PM: It's good to be back in Darwin and I'm here with Paul Henderson the Chief Minister and of course Damian Hale our local Member of Parliament. Can I say it's always good to be here because you sense the strength of this local economy. The regional economy in the Northern Territory is the fastest growing in Australia. More than 6% growth per annum and this is the product of good strong economic management on the part of the Territory Government.
It's also the product of a strong partnership between the Government which I lead in Canberra and the Government here in the Territory. And we have seen the practical manifestation of that in projects such as the upgrade of Tiger Brennan Drive. We have $74 million invested from the National Government in that, in partnership with the Territory Government and the works underway. Our Government has only been in for 6 months but this practical work is important for the people of the Territory and to make sure that people up here are getting a fair shake of the sauce bottle when it comes to what's happening nationally on roads infrastructure. And I thank the Chief Minister for his cooperation on that as I do Damian for his strong representations on this important project.
In the future, one of the things we will also be working on together is developing an integrated economic strategy for the Northern Territory. That is between the Territory Government and the Australian Government. Because this is so much a key part of Australia's economic development in the 21st century. We have a concentration of economic resources here, we have a people here who are blessed with a spirit of enterprise and the preparedness to have a go.
We also have a strong partnership between the Territory Government and the Government in Canberra. And as a result of that the Territory Government through the Chief Minister and myself will in the period ahead be working on the elements of an integrated economic development strategy for the Northern Territory and I look forward to that work unfolding.
Finally or should I say second last. I'd like to talk briefly about Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe our concern and the concern of most countries around the world is that Mr Mugabe will steal this election. Therefore it's important that the international community of nations including the African Union, and including the South African development council speak with one voice about the importance of democracy and the will of the people prevailing in Zimbabwe.
The concern of all people is that Mugabe will seek to steal this election. And to deny the free exercise of will on the part of the people of Zimbabwe. I've spent several weeks in Zimbabwe myself in the past. I've seen how Robert Mugabe can manipulate elections. The international community does not want to see that happen again and it's important that the world community speak out with one voice on this important matter.
Also on the question of the challenges which many people around Australia are experiencing at present with the impact of high mortgage prices. One of the concerns that we have had and the Assistant Treasurer has spoken on this today, concerns the activity of unscrupulous buy sell techniques for those families who are under pressure concerning their mortgages and the need to sell their homes. And that's why the Assistant Treasurer has announced today that the ACCC will be posting a dedicated website on this matter to ensure that consumers have proper information on their rights when it comes to any pressure on them by those who provide their mortgage finance to sell their homes.
We don't want to see Australian consumers and Australian home holders ripped off. That's why the Australian competition watchdog has stepped in with this website and I'd remind all of those engaged in this business, those engaged in anything which borders on unscrupulous buy sell techniques, to be very mindful of the powers of the Australian Competition Watchdog when it comes to unscrupulous activity. And what the competition laws of Australia define as unconscionable conduct.
The competition watchdog is watching that is why this particular website has been launched by the ACCC today and I draw your attention to the statements by the Assistant Treasurer on this.
Happy to take your questions
JOURNALIST: What is going to happen to the intervention now the AMA is refusing to recruit doctors?
PM: Well the intervention of course is now about 12 months in. And in terms of what has occurred under the intervention I would just draw your attention to some statistics and then I will come to the direct nature of your question.
There are nearly 10 000 community health checks which have completed. 51 government business managers have been placed into 72 communities. Income management is in place in 52 communities out of 73. 12 600 people are currently subject to income management. The community clean up program has (inaudible) commenced in 66 remote communities. There are now more than 50 additional police on the beat in remote NT communities.
Of course what the AMA does for itself in the future is a matter for it. And of course we as the Government will be placing for tender the new arrangements when it comes to the recruitment and deployment of medical personnel in these communities. As I have said also before when we reach the 12 month point we will be subjecting the entire intervention to review.
We have indicated that in the past, and that review will be conducted consistent with our earlier statements on it.
As I have said with the Chief Minister also, it is important we take the politics out of this and we get on with the business of assisting people in communities on the ground in practical ways. Which is why the National Government has invested literally hundreds of millions of dollars into making sure that these services are being delivered on the ground. It is difficult work, it is hard work, I commend those in their fields doing this work, but we will continue consistent with our commitments on this in the past.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) Topic: Belinda Neal.
PM: Well the statement that I made the other day in relation to Ms Neal speaks for itself.
JOURNALIST: Six months ago you set up an indigenous working group and you promised it would meet every 3 months (inaudible).
PM: We've met that group in fact, at the end of last year.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: No, I met with them at the end of last year. The next meeting of the group occurred I think around March / April, where the Minister represented me at that meeting. And we will be back very soon, sometime I think in the July / August period for a further meeting. We take our consultations with indigenous leaders here seriously. We've framed our consultative arrangements strongly around the indigenous leadership of the Northern Territory and they will be integral to the consultative arrangements that we said we would put in place when it comes to the review of the Intervention.
We said that at the 12 month point that that review would be undertaken and we are acting consistent with that commitment.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: On the details of the operation of the review I would refer you to the Minister Jenny Macklin. At the 12 month point the review would be underway and I am sure that her department has that well in hand. And we'll do so consultatively with the Territory Government and with indigenous leaders.
The objective here is very clear. Remember what I said nationally at the time of delivering the apology to indigenous people. Our objective now for the future is how do we close the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. And so much of that practical work lies on the ground here in the Territory of course, and the rest of Australia as well. And it is against closing the gap that the evaluation of the impact of the intervention will be measured, and we are determined to proceed in that direction.
JOURNALIST: Are you happy with how things are going so far?
PM: Well let's wait for the review. I think the facts and figures I read out before indicate a measure of success, but let's be realistic about it and get the data in across the community and form a seasoned judgement about how this is proceeding - where improvements need to occur we will make improvements.
JOURNALIST: Do you think the AMA has got its priorities mixed up?
PM: The AMA will make its own decisions on this. That's a matter for them. Our objective is to deliver the services that are needed in Indigenous communities and we will work with whomever is available to do that. Our objective as I said is to close the gap and I'm dead serious about having an effect here, a result. I'm sort of sick and tired of the politics of this stuff. Let's get on with the business of closing the gap in a real way for indigenous people so that they are not just the political meat in the sandwich on this. The key thing is how do we close the gap on health, how do we close the gap on education, how do we close the gap in terms of physical security within communities, how do we close the gap on housing.
These are the criteria against which the intervention is measured. My Government is determined to make a difference. It's hard, it's tough, it's difficult, it's been swept aside for far too long. Let's get on with the business of trying to make it work.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible) Topic: John Della Bosca.
PM: Well I stand by the statement I made the other day
JOURNALIST: Can you (inaudible) without the AMA though (inaudible)
PM: Well there's a tendering process underway at the moment and because of the tendering process. I'm not at liberty to comment as to how that might be proceeding and who else might be throwing their hat in the ring. I don't know the answer to that question so let's wait for the tendering process to conclude. But we will work with whomever is able to deliver the services to indigenous people on the ground. That's the important thing.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) ......
PM: Sorry can't hear you mate
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) Topic: Nuclear waste dump.
PM: Well there is an independent scientific process underway. I mean we will respond to the science on these questions. I think it's important again to take the politics out of this and to make sure that any advice to Government is based on science and what's the key to the science. One element of that is simply the most geologically stable site. But we will wait for the independent process to have its way through.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister a report came out today about binge drinking. Saying that three to four drinks in a session is binge drinking. Do you think three to four drinks in one session is binge drinking?
PM: Well I think the important thing here is to put the facts into context. The NHMRC the National Health and Medical Research Council initiated this work when Mr Abbott was Health Minister of Australia. Let's put all this into context, the work began by the National Health and Medical Research Council when Tony Abbott was Health Minister. I notice Mr Abbott is now saying interesting things at variance to that today in terms of his views about the problem being no worse than it was in the past.
Let's see where the science unfolds on this. As I understand it the NHMRC report still has to be subjected to appropriate peer review by other specialist bodies. But what we said all along on the question of binge drinking is either you can stand up with the Liberal party and stand by tax loopholes which they deliberately created back in the year 2000 or you can act on binge drinking which is a problem in inner cities right across Australia.
Ask mums and dads across Australia what they fear most on a Friday and Saturday night at the moment. It is their young people going out and what might happen to them, are they gonna get bashed, are they going to end up in hospital, are they going to end up with brain damage. These are the concerns which fuel not just mums and dads across the country. It also fuels the concerns of every Police Commissioner I have spoken to and I've got that advice. We also have the advice of many of the peak health bodies concerned about binge drinking amongst young people. And what we've sought to do is to act in response to that.
We'll have further to say on the overall strategy to deal with binge drinking nationally. But this is a national challenge. Mums and dads are concerned about it. Police Commissioners are concerned about it. The health authorities are concerned about it. The only people with their head in the sand on this is the Liberal party.