also comes down to personal responsibility and people being responsible for their own actions. And I’m so pleased to date with the way in which our communities come together and really put in those hard yards. But please know that just a couple of people not respecting the rules can lead to spikes and can lead to things going backwards. And we don't want to see that in New South Wales. We've done so well so far. We've come so far in the last few months. Let's keep going by getting tested, by coming forward and getting tested. We've had record testing. I mean, last week we had days of, you know, 13, 14,000 people getting tested of a weekday. The fact that we nearly got 9,000 people tested on a weekend is outstanding. Please keep that up. It's keeping all of us safe. It's allowing us to continue to ease restrictions. And it's allowing us to stay on top of the pandemic at this point in time. 

JOURNALIST: [inaudible]

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Look, that's a matter for them. Clearly we think that every organisation should look at, look at its activities whenever there's a spike anywhere in the country. And if it was in New South Wales, I'd be giving the same advice. You should reconsider your activity. If there is a spike anywhere, that is that should be normal course. And look, New South Wales could be in this situation. Who knows in the future. And that's why the advice that we're giving in relation to Victoria would be no different from anybody else giving advice if it were in New South Wales. Every organisation who has any activity in and around Melbourne should reconsider its plans. Given the current situation, that is a normal course of action and I’d encourage all organisations to consider their plans whilst there is a spike in community transmissions. 

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister there are reports today some of your MP’s don’t want to see planned Super increase to go ahead, do you agree?

PRIME MINISTER: Well the policy and the legislation is in place. But I can tell you what we're totally focused on at the moment as a government, is ensuring that we're getting these decisions around the JobKeeper and the JobSeeker programme and ensuring that they are best designed, and best calibrated to support people. And we are coming, going through right now this Covid-19 recession and the government is focussed on every single measure that can keep people in jobs and get people into new jobs. And so, you know, we have policies in place, if policies get reviewed at any point in time well, that's a consideration for that time. That's not something that's occurring at the moment. What we're doing right now is we are focussed on getting people back into jobs and reopening the economy is a critical part of that. Doing it safely is a critical part of that. I join the Premier in commending all the businesses that are getting themselves COVIDSafe and opening their doors. Those who have done the training that has been necessary to ensure that they know how to maintain the cleanliness of workplaces, to avoid the infections that occur. A lot of work's gone into that so people can open up their businesses. And that's why it's important that I think Australians have confidence that that work has gone into place, the protections are put in place. And then when we do have spikes and when we do have outbreaks, then they'll be dealt with and they'll be dealt with in a calm and considered way with the with the expert professional advice that we have and the tremendous work being done by our testers and our tracers and our chief health officers and our our chief medical officers who have guided all of our decisions.

JOURNALIST: Some states are offering payments for people who need to self-isolate and don’t have paid leave, would you like to see all states implement these measures?

PRIME MINISTER: Well they’re matters for the states to take up. The Commonwealth is doing its bit with over $250 billion dollars of supports that have been put in place into the economy and will continue. We're doing that. We'll continue to do that as we've set that out. And I know states and territories have dealt with different challenges in their, in each of their areas as they've seen fit to do so. New South Wales has certainly been providing great support to the economy here in New South Wales. And I know other states have been doing similar things. So they'll make their own judgements on those. And I welcome it when they do. 

JOURNALIST: If we keep seeing outbreaks like this, would you consider extending JobKeeper and other payments further than the [inaudible]?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the government will be setting out its position on what occurs when those arrangements formally finish in September. That's when the legislation says they finish. And so we're working through those issues right now about how we continue to ensure there's the fiscal supports in our economy, the demand supports in our economy, the supports that help people stay in jobs and get new jobs, put them on a path to jobs. That includes everything from how we invest in skills where we've got a great partner in New South Wales on that front. How we're working our employment services to get people back into work where sadly they may have lost their job. And as we know, as the figures showed last week, devastating job losses across our economy. And we know there will be more. And so we'll keep doing everything that we can to ensure we can either get, keep people in real jobs where there is work to do or where because of the corona-recession, where they've lost their job, that we can work to get them trained up and skilled to get into a new job and that the economy is supported to create those new jobs. 

JOURNALIST: Why would states like Western Australia look at whats happening in Victoria, the questions about how borders are being handled up into New South Wales and think opening up now would be a good idea?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's a matter for the Western Australian Premier. But again. We always said that we were not going for eradication of the virus. Other economies tried that. And their economy was far more damaged than ours. And so we have to ensure that we can run our economy, run our lives, run our communities alongside this virus, and until there's a vaccine, then that's what we have to contend with. And we can't just shut everything up forever. The economic impacts of that are devastating, and the states and territories working together as part of a unified National Cabinet have worked together like I've never seen a federation work before. States will make their own calls ultimately what's best in their best interests. But there will be outbreaks. There will be cases. What matters is that we've built the protections to deal with them. And that's what I want Australians to have confidence in. There will be cases. But the work that has been done to build up our defences, and that's why it's so important that people don't get complacent. This is, as the Premier said, a wakeup call. Australia has fared incredibly well compared to the rest of the world. But that cannot be cause for complacency. Covid hasn't gone anywhere. It's still out there, and it can still take hold. And so we can't be complacent about it and we certainly aren't as governments all around the country. 

JOURNALIST: Premier can I ask you on that point, [inaudible] situation Victorian border, is this a decision by you based on the medical advice you’re getting? Or the economic advice you’re getting? Or both?

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Can I stress very clearly the prime motivator in all of the decision making in New South Wales has been based on the health advice and certainly that is the prime decision. But also, we want to be in a position where we still keep moving forward in New South Wales. Yes, there is risk. There always is risk. And so long as our citizens keep obeying the rules, keep coming forward and getting tested. We can continue to take small steps forward, which is what we are doing. But having said that, please listen to the health advice provided by our authorities in New South Wales, but also the Victorian health authorities. Their advice is do not travel to or from those hotspots. I can't be clearer than that. That is the advice coming from both New South Wales and Victoria. Do not travel to those hotspots and please make sure no matter where you live, do not leave the house if you have the mildest symptoms except to get tested and then stay home until you get the result and you're cleared. This is so important. We have to live with this pandemic. We don't know how long it's going to last. It could be a year. It could be two years. It could be less than that. We don't know. But what we do know is that we need to live with it. And it means we need to make sure people are working and have a good quality of life, that our economy's moving, moving forward. And that's why we have to deal with these spikes as best we can, but also make sure that we do the right thing as we go along as well. 

JOURNALIST: [inaudible] broken ranks with the government on - 

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: I'm sorry?

JOURNALIST: Minister David Elliot has broken ranks with the government over planning policy, do you think it’s appropriate for a Cabinet Minister [inaudible]?

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: We'll look, local, he's in in this capacity as a local member, he's raised his issues with the planning Minister as most of us do, and that's appropriate.

JOURNALIST: On the issue of fines, are you effectively subsidising bad behaviour?

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Can I say very clearly that that's not an automatic, so any any reports today that that's an automatic discount is not correct. It has to be applied for. And there are already hardship plans in place. And as I understand it, this is the result of an amendment that was moved in the upper house last year when the legislation was going through parliament. So it's not automatic can I stress that. And there are there was already discretion in the system for hardship, and it certainly reinforces that. 

JOURNALIST: Well what exactly was announced Premier? Because it seems that everyone who spoke to, about this is essentially walking back from it saying that there is discretion and that it won’t [inaudible]?

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Look my understanding is it's not automatic. That's the best advice I have, that it's you have to apply for it and that it was a result of amendments passed through legislation last year. 

JOURNALIST: Snow season opening up [inaudible] their plans?

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Well, look, we've encouraged everybody to be COVIDSafe, whether you're a business, whether you're a patron, whether you're someone travelling, more than ever before when you're doing any activity outside of your home. Think about how COVIDSafe you are. Make sure you get tested if you have the mildest symptoms. And that applies to any activity, whether it's for pleasure or for business or for any other activity. We cannot be complacent. We cannot assume because of the case numbers in New South Wales that we're through the worst of it. We just don't know. We only have to look south of the border to see what's happened there. That could be us. If people don't do the right thing, we will go through those spikes. But we have to manage it as a nation, not just as a state. And we have to support our colleagues around the nation in dealing with this pandemic. And that is definitely the course that New South Wales is taking. 

JOURNALIST: Premier why won’t you ask the state Liberal party to resolve a dispute in the Baulkham Hills branch in one of Alex Hawke’s [inaudible]?

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Because they're matters for the organisation. 

JOURNALIST: Quick question for Andrew Constance  

MINISTER CONSTANCE: Like 5 questions ago, go Chris? 

JOURNALIST: [inaudible] pop-up bike lanes, when will they go?

MINISTER CONSTANCE: Well they’re temporary. But you know I want to reiterate this point. One of the things we've made clear with the transport plan is if you can walk or ride your bike or use your motor car, particularly during peak periods, that's what we need you to do. And we're facilitating pop up bike paths to encourage cycling. Cycling’s gone up 50 per cent in the last five years. And the feedback is very positive. So we will just continue that but they are temporary at the moment. And we just got to wait and see on them.

PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Thanks, everyone.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42860

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

19 June 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you for joining us this morning. I’m going to read to you a prepared statement. Protecting Australia's economy, national security and sovereignty is my Government's top priority. Keeping Australians safe. I'm here today to advise you that based on the advice provided to me by our cyber experts, Australian organisations are currently being targeted by a sophisticated state-based cyber actor. This activity is targeting Australian organisations across a range of sectors, including all levels of government, industry, political organisations, education, health, essential service providers and operators of other critical infrastructure. We know it's a sophisticated state-based cyber actor because of the scale and nature of the targeting and the tradecraft used. The Australian Government is aware of an alert to the threat of cyber attacks. Our Government's expert agency on cyber matters is the Australian Cyber Security Centre. It has already published a range and technical advisory notices in recent times to alert potential targets and has been briefing states and territories on risks and mitigations.

Regrettably, this activity is not new. But the frequency has been increasing. The ACSC has also been actively working with targeted organisations to ensure that they have appropriate technical mitigations in place and their defences are appropriately raised. Thanks to the cooperation between the affected entities, the Australian Cyber Security Service and a range of private cyber security providers, we have been working together to thwart this activity. The purpose of raising this matter here today is to simply raise awareness of these specific risks. They are not new risks but they are specific risks and the targeted activities. And to advise you how Australians, and particularly these organisations, can take action to protect themselves. The Government's 2016 Cyber Security Strategy backed a $230 million investment over four years. This has strengthened Australia's cyber security foundations and stimulated private sector investment in cyber security and positioned Australia as a regional cyber security leader. The Government will release a new cyber security strategy in the coming months, and that will include significant further investments. We have also invested a further $156 million to build cyber resilience and expand the cyber workforce as one of our large election commitments and we invested additional funding for a whole of government cyber uplift programme.

But, in this environment, of course and increasingly, there is always more to do and we must continue to work together. Cyber security is a whole of community effort. Government, industry and individuals. That is why we are raising this matter today, to raise awareness of this important issue and to encourage organisations, particularly those in the health, critical infrastructure and essential services, to take expert advice and implement technical defences to thwart this malicious cyber activity. Australia has some of the best agencies in the world on these issues. And Australians, like I, I believe, have confidence in those organisations and they are doing their job and they are doing it effectively. But that is not to diminish or discount the risks that we now face in this modern world. These risks are present. They will continue to be present. It is part of the world in which we live. That is why these investments are necessary and the protections we put in place are necessary. The way we have to work together is necessary and we'll continue to do everything we can to keep Australians safe.

I’ll ask the Minister for Defence to make a further statement and then we have time for a few questions.

SENATOR THE HON. LINDA REYNOLDS CSC, MINISTER FOR DEFENCE: Well, thank you very much, Prime Minister. There is no doubt that malicious cyber activity is increasing in frequency, scale, in sophistication and also in its impact. This activity harms Australia's national security and also our economic interests.

It's vital that all Australian organisations are alert to this threat and take steps to protect their own networks. All Australian organisations who might be concerned about their vulnerability to sophisticated cyber compromise can take these three simple steps to protect themselves.

Firstly, patch your Internet-facing devices promptly, ensuring that any web or e-mail servers are fully updated with the latest software. Secondly, ensure you always use multifactor authentication to secure your Internet access, infrastructure and also your cloud-based platforms. And thirdly, it's important to become an ACSC partner to ensure you get the latest cyber threat advice to protect your organisation online.

Today, the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Department of Home Affairs have published a very detailed technical advisory which is available at cyber.gov.au. Now, this advisory provides all the necessary steps that Australian organisations must take to detect and also to mitigate these threats. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank sincerely the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Department of Home Affairs for their work on this matter. They 24/7 protect the Australian Government, Australian organisations and individuals.

Finally, can I remind all Australians that cyber security is a shared responsibility of us all. For further advice on how to protect yourself from cyber threats, I urge all Australians today to visit cyber.gov.au for all the information you need to keep your organisation and your family safe online.

Thank you, PM.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Linda. Just also as a matter of process, I advised the Opposition Leader's office last night at about 7.30pm last night. I was also able to get the same message to the premiers and chief ministers and a number of them have already been involved working with our agencies on issues. And in addition to that, there will be further technical briefings conducted with the states and territories today. To reinforce the point, we raised this issue today not to raise concerns in the public's mind, but to raise awareness in the public's mind. This is the world that we live in. These are the threats that we have to deal with. The fact that these threats present is not a surprise in this world in which we now live and the actions that we are taking are the actions that we need to take, and we will continue to be as ever vigilant as we possibly can.

Mark?

JOURNALIST: So Prime Minister, have Australians personal details or their financial details been compromised in this?

PRIME MINISTER: The advice I have as the investigation’s been conducted so far have not revealed any large-scale personal data breaches.

JOURNALIST: PM, has this been raised or have you raised it with any other governments, leaders overseas? Is there anything that can be done with our allies to work against this attack and protect ourselves?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we work closely with particularly our allies and partners when it comes to managing the issues of cyber security threats. That is a common topic, as you would expect, particularly through Five Eyes partners. I spoke to Boris Johnson last night about a range of matters, including this one, and there are other engagements with our partners and allies overnight.

JOURNALIST: Which state was it and if you won’t tell us that, is this the action of a friendly nation?

PRIME MINISTER: I'd simply say this, and that is, the threshold for public attribution on a technical level is extremely high. And so Australia doesn't judge lightly in public attributions and when and if we choose to do so, it is always done in the context of what we believe to be in our strategic national interest. What I simply can confirm is there are not a large number of state-based actors that can engage in this type of activity and it is clear, based on the advice that we have received, that this has been done by a state-based actor with very, very significant capabilities.

JOURNALIST: Are these the actions of a friendly nation?

PRIME MINISTER: I’ve made my statement on the issues you’ve raised.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just to understand scale, it was quite a list of sectors and levels of government that you're talking about. Can you break that down into entities? Are we talking the hundreds here, the thousands, who have been targeted?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, there are many that have been targeted. But in terms of their success, that is not as significant. And as I said, the investigations undertaken to date as I related to Mark in his questioning. So we will continue to work closely with the agencies. As I said, today is about raising the awareness. I mean, obviously, those who are engaged in this are not doing this to help us. That's certainly not their intention. And so you could describe it as malicious and that is why our awareness levels need to be raised. And I really do want to thank, particularly, the private sector operators that we've been working closely with. The ASD has a very good relationship with organisations around the country and the contact and the disclosure that takes place and the engagement of our agencies working closely with them has been excellent and I want to thank them for their vigilance. But it is a reminder again that these things don't just occur in relation to state-based actors. We are aware of criminal-based cyber activity that, as we are aware of, has been affecting other corporates at the moment. You'll be aware that there are some other cases that are going on at the moment regarding Lion and a few others. They are not related to these events. They are other events.

PRIME MINISTER: Katharine?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, when did the attack start and when was it brought to your attention? And also, you said you're raising it to raise awareness in the community and business and governments. But is there something about the scale of this attack that is unprecedented?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't know if I'd use that word. As you recall, some time ago, I spoke of these issues in the Parliament. So this is ongoing activity. It hasn't just started. This is a constant threat to Australia, as it is to many other nations, and you'd be aware of many other nations having highlighted similar activity in their jurisdictions. So this has been a constant issue for Australia to deal with. And so I wouldn't say that there's been any one event or any one instance. I mean, we have been dealing with cyber security threats from state-based actors for some time, and I've alerted the public to that before. So it has been an issue of ongoing management, defence and cooperation, working with private operators, other governments, all levels of government and other organisations.

JOURNALIST: To follow that up, PM, has it intensified in the last week or month, is it... what has prompted you to make a statement?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, as I said in my statement, I said the frequency has been increasing. Its frequency has been increasing.

JOURNALIST: In what time frame?

PRIME MINISTER: Over many months.

JOURNALIST: PM, you say we haven't sort of reached the threshold for public attribution. That's not going to stop people speculating it's China, particularly in light of their anger and trade retaliation and things like that for your advocacy of an inquiry into coronavirus. What do you say to people who link it to China, who will naturally think it is China, given they have form in this field?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I can only say what I've said. The Australian Government is not making any public attribution about these matters. We, though, are very confident that this is the actions of a state-based actor. We have not gone any further than that. I can't control what speculation others might engage in on this issue or frankly or any other. I've simply laid out the facts as we know them and as we've disclosed today.

JOURNALIST: Obviously you're not going to reveal which state-based actor. But to confirm, do you know which state this is coming from?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, as I just said, the threshold for attribution on these issues is very high.

JOURNALIST: I’m asking, do you know where it is coming from?

PRIME MINISTER: This is my answer. I'm saying the threshold for being able to answer your question along those lines is very high. What I can confirm, with confidence based on the advice, the technical advice that we've received, is that this is the actions of a state-based actor with significant capabilities and there aren't too many state-based actors who have those capabilities.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, why do you think these institutions in these sectors that you outlined have been targeted?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's, as I've indicated, it's quite broad-based. And we've seen similar activity across a broad base in many other jurisdictions around the world. And I think what that does is just highlights that this is part of the new world we live in. Regrettably, this is not peculiar. This is part of the many threats that Australia has to deal with. And I think that highlights, I think, the Government's early action under the former Prime Minister and I remember being there with him on the day when the Cyber Security Strategy was released. That was a forward-thinking plan, with a forward-thinking investment and they are investments that I have continued on as Prime Minister, at the time I was Treasurer. They were important investments for us to make and I'm glad we made them and we're continuing to make them and as I flagged today, we'll be making more, because this is what keeping Australia safe looks like to make those investments. There, of course, can't be any guarantees in this area. It is an area of rapidly advancing technology. But that's why our technical experts have worked so closely with the sector to be able to give the technical advice and the information that Linda has outlined to you today. And I'd encourage people to avail themselves of that. But for many of those who have already been working with us, they would already have that information.

JOURNALIST: Is the motivation of these attackers to obtain state secrets, commercial intellectual property, or is it the personal data of everyday Australians? What is the motivation?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's very difficult to understand what one's motivation might be for that and what is of interest to us is that it is occurring and what we are focused on is the practises that they are employing. And we have some of, if not the best agencies in the world working on this and that means that they are putting all of their efforts in thwarting these attempts. And I can confirm that they have thwarted many. But this is a very complex area and it requires constant persistence and application and that's what they're doing. So I raised this not to raise the concerns of Australians, but in many ways to reassure Australians that we understand what's going on here and we're addressing it to the best of our capabilities and we're in a position to do that better than most countries in the world. We know it's going on. We're on it. But it is a day to day task that we're applied to and we will continue to do that to keep Australians safe. And if there are further updates from I or the Minister to provide, we will be doing that and indeed any other agencies and we'll keep working closely with them. But as you know, as a result of this, I've made some changes to my programme this morning, which I'm now going to return to. I'll be standing up again later today in another context. But I appreciate you coming together this morning. Thank you very much.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42853

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

18 June 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: The past three months have seen many hard days. This is another very hard day. 38 months of job creation, gone. 838,000 Australians having lost jobs. 227,700 in May. As heartbreaking as all of these lives, stories are that are represented in these numbers, the sad truth is is these numbers are not surprising in these circumstances. We are very aware of the significant blow that Australians are being hit with through the course of this pandemic. This recession will be written in the stories of those who are experiencing terrible hardship and these statistics today are a reminder to all - not that we need one - that with all the other noise about whatever else is going on, our task is simple. And that is we must get Australians back into work. We must maintain our focus on them. All 838,000 of them, but we know there will be more in the months ahead. These figures were taken at a time, just before actually, the opening up of this three step plan that the states put in place, and that is of some comfort that we will see some Australians finding their way back into employment but I would not be seeking to overstate that. There is some comfort that can be taken from the fact that we are making our way back and we are on the road back and that we are taking steps, every single day. We can take some comfort from the fact that Australia has put in place the biggest measure of income support the country has ever seen to cushion the blow, but the blow is still devastating and great. And while Australia is doing better than almost any other developed economy in the world, if you have lost your job, that is no comfort. So, we cannot set our expectations on what is happening elsewhere in the world. Our expectations, the Treasurer and I, together with our Government, is getting these Australians back into work, to getting business doors open, to continue to give Australians the hope and confidence of the road back that we are charting together, as a Government, together with other governments around the country.

These are our dark times, but I can see that ray of light, and I'm sure Australians can see that, too but we have to keep moving towards it and we’ve got to keep working harder each and every day. We will not rest. We are working with some of the biggest economic challenges this country has ever faced and your Government is working day and night to get the balance right, to get the right supports in place, the ones that will work, the one that will support, the ones that will encourage, the ones that will open business doors up again, the ones that will get Australians back into work. I can’t tell you how focused we are on this and how disciplined we are as a team. Cabinet met for hours and hours and hours last night on these issues, as we have every week, for months, working through the data and there will be more data and we will need more data before we make further important decisions. And that is how you can expect your Government to respond and to behave and work diligently for you to get back into work. Young people have been most affected in these numbers. But my hope is that, equally as the economy opens up, they will hopefully also be the first to benefit from that economy opening up. As retail doors open again, as food courts are open again, as shopping centres are fuller again, we hope to see more of those young people back into that work but that task will be great. And our application will be there, our determination will not waver and in the spirit of cooperation and partnership we have worked hard to build over these many months across governments will continue. And we give Australians our pledge on that.

Josh.

THE HON. JOSH FRYDENBERG MP, TREASURER: Thank you, Prime Minister. These are devastating unemployment numbers. They reveal the true pain and hurt that Australians are going through as a result of the coronavirus. In the month of May, 228,000 jobs were lost. In the last two months, over 835,000 jobs have been lost. These are not just numbers. These are our friends, family members, workmates and neighbours. The participation rate fell to 62.9 per cent, the lowest level since 2001. The underemployment rate is at 13.1 per cent. Female employment fell by 118,000, making up 52 per cent of the jobs lost in the month of May. Young people, youth employment, fell by 103,000, making up 45 per cent of those jobs lost in May. Youth unemployment is now at 16.1 per cent.

These numbers reveal the scale of the challenge we face and the mountain we have to climb. And it is why the Government put in place $260 billion of economic support. It is why we provided a cash flow boost to business. It is why we provided cash payments to households. It is why we have provided the biggest income support measure this country has ever seen with the JobKeeper program, supporting more than 3 million workers. And it is also why we have started to see signs that the confidence is coming back. Consumer confidence has regained 93 per cent of its lows, business confidence has regained 70 per cent of its lows. We still have a very, very steep mountain to climb but as the Prime Minister said, we are working day and night to get Australians back into work.

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] 8.1 per cent. Given that these figures were taken before the three step plan came in place, as you just said, doesn't this give even more justification as to why WA’s borders should open up?

PRIME MINISTER: Every state government, every territory government, the Federal Government, every local government, all of us must do everything we can to open up our economy and get Australians back into work. There is no surprise in that position from me. That has been my position all along, subject to the health advice and let's not forget that our success on the health front means that we have been able to open up our economy and we are doing that carefully to ensure that we don’t risk a second wave because a second wave would obviously have a disastrous impact on the economy. I have just met with groups from the entertainment industry in a roundtable meeting with them and they are obviously doing things very tough and their challenges will endure longer than most. But a further wave would cause even more devastation to the economy. So it is about getting these decisions right and the health advice on those issues that you raised is clear, and if we want Australians back into jobs then we need Australia open.

Phil?

JOURNALIST: The numbers as you said are terrible, but unsurprising. How does it factor into your thinking on JobKeeper and JobSeeker and the future of those programs?

PRIME MINISTER: This is important information and we will have more information on this before the economic statement is handed down in late July. There is other information that we are gathering to better understand what the right balance of the supports are. Supports will be important. What we have been careful to do is to work through and get this right and get the balance right. I mean, we put these arrangements in place for six months to give us this time. We put our supports in place, income supports, JobKeeper and JobSeeker, and we put that in for six months so we would have that time to properly move for the next step, to change gears again, because anyone who can tell you they know exactly what is going to happen in September, in this COVID crisis, is having a loan of you. The information you have to be patient for, to make sure that you design the next phase of our response carefully, and that is exactly what we're doing. We are carefully doing it, getting ourselves the best possible information and more comes in every day, as sadly this information has, but as you note, Phil, the loss of 227,700 jobs is beyond, I think, some market expectations, certainly. The rate is different again but that is because of the change in the participation in rate. I suppose one of the most upsetting elements, and there are so many upsetting elements of this, but as I said, while devastated by the number, I'm sadly not surprised and we will have to brace ourselves, I suspect for further news going forward.

Katharine?

JOURNALIST: Hearing what you said about the data gathering phase and you are assessing what the best approach is for income support going forward, but conceptually, is the best way of getting Australians into a job, which is your stated objective, is that a wages subsidy that ties a person to a job or is it topping up income support, topping up the old Newstart payment which is the conventional income support while people find work?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, these are the questions, Katharine, and these are the questions which we are continuing to pull all the information together and to get the right balance of all of those decisions. But what we have done is we have given ourselves the time to be able to do that. We have set a timetable to make that decision and that would mean handing it down in the July statement. And these are the very issues we are wrestling with. I mean, as you know, both with Josh and myself but I can say for myself - I have dealt with some of the hardest policy problems you could... many of them you would not want to have dealt with, in many different portfolios. In social services and in immigration and in Treasury and I can tell you, we have never had to deal with a more complex policy problem than this. And that is why I am not going to be rushed on it. I'm going to be careful about it. I am going to take the advice. I am going to grill the data. I am going to listen to people, as I have just come from listening to them now, again. And we're going to weigh these decisions very, very carefully.

Greg?

JOURNALIST: Anthony Byrne has been…

PRIME MINISTER: Can we stay on the economy please?

JOURNALIST: The economist Warren Hogan, he’s told Sky News that we have an effective unemployment rate of 11.5 per cent, which I guess goes with the 830,000 jobs you were talking about losing. Do you agree with that assessment and just to be blunt about it, what are you going to do about it?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, again, like I did when the unemployment figures with the Treasurer last time, I indicated that the unemployment rate I think does understate where things are on the ground. That is why I made no reference to the rate, I made reference to the fact that 838,000 jobs had been lost because that is what has actually happened out there. And how that, you know, adds up in the various, you know, economic measures there will be different views on that and so I am not seeking to have a debate about that. But what I know is 838,000 people have lost a job and that is what we have to turn around and that is why our JobMaker plan has two components to it. There are the necessary demand supports that we have in place and that we will continue to calibrate going forward which provides support to the economy now, both to try and keep people in employment and remembering that keeping people in employment is not just about JobKeeper, it is actually the industrial relations flexibility arrangements that are around JobKeeper that have enabled employers to keep those people in jobs. But there is also, and I believe this was the point you were making, Katharine, there is the work that we do through JobSeeker and JobSeeker is the place where, if you have lost your job, JobSeeker is the place where you can connect to other employment services. To training opportunities. And last Friday in the National Cabinet, I may have remarked upon that in the press conference. One of the issues I was talking with the states about, and they were raising with me, is how better we can integrate state support services with federal support services and connecting them to these people who have lost jobs and I think that is a great idea and I can tell you we are working on that right now. So that is the immediate. But there is the longer term. As I indicated in my presentation on Monday, we're looking at around two years to get the economy back to where it was before COVID hit it and let's make no mistake about this, this recession is a product of the coronavirus pandemic. Our economy was strengthening, stable and sound. Coronavirus is the reason people have lost their jobs and it will take us, we estimate, around two years to get back just to where we were when it happened and I believe we can, over five years, seek to catch where we were planning to be and that requires the JobMaker plan of reforms to skills, of investments in infrastructure, deregulating our economy, making sure that our energy system and particularly we get the gas for a gas-fired recovery which supports manufacturing, our defence manufacturing, and defence industry policies, all of this are a part of our JobMaker plan. Now, I have already outlined quite a bit on skills and industrial relations, deregulation and infrastructure. I will have more to say about energy, I will have more to say about our manufacturing sector. These are important further bricks in the wall for the Government's plan but what I can tell you is we have got a plan and we are implementing that plan and it is a strong plan. It’s a plan that runs for the next five years and we have demonstrated the ability both to balance the budget and create 1.5 million jobs before and we can do it again.

Andrew?

PRIME MINISTER: I'm dealing with people who have lost their jobs today. I will come to Labor's scandals in a second.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, it was only a matter of a few days ago the Treasury Secretary was saying that unemployment would peak at 8 per cent. Is that overly optimistic now, given Warren Hogan's assessment of it actually being around 11 per cent?

PRIME MINISTER: I will let the Treasurer answer.

TREASURER: We will update the numbers when it comes to the statement on the 23rd. But clearly, the employment market is very, very difficult. And as the Prime Minister laid out, there is a plan to get people back into work but we are also putting in place sector-specific supports, like what we have done in the housing sector which has been really important in getting tradies back into a job. So we will update those unemployment numbers on the 23rd July.

JOURNALIST: Just on youth unemployment, these figures are the worst we have seen in 23 years. You did say you were hoping that young people would be the first to benefit but then you also said it would be about two years before we got to pre-corona levels. Would be time to potentially consider youth-specific employment measures, things like JobPath being expanded, things that could really focus on entry-level...

PRIME MINISTER: Everything is on the table here, everything is on the table here. On Monday, I highlighted the great risk of if you have young people not in a job before they are between 22 and 25 and how that can lead to a lifetime welfare dependency. Now, that is just not a sickening loss to the person themselves and a great waste of human capacity, but the longer-term effects for the nation are just as significant and it's always been my view and I have had a great passion when it comes to getting young people into jobs and that is why, whether it is what we're doing in the workplace relations, in the industrial relations area or the Youth PaTH initiatives or the apprenticeships, I mean, that was one of the first things we did as we went into this crisis is we amped up what we were doing on apprenticeships and Michaelia Cash as Minister particularly in the skills sector, and small business, these are things where we are focusing a lot of our attention on, so you are absolutely right. You know, getting people back into jobs right across the board, and we have got to look at everything we can do.

Yeah, Shane?

JOURNALIST: Treasurer, the participation rate has fallen 3 points in 3 months. It is unparalleled. The last recession it fell by about 1.2 over the entire 3 - 4 year period. Are there people who have lost jobs in the last few months who will never work again?

TREASURER: We believe we can get all people back into a job. But ultimately that number that you say, that participation rate, is the lowest it has been since January 2001. But it is the combination of the supply-side reforms as well as what we are doing in terms of income support on the demand side.

JOURNALIST: It’s been two weeks almost since the Black Lives Matter protest took place,

PRIME MINISTER: I’m happy to go to other issues, okay?

JOURNALIST: Are you receiving any information to suggest that there needs to be a slowing of the easing of the national baseline of restrictions that would impact people's ability to get back to work as a result of that gathering?

PRIME MINISTER: So far the news, despite the fact that we have had a number of people that have tested positive to coronavirus who took part in those mass gatherings, against health advice, so far, thankfully, so good. And at this point I am not aware of any states seeking to ease up on the pace of reopening their economies. But we will keep watching the data and they are taking advice from their chief health officers, as I am from mine.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister obviously nothing is settled until after the review but can you confirm that the government's disposition is that JobSeeker can’t return to $40 a day in September?

PRIME MINISTER: I can confirm that the economic statement will be handed down at the back end of July and that is where we will consider a series of matters that relate to the next step in the government's programme of support to get people back into work and to give them the support they need to get through the crisis.

JOURNALIST: On JobSeeker, are you going to extend further the obligations that people have?

PRIME MINISTER: Again, we will be coming back to all of these issues as part of the considerations that are currently underway.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister for the last two months we have seen the worst falls in the unemployment figures on a monthly basis since the records began back in in 1978 but as of right now though, how many people would be out of work without JobKeeper payments?

PRIME MINISTER: Treasurer? I mean, there are over 3 million people on JobKeeper.

TREASURER: Yeah, there’s over 3 million people currently getting the jobKeeper payment. But what we do know is that some people are not, are working significantly reduced hours or no hours at all but are maintaining that formal connection between their employer and employee. Now some of that is as a result of the restrictions that are in place, particularly the international borders and the airlines and the like. So it’s hard to quantify that at present. What we do know is it is playing a very important role.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister just on that, the underemployment rate, i.e. People who want to work more hours but can’t at the moment, is 13 per cent. As you look forward, how are you going to weigh up trying to get people more hours versus people, getting unemployed people back into jobs?

PRIME MINISTER: This is a very, very important question, John. I mentioned before the importance of the industrial relations arrangements that sit around JobKeeper. Now, businesses are going to have some difficult decisions. And they are going to need flexibility. And that means ensuring that more people can stay in jobs and if we have rigid systems then that could see people needlessly losing their jobs. We are not in usual times. We are not in usual economic circumstances. And I don’t just mean that because of the recession that we are now in. But it is the nature of the recession we are now in. The nature of the recession we are now in is because of a global health pandemic and a series of artificial restrictions that have been placed on the economy that effectively put a glass ceiling on the economy. And as a result, we need to have arrangements, both in the income supports that the government provides but also the arrangements that are available in workplaces that can maximise the number of people that we can keep in real jobs going forward. Real jobs going forward. Where people are actually able to do work and generate income for the businesses by the work they do. And that is very important. And so, you know, John, that is effectively the issue that not only the government needs to wrestle with but employers and unions and employees need to wrestle with and there needs to be more coming together to ensure we can have arrangements that mean more people can stay in their jobs, not just because of JobKeeper, but because there is an actual job and because there is the flexibility to enable people to remain in work. I don't want to see people needlessly lose work as a result of those arrangements and that is why I am asking, and the Minister for Industrial Relations, the Attorney, is also asking and working to try to get the right set of arrangements that can keep more people in jobs. And look, those arrangements, it is hard to say how long they would need to extend for because of the nature of the COVID crisis we find ourselves in, but are going to have to keep doing things that we are not used to doing in the national interest and in the interest of these 838,000 Australians, and I fear more, who will be added to those numbers in the months ahead.

JOURNALIST: Can you get IR reform through the Senate? Do you believe you can get the sort of reform you need? Through that chamber?

PRIME MINISTER: It is a test for all Australians and it’s a test for the Parliament but I can assure you the government will not be failing that test.

Yes, yeah sure, Greg?

JOURNALIST: Anthony Byrne. Andrew Hastie said yesterday it is a matter for you and Anthony Albanese, who serves on the security intelligence committee. Do you have faith in Anthony Byrne as being the deputy chair of that committee, given there were covert recordings out of his office and his phone calls were also recorded?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I would take a recommendation from the Leader of the Opposition as to who the Labor Party would like to have represented on that committee, in the first instance. Let me, you’ve asked your question, I would take a recommendation from the Leader of the Opposition as to who he believes should be serving on that committee in the first instance. And I would wait to see what his recommendation would be. That is the fair and appropriate thing to do, in the way that the Parliament works. The Labor Party nominates who they would have to serve as the deputy chair of the committee. I don't nominate that. That is done by the Leader of the Opposition. So the question is really one to the Leader of the Opposition. But you make reference to these issues. And I note that it is, it is Anthony Byrne who has described this as a corruption investigation. A corruption investigation. That is not what the Liberal Party is calling it, or the Nationals, this is what the Labor Party themselves have defined what is occurring in the Labor Party at the moment. They have defined it as an investigation into corruption and you are right to raise these issues because Australians might be sitting at home and think, Prime Minister what has this got to do with me and my job? I have lost my job, and that is why the priority in questions today has been on that. But there are weighty things that are considered by members of Parliament and the national security agenda of the country is one. And where you are raising questions about a member who, by his own admission, is saying that the events that are being enquired into is a corruption investigation. And whether, and you're asking whether they should serve on a committee of that seriousness. So there is very serious implications. I am disappointed that the Labor Party is focused on themselves and fighting amongst themselves. The Treasurer and I and my government, we’ll keep fighting for jobs.

JOURNALIST: Are you worried there are national security implications?

PRIME MINISTER: The Government will continue to manage Australia’s national security interests with the strength that we have. It is an important committee, though. It is a very important committee which facilitates, on occasion, bipartisanship on important national security issues and it is a very important committee, as indeed all the Parliamentary committees are. It has an important role to play. So it really is a test for Mr Albanese as to whether he believes that Mr Byrne should continue to serve on that committee. I’m leaving it for Mr Albanese to make a judgement and make a recommendation. He may wish to continue with the current arrangements. That’s really a matter for him, I'm not getting into a speculation game. It is a matter for Anthony Albanese to make a judgement on that.

JOURNALIST: On international borders and the pandemic, we have heard it is unlikely for the borders to reopen for tourism this year. Is it likely, though, to open for business travellers and can you give us an indication on how that might work? We’ve got a trial in Canberra that is about to begin for international students, do you welcome that?

PRIME MINISTER: I do, and we are working closely with the ACT Government on that, as we are with the South Australian Government and there are proposals that are coming forward from other states. I'm looking to get our economy as close as back to normal as we possibly can and to push the envelope in every possible area. If that means I have the odd dispute here and there with people I work closely with, I know they don't mind, because we are all trying to achieve the same thing. I will push the boundaries, as I have done for many months now, to get the economy as open as possible and to be as innovative and practical about how we can achieve that while at the same time managing the health issues. So when it comes to facilitating the ability of people to move in and out of Australia who are involved in important employment or work or investment or whether it is students or others, and I've just had some of those issues raised with me by the entertainment industry about tours and promotions and artists and so on. These are very practical issues that go to the reopening of the economy and I can tell you, we are fully immersed in all of these decisions. That is why the Government is working night and day. That is why I am not going to be distracted by the many other things that are there, as important as some of them may be. My job is to get Australians back into jobs. That is my pledge. I've done it before and we will do it again. Thank you.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42852

Address, CEDA’s State of the Nation Conference

15 June 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: Can I acknowledge and pay my respects to the Ngunnawal people, to their elders past and present and always importantly, emerging. And can I acknowledge any serving members of our defence forces and any veterans who are here with us, which is my custom, and to simply say on behalf of a very grateful nation, thank you for your service.

I, of course, acknowledge the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and my Assistant Minister Ben Morton who is also here with us today.

For sixty years, CEDA has been part of the debates that have shaped the Australian economy.

Now in 2020, facing the greatest global economic shock since the Great Depression, CEDA is again well-placed to inform the policies needed for Australia’s recovery.

CEDA’s founder, Sir Douglas Copland spoke of chasing what he called the “Adventure of Growth”.

It is a quest that I think aligns precisely with today’s challenge, as we look to recover from the health and economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, I want to share some further thoughts on where as a Government we see the economy at this point in the COVID-19 crisis and the implications for the many decisions we need to make in the months ahead.

I also want to take the opportunity to focus on the role infrastructure investment and deregulation will play in our JobMaker plan, building on my recent JobMaker announcement, made here at the National Press Club some weeks ago, on skills, industrial relations, housing and construction and the reform of Federation decision-making.

Australia has shown incredible resilience in the face of our twin crises.

We are saving lives and we are saving livelihoods.

We’ve managed to do better than our fears, and even our hopes.

In Australia, our actions have limited COVID-19 infections to just 7,000, fewer than 500 active cases today, and we have reduced our daily infection rate to less than 0.2 per cent, from a peak of more than 25 per cent.

Sadly, of course, 102 Australians have died.

Mercifully, this is a long way from predictions of hundreds of thousands of Australians contracting the virus, tens of thousands of deaths and a health system in crisis.

Our health response has been undoubtedly world class, bettering those of similar developed and sophisticated economies around the world as you can see from the chart looking at the comparison of COVID cases.

But not just those large developed economies. We are one of a handful of countries that have achieved this level of success on the health front. And as you can see from this chart, it was not a forgone conclusion. As you can see in the early days of the pandemic as it hit Australia, you can see the line there of all the other countries, all heading in one direction - to catastrophe.

And then you have seen what Australia has been able to achieve. Better than not just a few countries, but frankly most of the countries around the world.

This has saved lives.

Our death rate of just 4 people per million people of our population is a fraction of other developed economies. In some cases, their death rate is more than 100 times what Australia’s is.

Our response has followed a uniquely Australian path, as we promised it would. Getting the balance right between our health and our economic objectives, as this new global stringency index demonstrates by comparison.

Closing the borders, quarantining, building our health system capacity, social distancing, sensible restrictions, measured restrictions, and strong testing, tracing and local health response capabilities.

And whereas other countries imposed strict lockdowns, we have been able to keep large sectors of our economy open and functioning, including construction, manufacturing, agriculture mining, as well as large parts of the retail sector, which were not closed. 

This has not just yielded enviable health outcomes, but it has limited the economic impact of the COVID crisis and put us in position to emerge more quickly and more strongly.

The recent National Accounts showed that the Australian economy shrunk by 0.3 per cent in the March quarter. Now, while the damage to the economy is heartbreaking at that level, it has been far less than so many other countries, as you can see, by the comparative performance on international growth across major developed economies.

Looking forward, Australia is expected to have the third lowest fall in GDP in 2020 of all economies surveyed by the OECD.

But the hit to our economy, we must understand, is significant despite our relatively strong performance and the road ahead will be very hard.  We still have a mountain to climb.

Compared with the mid-year update, it is expected that over $100 billion of economic activity has been lost this year, and that it will take us an estimated two years at least, just to get back to the level we were at pre COVID-19.

And that’s why we have a plan to lift growth, not just for the next few months, just not for now. But the next five years. We need to lift our economic growth rate by more than 1 percentage point above trend to beat the expected pre-COVID-19 GDP by 2025, to catch back up to where we were before COVID hit.

The restoration of growth is also critical to our public finances.

We are looking at a record deficit this year and next, and next. And not just because of record COVID-19 expenditures. Revenues have taken an equally large hit.

And while our expenditure measures have been designed to be targeted and time limited, in accordance with the principles we set out at the start of the crisis, the impacts on revenue will be longer lived as the economy makes its way back.

This will require us to recalibrate our fiscal strategy. This does not mean stepping back from our commitment to essential services and addressing the further needs in aged and disability care. We remain committed to those essential services. And supports within the Australian community.

Such expenditure, where carefully planned and controlled, will support growth and it will boost confidence. But we must be extremely cautious about our expenditure, especially as we navigate our way back from the record fiscal supports now in place.

There will always be a case made for spending more and for spending longer, and there are plenty who are happy to make that case. But it is not a wise or responsible course.

Such a path is dangerous and will prejudice medium and longer term capacity to deliver on core essential services like health, hospitals, schools, education, the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, our Social Security supports. Over-extending on the fiscal supports puts those longer term and medium term supportive services at risk.

Our budget will be balanced again by keeping expenditures under control, while boosting revenues through pro-growth policies that lift investment and get Australians back into jobs, just like we did it last time.

Neither excessive austerity, nor higher taxes are the path that our Government will pursue. We will pursue growth and responsible budget management that ensures that governments live within their means and guarantee the essentials Australians rely on, as ever.

Growing our economy all comes back to getting people back into jobs. This is where we must start. And having created more than 1.5 million jobs before COVID-19 hit, we have done it before and as a Government we will do it again, working together with Australians right across this country.

In April, we lost the equivalent of 30 months, 30 months of average jobs growth. Devastating. The job numbers for May, on Thursday, will show, I'm sure, just how large the challenge is. There is still worse news ahead.

The impacts are across all states and territories and, so far, worst in Victoria. Our jobs challenge is a truly national task and is now the primary focus of the National Cabinet, which we’ve agreed to now make permanent.

Recognising the threat to jobs and businesses, we announced JobKeeper and the JobSeeker COVID-19 supplement early, designed for Australia, when uncertainty was at its highest. Once again getting the balance right for Australia’s circumstances, not cutting and pasting from other jurisdictions. Along with other measures, the Government injected some $260 billion into the economy over three tranches, in the space of just three weeks.

For now, businesses have rightly called on this emergency support and it has proved to be an invaluable economic life line, buying them time to come to terms with the impact of COVID-19 and plan their way back. Those plans are now starting to be put in place by Australian businesses, small and large.

The ABS May survey of businesses found more than half of small and medium sized businesses accessing wage subsidies. They have also benefited from cash flow support and the deferral of loan and lease repayments, keeping these businesses alive and keeping jobs in place.

Without these measures, businesses would have simply fallen over, fallen victim, never to open again. This still may ultimately be the experience for some. But for many more, these measures will have provided the bridge that those businesses and their employees needed.

And that is why these supports have been put in place but it is also why they’re only temporary. Left in place for too long, not only will that damage the capacity of the Budget to deal with important essential services, but it will also dull the dynamism of the economy and prevent the adjustments that must necessarily take place to enable new jobs to be created and our economy to move forward.

Similarly, individuals who have sadly not been able to retain their jobs have been supported by an enhanced safety net through the effective doubling of JobSeeker through the COVID supplement and the relaxation of eligibility criteria.

Around 1.6 million Australians are now on JobSeeker, around half accessing these payments over the past few months, many for the first time in their lives.

As you can see, it has been young people who have had the greatest increase in the demand for JobSeeker. This is also true when you include those still employed, but working zero hours.

We know there is a disproportionate impact on women, and younger Australians and those with lower skills attainment which identify key parts of the labour force, key parts of the Australian community we need to focus on as we prepare and plan our way out and make our way out.

These workers are in the worst hit sectors, in particular accommodation, hospitality and retail, where more than 600,000 Australians have either lost their job or working zero hours.

As can be seen from the most recent National Accounts, household consumption of services was what plummeted in the March quarter. Those services are in those sectors that have been most affected that I just pointed to and there is worse expected in the June quarter, when so many businesses had to shut down or couldn’t remain open. And as you can see, non discretionary spending took an absolute hammering, even though spending on essentials actually increased during the quarter.

The good news, and there is good news, because we are aspirational and we are a positive people, the good news is we are now coming back. Australia is opening up again. Australians are once again, as this chart demonstrates, are on the move as States and Territories work together to implement our National Cabinet three-step plan to open the economy. And this is boosting consumer confidence.

JobKeeper and JobSeeker put a floor under the fall in consumer confidence back in March and we have now recovered that lost ground in consumer confidence, both on Westpac and the ANZ indices.

High frequency spending data shows that this is being increasingly translated into increased retail sales. This is good news for those young people and women working in hospitality and retail, who will be the first to benefit from the reopening - and this especially means those people.

Now, while trailing the improvement in consumer sentiment, business confidence and conditions are also clawing their way back. The easing of restrictions and Australians emerging from isolation, confident in the health measures taken by Governments, will continue to drive up demand and indicate to business that they can once again open their doors and make a go of it.

See it's not just enough for the business is to be able to be opened, they've got to have confidence to open, to bring the staff back, to get the orders in, for their inventory. You have to put investments in including through the instant asset write off which Treasury extended out. That requires confidence that people are coming back.

We will be supported by the efforts to boost that confidence, we have made to connect with supply chains that better aid our growth. While global growth forecasts are weak and bleak, those of our major trading partners are much stronger, which is important for the outlook.

Our mining sector has also been able to keep on running. Export volumes and prices are encouraging and will provide much needed income for the country. The same is also true for many other export sectors. And with plans to re-engage international education, and our tourist industry opening up again, at least for domestic travellers, many more can see the road ahead.

As we come out of this COVID crisis, and as we are on this road ahead, infrastructure development will play a critical role in our JobMaker plan. Our Government has already committed nearly $180 billion on economic infrastructure over the next decade, with more than half allocated across the four years of the forward estimates.

This isn’t just the roads and rail that get us to work and get us to school and get goods to markets and ports. It is dams that improve water security and underpin an expansion of high-value agriculture, as part of our 2030 Agriculture Plan. The telecommunications services that keep us connected. The poles and wires which are critical to removing bottlenecks in our electricity grid, improving competition and driving down prices. Defence assets which keep our nation secure and supporting many regional economies with advanced manufacturing.

As we come to the end of this financial year, the Commonwealth will have invested more than $24 billion for infrastructure across key government portfolios.  And as we move into 2020-21 we are pushing to do even more.

Since last November, we have worked with state, territory and local governments to bring forward or inject additional investment totalling nearly $7.8 billion:

• That includes $4.2 billion for joint priority projects with the states and territories at MYEFO.

• $1.75 billion in additional funding for Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport, fast tracking a nearly $11 billion project that will support 14,000 jobs in the heart of Western Sydney.

• A $1.3 billion bring forward of the Financial Assistance Grants program, the Deputy Prime Minister announced recently, providing untied funds for all councils across Australia to use at their discretion. And that comes on top of the support as the DPM will remind you for drought and bushfire recovery assistance.

• $500 million in new funding to establish a new program supporting all councils to undertake local road and community infrastructure upgrades that previously weren’t in their forward schedules. New spending.

Today I am committing a further $1.5 billion to immediately start work on small priority projects identified by the states and the territories as part of our partnership.

As part of this package, $1 billion will be allocated to priority projects which are shovel-ready, and being smaller projects they’re ready to go. And with $500 million reserved specifically to target road safety works. This is an important opportunity to make our roads safer right across the country, not just in rural and regional areas where it is critically important but also in other parts of the country.

Further announcements on specific projects will be made soon. The result being we will have brought forward or provided additional funding of $9.3 billion in infrastructure investment in just the past eight months.

To build the pipeline of future projects, we are determined to get out of the way and speed up progress by improving approvals processes.

One area in which the Commonwealth has a direct regulatory role for relevant projects is through approvals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

According to departmental estimates, delays associated with these approvals alone cost industry over $300 million just in 2019. That’s not good enough.

The Commonwealth has already taken steps to cut project approval times under the EPBC Act. At the end of 2019, approval decisions took 90 days on average. Today they take 40. That is what we've achieved this year in 2020.

Our goal is to cut these times by a further 25 percent by the end of this year – to 30 days for major projects.

Ultimately, our objective is the streamlining of Commonwealth and state processes to a point of ‘single touch approvals’.

The National Cabinet has had already - early discussions on how we can achieve this objective, and there is already, I can assure you, a high level of engagement and agreement.

The National Cabinet will come back to this issue very shortly, informed by the current review of the EPBC Act being conducted by Graeme Samuel.

Of course, focusing on Commonwealth approvals won’t do much to deliver projects faster if we don’t also address state processes.

Now when it comes to major projects, focusing on Commonwealth approvals won't do much to deliver projects faster if we don't address the state approval processes.

Today I announce a priority list of 15 major projects that are on the fast-track for approval under a bilateral model between the Commonwealth, states and territories.

Joint assessment teams will work on accelerating these projects worth more than $72 billion in public and private investment.

Projects that will support over 66,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Under our new approach this investment, and most importantly, these jobs will be brought to market earlier by targeting a 50 per cent reduction in Commonwealth assessment and approval times for major projects, from an average of 3.5 years to 21 months.

This priority list includes:

• Inland Rail from Melbourne to Brisbane;

• Marinus Link between Tasmania and Victoria;

• Olympic Dam extension in South Australia;

• Emergency town water projects in New South Wales; and

• Road, rail and iron ore projects in Western Australia.

Early examples of this approach are already paying dividends and are encouraging.

I commend the New South Wales government who we have been working with. We are on track to complete Commonwealth assessment and approval for Snowy 2.0 in under two years - unlocking over 2,000 regional jobs.

Successful deregulation has increased competition and economic efficiency, raising productivity and, ultimately supporting jobs and wages.

Early gains have been made in the process I established with Assistant Minister Morton last year through the Deregulation Taskforce. This included simplifying business registers, streamlining export documentation and making it easier for a sole trader and micro-businesses to employ people. In most cases, the first ever employee.

The next phase of the Taskforce work will zero in on areas to assist COVID-19 economic recovery.

For example, occupational licensing and registration requirements often vary across states and territories, which increases costs on business and workers who operate or move across Australia. Greater mutual recognition of qualifications and improved information flows between jurisdictions will be vital to allow Australians to take up job opportunities in coming months.

Secondly, COVID has shown that our laws have not kept pace with digital technology when it comes to business communications - for example, by requiring business to use paper for storing information, instead of using electronic delivery or adopting new technologies like blockchain. These laws, too, are ripe for modernisation.

So today I announce that I am bringing the Deregulation Taskforce into my own Department, into the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as part of the Government’s JobMaker agenda. This will further drive a whole-of-government approach to how regulatory policy is prosecuted, supporting Assistant Minister Morton.

Our focus applies as much to the culture of regulators as it does to the content of regulations. I'm sure anyone in business would understand that point. This crisis has shown what can be achieved when regulators are pragmatic and responsive, solving problems without compromising safeguards.

As the Treasurer I know would reinforce, APRA in particular working with the major banks, to ensure that we could be dealing with deferral of loan payments and how that effect banks capital adequacy ratios in all these issues, just working constructively together to solve quite a serious problem that was going to have a significant impact on whether businesses could keep their doors open. The attitude of the regulator mattered as much as the regulations themselves.

So I have asked Assistant Minister Morton to report back on ‘lessons learned’ in recent months, highlighting cases where governments and regulators have responded to the COVID crisis and its economic fall-out with urgency and common-sense.

There are many encouraging examples beyond the ones I have mentioned.

Shop trading hours were deregulated in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia so people didn’t have to spend so long in the queues. Practical problem, practical solution by practical people.

Trucks were allowed to resupply along roads and during hours where they were previously banned. And the sun came up the next day. It was extraordinary.

Steps were taken to ensure unnecessary professional requirements did not block nurses coming back into the workforce. Common sense.

At the Commonwealth level, we fast-tracked approvals for drug trials. Changes were made to the Medical Benefit Scheme to promote the use of telehealth. We cut red tape to allow companies to use overseas standards for hand sanitiser.

Cooperation between business and unions meant employers were empowered to reduce hours and reconfigure tasks that their employees are allowed to do. Keeping people in jobs.

And we reduced financial reporting and other requirements that would have hit firms struggling to survive the shock, as I said. As a result, businesses are able to sign documents with electronic signatures and conduct virtual AGMs.

Far from weakening that performance, this agility has helped our economy function, save jobs and has demonstrated what can be done when necessity is presented. At last Friday's National Cabinet, I committed the Commonwealth to bring forward further priorities. With specific targets. and I've asked them to match me. I expect them to do the same. I won't be disappointed. Unity of purpose among National Cabinet. To get the jobs back. It’s amazing what unity and purpose can do and we want to keep that going.

The Government of Western Australia already has bills before its Legislative Council to accelerate major projects, reduce red tape, and facilitate bilateral arrangements to remove duplication between our assessment and approval processes. My simple messages to pass the bill. It is good for jobs. It provides a model, I believe, for other states and jurisdictions. And my simple message to the Western Australian Parliament is pass the bill. It’s good for jobs. It provides a model I believe for other state and territory jurisdictions.

The Productivity Commission will also be tasked with informing and developing this Federation wide deregulation agenda, the bringing in of experts and Brendan Murphy, who I now suspect is a household name, nothing I'd expect he never anticipated that in venturing into his career as a public health profession many years ago. But those experts have been incredibly important to our government and to the National Cabinet and governments all around the country. And I have asked the commission's chair, Michael Brennan, to brief the next National Cabinet meeting on priority areas where we can work on the investment and job creation and I look forward to those presentations and I know the premiers and Chief ministers also do.

In conclusion, Australia faces an immense challenge as we look to recover from our first recession in three decades. Those words are hard to say. For many of us, I think for most Australians, it is still to sink in. We worked so hard to get Australia back on the right track, 1.5 million jobs, a budget brought back into balance and then in the space of days - it shows how important economic resilience must be for the future. It shows how we must never let the tension in the cord slacken when it comes to the important economic changes we need to make to secure the lives of Australians and their livelihoods. We need to return that growth that will ensure real and sustainable jobs, the wages that support families with all of the decisions they want to make. And importantly the essential services that Australians rely on.

Our Government’s five year JobMaker plan charts the way forward for a new generation of economic success. We are weathering this storm. It’s now time to gather the momentum to continue to build the confidence we need to resume Douglas Copland’s great adventure. Thank you very much for your attention.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42849

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

12 June 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon everyone. Just a reminder, today’s briefing with Question Time upon us this afternoon, I don’t intend for this to be a particularly long press conference compared to ones we've previously had, so just to flag that at the start. Apologies to those if we've broken into their midday movie for today's media conference following another very constructive meeting of the National Cabinet today. Many issues on the table today and I welcome, of course, the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brendan Murphy, to this press conference again this afternoon.

We received an economic briefing from Dr Kennedy, which is becoming a standing item now of our regular meetings of the National Cabinet. He was able to take us through the work that he's been briefing the Federal Government on in terms of the impact of the economy, particularly on issues of unemployment and affected sectors, and that's been very helpful as the National Cabinet has continued to consider issues of restrictions and planning for the road ahead. The National Cabinet, as you know when I presented following the decision to abandon and abolish COAG and to establish the National Cabinet and the National Federation Reform Council, I noted there would be a series of National Cabinet subcommittees that would be established to drive a national jobs agenda, to drive a national agenda to generate jobs. As we look forward over the next 12 months, and beyond, our efforts, policy level at a federal and state level have to be about creating jobs. And we confirmed six National Cabinet subcommittees that will be established which will be driven by the leaders at National Cabinet and to set out the tasking for those subcommittees on rural and regional, skills, infrastructure and transport, population and migration, energy, and health. The leaders that sit around the National Cabinet table are very keen to set very clear expectations and tasking to those National Cabinet subcommittees to ensure they progress a very rapid jobs agenda.

In addition to that, the Council of Federal Financial Relations, which is the meeting of state Treasurers, together with the Federal Treasurer which is chaired by Minister Frydenberg, has also been tasked, as we flagged, to do work that will report at the end of August on consolidating and rationalising the National Partnership Agreements. In addition to that, they will take forward the issues on tax reform and on deregulation.

Also today, I provided an update to all premiers and chief ministers on our progress on Closing The Gap, and pleased to report on that front that we're making excellent progress when it comes to the Closing The Gap initiative and the new targets that are to be established. We anticipate that they'll be in place next month. That work has, of course, involved the Council of Indigenous Peaks and they will be considering those new goals over the course of this month, as will the Federal Cabinet, and states and territories will also be involved in that process and we would hope that they would all be agreed next month. That's great work that's taking place there. This is the first time that the Closing The Gap targets will have been set with Indigenous Australians, not for Indigenous Australians, which is a significant change.

Also today, we reaffirmed our commitment to the three-step process to ensure that we are on track for concluding the third step of that three-step process in July. On top of that, we also confirmed that it is the national strategy which brings together all the states and territories to pursue a policy of suppression. If we're able to achieve elimination or eradication as a byproduct, well, that's well and good. But we are not going to have our policies trapped by the goal of eradication. It's important to note that there being cases and there being the odd outbreak here or there, is something that is anticipated and the system has been built to deal with. But the emergence of cases is not something that will necessarily require the three-step process and the opening up of the economy to be halted. But that will always be subject to the medical advice from the medical expert panel of the AHPPC.

We are on track for the three-step process to be completed in July. Today we made some important decisions to change elements of that third step. The first of those is, as you look across the third step, you will note a series of caps for indoor gatherings of 100, and that can be anything from funerals through to the number of people who can be in a premises, or even in a room such as this. That 100 cap for step three across all of those areas will be removed and it will be replaced by a four-square metre rule application to those premises. So depending on how large your premise is, and that four-square metre rule applies to each room within that premise. You'll note that around this building, you’ll certainly note that in my office, the number of people who are allowed to be in that room at any one time based on the four-square metre rule. Now, that will mean obviously for much larger premises that will provide much greater scope. This is not happening immediately. This is part of step three. So states and territories who are making decisions about when they're moving to that step three, they will now be moving based on the policy of four square metres being applied and those caps of 100 for a particular building, they won't be in place. It'll be determined on that basis. The four-square metre rule by room. Now, the four-square metre rule continues to be reviewed by the AHPPC - the medical expert panel - and further work is being done on that, particularly for much smaller premises.

Also, for outdoor events, for outdoor organised events, sporting, cultural; we will be moving, as part of step three, for events in stadia or other venues of that nature with a capacity of 40,000 or less to enable attendance at those events which are ticketed and are seated, and all the social distancing rules apply, for up to 25 per cent of the capacity of those venues to take patrons. Now, there will be further work done over the next fortnight. This is not something that's happening straightaway. This is something that would be happening as part of step three, where states and territories choose to move to that, and it will require a bit more work. So that's in July. But we have to give venues and others time to prepare for that sort of change. I think that will be welcomed. Issues that have to be then addressed is access to the wet areas of those stadia, the bars and so on, and I have no doubt there will be some view about restrictions on those because they tend to be the areas where people would congregate and gather and that obviously presents risk, but when we're talking about people who have bought a ticket - so we know who's bought a ticket, we know where they're seated - then that enables those sorts of gatherings to take place in that structured way. Now, that of course would extend to outdoor festivals where they are ticketed and where they are seated. So if we're talking about sort of large folk festivals where people sort of roam around from tent to tent, and gathering to gathering, that is not something that is being talked about here. It would have to be a large, open area. There would need to be seats at the appropriate distance. It would need to be ticketed, and so people would be able to understand who was in attendance at that event. It's important to note that for venues greater than 40,000, that is an entirely separate issue. That will require further work because it's not just the number of people who are in the venue when you're up above 40,000, you've got more than 10,000 people going to a gathering, that has implications for the egress and access off and to those premises, public transport crushes, all those sorts of things, and that will require much more significant work, and I know that's work that both the medical expert panel and those states and territories that have those larger venues are keen to work on, but I wouldn’t want to raise expectations there. I think that will require a fair bit of work. But for those sort of mid-tier venues and below, up to 25 per cent is something that can be done in step three. So venues and state and territories can now move to plan around that, together with sporting codes and cultural performances and organisers, and I'm sure that will be very welcome.

When I noted, I stress, the 100-person cap on indoor being removed and being replaced by the four-square metre rule, that includes funerals. It also includes funerals for outdoor areas as well. So this, as you know, is an issue as you know that has caused great heartache across the community and I think we’ve all shared that and I think that will be a very welcome change. So if they're larger venues, then obviously they can have larger attendees and if they’re outdoor venues, then obviously properly seated and properly arranged, they will be able to accommodate larger gatherings and I’m sure everyone will be looking forward to that. That also applies to places of worship, of course, and things like that, depending on the size of the venue and how they're arranged. I’m sure people are looking forward to that. I know I am.

In terms of nightclubs though, that is not on the agenda. We've seen overseas that has been one of the areas of failure when nightclubs have opened and Michal Gunner, the Chief Minister in the Northern Territory, they noted that even though it is not prohibited, the application rule of 1.5-metre distancing means that venues have not opened there because it is not commercially practical to do so. So I wouldn't anticipate those venues opening any time soon or as I said, those larger mass gathering festivals and events that take place.

Finally, on international students. On international students, we'll be working closely with states and territories, firstly on a pilot basis and to enable, in a very controlled setting, for international students to be able to come to Australia but only on pre-approved plans for particular institutions worked up between federal authorities and state and territory authorities. I'm not suggesting this is going to happen soon. There's still a lot of work to do and that needs to get in place. We've received some very, I think, well thought-through proposals from states as to how this can be done, particularly here in the ACT. This is something that I'm sure we would all welcome happening again, but it has to be done with the appropriate quarantine entry arrangements and biosecurity and all of those matters being addressed. That's something that I know Border Force is working on. Our Federal Cabinet has been considering that now for some time. We're still a little way away before being able to advance on those proposals. But I made one thing very clear to the states and territories today, if you can't come to your state from Sydney, then no one is coming to your state from Singapore. If your borders open for international students, then you have to open up borders for Australians. I welcome the decision which I understand was made after National Cabinet today by the Queensland Government to nominate a date for the opening of that border in Queensland. That is welcome. We had a very open discussion about those issues today. The three-step process is very clear. It was a very constructive discussion. I anticipate states will be working through those decisions in the next few weeks. And they'll come to their own conclusions, but what is important, whatever date that is, that it is nominated as soon as possible because that will enable the travel and tourism and hospitality industry to plan for that time. So that is a matter for the states but I welcome the decision in Queensland and we look forward to other decisions being made soon and for that to enable those jobs and those businesses to be able to be realised.

Finally, and I’ll allow the Chief Medical Officer to speak more on this matter, and that is on the rallies and protests that are planned for this weekend. The medical advice hasn't changed. The medical advice is that this is an unsafe thing to do. It puts not only your own health at risk, but it puts other people's lives at risk. It puts the, in economic terms because of the potential risk of a way that could come from these events, it puts the livelihoods of other Australians at risk, people's businesses. It puts the progress we have been able to make at risk and the very clear message is that people should not attend those events because it is against the health advice to do so. And so I would strongly encourage people to exercise that responsibility by not attending those events and to respect their fellow Australians by exercising that responsibility and on the views they wish to express, that they seek to express those in another way. This is not about the issue that people are raising, this is about people's health and welfare and I would urge Australians to respect that by not attending those events. State and territory governments are responsible for law and order in their jurisdictions and they will be taking the decisions about what is done in relation to those gatherings, but we would simply urge you to do it. I don't believe there should be a double standard. There shouldn’t be a double standard when it comes to this. Australians have made great sacrifices to get us to where we are today and everyone has had very significant personal issues about which they have great feeling and if they can accommodate that in the actions they are taking and showing the discipline and respecting the restrictions that have been put in place, then so should everybody else. There should be no two sets of rules in this country when it comes to this.

Thank you, Brendan.

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thanks, Prime Minister.

So we are one month now into the easing of restrictions and I was able to present to National Cabinet today an update on our pandemic health intelligence plan, which shows that we are in a good place. We've only had 38 new cases over the last week, more than half of them are overseas returned travellers. And we will continue to get cases from overseas returned to travellers for the foreseeable future, because the rest of the world is not in the same good place that we are in Australia. In fact, we have only had community transmission in the last few weeks in one state and only a tiny amount of that. New South Wales has now had no cases of community transmission confirmed in the last fortnight and the other states have had very, very few reports in the recent months.

But as the Prime Minister said, our strategy across the nation has been one of suppression. It is fantastic that we have effectively achieved elimination at this time in many parts of the country, but that's not our goal, because we know we’ll have return travellers coming, we know our quarantine arrangements are not going to be 100 per cent perfectly safe all the time. We know that there may be small pockets of community transmission of this virus in many parts of the country and they may appear and they will probably appear as we get more and more active and more and more interactions. So if there are small numbers of cases, small outbreaks anywhere in the country, we are well prepared. National Cabinet was not going to let us relax restrictions until our public health system was in a state of very strong preparedness. We know that we can test, we are testing a lot of people and we have got to keep that testing up. Everyone with a respiratory illness, everyone with a cough and cold needs to be tested, but if we get outbreaks, we are in a good position to respond, small outbreaks.

Because we've done so well, you've noticed from what the Prime Minister has said, that National Cabinet has become more confident about relaxing restrictions in phase three and that is absolutely fantastic that we are in that position. But we do need to be patient with all of these steps and that leads me to the issue of protests and I absolutely agree with the Prime Minister that those sort of events where you have a large number of people who don't know each other and who we can't contact trace easily or track, one of the highest risk events. We saw in Victoria that one of the people who was at the event potentially could have been infectious. We won't know, we won’t know for another week or so whether that has led to any spike in cases in that state, but these sort of events really are dangerous and the AHPPC, all these state chief health offices and our experts, released a statement yesterday pleading with the population to not attend those uncontrolled mass events. You cannot make them safe. Despite all the attempts of organisers to try and make them safe, those sort of events where people are crowded together and where you can't, we don't know who is there, are inherently unsafe. Please express your genuine concerns about issues in other ways.

Thank you, Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you. Lanai?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you still confident that all interstate borders will be open by July, as was the original plan, and particularly when it comes to Western Australia, was there any indication given by Premier Mark McGowan that that would be the case?

PRIME MINISTER: Well the plan was not by July, the plan was in July. And I think the only state or territory that is unlikely to fall out of that is still possibly Western Australia, but there is a commitment from the Premier to continue to look at this issue, I mean the Premier in Western Australia will make the argument that containing the borders of Western Australia has enabled them to move, they are effectively on step three now with the exception of that one item. But he also understands the importance of the growth of the national economy and Western Australia has been a very good partner in all of the things we have done. I have never claimed, through the National Cabinet process, there’s going to be 100% agreement on every single issue. I could almost nominate in each and every state and territory that they have all taken a different path on one or the other issue. But I think the Premier has always sought to engage constructively with the National Cabinet process, but at the end of the day they have got to make their own calls. National Cabinet has never sanctioned internal borders. Never. So it is not a National Cabinet position that has been followed by Western Australia on that issue or any of the other states, that is a matter they have chosen to do unilaterally and it is for them to make their explanations on those issues. But I can assure you when we are framing our fiscal and economic policies over the next 12 months, the assumption the Treasury will be making is that we are all on step three in July.

JOURNALIST: ...Clarification on the easing of crowd limits. For stadiums with larger than 40,000 capacity like the MCG, Docklands, Adelaide Oval, will they still be allowed to have 10,000 people, like smaller stadiums?

PRIME MINISTER: This is going to be looked at over the next few weeks. So what we're saying right now, right now, is if it is a smaller stadiums, less than 40,000, in step three, which would mean, I am not anticipating any such stadium to be doing this month, it would be sometime in July, I would expect, that that would apply to those. For the larger ones I would venture that it would be the subject of a discrete approval for each venue, that would be worked up with the Chief health Officer in each state or territory. So by the time you get into July there may be that type of opportunity for the rules that apply to those under 40,000 to just carry over to those above 40,000, but that is not a decision that has been taken yet. I mean these will be practical, commonsense issues, they’ll be worked through by the medical expert panel over the next few weeks and I think that will give it greater instruction. The purpose of me flagging this today is so sporting codes, venues, state and territory governments, can engage in that appropriate discussion, know broadly what the parameters are which the National Cabinet has set, so it means that people will be able to watch the games, not as cardboard cutouts, but in person, should they be fortunate enough to get one of those seats.

JOURNALIST: You mentioned before not wanting people to attend crowds in such large numbers at these protests, this morning the Finance Minister, Mathias Cormann, suggested looking at removing JobSeeker for those who do attend and break these social distancing guidelines, you agree with that, would you consider taking away those welfare payments?

PRIME MINISTER: We won't be doing that.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on Closing The Gap…

PRIME MINISTER: And the reason is, enforcement of these matters is for the state and territory governments. And so they will apply their fines and their laws on these issues in those jurisdictions. They are dealing with those gatherings and those state laws and state restrictions are a matter for state and territory governments, not the Federal Government.

Brett?

JOURNALIST: Just on Closing The Gap, there has been a lot of frustration from First Nations people this week about the lack of tangible progress in achieving those measures. How committed are you to closing the gaps, there are many of them, and just in terms of your comments yesterday about Australia not having had slavery, do you regret those comments and do you accept that we have seen those actions here in Australia that first Nations Australians have been very upset to hear you make those remarks?

PRIME MINISTER: I think anyone who has seen my commentary from the very first speech I made in this place, I have had an enduring and committed passion to closing the gap. One of the most important things that I have had the opportunity to participate in as a Member of Parliament was in those first few weeks when I was able to stand for the National Apology. And this is the point about Australia. In Australia, we know we have had problems in our past. We have acknowledged those and, indeed, in our Federal Parliament we have acknowledged those. I've always said we need to look at our history. The comments I was referring to was to how the New South Wales settlement was first established and the views that were communicated at the time, informing the New South Wales colony, and if you go back to people like William Wilberforce and others, they were very involved in that first fleet expedition and one of the principles was to be that Australia or in that case, New South Wales, was not to have lawful slavery. And that was indeed the case. There was not the laws that have ever approved of slavery in this country.

So I don't intend to get into the history wars, my comments were not intended to give offence and if they did I deeply regret that and apologise for that. This is not about getting into the history wars. I was simply trying to make the point that Australia, yes, we have had issues in our history. We have acknowledged them. I have acknowledged them. And we need to address them and, particularly those who I work closely within this area, would know that, personally, I have been heavily invested in these issues. And I will continue to be heavily invested in these issues and I pay tribute to my predecessors as Prime Minister because, you know, when you are Prime Minister you know this is a responsibility that you have, together with your Minister for Indigenous Australians, and that has always been the case, from either side of politics, and I genuinely don't believe there are large divisions when it comes to the issue of acknowledging the treatment of Indigenous Australians in this country. But I will tell you what there is an even bigger passion for, and that is to ensure that the passage of reconciliation, the process of improving the lives and outcomes of Indigenous Australians, is foremost in our minds and I think all Australians of goodwill and good faith are endeavouring to achieve that and I will continue to seek to achieve that.

David?

JOURNALIST: PM, do you think that blackbirding would be considered slavery? And a follow-up question on Indigenous policy, what has been the reason why there has been relatively slow progress on Indigenous incarceration targets, do the states need more funding, do they need more commitment in order to address it?

PRIME MINISTER: Well look on the first point, I acknowledge there have been all sorts of hideous practices that have taken place. And so I'm not denying any of that, okay? I'm not denying any of that. And I don't think it's helpful to go into an endless history wars discussion about this. It's all recorded. I acknowledge all of that, okay? The challenges of Indigenous incarceration go across so many different areas of public policy. Its health policy, its youth policy, it's suicide policy, it’s employment policy, its welfare policy, this is an incredibly complicated area and not all Indigenous experiences are the same. Indigenous Australians living in metropolitan areas have different life experiences to those living in regional areas and remote areas, and so to suggest that there is one set of issues that applies to the Indigenous population is obviously ridiculous. And we are aware of the heartbreaking stories within remote Indigenous communities, of abuse, of sexual violence, of alcoholism, of drug abuse. It's heartbreaking. But it's true. You want to have an honest discussion about what's happening in communities, you can't ignore those facts either and it’s chronic. And it is enough to bring any Australian to their knees in tears. And so this is a complex issue, David. There is no shortage of funds being thrown at this issue. But clearly the application of funds by governments over decades and decades and decades is not getting the results we want. I can assure you it's not through a lack of will, it's an admission of the complexity and the difficulty of the task.

JOURNALIST: On a modern extension of this issue we’re seeing of cancel culture with Gone with the Wind, Chris Lilley's projects for example being pulled from streaming services. Is that something you're worried about?

PRIME MINISTER: I'm worried about jobs. I'm worried about 800,000 Australians going on to JobSeeker in the last 3 months. I'm not interested in what they’re showing on streaming services. I'm interested in getting Australians back in to work. I'm not interested in the debate about what people want to tear down. I'm interested in what people want to build up, and what we need to build back up are businesses and jobs and we need to restore livelihoods and lives. Honestly people - let's focus on what's really happening. 800,000 extra people are on JobSeeker in the last few months. You want to know where my focus is? On them. And the businesses that have closed and the livelihoods that have been destroyed. What you're watching on television is your business. Not going to create one job. Let's focus on where Australians are hurting today. And they really are hurting. And I will not be distracted.

JOURNALIST: Just on international students, when do you expect that they might be allowed to re-enter Australia? And are you concerned at all that recent commentary from China could deter Chinese students from coming here to study?

PRIME MINISTER: No on the second question. On the first question, I would hope we would be in a position to be doing pilots next month.

JOURNALIST: How do you respond to China calling on Australia to do some soul-searching and face up to racism against Chinese nationals here? Is our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China working? And how is Australia going to repair it?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, Australia has done nothing to injure it. What Australia will always do is act in our national interests in accordance with our values. We'll do so consistently and with constancy and we will respect that comprehensive strategic partnership. And I stress Australia has done nothing to injure that partnership, nothing at all, and when it comes to our record of multiculturalism, of freedom of religion, of liberty, treating everybody equally, I'm happy to stack Australia's record up all around the world. Now, there's one more question. I think that people want to ask a few questions of Brendan and then I'm going to have to go.

JOURNALIST: Professor Murphy, what social distancing should apply at airports and on flights? Are those requirements being observed for special purpose flights in and did you have to warn Alan Tudge and others that they weren't correctly social distancing on the most recent flight from Melbourne to Canberra?

PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Social distancing is not possible in the same way in domestic flights. We have a domestic airline policy. Airlines, domestic airlines, certainly short haul airlines, present quite a low risk of transmission because of their air handling. We have not seen a clear case of transmission of the virus on a domestic flight in Australia. So whilst initially we were practising, the airlines were practising good distancing, they are now occupying their seats more fully and I know that's one of the circumstances where we think it's not an unreasonable choice if someone chooses to wear a mask. I certainly have not warned any politician about not practising social distancing. So airlines, and on the return flights from overseas, they have been at 80 per cent occupancy, so we're trying to get a bit of gap. But you can't get the full 1.5 metre on a flight. But as I said, there are special requirements for flights and they are not a very high risk environment.

PRIME MINISTER: I'm going to have to call it off there, but I do note that I think on every press conference I’ve attended, except in this room, that I've had to warn the media that they weren’t actually practising social distancing. Thank you very much.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42848

Press Conference - Canberra, ACT

5 June 2020

---

PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, everyone.

Australia has become a prosperous country over a very long period of time because we are an outward looking, open, trading economy. This has been one of the key planks of our success as a country and that will always be the case. At the National Press Club a little while ago I set that out, that coming out of the COVID crisis, going through the COVID crisis, Australia will always be an outward-looking, open, trading economy because that's where our prosperity is and that's where the jobs are. Yesterday I had the opportunity to have a leaders summit with Prime Minister Modi and we committed again to working together on these principles. Our future is not just here within our borders but well beyond it as well, as has always been the case. That is why Australians enjoy the prosperity they do today and we need to protect that. But investment in Australia must be on our terms, on our rules and in our interests. That has always been the strong position of our Government. And today the Treasurer is announcing a series of further reforms, important reforms, that ensures that foreign investment will always be done on our terms, on our rules and in our national interest. It is not the first time that our Government has acted in these respects.

Now, under our foreign investment rules, significant authority is placed in the Treasurer to make the ultimate decisions when it comes to foreign investment in Australia. That was a responsibility I carried when I was Treasurer previously. And at that time we introduced changes to our foreign investment rules that established new registers for agricultural land ownership, FIRB screening of direct business in agribusiness, lowering of thresholds and importantly one of the first things I did back then was the appointment of David Irvine as chair of the Foreign Investment Review Board. Because our world has been changing for some time and so has been the nature of foreign investment. Many years ago, Treasurers merely had to deal with what were effectively commercial transactions, ensuring we were protecting against anti-competitive behaviour and competition was strong in Australia and they were predominantly the issues that foreign investment questions were determined over. But in more recent times, there have been other elements of foreign investment that we need to be very careful about and we need to have strong rules to protect Australia against. Investments in critical infrastructure and sensitive businesses and data centres and things of that nature. We need to ensure that the appropriate protections are in place. And so, with the appointment of David Irvine some years ago, that was sending a very clear signal that the interests that needed to be assessed for Australia were not just those that related to commercial issues but broader strategic issues and national security issues. We have been following that path ever since.

So today, the Treasurer has fashioned, I think, a series of very important reforms, strongly endorsed, of course, as they are required to by our Cabinet, the Federal Cabinet, and those rules deal with one of the key challenges that I believe the Treasurer always has in these circumstances and that is to ensure that when the conditions change, when business activities change, when markets change, when technology changes, then our foreign investment system needs to have the flexibility and the authorities to protect Australia's interests in those circumstances. And the rules that have been fashioned by the Treasurer, I think, very much go to that core issue. But at the same time, it's important that we understand the very serious role that foreign investment plays in Australia and that the streamlining of those processes, for the vast majority of applications that present absolutely no risk to Australia at all, can continue to flow in a very efficient way.

Australia has the most Liberal set of rules in our part of the world. People can invest in Australia in the way that Australians cannot invest in our part of the world and that is a function of our outward-looking nature of our economy and under our understanding of how we can drive prosperity in this country and that is to our credit. But so it's important that as we continue to attract the investment on our rules, on our terms and in our interests, that that can be done in a way that is streamlined and it is efficient and the Treasurer has fashioned reforms to that end as well. And also there must be compliance with those rules and so where you have rules they have to be backed up and that's why there is additional resources, more than $50 million today, which is going to resource our agencies to ensure we can enforce and ensure compliance with those foreign investment rules.

I commend the Treasurer for what he's brought forward through this process, which has been worked on now for some period of time. These rules have come not just through the National - through our Federal Cabinet, I should say, but also through the National Security Committee and the Expenditure Review Committee so we are ensuring that we are getting the right balance between our security interests and our economic interests and with that I will pass on to the Treasurer who can announce the specifics of the reforms.

THE HON. JOSH FRYDENBERG MP, TREASURER: Thank you, Prime Minister. Foreign investment has and will continue to be absolutely critical to Australia's economic prosperity. One in 10 Australian jobs are created by foreign investment. Foreign investment brings skills and expertise to our country and foreign investment has benefited every sector of the Australian economy, from mining to agribusiness, financial services to tourism. Of the nearly $4 trillion of foreign investment in our country, more than 20 per cent comes from the United States. More than 10 per cent from each of the United Kingdom and Japan and a little over 5 per cent from China. Our foreign investment regulatory framework has always sought to strike a balance between, on the one hand, welcoming and inviting foreign investment to this country but on the other ensuring that those foreign investment proposals that succeed are in our national interest. But technology has been evolving and our geopolitical climate has become more complex. In fact, the world over, governments are seeing foreign investment being used for strategic objectives, not purely commercial ones, and many other nations, including many other like minded nations, including the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand and many others, have made reforms to their foreign investment framework.

As the Prime Minister said, today's reforms build on reforms that he and previous Treasurers have made. Today's reforms to our foreign investment framework are the most significant since the establishment of the act in 1975 and these reforms are supported by the head of the Foreign Investment Review Board, David Irvine, a former security agency head but also a very distinguished diplomat. And as the Prime Minister said, these reforms have been worked on for some time and the product of considerable consultation within Government and beyond.

The reforms fall into three key areas. The first is that we are creating a new national security test. Foreign investors, not just foreign government investors, should be subject, and will be subject, to the Foreign Investment Review Board review when they are investing in what is termed a ‘sensitive national security business’. Now, the exact businesses to be covered by that term will be the subject of consultation but it is expected to include businesses in the telecommunications sector, businesses that are covered by the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act, including energy and sensitive utilities businesses. Businesses within the defence supply chain and businesses that collect, store and own data that is critical to Australia's national security and defence. The Treasurer will also have a new power where he can call - he or she can call in an investment if it creates a national security risk and if that business is not covered by that definition I talked about earlier. The Treasurer will also have a last-resort power to vary or to impose conditions or as a last resort to force a divestment in a very limited number of exceptional cases. For example, where there is a material misstatement by the applicant at the time of their application for foreign investment approval or where the activities of the acquired business change substantially and create national security risks.

The second significant reform is around strengthening our compliance and integrity framework, strengthening our penalties and our enforcement regime. Over 80 per cent of foreign investment by value last year had conditions attached. The Foreign Investment Review Board has currently more than 1,000 conditional approvals on their books. We need to have the requisite penalties to ensure compliance and we also need to have the resources in place to monitor and ensure compliance.

The third set of reforms, bearing in mind that we are competing internationally for capital, is that we are streamlining the approval process for passive investments by foreign governments where they are partnering with private capital. There are trillions of dollars being invested by such funds where foreign governments, through their entities, are partnering with private capital and where those investments are in non-sensitive sectors, we want to streamline and speed up that process. The government will be releasing, next month, exposure draft legislation and the intention is to have that legislation passed before the end of the year and put in place from the 1 January next year. As you know, during the COVID crisis, we established a zero threshold, zero dollar threshold, for foreign investment. That was to protect the national interest. But that was always to be temporary. So the idea is to stream, to seamlessly move to this new regime from the 1 January next year.

Finally, these reforms today, to the National security test, to streamline passive foreign government investments in nonsensitive sectors and a boost to our integrity systems by increased resources and penalties for around compliance, will ensure that Australia foreign investment framework continues to advance the national interest.

Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, we’ll go to questions. Welcome back Jono, there is one new rule around the Press Gallery, not just social distancing, but everyone’s got to keep off the grass, okay? People have got to keep off the grass. We're safe here in the courtyard. To our friend out there in Googong, we wish him all the best. Who would like to kick off?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister,

PRIME MINISTER: Yes?

JOURNALIST: ...and Treasurer, Why is now the right time to be doing this when there is so much other stuff going on and also the temporary measures you put in place already, as you said, have a $0 threshold? And if you are pouring $54 million into this new regime, then why can't childcare remain free for another three months for parents who need to work?

PRIME MINISTER: A lot of questions in there Lanai. First of all, this is a reform process that has been ongoing for some time, there is further consultation that needs to be undertaken around the draft legislation and that will be important to get this right, because we want to continue to be positive towards foreign investment, but, as I said, on our terms, on our rules, and in our interests. And we will work through that process of the balance of the six months, which will see that legislation, as the Treasurer says, come into effect on the 1 January of next year. Now gives us the time to move to the next stage and work over the next six months to ensure that we can have that regime in place as we enter into the New Year. This second point I would make is about the enforcement resources. This has been a much-needed area for compliance. I mean, I was aware of this when I was also Treasurer. If you have rules, you have got to have the compliance resources that sit behind those and so this stands in its own merits when it comes to the ongoing investment of resources into compliance around foreign investment, which I have no doubt Australians would strongly support.

Now, on the issues around childcare, that is a matter that is being considered, the current arrangements remain in place for now. I think we will be in a position in the not too distant future to be making further announcements about that and that will also be made on its merits and an assessment of where the situation is at this time. I do know that the childcare facilities and parents themselves are keen to move back towards a more normal arrangement, which would enable greater capacity, with more people going back to work there are rising levels of demand, which was the issue sometime ago, and the guarantees were put in place through both JobKeeper and the direct support provided to childcare facilities, I think has been very important. But it was never a permanent measure, it was a measure designed for the times and, like all of our measures, we constantly keep looking at them and applying them to the circumstances as we know them. But Josh, did you want to add anything to that?

TREASURER: Well Lanai, these are not either or propositions. Childcare and protecting our national security. Governments do both. And these are the most significant reforms in nearly 50 years and we’re hopeful of getting bipartisan support for them. Later today, myself and David Irvine will brief the state treasurers. I've already had a conversation with my Labor counterpart. These reforms are in the national interest. These reforms are designed to give Australians control over the investment that comes into this country and we continue to provide, as the Prime Minister said, the necessary support for all other social services.

PRIME MINISTER: Mark?

JOURNALIST: A question on the review of those allowances, will JobKeeper be reduced for those people who are still earning more under that allowance than they would ordinarily under their usual rate?

PRIME MINISTER: I will just repeat what the Finance Minister said this morning and that is, when we first established JobKeeper, I would stress we established it for six months, and that is the timeframe of which it is being delivered, and that was twice the length that countries with similar programs were putting in place around the world, whether in New Zealand or Canada or the United Kingdom or other places, we knew that this would hit hard and it would hit long. And so we took the early step to put in place a program twice as long as those in other comparable jurisdictions, we set it up with a review to be undertaken in those first three months and that is what is happening and I don't plan to prejudice that review. We will take that advice as we prepare the statement which the Treasurer will hand down in July and that will take into account that review. But the six months provision of JobKeeper has been set out in legislation and people can count on that.

Jono?

JOURNALIST: You can guarantee that? That will be there until the end of September?

PRIME MINISTER: Yes.

JOURNALIST: Before announcing it today, did you speak to any of Australia’s major investing countries to notify them of these intended changes, and if you did, which countries did you speak to and what was their response? And Treasurer, if I may, while I have you, to what extent or to any extent are these changes designed to address requirements from the US for Australia to maintain accepted foreign state investor status to try to stop any backdoor investment in the US via Australia?

PRIME MINISTER: Josh do you want to go first?

TREASURER: Yes, thank you Prime Minister. These measures have been decided and designed by the Australian Government. Not by anyone else. We have taken these steps today to enhance and to protect the national interest. With respect to consultation with other countries, we have, through diplomatic channels, informed some of our key partners about these changes, explained the context for them, as you would expect us to do.

JOURNALIST: Which, which partners?

TREASURER: I'm not going to go into which countries, but, of course, we have vital trading relationships, we have vital investment partnerships and we thought, given the significance of these reforms, it was only prudent to have that, to provide that heads up to them.

PRIME MINISTER: And that's our normal practice. That's what we do in relation to all these measures. That is expected and it is appropriate.

Yes?

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, should people avoid Black Lives Matter protests over the weekend given the advice, well the pleas of State medical officers, and if they do attend those protests, should they face the same social distancing fines that anyone else would?

PRIME MINISTER: Well look, thank you for the question. I have spoken to Premier Andrews and Premier Berejiklian this morning. The police authorities in both states have made decisions, operational decisions on public order grounds. And I understand the decisions that they have taken, it's not for me to comment on operational decisions of police forces. And they’re the decisions that they have made. But let me be clear, as I believe Premiers have also, that while those public order decisions have been made, that's not an invitation or a license for this in those broader, I think, social responsibility terms. Our message is very clear, that the health risks of gathering in such large numbers and the risks of people coming into close proximity are real and Australians have worked incredibly hard in recent months and have undergone great sacrifices to protect the health of the most vulnerable and that has included our Indigenous communities. One of our greatest fears at the start of this COVID crisis, for Premiers, myself, our Cabinet at a federal level, has been our concern for the potential impact on Indigenous communities of COVID-19. And not just remote communities, but metropolitan communities as well. And so it is important for people to have their right to protest. 
I said at the outset of this crisis that we had to deal with this crisis consistent with our values, and who we were as Australians and those liberties, and that is true, but with those liberties, great responsibility, I think, for individuals. And so for all of those Australians who couldn't attend the funeral of a family member, or couldn't see a loved one in a nursing home, or a veteran who couldn't remember their fallen colleagues by attending a war memorial service on Anzac Day, I think all Australians owe all those other Australians agreed duty of responsibility and I say to them don't go. Not because you shouldn’t express your view, find another way to express your view. We all found a way on Anzac Day to thank those who gave us our liberty, and not gather in large numbers. And we stood on the end of our driveways, or we held up a light on that dawn in our windows or on our balconies and we found a way to celebrate those who gave us our liberty. Let's not misuse that liberty. Let's respect it. Let's respect other Australians. And let's say to those who had the absolute agony of not being able to say goodbye to a loved one, let's thank them by showing responsibility this weekend. The health advice is very clear, that it's not a good idea to go. And I have asked the AHPPC today to consider this matter and the Chief Medical Officer will be standing up later today and advising you of the AHPPC’s, the medical expert panel's, advice to Australians about gathering in these numbers, so this isn't about issues regarding people's ability to express themselves and engage in protest activity, we all respect that. But let's respect those other Australians who have gone through such hardship. Let's respect them. Let's find a better way and another way to express these sentiments, rather than putting your own health at risk, the health of others at risk, the great gains that we have been able to make as a country in recent months. And let's not forget the terrible economic consequences of that as well. Let's not put that at risk. Let's exercise our liberties responsibly this weekend. I encourage people not to attend for those reasons and those reasons only.

JOURNALIST: On this topic, can I just ask, is it a national shame in Australia that there have been at least 432 Indigenous deaths in custody since the royal commission in 1991 and do you need to do anything more to, given that only two-thirds of the recommendations from that royal commission have been implemented?

PRIME MINISTER: Well of course it is, and that is why the closing the gap initiatives that all states and territories, and the Commonwealth Government, are so focused on delivering and that's why we've gone through the reforms of that process as we have engaged with Indigenous peak groups. I mean in Australia we understand the problems we have, in this area. And I get only cooperation from all levels of government in trying to address these issues. No-one has a mortgage on concern about this issue. I share these concerns, all Australians share these concerns. And so I don't diminish them for a second. But what I do say is that Australia is not other places. So let's deal with this as Australians and not appropriate what's happening in other countries to our country at this time.

Phil?

JOURNALIST: Back on the Budget, can I, and this is against the backdrop of some numbers the PBO’s put out this morning on forecasts on debt and so forth. The $150 billion in various assistance measures. A lot of it is demand driven,

PRIME MINISTER: The what, sorry Phil?

JOURNALIST: The $150 billion in various assistance. A lot of it is demand driven, and given the economy is in better shape now than we thought it was going to be a couple of months ago, is it your belief that not all that money will have to be spent on all those programs, including things like JobKeeper, and is it reasonable to remove businesses from JobKeeper if their turnover has recovered before the six months?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, okay let me make a couple- I really answered the last part of that question when I answered Mark’s question. It is the same question. But in terms of what PBO has released today, and the Treasurer I am sure would like to add to this, I think what the PBO analysis today, which is an estimate based on Reserve Bank forecasts which don't go over the forward estimates, so, but it is a serious estimate and I think what it highlights is this, $150 billion as you say, in estimated expenditure on direct economic fiscal supports into our economy, that's true, but that's not the only hit. The coronavirus has hit not just the expenditure side of the Budget, but it's got a massive hit on the revenue side. And that is very, very significant and that will be very evident when the Treasurer hands down the statement in July. And so I would stress, that is why more than ever, we have to be careful about the expenditure we are engaged in. It has to be well measured, it has to be well targeted, it has to be time-limited. It can't provide long lasting, heavy burdens on the fiscal side down the track, baked-in expenditure. We've avoided all of that. Which was the lesson of the GFC, don't bake-in long-term expenditure, because your revenues get hit as well and the revenues will be hit and that's why we need to be very careful. But the best way to raise revenue is to get people back into jobs and your economy moving forward. And that's what we're focused on and that's what our JobMaker plan is about. It is about getting people back into jobs because if you are in a job you are not, you are not receiving assistance, you are actually paying taxes to provide the resources and guarantee the essentials that Australians rely on.

Josh?

TREASURER: Well thanks Prime Minister, well as a country because of our progress on the health front, we have avoided that worst-case economic scenario. In fact in March, when we announced the three tranches, at these podiums. We thought the economic situation would be a lot worse than it's turned out to be, although it has been a very, very severe impact on the economy. The restrictions are being lifted earlier than first thought and that's a good thing and as the Prime Minister said, in accordance with National Cabinet, those three stages of restrictions being eased, we are going to see 850,000 people back in a job and more than $9 billion contributed to the economy every month. The numbers will be updated based on these demand driven programs with the economic statement that the Finance Minister and I will make on the 23rd of July.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on the changes to the foreign investments, was there any particular investment or decision that’s triggered these large-scale changes? And you and your Arts Minister have both said that JobKeeper is a support to the arts sector, what happens in September when those payments end as you’ve said and, but theatres still can't have you know 3,000, 5,000 people in them, what happens to the sector then?

PRIME MINISTER: Sure, sorry just remind me of the first part of the question?

JOURNALIST: Was there any specific investment…

PRIME MINISTER: No, is the short answer to that question. On the other matter, we are, as people are aware, working on a set of measures and supports in to the entertainment sector. Though I do stress, as many of you have reported today, that the JobKeeper and JobSeeker programs combined are supporting large numbers of people within that sector and I don't see JobSeeker as second-best, I don't. I don't sort of join in the demonising of unemployment assistance. That's not something I will have any truck with. So I think JobSeeker and JobKeeper are important, they work together to provide support. Now, what happens post-September is something that is being considered as part of the review the Treasurer has put in place for those programs and I'm not going to preempt that. We are in June and we are talking about something post-September and one of the things, I think, I hope we have all learned is that this is a fast-moving situation and there are many uncertainties and you can't get too far ahead of yourself on some of these decisions because circumstances change. And so we have those measures in place, they were put in place for six months. That has bought us considerable time, far more time than other countries have been able to purchase through the way they have designed their measures and that has given, I think, Australians a lot of confidence, a space to work within during this period of uncertainty. And in the same way, we worked to put those things in place, we are working to look at what our options are beyond that point in time and what is necessary. But it is still very premature to be making those calls.

Josh, did you want to add to that?

TREASURER: I was going to say, as I understand it, and I'm informed that a substantial number of organisations within the arts community are benefiting from the JobKeeper program. Queensland Ballet, the Melbourne Theatre Company, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia as I am informed, are all benefiting from the JobKeeper program. As the Prime Minister said, the JobKeeper program and the JobSeeker programmes are complementary and we've also already announced $27 million of measures for the arts community, including $10 million for support act, money for Indigenous arts organisations and money for regional arts organisations.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on today’s announcement, I’ve got one for each of you if you don’t mind, Prime Minister are you concerned that this will create further tension with China? And Treasurer, as a last resort power, will you resume ownership of the Port of Darwin?

PRIME MINISTER: I might address both, actually, as I was the Treasurer at the time. First of all no, I don't believe why it should. I mean, countries make decisions on their own interests for their own rules and we respect the rules and interests of other countries and so I see no reason why that should be the case. Australia will always design its foreign investment rules on that basis as other countries do theirs. So I don't think there is anything extraordinary about that and so that is what I would offer on that. I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about the Darwin Port case. That issue was dealt with back in March of 2016. The Darwin Port was not sold with the approval or authority of the Commonwealth Government. It was not. At that time, sales of assets by Territory governments, state governments, did not require and did not call in the authority of the Foreign Investment Review Board or the Treasurer. As a result of that, I engaged with all the states and territories and had the rules changed and that came into effect in March of 2016. And that then required such investments or sales, I should say, by those entities to both private and state-owned entities to come before the Foreign Investment Review Board. So that is what happened with Darwin Port. It was not sold with the authority of the Federal Government. It was sold solely on the basis of the decision of the Northern Territory Government and the wisdom of that decision or otherwise can only be explained by the Northern Territory Government at that time, which was obviously different to the government we have today. So that's how that issue played out. The, I think the weaknesses in the system that that sale identified were addressed and it was addressed by our Government, it was addressed by me as Treasurer. What we’ve announced today only provides further supports to deal with those issues but obviously the Commonwealth Government is sovereign on other matters and if there are any other issues that presented in relation to any asset that compromised Australia’s national interests, there are broader actions the Government can take which are common to all governments around the world.

Yep?

JOURNALIST: Can I just ask you on China, we've seen the global coalition of 19 MPs from 8 different countries calling on their governments to take a tougher stance against China. Andrew Hastie and Kimberly Kitching are part of that. Is that going to be helpful for your Government, given the situation we are facing with the China relationship?

PRIME MINISTER: It's a free country, a free Parliament, and we have got members of Parliament from both sides of politics expressing their views. That's what Australia is all about, that’s who we are, that’s what we do. I think that's something we celebrate. We have a comprehensive strategic partnership with the People's Republic of China and it has many facets to it and we will continue to pursue that relationship through the many channels that are set up under that partnership.

We've got time for one more because it's a bit chilly out here.

JOURNALIST: Just on the trans-Tasman issue. Is it an embarrassment or a failure for Australia if you can get to Queenstown before you can get to Queensland?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, as you know, I'm very keen to see Australia's economy continue to reopen and the timetable for interstate travel set up by the three step process was for that to be able to be possible in July. And that's important also for school holidays. And for people in New South Wales and Victoria, and I’ve got to say on a day like today, the ACT, I'm sure they'd like to see a bit of Queensland sunshine in July with their kids, a bit of West Australian sunshine too, I suspect Lanai. But as a result of that timetable, I would hope that states would make decisions consistent with that National Cabinet timetable. You also know that I'm very much in favour of a safe travel zone between New Zealand and Australia and one of the reasons whether it's for that or whether it's with any of the other states is, yes, the tourism industry I think very much depends on that, in getting people back into work, no doubt about that. But the aviation industry also critically depends on that. And the Treasurer and I, and the Deputy Prime Minister have been working with the administrators on Virgin. Their jobs depend on planes being able to fly again so if I can get more planes flying between Australia and New Zealand, if I can get more planes flying between Sydney and Brisbane and Cairns, if I can get more planes flying between Melbourne and Perth and Adelaide and Darwin, then jobs in the aviation sector have got a much brighter future. And so I would continue to encourage decisions that are consistent with creating jobs and making jobs and I think the decision to open up interstate travel is obviously consistent with that. The timetable for that was set out under the 3-step process to occur in July and I would hope that that would be met.

OK, thanks very much, everyone, ta.

---

https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-42845