BRUMBY: I'll start if I can- and obviously at the outset to welcome the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to Marysville. And also here of course today are Danielle Green, our Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Services- and Danielle really has been tireless in her work across the area during the bushfires and the recovery period. And of course Rob Mitchell, our Labor candidate for McEwen. So the reason we're here today is obviously to look at the progress which is being made in the rebuilding effort in Marysville. And I've been a regular visit here, virtually monthly I think during the course of this year, as we've seen more and more of the recovery effort underway.
And whether it's Marysville Central, the shops down there that we visited today, whether it's the handover of the vehicle today at the SES, whether it's the community facility and the school, whether it's Gallipoli Park, whether it's the main street, all of these are projects which are now underway and a sign that the recovery is gathering momentum in Marysville. Later today I'll be going to Lake Mountain to inspect the progress on the snow-making machine there, and we committed $9 million there for new equipment and new facilities to help bring tourists back to the area.
I'm delighted to say that over the June long weekend we had something like 2000 tourists who were at Lake Mountain. And one of the keys I think to the economic recovery of this area is to make sure that we do get strong numbers of tourists to come back into the area. And of course, as you know, we put aside $10 million to assist attracting tourists into the area. And today of course with the SES vehicle, we've got 14 members of the SES here in Marysville. They have done a magnificent job. Every single one of the volunteers here in Marysville was personally affected by the fires. And their individual effort, the support that's been shown them by the community, has been really fundamental in getting them back together, getting the unit re-established, and getting the vehicles back on the ground.
And again as you've seen of this today it's been a partnership between Government and between volunteer groups, particularly the Victorian Historic Racing Register who've donated that $25,000 to make this possible. But it's a great story about the community and working together. We've had 1130 new building approvals now in Murrindindi Shire. It's confirmation that the recovery is there, and that the recovery is gathering momentum. But I'm delighted to welcome the Prime Minister here today. There are many functions that I've been at over the last 18 months with Julia Gillard in her previous capacity, of course, as Deputy Prime Minister earlier this year with- at a number of book launches. But at many functions across the areas affected by the bushfires. But for her first official visit- if I could put it that way- back to Victoria since becoming Prime Minister, I can't think of a more fitting place for her to be than in the areas that were affected by the fires and to be here in Marysville.
So it's a great welcome to her, I think it's been a great fillip to the local community, and I'll now hand over to the Prime Minister.
PM: Well thank you very much to Premier Brumby, and also to Danielle Green, the local state Member for this area who's with us today, and Rob Mitchell, our Labor candidate for the seat of McEwen. I am very pleased to be back home. I arrived back in Victoria last night. And I'm also very pleased that my first official function in Victoria as Prime Minister could be here in Marysville. And it's given me the opportunity to spend some time with the people here, and to meet some remarkable people. And there are no more remarkable people than those who are working with the local SES, people who faced danger and loss themselves and have continued to volunteer in the interests of their community.
And of course they're experiencing a homecoming today, with the official opening of their new shed and headquarters for the local SES- another sign of reviving life here in Marysville, another step forward in what is obviously a strong recovery here in this local community. So it's really great to be here today, back home in Victoria.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) why didn't you invite the local federal Member?
PM: Oh look, I didn't make the organisational arrangements for the event, so you'd have to speak with the organisers.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Oh look, I think Fran Bailey has done a remarkable job as local Member in this area in the period of the bushfires and beyond. I think people remember during the days of the bushfires, Fran Bailey with her own home threatened worked very, very hard for her constituents and on behalf of this local community. She's worked hard alongside the Government to develop the kinds of things that the Commonwealth Government has contributed to. So I'm very, very happy to say that, you know, whilst Fran's- I don't know the organisational arrangements, she may have not been able to be here today- that Fran Bailey has as local Member done a good job here and I wish her very well in her retirement.
JOURNALIST: The latest Newspoll shows that state Labor's primary vote has dropped quite significantly- how do you rate Mr Brumby's chances at the coming election (inaudible)
PM: Well look, I'm not commentating on anybody's polls. But what I would say about John Brumby as Premier is I think he's doing a fantastic job for the state of Victoria. And we obviously know each other well, and we've worked alongside each other, including on the education reforms that are making such a difference for schools in this state. John's been very focused on delivering the services that hardworking Victorians need.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Look, I'm certainly going to have something to say on the question of asylum seeker policy in the coming days. There's a deadline looming, which is the 8th of July for making a decision about the processing pause currently applying to Sri Lankan asylum seekers. What I can say about asylum seeker policy is I can understand the concerns of community members about this. I can understand that it causes them anxiety when they see boats on the horizon. Obviously- overwhelmingly- boats are intercepted. 98% of boats are intercepted. Interception rates are higher now than they've been in the past. Under the Howard Government for example, around 1 in 10 boats reached the mainland. But clearly, I want to look at this area of policy, and I'll have something more to say about it in coming days.
JOURNALIST: You said you didn't want to be politically correct on the issue. What did you mean about sweeping away political correctness?
PM: Look, what I meant by those comments is I think on a debate like asylum seekers people should feel free to saw what they feel. And for people to say they're anxious about border security doesn't make them intolerant. It certainly doesn't make them a racist. It means that they're expressing a genuine view that they're anxious about border security. Same token, people who express concern about children being in detention, that doesn't mean they're soft on border protection.
It just means they're expressing a real, human concern. So I'd like to sweep away any sense that people should close down any debate, including this debate, through a sense of self-censorship or political correctness. People should say what they feel. And my view is many people in the community feel anxious when they see asylum seeker boats. And obviously, we as a Government want to manage our borders.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what are your chances of re-election?
PM: Well look, I'm not commenting on polls. What I'm doing day by day is providing the kind of stable Government in the interests of hardworking Australians that I think they expect and deserve- so, step by step, working our way through some complex problems. The Mineral Resource Rent Tax being managed to a successful breakthrough last week which enabled us and the mining industry, mining communities to move forward. I will have something to say about asylum seeker questions in the coming days.
JOURNALIST: The Liberal Party's released its first attack ad (inaudible) the girl who replaced Kevin Rudd. Are you offended by that? Is that derogatory, is that targeting you because of your sex?
PM: I actually haven't seen, haven't seen the ad. This morning I've travelled up here and I had a few things to do before I got here. So, I haven't seen the ad. Look, you know, it's inevitable that in an election year people will see political advertising, but people can form their own views about the merits of it. My job and what I'm absolutely focused on is, you know, making sure we are delivering a strong, competent, methodical Government, step by step, day by day. That's my focus.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: I don't comment on polls. And I don't give betting advice. Look, we're in the, we're moving into the second half of 2010. The election is due in the second half of 2010. But we've got some more governing to do. When I became Prime Minister in recent days I said I believed we've been a good Government, but we've lost our way on a few questions. But I wanted to make it my job to make sure we got back on track, and I'm still working my way through. Having delivered a breakthrough on the Minerals Resource Rent Tax is a very important step forward, but we've got more to do, and that's where my attention is focused.
JOURNALIST: Will you announce a policy on climate change and asylum seekers before you call the next election?
PM: Well look, I'll announce policies at what I believe to be the appropriate time. On the question of asylum seekers, there is a looming deadline which requires the Government to make a further policy statement, and that is the three months from the time that the processing pause was announced for Sri Lankan asylum seekers.
JOURNALIST: If you don't lift that suspension, then what would that say about Australia's human rights record?
PM: Well look, I'm not going to, you know, obviously go to the statement that I'll make in coming days. I'll have something more to say on asylum seeker questions- yes.
JOURNALIST: Is that asylum seeker policy going to be directed towards the Sri Lankans, or are you looking towards other (inaudible)
PM: Well look, I'm not today going to say anything more, but obviously we do have to make a decision and announce that before the 8th of July in relation to asylum seekers who are Sri Lankan. I am looking at this area of policy more broadly. And, you know, we will be making a statement in coming days about it.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Once again, I'm not going to, you know, comment on those types of election decisions. I mean, my job is to be there as Prime Minister, delivering competent, stable Government. Australians have a birthright, and their birthright is that they get to exercise their vote in federal elections, in state elections, in local council elections. People will obviously have a choice in front of them as we move towards election day.
For the Government, what I would say and for me as Prime Minister, that choice will be about moving the nation forward, moving the nation forward with a focus on a strong economy delivering the benefit of work and jobs to Australians. A key focus on giving a fair go for every child, giving every child the opportunity for a great, quality education. And I'd also be saying the election's going to be about the future, and I'll be saying to Australians don't be afraid of the future, we can work through the biggest and most complex issues like climate change together.
JOURNALIST: Are you happy with the current fire protection laws?
PM: Fire protection laws-
JOURNALIST: Yeah.
PM: Well, obviously direct- fire protection arrangements are a matter for the State Government.
JOURNALIST: But do you think green areas can be dangerous in some cases?
PM: Well the State Government's obviously been working its way through- Premier Brumby- we've got the Royal Commission with the bushfires, so those areas of policy are best handled by the State Government.
JOURNALIST: Mr Brumby, it wasn't that long ago (inaudible) when you were effectively Ms Gillard's boss, and she was your Chief of Staff.
BRUMBY: How many years ago?
PM: It wasn't that long.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) the person you hired to run your office and your staff would one day be the Prime Minister of the country?
BRUMBY: Well I suppose, I suppose that wasn't directly in my mind, no. But I appointed Julia as Chief of Staff because I thought she was a person of outstanding ability. And she proved to be, by the way, in terms of her ability to relate to people, to communicate well with people, to make the right decisions, and to provide leadership when it's necessary. She had all those attributes. So I don't think I ever thought about her in terms of future prospects but I was very keen to see her go into federal politics, and I'm obviously delighted as I said to have seen her as the Prime Minister.
JOURNALIST: It must be nice to be rubbing shoulders with her today. Will some of her popularity rub off on you, perhaps?
BRUMBY: Well, we'll see. But-
PM: Working both ways.
BRUMBY: Yeah- but I think, you know, I've always been a big believer in Federal and State Governments working together and working together cooperatively, all through my political career in federal politics, and in state politics. And I believe we've got a great opportunity to do that with my Government and Julia Gillard's Government in the future. And as Julia mentioned, in areas of big reforms- you look at the national reforms on education- I think it's fair to say that a lot of the impetus for that has come from Victoria.
If you look at the agenda in terms of human capital, much of that has come from Victoria. And I particularly look forward to working with the Prime Minister in terms of climate change in the future. I mean, Victoria has led the way, all of these initiatives- whether it's been the push for an emissions trading scheme, whether it's been the national renewable energy target, whether it's been five star ratings for houses, it's Victoria which provided the policy leadership in these areas. And you know, I think there's a huge job to do in this area. But it won't be done properly unless the Federal Government and State Governments work together. And I'm looking forward to working with the Prime Minister to make sure that we fix some of these issues.
JOURNALIST: Premier, you were one of the most pleased people to see Kevin Rudd knifed given your track record with him?
BRUMBY: As I said, last week I was very pleased, in a sense very personally, for Julia. I've known her for a long time. And I said at the time, too, that I was delighted too, because of the, I guess, the inspiration that it would provide to many women across Australia. And I've got to say just when I've been out during the last few days around country Victoria and in Geelong, the number of women of all age groups who've come up to me and said it's a wonderful thing, a wonderful thing for them, they're so proud- it provides so many opportunities for their children, for their daughters.
There's a role model. There's a woman who's gone on to be Prime Minister of the country. And so I was, you know, delighted about that, delighted for Julia personally, and delighted too because I think there's a great opportunity for our two Governments to work very closely together for the betterment of the people of Victoria and Australia.
JOURNALIST: Premier, I just want to- that overnight attack at Noble Park train station. Are Police (inaudible) what appears to have been a Sudanese gang responsible for the attack?
BRUMBY: Well I don't have the details of the attack. What I do know is that it was a disgusting attack, completely unacceptable, completely unprovoked. I do know that it's occurred at a manned station, so the station was staffed. The staff called Police immediately. I do know that we've had additional Police on the trains, additional transit Police. But despite all of that, and of course closed circuit TV, this attack's still occurred. So it's a brazen attack. It's completely unprovoked. It's gutless and it's cowardly. And Police have got a big team working on it, and I'm confident that they'll bring the perpetrators to justice.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
BRUMBY: Well look, we've got record numbers of staffed stations. We've got nearly a hundred now that are staffed from dawn to dusk. We've got 250 transit Police. We've got authorised officers, more than 600 of them. And we've got regular Police who are riding the trains, particularly at night, sometimes in uniform, sometimes in plain clothes. So there's actually quite a heavy Police presence. But despite that, you still get your brazen, gutless, cowardly sort of attack. But your perpetrators will be brought to account.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) green areas close to residential houses-
BRUMBY: You're talking about areas like this?
JOURNALIST: Yeah.
BRUMBY: Well look, we made a judgment early on that fundamentally if people wanted to return to areas which were burnt the Government shouldn't be closing them up and standing in the way. And I believe that that was the right decision. But you'll recall we also made a decision to toughen up the building regulations and put in place regulations which have led Australia into the toughest new building regulations anywhere in Australia. And so in some of these sites, if you rebuild again, you've got to rebuild to a higher level of fire safety.
Not everyone likes that, because sometimes that means you've got to pay more for the materials and more for the house design. But it's designed to build safety into everything we do in the future. There is a debate, still, about some areas of extreme fire risk. These are being worked through at the moment. And again, I think in this area, it's best to wait the final report of the Royal Commission, which will be at the end of July, to see what they recommend in this area.
Now, overwhelmingly we wanted people to return, to rebuild at higher standards, with tougher vegetation controls. But in some of that small, select numbers of extreme areas, we'll look to guidance I think from the Royal Commission.