Speeches
Press Conference - Kiribilli, NSW
29 December 2021
PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon, everyone. Always taken Omicron very seriously, both at a Commonwealth level and across the states and territories. We met last week, as you know, as a National Cabinet, and with the pace at which Omicron’s moving, it's not surprising that I have called a further meeting of National Cabinet, bringing forward the meeting we had scheduled for next week to tomorrow, and I'll be returning to Canberra with the Chief Medical Officer, who joins me today, for that meeting with the other premiers and chief ministers.
I've had the opportunity to speak with a number of them today. There are a range of issues that we need to discuss tomorrow. The, as we've seen, the long lines at testing queues and the challenges that are being faced by people because of that congestion and dealing with the very, what are a very high number of cases. But, as we've consistently said, in the course of Omicron, the issue is not the number of cases. The issue is the incidence of serious disease. It is the incidence of impacts on our hospital system, in particular in the ICUs. And so while we do have a high volume of cases, which is what Omicron presents as a challenge, there are 1,314 people in hospital. There are 126 in ICU and 55 on ventilators. Now, what that says is there is ample capacity in our hospital system to deal with the challenges that we are presently confronting. Of course, we'll continue to see cases to rise, but those cases are not translating into the sort of serious disease and a proportional impact on our hospital system. But, of course, as Omicron continues to go forward, we will see further pressures, but states and territories are working very closely on their plans to deal with those challenges, and we'll discuss that further tomorrow.
The challenge of Omicron is to deal, as I said last week, with the volume, and that is a very different challenge to what we had in previous phases of the epidemic, of the pandemic, I should say. In the pandemic before, PCR tests were the gold standard. And at the volumes we had previously, PCR tests were the consistently recommended test needed to manage the pandemic. Now, as we go into the Omicron phase, and let's note that Omicron has only been in Australia for just a month. And so that means that we have been changing our settings to deal with the challenges of Omicron, and that requires you to do this on a risk-based method. And so that does mean that we're going through a gear change when it comes to how we manage testing arrangements, the definition of close contacts, how we furlough staff and isolate people who are impacted by cases directly or as someone living in the same household. That obviously has an impact on our health workforce. It has an impact on many parts of the economy's workforce, whether it be in hospitality settings or or many other places. So it's important that we continue to adjust and get as consistent approach as we possibly can across all the states and territories.
But the other thing we've learnt right across the pandemic is all states are at different stages. They’re at different phases. And so while here in New South Wales and in Victoria, where we have high numbers of cases of Omicron, we're now seeing that start to materialise in Queensland and we will in South Australia. And we will in Tasmania. And then, of course, there's the Northern Territory, and ultimately Western Australia. Now, in states where there are very low numbers of cases, the need to change things at this stage is not as great as they are here in New South Wales. So to be applying exactly the same settings in all the states and territories would not match the reality of what's happening on the ground. So what we're looking to do tomorrow is to ensure we get a definition of close contact and which tests are used in what circumstances and how they're provided to manage a large volume of cases. And as states move into that phase where they have more high volume cases then they, I would expect, move towards adopting the practices that we're seeing in states like New South Wales and Victoria.
And so that is what tomorrow will help us achieve, so there's a clear pathway, everybody knows where it's going, and we can respond accordingly. So the key implications for that are to redefine what is a close contact, because a close contact then defines well, what sort of tests do I need, and what do I need to do - do I need to stay at home? For how long? What does that mean for the people I work with? What does it mean for the people I live with? And the recommended definition, which will, is being considered by the medical expert panel and will be tomorrow presented, as we asked last week, to the National Cabinet by the Chief Medical Officer, is a definition of a close contact, which is a household contact or a household-like another accommodation type setting, of a confirmed case only. A household contact is someone who lives with, in in or in a care setting, and has spent more than four hours with them in a house, accommodation or care facility setting. So we're talking about someone that they're living with. We're talking about someone like me and my family here who are living here together. If one of my kids Abbey or Lily got it, or if of course Jenny got it or any of the household staff here got it, then we would find ourselves in that situation and I would be a close contact. If I went down to a restaurant down the road and I happened to pop in and get some takeaway and there was a case there, I would not be a close contact. I would not then have to isolate for the arrangements sitting under a close contact.
Now what's important with this definition is to try and understand that you're dealing with a high volume of cases and we just can't have everybody just being taken out of circulation because they just happen to be at a particular place at a particular time. The uncertainty of that, the impacts on the economy, and particularly given the fact that we are not seeing this impact on our hospital system, means that's an, it's an impractical way to live with the virus in this next phase. And so it is important that we move to a new definition of close contact that enables Australia to keep moving, for people to get on with their lives. If they find themselves in a close contact, genuine close contact setting, then, yes, we need to take some precautions. But otherwise, you monitor your symptoms. If symptoms present, you avoid, you get a test, and I’ll go to that in a second. If those, if you've been in a, you’ve QR coded in somewhere and you've found out there's been a case, you don't have to rush off and get in a long queue. You just have to monitor your symptoms. You've got to be conscious of where you're going. Not the best idea to go and visit an aged care facility in that situation for a week or so. And also to take your normal precautions of wearing masks and things like this. This is how people responsibly manage their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others in the Omicron pandemic.
So what would happen in these circumstances if you are a a close, a close contact is would be a seven day quarantine, and you would have RAT tests on day six. And if that proves to be [negative], then you'd be able to go back into the community. And on day 12, you'd also have a RAT test. Now, on RAT tests, there's no need for you to be required to have a RAT test simply because you may have been somewhere at some point in time. Close contacts need to have RAT tests. People who are symptomatic need to have RAT tests, and indeed, people are symptomatic, a PCR test. But what's not necessary is for people to be going out and bulk purchasing RAT tests and having them every other day on a casual basis. If you're symptomatic, then you should take one. And for the Government's point of view, we will continue to provide RAT tests in those situations, in the same way that we provide PCR tests.
Now, currently, PCR tests are provided at the state distribution and the state hubs. They are funded 50-50 by the Commonwealth and the state government and, where someone is required to go and have a PCR test. State governments are responsible for securing those tests, all the supplies that go with those tests, the arrangements that go with the conducting of them, and the Commonwealth shares those costs 50-50. The same is true for RAT tests. So where a RAT test would now be required rather than a PCR test, state governments, as always, responsible for securing those RAT tests, providing them to people directly, and we will share the costs of those 50-50 with the state government.
Now, the Commonwealth also has responsibility for RAT tests and other tests - that's in residential aged care facilities and a range of other high risk settings that we're responsible for. We will continue to do that and we have been doing that.
The other points I was going to make quickly is that on RATs, RAT tests, the Commonwealth has been in the market since August. We currently have had four million already delivered. There are another six million arriving very soon. And we have also approved, the Treasurer and I and the Finance Minister, $375 million in additional funds to procure further RAT tests to be part of the national stockpile. Now that national stockpile, as I said, is there principally to deal with the Commonwealth's responsibilities for directly providing these tests. States have the responsibility providing the tests in their settings. But, where there are issues around distribution and other things, the national reserve has been available, just as it has been for masks and PPE, and all of these other things that we keep in the national stockpile, which are also the responsibility of the states, but from time to time, they are drawn on.
Just on boosters, I can confirm again we've got 20 million boosters, mRNA, in Australia. So there's plenty of boosters. In fact, the booster rate of delivery is running six times faster than the first dose, and it's running about twice as fast as the second dose. What we need is what we agreed last week is for the state-based vaccination hubs to be restored, all of them, so we can get those booster rates back up to the peak of what we were running up at around about September, October of this year. And so I know the states are doing that. They've been working closely with us. Obviously there are people taking leave and holidays at the moment. Also the fact that they're having to be isolated because of the current rules also impacts on that, which is why it is so important to change these other settings.
And we'll also be working closely with the TGA to ensure that pending applications for RAT test approval continue to receive a priority. Now I want to be really clear about this - the TGA has to be sure about the testing kits that it approves. We’ve already seen from some applicants that their products have been withdrawn in other jurisdictions. So, you know, we're going to be careful about the tests, given we are even more reliant now on RAT tests - which have been more a convenient testing tool up until now - that these RAT tests have to have that authenticity, that reliability, they’ve got to meet the mark. And so the TGA will continue to do that job. They have a number of applications before them and I know they will attend to those in an urgent manner, but in a very thorough manner. So you can be confident, as best as you can with a RAT test, that the result that you get gives you the right answers to enable you then to make the best decisions for your own health care.
Now, I think there was only one other thing I had to mention, Paul, and that is that the difference between where PCR tests and RAT tests should be used. I appreciate this is a lot of information. But it's important, I think, to pass it on. PCR testing - is the recommendation - should be focused on diagnosing individuals who have symptoms consistent with an infection. Now, that would be for international arrivals, health care workers and those who are in high risk settings, and priority populations - those who are more vulnerable to severe disease, including the elderly, the immunocompromised, those who have comorbidities, Indigenous Australians, and particularly if living in remote communities - and also to confirm a positive RAT test of someone who has been symptomatic. These PCR tests, that's what they should be for. The RAT tests - to screen asymptomatic international arrivals, those people coming in, to screen close contacts, to screen health care workers and those who are in high risk settings, and to screen co-workers, residents of high risk settings, such as residential aged care facilities, in an outbreak situation. That's where the Commonwealth and the states would be directly providing those tests. In other casual settings, it's a matter of going off to the chemist, and I can tell you that we are, have been working with the suppliers in that industry. The national coordinating mechanism met yesterday and they’ve met with all the suppliers, they’ve met with all the states and territories. And what is really important is these rules are clear so they can go and make their commitments to put stocks in and they can understand who will be accessing those and who will be obtaining tests through the public system. I'll ask Paul to make a few comments and then happy to take some questions.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thanks, PM, and good afternoon. So I think what we've, what the PM has just summarised there is is the risk-based approach. We we are faced with a new phase of this pandemic here in Australia, which is very much related to this new variant of concern, which has been here for just over a month - the Omicron variant. What we know about that already is it is highly transmissible and we're seeing the rise in cases every day, as has been predicted, as has been seen in many other countries that have Omicron. So those cases are rising. They will continue to rise.
In terms of the severity, we know that, we know now that it is very likely this is less severe than other other forms of the virus. How much less severe is still an open question. I've seen estimates from 15 per cent less severe to 80 per cent less severe, and that that is, that is still information we're looking at, particularly overseas, particularly from the UK, because they have such a large number of cases of Omicron and we're able to watch that very closely. Even in the UK and the same here, we are still seeing most of the cases in younger people. So where there is still that that little bit of doubt about what happens in older older people here in Australia in relation to Omicron. What we have seen is some incursions into aged care facilities, for example. We have not seen, as we have, as has been seen prior to vaccination and even in the Delta pandemic here in Australia, of large numbers having to go to hospital from aged care. So that is a positive sign.
But it is a new challenge. Certainly those number of cases, as the PM has mentioned, is putting, as we've seen, a strain on our PCR supplies. We we simply have to move to a place where they are used for the most in a way that will be most beneficial to, firstly, controlling the pandemic. Secondly, giving that clinical information that's needed for individuals. And thirdly, guiding our response in terms of close contacts, for example. So that's that's what's being discussed right now at AHPPC. My Deputy, Dr Sonya Bennett, is leading that discussion, and we will take that information, including an AHPPC statement on this, to National Cabinet tomorrow.
What do we have now in our tool toolkit? We definitely have vaccinations. Boosters are important, but can I please, as I say at almost every press conference, implore anyone who has not yet had their primary doses of vaccine to reconsider that decision. Here in New South Wales, two thirds of people in ICU are unvaccinated. They are, that is still the very highest risk. So please go ahead and get their vaccination. If you are due for a booster, so if you had your second dose five or more months ago, go and get that that booking today. From next week, on the fourth, we move to that that four month phase, rather than five months. So please make that booking now. If you have children who will become eligible on the 10th of of January, that's still going ahead. That will be done in parallel with the booster program. So make sure that those five to 11-year-olds are also booked in.
We have public health and social measures. That's a matter for the states and territories. They have made those decisions and changes in public health and social measures in the weeks leading up to Christmas. That remains a tool to to to deal with the, with the pandemic.
And, thirdly, test, trace, isolate and quarantine is really what we're talking about now. New, a new phase, needing a new approach to testing and tracing and isolation and quarantine - who gets the test, which type of test, who is traced as a contact, and who is just given information to watch out for symptoms, how long people need to isolate and quarantine? These are the key changes that we’re talking about today.
PRIME MINISTER: Happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, given the [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER: On the first point, there’s a difference between vaccines and tests. Vaccines are what the Commonwealth traditionally provides - whether that's flu or various other forms of vaccines - that is, that is a system that we currently run. When it comes to other health equipment that is needed at a state level, that is done by states and territories. So this is the normal process. States provide these issues of tests and the Commonwealth provides vaccines, and we both have those responsibilities and we both exercise those responsibilities. So I welcome the fact that the New South Wales Government has been doing what they're doing. The Victorian Government is doing what they're doing. That's their job, and I'm glad they're doing it.
And on the second issue, that is a matter that the Treasurer and I and the states are discussing right now in terms of concessional access in the private market. It's very important to understand that we need to keep, as as much as possible, those tests on the shelves, whether they be in supermarkets or pharmacies. And so it's important that they have the certainty that they can go and buy those stocks and know who's going to purchase them. And so when you start providing tests through other methods, then you need to be very clear about where and who so they can estimate, well, how many stocks will I need in my pharmacy or in my supermarket? Our discussions with them is while there is a mismatch in supply and demand in some parts of Australia, particularly here in Sydney at the moment. In Western Sydney, I note in particular, Melissa McIntosh has been raising those issues with me, the Member for Lindsay. The way you solve that is having clear rules on who gets a free test, which is the, what I set out before, and then being very clear about who can then go and buy them in a pharmacy, and we do, we do understand that particularly those who are pensioners and others, we are looking at ways that we can provide concessional access for them, doing that in partnership with the states and territories. I’ll go over here.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] Do you view it as the Federal Government’s responsibility to do more to aid the states in securing these tests and will the Federal Government do anything to help speed up that process?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, as I said, we've spent $2.5 billion dollars on tests. We've already secured a large millions of tests to for the national stockpile, which have already been, they’re already being used. And we have another, well, there's four million we’ve secured and we've got another six million that will be turning up very, very shortly. And we've also applied $375 million additional funding and we're working through those processes now. And we expect those to come into the national stockpile. But states need to be doing their thing at the same time to meet each of our responsibilities. Now, right now, and there will be tests that will be available through those channels that I've referred to, and in our discussions with the suppliers to the private industry, they are also noting that they have quite significant supplies that are coming in as well. We're talking tens of millions there that are going into those private channels. So it's obviously an area of significant demand, but that's why we believe that we need to focus where we're putting the tests that we're able to procure - state governments and Commonwealth - to those who require them in in the most important settings. So that's if you're a close contact or you’re symptomatic or you're working in a residential aged care facility or things of that nature. And so we have quite significant commitments in the aged care sector. And that's why, you know, we've been in the market since August and fulfilling our responsibilities. But, you know, we're different to many other countries. Remember in the United Kingdom, they don't have state governments that run hospital systems. That's, in Australia we do. And so state governments who run hospital systems have responsibility for the things that go with managing the health system in a state. So comparing the United Kingdom with Australia is apples and oranges when it comes to who's responsible for what.
JOURNALIST: Is there anything to stop pharmacies and chemists gauging prices at the kind of levels we’ve seen?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, this is something I know the Treasurer would be pursuing with the ACCC. That's their job, in the same way they do that across many other areas of of critical supplies. And anyone who's doing that, they should be reporting that to the ACCC, and I would encourage them to do that. And that's something that I know the Treasurer would be moving on with the Chair of the ACCC if someone was seeking to do something of that nature.
JOURNALIST: Do we really know we have enough supply of rapid antigen tests? Like shelves are empty. When can we be guaranteed these new supplies will arrive?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I've spoke to the Victorian Premier earlier today and their supplies are imminent, just as the six million that we've got coming in also are, and New South Wales will come over the course of this month. And and there are many other supplies that are available in the private market right now, which can also be drawn on. And so this will be an issue that will run over the full course of this year. And the production of these tests is is a bit different to vaccines in that there's many more suppliers. And and so we are very active in the market, have been for many, many months.
JOURNALIST: Can you just shed a bit more light on that household contact, four hours for close contact, given the transmissibility, someone in a car travelling from here to Canberra for three hours with a positive case wouldn't be classified as a close contact, but they are likely to have the virus. Can you explain why there's that four hour limit for only household contacts?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Look, I won't go into the details of the actual definition for the moment. That what's being discussed and finalised at AHPPC today and we'll have that in the documentation tomorrow. I think the important principle here is we need to focus on where the biggest risk is. We've seen, leading up to Christmas, large queues to get into into testing, particularly on the East Coast, in almost every jurisdiction. We've seen a long wait for people to get their their results. Frankly, if you have to wait for eight hours in a queue and then 72 to 96 hours to get a result, it's not fulfilling any useful public health function and it is delaying proper clinical care. So really, what we're trying to do here is to go for the best bang for the buck, make sure that people who are queuing really need that test and are at a higher likelihood of being positive. And so that the proper information can be given and the proper public health and clinical action can be taken.
JOURNALIST: Could this have been avoided if states were better prepared or had more resources for testing?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: I think this is an Omicron effect. A month ago we were looking to live with COVID. We're still looking to live with COVID. We just need to take that new information and new evidence into account. And we've seen the large number of cases that have been diagnosed. So this is a matter of applying that evidence and making an evidence based response.
PRIME MINISTER: Five weeks ago, when we were dealing with Delta, the PCR test was the recommended means of testing for the virus and there was ample supply. The suggestion that that should be done with RATs was not recommended at any level. And so what has changed is Omicron. And with Omicron, you adjust, you adapt, which is what we're doing in the space of a month and moving to this new system. And what this will do is alleviate those queues that people are in and make sure the people who need to be there can be there and get those tests and people who don't need to be there can be at home or somewhere else. That's what's really important. That's what we have to change right now. And when it comes to interstate travel, the recommendation from the Chief Medical Officer is there isn't a requirement for a test at all for people who are asymptomatic and not close contacts. But that is something the states will make their own decisions on. They they have control over those things, as we've all learnt over the last couple of years. That's not new powers they have, that's the actual powers they have under the Constitution. But we've seen the impact that those travel requirements for test has had here in New South Wales and in Victoria. Around a quarter of those tests are for people who are having to travel. They're not symptomatic, they're not a close contact. They just want to get on a plane and go somewhere. And these RAT tests, they're also a precious commodity. They're in much greater supply, but we need to make sure they're getting to the people who most need them.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] the spread of Omicron is actually necessary to take this to the endemic stage and build immunity. Given our high vaccination levels and the kind of less, more mild nature of Omicron, do you think we actually want this to spread? Do you want to see it...
PRIME MINISTER: That's a medical question, and the weather may be about to call a close to the press conference, I think.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So there are two ways that we'll get to this endemic phase and have protection against against COVID altogether, but particularly particularly against Omicron. One is being infected and the other one is is being vaccinated. It's quite likely that we will, most of us will have both of those opportunities in the coming years or months or weeks. So my call again is to choose the better path, which is to get vaccinated if you haven't already and get that booster as quickly as possible once you're eligible.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on the issue of logistics of getting their hands on these RAT tests, do you think there'll be issues with the states, I mean proving if you're eligible for the free test, how you will access it, things like that?
PRIME MINISTER: There's a necessary degree of flexibility here. I don't think people are wanting to line up in long queues to get access to tests they, so the need, I think, will automatically ration the the demand here and the discussions I've had with premiers already is that that RAT tests will be provided in many places they already are, through the existing testing centres and you can go to two lines and things of that nature. And you wouldn't even necessarily have to take the test there, you could just take it home. And that means the lines would move much more quickly. It is potentially able to be distributed through vaccination hubs. But what we do want to avoid is people who are symptomatic turning up at chemists. That's not good for the pharmacies because we've got a lot of other people going through pharmacies. And that's why those who need to have it, close contacts, those who are symptomatic, they go to those centres where they'll be provided with with that free test, is the plan. And I know that in the discussions I've particularly had in those states most affected, in New South Wales and Victoria, there is a high level of agreement on on this path forward already.
JOURNALIST: The Victorian Health Minister says that the states have really had to step up over the course of this pandemic. Is that a fair comment?
PRIME MINISTER: Every state and territory government, the Commonwealth Government, has had to step up over the course of this pandemic, and all of us have. That's why Australia has one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID. It's why Australia has one of the most successful advanced economies coming through this pandemic. And why we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. And most protected as we're now entering into this phase of the Omicron variant, and so we're all stepping up. The discussion I had with Premier Andrews earlier today, I know he's on leave, but we spoke earlier today and he understands what the Victorian responsibilities are and the federal responsibilities, and he didn't raise any issues with me about that. You've been very patient.
JOURNALIST: I have. I have. You have you haven't spoken publicly on COVID, given the rates over the last week, particularly New South Wales and Victoria, you haven't spoken publicly on COVID since last Wednesday. Why? And why shouldn't people view these long lines, outside testing sites and the hours that are involved waiting for these tests as a sign of political failure on this?
PRIME MINISTER: As I said, the testing regimes are run by the state and territory governments. The Commonwealth has responsibilities. The provision of the vaccines and supporting the testing arrangements between residential aged care facilities. We are meeting our responsibilities. We met as a national cabinet last week. The announcements that I'm making today haven't just turned up today. We've been working on these over the course of the past week with the Chief Medical Officer. There is an enormous amount of work that has been done to make sure we can bring that forward to tomorrow's meeting. That's what I've been focused on. I've been focused on getting the right decisions, the right outcomes. And with that cue from the weather, thank you all for your time.
Christmas Message
24 December 2021
Merry Christmas, Australia.
This year more than most, we are reminded of what we are truly thankful for. Each other.
There are six families in Devonport in northern Tasmania, from the Hillcrest Primary School this Christmas, who are completely devastated and our thoughts are with them. Everything they cherished in life was taken from them in a terrible instant. It's unimaginable, and so our hearts break for them. And this Christmas we'll shed a tear and raise up prayers for them, I believe right across the country, for them that they might find some measure of comfort in this hour of their terrible grief.
As they grieve, many Australians will be gathering together for the first time this Christmas in a long time, but sadly not all. Others will be on their own, still. Others are always on their own at this time of year, and it's a very lonely time. Others will be missing a loved one for the first time, who is no longer around the Christmas table. We're thinking of you also.
This pandemic, it continues to buffet us, the Omicron variant is just the latest challenge that we have faced. But together, always together and only together, do we keep pushing through.
At the end of this year, of course, we can think of the many difficult times we've had and the losses that people have incurred. But Christmas, you know, is a time of hope and we are an optimistic people. And whatever comes our way, we back ourselves to overcome and to push through, as we have during the course of this pandemic, saving lives and livelihoods like few other countries in the world.
That is our quiet confidence as Australians, driven by the love we have for those around us and the way of life that we value so much and enjoy here in Australia, that we're able to lead and aspire to in our wonderful country.
I'm so grateful for Australia. To be an Australian. And for my fellow Australians.
I could want for no greater gift than the spirit of the Australian people that's been on display, that have inspired and endured and cared and shown great courage.
Even now, so many selfless Australians are out there caring for others this Christmas, working and volunteering to keep Australians safe and showing their fellow Australians that they matter, that they are valued and that they are cared for.
They are driving trucks, delivering critical supplies, they're giving us our booster shots and doing our COVID tests. They're working in emergency departments, they're volunteering in homeless shelters. They're standing ready to respond to the many natural disasters that sadly we so often face this time of year and fires and floods and terrible storms that we've only recently just experienced. They're patrolling our beaches. They're serving overseas in our national interest.
And I particularly want to acknowledge our Australian Federal Police and the Australian Defence Forces, who are on deployment in the Solomon Islands right now and the many others serving in so many other parts of the world. I want to say thank you to all of those selfless Australians. May God especially bless you and your families this Christmas, especially if you're apart.
May all those who need a refreshing after what has been a difficult year, by just having a good long laugh out loud, round that Christmas table with friends and family, may you find it. May those who have been alone this year experience the warmth of companionship this Christmas.
May those of us who have faith find great encouragement as we reflect on God's great gift to us and his son, Jesus Christ. And may all of us experience something of the joy and the wonder of Christmas, especially our children. Jen and I wish you from our family to yours, a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2022. Merry Christmas Australia and God Bless.
https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-43730
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
22 December 2021
PRIME MINISTER: Well, good afternoon, everyone. I'm joined by the Chief Medical Officer Professor Kelly and General Frewen, who heads up Operation COVID Shield. We've just had a very positive, practical and cooperative meeting of the National Cabinet of premiers and chief ministers and myself. The 58th meeting, in fact. And Omicron, we all agree, presents another new challenge. But we have faced so many challenges already during the course of this pandemic. And on each occasion, we've worked together to ensure that our response across the country and across governments has been able to deliver one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, one of the strongest advanced economies in the world coming through COVID, and, thirdly, one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.
So we've seen many challenges before. We are taking Omicron very seriously, as you would expect us to. But at the same time, we have confidence that we'll be able to continue to ensure we can face down the most recent challenge. But it does require us to make a number of responses that we've been working through today.
That response needs us to appreciate that with Omicron, what we're dealing with is a much greater volume of cases. The cases themselves don't necessarily present the challenge. As we've always said, what really matters is how many people are experiencing serious illness and how many people are having to draw on the considerable resources of ICUs and our hospital system. And the good news today is that hearing from all the premiers and chief ministers, and that although we have seen an increase in the number of cases, we have not yet seen any significant impact on our hospital system. They have been preparing well for challenges that may come, and Omicron has certainly been one of those. But we are seeing in our hospital system, them able to cope with the demand as it's presenting. So despite those rising cases, hospitals and health systems remain in a strong position. But, of course, they'll be tested, and our shared goal is to ensure that we keep it that way when it comes to the protection of our health system to deal with the demands of the new strain of the virus.
I also note that this virus strain, in Omicron, has only been in Australia for less than four weeks, so it is still fairly early days. But in our response, we have already seen some major improvements in terms of how the country is moving. We are well prepared for Omicron, but we are not taking it anything other than very seriously in our coordinated responses. There are three areas where we agreed to move forward on today in relation to our response, and they fall into the same categories that our COVID pandemic response has been over the course of its entire duration to date.
The first are what are called the public health social measures, those basic rules of behaviour that help us moderate the pace of infection and how it moves across the community. The second area is, of course, our vaccination program, as we are now well into the booster phase of that program. And the third area is what's called TTIQ, test, trace, isolate and quarantine. So, in turn, in those areas, the medical expert panel, as I wrote to the premiers, has set forward a series of recommendations about what they should be doing in those areas. Each of the states and territories will be making their responses to those.
But what is very clear, and the Chief Medical Officer and I are practicing that ourselves, and that is mask wearing in indoor spaces, in public areas, is, of course, highly recommended, whether it's mandated or not, that's what we should be doing. In the same way as we go into this summer season, people will be slapping on the hat and slapping on the sunscreen. There's no rule or requirement to do that. But it is strongly recommended health advice. It's in the same category. And so Australians are common sense people and they know what they need to do to protect their own health. And so that is highly recommended, along with all the normal things we've been doing with COVID, and that we don't become complacent about, the washing of the hands, being very aware of the distancing at all times, trying to maximise your gatherings in outdoor areas rather than indoor spaces where you can. In the summer months, obviously that is desirable anyway. And so all of these practical things that we can do, we would encourage all Australians to be doing wherever you are, whether you're in Western Australia, up in the Territory, down in Tassie, Queensland, whether you've got a, in a state which has high cases or low cases, with Omicron, it moves fast, and there is a case, at least, in every single state and territory. In New South Wales and Victoria, the case numbers are much higher. But in Queensland, for example, we're already at 180 cases I think there, and we could expect that to increase in the weeks ahead.
So people following common sense behaviours is very important, just as it has been right from the start of the pandemic. Because of the volume of Omicron, it isn't just about what governments is doing. Governments are taking action, and we will take action as a Commonwealth Government, but also individuals and communities need to take action as well. And there will be a much more greater level of self-regulation when we deal with the volume of cases that will, are likely to occur in the weeks and months ahead.
With vaccines, it is very encouraging now that in this very short space of time, we've been able to lift the daily rate of vaccinations to well up over 200,000 now a day. And we need to keep that going, and I want to thank Australians for turning out for their boosters. We are now doing boosters at a rate of around 100 per minute, and we will see that continue to increase as we go forward, and we need to get back to those record levels of vaccination rates that we saw a few months back. Now, as the country moved past 80 per cent, then we did see the demand at state-based clinics decline and, as a result, some of those facilities were withdrawn. There's about a quarter of them which were stood down. They now need to be ramped up again, and that was a key issue we discussed today.
More than 50 per cent of those eligible for boosters have now had them. And they have been predominantly amongst the older population, which are, of course, most vulnerable. Now to keep that booster program going, the Commonwealth, I can announce and I advised the the premiers and chief ministers today that we’ll be increasing the payments to GPs and pharmacists, and we’ll be increasing them up by $10 a jab, in addition to what they're already getting now. And we think that's important, particularly over these summer months, when normally, just like many other Australians, they'd be looking to take leave and do things like that. And this is an added incentive to keep that primary care system for delivering vaccines at its, as great a capacity as we possibly can have. And we thank the GPs and pharmacists for working with us over, in recent times, as we've come to that decision. And that was well received by the premiers and chief ministers today.
The second thing is, is to get those state hubs operational again, and get them up and running so we can hit those much higher vaccination marks, which at its peak and General Frewen I'm sure will make reference to this was around 350, 360,000 a day. Now that's where we need, that's where we need to be able to return to those sorts of levels, and remember that when we were at those levels, they were the highest rates per capita of vaccination of anywhere in the world. So they were world's best practice. That's what we've already achieved in our vaccination program. And by combining the work of the primary care with the restored capacity of the state hubs, then the booster program can continue to increase and move forward with confidence.
The third area is ensuring we get the right priorities in the booster program. Now, as you'll know, when we went through the first stage of the vaccination program, we were very focused on those who are most vulnerable. Now, by default, the booster program has been focusing on those in recent weeks. We need and we are getting advice from the ATAGI and the other key medical advisers, but particularly ATAGI, on where the prioritisation for boosters needs to continue to go. There's obviously needs in the more vulnerable and we are working steadily on the aged care populations and others. But we also know that the Omicron strain of the virus, variant, moves very quickly amongst young people. And so we'll be taking more advice on those issues.
There's been plenty of discussion about whether the interval should be five months, four months, three months. That will be a decision for the vaccination experts at ATAGI. That is not a decision for myself as Prime Minister, or the premiers and chief ministers. The interval will be what the immunisation experts advise, because that also links to indemnity issues that we've put in place around the vaccination program. But whether it's five months or six months or less than that, the response from all of us, as governments, is exactly the same. And that is to increase those daily dosage rates from where we have already built it back up to more than double in the, in the past week or so, and to get it back to those levels that we were experiencing not too long ago, with the restoration of the state hubs. So there's been no change to the interval. That will be determined by the immunisation experts and no one else.
The second issue that we need to focus on is ensure that we maintain the priorities on the 5 to 11 year olds. That begins on the 10th of January. That is, that priority is not being subordinated. It is going to be pursued in parallel. That remains an incredibly important part of the vaccination program, and we're going to maintain the focus on that, and that is ready to go on the 10th of January, and General Frewen may wish to touch further on that.
Now, there's plenty of vaccines, there's plenty. There are 20 million in Australia right now, and about a quarter of those, just over that, in fact, are either in fridges, at pharmacies, GPs or in state hubs, they're in trucks on the way to them. So there are plenty of vaccines. The challenge is always when you've got 9,000 points of presence around the country, is trucks on the road and ensuring they're being delivered. And General Frewen can speak more to that. But there are no supply constraints on the vaccines. And as I said, when we get to those rates, which are already lifting, then we’ll be able to maximise the number of jabs in arms, just as we have done before.
Now the third area in test, trace, isolate and quarantine. We have agreed today that we must have a common definition right across the country on what is a casual contact and what are the implications of being a casual contact in terms of isolation, requirement for a PCR test, and things of that nature. We cannot have different rules in different places about what a close contact is and what a casual contact is. And there is even an argument which says that there shouldn't be any requirement to have a casual contact definition at all when you're dealing with such a high volume of cases. What matters is how you're managing those close contacts and how they're defined, and what you have to do if you are someone who is in that situation. So we have asked the AHPPC, within the next, that's the medical expert panel, within the next fortnight to give us a clear recommendation on that. And, and the Chief Medical Officer will bring a recommendation to that meeting to ensure that we can get that consistency across the country.
There is also the issue of QR codes across the country. Now, QR codes will increasingly play a different role into the future. In those states and territories where there are very high numbers of cases, the prospect of tracing every single person who logs into a particular venue is unrealistic and is not a good use of resources. And so you have to focus your resources on their highest yield. What that means is, is the QR code system is not being used to police people or to impose sanctions on people. What it's being used to, is to ensure that people can be alerted through the QR code system about if they've been at a particular place where a, an infection has been identified, and then the individual, if they are not a close contact, can then and self-manage their response to ensure that they can take appropriate action. And so QR codes and that process will take on different roles as we go forward. In some states with very low cases, they will continue to be using them as for tracing. But in states which have very high case numbers, well, that's not a realistic proposition. But it continues to provide a very helpful role to help in cases with high numbers of cases for people to self-manage, self-regulate their own COVID responses.
And then finally, on the issue of testing, we've all seen the terrible queues and the long waits people have had. Some 20 to 25 per cent, one in five, one in four, people waiting in those queues are not symptomatic. They're not a close contact. They're not even a casual contact. They just want to travel to another state. And this is putting unnecessary pressure on the testing system, and it is redirecting resources away from where there is better use of it, in particular, in re-establishing the vaccine hubs run by the states and territories. So there was a very good discussion about the impact that public health orders in other states. And it's not just Queensland, other states are doing it, South Australia, Tasmania and others, and Western Australia are imposing on states from which people are travelling. And there was a positive discussion, and the medical expert panel will give further advice on whether testing is required at all for travel, or we can move to the more simple method of RAT testing, which will reduce those queues and make the system a lot more workable.
Now, there are still questions to resolve on all of that. That's understood. But we will take that advice. But it is important that we focus the PCR tests on those who are close contacts and those who are symptomatic, and people who can get those tests and not be standing in queues with other people who are just looking to get on a plane. And what this says to us is, is that with Omicron and dealing with volume, our systems need to respond differently to the way they did in earlier phases of the pandemic, where, because the case numbers were so much less, you could have more of a direct government intervention and control of these responses. Going forward with Omicron, there will need to be more of a role for individuals in self-managing and self-regulating their responses.
Finally, there'll be further work done by the Doherty Institute. That's about forecasting off real cases, real situations, not speculative assumptions, and you would have seen some reporting about that today. That is not a scenario that is envisaged in any way, shape or form. And I can let the CMO add further to that.
We’ll be meeting again in a fortnight and and taking those recommendations and getting further updates, particularly on the issues of severity and what more we'll learn then. But my main message is to stay calm. Get your booster. Follow the common sense behavioural measures as you're going into Christmas, and we look forward to that. Australians have worked very hard to have this Christmas together and we want to protect that. One of the things we agreed today is we're not going back to lockdowns. We do not want to go back to lockdowns. And that's why all of these things and the steps we're taking today together, in a very calm, methodical, scientifically-informed way, can mean that Australians can go into this break knowing that Australia is arguably better prepared to deal with this than almost any other country in the world. And if we stick together and work together, as indeed was the spirit of the meeting of premiers and chief ministers and I today, then I think that enables Australia to put the best foot forward. Professor Kelly.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, PM. So just a few quick points from, from me. The on on Omicron, you’ll, I think it's very important to remember that we've only known about this since late November. It's a very new phenomenon. We're learning a lot. Every day we learn something new about Omicron. But there's still some things we don't know about it. And we we also don't know about how that is progressing in Australia in terms of particularly the severity issue. What we do know is that as, as predicted three weeks ago, it is a transmissible, very transmissible virus. It is spreading rapidly around the world. The official figure’s over 100,000 cases, it’d many, many more than that because of the need for for confirmation being a genomics test, which is not available in many countries.
Here in Australia, we're now over 500 cases that have been diagnosed through that genomic testing. But again, we know that that is an underestimate. The estimates in New South Wales, for example, at the moment, is that about 60 per cent of those cases you're seeing every day rising are Omicron. And for me, it is no doubt now that Omicron is replacing Delta, particularly in New South Wales, and very rapidly in the other, other states, other than WA. So Omicron’s here. We have to learn to live with it.
The PM's mentioned some of the discussions we had at National Cabinet and have had through this week at AHPPC about how that living with COVID and living with this type of COVID, the Omicron variant, looks like. So far, we have not seen a rise in hospitalisations. As I understand it, there's only one person in intensive care. So even with those, those rising numbers, it's mainly cases, not hospitalisations at the moment, but it is rising. We know it's rising. We know it will continue to rise. Internationally that those cases have risen, doubled every two to three days. So we are, we will see large numbers of cases, and we will continue to be looking very carefully about what that means in terms of, of, of our hospitals, our primary care, and indeed the rest of society. So we'll continue to work through, through that.
But at the moment, it's, it's business as as as we've been going, and we're looking very closely every day, and that severity elements we’ll be able to say more about in the coming weeks. The one thing we have seen, and this is the same in other other countries of the world, mostly it's been in young people and mostly it has been a mild or even asymptomatic disease, and that's an important component of it. I'll leave it there, PM.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Paul, and I'll just ask to General Frewen to update you on the booster program and the 5 to 11s.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL JJ FREWEN, COORDINATOR GENERAL OF OPERATION COVID SHIELD: Thanks PM, and thanks Professor. Good afternoon, everybody. So the booster rollout is progressing at speed. More than 1.7 million Australians have now had their boosters. Of the 200,000 doses of vaccines that were delivered yesterday, over 150,000 of those were for boosters alone. And since the ATAGI parameters shifting from six months duration to five months duration from second dose, we have ramped the program up from delivering around 500,000 doses across the seven day period to up over a million doses across a seven day period, and we expect that to continue to rise.
As the PM mentioned, supply is not a challenge here. We currently have enough mRNA vaccines in the country and in the distribution system to meet the full demand for vaccines and boosters out through to the end of April. At the moment. So it's now about getting those vaccines to where the greatest demand is. This week we have a record number of deliveries going out. That's both vaccines and other consumables around the rollout. There's more than 11,000 deliveries going out this week alone, and we have got systems in place that if there are pharmacies, GPs or other vaccine providers, if they are short of supply to contact our vaccine operations centre. And we will marry them up with where there is supply available on shelves now waiting to be put into people's arms. There is also bookings still available. There are more than 4,700 places where you can go on to the booking system right now and still get booster bookings within the next few days. So I do please encourage everybody who wants to get a booster to get booked in and to get it done as soon as you can from the time you become eligible.
The PM has also mentioned that the states and territories have committed to move back to where we were at the height of the program, delivering more than two million doses a week. And we look forward to working with the states and territories to really ramp up the program in January and February in particular. We're bringing in the 5 to 11 year olds in January. We will have rising eligibility for boosters through January and February. And we hope to get back to those two million and more doses per week through that period, and that will requirea close partnership between the primary care network and the states and territories. And we look forward to that.
I also do want to thank all of the health professionals who've been involved in the vaccination effort over recent months. I know those efforts continue. Those efforts are now going to ramp up again through January and February, and we do greatly appreciate the efforts in all of that. In relation to the 5 to 11 year olds, we are fully on track to commence the program on the 10th of January as forecast. We've secured the supply. The bookings are filling up fast, but again there are bookings available and I do encourage everybody who wants to get their 5 to 11 year old with their first dose before school next year to get onto the system and get those bookings in. And finally, I just want to mention that primary dose vaccinations still continue. We now have every state and territory, bar one, who over 90 per cent first dose vaccinations. This is a remarkable achievement, and we thank all of those people in Australia who have come forward to get those vaccinations. But there are still people who haven't had their first dose or who still have to get their second dose. And again, I encourage all of you to do that as soon as you can, because that is the best way, remains the best way to protect ourselves, our friends, our families and our communities. Thanks.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible] at National Cabinet today kicked the can down the road on holiday testing. You called it unnecessary, but now we're waiting for advice. Why should Australians who don't have any COVID symptoms have to test at all to go across state lines?
PRIME MINISTER: That's a very reasonable question. Some states still of the view that they are requiring that and are seeking further medical advice on why that should be withdrawn. The Chief Medical Officer and he may wish to comment on this, can give you further figures. For example, about one in a thousand people who are being tested who are travelling, are proving to have a positive response. For those who are close contacts, that's 17 to 20, so that gives you an idea of where the resources are best, best applied. And so, you know, that's the direction I can see us going in. And but that, as always, has draws on the best possible medical advice. And those states that are requiring those tests are seeking further advice on that to support any decision that they may take.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So just to just to back that in, I think we've got, as the PM mentioned, there's three things we've got to to guard against Omicron and the increasing cases that we've seen. Vaccines we know for the vaccine efficacy against transmission and infection is less in Omicron, the third dose helps in that regard. So that is not as protective as it was against Delta. We've got public health and social measures. We've talked about those as the PM says, I'll be wearing a mask wherever I go indoors from now on. There'll be others that are a whole suite of things that that premiers may look at in their own states. That's up to them. The third one is test, trace and isolate and quarantine. We are seeing in ACT, in New South Wales, in Victoria, it is almost, it is very, very difficult to get a test. And if you're getting a test, you're waiting for many hours. You might not get the result for up to three days. That means that we are not doing what we need to do in TTIQ. So this reliance on testing for it to travel is interfering with one of our few things we've got to decrease the caseload and protect Australians.
PRIME MINISTER: Sp Premiers were advised of that today. And and that's why that further reinforcement, I think of those positions is being taken through the medical expert panel. But there's not I mean that the requirement for testing for a PCR test to go from one state or another is not a requirement of the Commonwealth Government. It is not a recommendation of the AHPPC, the medical expert panel, either. They are decisions that have been taken unilaterally by individual jurisdictions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the health advice that the AHPPC, sorry I always get that wrong, that was distributed on the 17th of December was that masks be mandatory in indoor settings. So has the health advice changed or are we just not following the health advice anymore?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the what are called public health social measures, they are matters that are always determined by states and territories, not by the Commonwealth Government, and they are done on the basis of where the risk settings are in each and every one of those states. Now, for example, in Western Australia, at the moment, they don't have such a mandate in place there. In other states, they do. What I'm saying is you don't need to be made to do it. It's the strong recommendation of the work that the Chief Medical Officer has pulled together and and I'll be following the same practise as the Chief Medical Officer. And so I would be encouraging people, strongly encouraging people, to wear those masks in indoor settings. In New South Wales, for example, there is a mask mandate for high risk settings. And so the states and territories would be making further announcements on that. But the advice is, as I said it, out to the premiers and chief ministers.
JOURNALIST: I'm sorry, can I? Can I clarify what the advice is? Professor Kelly is the advice for a mandate or is it the advice for a strong recommendation?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So, so to be very clear, we know that masks work. They do, they do protect yourself, they do protect others. If you happen to have COVID and people should wear masks. How that actually comes to be is a matter for states and territories.
JOURNALIST: What is the health advice?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: The health advice is wear a mask.
JOURNALIST: Can you tell the states though that they should mandate that in indoor settings?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: I've said that mask use should be used because we know firstly it works, and secondly, to protect yourself, to protect others. And secondly, it doesn't interfere with with social gatherings, economic and so forth. So masks need to be used.
PRIME MINISTER: Mandates are enforcement mechanisms and mandates also require enforcement, and that requires resources to be applied to enforcement. And in New South Wales, for example, at the moment where I was earlier today, I mean about 85 per cent, the Premier is advising, people are actually wearing masks when they're in these indoor settings at shopping centres and things like that. They're actually already doing it. What matters is the behaviour and the behaviour change and the behaviour to wear those masks in those settings. And so premiers will make calls about what's the best way to encourage people to do that. Some like to use mandates. Others like to use that encouragement and rely on the individual responsibility to achieve that. What matters is that people wear them, not whether people get fined or not.
JOURNALIST: So isn't it about time that we were able to achieve some consensus on these issues, like mask mandates and PCR tests? We've been in this pandemic for so long now and Australians who continue to be frustrated by these these differences. Is this something you're still trying to secure consensus on these issues as a nation moving forward?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, look again. Wear a mask in an indoor setting, you don't need to be forced to do it. It's a very clear message. Wear a mask, there's no confusion about it. Just wear one in an indoor setting. Think of the person sitting on the other side of the table from you. Think of the person you're going to meet this weekend. Think of Christmas Day, where you'll see elderly relatives and wear a mask. It's it's pretty simple. And so I would encourage people to do exactly that. As the medical advice has highlighted. What is very important on uniformity are things like definition of a close contact and what people need to do, and we agree. And that has changed significantly because of the impact of Omicron, which hasn't been around for two years. It's been around for four weeks. And having definitions of close contacts because of the high volume of cases which is manageable and workable is what we are now seeking to achieve within the next fortnight, and I believe we will. So there are some things that do require uniformity. There are other things that just require common sense. This one just requires some common sense, and Australians have great common sense.
JOURNALIST: You said that some states and territories aren't willing to give up PCR testing for travellers. But is there anything stopping some of them moving to rapid antigen testing now? I know Palaszczuk has said that she wants to. I mean, in terms of like, do they have to wait for the public health advice or what?
PRIME MINISTER: They could do that tomorrow. They could do that tomorrow. And I know there's been constructive discussions between New South Wales and Queensland, and Tasmania was very happy to be engaged in that as well. And so, you know, there is no AHPPC medical expert panel consensus opinion, which says you must have a PCR test to travel from one state to another. So there's there's no recommendation from us to do that at all. And so, you know, states are ones imposing those public health orders and therefore and they have impacts, they have consequences. And we're seeing that played out for those who are having to wait too long for these tests because some states are requiring that. Now that needs to get sorted, and I'd like to see that sorted as soon as possible. There is a very good suggestion that at the very least they could do is move to rapid antigen testing, but equally, there's strong advice which says the tests are not necessary at all.
JOURNALIST: On rapid antigen testing, has there been any consideration, as has been the case overseas, to make those free and more widely available in certain settings?
PRIME MINISTER: In certain settings, they already are, and they are things and important and Professor Kelly, you may want to comment on this as well. It's a matter of where we where we prioritise that. And so we've already had discussions around education settings, for example, and how we would work with the states. Already, if a state says we're doing rapid antigen testing in a particular area, then the COVID National Partnership Agreement means we share those costs 50/50. So that already exists right now. And so where rapid antigen testing is being used in those circumstances where states are doing that. Those costs are already met 50/50 by the Commonwealth and the states. And what Omicron means is we will see, I think, greater use of these rapid antigen tests. Now, they're tax deductible if you need to take one for work purposes, just like PPE is. And so there are a range of options we have, to facilitate their greater use in what will be a more self-regulatory model. I'll give you an example, a real life example. I was in this situation last week, I had been at an event where I was informed that I had met someone who had COVID. Now I wasn't defined as a close contact. I was a casual contact. And until I had further information, I went, I got a COVID test from the local pharmacy. At Terrigal. Picked one up. Took the test. It was negative. I wore a mask and at a later time, because I had to travel somewhere else, I took a PCR test, so I self-managed that contact. I didn't need the government to tell me to do anything.
JOURNALIST: Not everyone can afford rapid antigen tests.
PRIME MINISTER: Some people can, and some can't. And there are. There are options that we will be considering in that space. But I don't want to overstate this. I mean, we need to channel our resources into the area, which will actually get the most beneficial outcome. And what is that right now? Getting boosters in arms, whether that becomes a formal third dose or not, I know there are already views about that. And and but ultimately that decision will be made about whether this is a three dose vaccination or a two dose and a booster, that will be made by the vaccination experts at ATAGI, but from the government point of view, it doesn't make a lot of difference because our task is the same, and that is to boost the capacity, get those vaccination rates which are already escalating quickly back to those world record levels that we had. And so whether it's a third dose or a booster dose, we get the jab in the arm.
JOURNALIST: Can I just ask something sorry, some comments you made about independents over the last couple of days, isn't it …
PRIME MINISTER: Just before you do that, given the COVID issues, if there's one other question that was on that issue, go to the Courier Mail.
JOURNALIST: Just in regard to the ATAGI advice on the boosters, Prime Minister, was any advice given to National Cabinet as to why they've been reluctant so far to bring forward an additional third dose? And is there any timeframe for when Australians could find out whether a third dose will be needed to be considered fully vaccinated?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that is what ATAGI is considering right now. But I would, I would add this note of caution. There is ample numbers of people right now that need to go and get their booster, and that can be supported by the vaccination program. Making more people eligible doesn't get boosters into arms any quicker. If anything, it can actually lead to a situation where those groups that you want to prioritise to get those boosters can be crowded out, even at the world record levels that we had, that would still be occurring. You can't vaccinate 20 million people on one day, regardless of when you make the eligibility criteria. And so that's why I stressed the three things we have to do on vaccinations is we've increased the incentive payments for GPs and pharmacists, that starts from tomorrow, by the way, GP and pharmacists, to ensure we're maintaining the distribution in that group, which is increased, by the way, it hasn't declined. The second is to get the state hubs up and running and functioning again so we can achieve those levels. And the third is to ensure we got the right priorities and that message into the distribution system to get the maximum impact of the doses that are being delivered to protect lives and save lives, but also to try and slow the spread as best as we can in those circumstances. The issue of the interval and the issue of whether it's three dose or two dose is actually subordinate to all of those three issues that we discussed today on the advice that we have. They're important, but they are not the most important thing. And the immunisation experts will advise us on whether it's three doses or indeed what that interval is. But that won't change the need for us to act on the three areas as a priority that I've outlined today. Paul, did you want to talk about ATAGI?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So ATAGI is meeting today to look at those specific issues. But the PM is absolutely correct. This is a numbers game. We need people to be boosted. We need to supercharge the boosting over the next month. And that was what we heard from the premiers today. They're doing their bargain and the Commonwealth is paying for that, assisting with the GPs and pharmacies, and we're fully ready to do that. That will, that will really help. Public health and social measures will really help, as per the AHPPC advice over the weekend and test, trace and isolate and quarantine is the task we've been given in the next two weeks to come back.
PRIME MINISTER: Okay, last one.
JOURNALIST: First of all, isn't it hypocritical for you to criticise independents for being backed by big money when the Liberal Party and the Labor Party routinely receive hundreds of thousands of dollars from big businesses, banks, mineral and mining groups and pharma companies? And then just on the same issue, you also said the voices of movement were the voices of Labor and your senior ministers and yourself have critiqued Monique Ryan, an independent in Kooyong, for being part of the Labor Party more than a decade ago. She said she quit in protest. By the same logic, doesn't that mean that people who quit in protest, like Craig Kelly, are still then aligned with the Liberal Party?
PRIME MINISTER: What it means is, is they're representing themselves as something they're not. And I'm calling it out. This is not an independent movement, this is a political party, and it's funded by donors, like other political parties. They're pretending to be voices of a local community, and we've got at least two of them who used to be members of the Labor Party. So they've been called out by their own histories. They haven't, one of them, even pretended to be a small L liberal, the only party they've ever been a member of is the Labor Party. So they're pretending to be something they're not. And I was up in Queensland at the time, and I’ll tell you, Queenslanders don't like getting told by anyone down south, whether they're making donations or not, about who their voices should be. And so, look, I think they are issues will get more into in the next year as we get closer to the election. But they are the voices of Labor and that's how they should be seen.
But for now, I want to thank all the premiers and chief ministers for coming together today. I've already commented on that. I want to thank all the premiers and chief ministers for coming together today for this meeting. We have always left ourselves with the ability to come and do this as we have to. And so that was a positive and constructive meeting today and we will meet again in a fortnight. Obviously, we'll continue to work through these issues as I will over the next few weeks over Christmas and into the new year. Before I take a break. And because we really need to get these things sorted over the next couple of weeks as we see Omicron rise.
But in the meantime, can I say to all Australians, I wish you a very merry Christmas. This has been an incredibly tough year for everybody. And you have worked incredibly hard to ensure that you can be coming together as a family, as friends, as communities. As we go into this Christmas break. I pray God's blessing on all of you right across the country as you as you share this very special time together, as as difficult as this year has been. And can I particularly again say we are thinking of all of those families down in Devonport at the Hillcrest Primary School community. This has been a devastating, tragic event, and while the days pass from the day that this tragedy occurred, you are very much in the forefront of our minds as you face your most difficult Christmas ever. And so all Australians, I'm sure, will have will have that terrible tragedy and the terrible experiences that those families are going through at the moment in their minds and thinking of them as they're very thankful for what we are all able to have this Christmas. Thank you very much, everyone.
Press Conference - Bribie Island, QLD
21 December 2021
MR TERRY YOUNG, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR LONGMAN: Well, thanks everyone for coming to beautiful Bribie Island. I'm here with the Prime Minister and the Minister for Health as well. And we've got members from the Cancer Council. So thank you for coming along. Can I just say that COVID has taken the limelight, but you know, skin cancer still exists and it's still out there. I think it's a very important time coming into middle of the peak season of summer to make sure that we're taking precautions. So, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Terry, it's great to be here with you today, and of course my great colleague, Greg Hunt, the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Well, we're here today with a very simple message as we go into this summer period, slip, slop, slap, seek and slide. That sounds like a ride at Luna Park, but it's it's not. What it is is sensible advice for all Australians to take good care of themselves over these summer months. We're all looking forward to that break. We're all looking forward to getting down the beach. We're all looking forward to getting down to the park. Whether you're playing cricket or you're in the pool or whatever you're doing. That is what we absolutely love about Australian life, and Australians are claiming this all back as we go into the summer period. But here in Australia, in the next year, 16,000 people are going to be diagnosed and over 1,300 will lose their lives as a result of melanoma and skin cancer. Now I grew up on the beach and in the Shire, I live down near the beach. It is a huge part of our lifestyle, just as it is here, Terry, on Bribie Island and all the way through the Sunshine State here in Queensland. And in the Sunshine State, we've gotta be sun smart and in the Sunshine Country, which is Australia, we need to be sun smart. And it's not just those of us who are, you know, a bit more weathered that need to do that. It's our young kids as well who are growing up in their skin is very sensitive and we need to make sure that we're looking after them and we're dousing them in the cream and the hat and all of these things, in the rashie, as parents to ensure that we can be looking after our kids health and all of our health to be sun smart here and sun safe here in Australia.
And so today we're launching, and I'll ask Greg to go into more of the detail, but we're launching another $20 million campaign over the next two years to ensure that we're keeping Australians safe in the Sun. Keeping Australians safe is one of the three big objectives of our government. Keep our economy strong, to keep Australians safe and to keep Australians together. And this Christmas, we're coming together. I want them to be safe. And as we're coming through this pandemic, our economy is really starting to power through into next year. So we've got a lot to, a lot to look forward to next year. But right now, we need to look forward to having that time with family and enjoying our time in our great outdoors here in Australia and being sun smart. Slip, slop, slap, seek and slide. Greg.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Thanks very much for that PM, Terry Young, to Tanya, representing the Cancer Council and to Courtney, our our wonderful young patient. Courtney, who was diagnosed with melanoma, a grade four, has been through all of the treatment. And she gave us the wonderful news that she's cleared of her condition, and she was able to access PBS medicines, magnificent medicines such as Opdivo and Yervoy, of Keytruda and others. And she's well and healthy, but unfortunately, not everybody who gets skin cancer does have such an outcome, and so the best way to protect yourself is to help prevent skin cancer. Today's launch of the sun smart campaign, a two year campaign $20 million, $10 million a year, is about awareness. It's about awareness. So parents, kids, great parents know that they should be slipping on the rashie, plopping on the sunscreen, slapping on the hat, seeking shade and sliding on the sunglasses. But what does it mean? Cover yourself. That's the simple message about being sun smart.
And the other great preventive action that we can take as a country's vaccination. And we released this morning the childhood vaccination figures under the National Immunisation Programme. Over 95 per cent of Australian children under the National Immunisation Programme have had their five year old vaccination. Incredibly 97 per cent in Indigenous families amongst Indigenous kids. We talk about closing the gap. This time we want the rest of Australia to close the gap up to the levels of our Indigenous vaccination amongst kids. And then more broadly, today's a big day here in Queensland. Queensland has passed 85 per cent double dose for COVID vaccination. They are expected to pass 90 per cent single dose here in Queensland. Well done Queenslanders and thank you. And across Australia we are 93.9% vaccinated with a record day for boosters yesterday. We now have more than one and a half million boosters, which have been delivered. 140,000 yesterday. Record day in pharmacies, a record day for boosters and Australians are coming forward to be protected. So it's about protecting yourself in front of the sun for your kids if they're due for their vaccination and immunisation programme and for COVID.
MISS TANYA BUCHANAN, CANCER COUNCIL AUSTRALIA CEO: Thanks Minister Hunt. Thanks Prime Minister and Terry and thank you everyone for joining us today. The Cancer Council is delighted to hear this announcement today of a national skin cancer campaign. And we were also delighted last week when the National Preventative Health Strategy was released and detailed the importance of preventing cancer. One in three cancers in Australia can be prevented through lifestyle changes, and we were pleased to see that that campaign that the next distinctive campaign was included in the National Preventive Health Strategy, and we look forward to having it launched and delivered over the next, over the next two years. We know that Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, as the Prime Minister said, this year it is estimated that around 16-17,000 Australians will be diagnosed with melanoma. And we know that whilst melanoma rates are declining in under 40 year olds, we also know that skin cancer remains our most common and most costly and one of our most preventable cancers, and that two in three Australians will receive a diagnosis of skin cancer before they turn 70. Recent data that we released from Cancer Council just a couple of weeks ago showed that more than a quarter of Australians say that they don't use any sun protection during the summer as part of their daily routine, and that young Australians are less likely to use some protective behaviours, and particularly protective clothing, than older Australians. And that's why this campaign is so incredibly important. We also know that we need to educate Australians on the importance of the UV index. So we need a campaign that tells us to slip, slop, slap, seek and slide every time the UV index is three or above. And Australians can find out about UV index by checking the meteorology or the smart sun app, and so every time the UV index is three or above in the local area, we encourage all Australians to slip, slop, slap, seek and slide. We know that when we have campaigns on air, that sun protective behaviours increase, and that's why this campaign is really important. And we also encourage the federal government to continue to commit to support for the National Preventive Health Strategy over the next 10 years, so that every aspect of that strategy for prevention, be it sun smart, tobacco, physical activity, diet that they are all delivered. And so we thank you today for the launch of this campaign, and we look forward to reminding all Australians this summer and next summer to be sun smart. To slip, slop slap, seek and slide every time the UV index is three or above because the job isn't done until all Australians are safe in the sun.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much, Tanya. Courtney, love to hear from you Courtney and your experiences.
MS COURTNEY MANGAN: Hi, my name is Courtney Mangan. I was diagnosed with melanoma in 2017, the mole that was on my back. And since then I've been receiving treatment and multiple surgeries. I recently got told that a week and a half ago that I'm all clear which is amazing with my stage four cancer diagnosis. But it's been a long road. And so I guess the key message is that everybody thinks it's not going to happen to them. But the truth is two in three Australians will be touched by cancer by the time they're 70. So, protect the skin you're in and cover up.
PRIME MINISTER: Great advice. Happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what will you tell premiers at National Cabinet tomorrow?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm happy to go to all the questions, but any questions on, particularly on today's announcement of skin cancer and particularly while we've got the Cancer Council here and Courtney, happy to take those first. Well, we seem to have got our message out very strongly. Tanya, thank you very, and Courtney. And OK, let's go to the other matters that media would like to talk about.
JOURNALIST: National Cabinet's tomorrow. What will you be telling premiers?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, tomorrow is an opportunity for us to compare notes to get the most recent information that we've had. When we last met last Friday week, there was a lot we still didn't know about Omicron. We know more now. But there is still more to know, and the medical expert panel has met in between these two meetings, and I've already written to the premiers and set out the advice that they're providing. There's important messages about the strong recommendation about masks use inside, things like that, and that's very sensible. But one of the key messages is, yes, we're going to need to continue to calibrate how we manage this virus and how we live with this virus in the face of Omicron. Of course that is necessary. But we're not going back to lockdowns, we're not going back to shutting down people's lives. We're going forward to live with this virus with common sense and responsibility. And there will be other variants beyond Omicron. And we have to ensure as a country and as leaders around the country, we have put in place measures that Australians can live with. And what that means is we have to move from a culture of mandates to a culture of responsibility. That's how we live with this virus into the future. Now, in my home state of New South Wales, there, people are already wearing masks and they're not being fined if they don't, because Australians know what is a common sense responsible action to look after their own health and to look after the health of those around them. But as a country, we've got to get past the heavy hand of government and we've got to treat Australians like adults, and we all have our own responsibility in our communities and for our own health.
People should get vaccinated. If you don't get vaccinated, you're more likely to get the virus, get very serious illness from the virus and to die from the virus. That is three very good reasons why you should get vaccinated. Equally, it's important that you practise other common sense behaviours, like washing your hands and keeping appropriate distances. But you know you're not going to get the ruler out, and you don't need to get people to come around hitting you with fines. We just need to live with this virus sensibly and practically. From mandates to responsibility. And as governments around the country, because, as you know, the states have the total authority when it comes to public health measures, the Commonwealth does not have the power to direct those state and territory governments. And so what I'll be saying to them, and I know a number of premiers agree with this, is that we've got to move to the next phase of how we live with this virus. The time for that heavy hand is behind us. The time, I think, for knowing and trusting Australians who have proven themselves with one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with one of the strongest economies coming out of this pandemic, 180,000 more people in jobs today than before the pandemic. And, of course, one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID. So we need to keep listening to the advice. Be sensible. Move forward, allow Australians to live with this virus responsibly. Take the issues incredibly seriously. But let's live with this together and responsibly.
JOURNALIST: Paul Kelly's advice is to implement a mask mandate. Do you support that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I might ask to Greg speak on that because he's been working with the AHPPC, but that's not quite how I would describe it.
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: So Professor Kelly and the Chief Health Officers through what's called the AHPPC, the Medical Expert Panel on Public Health Measures, provide advice for the states and territories. They implement public health orders. So at the federal level, we have the national vaccination advisory body of Vaccines Advisory Body, ATAGI, the Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. They're a long standing group. They for example, helped us get to the 95 per cent childhood immunisation rate and almost 94 per cent now across the country for COVID. At the state level, the principal advisory body for public health measures is the AHPPC, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, and that's advice for the premiers, which has been channeled through the chief health officer. So we're providing that to them and they'll make their own decisions. But there is a very important role for masks, for closed settings. There's a very important role, as the PM has said, for appropriate distancing, washing the hands. All of the things that we were talking about in February and March of 2020, they are still the basics of keeping safe.
JOURNALIST: Just on the advice. Will two jabs be fully vaccinated or will you need a third?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the advice from our immunisation experts. Let me be very clear about this. ATAGI is not a new institution, as Greg has just said, they have been around for a long time and they have been responsible over many years for steering Australia's immunisation programmes, which achieved world record levels, not just more recently on COVID, but on other childhood immunisations and other immunisation programmes. They are the experts when it comes to immunisation. Everyone else has opinions. They have responsibility and the expert responsibility for advising the government about what the vaccination programmes are, and we continue to listen to them on these issues as I've said on many occasions. What I will not do, is I will not front run their advice on that issue. They will consider these issues carefully and they will advise the government, just as they will carefully consider as they have been for some time, the interval period for booster shots. Now people should go and get boosters. We know that booster shots significantly assist in protecting people against Omicron, and we have seen those, you know, one and a half million booster shots now having been undertaken, and we urge the states and territories to to reopen the state vaccination clinics that have been wound down, more than 200 of them over the last couple of months. As I said to them last Friday week and as General Frewen has been doing, we need to get those open again. We have Greg, 8,500 points of presence with our pharmacy network and our doctors. In fact, over the last few months, the number of places that the Commonwealth is directly supporting vaccination has increased. But of course, the states have been pulling this back over the last couple of months, and it's time to switch those back on. So we want to get those booster rates up. It's important we get those clinics open again.
JOURNALIST: Do you think the pressure from state health ministers on ATAGI to make the timeframe reduced to four months is helpful?
PRIME MINISTER: I think it's important, look, I've had views about these issues in the past when it came to matters of AstraZeneca and so on. You know, the views that I've had on those issues. But ultimately, the decision about what the interval should be is one that the immunisation experts will advise us on. Now the other important priorities, particularly over the summer, we have the five to 11s immunisation programmes, vaccine programme, which begins on the 10th of January, and that is important to get those jabs done, all those those first doses before kids go back to school. It's also very important at the moment that our booster programme is heavily focused once again on our elderly population, on the immunocompromised. It wasn't that long ago when we had advice and other countries were not going down the path of a full population booster programme. Before Omicron, before any of these issues, we decided, the Health Minister and I and the National Security COVID Committee of Cabinet decided that we were going for a full population booster programme. There are more than enough vaccines. We have five million now in fridges, is that right Greg? And we've got over 13 million in the country. By Christmas, that'll be well over 6.5 million. And so there are plenty of doses in the fridge. There are plenty of points of presence in the Commonwealth's network. And as I said, I'm looking forward as the states have been now starting to ramp back up the clinics over 200 that were closed over the last few months.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are we in Phase D of the national reopening plan?
PRIME MINISTER: Not yet, no we're not there yet, and we'll have a discussion about that tomorrow because I commissioned some work on Phase D at the last meeting to see what thresholds were necessary to be able to move into that phase and and some states will move into that phase sooner than others. But at this point, Omicron means we're in Phase C. And that will continue. And you know that in Phase C, there remain sensible, low level public health, social measures that are in place. And yeah.
But I want to reinforce the point I was making before, you know, we have to carry the Australian public with us and to carry them with us, we have to continue to trust them. And to trust them, that means trusting them to be responsible with their own health, as they have. To get vaccinated, to exercise a common sense, public health practices. Here's another tip. Omicron is moving substantially amongst the younger population. They're at parties, they're at nightclubs, they're at hospitality venues. I would encourage them, particularly if they're going to spend time at Christmas with older family members, you might want to give that big night out a miss. Particularly if you're going to see one of your elderly relatives over the Christmas period or exercise greater precautions around. That's what I'm talking about. Australians don't have to be told by governments how to live. Australians are responsible people who care about their own health, whether it's sun smart behaviour or COVID or any other element of their health. And they really care about those they love and they care about their communities. One of the biggest lessons that were reinforced during the COVID pandemic is you want to put a bet on the best way to deal with the crisis, you bet on Australians, and that's what we've done.
JOURNALIST: But you said there's going to be more variants down the track. We're at 90 per cent double dose.
PRIME MINISTER: Yep.
JOURNALIST: When are we going to move to the next phase? When are we going to start treating this as any other infectious disease?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's that's exactly the advice we're seeking at the moment, but I think I think people would sensibly understand that we're in the very early phases of the Omicron variant and we need to understand it better. And and that's why booster shots are so important to protect people from the Omicron variant. And what we do know, though, is if you're double dose vaccinated, even with Omicron, you're far better protected than if you're not vaccinated at all. And the high levels of vaccination we have in this country have set us up to deal with this challenge. But we have to do it with each of us taking our own personal responsibility. None of us want to go back to lockdowns in the southern states, there's a big amen from New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT on that. And Queensland doesn't want to go into it. And the way to avoid that, is by ensuring that people practise responsible behaviours because COVID is not going anywhere any time soon. And to live with it over time, we have to do it with a culture of responsibility, not with a culture of control and mandates.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the WHO Chief has said that at this time of year, a cancelled event is better than lives lost. Do you agree with that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think it's important we keep our heads. I think it's important that we reassure Australians that the high level of vaccination rates are preparing Australians well. I think we want to encourage Australians to enjoy their time together, over the course of this break. Of course we take Omicron and COVID seriously, but we also value the lifestyle and the way of life we have in Australia, and I want Australians to be able to enjoy that as much as is safely possible.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible] Josh Frydenberg's independent challenger Monique Ryan has previously been a member of the Labor Party. How worried are you about this independent push to unseat modern Liberals?
PRIME MINISTER: Well as you just said, one of the independents was a member of the Labor Party. I said they were the voices of Labor and that's proof positive that they are. This is not some independent movement. This is a political party which is opposing the LNP, the Liberal Party, the Nationals. This is a political movement funded by big money down there in the southern states to try and turf out the government. That's what they're about. And I'll tell you what, up here in Queensland, they don't need big money from southern states telling them who their voices are. And down in Josh's electorate, and other places, I think this just exposes what this movement is all about. It's about opposing the government and pushing an agenda which is much more aligned with Labor and the Greens, and it's its Labor and the Greens that they are the voices of and are doing the bidding.
JOURNALIST: Minister Hunt, how many Omicron cases in Australia in hospitals at the moment?
THE HON. GREG HUNT MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Ah look, we're catching up with Professor Kelly this morning, so we'll be able to provide that update after that. But at this stage just yesterday, the advice from Professor Kelly to the Prime Minister and myself, we had a briefing, is that the evidence is showing you are less likely to go to hospital with Omicron. You are less likely to go to ICU with Omicron and you are less likely to lose your life with Omicron. But having said that, the best protection is to be vaccinated. And if you are eligible and due for your booster, now's the time to come forward.
PRIME MINISTER: We are seeing only a fraction of those Omicron cases compared to Delta cases, ending up in hospital. A fraction.
JOURNALIST: Is it because of the variant, or because of the vaccine?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's a combination of factors. It's the variant, and there is there is some evidence to suggest that the variant is less severe, and that's one of the key pieces of information we're still waiting to, I think further fall into place. It's also true that Omicron is moving most significantly amongst the younger population, which tend to more generally to have less severe reactions to COVID than the older population. But why is it the older population being more exposed? Well, a) the vaccination most significantly, but you know, it's also just sensible behaviours. When mum came over on the weekend, in New South Wales for us to go down to Carols in the Shire and see Lily sing, and she's amazing. She wore the mask and she was looking after her own health. She's had a booster. She's very careful when she goes shopping and and she's speaking about the health. Mum is doing the responsible thing, and that's how we manage this. Australians don't need to be dictated to every few minutes by governments about how they have to live. We've been living with this virus and we've been aware of this virus now for almost two years. So I think Australians understand how it works more broadly in the vast majority of cases. They know the sensible things they should be doing. And for those who are really concerned about it and feel unsafe about going out, well, then they'll take those precautions too. But we've got to let Australians make their own choices about their own health and their own lives. I think that's really important. It's a key part of what Australia is. We're learning to live with this virus. We've got a bit more to learn, and I think governments have more to learn about ensuring that they can trust Australians more to get on and do the responsible thing and not have to mandate and control.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister does does the communication have to be altered with younger Australians. You're saying that Omicron is spreading more with them. They've already been asked to give up essentially two years of their formative lives. And now you're saying maybe don't go to the pub in the middle of summer at Christmas. Does the messaging have to change to make sure that what does have to be altered to make sure that they really are run home, the fact that they have to take it seriously?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I didn't say don't go to the pub. I mean, you can go out and sit in the beer garden out in the outdoor area. If you're sitting outside, I mean, we are outside today. I mean, that's a common sense thing. If you're getting together with friends, be outside. That's immediately going to be a more practical way to avoid the variant and the virus. But if you're inside, keep at a distance, you don't need to crush into a mosh pit. You know, that's probably not a good idea if you're going to see your grandmother on the weekend. But that's common sense. That's what I'm appealing for is common sense, and that's what I think all Australians have to exercise, and I believe they have been. You know, we don't have one of the lowest death rates in the world and one of the strongest economies and one of the highest vaccination rates in the world by accident. I don't believe it's been achieved by mandates and controls. I think it's been largely achieved by the goodwill, good faith and the common sense of the Australian people. And that's what I'm banking on for Australia's future health and security and our economic recovery, which we need to secure in the new year.
JOURNALIST: You don't think Queensland's vaccine mandate had anything to do with the sudden skyrocket towards the end there and our jab rate?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, you know, my view on mandates. Mandates are essential for health workers and for aged care workers, for people who are directly working with vulnerable people. I think, you know, that is the only area at a Commonwealth level where there has been unanimous agreement amongst all the chief health officers of this country about where those mandates should be in place. Outside of that, states have taken their own decisions on their own public health orders to put those mandates in place. They cannot be overridden by the Commonwealth. And so those mandates are a decision of the Queensland Government as they are in other governments around the country. The health advice we have as a Commonwealth is those mandates have been most essential for aged care workers and for those who are working directly in vulnerable health settings. And so that's where common sense comes in. That's where common sense comes in. And there has been a need for all sorts of things over the last two years, but we're going into a new phase and that new phase is one of a culture of responsibility rather than a culture of control and a culture of mandates and letting Australians live with this virus responsibly. Thanks very much.
Remarks, Macquarie Community Breakfast
SARAH RICHARDS, LIBERAL CANDIDATE FOR MACQUARIE: Thank you, Louise. I think the trick is to hold it nice and close, so I'll do that. So good morning and welcome everyone. What a turnout. It's amazing to have your company today. Thank you so much for coming. I'm Sarah Richards, the Liberal candidate for Macquarie. Which is the most marvellous and the most marginal seat in all of Australia. It is made up of the iconic Blue Mountains and the historical Hawkesbury where we are standing today. In fact, we're in the town of South Windsor. And like so many other towns and villages across Macquarie and across Australia, it is made up of small businesses, of mums and dads and families who need and deserve a return of the Morrison Government to make sure we stay on the right path of our economic recovery. Also just down the road is the Richmond RAAF Base, where I lived as a child with my military family. This defence community here, like so many others across Australia, rely on the Morrison Government to maintain its focus on our national security.
Now, I can't wait to get cracking in 2022, or even now. We came this close in 2019, this close, and that was because of local help and support. But the real winners of the last campaign were the community of Macquarie. I fought for and secured hundreds of millions of dollars for the Hawkesbury River third crossing, which has evolved into a half a billion dollar infrastructure investment, getting families home sooner and safer and creating more local jobs. We also opened a Headspace in Katoomba, showing the Morrison Government's commitment to mental health. We are building an all inclusive playground in Blaxland, sporting infrastructure in Glenbrook, and we secured funding for a local group here in the Hawkesbury who concentrates on suicide prevention. And there's a lot more that we can do. But the only way we can keep doing that, or the best way to keep doing that, is to ensure that we turn this seat blue next year in 2022, that you have a Liberal representative, someone who wants to deliver rather than Labor locally, who just delays. It is therefore my greatest pleasure to welcome back to the electorate of Macquarie today, the Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much, Sarah. Can I also acknowledge the indigenous people of these lands on which we meet and thank you so much for the welcome to country. Can I acknowledge any veterans who are here with us today or any serving men and women of our Defence Forces, which is so central to the community here in western Sydney and particularly here in the Hawkesbury and across the mountains. And can I acknowledge Robyn and the local member here at the state level and my dear friend Louise Markus, who we have known each other for a very long time. It's wonderful to see you, Lou, and to be here with you.
Can I particularly though acknowledge Sarah. And can I thank all of you for your tremendous support of Sarah. It's been great to get around you all this morning and then catch up and thank you for coming out. It's, seeing some great old friends, some of which I haven't seen since before COVID, and it's great to see this tremendous community Sarah, bouncing back from those floods earlier in the year, and that's something that the community here is no stranger to. But when I was here on that occasion, I could see, as always, the great spirit of this of this local community, as we saw in the mountains communities over the course of the Black Summer bushfires as well. And the many threats that still are present. And the way the community rallied around, I think, is what I've seen, I know it's what I seen, every single day that I have had the great privilege to serve as prime minister of this country. I have seen Australians doing it their toughest, as recently as just on the weekend with Jen, we were down at the Hillcrest Primary School and all of Australians' hearts are just so [inaudible] for the people of Devonport and we can't acknowledge them enough in, and I'm sure you join me all here today in sending our love and our best wishes to them as they continue to deal with this awful tragedy, this unthinkable tragedy.
But whether it's times like that or the floods or the fires or COVID, the cyclones. Australians' character has been called upon and proven time and time and time again, and that's why I am confident about Australia's future. We have stared down over these last three years, the worst that can be thrown at us. We've gone through recessions, we've gone through pandemics and as I said we've faced the worst of natural disasters. But here we are in this wonderful club, in a wonderful community, about to celebrate Christmas together, which is tremendous. How good is it going to be celebrating Christmas together as families and communities and having this special time over the summer that everyone's worked so hard to ensure that we can have that. And so I do look forward with Sarah to a confident future for Australia because there's a quiet confidence in Australians. People, they don't big note themselves. They have big ambitions. But that don't big note themselves. They just just get on with it quietly. Running businesses, looking after kids, raising families, looking after elderly parents or family members, particularly children with disabilities, serving their country, dealing with having to be apart from one another, particularly in Defence Force families, just quietly getting on with supporting each other, taking responsibility for the things that you can take responsibility for supporting the community that is the heart and soul of this community and always has been. Many years ago, about 225 years ago, to be precise, the first members of my family became Australian, settled right here. William and [inaudible], their whole family is over there [inaudible] and they came out in the first fleet. Like so many from those who came out at that time, they came in and settled here and the community was born. And it's it's arguably apart from down The Rocks, it's the oldest community in the country and here it is today. Still vibrant, still strong.
So who would I want to represent the Liberal Party as we would go into a federal election? I would want someone who is of this community who understands this community. I would want someone who has the experience of the life of this community and has made a major contribution to it. That lives the life that everyone in this part of Western Sydney lives, understands its challenges and struggles, understands the contributions that so many people make that makes this whole place tick. Whether it's down here in the Hawkesbury or up in the mountains, I would want someone who understands the challenges faced by young families. I would want someone who has the professional wherewithal to know how to get things done and who has been able to demonstrate that already by serving their community in public office. That was my checklist. And I know that was the checklist of all the local members of the Liberal Party here, when they sought to endorse a candidate and they made the right decision at the last election. And they've made the right decision again. And I'm very pleased that Sarah has taken on this role again to be our Liberal candidate here for Macquarie at the next federal election because she has all of these qualities, she speaks for the Hawkesbury. I mean, you just heard her list, the things she's been able to achieve as the candidate for Macquarie. Imagine what she'll be able to do if she's able to join my team as part of our government, as a key member of our team. We were able to see that when Louise Markus was the Member, we were able to that when Kerry Bartlett was the Member, did tremendous work, did a tremendous job for this part of Sydney and the outer reaches of the Greater Sydney metropolitan area. And Sarah will be the same, and I suspect both of those former members will say [inaudible], because her passion is here. She has chosen this and she has offered herself up and she has not stopped from the day she was first endorsed as a candidate before the last election, and she's continued on through all sorts of challenges, so I could not be more pleased.
And it's going to come down to seats like this one here in Macquarie at the next election, as it often does and has in the past. And we'll be relying on the people of Macquarie to ensure that Australia can remain in the safe and steady and capable hands that will keep our economy strong as we emerge from this pandemic, as we keep Australians safe. It one of the most challenging times, whether it's from the pandemic, where we've got the lowest death rate in the world of many countries all around the world, we've got the strongest, one of the strongest economies and advanced economies, jobs coming back, 188,000 more jobs today than there were before the pandemic began. And of course, we now have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, which means we can face Omicron. And as more and more people go and get their boosters, we can face Omicron and we can stare it down with sensible, common sense measures that enable Australia to keep forging ahead and we're going to keep Australians together. We have been through so much over these last three years as I look out and is quite confident community, I see a community that's stuck together and stuck with each other to get through these terrible challenges, just as we will as we face the challenges of the future and a community that sort of sits between rural and metropolitan Australia, right there in the intersection. And I want to ensure that Australia grows together and doesn't grow apart in the years ahead, that we don't have the country divided between rural, regional and metropolitan areas and no more is that more important than right here in the seat of Macquarie between the Hawkesbury and the mountains.
So Sarah, I want to thank you very, very much. You're a great mum. You're a great councillor. You're a great small business person. But most importantly, you love your community and you put it first, and I could not hope for a better candidate to be representing what we believe as Liberals, and our outlook for the future of this country. And particularly our outlook for the future of this wonderful community. So thank you, Sarah. And I look forward to campaigning side by side with you between now and the next election, which is next year by the way. And us all working together to achieve this great result that Australia, I know will need, as we face the future together. Thank you very much, Sarah.
Press Conference - Hobart, TAS
18 December 2021
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm very pleased to be here in Hobart today for this very important event, and I'll I'll ask Sussan Ley, as Minister for the Environment, to speak more to that matter shortly.
But can I also welcome, of course, the Premier, or, rather, I'm pleased to be welcomed by the Premier into Tasmania, and and welcomed to be welcomed back into Tasmania. But sadly the events of the last few days, I mean, it's, it's a terribly, terribly awful time for Tasmanians. And on behalf of Jenny and I, and all Australians, want to extend our deepest sympathies to the five families, in particular, who've lost the, those precious young ones. And we think also of the families of the, of the three who are still in a terribly critical condition. We think of the entire community that is just heaving with sorrow.
As I said yesterday, there are no words, only prayers, for our fellow Australians, and Tasmanians, and for the community that will carry this burden, and it will be a heavy burden. It will weigh them down. But I want to say to them, whether they're the first responders, the teachers, the friends, the family, the P&C at Hillcrest, the whole community, that Australia is one with them, and we grieve with them and we mourn with them, and we want to do everything we possibly can to help them through this terrible, terrible, unthinkable, unimaginable tragedy.
I want to thank Premier Gutwein for being in close contact with me over the last few days. We were speaking by by chance just that morning, we'd arranged, and these events overtook those conversations, and we've stayed in touch about trying to understand what we can do, as a Commonwealth, to help the the community in Devonport, and particularly the families and others directly impacted.
And so we discussed the need that there will be ongoing, ongoing counselling and other emotional support, particularly mental health support. And I'm, as a result of those discussions, I met with the, and discussed this with the Health Minister and our other advisers, and we are providing $800,000 to support families and communities affected, in counselling support - $250,000 for first responders, $550,000 for the broader community. This will be paid to the, Tasmania's Primary Health Network. It will be provided over an 18-month period because we know support won't just be needed in the next few weeks, it'll be needed for many, many, many months, to try and begin that process of healing. There's additional trauma counselling in the $250,000 for those involved and training for those services in trauma of informed care and psychological first aid and to assist the recovery. The $550,000 includes $200,000 for additional trauma counselling in the community. There's $200,000 for the local Headspace, trauma care and training, and expanded supports for young people. There's $100,000 to support the return of school in 2022, including training and counselling for teachers and staff, and $50,000 in community mental health and wellbeing grants to support the community. And obviously all the team up there, particularly Gavin Pearce, the Member for Braddon, who's done a terrific job working with the local community, and to Senator Duniam who's here and the whole Senate team, our whole team at both state and federal level, has been reaching out to support the community in Devonport.
And so we will reach out our arms and we'll throw them around the community of Devonport and Australia will throw their arms around Tasmania as they seek to to console for what has been an unthinkable time.
And so with that, I'll ask the Premier to say a few words, but on the topic of being also here today, it's been a great pleasure to be able to launch the new Nuyina and the great mission that she has embarked on. It's testament to our commitment to our stewardship of the Antarctic and our commitment to the Antarctic Treaty, amongst so many other like-minded nations who share a passion for this unique environment. And as Antarctica's, one of its closest neighbours, we have a special responsibility and have always stewarded that responsibility to the utmost of our ability and our commitment. And I particularly want to thank Minister Ley for her strong commitment to this project and all the work that has been done by our agencies to bring us to this day. And with that, I'll pass over to the Premier. Thanks Peter.
THE HON. PETER GUTWEIN MP, PREMIER OF TASMANIA: Well, thank you, Prime Minister, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to Tasmania, along with Minister Ley. Look, firstly, if I could just touch on Devonport, and thank the Prime Minister for the support that his Government is providing. When I spoke with him yesterday and again on the day that this event tragically happened, he immediately offered whatever support was necessary, and obviously in terms of the counselling and working with our community, that work is going to be ongoing for some time. And so I thank him for that. I'd also acknowledge that other premiers around the country have reached out and offered us support from their states as well.
This builds on a package that we announced late yesterday. We've put in place the Regional Social Recovery Committee under our State Emergency Management Act to deal with matters like this, and that committee has already met. It has members, including the Devonport City Council, and others from across our departments. And one of the recommendations from that committee was that the Government should immediately make a first stage allocation available of $500,000 to support counselling and other supports in the community. And we announced that yesterday, and so I'm very pleased that the $800,000 that the Prime Minister has announced this morning will build on that.
But could I just say once again to all of those who have been impacted by this terrible, terrible tragedy, to the families of the five children who passed away. You know, words can't express the sympathy that I feel, that Tasmanians feel, the outpouring of sympathy right across this country, and I thank people for that. But note that we have five families whose lives have been irreparably damaged. Our thoughts must always be with them.
Importantly for the three children that remain in hospital, our hopes and prayers remain with them, in terms of the challenges that they face. But in respect of the broader community, as I said yesterday, it was inspiring to hear the comments and the thoughts and the offers of support from right across those that live on the North West Coast, those that are engaged with that school, those that are employed in our emergency services and with our first responders. You know, Tasmania will get through this and we will stand with those families and with that school community as they work through this very challenging time.
In terms of this morning and the Nuyina, as I said when I spoke this morning, on the 14th of October, unfortunately, we were in a very short lockdown, one of the very few that we've had in Tasmania, and as this magnificent vessel sailed into this magnificent harbour, I was one of only a handful of people that watched this arrive with little pomp and ceremony. But this vessel and the investment by the Australian Government, and over a long period of time as part of a program of nearly $2 billion worth of investment, will strengthen the links that we have with Antarctica, but importantly also embed and cement Hobart as the gateway to Antarctica, and I'm very thankful for the investment by the Commonwealth in that regard.
I do also just want to touch on the matter of COVID, and this morning we've had another case, it's in the north of the state. The details in respect of that case are on the coronavirustas.gov.au website. Our contact tracers are working through matters at the moment. I understand that initially there are around 19 close contacts, 16 that were on the flight that arrived on Thursday afternoon, and three close family members. And we'll continue to update matters as we receive more information.
But my message to Tasmanians is we expected that this would occur. We have planned for this. Our systems are strong. The procedures that we have in place and the investment that we have made readies us for this. But most importantly, we are one of the most vaccinated places on the planet. Yesterday, we passed the 90 per cent double vaxxed threshold for those aged 12 and over. In terms of over 16s, we're closing in on 97 per cent in terms of first vaccinations, and so we have a very vaccinated population. We have invested well in terms of our supports and our health system. And importantly, Tasmanians should not be concerned by this. We always knew that COVID would arrive. It's just simply a matter of ensuring that you keep informed and you do the little things. There is no mask mandate in Tasmania, but it is being considered. But importantly, if you can't socially distance, ensure that if you're indoors that you wear a mask, that you have good hand hygiene and you do those things that we can each take a little bit of responsibility for to keep our community safe. I'll hand over to Sussan.
THE HON. SUSSAN LEY MP, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: Thank you very much, Premier and Prime Minister. Can I echo your words of sympathy and sorrow for the Devonport community and wish them all the love, help and courage over the months ahead.
It's an important occasion today, and one that as the Premier said, we weren't able to mark earlier given the logistics of COVID. Today, we've had a really good recognition and send off for the RSV Nuyina, a $1.9 billion state of the art icebreaker. There is no more advanced polar research vessel in the world. This is an extraordinary ship, and I've been privileged to have a look over her this morning, and she is indeed remarkable. And she will not only transport expeditioners and resupply our four stations in Antarctica, she will also host international collaborations of scientists, on laboratories that have to be seen to be believed. There is what's called a 'moon pool', a 13 metre well that lifts through the ice, the waters of the Southern Ocean, to examine a range of indicators of the ecosystem.
So if you can consider science in the depths of the ocean, ice sheets and also in the upper atmosphere, contributing to climate science internationally, this vessel is a real underscoring of our commitment, and I want to thank the Prime Minister for his leadership in recognising that our Antarctic science program is underpinned by Tasmania. Thank you, Premier. The jobs, the investment, the industries, many of whom I've had an opportunity to meet personally over the last few days, are extraordinary. They've come up with novel ideas, with adaptations. They've gone down there and spent time in the traverse tractor being pulled, pulling the sleds that go 1,100 kilometres inland to build remote mobile stations and drill [inaudible].
This is such a Tasmanian gateway and a gateway for jobs and growth and the future of this incredible state. But my mission is always for the whole of Australia to understand our Government's commitment to Antarctic science and to meet the people. So as Senator Jonno Duniam often reminds me, the scientists, the expeditioners themselves, the suppliers, the provisioners, the mechanics, the repairers that make up the Antarctic program are extraordinary. And I want to thank also AAD, the Australian Antarctic Division, led by Kim Ellis, wonderful staff and what they do every day to make Antarctic exploration possible. And with this ship, this incredible ship to take that exploration, that science, that environmental protection to the next level. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: PM, just on the Hillcrest tragedy, we've seen around $1 million raised for families affected through GoFundMe. Have you been personally touched just by how deep the community has been willing to help out those families in need?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I have, but I'm also not surprised at the generosity of spirit that flows. I've seen this as Prime Minister every day as we've dealt with some terrible tragedies in the country over the last three years, and on each occasion there is just, Australia are big hearted people. They they feel the tragedies that others experience and their instinct is just to reach out and console and support and do whatever they can. And we're seeing that again here. And for the families and the community that are going through this, that will, that will sound like, I'm sure, hard to connect to, because of the level of their grief. But it will [inaudible] and it will help the grieving process. And, so, on behalf of all Australians, thank you Australians, for reaching out in the way you always do.
JOURNALIST: Safety experts have called the national consistent guidelines, sorry nationally consistent guidelines so all inflatable equipment, regardless of whether it's three metres tall or not, has to be registered. Is that something you'll look at?
PRIME MINISTER: That's ok, no I think I got the question. And look, and Peter might want to comment on this as well, because, you know, actions have already been taken here in Tasmania, actions have been taken here in Tasmania already. And of course they'll be the appropriate inquiries by the authorities here, and that is the best place, I think, for those issues in the first instance to be investigated. But of course, the Commonwealth always seeks to harmonise between states and territories, and I think they'll be, of course, lessons learnt in this process, and the Commonwealth will work with the other states and territories who have carriage and responsibility for these issues to seek to harmonise that consistency wherever possible.
JOURNALIST: You and your wife Jenny will be visiting Devonport later today. What conversations will you be having with the school and the wider community about this tragedy?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're visiting to privately pay our respects today, and I spoke to the Police Commissioner yesterday and what we are doing is respecting his advice, which is we need to give the families some space and time. It is unimaginable as a parent to think what they're going through. You don't even want to contemplate in your own head. And so they will need time. They will need stillness. And they'll need quiet. They'll need those closest to them in their own families to be throwing their arms around them and and weeping with them. That is what they need. We need to respect their space. We need to respect their privacy and how they wish to grieve. But Jenny and I will go there today. We'll go there as the Prime Minister and as a couple, but also as parents, like any other parents who are coming along and paying their respects.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, there's a study out overnight [inaudible] London saying there's no evidence as yet that Omicron is less severe than Delta [inaudible]. On the basis of that, is there a risk the Australian public is being lulled into a premature sense of complacency about the possible threat of Omicron? Would you urge Australians to keep wearing masks and doing rapid antigen testing over Christmas?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what I'd say is that we have been waiting for much information to be coming through, and I'm in regular contact with the Chief Medical Officer. Indeed, he just provided me with further advice this morning. I met with him yesterday. We are constantly in contact on these issues, and his advice to me is that there is still a lot to learn about Omicron. And at the last meeting of National Cabinet, we tasked the AHPPC, the expert medical panel, to be looking at all of these issues. And I wouldn't agree that Australians are complacent about it. I wouldn't agree that any premier or chief minister or me as Prime Minister or any of our health ministers are complacent either. We take this incredibly seriously, but it's best addressed with a calm head and a clear plan and being able to rely especially on what the Australian people have done with vaccination. And Peter made this point. Tasmania, I can tell you right now, is the lead state on boosters, just like they were, as Peter will recall, was the lead state on getting vaccinated as well. The other states caught up with them, of course. But they are taking, they're on the leading edge of states on vaccination and and Peter was running through the figures.
Australia is not the UK, Australia is not Europe, it's not North America. Our experience with COVID has been very different. We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world and our booster program is well underway. Over 1.2 million people have already had their booster. On top of that, our economy is coming through strong, and I always said we must save lives and livelihoods. We have to protect lives and livelihoods. And you've got to get that balance right with your settings. And we have one of the lowest death rates from COVID of any country in the world. So that puts us in a strong position to deal with these challenges. But you take the challenges seriously. You listen to the best medical advice. You get the information. You don't jump at shadows, you wait for the best information. And that's another piece of information that has come in, and I'm sure will help continue to inform all of the decision makers about what the the best way forward is.
But what I do know is, Australia can't go back. We have to go forward. We have to live with this virus. We have to live with it safely. The National Plan was about opening safely, to remain safely open. And that's what we're doing. It was based on the best medical science in the world through the Doherty Institute. And so the best thing for people to do is, as the Premier said, show common sense with your own personal health care and hygiene, get vaccinated and listen out for the information and the rules. And Australia will live with this virus and we are doing it, even now.
JOURNALIST: ATAGI has decided not to reduce the interval period for booster shots. Is that a decision you agree with?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course they are the medical experts who decide those things, that is their job, to make the medical determinations about what the appropriate period is between a booster shot and the second vaccine. Now I know that that is under constant review. I know that they are looking at different timeframes. But at this point, they've decided not to do that. There are well over two million, almost three million Australians who are eligible right now for boosters. And so there are plenty of vaccines. And so it's important that they go and get their their booster shots now. You can get the Moderna shot, you can get the Pfizer shot, they're all as good as each other. And I would encourage you to go and do that, whether it's from a pharmacy or GP. And I particularly want to thank Premier Gutwein for his commitment to keeping the state-based vaccine hubs rolling out. That's tremendous and have asked all premiers and chief ministers to be doing the same thing, as I discussed with at National Cabinet the other day.
JOURNALIST: Is there any medical advice about when states and territories should potentially consider restrictions with case numbers? Because we've seen 2,400 in New South Wales today. Is there any advice at all about restrictions in cases or?
PRIME MINISTER: Living with the virus under the National Plan is not about case numbers. And so we need to be careful in how we talk about case numbers. We're not going to alarm people on case numbers. What matters is hospitalisations, ICU, people on ventilators and severe illness. And that's what matters, and that's the key indicators and the thresholds for determining what public health settings should do. We're past the time when we just talk about case numbers. That is not the trigger for other decisions. It is a leading indicator on some, on some issues. But the real issue is how many people are experiencing serious illness. Now, there's just, 24, I think, in New South Wales currently that are, who are in that situation. And as a result, you know, the case numbers are not translating into into immediate pressure. But that's not to say it won't. But we're ready for this. We've been planning for this. We planned to live with the virus. We didn't plan to remain shut in.
JOURNALIST: For weeks now, the Government said that it's working to lift Indigenous vaccination rates, yet in Tennant Creek only, in the Tennant Creek area, only around one in three people are vaccinated. What are you doing to lift that rate? And is it a concern?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're working directly with the community and the Northern Territory Government, as we move through every community, as we have done in other states and territories to improve the vaccination rates in Indigenous Australians as best as we possibly can. We have teams doing that. But the good news is is we're pushing on 70 per cent vaccination in Indigenous communities now. And I know that compares extremely well with other nations and their Indigenous peoples. So I want to thank all the Indigenous leaders, I want to thank our medical teams, I want to thank those on the ground. I mean, in many cases, this is a door to door activity. And that's exactly what we're doing, working together with the Northern Territory Government.
But thank you very much for your questions. Is there anything else you wanted to add, Pete, before we?
JOURNALIST: Premier, can we just talk about the positive case you've got today?
THE HON. PETER GUTWEIN MP, PREMIER OF TASMANIA: Yeah of course.
JOURNALIST: Just in terms of, I know there were some wastewater positive testing in Norwood and you don't know of a case there. What do people, what should people be doing in terms of getting tested in that area?
THE HON. PETER GUTWEIN MP, PREMIER OF TASMANIA: In terms of the positive test, in terms of the wastewater treatment plant serving Norwood, if anybody's experiencing symptoms, even light symptoms, please go and get a test. We don't have any public health advice in terms of the positive case in the area, so if you do have symptoms, please go and get tested.
JOURNALIST: And you're confident there's no broader risk to the community, given this positive COVID case has travelled to multiple locations in the Launceston area?
THE HON. PETER GUTWEIN MP, PREMIER OF TASMANIA: Well, I think once people view the exposure sites, they'll see that the person only spent a short period of time at the different exposure sites. We're working through that contact tracing now. As I've said, my advice first thing this morning was that there were only 19 close contacts initially, but we'll work through that. I would expect public health to update that when they have further advice.
JOURNALIST: Patrons at the JJs Bakery Cafe are going to be deemed close contacts. How many people are you expecting will be isolating from there?
THE HON. PETER GUTWEIN MP, PREMIER OF TASMANIA: Well, again, that's a matter for public health to work through. It was only a short window of time, but public health will work through that process and they'll obviously contact those people and appropriately advise them in terms of what action they should take.
JOURNALIST: And this man obviously got a test once he was notified from public health about being in that high risk area of New South Wales. Should he have got a test anyway?
THE HON. PETER GUTWEIN MP, PREMIER OF TASMANIA: Well, he was tested, I would expect, prior to coming in, coming from New South Wales. But, you know, again, we have at the moment a recommendation from public health, a very strong recommendation, that anybody that is in the state, that has travelled in, that was outside of the high risk areas that have been identified across both Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT, if they weren't subject to a pre-departure test within 72 hours before arriving in Tasmania, they should get a test.
JOURNALIST: So this man did take a pre-departure test?
THE HON. PETER GUTWEIN MP, PREMIER OF TASMANIA: Look, I don't have that public health advice at the moment, we can certainly find out whether or not he did.
JOURNALIST: And just one more from Hillcrest, families of the victims are frustrated by the lack of information provided about what actually happened that day. Can you understand their frustrations and will they get answers?
THE HON. PETER GUTWEIN MP, PREMIER OF TASMANIA: Look, I can absolutely understand their frustrations, but there needs to be a proper investigation into this and obviously WorkSafe is working with Tas police and we do need to let that take its course. And obviously, when we're in a position where we can provide answers to the families and to the broader community, we will do so.
JOURNALIST: Just one more on the virus. So we've seen five cases now in three days since the reopening. Do you have any second thoughts about about reopening at the time you did, considering WA's still closed to other states?
THE HON. PETER GUTWEIN MP, PREMIER OF TASMANIA: Well, the framework that we put in place to reopen was this. Firstly, as a Government, we needed to be satisfied that 100 per cent of eligible Tasmanians for the vaccination had had the opportunity to be vaccinated. Now, we passed that threshold a number of weeks ago. Importantly, we set a target initially to be 90 per cent vaccinated for over 16, for over 16s. And then, for over 12s. As of yesterday, we hit that 90 per cent target for the over 12s. And so we've achieved the vaccination targets that we want. And as I've said, we're one of the most vaccinated places in the country and on the planet. We have put in place the systems to manage this. And importantly, we've been upfront with the Tasmanian community. We always knew that we would see cases in the state once we reopened. That's just going to continue to happen. Importantly, Tasmanians simply need to do those things that they are asked by public health, should they be a close or casual contact. And importantly, across the state, once again, I would say to Tasmanians, do the right thing, ensure that you have good hand hygiene, that you follow the rules in respect to social distancing, and if you're inside indoors and you can't socially distance appropriately, wear a mask.
JOURNALIST: Just on Nuyina, finally, COVID delayed its arrival originally and then delayed its celebrations and the launch today. How exciting is it that it's finally going to embark on its journey?
THE HON. PETER GUTWEIN MP, PREMIER OF TASMANIA: Well, look, I think it's fantastic that Nuyina not only could be welcomed and launched in the state, but it will be departing, as well, on its first journey. You know, this is a significant investment, in fact, the largest investment it's ever been made by an Australian Government into Antarctic operations - more than $500 million into the ship, a $1.9 billion program over coming years. It's an incredibly important day for Tasmania because what this will do is underpin the benefits of the Antarctic program and Hobart being the gateway to the Antarctic for decades to come.
Press Conference - Emu Plains, NSW
17 December 2021
Mr Tristan Opie: Welcome to Opie Manufacturing, here at Emu Plains, Western Sydney. We’re a contract manufacturer, making all sorts of sheet metal products for the building and construction industry. We work with the automotive aftermarket producing for the Australian economy.
Ms Melissa McIntosh MP, Federal Member for Lindsay: Thank you very much Tristan and to Alyssa and the whole Opie family. As someone who grew up in this area, the Opies have been here for a long time. I’m really proud to have a great Aussie manufacturer right here in Emu Plains because in Western Sydney we make stuff and Opie Manufacturing make a lot of things for the Australian market. I’m really happy to be here with the Prime Minister to show how we’re creating jobs as we emerge through the pandemic. How we are supporting our local manufacturers by having new apprentices and trainees coming through and how we are backing our local Aussie businesses all the way. So thank you very much.
Prime Minister: Thank you very much Melissa, it’s great to be back here in Lindsay, Western Sydney and here today in Emu Plains. To all the Opie family, Tristan, Alyssa, and to the whole crew, there are over 40 people working here, it’s wonderful to be here. Thanks for the tips today and a bit of training on the job, thank you. When it comes to my welding skills, with each opportunity, they improve.
But, before I make some remarks about why we're here today, again I just want to extend on behalf of the Government and Jenny and I, our deepest sympathies to all the families and all the community in Devonport for this horrific tragedy, that's occurred with the loss of five young precious lives, and more that hang in the balance. I want to thank all the first responders. You know, our first responders each and every day are trained to deal with some of the most unimaginable things, but on this occasion I think it goes well beyond what even they could have imagined and the scene that was on the ground. I spoke to the Police Commissioner this morning and thanked him and through him, all the first responders. I've spoken to the Premier again today. We're working on some programs of support for the entire Devenport community. I mean you can imagine, this is a tight-knit community. There would be few people, if any, in Devonport , who wouldn’t had a connection to one of those families, to that school, to the first responders, to those who have been impacted by this terrible, terrible tragedy. And I know people will just be in shock, they’ll be in grief, they’ll be in disbelief. And I just want to assure them that we will do everything we can to support you through this time, not just today, but into the weeks and months that are ahead as you somehow seek to process this terrible, tragic event. We will continue to work closely with the Tasmanian State Government. I've been talking to Gavin Pearce as well, the Member for Braddon, who was on the scene yesterday, speaking to those directly who were there and taking in and seeking to support what had occurred at that terrible scene yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Tasmania but particularly for the families who have lost their children. As a parent, there are no words, there can only be prayers.
But here we are at Opie today on brighter news, because yesterday we learned of jobs roaring back into our economy. 350,000, in fact 360,000 jobs coming back as the lockdowns lifted and the Australian economy sprung back and in addition to that now, we know that there are 188,000 more jobs today than there were before the pandemic began. And when you look at the jobs recovery in Australia, and you compare it to the biggest and most advanced economies in the world in the G7, Australia tops them all, all of them. The United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, France, and the list goes on, Canada. Australia has outpaced them all in our jobs recovery. And that is exciting, because it's in places just like here at Opie where we already make things in Australia, we have been making them in Australia for a long time and Opie have been doing it for 60 years, and like other manufacturing businesses that I’ve I met here with Melissa, and we've seen them adapt and change and overcome and go through things like pandemics and other challenges that they have faced in the past and here they are, looking for six more employees to come on board and that is the job story occurring here in Australia. There are more than a million Australians working in manufacturing today. Our government has restored that, restored Australia to making things again and making them here in Western Sydney. Under Labor one in eight manufacturing jobs were lost. We have come through and are coming through the worst global pandemic in a century but yet, we are getting more people into jobs. The unemployment rate just three years ago when I became Prime Minister was 5.2 per cent. Today it is 4.6 per cent. So we're keeping the promise of jobs to Australians by ensuring that we're working alongside businesses right across the country. Unprecedented tax incentives through the Instant Asset Write-off program, which means millions of dollars of investment which is going into manufacturing businesses like this, can be written off immediately, fully expensed in one year. Businesses like this, manufacturing businesses in the suburbs of our major cities are now paying 25 per cent as a corporate tax rate, not 30 per cent. These are the supports that are enabling businesses to have confidence and invest through this pandemic. You've just seen the investments they've put in place with the plant just outside this building. These investments were being made in the pandemic because this is a business that's looking through the front windscreen. They're looking forward, they’re looking forward at the opportunities, and the jobs, and their future prosperity, and we're backing them in, whether it's through the tax arrangements we put in place, whether it's the fact that we have got more apprentices in trade training right now at 217,000, than we have ever had in recorded history in this country. And those records go back to 1963. So, those who tell you there aren't people in trade training at the moment, those who want to tell you other stories, these are the facts. This is the truth. 217,000 Australians in trade training right now, which is the highest level on record since they were kept in 1963. And when you invest in skills like we have, when you invest in increased university places, 30,000 more this year, then our manufacturing industry has that future. The Modern Manufacturing Initiative is a key part of our economic recovery plan as we go into the future, supporting businesses just like these ones here and so many around the country.
The other thing that will continue to support us as which face down this pandemic is jabs. Jabs and jobs. That's what our government is delivering. Yesterday, again, we had another record day on the booster shots for Omicron. We are now over a million booster shots that have already been delivered right across the country. In addition to that, we have now passed the 90 per cent double dose vaccination rate right across the country. Which means that not only have we had one of the lowest death rates of COVID anywhere in the world, and one of the strongest advanced economies as these jobs' figures demonstrate. And remember, it was the Labor Party who said that the real test of the Government and of the economic recovery was jobs. Well, the Labor Party have just told you, by their own benchmark, that the way to secure the economic recovery is to vote Liberal, because we have delivered on those jobs. The third area is we've delivered one of the highest vaccination rates anywhere in the world and, so, you put jobs and jabs together, and that means our economy can have the strength going forward.
Now, the other thing I wanted to mention to you today is we have signed in the new UK Free Trade Agreement today. What that means is, when we came to government 27 per cent of our trade was covered by these pro-export agreements for Australia, just 27 per cent. With the signing of the UK Free Trade Agreement, which was new negotiated between Prime Minister Johnson and I when I was in the UK earlier this year, and finished off by the Trade Minister, Dan Tehan, and I congratulate Dan for his great work, we now have 75 per cent of our trade covered by these pro-export agreements that give Australian exporters that opportunity. 27 per cent to 75 per cent of our trade covered. Unemployment in the last three years, 5.2 per cent down to 4.6 per cent and 188,000 more jobs in the economy, higher than we had before the pandemic. So, I want to thank everybody here for the great job they're doing, making things for Australia, making things in Australia, making jobs here in Australia, and happy to take some questions.
Journalist: Speaking of jabs, surging demand for boosters is causing supply problems for some GPs and pharmacies. Should the states be reopening mass vaccination hubs to help out?
Prime Minister: We are encouraging the states and territories to keep as many of their vaccination hubs and other facilities open, because of the acceleration of the booster program. It's something we discussed last meeting between Premiers and Chief Ministers and I, and they were keen to get that advice. We've give than advice that we need to keep as much of this open and rolling. We are now almost up to 200,000 doses being administered a day, again, because of the strong interest and response from the Australian public to the booster program. We didn’t haven't to pay people to get vaccines. Australians know it's important. I see the Labor Party have walked away from that thought bubble and we need to give people that opportunity, which we are. We're seeing those vaccination rates for boosters accelerate. The time period was brought forward on the medical advice to five months. They're considering if that should come forward again, that's a decision for them. They're the medical advisers. But we have enough vaccines, plenty of vaccines. We’ve got 9,000 points of presence with our pharmacists and GPs. The state effort will also be important and in talking to the Premier of Tasmania early today, it was another issue we discussed and they're certainly rolling that out and continuing to roll that out. Tasmania is well over 90 per cent now, doing a terrific job down there.
Journalist: Prime Minister, your government has repeatedly insisted an Indigenous voice will be legislated this term of parliament. Can you keep that promise that that will happen?
Prime Minister: What we said is we would follow the co-design process. That was our commitment. That was set up and I want to thank Marcia and Tom for the great job they've done in pulling that together. We're proceeding with that. We're keeping that commitment. We said we would work through that co-design process.
What I'm trying to do here is ensure that we can hear the voices of Indigenous people on the ground because I want to close the gap. This is not some political exercise. In order for us to close the gap on infant mortality, in Indigenous communities, to reduce substance dependence, to reduce child abuse, to get kids in school, to ensure that we can improve maternal health in Indigenous communities, to get young people and their parents into jobs, to do that you have to work in partnership with local Indigenous communities. That's why I'm interested in this. This is about listening to local Indigenous communities and that's where the voice must start. It doesn't start with grandiose gestures, it doesn’t start with big political speeches, it starts on the ground pulling together local Indigenous communities and listening carefully to them so we can get service delivery right. That's what our voice is about. It's not about other things, it's about hearing and it builds on the local voices that are already there and where that has been successful. So, that's what we're committed to doing. It's about closing the gap. That's what I'm about. I'm about closing the gap, not setting up political edifices, I'm interested in hearing what's happening on the ground and that's where Ken Wyatt and I have always had our focus. That's where it must start. That's where we're starting. That's what the co-design process has delivered and that is us keeping that commitment.
Journalist: Will the plans for the election derail the process? (INAUDIBLE)
Prime Minister: I don't believe it will derail the process from moving ahead and listening to the voices of local Indigenous communities and organising that as best as we possibly can. I'm very committed to doing that for one simple reason: It helps us deliver better services to Indigenous people right across the country, to improve their lives, to increase their lifespan, to improve the health of their kids. That's what this should be about. It's not about politics. It's about the health of young boys and girls, Indigenous to this country, growing up in their communities. That's what I'm interested in. I'm not interested in the political gesturing.
Journalist: Prime Minister, just on a local topic, Labor has announced its federal candidate for Lindsay, Trevor Ross, last week. How confident are you that Ms McIntosh and the Liberal Party have what it takes to win the seat of Lindsay again?
Prime Minister: I can only quote the Labor Party. When the Labor Party said the test of the Government was the ability to generate jobs through the pandemic and lower unemployment, well, we're at 4.6 per cent, and those jobs are right here in the electorate of Lindsay. So I can only take it from that that the Labor Party are advocating a vote for the Liberal Party here in Lindsay because we've delivered on the benchmark that they themselves have set. But in addition to that, Melissa McIntosh has been outstanding Member here in Lindsay, she’s been delivering on the ground for the people of Lindsay and given, you've asked the question, I'm happy for her to give you the response about her achievements here in the local community.
Ms Melissa McIntosh MP, Federal Member for Lindsay: Thanks, Prime Minister. And thanks for the opportunity to talk about why I'm so passionate about my community and the things that we need to deliver. And that's why I ran initially for Parliament. It's about delivering jobs for people right across Western Sydney and standing in a local manufacturing factory here today, this is what it's about. Making sure we're at the heart of the new era of manufacturing. So many opportunities for people with Western Sydney Airport and it’s the Morrison government that’s made this investment into the airport. That will bring 28,000 jobs upon opening. These are local jobs for local people that currently have to commute out of Western Sydney every single day. We want our kids to live and work right here in Western Sydney. It's about delivering upgrades for our infrastructure. Dunheved Road, my community along with me fought for Dunheved Road during the last campaign. We had half the amount there during the campaign, we went out there again and fought for the full amount. $127 million dollars for the upgrade to Dunheved Road. So backing local infrastructure, backing local manufacturing, backing local jobs, that's what it is all about. That's why I'm so pleased and so proud to be representing my community of Lindsay, thank you.
Prime Minister: Thank you, Melissa. You’ve reminded me, and given you’ve asked the question, Western Sydney International Airport, the Nancy-Bird Walton Airport, this is a proud achievement of our government for Western Sydney. We fought for that. In government we're delivering it. It is 25% built. Now if you want a clear contrast between myself and the leader of the Labor Party, the Leader of the Opposition, Anthony Albanese, you can't find a better example than the Western Sydney Airport. He went into Parliament, one of the first things he said, he went in Parliament a long time ago, this was the biggest issue that he wanted to see happen. He went through Opposition, he became the Minister for Transport. He was there for six years and he didn't even dig a hole when it came to the building of Western Sydney Airport. It took a Liberal-National Government to achieve that. It took a Liberal-National Government with Liberal strong members here in Western Sydney to enable that to happen. That is happening now at a grand scale. The economic boom that's brought to Western Sydney has been truly remarkable and it will continue to be in the future. So, I think that sets out a lot as to why the Liberals and Nationals have proven themselves to be deliverers for Western Sydney.
Journalist: New South Wales has had the highest numbers of daily cases today. Is there a level of daily case numbers at which restrictions will start coming into use or do you think they're irrelevant now?
Prime Minister: We can't go back to lockdowns, we all know that. Right from the start of this pandemic, we have always sought to balance saving lives and saving livelihoods and we always must protect lives and livelihoods. That remains our goal, these two twin goals. So, yes, we must continue to listen carefully to the medical advice and we are doing that each and every day, but we are in a different phase of the pandemic. The fact that today I can stand here and tell you that right across the country, 90 per cent of our adult population is double-dose vaccinated, that more than a million Australians have had their booster shots and that number is growing every single day. That arms us to be able to deal with these new challenges. And so case numbers are no longer the metric. Case numbers are no longer the trigger or the indicator. Sure, they're important, but the real measure is what does it mean for serious illness, ICU, hospitalisation, pressures on the hospital system and the health system. More information will become clear about the severity of illness relating to Omicron, but so far, there is nothing to suggest it is certainly worse and a lot to suggest that it is less. We've been seeing thousands of cases a day now for weeks in Victoria and we've seen the Victorian health system stand up strongly, and we've been seeing the same thing here in New South Wales. Now they're taking proper precautions and they should, but what is important is we keep our heads, we keep calm, we keep open, we keep healthy, and we keep getting vaccinated, because that is how we chart our way forward. That is the path that the Commonwealth Government is certainly on and seeking to encourage everybody along that path. With that, I want to thank you all for being here today, it's great to be in a business, a manufacturing business in Western Sydney that’s putting people on, making things here in Western Sydney and getting things done.
And to everyone in Tasmania, and everyone in Devonport, our hearts are with you, our hearts are with you. Thank you, everyone.
Press Conference - Terrigal, NSW
16 December 2021
Ms Lucy Wicks MP, Member for Robertson: Well, hello, everyone. We did it. Our community has been hoping for the day that has come today, with the Prime Minister here in Terrigal, and I do want to welcome the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison, together with my colleagues, the Member for Mackellar Jason Falinski, a staunch opponent of the PEP-11 project, and also, of course, our Liberal candidates for Shortland Nell McGill, and and Paterson in Brooke Vitnell. It's fantastic to be here today. It is such a significant announcement for our region. Our community has been so united in its voice, in its opposition to this project, and so today is a very important day for our community. But I just have to say, we did it. Prime Minister.
Prime Minister: Well, thank you very much [inaudible]. Just before I start, you may wonder why I’m wearing a mask and all these sort of things over the last couple of days. Just on the way here I was advised that I’m, of a casual contact, as I understand it. Took advice from the Chief Medical Officer, took a rapid antigen test before turning up here today. And so just exercising all the proper precautions. I’m probably the most PCR tested and rapid antigen tested leaders of any government anywhere in the world, I suspect. And and of course, the test was negative, but just following the proper precautions, as you would expect me to do.
But before I make remarks about the PEP-11 decision, the events that have occurred today in Devonport in Tasmania are just shattering. They they are just unthinkably heartbreaking, and young children on a fun day out, together with their families, and it turns to such horrific tragedy. At this time of year, it just breaks your heart. And I've just been speaking to Premier Gutwein. We've been in contact over the course of the morning since we’ve learnt. He's on his way there now. He'll be standing up later. And we do have one confirmed fatality. And further reports will be given during the course of the day. And I just want to say, on behalf of Jen and I, to the parents and the family and friends and all who were there, the other young children who were there and witnessing these events, I just pray that you’ll have great family around you and great friends. And that you’ll be able to come through this horrific tragedy. And we'll be staying in close contact with with the Tasmanian Government, and providing whatever support is necessary, that they have all the services and support that they need there. And and I’ll be speaking to the Premier later today and and taking further advice from him. So just a terrible tragedy. Unthinkable. A horrific accident, a freak accident, that will leave families completely devastated.
But to the reasons why we're here today, and that is to announce that after careful consideration, the Government has taken, through my own decision, the first step to formally reject an application for the Petroleum Export Permit, known as PEP-11. This is located primarily in Commonwealth waters off the New South Wales coast, between New South Wales, sorry, between Newcastle and Wollongong, and it covers an area of some 8,200 kilometres.
The Government has advised, I have advised the New South Wales Minister Paul O'Toole, as the joint authority partner, and the National Office Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator, of our decision, of my decision, of our intention to refuse the application. Now, NOPTA, as the regulator, will give the applicant 30 days, which is the process, to this notice of intention to refuse the application, and the New South Wales Government has also, I note, recommended refusing the application for the licence that was originally granted by the previous Labor Government.
The refusal of the application, I want to stress, is based on the following reasons: the Government and I, in particular, has given consideration, of course, to the high levels of community opposition to the application, which is not only here at this magnificent beach here in the Central Coast, in Terrigal, but going all the way up through to Newcastle, all the way down through the beautiful beaches of Palm Beach and all the way down there to Manly, and then across, down to my own neck of the woods, down there in the Shire, and even further south to that.
We’ve listened carefully to that. As the Prime Minister, you have to get the process right and you have to consider all the other factors that are involved to make a proper decision. And I want to thank people for their patience here along this stretch of the New South Wales coast, because it's important that a government has the experience to know how to do these things properly.
And in addition to those issues, of course, I can advise the Government is not satisfied that the applicant is able to raise sufficient funding required to progress the work program in a timely manner and in the timeframe of the permit conditions. There have been issues of previous compliance with other conditions under the licence, and the Government does not agree with the reasons listed by the applicant for the extension and that there is insufficient evidence to meet the criteria of force majeure.
And, so, I have taken that decision directly as Prime Minister, and I've done that because these decisions, I think, scan over many areas of government’s, of the government's operations, and I have taken advice from a number of departments on this matter.
I want to be very clear, though, that while we've taken what I think is a very sensible, a very balanced and well-considered decision here in relation to this particular application, we also believe, as a Government, that the gas industry has an important role to play, right across the country, in supporting our pathway to net zero emissions, and to also keep electricity prices down and keep jobs in place with reliable, affordable energy, which is so critical to jobs all the way up this coast, and particularly in Newcastle and the Hunter region, in particular. We are moving forward with our gas-fired power plant at Kurri Kurri. We are going forward with our gas-fired recovery. We are investing more than $220 million in new funding as part of the Beetaloo Basin Strategic Basin Plan. We have lent in and have provided $15.7 million to support gas field trials in the North Bowen and Galilee Basins. So this isn't about being for or against the resources industry. This is about making a sensible, practical, balanced decision, taking into account all the factors that are necessary.
And I do want to thank my team here, and they’re all represented here. And I extend that to also Trent Zimmerman, as the Member for North Sydney, and Dave Sharma, who's the Member for Wentworth, who represents many of the beaches that I grew up on. You know, I have a keen sense of what it's like to live in places like this and how important this ocean environment is to us all. It's why I'm such a passionate advocate about getting plastics out of our oceans and out of our waterways, and the export waste ban that I put in place after we were elected to ensure that we can take greater care of these amazing environments that we love so much. But it's important we do that in a balanced way, and we can ensure that the people who rely on the resources industry can continue to do so with confidence. So, this is a balance, and this is a sensible decision, because at the end of the day, I want to protect this, but I also want to protect people's jobs.
And today we have had tremendous news, that in the jobs figures today, there were 366,100 additional jobs. That's what I call shaking and baking the economy. That's what I call shaking and baking those jobs. That's what we're doing as a Government. We're growing our economy. We're focused on making good, sensible, certain, practical decisions to support industry in this country that protects our environment, that keeps growing jobs. The unemployment rate has fallen to 4.6 per cent again, and we now have 186,000 thousand more jobs today than we did before the pandemic started. Australia is a jobs machine, Australia is forging ahead, and we are looking forward to a strong and confident economy going into the new year. We’ve maintained our AAA credit rating. Two of the agencies have taken us off the negative watch. We've been able to continue to invest in the important infrastructure and the essential services that Australians rely on, because that is what a strong economy does. It's all about jobs and protecting those jobs. It's about protecting the incredible lifestyle we have in this country. And in our response to COVID, that is what we've also been working so hard to protect.
And I thank Australians as we now, today we will go past the 90 per cent double dose rate across the country. An extraordinary achievement for Australians. We will also today go past the one million booster doses already administered in Australia. Those boosters, I want to continue to encourage people to come out and get those boosters because that is our best protection against Omicron. I know people may still be concerned about Omicron, we're taking it incredibly seriously. The Government has taken important steps to keep people safe, but at the end of the day, our own health is our own responsibility. And that's why I'd say, Omicron will be here in this country. It is already here. So do the right thing by your own health and get vaccinated and get your booster shot. If you feel uncomfortable about going out in other public spaces, well, you can choose to stay home, you can choose to wear a mask, you can choose many things to protect your own health, but they’re your choices, and we have to be careful about imposing our choices on others.
I've said that governments have done a lot interfering in people's lives the last couple of years, and that's been necessary. But the time has come for people to take responsibility also, and not have the Government being able to tell them what to do and looking after their own health. That's what living with this virus looks like.
Now, I know that's a lot to cover in this press conference today, and I thank you for your patience. But I want to thank particularly Lucy Wicks, who I'm here with today, who has been such a strong advocate on this issue, on PEP-11, together with Jason and the whole crew, and it's, and with Brooke and Nell who are here with us today - our candidates up in Paterson and there in Shortland. We work together as a team. You want to get things done, then you need members of your local area who are in the Government to get them done. And one of those, in addition to Lucy, is, of course, Jason Falinski, the Member for Mackellar, who will say a few words.
Mr Jason Falinski MP, Member for Mackellar: Thank you, Prime Minister. Thank you all for being here today. Well, I have to say this is what good policy looks like. It’s not about political stunts. It's about a long, hard road of making sensible and rational arguments as part of a team. And in doing that, we have managed today to make a decision, which I thank you Prime Minister for, which protects and preserves this coast, not just for the people of the east coast of Australia, but for those who will follow us. And that is what Government is all about, making sure that we leave this world better than the one, than when we found it when we entered it. And there will be, and I think as John F. Kennedy said, success has a thousand forebears and failure isn’t awful. Well, today there will be a lot of people who will claim credit for this. But the front groups are funded by people who inherited a lot of wealth. Their rationale for running so many candidates who claim to be independent against Liberal members like Dave Sharma, like Trent Zimmerman, has been that we cannot deliver on policies like this. Well, today we have shown that it is through hard, difficult discussions inside the Government, not flopping pieces of legislation on the table in Parliament in the, in the House of Representatives without consultation, that leaves the taxpayers of Australia potentially open to compensation worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But by following process, we have managed to save this coastline, not only for the people who live here today, but for the millions who will follow us. And so I say to those who are running against people like Dave Sharma and Trent Zimmerman, your entire rationale for doing that today has been undercut, because what they have shown is that they can deliver on policies for people today, that you are not able to do. So I want to thank the Prime Minister. I want to thank the Government. I want to thank Lucy Wicks who worked hand in hand with people to get this done. But this is Parliament. This is politics at its best, because it is when you put policy above politics that you put people first. And that's what this announcement is about today. Thank you.
Prime Minister: [Inaudible] They’re the Voices of Labor, the Voices of Labor. Ok, happy to take some questions … Local people first.
Journalist: Ok, Prime Minister, the [inaudible], we’ve called NOPTA this morning and they say that the process hasn't gone to the joint authority, as yet. When will that actually go to the joint authority and when will that 30 days for the proponents start?
Prime Minister: Well, that is imminent. I mean, I signed off a letter in the last couple of days, and that has gone to Paul O’Toole, it’s also gone through to the agency, and they will start that process imminently, and I would expect that to be completed certainly by the end of January, and I would hope well before then.
Journalist: You always said with regards to PEP-11 that the ultimate decision was with the Resources Minister Keith Pitt. It's taken a long time to get to today. What's been the main sticking point and is, does he support this decision that you’re announcing today?
Prime Minister: It’s a decision of the Government and I decided to take the decision as the Prime Minister, which I'm authorised to do, and I did this because I wanted to ensure that we took a whole of government understanding of this decision and to take into account all of the factors. And that's why I thank all of those who’ve felt so strongly about this issue for their patience. And it was important that I methodically worked through the proper process to make the ultimate decision and take all the necessary advice that I had to take and then form a decision. And so I appreciate that has required patience. And I’ve made comments about this and those comments were exactly as I, as I felt about the situation. But Prime Ministers have to do more that. Prime Ministers who are experienced in these roles need to ensure that they follow those processes, which I have done. And so here we are today. We've got to take the time to get it right, and I was ensuring that we did that, and I wanted to send a very clear message to people right along this coast about the priority I put on these decisions and getting the balance right on these decisions, as Prime Minister. And as Jason has just rightly said, it has been our
members and our candidates, at the end of the day, working on behalf of their communities. That's how you get things done. People can shout out the clouds all they like and they can show pony all they like. But the hard work of government is done in the Government, not outside.
Journalist: Prime Minister, this electorate has received $14 million in grants funding, whereas up in Dobell it’s only received $2.4 million. Can you honestly say that the Coalition’s allocation of grants funding is fair and ethical?
Prime Minister: All I can say is that when we make a commitment to do something, we do it, and all the commitments that the Member for Robertson, the Member for Mackellar, the Member for Cook, where we have stood and where we have made commitments, we meet them. And that's the electoral process, and we've been very transparent about that. I've seen the selective analysis that has been done, it doesn't cover all the programs. I also say this, that it's important that we support communities that have been affected by natural disasters, most particularly drought. I mean, the reason so much money has gone to support electorates that are held by Coalition members substantially is because Coalition members hold the seats in rural and regional areas that have been so comprehensively impacted previously by the drought, and so I’m not going to make any apologies for supporting drought-affected and flood-affected communities, and I'm always going to deliver on the commitments that I make on an election, which is exactly what we have done.
Journalist: But those electorates that did not vote for the Coalition and non-marginal. Are they being punished, are the voters there being punished for voting Labor?
Prime Minister: No. Well, I can tell you, if they support our candidates, the commitments I make will be delivered.
Journalist: You've mentioned the jobs figures today and we've looked at Budget forecasts. Is that all dependent upon the pandemic staying under control? I mean, we're seeing numbers increase rapidly in New South Wales again at the moment and lockdowns.
Prime Minister: Sure. I mean, that is a very relevant issue, of course, to the outlook. And that's why I think it's incredibly important, as we continue to manage this pandemic, that we keep a cool head and we ensure that we are approaching each challenge in a calm and certain way. What is not helpful is stop go, flip and flop. What's helpful is clear, decisive action, sticking to a course, taking the best advice, taking the community with you, allowing people to make sensible choices, to get vaccinated, as we encourage people to come forward and get their booster shots. There’s over two million Australians who are now eligible for that booster shot, which has been brought forward to five months, and we are every, every week reviewing that interval period with ATAGI for those booster shots, and if they choose to take it forward to four months, well, we have a million vaccines right now in the, in the distribution system, particularly in pharmacies, all around the country. So if you're eligible, please go and get that booster shot. But the important way to ensure we keep the jobs and we keep the confidence continuing to build, is that we must keep a cool head. We must understand that case numbers now, in the phase we are in in managing this pandemic, are not the issue. The issue is how many people are in ICU. I was speaking to the New South Wales Premier Dom Perrottet yesterday. There are just over 20 people in ICU at present. And so even though there are rising cases, as we have seen in Victoria where they have had over a thousand cases a day now for many weeks, and their hospital system, because of the good planning and partnership that we have in place, is holding up to that very strongly. And the same is true here in New South Wales. So my simple message to Australians is to go about your lives, enjoy the summer, exercise the common sense precautions that you would. If you're feeling uncertain, then it's not compulsory to go out. It's not compulsory not to wear a mask, either. And as I have done today, sensibly, on the basis of being a casual contact, that's what I've done today, and hopefully that means I can go back to what I was doing yesterday. It's just about being sensible, living with the virus, living confidently with the virus, living together with the virus. That's what will keep the jobs coming. That's what will keep the certainty coming. That's what will keep Australians safe.
Journalist: Just regarding the booster program, the AMA has criticised it, heavily criticised the program, saying it's unaffordable for some GPs, and supplies are running out in some places. Is the program being bungled at this critical moment?
Prime Minister: Not at all. As I've said, we've got ample supply of vaccine. There's a million of them out there right now. From time to time, the providers will raise issues of the the costs and and the support, financial support, we're providing, as they have throughout the pandemic. And I thank them for the way that they have worked with us as part of this program. The interval I wish to stress of the duration between when you've had your second dose and your booster, it set on the basis of the advice of ATAGI. It is not set by politicians. And I want to stress that we're seeing some decisions made in the UK. Note, a) They are dealing with a situation where their second doses were a lot earlier in the year and they are also in a winter period, as opposed to where we are here. And as I said earlier this week, we have to ensure that we manage the pandemic the Australian way, for Australian circumstances, based on Australian vaccination rates, Australian data. We have ample supply of vaccines. We have 9,000 points of presence out there right now, and encouraging people to get those, to get those booster shots. And if you haven't had your second dose yet, then please go and do that as well.
Journalist: Will you consider a boost in funding for the pharmacists and GPs to assist in their roll out of the boosters?
Prime Minister: Well, what we're seeing is the booster program continues to be rolled out by the pharmacists, and enthusiastically, and we're always considering these issues, as we have throughout the pandemic, and we appreciate the incredibly strong support we've had from the Pharmacy Guild in all of those things, and the practical issues that we deal with on that is something we'll continue to discuss with them directly.
But, on that basis, can I thank again you Lucy for having us here today. Brooke, it's great to have you here, coming down from Paterson, and Nell, it was good to be up there with you in Shortland a little while ago. And I know this will be great news for people in the Hunter, but also the fact that we're continuing to lean forward for reliable, affordable energy in the Hunter, which is so important for those jobs. And Jason, as a fellow Sydneysider and at, where we like to think we have the best beaches down in the Shire and the northern beaches, well, we, that's the one thing we will only argue on, but on these issues, we are absolutely rock solid together, and great work on ensuring that we follow this through as a very effective local Member. Thanks everyone.
Press Conference - Brookfield, QLD
15 December 2021
MR JULIAN SIMMONDS MP, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR RYAN: Alright, well, good morning, everybody. I'm Julian Simmonds. I’m the Federal Member for the seat of Ryan, and it's wonderful to welcome you to the electorate of Ryan today. Welcome, wonderful to welcome the PM, not just to Brookfield Showgrounds here in Brisbane's western suburbs, but back to Queensland. He has a great affinity with Queenslanders and vice versa. And I know he's looking forward to getting around our great state even more. But it's wonderful to have him here this morning. To my colleague Luke Howarth, who’s the Assistant Minister for Youth. Thank you for being here. And also to the wonderful Bruce and Denise Morcombe, who are doing an incredible job with a lot of courage and a lot of tenacity in terms of education and awareness for the safety of our kids, both online and in the real world as well. And it's great to have the PM here for what is a very significant announcement to continue to protect our kids online. It's something that I've championed as a local member during my time in Parliament because I'm a dad of young kids. This worries me, as it worries many families in our local electorates. Parents are sick of feeling powerless to protect their kids online. They just want the same rules online as are in the real world, and the suite of measures that the Government has rolled out, whether it be the eSafety Commissioner, a world first, or the Online Safety Act, or the new Anti-Trolling Bill that we're looking at at the moment. All of this helps to put the power back in parents’ hands to protect kids, and that's what we want to do as a Government, and take the fight up to big tech. So, without further ado, I'm going to hand over to the Prime Minister to make the significant announcement.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you. Well, thank you very much, Julian and Luke, and particularly to Bruce and Denise. It's tremendous to be here with you today. You are an extraordinarily inspirational couple. You have endured what parents don't want to imagine, let alone experience, and your strength, your determination, your care and compassion, the way you've reached out and helped so many other parents. But you've established an incredible legacy for Daniel, which is seeking to protect other children in so many, in so many different areas, and particularly in the area we're speaking of today. So I just want to pay a tribute to you both. You are just a great blessing to our country.
It's great to be back in Queensland. It is so good to be back in Queensland. I’ve been looking forward to this and it's wonderful to be here. It's wonderful to see the country connecting again. It's wonderful to see Tasmania open. It's wonderful to see, as I flew in today, there was a Japan Airlines plane on the tarmac here in Brisbane, as we know that Japan and Korea students and of course, skilled migrants, being able to come into Australia. You know, we’re we're living with this virus and the opening up, the National Plan, which we led as a Federal Government, that set the targets for vaccines to ensure that we could connect again has been put in place, and that has led to the opening of these borders. It has led to the easing of restrictions and, sure, there's further to go. But what we can say as a country is no country gets everything right. But it's important to get the balance right, and we've made the big calls and we've got the balance right. And, as a result, Australia has one of the lowest fatality rates of COVID anywhere in the world. We have one of the strongest economies of advanced economies in the world. JobKeeper saved 700,000 jobs.
And we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world as well. And now the booster program, closing in on a million boosters already. Yesterday almost 100,000 of those boosters being undertaken around the country, and that's so welcome to see. Why? Because vaccination is what is enabling this country to open up. Vaccination is what ensures that we can protect against the challenges that will come, whether it's Omicron or whatever it happens to be. The fact that Australians - and here in Queensland, over 80 per cent now, they’re over 80 per cent in Western Australia - have rolled up their sleeves for the jab, that means that the country can come together in the way it has. And, so, we will hit 90 per cent double dose vaccination around the country this week. That means we are in the top 10 countries already of the OECD for vaccination rates around the world, and that is a great tribute to all Australians to put us in that position, so we can open up safely and stay safely open, so we can live safely with this virus, regardless of what the challenges that may come towards us.
But today, I particularly want to talk about this very important topic, one that I know is close to Bruce and Denise’s hearts, as it is to all parents, I think, all around the country. You know, as families come together this Christmas, as they're enabled to do, I’ll tell you what they'll be talking about amongst many things, but one thing they'll be talking about is what social media and the online world means for the safety of our families and our kids. You know lots of issues get talked about in politics, but I'll tell you one issue that is dominant around the kitchen tables and in the lounge rooms and the barbecues and and the community get-togethers, is this issue. As parents, it really troubles us, and it troubles young people too. I was talking to a group of young girls in Year 11 the other day, and they were sharing with me what it's like to grow up today. And, you know, they’ve heard all the stories about what it was like when, you know, their parents were growing up. But, you know, for kids these days, I think it's a lot harder for them. I think they're dealing with more anxieties and pressures and stresses then, frankly, we did as kids growing up. And it's hard for parents because we want to be able to keep our kids safe. And the online world, for many of us, can be a bit of a mystery, and we need the tools and support and the guidance to do the right thing by our kids, and as governments, we also need that, to ensure we're putting in the right laws and the right protections to keep our kids safe online.
And so in the physical world, as as the Morcombe’s know only only too well, there are serious dangers for our kids. But they also know, as we do as parents, that those dangers are now online. And those predators, those those trolls, those who would seek to take our children from us, they are there, and they are active. And, so, as a Government, we have been a world leader in this area. I was discussing it with the Korean President last night, who listened carefully to all the things we're doing in Australia, and he was keen to know how they can be doing the same thing. And that is one of the takeouts of our meeting over the last couple of days. Up in, when I was with the Indonesian President, they know it's important there. And, as a result, we've been able to get agreement with them that it will be a major focus of the G20 next year, because it's a problem in all of these countries. And here in Australia, whether it's the eSafety Commissioner, the Online Safety Act, the new laws coming in to unmask the trolls that we're consulting on right now and we'll deal with when we come back in February, we need to make sure this is continually informed by young people, because they're living with it. They know what's going on. They understand the technology better. They understand the tricks that these monsters will use to try and trick them. And we need their feedback, and we need to help them help us guide us in this area, and help parents by giving them the right tools.
And that's why we are setting up, reporting in with the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, the world's first, to be able to listen directly to young people about how we can even more successfully and more effectively keep their world safe online. This is a great passion of mine and Jenny's. It's a great passion of parents all around the country. You know, talk about a lot of things in politics down there in Canberra, but I tell you, not much gets over the top of this one. This is one that I think goes right to the heart of every single family in every community, every town, suburb and and part of this country. And we must continue to strive to lead the world in this area, which we are doing. So that Advisory Group is being set up.
And we've also been pleased to support the the foundation that the Morcombe’s have established. It has been an incredibly important foundation and they've been doing some tremendous work in this area, understanding the risks and the solutions that are there. So, I might ask Bruce, if you'd like to, to say a few words, and then I'll ask Luke, the Assistant Minister for Youth, to tell you more about the details of the program. Bruce.
MR BRUCE MORCOMBE OAM: Thank you. Well, thank you, Prime Minister, and thank you for your ongoing support in keeping kids safe right around the country. Of course, educating kids is about empowering them, and empowering kids with the knowledge and the skills that come from listening to other kids, other youths, perhaps 13 to 24 year olds, that have lived the life with the tablet and mobile phone for most of their young lives. They know the tricks, they know the loopholes, the anxiety, the difficult times that are out there. And it's really important that we listen to the youth of Australia and be guided by their decisions and make an impact on the new youngsters that are coming through to really make a difference, to make sure the predators know we are fair dinkum. Don't touch our kids. Our kids are well-skilled, well-tooled, well-analysed and, importantly, recognise potential danger, know how to react, and, most importantly, will report any dangers that exist both in the online world and also the real world. So there is no place to hide. And the Youth Advisory Group will indeed form an important part of structure that provides some initial skills and some tips to keep our youngsters safe online. Thank you very much.
THE HON. LUKE HOWARTH MP, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR YOUTH AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES: Well, thanks very much, Bruce. Thank you, Prime Minister. I'm Luke Howarth, the Assistant Minister for Youth and Employment Services in the Morrison Government. And the message today is all about the Morrison Government listening to youth and young people throughout Australia. The Youth Advisory Council that we’re setting up is very important as a way of practically listening to young people from teenage years right through to the age of 24. And it's about listening to them about how they can be kept safe online and how their mates can be kept safe online. Now, this is a new policy, new council that will be set up, and it builds on our Youth Policy Framework that we announced earlier this year, where the Morrison Government has been listening to youth all around the country - issues that are important to them on employment, skills, mental health and the environment. So listening to young people is very important, and I know members like the Member for Ryan, the work that he's done on committees in Parliament and here in Ryan, and other members right throughout the country, is really important. So it's an exciting announcement today and really want to appreciate and thank Bruce and Denise Morcombe, who have done a lot of work in this space already. We know that people, Denise was telling me that young people as young as, children now as young as three, know how to work mobile phones and tablets. And so it's really important to listen to them so we can shape policy around that. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Luke. And some more good news for Queensland - $315 million for the Coomera Connector, which we're announcing today, delivering on a serious commitment to the people of South East Queensland. And we've been getting on with the job of major infrastructure. That's a project we're doing 50-50 with the Queensland Government. We're pleased that they're on board and we can get moving on this important project, which effectively duplicates the M1. And it's so important in South East Queensland that we keep building the infrastructure that can support the growth that is taking place here - families who are making South East Queensland their home, and ensuring that the infrastructure can support their future going ahead. So the Coomera Connector’s great news, and I want to, particularly want to thank Bert van Manen especially, the Member there who’s done a great job, together with our Liberal colleagues there on the Gold Coast who've been such strident advocates for this funding. And I'm pleased the State Government’s come on board and we're getting on with it. So with that, I'm happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, we're hearing from Sydney that guests, including yourself, at the Sydney International Convention Centre last Friday night, are being asked to isolate. Has this news reached you and what's your response? In light of the fact that QR codes are going today in New South Wales, what seems to be the point in such an order?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I did get that advice. I was there at that event and and I've been double PCR tested since, and both both negative. I think I'm one of the most tested for COVID Prime Ministers anywhere in the world, and probably the most quarantined as well. And so we always take that health advice very seriously and we fully comply. And before we came up here today, we ensured that we were fully compliant with the Queensland rules for coming into Queensland. And, so, of course, we've done that. And I welcome the fact that in New South Wales and in Victoria, where they're living with the virus, they're living with it, and successfully. And, you know, the issue now is we're taking the Omicron very, very, very seriously, but we're not going to let it take us back. We've got to keep moving forward, and what we're seeing in the, in the southern states, is that their hospital systems are planned for and coping with the surge in cases. I mean, Victoria’s had over 1,000 cases a day now for many weeks. I was there yesterday and with the Acting Premier there, and their hospital system is is dealing with the demand, and quite confidently. And the same is true in New South Wales. And, as you know, we have a a 50-50 funding arrangement with all state governments and territories, for their hospitals, for the impact of COVID. And, so, to the extent there are additional impacts on the hospital system here, we share those costs 50-50, as we have all the way through the pandemic, with the Queensland Government. That has, that has seen us invest, with many other measures, some $33 billion as a Commonwealth Government on our health system over the, over the course of this pandemic. So the Commonwealth Government has certainly been stepping up and providing the additional support on the health system.
But as we live with the virus, the key weapons we have are the vaccines, and those vaccines, and particularly now the booster shot, are our best defence against the Omicron variant, and it's our best defence against going back. It's our, it's our best opportunity to go forward, and that's why I encourage everyone around Australia, I've had my booster shot and now almost a million other Australians have, and we want to continue to encourage Queenslanders, if you're within five months of having that booster shot - and that that range may come down, we'll see what the medical advice is - I encourage you to go and get that booster shot now. And we're obviously working with the states and territories to make sure we keep all those points of presence as open as possible over the summer break so people can get their vaccine.
JOURNALIST: Do you think Queenslanders will punish you at the polls for the slow start to the vaccine rollout?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, you know, you get setbacks in programs, but the, what you do in a crisis is you overcome them, which is exactly what we did. We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and we said we'd get it done in October, and we did, despite the serious setbacks we had with non-supply of vaccines and the challenges we had with those who were talking down the AstraZeneca vaccine and discouraging people from getting that AstraZeneca vaccine. And we've, we made 25 million AstraZeneca vaccines here in this country, and that was the backbone of our vaccination program, and that those vaccines ensured we were able to hit those targets, that we were able to meet that objective despite the challenges that we faced. So, in any crisis, no government gets absolutely everything right. No government has anywhere in the world. But when you look at the fact that we have the lowest fatality rate, the strongest economy of advanced economies amongst many, and the highest vaccination rates in the world, well, that says to me that as a government, we got the big calls, right.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] your best advice that it is effective against Omicron?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, certainly for for the two doses you've had, it has been highly effective vaccine, like the other vaccines, and now the booster shots, which are mRNA based vaccines. Then those are the booster shots, which provides that additional protection, and the clear medical advice we have is those booster shots are extremely necessary. And so that's why I'm encouraging everyone to go and get those booster shots because that's our best defence against Omicron.
JOURNALIST: Why is it necessary to overhaul the pensioners reverse mortgage scheme, and what are you hoping to achieve out of that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we’re improving it to make it more accessible and to make it more cost effective. That's what we're doing with this scheme. This scheme was introduced many years ago and it expanded when I was Treasurer to all people of pension age, not just those who are on the pension, and what it enables people to do is to use the equity in their own home to increase their income in their retirement without having to draw down on their superannuation, more than they may be otherwise. And this just gives them another choice. The Liberals and Nationals, we’re all about giving people choice, ensuring that they can boost their own incomes, make their own way. And this scheme makes that even more possible now by adjusting downwards the interest rate which is applied, which gives more people, I think, the opportunity to go and take on that program. So whether it's using the equity in your own home to boost your income in your retirement, or it's actually helping Australians get into that home, our Government has been doing the right thing by Australians. You know, we've had almost, more than 320,000 Australians, since the last election, we have been able to help into their first home or into their home - 320,000. It's not easy to buy your first time wherever you are in Australia, but our policies, through the First Home Loan Guarantee, the HomeBuilder program, the Family Home Guarantee, which in particular is getting single parents into their first home, thousands of single parents under this scheme have got into their first home. Talk about things that people talk about when they come together at Christmas, yep they'll be talking about social media and their kids. But I'll tell you, there's 320,000 Australians who will be able to say they've been able to get into their home, and that's something as a Government we're very pleased to have been able to partner with them on.
JOURNALIST: Under your Government, grants are overwhelmingly going to Government seats. How are other parts of the country not being disadvantaged by this taxpayer money being politicised?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's predictively, selective analysis of 11 programs out of 1,700. So I think people can form their own judgements about that. But what I do know is that when we make a commitment, we keep it. That's what we do as a Government - when we commit to support local community organisations, when we commit to bust congestion in urban areas, whether it's here in Ryan or in any other parts of the country - when we make that commitment, Australians know that we'll keep it. And in addition to that, when Australians are facing tough times, I mean, the programs you're talking about have predominantly gone into rural and regional areas, particularly here in Queensland, because they were dealing with drought-affected communities and grants going into drought-affected communities. So people in rural and regional Australia understand that when they're doing it tough, they know that the Liberals and Nationals, the LNP here in Queensland, will actually be there to support them. So others might want to criticise us for keeping our commitments, they might want to criticise us for the support we've given to drought-affected and flood-affected communities. But I can tell you, when I make a commitment to do those things, I take, I carry it through.
JOURNALIST: There’s been the same criticism though from the National Audit Office and parliamentary committees. Are all of those reviews of the way your Government’s used grants wrong?
PRIME MINISTER: No, what I'm saying is we keep our commitments and we're very clear about what they are before an election, and then we go and we deliver on them. As I said, there’s 1,700 programs. These analysis have looked at very, very small numbers of those programs, and we run programs which go to every single electorate in this country. And when we make a commitment to you, you know that we will follow through. And that's what this shows.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the Queensland Government has retreated …
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry, I couldn't quite hear.
JOURNALIST: The Queensland Government has retreated from its earlier position of imposing a 14-day quarantine period on those passengers from Newcastle to Brisbane and on to Townsville.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
JOURNALIST: Is that, was that a sensible review, do you think, to restrict to those people who were immediately next to the carrier?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, look, when I heard of this overnight and this morning, it's so important that when we deal with the Omicron variant that we keep our head and that we apply common sense and we think these things through. And what we do must be sustainable, and I'm pleased that some common sense has now been applied to this issue. I raised it on Queensland, on Brisbane radio this morning, and I urged, I urged the Government to ensure that they found a way to get these Australians to be with their loved ones at Christmas. So I welcome the fact they've made some movement on this. But let's not forget, in New South Wales and Victoria, it's seven days with testing. So I would encourage them to take that up. Queensland's moving to that in just a few weeks anyway. And I think it is very upsetting for those families and it creates uncertainty too. And this is important for the Queensland tourism industry. You've had to wait long enough to see your visitors again. I don't want to see the way we we respond to the opening up, and there's a few teething problems, we understand that and we understand what the intention is, but we make sure, we must make sure we get it right and that common sense prevails and that we can connect Australians up again. And we do that in a way that encourages more Australians to come here to Queensland and have that holiday that they've had booked for some time and now are able to come up here and enjoy. But there are so many families who come through at Christmas. I can just imagine how shattered those Australians must have been finding out that they weren't going to be able to be there for why they’d come to Queensland to see their families. So I welcome the common sense. But our medical advice and what we're seeing in other states and territories means that we can add a bit more
JOURNALIST: Ryan is one of only two electorates where the Coalition's margin decreased at the last election. That was due in part to a surge in Green vote. Do you think you and your Government have done enough to address environment issues, to stop that margin decreasing again?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm very proud of the fact that it is our Government that has made the commitment to net zero by 2050, but with a practical plan that focuses on technology, not taxes. It focuses on the choices that Australian makes, Australians want to make, not having them imposed on them and mandated by them on them, in the way we've seen the left side of politics do, not just here, but in many places around the world. That's not how we can achieve it. We're very confident about the technological advances that will enable us to meet our net zero commitments out to 2050, and also continue to meet and beat the targets that we've set. Every target we've set, we've met. Every target we’ve set, we’ve beat. And then on top of that, what has been really important here, is the practical environmental issues we're doing here on the ground. The work we have done and the ground-breaking work we have done on recycling, in particular, the bans we've put on the export of waste, the investments that we've made in biodiversity and ensuring the resilience to climate change, not just here in Australia, by the way, but through significant climate finance support to countries in our region, in the Pacific and in South East Asia. So we have a strong record of delivering - our emissions have fallen by over 20 per cent. That's more, that's five times more sorry, four times, five times more than Canada. It's almost 10 times more than New Zealand. It's more than the United States. It's more than Korea. It's more than Japan. So Australia is getting our emissions down and we're getting them down through the choices Australians are making and the technology we're investing in, and we have got $21 billion invested in achieving that over the next decade. You’re being very patient.
JOURNALIST: Thank you, Prime Minister. Back to those grants that, yes, they are, there's, they’re an allocation, but they make up 19 per cent of all grant money. How can you explain two neighbouring seats - Dickson receives $43 million in grants over three years. The next seat is Lilley, receives $900,000. How do you explain that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Dickson must have a very good local member. They have a great local member. The Member for Ryan is a great local member. The Member for Petrie is a great, great local member. They’re doing great jobs, and they're advocating for their communities. And what Queenslanders can know is when I tell them that we're going to get something done in their, in their electorates, they're getting it done.
JOURNALIST: Ms Wells said she took the funding submission to Mr Frydenberg in March last year, and not one of those projects has been funded.
PRIME MINISTER: They have to comply with the guidelines and then they have to be able to, to be able to be executed by the Government in accordance with the policies that are laid down. I just commend my members for the great job they're doing on the ground. Queenslanders can have confidence that with the LNP members that are representing them, they're getting great results for them in their communities. And that's why, you know, I've heard about the Voices Of movement. It's the Voices Of Labor, at the end of the day, because they're only, they're only running against Government candidates. Their intention is to remove the Government and put in Anthony Albanese. So the Voices Of movement, backed by big financiers down there in the southern states, are trying to tell Queenslanders about who their voices should be in their community. They're the voices of Labor. And if you vote for an independent from that Voices Of movement, you may as well vote Labor.
JOURNALIST: Is there really room in the Budget for tax …
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry?
JOURNALIST: Is there really room in the federal Budget for tax cuts, with the NDIS $25 billion over Budget and the cost of COVID?
PRIME MINISTER: It's a very important question. There are very serious pressures on the Federal Budget and they have been exacerbated, of course, by the significant commitments we've had to make as a Government to pull Australians through the biggest crisis we've seen since the Second World War. And we've achieved that. We've saved jobs, we've saved livelihoods, we've saved lives - and some 40,000 lives, I hasten to add. And so those investments have been worthwhile and much needed, but there are pressures on the Budget. The NDIS is an important program which our Government is fully committed to and the demands are increasing. And that's why you need a government that has the financial management experience and proven performance, as we've seen from our Government. We act when we have to and we know when we have to cease programs when we have. Remember with JobKeeper, we said, ‘We're bringing it in and we're telling you when we're taking it off.’ The Labor Party just wanted to keep spending and keep spending and keep spending. Well, that's not how you manage a Budget. You have to be very clear when you make these big fiscal decisions about how you start them and when they should cease. And when it comes to ceasing the JobKeeper program, which ensured that we got Australians back off those payments and back into the jobs, absolutely critical for our economy, the Labor Party would have people continuing to receive government cheques when it was, the opportunity was there to go back and earn more.
Now, when it comes to taxes, we guarantee the essential services that Australians rely on. We guarantee the pension, for example. I mean, a strong economy delivers a pension. A strong economy has delivered record hospitals and schools funding from our Government, record mental health funding - some $2.3 billion. The reforms we're putting into aged care. All of this is done by ensuring we have a strong economy. But what you also need to do to run a strong economy is ensure that Australians keep more of what they earn. And I can assure you that under a Liberal Nationals Government, you will always see lower taxes then you will see from the Labor Party, particularly with the Greens, because whether they form a coalition with the Greens or they rely on their support in the balance of power in a hung Parliament, then the Greens will be calling the tune on Labor - their 43 per cent target, an opening bid. It's not that, it's not the gavel down. That won't come for some time later. So at this next election, it is a choice between Labor driven by the Greens, or the Liberal Nationals Coalition.
JOURNALIST: At the next election, who do you think's going to be your toughest opponent during the campaign, Anthony Albanese or Annastacia Palaszczuk?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm only running against Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party, and I work with all the states and territories. If Anthony Albanese thinks he needs to be propped up by others, and if they think they need to prop him up because they don't think he's got the goods, well, the more you see of the premiers, they'll more be, they'll be telling Australians every day that they don't think that Anthony Albanese has the goods to be Prime Minister.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] have had Gladys Berejiklian on your team. So in the same way, do you think Mr Albanese could cash in, as it were, on the Premier’s popularity and …
PRIME MINISTER: No, Gladys and I were having conversations about her being in the Federal Parliament. Annastacia Palaszczuk isn’t running for the Federal Parliament. I'll work with here [sic], as we've demonstrated with the Coomera Connector here today - $315 million, done 50-50 with the Queensland State Government. Yesterday, I was in Victoria with the Labor State Government announcing that we're putting in place the mRNA manufacturing facility there in Victoria. I work with Labor premiers. I work with Liberal premiers, because we're leaders who have to get the job done.
JOURNALIST: Relationships have been pretty poor on both sides, though?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, what, the sledges that others have directed at me I haven't engaged in. I've let those go through to the keeper. But what's important is that we work together, as Chair of the National Cabinet. We have met 57 times.
JOURNALIST: Notwithstanding that the extent you cooperate with the Queensland Premier, nonetheless, do you think her popularity here and the approval she's had for minimising the COVID death toll to just seven, will work, as it happens, in Mr Albanese’s favour … ?
PRIME MINISTER: I'll tell you what, after the next Federal Election, Annastacia Palaszczuk will be the Premier of Queensland. How you vote will not change that. In, in Victoria, Dan Andrews will still be the Premier of Victoria. Mark McGowan will still be the Premier of Western Australia, however you vote at the next Federal Election. But I can tell you one thing - if you don't vote for the Liberal National Party, then Anthony Albanese will be the Prime Minister of Australia, and not myself. And that's what this election is about. Ultimately, it's a choice between those two alternatives. Others will have their view. But if, as I said, if Anthony Albanese needs to be propped up by premiers, take that as a vote of no confidence in him, because they don't think he can do the job. I know how to do this job. We have gone through one of the toughest three years that any government has gone through since the Second World War, and the countless chairing of meetings of the National Security Committee and the Expenditure Review Committee - that's, that's the experience you build up over over the years we've had in Government, and that's the experience we're going to need with the many challenges we're going to face, whether it's managing the Budget, whether it's dealing with the serious security issues in our region, whether it's ensuring that we secure the economic recovery, which is the way that you guarantee the essentials that Australians rely on, whether it's ensuring we can continue to do the right thing to keep our kids safe online, to ensure we're protecting women and children through the next National Plan for protecting women's safety, with over $1 billion already committed to that project - the biggest investment by any Federal Government on that issue ever. So that's what's at stake. There's a lot at stake at this next Federal Election, and there is a clear choice. Thanks very much, everyone.
JOURNALIST: About the cricket?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, the cricket.
JOURNALIST: You're probably lucky a few of those balls weren’t hit for six.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think the second one, we got pretty close there. I didn't, I didn’t go for the appeal, but plenty of others did. But it's great to be here with the kids and it's great to see everybody out there and good luck to the boys at the Ashes in Adelaide. It was great to see the test here in Queensland, got us off to a fabulous start. I’ll have both of the teams in Sydney on New Year's Day, looking forward to that. And, again, just really pleased to see that given the test can't be played in Perth, that Tassie will get their game.
JOURNALIST: It’s just come through, Prime Minister, 25,000 cases a day is, based on the latest modelling in New South Wales. Can we just get your response to that?
PRIME MINISTER: The cases when it comes to COVID-19 are now not the primary issue. What matters now is the impacts on the health system and hospitals and health support and serious illness. Now, we've seen this in other countries in the world, and the UK is getting 60,000 cases a day. So I think we need to get it in that sort of perspective. But we are one of the most vaccinated countries in the world. We have one of the strongest health systems in the world that is already standing up to the challenges that we’ve faced over these last two years. So what I'd say to Australians is, yes, we can see those cases and yes, they will increase with Omicron. There's no doubt about that. They will continue to increase. But what we are watching very closely, myself and the premiers, is what the impact is on our public hospital system and on the incidence of serious illness. And there's nothing to suggest at the moment that the Omicron variant has a more serious illness outcome than the Delta variant. If anything, it is suggesting the alternative. So, you know, we need to live with this virus. We cannot go back to where we are, we were. That's not sustainable. That will impact and injure Australians also. So we must live with this virus, keep our heads, and get vaccinated and get your boosters. Thanks very much, everyone.
Press Conference - Melbourne, VIC
14 December 2021
Professor Deborah Williams: Good morning, everybody. My name is Professor Deborah Williams, and I'm director of the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, located here at the Doherty Institute. Before I begin, I'd like to start by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land, the Wurundjeri people and pay respects to elders past, present and emerging. Unfortunately, the director of the Doherty Institute, Professor Sharon Lewin, had an immovable commitment and can't be here this morning, but I know will be very interested in this morning's proceedings.
I'd like to extend a very warm welcome to our distinguished guests here this morning, the Prime Minister of Australia, the acting Premier of Victoria, and other distinguished ministers and guests from the Parkville Precinct. Prime Minister, you last visited us here at the Doherty Institute in February 2020. Since then, we have continued to play a critical role in state, national and global responses to the pandemic, from diagnostic innovations, genome sequencing, clinical trials, science communication and leadership, vaccine development and evaluation all the way through, of course, to modelling to inform the national plan. We've strived, I guess, to be at the forefront of the response to this pandemic, and that's really what we do here at the Doherty Institute. We prevent, we treat and we cure infectious diseases, and we do that work with dedication and we do that work with pride. So thank you, Prime Minister, and we'd like to thank you for your continued support and recognition of our work. Thank you. And I'll hand over to Katie Allen.
Dr Katie Allen MP, Federal Member for Higgins: Thank you so much, Deborah, and welcome everyone and welcome to the Prime Minister to Melbourne. This is an exciting announcement because Australia doesn't take a backseat when it comes to our response to COVID. And here in the heart of the Parkfield precinct at the Peter Doherty Institute, where Peter Doherty, a Nobel Prize winner for Australia, actually discovered how our cells interact with viruses. It started in Australia with regards to understanding the way that the body responds to viruses and then Australia here again at the Peter Doherty Institute with sequencing the virus, the coronavirus, which has changed our lives around the world. So I'm so delighted to welcome the Prime Minister and all the ministers and dignitaries who are here today to an incredibly important announcement that he's going to make a significant difference to Australia's capabilities right here in the Peter Doherty Institute, in the heart of the Parkfield precinct. Welcome, Prime Minister.
Prime Minister: Well, thank you, Dr Allen. And to the acting Premier, it's great to be here with you, James and ministers, colleagues who have joined us today and of course, Moderna. It's great to have you here with us, but the Doherty Institute. Thank you so much for hosting us here today. You're right, it was in February 2020 I was here with Greg Hunt and I got to stare into the face of this virus because it had been reproduced here for the first time anywhere in the world. And since that day together, Australians have been staring this virus down. We've made some big calls. We've got the balance right, I believe, working together as a country, working together with states and territories, working together with our health and medical science and research community, which has enabled us to achieve incredible things in this country. We have the lowest fatality rate of almost any country in the world saved more than 30000 lives. We have one of the strongest economies powering through this pandemic, and as the lockdowns have lifted, with some seen some 350000 jobs come back into place. And of course, we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and that vaccination program is taking another big step, with Western Australia joining the 80 per cent club today, the last of the states and territories to do that. And that was the product of a national plan, as you said, that was informed by the science of Doherty, the best of the best to ensure that these vaccination marks that we set, which enabled us to open safely and and remain safely open. Victoria is experiencing that now. Other states and territories are, but in all of these steps, there are more always to be taken.
The booster program has had its biggest day in the last 24 hours, and those boosters are so important as we as we stare down Omicron. In dealing with Omicron, we are, we are determined to ensure that we do stare it down and we don't go back. We have to face it down. We have to live with this virus. We cannot allow us to take it back, take us back. And that's certainly what we're determined to do, and we're able to do that by the great work at the Doherty Institute does, and so we look towards a 90 per cent double dose vaccination rate around the country shortly. And that booster program continuing to grow and grow, and I encourage all Australians to go and get their boosters. But of course, that involves the partnerships that we have with those who are providing those vaccines. It was in this country that already we've produced here in Victoria, twenty five million AstraZeneca vaccines in August of 2020. We did the deal to ensure that that could be done right here in Australia and that provided the workforce the backbone of the vaccination program that has seen us get to where we are today. But we also know that during this pandemic, as we've learned many lessons, no governments got everything right. I'm sure James would agree with me. We've all sought to work together to make the best calls we possibly can. But the mRNA vaccines have proven to be, I'd argue, the biggest scientific discovery over the course of this pandemic. And that means that they are a big part, a massive part of the future of vaccines, not just here in this country, but all around the world. And so we set about the task of ensuring that we have the manufacturing capability to do that. First of all, to keep Australians safe and to protect their health not just against COVID, but against the many other communicable diseases. And with Moderna, we have a partner that ensures that their IP, their knowledge, their advances and medical science can be brought here and be part of a an ecosystem here that will see Australia also be a leader in this area.
So we're protecting Australians by keeping them safe, by advancing with this new partnership. We are building our sovereign capability here, which protects Australia's national interests, our sovereign capability to manufacture these vaccines here in Australia, 100,000 (sic, 100 million ) up to a year capacity to do this in this arrangement is extraordinary. But we've got it right. We've spent the time to get it right. This is not an arrangement that you just rush into and do it deal in a coffee shop somewhere. This is something that you do the meticulous work on. You work with your state partners. We work with a number of states and we came to the very, I think, sensible conclusion that here in Victoria, we have the strong foundation to continue to build not just a great research and collaboration infrastructure, but a powerhouse of medical manufacturing, which plays exactly into our economic goals of securing the economic recovery.
A million Australians are now employed in manufacturing. We've restored that and medical manufacturing will play a key role. So we welcome the partnership, both with Moderna and the Victorian state government to make this happen over 10 years.
And finally, it's about future proofing. The John Hopkins Institute, in their latest research, showed that Australia is ranked two in the world for pandemic preparedness. That's an extraordinary achievement by everybody, particularly those here in this room who've enabled us to achieve that and the wonderful health and workers who are out there on the front lines even now, each and every day. Australia remains ready. We are resilient and we're able to move forward because of the great experience that we've drawn together to ensure that we can face down this pandemic. So just as I was here several years ago and stared into the face of that virus, we continue to stare in today, but we do it with much more confidence because of what we have been able to achieve together. And the partnership with Moderna and the state government, I think, is a cracking partnership for Australia. It's a great partnership for Victoria, but more importantly, as Prime Minister, it's a great partnership for the country and our region where we will be a real powerhouse in this area. So I want to thank acting Premier for their partnership and I want to thank Moderna as well, and I'm happy to pass on to the acting Premier.
The Hon. James Merlino MP, Acting Premier of Victoria: Terrific. Thanks very much, PM. To my federal ministerial colleagues, Michael to your team at Moderna, to Minister Jaala Pulford, who has led this project from Victoria's perspective. So my thanks to Jaala, to all our medical leaders, Deb and everyone in this room who have just been brilliant through, particularly this last two years with the pandemic. As far as announcements go, this is a big one. This is a huge announcement and it's incredibly exciting for Victoria. And as the PM said, for our nation. When you think about medical research and biotechnology, you think about Boston, you think about London and you think about Melbourne. This is the place to be. Boston, London and Melbourne. The three great leading cities when it comes to medical research and biotechnology. In Melbourne and Victoria, 30,000 jobs in medical research, biotechnology across our industry, universities and institutes such as the Doherty and thank you for hosting us today. Forty per cent of the nation's medical tech and biotech companies are based here in Melbourne, and 60 per cent of the nation's pharmaceutical exports come from Victoria. So this is a great announcement and it's the logical place to do it and you think about what this means. National security in terms of vaccine supply. And when you think about mRNA, this is a huge announcement because this is the first time in the southern hemisphere that we all have mRNA manufacturing based in this nation and 25 million vaccines, the ability to ramp up to 100 million. And it's not just in regards to vaccine developments, whether it's variants of coronavirus right now, pandemics of the future, but beyond beyond that. Treatment of cancer, treatment of rare diseases. This is a massive game changer. And to have that manufacturing capacity, the research capacity right here in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia is a great thing. This will create jobs. 1,000 jobs, 500 in construction, 500 ongoing. But beyond that, it saves lives, whether it's dealing with a pandemic, treatment of cancer, treatment of rare diseases. This is a major, major announcement.
My thanks PM, to the Commonwealth and to Moderna. This is a great deal for citizens right across this country. Just in closing, can I just back up what the PM was saying about the importance of booster shots. You know, we are not out of this pandemic and all the evidence in terms of Omicron, all the evidence points to the importance of booster shots. The date has been brought forward, so it's five months from your second dose. If you are due for your booster shot, please get it done. If you have not been vaccinated yet, please go and do it. And for my role as Minister for Education, the paediatric vaccine, the rollout for 5 to 11 year olds and great news that it's available from January. Great comfort to parents. We've got to get our kids vaccinated before we head into winter next year. So we are not out of this yet. We need to get the booster shots done. We need to get our kids vaccinated and we'll work with the Commonwealth to make sure we get that done as quickly as possible. But back to this announcement, great partnership. A great deal. It will save lives. It will provide national security in terms of vaccine supply, and we're just delighted to be partnering up and delivering this as we are the home of medical research and biotechnology. Thanks very much and I'll hand over to one of my federal colleagues.
Prime Minister: Thanks, Angus, Angus together with Greg, who brought this deal together from the Commonwealth point of view, I want to thank both of them for the great work they've done and of course, the Secretary of Health and others.
The Hon. Angus Tayor MP, Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction: Thanks Prime Minister, Deputy Premier, ministerial colleagues, Katie, Moderna. It's brilliant to be here. What a fantastic announcement. This announcement is a magnet for medical technologies, for medical technology capabilities and organizations, and I look at the organizations involved in mRNA, whether it's Melbourne University, Monash, Doherty, of course, Walter and Eliza, you name it. There's a whole range of organizations not only in Melbourne but across Australia, who can be involved in creating this ecosystem, this hub and ensuring that we develop that capability in Australia to be world leading. Now, not only is that across a range of organizations across a range of capabilities, whether it's research, capability, development, manufacturing, operations, engineering. There are a whole range of capabilities that will be required and necessary, creating those jobs that we just heard about and building those capabilities to be leading edge here right here in Australia. Now this is what modern manufacturing looks like. It's a collaboration. It's about organizations working together. It's about a range of capabilities working together, and it's about creating jobs by being world leading. And that's exactly what we are doing here. Over $1.3 billion in our modern manufacturing strategy dedicated to making sure that we build those capabilities here in Australia. And it's working. As you heard from the Prime Minister, over a million people now working again in manufacturing in this great country. It's absolutely wonderful to see as Industry Minister and we want to see more of that in the coming months and years. And that's exactly what this is all about. A huge thank you to all those who have been involved. Michael, Moderna, you are part of that ecosystem and we need you here. We need a range of private sector organizations that will be involved, as well as public sector organizations to create the hub, to be part of the magnet that will attract those extraordinary world leading capabilities that Australia has done before. And we'll keep doing it. Thank you.
Prime Minister: Thank Angus.
Mr Michael Azrak, General Manager of Moderna Australia and New Zealand: I want to thank you, Prime Minister, acting Premier and other ministers and most importantly, the the Doherty. I'm thrilled and proud to be here today to announce that Moderna will be pitching tent in Australia upon the finalization of our agreement. We've played a critical role during the pandemic and as we've all learned, pandemics can come at the time we least expect them and having preparedness is absolutely critical. The facility we're envisaging will have the capability of at least 100 million doses if need be. I'm extremely excited by the opportunities for Moderna to be part of the R&D community across Australia and especially Melbourne. The comments have been made about the hub that we do have here in Melbourne. I was actually in Boston a couple of weeks ago and it's tremendous to see the advances that are being made in the mRNA, not just in the science but also in the advanced manufacturing capabilities that Moderna is developing. Moderna continues to invest in and that Moderna is going to bring right here in Australia by Australians for Australians. And it just gives me immense pride as an Australian to be able to do that and to work collaboratively with the Commonwealth and Victorians in making this happen. So I really look forward to the finalization of the agreements so we can get cracking because we're ready to pitch in Australia.
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care: Thanks very much PM, acting Premier colleagues, Michael Azrak, but above all else, to our amazing researchers. This precinct is home to some of the world's great researchers. It's named after a Nobel laureate, and Melbourne will be a global center of mRNA research and manufacturing. Victoria will be a global center of mRNA research and manufacturing. Australia will be a global center of mRNA research and manufacturing. On top of this agreement, there's a $25 million MRFF Research mRNA Clinical Trials Infrastructure Program, which we're opening and that will invite more work right across Australia. So all of these things come together for health security, economic, security and national security. The fact that we have a regional headquarters and the ability to support our regional partners across the Pacific and South East Asia says that we're committing to the region over the long term.
Now the other thing that's really important, of course, is that Australians have stepped forward and been vaccinated, and we've just had over 150,000 vaccinations yesterday, the highest day since November the 12th, the highest day, the record day for boosters, as the PM said 74,000 boosters, a near doubling of the previous highest day for boosters. We know how to do this. This pandemic will bring challenges. It's done that. But our results as a country, are some of the best in the world and only yesterday Australians stepped forward to be vaccinated. So if you haven't had your booster, now's the moment if you're eligible. And if you still haven't had a first dose or second dose, come and join the 93.4 per cent of Australians that have had a first dose. These vaccines can save your lives and protect your lives. I can say I had the Moderna booster two days ago. I'm feeling fit and healthy, and so that's my message. Come and get your booster. It won't hurt, but it will help. And so take care, everybody and step forward. I do also want to acknowledge Robin Bishop, who donated his time to the Commonwealth in Victoria and worked as a wonderful partner between Moderna, the Commonwealth Government and the Victorian Government. It's been a real partnership of public, private, philanthropic and Australians will be better protected over the long term. Thank you.
The Hon. Jaala Pulford, Victorian Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy: Thanks everyone. Prime Minister, acting Premier, colleagues, Michael, to you and your team from Moderna, we open our arms to you and welcome you to Victoria. I'd like to also recognize our extraordinary scientific community, our Scientific Advisory Group, who have supported our mRNA ambitions and indeed all the industry partners who have so much to offer here in Victoria. Like the Commonwealth, we are investing significantly in mRNA research capability, with a grants program now open for research grants. $23 million. We established mRNA Victoria. We have worked closely and will continue to do so with science and with industry. There are only two organizations on the planet that can currently perform end to end mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and having Moderna pitching tent, as Michael said, here is so important to us. It's something we're incredibly proud of and something that we value deeply. We're excited about that sovereign capability, but we're also very, very excited about the research partnerships that will flow from this into things like diseases that affect parts of our region, into the new and emerging therapeutics for things like cancers and other rare diseases. This is a very, very significant moment in the history of medical research for this precinct here, of which we are so proud and for Moderna, and so we are delighted now to be moving on to the next very busy and important stage to ensure that for both our Commonwealth Government partners and and Moderna, that this is a successful endeavour delivered very quickly and realising all the hopes and ambitions that all of us that have been involved in it have for, thanks very much.
Prime Minister: Well, happy to take some questions if I could ask me to, if we could take the focus of the questions on the announcement today. If you have other questions, then I'll take those in the first instance from my colleagues and and not kind of ask the others to join us for that. But I'm sure the acting Premier will then be happy to take our questions on other matters. So on on the matters of today.
Journalist: Where is this actually going to be built in Melbourne? Where is the actual manufacturing facility?
Mr Michael Azrak, General Manager of Moderna Australia and New Zealand: We're currently under discussions on that. We've looked at a number of sites. We can't tell you today where that will be, but I'm very hopeful once we finalize the agreement, we'll be able to make another announcement on the location.
Journalist: Is there a timeframe? Months?
Mr Michael Azrak, General Manager of Moderna Australia and New Zealand: I would hope it's as soon as practically possible, and I know that's the goal that we all have together to really mobilize this as quickly as possible.
Journalist: What's the contribution from the state and federal government to get this deal?
Prime Minister: Well, this this arrangement, as you now and may have been briefed, is commercial in confidence when it comes to these sums because as in the same way that all of our vaccine purchases. These are sensitive matters and it's a rapidly evolving area. But I can say this is a very equal partnership when it comes in bringing the base capability here. And as you've already heard, I mean, the Victorian government as has the Commonwealth Government are doing things beyond that agreement to further support the work, the Medical Research Future Fund, the grants the Minister has outlined. So this really is a very, very natural partnership because we are already moving in the same direction. And I think what this partnership does just aligns that even more going forward. And the Moderna project here, I think, just reinforces that. I mean, the support that is provided, whether it's Doherty or many other organizations have these incredible facilities here. What we both want to achieve is to ensure we are building on this strong foundation. So we are genuinely co-partners in all of this. There are different roles that we're playing and of course, the Commonwealth has a particular role when it comes to the purchase of vaccines over the decade. And but in terms of getting it here and getting it happening, the end to end manufacturing process, I think, is really important. It's not just fill and finish here. It's from go to woah on this. This is the whole deal. And as we've just heard, this hasn't been done in any other country that wasn't doing it when the pandemic started. And so here we are together, as I understand Michael with both Canada and South Africa, but we intend to get to that starting gate here in Melbourne before those other two locations, and we're moving rapidly to do it. But it's an equal partnership. James did you want to add anything more on that?
The Hon. James Merlino MP, Acting Premier of Victoria: No, no, I'm happy. It's as you've already heard, these are commercial in confidence arrangements. But if you think about that, the national interest of having secure vaccine supply and the capability from research right through to manufacturing in terms of cancer and other rare diseases like this is a brilliant announcement. But Rich, in terms of the the details of the of the arrangement, they are commercial.
Journalist: What will the taxpayers have, either from you or the Prime Minister, a financial stake in this, given both the Victorian and federal governments contributing money, contributing, I guess, money to build the private facility?
The Hon. James Merlino MP, Acting Premier of Victoria: Well there's investment on behalf of Australian citizens by the Commonwealth and Victoria by the Victorian government. So yes, there is investment by the state and the Commonwealth government to make sure we can get this deal done, get this facility manufacturing capability in Victoria, in Australia and this is the right thing to do. You think about variants of this particular virus, you think about future pandemics and you think about future capability. This is a very, very significant announcement and an investment, frankly, that government should be making.
Journalist: [Inaudible] Australia will always be first in line for Moderna vaccines?
Prime Minister: Greg might want to speak to this as well. This is the whole point when it comes to sovereign manufacturing capability, the same reason the Commonwealth took the decision of August of 2020 to ensure that we could produce what has been 25 million AstraZeneca vaccines. I'm sorry to mention a competitor, but we work with everybody to get the job done. That's what we've been doing through this pandemic. So in the same way, we created that sovereign capability. And just imagine for a second, had that not been done and where Australia would be today, and that decision was taken in August of 2020 and ensured that we were able to achieve what we have had with supply of those vaccines. This is very similar in that we have that capability here. 100,000. Sorry, 100 million, 100 million a year. I mean, just think about that. And that's what Australia will have on tap here, and that will not just enable us to meet Australia's needs, but it will also enable us to continue to play an important role here in the region. It gives us a great sense of pride that when I meet with Pacific leaders in particular, that we have been able to be their family in the time of the crisis, that we have been able to provide those vaccines to them. Fiji in particular, was in a terrible dilemma. And Australia led the way in ensuring that Fiji was vaccinated. Similarly up in Timor-Leste. And supporting countries like Vietnam and others in South-East Asia. I think that is a boast of great pride from Australia in our own quiet way. And having that facility here for mRNA vaccines will enable us to not only support the Australian population, but our dear Pacific family and our region, but Michael.
Mr Michael Azrak, General Manager of Moderna Australia and New Zealand: I'd also build on that to say yes, this is a very important facility when it comes to COVID, but it's much more than that. It's a respiratory mRNA vaccines facility, which will also include seasonal flu. So Moderna released some very positive, encouraging data just last week, this week, on flu and we look forward to bringing that to market, as well as other respiratory pathogens that we all know are circulating. So beyond COVID, Australia is going to have access to a world leading mRNA platform that can target diseases that are most relevant to Australia and our neighbours.
Journalist: What kind of [inaudible], what's the realistic timeline we're likely to see some vaccines become available?
Mr Michael Azrak, General Manager of Moderna Australia and New Zealand: We will move as quickly as possible to ensure the site is operational. I know we've got the full support of the Commonwealth and Victorian governments to make that happen. I really don't want to put my neck out right now on a timeline. I know we are saying 2024. I am the ever optimist, and I certainly know that with the elbow grease of Australians, I'm very hopeful that we can try and beat that if possible, because I am that optimist. But we will do everything possible to make the plant operational as quickly as possible.
Journalist: Does this put us at the front of the queue if there’s a rejigged Moderna vaccine for COVID. Does having the day of the manufacture here give us an advantage in that queue?
Mr Michael Azrak, General Manager of Moderna Australia and New Zealand: Even without our deal, the Australian Government currently has access to the most modern vaccines that we have under development. So if we do develop an Omicron specific booster, the Australian Government under our current arrangements already have access to that. And obviously having our plant here enables that to happen even faster in the future.
Prime Minister: So we already have similar arrangements with the other providers of vaccines and the Moderna booster, which has been obviously approved here. But I love to the reference, Angus and I and Greg like to talk a lot about meeting and beating targets and look forward to meeting and beating this one. It's a bit like shake and bake. Meet and beat. And that's what we want to see happen here because we want to see this get on on the ground as quickly as possible.
Journalist: Your Minister last year, Karen Andrews promised that there'd be an mRNA manufacturing by October of this year. Is that a failed promise?
Prime Minister: No, that's that's not what she said. And I know that's been misrepresented, particularly by our political opponents in the Labor Party who seem to think you can do this by time travel. But I'll ask Angus to comment on it.
The Hon. Angus Tayor MP, Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction: That's not what Karen said, but the point she made was the timeline depends on getting access to the intellectual property. We have that now. Getting access to a site. We're close to having that, as you just heard from Michael, and we're absolutely committed to getting this done as fast as possible. Now it's important to point out that there's been no development of a new mRNA manufacturing facility anywhere in the world since the pandemic struck. And this will be one of the first in the world. So we are in a very good situation to get on to this as quickly as possible and make it as effective as possible, not just for our health outcomes, but also for jobs, the development of a medical technology hub and development of those capabilities I talked about as well.
The Hon. Jaala Pulford, Victorian Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy: In Melbourne, we have a COVID-19 vaccine candidate that has been manufactured here in Boronia, so it's quite different to what we're talking about today with large scale population scale production. But it's not right to say that this hasn't happened because it has happened here in Melbourne with the Monash Doherty candidate that will be going through some final approvals before Christmas and will be proceeding to phase one clinical trials in the new year with results, hopefully within the first quarter of the new year.
Journalist: Are we covering the cost of construction or is the funding arrangement more about securing the vaccine supply [inaudible].
Prime Minister: Well, it ensures that the facility happens, that it gets built, that they pitch their tent here and and the arrangement is designed to achieve that goal and future proof for Australia. But Greg, did you want to add to that?
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care: So what we've done in the past and what we've replicated here is with the purchasing power of the Commonwealth for vaccines, we've been able to underpin the investment. Victoria has also supported very sort of a very thoughtful, long term investment. So between the two, that is what allows Moderna to make their investment. So we're doing the offtake and the purchasing. We did that in relation to long term pandemic flu and then anti-venom and Q fever with CSL. And so that same model is what we've done here. So Australia gets - and this goes to Sumeyya’s question from before. What does Australia get? Australia gets a guaranteed vaccine supply over the long term, but because of the flexible nature of Moderna's capacity, with mRNA, we will have our options for COVID, flu, combined COVID-flu or other respiratory vaccines. And exactly as Jaala was saying, over time, we'll have the possibility of looking at cancer and therapeutics and other treatments with the course of medicine over the course of the next decade, as Katie knows better than any of us. It's towards what's called personalized medicine, where your DNA can be sequenced and a particular treatment tailored for each individual. If you have, for example, a rare form of pancreatic cancer, and I see Ricky Johnson here from Peter MacCallum, they know that this future is coming. We've just invested in the Center for Cellular Immunotherapy CAR-T therapy right across the road. This matches and provides the capacity to make Australia a center for personalized medicine.
Journalist: So why did the government ultimately end up striking the deal with Moderna, [inaudible] because I believe you are also in talks with also, had a separate market approach?
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care: Yeah. So all of this comes through. We looked at all of the different options, and I think as everybody said, there are only two mRNA vaccine manufacturers around the world. This is exactly the point that was made and Moderna was one of them and they can provide that technology and they were willing to put the most in themselves. And in terms of our partner, Victoria was very, very committed and motivated.
Prime Minister: It was Moderna's commitment to the ecosystem here in Victoria was critical in deciding to go with Moderna and that commitment matched up best with the infrastructure we have here in Victoria and the commitment that was made by the Victorian government. So it really was a meeting of the minds.
Journalist: Just a restrictions question, New South Wales has gone from, you know, under 200 to over 800 cases in about two weeks. We've gone back to our levels of about a month ago, and both states are going to lift some significant restrictions. Do you think that's the right thing to do?
Prime Minister: We're taking Omicron incredibly seriously. We had a very long discussion about this at the meeting with premiers and chief ministers and I last week. We're not going to let Omicron take us back, though. We have decided as a country to live with this virus and Australians have worked so hard to ensure that we can. When you've got vaccination rates about to strike 90 per cent, to be one of the highest in the world. That means we have choices today that we didn't have 18 months ago, and that means that we can continue to move forward and not have to go back. Tomorrow, we will begin welcoming from tomorrow students to Australia again, skilled migrants, working holiday makers under those visa programs. From tomorrow, Korea, as I announced yesterday with the President and Japan, also join with Singapore and New Zealand. But we have watched this very closely and made careful decisions and taken the best medical advice on this. Now the issue is and James, you might want to comment on this as well. We're now in a completely different phase. Cases are not the issue. And I know over a period of time we may have become conditioned to the case numbers being the trigger. That's not the case, I see Jodie McVernon here, we've looked at more epidemiological charts with Jodie. She's trained all the premiers, the chief ministers and I in this great science over these many months and that science shows us that what matters is your public health system and your broader health resources. Now here in Victoria, as you rightly say, you've been having cases of over 1,000 a day for some time, and the Victorian Public Hospital System and health system is coping very strongly. They did the work, they did the planning. New South Wales is the same. So that is the way forward.
Journalist: Is lifting the masks, is that going backwards or keeping masks on, say for a few weeks in your mind, is that going backwards? Or if they said they need to do it, that would be okay?
Prime Minister: Well, we had a pause on the opening that starts tomorrow, and we did that because we are waiting for the picture to emerge a bit more clearly before taking that next step. And now we feel confident to take that next step. And states and territories are doing exactly the same thing. You know, over the course of this pandemic, sometimes there has been that need for patience and I know that can be very frustrating. I welcome, on the issue of patience, Western Australia giving a clear timetable about when it's opening. Tomorrow, Tasmania opens. Tremendous, just in time for the Tassie test next month, which I'm thrilled to see happening. But all of that, I think, goes to the National Plan that Jodie McVernon from Doherty helped us construct together with the premiers, and we’ve stuck to that plan. We're in Phase C now and we look forward to getting to Phase D, and that's all about living with the virus. James do you have anything to add?
The Hon. James Merlino MP, Acting Premier of Victoria: Yeah, thanks PM and Raffy, the answer remains the same. The answer continues to be getting vaccinated. You know, people can go the pub now, have a meal, look forward to Christmas and New Year celebrations because we're at 92 per cent. We're beyond 92 per cent double dosed here in Victoria. The message to Victorians, to Australians is get your booster if you are due, get vaccinated, if you haven't yet, and for families, get ready to vaccinate your children from the 10th of January. But it's because Victorians and Australians have been so focused, so fantastic on getting vaccinated that we have the freedoms that we do now. In terms of what the settings will be in this week, the Minister for Health will make an announcement later, later in the week. It's based on latest health advice, but what we have done is in line with the national plan and we can do it because Victorians have been so fantastic in getting vaccinated. But the answer to your question, whether it's Omicron or Delta or the next variant. It's vaccines that protects the citizen, protects families and means that we can enjoy the freedoms that we do right now.
Journalist: [Inaudible] things like QR codes in certain settings like NSW are about to do?
The Hon. James Merlino MP, Acting Premier of Victoria: Look, I'm not, I'm not going to foreshadow today what the decisions that the Health Minister will make under the new pandemic legislation later in the week. There'll be announcements about what the next stage looks like, but it's based on the latest health advice. But it continues to be the fact that vaccinations mean, you know, we can do all the things that we love to do. We can look forward to planning and to travel through the Christmas New Year period, and we're not going to be changing that.
Journalist: The date previously mentioned by the government, was December 15. That's tomorrow. And why not give guidance today of what's coming out of tomorrow?
The Hon. James Merlino MP, Acting Premier of Victoria: Well we receive and the Minister receives under the legislation the latest public health advice taking everything into account mental health, social, economic taking, all the latest health advice into account. The Minister will make an announcement later in the week.
Journalist: Prime Minister, when you first started this press conference, you said that no government has got it right, including the Australian and the Victorian governments. What do you mean by that?
Prime Minister: Well, I meant and I said this last night in remarks I made at the Sydney Institute. Yeah, no government has got everything right, but no government can in a pandemic. To think that that was a 100 per cent strike rate on every decision. I think Australians understand and I think the honesty of governments and being able to say that clearly and know the Victorian Government feel the same way I think Australians appreciate. And but what I can tell you is we did make the big calls and we did get the balance right. And the proof of that is the fact that we have saved 40,000 lives based on looking at the average among the OECD. Just think about that 40,000 lives saved because of how Australians respond to this pandemic. One of the strongest advanced economies to come through the pandemic in the world and one of the highest vaccination rates, that is the proof of the combination of decisions and responses that our government and working with other governments around the country have made. No country gets it all right, but I can tell you we got it right a lot more often than so many other places around the world, and Australians are safer today and better prepared today for what's coming next than almost any other country in the world, as the John Hopkins Institute has just found.
Journalist: Just reflecting back on the last two years. What do you think the biggest failures of both the Commonwealth and Victorian government have been?
Prime Minister: Look, I think what we've done is we've continued to overcome problems. We had problems with the vaccination rollout in the early phases. We overcame them. See when you're in a crisis, it's not unusual to have setbacks. The proof of managing a crisis is being able to overcome them. And we did overcome them. We were able to achieve those vaccination rates that we hope to achieve at the beginning of the year in October when we said we would. And that means you deal with challenges and you get over it. You work together. You solve the problem. We brought in Operation COVID Shield in particular to deal with that. And here we are today with one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and Australia can now open up. We can open up. This Christmas we're about to have is a gift Australians have given to themselves, by the way they've worked together with the settings that we've put in place. But as James said, it's not over yet. We’ve still got a long way to go. But I tell you, we're better prepared than almost any other country in the world to deal with this and continue to stare this virus in the face and live with it. Thank you very much, everyone, for coming today. Thank you.
Remarks, Sydney Institute Dinner
PRIME MINISTER: It is wonderful to be here with you all this evening and to Jane, welcome to the Emerald City, our Emerald City. How good is it to see so many of us here tonight in this one room? It's a sight that we haven't been able to see for quite a while. It's terrific looking out, you all look splendid. Fantastic.
Can I begin by acknowledging the Gadigal people, of course. Can I acknowledge their elders past, present and emerging. Can I also acknowledge any members of the Defence Force who are with us here this evening or who have served in our Defence Force. I was with the President of Korea today, and we talked about the road from Kapyong to Canberra in the relationship with Korea. And those more than 17,000 Australians, I should say, who served in Korea. And this has been a nation of service that has called on the men and women of our Defence Forces on so many occasions and on each and every occasion, they have not been found wanting, but it was special today to hear them acknowledged in the kind and thankful way by the Korean President. Can I acknowledge, of course, Gerard and Anne Henderson, it's wonderful to be with you. We've had this date set for a couple of years. There's been one or two things that have got in the way that has prevented us from coming together. And so I'm so pleased I can be here with both of you and thank you for the great work you do over such a long time with the Sydney Institute and to Jacquelynne Willcox, of course, and all the board of the Sydney Institute. I've got many colleagues here tonight. I hope they've listed them all. Bridget McKenzie, Paul Fletcher, Michael Sukkar, David Gillespie, Tim Wilson, is here. Stuart Ayres, the deputy leader of the Liberal Party and Minister here in New South Wales, and there are many other state and federal parliamentary colleagues, and I heard Eric Abetz was here as well. It's great to have you up from Tassie. The good news in a couple of days, Eric, you'll be able to go home and that will be terrific. I mean, he can get back across the border, I would love Eric to stay with us. And, of course, to Mr and Mrs Howard, to John and Janette Howard, you are for so many Liberals and so many who have served in the parliament and have had the great privilege to serve in the role I have, the standard. And I mean that for both Jenny and I. We look so much to your example each and every day and you blazed that trail for us. And I'm so pleased to see how, even after these many years since 2007, a room like this, the first person they'll want to shake hands with tonight is John Howard and Janette Howard, and it's wonderful to be in your presence.
It has been quite a few years, hasn't it? These last three years. Floods. Fires. Drought. Pandemic. Mouse plague. I turned to Josh Frydenberg one day in cabinet, I said, I think it's time we let your people go, Josh. Hopefully that's not too soon. It's that sort of night. But we're on the road back. We're on the road to recovery. We're on the right track. But we know the future remains challenging. We live in an age of disruption, technological, economic, political, biological. And as we turn the corner into 2022, it's timely to reflect on what matters most. As we seek to secure Australia's future in an uncertain world. The pandemic has touched every aspect of our lives, how we live, how we work, how we connect with one another. Each outbreak and mutation from Alpha to Omicron has tested nations, communities, families and each and every one of us. It's been a disorientating time. Yet it's also been a time of uncommon clarity. Underscoring what matters most to us as Australians. Our health, our families, our friends, our jobs, our livelihoods, our communities. How the country's governed. Our national sense of fairness. Our country, our liberty.
In a truly global pandemic, Australia's response has been a positive standout. We have saved lives. When you weigh it against the OECD average for performance, we've prevented the deaths in this country of around 40,000 Australians. Just reflect on it. We have one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID. We protected our health system with more than $33 billion from the federal government in additional investment, bolstering services for those in greatest need through telehealth, record mental health support and so much more. As Jane has just said, almost 90 per cent of Australians aged over 16 are today double dosed and will be by the end of the week, which is one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. And just last week, Australia was ranked second. Second out of 195 countries in the 2021 Global Health Security Index, which is a measure of countries’ preparedness for pandemics developed by the Johns Hopkins Centre and the health security in the United States. We have saved livelihoods. Our economy has been one of the strongest performing advanced economies in the world through the pandemic. And I particularly want to pay tribute to Josh Frydenberg and his role as Treasurer, working so closely with me on those issues, as indeed Greg Hunt has on the health matters in the pandemic. Jobs and businesses were saved by the single largest economic rescue package in our history. Our economy is now springing back with more than 350,000 jobs created in a five week period after the lockdowns were lifted. And through the crisis, we have maintained that Triple-A credit rating, one of only nine countries in the world to do so, and we stepped up to support our neighbours and our family in the Pacific, delivering vaccine doses and the wherewithal to get those vaccine doses to their people in 14 Pacific and Southeast Asian nations, including up there in Timor-Leste as well, while keeping our economic supports for those countries firmly in place.
This evening, I want to talk to you about three take outs, my own take outs from this testing time in our nation's history and explore how we intend to apply those lessons and that experience garnered to secure Australia's future as a government. Firstly, the best bet you can always make, especially in a crisis, is to bet on the Australian people each and every time. Australians possess a quiet confidence, it's not boastful, it's a confidence and desire to do better, to aspire to live in peace and safety, to be able to care for others. It's a confidence to think big, but not big note, to be responsible for our own individual actions and those of our families and to strive to be in control of our future. And it's this quiet confidence that has built this country. Established our freedoms, our system of democracy, our economic strength and our ability to thrive as a nation. It's a confidence that enables us to believe that whatever happens, whatever comes our way, we can push through. We can deal with it and preserve our unique and enviable way of life. During the pandemic, our confidence has been put to the test, but it has not been found wanting. Our way of life has been put on hold. While necessary, it is not normal for government to tell Australians where we can go and can't go, who we can and can't invite into our homes, to stay home, to close our businesses. It is not normal to keep track of where we've been. Not be allowed to visit friends or relatives. To go to funerals and to weddings. Or go out to dinner or to the pub. None of these restrictions belong in the lives of Australians. Australians don't like it. I don't like it. Yet for the greater good, we have done it. We have denied ourselves in that way. And we got on with our lives despite the conditions to be as best as we possibly could be because we knew it would be temporary. We knew that on the other side was something that we will never, if ever we did, take for granted again: our freedom. And so Australians kept their side of the deal. And it is now time for governments to keep theirs. To step back. And let Australians step forward. To put Australians back in charge of their own lives, relying on the connecting points and relationships that exist between the state and the individual to bridge the gap. Our communities.
Edmund Burke, as former Prime Minister Howard would say, I still think of him that way, as John Howard would say, Edmund Burke's Little Platoons, the myriad networks of family faith groups, schools, workplaces, big and small sporting clubs, book clubs, you name it. Why do I stress this? Because I believe that some on the left of politics will draw precisely the wrong lessons from this pandemic. Where it is viewed as a pretext for more expansive government. A greater government role and reach into society across economic, social and cultural domains. They sometimes refer to it as build back better or build back stronger. But that's what they mean. This would be a profound misjudgement. In light of both our liberal democratic inheritance and what lies in front of us as we secure our recovery. The reach of government in this pandemic is not some new norm, and it will not be under our government. It has a use by date. You know, by instinct, more than ideology, Australians support effective, practical, yet limited government. An enabling partner, not a meddling busybody overseer. Government that delivers tangible benefits to people's everyday lives, that empowers people to make and pursue their choices. That opens the door for each generation and each individual to the promise of Australia. Economic opportunity and reward for hard work. A fair go for those who have a go. Can-do capitalism, a strong social safety net when times are tough and a country that always holds true to the best traditions of liberal democracy in an uncertain world and is prepared to stand for it. Where government delivers the essential services that Australians rely on while also keeping their tax burden down as much as possible, enabling Australians to keep more of what they earn. Where the state facilitates rather than dictates. Where it knows its role, but it also knows its place. An important take out.
The second take out from the pandemic, is you've got to get the balance right. I don't pretend as a government we've got everything right. No nation has through this pandemic. Our institutions are made up of human beings, after all, and a pandemic is a fog of radical uncertainty. There is no guidebook. And nor do I pretend that those of us who have been in positions of leadership and public responsibility were able to agree on everything. It's not how pluralist democracies work, and it's certainly not how federation works. Federations are designed to have appropriate checks and balances on centralised power.
As a federal cabinet, we have made the big calls, and by and large, I think we've got the balance right. We called the pandemic before the rest of the world and shut our borders. National emergency biosecurity orders were enacted. We made it clear that our job was to save lives and save livelihoods. That there was to be a balance struck right from the outset. The national cabinet was established at leader level to coordinate responses at that level as best as possible. It has met a grueling 57 times. The National Cabinet is not perfect, but it's certainly better than what was there before, having experienced both. And we have done better as a nation and our federation than almost any other federated system in the world. The national coordination mechanism was mobilised to deal with supply chain challenges, the COVID commission was established importantly to engage the private sector in the national response. JobKeeper supported around four million individuals and one million businesses, saving an estimated 700,000 jobs. And that was backed up by cash flow boost for business, the COVID JobSeeker supplement and pandemic disaster payments more recently in the third wave. We kept Australians learning when they couldn't be earning. With wage subsidies for apprentices, the billion dollar JobTrainer programme an additional 30,000 university places this year. And we got that vaccination job done. With now one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. Now it wasn't easy and we had our challenges and I can assure you we had our critics. But in a crisis, what matters is not that you have setbacks. And we had them. But it is that you can overcome them and you can fix them. And that is what we did, clawing back the ground we lost early on due to the non-delivery of vaccines from overseas and restrictions placed on the AstraZeneca vaccine. We overcame it. Our national plan for reopening was developed based on world leading scientific advice from the Doherty Institute. We are one of the few countries in the world to set scientific vaccine thresholds to guide public health settings. And we followed a disciplined cabinet process. We met constantly with clear decision making principles to guide these big calls that had to be made and the serious investment of public funds. And we brought together the best economic and scientific advice and data. And then we made decisions, not officials, we as a government, as the elected leaders of the country. We made the decisions for our government. We were decisive, but we were also consultative. We kept our heads and we were patient when necessary, while we waited often for sometimes a clearer picture to emerge. But at all times, we were pragmatic. We wanted to defeat the virus, not debate it. As John Howard advised Josh and I, there is no place for ideology in a crisis of this nature. So when the pandemic hit. We had already as a government established our working rhythms. It was not our first rodeo. Most of us had sat around the National Security Committee and Expenditure Review Committee for some years, and I can tell you that when you face these things, that matters, it matters a great deal. And this enabled us to move quickly and with confidence. And so over these past 20 months and indeed far longer than that, the operational tempo that we set as a government, the way we've done things has made us even more experienced, even more prepared, even more resilient, which equips us as a government for the next set of challenges that our nation faces. And there will be many. Many more in the years ahead. And you don't want to leave that to those who'd be learning on the job.
Thirdly, we must always make our own Australian way. This is a very important lesson. Australia has its own unique geography, governance, capabilities, challenges, relationships. We are a liberal democracy in the southern hemisphere, located in the Indo-Pacific, surrounded predominantly by developing economy nations. And despite shared values, we see the world from a different vantage point to many like minded northern hemisphere democracies such as the UK and the United States. We have developed our own balance between market and state based systems for the delivery of services and health is a very good example of that. And we must always deliver a solution then that works for Australia rather than just do a cut and paste job on responses from other nations operating in very different economic, strategic and even climatic settings, as we've seen in a pandemic. COVID has shown that Australia works best when also public and private realms work in tandem in active partnership to solve problems and meet national challenges. And I've seen this reality every day through this pandemic, from leadership by corporate CEOs, many here tonight, right through to the little platoons in the regional towns, the CWAs, the chambers of commerce, the church communities that have kept our society humming and whole. Just witness the outpouring of neighbourliness across our country. Australians devoting time to deliver meals, to check on the elderly or just listen to someone coping with the stresses of loneliness and isolation.
I think what's been achieved by a mix of public and private health care providers has also been extraordinary. Flexing and responding in a way that consistently got the job done on the COVID front line. And I thank all of those workers right across our health settings who have done such an amazing job. Our large public and private hospitals and pathology teams sharing the load right through to local GPs, community pharmacies all doing their part. Yes, please give them round of applause. I think of the way many large corporates also worked with our government. Not just to support their employees. And keep them COVIDSafe and their customers, but to actually act in the national interest at a time that demanded it and put aside their own interests in a time of crisis, I saw it so many times. And JobKeeper was the largest of those partnerships. It was a uniquely Australian solution. We didn't go down the path that others thought we should and criticised us for not doing. We went down a very Australian path. JobKeeper was an Australian idea. It effectively nationalised private payrolls and employers to deliver income support, with businesses committing to keep their people on their books, banks providing the cash flow and the government paying the bills. It was a unique solution for Australia that ensured that those queues that you saw outside Centrelink ended and people got the income support that they needed to face the next day.
And my message tonight to Team Australia is that we still have a job to do. Our goal should be to further develop and strengthen that spirit of partnership between government, the private sector and the community sector as we face the challenges and opportunities that are ahead of us. And yes, government has a vital role to play. We believe that. But we believe so do you. And we want to see all Australians play their part. When I became PM three years ago, I set out three goals. And as we look ahead, they continue to guide me and our government. Keeping our economy strong by securing this recovery so we can guarantee the essentials Australians rely on. Keeping Australians safe in an even more uncertain world, both at home and abroad, and taking our country confidently forward together, keeping Australians together. Indulge me as I just try and move through these fairly promptly. On the economy, the Reserve Bank forecast growth at 5 and a half percent next year. Job ads now at their highest level in 13 years and unemployment is expected to fall to four percent by the middle of 2023. Business confidence is strong and capital expenditure intentions show a positive outlook for business investment. Households and businesses have accumulated a staggering $370 billion on their balance sheets that was not there at the start of the pandemic. So our economy is primed for growth. But securing that recovery in 2022 can't be taken for granted, so we must continue to get the fundamentals right. We must continue our focus on these things. Lower taxes, building the infrastructure that is necessary, less regulation and sound public financial management. Having avoided the labour market scarring feared last year and the year before during the pandemic, we must continue to secure the workers we need for a jobs boom. The good news is this. We currently have 217,000 apprentices in trade training across the country right now. That is the highest level since records began in 1963. That's a lot. So the investments we’ve put into training, we have seen skills as the key economic challenge that we face going forward. And we've backed that in in this budget alone, most recently with $6.4 billion committed to skills and training.
In addition to that, a couple of weeks ago, at the speech the Business Council identified four economic beachheads that we need to take in Australia to move forward comfortably and recover and reopen to the world. Enhancing links between business and universities. So we turn Australia's great research into successful products and companies. This remains a big challenge, and our trailblazer universities initiative is designed to address that. Embracing the data and digital economy so we can become a top 10 digital economy by 2030. And Jane is leading that charge. By taking our place in the new energy economy through our technology focussed emissions reduction plan and technology partnerships. Another signed today with Korea. And securing the transformation of our manufacturing sector through our government's modern manufacturing strategy. You know there's a million Australians working in manufacturing today? We've restored that. Under Labor one in eight manufacturing jobs went. These are the beachheads Australia must continue to claim and win in coming years to support a business-led economic recovery. The challenge of keeping Australians safe begins at home working with states and territories. Our government is close to finalising the next national plan to end violence against women and children. The most recent budget invested a further $1.1 billion, the largest ever commitment by a federal government in that area. We will continue to introduce new laws to keep Australians safe online, and we will take on Big Tech. One of the greatest fears that parents have for their children, particularly girls, growing up in a completely different digital world than the one we grew up in. Our critical infrastructure assets are more than ever reliant on technology for the delivery of their services and everything from our communications networks to the stable distribution of our electricity grids, the functioning of satellites and financial services essential for daily retail transactions. That's the world we live in. But you know, over a third of all incidents reported to the Australian Cyber Security Centre over the last 12 months have been for critical infrastructure assets. They're targeted, and the potential for massive disruption is very real. And I want to pay special tribute to the leadership and public service of Andy Penn, who's here tonight, who has contributed enormously to the development and implementation of the government's $1.7 billion cyber security strategy as chair of the Industry Advisory Panel. I thank everyone for their role in it.
When Parliament returns next February, the government will pass further legislation to lift the security and protection of Australia's critical infrastructure. We need the support of industry to get this done. Internationally within our region and further afield, we've been pursuing Australia's interests, standing up to coercion and supporting a world that favours freedom and the rule of law. This involves working even more closely with partners and allies and like minded nations, just like I was today with the President of Korea. In 2021 alone, we have sealed the elevation of the Quad, together with India, Japan and the United States providing an active and positive force for stability and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, driven by leaders including development of critical minerals, supply chains, critical technologies and the coordination of vaccine supply. The landmark AUKUS Agreement, a new trilateral security partnership between ourselves, the United States and the United Kingdom, geared to the emerging security challenges of the 21st century, including accessing the technology for nuclear powered submarine fleet. The only other country to do that was the United Kingdom in 1958. This is essential to our long term security and has been long sought after. The first ever comprehensive strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, based on a shared vision for a free and resilient Indo-Pacific. And the first comprehensive free trade agreement negotiated with the UK post-Brexit. Now the common thread in all this is plain enough. These are big national plays for big strategic stakes where we must protect Australia's interests, and we have been doing so.
Finally keeping Australians together. A nation, a government must always prioritise national unity and social cohesion. We are the most successful immigration and multicultural nation in the world, and we intend, thank you, we intend to keep it that way with a sustainable migration programme that gets the balance right. Keeping our borders secure. Avoiding population pressures on our infrastructure and services, particularly in our major cities, and meeting the Labor needs of our economy, as well as our family reunion and humanitarian obligations. And we will continue to ensure that our economic recovery strategy places a strong priority on women's economic security that Jane is leading. Our most recent budget committed $1.9 billion over four years to support employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women, increase retirement savings and improve the affordability of child care.
From my first days as prime minister, I've made a point of ensuring the interests and everyday concerns of those living in rural, regional and remote Australia are never far from my view or the government's view. First place I went was to Quilpie to go and inspect what was happening with the drought. I've stayed in touch with the family over these past few years. As you know, this year saw our government commit to net zero emissions by 2050, and I won't pretend this was easy. Our pathway to net zero for rural and regional Australia is designed to be a net positive that respects their way of life and protects their economic future. The fact that we found this not the easiest things to do, I think says very clearly to rural and regional Australia, we understand their sensitivities and concerns and we can be most trusted to protect them. You know, we either grow together or we grow apart, and we cannot allow that to happen between our rural and regional communities and our cities. Our pathway to net zero is about growing together. And once again, an active and engaged and durable partnership between government, business and local communities will be vital. This is something our government is very committed to with our major investments in clean hydrogen industrial hubs, carbon capture and storage and renewables projects from Bell Bay in the South to Darwin in the north, from Gladstone, the Hunter and Latrobe Valley in the East to the Pilbara in the West. The right policy settings, I remain supremely confident, I'm sure Bridget agrees, that it's regional Australia will continue to be an attractive, prosperous and vibrant place to live, work and raise a family, for at least one in three Australians, as it is today.
So friends, over the past three years, we have worked together to bring Australia through some of the most difficult challenges we have ever faced. Our success has been built on the resilience, strength and quiet confidence of the Australian people. It has been supported by the actions of our government that has worked hard to get the balance right and chart a uniquely Australian way through this crisis and into the future. And so as now 2021 recedes into the rear vision mirror, our government's sights are firmly through that windscreen on the road ahead. We know it will take the experience we have gained together over these past difficult years to see Australia through the next set of challenges, to secure Australia's success, to secure our economic recovery, to keep Australians safe in an uncertain world. And to keep Australians moving forward together, stronger, safer, together. Thank you very much for your kind attention.
Remarks, Sydney Institute Dinner
13 December 2021
PRIME MINISTER: It is wonderful to be here with you all this evening and to Jane, welcome to the Emerald City, our Emerald City. How good is it to see so many of us here tonight in this one room? It's a sight that we haven't been able to see for quite a while. It's terrific looking out, you all look splendid. Fantastic.
Can I begin by acknowledging the Gadigal people, of course. Can I acknowledge their elders past, present and emerging. Can I also acknowledge any members of the Defence Force who are with us here this evening or who have served in our Defence Force. I was with the President of Korea today, and we talked about the road from Kapyong to Canberra in the relationship with Korea. And those more than 17,000 Australians, I should say, who served in Korea. And this has been a nation of service that has called on the men and women of our Defence Forces on so many occasions and on each and every occasion, they have not been found wanting, but it was special today to hear them acknowledged in the kind and thankful way by the Korean President. Can I acknowledge, of course, Gerard and Anne Henderson, it's wonderful to be with you. We've had this date set for a couple of years. There's been one or two things that have got in the way that has prevented us from coming together. And so I'm so pleased I can be here with both of you and thank you for the great work you do over such a long time with the Sydney Institute and to Jacquelynne Willcox, of course, and all the board of the Sydney Institute. I've got many colleagues here tonight. I hope they've listed them all. Bridget McKenzie, Paul Fletcher, Michael Sukkar, David Gillespie, Tim Wilson, is here. Stuart Ayres, the deputy leader of the Liberal Party and Minister here in New South Wales, and there are many other state and federal parliamentary colleagues, and I heard Eric Abetz was here as well. It's great to have you up from Tassie. The good news in a couple of days, Eric, you'll be able to go home and that will be terrific. I mean, he can get back across the border, I would love Eric to stay with us. And, of course, to Mr and Mrs Howard, to John and Janette Howard, you are for so many Liberals and so many who have served in the parliament and have had the great privilege to serve in the role I have, the standard. And I mean that for both Jenny and I. We look so much to your example each and every day and you blazed that trail for us. And I'm so pleased to see how, even after these many years since 2007, a room like this, the first person they'll want to shake hands with tonight is John Howard and Janette Howard, and it's wonderful to be in your presence.
It has been quite a few years, hasn't it? These last three years. Floods. Fires. Drought. Pandemic. Mouse plague. I turned to Josh Frydenberg one day in cabinet, I said, I think it's time we let your people go, Josh. Hopefully that's not too soon. It's that sort of night. But we're on the road back. We're on the road to recovery. We're on the right track. But we know the future remains challenging. We live in an age of disruption, technological, economic, political, biological. And as we turn the corner into 2022, it's timely to reflect on what matters most. As we seek to secure Australia's future in an uncertain world. The pandemic has touched every aspect of our lives, how we live, how we work, how we connect with one another. Each outbreak and mutation from Alpha to Omicron has tested nations, communities, families and each and every one of us. It's been a disorientating time. Yet it's also been a time of uncommon clarity. Underscoring what matters most to us as Australians. Our health, our families, our friends, our jobs, our livelihoods, our communities. How the country's governed. Our national sense of fairness. Our country, our liberty.
In a truly global pandemic, Australia's response has been a positive standout. We have saved lives. When you weigh it against the OECD average for performance, we've prevented the deaths in this country of around 40,000 Australians. Just reflect on it. We have one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID. We protected our health system with more than $33 billion from the federal government in additional investment, bolstering services for those in greatest need through telehealth, record mental health support and so much more. As Jane has just said, almost 90 per cent of Australians aged over 16 are today double dosed and will be by the end of the week, which is one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. And just last week, Australia was ranked second. Second out of 195 countries in the 2021 Global Health Security Index, which is a measure of countries’ preparedness for pandemics developed by the Johns Hopkins Centre and the health security in the United States. We have saved livelihoods. Our economy has been one of the strongest performing advanced economies in the world through the pandemic. And I particularly want to pay tribute to Josh Frydenberg and his role as Treasurer, working so closely with me on those issues, as indeed Greg Hunt has on the health matters in the pandemic. Jobs and businesses were saved by the single largest economic rescue package in our history. Our economy is now springing back with more than 350,000 jobs created in a five week period after the lockdowns were lifted. And through the crisis, we have maintained that Triple-A credit rating, one of only nine countries in the world to do so, and we stepped up to support our neighbours and our family in the Pacific, delivering vaccine doses and the wherewithal to get those vaccine doses to their people in 14 Pacific and Southeast Asian nations, including up there in Timor-Leste as well, while keeping our economic supports for those countries firmly in place.
This evening, I want to talk to you about three take outs, my own take outs from this testing time in our nation's history and explore how we intend to apply those lessons and that experience garnered to secure Australia's future as a government. Firstly, the best bet you can always make, especially in a crisis, is to bet on the Australian people each and every time. Australians possess a quiet confidence, it's not boastful, it's a confidence and desire to do better, to aspire to live in peace and safety, to be able to care for others. It's a confidence to think big, but not big note, to be responsible for our own individual actions and those of our families and to strive to be in control of our future. And it's this quiet confidence that has built this country. Established our freedoms, our system of democracy, our economic strength and our ability to thrive as a nation. It's a confidence that enables us to believe that whatever happens, whatever comes our way, we can push through. We can deal with it and preserve our unique and enviable way of life. During the pandemic, our confidence has been put to the test, but it has not been found wanting. Our way of life has been put on hold. While necessary, it is not normal for government to tell Australians where we can go and can't go, who we can and can't invite into our homes, to stay home, to close our businesses. It is not normal to keep track of where we've been. Not be allowed to visit friends or relatives. To go to funerals and to weddings. Or go out to dinner or to the pub. None of these restrictions belong in the lives of Australians. Australians don't like it. I don't like it. Yet for the greater good, we have done it. We have denied ourselves in that way. And we got on with our lives despite the conditions to be as best as we possibly could be because we knew it would be temporary. We knew that on the other side was something that we will never, if ever we did, take for granted again: our freedom. And so Australians kept their side of the deal. And it is now time for governments to keep theirs. To step back. And let Australians step forward. To put Australians back in charge of their own lives, relying on the connecting points and relationships that exist between the state and the individual to bridge the gap. Our communities.
Edmund Burke, as former Prime Minister Howard would say, I still think of him that way, as John Howard would say, Edmund Burke's Little Platoons, the myriad networks of family faith groups, schools, workplaces, big and small sporting clubs, book clubs, you name it. Why do I stress this? Because I believe that some on the left of politics will draw precisely the wrong lessons from this pandemic. Where it is viewed as a pretext for more expansive government. A greater government role and reach into society across economic, social and cultural domains. They sometimes refer to it as build back better or build back stronger. But that's what they mean. This would be a profound misjudgement. In light of both our liberal democratic inheritance and what lies in front of us as we secure our recovery. The reach of government in this pandemic is not some new norm, and it will not be under our government. It has a use by date. You know, by instinct, more than ideology, Australians support effective, practical, yet limited government. An enabling partner, not a meddling busybody overseer. Government that delivers tangible benefits to people's everyday lives, that empowers people to make and pursue their choices. That opens the door for each generation and each individual to the promise of Australia. Economic opportunity and reward for hard work. A fair go for those who have a go. Can-do capitalism, a strong social safety net when times are tough and a country that always holds true to the best traditions of liberal democracy in an uncertain world and is prepared to stand for it. Where government delivers the essential services that Australians rely on while also keeping their tax burden down as much as possible, enabling Australians to keep more of what they earn. Where the state facilitates rather than dictates. Where it knows its role, but it also knows its place. An important take out.
The second take out from the pandemic, is you've got to get the balance right. I don't pretend as a government we've got everything right. No nation has through this pandemic. Our institutions are made up of human beings, after all, and a pandemic is a fog of radical uncertainty. There is no guidebook. And nor do I pretend that those of us who have been in positions of leadership and public responsibility were able to agree on everything. It's not how pluralist democracies work, and it's certainly not how federation works. Federations are designed to have appropriate checks and balances on centralised power.
As a federal cabinet, we have made the big calls, and by and large, I think we've got the balance right. We called the pandemic before the rest of the world and shut our borders. National emergency biosecurity orders were enacted. We made it clear that our job was to save lives and save livelihoods. That there was to be a balance struck right from the outset. The national cabinet was established at leader level to coordinate responses at that level as best as possible. It has met a grueling 57 times. The National Cabinet is not perfect, but it's certainly better than what was there before, having experienced both. And we have done better as a nation and our federation than almost any other federated system in the world. The national coordination mechanism was mobilised to deal with supply chain challenges, the COVID commission was established importantly to engage the private sector in the national response. JobKeeper supported around four million individuals and one million businesses, saving an estimated 700,000 jobs. And that was backed up by cash flow boost for business, the COVID JobSeeker supplement and pandemic disaster payments more recently in the third wave. We kept Australians learning when they couldn't be earning. With wage subsidies for apprentices, the billion dollar JobTrainer programme an additional 30,000 university places this year. And we got that vaccination job done. With now one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. Now it wasn't easy and we had our challenges and I can assure you we had our critics. But in a crisis, what matters is not that you have setbacks. And we had them. But it is that you can overcome them and you can fix them. And that is what we did, clawing back the ground we lost early on due to the non-delivery of vaccines from overseas and restrictions placed on the AstraZeneca vaccine. We overcame it. Our national plan for reopening was developed based on world leading scientific advice from the Doherty Institute. We are one of the few countries in the world to set scientific vaccine thresholds to guide public health settings. And we followed a disciplined cabinet process. We met constantly with clear decision making principles to guide these big calls that had to be made and the serious investment of public funds. And we brought together the best economic and scientific advice and data. And then we made decisions, not officials, we as a government, as the elected leaders of the country. We made the decisions for our government. We were decisive, but we were also consultative. We kept our heads and we were patient when necessary, while we waited often for sometimes a clearer picture to emerge. But at all times, we were pragmatic. We wanted to defeat the virus, not debate it. As John Howard advised Josh and I, there is no place for ideology in a crisis of this nature. So when the pandemic hit. We had already as a government established our working rhythms. It was not our first rodeo. Most of us had sat around the National Security Committee and Expenditure Review Committee for some years, and I can tell you that when you face these things, that matters, it matters a great deal. And this enabled us to move quickly and with confidence. And so over these past 20 months and indeed far longer than that, the operational tempo that we set as a government, the way we've done things has made us even more experienced, even more prepared, even more resilient, which equips us as a government for the next set of challenges that our nation faces. And there will be many. Many more in the years ahead. And you don't want to leave that to those who'd be learning on the job.
Thirdly, we must always make our own Australian way. This is a very important lesson. Australia has its own unique geography, governance, capabilities, challenges, relationships. We are a liberal democracy in the southern hemisphere, located in the Indo-Pacific, surrounded predominantly by developing economy nations. And despite shared values, we see the world from a different vantage point to many like minded northern hemisphere democracies such as the UK and the United States. We have developed our own balance between market and state based systems for the delivery of services and health is a very good example of that. And we must always deliver a solution then that works for Australia rather than just do a cut and paste job on responses from other nations operating in very different economic, strategic and even climatic settings, as we've seen in a pandemic. COVID has shown that Australia works best when also public and private realms work in tandem in active partnership to solve problems and meet national challenges. And I've seen this reality every day through this pandemic, from leadership by corporate CEOs, many here tonight, right through to the little platoons in the regional towns, the CWAs, the chambers of commerce, the church communities that have kept our society humming and whole. Just witness the outpouring of neighbourliness across our country. Australians devoting time to deliver meals, to check on the elderly or just listen to someone coping with the stresses of loneliness and isolation.
I think what's been achieved by a mix of public and private health care providers has also been extraordinary. Flexing and responding in a way that consistently got the job done on the COVID front line. And I thank all of those workers right across our health settings who have done such an amazing job. Our large public and private hospitals and pathology teams sharing the load right through to local GPs, community pharmacies all doing their part. Yes, please give them round of applause. I think of the way many large corporates also worked with our government. Not just to support their employees. And keep them COVIDSafe and their customers, but to actually act in the national interest at a time that demanded it and put aside their own interests in a time of crisis, I saw it so many times. And JobKeeper was the largest of those partnerships. It was a uniquely Australian solution. We didn't go down the path that others thought we should and criticised us for not doing. We went down a very Australian path. JobKeeper was an Australian idea. It effectively nationalised private payrolls and employers to deliver income support, with businesses committing to keep their people on their books, banks providing the cash flow and the government paying the bills. It was a unique solution for Australia that ensured that those queues that you saw outside Centrelink ended and people got the income support that they needed to face the next day.
And my message tonight to Team Australia is that we still have a job to do. Our goal should be to further develop and strengthen that spirit of partnership between government, the private sector and the community sector as we face the challenges and opportunities that are ahead of us. And yes, government has a vital role to play. We believe that. But we believe so do you. And we want to see all Australians play their part. When I became PM three years ago, I set out three goals. And as we look ahead, they continue to guide me and our government. Keeping our economy strong by securing this recovery so we can guarantee the essentials Australians rely on. Keeping Australians safe in an even more uncertain world, both at home and abroad, and taking our country confidently forward together, keeping Australians together. Indulge me as I just try and move through these fairly promptly. On the economy, the Reserve Bank forecast growth at 5 and a half percent next year. Job ads now at their highest level in 13 years and unemployment is expected to fall to four percent by the middle of 2023. Business confidence is strong and capital expenditure intentions show a positive outlook for business investment. Households and businesses have accumulated a staggering $370 billion on their balance sheets that was not there at the start of the pandemic. So our economy is primed for growth. But securing that recovery in 2022 can't be taken for granted, so we must continue to get the fundamentals right. We must continue our focus on these things. Lower taxes, building the infrastructure that is necessary, less regulation and sound public financial management. Having avoided the labour market scarring feared last year and the year before during the pandemic, we must continue to secure the workers we need for a jobs boom. The good news is this. We currently have 217,000 apprentices in trade training across the country right now. That is the highest level since records began in 1963. That's a lot. So the investments we’ve put into training, we have seen skills as the key economic challenge that we face going forward. And we've backed that in in this budget alone, most recently with $6.4 billion committed to skills and training.
In addition to that, a couple of weeks ago, at the speech the Business Council identified four economic beachheads that we need to take in Australia to move forward comfortably and recover and reopen to the world. Enhancing links between business and universities. So we turn Australia's great research into successful products and companies. This remains a big challenge, and our trailblazer universities initiative is designed to address that. Embracing the data and digital economy so we can become a top 10 digital economy by 2030. And Jane is leading that charge. By taking our place in the new energy economy through our technology focussed emissions reduction plan and technology partnerships. Another signed today with Korea. And securing the transformation of our manufacturing sector through our government's modern manufacturing strategy. You know there's a million Australians working in manufacturing today? We've restored that. Under Labor one in eight manufacturing jobs went. These are the beachheads Australia must continue to claim and win in coming years to support a business-led economic recovery. The challenge of keeping Australians safe begins at home working with states and territories. Our government is close to finalising the next national plan to end violence against women and children. The most recent budget invested a further $1.1 billion, the largest ever commitment by a federal government in that area. We will continue to introduce new laws to keep Australians safe online, and we will take on Big Tech. One of the greatest fears that parents have for their children, particularly girls, growing up in a completely different digital world than the one we grew up in. Our critical infrastructure assets are more than ever reliant on technology for the delivery of their services and everything from our communications networks to the stable distribution of our electricity grids, the functioning of satellites and financial services essential for daily retail transactions. That's the world we live in. But you know, over a third of all incidents reported to the Australian Cyber Security Centre over the last 12 months have been for critical infrastructure assets. They're targeted, and the potential for massive disruption is very real. And I want to pay special tribute to the leadership and public service of Andy Penn, who's here tonight, who has contributed enormously to the development and implementation of the government's $1.7 billion cyber security strategy as chair of the Industry Advisory Panel. I thank everyone for their role in it.
When Parliament returns next February, the government will pass further legislation to lift the security and protection of Australia's critical infrastructure. We need the support of industry to get this done. Internationally within our region and further afield, we've been pursuing Australia's interests, standing up to coercion and supporting a world that favours freedom and the rule of law. This involves working even more closely with partners and allies and like minded nations, just like I was today with the President of Korea. In 2021 alone, we have sealed the elevation of the Quad, together with India, Japan and the United States providing an active and positive force for stability and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, driven by leaders including development of critical minerals, supply chains, critical technologies and the coordination of vaccine supply. The landmark AUKUS Agreement, a new trilateral security partnership between ourselves, the United States and the United Kingdom, geared to the emerging security challenges of the 21st century, including accessing the technology for nuclear powered submarine fleet. The only other country to do that was the United Kingdom in 1958. This is essential to our long term security and has been long sought after. The first ever comprehensive strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, based on a shared vision for a free and resilient Indo-Pacific. And the first comprehensive free trade agreement negotiated with the UK post-Brexit. Now the common thread in all this is plain enough. These are big national plays for big strategic stakes where we must protect Australia's interests, and we have been doing so.
Finally keeping Australians together. A nation, a government must always prioritise national unity and social cohesion. We are the most successful immigration and multicultural nation in the world, and we intend, thank you, we intend to keep it that way with a sustainable migration programme that gets the balance right. Keeping our borders secure. Avoiding population pressures on our infrastructure and services, particularly in our major cities, and meeting the Labor needs of our economy, as well as our family reunion and humanitarian obligations. And we will continue to ensure that our economic recovery strategy places a strong priority on women's economic security that Jane is leading. Our most recent budget committed $1.9 billion over four years to support employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women, increase retirement savings and improve the affordability of child care.
From my first days as prime minister, I've made a point of ensuring the interests and everyday concerns of those living in rural, regional and remote Australia are never far from my view or the government's view. First place I went was to Quilpie to go and inspect what was happening with the drought. I've stayed in touch with the family over these past few years. As you know, this year saw our government commit to net zero emissions by 2050, and I won't pretend this was easy. Our pathway to net zero for rural and regional Australia is designed to be a net positive that respects their way of life and protects their economic future. The fact that we found this not the easiest things to do, I think says very clearly to rural and regional Australia, we understand their sensitivities and concerns and we can be most trusted to protect them. You know, we either grow together or we grow apart, and we cannot allow that to happen between our rural and regional communities and our cities. Our pathway to net zero is about growing together. And once again, an active and engaged and durable partnership between government, business and local communities will be vital. This is something our government is very committed to with our major investments in clean hydrogen industrial hubs, carbon capture and storage and renewables projects from Bell Bay in the South to Darwin in the north, from Gladstone, the Hunter and Latrobe Valley in the East to the Pilbara in the West. The right policy settings, I remain supremely confident, I'm sure Bridget agrees, that it's regional Australia will continue to be an attractive, prosperous and vibrant place to live, work and raise a family, for at least one in three Australians, as it is today.
So friends, over the past three years, we have worked together to bring Australia through some of the most difficult challenges we have ever faced. Our success has been built on the resilience, strength and quiet confidence of the Australian people. It has been supported by the actions of our government that has worked hard to get the balance right and chart a uniquely Australian way through this crisis and into the future. And so as now 2021 recedes into the rear vision mirror, our government's sights are firmly through that windscreen on the road ahead. We know it will take the experience we have gained together over these past difficult years to see Australia through the next set of challenges, to secure Australia's success, to secure our economic recovery, to keep Australians safe in an uncertain world. And to keep Australians moving forward together, stronger, safer, together. Thank you very much for your kind attention.
Press Conference - Canberra, ACT
13 December 2021
Prime Minister: Welcome, Your Excellency, President Moon. It is a great honour to have you here in Australia on what is your first ever trip to Australia, along with First Lady Kim as a guest of our government on this important state visit. The first of these we have had since the outbreak of COVID. Hwan-yeonghada. Welcome. As you know, President Moon, the friendship between our nations is deep and historic. From Kapyong to here we are now in Canberra. Our ties were forged during the Vietnam, during the Korean War. Australia was the second nation after the United States to come to Korea's aid in those very dark days. More than 17,000 Australians fought to defend your freedom and indeed the freedom of all liberal democracy, peace loving countries in these conflicts. Some 70 years ago, this took place, and now we mark 60 years of our diplomatic relations. And during this time, Australia has shown unwavering support for peace on the Korean Peninsula, and we reaffirm, affirm this again today. And I particularly want to pay tribute to His Excellency's wisdom, his passion, his vision and his commitment to securing that peace on the Korean Peninsula. He has stood tall on these issues over many years. We are proud in Australia to have contributed to Korea's economic growth, just as Korea has contributed to ours. It has been such a mutually beneficial partnership. Today, as always, our economies complement each other. We are important trading partners and we welcome the prospect of Korea joining the CPTPP and we look forward, should they wish to take that decision and step, we look forward to being an encouraging partner. The CPTPP sets a high bar for countries that understand the importance of the rule of law and trade, that deals with its partners fairly and consistently in a way that promotes free trade. And Korea has already achieved those marks not only in their relationship with Australia, but with the many trading partners with whom they have trusted relationships. This investment goes in both directions, and we look forward to that continuing.
We are also important security partners, as we have just witnessed with the Hanwha Howitzer contract, a billion dollar armoured vehicle centre for excellence to be located in the Geelong region and a big shout out to all of those in Geelong. This is the delivery of an important commitment of our government that we made. It's an important further chapter in the Defence Industry story for Australia as we continue to build our sovereign capability. And Korea is an important partner in that journey, both in our security arrangements but also in the building of our sovereign capability in defence manufacturing.
We also have tourism and education links that run deep. Some 20,000 Korean students come and study in Australia, and we are looking forward to welcoming them back, as we are the many tourists and business travellers and skilled migrants. And on Wednesday of this week, we will move again forward. The borders will be reopened both to Korea and Japan and for skilled migration and for students, as we conclude the pause that we announced several weeks ago. This is made possible because Korea and Australia have both shared a COVID-19 experience. Korea has had an extraordinary set of achievements in managing the virus, and the President and I have discussed on many occasions during the course of the pandemic where we have been able to meet in person at various multilateral fora around the world, the G7 plus, the G20. And we have learnt from the Korean experience here in Australia, as I'm sure in the stories we've been able to exchange on our experience that has helped inform the Korean response. So together we are two countries that have had one of the lowest death rates from COVID in the world. We have both got one of the strongest economies, each of us, moving through COVID and we share high vaccination rates. Australia and Korea have some of the highest vaccination rates, double dose of anywhere in the world. And so that is allowing our economies to open up.
And we see that today here in Australia, as the borders come tumbling down there in between Queensland and the rest of the country. And Australians are being reunited because of their efforts to get vaccinated. And to see families reunited to see Australians coming together as we get to the end of this year, this is encouraging, but I know the more than 123,000 Australians of Korean ancestry will be looking forward to seeing their friends, their family and them being able to join together. And that has been made possible because of the outstanding achievements in Korea in managing COVID, and I congratulate the President on their achievements.
We look forward to proceeding with the many agreements that we have announced today, whether in defence, defence materiel, the Memorandum of Understanding to establish an implementation plan for Australia and Korea's Low Zero Emissions Technology Partnership that the President I agreed we would proceed with when we met together in the UK, at Carbis Bay, at the G7. This is one of many of these partnerships because both Korea and Australia understand that the path to net zero will not come at the expense of our industries and our economies, and the momentum that has been built up in trade and jobs and innovation and technology. We understand that these are problems to be solved and overcome, and that partnership we have on the road to net zero through technology is an important one that I look forward to us achieving. And there is the critical minerals MoU as well. This is an area where Australia and Korea is already working very closely together to build those reliable, trusted supply chains in these critical minerals and rare earths that we know will power the new energy economy and the global economy into the future.
Our space cooperation for peaceful purposes, Korea again a leader there and Australia through our National Space Agency in Adelaide, leading the way with these new partnerships that will see Australia also play a significant role in space. Our MoU on digital cooperation initiatives in South East Asia again reinforce our commitment to being, along with Korea, a major top 10 digital economy of the future. And our people to people relationships which are reinforced each and every day. And I want to conclude by thanking President Moon for his deep dedication to this relationship. He has extended me great courtesy and friendship over these past three years, and I appreciate that very much, and I am so pleased that Jenny and I have been able to welcome him and Madam Kim today and tomorrow here in Australia. We are looking forward to the time we will now share together with the Governor-General and in other engagements, and I know the many other meetings that he has. Together, we share a view about the role of liberal democracies in today's world and particularly in the Indo-Pacific. We understand how important it is for the rule of law, for multilateral organisations that are based on a world order that favours freedom, that countries in our own region can have choices, choices in their economy, choices for their peace and security. And we look forward in particular to that day, President Moon, to the day that the Korean Peninsula will have peace and stability long into the future. I thank you and I invite you to make some comments.
His Excellency Moon Jae-In, President of the Republic of Korea: [TRANSLATION] Your Excellency, Prime Minister Morrison. Thank you very much for the warm hospitality. You've invited me as Australia's first guest since the COVID-19 outbreak, and today our two countries have formed a closer cooperative relationship. I think this will be a great gift for the people of two countries to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Australia and Korea have forged strong cooperative relationship various areas, including economy, defence, science and technology. The two countries which have grown together as essential and exemplary democratic mid-sized countries and the powers of the Asia-Pacific region have become proud leaders of the international community and have been invited to the G7 summit this year.
The international order is undergoing rapid changes amid COVID-19, the climate change crisis and supply chains instability to countries which share the same values such as democracy, human rights and market economy, will take on the new challenges through closer cooperation. Today, Prime Minister and I advanced our bilateral relations and elevated into a comprehensive strategic partnership. Together, our two countries will lead forward as global leaders and move forward vigorously towards a future of shared prosperity.
First, we agreed to strengthen strategic cooperation for fostering regional stability, peace and prosperity. We are going to expand security cooperation, national defence and defence materials and cyber technology, in particular with the self-propelled artillery project signed today as a signifier and a starting point to will strengthen strategic defence cooperation. Prime Minister actively supported the Korean people's efforts in the peace process, and the two countries have agreed to continue working together towards a denuclearisation and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and also peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. We also had in-depth dialogue on how to surmount COVID-19, we’ll respond to Omicron variant and expand the vaccine supply to improve health security in the region through joint efforts. For Korean people who are fully vaccinated, I appreciate that the Australian Government will, the government will grant quarantine free entry starting from December 15th. I hope this measure will lead to more active exchange and economic revitalisation.
Second, we have agreed to nurture our key future industries together. The two countries have declared to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and are focusing on the transition to a low carbon economy. Today, Prime Minister Morrison and I signed the MoU regarding implementation plan for low and zero emissions technology partnership by broadening the horizon of collaboration to more eco-friendly technologies such as the hydrogen economy, solar power and carbon capture mechanisms. We will turn carbon neutrality into an opportunity to create new jobs and industries. We have also decided to strengthen space cooperation. Australia established a space agency in 2018 and is spurring efforts to foster its space industry. Korea has also set a new turning point for space development with the launch of the nuclear rocket this year. I hope that the MoU regarding space cooperation will enhance exchange and foster cooperation in fields ranging from space exploration and the launch vehicle industry to satellite navigation, and I hope this agreement begin, become the stepping stone for the two countries to expand into space together.
Third, we agreed to strengthen supply chain cooperation. Australia, the world's richest country in mineral resources, and Korea, a major producer of batteries and electric vehicles, play an important role in the global supply chain. Our two countries share the view that establishing a stable mineral supply chain is important not only for the two countries, but also for the global economy, and we have signed the MoU on cooperation and critical minerals supply chain. We will systematically cooperate throughout the entire resource development cycle, including mineral exploration, development, production and mining disaster management. Further strengthening human exchange and technical cooperation.
Today, the two countries have set a new milestone in cooperation based on the solid friendship and trust we have built over the past 60 years. We will together prepare for a new era. I would like to express my special appreciation to the Australian people for their support in the past when Korea was undergoing significant hardship. And I hope that the cooperation between the two countries serves as a driving force toward opening a hopeful new year for the people of both nations. Thank you.
Prime Minister: Thank you very much, your Excellency. We have four questions from the media today, and the first of those goes to KBS.
Journalist: [TRANSLATION] [Inaudible] I have two questions for the two leaders. My first question goes to President Moon. Australia has had a bit of dispute with China over the coal export, and it was also declared it's going to boycott the Beijing Olympic Games and you are visiting Australia at this time and you're exporting arms to Australia. That may give a negative signal to China. What's your view on this? Please respond. And another thing, you have not made a statement about your position on the diplomatic boycott to the Olympic Beijing Olympic Games. When will you make an official opinion and when you announce that? And to the Australian Prime Minister, you made a pact today over the defence, a defence project. What's your evaluation of the defence industry of Korea? And there is a five trillion project [inaudible], and I would like that the armoured vehicle, what is the likelihood of Korea winning this project without competition with a foreign country?
His Excellency Moon Jae-In, President of the Republic of Korea:[TRANSLATION] With regards to the Beijing Olympics on the diplomatic boycott. We have not received a request from any other country, including the United States, to participate in a diplomatic boycott. We are not considering a boycott measure. With regard to AUKUS, we respect the decision made by a sovereign state Australia, and this is a decision made by Australia as a sovereign nation. And we respect that. And Australia is making efforts for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and within the region that Australia does not desire disputes arising in the region. And for peace, we will continue to cooperate with Australia to for peace in this region. The State Visit I make at this time has nothing to do with our position over China. And we do believe that between Korea and Australia is very important that we cooperate over the core minerals and for the hydrogen economy and for the low carbon emissions technology and for the self-propelled artillery to be produced for the first time in Australia. We would like to cooperate with the Australia for that. This is very important for the national interest of Korea, excuse me, and for our national interest and to promote the peace and prosperity in the region and to facilitate recovery of the global economy. That's very important for us.
Prime Minister: Well, thank you, your Excellency. The contract that we've signed today, I think, speaks volumes about what we believe are the capabilities of the Korean defence industry and the fact we have Hanwha here with us today. The fact that we're moving forward with this partnership, I think speaks to the trust as well as the skills, transfer and opportunities that are there for Australian Defence Industry, particularly there in Geelong. This centre of excellence will not only see us acquire the capabilities that we believe are very important for the Australian Defence Forces, but they will also build a workforce. They will also build the skills that Australians are developing and building on to ensure our own sovereign capability. And so when you are engaging with other countries in these types of contracts, it is it is an objective to be doing so with those countries who are like minded in their outlook. And I think between Korea and Australia, we share a very similar view and a similar aspiration for the Indo-Pacific. So that places Korea in I think in a very strong position amongst the many who are engaged in our competitive tendering processes for future contracts. And of course, Land 400 is one of those, but they will follow the same processes that we always do, and we very much appreciate the level of interest engagement that we've had from Hanwha and other and other companies in the past that have sought to work with Australia. Korea are a trusted partner. And so we will we will work closely with them and we look forward to this particular partnership. As I know now, the people of Geelong will, because that means 300 jobs, minimum, spread across the facility, construction, acquisition and maintenance, as well as generating ongoing support opportunities for Australian industry until the late 2040s. So this is, this is a great partnership with this contract and we know it will deliver great benefits both for Australia and for Korea. Now, a second question, Ben Packham at The Australian.
Journalist: Thank you. Ben Packham at The Australian. President Moon, Australia, like South Korea, has faced billions of dollars in Chinese trade sanctions as punishment for domestic policy decisions. How should countries respond to Chinese economic coercion? And to Scott Morrison, can, how can Australia and Korea work together to counter Chinese economic coercion?
Prime Minister: Well, I may start if that's, as this question has come from the Australian side. Well, Ben, I would say this: Australia and Korea are like-minded liberal democracies and we work together to ensure there are economic choices in the region. There is a strengthening of our capabilities, both from defence security point of view, and not just in the traditional, but also in the new areas of cyber and new technologies. That, of course, occurs in a security space, but it also occurs in a, in an economic space. And the fact that we're working together on critical minerals supply chains and rare earths, these are the critical minerals and rare earths that that power and and and support a new energy economy. And so ensuring that there are trusted supply chains between like-minded countries is incredibly important for our region. It brings stability. It brings balance. I have absolutely no doubt that our only ambition between Australia and Korea is to ensure a peaceful and safe and free and open Indo-Pacific, where all nations in the region can trade openly and well and positively, free from any coercion, and have their own choices about how they move forward. And so we work together in cooperation in all of these fora - in the commercial space and particularly in the area of trade, which is why I lean so heavily into the prospect of Korea being part of the CPTPP. To ensure peace and stability, yes, you need a strong security environment where the rule of law is upheld and those who seek to live by that rule of law, which we would hope would be everybody, abide by it, and we uphold the institutions importantly that make that possible. And the World Trade Organization and the rules of world trade, there are few, if any, countries that have as strong a record as Korea in upholding those principles. And so whether it's in the South China Sea, where the the law, the maritime law, the UNCLOS, is upheld to ensure the freedom of movement through those channels, the freedom of overflight, these are important universal principles that Australia and Korea share. They are directed at nothing other than a free and open Indo-Pacific, and that is very easy ground for us to come together on. And so many other countries in our region do that, and that's what we seek to foster to promote a peaceful region.
His Excellency Moon Jae-In, President of the Republic of Korea: [TRANSLATION] With regard to the question on the relationship with China, that was your question. Korea and Australia uphold the same values and our position in terms of the geopolitical situation, we are like-minded. First of all, in terms of our alliance with the US, it's the basis of our diplomacy as well as security affairs, and in terms of the economic relationship, of course, the relationship with China is important. However, Korea has another factor to take into account, and that has to do with the peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. And it's also denuclearisation of DPRK. We need the constructive efforts of China to enable denuclearisation of DPRK. Therefore, Korea is focused on the steadfast alliance with the US and also with China. We want a harmonised relationship and we want to maintain such a relationship, and we will be putting in the efforts to make this happen. And, of course, with regard to the relationship with China, there may be certain conflicts and there may be some issues of competition. However, if you look at climate change and the supply chain issue and also in terms of pandemic and infectious diseases, there are global challenges, and these are domains where we do need to engage in cooperation and collaboration. And it's about making sure to engage in a very harmonised relationship and to engage and enable a free and open Indo-Pacific, and also within the region of the Indo-Pacific for the peace and prosperity here, along with Australia, we’ll continue on with our collaboration. Thank you.
Prime Minister: Thank you, Your Excellency. Now we have Kim Min Gi from Arirang TV.
Journalist: Ok, thank you. I have two questions for each of you as well. [TRANSLATION] My first question was to President Moon Jae, and there were two leaders must have discussed about the Korean Peninsula peace process, and US President Biden has announced that the first interim measure after he was inaugurated to office officer. So there are some rosy pictures and some blue card prospects are being projected at the same time. So I'd like to ask for your position on the end of war declaration and on this [inaudible] as well.
Australia also recently asked the diplomatic boycott to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. But for South Korea, China is an important partner when it comes to the Korean Peninsula peace process, especially when it comes to the declaration of the end of the Korean War. Many media outlets have speculated that China would be a matter of discussion at today's summit. If so, can you share with us some of the key discussion points? Thank you.
His Excellency Moon Jae-In, President of the Republic of Korea: [TRANSLATION] So far, Australia has been very consistent in providing support to on the Korean Peninsula peace process. We thank Australia for that. And Australia has also supported the end of war declaration proposal by the Korean Government and the relevant parties to this declaration. It would be the United States, China and Republic of Korea and North Korea. And I believe, in principle, everybody agrees to the declaration. But North Korea is saying that they need to see and withdraw after US hostile policy [inaudible] that this is a precondition set foot by North Korea. And because of that, we are not able to sit down for a discussion negotiation on the declarations between South and North Korea, and those between North Korea and United States. And we hope that talks will be initiated. We make efforts towards that.
With regards to characteristics of the end of war declaration, I’d like to give some explanations. The end of war declaration is not the ultimate objective that we pursue. The end of war declarations need to be well, need to be decided on, basically, the contents of the declaration need to be decided by the relevant parties to end. Afterwards, there needs to be a process to established for peace process, a peace regime, to be established in the Korean Peninsula, and we need it to build consensus for that for the end of a declaration to be made. In this, what I’d like to say is that the end of war declaration is has to do with ending the Armistice regime, which is quite unstable, and is for the past 70 years. So it's very important that we end the Armistice regime, but also, it's very important that we start once again that negotiation between North and South Korea's and between United States and North Korea. And another thing is that this is going to be help us start negotiations for denuclearisation and the peace [inaudible] in the Korean Peninsula. So this is very important on that front as well. And I would like to say that the Korean Government commits to this issue so that discussion can begin in earnest.
Prime Minister: Well, first of all, I'd say on the issues on the Korean Peninsula, this has been a regular topic of dialogue between Australia and Korea over our many meetings together in the various settings that we've had. And, again, I applaud President Moon's ambition and dedication to achieving this very important goal, not just for the Korean Peninsula, but far more broadly for the Indo-Pacific region, and even broader than that. It is a difficult task that many have sought to progress before and have been disappointed. But this is why I admire President Moon's commitment to this, that he keeps pressing forward. He keeps seeking to find the way. And I think that speaks much to his passion for this goal, and we will continue to support those efforts wherever we can. Australia has not been a casual or passive bystander in these issues when it comes to the Korean Peninsula. As you said, 70 years ago, with Australians, the second only after the United States, to be there to fight for freedom on the Korean Peninsula. And since that time, we have continued to support, most recently, of course, with our own defence forces supporting the enforcement of sanctions. And this is an important role that we play and we will continue to. But our objective remains the same: to ensure that there can be a process that ultimately can see these issues resolve. But that resolution can't come at the cost of unacceptable compromises. It must come in a way that actually enhances stability, that enhances freedom, not seeks to lock in negative consequences in the longer term. And, so, to that end, I admire President Moon's patience and his dedication to seeing this through.
In relation to the issues that we discussed regarding China, I think we've already canvassed them here at this, in both of our statements. We want to see a free and open Indo-Pacific. Both Korea and Australia are the closest of friends with ASEAN. Australia just recently was the first to achieve the first Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN. President Moon himself, before the pandemic, I understand, visited every single ASEAN nation and every ASEAN leader. And I think that says a lot about Korea's and President Moon's commitment to the relationship with ASEAN. ASEAN is a powerhouse all of its own, as an economic zone. It is, it provides economic choices for both member nations, as well as those who deal with them. And for ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific to realise all of this, then in the South China Sea, there must be the rule of law, there must be the upholding of UNCLOS, and there must be a free and open Indo-Pacific, and that is a goal we share.
Now, finally, Anthony Galloway from Nine Newspapers.
Journalist: Question to President Moon. This year, we've seen increased tensions in the Taiwan Straits. I was wondering if you can provide a comment on what you think should be done to de-escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait. The Australian Defence Minister recently said it would be inconceivable for Australia not to join the US in some kind of operation to defend Taiwan. As a US ally, would it also be inconceivable for South Korea not to join in some kind of defence of Taiwan, were that to be needed?
And for the Prime Minister Morrison, South Korea hasn't been part of some of the recent security formations that we've seen in the world and in the region that Australia has been a part of, such as the Quad, AUKUS. I was wondering if you can say whether you see some kind of role for South Korea in any of those groupings?
Prime Minister: I may commence, Mr President. On the latter, I greatly welcome President Moon's support, particularly for the AUKUS initiative, and there was the opportunity for us to, for that to be briefed in prior to that announcement. And Korea clearly understands the challenges that Australia faces in our region and our sovereign interests, and that we need to take steps and form partnerships that enables us to protect our sovereign interests in this part of the world. No one better understands those issues, I think, better than Korea, and so we greatly appreciate the way that this has been understood. And equally, Australia has an unblemished record when it comes to non-proliferation. And that is also a record I know that Korea understands and has been strongly supportive of as we move through the process of acquiring and developing a nuclear-powered submarines, not nuclear-armed, and the constructive way that Korea has engaged with us on the IAEA process. That is, that is very important to ensure that non-proliferation issues are addressed, and they absolutely will be. So we welcome their keen interest and support on those matters. So AUKUS and then the Quad relationship, which predates both of us and goes back many years but has been successfully rebooted, and that has enabled a partnership that is very much focused in the region. And as President Moon and I discussed today, both of these partnerships are about ensuring that Australia can be a stronger partner for so many others. And so the capabilities that we're able to acquire through the AUKUS partnership means that we can be an even better partner with Korea in our bilateral relationship. The way we work together with India and Japan in the region and the insights we gain there and the work we do in the region, be it in the South West Pacific or otherwise, provides bespoke and discrete opportunities for each of us, but particularly Australia, to be working with Korea on those initiatives, be they humanitarian, be they commercial. One, I think, of the great strengths of Korea's engagement with ASEAN is the economic engagement, and one of the most forward leaning countries in the Indo-Pacific engaging with the ASEAN economies. And this provides a real economy of choice, which is so necessary for a free and open Indo-Pacific. So these partnerships are understood in Korea. They are not seen, as we were able to discuss today, as exclusive in terms of the benefits, because we believe the benefits extend well beyond those who are directly involved. And we look forward to pursuing our own direct relationships with Korea, as I'm sure other partners in the region do as well.
His Excellency Moon Jae-In, President of the Republic of Korea: [TRANSLATION] So you've asked about the Cross-Strait issues and the peace and stability of the Cross-Strait issue. Well, it's critical if we also want the peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, and it is closely related. So, once again, with regard to Cross-Strait issues, through dialogue it would be important to enable a peaceful management of the Cross-Strait issues. That's what I wish for, and it's also important to maintain peace and stability on the Cross-Strait issues, and I do need, I do believe that international cooperation will be necessary in that regard. And as the Prime Minister has mentioned, [inaudible], AUKUS and Quad - all of these issues for the peace and prosperity of, prosperity of the Indo-Pacific will contribute on in that on that behalf, and I do know that it will make its contributions for the Indo-Pacific. Thank you.
Prime Minister: Just finally on on the issue regarding the Straits from Australia's perspective, I think, you know, Korea does have a very important role to play in that dialogue. It does have its own unique standing within the region and its own relationships with each of the the key principles that are engaged in that issue. And we both share a very strong partnership and alliance with the United States, and that provides a opportunity for dialogue. Equally, Korea also has a very strong and open dialogue with China. The scenario you speak of is is one that that no one seeks, that no one hopes to transpire, whether by miscalculation or other means. And therefore, I think Australia and Korea have important work to do as, as liberal democracies, heavily engaged in the region, with much at stake, to ensure for the benefit of all in the Indo-Pacific, then those matters can be peacefully advanced. And with that, I thank His Excellency, and thank you for joining us today. Thank you.
Virtual Address, Summit for Democracy
11 December 2021
Prime Minister: G’day, from Australia.
President Biden said earlier this year that this is a time for “renewal and resolve”.
And Australia agrees with our American friends.
This is a time to renew our faith in the values and principles that have lifted free peoples everywhere.
In the equality of all people.
In human dignity, expressed through freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of association.
In the rule of law and the ballot box, and a free press.
As the President has said, no democracy is perfect, but nor is any democracy ever final.
We also know from the evidence of human history that democracies are the engine room of change - be it social, economic or political.
Democracies are where innovation and enterprise flourish freely.
This is also a time for resolve.
Because we are living in a time of great uncertainty.
The rules-based order that has served us so well for so long, based on those important Liberal democratic principles - that has underpinned our stability and our prosperity - is under threat from growing autocracy in so many countries around the world, from rapid military modernisation, the undermining of international law, from disinformation, foreign interference and malicious cyber threats.
So we must work together to bolster and defend our democracies, as like mindeds, aligning together, with unity and purpose.
To maintain our sovereignty, and to support others to make decisions in their own sovereign interest.
Because we believe in a world order that favours freedom.
Expressed in a vibrant and pluralistic society, with an open economic outlook, the rule of law and respect for territorial claims, and support for the law of the sea.
We can’t be casual about these important values and beliefs.
They are integral to who we are as free peoples, who shape our own destinies, not have them determined for us.
Liberal democracies work. We know that.
They work because they respect the individual. They respect each and every human being and their dignity.
They respect property rights.
They value enterprise.
They encourage choice.
And they find solutions and deliver for the common good.
Sure, yes, our democracies, they can be loud - but the engine of change is always loud.
Ronald Reagan reminded us two generations ago, “Democracy is not a fragile flower. Still, it needs cultivating.”
We can’t be complacent about our democracies and the values that sustain them.
It was true when he said it then, it’s true now.
We all face unique challenges in our time, in our parts of the world.
Australia, we’re playing our part, as a vibrant, strong, Liberal democracy, who stands up for what we believe in.
And we are working with industry to counter disinformation and misinformation - a challenge that is common to all of us.
We’ve been boosting our ability to discover, track and disrupt foreign interference in our elections.
And we’re working in partnership with our neighbours in the Indo-Pacific to support free and fair elections in our region.
We are also reforming our autonomous sanctions laws, enabling us to bar the perpetrators of egregious acts of international concern from benefiting from the fruits of our democracy.
And we are continuing to champion the cause of human dignity, particularly the rights of women and girls - so often the victims of the oppression of autocracy and extremism.
The rights of Indigenous peoples - we have an ancient Indigenous living culture here in Australia.
And working for the global abolition of the death penalty.
In this time of renewal and resolve, we are proud to stand with our friends, true to our values, and confident that we can always make a positive contribution.
We’re great optimists in Australia - we always believe in a big future and a positive future.
And we appreciate very much being part of this important summit, which is all about living that hope.
Press Conference - Dummoyne, NSW
10 December 2021
Dr Fiona Martin MP, Federal Member for Reid: Well, I’m Dr Fiona Martin, Federal Member for Reid, and I welcome you all here to Destro's Pharmacy here in Drummoyne. I'd like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners on the land in which we meet, the Wangal people of the Eora Nation and pay my respects to elders, past, present and emerging and to all Indigenous people across Australia. It's wonderful to be here to bring the Prime Minister and Minister for Health Greg Hunt, and also Secretary of the Department of Health Professor Brendan Murphy here to Destro’s Pharmacy. The owners Silvi and Hector have been here, the family have been here for over 30 years. This is a perfect example of a family business here in Reid. A family business that have worked incredibly hard during COVID, delivering a significant number of vaccines to people across the electorate and also providing testing as well. So we are incredibly grateful to our healthcare professionals, those on the frontline and also those who are doing testing and vaccinating all day long. And you know, it's wonderful news this morning with the announcement by the TGA of the 5 to 11 year olds getting vaccinated now by Pfizer. And can I just say as a parent, I have four children, I've got two vaccinated already and now I'll be able to vaccinate one more. So it really does give parents great relief to be able to vaccinate their children. It is a choice, but it's certainly one that I'll be taking up because it makes me feel much more comfortable knowing that they will be vaccinated. Now I won't go on, I won’t detain you. I’ll pass over to the Prime Minister, who you all want to hear from. Thank you.
Prime Minister: Great. Thank you very much. Well, it's wonderful to be here with the pharmacists of Australia and of course, I am joined by Dr Martin, and Fiona, can I thank you very much for the great support you've given to the government and not just as the local member for Reid, where you’ve done a fantastic job, but also as your- your experience as a psychologist and your input has been very important Greg, the Health Minister and I, as we've also dealt with the very serious mental health impacts of going through this pandemic and Australia has an extremely good record of both addressing and being able to manage the mental health impacts of going through this pandemic compared to other countries around the world. As we know in Australia, we have one of the lowest death rates from COVID of any country in the world. We have one of the strongest economies that are coming through this pandemic, and we're looking out that front windscreen going into 2022, looking strong going into next year. And of course, we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, which is what we're here to talk about today and to Silvi and the whole team here and to all of her family. I want to thank the pharmacists of Australia for the contribution they've made to this vaccination effort.
Today, we can announce that there have been more than 40 million doses of the vaccine delivered in Australia, and that is a great achievement by the entire team who have been involved in delivering these doses all around the country. Now from that first day, I was there with Jane Malysiak back in in February, we've had around 137,000 doses a day. Just think about that, that's going all the way back to February to now. An average of 137,000 doses a day and almost a hundred per minute over the course of this extraordinarily ambitious vaccination programme. And the outcome of that is Australia having one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. Now back in September, we made the decision based on the best possible medical advice that we would extend that vaccination programme to 12 to 15 year olds, and that programme has been going extremely well. And now we have taken the decision based on the best possible medical advice through the TGA that we will be extending that vaccination programme to 5 to 11 year olds and giving parents the choice.
As a parent, there are no more important decisions that you make than those you make about the health and wellbeing of your children, and we want to make sure that we have been one of the first countries after the North America and the United States and Canada, having observed their experience and looked at their results, to be able to move to vaccinations for 5 to 11 year olds. Now that will start on the 10th of January, and Greg Hunt and Professor Murphy will take you through the steps that we need to take between now and then. We'll be briefing premiers and chief ministers on that further today when we meet this morning. And this is another important step forward in our vaccination programme.
Now the other point I want to encourage all Australians about and that is to go and get your booster shot. I’ve had mine. That booster shot is very important. Now we had a bumper day of boosters with over 30,000 just yesterday I think it was Greg, is that right? Over 30,000 yesterday. So I want to encourage Australians eligible for the booster go and get it. We are continuing to review the evidence about how that time period for the booster shot might be able to be reduced. And we're working with the medical experts on those issues. And Professor Murphy may want to say a few things about that, and we'll talk about that today with the premiers and the chief ministers. But, to all those 5 to 11 year olds, those brave 5 to 11 year olds, they'll come to places just like here with Silvi and the whole team and pharmacists and GPs around the country. And they will now join this programme, which is helping keeping Australians safe.
The fact that we've achieved such a high rate of vaccination means we can look into 2022 with confidence. And even though other strains come as we've seen, with Omicron and Delta and others in the past. What I do know is, is Australia is set up to live with this virus, to live together with this virus. And as we're seeing Australians come together as we get into Christmas, only one state now has to get past that 80 per cent mark in Western Australia and they're not far away, they're only a few days away. And the fact that we got through this year as we set it out is our task at the start of this year, to get to exactly where we are. That is I want to say thank you to all Australians that have made that possible and so we can look forward to a great summer break together when we come back in 2022 and lead the world and with our economy and the other things that I know Australia going to achieve into the future. So with that, I'll pass you onto Greg Hunt.
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health: Thanks very much to the PM and Fiona and to Brendan, in particular to Silvi and Hector for allowing us into your beautiful pharmacy. And of course, to Trent and Dave. Pharmacists have delivered almost two and a half million vaccinations, our primary care programme has delivered over 22 million vaccinations and has been the backbone of the Australian vaccination programme. But today is about our beautiful kids. Kids such as Hugo and Lachlan, Emily Collette, Savannah, so many others. So this is your time to step forward. Australian parents and children are amazing vaccinators. We have a 95 per cent five year old vaccination rate. 97 per cent for Indigenous Australian children. One of the highest paediatric vaccination rates in the world. The decision by the TGA and now ATAGI is that they have approved vaccination for 5 to 11 year olds. And it does three things it protects our children, it protects their families and it protects their schools. And so these are really important steps. And we have, in my view, the best medical regulators and medical experts in the world, and they've looked around the world. We are one of the first countries, as the Prime Minister said after the US and Canada, to begin a full national 5 to 11 year rollout as we have been with boosters. And so this is the next step in protecting Australians. It will give parents confidence. It will give parents choice. It will give children protection. And it will give their families protection and it will give their schools protection. So I think from January the 10th, we hope as many Australian 5 to 11 year olds as possible will come forward. We're in a strong situation. The steps between now and then are training and Brendan will set out the difference in doses. So that's an important thing. So all of our immunisers understand that. The ordering and then finally, we have the batch testing. So the actual vials that are tested by the TGA, they have been absolutely thorough and rigorous in their assessment. And that's what's kept Australians safe and will continue to keep Australians safe. This has been a challenge for all of us. But I tell you what, Australians have risen to that challenge and we said we'd get through it. We are getting through it. We’ll continue to get through it. And I’ll just invite Professor Murphy, who is here with his role as chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group. Thank you.
Professor Brendan Murphy, Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Health: Thanks, Minister and PM and Fiona. This is a great day for our kids. 5 to 11s, whilst we know they generally get very mild COVID, some have underlying conditions can get quite unwell with it. And there are, there is a rare inflammatory condition that is seen in one in 3,000 young children who have had COVID, so it is important for their protection to vaccinate them. It's also important for the community to increase that vaccination coverage because we know that vaccination does have an impact on transmission and the more of the population we have vaccinated, the more we will be able to control COVID. It's important to note that ATAGI didn't reach their final decision, and the TGA didn't reach their final decision until they had had data, real world data from the US on five million children, showing that the adverse effects for this vaccine for little children are almost negligible. It is really safe. So we've now got very, very, very good data that this vaccine has only the usual mild sore arms. Very, very, very good experience from the US. So I'm very confident that the Pfizer vaccine is a safe and effective vaccine, and I strongly encourage everyone to get it.
As Minister Hunt said, there are some steps now that we've done the approval. We have to get the special one third dose vials into the country. We have to get them tested. We have to get them distributed to our wonderful pharmacies and GPs and clinics, and we have to train all of the vaccination providers in the, this new formulation. So that's going to take some weeks and that's why it'll start on the 10th of January when everyone's ready, but people will be able to be making appointments later this month.
Just finally, boosters are really, really important. Everyone in the media is interested in the Omicron variant. We're still learning more about it. What is clear, though, is that booster vaccinations do improve protection against Omicron from the early lab tests, so it is even more important for everybody who is due for a booster to go and get a booster. It is really, really important and I encourage every Australian to do that.
Prime Minister: Trent.
Professor Trent Twomey, National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia: Thank you, Prime Minister and Minister, and it is an exciting day. From next week, Australians will be able to book an appointment with their local community pharmacy for primary school children to receive a vaccination. We've been vaccinating the rest of Australia, as the Minister said two and a half million COVID vaccines have been delivered through pharmacies so far this year. We've been able to provide our high school kids with a COVID-19 shot for the past couple of months, and from Monday the 10th of January, our primary school students will be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccination as well. And I'm not just a pharmacist, I'm a dad. I've got a 10 year old and a 9 year old, and they'll be in my pharmacy getting their shot in January, so they'll be protected before they go back to school next year. But I encourage all Australians to not just book an appointment on the website, findapharmacy.com.au, next week, but I encourage all of you to do what you normally do, and that's have a conversation with your pharmacist, because there is nothing more important than making an informed decision. And as the Minister said, the decision is yours, and I think it's wonderful that Australia is one of the first countries in the world to give that choice to parents, and my wife and I are going to be having that conversation and we've looked at the evidence and we've looked at the data. It is very safe, it is very effective. And as a dad, that's the best thing I can do to protect my kids. But listen, on the booster shots, there are many letters left in the Greek alphabet. And you know, I think we need to start looking at the COVID-19 virus as just like the annual influenza. You know, the 2021 flu shot is not going to protect me against the 2022 influenza strain, and that's exactly the same thing with the coronavirus. So just please make sure if you've already had your first two shots, do the right thing, pop down, see your local pharmacy and make sure you keep those high levels of herd immunity up. So congratulations and merry Christmas.
Journalist: Prime Minister, you said we are days away from our final state reaching that 80 per cent, have you received any medical advice that says we shouldn't be able to travel freely this Christmas, to see our families this Christmas? You know, all of our internal borders?
Prime Minister: Well, the national plan, which I took to all the premiers and chief ministers earlier this year, and it was agreed twice, was based on the best possible scientific advice from the Doherty Institute, world leading. And that really did show that the 80 per cent vaccination mark double dose was the key trigger point, threshold to reach to be able to start and to be living with the virus. And that is that is our goal. So the issue now is not case numbers. The issue is now the impact on the hospital system and the public health system. And what we've already seen in New South Wales and in Victoria is that the hospital systems have managed incredibly well as those states have opened up. And that has occurred at the same time as them going past those 80 per cent vaccination rates. And as Professor Murphy will tell you, they have bettered the modelling work that was done in terms of the impact on the health systems. And I watch closely what is happening as I know Professor Murphy and Greg does and Paul Kelly about what's happening with hospitalisations in the UK and places like that, and we have seen their hospitalisations rates fall, even though case numbers have gone up. And we are still learning a lot about this Omicron variant and we'll be talking more about that today with premiers and chief ministers. I welcome the decisions that have been made in Queensland. I think that's fantastic. I welcome the decisions have been made to implement the national plan, and I look forward to receiving further updates today from all premiers and chief ministers about how they are keeping the deal with Australians. The national plan is a deal with Australians. They rolled up their sleeves and we opened up the country. That was the deal. Commonwealth government, the federal government is keeping that deal.
Journalist: So will international borders open on December 15?
Prime Minister: Well, we're taking more advice at the moment, but that is certainly our disposition I should, I should flag. I said that the other day. What we wanted to just pause to ensure that we could get a bit more information. We've been receiving more information. And Brendan, you might want to comment on this, but we have seen the severity of the illness playing out to date, as the early indications were, I think it's fair to say, Brendan. And that is that is potentially quite a game changer with the pandemic around the world about how the virus may well step down. But we'll see, it's a little too early to make those sort of judgements. But our plan is to keep moving forward, not to go back. We're not looking in the rear vision mirror, we're not going back to what Australians have had to go through. We're going to go forward and we're going to live with this virus. And the reason we can do that is because of the decisions we've taken, the achievements that have been made in the vaccination programme, the strength of our economy, the resilience of our people. And now by bringing 5 to 11 year olds into that, that only further strengthens us to be able to deal with and live with this virus and live with it together, as the national plan set out many months ago. But Brendan, do you want to comment?
Professor Brendan Murphy, Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Health: Yes, certainly PM. So we're still learning about the Omicron variant. The information out of South Africa suggests that we're not seeing a high incidence of hospitalisation and severe disease, but we still need to learn more. We have to get information from other countries who now have significant clusters of this virus. We're still doing lab testing on this variant. And as I said before, there is a suggestion that the vaccines will benefit from a booster to protect against this strain. We don't know how it will spread in Australia, but we do know that it is here and certainly in Sydney, and it is likely to spread. But we don't need to panic. We just need to study it more and very importantly, make sure we get boosters. What we've seen across this country now with the sustained transmission in Victoria and New South Wales is very low rates of hospitalisation and severe disease in the vaccinated population. These vaccines do protect people against serious disease, and mild COVID is very different from serious COVID. So we are living with this virus now and we're going to have to adapt to that as we move forward. Thank you.
Journalist: Prime Minister, will every child aged 5 to 11 have the chance to get vaccinated before school returns next year?
Prime Minister: This starts on the 10th of January, and that leaves ample opportunity, I think, to do that. But ultimately, that's a decision for parents. Parents make the health decisions about their children. We provide them with the opportunity to do that, and that will be, as Trent said, from the Pharmacy Guild, that is a conversation that parents will have with their kids, with their pharmacies, their GPs, and they'll make those choices and we support those choices.
Journalist: You must be disappointed Gladys isn't going to run for Warringah. Do you have another candidate in mind?
Prime Minister: Sure. I mean. Gladys has been a dear friend over a long period of time, and she has served the people of New South Wales so great and I've been pretty clear about what I thought about her treatment. She's made a decision to go forward a new chapter of her life, and Jenny and I wish her all the very best. She's been a great friend to Jen and I, particularly over these last couple of years as we've worked together to combat the pandemic. New South Wales has done extraordinarily well, and she's going to go on to a new chapter of her life. But, you know, we've got great female candidates in particular who are coming to stand in our team. Just yesterday, as Greg Hunt will know, I was down there with Steph Asher in Corangamite yesterday and of course, Dr Fiona Martin standing here right next to me. So, you know, Gladys has sort of blazed a trail, I think, for women in the Liberal Party and so many of the great professional women who are coming forward and standing up as part of our team have been inspired by Gladys’ achievements. So she's been a trailblazer. She's off to blaze a new trail now, but we wish her all the best for her future, and I know that she will continue to provide tremendously strong support to me and my team, and I thank her very much for that.
Journalist: Have you spoken to her since she decided not to run?
Prime Minister: Yep.
Journalist: When do you expect a resolution to the Alan Tudge matter?
Prime Minister: When Vivienne Thom has completed her arrangements, her inquiry, and that is entirely in her court. And we hope that that is done in a speedy way, in an efficient way and a thorough way.
Journalist: What’s behind the decision to ditch the Taipan helicopters in favour of the Black Hawks?
Prime Minister: The Taipans weren’t meeting their marks. Simple as that. And we want to make sure that our defence forces have the best possible equipment to defend this country, and the Black Hawks will provide that. That's a decision that we've taken together as a National Security Committee to ensure that we're keeping Australians safe. I mean, Australia has been lifting our effort when it comes to defending our nation and ensuring that our expenditure on defence is now over two per cent and our commitments, particularly under the AUKUS agreement and moving towards the nuclear fulfilled submarines, I think demonstrates our commitment. But not just that, but it also demonstrates the relationships and partnerships that we've been able to build and particularly with the United States. But of course, we will continue to work with many other defence contractor suppliers, but in this case, sadly the Taipans didn't do what we needed them to do, so we'll get the things that we need to do it.
Journalist: Why are there so many, so much money, billions of dollars being wasted on defence procurement?
Prime Minister: Well, I don't accept the proposition at all.
Journalist: With National Cabinet meeting today, what will your message be to the WA Premier on reopening borders early or in time for Christmas?
Prime Minister: My position hasn't changed for all premiers and chief ministers and that is to implement the national plan that we agreed. To bring Australians together, to live with the virus. I appreciate greatly the work done by all the premiers and chief ministers and seeing those national vaccination rates get to where they are. We've got one more state to get through that gate as it's a bit like, you know, getting the sheep through the gate and into the run and we’ve got one more state to get through and we're looking forward to that happening in the next few days. And that's an extraordinary effort. I mean, when you think about it, there are states in the Commonwealth that have not had the experience of COVID that New South Wales and Victoria have had and the ACT. In those three areas, of course, the vaccination rates accelerated because we were in lockdowns, and that's to be expected. In states like Western Australia and Queensland and Tasmania, which would be a great place for the fifth test by the way, across those three states, across those three states, they did not have the same COVID experience as New South Wales and Victoria and the ACT. And so it's not surprising, particularly in those states in Queensland and WA, the way that it has been a harder task. But they've gone about the task, and I think they've done a great job to get to the point where before the end of the year and they're going to go past the 80 per cent mark. But you know, Tassie did such a good job because Tassie didn't have big COVID in their state and they're already well through that gate. And I think Tassie has done a terrific job on the vaccination programme, and I commend Peter Gutwein and the whole team down there. That's why they deserve the fifth Test. Did you pick that up about Tassie and the fifth test? I made that point to Cricket Australia yesterday.
Journalist: Prime Minister, do you support Andrew Bragg's dissenting report into the recommendations of the Senate’s Media Diversity Committee?
Prime Minister: Oh, look, I'll take further advice on that, I haven’t had [inaudible].
Journalist: And what's your message to parents who might be a bit hesitant to vaccinate their kids at such a young age?
Prime Minister: My message to parents about 5 to 11 vaccination is the same message you've heard from medical professionals with us today. Talk to your GP, talk to your pharmacist, but most importantly, talk to each other and talk it through. Yeah, there’ll be a little bit of a sore arm. You come home and have an ice cream. I’m sure mum and dad, there could be ice cream, I’m sure there’ll be chocolates too. Don’t mind those sorts of things, they’re all good. So thank you very much for coming today. And but particularly you guys for having us here today, particularly to Silvi and Hector. To all the pharmacists of Australia, thank you very much. If you’re thinking of buying a Christmas present, well, pharmacists are a good place to go and get one. Fair enough? Thank you all very much, everyone. Cheers.
Press Conference - Charlemont, Victoria
09 December 2021
MS STEPHANIE ASHER, LIBERAL CANDIDATE FOR CORANGAMITE: Welcome, everybody. I'm Stephanie Asher, the Liberal Candidate for Corangamite. Absolutely delighted to welcome our Prime Minister Scott Morrison today to Charlemont, and also our Minister for Housing and Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar, and of course Senator Sarah Henderson. So I will, very exciting day for us. We've got some fantastic announcements to make here and fantastic opportunities for young people and new homes.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you. Well, thanks very much, Steph. It's great to be here with you. It's great to have you as part of our team, our Liberal National team, as we go forward into next year's election. And I want to commend you for the great work you've done before you've even stepped forward to be part of our team, particularly here in Corangamite. But especially your work as a Mayor. You're someone who gets things done. That's what I was so impressed about when you stepped forward. My team are people who get things done, and whether it is here or anywhere else around the country, and they're demonstrating that week in, week out, working incredibly hard for their local communities, which I know you will, you will see this as a great opportunity to continue that work that you've been doing for so long now already in the, in the local community.
It's also great to be here with Michael Sukkar and Sarah Henderson, but it's particularly good to be here with those who are owning their first home. This is so exciting, so exciting. You know, at the end of the day, this is what it's all about. This is why people work hard. This is why people go and get trained. This is why people start businesses. This is people forming families and communities. And at the end of the day, the crowning achievement of that is being able to go and buy your own home.
And under the initiatives that we have introduced as a Government, in particular since the last election when I was elected, we said this was a big issue. It's always hard to buy your first home and it's still hard to buy your first time. Everybody understands that. But what we have done as a Government has been able to make that more achievable for more and more Australians. Since the last election, we have put over 300,000 Australians into a home - 300,000. It's an extraordinary achievement. What we've done is we've taken first home owners each year, when I made that commitment before the last election, from just under 100,000 a year, and to this year we're now at 177,000 a year. That is the result of having the right mix of policies that are dealing with the challenges that people trying to get into a home are facing.
We learnt today that one of those who was doing the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, it was first announced, the Home Guarantee Scheme, saved seven years on when they'd be able to buy their first home. That is extraordinary. If you now had to save an extra seven years to get in your first home, our Scheme ensured they could do it right now, right now, and that's happening as we speak.
And we have Matt and Bonnie who are going, who are going through the HomeBuilder program. This is a program that has saved the residential construction industry. As we stood there several years ago and we announced this Scheme - it was bucketed by Labor - but we said, ‘No, this is the right thing to do.’ The residential construction industry was looking at going off the edge of a cliff. And we said, ‘We're going to commit to this,’ and we've seen tens of thousands of Australians taking this up. We've seen $30 billion worth of residential construction activity flow from these commitments.
The average time that we've been able to save people on our First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, now known as the Home Guarantee Scheme, is four years. That's four years of saving they didn't have to do. That's four years of price increases they would have had to pay for that would have gone on top of their mortgage. And this is an extraordinary outcome. This is one of the most important objectives of our Government. We want to see people get in their homes. We want to see people get into jobs. We want to see people ensure that they can get the training they need.
Right now, we've got 217,000 Australians in trade apprentice training in this country. That's the highest level since records began in 1963. And, so, we're not just building homes here. We're building an industry with a workforce with the skills that we've seen on display here and on sites like this all around the country. It is tremendously exciting about what we can see ahead going into 2022 - as people get into their homes, as people get back into jobs, as people see their businesses opening and flourishing again.
And that's why it's great news today that both in Queensland and the Northern Territory, they've gone past the 80 per cent double dose vaccination rate. Well done Queensland, well done Northern Territory. It’s a terrific result and we look forward to that continuing on, because it's very important now that people continue to go and get their boosters, and I want to encourage people to do that. I've had my booster, well over 600,000 Australians have already had their boosters, and we want to keep encouraging people to go and get your boosters because that means we are opening safely and that means we stay open. We're not going back. We're only going forward. We're looking out the front windscreen into 2022. We're not looking in the rear vision mirror.
Now I'm going to ask Michael Sukkar to take us through some of the more specific elements of what we're doing today in extending out the Home Guarantee Scheme, which has been so critical to helping people get into their first home sooner. Michael.
THE HON. MICHAEL SUKKAR MP, ASSISTANT TREASURER AND MINISTER FOR HOUSING: Well, thanks very much, Prime Minister, and can I acknowledge Stephanie Asher, our outstanding candidate here in Corangamite, and Senator Sarah Henderson, who's got a great passion for this region.
As the Prime Minister said, since the last election we have directly supported more than 300,000 Australians into their own home. Two primary programs that we've achieved that with: Firstly the HomeBuilder program, of which the PM has spoken about a great case study - Matt and Bonnie - who have built a house locally, but also the Home Guarantee Scheme, which encompasses three programs - the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, the New Home Guarantee, and more recently, the Family Home Guarantee, which enables single parents to purchase a home with a two per cent deposit.
Today we're announcing that an additional just over 4,600 places will be rolled over and made available for the remainder of this financial year under the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme. So an additional 4,600 individuals or couples will be able to purchase their first home, either an established home or building a new home, with a deposit of as little as five per cent. That program, since we announced it at the election and put it in place at the beginning of last year, has seen some 60,000 Australians get into their first home with a deposit of as little as five per cent. Why did we put the program in place? Well, particularly in a record low interest rate environment, as we are today, the biggest challenge, the biggest hurdle to getting into your first time is getting that deposit together. And as the Prime Minister rightly pointed out, the longer that you have to save, often, the more that you're chasing inevitable house price rises, and therefore the deposit gets bigger. So the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme has been a phenomenal success. More than 60,000 Australians into their first time with a deposit of as little as five per cent.
A program that we announced in the Budget, the Family Home Guarantee, which supports single parents - 84 per cent of which are single mothers - into a home with a deposit of as little as two per cent, has exceeded all of our wildest expectations and has seen more than 2,000 people just in the last few months purchase their first home for them and their families.
Finally, I'd remark on the HomeBuilder program. Of the more than 300,000 Australians that have been able to purchase a home with the direct support of the Morrison Government, just over 200,000 of those are people who utilised the HomeBuilder program. As the PM said earlier, we announced HomeBuilder on a pretty cold winter's morning in the middle of the pandemic, when the residential construction industry was falling off a cliff, and more than half a million jobs were at risk. It was criticised quite heavily by the Labor Party. It was not supported by the Labor Party. So it's wonderful to see case studies like Matt and Bonnie today, two school teachers, who say that the HomeBuilder program was the catalyst for them to get into their first home. And of course, more than 200,000 Australians are in the same boat. And it not only helped those people get into a home, but it supported the men and women working on the building sites, like the one we're at today.
I want to commend Stephanie Asher, our candidate in Corangamite, who's had, who’s, you know, had so much to do with the growth and the support for new homes in this region, in particular. But the Morrison Government, in the end, is a Government for first home buyers, we’re a Government for home ownership. We've delivered more than 300,000 over the last couple of years, and there's so much more that we'd like to do. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Sarah.
SENATOR THE HON. SARAH HENDERSON, SENATOR FOR VICTORIA: Thanks, Prime Minister. Well, good morning, everyone. I, too, would like to welcome the Prime Minister to Corangamite, Michael Sukkar, and of course our wonderful candidate, Stephanie Asher. I just want to make a few comments about Stephanie. As the Mayor of Geelong, Stephanie is a trusted and positive force to be reckoned with. She is an incredible local representative. She's a wonderful representative for Corangamite, for the Liberal Party, and she has an incredible track record of getting things done. And that's what our Government is all about - getting things done, as the Prime Minister has said. You can see throughout this entire region the programs that we are delivering to drive home ownership, to drive that investment confidence, you can see right here on the ground in Geelong. More and more people are moving to regional Victoria. And as a regional Senator, I'm so proud to see the confidence in our region, the enthusiasm, and particularly the support that we are providing to so many younger Australians right here in our region.
I just want to add also that over a long period of time, the Morrison Government has had an incredible commitment to supporting our growth with infrastructure. So, for instance, we're providing $292 million to Stage One of the Barwon Heads Road Duplication - 80 per cent of that funding is coming from the Morrison Government. And of course, we're also funding 80 per cent of an incredible rail project. The Duplication of the Rail between Waurn Ponds and South Geelong, with great aspirations, of course, to Duplicate the Rail right through to Geelong. So we have an incredible commitment to investing in infrastructure to support the wonderful growth in our region. Thank you. Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Sarah. Happy happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, have you spoken to Barnaby Joyce since he was diagnosed with COVID-19?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, we we were able to text each other this morning. I woke up to that news this morning and I enquired how he was, and he had those two tests in the UK which came back negative, and he had his third test in in the United States. So he said he's experiencing some mild illness, from what he said to me this morning, so look forward to his recovery. And, of course, we're following all the usual protocols that you would follow in these circumstances.
JOURNALIST: He said he wasn't sure if his vaccination status was up to date. Are you concerned the [inaudible] US or UK Government may have been infected as well?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we’ll just follow all the same rules and procedures as they will, and we made sure we made the necessary checks on all of our teams and those that have had contact, and there was a travelling team with the Deputy Prime Minister. I know Barnaby was really looking forward to what he was going to be doing over there. I mean, Barnaby has been, together with myself and so many members of my team, so focused on this issue of keeping particularly young people and women safe online, and he's been a real champion of this cause. I was with Penshurst Girls High School yesterday talking to young women about these issue with Erin Molan, and I know Barnaby was looking forward to taking up that case in the United States and pressing these issues to ensure that we are holding these big digital and social media companies to account. So I know he's naturally disappointed that he now won't be able to do that because he of contracting COVID. But he tells me, you know, he's he's feeling alright, apart from, you know, a mild, the mild illness, and and he has been vaccinated, and what we do know already is that the vaccinations do do have an impact on the seriousness of the disease. And that's why it's so important to get vaccinated. It's another important reminder and why the booster is also so important, and I encourage everybody to get their boosters.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Geelong Council’s put a feasibility study into a Big Ute for the region.
PRIME MINISTER: A Big, sorry?
JOURNALIST: A Big Ute, a ute on a pole as a bit of a tourist attraction.
PRIME MINISTER: Right.
JOURNALIST: It's got the support of Daniel Andrews. It's got the support of Anthony Albanese.
PRIME MINISTER: Right.
JOURNALIST: Do you support a Big Ute for Geelong as a tourist attraction?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I love utes. How good are utes? And how good would a Big Ute be? That's what I'd say. Look, it’s, I think that's one of the sort of iconic nature of Australian tourist attractions or, anywhere in the country. I remember driving up the, you know, the Pacific Highway in New South Wales, and there was a Big Oyster and the Big Prawn and the Big Banana, and all of these things. I think it's one of the the amusing elements of these things, and I think it's done with tongue in cheek as well, which is, I think, very consistent with the Australian, with the Australian sense of humour. But what's more important than Big Utes is real utes working at sites like this. And that's what we're here to talk about today. I mean, you can have a Big Ute on a stick, what I want to see is tradies in utes on worksites building homes for first time buyers. And that's what we're celebrating today.
JOURNALIST: Just on Victorian tourism, Prime Minister. There’s a debate as to whether the, where the Pink Test should be.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
JOURNALIST: Victoria’s pushing really hard to get it. It would mean that the Test overlaps with the Australian Open.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
JOURNALIST: It would be one of the most important sporting locations in the world for that period. Would you like to see it in Victoria?
PRIME MINISTER: No, look, I made a comment on this yesterday. I mean, there's there's a test in Brisbane - and how good was Mitchell Starc’s first ball yesterday, I think we're all going to remember that one for a long time, as much as Warnie’s first bowl to Mike Gatting all those years ago - tremendously excited. And so, you know, everyone's pumped up there in Brisbane, there’ll be a great test in Adelaide, there'll be a great test down here in Melbourne, there'll be a great test in Sydney. And, so, I just think it's great that if, you know, obviously the Test can't go ahead in Perth, that more Australians get to have the experience of those Ashes. And that's why I think Tasmania have got a very strong case, and it'd be great to see Tasmanians share in that. I mean, there'll be one here in Victoria, that's fantastic, the Boxing Day Test. It's an absolute legend international sporting sporting event, and I think it's good to share it around, and Tasmanians, I know, are absolutely keen. So, on this one, I'm with Tassie.
JOURNALIST: Just on booster shots, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Yep.
JOURNALIST: Pfizer has flagged three doses are required for Omicron. The United Kingdom has accelerated its booster program. Why aren’t we?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, first of all, Australia is one of the first countries to introduce a whole of population booster program, and we did that before Omicron. And I think the events only show the wisdom of that decision. We have ample booster shots that are available. We put it to ATAGI, the technical advisers, medical technical advisers on these immunisations, about about whether the six month rule that they put in place - that wasn’t put in place by the Government, that was put in place by the medical experts - about whether that should be brought forward. And now, you know, we will constantly, I was in touch with the Health Minister this morning and the Secretary of Health and the Chief Medical Officer, and they will continue to keep that under close watch as to whether that can be brought forward with with this new information. And, of course, we would strongly support that, and we're ready to go if that's what they would like to do. We already have an important communications campaign about getting those booster shots. That's already in, that's already in the can and ready to go to encourage Australians to get their booster shots. But what this shows is that the proactive decision that we took as a Government to go to a whole of population booster program was the right decision. It's a decision that many other countries hadn't made, and and I think it showed the wisdom of that decision, listening to the medical advice, and that's available now. So, please, go and get your booster.
JOURNALIST: Should Novak Djokovic be able to play in the Australian Open?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you.
JOURNALIST: Is it being considered at all that three shots might become the mandatory fully vaccinated status?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we'll continue to listen to the medical advice on that.
JOURNALIST: Have there been any conversations with ATAGI?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we've already talked to ATAGI about what the the period should be of an interval between the second dose and and a booster shot. And, so, we will just continue to take our counsel from them on those issues. They're the right people to be advising on these things. And for then myself and the Chief Medical Officer with his advice, and then Health Minister, to be making determinations on those things. All the way through this pandemic, we've, you know, remained sensible, calm, balanced and ensuring we're making good decisions for the health of Australians. And what has that resulted in? We have one of the lowest death rates of COVID anywhere in the world. We have one of the strongest economies springing back now, as we've coming out of these lockdowns, of advanced economies anywhere in the world. And we now have also one of the highest vaccination rates of anywhere in the world. And that sets Australia up well to ensure that as we come out of 2021, we're springing forward. We're not turning back. We're looking forward with great confidence and optimism.
JOURNALIST: If that’s the case, should we be letting Novak Djokovic in, and what criteria would he have to meet to actually be able to play in the Australian Open?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, he would have to meet any of the same rules that anyone else would be seeking to come to Australia in in these circumstances. And those decisions will be made by by medical officials and and other officials. They're not made by politicians, and I don't think they should be made by politicians. And he’ll face the same rules that anyone else would, as he should. There's no special rules for tennis players or anyone else, for Members of Parliament or anyone else. They play by the same rules. And and then there are, of course, the rules that are in place for the Victorian Government and, of course, the the Open itself, and they have their rules. So, everyone, just follow the rules.
JOURNALIST: PM, on jobs. We've got tourism and hospitality sectors unable to fill roles at the moment.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
JOURNALIST: We’ve had the Australian Chamber of Commerce say that the [inaudible] income threshold should be lifted to get more elderly people back into work. Also, local councils are extending the time that people can camp on private land, to get, to encourage young people down to, you know, to holiday spots.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, sure.
JOURNALIST: Do you support both of those, and what can we do to get people into these jobs?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what I'm really pleased about is that since the lockdowns have lifted, we've seen 350,000 Australians come back into jobs in in five weeks that has occurred, and that's because of the strength of our economy, and and that's great news for those Australians getting back into jobs, businesses opening up again. And, of course, we we do face serious skill shortages. That's why it's so great that we have 217,000 Australians in trade training apprenticeships right now - the highest level since 1963. We’ve got more than a million Australians - on the most recent figures that we have - working in manufacturing in this country. We're making things and more Australians are making things than have for some time, and that's also good news. We need to get skilled migration back into the country. That's what we're focused on very much right now and, as well as bringing working holiday makers back into the country, bringing students back into the country. I think this will significantly assist with those issues. I was meeting yesterday with the, with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape, in our our regular dialogue, and the Pacific Labour Scheme and all of those programs, which particularly support in our regional areas and our rural areas. They're very important programs, and they will continue. Of course, we have the Agricultural Visa as well. So this is really about starting it all up again as we come out of the COVID pandemic and look into 2022 right through that front windscreen, not out the rear vision mirror. Thanks very much, everyone.
Press Conference - Penshurst, NSW
08 December 2021
The Hon. David Coleman MP, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention: Well, good morning, and it's terrific to be here at Penshurst Girls High, this morning. I want to thank Principal Noeline Ross and all of the staff and the girls who we had a great discussion with just a few moments ago with the PM and and Erin Molan about some really important issues around social media and kids mental health. As the PM's Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, I've been very concerned about this issue for some time. We have seen significant increases over the past decade in prevalence of mental health issues in kids and young people, particularly girls, where there have been escalating rates of mental health issues. And while social media isn't the only reason why that's occurring, there's no question it's a part of the problem. And so the action that the government is taking in this area is very important. We know that we can't trust the social media companies to act in the best interests of children. So we're going to force them to. That's what's needed. They've had more than a decade to sort these issues out. They haven't done it. And it is so important that government takes strong action in this issue, in this issue, which is not just an issue in our country but around the world. And we are leading the world in this area and will continue to lead the world because there is no more fundamental responsibility for government than protecting the mental health of kids. So it was great to be here today. Thanks to this school and thanks to the girls for their great wisdom and their understanding of the complexities of the world that they face. And we really appreciate them having us here today. Thanks, PM.
Prime Minister: Well, thanks, David, and thanks also to Erin for being here today. She's been a real champion of this issue. She's used her own experiences, I think, to be a great advocate on this very important cause. Kids growing up today frankly have a lot harder than we did. My generation, every generation, it's different. And the biggest change between when my generation grew up and these young girls growing up today, it's hard to go past the impact of the digital world and digital media and social media and the impact that has had on our society for better and for worse.
And this is such a high priority for us. It's a high priority because we care about the mental health of our kids. We care about the quality of our society and the way that people deal with each other in a kind way to ensure that we can make our country stronger. And for our country to be stronger, all Australians have got to be stronger, and that means particularly their own mental health. And that's why I'm very, very pleased with the work that David Coleman has done. Has a great plan for his local community here in Banks, which he's always performed so strongly on. But equally, as both a parent and as an experienced Minister, he's applied his skills and talents working with Paul Fletcher and so many others to ensure that we've been taking some very serious action on these issues regarding social media. There's always lots of issues that we need to address as a government, but I struggle to tell you an issue that is probably more important than families today. As we go into this Christmas break and families come together, I have no doubt this will be one of the things they talk about as parents sit quietly with their siblings and aunts and uncles come together and grandparents and others. I can tell you when you talk about your kids growing up in today's world, this is one of the things that concerns you most. And I can tell you it concerns me greatly and the impact it has on the mental health of our young people in particular, and particularly on young women, not just young girls, but young women as well. And women, frankly, of all ages who are so often the target of the abuse that occurs online. So this is a very important issue for us, and we're going to keep taking action.
And I want to really want to thank you, Erin, for the work you've done to raise awareness of this issue. You've been very brave like so many women have been brave. And speaking to the young women here today, young girls here today and to hear about what they do to try and keep themselves safe, looking after each other. But it was also great to hear their confidence in themselves and who they are and not allowing others to bully them and having confidence in their own futures and how they see themselves. That was tremendous to see. It was really encouraging. So, you know, Australians are strong, but that doesn't mean we don't have to do everything we must to keep Australians safe. We're a strong, resilient people, but our government is taking actions to keep Australians safe, and that importantly means online so it can be a safe place for all Australians. I'm going to ask Erin to say a couple of words on those issues. As you know, we've got the new laws coming in next year. Lucy Wicks is leading a conversation with Australians right across the country over the summer break. And so she can come back and tell us what additional needs to be done in the draft legislation that we've put out. So I'm really keen to hear from Australians and talking to Lucy over the course of the summer break so we can make these laws as strong as we possibly can to keep Australians safe online. Then I'll say a couple of other issues about Beijing Olympics and these things, and then we can take questions. But Erin.
Ms Erin Molan: Thank you. Thank you very much to all of you for coming here today. Thank you, Prime Minister, very much. Not just for today, but for your support throughout all of this. Thank you, David, as well for all that you're doing online and in the mental health space. This is something that I'm very passionate about and have been for a very long time. I've been subjected to some pretty vile things online and I think it's really important whenever I talk about this to make very clear, this is not about stopping people online, disliking me or stopping people being critical of things I say or things that I do. That is part and parcel of the world I live in, and that's life. This is about stopping people who cross the line. And I think the thing that, that initially I struggled to understand when it came to things that I would receive in the online space. If it was happening in the real world, there would be absolute consequences for those actions. Laws existed to protect people from criminal acts in the real world, but online it just seemed to be an absolute free for all. And we now no longer live in two separate worlds. We move seamlessly between the online world and the physical world, and we need to have protections in place and that's what this legislation does.
When I first started talking about this and it took me a fair while to talk about it, because I found it quite embarrassing early on until I understood that this is actually a reflection on them, not on me. The correspondence I got was in the thousands, and what really hit home to me was a letter I got from a year three teacher talking about the fact that the first three hours of every lesson in the morning was not geography, was not English, was not maths. It was dealing with the fallout from the night before’s online behaviour, dealing with the fallout from what these kids were subjected to online the night before and that terrified me. Really terrified me. So this is not about me. This is about making the world a safer place for our kids. And the government from day dot was so supportive of this. They understood immediately that this was a big issue. This was not about reality stars not wanting people to dislike them or write mean things. This is about making the online space safer, not just for kids, but for all Australians. So to hear the girls today talk about things they're already doing that that are really incredible to talk about struggles that they have to talk about how their parents can better support them has been really eye opening. We've got this legislation in place now. Now we want to hear feedback from people to make it as good as it can possibly be. So I thank the government for their support. Incredibly, I thank Australia for their support. The amount of correspondence I receive regarding this area is so overwhelming. I don't get talked to about football anymore or anything else. It's about this online space because parents, there's almost nothing they care about more than the mental health of their children, and that is at risk. But this legislation will help lessen that risk, and that's a wonderful thing. Thank you.
Prime Minister: Thank you. Thanks Erin. So, on some other issues, it will come as no surprise that the Australian Government will not be sending any official representatives to the forthcoming Winter Games in China. For some time, people have been very aware that we have been raising a number of issues that have have not been received well in China, and there's been a disagreement between us on those matters. We have always been open to meet with the Chinese Government to talk about their concerns, whether it's their concerns with our foreign interference legislation or other foreign investment rules where Australia takes a very strong stand, standing up for Australia's interests. They've been very critical of Australia in our efforts to ensure that we have a strong national defence force, particularly in relation most recently to our decision to acquire nuclear powered submarines. But of course, the human rights abuses in Xinjiang and the many other issues that Australia has consistently raised. We have been very pleased and very happy to talk to the Chinese Government about these issues and and and there's been no obstacle to that occurring on our side. But the Chinese Government has consistently not not accepted those opportunities for us to meet about these issues. So it is not surprising, therefore, that Australian government officials would therefore not be going to China for those games. Australian athletes will, though.
Australia's a great sporting nation and I very much separate the issues of sport and these other political issues. They’re issues between two governments and I would like to see those issues resolved, but they are not resolved. And Australia will not step back from the strong position we've had standing up for Australia's interests and consistent with that position, obviously it is no surprise that we wouldn't be sending Australian officials to those games, but our athletes will be going. And I also want to wish the IOC all the very best for the games. Australia will host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games in Brisbane and we're very committed to that. The Australian Government has been, will be more involved in these Games than any other games. In fact, those games would not have been secured were it not for the direct role that our government played in securing those Games together with the Queensland Government. And it's been a very good partnership. So I want to wish the IOC all the very best for those Games. I want to wish all the athletes a very successful Games and the officials who make this great, this great sporting spectacular and particularly those to those Aussie athletes and all of their families. And because just like with the Summer Games, it's going to be a lot more challenging for them. Not all, everybody will be able to be there together and share in those moments, and so much will be done of it over online. And that will be exciting, just like it was for the Tokyo Games. And we want to wish all of our athletes all the best and thank them for their perseverance in their training as they've gone through these difficult periods leading up to, up to these games.
And finally, we're looking forward to the Ashes getting underway. It was good to wish the boys all the best last night and we're really looking forward to them continuing to inspire the nation in what should be a great Ashes series. And as for the fifth Test, I'm in the Tassie camp. I think it’d be great to see Tasmania share in this Ashes series. The reason for it not going to Perth are well understood and I'm looking forward to the Sydney Test. I'm looking forward to the Adelaide Test. I'm looking forward, of course, to the Brisbane Test and the Melbourne Test. And for there to be one in Tassie, I think would be great, particularly as the Afghanistan Test obviously didn't proceed for clear reasons. And I know they'll put on a great show and it'd be great for Tasmania. But that's a matter for Cricket Australia, but a prime minister is allowed to have opinion on it.
Journalist: Prime Minister, are you sorry that Erin Molan didn't run for Eden-Monaro and the fact you are after such star candidates and that you’ve recently been in Banks, Reid and Wentworth, your own seats, on this campaign before the campaign, does that show you are worried about your election prospects?
Prime Minister: No. What it shows is I want to ensure that we have the best opportunity to put the best people possibly forward as part of our team. I've got an incredibly strong team and Erin and I have worked on these issues before and I know she has a great passion, I think, for making Australia a stronger nation. And so it's only natural that I would have expressed some interest in Erin putting herself forward. Erin may want to make her own comments, I'm sure she does. But you know, this is all about people's individual choices and what's right for them at any particular time. Whenever Erin would decide to want to enter public life in the political arena, I think she'd make a great contribution as so many have the opportunity to do. I was just really impressed with the way that Erin showed such strong leadership on this issue. It's an issue that I care passionately about and we share that together, and I think she has the wherewithal to make a real great contribution in Australian political life. But the timing of that is a choice for her, not for, for me or the government or anyone else. You know, politics is a hard business and it's a very tough business. It's it's very demanding and one of my golden rules is, if you know, if you're not ready to come in, then that's that's not the right time for you. And I've always respected those decisions. But Erin, did you want to say anything?
Journalist: [inaudible]
Ms Erin Molan: Are you talking to me? Yes. Sorry, Andrew. First of all, thank you very much for those really kind words. Absolutely. At some stage, absolutely. I think first of all, it's a real honour to even have interest in me doing that. I'm very passionate about making a difference. I think from my first day in television, I've tried to do a lot of work for different charities and organisations that I'm passionate about. The timing for me is more the issue than any desire or inclination to get involved and help. I’m, it's been, well, well-publicised, I'm now a single mum with a three and a half year old and I think the job that I do now is pretty taxing in that regard. And my biggest thing in life is I never want to look back in regret not spending the time with my daughter that she deserves. And now my situation has changed a fair bit. So down the track? Absolutely. You know, I look at my dad and how passionate he is about this country and what he's done for this country, not just in political life, but prior to that in the military. And there's nothing I consider more important or more worthy of recognition than people who are willing to serve their country in whatever capacity that is. So absolutely down the track and very honoured to have been asked and really flattered to have been considered. Timing for me right now, not right, but down the track, hopefully absolutely.
Journalist: Prime Minister, are you concerned that backing in Gladys Berejiklian in Warringah before ICAC comes back with its findings, that there could be a time bomb there, if there is an adverse finding from that?
Prime Minister: Well, it's a simple proposition. Do I think Gladys would have a significant contribution to continue to make in Australian political life? Yes, I do. I think she was an outstanding Premier. I think she was an outstanding Treasurer and an outstanding Transport Minister, and she has been one of the, you know, strong female leaders in our country. And so do I think that she has more to offer to Australia in that regard? Of course I do. And if she wished to put herself forward, then of course I would welcome her. That's simply the point that I've made. Now, that's a decision for Gladys, ultimately, and she may choose not to go ahead here, I suspect, but that's a matter for her, and I'll respect her choice. But when the issue was considered, do I think that she would make a continued strong contribution? Of course I do, and I think I think people right across New South Wales would agree with that. So I don't find it surprising. I don't find it surprising at all that if you had someone of Gladys Berejiklian’s calibre wishing to go forward that I in any way wouldn't be anything other than welcoming that. But if she doesn't wish to, I equally respect that decision. I know it's been a very difficult time for her in recent times. She has suffered terribly in terms of things that have been aired publicly, and I think that was, that was just awful, awful to watch. Terrible. And so I can totally respect that if she didn't want to go ahead, then that would be totally her choice about what she wants to do and the contribution she wants to make going forward.
Journalist: Just on the Winter Games, is the government worried at all about the economic or political pushback from the Chinese Government for joining the boycott?
Prime Minister: Well, I think that would be completely and utterly unacceptable, and there'd be no grounds for that whatsoever. I'll always stand up for Australia's interests and what Australians believe is right, and we are living in an uncertain time. The world in our part of the Indo-Pacific is uncertain, and that requires leaders to be strong and stand up for Australia and stand up for the things that we believe in and not take a step back and so, I won't be taking a step back here. I'll continue to stand strong as our government will for Australia and everything that we believe in and the role, the positive role we see for a free and open Indo-Pacific. And there are no compromises on that, nor should they be.
Journalist: Just on that note, do you see muscling up to China as being to your political benefit, you just painted yourself there as the strong government in terms of China. How does that play in seats like Banks and Reid, which have large numbers of Chinese Australians?
Prime Minister: I'm doing it because it's in Australia's national interests and it is the right thing to do. Full stop.
Journalist: George Christensen laughed about hotel quarantine [inaudible] concentration camps, what do you have to do to be kicked out of the Coalition?
Prime Minister: Well, I thought those comments were appalling, and I've spoken to George directly about them. I think they're absolutely appalling. George is not a candidate for the LNP at the next election, and I think George should quietly go into retirement.
Journalist: Two Coalition members have now appeared in U.S. shows that are riddled with conspiracy theories. Are they undermining public health measures in Australia?
Prime Minister: Well, I don't think it's a good idea to promote what they're saying by constantly drawing it to people's attention. I'm not seeking to do that. I don't agree with them. We are going into the end of this week where we are going to be very close to hitting 90 per cent double dose vaccination around the country. And hopefully by the end of the week, every state and territory will have gone past the 80 per cent double dose vaccination mark. That is an extraordinary achievement for Australians, and I'm very proud of Australians, that we have one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID. We have one of the strongest advanced economies coming through this pandemic and we now have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. That's what we set ourselves as a goal for this year and we've achieved that and we're very pleased to have had the great support of the Australian people to get to those marks. And so it means the crowds are back at Bathurst. The crowds are back at the Gabba and perhaps the crowds will be there down in Tassie as well.
Journalist: On December 15, do you think it’s likely that skilled migrants, will that hold, will you let them back in?
Prime Minister: I look, I think all of the information that we're receiving points to that, it was a pause. I again commend the South Australian Government on their decision to keep moving forward. I commend the Queensland Government on their decision to keep moving forward. The Australian Government will keep moving forward, and I think that's really important, we're looking through the front windscreen, not through that rear vision mirror. We're looking confidently forward to the future in Australia in 2022. 2022, I think it's going to be a very strong year for Australia.
Journalist: Prime Minister you've spent the morning listening to kids talking about their [inaudible] cyberspace but we’ve also had a lot of reports about foreign actors trying to fight with us in cyberspace. How concerned are you that the next war will be next conflict will be an asymmetric one, not fought on the high seas but in server rooms, and in cyberspace. What is Australia doing about that?
Prime Minister: Well, first of all, I'd say the threats that Australia faces in the cyber world are not limited to state actors, and I'd, I'm not making any comment on the, on the source or origin of the reports today, but I would stress that it's not only state based actors that engage in these activities, but criminals too. With ransomware and things of that nature. And in this particular case, what I can say is that the Australian Government took early action in engaging with those who were directly under threat, and we were able to ensure that the worst of those scenarios did not eventuate. So it was the early action of our cyber authorities that avoided a bad outcome there. And I want to thank them for the great work they do. We do know that cyber threats to Australia are real, both in a defence sense, but also just in a civil space as well. Criminal actors are in this space and they're looking to take advantage of Australians, Australian businesses and what's really important, particularly with the new laws that we will pass, we believe when we come back in February will further strengthen that around critical infrastructure. So we're investing heavily in cyber security, heavily in cyber space, and the AUKUS agreement itself highlighted, particularly the technological areas in these in these domains, to ensure that our partnerships with the United States and the UK can mean Australia can have the best possible defences when it comes to those cyber threats.
But I stress it's not just state actors, it is also criminal actors. And that's why it's so important that Australian businesses listen carefully and take the advice of our cyber security agencies. They do a tremendous job. Australia is one of the world leaders in this space, and that's why we could enter into an agreement with the United States because they know how good our people are in this space. And that was one of the attractions for working with Australia because we complement one another with the United Kingdom and we are pacesetters when it comes to cyber security. That doesn't mean the threats aren't great. They are, they're significant. And that's why we're so focused. It's just another area where we're working to keep Australians safe.
Journalist: The Telegraph reported it was China and they were looking to shut down the power station. You just spoke about non-state actors. Can you confirm it was the Chinese Government?
Prime Minister: Well, I was very clear, Andrew, that I wasn't drawing any conclusions about the origins of this, and nor would I, nor would I. Okay, thanks very much.
Press Conference - Woollahra, NSW
06 December 2021
Mr Dave Sharma MP, Federal Memeber for Wentworth: Good morning everyone and welcome to Woollahra Public School today. It's great to have the Prime Minister here in the electorate of Wentworth, as well as Sussan Ley, Minister for the Environment, and Trevor Evans, Assistant Minister for Environmental Management and Waste Reduction. One of the most important things that I hear in my electorate that children raise with me all the time is about lessening our impact on the environment, whether that's reducing our emissions, whether that's getting more of our energy from renewable sources, or whether it's lessening the waste that we use and the waste that ends up in landfill and our oceans, it’s an incredibly important issue for us here in Wentworth and all the people of Wentworth as well, which is why it's great to have this team here today, led by the Prime Minister to announce what Australia is doing to step up its own efforts to eliminate waste, reduce the waste that's going out to sea and make more use of it here in Australia. Prime Minister.
Prime Minister: Thanks. Great to be here with you here at Woollahra Public School and thanks to all the boys and girls for having us here today and seeing firsthand what recycled products can mean in the hands of young children, and particularly to see the enthusiasm of those young entrepreneurs who are actually driving this forward. And to Trevor and Sussan, it's wonderful to be here with you, and I want to thank you for the great job you've been doing over these past three years where, while we've been getting on and dealing with the challenges of COVID, ensuring we have the lowest fatality rate of most countries in the world, one of the strongest economies coming through the pandemic and now one of the highest vaccination rates, keeping Australia safe in a very uncertain world. Many challenges securing our economic recovery. At the same time, we've been making good on our promise, which is to ensure that we take responsibility for our waste.
I said three years ago, our waste, our responsibility. The export ban on our plastic waste. I grew up by the beach and I know what it was like. Back in my day when I used to swim at beaches not too far from here, the surf report wasn't just about what the waves were, it was what was in the waves, and since that time there's been so much progress that has been made, and getting plastics out of the ocean is one of our big challenges as we see that, you know, the plastic islands that floating across our great blue Pacific. It's one of the most regular issues raised with me by leaders in south-east Asia, as well as our Pacific family. And Australia is doing its bit. We put in place the export ban on plastics and that means there will be around and at its peak in a few years’ time, 43,000 containers of waste that is not going up into south-east Asia, which ends up in rivers and ends up in our oceans. Australia is taking a leadership position on that to ensure that we are doing the right thing, not just by our own environment here in Australia, but in our regional environment as well to get those plastics out of the oceans. And recycling is a massive part of that. You know, for every 10,000, every 10,000 tonnes of waste that we save, that's creating jobs, creating jobs on every occasion and waste not going to landfill, but going into recycling is creating more and more jobs, in fact, three times the jobs. And so this is about jobs, but it's also about our environment.
We're turning tyres into roads, we're turning plastics into toys and we're turning plastics into fuels as well. And so this Christmas, particularly for those toys, I'm sure Santa is following the same practice as we are here in Australia to make sure that they're remaking, not just making. And that remade in Australia is is a is a brand that we really want you to look at because it's looking after our oceans, it's looking after our waterways, it's keeping things out of landfill and it's actually protecting our local environment, whether it's here in Wentworth or down in my local electorate, down there in southern Sydney or up in Brisbane or down there and on the Murray or wherever you happen to be. Remaking it Australia, Australia is taking a leadership position. You know, we've put $190 million in fostering our recycling industry here in Australia. Seventy six projects specifically which Trevor could talk about, we've attracted $600 million of private and other investment into these facilities, waste management, processing all of these, and it's creating jobs and innovation as well, using our best scientists to make sure that we can remake in Australia. So look for this and I want to congratulate all of the scientists, all of the entrepreneurs, all working together to create these amazing products to ensure that we can live in a cleaner environment of the future, both here in Australia and right across the region. I want to ask Sussan to speak a bit more about that. And then Trevor as well. Thanks Sussan.
The Hon. Sussan Ley MP, Minister for the Environment: Thanks very much PM, and thanks Dave, for having us at Woollahra Public School, where it's an absolute joy to meet some of your local entrepreneurs, also people who are making things from recycled plastic in Australia for sale in Australia, and that is absolutely fantastic. We know that when we came into government, we saw those stockpiles of waste on the docks. The famous mountain of glass in Melbourne. Prime Minister, you said it's our waste, it's our responsibility and then we did something about it. We took practical action. And on the 1st of December, was the third of our waste bans for export of whole tyres. Before that, glass, mixed plastics. So already we're starting to see this recycling revolution that's taken place over the last few years. And it's pretty exciting because it isn't just about finding another destination for what was previously landfill. It isn't even about burning waste and turning it into energy. It's about new, recycling green manufacturing processes. New commitments coming from overseas, innovative procurement we haven't seen before, the jobs, the manufacturing, the industry, that is true microeconomic reform. But when I travel regional Australia and I see plastic processing and plastic and plastic sorting in small country towns and jobs as a result, I'm reminded of the twin benefits of our recycling agenda, which are jobs, and for me, as a regional MP, regional jobs are fantastic. 10,000 over the next 10 years we predict, but also protection of the environment, because if you don't have plastic going into landfill, you don't have it going into the ocean. You actually have it made into something that adds value. You have so many wins. And we don’t want everything being dumped in landfill, giving off harmful greenhouse gas emissions, we don't want plastic to end up in our ocean. Dave's constituents are absolutely passionate about their beaches, and cleaning up and making sure, [inaudible], so a lot of national and international agreements on plastic. But to see it right here in the eastern suburbs of Sydney and how it really makes a difference is absolutely fantastic. And I know Trevor, you've seen it all over Australia.
The Hon. Trevor Evans MP, Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management: Thank you Sussan and good morning, everybody. There has never been a federal government that has stepped so heavily into the recycling space. And I'd like to pay tribute to the Prime Minister for his personal passion and his interest in the policy area of recycling. It's been mentioned today that the federal government has put $190 million of direct investment into new recycling facilities around the country. It's worth noting that if you add that together with the contributions of other governments and of industry, there is a $1 billion transformation taking place in Australia's recycling facilities right now. And what that means in practical terms is that close to 80 new or expanded recycling facilities are being built or switched on around the country right now in every state and territory. To understand what that means, there's a project in western Sydney not too far away from here, which will be taking used tyres, crumbing those tyres and turning them into things like playground safety equipment or indeed into the surfaces for new roads. There's new projects which are taking old glass and old glass bottles, turning them into fantastic new glass products. There's projects taking paper and cardboard waste and turning it into the next generation of fantastic products that use fibre. About a quarter of the projects around the country are in regional and rural areas, and there's a fantastic plastics processing facility that's being built in regional New South Wales at the moment, due to be turned on very early next year, which will be taking old plastic bottles, the plastics out of everybody's recycling bins and turning them into new things, including some of the products that we've been fortunate enough to see here today. And on that note, I'll just say it's close to Christmas. It's a time when all Australians are seeing a little bit more waste than they would in other times. The consumer campaign that we're here talking about and launching today is coming at a fantastic time, and I'd encourage all Australians to think again when they're looking at the bins and they're deciding whether to put something into the recycling bin or not. That little decision can make a huge difference in terms of jobs, our environment and our Australian economy. Thanks everyone.
Journalist: Prime Minister, just a question on the environment, if I may. The Business Council and the Australian Industry group that supported Labor's 43 per cent emissions reduction target. Do you think they've got it wrong?
Prime Minister: No, no, I don't agree. I mean, Labor said at the last election and since the last election that they thought 45 per cent was the wrong decision. And apparently, 43 per cent is the right decision. I think, and that's just the opening bid from Labor. I mean, for Labor to legislate if they were to form government, they would have to do that with the support of the Greens. So 43 per cent is just the opening bid for Labor. And you know what the Greens’ target is, it's 75 per cent. So vote Labor, you vote Greens and you vote for the Greens targets.
Journalist: Prime Minister, the gentleman on your right called in a speech in September for a 40 to 45 per cent cut in emissions by 2035. Do you disagree with Dave Sharma on that?
Prime Minister: That's not the government's policy. I respect Dave's commitment to this area. But what we're doing is we've got the right balance in our policies and our policies are about meeting and beating out targets and meeting and beating those targets is Australia's record. We've cut emissions by more than 20 per cent, and one of the ways we're doing this is exactly what we're talking about today. When you're not putting stuff in the landfill, you're actually reducing emissions. That's why we've made re-use, that's why we made recycling one of the important parts of our manufacturing initiative. Our modern manufacturing initiative identifies recycling as one of our key manufacturing industries going ahead. And when you've got companies like VISY, who are world leaders in recycling out there in western Sydney. I was out there where we put one of our supports in, to ensure that they've been able to retool and redo their lines out there, for glass with manufacturing, glass recycling. That same glass is going into the Tooheys bottles, which have been also made here in the New South Wales. And of course, you've got the paper recycling carbon recycling, which is causing a recycling revolution in other parts of the world, an Australian company doing that. So Australia gets the runs on the board, whether it comes to reducing emissions or recycling. We're doing the practical things that make a difference. Others talk about it. We do it. And we're also doing it by getting electricity prices down. Under Labor, electricity prices doubled. Since I was elected at the last election, electricity prices have come down by 3.2 per cent every year, on average. Every year, for three years. So under our policies, we're reducing emissions and we're reducing electricity prices. Under Labor, we know what happened. Taxes went up, prices went up, and they didn't achieve what they were hoping to on emissions reduction.
Journalist: You previously lost this seat, you previously lost this seat to an Independent with a stronger stance on climate. What makes you think that your 30 to 35 per cent target will be enough to hold this and other key seats?
Prime Minister: Well, you're right. Back in in 2018, that's what occurred. And then in 2019, with the exact policies we took to that election, which I have honoured in this term, we were able to get Dave Sharma elected. And that's also because Dave does such a great job here on the ground. You know, at this election, it's a - next year - it is a choice. It's a choice between the Liberals and the Nationals and Labor and the Greens. And at the end of the day, someone's going to be chairing Cabinet and that's going to be me or Anthony Albanese. Someone's going to be chairing the National Security Committee of Cabinet and making decisions about keeping Australians safe in our region against some of the greatest threats we've seen since before the Second World War. And someone - either me or Anthony Albanese - is going to be chairing the Expenditure Review Committee. Now, I've got plenty experience chairing those, through some of the most difficult decisions this country's ever made. And these are the choices. Elections are about choices between two alternatives. And that's the choice that Australians have to make. And here locally, who you choose locally - whether it's a Member of the Government in the form of Dave Sharma or anyone else - the only way you can ensure that we can secure our economic recovery and keep Australians safe in these uncertain times is supporting the Liberals and Nationals candidates. And here in Wentworth, that's as true as anywhere else in the country.
Journalist: Do you think Gladys Berejiklian would be a good candidate for Warringah?
Prime Minister: I think she’d, I think she'd be great. I think, as I've said before, the way that Gladys Berejiklian has been treated over these events, I think has been shameful. I've been very clear about that. Anthony Albanese thought that was the right thing to do to Gladys Berejiklian. I don't think it was, and I look forward to her, she’ll make her own decision in her own time about what she would like to do, of course. If she wished to join our team, she would be very welcome, but I have no doubt that whatever Gladys sets her mind to, she'll be a great success in whatever choices she wants to make going forward.
Journalist: Prime Minister, she's being investigated for turning a blind eye to corruption and for breaching her own Ministerial Standards. Now, you're someone as Prime Minister who pays a lot of attention to Ministerial Standards. I've seen two Ministers go and one Minister stood aside. Given this cloud is over her head, what message does it send if you support her running for Warringah at this election?
Prime Minister: I don't agree with the way you've characterised it. I mean, there's no suggestion of criminal conduct by Gladys Berejiklian ...
Journalist: She's being investigated for turning a blind eye.
Prime Minister: … I mean, we've seen plenty of these things and we’ve seen, you know, recordings of private conversations, detailed, intimate things that were paraded around in the media. What was that about? Was that trying to, about shaming Gladys Berejiklian? I thought that was awful. I thought it was just awful. I have no doubt that, you know, Gladys will have her own reflections on these things, but the way she was treated publicly over this, I just thought, and I have no doubt that many of my fellow residents here in New South Wales felt pretty much the same way ...
Journalist: So she didn't breach her Ministerial Standards?
Prime Minister: … I think this is a great opportunity, if Gladys wishes to run, but again, that's up to her.
Journalist: But she didn't breach her Ministerial Standards?
Journalist: [Inaudible] do you think she should still be running?
Prime Minister: What I found is that Gladys was put in a position of actually having to stand down and there was no findings of anything. Now, I don’t call that justice ...
Journalist: She chose to resign, though, didn’t she, Prime Minister? She chose to resign.
Prime Minister: … What I saw is a, is a pile on and, you know, we're all pretty used to pile ons on our side of politics. I see them all the time. We’ve got thick skins. We know how to deal with it. And Gladys certainly knows how to. She's a person I've always found to be of great integrity, and if she wants to have a crack at Warringah for the Liberal Party, I suspect the people in Warringah would welcome that. I’ll let the people decide ...
Journalist: So the ICAC finding doesn’t matter?
Journalist: If you win another term, Prime Minister, will you be ...
Prime Minister: Just, settle down. Everyone’s excited today. I’m quite calm, but you guys probably need to take a bit of a chill today.
Journalist: If you do win another term, will you be making any cuts to Government spending and beginning Budget repair in the next term of Government?
Prime Minister: Well, as the Treasurer who brought the Budget back into balance, people would see how I did that. What I did was I increased employment in the Australian economy. See, there's no great secret to this. You get people off welfare and you get them into a job. They go from taking a payment to paying taxes. And that was the predominant way through which we patiently rebuilt the Budget after the last effort when we came to Government from Labor and they left it in a complete mess. I notice Anthony Albanese, he's running around saying, ‘Everything's going to be free. This is going to be free. That's going to be free. It's all going to be free.’ Whenever Labor tells you something's going to be free, I guarantee you, you'll end up paying for it every single time.
Journalist: Will the vaccination program for five to 11 year olds happen before the 10th of January, so that kids can be double dosed before they go back to school?
Prime Minister: Well, we've been moving as quickly as we can. We've been preparing for this. We've only just had the decision to approve those vaccines. And this Friday, I'll be sitting down with the premiers and chief ministers and they’ll be further briefings on on the rollout of that program. We're talking about the vaccination of our kids, and particularly with kids, you know, we're always going to apply the appropriate care in making those decisions. And these are also decisions and choices that parents are going to make about their children's vaccinations. So we've ensured that they can have great confidence about the vaccination of their children and, and that program will be in place, and we'll be doing that in partnership with the states and territories, in giving children that opportunity to get vaccinated before they go back to school.
Journalist: Just on that, with COVID, Prime Minister, New South Wales and Victoria have indicated …
Prime Minister: You've been very patient, Charles, I’ll give you a question.
Journalist: … New South Wales and Victoria have indicated they will not pursue a zero strategy …
Prime Minister: Who, sorry? I didn’t hear that, sorry.
Journalist: New South Wales and Victoria have indicated they will not pursue a Omicron zero, net zero strategy. You know, with families wanting to visit other family members interstate this coming Christmas, what's your message to other state and territory leaders?
Prime Minister: Keep moving forward. That's my message. I want to particularly commend Premier Marshall, who made a very good decision, a careful decision, a well-considered decision. The Chief Medical Officer was also very supportive in ensuring that South Australia had all the information that they needed to have to make that important decision. We’ll be discussing these things further this Friday, as you'd expect us to. We were waiting and have been waiting for some more of the evidence to come in on Omicron. But, you know, we're going into 2022 looking through the front windscreen, not through the rear vision mirror. We’re going to make decisions about what's coming ahead, not what’s gone before. And this virus has been changing over the entire course of this pandemic, and we've been making sensible, balanced, evidence-based decisions. By the end of this week, we'll be knocking on the door, if not having walking through it, on 90 per cent double dose vaccination rates all around the country. And that's an extraordinary achievement by Australians. It meant, it meant the crowds could be back there at Bathurst on the weekend. It means that Australians are able to come together, and we've got to stay the course, hold our nerve, and keep moving forward confidently into 2022, because 2022 is going to be a year of great opportunity for Australians. But we need to secure our economic recovery and keep making the sensible, balanced decisions on economic management, which our Government is known and trusted for, and on national security, in 2022, that are very important because of the uncertain world we live in. But it's going to be a clear choice. Charles.
Journalist: PM, Queensland looks like it will get to 80 per cent this Friday.
Prime Minister: Yeah.
Journalist: Is that a better day to open up than the date that was scheduled by Premier Pałaszczuk?
Prime Minister: Well, look, I’ll leave, ultimately these are decisions for premiers at the end of the day on public health of that nature. All I know is, of course, that the Doherty scientific analysis that was done showed very clearly that once you get past 80 per cent, then it is a real game changer, once you hit that. And we've seen that in New South Wales, we've seen it in Victoria, we've seen it in the ACT - these states living confidently with the virus, living, you know, every day as we get closer, together with the virus. And that's why we can come together this Christmas because of the great work that Australians have done, which means as we approach the end of this year, and I'll finish on this, that we have, once again, one of the lowest fatality rates of any country in the world when it comes to COVID. We have one of the strongest economies - 350,000 jobs coming back just in the last five, six weeks as our country, as our economy springs back out of those lockdowns. And we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. That sets up Australia for 2022. You can't take anything for granted. You've got to keep looking through that front windscreen. Don't look in the rear vision mirror. This this is about a real choice about who can secure Australia's economic recovery and keep Australians safe. Thanks everyone.
Press Conference - Forbes, NSW
05 December 2021
THE HON. MICHAEL MCCORMACK MP, MEMBER FOR RIVERINA: Well, it's good to be in Forbes today with the Mayor Phyllis Miller who did so well in the local government elections yesterday, and I congratulate her and her forward thinking council for all that they do. It's great to be here with Dom Perrottet, the New South Wales Premier, as well as the Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
We came to not only have a look at the flood situation, of course the Lachlan River, but also to thank volunteers, thank the SES, thank those brave people from right throughout the state who've descended upon Forbes in recent days, recent weeks indeed, to make sure that they kept Forbes and its community safe. Of course, it's not just Forbes that's under water at the moment, it's also Wee Waa, Walgett is bracing itself, as is Mungindi. There are flood waters causing havoc right throughout New South Wales, indeed in Queensland as well.
And it was good to go out to Scott Darcy's farm to talk to him about his situation. He's lost pasture, he's lost crop, and he certainly lost stock. Only about 70 to 80 head, but that accounts, that equates to about $80,000. It's a lot of money. And he is just one of many farmers who've lost so much when the prospects of a good season were just so close. And so it's heartbreaking for those farmers.
And we'll work with the state, we'll work with Shane Stone, with Shane Fitzsimmons through the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, to do what we can to help these farmers, to help this community and to make sure that we get through this. I'll hand over to the Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you. Well, Michael, it's tremendous to be with you here in your local electorate, and I want to thank you for the great leadership you've shown here right across your electorate over a very long time. And very pleased that the electors of Riverina will have the opportunity to make another very good decision this election.
And to Dom and Madam Mayor, thank you so much for being here with us today - I should say the Premier of New South Wales, we're very familiar with each other - and it's been great to be with the Premier today as we've had the opportunity firsthand to be able to talk to Scott Darcy and his family, and to thank the volunteers, Rocky and the whole great team that he leads here at Forbes. And last time the Premier was here the floodwaters were still rising and here we are, here he is again, and on this occasion, really seeing the impact of what these floods have been.
The first time I came to the Central West as Prime Minister it was drought, the second time I came it was fires, and now this third time I come and it's floods. And the resilience of the people of the Central West is something extraordinary. And just as they've come through these two great challenges, I have no doubt they'll come through these challenges as well.
But coming through these things does require a partnership. It involves working with local volunteer bodies like the ones we are with today, it does mean working together with local government, State Government, Federal Government. It's important that we're able to get people back on their feet. There will be good days ahead, but between now and then, as they recover from these floods, it's going to be tough for a while again. And we'll be there, as we've been with people right across this state and right across the country, and after.
What this has been good to do is to listen and to see, so we can understand and make some good decisions together about the supports and other things that will be needed. Not just here, because there are many other parts of the state that have also been even worse affected, and of course, up in Queensland. And so, our Government, we've been working closely together with both the New South Wales and Queensland Governments, to ensure that we can address those needs.
More broadly than that, though, it's good to see that here in the town, they were able to avoid the worst of those floods. There was some intimidation, but they're back on their feet pretty quickly. Small businesses, which are the lifeblood of these towns, also back on their feet, and that's great to see. But that rural economy that supports so many of these towns across rural and regional Australia, that rural economy has to fire. And that means that these producers, whether it's lambs or whether it's the crops or whatever it happens to be, that they can get back on the front foot and start growing food and fibre that this country, and particularly the Central West, is famous for.
So it was also good to be with the Premier today out at Bathurst. It's great to see so many Australians back doing what they love doing. And the fact that we've been able to reach those incredibly high levels of double dose vaccination rates, I think is a great thrill. Children aged 5 to 11 will be able to join those vaccination ranks in the new year, following the approvals which have been announced today, and that will be a decision for parents to make, and will be further briefings done at the end of next week with the premiers and chief ministers as we roll out those children's vaccines for those aged 5 to 11.
But to all Australians who've been out there and rolled up their sleeve and got that jab, thank you very much. Because it means we've got 2021 in the rear vision mirror and we're looking straight out that windscreen like all those drivers at Bathurst today, looking into the future and looking to better times ahead.
And for our Government, we're in the driver's seat of that stronger economy. And that's what we're focused on - securing that economic recovery as we go into 2022 and having the right plans and policies. And I've got to say, one of our great partners in achieving that is the New South Wales State Government. The Premier and I have worked together in many different roles over the years, and New South Wales has been a great leading state as we've come through COVID and are really showing the way. So it's been really good to be here with you today, Premier. Dom.
PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES THE HON. DOMINIC PERROTTET MP: Thanks, Scott. It's great to be here with the Prime Minister today, and Michael McCormack, and Phyllis Miller to once again be out in the Central West. I came out here a few weeks ago when things were looking a bit shaky. But things have got better, but there's clearly many challenges that need to be overcome.
It's great to have been out to thank many of the SES volunteers. Today is the International Day of the Volunteer and New South Wales has the best volunteers, I believe, in the country, and anywhere in the world. And that's part of the Australian spirit. But to see so many people from across our state come here over this period of time - it's been a challenging period, but people have come from all over New South Wales to help the people of Forbes to get through this difficult time.
As the Prime Minister said, we met Scott Darcy. It's been a very challenging time for him and for his family. But the people of Forbes and the people of the Central West are incredibly resilient, and we've got through challenges in the past, and I know that we're going to get through this challenge as well.
As the Prime Minister has said, we're here to partner with the local community. We've done that in the past. And whether it's working with local government, Federal Government, the State Government is always there. And the constructive relationship, I think, particularly over the last difficult couple of years, has ensured that we'll continue to work together to get every community through this difficult time. As it's been said, it's not just here in the Central West, it's in other places across the state, plus up in Queensland. So there's challenging times all around, but as I said, this is a very resilient community in the Central West, and we'll get through it.
As I said as well, out with the Prime Minister in Bathurst. A great event, first time I'd been to that event, but to see the passion and enthusiasm of the crowd and all the people there today, that is a testament to the efforts that everyone's made around our state to go out and get vaccinated. And that effort has allowed us to open up as quickly as possible and as safely as possible. So there's a great spirit there today. I think that spirit's going to lead into a strong summer here in New South Wales. Our economy is going to get back on track. We went through challenges last year. We lost 300,000 jobs. We recovered every single one of them, plus 30,000 more. With a continued approach of the New South Wales Government partnering with the Federal Government, I believe it's going to be a very strong summer and a very bright future over next year.
PRIME MINISTER: Happy to take any questions.
JOURNALIST: The Pfizer vaccine rollout for children.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
JOURNALIST: Can you promise the vaccine rollout to children won't face the same delays and issues as it did for adults earlier this year?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what's great is we have got one of, we've got one of the lowest fatality rates of COVID in the world, but one of the strongest economies coming through the COVID pandemic in the world, particularly in advanced economies. And we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and we were able to achieve those in October, which is when the original plan said we would seek to have that done by. And we go into the new year, and particularly where we've been going with those aged 12 to 15 with great vaccination rates amongst that group. And there's plenty of vaccines. There's plenty of opportunities to go and have them in the distribution methods there, particularly through our pharmacists and our GPs, but also through the state-based distribution centres, which will continue to be stood up. And that was an important point we discussed at our meeting just last Friday, I think it was, Dom, where we do want to keep that state infrastructure in place for some time yet.
Obviously, for children aged 5 to 11, state governments will have more of a, than the usual opportunity, because they're largely going back to their schools and things like this. So that partnership, I think, will be very important. But there is a lot of planning that Lieutenant General Frewen has been going through and there's been a lot of engagement with the state and territory agencies in getting that ready to go. This information today has not come as a surprise, we've been working towards that approval and then getting on with giving parents the choice to have their children vaccinated before they get back to school.
JOURNALIST: So is that a promise?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course we're going to roll it out. We've been very successful. We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, so I'm very pleased about that. That's delivered.
JOURNALIST: Labor is promising to spend $1.2 billion in education and training aimed at emerging industries in areas with significant skills shortages. Do you agree there's a need for more investment there?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we already are putting that investment in. And you've got to remember, it was Labor that ripped out $1.2 billion out of skills, apprenticeships when they were in government, and they took 100,000, 100,000 apprentices out of work and out of the system. That's their record. Labor are going to say a lot of things between now and the next election. They said they weren't going to have a carbon tax last time, and they ended up putting one in. They saw electricity prices double on their watch, whereas under our Government, electricity prices have been falling by over three per cent on average every year over the last three years, since I was elected at the last election. And so you'll hear a lot from Labor. There'll be a lot of noise, but the only way you really understand what a Labor Government will do is what they did last time they were in government.
And when it comes to skills training, we have 217,000 apprentices and trainees in training in skills for trades right now. That is the highest level since they started running the 1000 at Bathurst back in 1963. That is the highest level on record. So we are the Government of skills formation. We have been funding and supporting those places, particularly through the pandemic, like never before. The JobTrainer program, which has been a massive partnership, particularly here in New South Wales and the work that the New South Wales Government have done to invest in those important courses, is helping us to achieve these record levels of apprentices in training, right now. So it's something we're delivering. Labor are just talking.
JOURNALIST: So you agree with Labor there needs to be more investment there?
PRIME MINISTER: I believe Labor should try and catch up with us, and they've still got a long way to go.
JOURNALIST: You've done two media events already today, including on the track at the Bathurst 1000. Is this the election campaign already underway? Is this you making a pitch to voters?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, importantly today I've been here to listen to those and thank, who have been devastated by these floods. And that was the reason I came here today, and to thank the volunteers. And as the Premier said, we've got people who've come here from Broken Hill, driven all the way down here, they're going to head back this week. We've got people who've come up from the city. I know there are people from my own electorate in the Sutherland Shire who've come out through the SES to help others through these floods. So that's why we're here today. I mean, someone else is campaigning and politicking back in the inner city, and we're here out in Central Western New South Wales listening carefully to the impact of these floods on their properties and on their futures.
It was great to be at Bathurst today - it's not the first time I've been at Bathurst - it was great to be back at Bathurst and it was great to see everyone there because that's what we've been working towards. That's what the Premier and I particularly have been working towards. We've been working towards Australians getting their lives back. What we're about is getting government out of your lives because I think Australians have had a gutful of government in their lives over the last few years, and they're looking forward to getting back in the driver's seat. And I want to put Australians back in the driver's seat. I want to put Australian small and medium-sized businesses in the driver's seat. We're already putting trade apprentices in the driving seat through our record investment and results there. And so that's what we want to continue.
JOURNALIST: Given what you've heard today then, and seeing, you know, the crop losses in this region, estimates anywhere between $85 to $100 million losses in this region.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, it’s terrible.
JOURNALIST: Will your Government be announcing any further support for those farmers?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the first point today was to come here and to see and to listen as to how it's impacting. And so it really has had, I think, quite a devastating impact on quite a number of the farmers in this district, but beyond here as well. We also know that impact is going all the way up to Queensland. And so what we're asking, what we call the two Shanes - Shane Stone and Shane Fitzsimmons - who lead the respective recovery and resilience agencies in New South Wales and at a federal level, and we'll work with the Queensland Government to tailor the right sort of support that can get people back on their feet. We've done it many times. We've done it so many times now. It started several years ago when Shane Stone and I went up to North Queensland after they had those devastating floods, Michael as Deputy Prime Minister will remember. I mean, that just wiped out Australia's Far North Queensland cattle industry, livestock industry, and they're getting back on their feet because of the work that we did also, together with the Queensland Government. So this is not unfamiliar territory for our Government. We've become very experienced in understanding what the needs are and targeting support, working with state governments to ensure it can make a real difference. So we're getting that planning right, we're getting that design right. Today was an important part of that to make sure we're listening carefully and seeing the impact for ourselves. But thanks very much, everyone. Thanks for coming out today.
Visit to Snowy Hydro
03 December 2021
Mr Paul Broad, CEO of Snowy Hydro: Welcome everybody to what is a momentous occasion in the building of this mighty 2.0. A very warm welcome to the Prime Minister on his third trip down here, his support for this project is enormous. Minister Taylor. Angus, your involvement right from day one, from your grandfather right through your direct involvement in this project is much appreciated. This is a huge milestone in our project, commissioning of Kirsten, magnificent machine behind us, which is, which is described globally as the most complex tunnel boring machine on Earth. It will, it will create, it'll create the opportunity to bring water down seven hundred metres. This machine, will be able to bore up hill, there's no other tunnel boring machine on the Earth [inaudible]. Congratulations to our contractors FG, Marco and the whole team designers, etc for coming up, this coming up to this machine. So it's a very warm welcome to the Prime Minister and I ask him to address you.
Prime Minister: Thank you very much Paul, and to you Angus and Emily, who's driving this. Congratulations. This is quite, this is, it doesn't get much bigger than this Angus, I don't think, when we look at the size of the engineering feat, that's before us here with this incredible project, I know something that Kirsten would be feeling really proud of to see her name on this incredibly amazing piece of machinery and more importantly, the role it's going to play in Australia's energy future. And this project is truly nation building, just as the first Snowy was and truly exciting. This is a project which we're talking about 2,000 megawatts, that's twice the size of what Liddell coal fired power station does now, this is 2,000 megawatts. And this project, as Angus will tell you, enables us to have the firming capabilities not just for a little while but significantly, which enables our energy system to be able to reduce emissions, but also have affordable, affordable, reliable energy. This is what getting to net zero looks like. This is what reducing emissions looks like. You have to build things like this to make that happen, and that doesn't happen easily. It takes more than $5 billion in investment that our government has committed to this, through the Snowy Hydro project and in addition to that, 4,000 jobs. And it was really great to see earlier today when we were meeting the apprentices coming on board, not just building Snowy 2.0, we are building an incredible workforce here in this project, which not only will build this project, it will go on to build and build and build as our nation gets stronger.
So whether you're from Tumut or Adaminaby, whatever you used to do with the people, particularly a lot of younger women coming and getting involved in these big, heavy industry construction jobs. I've seen it all around the country, the mines of Western Australia. I've seen it in the manufacturing plants up in the Hunter and here we are in the Snowy and we're seeing wonderful people getting great skills. And Emily, you are a great example of that in providing that example and for Kirsten, who for young Kobe has been a light on the hill, and for his people the Wiradjuri people and see what is possible, and that's what's really exciting about this project. It is showing Australia what is possible. You know, we're looking at 2022 right through the front windscreen. We're not looking in the rear vision mirror. It's been a tough couple of years for Australia. We all know that. Australia has come through strong. One of the strongest economies in the world. Lowest fatality rates from COVID anywhere in the world. And one of the highest vaccination rates anywhere in the world. And that sets us up to be very successful as we go into 2022. But for that to happen, these big projects are a reality. Whether it's this or the Western Sydney International Airport, where I was at Nancy-Bird Walton airport just a week or two ago, or the Inland Rail, which is chugging along strongly, putting in place the big infrastructure that fuels our country. And this has been a project of great vision, and it's a project that is building Australia and securing our economic future. And with that I'll ask Angus to say a few words.
The Hon. Angus Taylor MP, Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction: Well, thanks PM. It’s absolutely fantastic to be with you here, and Paul and Emily, to celebrate the second tunnel boring machine getting moving, we've got two capable strong tunnel boring machines now getting started on the job, getting moving on the job. Named after two strong, capable women. And that's a wonderful thing to see. I also want to celebrate the extraordinary snowy workforce we've got here today and thank them for being here today. The snowy workforce from the beginning from the 1950s was always a diverse, capable one and it sure is a diverse, capable one now with people like Emily on the team. It's brilliant to see them in the spirit of the original Snowy doing, doing this hard work up here in the mountains. And of course, this work is all about firming up the record levels of renewables we're seeing being invested in Australia right now. We have the highest level of household solar in the world, the highest level of renewables per capita outside of Europe, and it's being invested at a rapid, rapid rate. But with that, we need to make sure it's firmed up. We have that reliable, affordable power that Australians need 24-7, whether they're households, small businesses or heavy industry reliant on that. And that's what Snowy provides. Flexible, 2,000 megawatts of capacity that can be turned on and off in a flash so that people can get that energy they need. Prices can be contained and reliability can be there at all times. That's what Snowy is all about. Can provide 175 hours worth of storage, a massive battery [inaudible], a battery that can store the solar that is generated on people's roofs at a record rate around Australia now and then give it back to them when the Sun goes down in the evening. It's the biggest battery in the southern hemisphere and of course, a crucially important part of our energy policy and our emissions reduction policy.
Now, as the Prime Minister said, we are on track to net zero and this behind us is what technology, not taxes, looks like. This is what net zero looks like. One of the most sophisticated tunnel boring machines in the world doing this extraordinary, this extraordinary job. Now part of this is about jobs in this region as well. 4,000 jobs from Snowy, already 1,400 in place, many of whom are locals. Investment in local business. $70 million of contracts handed out to small local businesses, whether they're cafes or providing supplies up here to the [inaudible] elsewhere across the projects. The job creation around Tumut, Adaminaby, Cooma, Talbingo has been extraordinary and it's an important part of what we seek to achieve with this crucial project.
Let me finish with a final comment on Labor's policies that are being announced as we speak. We understand that they're targeting 43 per cent as a medium term target. Anthony Albanese had previously said that 45 per cent was a mistake. He's now saying 43 per cent is okay. There's nothing safe about a target that would drive up electricity prices, that would drive out jobs. We'll look very closely at what he's announcing. But there is nothing safe about a policy without clear plans to ensure that those crucial industries for Australia, whether it's agriculture, mining, manufacturing, continue to be sustained for many years to come. And that's the centrepiece of our policy. Getting it right, the balance right between getting to net zero and at the same time maintaining Australian jobs and containing electricity prices and energy prices across this great country.
Prime Minister: Happy to take questions.
Journalist: Prime Minister, just following on from that, the BCA has called for ambitious, ambitions closer to 50 per cent, the UK has set [inaudible] at 58 per cent. Your government's projection are 35 percent. Labor's now set its projections, mid-term, at 43 per cent. Why won't you increase your commitment?
Prime Minister: Because I don't agree that that's the right policy for Australia. I don't think that policy does get the balance right. Getting to net zero by 2050 means you invest in the technologies that get you there by 2050. You don't do it by forcing people's electricity prices up or forcing people out of jobs. A 43 per cent target isn't safe for the Hunter. It's not safe for Gladstone. It's not safe for Bell Bay. It's not safe for our manufacturers. It's not safe for jobs. Our balanced target, I think, does get that right. We are going to meet and beat the target that we took to the last election and we're going to beat that and we believe we will get about 35 percent. And that's what I advised when we went to Glasgow together with the Minister. We're on our way to net zero by 2050. We're not on our way to drive people out of their jobs and force up their electricity prices. Labor's learnt nothing since the last election. They've learnt nothing. That's what today's announcement showed. And, you know, when oppositions don't learn in opposition, that doesn't mean they're safe, they're just as dangerous as they've always been.
Journalist: Minister Taylor, the ABC revealed this morning that federal government figures about methane emissions in the Bowen Basin, you're only reporting about a third of those methane emissions. Why is there such a significant disparity in the figures that are being reported and what technological advances are you putting in place to try to ensure that that recordkeeping is correct?
The Hon. Angus Taylor MP, Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction: We reject those assertions. There is very close record keeping now, very close monitoring. Australia has low emissions per gigajoule of gas produced relative to nearly all countries in the world. We've been very strong in environmental standards and making sure that we have strong standards right across our gas industry. And we're very confident that our figures are not only conservative, but they're in line with what's actually happening on the ground. And those who are making these assertions with as yet very approximate data from spatial sources, which are not yet credible, they are certainly not, we know, to be the case on the ground.
Journalist: Prime Minister, last week, when you were in South Australia, you were questioned about Senator Alex Antic and his positions on vaccine mandates. You told ABC radio that Senator Antic was double vaccinated. Overnight he's been placed into hotel quarantine on arrival from Canberra. Did he mislead you about his vaccination status or did you mislead the public?
Prime Minister: I certainly didn't. That was certainly my understanding that he'd been double vaccinated. And I had discussed vaccinations and made it very clear that that's what I understood him to be, double vaccinated. So I was surprised to …
Journalist: So did he explicitly tell you that?
Prime Minister: I was advised that he was double vaccinated and in our conversation I said to him that I understand you've been double vaccinated. He didn't correct me.
Journalist: Will there be consequences for Senator Antic for misleading you in that way?
Prime Minister: Well, being vaccinated is not mandatory for many Australians. And it's certainly not the Commonwealth Government's policy except for health workers and aged care workers and so on. I believe, I believe people should get vaccinated. I think it's good for their health, I think it protects other Australians. I also respect other Australians about the choices that they make. Senator Antic has made his choice and he's entitled to that choice. I was labouring under the understanding that he had been double vaccinated and I'd been advised that he had been double vaccinated, so I could only work on that assumption and that assumption proved to be incorrect.
Journalist: So if Senator Antic then misled you, will there be consequences for Senator Antic in misleading you in that way?
Prime Minister: I'm disappointed that that was unclear. And I'm glad that it's been resolved.
Journalist: Prime Minister, yesterday in question time, you announced that there would be an independent inquiry into Minister Tudge, that he is stepping aside from his role pending the outcome of that investigation. Why didn't you launch such an inquiry a year ago when the revelations about his affair with his then media adviser were first revealed?
Prime Minister: Well, at that time there was none of the suggestions that were made yesterday. At that time, both parties had indicated that this had been a consensual relationship. This was a matter that occurred some time ago, occurred under my predecessor. I was not the Prime Minister. It's not something I had knowledge of at the time. I have very clear standards about how ministers are to behave. And I certainly don't allow ministers to have those sorts of relationships with members of their staff, and I have a very strong rule on that. This occurred before I was Prime Minister. These new matters have been raised in the statement, which I read very carefully yesterday. And so that's why I have asked my Department to provide me with advice on potential implications for the ministerial standards, and I know we'll be doing that through that process involving Vivienne Thom. I think that's the, I think that's the fair way to deal with this. There are clearly issues that have to be resolved here. There are two accounts. And, and as a result, someone independently assessing those, I think is the fair and reasonable way for that to be done.
Journalist: Rachelle Miller said she wasn't supported when she came out with her allegations. Will you undertake to support her now, so she feels safe in coming out with.
Prime Minister: The reach out was yesterday through the body that was set up with the same [inaudible] we set up, the independent complaints mechanism and there's also the counselling support and I understand yesterday that organisation, reached out yesterday. That's my understanding, that's what I asked to be done.
Journalist: There's been a lot of discussion over the last couple of weeks about China and about the sporting arena. The tennis player, Peng Shuai, her safety there, discussion about whether or not countries should boycott, at least in their diplomatic presence at the Winter Olympics next year. Would Australia be, be joining such a boycott of the Games in Beijing?
Prime Minister: We're considering those matters at the moment and working through those issues.
Journalist: The Jenkins Review, one of the recommendations included gender quotas, the New South Wales Liberal executive has just set a 50 per cent target for federal female candidates at the next election, is this something that should be implemented nationally and long term?
Prime Minister: The Liberal Party, works different to other parties. The preselections are done by state divisions. So that's a matter for each state and territory division. Whether it's the LNP in Queensland, or the party in Western Australia, Victoria. But, I'm very proud and pleased that my home division, the one that I'm a member of, has such a target. And we're making good progress towards that.
Journalist: Will you implement that nationally though?
Prime Minister: Well, that's a matter for the federal executive and I'm supportive of those things. But the way these things work in the Liberal Party is that edicts aren't issued. We have a Federal President, we have a Federal Executive, we have a Federal Council and we are a federal party, which means that these decisions ultimately reside with each of the state and territory divisions. So they are matters for the party organisation. I lead the parliamentary party. And I'm very pleased that my home division has made that target.
Journalist: Do you think the finding, or the recommendation, by Commissioner Jenkins that there should be quotas to try to clear up the toxic culture.
Prime Minister: She didn’t say that. She said there should be targets.
Journalist: She also mentioned quotas as well.
Prime Minister: No, the recommendations says targets.
Journalist: Okay, so if you're, there's been discussions, and there's also been, there has also been there has also been discussion about you and senior ministers intervening in some preselection battles in New South Wales, wanting to put women into those seats there. If you are having to intervene, isn't that almost a quota, but just by a different name? Like you're putting in place a target and still intervening.
Prime Minister: I want to see great female candidates running for us in seats right across the country and I’m very determined to achieve that. We are already have some outstanding female candidates already running right across the country. And you heard my dear friend Greg Hunt making that same point when he stands down at the next election. He's very hopeful to see a female candidate to replace him, but these are ultimately matters for the party organisation, so I really do want to see that.
I just want to touch on another matter that you raised earlier about that 43 per cent target. Labor's already gone to 43 per cent. Just two percentage points different from what they took to the last election. Now that is before they have even had the Greens put pressure on. So a Labor Government supported by the Greens. Do you think the Greens are just going to be safely happy with that? There's nothing safe about 43, so a Labor-Greens government would see their target, which is 75 per cent, by the way, 75 per cent. This is the starting bid from Labor. It's not the final outcome. And if they have to get into that option with the Greens to form government, it won't be 43, that will be the opening bid and it's going to end a lot higher than that. And there's nothing safe about a Labor-Greens government. Thanks very much everyone.