PM:Good to be back in Brisbane, and I'm here with Robert Hill and with Penny Wong, the Minister for Climate Change. We're here to do two things, and they both concern the Australian Carbon Trust.
The first is I'd like to confirm that the Australian Carbon Trust, which is an important climate change initiative of the Australian Government, will be headquartered in Brisbane.
The second is this - that the Chair of the Australian Carbon Trust will be Robert Hill. Robert Hill has an extensive experience in public policy in Australia. As you know, he was a Senator for South Australia between 1981 and 2006; he's a former minister for the environment and a former minister for defence. Also, most recently he's been Australia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and is currently Adjunct Professor in Sustainability at University of Sydney's US Studies Centre.
The Carbon Trust is an important measure for the Government and for the country. The Australian Government will be investing some $75.8 million in the Carbon Trust over the next five years and it has two main functions.
The first is to provide practical support to Australian households and small businesses to reduce their and the nation's overall carbon footprint, and there are practical means by which that's to be done.
The second is this - by a revolving fund, a $50 million revolving fund, assisting the Australian business community with ensuring that the commercial buildings we build for the future are as energy efficient as possible. The way that works is effectively for the fund to provide grants for the building of commercial buildings. And as the savings from energy efficiency come in from those deployed technologies, those grants are then repaid. It becomes, therefore, a revolving fund over time.
These are two practical measures by which families, households and commercial buildings can reduce Australia's overall greenhouse gas emissions, and that's what it's all about. The Australian Carbon Trust is designed to ensure that we as a nation, government, business, households, are out there doing our bit to bring down greenhouse gas emissions. Action on climate change is critical for the economy long term and for the environment long term.
That's why we're committed globally, through our work in the negotiations leading up to Copenhagen. That's why we're committed nationally, through the introduction of a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and through a Renewable Energy Target. And that's why we're also taking initiatives like the Australian Carbon Trust to ensure that households, mums and dads and households, can do their bit also to bring down greenhouse gas emissions. Enough from me, do you want to add, Penny?
WONG: Can I say I'm pleased to be here in Brisbane for this announcement with the Prime Minister, and with Professor Hill, as he now is.
Taking action on climate change is going to require a whole range of measures, a whole range of policies. We know that the centrepiece of our policy is the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, but we also know we need to harness the willingness of Australian households and Australian business to reduce their carbon pollution. So a very important aspect of this will be the work of the Carbon Trust. It will be to promote to promote energy efficiency in Australian businesses through the mechanisms the Prime Minister announced.
It will also be to build on the willingness of Australian households to do the right thing, to become more energy efficient, play their part in tackling climate change, because tackling climate change requires action from all of us across the Australian community.
Can I say on a personal note, and as Minister, how delighted I am that Robert Hill has agreed to chair the Carbon Trust? He brings to this position a wealth of experience. He also brings an understanding of the opportunities which exist, from his work internationally, the opportunities which exist for Australia to become a world leader in energy efficiency and when it comes to action on climate change. So I'll hand over now to Robert.
HILL: Well, I remember, not long ago, President Obama saying he thought there were huge opportunities to save carbon through energy efficiency, and I think it's as with the United States when you think of, particularly in the refurbishing of buildings in the commercial sector, it's just obvious with the knowledge we now have you can construct in a way that would be significantly carbon less intense than what they were originally.
So support of the Government, with the private sector, in ensuring that all future refurbishments are done in the most carbon-effective way seems to me to be sensible public policy, and opportunities also to give the public the opportunity to directly contribute to carbon saving is, obviously, important also.
When Penny asked me whether I'd do this, I had a look at the experience of the UK Carbon Trust, which started in 2001, so it's been going for about eight years. And all reports have been that it's been very successful. So I look forward to doing my best to help ensure this initiative works effectively. I think it'll be good for the country, and think it'll get widespread Australian support.
PM: Okay, thanks very much. Now, what we might do is take a few questions on that, and then we might liberate Robert before the usual spray starts on anything else that you want to ask about. Over to you folks.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, how will this, is this going to require, say, working with local government? What I'm thinking of, in particular, is if you're talking things like building, isn't that going to be building codes and that sort of area?
PM: I'll ask the Minister to supplement my comments. This is primarily about the financing of ensuring that you have the maximum energy efficiency ratings in buildings, commercial buildings, when they are built.
Often there is a financing problem, hence the idea of a rotating fund, so if the Government by putting, am I right, $50 million into this part of the Fund, and we're putting in more than $75 million for the overall operations of the Carbon Trust, $50 million in this particular Fund, that is to assist by way of grants for commercial buildings installing the most energy efficient technologies at the time of construction. But through the savings which then come in, the repayment back into the revolving fund, so it works like that over time.
This is a model which has been explored elsewhere in the world. It's a model which we think has got application in Australia. Did you want to add to that?
WONG: Just very briefly, regulation, those sorts of measures, are obviously important, but what we also want is to give people the incentive, to give businesses the incentive which, through demonstrating that they can in fact save money by doing the sorts of things that the Carbon Trust can assist them with.
So it's about ensuring not only that we do the right thing in terms of policy frameworks, it's also about ensuring you give business an example of how this can work for them, how this can be a savings measure for businesses. We do that by demonstration and by, as the Prime Minister outlined, a revolving Fund.
JOURNALIST: If there's a financial benefit from undertaking these energy efficiency measures which is then paid back, then why do you need a specific mechanism for it? Couldn't that be done through the regular, free market?
WONG: Well, look I think in the long term, yes you'd like to see a position where businesses, all Australian businesses did this off their own bat, but we've got to implement this change, we've got to get people more focussed on it and we've got to demonstrate the benefit to Australian business from this type of activity, that is, reducing your energy through retrofitting, through improving your energy efficiency, so these are measures which really increase the incentive for Australian business to reduce their carbon pollution.
JOURNALIST: New buildings, or retrofitting of old buildings? What you're talking seems largely to be applied to buildings of the future.
WONG: No, I think the Carbon Trust will be looking at existing buildings. Obviously, this will be a matter for Professor Hill and the Carbon Trust to work out exactly where they think the taxpayer can get best bang for their buck in terms of rolling this out. So that'll be a matter for them.
But this is designed to try and show Australian businesses the opportunities which exist to reduce their energy usage and to make energy savings.
JOURNALIST: What sort of powers will the Trust have to recoup?
WONG: Well, these are matters which will be sorted out as the Trust is established. As I said, this is obviously, the first announcement is the announcement of the Chair. The details of the program, that will be issues for Robert and his board.
JOURNALIST: Do you envisage them being able to borrow a portion of the budget, so to speak?
WONG: Well, as the Prime Minister said, there has been $50 million allocated to this, and that's available for the Carbon Trust to undertake this part of its activities in order to try and maximise its effect in rolling out energy efficiency measures through the business community.
JOURNALIST: We've got a whole swag of buildings over your shoulder, Prime Minister, Professor Hill. Do you want to point to the ones that work, that are energy efficient, and the ones that don't?
PM: Andrew, you live in Brisbane, you could give me a detailed description of each of those buildings behind you.
JOURNALIST: There's a really conspicuous one over there with the Queensland Government logo on the top which looks really -
PM: I'd ask you to put that question at a different press conference, probably later in the day, to at a different level of Government.
JOURNALIST: Professor Hill, what does you joining this Carbon Trust say to your former Liberal colleagues in Canberra who are sort of squabbling over their position on climate change at the moment?
HILL: Well this is, this particular work of this Trust I don't think is politically partisan in any way. I'm told the money has been appropriated for it. Nobody's going to argue against giving the public the opportunity to contribute to better climate outcomes, or helping facilitate the refurbishing of buildings in a more energy efficient way. So I don't think it is really relevant to the domestic political debate at all.
JOURNALIST: Do you think your former colleagues though should jump on an ETS sooner rather than later?
HILL: Well I started work on a potential cap and trade for Australia almost a decade ago. And the political time wasn't right then. Perhaps it's getting closer. But basically, as with most Western nations, I think a cap and trade is the way to go.
You set your level and then you give business the opportunity to achieve the outcome at the least cost, and the way that is most business efficient. But there's clearly a domestic political debate on the detail and that'll work its way through.
JOURNALIST: Why has Brisbane been chosen for this head office?
HILL: Well, you've got to ask the person who announced it. But from my perspective, all capital cities in Australia can benefit from the Trust. And we might have the small group of staff located in Brisbane but we'll certainly be looking at its operations at the national perspective.
PM: Also I think the Queensland Government and various tertiary institutions here have done some considerable work, not to the exclusion of work done elsewhere in the nation, but there's a body of expertise which can be drawn upon. And also I think it's also good for Brisbane, good for Queensland.
JOURNALIST: Is that the Centre of Excellence for Climate Change that you're referring to?
PM: There's a range of expertises associated with various universities, you've just referred to one. And we've been mindful of that in the Minister's recommendation that the Carbon Trust be headquartered here.
But as Robert Hill has just indicated, we have expertise to draw upon across the country, and this is a national program designed to make, or aiming to make a difference with energy efficiency for households across the country, for commercial buildings across the country. The important thing is to just get the thing done and done effectively.
JOURNALIST: Access Economics -
PM: Before we go onto that, I'm about to liberate Robert Hill from the political frame. And can I add to what Penny Wong said before and that is, personally to thank Robert Hill for stepping up to the plate, for chairing this important climate change initiative.
For the Government, this makes a difference on the ground in a practical way, and that's what we're all trying to do. So, thank you Robert, and if you've got any other really hard questions for him, tackle him under the tree over there. Over to you folks.
JOURNALIST: If I could ask you about the Access Economics report which is predicting that unemployment will peak at seven and a half, which is considerably lower than the eight and a half that's in the Government's Budget. Is it time for an updated economic and fiscal outlook?
PM: Can I say that the global economic recession is real. Secondly, that the global economy for the first time since the war will contract this year. And therefore, the measures that we put in place are necessary, because unemployment continues to rise. We, Australia is doing better than most other economies around the world, in part because of the measures the Government has taken. But we believe we're not out of the woods yet.
JOURNALIST: Mr Swan said this morning that it looks to be the worst behind us, would you say the same thing?
PM: I think it's quite plain from the Treasurer's analysis and my analysis that there are some positive signs in the global economy, we're not out of the woods yet, and unemployment will continue to rise.
Let's stand back from it all. What we've had at work here is an ideology of unrestrained greed, unregulated markets, extreme capitalism producing a global economic recession and rising unemployment. And that's why Governments have had to step in to keep the economy going. That's what we've done, that's what we're continuing to do, and because unemployment continues to rise, we've got to continue to support the economy for the period ahead.
JOURNALIST: An expert this morning said soon Australian soldiers will be fighting the Afghan Army as opposed to fighting alongside them. Is it time to bump up the amount of troops?
PM: I haven't seen those reported remarks, nor do I know whom they're from. Can I say that each one of our deployments to Afghanistan has been taken seriously and soberly, based on the professional advice of the Australian Defence Force, and the Australian Department of Defence and the National Security Committee of the Cabinet.
We take each of these decisions in a considered and measured way. That's the right way to approach it.
And obviously, given the tragic loss of life again recently with an Australian soldier losing his life, we are very mindful of the continuing cost involved in fighting this fight against terrorism. And remember, terrorism and terrorists in Southeast Asia, in the past responsible for bombings which have killed Australians, have been trained in Afghanistan.
Let's always bear this in mind. Afghanistan used to be an unrestrained training ground for terrorists who operate worldwide, including in Southeast Asia. Our mission, together with our friends and allies around the world, is to prevent that from happening again.
JOURNALIST: On the subject of the bombings in Jakarta, Stephen Smith has been saying there was no prior warning. That seems to contradict DFAT warnings. Is that the case?
PM: I think it's, I haven't seen the remarks from the Foreign Minister, but it's quite clear there was no specific intelligence as it relates to the tragic attack that we saw most recently in Jakarta. However, if you look clearly at the travel advisories, as they existed for some time, they have been absolutely upfront about the continuing terrorist threat in Indonesia, in Jakarta and Bali, and making specific warnings about hotels, international hotels as being potential targets.
JOURNALIST: Do you think more needs to be done just to tackle the problem of alcohol-fuelled violence?
PM: Look, your question was alcohol-fuelled violence? Can I say one of the reasons why the Government has been so concerned about things like alcopops has been frankly, sitting down with the police authorities in major Australian cities saying ‘what's the problem here?'.
And one of them, just one of the problems, not all, one of the problems has been the availability of this relatively inexpensive alcoholic drink which has a particular takeup rate with young people.
But that's one part of it. There are many other aspects of policy which need to be brought to bear as well. Alcohol-driven violence on the streets of Australia's major cities is a problem for all of our police authorities, and the Government, in partnership with State and Territory Governments, is always open to proposals as to what practical additional measures can be taken to reduce this threat.
JOURNALIST: Martin Ferguson has said today that uranium mining in Queensland is now inevitable, and it's no different from coal and LNG resources. Would you agree with those sentiments?
PM: I haven't seen the reported remarks that you attribute to the Minister.
But can I just say that our policy when it comes to uranium mining was made absolutely clear at the National Conference of the Australian Labor Party a couple of years ago, which is when we had a big debate over what was then described as the three mines policy.
I put forward a proposal to change the policy. The policy changed. In fact, the vote was quite tight I seem to remember, a bit of nail biting there towards the end, but that's when it was changed. And I think that, frankly, shapes what has occurred since.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: There are two things really. One is that the centre, AEIOU, had recently participated in some charity auction and part of all that resulted in my visiting the centre. That's one part of it.
The second is, the challenge of autism, the Australian Government is entirely seized of how big this is for so many families across Australia. The figures I was presented with this morning are saying that each year we have about 2,000 kids born in Australia with one form of autism disorder or another across the autism spectrum.
So what's the practical challenge for us, is what can we do to make a difference for those families who have huge developmental challenges at stake?
What we're doing is two things so far. There is the Australian Government's autism program, some $190 million which we rolled out in a previous Budget to assist families. The second is, autism-specific early childhood centres which we're now constructing a half a dozen or so around the country. One of which is being constructed at Griffith University here, and we're discussing with AEIOU how we can expand those services in the future.
We haven't reached any conclusions on that, but the truth is, 2,000 kids a year, big impact on families. The gap is large. How do we intelligently close it? That's why we're talking to experts in the field. Got to run.
JOURNALIST: The Ashes, can you tell us -
PM: I just want to say something on The Ashes. Like all Australians, I watched telly last night with a sinking feeling in my stomach. But you know something, it's only two Tests down, and there's a few to go.
So I'm looking forward to the next Test, and we have a first class Australian team. And we should all be in there backing ‘em, each ball that's bowled, and each delivery which is struck to the boundary by Australian batsmen in the remaining Tests. Thanks folks.
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