PM: It's good to be back in Perth and good to be back at this important centre which is so critical to Australia's future ability to win the Square Kilometre Array project. If we were to win that project it would be an enormous benefit for Western Australia and an enormous benefit for the nation. That's why together with New Zealand we're collaborating globally on winning this $2.5 billion project for our countries. The competition will be stiff, but we believe you've got to be in it to win it. That's why the Australian Government has put in such significant investments in support of the SKA Project and we'll continue to support this project right through to conclusion.
The other thing I'd say is this. The investments we're making here in terms of renewable energy are really important as well. Climate change continues as a major challenge for all countries around the world, all economies around the world, this challenge has not gone away. Therefore, making significant investments in renewable energy, significant investments in energy efficiency and the case here in geo-thermal energy is an important part of any nation's long term response to the challenge of climate change.
Over to you folks.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister how would you describe the nature of your talks yesterday with Marius Kloppers about the super profits tax?
PM: Well, as I've said many times before I respect the views of the mining industry. I grew up in the great state of Queensland where we've had a few mining enterprises over the years, quite a few, and so I'm always keen to listen to what the mining industry has to say. We had a cordial and frank discussion, and I'm sure we'll continue to do that in the future.
While I'm here in the West I imagine I'll catch up with other mining executives as well as I did during my last visit.
JOURNALIST: Did you compromise part of your language during that discussion?
PM: I said privately what I've always said publicly, and that is that we believe that we've got the rate for this proposed reform about right. I've said also that we are consulting with industry on implementation, on detail and on generous transitional arrangements. And that's precisely what the Treasury consultation panel is doing with companies right across Australia, and what the Treasurer and myself have been doing with corporate executives from the resources sector as well.
JOURNALIST: Are you the obstacle in these negotiations as Peter Walsh has said?
PM: Well look I'll just let Peter speak for himself, I thought Gary had some interesting things to say about Peter earlier today, sounds like family feud on the road but -
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister -
PM: - Hang on, hang on, let me answer the question and then I'll turn to the question that you have.
The key thing in a tough negotiation, a hard negotiation, is to make sure that you're listening attentively to what the industry is saying, carefully reviewing the facts, being equally careful about not simply swallowing hook line and sinker what any particular industry association or individual company may say as well. We've seen some evidence of that in recent days, in terms of statements made by various others. So we're going to continue with this consultation process.
Here is a very significant development though, today here in Perth. The Premier Mr Barnett I'm advised, today on Perth radio, has indicated that's it's time we had a debate here in Australia about whether mining companies are paying enough tax. Remember earlier this year Mr Barnett stood up and said that mining companies were getting away with murder, that's what Mr Barnett said. Today when challenged on that on Perth radio, he said we need a debate on whether mining companies are paying enough tax.
Well that's the debate we're engaged in. That's the discussion we're engaged in. It's about tax reform. And this tax reform is also about building a strong economy for the long term by providing support for company taxes coming down, small business tax breaks as well as making sure we're building up our ability to fund WA's future infrastructure needs, and at the same time, getting a fairer share to families through better super for those families.
Sorry, I cut across you before.
JOURNALIST: Mr Rudd, do you expect people like Tim Hammond to win marginal seats in WA on the back of this tax?
PM: When you've got first class candidates like Tim, we're going to be right there, upfront, very competitive, very sharp in the field. This will be a tough election, but an election is about alternatives, an election is about what you're putting forward. And what I know for a fact is that we're out there saying we're going to invest more in hospitals, Mr Abbott says he's going to cut hospital funding and health funding. We're out there saying we're going to invest more in schools and universities, he said he's going to bring about cuts in investment in education. On top of that, we've got rid of Workchoices, Mr Abbott says he's going to bring back Workchoices.
When you've got candidates in the field like Tim, he'll be going round to each and every school in the electorate and asking this question: which of your school modernisation projects will have the rug pulled from under it if our opponents are elected, and there are so many current projects involving libraries, language centres, science centres across the what, 40 or 50 schools I think spread across the electorate who'll be asking themselves this very basic question.
So it's a debate about national alternatives and local alternatives and with a first class candidate like Tim we're going to be highly competitive.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you talk about consultation but the Premier says he hasn't spoken to you in five weeks, are you avoiding him?
PM: I have had more discussions with Colin over the last two and a half years that I have been Prime Minister I think than probably any other Premier in the country.
SWAN: That applies to me as well.
PM: And that applies to the Treasurer as well. And if you look at the vast array of co-investment projects we have with WA, these have been huge consultations between us. The big investments in the Ord, the the big investments in Oakajee, the big investments here in Perth in Northbridge, the large investments in the Fiona Stanley Hospital here as well as the Midland Hospital, as well as in the cancer treatment centres in regional WA. This is a long, deep pattern with consultation between us and I'm sure it's going to continue in the future.
JOURNALIST: What about on the tax though, has there been any discussions?
PM: We had many, many, many discussions, the Treasurer and myself, with Colin over a long period of time on this question. As I've said, on the public record Colin's said that mining companies, in his words, not mine, his words, are getting away with murder. He says today there should be a debate about them paying more tax. I'm in that debate, I'm being upfront about it, I think it would be good if everyone was as well.
JOURNALIST: What's your message to the Gina Rinehart and Andrew Forrest (inaudible) protests next to where you'll address the Press Club today, there's more than a thousand people there, will you budge on the six per cent rate?
PM: Well you know something, I respect, fully, everyone's right to express their point of view. This is a democracy, and if there are objections and concerns to aspects of the Government's tax reform proposal it's good that people have the opportunity to put that, put it sharply, and to register their views.
As for Twiggy, I'm sure I'll be sitting down with Twiggy again in the future as well, Twiggy's pretty unavoidable wherever you go to, and I'm sure he'll be out there larger than life today as I'm sure other folk will be as well. But you know something folks, I've actually got to make my way there and so if you'll just excuse me, and I'm sure you're going to have an entire second innings once I get to the press club.
Can I just, I've actually got to zip, see you folks.