PM: Well it's great to be back here in South Australia and Adelaide for this fantastic race, the Tour Down Under. This is a great addition to South Australia's place in world tourism. I was talking to the Premier about the fact that right around the world today you've got 150 million people seeing the great sights of South Australia. This is fantastic for tourism in what is a difficult year for the national economy.
A race starting in Norwood, moving through great towns like Williamstown and Gawler, finishing here at Mawson Lake, this is just great. And the scenery through the hills, just superb. So what you're doing is great for tourism, great for South Australia, great for the country.
We've just been having a yak to Lance Armstrong. Mike and I have been giving our advice on the finer tips of cycling, and he's promised to take that advice on board. What's great about the Lance Armstrong story is not just that it's been a great boost, a global boost to the standing of this great event around the world, he also has another message. That's the message about cancer. And I think what he has done in terms of spreading the word worldwide about the fight against cancer, on the campaign against cancer, and the resources we as a community need to dedicate to it, is I think first class. And we'll be talking more with Lance in the period ahead about other things that we can do.
Here in South Australia today, what I'd like to confirm is the Government is announcing $3.7 million, a program grant, for Professor Lopez's work here at the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science here in South Australia. This is very important in enhancing the critical research done at this centre in specific cancers like leukaemia.
Nearly $2 million of this amount will go fund four major national clinical trials in areas such as sarcomas, neuro-oncology, and children's cancers.
This is really important. Part of the national and global cancer network. Excellent work's been done here in South Australia by this great Institute, and the Federal Government today's getting behind it with a further $3.7 million program. A practical way to add to our national campaign in which we have injected hundreds of millions of dollars in the last 12 months additional, and as part of the global campaign which great heroes like Lance Armstrong are champions of.
Over to you Mike.
RANN: We'll certainly, absolutely once again welcome this commitment from the Commonwealth. Yesterday at a great commitment from the Federal Government, $50 million for a new children's cancer centre at the Women's and Children's Hospital, and today of course this $3.7 million for the principal aim of terms of tackling the great issue of leukaemia. I have to say that's an area where South Australia has shown real leadership, and people like Marjorie Jackson-Nelson of course being a hero over decades of raising money for leukaemia research.
So we're very grateful for this partnership with the Commonwealth. As you know I'll be making a series of announcements over the next few days on what we're doing here in South Australia in partnership with various groups to support the fight against cancer. And as I said yesterday, we will triple the funds raised by the Cancer Council this week as part of their big fundraising drive which involves Lance Armstrong.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, is your Government considering another stimulus package to keep the economy going?
PM: The global financial crisis is biting hard across the world and here in Australia. I say right up front that jobs for us are front and centre.
This is going to be a hard year. It's going to get harder. And therefore what the Government said last year is what we say again this year - we stand ready to take whatever action is necessary in the future to continue support the stability of the financial system, and to continue to support positive growth and jobs.
The two options here - you can sit to one side, sit on your hands and moan, or you can get out there and have a go. This Government's in the business of having a go. And I just say this as an addition, since this crisis hit, the Government has also initiated $36 billion worth of measures, including a $10.4 billion Economic Security Strategy which has been out there supporting jobs, particularly in the retail sector in the critical months over this period. It's not the final answer, it's not the full answer, but you know something, it all helps.
The Government stands ready to take whatever action is necessary in the future, and we'll continue to work our way through this challenge in partnership with governments around the world.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: As I said the Government stands ready to take whatever future action is necessary. Any further action that's necessary. This crisis before we go into the inevitable list of questions about ruling ins and rulings outs which I'm sure you've been provided by your various editors and sub-editors, this crisis has a long way to run. It's a deep crisis. And it's one which Australians didn't cause. It began in the United States of America. But you know something - the Government is determined to take whatever action is necessary to support jobs in what will be a huge year of challenge for all Australians.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: As I said we'll just stand ready to take whatever action is necessary. We've done this in a calm, measured, considered way since the crisis hit. One step at a time. And what we've done last year is a $10.4 billion Economic Security Strategy which provided assistance to first home buyers, first home buyers boost, provided one-off payments to pensioners and carers, provided also assistance to families with kids. On top of that, a $4.6 billion infrastructure package which has assisted in providing investments into critical university infrastructure here in South Australia. A $15 billion additional package for the states through the COAG arrangements. A $3 million investment into local government. All these things have been undertaken with a view to supporting jobs and economic growth, when the private economy is contracting.
You can either sit back and watch that happen and say, woe with me, or you can get in there and have a go.
JOURNALIST: Are tax cuts on the table as a measure to -
PM: We remain resolved to take whatever action is necessary, and we will do it a calm, measured, and methodical fashion. Next go.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: I'm puzzled by that because when the package was announced, Mr Harvey said he saw it as a boost to confidence in the economy.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, did you take a call from George W Bush before he left office?
PM: No, I've not done so. But I certainly wish President Bush as he still is, all the best in his retirement and the strong contribution which he has made to the Australia - United States alliance. I look forward very much to working with President Obama, the next President of the United States, because we have a huge challenge ahead, and it begins with working together on the global financial crisis.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: As I said before, this is a very, very difficult and deep crisis. A crisis which began in the United States which has spread globally. A crisis which I note the Leader of the Liberal Party describes as being over-hyped before Christmas. That's never been our view and we believe that the right course of action is to implement a carefully considered stimulus strategy. We've laid out five steps and stages of that strategy by Christmas. We stand ready to take whatever other action is necessary.
By the way, something, if you haven't caught up with this today, today's front page of the Los Angeles Times, President-elect Obama in Washington, and here we have Lance Armstrong in Adelaide. There you go, front page.
[ends]