Subject:
COAG
E&OE...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the news conference. We did have a very successful COAG meeting. There's been agreement reached on a way forward in relation to the reform agenda. It has been agreed that a number of policy areas will be referred to the COAG Reform Council. It's been agreed between myself and the Premiers and Chief Ministers that the whole purpose of this process is not to include spending on areas that are the ongoing business-as-usual responsibility of either of the Commonwealth or the states, but rather in relation to new reform proposals and genuinely new initiatives. Amongst those that are being referred to the COAG Reform Council, after there's been agreement on the precise content of the initiative, is a proposal concerning diabetes, which is of particular concern to all Australians. The Commonwealth will be investing $100 million up front and that will be matched, collectively, by the states. After the detail of the proposals has been fully refined between the Commonwealth and the states, out of session, the proposal will be sent to the COAG Reform Council for monitoring and after the passage of, in an appropriate period of time so that an assessment can be made of the impact of the proposal, an assessment can be made of the relative costs and benefits so far as the Commonwealth and the states are concerned.
We're also referring a number of regulation reform items, some infrastructure proposals and also matters relating to transport. In relation to literacy and numeracy and early childhood development, there have been some proposals put forward by the states and territories. The Commonwealth will examine those proposals and marry them with proposals of our own and after further discussion out of session, any agreed proposals will be sent to the COAG Reform Council for assessment.
I want to stress that there has been no agreement, and in fact this issue did not occupy any time at all, there's been no agreement in relation to the up front payment of a generic amount in relation to reform. The view has been taken that each reform proposal, which must be genuine one and not an investment in a business-as-usual approach, should be looked at on a case by case basis. And we remain committed to a fair sharing of the costs and benefits of reform. And if it can be demonstrated that the states are carrying a disproportionate burden of the cost of a particular reform and the Commonwealth is getting a disproportionate share, then we're happy to have that assessed and to make an adjustment in relation to those costs and benefits and that of course applies both ways. But I stress this is on the basis of a case by case approach.
Two other matters I should mention. Firstly, in relation to climate change, we did have quite a discussion on that issue. The states told me of their views in relation to an emissions trading system and the commitment they have made to a target of 60 per cent reduction by 2050. I indicated what was happening through the Commonwealth taskforce and that we would be greatly advised by the results of that review process; that we were unwilling, for reasons I've stated publicly, to commit to a particular target because of the possible consequences of that on the economy, especially on jobs.
We all agreed that adaptation to climate change was an important issue and I announced that the Commonwealth would establish a National Centre for Climate Change Adaptation that will cost $26 million to establish and the Commonwealth will invest $100 million, additionally, in that centre to assist with it's operations over the next five years. Furthermore, separately, but in the same general area, the CSIRO will receive an additional $44 million from the Commonwealth to deal with the science of the impact of climate change. This adaptation initiative, which the Commonwealth will fully fund, we welcome any contributions from the states, but we will be funding it regardless of whether those contributions are forthcoming. We think it is very important that the country be advised on the impact, on our coast line, and the impact on the atmosphere, and the possible consequences for different sections of the population, the impact on rural Australia, quite separately from water issues, of climate change.
Finally we reached agreement in relation to a national accreditation system for the medical profession, which is something that's been around for some time. Overall can I say that there are some other matters that will appear in the communiqu