ALBANESE: Okay well what a beautiful day to be here on the Sunshine Coast. I must say as a Sydneysider I am a bit jealous of the upbringing that the Prime Minister and the Treasurer got growing up in this magnificent region of Australia.
I want to also acknowledge here today one person in particular and that is Mr Wayne Sachs who is the chief ambo for the Gympie region. A couple of months ago Mr Sachs made an appointment with my office, paid out of his own pocket to fly to Canberra to talk with me as the Infrastructure Minister about the real human tragedies that were occurring on this section of road.
He certainly put his case very strongly and in the lead-up to the Budget the Government of course had a responsibility to listen to economists but we also had a responsibility to listen to people in the community. And I listened to Mr Sachs, I told the Prime Minister and the Treasurer about the discussions that we'd had. And in the Budget on Tuesday night we were able to announce $488 million from the Commonwealth, together with $125 million from the Queensland Government means that $613 million will be available for the construction of the Cooroy to Curra Section B, the most dangerous section of this particular part of the Bruce Highway.
Construction will commence in August. This 12 kilometre section is expected to be completed by 2012. The $200 million which we've allocated during the federal election campaign and was included in the nation building program that we announced on Tuesday night will go towards planning, land acquisition and other activity to ensure that we can get up to the pre-construction phase for Section A of this road.
I'm very pleased that we're able to be here today. This is a critical piece of infrastructure, not just in terms of the job creation that will occur in the short term but the long term benefit for the nation. And I'd now ask the Prime Minister to make some comments.
PM: Thanks Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan and Wayne Sachs, local ambo, and someone's mobile phone. Is this yours mate? It's very musical.
It's great to be back in Queensland and it's great to be back in Queensland after this Budget. This Budget, in response to the global recession, is about supporting jobs and small business today to invest in the infrastructure we need for tomorrow. Infrastructure like rail, road, ports, broadband, hospitals, schools, solar energy - why? Because we want to have a nation building strategy for recovery. That's what the Government is on about through this Budget.
And where the rubber literally hits the road is when we actually come to important road projects like this. This project has languished for far too long, far too long. It's time that we acted on important critical areas of road infrastructure like this.
How does it fit into our national plan? What we're committed to into the future is to build a new N1, a national road network from Melbourne through to Cairns, through Sydney, through Brisbane, through to Cairns. Because that's the sort of road infrastructure network we need for the future.
Of course this has to be done one building block at a time and what we're looking at here today is a further building block because what it does is it improves the economic efficiency of Australia but in critical areas of road like this it also deals with challenges of road safety.
And that's why I would also endorse the remarks just made now by Minister Albanese about the visit to Canberra by Wayne Sachs and briefing the Minister personally on the depth of road tragedy which has occurred on this stretch of road as it is at the moment.
This Labor Government in Australia is committed to investing where infrastructure needs are greatest across the country, irrespective of what is the local, political representation. This part of Australia where I grew up, since the war I don't think has ever had a Labor member of parliament but I can I say that doesn't stand in our road for doing the right thing by this region. It's a necessary thing to do. Necessary for economic efficiency, necessary also to act effectively on reducing the road toll with critical investments like this.
Before taking your questions, if I could ask Wayne to make some remarks as well.
SACHS: Well thanks Prime Minister, Treasurer and Infrastructure Minister Albanese. First of all I'd like to say thank you so much to the Minister for allowing audience with him in February because I realise his time is very valuable and that was just the first part of it. Secondly I would like to thank him for listening so intently and taking it on board so seriously and thirdly I'd like to congratulate the Federal Labor Government for acting so swiftly in moving this project forward.
This 12 kilometres of road infrastructure that is going to start very shortly in August is the worst, probably the most dangerous stretch of road in the country and I applaud the Government for taking their decision. It's going to save a lot of lives and I think you could all justly be very very proud of yourselves as politicians and I thank you for it and if there is anything else that I can do in the future to help in any way shape or form, please let me know.
PM: Over to you folks for some questions. But just before I do I might quote from what I understand is in the local paper today on this particular project, I saw it before, The Sunshine Coast Daily.
And its editorial says as follows, is someone from the Daily here? It says, ‘If ever there was a project worthy of nation building status as part of the Government's economic stimulus package, it is this one. But this is not just about nation building, it is about rebuilding our faith in our community, that their government, whether state or federal will do something about a situation which is causing untold heartache to this region.'
Well the Government has heard that message and we have decided to act. Over to you folks.
JOURNALIST: Just a clarification for the on the road issue, Mr Swan the Budget (inaudible) said 25 kilometres and now it is 12, which is the right figure?
SWAN: It is 12.
ALBANESE: Section B of the road is 12 kilometres. There is four sections to the road, section B will be completed with $613 million, then $200 million allocated for Section A, or reallocated from the Commonwealth, for Section A, and we are having further discussions with the Queensland Government about those issues.
PM: So this connection through to Gympie occurs in stages, as those of you familiar with the local debate would know. And this is an important section of the road to do and of course the remainder lies ahead of us.
Can I just also draw your attention to what the local representatives of Main Roads told us before. Work here will start in August. We are looking at a three year project worth $613 million which will support 1,600 direct and indirect jobs. That is important for the economy, it is important for transport efficiency and it is important also for road safety.
This is about supporting jobs and small business today by investing in infrastructure we need for tomorrow. As Main Roads have just told me also, three separate contracts here. One for cutting, one for the temporary deviation and the other for finishing.
And each of those will generate all sorts of work for subcontractors here and elsewhere in Queensland.
JOURNALIST: How dangerous is this section of the road as it exists?
PM: Well I am advised and I think we heard something of this in the Parliament yesterday, that this has been classified as one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the country.
And there has been, as Wayne's briefing to the minister has indicated, untold tragedy here. Of course, there are tragedies on many roads across the country. But the statistics here are confronting. So putting that together with the need to build an efficient, national highway network, our proposed N1 for the future, those two arguments came together.
JOURNALIST: How important was Mr Sachs (inaudible)?
PM: Well the Minister came and spoke to me afterwards. I mean, I've not met Wayne in my life, at least I don't think I have mate, even though I think we grew up on, sort of, neighbouring parts of the world. But Albo came and spoke to me and said he just heard from the local ambos about what it was like up here.
And then a few pennies dropped as well as to what stretch was being talked about.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: No listen, we have been through a process of proper national infrastructure planning. We believe it is important to get the efficiency of our N1 network right long term. There's an added argument here, which is why it is being considered separately, and that is, of course it being classified as one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the country. The two arguments come together.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on another matter, the Opposition Leader seems to have hardened his opposition to key Budget measures, are we looking at a double dissolution by the end of the year?
PM: Mr Turnbull has been out selling his Budget reply today. I just note one thing is that despite all the bluster on debt and deficit, by indicating that he will be voting for the Budget, he has confirmed that the Liberals' debt and deficit strategy is not one cent less than the Government's and will not be repaid one day earlier than the Government's.
That is the bottom line, despite all the bluster. The second point is this: there has been a, I think quite stunning statement by the Liberal leader this morning.
The Liberal leader this morning has gone out into the media and said the following, selling his position on private health insurance. He has said, ‘In an ideal world, every Australian would have private health insurance, that would be the best outcome'.
Now I believe that we have had a long standing, I thought, bipartisan consensus in Australia that we have a double system of public health and private health.
And it has served Australians reasonably well. Today the Liberal Party have signalled and revealed that they are moving away from that bipartisan position. Mr Turnbull for the first time has said that all Australians should have private health insurance.
That means the end of universal public insurance through Medicare.
I am stunned that he has introduced this into the policy and political debate of our country. What we have here I think is something as radical as WorkChoices. You see what the Liberals are standing for as they approach the next election is the reintroduction of WorkChoices and now by this stunning statement today, the abandonment of universal public health insurance through Medicare. This is an extraordinary development.
JOURNALIST: You must admit though Prime Minister, the more people off the public system and on the private system takes the pressure off the public system?
PM: Well the modelling which has occurred in relation to the changes we propose indicate that about 99 per cent plus people would retain their private health insurance.
But the key thing is this, is that up until today there has been no debate about the abolition of Medicare. What Mr Turnbull and the Liberals have indicated today is that Medicare does not have a future, under a future Liberal government.
So bring back WorkChoices - that's strategy one, and strategy two is the abolition of Medicare. This is a stunning statement. I did not believe I would hear this from a Liberal leader, I thought this debate was put to bed a decade and a half ago.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) an election issue would you take him on?
PM: Well if Mr Turnbull is going out there and saying, as he has this morning, all Australians should have private health insurance and that is a fair rendering of what he has said here, that would be the best outcome, every Australian would have private health insurance. If Mr Turnbull is saying that he wants all Australians to have private health insurance, that means the abolition of Medicare and universal public insurance. There is a clear dividing line between us and the Liberals on Medicare, and us and the Liberals of course on WorkChoices.
JOURNALIST: Would you agree to Mr Turnbull, his offer to keep private health insurance rebate un-means tested?
PM: Our position on those matters were made absolutely clear cut by the Treasurer in his statement in the Budget on Tuesday night.
JOURNALIST: What about Mr Turnbull's idea of increasing tax on cigarettes (inaudible)
PM: All matters to do with tax as the Assistant Treasurer said last night are being dealt with by the Henry Review and they will be concluded later in the year.
JOURNALIST: Would you agree to Nick Xenophon's call for a Senate inquiry into the rebate?
PM: I haven't heard that particular call.
Back on this project here, can I just say this about the investment. Roads, rail, ports, broadband, solar energy, hospitals, the biggest school modernisation program in Australia's history, this government is at work.
We're out here making a difference with the impact on Australia, on Queensland, on the Sunshine Coast arising from this global recession. And I find it remarkable, that in an area such as this, it has taken a Labor government to deliver a major road project like this, when the National party have been represented here for decades and decades and decades, and have ignored their own backyard. Including by a local member who was himself in the past, I'm advised, the Transport Minister - extraordinary.
Can I also say in terms of Queensland more broadly that the investment we are making here in terms of overall stimulus is significant. Across the state of Queensland we are making huge investments in all categories of infrastructure.
Total infrastructure investment here is $11.7 billion, that's stimulus investment of which $6.8 billion is through infrastructure. In Wide Bay total stimulus investment of $345.9 million.
If you are looking at how do you make a difference to all those subbies, tradies and others looking for jobs and work opportunities around the Sunshine Coast and around Queensland at the moment, we are out there powering investment in here. Why? To support jobs, small business and apprenticeships today, whilst still building the infrastructure we need for tomorrow. We've got to hit the road.
JOURNALIST: Any comment on the death of Bud Tingwell?
PM: On Bud Tingwell, I just heard this very sad news about Bud. Bud Tingwell is in every sense an Australian legend. An older generation knowing him through Homicide, a newer generation of Australians knowing him as the battler's friend in The Castle. He is so much part of the Australian character, as it has been shaped, and as it will evolve in the future. Great Australian and all Australians are sad to see his passing.