Speeches
Annual Leaders Talks with Vietnam
21 January 2021
I was delighted to hold the first Annual Leaders’ talks today with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc under our Strategic Partnership. We strengthened our close strategic, economic and people-to-people ties, even as travel restrictions prevented us from meeting face-to-face, and discussed our shared vision for a prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
Australia and Vietnam enjoy a Strategic Partnership based on mutual trust, understanding and respect. We have both successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic, and now look to address the challenges ahead as the region rebuilds and recovers. To this end, and as part of Australia’s regional vaccine initiative, we will support Vietnam’s access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.
Prime Minister Phuc and I agreed that Australia and Vietnam would continue to support a region that is open, inclusive and transparent, including through ASEAN and the East Asia Summit, which Vietnam hosted in 2020, as well as through Australia’s new Mekong-Australia Partnership.
We also agreed to increase efforts to become top ten trading partners and to double bilateral investment. Given the importance of our trade, investment, tourism, education and community links, we looked forward to the resumption of two-way air travel, once it is safe to do so.
We both welcomed the acceleration of progress on the Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy, including extensive consultation with business. The Strategy will be finalised in 2021 and forms a key part of Australia’s efforts to build diverse and resilient supply chains and trading links throughout our region.
Under the Strategy, we agreed to promote deeper business cooperation and noted Australia’s support for Vietnam to build deeper capital markets to attract foreign investment. We confirmed support for a joint pilot program, where Australian and Vietnamese universities would deliver online higher education courses in Vietnam. Our governments also provisionally agreed market access conditions for Australian peaches and nectarines to be exported to Vietnam. Vietnam has further agreed to receive agricultural product from an additional irradiation facility in Melbourne, which will lower costs for many of our farmers.
I look forward to our next meeting and to further strengthening our close relationship into the future.
Press Conference - McKinlay, QLD
20 January 2021
Jason Economidis, Chief Operating Officer, South32: I’d like to thank Prime Minister Morrison, Minister Pitt, Minister Littleproud, Assistant Minister Buchholz and Senator MacDonald for coming and joining us at Cannington today, it's been a significant visit for us, it has been fantastic for the team to be able to share their achievements, their innovations and our contributions to the community. Cannington’s been in operation for over 20 years. We're one of the biggest silver and zinc producers in the world. The South32 footprint, we employ about 7,000 people across Australia. Our focus for the last 12 months has been keeping our people safe and well, our communities safe and well. And we'll continue to do that into the future. And we'd like to thank the Prime Minister, Ministers, Assistant Minister and the Senator for taking the time to spend with us here today. Thank you.
Prime Minister: Thanks, Susan?
Senator Susan McDonald, Senator for Queensland: Susan McDonald, Senator for Queensland. I'm just so proud that we've got Prime Minister Scott Morrison and this crowd of ministers here to look at the terrific job that both the resources sector and the agricultural sector has done, carrying on, keeping people safe and continuing to earn royalties and keep the country going through this COVID period. It's another indication of how the Morrison government regards regional and rural Australia that he has spent this time coming through regional Queensland. But to be here, at Cannington at South32, south of Cloncurry. It's been terrific to get to see around the mine site and very proud to have the Prime Minister and all these ministers here in our region.
Prime Minister: Thank you Susan. Well Jason and Susan and colleagues it is great to be here. This week, we've been looking at the beating heart of regional economies here in western Queensland. We've seen how the agricultural sector is coming back, both from drought and, of course, the devastating floods up here in north western Queensland. And the mining sector has been such an important part of that process as well. When the floods hit here up in the north, it was the mining sector that turned up and supported their agricultural cousins in the way they helped them get through what was one of the worst experiences this part of the country has seen in generations. That is the partnership that I think exists here across Australians in regional parts of our country. They muck in, they support each other.
And the mining sector has equally played a critical role in the Australian economy, particularly over the last year. It's been their professionalism, as we've seen on display with their COVIDSafe practises and the incredible plans they've put in place with their workforce to make sure the show stayed on the road and the production continued, and the export earnings continue to come into Australia at a time when the global economy was under considerable strain. And so I want to say thank you to the mining workers of Australia, the mining companies of Australia, for the way that they doubled down during this very difficult period. They kept safe. They maintained the outstanding professionalism for which they are well known. Noone does mining better than Australia. No one does mining better than Australia. And mining is very important to Australia. And I'm here today to reaffirm that because it is an important part of our future. It has been an important part of our past. And the technology that is applied in our mines across this country is world class. And they’re things, it's things they're learning, it's our science, it's our engineering. It's the way we do it here, which I think really stands out around the world. And that's going to remain important here as it will all around the world.
And to support this North West Minerals Province, we're going further on the $5 million that we've already invested to prove up the CopperString project. I mean, one of the things that need to be done to ensure more mines are able to be viable and developed here in the North West Minerals Province is electricity costs have to be lower, and the CopperString project has the potential to lower those electricity costs by 40 per cent. And so we're putting a further $11 million dollars into that project to get it to final investment decision stage. Now, this is a, this is a ribbon that will run across this region that will connect from Townsville all the way through to Mount Isa. It's great for Townsville and to Phil Thompson and all the team there who have been working hard on supporting this project, well done. We're absolutely with you and backing you in on this all the way out along this string out to Mount Isa, connecting up with the resources that will come from northern Australia in the Northern Territory and really create another opportunity for these regions to develop further.
These are the practical things you have to do for Australia to realise its future. And we're very practical about these things. And this project is one of the most practical I've seen. So we look forward to getting to that next stage. It's bringing in investment, private investment to realise it. And it'll connect Townsville up and the rest of the East Coast to what will be an incredible opportunity we think, in the North West Minerals Province, 750 jobs directly, 3,500 jobs that will come beyond that as a result of this project. This is all about jobs. The come back from COVID-19 is about jobs, jobs, and jobs. And here in regional Australia, one of the biggest contributors to that is the minerals and mining sector but, of course, making sure we can connect that sector up to the opportunities they have with projects like CopperString.
Now, I'm going to ask Keith Pitt to say a few words about the project which he’s also had involvement with and, of course, the great work the mining sector has done over the past year. Keith?
The Hon Keith Pitt, Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia: Well great to be at Cannington, one of the world's largest silver and lead mines. In fact, some 6 per cent of silver and 7 per cent of lead in terms of the world total is produced right here in Queensland and distributed right around the world. So I'm really pleased to be here with the hardworking men and women of the resources sector. And as the Prime Minister has said, we're here to say thank you. Thank you for what you've done during the COVID period, the work that you've done, the sacrifices that you've made in terms of being away from your families, and in particular the fact that you've just got on with business and helped continue to drive Australia's economy.
The $11 million dollars that we are committing today to the CopperString programme project will get hopefully that project to a final investment decision. That final investment decision will then allow this project to move forward. It's a project which is currently being assessed by the NAIF, that independent body which we put forward. It's got a remaining $2.6 billion available to contribute to jobs and economic growth right across the north. And as Senator Susan MacDonald says to me every single day, this is about a corridor of growth, a corridor of growth from Townsville to Mount Isa. We've invested some $225 million dollars in exploring for the future, for Australia's resources, for minerals reserves and others, including water. And if we want to absolutely maximise the benefit of what we've found, and it's over a trillion dollars worth of resources already, we must have a competitive gas price. We must have a competitive electricity price. And they both have to be reliable sources of supply. This is an incredibly important decision for the North in terms of driving jobs, driving communities, driving our local economy.
I'm really pleased to be here, to be part of it. And thanks again to the guys at Cannington. You’ve put on a great show for us today and PM we've worked out exactly what happens with moving parts. We have some challenges every now and again with things that may or may not stop, not exactly where they should be, but that is just the experience of working in engineering, working in mining, working in agriculture. We are a practical people. We find solutions. That's what we do as a government. That's what you do in your workforce and your working day. Just really pleased to be part of it and very thankful we continue to contribute to regional economies driving regional jobs and regional communities.
Prime Minister: Happy to take some questions, of course, Mr Littleproud is here [inaudible].
Journalist: Prime Minister you heard from the CEO earlier today that university students going into mining are being heckled on sight because of their choice of course. What's your reaction to hearing that? Is there something more that can be done by the federal government to encourage people to take up jobs in mining and resources?
Prime Minister: Yeah, well, we'll continue to support the mining sector and the skills they need and the high end skills in particular that is needed through our support of those places in universities, because no one does mining better than Australians. And we want more Australians to understand the opportunities. And it's great to see the diversity of the senior workforce here in particular. And you know I've seen that around the country. And a lot of them were heavier industries. I'm seeing more and more women going to these industries. And I think it's time to sort of, to get over the stereotypes that are thrown about and the misinformation. I mean, you know, the mining sector understands its responsibilities and they work hard at it. And that's important. And that's why you need people who know what they're doing. That's why we want Australians here caring for our country when they're involved in the mining sector. And it's a great industry to be in, it's got great prospects. It's it requires incredible skills and talent and intellect and cracking some of the most difficult problems there are to crack in the commercial sector. And it's not just then what happens in our mining sector and the smart people we need to work in it if we can get more of them going through those courses, it's what they learn in there and how they apply it potentially in other sectors. I mean, one of the reasons we got involved in the in the Moon to Mars mission and why we were invited to do that by NASA is because no one does mining better than Australia. And the science and the engineering experience of our people in that area is world class. And so we're getting invited into these types of projects because of the recognition of that skill set here in Australia. And we've got to keep building on that. And so, you know, we've got to deal with that misinformation and be very honest with our young people. This is a great industry that makes a huge contribution to Australia, massive contribution to Australia and will continue. So I'm very grateful for it. I frankly, I think most Australians are.
Journalist: What's your reaction though to the heckling, is that unacceptable or?
Prime Minister: Well, I just don't think it's based in fact, I mean, universities are supposed to be about facts, they're supposed to be about science. They're not supposed to be about sledging and misinformed heckling.
Journalist: Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese has not been to a coal mine since he’s been Labor leader, you’ve not been to one since you’ve been Prime Minister, why have you not visited a coal mine, is it because you’re worried about the political implications in Sydney and Melbourne?
Prime Minister: No. It just hasn't been on my schedule.
Journalist: Would you go to a coal mine?
Prime Minister: Sure, why wouldn’t I? Why wouldn’t I? And if the opportunity presents I'd happily take it. Look I'm happy to meet any Australians where they are working, you know, and doing a great job. Whether that down in Appin - where I was particularly interested to hear about the Appin mines today and met coal and what's happening there. And I bumped into a bloke just last week down at the Shoalhaven Hotel who works at one of the local mines there and we had a really good chat about what was happening up in his mine and the life of that mine. And you know these mines have got, you know, 10, 20, 30 years to run. And that's a lot of opportunity for those communities. And look I think people who work in these sectors know that things change over time. And they understand that. They understand that. But what's important is that we continue to extract and get the value from the opportunity and wealth that's there that really benefits the rest of this country.
Journalist: So do you think it's the case that while there be an expansion of mining potentially in Australia, when it comes to thermal coal mining are we talking about supporting existing mines or would you support the creation of new thermal coal mines?
Prime Minister: Well, we're not subsidising any mines. So, I mean, the government- that's not what the government does. I mean, people are involved in mining they are viable, profitable, commercially important businesses for Australia. And so long as they comply with all the environmental standards and all the environmental requirements, well, they should get on with their business.
Journalist: Before the last election the Coalition-
Prime Minister: See we're meeting our emissions reduction targets, we're meeting them and we're beating them, and there are few countries who can say that, and I think Australia can be very proud of that. And we do that while we continue to keep our economy running. And, you know, in a year when the global economy has come under enormous pressure, Australia is in a handful of countries that's been successful in managing and suppressing the COVID virus. But equally, we've been one of the few countries that have been successful in pushing through economically this year of economic crisis. One of the key reasons we've done that, of course, has been the contribution of the mining sector.
Journalist: Before the last election the Coalition committed to the feasibility study of the Collinsville coal mine- sorry coal fired power station, will you commit to seeing that project go ahead? Or will we know a decision as to whether that project will be going ahead before the next election or not?
Prime Minister: Now, I might- Keith might want to comment on that, but look, we committed to support that feasibility study and have, promise kept. Keith?
Minister Pitt: Yeah sure. Thanks. This is pretty straightforward. You don't know if a project is feasible until you complete the feasibility study. This is why we put $3.5 million dollars on the table. We think it's an important project. And we just announced another $11 million towards CopperString. If you want to deliver power into the North West Province, well, you'll need power generation, batteries are not power generation, batteries are buckets. So we need generators as other generators come offline when they reach the end of their natural life. That's what we're looking to do, whether it's through gas or other mechanisms. We'll continue to use technology to ensure we meet our commitments around emissions. But in terms of Collinsville, we have money on the table and we are looking to get that feasibility study put together through the proponent. And the feasibility study will determine whether that project is feasible or not. And then we can work our way through any follow up process.
Journalist: It’s been more than a year so far, how long do you expect it to come through? Can we see the results of that study before the next election?
Minister Pitt: Well, that's up to the proponents and how quickly they move. That agreement is being done through Minister Taylor’s section of the portfolio. I'd expect that we'll see that come to fruition at a time based on what they come up with themselves. I mean, they are the proponents. They are the ones who are putting together the engineering. They are the ones who are putting together the feasibility study. I look forward to seeing the outcome, as an electrical engineer I'm genuinely interested.
Journalist: Prime Minister do you think it’s possible for Australia to hit our Paris targets, while building a coal fired power station? Is that [inaudible]?
Prime Minister: We're going to meet and beat them.
Journalist: Could a new coal fired power station be part of those plans? Or would that be-
Prime Minister: We're going to beat them. We’re going to meet and beat them. And we're going to keep running the country and we're going to keep running mines. These things are I mean, the project you're talking about in the grand scale of energy production, it's not a very big project. And so, no I don't think that will have any impact because we're going to meet and beat our targets. We have targets, by the way, the government has a target for 2030, the opposition doesn't but we do. And we're going to meet it and we're going to beat it just like we did 2020.
Journalist: Just on that, you say that, the government predicts that you will hit 29 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 but the official government estimates are 22 per cent, where does that difference come in?
Prime Minister: We’ll meet our Paris targets in 2030.
Journalist: But what's the evidence you’ve got for that?
Prime Minister: The modelling that has been done.
Journalist: And can you release that modelling?
Prime Minister: You've already got it.
Journalist: The official modelling, of the government says 22 per cent.
Prime Minister: No, I think you might be looking at the wrong set of numbers.
Journalist: Anthony Albanese today has been critical of you for being too close to Donald Trump. And saying that’ll hurt your chances with the next administration, what’s your reaction to that? And what are your hopes for the relationship with Joe Biden?
Prime Minister: Well, personal attacks are not foreign policies, and if the leader of the opposition thinks sledging me is some sort of foreign policy well, he just doesn't get it. And it is the job of every Prime Minister of whatever political persuasion you are and every President of the United States, whatever political persuasion they are to continue to steward this very important relationship. And that's what I've been doing with the current President. That's what I'll do with the incoming President. We’ve already had a very warm conversation, following the election with President elect Biden. And looking forward to a very positive relationship with with President Biden once he's sworn in and his administration, we had very good dealings and very good relationships with the current administration. The relationship is bigger than the sort of petty politics and point scoring that I think we're seeing played out today. And look, I just think that's disappointing. The US alliance with Australia is incredibly strategically important. It's not a political plaything. And if you think it is, you don't get it.
Journalist: But obviously Albanese’s trying to link you as much as he can to Trump, don’t you- haven’t you opened yourself up that political attack by failing to directly condemn President Trump?
Prime Minister: No, and I don't pay much attention to Anthony Albanese's political sledges. If the media want to, well if that entertains you that's fine. But it's ill informed.
Journalist: What do you think Donald Trump's legacy, main legacy as President will be?
Prime Minister: Well, look, we worked with the administration, I think, to establish, I think, strong stability as best as possible in what is a very dynamic region in the Indo-Pacific. I mean, the work we've done together with India, with Japan, this has been very important I mean for three years running now we've been invited to participate in the G7. Sadly, the G7 didn’t go ahead last year and that was an invitation from President Trump, the previous year it was President Macron. This year it's Prime Minister Johnson. And, you know, we have been very much part of this like minded process, working with countries which we share outlooks with, and the US has played an important role in that. Of course, our defence ties, our intelligence ties, all of these sorts of things have been maintained and gone to new levels over the last 4 years. And I expect that to continue. So I don't think the US Australia relationship is conditional on the politics. It's not. It's bigger than that. And it's disappointing that the leader of the opposition would want to drag something so important into petty political sledging.
Journalist: You’ve talked about negative globalism, under the Trump Presidency obviously, the world will change under a Biden Presidency, he’s likely to use multilateral institutions a bit more, will you- will that force you to change your tack, will you be more engaged with multilateral institutions?
Prime Minister: Well, no one's been more engaged in that than us. I mean, we're in the middle of actually seeking the Secretary Generalship of the OECD. I mean there’s negative globalism, there’s positive globalism. I mean, I think it's important that we don't see things in just, you know, a one sided way and we've engaged proactively, we're looking to reform the World Trade Organisation, the World Health Organisation. We've been heavily engaged with the ASEAN forums. We've been heavily engaged in many multilateral fora. But what I've simply said is that in all of these forums, we have to respect that it's nation states that are the members and they're the ones who set the agendas by working together and that things that at a global level don't just sort of get handed off to some sort of internationalist, faceless bureaucracy. You know, Australian decisions will be made in Australia, not in Geneva, not in New York. They'll be made here in Australia about Australia's national interests. And that's what we will always do. We have been enthusiastic and constructive participants and contributors to multilateral fora for decades and decades and decades and have been under my Prime Ministership and will continue to be.
Journalist: A major customer of Australian resources is China, obviously the relationship is troubled, was it a mistake in retrospect, for your government to call for a- to go ahead of the pack and call for a probe into the origins of the coronavirus, shouldn’t this have been done with, in unison with other nations?
Prime Minister: Well we did do it with the European Union, that was the motion that went forward to the World Health Assembly, and we-
Journalist: But Australia announced it first?
Prime Minister: We did it on the basis of a European motion. So no I don't accept that. See Australia is honest in our dealings and we honestly want to know how this started. That's all it's about. I think Australians want to know. And so you would expect a forthright Australian government that is just interested in understanding the truth of what has occurred to be open about that. I mean, why would you, why would you not want to know? And why would you be embarrassed about asking?
Journalist: As a matter of strategy though, wouldn’t it be,
Prime Minister: That’s tactics though, if you want to talk about tactics you can talk to the opposition. I'm just interested in government.
Journalist: In regard to ag workers, we're still struggling to get enough workers on to farms to get the fruit off the vines or before it rots, do we need to be bringing in and taking more proactive roles to bring in foreign workers given that Australians aren’t particularly known to take up those [inaudible]?
Prime Minister: Well, we already are through the Pacific Labour Scheme and the seasonal workers programme, and we've upgraded that in recent times and we've been doing a lot of work with the states to get more of those workers in. But they won't replace the you know, what is the bulk workforce at this time, which is the backpacker's and the backpacker's are obviously constrained because of COVID, and how many people can come in. And that is what has exacerbated what is always a problem. I mean, it's not a new problem trying to get Australians in the cities to go out and work in the horticulture industry in particular. It's not a new problem, but it has been massively exacerbated because of the COVID crisis. And that's why we've upped our effort with the seasonal workers, and that's why we've been working closely with states and encouraging them to get the arrangements in place that would enable them to come in and do that important work. As I've said many times here in Queensland, their on farm quarantine programme, I think is a very good one. And so we do need innovative ways so we can get those workers in to do that important work while at the same time not preventing the return of Australians who want to come home. But I might let David speak on that because he's done a lot of work on that.
The Hon David Littleproud MP, Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management: Yeah, thanks, PM. And look, there has been a lot of work. This isn't a new problem, even with respect to COVID. We made sure that all the states understood that we were coming to a nexus, particularly as we got into the warmer months around having the supply of labour. We previously relied on a number of working holiday maker, the old backpacker, there’s around 150,000 of those, and now we're down to around 50,000 of those, and we had 8,000 seasonal and Pacific workers in the country. And what we did in March seeing that this problem was going to come about this time this year was extend them the opportunity if they worked in agriculture, to stay a further 12 months. Then in March, we also tried to get the states to all sign up to an ag workers code. So it's great to have these workers here, but we needed to have the movement of them from one agricultural precinct in one state to another. Unfortunately, not all the states signed up and we respect that. That was their sovereignty. We then in August were able to open up the Pacific and Seasonal Worker programme. And I got to say, Marise Payne and Alex Hawke did an exceptional job in pre-vetting 25,000 men and women right across 10 Pacific nations to bring them in, and then through National Cabinet it was agreed and the Premiers in in- and as their right, all agreed that they wanted to own the quarantine protocols in which those workers would come in. And we obviously respected that, and are there to support them and industry was too. And I got to say, the industry themselves have been very mature about this. They were proactive in engaging with Aspen Medical, an internationally recognised medical organisation, not only by the WHO, but by Queensland, they are actually auditing the on farm programme here in Queensland. And they're also doing some work for the Victorian government to run a on farm programme or even create a tent city, a closed loop whereby they could have thousands of workers at a showgrounds in a rural community and have them taken out to properties and do the picking while they're in isolation, in the COVIDSafe way so that those industries have come forward with Aspen Medical. And we are waiting on state governments to take up that opportunity. But we respect the right of the states as they put out in National Cabinet just before Christmas, the Premiers themselves all stood up and said they wanted to own this. The Premiers led it by creating the forum in which for them to take ownership and leadership of this, we'll continue to support them. Aspen Medical is there to support them. Greg Hunt himself has in fact, been in contact with the Victorian Health Minister to give him his personal assurance that there is nothing in that Aspen Medical proposal that would stop us from stamping the visas of those 25,000 men and women that could come in and alleviate this problem. But the problem we've got is we're hitting a precipice now whereby not only in Victoria but in Queensland here, we are going to be short of workers, despite the efforts of us trying to incentivise Australians with up to $6,000 dollars in travel costs, an accelerated pathway for young people to Austudy and Abstudy when they get back to uni. We can't get them excited about these jobs. But farmers don't have the luxury to sit around and wait for someone to turn up when their product is ripe they need to get it from their paddock to your plate. And so we are pulling out all stops. The Prime Minister's done that through a National Cabinet mechanism. The Premiers have responded through National Cabinet and said they'll take ownership of the quarantine. They now need to make the decisions. And we as a federal government will continue to support them.
Journalist: Do we need to be setting more punitive measures to encourage Australians out of work to take up those farming jobs?
Minister Littleproud: Well, let's let's be honest. The Australian taxpayer has a limit of resources in which they can provide. And you've got to understand that some of the people that find themselves on JobSeeker at the moment are some thousands of kilometres away from where these jobs are. And despite some of the incentives, they aren't inclined to take these roles. And particularly as our economy continues to evolve, some of those that found themselves out of work are looking as we're starting to see the green shoots of the recovery of this COVID recession, that they're obviously looking to the future and they have aspirations. But as I say, we've got to understand, we've got to look at this and treat the problem with what's ahead of us. And what we've done is made sure we've taken practical steps to keep those foreign workers that are here, incentivise Australians, give them first crack at this, but we will also be looking and I've already been working with Marise Payne for long term solutions and understanding how we're going to do this into the future. So we've learnt a lot and we just need now some cooperation from the states to take that final leap of trust and to work with organisations like Aspen Medical and the horticultural industry to take that leap of faith forward and work with them to get this solution. Otherwise, it won't be just the farmers that'll hurt. I can tell you you'll feel it at the checkout every time you go there in the future.
Journalist: Do you think it’s a cultural problem that some Australians aren’t willing to move, to relocate and do jobs that they might not want to do, but it’s a job anyway- is that a cultural problem?
Minister Littleproud: Well, I think there's this thing called aspiration and as a society, we've moved past it. When I grew up in outback Queensland, I wasn't allowed in school holidays to go and sit on the couch. Mum sent me out to pick rock melons and potatoes, and I graduated to being a cotton chipper. Now young people graduate to being baristas and working in cafes. And I get that, our society’s changed and we're trying to evolve with it and we're trying to put the solutions in front of the agricultural sector and making sure that there's opportunities for young people, not only in agriculture, but right across the economy. And there are opportunities broader in agriculture. I think that's important not to stigmatise agriculture as just low skilled jobs. There are a lot of high skilled jobs using much of the technology that we're seeing here today that men and women from around the country have, in fact, themselves devised. We're leading the world in cutting edge technology because we've got the brightest minds in regional and rural Australia devising it. So I'm confident about the future. We've got a challenge at the moment. We're getting on with the job and we're going to work with the states if they put their hand up and work with us. Thanks.
Prime Minister: Just as we break up, I was really, really encouraged by the tremendous response of the Australian people to the HomeBuilder programme. I mean, this is jobs plus initiative. The initiative had plenty of critics, I remember when we announced it and we had to get the journos off the grass out there in Googong on the day. You’ll recall and there were plenty of critics and we said it would bring jobs, it would kick particularly young people into their first homes. And we're seeing that happen. There's been a lot of heartache and a lot of loss in the last 12 months. But another shard of light here has been that getting those young people into their first homes, building those first homes. This is around $18 billion dollars that's going straight into the residential construction industry in many states, supported by programmes that they've done to back this programme in. And it has been an absolute game changer. And it's going to benefit not just now, but for several years to come as Denita Wawn outlined I think earlier today, they were facing a cliff and now they're seeing work into the future. And that's just one of the many practical things we have done during COVID-19 to keep the Australian show on the road. It's a great show. The come back has absolutely begun and we will continue to move forward in 2021. Thanks, everyone.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
8 January 2021
PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon, everyone. The National Cabinet has met, we will meet on a fortnightly basis now, at least, if there are requirements to meet more regularly then we will certainly be doing so. It was a very productive meeting. I want to thank all the Premiers and Chief Ministers for coming together, but I particularly want to thank the work done by the medical expert panel. The AHPPC who has been meeting every day now for many weeks and has been following very closely the developments of this new strain that has emerged firstly out of the UK, but has now moved to many countries around the world. Indeed, 80 per cent of Australians registered overseas are now in countries where the, where that new strain is evident. And there are other strains as well as the Chief Medical Officer will set out, which means that this this virus continues to write its own rules. And that means that we must continue to be adaptable in how we continue to fight it. And that's what we have done today as we've come together.
Today's meeting was an opportunity to accept the recommendations of the expert medical panel, the AHPPC, and in responding to, to my request to have a set of improved measures to tighten the end to end process of international arrivals in Australia both from the time of embarkation and entry into the airport all the way through to their acquittal from the formal quarantine period. It was also an opportunity to provide an update to states and territories on what we briefed you on here yesterday on the rollout of the National Vaccine Program. And that was very well received and I thank all states and territories for their engagement in that process and we substantively dealt with that issue yesterday.
It was also, straight off the bat, important to review the situation in Queensland, as well as get updates on New South Wales and in Victoria. The situation in Brisbane is a serious situation. Yes, we know there is only one case, but what we do know is that this new strain is some 70 per cent more transmissible than the previous strains of the virus. This strain is likely to become in the very near future, the dominant strain, as it largely already is, Paul, in the UK, but we anticipate that this will become the more dominant strain of the virus globally. And so the idea that it somehow can be contained just out of the United Kingdom is a false hope. As I said, 80 per cent of the Australians looking to come back are in countries that have had exposure to that strain of the virus. And so it is a very wise decision by the Queensland Government, by Premier Palaszczuk, to put in place the precautions she has over the next few days. It moves so quickly, far more quickly than previous strains of the virus and that means we need to give our contact tracers that head start to ensure that they can track down and run down all of the contacts from this individual and ensure that they can be identified, isolated, that people in the appropriate places can get the testing and we'll see the same, I'm sure response to the call for testing in Queensland, as we've seen in Victoria and we've seen in New South Wales that has been so effective in containing the spread of the most recent outbreaks that we've seen there. But in Brisbane, we're dealing with a different situation. There are many unknowns and uncertainties in relation to the new strain. And so that's why this precaution, a precautionary approach, we believe is very sensible and has the full support of our Chief Medical Officer, the AHPPC, all the Premiers, the Chief Ministers, and of course, myself as I indicated earlier today. This will hopefully ensure that we do not see this go to the next level. And so I want to thank everyone in Queensland, as I have, and those in the Northern Beaches and Melbourne in the past for the patience that they'll be called on over the next few days. Hopefully that's what it will be. But as we all know, we'll just have to take this step by step.
So the Brisbane hotspot, as we are declaring it at a Commonwealth level, it is different to the normal definition we've applied to hotspots but you've got to change the rules where you know that there is new information and new uncertainties that are being introduced. And that is the case in relation to this strain. And that applies to Brisbane, Logan, Morton, Ipswich, and Redlands. This comes into effect at six o'clock this evening, is my understanding. And our message to Australians who are in those areas is stay where you are, don't go anywhere. Don't go home to another state or any other part of your state, over the next few days stay where you are. If you're somewhere else and you are planning to go there, don't. If you are from any of those places and you are somewhere else, you may be here in the ACT, you may be in Western Australia, you may be in Victoria, you should treat yourself as if you are in those places. You should get tested. You should monitor your symptoms. And until you've gone through the testing process, you should remain isolated. This is something we can't allow to get ahead of us and the quick response here proportionate, I would stress, I believe this is a proportionate response to the very real risk, I think all of you know that I've always taken a very balanced approach when it comes to weighing up the risks, the need to keep things open where we can. Certainly had plenty of discussions around that table regarding domestic borders and the like. But where I believe the risk is absolutely proportionate, I can tell you, I'll back it in. And on this occasion, I'm advised and believe that this is the most prudent course of action to ensure that the great gains that have been made over the course of this last year are not put at risk by this most recent strain.
So as a result, we decided to take a number of actions today in relation to quarantine and how it operates, as well as in relation to flights. The purpose here is to both reduce and debulk the risk in terms of exposure to the new strain, starting firstly with arrangements that are substantively already in place on what the Chief Medical Officer would call the ‘should’ basis and turning them into the ‘must’ basis. It is already largely practised, but and particularly, I should stress, for flights that are being chartered by the Commonwealth Government. And so the Commonwealth Government, these arrangements are already in place when in terms of the flights that we are chartering. But this will now be a requirement right across the board. Travellers to Australia must return a negative COVID-19 test result prior to departure to Australia. There will be exemptions and extenuating circumstances and this could include for seasonal workers from amber risk countries where there is limited access to testing, with mitigation of testing on arrival in Australia, in the Pacific where this applies, this is not presently an issue, but where we can put those mitigations in place, people will be aware of the challenges in the ag sector, particularly in the harvest, particularly in the stone fruit industry. You know, we need to have tailored responses when it comes to applying this.
Individuals, including travellers and staff, must undertake measures for infection prevention and control for international travel, that includes passengers to wear masks throughout international flights, crew to wear masks and other personal protective equipment where appropriate. Airlines to have appropriate infection prevention and control measures on board aircraft. All individuals within Australian International Airport environments to wear a mask. Passengers should wear masks while in international airports overseas. International air crew must undergo a COVID-19 test in Australia every seven days or on arrival. That will be determined by the state jurisdictions. To continue to quarantine in dedicated quarantine facilities between international flights or for 14 days, no special rules for flight crews moving about, not reposition for an ongoing international flight unless they do so on a crew only flight. In addition, we agreed that for domestic travel, mask wearing will be mandatory on all domestic flights for all persons in Australia, excluding children under 12, and those, 12 and under, I should say, and those with other accepted exemptions, as an additional preventative measure to prevent geographical spread, mask wearing will be mandatory in all domestic airports in Australia. These measures over the course of the next week and the compliance arrangements that sit around that will be put in place by the Commonwealth and the state governments.
In addition to these arrangements, we will be reducing until the 15th of February the caps on international arrivals in New South Wales, Western Australia, in Queensland by 50 per cent. That means in New South Wales there will be a weekly cap of 1,505, in Western Australia, the 50 per cent reduction these will be finalised with state jurisdictions, at 512, Queensland at 500, Victoria there'll be no change because they are already operating at less than 50 per cent of their current capacity or were on their way back. That will be reviewed now by the 15th of February, not under the arrangement we previously had which was at the end of this month. South Australia there is no change. They are at 490, at a relatively low level compared to the other jurisdictions. In the smaller jurisdictions, the ACT, the Northern Territory, Tasmania, they are very bespoke arrangements in relation to those airports and they will be settled between the Commonwealth and those jurisdictions. Specifically in the Northern Territory, in particular, they are the primary entry point and will be the sole entry point for chartered flights that the Commonwealth has put in place. Those chartered flights will continue over the course. There is one arriving next week because without chartered flights, we have total control of who gets on the plane. So we can ensure that it is vulnerable people who get on those flights and the flight for example, next week that will be coming in and quarantining at Howard Springs, which is not in a densely populated area in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, there are appropriate arrangements in place there. Everyone on that flight I'm advised is either a vulnerable individual as identified by DFAT or a family member of that vulnerable person. So it's important that we keep those chartered flights going where they can be done in a safe way. As I said, all of the requirements that I've outlined to you today substantively are already followed on those chartered flights right now and so that will apply.
The other standard we agreed to today is that for quarantine workers, and states are encouraged to take as broad a definition of that as they can as is done in many states, so that would extend to transport workers for people going to quarantine, not just those who are the cleaners or others directly involved in that process, medical staff and so on, that they would move as a national standard to daily testing. So shift by shift testing for those on a daily basis who are working in those environments and that currently at a national standard has been every seven days. But I stress that that is already being done on a more regular basis in some states and territories now and all states will move to put that in place under their own local arrangements as soon as possible.
What all that means is that we are working together and I must say it was one of those meetings where everyone was on the same page here. Everybody understood what the risk was and I want to thank again the Chief Medical Officer and all the state health officers for the very important work they've been doing and advising on this issue. This is absolutely consistent with the medical advice that has been provided. The suggestion that Australia might be able to close off every single flight that comes to Australia was considered by AHPPC and was not recommended to the National Cabinet. Australia needs to continue to function. For example, vaccines need to come to Australia. They come here on planes, as do other critical supplies. There are people who need to come to Australia who have critical skills that are involved in supply chains and other essential functions in the country, for everything from medical workers to any number of other specific occupations. So Australia must maintain practical contact to ensure that we maintain the functioning of the nation. This is being done because of the many unknowns associated with this strain and over the course of the next four weeks, we will be in a better position to understand what we think fully the impacts of these new strains. So I thank Premiers and Chief Ministers for their cooperation and as I said we will meet fortnightly and more regularly as necessary.
Professor Kelly.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, PM. So just to reiterate and give a bit more detail about the situation with the new strain. I think we've said for many weeks now we live in a dangerous world in terms of this pandemic. It is still raging globally. Looking at the number of active cases in Australia during this week compared with the UK, for example, the UK has about one in 50 people in the UK are currently active coronavirus COVID-19 cases. In Australia, it's about one in 85,000. There's a big difference there. We haven't had a death from the virus for quite some weeks, if not months. In the UK, every day at the moment they are having more deaths. As the PM said yesterday, more deaths in one day than we are getting, we've had in the entire pandemic. So it's a dangerous world out there. What is our major risk? Our major risk is people coming from overseas. We've known about this UK strain for a while. Before Christmas, we specifically looked at that at AHPPC, saw what we knew in terms of the science. It's become clearer now that that particular strain is more transmissible, it's more infectious, if you like, between people and that has now become the dominant strain in the UK. But it has also now been found in many other countries, most of the countries where Australians are travelling from to come home. So that's the issue.
What else has changed in the last 24 hours? I was rung last night by the Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young, in Queensland. We discussed this issue of the cleaner from the quarantined hotels. This is the very first time we've seen someone with this strain in the community in Australia. We've had some cases in hotel quarantine in the past weeks. But they've been controlled through that process. So it is a change. We have therefore moved to calling this a Commonwealth hotspot as Queensland has done and will come in right behind with all of the Commonwealth supports in relation to that. Already last night I discussed with my aged care colleagues about making sure that our aged care, residential aged care facilities in that greater Brisbane area are being supported by our GP respiratory clinics in that area. We're looking to increase the number of tests, the hours and so forth so that there can be support to the Queensland authorities.
Our main issue is to keep Australians safe and to really make sure that this particular strain is not the one that becomes circulating in Australia. The reason is because it will be much more difficult to control. All of the things we've done in the past, all of those controls we've talked about in terms of test, trace, isolate, all of those personal measures, even some of the other measures we've had to do in certain times during this pandemic will become less effective if this virus was to establish itself in Australia. So that's why we're going hard and fast and strong. And to just reiterate again what the PM said, if anyone has been in Brisbane since the 2nd of, in the greater Brisbane area, since the 2nd of this month, wherever you are, you should assume that those directions that have been put for those people in the in that area now apply to you. Isolate and get tested and watch for those, how that emerges in terms of directions. And I will say that right now, whilst I've been with you, PM, by my own office is actually being fumigated on the basis that one of my staff was in Brisbane during that period. She's gone home. She's going to get tested.
PRIME MINISTER: You're welcome to stay here, Paul. You can have one of the offices here if you like.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thanks PM, but I'm sure it'll be safe. So this is a moment for Australia to take notice. And as we did about a year ago, some of these drastic actions, they may seem like where we're changing things rapidly, there's a reason for that. There's science behind it and it's about keeping Australians safe.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Paul. We're happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you’re mandating masks in airports and on flights. We keep seeing and as you've said it's expected that we'll continue to see clusters popping up around the country and sometimes we don't find out until a few days or a week after that cluster starts. Why are we not mandating mask wearing on public transport and other other community settings right across the country?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they're decisions that are being taken by local jurisdictions, based on the advice of their own Chief Health Officers. And that will continue to be the case based on the risk as assessed in each of those states and territories. That's not a matter that has been recommended for a national position on, by the medical expert panel Paul. That's, I mean, there's been plenty of discussions, but it really depends on the circumstances in each case and you've seen that played out across the country as the circumstances suggest. I mean, the situation, for example, in Western Australia is very different to the situation right now in Brisbane, which was very different to the situation in New South Wales three weeks ago and even a week ago. So, you know, there is a flexibility that is maintained across jurisdictions to deal with those issues and those issues are determined by the Premiers and the Health Ministers based on the advice of the Chief Health Officers.
JOURNALIST: Is it now the standard that if your city has, and Professor Kelly, if your city has one case, even one case of this mutant strain, that you face a lockdown? Or is it a case of this is a one off to try and understand how this mutant strain works.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we'll see. That's my honest answer. I mean, I can't tell you what we don't know. No one can. And so to lock in those sorts of, those positions as you've outlined them, I think would be imprudent. We don't want to learn the hard way on this and that's why I think the decision of the Queensland Premier today in this case has been very wise and very prudent. I think we're going to learn a lot in the next three, four, five days. The whole world is trying to understand how this new strain works and we've got a very live example right here in Brisbane in one of our major cities. And so let's learn what we need to learn over the next few days. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. There's no need to catastrophise this, but there is a very real need to address it seriously, as both the Queensland Government is and the Commonwealth Government is and the states and territories are. So I would caution and I would counsel reporting on this to be measured and to see it in the terms that it truly is, that this is a very significant issue and we will deal with it and we will learn what we need to learn from it and that is what will guide further actions. I'll just move across. I know there's a lot of questions here.
JOURNALIST: There's a lot of concerns right now, particularly amongst the business community, about what further lockdowns might mean for their revenue. Have you been considering extending supports like JobKeeper beyond March?
PRIME MINISTER: We've got a situation that we know to be in place for the next three days and what we have known when we've dealt with JobKeeper and JobSeeker transitions before, the last transition occurred while Victoria was still in lockdown. And then we saw 450,000 businesses come off JobKeeper and over two million Australians no longer needing taxpayer funded support and hundreds of thousands jobs created, including in Victoria. And so that is how the system is designed to work, where there are businesses that continue to be in need of it that continues out till the end of March. And I think what these events prove once again is you just don't want to get too far ahead of yourselves. We've got a very clear plan. That plan is working economically. And I think it does provide certainty to businesses to know what the next step is. We've just gone through the next step and there'll be another step in March, end of March, I should say.
JOURNALIST: Could I ask both of you, in your discussions on vaccines, did any jurisdictions suggest that it might be necessary to make it compulsory for a subset of the Australian population and particularly for Dr Kelly, do you have a view on states making it compulsory for the health and aged care workforce, for populations with a particular vulnerability, or for travellers to and from that jurisdiction?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, thank you, Paul. You raised this issue yesterday, and I think you need to be careful about how you are explaining this issue. Flu vaccines are not compulsory in Australia. They are not mandatory, but in certain workplace settings, it is a requirement of those workplaces. That doesn't mean they're mandatory vaccines for flus, but currently for flu vaccines through state public health orders, those arrangements are put in place for public health and safety. It's also true that you need a measles vaccination, I'm advised, to be able to work in an ICU. Measles vaccinations, similarly as with all vaccinations predominately or overwhelming, the Chief Medical Officer will correct me if I'm wrong, they're not compulsory. So I wouldn't suggest that an occupation that may require that for public health reasons is making the vaccination mandatory. That would be false and that would be misleading and I'd counsel you against that. So what states and territories are seeking to do with the Commonwealth is understand in which occupations the normal arrangements that might apply for other vaccines and that's the process that you would expect them to go through. So it's no different. It's the same thing. It doesn't make it mandatory. It doesn't take away from anything the Government has said on this, and I would encourage it to be reported in that way. Paul? Paul, it's based on public health risk.
JOURNALIST: But that could be for the vulnerable sections of the population. It might be travellers.
PRIME MINISTER: It will be based on the same way that any vaccine is currently considered in occupational settings, on a public health risk basis. So that's what it is. What I'm stressing is there's no different approach here. This is the same thing that is done to ensure that we don't lose hundreds of people each year through the flu in our aged care facilities and that's why those protections are put in place. It's not mandatory to work in an occupation, but it can be a requirement of an occupation for public health reasons that certain vaccinations are in place. Paul?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thanks, PM. So we talked about this a lot yesterday, but the two main priorities that have been set by our, our advisory group, ATAGI, which is and this is the medical advice that's driving the vaccine rollout, there's two of them. So one is about exposure risk and the other one is about protecting vulnerable people. So in this case, it’s I think the word requirement rather than mandatory is really important. So we've done this, as the PM has said, for many other protections for vulnerable people in health care settings, in aged care settings before. So as COVID was coming to Australia in March last year, we very specifically worked through AHPPC about the public health risk, realising that we didn't want our most vulnerable people in our aged care facilities to have a double burden of flu and COVID. At that point, we didn't have a COVID vaccine, but we did have the flu vaccine. And so that became a requirement for anyone who was working in aged care to have that vaccine and also visitors. It was a requirement for them as well. That was to protect the most vulnerable. So that sort of assessment will be made for the COVID vaccine as well and it will be on the public health advice that will go to Government to make decisions about that and probably most likely, as was with the flu vaccine, be part of public health orders in jurisdictions.
PRIME MINISTER: So National Cabinet agreed to do that work and as we outlined the vaccination rollout program, there is ample time to do that work as well as we lead up to the commencement of the vaccination of those most vulnerable populations. I should stress, having outlined the additional testing requirements and other constraints around the quarantine space, that quarantine related workers are the first in the queue, along with others like them in border protection and other places like that. So that's incredibly, it's an added layer of protection in the first layer. John?
JOURNALIST: Thanks Prime Minister, what's the medium term end goal with the new variant of the vaccine for Australia? Is it to completely stop it getting into Australia any more to prevent community transmission or at some point once the vaccine is rolled out a bit more widely, will we have to live with it a bit more, given it's going to become the dominant strain in the world?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think the first step and I'll ask the CMO to comment from a medical perspective, but from my perspective as Prime Minister and I'm sure this view is shared by the Premiers, right now when so much is unknown and when a vaccine is yet not in a rollout phase, we should be very cautious. And I know there'll be some in Brisbane today who'll be going, ‘well, why is this necessary? That seems a bit rough. There's only one case.’ Well, this isn't any ordinary case. This is a very special case and one that requires us to treat things quite differently until we know more and we will learn much in the next few days. And what Queenslanders will be doing over the next few days they will be doing not just for themselves in their own communities, but I think the rest of the country. And so, again, I thank you for the patience that you'll have to show in relation to the disruption. We know it causes disruption, but we're also quite sure that that is the prudent course of action given the circumstances. But the longer term position of this, John, I think is one that we will learn more about as the weeks unfold, for example, the decision to take the caps down for those three major areas, which effectively includes Victoria as well, because they're already at 50 per cent and less than that, I should say, that automatically comes back to their existing levels on the 15th of February, so this is a temporary suspension of those higher levels of intake as we learn more about what's happening here and what's going around the world. And this isn't the only new strain. And you notice I'm not describing the strains using any nationalities, we haven't done that more broadly. I don't see why we would start doing that now. There are other strains that are coming in and other locations and they also can present a threat. But Paul?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: What we know about variations in coronaviruses and in this coronavirus in particular is much more than we knew a year ago, pretty much about any virus. The genomic testing that we've talked about a lot is important in several ways. The most important is that it really assists our contact tracers to make those connections between one person with the illness and another person. So there are many variations, thousands of different variations. There are now three definite strains in the world that are, that seem to be associated with more transmissibility, more infectiousness. None of those are associated with more severe disease and none of them are associated with any problem with the vaccine. They are important things. You asked about what our plan is, it is the same as it's been from the beginning. It's a suppression strategy with the aim of no community transmission. And doing anything we can to do that is important, to take what's happening in Brisbane right now, the three days, and this is really important, the three days is not about controlling the virus. It's about giving our contact tracers enough time to make those connections, to make sure anyone who needs to be isolated is isolated, to do the testing and then to reconsider. And that's absolutely, I accept and support that approach.
PRIME MINISTER: We’ll keep going around this way. I’m just, one at a time, we’ll do a queue today.
JOURNALIST: Professor Kelly and Prime Minister, can you just clarify that testing? Is that rapid testing? Is there a time limit associated for travellers having to come back to Australia,
PRIME MINISTER: You mean overseas or,
JOURNALIST: For overseas, coming to Australia? And if so, will there be financial assistance to people in countries that need to get this testing? Because we're hearing from people in the UK that say that it's around $300 dollars and that's on top of costs for flights to get home?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, let me deal with the second part first, and I'll allow the CMO to talk about the tests that are around and how we work through those issues. We already have a hardship fund which is being extended right now to Australians who are overseas. And I can tell you actually, that the, I think I’ve got it here, that the amount that has currently gone out from that hardship fund is some $15.5 million dollars, has been provided to people overseas to assist them, and that's with some short term financial assistance, zero interest loans those types of things, small amount of loans, around $4.27 million in loans, but over $11 million dollars in direct financial assistance to Australians who are in trouble overseas. We approved a budget of over $60 billion dollars for that last year. And so, you know, in circumstances that warrant that, then there is a hardship fund that DFAT consular officials have available to them in circumstances, based on merits. So I wouldn't say it would be a carte blanche arrangement if people can afford to look after their own situations in those places, then well and good. But if there are genuine hardship issues, then DFAT is already resourced and supported to help people in that case. And I should note that given the announcements we've made today regarding the reduction in the caps over the next, over a four, four, five week period, it will take about a week because of the flights that are already in the pipeline, to ramp that down. And I was just speaking to Alan Joyce before coming out here today, and we had a bit of a chat about that, that those who are overseas and that may be in a hardship position, that I would expect the DFAT consular support to be, to continue to be extended on the circumstances as they determine. But Paul, on the testing arrangements?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So the testing, we will be expecting a rapid, a PCR test. Sorry real time PCR test, not a rapid test, as the standard. There may be exemptions there for various reasons. For example, some countries that just won't be available. So, but that's what we're aiming for. The reason and I've talked before against that particular proposal for the issues that you raised, equity and so forth, but with the UK Australian, we now have good modelling data to show that that would actually be very effective, increase in, in the rings of containment that we have. So none of these things that the PM's talked about today that we discussed at AHPPC and have been adopted at National Cabinet are the silver bullet for this. Each of them, though incrementally increase the chances that we'll be able to keep this virus out of Australia or at least recognise when it's arriving. So we want the very best test prior to departure, as many other countries have done previously.
PRIME MINISTER: Yep? Oh sorry. I missed, I missed you. Sorry.
JOURNALIST: In relation to the 15th of February date that you mentioned,
PRIME MINISTER: The which date?
JOURNALIST: The 15th of February date for the increase in the hotel quarantine cap. Is that connected with when you expect to start to see those initial frontline workers getting vaccinated? Is there a connection there?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: And just in relation to,
PRIME MINISTER: Whether that coincides or not is another matter. But that that wasn't the basis. It was effectively, you know, if you're going to reduce them, there is a sort of logistical process that goes with scaling it down and then scaling it up again. And that month period, we basically take another week. So that takes us through to the 15th at the end of next week, and then a month on from there.
JOURNALIST: Just in relation to the success of New South Wales in clamping down on its most recent outbreaks. Do you think that perhaps Victoria and Queensland and other states acted too quickly in implementing those hard borders, given how successful the contact tracing has been?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh look I'm not going to go back over that. I'm simply going to say that I think both the New South Wales and the Victorian, and I believe the Queensland system will demonstrate this as well and I think give Australians confidence. As we look back over the last few weeks, sure, there was a real risk, but they all got on top of it, you know, Northern Beaches is coming out. Thank you Northern Beaches. I'll get there at some point once I am able to return to Sydney, at some point. But, and say thank you, as I hope to do in Victoria and other places in the weeks and months ahead. I think Australians have done an extremely good job, but the systems that the states have built over these many months were put to great test over the last few weeks and they've come out well. And I think that gives us a lot of confidence. We've seen, particularly in Tasmania and Queensland, who took the hotspot approach to this. Now, I freely acknowledge that states and territories and the Commonwealth have a difference of view about what constitutes a hotspot. But I can tell you we were in no disagreement today when it comes to Brisbane and this and this case. But that is one thing. But the other issue is then having a hotspot approach, which I think in Tasmania's case and Queensland's case in relation to the New South Wales outbreak that has worked incredibly well. And that was acknowledged I think, by both states today. Victoria took a different decision. They'll be, as did South Australia. So it's not on party lines or anything. And I would hope that from every run around the block we have on this, something is learnt on every occasion. But I think the hotspot approach, which you know, has been my view since March, I think that has always been the best way to approach that to minimise disruption, but I have also acknowledged, as we discussed today, because this was a topic that came up today, that how borders impact on the country differs across the country. How it, this is why I've always understood Western Australia has a different scenario largely to what happens on the eastern states and the impacts of those things, of statewide restrictions can have a very significant impact on the east coast. And that's why, you know, that has to be taken account of by states when they make these calls. I understand the sensitivity in Victoria having been through what they went through last year and what I'm sure was a very strong public sentiment that they didn't want to go back to where they'd been in the back end of last year, for most of the back end of last year. So look, there's a lot of give and take in this process. But what I think is always important that where states are putting arrangements in place and we discussed this today, then you've got to be clear about why you're doing it. You've got to try and give as much head's up and time for business and others to be aware of what's going on so they can adapt, as well as for individuals to minimise the disruption. And you've got to be clear about how it comes off at the end of the day as well and that helps people plan. And so we discussed those things today and, you know, I respect the decision states have to make. And, but I think the hotspot approach, which was followed particularly by Queensland and Tasmania in this case, it proved to be very effective.
JOURNALIST: Professor Kelly, just on the PCR tests, you've got to get them before you get on a plane. But they're not the antibody test that you can have a result within a few minutes. It's the swab test, am I right? Yeah so are you expected, you can't get it when you get to the airport. You have to have it in the day or day before you get there. Is that accurate?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Correct.
JOURNALIST: So those are not foolproof tests either because, you know, you might test negative at the airport and when you arrive in Australia the next day you may test positive. So it's not a foolproof plan obviously?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: No, it clearly isn't. And that's why I'm saying, we have these rings of containment that we've always had. This is just another layer to that. Yes, if it's positive, we know it's positive. If it's negative, that does not prove that the next day or even on the plane, they might develop, become infectious. But what we've found and as the PM has said, we've been doing this all along with our flights into Howard Springs. So I think the last flight that came, there were 15 people that were denied uplift onto that flight because either they or their household contacts and this is the new rule now for everyone coming. If you or your household contacts, if you're positive, you and your household contacts will be denied uplift. And that will be, that would be part of that. So a negative test yeah it is not foolproof, but a positive test, they're not coming.
PRIME MINISTER: Anyone looking for absolute guarantees in a COVID world is not going to find them. And the expectation of them being there is unrealistic. And we can't be cavalier about what the alternatives are to the approach which the Chief Medical Officer has set out. Every action will have implications and consequences. I do want to make it clear beyond Australia's borders that Australia has every intention of remaining engaged and the investments and the trade and the many other important connections we have with the rest of the world, so critical to Australia's economic recovery and the jobs of Australians and supply chains and access to medicines and all of these things are very important to Australia. So there are no consequence free decisions here and so it is about managing the risk as appropriately and as proportionately as possible and bringing together the full balance of factors that we have to consider as Governments.
JOURNALIST: You said earlier that Brisbane had been declared as a hotspot, but with different rules. So is this going to be the case wherever this new strain of the virus pops up? We're going to have different rules. And so how is the approach going to be different to other hotspots where other strains are?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll give you the same answer that I gave to your colleague. This is how we're applying it in this one instance. And we will learn what we'll learn over the next few days about how this strain behaves. And we've made no further decisions about how our broader hotspot definition may be altered. That should be informed by the evidence. And so it would be imprudent of me to make those sort of sweeping generalisations or changes based on what we know right now. We don't know enough right now. So we'll be very cautious, if we know more and that enables us to take a different approach, then we will. So we're not locking anything here. We are just being careful right now in this case, because it is the first one. And, you know, you learn a lot from your first case. We certainly did many months ago and the many waves that came and we're going to learn a lot in the days ahead.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on the international borders issue in regards to people coming in from the UK or South Africa. How close are you in your thinking to preventing Australians returning home from those areas, given the significance of the strain of this virus? I know you said it wasn't recommended today. Was it discussed? How close are you on that front? And just your reaction to Abu Bakar Bashir being released from prison today? Are you comfortable with the Bali bombing mastermind being released?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, let me come back to that issue. But on the other issue, as the Chief Medical Officer has set out, this isn't just a problem out of one country. This is a problem for 80 per cent of those seeking to come back to Australia from over 30 countries, and so the idea that you can somehow narrow stream your response here and mitigate the risk, just dealing with one channel into Australia is not true. And that was the discussion we had today, that just looking at it in terms of one channel of arrivals into Australia would not contain the risk. And that's why we went down the path of reducing the bulk of that risk by reducing the caps and where we would maintain those charter flights we were putting it through much more rigid channels, much more contained channels. And the National Cabinet was confident that the issue that you raised was well considered by the AHPPC and that they did not recommend that action meant that was not something that we should move on. That would be a very significant step. But it would mean not just one country, it'd mean the whole world. And that would have very profound economic implications for Australia. We certainly don't want the protections to be worse than the impact. And so that is the balance you always have to strike, we have to be very careful as we deal with these issues as we have all year, that we just don't go to the extremes of the debate and turn it into an either or proposition. The balance is always being found in the middle by calibrating and giving a proportionate response.
Oh, on, look, this is very distressing to the friends and families of the of the Australians, the 88 Australians who were killed in the Bali bombings of 2002. I still remember that day very vividly, like I'm sure many Australians do. And over the years where I've been able to, I would join the remembrance service down there in Coogee above where Giles baths used- Giles baths still are and come together with many others in remembrance of those who were lost. And so I understand. It's hard and it's gut wrenching, having spent time with the families of those victims of that terrible bombing, we have always called for those who are involved, not just I as Prime Minister, my predecessors of all political persuasions to face tougher, proportionate and just sentences in these cases. Decisions on sentencing, though, as we know, are matters for the Indonesian justice system and we have to respect the decisions that they take. We have made clear through our Embassy in Jakarta the concerns we have that such individuals be prevented from further inciting others. And we will continue to follow those sort of issues through. They have been released consistent with the Indonesian justice system. That doesn't make it any easier for any Australian to accept that, ultimately, that those who are responsible for the murder of Australians would now be free. It's sometimes not a fair world, and that's one of the hardest things to deal with. So I extend to the families and the friends and particularly those, I suppose, who I've met and discussed these issues. I remember one chap who would come along to the remembrance service with the thongs that he was wearing on that day, and he would bring the thongs along the remembrance service and he wears the sort of stuff he was wearing that night. And it's still raw all of these years later. Still very raw.
JOURNALIST: Other than daily testing of hotel quarantine workers, is there anything else that can be done to prevent the virus, especially the new strain coming out of hotel quarantine?
PRIME MINISTER: We do everything we practically can and that's what we've decided to do today. And if there are other things that can be practically done, then I can assure you that the Chief Medical Officer and the AHPPC won't hesitate in making those recommendations. We're in constant contact with jurisdictions in other places which are dealing with the same problems. But I can give Australians this confidence. This uncertainty is not different to the uncertainties we've dealt with over the past year. And as we've dealt with those uncertainties, we stand here today in a country that has been able to battle this virus better than almost any other country in the world and we've been able to do so while keeping Australians in jobs and getting them back into jobs to protect lives and to protect livelihoods. The mission hasn't changed from when I first discussed it here, you know, back in March or even before that time. The mission hasn't changed. We're all still working on it. We're all still working on it together. And we will get through this latest challenge as we've got through the others. Every day we've been dealing with this pandemic we have got better at it. We've got stronger, we've got more capable, and we've got better and better results as time has gone on and we've learnt and we've learnt and we've learnt. And that's what we will continue to do. The reason we've been able to learn has been because of the great forbearance and patience of the Australian people and the trust that they have offered to all of us, whether as Prime Minister or Premiers or others, to go and make these decisions. And we thank you for that trust and we will continue to honour that trust in the decisions that we take as a group. As I said, we'll meet again at the latest in a fortnight. The Acting Prime Minister tomorrow, Mr McCormack, will be taking up that position over the next week. On the 18th, I’ll be back here in Canberra but if there is any reason to convene things before then, then we obviously will and I'll stay in close contact. But I'm sure Mr McCormack and Mr Hunt and the many others who are working on these issues will follow through on the important decisions that we've made today. So we might leave it there. Thank you all very much for your time and I'll see you in just over a week. Thank you.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
7 January 2021
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, afternoon, I should say. I'm joined by the Minister for Health, I'm joined by the Secretary of the Health Department and the Chief Medical Officer. This afternoon we will be providing an update and making some announcements on the vaccination rollout strategy. Before I do that, though, I want to make a couple of comments regarding the rather disturbing scenes in the United States. As I've already expressed today earlier, and as so many around the world have, the riots and protests that we've seen in Washington D.C. have been terribly distressing. They are very concerning. As a result, we are making some changes to our travel advice, which is as follows: Due to violent protests in Washington D.C., curfews are in place in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia from 6.00pm on Wednesday the 6th of January to 6.00am on the Thursday the 7th of January and that you should avoid areas where protests are occurring due to ongoing potential for violence. Follow the instructions of local authorities, including curfews, and stay away, stay at home orders, monitor the media for information and updates. We also note that COVID-19 remains a serious health risk in the United States. Various restrictions and public health measures are in place and they vary by location. So please follow the instructions of local authorities, including those related to the quarantine, self-isolation and social distancing and the wearing of masks. Please monitor the Embassy website for further COVID-19 related information. I’m pleased that the Senate has been able to recommence their proceedings and we hope for a peaceful and stable transition of government to the new administration, elected by the American people. And this is a difficult time for the United States, clearly. They are a great friend of Australia and they're one of the world's greatest democracies. And so we just, our thoughts are with them and we hope for that peaceful transition to take place.
But to the purpose of today's calling of this press conference, we are still winning, but we have not yet won the fight against the pandemic. And that will continue to be a fight that we will wage over the course of 2021. In the most recent outbreaks over the summer, the systems have been put to the test in New South Wales, in Victoria, and today in the case that has been announced in Queensland will similarly present a test. But we have seen that test passed, not just by the systems that have been built up by those jurisdictions as we have battled that virus throughout the course of 2020, learned the lessons, improved the systems, upgraded, working together. But it is also a test that is increasingly and continues to be passed by the Australian people. Whether those up in the northern beaches of Sydney or the suburbs of Melbourne or indeed in other parts of the country, we say thank you for your patience, for your perseverance and your cooperation. And we will continue to work through those issues as we battle that virus, as we have been so successfully over the course of now 12 months. Almost 12 months ago, was when the then Chief Medical Officer, Professor Murphy, came into my office and briefed me on the situation regarding the coronavirus at that time.
So we will continue to put our trust in those systems that have been built up and we commend everyone who is doing that job out there today, getting tested, conducting the tests, getting the reports back to people, seeking to minimise the disruption to their lives as much as possible, whether at the cricket in Sydney or they're at home or in isolation or whether they happen to find themselves. Including, we are mindful of those in Western Australia at present who are fighting fires north of Perth. I've been in contact with the Premier today and they are on top of that situation. There's been no request for federal assistance on that matter, but the Premier is aware of the availability of support if they should need it.
The vaccination policy that was adopted by our Federal Cabinet in November and subsequently also endorsed by the National Cabinet, has been put into action in these months since then, as we prepared for the rollout of the vaccine. This is ultimately a partnership between the Federal Government. It's a federal vaccination policy. But with all vaccines, they are done in partnership with the states and we've been following those processes. This is not the usual vaccination arrangement that we'd have, given its significance. And on this occasion, the federal element of this vaccination policy has been driven very much by the Health Secretary who joins us today.
The vaccination in 2021 is a key component, obviously, of how we're dealing with the pandemic here in Australia. Throughout the course of dealing with this pandemic, we have been dealing with this in a very Australian way. Of course, we are mindful of the experiences and the lessons that we can learn from other jurisdictions. Over the course of the past year, I've probably had more discussions with leaders of other countries than Australia has seen for a very, very long time. And I've found all of those engagements, as has occurred also by the Health Minister, indeed our other health officials, other chief medical officers, whether in our own region, in the Indo-Pacific or more broadly, further afield in the United States, Canada and of course, throughout Europe and the UK. But Australia has been making its own way through this, and we've been tailoring our response to our conditions, our challenges and our needs, and we have had great success by comparison. It is a terrible tragedy that there are countries in the world today who are seeing daily death rates from COVID-19 that are higher than the total number of deaths that Australia has sadly experienced in the course of the past year. And I must admit, when I reflected on that figure in the last couple of days, it was incredibly sobering. More deaths in one day from COVID in many jurisdictions, than Australia has experienced in the last year.
So we find ourselves in a different situation, a situation not unlike countries, whether it be like New Zealand, South Korea or Japan. However, I note in recent times they've also seen an increase in cases. So we will continue to make our Australian way through this COVID-19 pandemic and seek to continue to achieve the same success that we have had to date and manage the disruption as well as we possibly can, both to our economy and the daily lives of Australians. Our officials have been moving swiftly and safely to introduce the vaccine here in Australia as soon as is safely possible. Doing that is critical to public confidence in the vaccine. We have set out cautious timetables and outlined them to you over months now, and the Health Minister has engaged most significantly in communicating that to the Australian people. But behind the scenes, the officials you see here have led a process with their counterparts around the country, but particularly within the Federal Health Department, to ensure we are seeking to better those timetables. We don't want to make promises that we can't keep. That is incredibly important. We will tell you timetables when we can have confidence in those timetables and we will continue to update those timetables as more information is known and as improvements continue to be made. We know what we know and will base our information and our timetables on that rather than speculating.
There have been no delays in the introduction of the vaccine in Australia. There has been the necessary swiftness that has been asked of the TGA and, of course, the health officials that are driving this process. It is moving considerably faster than normal vaccination approval processes would occur in Australia, but without skipping a step, without cutting a corner, ensuring that everything that needs to be ticked is ticked along the way. But the priority that I and the Health Minister have placed upon this vaccination is to ensure that that is the goal. That is the task. That is the major thing that needs to be worked on by the TGA and by our health officials to move swiftly to have this in place. So there has been no delay and no deferral. This is going as quickly and as safely as possible.
Our health officials and experts, led by Professors Murphy in Kelly, have taken us through this process again this morning and the work that's been done over this summer break. And I want to thank all of those officials who have been working incredibly hard, particularly over these last several weeks, to get things in place to advise what we can today. After considerable effort, including with our vaccine suppliers, we are now in a position where we believe we'll be able to commence vaccinations of high priority groups in mid to late February. So we're talking about next month. This will, of course, remain conditional on a number of important factors, most importantly, that final TGA approval and the delivery of the vaccine from our suppliers. To step this out, the Health Minister will go through a presentation and that will be followed by Professor Murphy and Professor Kelly. The Therapeutic Goods Administration we are hoping to secure all the data, the final data, which they've been accumulating on an incremental basis now for some weeks to have that mid this month. That is from Pfizer, I should say. We then envisage to be hopeful of an approval subject to all the data and issues that may arise from that being resolved by the end of January. AstraZeneca, we expect that process to be completed in February, but we cannot give you a closer timetable around that. Pfizer’s global protocols require approximately two weeks for delivery post approval of the vaccine. So the vaccine does not arrive pre approval. The vaccine is only released and distributed to countries once the approval is provided.
Now, you remember, this is a vaccine that has to be stored at sub-70 degrees Celsius. And that obviously has logistical issues. And that is what is addressed by Pfizer. And so that is around about a two week timeframe. Outside of that, there's about another up to a week which is required for batch testing of those received vaccine doses.
There are many other issues which Professor Murphy will also speak to, which go to the distribution of the vaccine. There is the registration process, one of the issues that is already presenting itself is there can be confusion around the vaccination process and who has received what vaccines. It's very important that is crystal clear and a process has been established already to ensure that that certification is in place. And so everyone will know who has received what vaccines, because once you get the first dose within a couple of weeks to a month, you also need to receive the second dose. And so it is not just one shot here, it's a two shot process. And that has to be managed particularly for the priority populations.
There will be five phases of priority populations as we work through over the course of this year to administer the vaccine, both the Pfizer vaccine and the AZ vaccine. Today, we are going to talk about the process of those first two phases that will provide the most necessary ring of containment and protection for the Australian population. Those populations in that first phase are quarantine and border workers, front line health officials, as well as those working in aged care and disability care and those in aged care, and disability care residents. We anticipate optimistically that we would hope to start the vaccination with around 80,000 vaccinations a week. That's what we are targeting. And then seeing that build up over the next 4 to 6 weeks and we hope by the end of February- end of March, I should say, to have reached some 4 million population. That is a target. That is what we are working to. But as the information and other things become clearer, then I think we can provide further updates on how we are tracking against those goals.
We will continue to work with the states. That has been something that has been happening now for weeks and weeks, and that will continue. Tomorrow the National Cabinet will be meeting by video link and will be able to update that further and we look forward to that process with them. This will include the necessity for state governments and territory governments to harmonise and ensure a national consistency in public health orders, which is the process by which any requirement to have a vaccine is made legal across Australia. So that is a matter that I have already spoken to the Secretary of the Health Department, Secretary Murphy, Professor Murphy, to ensure that he's working with his counterparts in the other states and territories, that we can get a consistent standard of public health orders at the state and territory level, which relate to the administration of the vaccine and where if in any cases there is a requirement to have that vaccine. But that is a discussion still to be had with the states and territories and working through the process with Professor Murphy.
Finally, vaccination is not a silver bullet. Once the vaccination starts COVIDSafe practises do not end. They continue. COVIDSafe practises will be a 2021 lived experience, they will continue. The vaccine both here in Australia and around the world, will continue to be rolled out, but it will still be a fight over the course of 2021. But this will add a very, very significant further defence and offence I should also say, in combating the virus here in Australia and around the world, there is still a lot still to be learnt about these vaccines and how they impact, that is in terms of transmissibility and issues of that nature. And that's why COVIDSafe behaviours and other arrangements will still be necessary over the course of this year.
Now, just on National Cabinet, it was earlier this week I asked the Chief Medical Officer to consider a set of proposals that they could bring forward to National Cabinet. As I've said to you earlier, where there is a clear proposal for National Cabinet to consider, then, of course, very happy to convene National Cabinet. And that proposal is further being worked on, literally as we speak AHPPC is meeting now and Professor Kelly will be rejoining that meeting later today. It's being looked after by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Kidd, right now. And they will work through those proposals, which will deal with the end to end process on international arrivals, right through that quarantine process from point of embarkation at the source country from where people are coming right through to the acquitting of the final quarantine period. And so we'll talk more about that tomorrow. I don't have anything further to add to that today. I think it's fair to leave that consideration to the medical expert panel. I want their medical advice and they are working through providing that. And we'll consider that in the morning with all the other Premiers and Chief Ministers. And I'll be back here tomorrow around about the same time to update you on those issues.
With that, I'll hand you to the Health Minister. Greg’s doing a fabulous job.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: Thanks very much, thanks. Thanks PM, Professor Murphy, Professor Kelly.
If we could have the first slide, please. Today is a very important day in the course of the pandemic in Australia. We see over here the first wave, the second wave, which was overwhelmingly, of course, within Victoria, and then the outcome from the twin outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria. Today's Australian numbers are; zero cases in the community in 7 out of 8 states and territories, 1 in Queensland, and we have full confidence in their ability to track and trace, but 0 cases in each of New South Wales and Victoria in the community, 1 expected tomorrow in New South Wales, but zero today. And it's important to remember there were, there was a prediction, for example, of 3,000 cases in New South Wales on the 8th of January made only two weeks ago, and today: zero. What that means is that the outbreak and containment structures that had been developed prior to the pandemic but enhanced during the course of the pandemic are succeeding, are protecting Australians, are saving Australian lives. Equally, it's important to understand there are now over 11 and 3 quarter million tests that have been done for COVID in Australia and only yesterday over 100,000 tests conducted in Australia with later figures to come for the day.
If I could have the second slide, please. Then we look at Australia in comparison with the world, and we see here that there are a group of countries that are highly advanced, developed countries that are living in the most difficult of circumstances, 87 million cases, over 1.88 million lives lost officially and no doubt higher for those that were never diagnosed. In particular today, it's likely that the world will see over three quarters of a million cases, over 13 and a half thousand lives lost. In the UK alone, in a country with which we're so close, over 62,000 cases and a 1,000 lives lost. And in the United States, over 240,000 cases and 3,700 lives lost. Unimaginable numbers and agony that those communities are facing. We have been fortunate through preparation and planning and the good work of Australians and our health officials and governments across Australia, all of the work, of all of the Australians that we are in a group here with Japan and Korea slightly above now, Australia, New Zealand. We know that the jurisdiction of Taiwan has also done very well, and that has framed how we approach vaccination in Australia. And it's a very important part of it. Those countries which are here are working to an expedited but full safety assessment. Others in the grip of extremes, in the dark of a northern winter are having to make the most difficult decisions around emergency vaccination, which we recognise and support and acknowledge. And given the circumstances, that's completely justifiable.
I would note that as part of our response, just to give a brief update with regard to aged care, asymptomatic testing, 67 facilities recently completed in New South Wales, no positive cases. Victoria, 256 facilities at the Commonwealth's request tested, no positive cases, all negative so far. So that then brings me to the third slide and the strategy. In particular, and I'll let Professor Murphy and Kelly speak to the bulk of this. There are 4 principles to what we're doing, as the Prime Minister said safety first, above all else. Secondly, safety is about confidence and vaccine confidence leads to high take up. There have been parts of the world that have had challenges with vaccine take up, even though they are in the grip of the most extreme phase of the pandemic. So confidence about safety is fundamental to Australians. Thirdly, swift but safe, and fourthly under promise, but over deliver. We've continuously exceeded our targets and that's what we will strive to do.
So in terms of the priority groups and this is something that's been determined by the medical experts, you will see the phases one and two. There's no surprises as the Prime Minister said, in phase 1A, quarantine and border workers, frontline health care groups, aged care and disability staff and residents. And that's been foreshadowed. And Brendan will take you through the other elements. Also though within our strategy, a very important thing is that we- they have separated on medical advice, the cold chain and the non-cold chain distribution processes. So there will be a series of hubs for the cold chain. So there is no risk of confusion about vaccines or risk to the process. And these 30 to 50 hubs will provide early support across those three groups. And then for the AstraZeneca vaccine and in turn, in time if required, for the Novavax vaccine, over a thousand locations around Australia. So over a thousand points of presence working in conjunction with the states for vaccine distribution.
Brendan?
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Professor, to outline the plan Brendan.
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thanks PM, and thanks Minister.
So as the PM and the Minister have said all the advice we have in Australia is because our strong public health position is what it is. We should go with full, proper registration of these initial two vaccines. We have two of the most promising vaccines that are coming our way very shortly, but we want to have full registration. The registration process through the TGA has been extraordinarily expedited. What used to take several months is being done in days and weeks, but without any compromise, without any compromise on safety. So these processes are going really quickly. But the TGA needs a lot more information than the data that those countries that needed emergency authorisation required for that. So we need more data. We need to get that approved by our experts. And as soon as we have that data, the panels will meet that- the data will be assessed and we will get registration. As the Prime Minister has said, we're likely to have registration for the Pfizer vaccine this month, later this month. And the AstraZeneca vaccine, by the time we've got all the right data, answered all those questions, in February. That means that we can, as the Prime Minister said, assuming all those things go well, in mid to late February, we can start our phase one rollout with likely to be the Pfizer vaccine for this priority population. Which will be quarantine and border workers, frontline health care workers, residential aged care and disability staff and residents, and that will be a relatively focussed rollout, which I will come to a little bit later on and discuss how that will be done. Then when we get access to significantly more vaccine, as we release the batches of the hopefully registered and fully approved AstraZeneca vaccine, and remember, we are manufacturing this onshore, so we have guaranteed supply line of this vaccine and that will lead us to a rapid ramp up within weeks of that initial start. And we will expand the roll out to a significantly broader range of, again, at risk population. And that will include the people who are of advanced age where we know the risk is higher. Indigenous Australians over 55, who are clearly at higher risk of disease, and a number of other people with clinical conditions that make them at higher risk of COVID and a number of critical and high risk workers who are much more prone to be exposed to COVID, that ramp up will continue. And as the Prime Minister has said, by the end of March, we hope to have at least 4 million people- 4 million doses, and then we will ramp up further and expand the population more broadly.
I won't go into the details of those subsequent phases at the moment, but we'll just take you to the next slide now. So this just outlines that very first priority population, that Phase 1A in some more detail. We know we've seen the tragic consequences of outbreaks in residential aged care. So aged care facilities and the workers who can spread the virus generally will be a high priority. And that will be done by the Commonwealth contracted officials working in partnership with the states and territories. And I do want to emphasise that at every stage, as the Prime Minister has said, our planning and delivery is done in partnership with the states and territories. Each state and territory has different needs. It has different populations. It has different geography. And we need the expertise and the wisdom of the experts in each state and territory to do it. But the aged care and disability care will be a very high priority. The states and territories will set up dedicated clinics to do priority frontline health care workers, those people in the emergency departments and intensive care units who are at the frontline of exposure to COVID. And then particularly as we've seen more and more recently, those people working in our quarantine hotels, those frontline workers at the border and working in those quarantine hotels who are putting themselves probably at the highest risk of exposure of anyone in our community at the moment. And they will be a great priority. And again, we will do that in partnership with the states and territories.
So if you go to the next slide, the first stage will be, as the Prime Minister and Minister Hunt said, specific hubs for the minus 70 [degrees celsius] Pfizer vaccine, that will need to be a limited number of sites set up by the states and territories in hospitals, 30 to 50 across the nation. And they will remain Pfizer hubs the whole way through. So we don't have any confusion about which vaccine is available at which site. Each hub, each vaccination site will only deliver one type of vaccine. We've seen already some parts of the world where there might be some confusion about which dose of which vaccine you get. We want, because we're in this luxurious position of being pretty COVID free at the moment with a good COVID response, we want to vaccinate our population properly with the right dosage interval and give them two doses of the same vaccine according to the best possible protocols. Those hub locations will be determined by the states and territories in partnership with the Commonwealth, and they will deliver some vaccines to those frontline border workers, quarantine workers, frontline health care workers and become a distribution site for the outreach teams that will go into residential aged care and into disability care to deliver those vaccines to that initial priority population.
Then if we go to the next slide, you'll see a very large number of vaccination sites. This is within a few weeks of commencing vaccination. When we broaden to get access to the large quantity of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which we are, as I said, producing locally, initially we will be using imported doses and then we will have significant product coming off the production line at CSL’s plant in Parkville, and we have enough plan to cover the entire population with two doses, and you'll see that we will expand our vaccination sites, in addition to those Pfizer hubs we will be expanding into general practice clinics, our existing Commonwealth GP respiratory clinics and a number of other state run vaccination clinics that will be determined in partnership with the states and territories and obviously also Aboriginal controlled health services. And you will see potentially a thousand or more sites across the country that will be rolling out vaccine for the subsequent phases. We will then obviously be expanding progressively those populations we saw on the first slide and over the course of this first- the second quarter of this year, we will have achieved a very significant proportion of the population coverage and then we will go on to cover the rest of the general population. And the very last group that we might consider is children. We know children are at the lowest risk of getting COVID and transmitting COVID. And the vaccines currently haven't been properly tested in children. And that will be the last group that we will consider in the fifth phase.
So you've seen all that you I think you will get access to these slides. And I'm happy to take questions later on. But I think Professor Kelly is going to put it into the general public health context now.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Professor Kelly?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, PM.
So all along through this pandemic, we've had a plan for dealing with the pandemic in an Australian way and the other speakers before me have spoken to that already. So vaccines fit into that plan. They are part of, it's a strong tool, it's not a magic bullet, it’s not a silver bullet, as the PM has said, but it fits into and strengthens all of those things that we have in our pandemic control strategy. It will continue to include all of those personal behaviour issues that people know all about right about now. It will include the test, trace and isolate component and the excellent work being done in the states and territories right now dealing with the outbreaks that we have in Sydney and Melbourne and other places. So it's part of that story. It's a very exciting new part of that story. We said very early on it would take us probably 18 months to two years to get to get a vaccine into Australia. We are well ahead of that initial phase. And it's an extraordinary position that we are in to be able to introduce that in the coming weeks. We are looking to save lives and also minimise the risk to the Australian population and others, Professor Murphy and Minister Hunt and the Prime Minister have talked about that importance of priority populations, and that fits into the plan that we've had all along. It's about those that have the highest risk of exposure for their own personal health, but also how that may transmit to the rest of the population. And so that's an important component. It's why quarantine workers and other border workers are right at the top of the queue right now. They are the ones at the highest risk, but it's also about protecting lives and protecting people at the highest risk, therefore, of severe disease. The elderly, particularly those in aged care facilities, some disabled people, Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and those with chronic diseases. That's why they're in that priority group. It's because they are at the most severe end of the spectrum in terms of disease. And the important thing to note is both of those vaccines that are now on the cusp of being approved for use in Australia have shown very strong effectiveness against severe disease in particular. And so that's an important component of our plan.
Thank you, PM.
PRIME MINISTER: Let's keep questions at first to the vaccination strategy and those issues. Happy to deal with other issues later and matters for tomorrow. But as I said, there's not much more I can add about tomorrow's meeting until they've actually met.
JOURNALIST: So on the vaccine, can you take us through what's happened over the last 24 hours? Because the timetable has obviously bounced around a bit. You know, in November, you said that we'd be at the front of the queue. Then you changed it to saying we'd be on the front row. Yesterday, we had Greg Hunt saying the rollout would start in March. What's happened in the last 24 hours to bring it forward? It does sound a bit like you're taking the timetable that Labor has proposed. And when can that batch testing start? Can it only start, you know, after the TGA has approved it, then it's been introduced. Just explain to us why we had a two week concertining of that in 24 hours?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, let me start and then Greg and I think Brendan and others can comment. First of all, our practice has been to set out cautious targets. And that's what we've done with this. We talked about the first quarter of this year when we first talked about vaccines. And since that time, we've just worked the system to see how we can improve the timeliness of the delivery of the vaccine. So these are not things that have been decided in 24 hours. These are things that have taken us weeks to arrive at from the time that we agreed the national vaccination policy and then took that through National Cabinet. Health officials have been working with their counterparts and states, with our suppliers and others to continue to improve on the timetable that we have outlined. Now, we're not going to go out and make commitments against which we can't be confident of meeting. And that's why you've seen a gradual improvement of the position as we've set it out. The comparison that we have with other countries are with countries that are not in emergency vaccination territory. If you compare us to countries like Japan or South Korea or indeed New Zealand or Taiwan or other places, then that that's the group you've, I think everyone has agreed is a group that's good to be in when it comes to the impact of COVID-19 and the pandemic. And so we haven't gone to emergency vaccination arrangements for the reasons that Professor Murphy has outlined. And I think Australians want to, a swiftly developed and administered vaccine. But more importantly, they want a safe one, and they don't want any corners cut on that process. And that's certainly not what Australia would do. The Australian way is to follow the processes. Now, in following those processes to the letter and giving it the priority that we have has meant we've been able to continue to bring forward that date. But I do put this very strong qualification. The data has to match up and the data has to meet the requirements of the TGA. And to go to your point about the batch testing, that can only occur, as I understand it, once they have been delivered, and that is at least around about two weeks after TGA approval has been provided. So there are a number of steps that you must go through before I can, and others who were in that priority group can go and get that initial vaccination and then the follow up vaccinations that come.
But I'll ask Greg and I’ll ask Brendan to also add to the answer?
JOURNALIST: You can get it, you can get the approval in late January, but you can roll it out in mid-February. Where does the batch testing?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's what I just said Samantha. There is a two week process for the vaccines to then be delivered to Australia because Pfizer, their global rule is that they deliver it around two weeks after TGA approval has been provided. The vaccines don't turn up before the TGA approval. They turn up two weeks after and then after that there is up to a week involved in batch testing of the doses that have been delivered. Greg?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: Look, our approach has been very clear. The principle of under promise and over deliver, which means that whilst we have allowed for cautious timeframes, if the because we're relying on data from others, shipping from others, testing from others or distribution from others, we've allowed for any gap in that chain. But as each of those elements has been ticked off, we've been able to move forward from the second half of the year to late in the first quarter. The fact that we've been able to get confirmation that the Pfizer data is going to be available soon, confirmation that now the TGA, this is actually something which has changed on my advice from Professor John Skerritt, that's the change in the last 48 hours, that the TGA will therefore be able to assess that at potentially an earlier timeframe and confirmation that the shipping arrangements are all on schedule mean that we can now provide a confident timeframe at an earlier time. But unless we were confident, we wouldn't want to take the risk. We've seen some jurisdictions, because of the emergency circumstance, not be in a position where they can necessarily meet all of the timeframes that had been set out. And our approach has been to look at being in the same category of timeframe as New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan. And when you look at the arguably the most successful countries in the world in dealing with it, they've taken a very considered but expedited approach and that's what we've done on batch testing. But Brendan?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: I can add only very little. The key issue is that we've had increased certainty of stuff that's coming from the companies, particularly. Increased certainty on how we can expedite our process. We've been working on this for over a month. We've said where can we get better information, more robust data that will satisfy the TGA? How confident are we that that data will satisfy the processors? Can we give greater confidence to Government that we won't be setting dates that will not be realised? I should emphasise one other point that this time has not being wasted. We are doing 24 hour a day preparation with the states and territories on the most complex logistical exercise that perhaps we've done in public health in this country. We've seen in other countries where some of that logistical exercise, because they've had to roll out very quickly, has not been up to speed. We want to make sure that everything is set to go so that when we start vaccinating, we have a well-oiled machine that delivers exactly as we've promised. So we have been continually striving to improve our timelines and this is and this is an iterative and ongoing process.
JOURNALIST: On the UK variant, I know you can't foreshadow tomorrow, but have there been any discussions with any of the gentlemen here about restricting the border with the UK or separate quarantine arrangements?
PRIME MINISTER: They are all issues of the AHPPC are considering now and, of course, I discuss those matters with my own Chief Medical Officer. The day doesn't go past when we or the Health Minister and I don't speak and, you know, quite extensive briefings are held every couple of, three times a week and sometimes even more regularly than that with a broad field which includes Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs and a range of others. So these are matters we've been discussing. I'm looking forward to AHPPC finalising their recommendation later today and that means we can receive it hopefully this evening and consider that overnight and be in a position to make some decisions tomorrow. But my expectation is, given what I think has been a very good collaborative process amongst the Chief Health Officers, that if they are in agreement, then that should enable us, I think, to move through that issue fairly quickly tomorrow.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, how will the vaccine distribution to the states work? Will that just be on population or risk level will be taken into account and just separately on the use of the GPs to deliver the vaccines, we've seen in New South Wales reports that even though the COVID test is supposed to be free, people are being charged for GP consultation fees to get the test. What guarantees can you give around the price of the vaccine and its delivery?
PRIME MINISTER: I'll let the Secretary.
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So we can guarantee that the vaccine will be free and it will be delivered free. We're working with the medical bodies around how that will be achieved, but we do not want their cost to be any barrier whatsoever to access to the vaccine. The Government has committed to free vaccination and we will deliver that. In terms of delivery to the states, that will depend on those priority populations as a careful logistic planning exercise, looking at the populations in each state, and we will be delivering obviously just in time stock to meet those priority needs. So there's a very careful and complex planning process that's going on, looking at the populations of each of those at risk groups in each state and delivering the necessary vaccines according to that priority list.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on what Andrew was asking before, if I could just ask the chief medical officer, is it your opinion, Professor Kelly, that there is any need to close off the border to people coming from the UK or is testing required, extra testing on departure? And Prime Minister, if I can ask you, would you be open to the idea at all using Defence sites as quarantine bases to bring more Australians back?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, again, what we've discussed around the National Cabinet table is the most effective way to get people back is to use the hotel quarantine system that has been in place all year. That's where the greatest capacity is. That's where you can get the greatest application of both health support as well as the necessary security support, which is been delivered still significantly by the Australian Defence Forces. We have opened up additional sites such as in the Northern Territory and in Tasmania to supplement those arrangements. But that is what has enabled us to get more than 60,000 Australians home by the end of last year from late September, more than double what we'd set as a goal for that period of time. And so we are expanding further the ability for people to come back from overseas. I had a very positive discussion with the Victorian Premier about that earlier this week. They're gearing up to post-Australian Open. They've got that challenge to get through over the next month. And then, you know, their confidence continues to strengthen around those arrangements and we'll have further discussions on what that means for those arrangements tomorrow, that is the quarantine arrangements in the end to end processes. That should see us in February also for Victoria to be able to lift from where they currently are now. Getting Australians home is important, but keeping Australians safe and ensuring the robustness of our processes and the quarantine arrangements, particularly with the additional risks that come with the more contagious strain. That is obviously what has prompted my request to the Chief Medical Officer this week and the things that they're considering now. But I do think it's important to allow them to have those discussions and for the Chief Medical Officer to be able to have those discussions with them before I think he has them publicly. But Paul can speak for himself.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, PM. So the AHPPC formally looked at the UK strain and made suggestions about what, if anything, should be done differently for the people coming from the UK before Christmas. Since then, we've met actually every single day, including Christmas Day and all of all through the Christmas New Year period. At every meeting we have discussed this issue and there is a specific paper that we worked through yesterday in relation to the UK strain, and that will be coming to the National Cabinet once it's gone through the AHPPC process. Just to say, though, that the UK strain is more transmissible. It is able to be, is more infectious to other people, therefore. It's become, it started in the south east of the UK. It is now pretty much the only game in town in the UK. It's been found in multiple other countries and it's been found here in hotel quarantine. So it is spreading. We have so far kept it under control within hotel quarantine and it is not transmitted when you're in your hotel room for 14 days. We know that hotel quarantine is safe. We need to, though, look at what else, if anything, needs to be done and that is what will be discussed at National Cabinet tomorrow.
JOURNALIST: You mentioned a discussion with the states about when and how vaccines could be required by uniform public health orders. Could you please clarify who that would apply to? Would that be aged care workers, returning Australians? And how does that square with repeated assurances that vaccines will be voluntary?
PRIME MINISTER: All I've said today is that that is a discussion that needs to be had. And so we will have that discussion.
JOURNALIST: But you said it would be voluntary, so…
PRIME MINISTER: It is voluntary. But that is an important discussion for the public health and safety that needs to be had in the states and territories who are responsible for public health.
JOURNALIST: So you're leaving open the possibility that you could require certain cohorts of people like returning Australians, aged care workers…
PRIME MINISTER: We’re going through the processes that are necessary to protect public health and safety in the country and I'm doing that collaboratively with the states and territories, who are principally responsible for that, John.
JOURNALIST: Is that going back on your previous statement…
PRIME MINISTER: No, I think you're over interpreting, Paul. You've got a want to do that. Yep.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, does Donald Trump bear some responsibility for undermining democracy and some of the chaotic…
PRIME MINISTER: Let’s just stay with the vaccination program. I'm happy to come to other issues. Yep?
JOURNALIST:, Prime Minister one, would you use ADF capabilities to ensure that this vaccine is swiftly delivered in time for winter? But two, I hate to be ungentlemanly, but I couldn't notice that your age bracket is in phase 2.A. Would you and members of the Cabinet be vaccinated earlier? And would you be willing to do that on television in the same way that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, in answer to your last question, yes. And I think it's important for public confidence for leaders around the country to do that and I'll obviously make myself available to do that. And, you know it's a discussion we'll have with Premiers, but I have no doubt that they would equally be stepping forward. We've had those discussions around the National Cabinet table before. It's not a new idea. It's not the most important issue obviously, what's important is the other things that I think have been discussed today. But there's no reticence there. We need to be mindful of the, you know, the doses that are available. As I said, were starting at around about 80,000 a week and that will scale up, as it is in all countries. It starts out in all countries at a limited amount and then as, as are the more doses become available, and particularly when the AstraZeneca vaccine becomes available, then it ramps up from there. But I think for the sake of public confidence and I have absolutely no issue with that, I have total faith in the Therapeutic Goods Administration. I trust them with the decisions about the vaccinations that I give to my children on all other matters and so I think Australians rightly have a lot of confidence. But Brendan can deal with the other matters.
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So we have contracted some very experienced logistics providers to do logistics. We're confident that the providers we've got at the moment, working in close partnership with the states and territories who are well experienced in vaccine distribution, will meet our needs. The ADF has been through us right through this pandemic, if we've ever needed them there to step up and help and they are incredibly versatile and would be able to do so if required, but we don't think it will be required. We think that our logistics providers are up to the task.
JOURNALIST: Sorry, Prime Minister, just to clarify, would you and members of the Cabinet get vaccinated in earlier phases, in phase 2.A, considering most of you are in the phase 2.A age bracket.
PRIME MINISTER: The Health Minister and I will certainly line up for that. But I mean, I think that's necessary to show public confidence and so we're comfortable with that. I don't think we need to line the whole Cabinet up, by the way. I think, you know, there are more important people who need to get vaccinated, frankly, than me and the Health Minister, and the Premiers, for that matter. They’re the aged care workers, they're the frontline health workers, they're the people working in hotel quarantine on our borders, they're the elderly who are in the disability sector and the vulnerable in those areas that we've identified. That's the priority. We're not the priority. But I think it is important for a show of public confidence and that's been done in other places and we'll certainly line up for the televised jab. I'm sure you'll all enjoy it.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: And, look just very briefly on that. We had given that some thought. None of us wanted to be queue jumpers, but we also recognise the public confidence role. And so we've come down on the side that the Prime Minister, the Health Minister, maybe a few others, but not the Cabinet as a whole. We don't believe that we qualify on the public health grounds. It's very important we recognise that but it does matter that we have public confidence and that's why we would look to do it with both the Government and Opposition Leaders and I've had that discussion with Chris Bowen, very constructive looking at doing it at a comparable time. So it's about the confidence and trust of the leaders and bipartisanship, but not about the Cabinet as a class.
PRIME MINISTER: Let’s let everyone have a go, then I’m happy to…
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, with regards, we’ve mentioned that the priority population will start being vaccinated between February and March. When can the general population expect to be off to receive the vaccine and how will that work?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll ask Brendan to add to this, but what we have learnt all the way through is you've got to act on the best information available to you. You’ve got to do with the priorities straight away and that's what we're talking to you about today. We've identified three other priorities, three other areas of the population that it will move to once we've been able to work through those first two priority populations. Remembering in those populations, you've got to do two doses over about around about a month or so, in some cases less than that period of time. And so they provide the first ring of containment and protection of the vulnerable and that's where our priority has to be. And we will be able to update again, just as we have today, on further timetables for further populations once we're in a stronger position to be able to do that and that will depend on further information that comes forward. It will depend on the approvals, meeting the timetables that we've talked about and the production schedules, and the roll out of the distribution mechanisms which are well underway. I mean, one of the things that have been happening over this period of time is things like workforce readiness, an important part of the distribution process already underway. That's not something that has to wait for TGA approval. That's something that is already being done as well as the vaccination kits and things of that nature, ensuring we have enough syringes and all of that. That can be done now, that is being done now. But there are certain things that have to only take place and can only take place once the TGA approval is in place and that is a matter of weeks, both in terms of the delivery of the vaccines and the batch testing that needs to take place and the transport logistics, obviously, of them getting them to those many hospitals, public hospital locations around the country. Brendan?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So you'll see from the slide that nearly half the population are actually covered in those initial priority populations and that includes a number of people who would not be considered at risk, but they might be frontline health care workers. They're not medically at risk. So we'll be covering a significant proportion of the population in those first priority phases and hopefully that will be underway in that, you know, that March quarter. And as the Prime Minister said, it depends how quickly that goes how soon we can then broaden that out towards the middle of the year to the broader general adult population.
JOURNALIST: Where will most Australians get their vaccines? Will you be commandeering town halls, schools, that kind of thing?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So there will be a number of sites. The, obviously those Pfizer hubs will be initially focused on that high priority population. So that'll be a small proportion. The majority of the population will get their vaccines from either what we call a GP respiratory clinic, which the Commonwealth has set up. Some general practises who want to participate and can deliver the vaccine program and they will be selected on that basis. The states will be setting up some special vaccination clinics in addition to the Pfizer hubs. Aboriginal controlled health services will be setting up. Towards the middle of the year when we're broadening beyond the priority population, Minister Hunt has already committed that we will be looking at arrangements that pharmacies may be able to also be rolled out in the second half of the year. So most of the population will probably get it at one of those settings.
JOURNALIST: At the moment, there's issues getting fresh food and vegetables etcetera to remote indigenous communities. How are you going to roll out the vaccine in cold temperatures to remote indigenous communities?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Well, it's obviously a huge logistical challenge if indeed we are choosing to use a minus 70 vaccine. We do have a vaccine, the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is very stable in normal cold chain refrigerator temperatures and is likely to be the priority vaccine for those settings. So that's been worked through. We've got a very specific plan, working with the Aboriginal control sector on how we're going to vaccinate remote indigenous communities. But it's likely that we won't be prioritising the use of a difficult logistic vaccine for that population.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: I might just add something here. I think it's a very important question. One of the extraordinary achievements of Australia's vaccination program is that whilst the five year old vaccination rates through the course of COVID in 2020 increased from, to 94.8and then 94.9 percent, Indigenous Australian vaccinations for five year olds are at almost 97 per cent and so they are higher than the national average of vaccination. So Indigenous Australia has been extraordinary in taking it up and that includes within remote communities. And so that remote community network through the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services is a fundamental part of the distribution network.
JOURNALIST: This has been a big debate in the UK about the distance between people being vaccinated. Obviously, we're not in that situation. You know, they're rolling it out really quickly because of the situation in the UK. But here in Australia, how long will it be between the first jab and the second jab? And what do you think about the British proposal to wait up to three months for the second jab?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Look, I think we're in a very, very different situation. In the UK they have a significant public health crisis. And they've decided that because the first dose provided some protection, that they will compromise what would be an ideal vaccination strategy. We're not in that position. We fully understand and support what they've had to do. We are planning to go with the trial evidence around two doses of the same vaccine at roughly a month apart. Obviously, you can have a bit of slippage either way, but we want to make sure that people come back in that, in that recognised time frame to get their second dose. We want to have the systems to make sure that they can come back to the same clinic, have the systems to call them back, have the systems to record their data so that we know exactly what they've got, when they've had it, and to fully vaccinate people in an appropriate and staged timeline. That's why so much planning is happening at the moment. We have had, we've got a team of 60 people in the health department and another team of similar size around the government who are working, and a lot of consultants and contractors working on this logistic planning so that we, it works smoothly from the minute we start.
JOURNALIST: On the Pfizer hubs, can you just explain are those 30 to 50 hubs, are they just warehouses or are they going to be locations where people will go to?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: They'll be locations where some people will go for example, the quarantine and border force workers and the frontline health care workers will go to those sites to get their vaccine. But they will also distribute or provide vaccines for outreach teams to go into aged care facilities and disability residences, to vaccinate residents in those places. So they will do both.
PRIME MINISTER: For me, I will pop down to the Canberra Public Hospital. Any other questions on the vaccination strategy or those issues relating? Very good, well on that basis I might excuse the Chief Medical Officer because he’s got a very important AHPPC meeting to rejoin. And thank also Professor Murphy for the great work he's been doing and leading a team of experts that has been in place for some time now since the, we formally approved the national vaccination policy that was pulled together by Professor Murphy. And that has been critical to running this process to where we are now. John?
JOURNALIST: Thanks PM. Does Donald Trump bear some responsibility for undermining democracy and inciting some of the chaotic scenes we've seen in the US Capitol building overnight?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I'm not going to offer any more comment than the one I've already made on this issue. I think what we've seen in the United States is terribly distressing, terribly concerning. And I noted the President's message this morning to tell people to go home peacefully. I hope that's what people are doing. And this is a very distressing time in the United States. And I feel terribly for what's happening there. I really do. I mean, they are one of our closest friends and partners, the United States. And I feel for those here in Australia who have family in the United States or maybe that's their origin and it's heartbreaking to see what's happening there. This is one of the world's greatest democracies, and it remains so because of its forbearance and its persistence in the principles and values upon which the nation was established. And I have no doubt that that will prevail.
JOURNALIST: In that same video message, though,
PRIME MINISTER: I’m not here to offer a running commentary on what should be happening in the United States. What I'm here to do is ensure that we deliver our vaccination plan. What I'm here to do is ensure that this year the Australian economy continues to recover, that we get people back into jobs, and that we can ensure that the Australian economy and society again, can open up as safely as we come out of this holiday period, that people as they come back from their leave, can get back to work and we can have a 2021 that is certainly much better than 2020. But we're not out of the woods yet. We haven't won yet, but we're certainly winning a lot better than a lot of other places around the world. And we want to make sure we maintain that and the way I do that is I stay focussed on what's happening here in Australia and the needs of Australians. And that has my absolute priority focus.
One at a time.
JOURNALIST: In that same video message, the President of the United States of America, while telling people who had trashed the Capitol building to go home, said, we love you, you are special people. Is that a responsible message from a world leader?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s not for me to offer commentary on other leaders. I don't do that out of respect for those nations. And that's where I'm going to leave that matter. I've expressed my great concern and distress about what has been happening in the United States, just as other leaders of the world's democracies have and I concur with their view.
JOURNALIST: Is there any change to our diplomatic arrangements in Washington, DC given our proximity, given the proximity of the US- the Australian embassy, to some of those violent protests?
PRIME MINISTER: No, not at this point, but we'll obviously take advice on those things. And I'm sure that the Secretary of DFAT will continue to advise on, on anything that is necessary, as they would in relation to any Post. But there is no advice along those lines at this point.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, after the US election, George Christensen promoted false claims of dodgy extra votes for Joe Biden. I accept you don't want to comment on Trump, but will you condemn conspiracy theories being promoted by members of your own Government?
PRIME MINISTER: You know, Australia is a free country. There's such a thing as freedom of speech in this country and that will continue.
Okay, well thank you all very much. I'll see you here tomorrow after the AHPPC, thank you, has met and the National Cabinet has met in the morning. Thank you.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
1 January 2021
Prime Minister: Happy New Year, Australia, for we are one and free. Our Anthem is about us, who we are, and who we hope to be as well. We are a strong and vibrant liberal democracy. We live in a timeless land of ancient First Nations peoples, and we draw together the stories of more than 300 national ancestries and language groups. How good is Australia? And our Anthem should reflect that and the changes we have made and we have announced today, I think, achieve that goal. It simply reflects the realities of how we understand our country and who we will always hope to be and the values that we will always live by. It's a straightforward proclamation by the Governor-General that he signed off on the day before yesterday and followed the same process as was undertaken back in 1984 when the change was made by Prime Minister Hawke. It's a change for all Australians, and I've already been encouraged by the strong response from Australians right across the country, Indigenous, non Indigenous, people of all different backgrounds, people of all different political views and I think that is very much sits in the mainstream of where Australia would like us to go and I think it's a great way to start the New Year.
But, of course, the New Year does not start without its challenges. COVID still hasn't gone away, it hasn't taken a holiday, it won’t be going anywhere, and as a result, we continue to deal with the very serious challenges and that is why I am pleased to be joined today by the Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly. I want to congratulate Australians for doing the right thing last night, and not just last night, but over a longer period of time, particularly in Sydney and Greater Sydney and the Central Coast and now including down in Wollongong, as New South Wales has done extraordinarily well to get on top of this latest outbreak. Today's news is encouraging. The news in both New South Wales and also in Victoria. And I will ask the Chief Medical Officer to speak more to today's points of information that have come through, particularly in the last 24 hours. I want to thank people, particularly in New South Wales, but also for the people of Victoria for their response to the public health messaging and the controls that have been put in place. Especially those coming forward for testing. The record numbers we have seen come forward for testing has been extraordinary and enormously helpful for those who are doing the job to keep Australian safe, both in those areas and for the benefit of the other parts of the country. And in Victoria, we are seeing already, I think, the results of the strengthening of their tracing systems that have been put in place over many months and it has been good to see how that has swung into gear over the course of the last 24 hours or so or longer and we are seeing them getting on top of that information very quickly which is assisting them in managing this most recent outbreak in Victoria.
I also just wanted to note that the wastewater testing results that the Premier of New South Wales referred to in her own media conference just recently which revealed that the areas where we know there to be cases have been confirmed in that wastewater testing but elsewhere across New South Wales, outside the Greater Sydney area with the exception obviously of Wollongong where that was confirmed, that remains low and negligible risk and the Chief Medical Officer can speak more to those issues. The Aged Care Response Centre has activated in New South Wales and continues their work in Victoria. Asymptomatic testing has a ready been under way in New South Wales some time and it is being expanded into a number of other areas as we speak and that has been reinforced both by the Aged Care Quality Commission and the work done by the Department in reinforcing messaging around infection control and use of PPE. We have no active cases in aged care across the entire country, including New South Wales and Victoria, there has been some primary contact exposure in the five cases we know of in Victoria but three of those have proven to have had no positive impact from those contacts and we are waiting on two others. But the news there is pretty encouraging.
Just finally before I hand over to the Chief Medical Officer, since the 18th of December as we have now drawn to the close of last year, the figures on December 30 was that 63,109 Australians were able to get home by the end of the year since the 18th of September. As you know, that is more than double the number we had as our target of just around 26,000 back in September. Obviously, more people are put themselves on the list and there are still quite a number on there at a similar level as to what we have talked about in recent times. Australians want to come home and we're going to keep help them come home. Those flights will continue to come to Australia. Expanded quarantine and support in places like the Northern Territory and others are doing their job as those flights continue to come through and that will continue to be an issue we manage into the New Year. Our process here as a Federal Government continues. The AHPPC medical expert panel continues to meet every day. I will remain here in Canberra for the foreseeable future over the course of the next week. If there are any changes to the arrangements with ACT that may enable me to get back to Sydney next week but that is unlikely. So I will continue to work out of here over the course of the next week. We are taking regular health briefings and meeting with the Defence Force and the National Coordinating Mechanism out of the Department of Home Affairs to stay on top of the many requests or other issues we are dealing with to support the states as may otherwise be required. At the end of next week, from the following weekend, I will be taking one week's leave. The acting Prime Minister will be the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and he will continue in that role over the course of the week.
So with that, I will pass you over to the Chief Medical Officer. Paul.
Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer: Thank you, Prime Minister. As the Prime Minister has said, we're meeting every day, the AHPPC, which I think everyone knows who is on that now but all of the chief health officers from all of these states. We get updates at that meeting from all the states but particularly New South Wales over the last few weeks and now Victoria. And that group of experts that has got us through that very long year of 2020 with the advice to the National Cabinet and to their own governments to continue to give that advice to offer assistance and so forth to particularly New South Wales and Victoria at this point of time.
I am very encouraged by what has happened in New South Wales over the last couple of weeks and that news today that there is a definite genomic link between all of those clusters that they have seen in Wollongong, in Croydon and the Northern Beaches, as well as other parts of Sydney. That demonstrates a couple of things. The PM has mentioned the wastewater testing as a guide to where issues may be occurring and that at the moment is only in the Greater Sydney area and Wollongong, including the Central Coast. That has been regularly looked at and interpreted by the public health authorities and the genomic testing which this time last year we did have that ability to be able to do so quickly and link in the laboratory, as well as the epidemiological investigations what has actually happened, and to guide the public health response. So that test, trace and isolate part we have talked about so often is really excelling in New South Wales and again in Victoria. So in the last 24 hours, the linkages they have made between the various cases, and they are all linked, where they have been is guiding the approach now. That has linked into, as the PM has said, our approach and response in relation to aged care facilities. No cases there in staff or in residence at the moment but a very precautionary approach using all of those learnings we have learned through the long year of 2020.
So just to stress that it's really important, particularly in Greater Sydney but throughout New South Wales and the same in Victoria, and indeed all around the country, if you even have the mildest symptoms of the disease and we all know what they are now, get tested. We have seen enormous response in Sydney over recent times and I'm sure the same will happen in Melbourne with these recent cases. Just a real callout to the Northern Beaches. In the week up to the 21st of December, 432 per thousand of the population were tested. That is 43 percent of the population of the northern part of the Northern Beaches were tested in that week. That is the sort of response we need whenever we see even the wastewater testing become positive or a case being found in an area. So I think we need to remember that while there are active cases in the community in both Victoria and New South Wales at the moment in Sydney and in Melbourne, I should say in Gippsland, it's only 11 cases yesterday confirmed in Australia. There were over 50,000 confirmed cases in the UK yesterday and when we think about our experience here in Australia through 2020, although it has been so difficult, it is so different from the rest of the world and that is a real, you know, we should really remember how well we have done as a nation but also with the public health response and the political commitment to really tackle this disease had on and we have done a great job. 2021, of course, will add an extra tool to our toolkit in terms of approaching this, in terms of the vaccine and that is coming soon and we continue to work through this holiday period on all elements, including the implementation of our rollout plans as well as the regulatory response to making sure we have a safe and effective vaccines for Australians, for Australians who want to get that vaccine throughout this year. Thank you.
Journalist: Prime Minister, with borders going up and people being forced into quarantine at the last minute, delays in traffic, concerns about employment prospects, can you understand that some Australians may not be feeling one and free at the moment?
Prime Minister: I understand the frustrations that people have with the disruption that comes from those changes. We are dealing with a pandemic, that hasn't changed, but it doesn't change who we are as Australians. Australians are Australians whether they are in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, Tasmania, whatever happened to be. That is not affected by those things. These changes have been put in place by states for public health reasons and that is their purpose, not to divide Australia but to, in their decisions, to seek to keep Australians safe. Now, each state and territory has over the course of the pandemic had their own approaches from time to time, particularly when it comes to borders. I welcome particularly the approach we have seen from Queensland most recently. They have adopted that hot spot around Greater Sydney. People know my view, I think, about the great approach the Northern Territory has taken all throughout this crisis. They identify hot spots and they come on and off the list and I think that has proven to be a very effective way. Tasmania, similarly on this case, continues to treat Victoria and New South Wales on a hot spot basis. I think that is a constructive way and I welcome that approach. But look, the end of the day, state governments are elected by the people of their states to exercise their responsibilities when it comes to the public health of people in their state. And as much as we would like there to be greater consistency across all of these things, we must respect their jurisdictional authority because they are ultimately responsible for what would happen in their state if there were to be an outbreak in their state. As Prime Minister, I do respect that. I can have whatever view I may wish to have but ultimately they are responsible for those things and I have to respect the authority they have derived from their own electoral processes in making those decisions. So I can understand the frustration. We are similarly in a situation. One of the reasons my family and I remain in the ACT is because I need to be in Canberra and if I were to go to Sydney at present it would mean I would not be able to return here. As a result we are remaining here because this is where I need to be able to be with Paul and the many other advisors and others who are managing these most recent sets of events. So, we are all dealing with these things and I thank Australians for their forbearance and I think that has been one of the great qualities of Australians over the course of these last 12 months. To pick up on what Paul has just said, look at the alternative. Look at the alternative overseas. Look and see how others are spending this time in so many other countries around the world. And as frustrated as we might be from time to time, I think there is also an opportunity to count our blessings.
Journalist: There has obviously been a lot of support for the change today but there are many who say it doesn't go far enough and would like to see a complete rewrite. What do you say to them, was that considered, will it ever be considered?
Prime Minister: This is a simple change. I think it is a change that is very much in accordance with where Australians feel about these things. It is not pretending to be anything more than it is. I think it has been well received across the country. There will be those who say it's doesn't go far enough and those who think it goes too far. That is democracy. That is one of the things we celebrate in our National Anthem but I think it is a sensible change and I think it will be well received and I look forward to it being sung for the first time. Perhaps that will be at the SCG test in a few days’ time. I was texting back and forward with Justin Langer and Tim Paine, wishing them well for the test because normally they would be at Kirribilli today but no-one is going to be at Kirribilli today. But they assure me they are going to bounce back and I have every confidence they will.
Journalist: Any chance you want to be the first to sing the new national anthem? You are alongside Paul Kelly.
Prime Minister: I think singing by Prime Ministers is the same as public exercise by Prime Ministers, it is best done in private. I will leave the singing to Tina Arena and others who are far better at it than me.
Journalist: It is our National Anthem though?
Prime Minister: You will hear me sing it in a crowd, as always.
Journalist: Back in July, you said Australia couldn't afford to go stop go, stop go when it comes to these border restrictions. Isn't that what we are essentially facing now heading into 2021, that states are not going to be able to open up forever if they continue to see these small clusters?
Prime Minister: We are moving towards a vaccine into the New Year and I think that will obviously change the parameters for everybody but that will take some time as we move through its distribution across the community. And this is why when I see what some states have done and looking at Greater Sydney as a particular area of concern and managing that way, then that is welcome. I think we have to keep reminding ourselves that there is no simple easy way of this all being fixed. It is a global pandemic and that means that there will be frustrations from time to time. They are disruptive and they can put long-held plans at bay and it can be very disappointing. But we will continue to get through it and I think it is important that obviously when states are making these decisions, they must give thought to balancing the risk of COVID and its transmission against the disruption to people and that is what they are accountable for and that is what they have to explain to their citizens in their own states.
Journalist: On the, just following on from the question, obviously you're saying is going to take some months but once we start a vaccine rollout, will you want to reboot the roadmap to reopening timeline and process and would you expect the premiers to stick to it?
Prime Minister: The roadmap doesn't change. The roadmap always has as its goal to get all of these things lifted. I would hope that as quickly as the states have moved to put things in place, they would move as quickly once the risk subsides. We saw that in most cases after the Adelaide outbreak which was able to have been got on top of very quickly. We’ve seen borders on this occasion come up more promptly when there was the significant Victorian outbreak and New South Wales border was not closed for some time until after that was done. So this is why I hold out the Northern Territory as a very good model. They declare a hot spot and it goes on and then it comes off. And I think that is a very good model and it has been my consistent view over these many months of the pandemic.
Journalist: You mention the disruption, Prime Minister, does the latest round of this, we’ve seen queues at borders and quite a lot of confusion, does it create impetus to rethink the timeline to bring in an vaccine and the speed which that's rolled out?
Prime Minister: Public health is our number one priority on the vaccine. There will be no short cuts. The standards must be maintained and upheld and that is what Australians expect. For the vaccine to be successful, Australians have to have confidence in it and I believe they will have confidence in it. I was discussing this with Professor Skerritt this morning on our regular briefing call, together with Paul and he may wish to make a point about this as well. There's been in no other advanced jurisdiction an approval given for the AZ vaccine, there have been emergency authorisations given. But this is in countries like the UK, where there's hundreds of people dying a day. Australia is not in that situation. So, we're being careful to ensure that we dot all the Is and we cross all the Ts to ensure this vaccine is safe and able to be distributed across the Australian population. We're moving promptly to do that, we're moving swiftly to do that, but we're not cutting corners. If there's no tick, there's no jab. That's got to be right for every single Australian. And so, our authorities are doing a tremendous job on this. But you need to get all the right data, and that needs to be validated, there's the batches that also need to be tested as well, it's not just about the initial vaccine itself, it's actually what is distributed around the country. It's important that process is followed. We're being meticulous about this, because that's what Australians deserve, and it's important from a public health point of view in ensuring public confidence in the way the vaccine is distributed. But Paul?
Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer: Thanks, PM. So we now have three vaccines that have published in the public domain their interim results of their phase three trials. So the third one was Moderna, it came out a day before yesterday in the New England Journal. So we can be confident all of those three, two are mRNA vaccines, the Pfizer BioNTech, and the Moderna, and the AZ vaccine, which we're making here in Melbourne, and we'll have plenty of doses of that through 2021. So, those three have shown good safety profiles and good efficacy. But that's not the only data that's looked at by regulators. So, as the PM has said, there's not a single major regulator in the world that has given full approval for any vaccine at the moment. There have been particular emergency use authorisations in several countries, in Europe, in the UK, and the US in particular, but they're in an extremely difficult and different situation in relation to this pandemic compared to Australia. They've now been 82 million cases in the world. Here in Australia, just over 28,000. There's been 1.8 million deaths in the world, here in Australia, 909. They're very different situations. We need to go by the regulators. They have always been cautious and it's kept us in good stead. The TGA will look at all the data, the tens of thousands of pages of data that will come from the companies and will make a decision.
Prime Minister: On the vaccine, you don't rush to failure. That's very dangerous for Australians. Those who suggest that, I think it's a naive suggestion.
Journalist: To the Anthem, has Cabinet considered the options for the voice to Parliament and when can we expect to hear about that? And just separately, you're the convener of National Cabinet, how come National Cabinet hasn't met, isn't meeting again until February 5?
Prime Minister: That's the next scheduled date and there's no need for it to meet at the present time. The agencies are working closely together, the AHPPC is meeting every still single day, I'm in regular contact, particularly most recently, with the New South Wales Premier, the Victorian Premier is currently on leave, I understand. But if there was a need to bring forward a meeting, we always could. But at this stage, there hasn't been something for the premiers in particular to action as a result of advice has come forward from the AHPPC when it comes to handling this most recent pandemic. Their views on borders will be the same if they met this afternoon as they were a month ago. What we need to focus on right now is ensuring that the outbreak is contained, the support that is necessary to be provided to those jurisdictions that are dealing with outbreak is in place, and that's been delivered through the ADF and other agencies. And the communications I'm having with those states and particularly through Greg Hunt as well, who is speaking to Minister Foley also quite regularly, those systems are working well. The National Cabinet is not an operational committee. There are people like Paul and others who do that work. And they're doing it very well.
Journalist: Prime Minister, earlier this week...
Prime Minister: Sorry, Cabinet has considered that matter and the Minister for Indigenous Australians will be making announcements at an appropriate time.
Journalist: Prime Minister, earlier this week, Professor Kelly said he wouldn't be sending this family to the SCG for the Test, should this event be going ahead with spectators, and would you be sending your family if you could get back to Sydney?
Prime Minister: I have great confidence in decisions the New South Wales government are making in relation to these matters and I know they'll be following the medical advice. That's how you manage those issues and whatever level of crowd they ultimately decide is appropriate for the public event, I am sure will be based on the health advice and so, on that basis, I'm comfortable with those decisions and if they say it can go, if I happen to be in Sydney, I think that would be unlikely, given I suspect where the ACT's position will be over the course of the next week. If I was in Sydney, I would love to go there and sing the National Anthem in it’s new form.
Journalist: Prime Minister, yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the WHO being…
Prime Minister: I don't think the girls want to go to the cricket though, somehow. If they want to come, they can come with me. I know Jenny doesn’t want to come.
Journalist: Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the WHO first being informed by China of the new virus. Are you frustrated, is Australia frustrated, at the progress in the investigation of the origins and do you have any regrets about the way Australia led the calls for that investigation given the ramifications?
Prime Minister: No. We're patient and we continue to monitor the progress of that inquiry closely and support its swift conclusion.
Journalist: Just one for the Chief Medical Officer, sorry, Professor Kelly, we're seeing some reports coming out of Victoria now they have suspended testing in some parts because of a concern about the number of people coming back from New South Wales. Are you aware of anything to that effect, and would it be concerning given what we saw in Victoria just a few months ago, that they would suspend testing at a time like this?
Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer: So, I had extensive conversations in AHPPC about testing yesterday, including in Victoria. And I've had since then two conversations with the acting chief health officer, Professor Allan Cheng, just urging them. I know that Minister Hunt has been in contact with Minister Foley on that basis. So I definitely urge greater testing in the coming days, particularly in those geographic areas of concern. I will follow that up but I haven't heard of any particular halt. Certainly from our perspective, our GP respiratory clinics, we have expanded the testing in the ones run through the Commonwealth.
Journalist: Prime Minister, is there a view within government about what percentage of the population will need a COVID vaccine in order to kind of live in a COVID safe way and have no real restrictions?
Prime Minister: That's a medical question, I will defer to the CMO.
Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer: The vaccine would have an effect on that. But I think people need to realise it's not a magic bullet immediately. When the vaccines are found to be safe and effective, they will be rolled out in Australia, starting with those priority groups that we have talked through in many times, and based on the expert advice from the Australian immunisation committee, ATAGI. So that will happen as soon as it's ready to go and it is safe to do so, we'll be using it. It won't change everything else we're doing in relation to the pandemic immediately. We need to roll it out as we’re planning to do through the whole community next year, and I really encourage people to come forward when it's available to get that vaccine.
Journalist: Is there a ball park though? 95 percent, 90 percent, because there is a concern that possibly people are not wanting to take it?
Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer: As many people as possible, every person who takes it will be helpful. That's one way of improving the immunity within the community and decreasing the chance of transmission of the virus. So we're aiming for as many people as possible that can get it, starting with those high priority groups, our healthcare workers, our aged care workers, our aged people who we know are the most vulnerable.
Prime Minister: Australia has a very good record on vaccinations. We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. One of the reasons for that is the system of regulations and approvals we put around vaccines themselves. That's why the government is being meticulous about following that process. I think it's good for public confidence. It's something I have discussed with the premiers and chief ministers and they are very supportive of that because of the nature of the take-up that we would hope for, and I think following that meticulous process is a strong national position. OK. Probably got time for one more.
Journalist: Are you hoping the New Year will see a bit of an improvement in the Australia-China relationship? The Foreign Minister of China has reported this week as saying he wants things back on track as early as possible. Are you hoping this New Year will see a better relationship between Australia and China?
Prime Minister: Well, I'm always optimistic, I'm always hopeful, I'm always positive. I would certainly welcome that. That would begin with leader level and ministerial level discussions which we're ready and open for, and we’re happy to do those. And as soon as those occur, then I think you would see that being fulfilled. That's not an obstacle at the Australian end. Thank you all very much. I wish everyone a very happy New Year, stay safe, and stronger safer together is how we got through 2020, and it's certainly how we'll emerge even more strongly in 2021. Happy New Year, Australia.
Prime Minister's Christmas Message to the ADF
24 December 2020
G'day and Merry Christmas to everyone in our Australian Defence Force.
You know, throughout our history, successive Australian governments have called on our ADF to respond to the most difficult and challenging of circumstances. And this year was no different.
We've made repeated calls on our defence forces, but especially here at home.
During our Black Summer of fires, we called on you to help keep Australians safe.
Our Army, our Navy, our Air Force were all deployed, flying through orange skies to reach fire affected communities and areas.
On Mallacoota Beach the relief was palpable when the HMAS Choules emerged from the smoke that blanketed the ocean. For those who had been through harrowing days and sleepless nights the arrival of our ADF was the sign that everything was going to be OK.
We called on you again in response to a once in a century pandemic, an unexpected challenge. But where once again the skill, adaptability and professionalism of our ADF was put to work keeping Australians safe.
Right now, there are some 1,500 ADF personnel spread across the country as part of Operation COVID-19 assist. And throughout the pandemic, more than 6,500 servicemen and women had delivered vital care and support to all states and territories.
But the work that we do overseas continues as well. This Christmas, nearly 1,500 Australian servicemen and women are deployed overseas. From Africa to the Middle East, Afghanistan and the Pacific.
We know you're far from home. You're upholding our nation's interests. You're defending our values. You are shining lights of our country.
This year, we also commemorated two historic events. The 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the awarding of the Victoria Cross for Australia to Ordinary Seaman Edward 'Teddy' Sheean.
At these events I had the opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary men and women of those times. Why did they join up? What caused them to make the selfless decisions that they made? How did they keep going under such relentless pressure? From where did they draw their strength?
Now, I have no easy answers to those questions, but I know you have special insights. They found an abiding strength through living for others. For country, for family, for mates and comrades.
Your service, your choices, your life, your service embodies not only who we are, but who we can be: strong, courageous, selfless, driven by our love of family, community and, of course, country.
This Christmas, I really want to honour your service, your choices, your abiding and selfless patriotism.
The respect that Australians feel for our Defence Force men and women and our veterans is earned. You've earned it through your service.
That cannot be taken away from you and never should. We respect and give thanks for the life of service that you have chosen.
On behalf of Jenny and my family and my government, and as a proud nation, I want to wish all of you and all of your families who share in your service a very Merry Christmas and a happier, and let's hope a more peaceful and prosperous 2021.
God bless.
Prime Minister's Christmas Message
24 December 2021
If there's one overwhelming feeling we have this Christmas, I think it's one of thankfulness, a sense of gratitude.
This year has not been easy for any of us.
Some of us have faced the loss of loved ones. Others, the loss of jobs and their livelihoods. Separation from family. Isolation during lockdowns and lost gatherings with those we love.
For all of us this year has been a time of stress and a lot of uncertainty.
Yet through it all, once again, we have rallied to each other, together.
Australians are an amazing people with an amazing spirit. And this year the Australian spirit has shone brightly again.
Though we had to be distant socially, emotionally we connected and turned to each other.
There were the firefighters and volunteers who got us through the Black Summer.
The doctors and nurses, the researchers and scientists doing their utmost to protect and care for us throughout this pandemic.
Retail workers kept the supply chains open.
Volunteers made sure that no one was left behind or left without.
Public servants out there providing support to people all over the country.
Everyone playing their part.
And even now up in Sydney, on the Northern Beaches, everyone is still there doing their bit to keep all of us safe right across the country.
So no matter where you are in Australia, this Christmas I think is one where, as Australians, we can once again count our blessings as a country.
And in our very Australian way, resolve once again to share those blessings with others wherever we can.
So we give thanks this year for our Christmas because our blessings outweigh our struggles.
It is the tradition of these messages to give a shout out to a group at Christmas who have done so much.
So I do want to thank and honour all our older Australians in aged care and their carers.
They have really endured a lot this year with visits limited and the loss of hugs and kisses and visits from the company of family. It's been terribly hard.
This year we saw you draw on that well of strength that you have displayed over your entire lifetime. And in doing so, you kept others safe.
For all of us, those who are Christian and those who are not, this Christmas is again a time of great hope.
And my prayer for Australia this Christmas comes from the great verse: "Let us not grow weary of doing good. For in due season we shall reap a harvest, if we do not give up."
So stay safe. Stay COVIDSafe.
May God bless you and your family at this Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Australia.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
21 December 2020
PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon everyone, I am joined by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly. Paul has now been officially appointed as the Chief Medical Officer after a rather exhaustive selection process. Congratulations, Paul and as you know he's been doing an outstanding job now and acting in that role for many months and he will update you on matters just in a few minutes.
2020 is not done with us yet, that is very clear and nor should we be surprised. The events of the past few days I have no doubt are incredibly frustrating and disappointing for people all around the country who had plans in place to get together and move in between states. The restrictions in Sydney of only ten people in a home, all very sensible, but I understand that it will be disappointing and frustrating because of the disruptions that have taken place and I have no doubt that the premiers feel the same way. But the actions that have been taken are necessary. As we look around the world we know what is happening and we know that we have to be cautious and the great gains that have been made at great sacrifice and at great cost over the course of this year, we intend to maintain them and that means that in circumstances like this, as we have done so now on many occasions we need to act swiftly as is occurring, as the authorities get on top of this and ensure that we can preserve the gains and ensure that we can go into 2021 in a good state.
The virus as I have often reminded everyone, it does not go anywhere it is still there, it is a global pandemic, and as a result outbreaks will occur from time to time. Remember the Crossroads outbreak. Northern Tasmania. Adelaide just a few weeks ago. Of course, what occurred in Melbourne. Even smaller outbreaks have occurred in Brisbane and many other places. It is how you respond to the outbreaks that matters. The outbreaks are things that are going to continue to occur and while great care is taken all around the country, then we can never fully rule out that an outbreak might occur at some point in time. In this case, what we are seeing is both great cooperation, as we have seen in other places before, but the geography I have got to tell you is helping this as well. Those of you who know Sydney well know that the peninsula is a very cohesive community that tends to keep to itself, a bit like the Shire down where I'm from and that is certainly I think assisting in making sure that the Avalon outbreak is staying exactly where it is and the Premier has already gone through at great length with the Chief Health Officer in New South Wales about where things are today.
But we do welcome the fact that we have seen a reduction in those new cases in that 24-hour period. That is no guarantee of tomorrow or the next day after that but it is certainly much better than the alternative and as we go into these next few days, we will be watching carefully as we endeavour to understand whether there has been further seeding, or any seeding I should say, there hasn't been at this point, in other parts of the city or other places and I'm sure Professor Kelly will make this point as well. If you're from that affected area in the Avalon outbreak and the Northern Beaches of Sydney, if you were there over the past fortnight and you happen to be somewhere else now, if you are in Adelaide, if you're in Queensland, if you are indeed here in the ACT or somewhere else, then the rules about isolation apply equally to you as they do to those of your neighbours who are back in Avalon and the Northern Beaches right now and I think that is a very important point and we seek people's cooperation. I think the speed at which the New South Wales authorities have been able to get on top of this and understand the extent of the community transmission in all of those places has been outstanding and that is greatly assisting them in managing this outbreak and that will continue.
I should note as Professor Kelly did on Friday that the Avalon outbreak does qualify under the national hot spot definition and that has been the case for several days now and so therefore the precautionary actions taken in other jurisdictions is understandable in that context. Let's hope that they won't be required for long. Let's hope that what we see here in New South Wales, and I think there is good cause for that hope and what we are seeing having just spoken again to the New South Wales Premier this morning there is good cause I think to have hope that if they continue to apply themselves in the way that they are and the cooperation continues then we can hopefully see things return to COVID normal as soon as we possibly could hope to see that occur. One of the very encouraging elements of the response so far has been the community response from some 38,000 tests conducted yesterday, that is a record. What that shows is that people are listening and they’re coming forward. All of those tests are incredibly helpful to the authorities as they get on top of this and manage to map the impacts of this community transmission. We are already seeing that some of those who are identified as having the virus were already in isolation. They had already isolated themselves as a result of the precautionary approach that had been advised by the health authorities and that shows you that the system is working. The turnaround on testing, same day, we will know of anecdotal evidence of people getting turnarounds in tests in a number of hours, for some it has taken a bit longer than that. But the same day turnaround, the ability to ensure that they are running tracing to ground within those 48-hour periods, these are key metrics that are being hit and very essential to the response.
Just quickly on the issue of aged care. There are no cases in any aged care facilities in these affected areas and in fact none in the country. There is one case where there was a visitor but I'm advised that the visitor was wearing a mask when they were visiting that individual and at this stage there is no suggestion that there has been any virus infection at that site or any other sites. That said, we have put in place the single site working arrangements and support of the facilities in the affected areas, and in addition to that we are also doubling down on the support provided for PPE and other supports through the aged care facilities to ensure that those facilities on infection control and the other matters are being well attended to.
I've already mentioned the testing. On the Commonwealth funded GP respiratory clinics, all across New South Wales and the ACT we have agreed a request to allow asymptomatic testing and that will continue for as long as it needs to. That testing is proving also very helpful with New South Wales authorities on tracking the course of the community transmission. On Defence I should note that we have some 1,298 Defence Force personnel who are deployed to supporting our priority which is hotel quarantine. That includes 342 officers in New South Wales, 284 in Queensland, 150 in Victoria and the other numbers I can make available to those who are seeking them, some 1,600 ADF personnel are directly involved in the effort all around the country. We will be providing the response to the request for additional logistics and other support to the Victorian Government to support their border operations but that does not extend to actual patrolling of the borders, that is not something the Defence Force is doing any longer and that will be done by state officials and supported through the ADF with their logistics and other planning experience. But our major priority for ADF is actually on the hotel quarantine and that is where I think we can add the most value and that is certainly the view of the ADF and General Frewen who is responding in assessing each of those cases.
I also note the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment for those who are in New South Wales who are having to take tests and isolate themselves that continues to be available. Some $18 million has been paid out in that payment since it was first introduced to Australians and Australian residents, $16 million of that I note was paid in Victoria and so in New South Wales for those who need to access that payment they can access that payment and hopefully that will be of great use to you.
The only other thing I was going to note today was that tomorrow's swearing-in ceremony, we will be doing virtually. Bringing people from around the country to the ACT, including from Sydney, we don't think it is a wise decision and so alternative arrangements have been made with the Governor-General and we will arrange another suitable time for a formal ceremony later in January. But the official swearing-in to enable those changes to the ministry will take place tomorrow and those arrangements will become active after that swearing-in.
So with that, I might pass over to Professor Kelly.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, PM. So just to add on a couple of extras to what the PM has already said. The key element of the what is now being called the Avalon outbreak, and that is important to consider that, this is very localised thing at the moment, as the PM mentioned, that part of the Northern Beaches is quite insular, actually. They tend to stay where they are in that peninsula. So all of the cases so far, all of them, the 83 locally acquired cases that have happened since the 17th of December in New South Wales have been linked back to that cluster. So most of them are living in Avalon, Newport and surrounding suburbs. Almost all of them have had either a direct link or an indirect link to those events that happened in the RSL on the 11th and the Bowling Club in Avalon on the 13th of December.
So just to go through those numbers, and this is an important thing to think about, not just the daily numbers but the trend. So on the 17th of December, we have three cases. On the 18th of December we had 15 cases, on the 19th of December we had, 18th of December, 15. 19th of December 23. 20th of December 30. And today, 15. So it has gone up and come down, it may go up again. We cannot absolutely guarantee that. But at the moment the trend is good and crucially, despite the fact that we had 38,578 tests yesterday, that is all we found, was 15, and they were all linked to that particular cluster. That is a huge response from the community and a real shout out to the people of Greater Sydney but particularly the Northern Beaches. Almost quadrupled the number of average daily tests as was occurring two weeks ago so that is an enormous response and people are coming forward and that is something we need to absolutely stress. Anyone who has been to any of those places that has been mentioned on the New South Wales Health website, they should take on that advice. Isolate, get tested if that is the case and then that is how we know whether it has spread further. For those, anyone in Sydney particularly, at the moment but throughout the country please download the COVIDSafe app if you have not already done so, make sure it is switched on. And secondly, if you go to a place that has a QR code, check in. Use it. That is how we can really get on top of these issues if anyone has been to those venues, that is how we know who else has been there and we can get that done quickly.
For those of you who are now not going to be able to share a family Christmas, it is the same for me, and so make sure you check in on your family and make sure they are keeping well and look at virtual ways, as the PM has said, if it works for the Ministers being sworn in, we can have virtual Christmases, we have had it all through this year and we are very good at that. So make sure you do keep in touch with your family and don't be separated at this time, even though you physically cannot be there.
Thanks.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Paul. We have been here before. We have been able to overcome this before, including in New South Wales. New South Wales, I should stress, has not sought any additional support at this point. They have got it covered, but the Premier is aware of what is available to her if she needs it. I should note that in Victoria, particularly the support the Defence is providing is in defence accommodation for accommodation for those involved in addressing those border issues. The medical expert panel is meeting every day and Paul will chair that meeting this afternoon. The transport Ministers were meeting today, pulled together by the Deputy Prime Minister, and that is just to ensure that the freight continues to operate with these border changes coming in over the last sort of 48 hours. The Health Ministers will be meeting on Wednesday and if there is a need for the meeting of the National Cabinet, we did not meet especially when the Adelaide outbreak occurred, I think there is a few more days of data, and these other meetings, I think addressing the operational issues here, I have not had direct requests from any of the Premiers for that to occur and I noted there has been a commentary in the media. But that said, I mean National Cabinet can come together but with the medical experts actually meeting and advising them, they are getting all of that information direct they have made their calls when it comes to the precautionary arrangements on the border restrictions they have put in place and I think after a couple more days we will know a bit more and if there is a need to do that, well of course we can do that. Do it on Christmas Eve if necessary, do it on Christmas Day but between now and then, I think we will allow those people who have the job of advising and taking those operational decisions to just get on with it.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, in the past few days we’ve seen as a result of this Avalon cluster state Premiers close their borders. We’re not going to have a vaccine widely available in Australia until the end of next year. Is it your expectation now that every time we see a cluster pop up in this country, state Premiers are going to close their borders, restrictions will be imposed and the country will for a short time go backwards again?
PRIME MINISTER: The vaccine will be available in March, not at the end of next year.
JOURNALIST: Widely available.
PRIME MINISTER: It will take some months for it to work its way through the population but I note, Paul, there still has not been the emergency authorisation in the United Kingdom as yet and I can assure Australians that I will not be putting their health at risk in the way we manage both the approval and deployment of the vaccine. It must be safe, it must follow all of those rules. I note that in Australia we have the highest, one of the highest vaccination rates in the world and that is because of the trust they place in the system and their expectation of me and indeed the Secretary of the Department of Health and Health Minister and Professor Skerritt at the TGA is that we follow all of those processes very, very diligently. Now, as I said before, we have a hot spot in Avalon. We have a hot spot in the Northern Beaches and when you have hot spots respond to those with restrictions. That is the way this has been successfully managed anywhere in the world and Australia is no different to that. The ultimate decisions that states make our sovereign matters for them. As I have said to you before, the states, they determine their own definition of a hot spot and what restrictions they put in place. We have sought to get a national approach to that and the states and territories have chosen that they want to retain their flexibility to set those issues for their individual states and territories. They have the constitutional power to do that. In the New Year, if there is a way to get further streamlining of that and consistency, well, my door is always open to have those discussions but I can assure you, though, the states have a very strong view about retaining their decision-making power over those issues, they are responsible for public health in their states and so that is understandable. But as we deal with the virus, it is unpredictable, it does do this and how you respond is very important. So long as it is done transparently and efficiently and as quickly as the Northern Territory has been doing this now for months and months and months. The will have areas go on and off a hot spot list in a matter of days if not weeks. That process in the Northern Territory has worked extremely efficiently and that is what the Commonwealth view of the national hot spot has been based on, that Northern Territory experience. You can't ignore hot spots, you can’t pretend they are not there and they don’t present a risk. Of course they present a risk and until we have a vaccine that is reaching the necessary levels that is required across the country, then these are the ways we will have to practically manage these issues. But the difference between now and when we were dealing without breaks six or seven months ago is night and day and I think that is what we will continue to see in New South Wales in the days ahead.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you disappointed that we won't be able to open by Christmas as formally hoped?
PRIME MINISTER: I couldn’t quite hear you, sorry.
JOURNALIST: Do you think are you disappointed we won't be able to opened by Christmas as you formally hoped and also do you think this most recent outbreak will have any material impact on the economic situation in the country?
PRIME MINISTER: On the first point, like any other Australian, of course we wanted everything to be opened by Christmas but the virus has had a different idea about that and that is just a practical reality. I should say, though, in the seven states and territories we certainly will having Christmas in this country like few countries in the world are and so every Christmas is a time to be thankful and while there are frustrations and disappointments and disruptions this Christmas, I think here in Australia we have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to be grateful for and those people who we are able to join with are the most important things we should be grateful for. And so that will go ahead, either directly or as Paul says, virtually. So I think we have to keep that in some sort of perspective. On economic issue, well, it is still too early. What we are looking at here is an outbreak in one quite geographically defined part of Sydney which at the moment is not suggesting broader seeding and having a broader impact now. As the Chief Medical Officer says, he can't guarantee it won't take a different course. But that said, if it were to continue on in that way, just like we saw with the Adelaide outbreak a few weeks ago, then these things would have a very minimal impact on those economic scenarios. In the short term though, of course it is highly disruptive, there is no doubt about that.
JOURNALIST: Just on the comments about Christmas, it is still a few days away, are you praying for a Christmas miracle and also is there a need to reconsider or even consider travel restrictions from the UK given the mutated strain?
PRIME MINISTER: I will let Paul deal with that, why don’t you deal with that item first Paul, and that I will share my prayer diary with the gallery.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So on the new strand in the UK, I think we need to put that in context. Firstly, there has been thousands of mutations of this particular novel coronavirus, you remember that is what it was called at the beginning. It was new coronavirus and had a mutation to get there and there have been small mutations along the way, but thousands of them. The particular strain which is circulating especially in the south-east of England at the moment does have some particular mutations related to the spike protein. That is important because it is the way the virus gets into the cells and also the particular part of the virus that the vaccines are attacking, all the vaccines are related to the spike protein. Having said that, there is no definite evidence at the moment that this is a significant change. There has been more transmission in recent times in south-east of the UK and that may be associated with the virus. There is certainly more transmission going on but that is also related to the few weeks before Christmas. So the way I look at this, as with every infectious disease, there are three things going on. There is an environment, a host, that is humans and the infectious agent. So the infectious agent has changed a little, there a lot of people moving around in south-east England or have been until the recent lockdown. It is also winter so those all three are important elements to consider. In terms of what that means for people coming from the UK here, everyone coming from the UK is going into 14 days of hotel quarantine and they are of no risk as that quarantine works so successfully, as it has done for the most part here in Australia since the beginning. PM?
PRIME MINISTER: Miracles happen every day in Australia, small and large, and I think Christmas is a time to give thanks to those that we know of.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the review into the problems with the hotel quarantine in Victoria, their findings out today, they conclude that no person or agency claimed any responsibility for the decision to use private security as the first tier of security and all vigorously disputed the possibility they could have played a part in the decision. Do you think that is a credible finding? Is there a problem now with the lack of accountability about the failures of hotel quarantine in Victoria?
PRIME MINISTER: What matters most is that we learn the lessons from what happened. Not just on that occasion but there have been many events and incidents that have occurred over the course of the pandemic and my focus has been, along with my team is to learn from each and every occasion. On quarantine, as a National Cabinet at our instigation we initiated the Holton Review that has gone around and checked right across the country and there have been significant improvements on the tracing. We had Doctor Finkel do something very similar and we have seen major improvements that have come from that. In the middle of a pandemic, you just have to focus on making sure you learn the lessons and you get it right going forward. I honestly think the best way I can continue to do that job is just by keeping looking forward, learning whatever we can from those experiences. I mean, I go back when we were dealing with the outbreak in northern Tasmania, I was down in Tasmania, down in Devonport just a few days ago, reflecting on that with Premier Gutwein. I spoke to a doctor who was involved up on that outbreak on that occasion and there were things that were learned from that experience and that translated to the next one. And so on each occasion, we are now here with what is of course a serious outbreak in Avalon but with the tools and capability to deal with it better than we have in previous outbreaks. So, you know, they have made their report, they’ve made their findings, others will judge that in the Victorian context and for the Victorian Government. That is a matter for them. What I am focused on is working and supporting every single government in this country, leading from our Government, to ensure we put in place the best possible response on each and every occasion.
Paul, you are being very patient today.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what progress has been made to strengthen the standards for quarantine of international aircrew and why did it take until December to decide that crews should be in fewer airports, fewer hotels closer to the airports?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it has been a combination of practices by the states, as you may know. Some states already were quarantining aircrews in one hotel hotel and New South Wales is moving to that. I should stress though, New South Wales takes half the international arrivals to Australia every week. So New South Wales has been carrying the lion’s share of the burden of getting Australians home. 3,000 even now, every week. Despite the challenges they’re facing now, New South Wales continues to do everything it can to get Australians home and they’re not just from New South Wales. They are from all the other states and territories. Victoria is still only at 1,000. Great to see them come up and in my discussions I’ve had with the Premier but we will see that happen when it is safe to do so. New South Wales keeps carrying that burden and great to see in Queensland they have gone up to about 1,300 per week and in WA it is just over 1,000. That’s great but New South Wales continues to carry the heaviest burden on quarantining international arrivals into this country. That means they have more aircrew and more pilots and they had more challenges in managing that than any other state or territory in the Commonwealth. So the arrangements they are putting in place now, I spoke to the Health Minister in New South Wales Brad Hazzard about this yesterday and I support the moves they are making there across all those who are involved, aircrew, pilots and others. That will only further strengthen the system, there is no doubt about that and that is a welcome development and we will continue to support them in those efforts.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on the hot spot definition it sounds like you have all but abandoned the hope of actually getting a national definition. Do you not think that as the Federal Government it is your responsibility to give some certainty to all Australians about what will happen in the events of outbreaks?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't agree with your assessment and I don't agree with your summing up of what the constitutional position is by implication. The National Cabinet has been able to achieve things that hasn't been achieved in so many other federated countries around the world. The point I was making to you is that state premiers take their responsibilities for the public health of people in their jurisdictions very seriously. If they feel that they want to have a stronger rule or different set of rules to exercise their responsibilities, then that is understandable. That is their accountability and the basis upon which they’re elected as governments and where possible, we seek to make these things consistent but what we need to look at is what the result has been and that is Australia has had one of the most successful outcomes in a suppressing the virus in this country of almost any other country in the world. I haven’t finished. And so I would stress to you that where we can work together, we do, and where states want to exercise their responsibilities to have differing arrangements, well that is the Federation of Australia. We will continue to make as consistent as possible but as I said in this case, the Avalon outbreak actually matches the national hot spot definition. It actually does and we have seen states respond along those lines. So I wouldn't take the same pessimistic view.
JOURNALIST: Is the COVIDSafe app being used in the contact tracing efforts for the Avalon cluster?
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry?
JOURNALIST: Is the COVIDSafe app being used in Avalon?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
JOURNALIST: Has it managed to track down many positive cases?
PRIME MINISTER: It is provided the same use it has right across. But Paul might want to add to that.
JOURNALIST: Has it managed to track down any positive cases?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: It is definitely being used and you remember it really a tool that is to be used by the contact tracers. New South Wales has, I would hazard that they would actually have the best contract tracers in the world. With their manual processes with the QR codes and everything else that they’re using as well as Opal card data, all sorts of other ways of getting that information, they are getting a lot of information from the people coming forward, getting tested and being questioned. They are putting the COVIDSafe app into that and at the moment haven't got any extra information from that but this is absolutely crucial and as we move, if this virus was to move outside the Northern Beaches, this is the way we will find those people if they are in contact. So please download the app.
PRIME MINISTER: As we have in other cases with outbreaks and so it is an important backstop measure that actually integrates with other tools being used.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can I ask about trade diversification, we're looking at other markets other than China, what countries specifically are we looking to trade with how long will these new arrangements take?
PRIME MINISTER: Let me stress, already the Government has increased the two-way trade that is covered by trade agreements under our Government from 26 percent to 70 percent that’s quite a, that’s the biggest diversification of our trade opportunities that this country has ever seen up to this point. The next two big agreements we are working on is with the UK and European Union which we have been working on for some time, ever since Brexit basically began with the referendum. We have been engaging with the UK on that matter and obviously have to waited until they finalise the arrangements with the EU. But at the same time, we have been working with the EU and would like to finalise that next year and I have made that point in my discussions with European leaders that have been quite extensive over the last six months.
JOURNALIST: A lot of the businesses in accommodation and the tourism sector rely on January, the income they earn in that period to tide them over for the rest of the year. We are looking at cutting JobKeeper from 10 days, I guess, effectively in the New Year. Is there any thought given to maybe putting a pause on that, or providing further assistance to those businesses that are going to be hit and given what you and Professor Kelly were saying about it being localised on the insular peninsular, do you think that perhaps the states, the other states, may be in a position to lift those border restrictions quite quickly before the end of the Christmas holidays for instance, the summer holidays?
PRIME MINISTER: It all depends on the data, it all depends on the data over the next few days. It may well be that what we're seeing in the Avalon outbreak goes the same way that the Adelaide outbreak went and it all comes and goes and in that sort of period of time and then things can then restore where they were prior to that. We're not at that point yet to be able to make those judgements. Hopefully in the next few days, next week, that will become clearer. But what we have done all the way through, particularly managing in relation to the economic response to the pandemic, is to ensure we have been driven and led by the evidence that we're seeing and Australia's economic response has been in the top tier around the world. I make this point, that without JobKeeper over the course of this year, the doubling initially of the JobSeeker payment, the JobTrainer initiatives, HomeBuilder, the Apprenticeship Support Programs, all of this, then the health response that has been put in place around the country by the states and territories would not have been possible. The economic foundation and support that was put in place by the Commonwealth Government enabled the public health response at a state and territory level. The Commonwealth bankrolled, wrote the cheque that underpinned what has been an outstanding health response at a state and territory level. The two have gone together and that's a partnership that I think has made Australia's response this year stand out at an international level. So we're always careful how we apply these things. The dates and the transitions are set, we’ve got no plans to change any of those, and we'll see what happens over the next week or so with the Avalon outbreak but at this stage I can't see any reason why any of that would change.
JOURNALIST: What discussions have you had with Jacinda Ardern around the New Zealand travel bubble, has this outbreak delayed that further?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the travel bubble with New Zealand is a matter for New Zealand. New Zealanders are welcomed to come to Australia and that arrangement has been going very successfully. The last figure I had, I think was about 9,000 New Zealanders had come through. It’s probably more than that now Paul, and without any incident whatsoever. If New Zealand wants Australians to be able to travel to New Zealand in the same way, that's entirely a matter for New Zealand. The last chat we had with her was exactly that. If New Zealand would like to do that, fine. That's great. But it's not a decision for Australia. It's a matter for New Zealand. Australia has no role to play in that decision whatsoever.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, do you envisage a time where you would cancel flights from UK as a result of the new strain following what's happened in Europe and Canada, or do you believe that hotel quarantine is as good a defence as cancelling flights?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have no plans to go down the path you have suggested. We always take the medical advice on these things and as Professor Kelly has just set out, at this stage there's nothing to suggest that such a significant action would be warranted. We're always mindful of the medical advice on these things. Our hotel quarantine system has been a very effective and important defence in the vast majority of cases. Of course, we all know what occurred in Victoria and we all know what has occurred in New South Wales and a number of other places on occasions. But I'd stress this, it's not just about the quarantine, it's also then about the response and the behaviours that people follow and so as we go into these last few days before Christmas, I think it is good to be mindful that the virus hasn't gone anywhere. I think it's important that we provide support to each other, particularly those who are most affected at the moment. I really feel for those small businesses and medium-sized businesses who have had their businesses disrupted again. But they know that the Government has been supporting them all the way through. There's not a place I go to in this country and my colleagues where business owners come to us and say, "JobKeeper kept my employees in jobs. JobKeeper kept my business in business." So they know, they understand, the Government has stood with them over the course of this year and I think the Australian people understand that as well through the record levels of support that has been provided. And we have been able to do that in partnership with the states and territories to ensure that Australia's response has stood out all around the world. So as we go into Christmas, while it's frustrating, I know, and while it's disappointing, deeply disappointing that some of the reunions that might have happened this Christmas for many families won't happen, but they will happen in the New Year. People will get together. We will get through this like we have got through so many other events. It's important to stay calm, to follow the health advice, to follow the public health information that is available, to keep the COVID safe behaviours and practises in place and I think we got a very good cause and very good reason to trust what is happening in New South Wales at the moment. They really are continuing to demonstrate their gold standard when it comes to managing these issues and I'm very hopeful that that will play out even more positively in the days ahead. Thanks very much.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
18 December 2020
Prime Minister: Before I make some statements about the changes to Ministerial portfolios that has been brought on of course by the retirement of Mathias Cormann, a few quick words around the situation in New South Wales.
As you all know, we have a reported total of 28 locally acquired COVID-19 cases that are linked to the Northern Beaches cluster. The two first cases reported on the 16th of December 2020, a total of 28 cases are currently associated with that cluster, including one case that was diagnosed in Queensland on 18 December of 2020. The majority of cases I'm advised and the New South Wales Premier would have already made reference to this I'm sure, they involved two venues, the Avalon RSL and the Avalon bowlo. And a number of cases are linked to one or both of those venues including the case diagnosed in Queensland and the Avalon RSL case is considered to be the source of the initial seeding of that cluster. All of those cases attended a number of venues whilst infectious, which have been part of a public health alert and most of the cases live in the Northern Beaches.
New South Wales has dealt with many of these challenges over the course of recent months and over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, New South Wales have demonstrated an extraordinary capacity to deal with these challenges and I retain full confidence in their ability to do that. I was with the Premier for most of yesterday, in fact as you’d know when we were up in Northern New South Wales when this information was coming through and already their agencies were right onto it. They are working around the clock as you have seen, with the amount of detail and information they've been able to identify in such a short period of time. So our advice is to just take heed of the information that has been made available by the New South Wales authorities if you're in any of these areas then what you need to do is set out very clearly there. For those who are in other states then it's the same rule, follow the advice of your local health authorities.
Of course, these things remind us that we are still in the midst of a global pandemic, the virus has not gone away, it is still there and as a result all the measures that we continuously take are necessary to continue to protect Australia. We have dealt with this before, we'll deal with it again, it's important that people just remain calm about these issues and follow the instructions that they're receiving from their local health authorities and I was in contact again with the Premier of New South Wales just before coming out here and she like I am very grateful to the cooperation of the public in responding to their requests and following the instructions that have been provided.
I'm very grateful to the Australian people for the way they have always throughout the course of this pandemic just got on with it and made sure they’re taking the necessary precautions and being highly responsive to the requests that are being made of them.
But today I'm here to announce changes to the Ministry which I propose to recommend to the Governor-General. The decisions that I have made reflect the very strong focus on stability in key portfolios, together with a commitment to bring forward some new talent as Australia continues its comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic. In a time of great uncertainty, stability and consistency is very much what is needed. And what I'm announcing today I think, very much continues that thread of what has been a constant in Australia over the course of this year. In a time of uncertainty, I think Australians have been able to look to their governments, plural and see the stability and certainty and constancy that is necessary for them as they navigate their own pathway through what has been a very challenging year.
Key portfolios geared to Australia's prosperity and security they remain unchanged. Treasury, Finance, Employment, Skills, Small Business and Family Business, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Home Affairs, all key portfolios, remaining unchanged.
There are no changes to the Nationals in the Ministry and associated policy responsibilities also remain unchanged under the leadership of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Mr McCormack.
The Ministry also maintains its record representation of women in Cabinet.
Following the appointment of Simon Birmingham as Minister for Finance, taking over from Australia's longest-serving Finance Minister, Mathias Cormann, in October, the Honourable Dan Tehan will be taking on the job as our new Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Dan brings incredibly strong credentials to this role as a former officer in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as a keen sense of the particular interests of regional and rural Australia in open rules-based trading systems.
The Aged Care portfolio will be elevated into Cabinet, with Greg Hunt as Health Minister taking on the additional responsibilities of Aged Care for the Government's response in particular to the Aged Care Royal Commission that will be handed down next year and the response that will be brought together as part of next year's Budget. The Honourable Richard Colbeck, Senator from Tasmania will retain responsibility for Aged Care Services and that includes the delivery of the Residential and Home Care packages, the Aged Care Sector regulation, as well as retaining his responsibilities for Senior Australians and as Minister for Sport. And I thank Richard for the great work he's been doing in what has been a very difficult year in this portfolio. Richard will continue to play a very important role in the response that the Government brings together in response to the Royal Commission and being able to maintain the continuity and the corporate knowledge that has been built up during a very challenging time I think will be incredibly important for the Government and myself and Minister Hunt as we bring that response to the Royal Commission and the broader strategies of reform together next year.
The Cabinet remains, will remain where it currently is now at 22 members and so there is a realignment of other portfolios to take account of the departure of Mathias Cormann and the appointment of Dan Tehan as Trade Minister.
The Education, and what will become the Education and Youth portfolio that will be assigned to Alan Tudge with a clear brief of improving education outcomes and in particular helping younger Australians navigate challenges in a rapidly changing world. He will be supported by an Assistant Minister for Youth and also Employment Services supporting Minister Cash, and that will be taken up by Luke Howarth who will take on that role from Queensland.
Paul Fletcher will take on broader responsibilities in addition to Communications and the Arts, he will also take back on the roles of Urban Infrastructure and Cities all of which together sit within the Infrastructure Department.
The Honourable David Coleman will be returning both to the Parliament and to the Executive and as a clear indication of what is a very significant priority for me he will be taking on the role of Assistant Minister to me as Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. This is a critical focus of the Government. As you know, we have provided a National Suicide Prevention Adviser to the Government and to me as Prime Minister and integrating that with the broader reforms that we're continuing to make in the mental health area. This has been highlighted as recently again as last Friday at the Federation Reform Council and the meeting of the National Cabinet. This will be a key area of collaboration, Federation reform, to deal with the many challenges that exist within mental health and suicide prevention. He joins me as an Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister because dealing with these issues is just not a challenge of the mental health portfolio within Health, it is a broader whole-of-government and, I'd say, whole-of-governments challenge, in dealing with mental health and suicide prevention. This is a matter that is very dear to my heart and I'm very pleased that David after a very difficult year for him personally is now in a position to be able to resume his responsibilities in the Parliament as a Member, as well as taking on a continuing role in the Executive. He stands down from where he previously was as a Minister in the government and takes on this very important role and on that note, I do want to thank the Leader of the Opposition, in particular, for his cooperation and support in enabling David over the past year to deal with those issues and now he is returning we thank them for the way that they handled that matter.
Strengthening the economic team, and in recognition of the growing importance of digital technology and the digital economy to Australia's economic future, Senator the Honourable Jane Hume will be promoted to the Ministry, and she will take on the expanded responsibilities from Superannuation and Financial Services, which she's been working on now since the last election and she will now take on the role as Digital Economy Minister. The Digital Transformation Package was a key component of the most recent Budget. It was something that I highlighted last year as one of the key areas of our job-making economic plan for Australia and has become even more important as we emerge from the COVID-19 recession.
Building on the success of the Government's housing policies, particularly in maintaining those residential construction jobs during the COVID pandemic, I am integrating the roles of Housing Minister, which is held by Michael Sukkar and also to include in his responsibilities swearing in him also to the Social Services Department portfolios as Minister for Homelessness, Social and Community Housing, and combining all aspects of the Housing Policy challenge under one Minister.
To further drive Australia's pursuit of new economic opportunities and challenges in a new global economy a post-COVID economy, Senator the Honourable Jonathon Duniam will become Assistant Minister for Industry Development. He will retain his Assistant Minister roles for Forestry and Fishing. Now Jono will be working across both the Industry and the Agriculture portfolio assisting his senior Ministers in Minister Littleproud and Karen Andrews to particularly look at the challenges facing Australian industry on the global trade front, ensuring that the diversification challenges and adjustments that they're making we can support, and he'll be working to those Ministers, and obviously work closely with the new Minister for Trade.
A portfolio which has always been close to my experience and so I don't hand this one out lightly, the Honourable Alex Hawke will take on the job of Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs. Australia has yet again proven in 2020 that we are the most successful immigrant and multicultural nation on earth and we have demonstrated that again and I know Alex will do an outstanding job in this area. He has previously worked as an Assistant Minister in this area and he has deep connections, particularly in the New South Wales community in this area, and is very conscious of the migration needs and migrant services support needs that are needed in that sector.
Senator the Honourable Zed Seselja will be promoted to the ministry and he will take on Alex's former portfolio as Minister for International Development and the Pacific. The Government's demonstrated commitment to our Pacific family very real, even right now, as cyclones go through Fiji I was in contact yesterday morning with Prime Minister Bainimarama assuring him of our steadfast support to be there for them in their time of need which he greatly appreciated. Our Step Up to our Pacific family is felt very deeply by our Pacific family and friends and this is a matter that is critically important to the Government. Zed has a great experience in the Parliament. He's served in a number of Assistant Minister roles and I think that brings great added benefit, particularly to our Senate team, which is combining with Senator Hume, creating two new Ministries for Senators which will boost those ranks within the Senate amongst our Ministers. There is also the work that we announced most recently at the ASEAN and East Asia Summits where we have upped our level of investment in the ASEAN region, particularly in many of the development projects which sit in the Mekong Delta. This is also important to Australia's engagement with the region and that has been incredibly well received. He will also play a key role in ensuring that we roll out the vaccine in our Pacific family into the new year. Being an ACT Senator situates him also very well with all the various embassies and missions that are here in the ACT, which enables him to work well with those development partners as part of those roles.
Every Prime Minister needs an outstanding Assistant Minister, and I've had a tremendous one in Ben Morton and he will continue in that role as Assistant Minister to me and the Cabinet, and he will take on additional responsibilities both in taking on the public service role formally which was being done by Greg Hunt with him taking on Aged Care, Ben will take on that role, which he has now been doing for some time during the pandemic unofficially under my direction and in addition to that, he will take on the role of Assistant Minister for Electoral Matters.
Bringing in new talent to the Executive, I'm delighted to announce that Senator the Honourable Amanda Stoker will become Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General. There is no harder-working Minister in the Government than the Attorney-General and the Minister for Industrial Relations, and the Leader of the Government in the House and Amanda Stoker is well-credentialed, extremely talented. As senator for Queensland, I'm pleased to see another Queenslander in the Executive, which lifts that representation for Queensland in our Executive and I think she's going to do an absolutely sensational job.
I also want to thank Steve Irons. Steve, there would be few people as the media, I suspect might know who are closer to me than Steve Irons. We have, we came into this Parliament together in 2007, and we are deeply close and personal friends and I've been so pleased that Steve has been able to serve in the Assistant Ministry, and I thank him for his great passion. Steve is the ultimate team player and Steve has always promoted younger people throughout his entire life. And Steve wanted to make way for another great Western Australian to be able to come into our Executive at this time, someone who's also done a great job not only in his local electorate, but has served our country admirably. And so I say to Steve and to Cheryl, I want to thank you, Steve. You've been doing a fantastic job, and I know you'll continue to do a fantastic job. We'll be working through new areas for Steve to be working, but he has stood aside from the Executive, which makes the way available for me to appoint Andrew Hastie as the Assistant Minister for Defence. No one possibly could question what Andrew can bring to this role at this very important time. It's something that the Minister for Defence and I felt very strongly about. We're very pleased that Andrew can join us in that team and I think he'll do an extraordinary job. His service is already on public record in uniform and what he's done here in this Parliament, and particularly as Chair of the PJCIS Committee has been exemplary. That means that because of the new entries to the Executive, there will be a number of committee and other roles that now will become freed up, and we'll look closely at those.
As you can see, there is only two members who have come into the Executive, so this is on the scale of changes, as Mark and other senior members of the gallery will know, this is not a large-scale change this is a modest set of changes and I think that is important at this time. To have that stability and to have that certainty and to have that constancy. That's what Australians are relying on and that's made possible because I have an outstanding team who are doing an outstanding job and I will continue to commend them on the work they're doing and rely on them as all of the Australian people are.
So with that, I'm happy to take questions.
Journalist: [Inaudible] Minister Tehan could bring to the Trade portfolio perhaps try something a bit different or do you see him just basically taking over from where Simon Birmingham left over?
Prime Minister: I think very much what you’ve just said then, Australia's position on these issues are very clear, and I think constancy and consistency in those matters is just as important. We've made our position very clear and we will continue to seek engagement at both Ministerial, and Dan will seek those opportunities as I continue to at a leader level. But our position is very clear. There are matters that are now being brought forward to the WTO. But I also want to stress as important as those issues are with China, there is also a very big agenda to be pursued next year with the EU and the UK and Minister Birmingham has been doing an outstanding job in those areas and in recent months, I've had the opportunity to talk to most European leaders and of course to Prime Minister Johnson on several occasions and we both share this as a big ambition for next year. Ursula von der Leyen and I and President Michel from the European Union, this was a big factor in our discussion while I was in isolation. So Dan will be picking up that. What Dan brings I think as I said in my remarks, he has a technical expertise in this area having served in a trade role as an officer for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade nut also, I think, he brings an important rural and regional focus to this issue and I think that's very welcome.
Journalist: Prime Minister, many people will see Alan Tudge moving to Education as a promotion. Do you think that passes the pub test given the revelations that came out about him just several months ago?
Prime Minister: Well, first of all this is a reassignment of portfolios and there are no changes to the order of precedence. So to couch it in those terms I wouldn't, and neither does Alan take it in that context. But you raise the issue so let's talk about it. Alan's judgement of some years ago in his own personal life that pre-dated my Prime Ministership, he has served as Cabinet Minister for many years and, indeed, was put into the Ministry and to the Cabinet by my predecessor and he has continued in those roles and he's served very well as a Minister in the Government. Alan's decisions in his own personal life he has taken full personal responsibility for and no one has paid a greater price for those things than his family and those that they affected and himself. What has impressed me about Alan is he's dealt with these issues honestly. They relate to things that happened some years ago, many years ago now actually and for them to be now re-presented at this time as if they're fresh revelations, or anything that go to his current conduct I think would be very unfair, Lanai. And as a result he continues to do a great job. But as Alan Tudge who for the past 12 months has taken on two Ministerial portfolios while David Coleman has been unable to perform those roles, and he's done that with great application and at the same time dealing more recently with the issues that were raised in the Four Corners report. So I think the timing here needs to be understood. The issues that were raised in regard to Alan Tudge happened some years ago. He's accepted responsibility for his own personal conduct. He's had to deal with that in seeking to restore relationships in his own personal life and his own family and so I would ask that that is the main issue where that needs to be addressed and there are no matters that are before me in terms of Alan Tudge's conduct as a Cabinet Minister in my Government that could in any way, preclude him to continue to serve in these roles.
Journalist: You said that Richard Colbeck had done a good job in Aged Care but taking primary responsibility for his portfolio away from him and giving it to a Senior Minister would seem like a strange way of recognising that. How could that be seen as anything other than a demotion for Colbeck?
Prime Minister: This is about elevating Aged Care into the Cabinet. That's the decision I've made and that is important that we elevate Aged Care into the Cabinet because of the seriousness of this issue, the size and scale of the reform program that will need to be implemented post the Royal Commission report. So I'm preparing for that by ensuring that the Aged Care portfolio is held at the highest level it can be and that's by the Health Minister Greg Hunt, who I'm sure people agree has done an amazing job over the course of the pandemic. What I'm doing is putting more grunt, more resource, more capacity into dealing with the challenges in aged care. One of the things that I think happen, often, when there are reshuffles is there is tendency to look at these things always in personal terms and the internal politics and to be honest what matters is aged care and the care of elderly Australians. And what I want to ensure is as we frame our response to the Royal Commission that we have more effort, more application, and more senior-level engagement with that while continuing to draw on the experience that Richard has had in that portfolio. So this is about more focus on aged care not less and that's all it's about. Jono?
Journalist: A quick ring-around shows there's nobody in the country on a ventilator in regards to having COVID. Do Premiers need to take that into consideration, considering some of the rules or the lockdowns they're now enforcing on people coming from the Northern Beaches, the fact that there's nobody on a ventilator with COVID in the country. And if this is the measure that we're now going to see from Premiers, do you need to think about fast-tracking the rolling out of the vaccination program across the country, rather than delaying it until March and having as you said a ringside seat to the rest of the world?
Prime Minister: I don't take hasty decisions on people's health and I don't think Premiers also seek to take hasty or ill-informed decisions about Australians' health. The vaccine is critically important to the country and we will be making sure that when it finally receives approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration by Professor Skerritt, it'll be done in accordance with all the requirements that he and his group require. That way I can say to Australians that if he gives it the tick you can get the jab and that is incredibly important. And so I tend not to be distracted by the events of the day when it comes to ensuring that we maintain the discipline of that path of getting to that important approval of the vaccine for all Australians. In terms of what Premiers are choosing to do, well, they have always been responsible and accountable for the decisions that they're making within their jurisdictions. Premiers and state governments, and I think this is one thing that perhaps has become better understood this year, is the responsibilities of state and territory governments. State governments are responsible for public health within their jurisdictions and they have the authority to make decisions to protect the public health within their jurisdictions. So they're going to do their job, I'm going to do my job and together we will continue to ensure that Australia has one of the best records in the world of both managing the impact of COVID-19 during this pandemic globally, as well as ensuring that the economic comeback that has begun in Australia continues to move at pace.
Journalist: Prime Minister, just in relation to what you're hearing most recently about the spread of the virus. You told people you want them to celebrate Christmas together, but how many Australians now have to steel themselves that's very unlikely they'll be able to move around and actually do that?
Prime Minister: Well, there'll be some constraints because of the events of the last 24 hours. But as we've often seen with those events those limitations also can be eased once further information is known and that will be a matter for the Premiers. They will follow the local health advice and they'll make their decisions accordingly and in the best interests of their own health and the broader community health.
Journalist: Prime Minister, there's a pattern in the way that these things are unfolding. We've seen this morning people panicking in the Sydney Airport and trying to flee before they feel like they'll be locked down or blocked from other states. Given what we saw last month in SA, what we're seeing now in Sydney do you think that it's time to revisit some kind of national standard and framework to give Australians more confidence in what they can and can't do accepting that there will be outbreaks until we have that vaccine rolled out?
Prime Minister: Well again a national standard on hotspots is not something that Premiers and Chief Ministers have agreed to. That's something they do not want to do. The Commonwealth has no authority to impose any such national definition on states and territories. That is not a power the Commonwealth Government has. That would have to be done by agreement with states and territories, and that is not something states and territories have agreed to put in place. They have their own rules that they are putting in place and they're seeking to protect the health and safety of people in their own jurisdictions. My message to the public more broadly is to remain calm and follow that advice. That's what Australians have done, by and large throughout the course of the year. And yes there has been some behaviour along the lines that you've described, but I would say more broadly that Australians as usual have responded in a calm and an effective manner and have been very cooperative with the requirements and the information that has been provided by authorities and I'd simply say to them to continue to do that. The pandemic has not gone away. It hasn't gone away. So these types of uncertainties and these disruptions will continue to occur and there is no magic formula that just makes the pandemic go away. So the states will continue to manage it as they are working right now to track down all the sources and tracing of those cases to protect public health.
Journalist: You mentioned the economic comeback. Obviously MYEFO updated assumptions yesterday that all the state borders would stay open in 2021. Obviously two weeks away from kicking over into 2021 and that's probably not going to happen given from what we've seen in the past. How concerned are you about the potential for this sort of outbreak to have a serious impact on that economic recovery?
Prime Minister: No, I don't have a serious concern about that. You're talking about something that happened 24 hours ago and making the assumption that's going to be the case for the next 12 months. I don't think that's the case. We will take all these things in our stride as we always have, and I'm quite certain that as we move into next year and remember next year, subject to the TGA will see the vaccine come to Australia, we'll see the comeback continue. I understand that there's some uncertainty and some anxiety at this very moment but as we've seen in the past as saw in South Australia, as we've seen in New South Wales on multiple occasions now, they'll work through it. They're getting on top of it. That's been the case all the way through. I think we can have great confidence in the public officials that are working very hard right now to try and restore things to COVID-normal as quickly as possible. The best thing Australians can do to help them do that is just to go about their daily lives as best they can subject to the restrictions that have been put in place.
Journalist: Prime Minister, we've seen two very different responses from the states towards the Northern Beaches outbreak. WA has shut its border to the entire state. Queensland and others have taken a more localised response. What's your preference? What do you prefer? And have you received any medical advice? Has your Government received any medical advice that borders should close to New South Wales or Sydney at this point?
Prime Minister: No, I haven't had that advice, but that advice goes to states and territories because they make the decisions on those issues. And my preference is to work with the states and territories to support them to do their job and their job is to protect the public safety. Their job is to protect public safety within their jurisdictions. It's not my job to go around second-guessing other people's decisions. It's my job to support them and to ensure that as a country we continue to work together in the face of the biggest global pandemic we've seen in 100 years. And so the sooner we're able to move through these decisions over the next few days, I believe the sooner we'll get to a point I hope that the early concerns we hope may be alleviated, but it's still too early to say and I think the states are doing what they've done throughout the course of this pandemic. They're making judgements based on the health advice that has been provided to them.
Journalist: Prime Minister, are you concerned that by promoting Andrew Hastie you'll add to the perception amongst the backbench that the most aggressive stance towards China will be rewarded? And could I please clarify will Amanda Stoker be assisting the Attorney-General in the Industrial Relations portfolio as well?
Prime Minister: In answer to your first question, no. In answer to your second question, she is Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General, not the Minister for Industrial Relations. They are two separate portfolios.
Journalist: Why aren’t you concerned that will add to the perception?
Prime Minister: Because I think it's rubbish. Any other questions? No? Well Merry Christmas everyone. Sorry, yes.
Journalist: On Mr Colbeck, you sort of dismissed the question about it being a demotion but how can it be anything but a demotion when he wanted to remain Aged Care Minister? Did he mishandle the issue during the pandemic?
Prime Minister: No and as I said before, this is about elevating aged care and our response to the Royal Commission into Cabinet. It's not about the individuals. It's about the care being provided to elderly Australians. It's not about politics, it's about people and ensuring that we have the biggest and best resource, response to the aged care challenges that are very, very serious. This is about putting more hands to the wheel not less and continuing to use the experience that is there to inform what will be a very important response for older Australians. It's one of those times I'd say to you that what matters here is the policy and the need and I'm putting the best people in the roles to support addressing that need. Whether it's the comeback from COVID-19, whether it's keeping Australians safe, keeping Australians together, or keeping our economy strong, they remain my objectives as I set them out when I became Prime Minister. We are making great progress on all of those despite challenges that our country has faced, particularly over the last 12 months but longer than that and we continue to make great progress. And the people I thank most for that are the Australian people. I thank them for their resilience. I thank them for their tenacity. I thank them for their patience. I thank them for their sacrifice. And even now in the course of these last 24 hours when anxiety levels have been raised by the cases that we've seen in the Northern Beaches, we too will overcome that just as we have before and as best as we possibly can and frankly far better than so many other countries around the world, Australians will enjoy in a Christmas this year that, in so many other places they will not and I think we can be thankful for that.
On that note, can I wish you all a very, very, Merry Christmas, a very happy new year, we're going to really mean that this year. And I'm looking forward after the new year and into January, I'll be taking a bit of time with my family, and the Deputy Prime Minister will step up at that time and we'll release further details on that. But I will be here and not far away should any other events. I was pleased to be up in Northern New South Wales yesterday to see firsthand our response to those flooding events up in Northern New South Wales. There was also the serious situation in Queensland. We'll be monitoring those closely. And I would ask everyone to stay as safe as they possibly can and when you're driving up that Pacific Highway on that dual carriageway all the way from Hexham up to the Queensland border, that is great news. Thanks, everyone.
Press Conference - Woodburn, NSW
17 December 2020
THE HON KEVIN HOGAN MP, MEMBER FOR PAGE: Okay look welcome everyone to actually before I start I will obviously acknowledge the Prime Minister, Premier, Deputy Premier, Deputy Prime Minister and my parliamentary colleagues, especially my good friend Chris Gulaptis.
Wonderful to be here today, we were here, we were all actually almost all of us were here together in our region just over 12 months ago and that was for a much different reason. That was obviously Rappville, just previously had had all the tragedy of the fire, we were in the middle of a debilitating drought and we were getting devastated by the fires and 12 months ago today here we all would have been breathing in smoke and in fack New Italy itself, if you don’t know the story of New Italy check that out too for anyone who’s not local. But if you look around, the scars of the fire are quite are quite recent and visible too soon.
But look today, we are here for a much happier story, the Pacific Highway is a multi-decade story. I mean a tens of billions of dollar story, the Woolgoolga to Ballina section is the last section that is to be done, by coincidence, Woolgoolga to Ballina is literally the length of the electorate that I represent. Which is a $5 billion spend, 144 kilometers. And why have we done this? There is not a person who is local here and I’m sure many of you who aren’t local who do not know someone who has had a very devastating impact whether a fatality or injury on this highway. There have been some unfortunately infamous accidents on this highway and this was all about reducing fatalities on this road. And fatalities on the Pacific Highway are already at multi-decade lows, so that’s what we are celebrating today, yeah the jobs when it was being built are great. The fact that this makes us closer to the rest of the world for the tourists to get here and for our businesses to get their goods and services out there that’s great too but this is about reducing fatalities. This is a wonderful, historic, significant day in our community and I welcome and thank everyone who is here today, the Premier and the Prime Minister said last year that they were going to rebuild and recovery Rappville and this community and they did and they’ve been very big supporters of building this highway as well and I thank them for that. And so on that I’ll pass over to my state friend and colleague.
CHRIS GULAPTIS, MEMBER FOR CLARENCE: Yeah thanks Kevin and again it’s always great to see the PM and the Premier visit the electorate as they did through the bushfires to provide support through the bushfires. But as Kevin said, this is a different day. This is a day to celebrate an incredible infrastructure project that we've waited for for decades. Over 1,000 people have died on the Old Pacific Highway since 1989. In 31 years, a thousand people have died and this morning we were in Cowper to see what the catalyst for the upgrade of the Pacific Highway was all about. When on the 20th of October 1989, a bus crashed with a semi carrying pineapple juice. 21 people lost their lives, 22 people were injured. We never want those sorts of things to happen again anywhere, especially in the regions, because we know those people. We know those people. They're from our community. And look, for us in regional New South Wales, it's really important to have infrastructure like this. We see billions of dollars being spent in the metro areas, which saves 10 minutes on a daily commute but those billions of dollars that are spent on the Pacific Highway save lives and it means that families and family members can come home to their families in the evening. So can I say to the PM, to the Premier and everybody involved in this project. It's a mammoth project and as Kev said, $5 billion dollars between Woolgoolga and Ballina, it’s almost exclusively in the electorate of Clarence and it's something that we've been waiting for decades and it's finally happened. It's finally here and we can celebrate it. So thank you everybody who's been involved in this project because we've looked forward to it for absolutely decades.
THE HON GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN, PREMIER OF NSW: Okay, lovely, thank you. Can I thank the federal and state local members and appreciate what this means for their communities, but today is a significant day for our state. This is the largest road project in the nation and I think it's demonstrated vigilance by successive Ministers and successive governments to make sure that when we set a deadline on an upgrade for a road project which will, which has saved lives, reduced travel times, it's a wonderful boost for New South Wales, especially now when the regions are really so critical in our recovery from COVID and also as they recover themselves for the catastrophic bushfires from last year.
Can I acknowledge the Prime Minister and the Federal Government for their 80-20 contribution. Can I acknowledge my state parliamentary colleagues who have ensured that we've kept up our end of the bargain by maintaining the construction and vigilance in managing the project and to be able to meet it on time and within the budget prescribed is a very positive day for New South Wales and we are going through a difficult time and I always said during COVID we wanted to make sure we kept construction going and I do just briefly want to acknowledge that unfortunately, overnight, in addition to those three cases which the public is already aware of, there have been an additional two cases of COVID on the Northern Beaches, Health will be providing more details as the day unfolds but we're encouraging everybody who lives on the northern beaches with the mildest of symptoms to come forward and get testing. The last, most recent two cases, one of which was in Frenchs Forrest but again, the health authorities will provide further advice. The advice I've received is literally in the last half hour, but we do as we do always in New South Wales, make sure we let the public know as soon as we know so that people can take measures, that people can take the actions they need to take and I encourage everybody with the mildest of symptoms on the Northern Beaches to please come forward and get tested. We have seen an increase in testing overnight. But we really want to get on top of this. We don't want this to concern us leading into the last few days before Christmas. And I'm just urging the public to remain as vigilant as ever.
PM?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, thank you very much Gladys. It's tremendous to be here with you as always, and of course to Kevin and Chris it’s wonderful to be here as our Local Members, the Mayor of course, and I fully acknowledge [inaudible] again. And I'm so pleased to hear about the restoration and rebuilding of Rappville. Tremendous to see that, when I was here with Gladys in the middle of that devastation, to know of that community’s rebuildings and terribly encouraging.
To the DPM, always good to be here with you, Michael and Barra- John, great to be here with you as well and of course, the Minister.
I grew up, as I'm sure people of my generation know, doesn't matter if you grew up in Sydney or you grew up along the North Coast or northern New South Wales, the Pacific Highway has so many sad stories, tragic, terrible stories, horrible bus crashes, terrible accidents, families going away for Christmas holidays or Easter holidays and it ending in terrible tragedy. And I remember watching on the news when I was younger and as the years went on and people would say somebody needs to do something about this, this has to be fixed. Well, it's fixed, 30 years of hard work, 30 years of commitment now gets us to this stage where we can join together and say we got that done and it was so important to get it done. The fatalities on the section we're talking about here from Hexham all the way through the border. 40 a year prior to all of this, we've now got it down well below 20 year and there's still work to do. We will always keep working to improve all of this but it is such a relief to know, for all of us who remember those chilling and awful images and the calls for something to be done, to know that something has been done, something has got done and I want to thank everyone who's played their role in making this happen. Of course, the voices of the local communities all along the Pacific Highway whose cries were heard and have been answered, to those who lost loved ones on this stretch of road this is bittersweet. I'm sure they're very pleased that their cries have gone answered now. But equally, they remember those who they lost. And as they drive along this separated stretch of road now all the way from Hexham up to the border, of course they will be pleased about that but wish it was different when their own loved ones were travelling through those areas. We can't change that. What we could change is this road and it has been changed.
I particularly want to thank my Coalition family, that's the Liberals and the Nationals, and a broader coalition, which is the Federal Government and the State Government. This is a coalition project that has brought together people over many, many years going back to when John Howard was involved and Tim Fischer all those years ago through to most recently now with Michael and I and of course, with Gladys and John and the team here at a state level. And I'm sure everyone who has played a hand in this will be very pleased to see this now having been achieved.
I'm also really pleased to have been part of a government since 2013 that put the pedal right down on getting this done. Prior to 2013, this was being funded 50/50, but in truth, it was being funded 20/20, less than half of what was needing to be invested in, particularly this last section, which we’ve spent over $5 billion dollars on to get this last section completed. It wasn't being spent and we went to that election in 2013 and we told the people of Northern New South Wales that if you elected the Coalition Government back in, then we would get this done and we would restore the 80/20 funding and that's what we've done and now it is there for everyone to see and more importantly, to be able to be able to use and to use safely. I can't think of a more significant infrastructure project in the last 30 years that has probably had more impact on people's lives than this one, particularly in this part of the country and so I stand here today incredibly grateful for all of those who made it happen, the engineers, the designers, the workers, all of those who made this possible but frankly at the end of the day the taxpayers of New South Wales and the Commonwealth who at the end of the day foot the bill. So thank you very much to them for making that possible.
To Gladys again, thank you so much for the partnership with the New South Wales Government. It's a great partnership. We're getting a lot done. And, but this is a very happy day to say that we got this done and the person who's been driving that for us over many years now is the Deputy Prime Minister at a federal level who's seen through the vision of those who preceded us and made sure this has happened on the ground from a Commonwealth level.
Just before I do that, I do also want to acknowledge very, very briefly but importantly, the terrible loss of a farmer up in the Southern Downs in Queensland who has tragically lost his life as he was looking to shepherd his livestock to safer pastures. It is a terrible reminder that in one year, we will be hit by fires and next year we'll be hit by La Niña and we will be hit by floods and cyclones and those sort of extreme weather events and we're working very closely together obviously with the New South Wales Government, but also with the Queensland Government to ensure that we can do everything we can to support people who are being devastated or impacted by these events. The DRFA funding here for Northern New South Wales has been activated which is a partnership between the New South Wales and the Federal Government and the Premier and I will take the opportunity later today to go and get an update on how things are progressing there.
But on this occasion, it's about a wonderful road that is open and I look forward to plenty of people travelling it safely and particularly those locals who travel it every day.
Michael?
THE HON. MICHAEL MCCORMACK MP, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Well, thank you, Prime Minister and I acknowledge the Premier, acknowledge the Deputy Premier, John Barilaro and he and I are getting things done in regional New South Wales and right across regional Australia there is $110 billion dollars of infrastructure being rolled out right at this very point in time and over the next decade. Acknowledge Chris Gulaptis, the local state member and my good friend and colleague Kevin Hogan and acknowledge also Luke Hartsuyker is here today, who campaigned for many, many years to make sure that this road was duplicated.
It's quite appropriate that we're here today in New Italy because when migrants arrived in Australia, they built things. They were very resilient. They came particularly to regional Australia and regional New South Wales, and they got things done. Yes, the burden was large. Yes, the outlook at times was bleak, but they soldiered on. They knew that they wanted to forge a better life for themselves and their families. How proud would they be today? How proud would the pioneers of New Italy and even those who came before them, be today when they saw that the duplication of the Pacific Highway was complete. And just a few little statistics, at its peak, 3,800 direct jobs, at its peak of construction, 11,400 indirect jobs and all of those jobs mean local procurement. All of those jobs means food on the table for a family, many of them living nearby, many of them locals and they got on and they built this magnificent highway. And perhaps the most important statistic of all, one extolled by the Premier and by the Prime Minister, was the fact that the road toll is now halved in fact more than halved. So you can travel from Hexham to the Queensland border, two and a half hours less travel time, but you're driving on a four lane duplicated highway, not the corridor of carnage that it once was, not the road that the Prime Minister said brought tears to his eyes when he read the stories and heard of the tales, the harrowing and devastating tales and loss and I know I come from Wagga Wagga and I can remember coming up here on summer holidays and the road was a goat trap but we fixed that and that's what Liberal and National governments do. We get on with the pioneering spirit, people who came to this country to forge a better life for themselves. We got on with the job and we finished this highway. We finished this duplication and it is magnificent for all to see. I know it will save lives now and into the future.
And with that I'll hand over to John Barilaro.
THE HON. JOHN BARILARO MP, DEPUTY PREMIER: Thank you, Michael. Can I also just acknowledge the Prime Minister, the Premier, the Deputy Prime Minister, my ministerial colleague Paul Toole, the local members and Kevin and Chris, to all of you and my other parliamentary colleagues that are here today, but also the former colleagues like Andrew Fraser, Luke Hartsuyker who have lived this highway, its stories and yes we can talk about the jobs that we can talk about the bitumen, the concrete, the steel that's been laid to make this road safer but over the past three days we've been in a bus from Sydney. The National Party are using this opportunity in celebration and the opening of the road but as an opportunity to reflect not just on the road itself and the investment but on the communities, communities that have been bypassed but are being refreshed with a new life. Those workers that have been part of the story of rebuilding this road and most importantly, meeting with those families that have lost loved ones. I said this morning we were at the Cowper Memorial where 21 lives were lost. I said that the tears that were- the rain that was falling from the sky was a reminder of the tears that were lost, and the families. Hundreds of families impacted in a way through those deaths and the deaths that we've seen on this road. So it's a bittersweet day that we celebrate an opening of a road but it is right that we acknowledge and respect that lives have been lost and governments have come together and I do have to acknowledge Warren Truss at the time at the federal level, and I have to acknowledge Andrew Stoner at a state level that fought for that 80-20 rule and Andrew Stoner thought that the sale of the Port of Sydney, some of that money must be dedicated to the Pacific Highway and Warren Truss on honoured the 80-20 deal and that's been honoured consistently by all Liberal and National Governments since then. I also just want to acknowledge the loss of Ian Armstrong yesterday, another champion for the region. Someone that wanted to see investment in regional New South Wales. You know, we get, we're lucky today. We're all lucky to stand in to cut a ribbon but there are many before us that fought for this and those that fought for it the most were the community and I got the chance this morning to meet some of those community members, first responders that turned up on the day and today they still can't look at the site or even taste pineapple because there was pineapple being carted on that bus and the reminder of the smell and the look of pineapple in itself is a traumatic event for those people who are reminded of what was a traumatic day for those families and the loss of life, young life, families, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters who are lost. These are the stories that we should always remember and why there is a change and the community came together off the back of tragedy, united and forced change, forced change in one way shamed government to come to the table but you know, we were willing those before us and now here at the end this is a significant day, a day that I love, that we're reflecting on the why and, of course, we get to celebrate the opening of the road. So with that I just want to say thank you to the community for being patient and working with us. I've got to tell you what, this is the sort of investment that makes a real difference. We can all leave politics one day and say you know what, I've made a difference and I think today's one of those days.
Thank you.
THE HON PAUL TOOLE, MINISTER FOR REGIONAL TRANSPORT AND ROADS: Thanks Deputy Premier and I’d like to begin by just saying that this today is a celebration. We are celebrating the official opening of the duplicating of the Pacific Highway from Hexham to the Queensland border and that's what happens when the Liberals and Nationals are working together for projects like this. So I want to extend that thank you to the Prime Minister, to the Deputy Prime Minister, to the Premier, to the Deputy Premier, but also hard working local members like Kevin Hogan and Chris Gulaptis and all those local members beforehand, those communities that have been a voice about the need for change, about the need to improve this road. Yeah look, it's been 24 years. It's been 24 years. It's been a $15 billion dollar investment but it is an important investment because it's about creating a safer road so that when people get behind the wheel of the car when they're going on holidays, when they're travelling to work, when they're just going home, they'll have a safe road to be able to travel on. To go back to 1989, those two bus crashes that year at Clybucca and Cowper, there were 56 lives that were lost it was incredible to think within a couple of months that there was a second bus crash. Incredible to think that in that year alone there was 123 lives that were lost on this road as the Prime Minister said an average of 40 a year. I can tell you now with the duplications of the Pacific Highway fatalities have been reduced by 75 per cent so that is why the investment occurred into this road. That's why we've seen these improvements and I'll put that in context, if I talk about the next 30 years, in the next 30 years that means 8,000 less crashes. It means 4,000 less injuries, and it means 656 lives that will be saved. So that means a dad will be able to go home to his family. He'll be able to read a story to his young ones that night, not see an empty chair at home. This project has ensured that it is the largest regional road infrastructure project that we've seen in this country. It is now the safest and the most advanced road that we have seen. Again now we've seen communities that have been bypassed. There's 30 towns that have been bypassed through this particular project. Again, those communities are thriving. We've got businesses now that are taking the opportunity to grow. Tourism is booming. People are going to those communities now because they're seeing it as a destination. 600 bridges it's a project worth investing in and that's what everyone has done so along the way. I thank the community, because together we've all done this.
CR ROBERT MUSTOW, MAYOR, RICHMOND VALLEY COUNCIL: Thanks very much, and I just like to start off by acknowledging the traditional land owners the people of the Bundjalung nation and show my respect to their past and future elders and present. Mr Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Premier, Deputy Premier, Minister Toole, Kevin and Chris, it's wonderful to have you back in our area today under better circumstances. Last time it was a tragedy with the fires were sweeping through our local government area. But since then with funding, tens of millions of dollars have come through the state and federal government to help our community and this where we're standing now this venue has received one hundred thousand dollars of that funding for water tanks and also to put a kitchen on the hall it'll make the hall more usable. Also, the road that goes between New Italy and Swan bay has received a major upgrade out of that money and if you go through that bush about 5 kilometres, you'll find that Dirty Wheels off road push bike track. So they received $50,000. They were totally burnt out so they received $50,000 out of that money. So we've spent the money right through our local government area, right up into Rappville, millions of dollars been extended there. On this venue here when the fires were raging, they had to pack up all of their museum equipment and all the displays and move them off site which was a big job. And if anyone's been in there it's worth a look, the history of this place is astounding and what those people went through in those early days is amazing. I'd also like to acknowledge John and Peter from the New Italy, thank you for hosting us today it's much appreciated. Just once again, thank you very much for your attendance. To me the Pacific Highway is what's been mentioned here today between Woodburn and the Iluka turn-off was a black spot all the way along it that will be removed. So it puts all of our community and our emergency service responders who had to attend those accidents a lot of stress and that has gone out of their lives. So thank you very much. And it's great to have you back here under better times. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Happy to go to questions there was an appropriate acknowledgement of Warren Truss, I also want to thank Tony Abbott too, because in 2013 he and Warren took that to the election, got the support of the Australian people and here we are today. So thank you to also Tony. The Premier and I and others are available for questions. Why don't we start on the, on the project and we can move to other topics? I'm sure that everyone always likes to cover other topics as well. Strangely.
Yes?
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] You’ve spoken quite a bit about the highway, I think we’ve all got a lot of grabs on it,
PRIME MINISTER: Sure.
JOURNALIST: Can we turn to China if possible?
PRIME MINISTER: Sure.
JOURNALIST: When did you last attempt to line up a chat with China’s President?
PRIME MINISTER: This is a constant process for our Government. We're always open to that discussion and we always seek those opportunities and we continue to do that but that is a matter for the Chinese Government. I think it's important for us to maturely discuss the issues that are present but it's also important that Australia continues to act in its own interests, in our national interests and our sovereign interests and we will, of course, do that. The World Trading Organisation, Trade Organisation rules what governs trade, and they need to be adhered to both in letter and in spirit and we've made the decision to take the barley issue forward and considering other matters at the moment. But it's important that we understand that this relationship is not a one way relationship. The relationship between Australia and China is a mutually beneficial relationship and the current tensions are of no value to China or Australia. It is not assisting either of us and so that's why it is important that we work through these issues and we're very happy to do so.
JOURNALIST: When was the last chat? When was the last time you’ve spoken to the President?
PRIME MINISTER: The last time I spoke to President Xi was at the G20, in Osaka.
JOURNALIST: Premier, just on the COVID outbreak, the two cases today, are there a link to those two others on the Northern Beaches? And secondly, are you comfortable with the reporting process which is in place at the moment, very [inaudible]?
PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Yep. Firstly on the first issue, Health literally only identified the two positive cases about half an hour before this press conference started. So obviously, they're working overtime to see if there is a genomic link with the previous two cases that were identified on the Northern Beaches. And of course, if there is a link to the air crew or the transport worker, in fact and so all that genomic testing is in overdrive at the moment. But of course in relation to air crew that is a concern for us given hundreds of air crew come in and out of Sydney Airport as they would in Melbourne and other capital cities around Australia and we're working to tighten those protocols but it's very complex because you need to work with every single airline, you need to work with the hotels. But we are confident that within the next few days, we'll have a system which further tightens what's occurring there to reduce the risk. But at the moment the priority is for us to identify the primary source of the infections that have been identified in the Northern Beaches in particular. And we're asking everybody, please come forward and get tested if you have the mildest symptoms and we also know that there are a number of obviously aged care facilities which are very vulnerable in the northern beaches so health will also be issuing a directive to certain aged care facilities on all the beaches. We're recommending no visitors until we identify the source of the infection and feel more confident that we have it under control.
I’m sorry?
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] I think we’re asking the same question.
PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Look, can I leave that for Health to explain? Health tends not to provide individual case examples or individual circumstances to respect the privacy of those involved but can I stress again the importance of getting tested as soon as you develop a symptom but also please know that if you are regarded as a close contact if you've been at a venue the same time that other people have been with the infection you may not be demonstrating symptoms, you still need to go and get tested. So please take the health advice. If Health says you were at a particular location for a certain period of time you might not be having any symptoms, but you might have the infection. So please make sure you get tested. Important more than ever. But there's no doubt it’s a concern for us when there are cases in the community which you can’t identify the source of it's always a concern. Unfortunately or fortunately, New South Wales has been down this track before. We've seen our capacity to be able to get on top of it very quickly and that's exactly what we need to do with the Northern Beaches area and we need to make sure that everybody comes forward and gets tested with the mildest of symptoms or if you've been at a venue or been shopping or at a cafe that have been identified please make sure you get tested.
JOURNALIST: Premier, is it important to isolate?
PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Oh, absolutely. You have to follow the health advice. So please make sure that everybody is following the health advice and depending on where you've been and what you've done the Health advice may differ depending on how, whether you're a close contact or casual contact. So please follow the health advice. The Health Department and the contact tracers will be giving further updates later this morning and throughout the afternoon. What we pride ourselves in New South Wales is giving everybody real time information. So as soon as we find out, we make sure the public finds out. It's really important for that to occur and I have had advice that overnight a number of people from the Northern Beaches area have come forward to get tested which is great. The previous day we had around 11,000 tests and we're hoping that will be a huge boost today given what's been identified and we don't want to spend the last few days before Christmas anxious or worried about what is going to happen with this current set of circumstances. We do need and ask for the community’s support. The community has been fantastic to date and we just ask that you maintain your vigilance and protect those most vulnerable in particular and and please follow the health advice.
JOURNALIST: Do either of you have concerns about other states moving on borders as the NSW situation unfolds?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, those are decisions that are taken by states but there's nothing to indicate that's about to occur. I think as you look around the country at the moment I mean Australia is going to have a Christmas that few other countries are going to have and I think that's a great credit to the tremendous work that's been done of course here in New South Wales by the Premier but right across the country, Australia is open again and I think Australians really like that. And I think Australians are going to work hard to keep it that way and I think Premiers and Chief Ministers are very keen to achieve that as well. I mean it's one thing that I’m thankful for many things at this time of the year but thankful that Australia is whole again. The borders are up. Australians are coming together again from right across the country. But even more so than that Australians are going to have a Christmas this year that that so many others around the world because of how COVID is present in those communities in other places, that's not going to be Australia's experience this Christmas and that's something I think we can all be very thankful for.
Sorry just one at a time?
JOURNALIST: Just following on from that one, if there is a cautious attitude from the WA Premier following those cases yesterday, how disappointed would you be if WA introduces a hard border?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't respond to hypotheticals, I mean Mark’s a cautious guy. I think we all know that, Mark’s a cautious guy. But you know he'll make his decisions based on the advice and things that are available to him. But I know there are lots of people looking to reunite with their Western Australian families over Christmas and I'm sure the Premier is well aware of that and I'm sure they wouldn't want to be seeing those plans disrupted and I'm sure the Premier is very conscious of that.
JOURNALIST: What’s your, how concerned are you about the New South Wales hotel situation. Should and would you lend ADF support to help the NSW Government out with hotels, with -
PRIME MINISTER: It’s a standing arrangement, these are things the Premier and I discuss often as do our Ministers and our Health Ministers and so there is a seamless partnership between the Federal Government and South Wales Government but to be honest, New South Wales is the gold standard. So I don't spend too much time worrying about New South Wales because they've demonstrated why I don’t have to. New South Wales is very conscientious, I think the people of New South Wales, being one of them are also very conscientious. I think the behaviours that have been built up in New South Wales under the strong leadership of the Premier and Brad Hazzard and others means that in New South Wales people are quite conditioned to when things like this occur and they respond quickly and responsibly. And by doing that they not only keep the rest of New South Wales or Sydney on this occasion safe, but the rest of the country. I mean I can't stress to you and I take the opportunity standing with the Premier, and the Deputy Premier today and I'm sure the DPM would agree with me, New South Wales’ ability to stand and remain open during the COVID-19 crisis of 2020 had an immeasurable benefit to the national economy. Where other states faltered New South Wales stood very strong, had the New South Wales economy not remained open in 2020 we would not be seeing the strength of the recovery in the comeback we are now seeing and NSW is our biggest state. It's our biggest economy. Sydney is our biggest city, had New South Wales fallen during that period and Sydney fallen during that period the national implications were extremely significant. So the trial that New South Wales has been through, they’ve come through strongly and that's why I and I think the people of New South Wales and Australia more generally have great confidence about how it's been managed.
JOURNALIST: On MYEFO, how much [inaudible] those numbers is down to iron ore exports and what does that say about how much do we rely on China to survive in terms of [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’ll let the Treasurer speak to those today with the Finance Minister as they go through MYEFO. I won't preempt any of their announcements today other than to say that we have always been very cautious in how we’ve budgeted and I know South Wales takes a very similar approach. It's a very Liberal National thing to do that,
PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Indeed.
PRIME MINISTER: To Budget carefully and not to build Budgets based on iron ore prices into the future. There used to be a Labor government that did that at the federal level and they got themselves into all sorts of trouble. We have had assumptions in the Budget since I was Treasurer of $55 dollars, I mean we are over $130 at the moment, the prices go up and down with iron ore, and particularly in circumstances like we've been seeing more recently. And so we don't count on that. We never have counted on prices being at that higher level and so when they are at a higher level well, that's that's fine. But what that tells you more about is the conservative and cautious nature of the way we manage the nation's finances very carefully and the Treasurer will be able to speak more to that today. But I can tell you the biggest thing that will restore the Budget and has restored it in the past and got us back to balance is getting Australians back in work. That's what balances Budgets, when Australians no longer need income support from taxpayers and become taxpayers themselves. That is the secret to good strong Budget management as well as having a sharp pencil, as Gladys and I know.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] JobKeeper savings go back into the Budget or will they be used to [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the, JobKeeper is, there are estimates and they are demand based estimates and as demand changes will obviously those estimates change.
JOURNALIST: Just on those processes Premier at the airport, are they [inaudible] or are they hotel processes, are they completely state, as well or are they [inaudible]?
PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Oh well we're obviously having conversations and we have been for a number of weeks, the challenge is that every airline have a different policy and different hotel where they manage their aircrews. So we are looking at what we can do further to consolidate, please know that the challenges that exists for us in relation to aircrew when people do the wrong thing, it’s not so much the system, but it is when people actually breach the system. So what we need to do is look at how we can better ensure compliance because when you have aircrew in potentially 25 or 26 different locations it’s more difficult to police. So I want to stress it’s not so much the process that’s providing a challenge it's the fact that unfortunately some aircrew are choosing to breach the guidelines, which is why we need to look at how we can ensure stronger compliance. And what we're facing here in New South Wales is a vulnerability all states have and will have but obviously the impact in New South Wales is greater because we're welcoming so many more flights and so many more Australians back every week. If there's anything further we can do we will but I want to stress the challenge for us is not so much the guidelines, but people's willingness to stick to them in terms of overseas aircrew and what we're doing or what we're looking at I'm happy to disclose is at the moment aircrew depending on the airline they work for go to a number of different hotels. So we are looking at consolidating all aircrew into one hotel, so we can ensure that when aircrew are staying in a hotel room they actually [inaudible].
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned with [inaudible] testing?
PREMIER BEREJIKLIAN: Well look we appreciate that that is the case. That is a concern for us, which is why compliance is so critical. So whilst the guidelines in place we believe protect the community of New South Wales and more broadly, Australia if people breach those guidelines that's a big problem for us. And so now we have to assume that we need greater compliance given the couple of examples that we've had and therefore the health and police actually were already provided the directive a few days ago to make sure that we look at consolidating all of, we have to have conversations with every single airline, which is a complex process and we're doing that. But I hope that the final position that stands up in New South Wales can be applied across the nation.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you all very much.
Address, Pacific Islands Forum
11 December 2020
PRIME MINISTER: Well, thank you, Dame Meg, and to all of our Pacific family, friends, it's wonderful to see you. It's been such a difficult year for all of us and I want to thank you all for your leadership.
I've been able to speak with many of you over the course of this year and sometimes on more than one occasion and we've been very, very pleased to be able to stand with you as you've dealt with the terrible pandemic.
But we also need and we also understand and we are also undertaking the important action that is necessary when it comes to addressing the realities of climate change. Global emissions reductions, we know, are essential for our Blue Pacific.
Our commitment to the Paris Agreement has never wavered. We've made it. We're reducing emissions through practical, clean energy technology, which is also a key part of how our own economy is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.
These two things go together.
We're committed to achieving net zero emissions as soon as possible. Our long term emissions reduction strategy to be launched ahead of COP26 will provide the necessary detail on our plan. But much has already been released.
We believe the what and the why are really no longer the issue. I think we're well beyond that now. Unless we can actually understand the how, then these things won't be achieved and achieving them is what matters.
The how is so critically important and that's where Australia is focusing our efforts.
When we make a promise, as our Pacific friends understand and family here in Australia, we keep it.
We stuck with Kyoto when others wavered or quit, and we have beaten our Kyoto targets by 459-million tonnes. That is almost a full year of Australia's annual emissions. And indeed it is a full year, I understand, of the UK's emissions.
The overachievement didn't happen by accident. It came through very hard work and cost and sacrifice by Australian families, farmers, businesses who made hard decisions to invest in one of the highest rates of solar panels takeup on suburban roofs of any country in the world. Taking out loans to install efficient equipment. To farm differently to store carbon.
So the credits that have been gained by overachieving on our Kyoto targets were hard-earned. They are the product of Australian’s action.
Australia is translating our climate change commitments into reality through effective action. This is not prospective. This is now. This is what has already been occurring. We are acting now. We are achieving and we are exceeding our goals.
Today, I can announce that Australia is very confident that we will now achieve our 2030 target without the need to draw on our carry over credits that Australians earned from overachieving on our Kyoto-era commitments.
Just in the last year, this is the effective equivalent of reducing our carbon budget out to 2030 by nine per cent. Again, almost a full year of Australia's national emissions.
In fact, in the last just two years, our 2030 position as we proceed towards that target has improved by some 639-million tonnes.
Now, to put that in perspective, that is the equivalent of taking all Australia's cars off the road for 15 years.
This is not a small achievement.
Australia's action and performance also compares favourably around the world. On data from 2005 to 2016, the OECD cut emissions by nine percent. Here in Australia, we were down by 13 percent. Off our 2005 figure, we are currently at 16.6 percent down on the 2005 levels and on our peak emissions, which were achieved in 2007, it is just under 19 percent.
Ambition is of course important and we share it. But it's only the action and results that change the outcomes for the world.
Emissions don't have accents. They don't have nationalities.
The ocean, the environment, none of it recognises where those emissions come from, just their cumulative impact. It doesn't distinguish between emissions that come from developed countries, advanced economies or developing countries.
We believe that developing countries need practical pathways to lift their living standards without increasing their emissions. The way to do this is through making low carbon, zero carbon and in fact, sub-zero carbon technologies viable and at scale.
That's why we're working with Japan, Korea, Singapore, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States to develop clean technology supply chains. I've appointed a new special advisor for low emissions technologies, Dr Alan Finkel, who was just about to retire as Australia's Chief Scientist and is well regarded all around the world who will spearhead our global efforts.
Our technology roadmap will guide $70 billion in investment to scale up clean energy technologies and drive outcomes.
Now, these are very important targets, and I want to stress this, if you can achieve this, then you can reduce emissions.
Hydrogen produced at less than $2 Australian per kilo, long duration energy storage at less than $100 per megawatt hour, green steel produced at less than $900 per tonne, and green aluminium at less than $2,700 per tonne. CO2 compression transport and storage at under $20 per tonne and soil carbon measurement at less than $3 per hectare.
Global targets are important, but unless those practical targets can be met with these types of technologies, then they will only remain ambitions and the emissions will continue to rise, particularly in large developing countries.
Getting these technologies right will help those developing countries able to change the nature of their economies just as they are changing the Australian economy.
But beyond that, I agree with so many who have spoken today about the need to adapt and build resilience, mitigation and adaptation.
Scientists estimate climate impacts will continue for many years to come and we know that here in Australia. We've just had our Royal Commission into the Black Summer bushfires, which have noted the stored up impact of climate change to date will mean that we will be dealing with that on its own without any change to emissions for at least the next 20 years.
So we need to invest and are investing in these important technologies.
Today, I announce that we will extend our 2015 to 2020 $1 billion climate finance commitment. We will increase that by 50 per cent to $1.5 billion between 2020 and 2025.
Now, this includes and builds on the $500 million that we pledged last year for climate and disaster resilience in the Pacific, not through some other fund. Directly, bilaterally, directly to our Pacific family partners.
This also complements the Asia Pacific Rainforest Partnership and the International Partnership for Blue Carbon, which deliver innovative solutions to combat climate change and build resilience.
We do stand with our family, our Pacific family, to scale up mitigation and ensure adaptation support for countries that need it.
I also want to thank Prime Minister Natano for convening this event, and I thank the other leaders that have been in contact with me since I've written to you recently thanking Australia and we stand with you as we move forward with this most significant global challenge.
Thank you very much, Dame Meg.
Remarks, National Federal Reform Council
11 December 2020
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much, Your Excellency, and thank you for joining us here today and receiving myself and Premiers and Chief Ministers last night at Yarralumla.
Your presence here today I think says a lot about the efforts that we are engaged in here as a Commonwealth, and as a Federation. And I also thank you, Cheyne, for your wonderful and [inaudible] words of welcome to Ngunnawal land, this is where our country meets on Ngunnawal land. And we acknowledge elders past and present, and of course the future. Where there is so much hope.
Can I acknowledge any serving men and women of our Defence Forces and veterans who are with us here today, and thank them for their great service to our nation.
To my colleagues, to the Premiers and Chief Ministers, to the Treasurers, who join us today as part of the National Federation Reform Council, and in particular can I welcome Sydney City Councillor Linda Scott, of the Australian Local Government Association who is also a part of the National Federation Reform Council.
This is our first meeting as you know Your Excellency, and I think it’s fitting that we meet here in this building. The last time our country faced the sort of crisis that we've faced this year, was when our Commonwealth Parliament met here in this building. When the likes of John Curtin and Sir Robert Menzies occupied these halls and these chambers. And here we find ourselves again all these years later, dealing with a significant crisis as we have all laboured over the course of this past year.
To save lives, and to save livelihoods.
They were the tasks that those before us had to face at that time of great crisis. Australia was tested in that time and Australians was proven in that time. And I think we can say together, and collectively that Australia has been tested again and Australia has been proven again. Not just as a nation, but I must say also we've been proven as a Federation and the leadership that has been shown by those who sit around this table, whether it be those who lead governments, those who manage the finances of governments, that are so important in the running of our governments and indeed at local government level as well.
All of us have had a role to play this year. But I think our greatest thanks as a group is not to each other, even not to those wonderful officials and directors generals and others who support us in our roles and the great expertise that we've had to guide us in the many decisions we have made over this past year.
But our greatest thanks is to our people. The Australian people.
From whatever background, from whatever - whatever the language background, indigenous or non-indigenous, regional or urban or peri-urban. It doesn't matter where they’ve come from or what their experience is. Australians have shown a strength this year that leads me to believe that this is the absolute proudest I’ve ever felt of my country. In my life.
We are privileged to lead an amazing country. And we are privileged to gather here around this table. So I extend my deep gratitude to my colleagues who sit around this table, but my deepest gratitude to the Australian people who have enabled us, who have supported us. And we look forward to 2021 where they will realise I think, their hopes for the future and we will be able to support them in their endeavours.
And with that, we’ve got a busy agenda. So I’m going to ask the media to depart.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
11 December 2020
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you all for joining us and can I start today by, you will be pleased to know, that the National Cabinet is a red tape cutting organisation and we have agreed today that I will make a brief statement at the start and then we will go to questions. The old COAG arrangements would have had us here most of the afternoon at this press conference making statements. So I thank the Premiers and Chief Ministers for further streamlining action by the National Cabinet.
Australia is working together, we are working together and Australia is coming back from COVID-19. On the health front, on the economic front and so many and I want to thank my colleagues who are here with me today and Premier McGowan joining us remotely for the amazing job they have all done individually in their own jurisdictions in Australia’s toughest year in generations. But I also want to thank them for their tremendous support working together with each other but also with ourselves as part of the Commonwealth as part of this innovation of the National Cabinet. This has been a very important group, a very important leadership group for this country, bringing together our Federation, seeing it work in a way that this country I don’t believe has ever seen. And so I am indebted to all my colleagues here. We all run our own Governments, our own cabinets are paramount in decisions we make, federally here and, of course, in each of the state and territory jurisdictions. But the way we keep coming together, we get in the room, we get things done and I thank my colleagues very much for their cooperation and support.
We're also joined by Professor Kelly and the ACT Australian of the Year, Professor Brendan Murphy. I’m sure the ACT Chief Minister will give a big shout out to Brendan and they will be joining us to answer questions on vaccines and the normal health issues that come up at our post-National Cabinet briefing. Today we have the opportunity to discuss the vaccine issues that the Health Minister and I reported on earlier today and talk through further issues about the vaccine rollout. We are making very good progress there and I am sure you will have questions but we are on track for that rollout and working closely together with the states and territories for what is a very unique rollout of the vaccine. The states and territories are always partners in the administration of any vaccine and we absolutely trust them, as you would expect us to, because we are partners in the delivery of health services around the country. This is a very unique vaccine and a very unique rollout so the bespoke arrangements we have here continue to build on that partnership.
We also agreed today on the need to tighten some arrangements, particularly around aircrew and as well as on diplomats. These are the vulnerabilities that I wouldn’t say are at a great scale but they are important vulnerabilities. As the year goes on and as our success continues, the states and territories become even more laser-like focused on the areas where potential vulnerabilities can emerge and so we have had good discussions on how we can tighten arrangements in both those areas, working both bilaterally with the Commonwealth as well as together.
It was also very important today we agreed that we could go forward on developing bilateral arrangements for seasonal workers in Australia. Each of the states and territories are confronted by different circumstances on the ground and different capabilities and capacities. In Queensland, for example, there has been a very, very successful on-farm quarantine for seasonal workers program that has been under way and it has really been supporting the Queensland agriculture sector and the primary producers. But now we want to ensure that we can move to other arrangements in states and territories where that need is critical. Premier Andrews, I know, it is a very important issue in Victoria presently, as it is in many other states and we have agreed that bilateral arrangements will be made on health orders that will be applied to seasonal workers coming into states and that will unlock the ability for the Commonwealth to then provide seasonal worker visas which will confine those seasonal workers in those jurisdictions so they remain completely under the health control of those states and territories and that will be resolved in the bilateral arrangements that exist between the state and territories and the Commonwealth.
We also agreed on very practical emergency services, fire services protocol for the upcoming and we are very much in it now, summer season and that is just a very practical set of arrangements because you know we move emergency services and other volunteers and workers around the country in the course of our disaster seasons and that has been a piece of work under way by officials for some time. Just a very cooperative and practical piece of work.
Other issues, we agreed on the economic front today the progress of the JobTrainer program. It is now operational in all states and territories bar the Northern Territory and that will be very soon implemented in the NT. This is a game changer for young people in particular but all people of all ages who are changing careers, additional places. It is a big partnership, it’s a big financial partnership, a billion-dollar partnership between the Commonwealth and the states and territories on top of our existing commitments to vocational education and training and data sharing is important to ensure that program stays up to the mark.
We also agreed today on two important regulatory congestion busting initiatives that we’ve discussed on earlier occasions. The first one is with the EPBC Act which is as you’ll know federally the subject of changes that we are seeking to pursue as a Commonwealth government. Premiers, Chief Ministers and I agreed today that the first priority, the first priority, is to ensure we streamline the administrative processes. Samuels Review, which will be released soon, will make recommendations as the interim report has flagged, on the environmental standards at a Commonwealth level. But what is important in the first tranche of legislative change and the priority is to ensure that the existing standards that relate to the existing legislation and regulation, no more, no less, must be codified and that we can streamline the approvals process to a single touch decision that occurs at the state level. Now, we estimate that a Commonwealth level a few years ago, to be costing the Australian economy almost half a billion dollars every year for projects which should go ahead, they should comply to environmental standards and the regulations. That will occur. There will be important reporting arrangements that ensures compliance with those standards as they are administered by the states and territories but we all agree it needs to happen faster and it needs to happen in accordance with the standards that we have now. A second phase, after we are able to legislate those arrangements, is to take into account the recommendations of the Samuels Review that may make recommendations about any improvements or changes to those standards more broadly. But we do not have to solve that problem in order to solve the first problem, which is making things go faster.
To that end, we also agreed today that the Commonwealth has supported to lift the threshold for Infrastructure Australia assessment of co-funded projects by the Commonwealth from $100 million to $250 million. This will free up Infrastructure Australia to focus more on the big projects and it will de-clog the process of getting these projects moving sooner. We want to see these projects on the ground because it is are a critical part of the economic recovery that will continue in 2021. And today, seven states and territories, and I don’t think it will be too long before ACT comes on board as we resolve a couple of issues which are quite bespoke to the ACT and its geographic arrangements more than anything else, is mutual recognition of occupational registration. This doesn’t sound like a terribly illuminating issue or one that is going to capture national attention but I can tell you that if you are tradie and you need to have multiple registrations, as an electrician or some other worker, because you're moving between states and territories, it is a pain and it costs you money and it slows your business down and it costs jobs. And I want to particularly thank the treasurers as part of the Council of Federal Financial Relations who have done the heavy lifting on getting that agreement today and seven states and territories have committed to that and, indeed I understand, signed it today.
Next year, we will stay focused on the recovery, both on the health side and the economic side. The National Cabinet, we all agree, is a great privilege to be involved in. Each and every one of us, we take those responsibilities and our respect for each other very seriously and that will continue to provide the platform for what I think has been a game-changer in the Australian Federation this year and we want to see that game-change3 impact so many other issues. This afternoon, the Federation Reform Council will meet and an issue that is close to every single one of our hearts is mental health and the need to work together to address the gaps that occur in mental health across Australia. We all have responsibilities here and this year has taught us just how important people’s mental health is in this country. It’s reminded us of that again and we look forward to applying this very effective mechanism to solving those difficult challenges. With that, I will throw to questions.
JOURNALIST: On bringing people into the country, and hotel quarantine, what is the thinking in National Cabinet about the capacity of the system to bring in more people and I am not just thinking about Australians who want to return home, I’m thinking about workers and also foreign students that the universities want for next year. I know there are different views around National Cabinet but what is your thinking - is there any consensus about what happens next? And are there any Premiers, for instance Queensland and Victoria who might want to comment on the capacity of that system?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I will speak briefly and then my colleagues will as well. Our first priority as a Commonwealth Government is Australians, and Australians returning home and I want to thank all the Premiers and Chief Ministers for the work they have done. And I must say, particularly NSW because they carry half the burden for the country, and they are not all NSW Australians returning, they are Australian’s from all across the country who find themselves coming through NSW. Victoria has begun again and the Premier and I are looking forward to see that uplift in the New Year as we work through the capacity and have quarantine fully functioning again in Victoria, that will add additional capacity, Queensland and WA are both up to their capacity and this is a very productive I think working relationship but what we all understand is, there are physical limitations on the hotel quarantine capacity, but that is the safest and most effective way for people to come home and quarantine. I think we all agree that the health standards on quarantine is the most important issue. Where we can create capacity for people to return who are non-residents, who are not Australian citizens, such as on seasonal workers, then we can develop the bespoke arrangements which Queensland is particularly done on on-farm quarantine, which provides over and above capacity to see those economic needs met. But the first priority is the quarantine capacity for returning Australians and residents and that will continue to be our focus. Where we can create additional net capacity above and beyond that, that doesn't prevent an Australian returning to the country, well, we remain very open to that. But I’ll leave it to others to make comments.
THE HON. DANIEL ANDREWS, PREMIER OF VICTORIA: PM, I might just add quickly, the first thing to do is on behalf of all Victorians thank, principally, New South Wales but all other first ministers from across the country who have been required to have more and more people in their hotel quarantine systems because ours was closed for a period of time. It has now reopened. The Prime Minister and I had a conversation last night about us lifting our numbers and we're very confident we will be able to do that. But that has got to be done safely and I think we will get to the end of the summer and we will certainly be processing more people. I think significantly more people than we are now. That has just got to be done in a steady way. On workers, particularly for our horticulture industry, if we want to guarantee economic activity, we want to guarantee that those crops are in fact harvested, that fruit is picked, stores are full, and people can buy the products that they love at anything like an affordable price, then we have to find a way forward here. We need 15,000- 20,000 workers and no hotel quarantine system will be able to cope with that. But we have had a really good, really good discussion last night and again today and I am very grateful, Premier Palaszczuk shared her best in class system of farm quarantine with us, we will learn from that. We are also continuing to work with Dr. Kelly around some other countries where a bubble might be able to be set up. Again, always safe. We have reintroduced hotel quarantine, we're growing it, but I really just wanted to take the opportunity, and your question allows me to, to say thank you to my colleagues for having shouldered more of the burden and they probably expected to.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] what was your response when Mr McGowan said he would not be attending in person? He is the only leader not to. Is it disrespecting the National Cabinet process?
PRIME MINISTER: Not at all. Not at all. We were heartbroken of course that Mark couldn't join us here.
THE HON. DANIEL ANDREWS, PREMIER OF VICTORIA: Almost as much as him.
PRIME MINISTER: Almost as much as him. It's OK, WA gets to keep the GST, there’s not a… But of course, Mark and together with all my colleagues here have made great contributions to this group. And we understand every state and territory has its rules and those rules need to be held up to and so we understand, but obviously miss our colleague and look forward to him joining us next year and we look forward to, I look forward to coming to Western Australia again and seeing him there. We wanted to get Australian Open by Christmas and we are going to achieve that, I believe. We are going to achieve that. And that has been made possible, I think, by the patience and the steady work of everyone you see here in front of you, and I think that should be a great encouragement to Australians. Even when we disagree from time to time we keep moving forward. We keep looking to the next thing we have to do and things that have happened behind us, they stay behind us because, frankly, we've got too important a job to do. So we miss you, Mark, we miss you.
JOURNALIST: You pointed to- for seasonal workers, we know the New South Wales Premier is keen to see international students back in Australia, very important for the economy, can you see a scenario where there are bespoke quarantine arrangements on university campuses and we have also heard potentially that there may be some sort of plan for that in Victoria. I know there’s a few questions there. But we would be keen to hear your plan for international students?
PRIME MINISTER: Again, it is Australian citizens and residents returning first, that is the priority for hotel quarantine in Australia. Of course we want to see a resumption of so many aspects of the services trade that Australia has, and international students are an important part of that. But that cannot come at the cost of Australian citizens, who have every right to return to their home country, particularly when we see around the world the great distress that the rest of the world is. I mean, here we sit as a group, presiding over, with the great efforts of Australians, Australian businesses and workers and health workers and everyone who has done such an amazing job and you compare that to what is happening around the rest of the world, then Australia is in a very select group of countries and that is through no small effort from those who sit around me here, around this table. And so on international students, where net additional capacity can safely be established, then that is something we have always been open to. But that must satisfy the public health requirements of the states and territories who have jurisdiction over those things and it can't take away from an Australian's ability to come home and that is our requirement. So where that can be achieved I think the guard rails are set pretty clearly on that. I know states are keen to see that international services opportunity return, but I know they also are very committed to seeing Australians come home.
But Gladys, did you want to?
THE HON. GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN, PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES: Sure. Thanks, PM. As you know we are bringing back 3,000 Australians every week through New South Wales, 45% of those actually go on to other states, and 55% are staying in New South Wales. The Prime Minister has made his position very clear, which I support, in relation to getting Aussies back home. But I would like to have a conversation next year not just about international students but also about skilled migrants. That is a conversation we can have next year. But clearly the priority is to try and reduce the list of Aussies coming back home. And I completely support the PM in that. But I do think at some stage next year we need to broaden the conversation. I'm not happy to see the quarantine system move out of the hotels at this stage. I think that would be too high a risk. That is just New South Wales, I know other states do have other arrangements. And so for that reason the cap of 3,000 is not going to change in New South Wales and so it's a question about when Victoria comes online and other states come online, how far can we eat into the 39,000 Aussies that are still waiting to come home and once that is dealt I’m sure there will be opportunities for us to consider all those other categories which will boost our economy and prospects for jobs in the future.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah. And we agreed to come back to that in January and we are constantly monitoring that level of Australians who are seeking to come home. But I can confirm that 45,954 Australians have returned since the 18th I think it is of September. And at the time you will recall there were 26,200 Australians who were registered to come back. So we have got home 45,954. We still have, right now registered overseas, some 38,655. But we will continue to monitor through contact directly with people overseas about their need to return home. That may change over the next month. That may change as vaccines are introduced, particularly in the United Kingdom, which is one of the key areas where Australians are seeking to come home from. The biggest area, the biggest number of people seeking to come home is from India. There are over 10,000 there. There is around about, just under 5,000 in the UK and there are a range of other countries.
Andrew?
JOURNALIST: Can I ask about contact tracing. In recent months you have been complementary of New South Wales and Queensland's systems. You’ve been less complimentary about Victoria. Are you now confident that the system of contact tracing is consistent and of good enough standard across the country? I would like the good professors at the back to venture a view on that. But also with regards to the fellow on the screen, do you think WA is match fit when it comes to contact tracing as well?
PRIME MINISTER: I am going to throw that to both Paul Kelly and Brendan Murphy. Because my view on that is based on their advice. And, in Australia, particularly over the last six months, there has been an absolutely significant investment that has been made by the states and territories, looking and learning from each other to ensure that their contact tracing systems are world standard. And New South Wales, I have been very clear about, I think has led the way in that area. What we have seen most recently and Premier Marshall might want to comment on this, particularly in relation to Western Australia, one of the things the contact tracing system I think has achieved more recently is the ability of its federal capabilities and by that I don't the Federal Government, I mean the states and territories swarm to support a problem. When we had the issue in South Australia the state that actually did the most in support of South Australia, it is fair to say, was Western Australia. And the match fitness of Western Australian's contact tracing system was one of the key things that was assessed in the Finkel review which we have reported on previously. But there has been an enormous amount of sharing and learning between jurisdictions in this issue. That's not to say every system has been perfect and I wouldn't agree with the way that you suggested I had characterised other systems at all. I have tended to focus on the positives. What I think is important though is all the states and territories have worked together, learnt from each other, supported each other and now where I have a great confidence is if it happened in Queensland or in Western Australia or in the Northern Territory, there is a national effort that can be brought to bear on contact tracing with the support of one system to another.
But Paul, did you want to speak about that?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thanks, PM. So just to echo the PM's summary there. We did have Professor Alan Finkel, the chief scientist, lead a national review of contact tracing and looked at all of the elements of testing, tracing, and isolation, and his conclusion was that all the states were actually strong. We have learned through this epidemic and we are supporting each other. There were 22 recommendations in that report and we are working through those. Some of them are completed. Particularly the issue of data exchange across borders, and so Victoria, New South Wales, and the ACT have progressed that work with the Commonwealth over the last month and so all of those things gives me great confidence in what we can do as a nation, but also in all of the states.
PRIME MINISTER: Jono?
JOURNALIST: What is your position on vaccinating Australians currently overseas? And once Australians have been vaccinated here, will they be free to travel at will overseas to holiday and for work?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, on the latter point, these are still decisions that are still to be taken, and to that end I might throw to Professor Murphy who is leading the Commonwealth's vaccination strategy and also its roll out. Brendan?
DR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thanks, PM. I think we still don't know what the vaccines will do in terms of complete prevention of transmission of the virus. So the vaccines can prevent disease. We know that very clearly. The extent to which they will effectively prevent, for example, asymptomatic transmission or people bringing the virus with them when they travel, we still have to find out. So this is an evolving place and there may well come a time when we have evidence that vaccines are very good at preventing people contracting the infection and in that circumstance it may be appropriate to allow quarantine free travel. But this is an evolving space and we just have to watch and wait as it develops.
JOURNALIST: Any idea what the time frame might be to make a decision? Because lot of people would like to start planning for the future and such.
DR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: I think over the course of next calendar year, as we get more and more information on more and more vaccines we will have a much clearer picture.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, given the Pfizer vaccine has received approval in the UK and the US, why can't Australia now also give the vaccine approval and Greg Hunt mentioned this morning that 10 million units was appropriate for Australia. Why? Don't we need to buy more of this vaccine?
PRIME MINISTER: Again, I will direct that to Professor Murphy. On the issue of the accreditation approval of vaccines in Australia, we will do that on Australian rules with Australian officials and on the Australian timetable. Australia has one of the highest rates of vaccination in the world. The reason for that is we take these issues incredibly seriously and we have the best people in the world making those decisions to protect the safety of Australians. We want to ensure that Australians, and I think all of us feel very strongly this way, have full confidence, absolute full confidence that when it gets the tick, they can get the jab. And they can make that decision for themselves and for their families confidently. So we are aware of what is happening in other states and in other nations around the world. We have a front row seat, frankly, as they go through that and work through any potential issues that may arise in the data sharing arrangements that we have, particularly with the United Kingdom, will be very instructive, I think, as they are the first ones to go around the block on this full. But there is a difference between what is happening here in Australia and what's happening overseas. Overseas vaccination is the only thing they’ve got, frankly, now to address what is a level of communication of the virus that is happening in the community in those places. Because of the hard work done by Australians here and the arrangements that have been put in place by all those you see in front of you and our governments, Australia is not in that situation. So that means we can make this decision in the same way we always would, carefully, based on the best science, so when I tell you that it's safe to happen, I can do that with the greatest possible confidence that I can and that is what I owe to every Australian and particularly every parent.
Brendan, did you want to add to that?
DR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Just to say, as the Prime Minister said, we are not in the position of having to do emergency use registration for a vaccine, which is how the Pfizer vaccine has been reached in those countries. We have the time to take our normal process through the TGA. We continue to look at the mRNA vaccines around the world, but I wouldn't underestimate the huge value of what we announced today, that we are now having full population coverage of an onshore manufacture of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Onshore manufacturing is a very precious thing in terms of getting good access over the course of next year. So we will continue to look at the mRNA vaccines over time as well.
JOURNALIST: Why were the warnings about the likelihood of a false positive HIV – for the University of Queensland vaccine – why were those warnings ignored and how much taxpayer dollars has been wasted?
PRIME MINISTER: I will let Brendan also speak to the medical issues here. Every cent we have invested in getting the best and most early available and safe vaccines for Australians in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic has been money well spent. Every single cent. I mean, there are no guarantees when it comes to vaccine development and if you don’t put investment in across a range of opportunities and options, then you don’t get one come out the other end. And I think the expectation that they would be 100 percent success rate across these is naive. It is just not true. Australia has made the right investments in science. We have made those decisions based on best scientists and expert medical advice on where we should place those investments and the net result of that is now not just three vaccines which would administer doses to Australians and I should say vaccinate them fully under those programs twice over. But on top of that, we have ensured that we have enforced our manufacturing capability for important vaccines. I'm advised today that Australia is only one of 20 countries that can manufacture these vaccines. One of 20 countries. So once again, we enter into an elite circle of countries that has been able to respond on behalf of their population.
But Brendan?
DR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thank you. So no warnings were ignored at all about the possibility of false positives was raised by the University of Queensland researchers very early on and was seen as a very, very unlikely possibility because the fragment of the HIV virus molecule was small, very unlikely and it was unfortunately an unexpectedly high rate of false positives that resulted when the data came in. This was very clearly known at the time and the risks were appropriately taken and unfortunately it just became a bigger problem than anyone had anticipated.
JOURNALIST: PM, just in terms of the broader picture here, with three of the leaders around you have had elections this year but we now seem to have a window, a clear window ahead expect for Mr McGowan next year who has an election. But we have a period now of sort of relatively free of election politics. Is there any recognition amongst the group either at dinner last night or the meeting today or even this afternoon’s gathering that this is an opportunity to tackle a bit of serious reform in the Federation with regard to the economic challenges you all face as state leaders and as Commonwealth? That no-one has the immediate pressures of an election to contend with and you might be able to, you might be able to you know, take a few sticky decisions.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Phil. I am happy to defer to my colleagues on this as well. One of the standing items on the National Cabinet agenda, which was agreed and suggested by the Premier of New South Wales, who has been an advocate on this front as a Treasurer, as a Premier and we've made quite a lot of progress, I've got to say, this year, having it's not just about whether they're elections or not. It's, frankly, if you've got the right systems in place to achieve it. And the National Cabinet now and its six priority reform committees that sit beneath it on energy, on regional Australia, on skills and a range of other areas. They now provide, I think, the proper structures and systems which actually can deliver more and so there is a standing item. I mean, today, what we're doing with occupational licencing. It seems like a small thing, but it's actually a very big thing. There are bigger things that we are very keen to discuss which go to the switching of what Commonwealth may do and what states may in important areas and we've undertaken to look at those areas for next year. But I think we've got the structure right to achieve that, whether there's an election or not. I think we've got the model right for how we can get through some of those decisions.
But Gladys, did you want to make a few comments?
THE HON. GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN MP, PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES: Thanks, PM. I just wanted to echo the PM's comments. I think we do have a great opportunity to keep the momentum going in reducing red tape and streamlining, improving, modernising state-federal relations around a whole range of things. And I was pleased the PM's putting as a standing item that agenda item, so that if there's anything we want to put on there, we can actually resolve it. And I think National Cabinet has demonstrated our ability to get things done more quickly. And what COVID has taught all of us, the state jurisdictions nut I think also as a national government, is that you can do things better and differently and let's use this opportunity to keep improving the quality of life of our citizens and streamlining our processes. I think we've also had an extra bit of confidence to say Australia can actually punch above its weight in terms of responding to global issues like this and let's use that confidence and that momentum to make real positive change and I'm delighted that that's what we will be doing moving forward.
THE HON. ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK MP, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: I might just add to that, I think we shouldn’t gloss over the fact too that this National Cabinet has worked in the best interest of all Australians. That, you know, we haven't met face to face for nine months but during that time, we've had 30 National Cabinet meetings. We have been provided at all times with expert advice on health and at all times expert advice on the economy. So that has been absolutely critical to the way the National Cabinet has worked and how I think it's going to work into the future and as long as there's that goodwill amongst everyone, you will see substantial change that's happening with the cohesiveness of this group working together.
JOURNALIST: On environmental protection and biodiversity, you’re speeding up the administrative processes. How will that single touchpoint work at the state level? What projects and sort of industries do you think might benefit? And given that the states control a lot of the levers in this area, can I ask the Premiers of Victoria and Queensland, how committed are you to actually speeding up project and business kind of approvals in this area, given there's often a lot of pushback from environmental groups and progressive activists?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the first part, a single touch approval process means exactly that. There's a single touch. It will be done by the states, ensuring that they reference and ensure that the federal standards are adhered to in the decisions that they make on projects. Now, this will relate to any projects that require federal approval under the EPBC Act. And this means you go through one process, you go through one decision maker. There will be an overarching assessment that is done on each state and how they're fulfilling that over the course of the year. But that's not an appeal jurisdiction and that's not done on a case by case basis. That's just to ensure that the Commonwealth continues to have the assurance that the standards that are there and that is set at that level are being appropriately addressed. So this is going to be a very big change, I think. We've tried to do this before and that hasn't succeeded and that's why I really want to thank all the Premiers and Chief Ministers for their commitment to see this done faster. The standards have to be kept and in the first step, we’ll make sure that the standards that we have right now that are part of existing laws, that won't change. That will be done and codified for the states to see next month so they've got a clear idea of what those standards are. And then it is my great hope that when the Parliament returns next year, we will be able to see passage of the legislation that can give effect to giving that authority to the states and territories. But I'll leave it to Dan and to Annastacia to speak to that.
THE HON. DANIEL ANDREWS, PREMIER OF VICTORIA: This is a logical extension of changes we've made at a Victorian level where we do planning and environmental effects assessments at the same time. So we run a dual track system so that instead of completing one and then beginning a fresh new process at the end of that and taking basically twice as long to build the road, rail, hospital, school, important, fundamentally important infrastructure that we need now and for the future, we've sped that up. Now's the time to make good decisions, but make them as quickly as you can. Because our economy and communities, not just in my state, but across the nation, need those jobs, that confidence, that sense of momentum. This is a really important change and one that we're pleased to support. It's about how you make the decision, not the decision itself. It'll still be against the highest of standards, standards that I think we at a jurisdictional level and nationally are very well known for.
THE HON. ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK MP, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: Yeah, I think you can see the results of those standards to make sure that there is confidence out there in the public that they are high standards. And in some cases, everyone can sometimes say, oh, the states are holding up things. But in other instances we've got projects where we're waiting on federal approval. So I think it works both ways and a streamlined process is, I think, going to be well received by everybody.
PRIME MINISTER: The standards, just to be clear because you'll be aware of the Samuels Report, the first set of standards will be the standards that effectively are there now and they need to be codified very clearly, not a comma more or a comma less when it comes to those standards. The second phase would relate to addressing recommendations of the Samuel Report, which require a broader discussion on, I suppose the overall substance of the standards themselves. We've got time for two more. I'm sorry, because we've got other meetings this afternoon.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can I ask you, do you want to put a stop to Victoria's Belt and Road agreement with Beijing and Premier Andrews can I ask you, what is it you want to get out of the Belt and Road agreement and do you think it presents a sovereign risk?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we will follow through on the legislation that has passed the Parliament in accordance with the process, which will sit there and make the appropriate assessments and then make any decisions from there.
THE HON. DANIEL ANDREWS, PREMIER OF VICTORIA: And I'm happy to add that, that agreement, like all agreements that Victoria enters into and I expect the Commonwealth and other states are no different, it's all about making sure that more Victorian product gets sent to our biggest and smallest customers. Whether it's to China or any other part of the world, it's all about jobs. It's all about jobs. And I'll leave the Commonwealth Government to make their assessments.
JOURNALIST: Premier [inaudible] is what I'm asking.
THE HON. DANIEL ANDREWS, PREMIER OF VICTORIA: We are comfortable with the arrangements we have in place. But I'll be, if I can put it to you, I think that we'd be probably better off in our relationship if all of us focused on the fact that I think the Prime Minister and I and all of us that you're looking at, even the professors, are all about having the best economic partnerships with customers large and small in every part of the world, because that means jobs and prosperity and profitability for families back home.
JOURNALIST: On this issue to another one, border battles have obviously dominated National Cabinet. Have the New South Wales and Queensland Premiers managed to resolve your personal differences? You've been feuding via duelling press conferences. And do either of you have regrets about the decision you made on the borders?
THE HON. ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK MP, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: No.
JOURNALIST: You would do it all again? Your response?
THE HON. GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN MP, PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES: My response is contrary to what might be out there, we have constructive dialogue within National Cabinet and I've made my position on borders very clear from day one and I maintain that position and I guess that's the beauty of the Federation. It allows, although from time to time we won't agree on everything, it allows us to come forward with our own views on how to move forward. And I'm pleased now, as the PM said, the important thing is we’ll all be open by Christmas and I think that's what our citizens want and expect and I hope that this is sustained until the end of the pandemic. So we don't want to go backwards.
PRIME MINISTER: When Australia – and we’re going to have to leave it there - when Australia was established as a nation, it was done to federate states. If, when Australia was established as a nation, the idea was that it should be only one government in the country, well, that's what they would have done but they didn't make that call. They made the call to have states and territories. And as a federal nation, I think one of the things that we have demonstrated this year is that, of course, there's going to be differences between states and territories from time to time. I think the assessment that is made that if there's a difference of view or a disagreement then somehow the Federation is not working is again, I think a very naive view. The Federation is working, the Federation has worked for Australia and most importantly, it's got Australia working in one of the most important years that we've had and the challenges we face in many generations. Thank you all very much.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
11 December 2020
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. I'm joined by the Health Minister, Greg Hunt, and Professor Murphy, Secretary of the Department of Health but, most importantly, leading our technical advisory group when it comes to Australia's vaccine policy and strategy. So, welcome to both of you gentlemen this morning. The platform, the foundation, of Australia's performance during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the strong health system that Australia has and that we have strengthened over the course of this COVID-19 pandemic. A strong health system federally, a strong health system at a state level. And I thank all of our state and territory jurisdictions. I'm meeting with them later today as part of the National Cabinet for our last meeting this year. It has been a team effort as we've worked hard to provide that strong health platform upon which Australia's economic comeback has also been conditional upon. The key part of that process of ensuring that our health system has been strong is that we've had a clear plan, and that plan has been based on the best possible medical advice and scientific advice. And it's a plan that has enabled us to move swiftly and decisively in response to events as they have unfolded. The COVID-19 pandemic writes its own rules. We don't get to write those rules for it. We need to be able to adapt and respond, consistent with the plan that we've developed in partnership with our medical and scientific experts.
Our vaccine strategy and our vaccine policy had identified four vaccines that we believed, based on the scientific advice, had the potential to go through to the end of Stage 3 trials and be available here in Australia. At no stage, can I assure you, that we believed that all four of those vaccines would likely get through that process. If that had occurred, that would have been truly extraordinary, based on the process of vaccine development not only in this country, but anywhere else. So that's why we spread our risk. That's why we backed important projects. And that's why we pre-prepared to ensure that we could deal with any issues along the way. The advice that we have received, and the National Security Committee of Cabinet met this week and made the final decision yesterday, is that the University of Queensland vaccine will not be able to proceed based on the scientific advice, and that will no longer feature as part of Australia's vaccine plan.
I do want to thank, though, Professor Paul Young and all the team up there at University of Queensland for the amazing work that they have done in getting the vaccine to that stage. And we will continue to support and fund the work that they're doing on molecular clamp research on vaccines, which has application in many other areas. They're doing great work. They are amazing. I'm incredibly proud of all of our scientists for the awesome work that they've been doing to support us this year. And so I congratulate them and thank them for all the hard work they've put in this year. But as part of our strategy, it means that we've been able to reposition and redeploy both our resources and our capability to deliver these vaccines. And so we are increasing our production and purchase of AstraZeneca vaccines from 33.8 million to 53.8 million, and we're increasing our access to the Novavax vaccine from 40 million to 51 million. So that's an extra 20 million doses of AstraZeneca, and an extra 11 million doses of Novavax. The AstraZeneca vaccine, of course, is manufactured here in Melbourne by CSL.
Safety and health - that has always been the starting point for all of our responses when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. Having a clear plan. Getting clear advice. Making decisive decisions to ensure that we can put the health interests of Australians first. That lays the platform for the economic recovery that we are undertaking right now as we end this year and go into 2021. I particularly want to thank the Minister for Health, whose leadership in this area over the course of this year has been exemplary. He is one of the standout Health Ministers of the world in terms of how he has led our response and put Australia in such a strong position to be where we are as we go into this Christmas. He has obviously also been ably assisted by Professor Kelly as the Acting Chief Medical Officer and Professor Murphy as the Secretary of the Department of Health. They're a great team, and I thank them for their work and I'll ask the Minister to speak and then Professor Murphy.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: Thanks very much, Prime Minister, and Professor Murphy. The hallmark of Australia's outcomes this year at a time when we see over 600,000 cases a day, agonising losses at record levels in terms of lives around the world, and Australia, by comparison, in the fortunate position of most days zero cases of community transmission. That's been driven by the combination of following the science and scientific advice, and planning, planning, planning. Today is another step in that. The vaccine rollout in 2021 is an important part of providing insurance and protection and saving lives and protecting lives here in Australia. The net result of the decisions taken and the next evolution of the scientific advice is that we will have strengthened our position in two vaccines and discontinued the process in relation to one vaccine which is, of course, the University of Queensland. The final outcome from all of that is that there is the potential for slightly earlier completion of the vaccine rollout for Australians in 2021. So that net result is a very important outcome for Australians.
Very briefly, I think it's important to understand that we planned, in all of our contracts, for the potential either to discontinue, based on the scientific advice and gateways, or to expand the number of vaccines. So, for example, as the Prime Minister mentioned, we're increasing our AstraZeneca purchasing by 20 million units. That was envisaged within the contract. Those 20 million units have now been agreed in conjunction with CSL to be produced onshore here in Australia, which is what allows us to potentially bring forward the completion of our vaccine rollout in the course of 2021. At the same time, the Novavax contract allowed for us to expand, and we've done that. In addition to that, the contract with regards to the University of Queensland recognised a series of gateways, and the simple answer is that, in relation to that, it's been shown to be safe, it's been shown to be effective. It's a powerful and important breakthrough as a platform, and we thank our scientists for that. But the issue, which by mutual agreement with CSL led to the decision not to proceed to Stage 3 trials and, therefore, not to move to a purchase, is that there was the risk of false-positive HIV results. They are false. It comes from the protein that was used. And as a result of that, the scientific advice is that the risk to vaccine confidence was the principal issue here, and we made the decision unanimously as a National Security Committee, the scientific advice was unanimous, the agreement with CSL not to proceed was mutual. And this is the scientific process working. It's the planning process working. It's an honest explanation of some of the challenges we've had. But, at the end of the day, 31 million new vaccines purchased for Australia, and the potential for a slightly earlier completion of the rollout with the commencement process still on track for March, subject to the approvals and the news on our vaccine candidates is strong.
Just to let you know, all up, the Australian vaccine portfolio is 53.8 million AstraZeneca units. That's enough to cover the whole of population. 51 million Novavax units, that's enough to cover the whole of population. 10 million Pfizer units, which is the advice that we have is appropriate, and 25.5 million units available under the COVAX facility. So, all up, over 140 million units of vaccine available to Australia, and the advice I have is that this is one of the highest ratios of vaccine purchases and availability to population in the world. So we're in a strong position. We're in a slightly better position at the end of this week in terms of having shored up our candidates. But also having made decisions as to what we proceed with and what we don't, and the potential for a slightly earlier completion during the course of 2021. Professor Murphy.
DR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Thanks, Prime Minister and Minister. So, we are in a good place in Australia with our vaccine strategy. Of the four vaccines that we did advance purchases on, two are probably the most advanced in terms of Phase 3 data and likely to be, or already are, registered in other parts of the world. We went into this with the potential that none of the four might actually get through to the clinic. That's why we had the COVAX facility to back us up. So to have full population coverage of two vaccines, and local manufacturing of one of the most promising vaccines so that we can guarantee we'll get it when we need it. And we've got also that wonderful position, we are in a Australia, where we can take our time to do the proper regulatory and go through our normal regulatory process. We don't need emergency approval, we're in a good position because we've controlled the virus. So I'm very confident now, very confident about the successful vaccination strategy that we'll be facing next year.
Clearly, the discontinuation of the UQ vaccine by mutual agreement. It was likely to be a promising vaccine. It was likely to work. But we knew that we didn't want to have any issues with confidence, and this false-positive test may have caused some confusion and lack of confidence, but it was a very, very good technology, it was looking like it was going to make antibodies, and it probably would have worked very well as a vaccine. But we can't have any issues with confidence, and we are as a nation now, with a good portfolio of vaccines, able to make these decisions to best protect the Australian people. I'll leave it for questions.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] there could be this HIV false-positive of results, if you will. Right at the beginning of trials. So this has been known about CSL's tests for a long time. So why decide to pull the pin now, after hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent?
DR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: So I think the risk of actually getting a false-positive was seen to be extremely low at the outset, everyone was very surprised at the unexpected prevalence of the false-positive. It's only a small portion of the HIV protein that's in the vaccine as the molecular clamp. The modelling at the time thought it was a very low theoretical risk on that basis, that's why people were informed of that risk. But it was very surprising to CSL and UQ the incidence of the false-positives. So it was very unexpected.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what's your message to Australians who might be worried about how quickly these vaccines have been rolled out? Is this a good example of the fact that Australia won't be rushing this process if there is any risk - the government won't allow these vaccines to proceed?
PRIME MINISTER: I think today, and the decisions we've taken should give Australians great assurance, that we are proceeding carefully, we are moving swiftly, but not with any undue haste here. At the end of the day, the Therapeutic Goods Administration - like with any vaccine in Australia - it must have their tick-off. Without the tick, there's no jab, when it comes to vaccines in this country. That is true for the COVID-19 vaccine, as it is true for any other vaccine that is administered here in Australia. And the assurance, I think, of both the scientific and medical advice that we have going into this process - led by Professor Murphy, who I know Australians have great confidence in, but also Professor Skerritt and the whole team - we are moving as promptly as is responsible, but our processes will not be compromised. And we've all had vaccinations at various times in our lives. I have. My children have. And we take those vaccines in great confidence of the system that we have here in Australia. What you're seeing here, is the system at work, protecting Australians, and making good decisions in the public health interest. So that's why we were so keen to keep Australians up to date here this morning - so you know where we're at. But the truth is, we're on track. The system's working as it should. And Australians are protected, as always.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, until this morning, the UQ vaccine was the highest in terms of dosage - 51 million doses across your four. So there's no doubting this is a significant blow. And given the concerns over global manufacturing, how confident are you that the agreements you've now reached to boost the supply of Oxford AstraZeneca, particularly in Melbourne, can be reached?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, it can. But I disagree with the premise of your question. I think what this demonstrates is the effectiveness of our strategy. And what we can do is vaccinate our population twice over. And we have one of the highest ratios of availability of doses of any country in the world. So this is a demonstration of the success of the vaccination policy and approach that we have been following. We have prepared for this. We have planned for this. And now we're making decisions in accordance with this. And so I think this does demonstrate both the science that we have available in Australia, but also the manufacturing capability. CSL is a leading manufacturer in the world. The Minister and I have both visited the facility there, and I want to thank everyone down at the plant there because they're going to be busy, they're going to be producing those vaccines. And as the Minister said, the net out-take of this is we are more likely to have the entire population vaccinated earlier rather than later, by the ability to bring this manufacturing capability forward. The process for manufacturing the molecular clamp vaccine - actually more complicated than it is for AstraZeneca. So this is basically adding on to the existing run, as opposed to a completely different manufacturing process. So that puts us in, I think, a strong position.
JOURNALIST: A question on the science I think for Professor Murphy, and on the timing,
PRIME MINISTER: On the what sorry?
JOURNALIST: On the timing, on this issue of being slightly earlier - how do we know that the same kind of issues aren't going to come up with those other vaccines contenders? What's the difference between the platform at UQ and what you've got, or what the other contenders are, with Nova, and with AstraZeneca? Because if there is this ambition to be slightly earlier with the timing, that seems to be counterintuitive. Shouldn't this experience be a cause for greater caution and a slowdown?
DR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Well, I think the AstraZeneca vaccine is now, with published Phase 3 trials. So it's very close to being, having emergency registration in the UK, we believe. So that vaccine - which is the one that's being now produced at CSL - it's coming off the production line at the moment, has very, very good data. So we're pretty confident that an issue like this is unlikely to happen because we've got the Phase 3 data. The Novavax platform is very different. It doesn't use the same molecular clamp - it uses a different approach. There's no reason why we would expect the same thing. And they've published their Phase 1 studies, and they haven't realised any of these sort of issues. So the confidence about, that Minister Hunt talked about - because the AstraZeneca vaccine is more advanced in its development than UQ was, and because it's now in production, by making more of it, we can bring forward whole-of-population coverage with the AstraZeneca vaccine much earlier. The Pfizer vaccine - the other one we have - it has also got Phase 3 trial information that the company has released. It's also gone through regulatory approval in, now, two countries, and a third coming up today. So it wouldn't have got through that if an issue like this had happened. So we're very confident we won't see this issue with the other vaccines. Novavax still has to publish Phase 3 trials, and we'll await those. But we know that Pfizer and AstraZeneca are in a very strong position.
JOURNALIST: Do we still have to pay the full amount even though it’s been, the trials been abandoned now?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we are continuing to support the research at a scientific level with the University of Queensland and I do want to say again to those UQ researchers, I mean, they will certainly be disappointed because they’ve worked so hard at this. But a key part of their scientific work continues. But all of this is done within the fiscal envelope that we have set aside for our vaccination policy. So there's no additional cost here. But as we've worked through the vaccines, I think it's important to just get a dose of reality on this: COVID-19 - many uncertainties, developing vaccines - many uncertainties, and you make calculated decisions about how you pursue particular vaccines based on the best scientific advice. And that is done on the basis of, in the full knowledge that not all of them, the likelihood of all of them being able to proceed, that was not our expectation. So what has happened today is not a surprise to the government, but what is important is that the plan was in place to deal with this, and that was inevitable, most likely that there would be these types of decisions along the way. And the fact that we could move our production, that we have put ourselves in a position to be able to change the number of doses and increase them from the various options that we have, I think demonstrates the importance of the policy and the approach we've taken.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: And just on your point, the structure of all of these agreements is that they have what are called milestone payments. And so obviously there's a fee in relation to the research, which we were very happy to contribute. But we don't have to make all the other payments because it hasn’t proceeded to phase three, let alone production or distribution.
PRIME MINISTER: [Inaudible] very cautious contracting.
JOURNALIST: And how much is that worth?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: Within our vaccine envelope, even with the new acquisitions. So at this stage, there's no extra cost to Australia.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister It seems that the extra supplies that we've ordered to make up the 51 million shortfall from CSL. Why is Pfizer not part of this new order? And are there any concerns about the supply of the Pfizer vaccine, considering President Trump signed an executive order this week mandating that US pharmaceuticals prioritise the US?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I don't have those concerns.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: No, we’ve spoken with Pfizer. I've spoken with the Australian CEO, their advice to us only in the last few days is that they're still on track for delivery in Australia. Our volumes and our vaccine selection are based on the scientific advice and we're very happy with the balance that we've got. And again, a reaffirmation from the Australian CEO that we're on track for first quarter delivery from Pfizer next year.
PRIME MINISTER: [Inaudible] got a deal.
JOURNALIST: Can I just clarify the timeline. So you knew that there was potential for these HIV false positives, but there was a slim chance of them happening. When did you find out that they had occurred? How many occurred? And when did you find out that information enough for you to make this decision?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: So this week was when we had a briefing in relation to the potential to advance to stage three. We had that on Monday, considered in terms of the National Security Committee, which immediately requested advice from the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group, which is led by Professor Murphy. And then that advice was provided yesterday to the National Security Committee, which made the decision in conjunction with CSL not to proceed.
JOURNALIST: ...216 participants returned false positive?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: So I don't have that information because there's a mixture of people who receive the vaccine and those that have a placebo. And amongst those that had the vaccine, they would have been different results. So that would be for the University of Queensland, I apologise.
JOURNALIST: ...vaccine diplomacy going on around the world. China moved its vaccine into Indonesia in fairly large quantities earlier this week, you've announced money in the Budget to go towards Pacific Islands, South East Asian nations. Can you tell us what the plans are for those countries? Who's going to get it and when would they get it in terms of the priority against Australians?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Australians are obviously our first priority. There's no question about that. And what I'd, I'd describe it more this way. You heard me say this some some months ago. And I've said it at G20 summits and many other places, whoever develops the vaccine has got to share it with the world. There's no politics in this. This is helping the rest of the world and particularly the developing countries of the world, to get access to vaccines. So we welcome, we welcome, whether it's China providing support for vaccines in Indonesia or Australia providing supports to the Pacific Islands community or South East Asia or European countries supporting in Africa or the United States in South America or wherever happens to be. This is the world at work to try and ensure that we can provide the best possible health support to people wherever they are in the world. And I think it's a great determined effort across all of these countries. So we welcome all of that. We have a particular responsibility here with our Pacific family, and our production and our securing of vaccines, plus our participation in the COVAX facilities and other purchasing arrangements, means we will be able to provide that support to Pacific countries. And I can assure you, and I'll be meeting with them tonight on another issue, but they are very appreciative of that support and they know they can trust Australia to be there for them. And we certainly will be there when it comes to supporting them with the vaccine.
JOURNALIST: A follow up on Tom’s question, so if the- if Donald Trump doesn't want the Pfizer vaccine out of America, you know, hypothetical scenario, do we have any manufacturing deal with the Pfizer vaccine in Australia or are we reliant on manufacturing in the US and exports out of the US?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH: So Pfizer's an RNA vaccine and the world has never had MRNA, any MRNA vaccines prior to now. And so this is one which is manufactured overseas. We have the capacity, obviously, with CSL to do the AstraZeneca work and it also has the capacity to do other non-MRNA vaccines.
JOURNALIST: When it comes to vaccines we do see a fair bit of disinformation on social media. And I suspect that with this news about the false HIV test positives, we're going to see similar today on Facebook and Twitter. Is there a role for the government to start rolling out a public information campaign ahead of the vaccine, to start instilling confidence? And how important is it for politicians to take the lead when that vaccine does become available?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, last night the Premiers and I discussed that very issue in terms of when we would take the jab, and we will take it as soon as the medical advice suggests that we should and in the order and priority that is set out in the strategy. And so you can be assured of that. Of course. And that is not new. I've said that for this platform on many occasions, of course, we will have a public information campaign to do that. I don't suggest that people take their medical advice from Facebook or Twitter. I think that would be pretty stupid to do that. And I know Australians aren't stupid. I know Australians- and a high rate of vaccination in Australia is a demonstration of the wisdom of Australians and their confidence in the vaccination programmes we have in this country.
Earlier this week, I was speaking to the Netherlands Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, and we were discussing the issues of vaccines and the sort of rates that we would hope to hit. And I was able to share with him Australia's great success in vaccination programmes and that we are in the 90s, 95 per cent. These are figures that other countries only hope to achieve. And one of the reasons for that is, I think is the very experienced way we go about it, the strong trust that Australians rightly have in our health professionals and administrators who make these decisions to keep them safe. And of course, we will engage in that public information campaign. The states strongly support that as well, and they'll be partners in its rollout. Today we'll have a good discussion at National Cabinet, as we did indeed last night, about how we're now working to roll out that vaccine. We're well advanced on that in the discussions with the states and territories, there was a meeting, I think, yesterday, Brendan, with all the health officers and other senior health officials from the states and territories working through the planning phase now of that of that rollout. So, yes, absolutely. But listen to the official advice on vaccinations, as always. Nothing new about that. Always go to the official advice. Always go to your doctor. Always go to the medical advice, not to social media on something like that.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just further to that, just to clarify, are there any other concerns with this vaccine, apart from false-
PRIME MINISTER: Which one?
JOURNALIST: The University of Queensland vaccine, or maybe this is better directed at Professor Murphy?
PRIME MINISTER: It certainly is.
DR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: None at all.
JOURNALIST: So that’s the only?
DR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: every other aspect of its development was going really well-
JOURNALIST: So this is a question of public confidence only? When you had an effective vaccine, was that a difficult decision?
DR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: We don't- we know that it was producing very good antibodies. It was likely to be effective in phase three trials. We hadn't done those phase three trials, but it was all the evidence would suggest it was going to be an effective vaccine. But we cannot risk public confidence. We just can't. And given that we have other successful candidate vaccines, this was a very difficult decision that CSL and we made together. But it was important to keep that public confidence. But I emphasise it was excellent research, it was a good platform, and it was likely to be an effective vaccine at preventing coronavirus, we think. But we haven't got the phase three data.
JOURNALIST: Does that feel like a waste then? All this research, all this money, all this time?
DR BRENDAN MURPHY, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Well, we knew that we had to have redundancy. We knew that we had to get public confidence. Anything that risks public confidence is too great an issue for us when we've got this challenge of getting our population vaccinated. It was a hard decision for everybody.
PRIME MINISTER: But that’s the scientific process. The scientific process is always to research, to test, to trial. And you need to spread your investments to give as much opportunity for the most successful vaccines to go forward. This is the normal scientific process, and it always makes sense to invest in the science and that research process to get the best possible health outcome. So I'm very pleased we made these investment decisions. I'm very pleased we backed the world class researchers at the University of Queensland. And my message simply to them today is thank you and all the best with your continued work. You are life savers and we're incredibly proud of you.
JOURNALIST: Just a final one, the international climate summit this weekend that Prime Minister Johnson's leading, you seemingly confirmed at Question Time yesterday Australia hasn’t been granted a slot. China has, I mean, Kazakhstan has, what does it say about the summit and what does it say about Australia's climate credentials if we're not speaking but they are?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there are many countries that are not speaking, I mean New Zealand is not speaking either. So Australia's policies, when it comes to reducing emissions, are set here in Australia, in Australia's national interests. And our responsibility is to set that in a way that is consistent with the demands and needs and views of the Australian people and the science that supports that. And we have got a great track record. And I'll be sharing that track record again with Pacific Island leaders this evening. And that record is one which has seen our emissions fall by 16.6-percent since 2005. Australia is getting on with the job of reducing our emissions. We've worked hard to do that. Our over-achievement of the Kyoto targets for more than 430 million tonnes, I think of overachievement. They've been hard earned by the way, those credits that have been earned, they've been earned by farmers investing in changes in their farming practices and they've invested to achieve those earned credits. And what that means is that Australia is well on track to hit our 2030 targets and our reliance on those issues, I'll have more to say about that in the not too distant future. But the credits have been hard earned and hard won. And they're important, and I thank particularly our agricultural community, households, for putting solar on their roofs and so many others that have seen Australia perform so well. I wish them well for the summit. I'm sure it will be very nice and I think it'll be a successful summit from that perspective. But Australia will just continue to get on with the job. See that's what we do. I mean-
JOURNALIST: Was it frustrating Prime Minister I mean Prime Minister that they seem to want you there. And then they had this diplomatic push back to stop you attending?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I don't think there was as much theatre in that as you suggest David at all. We have many issues we'll continue to work on. I mean, at the moment with the UK and the EU, we're very focussed on the free trade agreement with both of those countries. And I've had many discussions with both the EU and the UK and particularly Prime Minister Johnson, on those issues. Look, what matters here is what you get done, not what you talk about. Australia's getting it done. And I'm very proud of what Australians are achieving. And I'm very thankful for the support that we've had both from households around the country as well as industry and farmers. They have all worked so hard to achieve what have been very, very good achievements on emissions reduction. Our technology plan going into the future is about continuing to achieve. See I really think we've got to the point now where it's not about the if, and it's not even about the when, it's about the how. What matters now is how we achieve emissions reduction. I said at the G20 recently, what matters is if you can produce hydrogen at $2 dollars a kilo Australian, if you can do that, then all of these targets take care of themselves. And so we're focussed on the how, and how you get it done. And I'm particularly encouraged by the enthusiasm of, whether it's in Japan, or in the United Kingdom, or Germany, or other places. They want to work with Australia on our energy plan. They want to work with us on our energy technology plan. Prime Minister Johnson and I agreed that we need to go forward with a technology agreement on energy, just like we are doing with Japan. And so we'll just keep getting it done. And I wish them well for their event over the course of the weekend. But I must admit, I'm particularly interested to be joining with our Pacific Island family tonight, to address not only how we're meeting our commitments, but also how we're supporting them when it comes to climate resilience and adaptation. This is the other, as I set out at the start of this year that some of you will recall - in addressing climate change, reducing emissions is incredibly important, and that's why we're doing what we're doing. But the reality is we have to address climate resilience and adaptation. And Australia is making significant investments in our own country on that front. And we're also making very significant investments in our region as well. And so we're moving on all of these fronts. But right now, the front I have to move on is the National Cabinet and enjoin them for our last meeting of this year and we will be joining you a little later as the members of that National Cabinet for a press conference on those issues. And I'll catch you then.
Thanks very much.
2020 Valedictory Statement, House of Representatives Australian Parliament House, ACT
11 December 2020
Prime Minister: Mr. Speaker, as we do this it was I think apt last weekend, I had an opportunity to be out in south western Sydney I was at Buxton with indeed the local member, and we were there on what was both a happy but also very sad occasion at the same time, because we were there to unveil, open a memorial playground in honour of Geoff Keaton and Andrew O’Dwyer. And we were there and joined by his, their many friends from the Horsley Park Rural Fire Service, captained by Darren Nation, a great Australian, but importantly, most importantly, by Melissa and Jess, their partners, and of course, Charlotte and Harvey, their son, and their daughter.
And Mr Speaker, it reminded us of the journey we have been on, and on the 19th of December it will be one year since we lost Geoff and Andrew and we lost many more over the course of the year that followed, 2020.
We've lost those to COVID, we've lost those in bushfires. It has been a year of great loss for Australians. Terrible loss.
Losses that will leave deep scars on Australians and on our country. They are deep and they will take a long time to heal.
That healing process, Mr Speaker will come and will flourish from the care and compassion and the love and affection that is provided by their fellow Australians.
We will see the visible evidence. We will see the superficial evidence of things improving, Mr Speaker. But we know for many years, 2020 will be something that will take Australians many years to get over. Their mental health support in the years ahead, the regrowth of our economy, the restructuring of our economy so it can grow again and realise the lives and livelihoods that Australians aspire to.
And so that is the year we have been through. And so as we come to the end of this parliamentary year and as we look forward to the Christmas period and the New Year period, we do look forward with a sense of hope.
We do look forward with a sense of gratefulness that despite everything that has happened, despite everything that has been lost. That we can look forward and know that things will regrow, that things will rebuild, that lives will be restored and our nation as we come, particularly now to Christmas Mr Deputy Speaker, has come together again as borders have come down and and families will meet again right across the country from coast to coast, from north to south, Australians will come together again over this Christmas period.
And this was an important goal. And I'm so pleased that it is being realised.
There are many people to thank, Mr Speaker, as we come together. I particularly want to thank all the members of this place as I start. All the members of this place. We have all in our way, carried leadership responsibilities this year. Whether in our local communities and the many other ways we serve and our families and in our roles here as members of this parliament and those in the other place.
We have been supported by so many in those jobs and we have sought to support so many in the great works that they have been doing in our community, whether it is the many that were referred to and thanked in Question Time today in our defence forces, our frontline health workers, our teachers, our businesses, our employees, those who have taken great risks, those who have helped out and reached out to others in times of need, we will need them all.
And as we go into this holiday season, let's hope it is a good one, there will be many who will continue that job over that break. Lifeline and other services, and volunteers, those who'll be preparing things for Christmas Day, food and shelter and comfort, help and support or simply company.
The doctors and nurses and medical staff who will be on call, the police and the paramedics and the ambos, the surf lifesavers, which will be on our beaches, and the Rural Fire Service volunteers who will be ready to go again on call, ready to go, and indeed, in so many places already, even in this season, have already been called out.
Those looking for looking after elderly Australians, many of whom, completely alone and isolated, and will know the loving touch and care of those who work in our aged care facilities.
Our defence forces who continue in Operation COVID-19 assist, the 1,500 Defence Force personnel who continue on operations all around the world. We thank you for your service and we are proud of you and your service.
I also want to acknowledge the incredible support and actions, taking on the commendation of the Member for Lingiari to our Australian public service. They have had, I believe, their finest year during the course of this COVID-19 pandemic, never before, and certainly in my experience in this place and I think for many generations, have we called upon our Australian public service to do more in the interests of Australians than we have in this past year. To work promptly, carefully, effectively. To advise. To assist. To support. To implement. To deliver. To be candid and to ensure that as a government, we could stand with Australians at their time of greatest need and as a parliament we could do the same.
The Australian Public Service have had their finest hour in so many that we can remember, and I'm deeply grateful to them. And I don't want to single any of them out, Mr. Speaker, because it is a shared commendation for them, they have all from the quietest service to those that I would meet with on a regular basis in my office, or the many Ministers here.
All of you in the public service, whether serving here in Canberra or or elsewhere around the country, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, on behalf of a very grateful nation.
Mr Speaker, here in the parliament in particular, can I thank all of those who have worked so hard in what has been an extraordinarily strange year for us to gather.
To you and the president of the Senate, these are not things that I'm sure there was a guidebook for you to deal with, as we sought to work through this year and keep our parliament functioning in the way it has. And I thank the opposition for their support in ensuring that that was made possible. Particularly, I want to thank, of course, the Clerk of the House. Thank you very much. The deputy Clerk and the clerk's assistants. So to Clarissa and Catherine and Stuart Woodley, Jerome Brown and Peter Banson thank you for your tremendous work this year. To James Catchpole, the Sergeant at Arms. Thank you for your tremendous work that you have done to ensure that we've been able to continue to function in a parliament over the course of this most difficult year in the way that we have and to do it in as normal as a way as we possibly could. Thank all of the attendants in particular to Luch and the whole crew, Luch we know well but we know them all and we thank them all for the great job they do, looking after us in all sorts of ways this year. And they've gone above and beyond the call of duty I think this year and looked after us tremendously well. The new innovations here, the video link, which I even got to appreciate, looking over the chamber from back there and observing Question Time for the first time in a very long time Mr Speaker, rather than being here in the chamber to participate. So thank you to all the technicians and all of those who made that possible this year, not just for how things worked in this chamber, so particularly for our members and senators in Victoria, especially, who were unable to be here in this parliament, that they are able to participate with questions and through other contributions and also through the committee work that is so important and to that committee work to continue during the course of COVID. So thank you to all of those who are involved in that.
Mr Speaker, can I thank our own Whips, led, of course, by the Member for Forde. Bert, you've done a tremendous job. He's doing that job right now outside as he always is, making sure that under what are quite extraordinary arrangements and I'm sure the Chief Opposition Whip who sadly can't be with us and we understand why and we wish him again all the best. But having to arrange the changed seating arrangements and all of those issues, Mr Speaker, added additional challenge and complexity. And I want to thank the members for Boothby, Grey, and Nicholls and Flynn as well, also for your great teamwork, our Whips, our Whip’s- here he is, thanks Chief Whip, our Whips either on the government or the opposition, though, just don’t ensure that this parliament moves as smoothly as it possibly can, as I'm sure the Leader of the Opposition would agree, our whips provide a great pastoral support to members in this place. The whips office is a safe space where you can go and you can speak to colleagues, you can get the support you need, you can share things and stresses that may be pressing upon your service here in this place. And it is as true on the opposition side as it is on the government side. And we thank the whips and the staff in the whips offices as well, providing that comfort and that support to all of us.
Mr Speaker, can I wish the Leader of the Opposition and his family all the very best for the Christmas period, whether either of us get a break over the summer, well, we'll see. Where we're needed to be, we will be. But I do hope to you, Anthony, and your family, that you'll be able to enjoy some good time together and have a break. And we can all return for what will be another very busy and very full year over the course of 2021.
We're looking forward to a very happy 2021. When we say Happy New Year to each other as we come to a close of this year, there's going to be a special meaning I think this year, we're going to really mean we're wishing for a very happy new year in 2021, something incredibly different from what we've experienced during this year.
I also need to acknowledge Mr Speaker, Stephen Boyd, who is retiring from the Department of House of Representatives early this year after 26 years of service. I remember sitting on the House Economics Committee many, many years ago in opposition. He was the chair- he was the secretary to that committee at the time. And he has served in many in many, many committees.
Mr Speaker, can I thank the manager for opposition business and all opposition members and their staff.
Can I thank, Mr Speaker, my team, who I've had the opportunity this week to thank and to get around to say thank you to you. Can I particularly thank the Deputy Prime Minister. Liberal and Nationals have been together for a very long time. 75 years Mr Speaker. And we always served together and we always bring our perspectives to the table together and we're always strongest when we're together. And that has particularly been on display this year. And I want to thank all of my Liberal team and through the Deputy Prime Minister, all of the Nationals team for the way we have come together for the nation over the course, particularly of this past year.
Can I think the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and the Treasurer, it's pretty tough coming into a job which your boss used to have. He's always got plenty of suggestions and always a very unique perspective on it. But I really want to congratulate you, Treasurer, not just on the extraordinary work you did on the economic recovery plan this year. But I particularly want to thank you because as so many other Victorian members of this place. And I acknowledge the Minister for Health also in a similar way. That you had to be so often away from Amie and the kids and to be here well beyond parliamentary sittings, but to be here constantly isolating on a couple occasions, I think it ultimately was, and to be there in a way, I know how much that was impacting on you, but you kept your focus. You kept your commitment, you kept your discipline, and you stayed on the task. And to Amie and the kids, we thank you and we hope you'll enjoy some good weeks with them over the break.
I particularly also want to acknowledge the Minister for Health very similarly. These were the, these were the portfolios that were really drawn upon this year. And people had to stand up. And he's not that tall a fella, but he stood very tall this year. He was a giant, almost as tall as the member for Groom, who we welcome to the House.
Mr. Speaker, can I thank the former leader of the government in the Senate, Mathias Cormann, for the great work he did this year. He's now engaged in another great enterprise. I heard from again this morning. But can I thank the new leader of the government in the Senate, Senator Birmingham.
Can I thank also his new deputy leader, Senator Cash, for getting off to such a great start. And after a particularly busy night last night and making sure that the chambers are working effectively and working together with their team.
I want to thank again all the Coalition member’s staff, I had the opportunity to do that this week in a special phone hook up- a very large number. And I'm so pleased we're able to do that. And I hope they will get some peace and some downtime over the course of the break as well.
Can I also add my thanks to my own staff and led by, of course, by Dr. Kunkel, by John Kunkel, I thank him for the tremendous work he does in driving our government, working, of course, with the Secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Phil Gaetjens and all the team there.
It's been an interesting year in our office this year. There have been many prodigious contributions, but that has also included 7 children born to my staff over the course of this year. We've got baby girls, Evelyn, Evie, Vera and Matilda, and we've got boys Xavier, Anthony and Hugo. I think even Hugo might be in the chamber, he was a little earlier, and two more are arriving very, very soon. Here he goes- Hugo’s up there with Sonia. So that's absolutely tremendous.
To the Leader of the Government in the House, to the Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations. This is not a job, I can assure you, that he craves. It's not one that he seeks, but it is one that is clearly done with a sense of duty and responding to the call to service. And he does it in his absolutely impeccable way. And I want to thank you, Christian, for the tremendous job which you continue to do even as we speak, and making sure that the parliament has worked so well this year.
So whether it's the federal police who look after me and my family, or the Minister for Home Affairs and his family, or the Treasurer and his, or others who look after us from time to time, thanks very much for your efforts this year.
To all the security in this building, to all the caterers, to the library, Hansard and support staff, even to the media in the building, which has been a very strange year for you, too. And we thank you for the jobs that we all do to make this place what it is.
To the cleaners around the building and particularly those in my office, Anna and Maria, they are, they are sisters and Luzia, all have clocked up some 30 years in this building. They've been cleaning up a lot of mess for a long time, Mr Speaker. And I suspect they will continue to for some time still to come. And we thank them for their great smiles, which greet me every single day.
Mr Speaker, let me conclude by saying there are a couple of things we missed in this building this year. One of those was the school groups I'm sure, it was great to wave to them across the glass here today. But to see those schools coming back to our parliament, it's a bit like the birds that return after a storm Mr Speaker, we're passing through that storm as a country. The signs, the signs are there.
And I think as we go into this time of Christmas, Mr Speaker, it gives us the time to reflect on the renewal that will take place. And it will take place, Mr Speaker, it will give us encouragement as we go forward into the future.
Australians, my prayers for you and your family this Christmas is that you will find that peace in a year where there has been little, and that you will find the hope and you can cleave to that hope as you go into 2021.
God bless you, Australia, and thank you very much. And Merry Christmas and a very happy 2021.
Virtual Address, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
8 December 2020
PRIME MINISTER: Well, thank you very much, Ray. Thank you for that very kind acknowledgement and welcome to join you here this evening. To Nola and to James, to a very long time friend, Paul Nicolaou, and so many other friends who I see on the screen who I've known for many, many, many years. To Kate Carnell of the Small Business Ombudsman but to all of you. Can I particularly give a big shout out to all the Western Australians on the call, as I just said, to the Western Australian Chamber President, welcome back to Australia. I don't think you really ever left us in spirit, but it's great to be connected up and to be whole again as a country. Australia wasn't meant to have internal borders, we all know that, and it's been a difficult year. And I'm so pleased that as we come to the end of this year, one of the great goals I've had this year is to see our country come together again. I've understood why there has had to be separations at times. But I've got to tell you, as a Prime Minister, it has really affected me that at all times this year we weren't able to completely be connected as a country and I couldn't tell you, my Christmas wish has come true in seeing Australia come together again.
And can I also acknowledge the Ngunnawal people where I'm speaking to you from this evening, to acknowledge their elders past, present and future. And particularly this time, can I acknowledge any serving men and women who may be connected up to this call. Can I acknowledge any veterans who have served our country and say simply thank you on behalf of a very grateful nation. And could I say to all those businesses online who are here with us tonight who employ veterans, who have placed their faith in veterans, you know that by employing a veteran, your business has been greatly assisted. You know the value of them. But thank you for acknowledging them and thank you for putting your trust in them. We trusted them in uniform. We trust them today. And so many businesses around the country are rightly and are being rewarded for the trust they put in our wonderful veterans in this country.
I said at the start of the pandemic, and I've got to tell you, over the course of this year and many trips out to that courtyard, I would consider very carefully what I was going to say to the country. Never have we experienced in such a long time when what we would say is a government, not just myself, but of course, premiers and others in a position of leadership, the country was seeking guidance, support, strength and courage. And on each and every occasion, I would consider very carefully what I would be saying. Now, on that occasion, I said that Australia was a strong people, but we were about to discover just how strong we were and we are. 2020, everyone has stepped up. Families, communities, businesses, unions, governments, we've all come together. Ideology just didn't matter. Past grievances, differences, didn't matter. And I think Australians can take great pride in what we have achieved together.
I've never been more proud of my country than now as we come to the conclusion of this year. What an amazing people we are. I'm so proud. We worked to clear goals. We said we needed to save lives and save livelihoods. This is a set of objectives which were then actually taken up around the world. And it was interesting at the G20, these were repeated back to me by leaders from all of those nations. Our strong economic foundation meant we could make immediate investments in our health systems, partnering with our states. Sadly, 908 lives have been lost. This is a terrible tragedy, but it's a mortality rate that is a fraction of what we see around the rest of the world.
The strong economic supports were delivered, over half a trillion dollars. It is unthinkable, unimaginable if we took ourselves back 12 months ago to this time, more than a quarter of the size of our economy. We saved, we know, some 700,000 jobs while at the same time supporting another three and a half million. Last week, we learnt that our economy grew by 3.3 percent in the September quarter. That's the single largest increase since the mid 70s. Though, while the comeback has begun, the journey of recovery continues. So much more needs to be done. But the lesson of 2020 here and around the world, stay the course, stay vigilant. We know a vaccine is close, but that does not give us a leave pass to continue on in the way that we have during the course of this year.
Our goal as a government as we lead the comeback is jobs. And I know it's your goal, too. That is best delivered by a business-led recovery. More than eight in 10 jobs in Australia are in the private sector. And our plan has always been about businesses. I don't want government at the centre of the economy. My government does not want government at the centre of the economy. It wants enterprises. We want Australians doing what they have always done to make us the prosperous country we are. And so our plan has been about backing the plans of Australians and their futures and particularly of those who run businesses in this country. Because that's what will create jobs not just now, but into the future. Claiming new ground. I agree with the McKinsey assessment. They said in 2020, the management teams of Australians deserve to be massively proud of themselves. But 2021 really matters for setting up businesses for the next decade and we have to keep going.
That's what our JobMaker plan was all about. In the midst of the hardest times of the COVID-19 recession, we started to outline that JobMaker plan. And that was not just about as how we would recover and how we would cushion the blow, but more importantly, how we were going to build the future in responding to the challenges of COVID. In the short time, we've driven business investment and job creation, including incentivising workers to shift to faster growing sectors in the longer term, delivering the economic growth needed to create wealth to pay back the debt and respond to future economic shocks. JobMaker is about providing the policy support for rebuilding our economy and the recovery. The tax relief, temporary full expensing, the COVID loss carryback measures, which I don't need to explain to this audience. You know how important that is. Businesses that made losses through no fault of their own, who went into this into this COVID-19 recession doing well, paying tax. We became shareholders, if you like, in Australian businesses by saying take those losses, set them off against the tax you pay from your success going into this recovery, into this recession, and that will aid your recovery because we will benefit from that. Cutting the red tape, supporting the delivery of reliable, affordable energy. So important not just in our major cities and urban areas, particularly our regional areas. Investing in the major infrastructure projects, driving the uptake of digital technology, which we've seen advanced at a rapid rate.
A key part of our JobMaker plan that I talked about at the Press Club so many months ago now, it seems, was the need to deal with what happens in our workplaces. Like you, I want our workplaces to be places of cooperation and not conflict. I want them to be places of partnership, not partisanship. At the start of the pandemic, we quickly realised the rigidity of the Australian industrial relations system, not something was lost on yourselves, and that this would actually be a barrier to overcoming the jobs challenge that confronted us. The system just simply couldn't function during the COVID collapse with those rules. The flexibility wasn’t something that was desirable. It was necessary to save lives and livelihoods. And so through the JobKeeper legislation, we actually addressed that. But to the credit of all businesses, unions and government, we did adapt. We did make compromises. We did find a new way through. We did reset at a very important time. And why? Jobs. It's that simple.
Through the JobKeeper legislation, we made temporary amendments to the Fair Work Act twice. I thought it was hard getting it the first time. In fact, we came together with the ACTU. We enabled that and it smoothed its passage through the Parliament. But then I had to go back and we got there again with Christian Porter and this played a vital role in allowing businesses to survive and keep people in jobs. And on the second wave of those changes, you will recall, as businesses came off JobKeeper, remember two million Australians and more came off JobKeeper at the end of September, 450,000 businesses employed those more than two million Australians. And what we said to them is that as they stood them down, that they would continue to need flexibility in the workplace to keep people in jobs and we got that through and the best news I've had on the economy has been the fact of that graduation of 450,000 businesses out of the COVID-19 recession and the JobMaker need, where two million Australians no longer had to rely on taxpayers for income support and that businesses were beginning to stand on their own two feet again and there was a great sense of pride about that. So I'm not surprised that today we learnt that consumer confidence is at a 20 year high and that business confidence is about a two and a half year high because they have passed through the fire and they've come out the other side.
I was determined to take the opportunity COVID presented to address some of the longer term problems that we have in the system in a collaborative way. In June, we established five industrial relations working groups to look at well-known issues within the IR framework. It wasn't a talkfest. It wasn't a debate. It was a get together to get things done initiative and I have greatly appreciated, James and Ray, ACCI’s constructive engagement throughout these final negotiations. You guys turned up. Tomorrow we will be addressing into the Parliament a package of legislative reforms that will move us forward, employers and workers and our economy. The agreement making process, of course, needs fixing. We all know that. So we're simplifying the process by ensuring approvals hinge on the agreement substance rather than the technicalities or hypotheticals that hold us back. We’re clarifying the application of the better off overall test. This will ensure the overall benefits and views of employees and employers are considered in a practical and sensible way. It will provide certainty for COVID-affected sectors by extending for two years some of the temporary flexibilities in the Fair Work Act. And we're letting part-time workers more easily take on additional hours of work in these sectors at the usual rate of pay, should it be both employers or the employee's interests. Separately will ask the Fair Work Commission to prioritise reviewing a number of priority awards with a view to simplifying their operation, including consideration of loaded rates and lastly, our reforms will provide certainty, clarity and fairness around casual employment. That matters so businesses can have confidence to create more jobs.
I think in picking up the theme, everything for me as Prime Minister as we pursue our economic recovery plan, is jobs. If someone wants to work with me to create jobs, they have a seat at my table and we will work together to do just that. This is a genuine attempt that you've been engaged in with some one hundred and fifty hours of discussions in a way that provides shared benefits, and we've seen that reform is possible when the benefits to all sides are clearly understood and there are appropriate safeguards and protections. Now, you'll be the first to tell me, no doubt, that, of course, there were other things you would have liked to see, and there always is. But this was about getting stuff done. This was a time to fix things, not fight about things, and you came to the table with that spirit and Minister Porter and I are very grateful for the good faith way in which you have engaged and will continue to engage. I think we're building something, I really do, a new way of dealing with industrial relations, stepping back from the old way of partisanship and ideological battles and we're getting back to focus on what it's all about. And that is that Australians can have livelihoods.
This year we've seen also tremendous ways of change that have taken place in work and how people work, where they work, what skills they need, how they manage change. In every business, we’re experiencing change in a much higher speed. For example, 90 per cent of Australian businesses took on new technologies. Yesterday's report by the National Skills Commission examined the nature of these workforce changes and as importantly, looked at the workforce we will need in the post-COVID world. That work is going to keep changing and our challenge is to have the skills available that we will need in the future and for federal and state systems and incentives to be pointing in the same direction. This is about anticipating the future and planning for as best we can. It's what ACCI has been saying for many years. So I hope you're encouraged by what we're doing.
This year through the National Cabinet, we delivered the JobTrainer fund to provide over 300,000 free or low cost training places in the areas of identified need. All states and territories have signed up. Training is already available and viable in Queensland and Northern Territory, not too far off. As well, we’re also supporting on the job training and backing all those businesses that are employing workers as they build up their skills. Early on, we stepped in with wage support for Australian businesses that retained their apprentices and trained trainees by paying half their wages. So far, this has supported over 100,000 apprentices and trainees, including 20,000 brickies, chippies and joiners, 50,000 electricians, 10,000 plumbers, 5,000 hairdressers and 8,000 automatic mechanics and electricians. We've also extended wage support to employers taking on a new apprentice or trainee with an additional $1.2 billion to deliver 100,000 new apprenticeships. This is the right decision given the data of the Skills Commission that 48 per cent of job losses this year were young people. The good news is the number of apprentices and trainees in training contracts recovering to above where it was in March. We're also working with the states and territories to deliver a standard VET system through longer-term reform. I'm pleased that the National Cabinet has agreed to work towards a new national skills agreement by next August. We're meeting on Friday, the first time in person since that day back in mid-March, and I can tell you we're very serious about working together to get this skills package right. There's a lot of goodwill and good faith going into this. We're really directing our attention to it.
On other topics, too, like mental health reform and things like that and there's been a few brickbats that've gone to the National Cabinet this year. But I can tell you, at the end of the day, things should be judged on their successes and their outcomes and the National Cabinet this year has ensured that we've been able to manage so many difficult issues. And while there are some disagreements, the fact that we can pull together a National Skills Agreement in just over a couple of weeks when normally, in my experience, that would have taken several years, just shows how we learnt to do things so much better as a Federation during the course of this year.
I want to pay special tribute to the efforts of Australian small businesses - determined, resilient, flexible and passionate. They put their head down and they just kept going. Of course we have stood with them because combined, they are our biggest employers. And backing them in with JobKeeper, the JobMaker hiring credit, the cash flow bonus scheme which has provided over $34 billion to help around 800,000 small and medium businesses stay afloat. The small and medium sized enterprise guarantee scheme, supporting up to $40 billion of lending increase. Time-limited tax incentives, including the full expensive measures and temporary loss carryback I mentioned earlier. Expanding access to a range of small business tax concessions, helping distressed small businesses restructure and improving the digital capability. All of this backing in the confidence of small businesses.
This year has been one of the hardest in living memory. We all know that. As we look around the world, we can't be naive about the prospects for a fast global recovery. But here in Australia, we have one of the best records of any country in the world. It's something you can all be pretty proud of, incredibly proud of. Our comeback will take time. There is cause for optimism. Confidence grows. Our JobMaker plan is about our recovery. It's about our rebuilding. And it's about the future. It's about building an economy that's more advanced, more adaptive and more creative and importantly, more resilient than ever. It's about continuing our wonderful Australian success story.
So as we come to the end of what has been a very difficult year, I'm full of hope. I'm full of beans about 2021. I'm very excited about it. I'm excited to see what's happening in my country, as I'm sure you are, too. I'm totally energised by the tremendous resilience and spirit of Australians and as we go into Christmas, I pray that we will have a great time of blessing amongst our families. And as we look forward to 2021, I know it's going to be a happy New Year. Thank you very much for your kind attention.
Virtual Speech, Singapore FinTech Festival
8 December 2020
PRIME MINISTER: G’day from Australia!
It’s fantastic to be part of this world renowned FinTech festival.
For many years, I have been an enthusiastic believer in the potential of this dynamic sector.
Because it’s demonstrating its ability to drive change, growth, innovation and productivity, most importantly, across every field of economic endeavour, and even more broadly than that.
This is a sector that can transform lives - by unlocking the financial system, by giving more power to consumers, fintech is a boon to small businesses and start-ups, but also families.
This sector is proving that we are only limited in this day and age by our imagination.
These are extraordinary times - and today I want to speak to you about the times we live in, the innovation these times are driving within our Government and governments, and what I believe is the compelling Australian FinTech story.
The times we face
The world over - we have all faced the health and economic crises generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020 is a year none of us want to repeat.
In Australia, we have used our strong balance sheet - built up over many years of discipline, to support and provide our health system with the additional resources, record levels, it has needed - and to provide major, unprecedented economic supports for households and businesses - providing much needed strength and resilience to the economy to both cushion the blow and to recover.
On the health front - the virus has been largely suppressed and contained here in Australia. But sadly, like so many other countries, we have lost lives. 900, just over here in Australia.
Our efforts have successfully suppressed the virus - and we are now focused on ensuring there are no more outbreaks, and that they are contained in the event that they occur.
On the economic front, our actions have saved 700,000 jobs - and many of the jobs that were lost are returning. In fact, around 80 per cent of jobs that were either wiped out or people’s hours were reduced to zero, have now been returned to our economy.
We’ve had one of the lowest falls in our GDP of any of the advanced nations. Only last Wednesday we learned that in the September quarter our economy rebounded with 3.3 per cent growth.
The strong results is a credit to all parts of Australian life. It’s by virtue of the great contributions of workers, employees, of governments, of businesses, of employers.
Through some of our businesses, though they were frozen in place by virtue of the pandemic restrictions, they are now coming back to life. And many are accelerating at warp speed.
Fintech and JobMaker
Nearly 9 out of 10 Australian firms took on new technology to cope with new conditions here in Australia.
McKinsey has estimated that in terms of business and consumer digital adoption, we vaulted forward some 5 years in just 8 weeks.
Now that’s supercharged change.
I am determined, here in Australia, that we don’t lose that momentum.
And that’s why we had our JobMaker Plan put in place, which is all about our recovery plan, the rebuilding, rebuilding our economy for the future.
And that comeback is on. It is happening right now in Australia.
Building an economy that is more advanced and adaptive, more creative and resilient than ever before.
That means modernising our digital architecture.
Getting the regulatory settings right and governments leading by example in how we do business.
It’s also about supporting businesses to take up that new technology, to apply it, to adopt it, and become digital by default.
Ensuring our cyber security settings though are fit-for-purpose is critical to underpin the confidence that is needed for Australians and the businesses they run, households they’re part of, to engage in that digital technology future.
Encouraging unimagined innovation by removing barriers to entry, we have been doing through regulatory sandboxes here in Australia.
And building on consumer data rights - which I started work on when I was the Treasurer.
These are landmark reforms to our economy, some of the biggest reforms we’ve seen.
Vital to giving customers, consumers power, more access and control over their data, where data has become a commodity in this digital age.
This year, we launched it in our banking sector, as part of our banking sector reforms, our open banking reforms. And other sectors will soon follow, particularly in energy and other utilities.
The whole sector relies on partnerships in FinTech - connecting different parts of the eco-system - and that includes government. We’re no exception here.
Our Partnership with Singapore
Australia and Singapore are Comprehensive Strategic Partners and I greatly value the relationship I have with Prime Minister Lee and that Singapore has with Australia. It is very important to us.
It is a deep friendship, it is a deep partnership, and it is based on such clear values and an outlook on the world and our economic futures that is highly aligned.
In August this year, Australia and Singapore signed a ground-breaking Digital Economy Agreement - one of the first of its kind.
The Agreement is a digital bridge that features modern, upgraded rules to free up data flows and increase compatibility for online trade.
It gets rid of unnecessary restrictions on where data has to be stored, while at the same time protecting personal data and consumer rights.
It makes government information also easier to access, and government rules easier to follow.
It covers everything from AI to ID; e-invoicing to e-certification; data protection to protecting our children from online harm, from online predators.
It’s a massive step forward, and a new global benchmark for digital trade for others to follow, and for both of us to pursue with other partners around the world, so we can all become linked up.
FinTech is a big plank of this digital bridge.
We’ve opened the way for collaboration between FinTech and RegTech enterprises and industry bodies to explore business opportunities, and develop standards for open banking.
And all of this, it’s just the start.
The Australian Acceleration
FinTech, it’s not a destination or a one-size fits all approach to modernising policy.
It’s not a buzz word, it’s real.
It’s all about government taking on the same flexibility as well, and adaptability and willingness to experiment and innovate - just like business does when it wants to flourish.
I want the pace of change in our government to continue to accelerate in these critical areas.
And it has this year. Dramatically.
On the FinTech front, we’ve seen great work with our Parliamentary Committee into FinTech headed by Senator Bragg and the work of our Assistant Minister for Financial Services and Financial Technology Jane Hume - and my message to my colleagues across government is: don’t let up, keep going!
FinTech is integral to the economy we are rebuilding.
And there are plenty of fronts where we have so much still to do - particularly in deregulation, taxation, and especially skills development.
We have a fantastic Australian story - and I am incredibly proud of what our Aussie start-ups and early age ventures are achieving, as well as our well-established unicorns and what they’re achieving.
You know some of them: Atlassian, Airwallex, Afterpay, Judo Bank, Athena Home Loans.
In fact, “Buy Now Pay Later” Is an Australian innovation.
As a people, we are very keen adopters - it’s just how we are, it's part of our psyche - and that means it's easy to create a customer base here.
Australian’s get this.
We’ve seen that this year in the Medtech space - with a massive roll out of telehealth services throughout the pandemic. So far, over 40 million telehealth consultations have taken place - providing medical support to 11.9 million Australians.
Now when you think of Australia, we’re a vast country. Vast spaces, populations far removed. And so our geography, our society, our passion for delivering essential services right across our country, it produces this type of innovation.
We have difficult problems to solve here in Australia, and these tools help us solve them, which demonstrates why we are a country that really does understand the future of FinTech.
As the world’s only nation continent, we always have to be outward looking. You don’t get rich by selling stuff to yourself. Singaporeans certainly understand that.
It’s why we always look beyond our own borders for our economic opportunities.
So half of our FinTech firms actually have a presence overseas.
Last year, 7 Australian companies were named among the world’s top 100 FinTechs.
And for Australia, we know that continued acceleration requires greater attention to skills.
This technology, it doesn’t invent itself.
As your conference theme reminds us, technology is as much about talent as it is about tools.
We need more highly-skilled people to develop and commercialise the next wave of cutting edge innovations. And they are welcome here in Australia, if this is where you wish to come to further you FinTech’s opportunities.
Some countries are worried about the brain-drain - we’re focused on the “brain gain”. That’s about attracting talent and global businesses to Australia.
This can be your place of great success as it has been for millions over many generations.
A country that is reliable, safe, stable and free. Resolutely free. And, although I might be a little biased, it is a beautiful place to live, and to raise a family.
And we can comfortably pitch for that talent - because we are the most successful multicultural nation on earth.
No one has greater diversity across its population and more successful cohesion of the many cultures, of the many language groups, of the ethnicities and heritages that come together in this amazing Australian nation.
So we are building our skills locally as well as attracting skilled people from overseas.
That’s an invite by the way!
To help us do that, I’ve appointed a Special Envoy for Global Business and Talent Attraction, Mr Peter Verwer AO.
Peter’s an experienced business leader here in Australia, but he is also experienced overseas. He’s based in Singapore, with deep commercial, academic and cultural networks that reach out across the world. He’s spent much time there.
His team is scouting for talented people to come to Australia and work with us.
His message, and mine as he is my Special Envoy on this issue, is that Australia is a great place to do business - and yes, it’s the best place in the world to live.
We have a blossoming tech sector, a digital bridge to Singapore and the region, a culture of innovation and collaboration, and a fierce determination to keep building on what we have already achieved.
We are also keen to work with our global partners to ensure international policy rules keep pace with the needs of the communities that we represent.
And we want to set that pace too. We’re looking for pace setters here in Australia.
I hope many of you will want to work with us. I hope many of you will want to join us. And I hope that we’ll be able to welcome you for that purpose.
So thank you, everyone. I hope enjoy the festival of FinTech.
It’s an exciting part of what’s happening in the world today, a real bright spot. Something that I think our countries, our populations, our citizens can gain great hope from.
Thank you very much for your kind attention.
Speech, Buxton RFS Memorial Opening
5 December 2020
Well, thank you very much. It's a great honour and privilege to join with you all here today.
Can I commence by acknowledging, of course, the Dharawal and Gundungurra people. And thank you for the welcome to country today and the just wonderful singing of our national anthem in Dharawal. That is something that young children in my electorate in the Sutherland Shire have done for many, many years. And my children grew up singing in Dharawal as well at their local schools. And I can only think of Harvey and Charlotte growing up and learning the anthem in that language as well. It is absolutely beautiful.
Can I acknowledge the elders past, present and future. Can I acknowledge any veterans serving men and women of the Defence Forces who are here with us today. And say, just simply thank you for your service.
To all those volunteers, particularly the rural fire service who are here with us today, thank you for your service.
To the Premier Gladys Berejiklian, thank you for your leadership in such an incredibly tough year here in New South Wales. You've been a great supporter, a great colleague, and I greatly appreciate the strength that you've shown here in our largest state.
To Angus Taylor, the Member for Hume, he is here in that capacity today, thank you for your leadership here on the ground during the terrible Black Summer of fires that was endured. And to Nat also to you the Member for Wollondilly the same, Councillor Robert Kahn the Mayor of Wollondilly Shire, Commissioner Rob Rogers thank you Rob for your leadership that extends now and into the future. But of course, if you would join me in acknowledging the former Commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons from Resilience New South Wales. And it's great to see you both here today.
To the O'Dwyer family and the Keaton families, to Melissa and to Charlotte, to Jess and to Harvey, to the parents, to the brothers and sisters, of all the extended family that comes together today and of course, to the members of the Horsley Park brigade and to Darren Nation, a champion of a leader who is an example to so many right across the brigade and of course, the local Buxton brigade here as well, and all the RFS members who fought those fires together.
Thank you for inviting me to mark the formal opening of this Memorial Park in honour of Geoff and Andrew.
There have been many moments of sadness in this past year, and I hope as I have already conveyed, that this is a day that might have a light of joy for you on this long road.
It's another step in the journey, a tough journey I know for the families. I hope this is a day that you can look back on as a day of some joy.
Children have a great capacity to bring love and to create joy, and to generate laughter.
I want to thank the Buxton community and the Wollondilly Shire for their efforts to make this day in this wonderful place a reality.
It was a generous action, one supported at all levels, so the children could come and play, so they could establish a new hope.
Children can heal us in a way that we can never understand or explain.
And so this place will be a place of healing.
It'll be a place of peace, of quiet reflection, but above all, a place to play. A place for children like Charlotte and Harvey, who I know have given their very strong seal of approval, earlier today as I watched them play.
It's great to see them here today. They’re fantastic kids, who I know bring great comfort to their families through all of this.
I'm sure, and I hope, your dads would have loved this place as your mums, I'm sure do.
We all wish that Geoff could have chased Harvey through this fire truck behind me, and that Andrew could have lifted Charlotte up to help grasp the monkey bars. While Jess and Melissa watched over enjoying a cup of coffee and a bit of a catch up.
I hope this is a place where Harvey and Charlotte and their mums and their broader families can feel the presence of Geoff and Andrew.
It is said that one of the meanings of the word Wollondilly means a place where spirits dwell. I'm sure that will be true here in this very special place.
Anniversaries are difficult, particularly anniversaries of the nature that we mark here in coming times.
Australians will never forget all of those who served so valiantly, our volunteer firefighters and what they did for us during our Black Summer.
I'll personally never forget Horsley Park’s decision, under Darren's leadership, to honour their colleagues by getting back out there on the fire trail.
A while back, I had the privilege of speaking and addressing and honouring some veterans of World War II. And I said to them, we pledge to always be a country as good and as courageous as you.
Good and courageous. That's Geoff and Andrew.
Let's make the same pledge to them again this day. And not just to them, but to David Moresi too, and Sam McPaul and Bill Slade and Matt Kavanagh and Ian McBeth, Paul Hudson and Rick DeMorgan Junior. Those who we also lost in the Black Summer.
And good and courageous is how we would also describe our RFS volunteers and particularly those at Horsley Park, and of course here in Buxton.
I’ve mentioned Darren Nation a few times, I want to acknowledge him here today, personally, he has been a constant source of encouragement and strength and an inspiration to me over this past year, and I thank you, Darren for leading locally and encouraging nationally.
All of you keep us safe and it's everyone who supports them beside- behind the scenes as well gathered here today, spouses, kids who are all too familiar with the interrupted dinners, the hasty departures of birthday parties and the sounds of pagers or phones going off, you are all good and courageous.
So today, again, I feel sad for the loss, certainly. But also I'm reaching out to that joy that is there for all of us to take, in this wonderful playground.
A place of pride, pride in the selflessness of Geoff and Andrew, pride in the brigade and the community who have rallied here together, pride in the good and courageous people who protect us every day.
I'm sure the Premier feels the same way. And the other Ministers, representatives of the community here.
I have never felt more proud of Australia as we draw to the end of this terrible year, as I do now.
I've never felt more proud of our country and of my home state of New South Wales.
So, for many here. You did not get a Christmas last year. And again, Christmas this year I'm sure will be difficult.
There will be grief, but also, hopefully, the joy of the wonderful message of Christmas for all of you.
I hope and pray that the buds and sprigs of laughter and joy will be found again in your lives this Christmas and beyond. That’s my Christmas wish and prayer for you all.
It's a great honour to be with you all here today.
God bless.
Remarks, NSW Police Attestation Ceremony Sydney Cricket Ground, NSW
4 December 2020
Prime Minister: Thank you very much, Ben. I hadn’t planned on making remarks today but I must admit, looking upon New South Wales’ finest, I couldn’t resist. I acknowledge the Gadigal elders past, present and future. I acknowledge the servicemen and women and veterans who are here with us today. But most of all I acknowledge you. I acknowledge the great men and women of the New South Wales Police Force.
My father stood where you stood decades ago. He would be very proud to look upon you today. He was passionate about community policing, as Commissioners past and present know. You are part of our community. You protect our community. You are pastors of our community. You promote our community. You will stand in the places where our community fractures and breaks. You will see and hear and feel things, and experience things that those of us who do not wear that uniform never will. You stand in that gap for our community. You will find no more noble service than what you are undertaking here.
Today you have taken an oath, and we are placing our trust in you and you have accepted that trust in that oath, and we thank you for that. You have joined the gold-standard of police forces, not just here in Australia, but all around the world. I know your family will be bursting with pride, as I burst with pride for my father’s service. Thank you so much and God bless you.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
3 December 2020
Prime Minister: Good morning, everyone. It's great to be back and can I welcome Minister Hunt, Greg Hunt with us here today and the head of the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Professor John Skerritt, who also joins us today.
Australia faces many challenges. This has been a very hard year for so many Australians. The world's not getting any easier. The challenges aren't getting any lesser. But the way we deal with things in Australia is we always seek to do them very much in our own Australian way. And a key part of doing that is always working hard to get the right balance. There's no doubt the problems we face are complex, they're difficult. They have many dimensions. They can't be simplistically explained or dealt with. And I understand that Australians get that, too. They know there aren't easy fixes to the challenges that we face as a country, and they expect governments to wrestle with the pressures that are facing our country and seek to strike the right balance to get that balance right.
And that's what we've been seeking to do on so many issues, but none more, none more greatly than our government's response and Australia's response more broadly to the global pandemic and the COVID-19 recession that has resulted from that pandemic. Whether that's getting the balance right when it comes to our economic response, which yesterday's National Accounts has demonstrated that Australia's response has been right, that it has been timely, that has been proportionate, that it has been well targeted and the results are there to see. But yet there is still a long way to go. And that's why our economic programmes stretch out across the forward estimates across the next few years in particular, a very strong portfolio of initiatives, particularly those announced in the recent Budget, which will continue to support our economic recovery in the years ahead.
I think one of the great proof points of the success of that plan, of that strategy is the fact that some 450,000 businesses in Australia have graduated from JobKeeper. 2 million Australians, in fact, more than that, are no longer depending on taxpayers for their income support through JobKeeper, they've graduated from that also. At the same time with JobSeeker, we have not seen an overall increase in the number of people in JobSeeker. In fact, we've seen a moderation of that. And I think what this demonstrates is the economy is changing gears again and we are moving forward again. The figures themselves quite specifically show that the Australian economy is literally moving - transport, accommodation, hotels, restaurants, people in Australia are moving again. And that's good for the economy as we see the borders come tumbling down around the country as we hoped would achieve. But that's being done safely to safely open so that we can remain open safely. This is incredibly important for our recovery.
Our economic recovery, though, is built on the platform of our health response. This is so critical, as we've seen around the world, that our health response creates the economic opportunities and the two work together hand in hand, whether that was the build up in the early phase of our ICUs, our PPE equipment, the testing reagents and other things which the Minister was so critical in securing for the safety of Australians, or working through the hotel quarantine challenges together with the states and territories or indeed the testing regimes as they've been rolled out on an industrial scale. And, of course, the arrangements for tracing that have been extraordinary.
Now you'll be aware of the reports this morning in New South Wales. I've been in touch with the Premier this morning. She'll be speaking later today. But as always, I have great confidence in the New South Wales government's testing and tracing capabilities, their gold standard, not just in this country, but anywhere around the world. They've dealt with these issues in their stride before, while keeping their economy open, 6.8 per cent growth in New South Wales, along with Queensland. Both of them have strong tracing and testing regimes in those states, which enables us to remain open safely. But the other challenge, as we've worked past these last few months, has been to prepare Australia for a vaccine. The arrangements have been put in place to secure access to four vaccines, all of which, all of which are proving to be very promising but still have stages to pass in the months ahead. And that's why Professor Skerritt joins us here this morning. But as is the case with the vaccine and the many other challenges that we face, we've got to get that balance right and we will implement the vaccine here in Australia according to Australian needs and Australian conditions and the challenges and opportunities we have here.
Our COVID-19 situation at the moment, I would describe as very stable. With the protections in place to ward against and to deal with any outbreaks as they arise, as we've seen in recent weeks and months, but that said, as we move into the vaccine period, our first priority is that it be safe, it must be safe for Australians, and that's what they would expect of us. So the vaccination policy has been established. It has been agreed by Cabinet and it has also been endorsed by the National Cabinet. The vaccine strategy is now in its advanced stage of preparation, and that will further be considered by the Cabinet, the federal Cabinet. And we are working closely with the states and territories and the roll out plans that stem from that strategy. And so I've asked the Health Minister to join me today with Professor Skerritt to take you through those next steps.
You'll be aware of the decisions that have been taken in the United Kingdom no doubt, the UK will need to deal with their situation and their circumstances in their way. Of course they should. And it's been a consistent theme around the world, that each nation has had its own set of unique challenges. In Australia we are in a very strong position and that enables us to get this right, to get the balance right, to ensure first and foremost the safety, which enables us to then roll out the vaccine successfully across the country. Australia has one of the highest rates of vaccinations anywhere in the world, and the reason for that is standing to my right - the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the important processes that they put in place to protect the safety of Australians.
So with that, I'll hand you over to Minister Hunt.
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health: Thanks very much, Prime Minister. It's good to have him back, although, to be honest, he never left us.
But to Australians, I want to say this: firstly, thank you. What you have done in terms of helping to fight the coronavirus pandemic this year has been extraordinary. The media have played a hugely important role. Our states, our territories, our health professionals, the Australian public and in particular, our regulators. And so we welcomed the news overnight of the next phase of the global development and support for the rollout of a safe, effective international vaccine globally.
Australia is doing magnificently, but we will not be truly safe at home until the world is safe. And that's why vaccines at home and abroad are so important. Very significantly, what we've seen from the United Kingdom and I'll invite Professor Skerritt to provide more information on that, is that they’ve put in place an emergency authorisation. And John is in fact, the Vice Chair of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authority. So he is one of the people in all of the world who is at the heart of the global assessment, approval, and roll out process for vaccines. And so we're very fortunate to have not just a regulatory agency, but a chief regulator of such standing.
In particular, we know that around the world there's a seven day moving average of over 580,000 cases and agonisingly over 10,000 lives lost. In the United Kingdom alone, a seven day moving average of over 14,500 cases. And in one country, on any one day, they're seeing an average of 460 lives lost. So in those circumstances, what they have done is something which we recognise as being absolutely critical. Equally for Australia, we have one of the strongest regulatory processes in the world. As the Prime Minister said, we’ve put in place actions with regards to testing, securing of PPE, of ventilators, all of which has been according to a plan. The next part of that plan is the vaccine roll out. And there are 5 stages to this. The first was the selection of vaccines. And we're very fortunate that we've been able to select and then acquire, which is the second stage - four vaccines, 134.8 million units, the AstraZeneca vaccine for 33.8 million units, the Pfizer vaccine for 10 million units, the Novavax vaccine, 40 million units, and Australia's own CSL - University of Queensland vaccine for 51 million units, as well as 25.5 million units of access through what's known as the COVAX International Facility. Then there is the regulatory approvals process, that's currently underway. John will give you an update on that, but that's at an advanced stage. We're moving quickly but safely, and we're making sure there are no compromises because the safety of Australians is the number one priority.
But frankly, the work that's being done in the UK will give Australia and the world very important data, very important lessons both on the rollout and the efficacy of this particular vaccine. But vaccines more generally, and it's an extremely positive and important development for the world. Then we move to the actual roll out itself, the priorities of ATAGI, The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, have been published by the National Cabinet. The Australian government retains the lead, but we've been working in a very productive way with the states and territories and we thank them. I also think the opposition, who have been very constructive in supporting, just this morning the Australian Immunisation Register bill, which reaffirms that vaccination is, in Australia is voluntary, but that reporting of that vaccination will be required, which will give us important public health data and each individual will have that data that they can access as they need in regard to their own vaccination history, which is a really important thing for families around Australia and every individual.
And then I would note that finally there is the post vaccination regime where we are doing the work on that stage. So the final stage of selection, acquisition, approvals, distribution, and then post vaccination and that's the final stage of the vaccination journey. That's being considered now. All of which, though, is ahead of schedule. We are on track for decisions on the early vaccines by the end of January. We are on track for first vaccinations, beginning with our health workers and our aged care residents subject to approvals, in March.
Lastly, I'd like to comment on New South Wales. I was briefed early this morning by the New South Wales Health Minister, Brad Hazzard. I want to thank Brad for his advice. They have, as the Prime Minister says, not just the gold standard of testing and tracing in Australia, but a globally leading contact tracing programme and that has swung into action. It's being given great priority by the Premier, the Health Minister, the New South Wales Chief Health Officer. And we are confident that just as they've done in the past, as Victoria did only yesterday with the waste water case out of Colac and I conveyed my thanks and congratulations to the Victorian minister, Martin Foley, as South Australia did recently, and as Queensland did when they had the cases that came from Victoria. The contact tracing systems are swinging into action. They are ready. They've been reviewed. Professor Alan Finkel, the chief scientist, has reviewed them. And there will be cases that Australia faces inevitably whilst we are in contact with the outside world. But we've got this, we've got this as a nation and that's the work of Australians.
With that, I'd be delighted to invite Professor Skerritt to update on the vaccine approval process.
Adjunct Professor John Skerritt, Deputy Secretary Health Products Regulation: Good morning and thank you, Prime Minister, and thank you, Minister. So, Australia, we've provided three vaccines with what's known as provisional designation. Two of them are vaccines are amongst the four vaccines that the government has procured, the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Pfizer vaccine, but also a vaccine, that could also be made available, and remember, there's a private market for those who wish to invest in vaccines, from Johnson and Johnson or Janssen. In each case, the companies have given us a reasonable amount of data. We have not got complete data on any of them because globally these companies are still assessing their final data. And that's why in the UK, the decision is what's termed an authorised- an emergency authorisation. It's not a full regulatory approval. We will when the final data is in for safety and efficacy, and I'm hoping that will be in the coming weeks. But we are at the mercy of the companies, work through the summer period unfortunately, my staff have been told to put away their swimsuits and towels and to work as quickly as we can, but also in significant depth with parallel teams of doctors, scientists, toxicologists, engineers, facility inspectors, pharmaceutical industry experts looking at the data which runs into the tens of thousands of pages if you were to print it out. We are still hopeful, but if we receive a full submission in the next week or two, that late January, beginning of February, well ahead of the March date the government has mentioned that we will be in a position to approve one or more. I've been asked which of the three horses is leading the race, well, it changes by the day and it often depends on the progress and completion of clinical trials run globally.
The other thing that's important to know is that globally there are many hundreds of vaccines under development and about a dozen, that are in reasonably late stages.
And we also, confidentially, have been talking to many of those companies. Because this Government, as did many other governments globally, did the sensible thing of investing in a range of technologies. While the early results from several technologies are very promising, it'll give us and will give, more importantly, health care professionals a range of options. Let's say, for example, one vaccine is better tolerated in pregnant women, we will have that option because we've invested in a range of vaccines. And so I want to reassure the Australian public that safety, as well as performance, efficacy and the quality of these vaccines is front of mind. I also want to assure the Government and the people that while we are a country of 25 million, that's a small number globally and by integrating, as Minister Hunt said, with global groups of regulators, if, for example, there is some unusual result in one person in the whole of the United States of America, we will get that information overnight. We'll get that information in real time and so we'll be able to see how these vaccines work, not just in 25 million, but in tens or hundreds of millions of people in the coming months. Thank you.
Prime Minister: Thank you. I’ll start with Samantha.
Journalist: This vaccine is being rolled out in the United Kingdom according to a hierarchy, so obviously older people first and people with underlying conditions. I’m wondering where children fit into that in Australia? And while it's not compulsory, we will the vaccination be linked to Australia's no jab, no pay and no play rules?
Prime Minister: I'll ask the Health Minister to address that.
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health: Sure. So thanks, Sam, a couple of things there. Firstly is that we've already set out at through ATAGI andthe medical expert panel that's led by Professor Murphy, a provisional guideline of health workers and elderly first. So it is a very sensible approach that the UK's taken. There's a next layer of that which is being considered by ATAGI and they’ll respond. So that’s the Australian medical expert panel for vaccinations, but it's unlikely to be different in any significant way from the United Kingdom. The second thing is that they will consider the position with regards to children and vaccinations. But at this stage, it's been indicated that it's unlikely that children should be at the front of the process, that there have not been many global tests in relation to children and safety becomes the paramount concern. And then finally, we've said previously that it's going to be voluntary and that at this stage, there are no plans to impose or to draw upon other programmes, such as the no jab, no pay.
Journalist: Prime Minister, how do you want the central register to work? There are companies like Qantas which wants people to prove they're vaccinated before they can board a flight. Is this going to be a central records system where companies can gain access to do a check on somebody? Or is it going to be a system where we all have to carry cards to prove that we've been vaccinated before we can board a flight and so forth?
Prime Minister: Well, I'll ask Greg to speak that in just a second. But the legislation that has been introduced and it forms part of the plan to addressing these very issues. I'm very keen also more broadly, globally, and I raised this in my discussion with the European Union Commissioner and President last week from isolation at our annual Virtual Summit, well this year, hopefully next year it won't be virtual. But there is, I think, a great need for working together globally to ensure that there is a common set of recognitions around vaccines. That's going to be very important because obviously in countries around the world, there's going to be different vaccines in Indonesia, in Malaysia, in the United States, potentially across Europe, China and so on. And so it's important that there is a common understanding globally about vaccines, their efficacy and what will satisfy standards. Because that would otherwise mean John and all of his equivalents all around the world will have an even more difficult task than they need to have. Now, we've indicated that we are very happy to engage in such a global effort and I think we have a lot to contribute in that area because we are quite well advanced in this area, being one of the world's leading immunisation nations and we've one of the strongest regulatory systems of anywhere in the world. But Greg?
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health: Thanks, PM, and thanks David. So the immunisation register already exists. Think of it as a digital yellow book. Many of you would have had the World Health Organisation yellow books growing up and, like me, you've probably lost it over the years. And so this is an online version that actually exists already. And the change here is simply that whilst we maintain as an absolute article of faith voluntary but strongly encouraged vaccination, we have mandatory reporting of vaccinations for flu, for the National Immunisation Programme, for diseases such as mumps, rubella, pertussis and for COVID-19 vaccines. That's very important, whole of nation public health information. But it's also critically important information for individuals.
Journalist: Can companies get access to it?
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health: No, no, it's private. It's your- it's your medical record and it's nobody else's.
Journalist: Prime Minister, how confident are you as to the absolute safety of the vaccine, given how quickly they've taken to be developed? And when could we see the international borders thrown open or won't be that speedy process, we’ll still have a lot of restrictions in place for a long time?
Prime Minister: In Australia, we put our confidence in the Therapeutic Goods Administration and we put our confidence in the incredible professionalism and expertise, the medical and scientific expertise of Professor Skerritt and his colleagues. As we do not just on this vaccine, but on every vaccine. When you take your child or indeed yourself to be vaccinated now, that's where we put our trust and that's why we have built these institutions in this country to ensure that Australians can have that confidence and that confidence is borne out by the incredibly high immunisation rates we have in this country. And so the question is one of confidence in the institutions and systems that we have. Whatever vaccine comes forward, I have great confidence in the Therapeutic Goods Administration to be able to critically assess those and to advise the minister and I and the premiers and chief ministers about the safety of those vaccines. So it is about getting the balance right on the timing and there's an understandable urgency about that. But at the same time, on the health requirements, which are sacrosanct, and we don't cut any corners on that, but we also have to deal with the circumstances in our own country.
It would be an error for there to be an analysis that because something is being done in one country in a particular way, that it should be done in another country. In the UK, they are dealing with their set of circumstances according to their rules and their laws, which are actually different to ours and Professor Skerritt can take you through the differences in those two regimes. But here I have confidence in the very fine public servants that we have to be able to make these assessments and this isn't a prospective confidence. It's a standing confidence because I've trusted them with the vaccination of my own children to date.
Journalist: International borders sorry?
Prime Minister: On international borders, I still think we're some time away from that. I mean, my priority at the moment is getting Australians home. And some time ago, back in September, there was 26,700 Australians who were registered and I said we needed to get that many people home. We've actually got 40,000 people home since that time. We have set up additional quarantine facilities both in the Northern Territory as well as in Tasmania. We've raised caps, we've run additional flights, we've put some $60 million of support to Australians in need all around the world and that has been a great team effort and I want to thank both the consular staff who've supported that initiative, the airlines in particular, and the cooperation of our state premiers and chief ministers and their health ministers as well, and police ministers who have been important for how we operate all of these arrangements. And particularly states like Tasmania and Northern Territory who've had to do this from scratch and set these things up. So that's the focus now. But as the world becomes vaccinated and as Australia becomes vaccinated, then those opportunities arise. We already have travel from New Zealand. We already are looking at the ways that we can assess potentially safe countries for green lane travel. We have not activated any of those. But what we've been doing the work on is making sure that we know and have a very good process for determining what countries could be green lane countries. And I had, you know, we had discussions with Japan about that, but we're still some time away from that and I wouldn't want to raise expectations. Health first, because that's what is underpinning our economic success. I'm just going to work around.
Journalist: Prime Minister, your Foreign Relations Bill…
Prime Minister: I’m going to just stay on health for a second. I am happy to come back to other issues, I know there are many, because then I will excuse Professor Skerritt.
Journalist: Can I ask Professor Skerritt a question. The Minister has described you as one of the world's chief regulators. So you're obviously getting all this information, you're assessing it. Would you have given this emergency approval based on what you know about this vaccine? And can I ask you also, is it that Boris Johnson may have in some way done the world a service by having a massive real-time trial, turning people into guinea pigs, we all watch that and see whether it works and then draw our conclusions about what we do ourselves?
Adjunct Professor John Skerritt, Deputy Secretary Health Products Regulation: Well, I wouldn't want to use the word guinea pigs with the UK. We all have friends, family and relatives, or many of us do, in the UK, and we're deeply concerned about the situation there. Essentially, these vaccines were developed so quickly because of - again, it’s an overused word - the unprecedented investment of billions of dollars and governments across the world essentially at risk, taking supporting companies and researchers to be able to do several steps at once. Because we know that often vaccines fall along the wayside. They don't meet particular steps. And governments across the world stepped in and said, well, we'll put up that $100 million to allow you to do pilot manufacture and so forth. The second reason is it became the main area of focus for researchers and companies, most major companies. And so we've never seen an area of health where globally in one year everyone moved to focus on one thing. Thirdly, we were able to build on what we learnt from SARS and MERS and some very similar conditions. And so things like the Pfizer vaccine actually came out of some of these earlier developments, as did the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. So in that sense, we're building on a lot of knowledge about safety and so forth. Our situation, as the Prime Minister has said, is different from the UK. What it will enable is that, let's say come late January, February, we actually not only will have the data from the clinical trials of 10 to 40,000, depending on the type of trial people, but we'll also have the real world experience of several hundred thousand people having had the vaccine, and that'll enable us to know whether or not it's suitable, for example, if you have multiple sclerosis and certain conditions. It'll actually improve the quality of the advice that we can give for Australians.
Journalist: Would you have given it approval?
Adjunct Professor John Skerritt, Deputy Secretary Health Products Regulation: There is no regulatory process in law in Australia for an emergency use authorisation similar to the UK or the US. And as the Prime Minister has indicated, Australia's situation, thanks to the efforts of everyday Australians and governments, is very different from the UK.
Prime Minister: So we'll have a front row seat, working with a very close partner. And to be able to learn from their experience and no doubt the swapping of important data and information amongst the clinical experts here and with other countries around the world. I think this will be an important next stage.
Journalist: Prime Minister, just on the health front, the case in New South Wales has brought that could possibly lead to a delay in Western Australia opening its borders. Is there any reason why this case should lead to that or to Queensland closing its borders again?
Prime Minister: Well, I'm not going to speculate on that. I mean, the Premier will in New South Wales will provide an update. She may be doing that even now as we speak. And New South Wales has one of the world's best tracing systems, that is already demonstrated, and we are moving again in Australia and we're seeing the great hope and confidence and optimism that that's producing and I'm very keen for us to remain on that path, as I always have been.
Journalist: Prime Minister, the CDC in America says that the quarantine period to seven to 10 days. Is that a realistic possibility for Australia before wide scale rollout of the vaccine? And could I ask also the Minister and Professor Skerritt, what's the prospect of rapid fire antigen testing here for different flights and things like that before a vaccine or some sort of complementary method as well? Or is that off the table?
Prime Minister: Well, I've offered a comment on sort of all of those collectively, really. I mean, all the things that you've raised have been constant issues for examination by the medical expert panel led by Professor Kelly. And it is a constant issue we revisit with him as we gather around both the Federal Cabinet, working with the Minister, but also around the National Cabinet. And if we ever thought that there was sufficient clinical and expert advice to support that, then you could expect us to do it. But I would just assure people that all throughout the pandemic, we have been considering all of these things. We don't leave any stone unturned in finding ways to get Australia back to as normal a situation as we possibly can and I think that's been one of the strengths of our responses. But we haven't been ones to just simply cut and paste from other places. I think that's not a good approach because Australia has different challenges and we are very conscious of that and so we look at this very much in an Australian context and look for the opportunities where they can be proven and proved up and where they're not, we're patient. Greg?
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health: Two things very briefly. Firstly, exactly as the Prime Minister said, that we have referred both of those questions to what's called the AHPPC, the Australian Health Protection Principle Committee, and Professor Paul Kelly is the Chair of that. And at this stage, they haven't advised any change in either quarantine or the introduction of antigen testing. That is in evolution though, and so that's under constant review. They’re exactly the same questions that the PM and I have asked and referred to them, as well as I think some of the premiers, but they continue to review and where they see the evidence, they'll change. The second thing in terms of backing Australia's evidence and advice. It's worth remembering when we closed the borders on the 1st of February, the World Health Organisation did not support that, but our medical experts did, and that made an enormous difference to the course and trajectory of this virus in this country. And dare I say, I think that that single decision of following the Australian regulators and the Australian medical advice might have saved countless lives and for that, I want to thank, on this occasion, Professor Murphy.
Journalist: Prime Minister, with Pfizer - I don’t pronounce it very well - is the 10 million doses currently purchased enough? Or do we need to increase it, given how advanced the UK is and also where will yourself and other politicians be in the order of who gets the vaccine?
Prime Minister: Well, I'll let Greg cover off the broader issue and then I can come back to the other one.
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health: OK, so Pfizer, thanks. Pfizer for the 10 million doses. We have followed the medical advice on that because it was an MRNA vaccine. They wanted to make sure that we had three different platforms, four different vaccines. That was very much the strong view of Brendan Murphy and Paul Kelly and all of those with whom they're working. All of our vaccine contracts have the ability to purchase more if more is recommended. So we'll continue to follow the advice of that medical expert panel. So there's the capacity to purchase more of any of them, if that's recommended. We built those into the deals. And very happy for you to address the other question. Let me say something first. We have been asked this. This is an honest question that we're considering. I've actually had this discussion with Chris Bowen on the basis that none of us want to be jumping the queue. We are quite acutely aware of that. But nor do we want to mean there's any lack of confidence. So the honest discussion I've had with Chris Bowen is it may be that there are some from both sides, but not as a class, we don't, there's no medical advice that we should have a special exemption. But it may be that there are some of us who on both sides and indeed all sides of the chamber are put forward on a voluntary basis as demonstration and I would be very happy to take any vaccine that the medical regulators deem safe for Australia.
Prime Minister: My view is the same. We will follow the medical advice on those issues, like all other Australians. I'm very keen to see the Australian Parliament be able to function in its normal way and there may well be issues that the health advisers may consider when it comes to enabling that and obviously immunisations can assist that. But again, all through this we have been very disciplined in hearing the medical advice, listening to it very carefully and evaluating that and making decisions as a government. And the premiers and chief ministers have done the same thing and we will follow the same approach on this as anything else. But I share the Health Minister's view. If Professor Skerritt gives it the tick, then I'm happy to take the jab.
Journalist: Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese has said that you presided over a complete breakdown….
Prime Minister: There's a lot of interest in health. I know we want to get to those issues and it's good to be out and I'm happy to share with you for longer. But any more on health? We're going over here and then come here.
Journalist: You said before that the national immunisation [inaudible] individual level, but is there any work underway for us to provide that information to, say, Qantas or other airlines to view that data, through an app or something?
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health: No, there's not any prospect of it going directly from the government. It's a matter of individual control of individual records. And I reaffirmed that in the Parliament this morning.
Prime Minister: Last one on health, yep?
Journalist: Prime Minister, you’ve said that more vulnerable Australians will get first priority. Will you include, like, Indigenous Australians in that vulnerable cohort, given that group often has underlying health issues?
Prime Minister: The issue for Indigenous Australians is a very important one and I must say, and Greg will recall this, Indigenous Australians were one of our greatest concerns at the start of this pandemic. Not just by my government, but of the states and territories as well, and there were long discussions. Particularly, I’ve got to say, with the Northern Territory Chief Minister and Queensland Premier, Western Australia, where there are quite large remote communities, relatively speaking, for indigenous Australians. And so they always have been a very clearly defined, vulnerable community, like Australians with disability, like older Australians, and our plans and policies have reflected that. So this is a key issue to be addressed in the strategy, in the rollout plans, and I'll ask the Health Minister to comment on that. I should also say this is something that the Indigenous Australians Minister has also been taking a close interest in and given his pre-politics health background, that is proving to be enormously helpful. Greg?
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health: Look, it's actually a very simple answer, and that is - the medical expert panel is expressly considering the appropriate place for Indigenous Australians in the rollout, and they have total freedom to recommend, and whatever their recommendations are in relation to the priority, then we'll be adopting those.
Prime Minister: It also goes to the distribution challenges also with remote communities and being able to use the networks of health professionals and how that can be best leveraged to guarantee the safe distribution and administration of the vaccine. Yep?
Journalist: Prime Minister, just on China…
Prime Minister: We’re still on health. Yep, one last one, Kath.
Journalist: In the party room meeting this week, Craig Kelly and George Christensen raised issues about the application of the compulsory register. They said in the meeting that they were considered this would supercharge the antivax movement, enliven them as it were. So given that is an obvious risk and you guys have been labouring safety in this press conference this morning, what is the Government proposing to do counter misinformation from activists in the antivax movement?
Prime Minister: Well, I will ask the Health Minister to add to it. I wasn't in the party room meeting this week but I obviously had a very good and full report and I understand there are a lot of great contributions in that debate. That's the nature of our party room. And Perrin Davey made a great contribution about similar issues along a different line, which was really very much about how helpful these sorts of registers can be for parents. And, you know, so getting the balance right again on these questions is really important. There are lots of different views that you have to take into account and ensure that you're focused on getting the right health outcome. What's going to get the best health outcome for Australians? Greg?
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health: So, as I say, firstly the register, of course, is something which already exists. What we're doing is making sure that everybody will have full access to their own data but that it's only those people that have that access. I think that reassurance was very important to those that raised, I think, important questions. Secondly, as we look forward, we will be having a public information campaign, as we should do with vaccination. But one of the surprises this year is that with all the lockdowns and all the challenges of COVID, the five year old immunisation rate went to a record level 94.8 per cent in the June quarter and then up to a record level again in the September quarter of 94.9 per cent for the general Australian population and 97 per cent for Indigenous Australia. So the antivaxxers perhaps are getting more coverage, but they're having less effect, and so I've got to say that we're aware of them, but frankly, they're not winning their case. But we'll continue to prosecute ours. I spoke with Ian Frazer, the great professor Ian Frazer, the chief developer of Gardasil, which is saving lives around the world, and he's willing to put his name to supporting this vaccination process and many others will be doing it and joining us.
Prime Minister: So there'll be a clear communications campaign, Kath, which will, you know, inform people. People need to know. I mean, every Australian takes their health very seriously and particularly when it comes to making decisions about the health of their family and we’ll be doing everything we can to make sure they have as much information as possible. And as you say, if misinformation or disinformation is being presented, we will be also seeking to proactively address that through official channels, which you'd expect, and I think that's very important.
I think we're going to move to other issues now. And with that, I'm going to thank Professor Skerritt for his attendance with us today. Greg, you’re staying. Greg?
Journalist: Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese said that you have presided over a complete breakdown in China relationship. Can I get your response to that, please. And also the Foreign Relations Bill, seems like passing in the Senate today. Do you think that China will see that as yet another poke in the eye?
Prime Minister: Well, in relation to Mr Albanese, I'm disappointed, but not surprised. You can't have each way bets on national security and what Australia does to protect its national interests. That's really all I have to say about that matter. Australia's policies and plans and the rules that we make for our own country are made here in Australia and according to our needs and our interests and we will continue to do that. But I'd simply make this point, following on from my media conference earlier this week, and that is that my position and my Government's position is to seek constructive engagement. The relationship with China is a mutually beneficial one. It supports both our countries, it's good for both of our countries and it's good for the interests of both countries, I think, to constructively engage and Australia has been very clear. We've been very consistent. We’ve sought to be very respectful. We will continue to do that and we will seek opportunities for constructive engagement.
Journalist: Prime Minister, some of the criticisms of the Government seem to be about tone with China. But we now know, because they've given us a list, they've got 14 grievances and they're all about substance. And they start with what we do with our Foreign Investment Review Board, through to the banning of Huawei, to foreign interference laws. Are any of those things up for negotiation or any discussion with China?
Prime Minister: Well, I've been very clear about Australia's position on those issues, and I don't think that's surprising. And I should stress that Australia's policies and positions have been consistent for decades and certainly under this Government and they follow on from many of the positions held by the previous government. And what has changed is obviously circumstances and events and the environment that has developed over many years and that just means that we simply will continue to work to have opportunities for constructive engagement. But Australia's interests are very clear, and I think Australians understand that my Government will always be very patient and clear about those interests. We know what they are. We feel very strongly about them. But that is no different to any other country around the world. And what we need is the opportunity for leaders and ministers to engage directly and that is something we have always sought and will continue to do so and we'll see what opportunities present. I think these events are an opportunity, I think, for us to get together and discuss these issues. But clearly, Australia's national interests will remain our national interests and I have no doubt that the Chinese government, as part of the relationship with Australia, that their interests will remain theirs.
Journalist: Prime Minister, you would have seen overnight news out of the United States that they're going to send more of their naval assets to seas around Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, those seas. What's your understanding of that plan? And what's your advice or advice to the Australian Government whether that redistribution of the enormous US naval force will survive the changing of Presidency?
Prime Minister: Well, I think you're overestimating any real change in direction there, Andrew. I would say that there's always been constructive engagement of the United States in our region and I think that is welcomed across the region. Australia participates in that, as we have most recently with Japan and India, together with Australia and the United States. These are not new developments. These things have been the case with the United States engagement in our region for a long time and it's been bipartisan. It's been something that both sides of politics have always understood, the alliance between Australia and the United States. There's always been an understanding of the need for engagement of the United States in the Asia-Pacific and they have been here for a long time and their presence is welcome and not just by Australia, but the many countries of our region. So I would expect that to continue in the same way it always has, regardless of the administration. I think there's a universal view about that in the United States, not just at a political level, but at a system level as well, and that provides a continuity and a consistency which is always helpful to stability. Phil?
Journalist: Given the events of the recent seven days, the wine duties and then the Tweet on Tuesday, are you prepared to hazard a guess what China’s endgame is? It’s a question no one seems to be able to answer.
Prime Minister: Well, I can tell you what Australia's…
Journalist: We know what ours is.
Prime Minister: Well, but that is something I have control over. I don't have control over the ultimate objectives of other nations. What I have control over is what Australia's objective is and our objective is to have a happy coexistence, as I described it earlier, one that has a mutually beneficial relationship which can and has been, and can be again achieved through our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, where we stand on that partnership which provides the opportunities for leader-level and ministerial dialogue, and to abide by the rules-based international trade system and to work through issues that present in that way. And that, I believe, will lead to greater stability in the region. It will lead to greater prosperity in China and in Australia mutually and I think that's in both of our interests. And so our objective is to see that achieved and I would invite others to share in that objective and I would hope that that would be theirs also.
Journalist: Just further on the Foreign Relations Bill, how quickly does the Government plan to use these powers should they pass today? And will Victoria’s Belt and Road deal be the first to be axed?
Prime Minister: We’ll just pass the Bill first. It will go for Royal Assent and then it'll go through the normal processes that are set out for analysis of all the various agreements that are impacted by that. And the Foreign Minister will make a determination in good time.
Journalist: Prime Minister, given the WeChat message was censored, how worrying is this for the Chinese diaspora who's left that sort of regime to come to a country with democratic values? And what reassurances can you provide to Chinese Australians that they are not targeted in all of this?
Prime Minister: Well, my message, which has been made public not just on WeChat and I think over 60,000, I assume Australians, actually had the opportunity to read it. And it was a message of thanks and appreciation for the amazing contribution made by Australians of Chinese heritage to this country. I have consistently, right from the outset, Greg in particular mentioned what happened in February, and I remember being down in Box Hill in February with Gladys Liu and going down the main street and speaking to some local businesses there and speaking to the local Chinese Australian community there. And they were already practising the self-isolation and social distancing and the many other behaviours so essential that prevented that first wave in Australia being as mild as it was in comparison to other countries. And I have a deep appreciation of that. They played a critical role in Australia's health success and, as a result, our economic success. And so any Australian of Chinese heritage here in Australia, I know and want only to feel as valued as any other Australian because we are the most successful multicultural immigration nation on Earth. It is not debatable, it is not arguable. It's a fact. And we're very proud of that. And whatever nationality or ethnicity any Australian comes from, that is all part of the great Australian story and the great Australian journey. And I just simply sought to remind our Chinese Australian family, as part of our great Australian family, of how appreciated they are as a member of that family.
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health: If I can add, just to give a personal anecdote. In February, obviously, we were working together every day on the pandemic and one of the things the PM said is, we have to reach out and show our Chinese Australians how we value them, how we care for them and we love them. And he walked that talk, he visited Box Hill, he made that case. And I remember going down to see Tommy at the Wok on Bay in Mount Martha, still serves the best prawn crackers on the Peninsula. And we all reached out and said how much we cared about our Chinese Australians and we do. They make us who we are and we're proud and honoured to have them with us. But it was the PM who said to all of us, these people are us. We care about them. They're so fundamental to who we are. Let's reach out and support them.
Prime Minister: Well, it sounds like we've got prawn crackers for the Cabinet drinks for Christmas. You’d better get onto Tommy.
Journalist: Prime Minister, we heard last night from Bridget Archer. She’s got some serious concerns with the cashless debit car. Has she raised those with you and your office previously and is it actually more widespread and if I just may, what do you think about a film being made about Martin Bryant?
Prime Minister: Well, first of all, yes, I have discussed that with Bridget. We are in a period of our Party's experience and history in this place, and Greg has been around here longer than I have, that we have not known for a very long time. There is a great sense of unity and connection between all our members from our class of 2019 going back to the class of 1996, and indeed possibly beyond with Kevin Andrews. And one of the reasons we've achieved that stability and unity in our parliamentary party, which I pledged to regain when I became Prime Minister, is we have room to breathe. We are a confident Party that is confident about allowing our members to breathe and express their views as they do. But equally, that comes with the responsibility of being a member of the team, which ensures that the Government is able to continue to progress its agenda, as we indeed will in this area. But I've spoken to Bridget again today and thanked her for honesty, for her sincerity, because that's why she's the Member for Bass. That's why she's here. All my members are like that. They know that they can walk into my office at any time and raise issues. And do. And I think giving each other the space in our party room and the respect that comes with that is the reason why the Australian public is seeing a government the most united we've seen of any government for a very long time. And so I'm going to continue to follow that practice and trust and respect my members and that that will be my approach.
Now, on the other matters, it's a free country, thankfully. We all celebrate that. And I must say, I am unnerved about the revisiting of the Martin Bryant case. It's a long time ago, but it seems like a few days ago even still, such was the horror of that day. It has scarred us as a nation deeply. So people will make films, that's OK in this country, that's fine, we think that's a good thing. Even if it unnerves a prime minister or many others, that's the society we live in. But I hope when this is done, and for those who choose to see it, we will remember the victims and their families and the torment that they have endured for all these many years since the wonderful work that has been done in this area, no greater than the incredible courage and strength of John Howard and Tim Fischer, who set this right. Australia leads in so many areas. It's why Australia, you know, is so respected and supported around the world, why people are so easily able to commend Australia, because we know what our faults are and we deal with them openly and transparently. But when it comes to challenges that we face, we confront them and we find the way through and we do it together. This year has been another example of that. And as this year comes to a conclusion, I have never been more proud of Australians than I am now.
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health: I will just add something very briefly on that, just in relation to the party room. It was something we were discussing before. I've been around here, not as long as some, but a little longer than others. I first came to this building in 1994 and I have never seen the party room more unified. And I say that genuinely and there are ups and downs. But one of the most important guarantees of that is to have safety valves. And the safety valve is to respect the role of individuals as MPs to act as members of the Parliament of Australia under the Constitution of Australia, to speak openly. That can be a little uncomfortable sometimes and all of you will have seen it. This building thrives on difference. But what I've seen is the most unified party room since, definitively, since the mid-1990s and I would say arguably since the mid-1960s.
Journalist: Prime Minister, I’d be interested to know what's weighing more on your economic decisions at the moment between the dangers of running up extraordinary debt and the dangers of scaling back too quickly the financial support. What weighs more on your decisions there and are we in a recession or not?
Prime Minister: Well, technically, the recession has obviously concluded, but that's of no comfort to those who are still trying to get back into jobs. The comeback of the Australian economy is clearly underway and that's recognised just not by the National Accounts but, of course, by the Governor of the Reserve Bank and many other commentators, both here and overseas. That's understood. But the humility of the Government is necessary in understanding that there is still a long way to go and there are many Australians still out of work. There are some Australians who have recently lost their jobs as the economy goes through this next transition. And it is our objective, if they have lost jobs in one area, that we'll do everything we can to get them into jobs in new areas as the economy opens up. And so it is not an easy path ahead of us. It is a challenging path ahead of us and we will negotiate those challenges in the same way we have successfully broadly to this point in time. Our portfolio of measures to address the economic recovery is not singular. There are many. There have been the emergency measures that we put in place immediately which cushioned the blow. There are those ongoing measures through JobKeeper and the JobSeeker COVID supplement that extends out until the end of March. But then there are measures like the hiring credit, which extend well beyond that. There's the instant expensing measures that go to June of 2022. There are the infrastructure investments that are being made and when we meet together on Friday week as the first meeting of the Federation Reform Council and National Cabinet will meet before that, that is one of the issues we'll be discussing, is the continued rollout of those infrastructure plans by the states and territories in partnership with the Commonwealth. And so our economic plan is very comprehensive and our plan is also agile in that, as we've seen this week in addressing the quite specific needs of the travel agents and the need for a bridge to be provided for them to get to the next phase, there are parts of the economy which will remain more COVID-affected than others. But the way you deal with that is by becoming more bespoke, by becoming more targeted, to ensure that you're reading the information correctly that is coming back to us from the data on the ground. We've always been careful not to get too far ahead of ourselves on some of the decisions that are made because the situation has changed rapidly this year. And so you've got to get the settings right. But your question is the one that we've been addressing from day one, and that is you've got to get the balance of the short term support, the medium term recovery and the long term growth right. And I believe we are getting that balance right and I think the evidence supports that. But we're only in this phase. We will go through another gear change in the first quarter of next year. We'll go through another one after that and another one after that. But our economic road to recovery here is well underway and I think that brings Australians great confidence and comfort as they go into the break and they look forward to next year. Last one. Someone- Michelle?
Journalist: Prime Minister, are you making any representations to WeChat about taking your message down and any representations to Twitter for failing to take the offensive tweet down?
Prime Minister: On the latter, we've made our views clear on that, and I'll leave that for them to explain their actions and I'll leave WeChat to make an explanation of their actions if they choose to make one. What's important is the Australian Government has made its views very clear on these issues. But what is most important is despite the events of recent months and weeks and indeed years, Australia remains committed to constructive and open and regular dialogue at leader and ministerial level to address the tensions that are clearly there in the relationship. It's in our interest to do that. It's in the Chinese government's interest to do that. We remain open to do that. We will be patient. We will continue to be clear. Our national interests have been clearly articulated and the Australian Government's position on those are well understood. Thanks very much.