THE 1996 PROGRESS REPORT TO THE PEOPLE STATEMENT BY THE PRIE MINISTER THE HON JOHN HOWARD MP
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
11 DECEMBER 1996
Today, as the Parliamentary year draws to a close, we reflect on the months since March in the knowledge that we have been true to our word. We do so, not under any delusion that the job is over, but in the knowledge that the job has successfully begun. We promised to stay in touch with the great Australian mainstream. And we have been true to our word.
We promised honest, competent and accountable government. And we have been true to our word.
We promrised to restore the fundamentals of a sound, growing and competitive economy. And we have been true to our word.
We promised more choice for Australians in how they live and work more choice for
families, more choice in industrial relations, more choice in education, more choice in
child care, more choice in telecommunications. And we have been true to our word on
all of them.
We promised greater freedom, more incentives for achievement, more competition and
less regulation. And we have been true to our word
We promised that where change is necessary, the reasons C'or it would be
communicated clearly to the Australian community and its burdens would be shared
fairly by different sections of the community. And we have been true to our word.
We promised no new taxes or increased taxes, the retention of Medicare, the
maintenance of the safety net for the disadvantaged and a better deal for rural and
regional Australia -and we have been true to our word on all of them.
And in the wake of the tragic events at Port Arthur in April my governent, in cooperation
with State governments and with the fuldl support of the Labor Party and the
Democrats, delivered strong national gun laws prohibiting automatic and
semi-automatic weapons.
Fax from This action alone has made a lasting contribution to a safer and more peacefuld
Australian community.
Both symbolically and in substance it struck a defiant biow against a culture of violence
which too readily permeates our community and which has wreaked such terrible
consequences in other nations.
Nine months into our first term, we are still a young government. But we are already a
government of clear and consistent values.
Our achievements are being built on a fundamental conviction: that the decentralised
networks of families, workplaces and communities of free individuals are far more
effective generators of choice, freedom and opportunity than the suffocating centralism
of political grand plans and bureaucratic controls.
That conviction will remain our enduring guide.
In looking to the future, wve know that we have established a secure first base camp as
we climb a high mountain. We know that we must continue to go forward, and that
we must do so together.
As a nation, we face the economic challenges of achieving high sustainable economic
and employment growth at a time when the great driving forces of change and
opportunity will be globalisation, technological change and the communications
revolution. As a society, we also confront the tensions and strains imposed by family breakdowns,
violence, homelessness, economic hardship and youth alienation in our community.
In these circumstances, our agenda for the next year is clear.
We will consolidate the gains we have made in establishing sound economic
management. in advancing the interests of families, in boosting small business, and in
building a new framework for higher productivity, more investment and more jobs in
Australia. But we will also move on to meeting new challenges, both economic and social:
to tackling our national savings problems;
to building a more world-competitive economic infrastructure in Australia,
" to enhancing the protection of our environment;
to streamlining processes for attracting job-creating investment in Australia,
to making it easier to do business in Australia for the benefit of all Australians; and
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Fax from to re-building the social capital of our community through a strategic but limited
role for government and through encouraging the talents and potential of every
Australian.
The Labor Party has been left on the sideline marginalis, d, factionalised, hopelessly
out of touch and irrelevant to the re-invitgo ration of Australian policy-making that is
now taking place.
Labor is left fighting yesterday's battles and refusing to learn the lessons of its electoral
defeat. It is left noisily insisting that its priorities in government were right, and that they
remain right. They still cannot understand why an ungrateful Australian mainstream
abandoned them so comprehensively.
Labor is left practising the last resort offailed political leadership trying to scare
people by misleading and deceiving them.
They ' Will not succeed because Australia has moved on.
It is worthwhile recalling just how far we have come in the 10 months since the people
decided to place their trust in a new Coalition Government on 2 March this year.
The compelling need for fiscal repair has been pursued without compromising OUr main
election commitments. We did not create the $ 8 billion bankcard bill but we have
accepted the responsibility'to fix it.
GETTING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY
RIGHT The economy we inherited from Labor was loaded with large debts, heavy deficits and
high levels of unemployment.
Our economic strategy is rightly focussed on establishing the economic fundamentals
for sustained economic and employment growth, action to reduce unemployment over
time and a steady improvement in living standards.
We have set Australia on a new course of proper fiscal responsibility built on increased
national saving, the maintenance of lowv inflation, reduced pressure on interest rates
and restoring the underlying Budget balance to surplus.
The major building blocks for this are now in place. They include the recently passed
Workplace Relations Legislation, the 1996-97 Budget and new monetary policy
arrangements with the Reserve Bank.
Our policies are already starting to work,
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Fax from Our inflation rate compares favourably with that in other industrial countries.
Underlying inflation is now comfortably wvithin the Reserve Bank's target range. And
forecasters predict that inflation will remain moderate.
As a result of lower inflation, and the reduction in the Budget deficit, interest rates
have fallen. The Reserve Bank has reduced the official cash rate three times since
March the latest this morning.
Families and businesses have benefited substantially. Families with a $ 100,000
mortgage are saving around $ 145 a month in interest payments as a result of the fall in
variable home loan interest rates by 13/ 4 percentage points. If today's rate cut is passed
on in full there wvill be a f'urther saving of $ 40 a month. Cash flows are under less
pressure, and that means busineass can now undertake the investment needed for faster
growth, higher productivity and more jobs.
Our first Budget aimed to transform the underlying Budget balance from a deficit of
10.3 billion in 1995-96 to one of 1. 5 billion in 1997-98 and a surplus in 1998-99 a
massive turnaround of $ 8.8 billion or 1. 8% of GDP in just two years.
This is being achieved with no increase in income tax rates, no increase in the company
tax rate, no increase in the wholesale sales tax rates and no increase in the petrol
excise. We are also legislating a Charter of Budget Honesty to ensure that the Australian
community is kept fully informed of the true state of' the economy and the Budget,
particularly at election time. This ushers in a new era where deceit, such as that
attempted by Labor at the last election as to the true state of the national accounts, will
be a thing of the past.
Approval by Parliament of the Government's landmark Workplace Relations
Legislation heralds a new industrial relations era for Australia which will boost
productivity enabling higher take home pay and lay the foundations over time for
greater job creation.
The previous Government's anti-job, unfair dismissal laws have gone. They have been
replaced with a simpler more balanced system that provides for a fair go all round.
Employees and employers are now able to reach mutually beneficial agreements about
productivity, wvages and conditions that b ' est suit their particular workplace. This will
be achieved within an appropriate framework of guaranteed minimum conditions, and
without the uninvited intervention of third parties.
Our support for a safety net increase of $ 24-a-week phased in over three years reflects
a commitment to genuine protection for the low paid.
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Fax from Compulsory unionism has been abolished. It's gone. It has been replaced by the
fundamental principle of freedom of association. Stronger sanctions have been
introduced against unlawful industrial action, including union secondary boycotts,
which have been outlawed through the reintroduction of sections 45 D and E of the
Trade Practices Act.
We have also concluded an historic agreement with the Victorian Government which
will give all Victorian workers and employers the opportunity to operate within the one
industrial relations systemn.
The old industrial relations system was holding back growth and holding back our
country. This government can proudly say that it has given Australia an industrial
relations system for the 21 st Century.
We have acted to remove the impediments to growth caused by unnecessary
regulation. We have, in co-operation with the States, created clear, fair and efficient
procedures for approving new resource projects. We have ended effectively the use of
export controls on minerals except for uranium, terminated the three mines policy and
entered into co-operative arrangements for environmental assessments for new projects
with the States. All these measures will especially assist the development of resource
projects. As a strong demonstration of my government's commitment to ongoing investment in
major projects of all kinds I announce today that I will be appointing to my office a
Major Projects Facilitator. The role of that person will be to ensure that speedy
approvals are given to major investment proposals which conform with government
policy. This person will have business experience as well as a full understanding of the
workings of government. We believe that at all times the climate for investment in
Australia should be a welcoming one and not one where unreasonable obstacles are
thrown up at every turn.
The Australian financial system is in need of review. The inquiry into the financial
system, which we have established under the chairmanship of Mr Stan Wallis, ~ VAil
identify the forces of change and the scope for improvement in the regulation of
Australia's financial sector. It will provide the foundations for a more efficient and
competitive sector while maintaining essertial stability.
This will enhance Australia's attractiveness as ai, international financial centre, improve
both the quality and cost of services to customers of financial institutions, and increase
the potential of competition to keep downward pressure on interest rates.
Labor's high interest rates sent many small businesses to the wall and this
Government will do everything possible to maintain the downward pressure on rates so
that enterprise and jobs are not stifled by the cost of capital.
Consistent with its election commitment, the Government is accelerating the pace of
micro-economic reform. Today the Government is announcing major reforms in the
petroleum products industry which will increase competition, put downward pressure
on petrol prices and benefit consumers.
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Fax from PROVIDING JOBS AND OPPORTUNITY BY GETTING GOVERNMENT
OFF THE BACK OF SMALL BUSINESS
Small business is part of the heart and soul of all members of this government.
Small businesses are the engine room of the Australian economy. They provide a
livelihood for millions of Australian families. They are the single greatest source of
jobs and opportunities in our economy. They are the backbone of local communities
and neighbourhoods, as well as towns throughout regional and rural Australia.
Getting government off the backs of small businesses has been one of our highest
priorities since taking office.
We are determined to promote the small business sector as a dynamic and expanding
generator of jobs, national wealth, economic opportunity and community
responsibility. We are re-invigorating it through a range of tax, labour market and deregulatory
reforms.
On the tax front, one of our first actions was to reduce the provisional tax uplift factor,
freeing up cash flows for small businesses and valuable capital for investment in
expansion and jobs. In the Budget we implemented our promises to provide rollover
relief from capital gains tax to allow small businesses to grow. We also provided an
exemption for up to half a million dollars on capital gains on the sale of a small
business where the proceeds are used for retirement.
After listening to small business people, we recealtly made the scheme even better so
that the capital gains tax relief applies not just to those rolling over into " like
businesses". As well, we are determined to cut the red tape, the regulation and the paperwork that
bedevil so many hard-working small business operators and deter so many potential
new ones.
We have already made a start the Australian Bureau of Statistics is reducing the
burden of statistical collections on small business by 20 per cent.
I received the report of the Small Business Deregulation Task Force on I November
1996. It is an important and welcome document, containing 62 recommendations for
changes in tax arrangements, measures to reduce business compliance costs and to
improve the efficiency of regulation and information provision.
The Government will respond to the report by February 1997 and I can assure you that
the response will be a positive one.
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Fax from ENHANCING CHOICE AND SECURITY FOR FAMILIES
This Government is proud to say that it has Australian families at the centre of national
decision-making whether it be economic policy, social policy service delivery,
industrial relations or any other area of Government activity.
Our more responsible economic management has delivered practical relief for families
in terms of recent reductions in home loan interest rates.
But we also took direct action in the Budget. Overall we have cut the tax burden on
families by around $ 1 billion. From the first day of the new year, almost two midllion
low and middle income AuStralian families will benefit from our Family Tax Initiative.
For a one-income family earning up to $ 68,000 a year with twvo children, one of whom
is under five, this will deliver an extra a fortnight. Of course, that includes sole
parent families.
When it comes to families, we have delivered
We will make private health insurance more attractive to low and middle income
families. From I July 1997, families with dependent children will be entitled to receive
an incentive of up to $ 450 per year. paid either as an up-front reduction in their
premiums or as a tax rebate.
The Government also recognises that for many families choice mneans access to quality,
affordable child care appropriate to their needs. Our child care strategy will ensure the
continuation of a flexible and responsive child care sector.
Other measures including the Retirement Savings Accounts, superannuation
improvements, such as the low income spouse rebate, lower interest rates and lower
inflation will all ease pressures on families and provide them with more choice about
how they live their lives.
We also believe that the special work of carers deserve more recognition and in line
with our commitments, we have provided significant additional fu~ nding for the
National Respite for Carers; Programme to augment existing respite funding and
establish Carer Resource Centres throughout Australia.
Eligibility requirements for the Carer Payment will be liberalised, enabling carers to
work longer hours in non-caring roles and to take an average of one day a week off
from caring.
We know that various pressures produce family breakdown and we want to prevent
this wherever possible. We have increased fuinding for marriage and relationship
education, and to enable community organisations to help people become better
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Fax from GIVING HOPE TO YOUNG AUSTRALIANS
Young people of Australia are our future leaders. We need to nurture them and invest
in them.
We are addressing the root cause of youth unemployment by establishing the
preconditions for real job growth through improved economic management and our
regulatory and industrial reforms.
We are implementing a number of strategies directly targeted at young people which
particularly address the development of skills through education and training, for
example, in literacy and numeracy, and through school-based vocational training.
Our training and industrial relations reforms will encourage the expansion of
traineeship and apprenticeship opportunities. The Covernment has allocated over 200
million dollars over the next four years towards implementing the Modem
Apprenticeship and Training Scheme ( MAATS). The scheme will bring
Commonwealth expenditure in this area to over 1.7 billion dollars over the next four
years. Integral to our approach to other young people who need help, is the development of
strong social institutions the family, the community, and schools. Early intervention,
family support and community involvement are critical to the success of our
programmes to deal with youth suicide and homelessness.
The Youth Homelessness Pilot Programme which I initiated, for example, involves
community groups working with homeless young people to facilitate family
reconciliation and to improve their level of engagement in work, education, training
and the community.
And the National Youth Suicide Strategy which will receive an additional 18 million
over three years is a real attempt by all Governments to address a serious social
problem in our community.
ENSURING INVOLVEMENT AND SECURITY FOR OLDER AUSTRALIANS
The Government has a special commitment to the security and well-being of older
Australians. The value of their pensions is guaranteed through the indexing of pensions on a twice
yearly basis in accordance with the Consumer Price Index and by maintaining their
value at a minimum of 25 per cent of Average Weekly Earnings.
We are encouraging people to make greater provision for their retirement during their
working lives. For instance, the exemption from Capital Gains Tax where a small
business is sold to provide for retirement. People will also be able to continue
contributing to superannuation up to age 70 and the lower provisional tax uplift factor
will assist many older Australians.
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Fax from Discrimination in the tax system against self-funded retirees has also ended. The tax
rebate applying to pensioners is being extended to low income retirees of pension age.
We have been particularly concerned to protect the economic future of people not
readily covered by existing superannuation arrangements. Retirement Savings
Accounts and the new superannuation spouse rebate wvill improve the opportunities for
the accumulation of benefits by non-working or low income spouses.
We recognise that many older Australians need care. The Budget included a package
designed to restructure residential aged care to arrest the decline in the standards of
nursing homes around the nation. This package will also better meet the special care
needs of older people, particularly those suffering from dementia.
Our private health insurance incentives have also been welcomed by older Australians
and I hope that in the years ahead we can do more in other ways to ensure our senior
citizens have a comfortable and secure retirement.
REVITALISING REGIONAL AUSTRALIA
We said we would revitalise Australia's regions and provide the basis for renewed
confidence in the future. We are on track to meeting this commitment.
A strong small business sector and new investment will provide jobs in regional areas
and our actions are aimed at encouraging both.
Some areas of rural and regional Australia are still recovering from the worst drought
on record. The Government has increased the support to farm families until normal
cash flows return, so they can get on with rebuilding their properties and help restore
the vitality of their region.
We announced in October an additional $ 8 1. 5 million package for areas recovering
from exceptional drought.
The Government has also introduced legislation to establish the Natural Heritage Trust
of Australia. The Trust will provide more than $ 1.2 billion for a comprehensive
programme of action to address key environmental problems facing Australia. Funding
for the Trust is to be sourced from the proceeds of the sale of one third of Telstra.
Cleaning up waterways and improving landcare are both crucial to future generations
of Australians in country areas and the Coalition is proud that in its first year, it has,
with the help of Senators J-arradine and Colston, moved to implement this historic
envirotnental reform.
Advanced telecommunications infrastructure is critical for the social and economic
health of rural and regional Australia. The Government has moved to ensure the
availability of enhanced services such as call waiting, call diversion and high speed
access to the Internet through the early completion of the digitisation progranmne.
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Fax from We are establishing a $ 250 million Regional Telecommrunications Infrastructure Fund
to ensure that Australians living in regional and rural areas are not left behind by
advances in telecommunications technologies. The application of such technologies
outside our capital cities has virtually unlimited potential to reduce the geographical
isolation of regional and rural communities and enhance their business competitiveness
and educational opportunities.
Transport costs often represent a significant economic hurdle for regional Australia
and the Government remains committed to lowering this burden. We will spend $ 750
million upgrading the Pacific H1ighway and $ 149 million on Black Spots. Our reforms
to rail will also provide a more efficient and competitive rail system, thus further
reducing the barriers to investing in regional Australia.
The government is particularly pleased about the establishmc. it in September of a high
powered joint industry and government Supermarket to Asia Council. This brings
together government, business, labour, science and marketing expertis. e to remove
bottlenecks which prevent us exporting our quality food products to Asia to our fuull
potential. Those bottlenecks are costing country people their jobs.
We are addressing specific challenges in sectors critical to rural Australia, such as the
workability of the Native Title Act.
We have given forest industries certainty through the granting of transitional licences
for three years to underpin future investment and employment. We are working to
ensure long term resource security while protecting high conservation value forests
under the Regional Forests Agreements Process.
Major resource project approvals are being handled expeditiously without duplication
with the States, while providing certainty for industry and ensuring sound
environmental outcomes.
We have approved the $ 500 million Korea Zinc Australia Pty Ltd operation at
Townsville. Complementary Commonwealth-State environmental assessment for the
Jabiluka No 2 proposal and the $ 1.25 billion expansion proposal for Olympic Damn
arrangements have been announced.
The National Rural Finance Summit Activating Committee has presented its first report
to the Government, identifying high priority areas for action flowing from the Rural
Finance Summit held in July. These will be assessed by the Government for
implementation. The Committee will report to government early in 1997 on a Business
Plan for Rural Australia.
1MPROVING OUR EXPORT PERFORMANCE
Australia's trading performance is a vital element of the government's strategy to
improve job opportunities and living standards for at Australians.
The Government therefore is putting particular effort into reducing barriers to
Australia's exports both tariffs and other obstacles.
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A recently concluded agreement with Taiwan will improve our access to markets for
beef, citrus and other fruit and cars. As a result, Mitsubishi Australia has already
concluded a $ 3 5 million deal to export its new Magnas to Taswan and annou nced extra
jobs at its Adelaide plant. We are exporting fresh milk to Hong Kong for the first time
as a result of recent negotiations.
This year's APEC leaders' meeting successfully maintained the momentum for regional
trade liberalisation. Australia has already opened up its own economy, decreasing
average tariffs to 5 per cent. W~ e are looking for other economies to match us, and this
year's APEC individual action plans are a good start.
These action plans clearly show that the momentum for regional trade liberalisation is
there and delivering concrete benefits for Australian business.
Restrictions on some agricultural imports are being reduced in Hong Kong and Japan.
New access for Australian business in banking and investment will be available in
Chipna, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines. The Phiilippines wvill lift import
restrictions on coal and Thailand will liberalise the natural gas market.
In the World Trade Organisation the government is working hard to ensure that
market access commitments made in the Uruguay Round are adhered to. The
government also wants to ensure momentum is maintained for further progress beyond
Uruguay Round outcomes in all areas of concern to Australian business. In particular,
we want the ground to be laid for negotiations on agricultural access to proceed
expeditiously from 1999.
DEVELOPING THE GREAT POTENTIAL OF AUSTRALIA'S REGIONAL
RELATIONSHIPS Australia's success and prosperity is tightly bound to the future of the Asia-Pacific
region. The Government is deeply committed to strengthening Australia's economic
and strategic relationships with the other major economies powers in our region.
Since coming to office, Ministers have moved quickly to establish productive contacts
with their Asia-Pacific counterparts. Within weeks of forming government, I held a
successful meeting with the Prime Minister of Malaysia. My first bilateral overseas
visit was to two of our most important regional partners Japan and Indonesia.
Discussions with the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Hashimoto, and President Soeharto
made clear their interest in co-operating closely with Australia under my government.
At the APEC leaders' meeting in Manila I met Chinese President, Mr Jiang Zemin, and
underlined the importance the new government placed on its relationship with China.
My visit to China next year will be a good opportunity to build the relationship further.
I was delighted to welcome to Australia President Clinton, only the third such visit to
Australia by a US President. The clear message from both sides during the visit was
the enduring strength of the bilateral relationship and a common commitment to our
region. Page I I
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The visit built on the Austral ia-United States ministerial talks in July at which
agreement was reached on a number of measures to strengthen the Australia-US
alliance,* and the contribution it makes to regional stability,
The government played an important role in concluding the Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty and will continue to work hard for non-proliferation objectives.
We have moved quickly to address deficiencies in the combat of our defence force.
Defence was quarantined from Budget cuts in the Government's deficit reduction
efforts. The administrative savings of $ 125 million a year were redirected to improve
combat capabilities, training and personnel retention.
A COHESIVE AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY
Australia is a united tolerant and harmonious nation.
The goal of my govemecnt is to focus on those things which unite Australians and not
those which might divide them.
Our success in absorbing millions of people from the four corners of the globe in a
climate of tolerance and positive espousal of common national goals has been an
example to the rest of the world.
Despite our success we must all strive to build on our past legacy of tolerance and
egalitarianism. My government is steadfast in its commitment to the process of reconciliation between
indigenous Australians and the wider Australian community.
We want higher living standards and greater economic independence for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people. We will work with States and Territories and with
ATSIC to achieve practical outcomes designed to overcome the undoubted social and
economic disadvantages of our indigenous people.
We have demonstrated an enduring commitment to the role of the arts in Australian
life. This has included a particular focus on accessibility through innovative programmes
such as the Major Festivals Fund to assist Australian productions performed in capital
cities and major regional areas. We are also providing support through the Regional
Arts Fund, the Emerging Artists Fund and the touring programmes of the Department
of Communications and the Arts.
Funding for the One Stop Shop and National Cultural Network will enable greater
access to information on arts and national cultural collections, including industry
support programmes offered by government departments and agencies.
Fax from As part of our commitment to a safer Australia, the Government has committed $ 13
million to the National Campaign on Violence and Crime. This campaign is aimed at
more effective co-ordination and inplementation of crime prevention efforts across the
country and at the reduction of crime and fear of crime.
We are committed to dealing more effectively with the issue of domestic violence. We
anticipate specific strategies to be endorsed at the National Domestic Violence Summit
to be held in 1997.
We remain strongly committed to public involvement in the debate and decision
making process about our Head of State aind we will announce the next step in that
process early next year.
In 2001, the centenary of Federation provides an opportunity to celebrate Australia's
achievements and our immense democratic inheritance. I have recently announced the
Commonwealth's appointees to the Centenary of Federation Council to be chaired by
Mr Dick Smith. The Council will1 co-operate with the states, local government and
community organisations to develop a co-ordinated programme across the country.
Our National Flag is a focus for national pride. As promised, the Government
introduced on 26 June 1996 the Flags Amendment Bill 1996 to ensure that the Flag
cannot be changed in any way without a national vote of the people.
A very positive example of this Government's commitment to our national institutions
is the enhanced opportunity now provided to ask questions in this place. Whereas in
the last year of the Keating government an average of only 12.7 questions were asked
each question time, the average so far this year is 19 questIons. That is the highest
average in the last twenty years.
It is important that the next generation understands our society and appreciates our
heritage. We have reaffirmed the commitment to civics and citizenship education and
refocussed the programme to emphasise understanding of our history, the operations
of Australia's system of government and institutions and the principles that support
Australian democracy.
CONCLUSION There are a whole host of other achievements across a range of portfolios and we have
only just begun.
Ten months on from the Election, we are proud of the important start that we have
made in restoring good government and responsible policy-making at the national
level: * an important start in re-building a sense of national purpose in place of Labor's
shifting alliance of special interests;
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i n important start in restoring the family as the centrepiece of national policymaking;,
* an important start in fixing the fundamnentals of our economy;
* an important start in re-energising small business;
* an important start in revitalising regional Australia;
* and an important start in building genuine hope for young Australians and greater
security for older Australians,
But we know that it in all these areas, what we have achieved is only a start.
We need to keep going forward and we will.
We need to ensure that all Australians irrespective of their race, colour, beliefs or
country of origin are accorded respect and dignity as individuals and are given an
equal entitlement to achieve their aspirations free from discrimination and intimidation
and we will.
Above all, we need to continue to relate the Government's piorities to the concerns
and aspirations of the Australian mainstream rather than to the narrower agenda of
elites and special interests and we will.
As Prime Minister, I am proud of the Coalition team and I'm proud of the team's
achievements. It's been a good 10 months for the Liberal and National Parties, but
more importantly, it's been a good 10 months for the Australian people who gave us
their trust.
Pup. 14