M: Can I thank everybody for joining us this morning. I'm obviously here with the Minister for Health and also our Minister for Regional Australia, and we're here together to announce that today we are opening the new round of funding under the Health and Hospitals Fund. That new round of funding has its focus on regional Australia. This new round of funding obviously honours the commitments we made to the Independents during the discussions following the election.
Now this new round of funding means that the Government will be asking for applications from regional communities across the country on health infrastructure. Now it has to be health infrastructure that will make a difference. It can be health infrastructure for hospitals, it can be equipment, it can be health infrastructure that will make a difference for mental health, for dental care.
This new round obviously builds on the first round of funding from the Health and Hospital Fund, and that first round of funding was allocated in the 2009-10 Budget, and that has enabled work to already begin on over 30 projects around the country and planning is underway for another 22. That round of funding has also supported the 21 regional cancer centres around the country that are there to make a difference because we do know, tragically, that survivability of cancer when we look at the statistics, people in regional Australia are less likely to survive than people in capital cities and we want to make a difference to that statistic and to the availability of care for people in regional Australia.
So this is good news, I'm sure that there will be a lot of excitement amongst communities that do want to participate and put forward proposals for consideration in this funding round. Applications will be open until early December, then of course, working with the experts at the Health and Hospital Fund, the Government will consider that applications that come through.
I'll hand now to the Minister for Health for some comments and then to the Minister for Regional Australia.
MINISTER ROXON: Thank you very much, Prime Minister.
I think the Prime Minister has covered the main points, I just thought it might be useful to remind those of you who have been covering this area of some of the types of projects that were funded during the first round. Of the $3.2 billion of funding that was allocated through our first round and in the 2009-10 budget, 37% of that funding had been already allocated to rural and regional Australia, so we've been making investments across the country but we are dedicating this round to the extra needs that have not yet been met in rural and regional Australia.
For example, there is an integrated district health service being built in Narrabri, $27 million project. A paediatric ward that is being built at the Broome Hospital, about $8 million being spent on that.
The first ever Northern Territory medical school which means that we will be able to train, for the first time, for their whole degree, students from the Northern Territory or coming elsewhere to the Northern Territory who will help meet the very severe shortage of doctors that there are in northern and central Australia.
Funding at the Launceston General hospital, about $40 million going into there. A research facility which is to neighbour the Royal Hobart hospital. Funding for a research facility too in the Hunter Valley, near Newcastle and of course other projects like the new clinical school at Nepean hospital, as well as some significant investments for service delivery which meaning that we are starting to train more of the next generation of health professionals in the outer suburbs and in regional Australia where they are so desperately needed.
So there are some very exciting projects that are already taking shape and this now allows us to take the next step in our investments in health and hospital services across the country.
MINISTER CREAN: Yesterday at the Press club, when I finally got there, I outlined the Government's approach in terms of regional development - the approach that we will be taking.
This of course is one of the funding elements that will benefit specifically regional Australia, but the criteria that we're applying and it's outlined in terms of the application for funding that's been put out today specifically requires the proposals to actually stack up, to make the difference, to produce the efficiencies, to produce the much more effective delivery mechanisms.
It's also interesting, if you look at the guidelines, that we're putting a particular focus on e-health because obviously the opportunity with broadband out there, we really need to use health as one of the fundamental applications going on to the national broadband highway.
Education of course is another and there is also opportunity for creative programs that co-locate between the training facilities, the regional universities, for example, and the health services - that too will be given a particular focus in assessment.
So I'm delighted that we're able to move quickly to announce this round of funding. It is a substantial amount of money potentially that's available, but it does give real substance to the framework that I talked about yesterday.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister given your honouring your commitments like this one, in the deals done with the Independents, do you feel you were dudded yesterday by Windsor and Oakeshott in that vote?
PM: Of course not, of course not, and you know I've been talking to Australians about the nature of this Parliament and the nature of this Parliament is some votes will be won and some votes will be lost and that's the way the Parliament is. And in this Parliament I've determined to deliver Labor's agenda, I'm determined to work in a consultative and collaborative way with members in the Parliament to deliver Labor's agenda, but what I would say is it's inevitable in this Parliament that we will see new things happen, different things happen, new standing orders, votes like we saw yesterday, new arrangements for who will be the Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the Parliament which we saw the day before. So it's part and parcel of the Parliament that Australians voted for.
Matthew?
JOURNALIST: You were accused in the MPI yesterday of breaking promises, a particular one being the carbon tax issue. Now the quotes are out there on the record, but, so, do you accept Tony Abbott's assertion that you have breached your election promise on that and do you think that Australians if they understand the numbers game are prepared to cut you slack because of the fact that you are a majority Government and that you have to negotiate through on things?
PM: Look Mr Abbott's very good at slogans and I anticipate we'll see a number of them in this Parliament just as we did during the election campaign and obviously he was engaged in the slogan business yesterday. For me, what I care about is the substance and obviously during the election campaign I gave a series of commitments, made a series of policy statements that are the Government's agenda and obviously I am working to deliver that agenda. But I also recognise that the result Australians voted for on the 21st of August was this Parliament and that it is not possible for the Government to go to this House of Representatives and simply say here it is, vote it up, we want it done in the next five minutes, you know, all over all in. We will work with this Parliament and we'll seize the opportunities of this Parliament.
Now I believe the multi-party committee we've created on climate change is a good way of seizing the opportunities of this Parliament, of letting people have a say and work through what is obviously a complex question about putting a price on carbon. And my invitation remains there to Tony Abbott and really would say to him we are not day by day in this Parliament, I don't think Australians sent us here to re-fight the election campaign day by day. The election campaign's over and Australians have voted.
What they've sent us here to do is govern and have this Parliament work in the national interest. That requires an approach of consensus building, looking for change, looking for opportunities to work together. I'm bringing that approach and I think it's disappointing that the early signs are that Mr Abbott's which is simply what can he wreck, what can he destroy, what can he put out by way of slogans.
Paul?
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister with the round that you promised to Mr Wilkie in regard to Hobart Hospital and if so does that mean Hobart Hospital doesn't have to try as hard as other hospitals?
PM: This is the round that Hobart Hospital, the Tasmanian Government can bring an application forward for the work there. We've always said to Mr Wilkie and to the Tasmanian Government that the application would need to stack up, it would need to meet the criteria, I'm picking up Simon's words, stack-up, elegantly put, it would need to stack-up. And on the question of the regional location, Australia is divided by our friends at the ABS into five categories - from capital city one to very remote at number five - this is a round for categories two to five and all of Tasmania is in those categories.
JOURNALIST: But if it doesn't stack up you're in trouble aren't you?
PM: Well look let's work it through and obviously the Tasmanian Government, and we should just remember the history of this. The Tasmanian Government did come forward to the first round of the Health and Hospitals Fund with an application around repair work and effectively the feedback was, look go and get the proper job done. The Tasmanian Government has since that time made a set of decisions about the long term location of the hospital, and given those set of decisions have been taken, then obviously the application brought forward now can be the application for the full job, the proper job, that the hospital needs.
ROXON: Sorry Paul I should also just add to the Prime Minister's comments. Of course remember that there is $100 million that has been pre committed to allow some very early work to the Hobart Hospital that doesn't come from this fund and we are already in contractual negotiations with the Tasmanians that would allow some early work to be able to be done on this project and are then putting in an application for the further expansion but that first $100 million is already the subject of negotiations with the Tasmanian Government.
PM: Okay we'll go to the back, Michelle, yes?
JOURNALIST: Ms Gillard since both the Government and Peter Slipper insist there is no special arrangement with him, surely Anna Burke has got a rather bad deal out of this whole Deputy Speakership row?
PM: Well, I think Anna Burke's spoken about this publicly and, you know, of course Anna Burke served as the Deputy Speaker in the last Parliament, she did a fantastic job. Obviously when arrangements were made and we determined to support Peter Slipper because we wanted to honour as best we could the Parliamentary Reform Agreement by having a person of independence from the other side be Deputy Speaker, Anna Burke accepted that, I understand she would be personally disappointed but you would see from every statement she's made publically that she understands and accepts the decision.
Anna Burke is a person of tremendous capacity, a great Member of Parliament, she served her community well and she'll continue to do play an important role for Labor in this parliament.
Phil Coorey?
JOURNALIST: Can I ask you a double banger?
PM: Depends.
JOURNALIST: Two things - the Coalition wants to escalate our commitment to Afghanistan. They accept the complaint that we're spread too thinly and so we need more men and material. Could I ask you for your views on that, and also your view on Tony Abbott's bid to overturn the Wild Rivers Act in Queensland? Would you contemplate looking at that, or is your position fixed?
PM: Well, look, thank you, and I will answer both questions.
On the first, I understand that the Coalition spokesperson for Defence has made a statement about troop commitments in Afghanistan. I understand that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Julie Bishop, has answered some questions about his matter on radio today, but I think on an issue like this of such utmost seriousness, really, it's important that the Leader of the Opposition clarify what is the formal position of the Opposition on this question.
For the Government, we have relied on the advice of the Chief of the Defence Force that our troop commitment is appropriate to get the mission done. If the Leader of the Opposition is now formally adopting a different policy in an area of such significance and seriousness, then I presume he will announce that, his reasons for it, what, if any, advice he's taken in relation to it and spell it out in a great deal of detail for the Australian people.
I would say we will have, of course, a debate on Afghanistan in this parliament and there will be the opportunity there for the Leader of the Opposition and of course for other Parliamentarians to put a view.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) Wild Rivers?
PM: Oh, sorry - Wild Rivers. On that question, look, I understand that there are a variety of views here. There are a variety of views about the environmental questions and economic questions. There are also a variety of views amongst Indigenous communities about what best meets their interests for economic development and for the creation of jobs.
I believe the whole area could be the subject of a wide inquiry and look to make sure that the Parliament's got the best information in front of it. As I understand it, what will happen now, technically, that the Leader of the Opposition will introduce the bill when the Parliament comes back in private members' business. It'll then go to the selection committee that can look at what should happen next in terms of inquiries.
Chris?
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you saying that in this round of hospital funding that Hobart Hospital starts in no better position than any other region around the country, and will you be giving any kind of extra assistance to the Tasmanian Government that won't go to any of those other regions?
PM: Well, look I refer you to the written terms of the agreement that we have with Mr Andrew Wilkie, the Member for Denison, where it talks about the proper processes of the Health and Hospitals Fund and the Hobart Hospital.
Yes, Mark?
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what do you think about fingerprint technology for poker machine users?
PM: Look, I've seen those newspaper reports today and I'd just, to start at the beginning here, we asked the Productivity Commission to look into the question of problem gambling and what we could better do as a nation to deal with problem gambling and I think this is an issue Australians are concerned about. Too many people would know a family torn apart by problem gambling.
At the same time, many Australians like to place the occasional bet, have the occasional night out at a local club, and that's no problem for them or their family because they monitor their expenditure and it's just another form of entertainment.
We asked the Productivity Commission to look into it. It came back with a recommendation about this pre-commitment technology. We have obviously said we will work with Mr Andrew Wilkie, Senator Xenophon and in this Parliament to implement recommendations, but the Productivity Commission did not define which technology to use. That has to be the subject of inquiry and discussion. Senator Xenophon is obviously pre-disposed to a particular form of technology, the fingerprint technology. We'll be looking at the whole range of technology that could be used to meet this aim of pre-commitment.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on Afghanistan, is there a concern that a bi-partisan consensus on Afghanistan could turn into a partisan debate and split?
PM: Oh, look, obviously Mr Abbott and I have taken a bi-partisan approach to Afghanistan. I am optimistic that that bi-partisanship will continue.
I've had occasion, as, you know, Tony Abbott and I have attended funerals together we've had occasion to talk about Afghanistan, to talk about our mission there, and I believe broadly we are proceeding shoulder to shoulder on our commitment to Afghanistan and that's appropriate, which is I think, before we get to, make too much of a response to the overnight statements by Mr Abbott's spokesperson, that we would have Mr Abbott clarify what is the position of the Coalition.
Latika?
JOURNALIST: There was widespread for Ken Wyatt's maiden speech in the Parliament yesterday. Is part of you disappointed that that type of speech didn't come from a Labor MP?
PM: Look, I think it's terrific we've got the first Indigenous Australian in the House of Representatives. I don't think it's something about which side of Parliament. Obviously, the Liberal Party would be rightly proud of having selected Mr Wyatt, but I thought yesterday and the sort of speech that Mr Wyatt gave was a moment of celebration for the whole Parliament and I think that was fantastic and I think you saw in the reactions to it in the Parliament and I suspect in the community beyond, that it was received as a historic moment overall.
JOURNALIST: Why won't you increase the GST? Is it for political reasons? (inaudible)
PM: Obviously, the Government makes a set of decisions about the appropriate tax mix, and we've made that set of decisions and we have ruled out increasing the GST.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, when you were asked about the carbon tax before you said that you made a series of comments during the election campaign that clearly stamped your agenda, so did you or did you not say, quote, 'I rule out a carbon tax'?
PM: Oh, look, I'm not trying to deny the quote. I've never tried to do that, but I've also said, and this is just the simple reality of this Parliament: Australians voted for this Parliament, and what that means is that in this Parliament it is not possible for the Government, in area like pricing carbon, to go to the House of Representatives and say 'here it is - pass it.'
This requires new ways of working and I'm obviously open to, indeed, enthusiastic about, embracing those ways of working, but let's also be clear, here - the Government, for a number of years, has talked to the Australian community about the need to price carbon in order to create the right incentive to reduce carbon pollution, and we've been clear with the community all along that we will not acquit our goals of reducing carbon pollution if we do not price carbon.
Now the multi-party committee will have a look at all potential options for pricing carbon-
JOURNALIST: -Therefore, hand on heart, do you regret making (inaudible)
PM: Well, you, 21st of August, Australians made a decision about the Parliament they wanted. They have created this Parliament. The reality of it is as I've described. I think that give us an opportunity and we should be looking to that opportunity.
Look, did I know the result of the 21st of August election-
JOURNALIST: -(inaudible)
PM: Well, can I finish my statement? I didn't, obviously, know what was going to happen on election day until it happened. Neither did anybody in this room; neither did Mr Abbott, but having seen the Parliament that Australians voted for, my view is we should look to this Parliament and we should say 'how can we use the opportunity of this Parliament to create change in the national interest?'
Now, I understand Mr Abbott's of a different view. He looks at this Parliament and says 'how can wreak destruction?' Well, I'm in the building business. He's in the wrecking business. That's the difference between us.
PM: We're just, I know we called last question, but I always favour Mark Metherell, so we'll take one more.
Oh, OK, and we'll go to WIN, as well.
JOURNALIST: Given regional Australia got a pretty fair slice of funding in the last round, what do you say to the many metropolitan city hospitals that are desperate for funding that are going to miss out?
PM: Well, look, what I'd say to Australians right around the nation is we have got a profound agenda for health reform and we are making record investments. The Minister, obviously, is the custodian of every statistic and I'm sure you could have the hour and a half tutorial afterwards, but you would be-
MINISTER ROXON: -I would never do that.
PM: You'd be well aware that we have profoundly increased the amount of money that the Federal Government is investing in health, both through the Australian health care agreements; through direct investments and through capital investments, and obviously as we deliver our health agenda, our health reform agenda for Australians right around the country, we are recognising that they want more doctors, more nurses, better services, hospitals where there isn't blame shifting and cost shifting, where government is making sure that services are delivered, but they want the Federal Government to step up to the plate and do more, become the dominant funder of health, and we are committed to doing that, so it'll make a difference for Australians right around the country.
Yes, WIN?
JOURNALIST: Just one on the (inaudible) is it somewhat lopsided to put all this money into new hospitals if you can't get doctors to staff those hospitals in the first place?
PM: Well, I'll turn to the Minister for Health for a comment, but can I say this: this government is committed to training more doctors and more nurses. We came to government inheriting the damage wreaked by Tony Abbott's cuts as Health Minister: number of GP training places cut back; a crisis emerging in the number of nurses being trained and nothing done; and of course we inherited the consequences of the billion-dollar cut to public hospitals.
We have moved to increase training so we will have more doctors and more nurses, and that's good news for Australians, including Australians beyond our capital cities, and I'd ask Nicola to comment, too.
MINISTER ROXON: Thank you look, both of those last two questions indicate and are reflective of what regional Australia was asking us two and a half and three years ago and is the reason that our health reforms already include significant solutions to those problems.
Firstly of course as the Prime Minister's mentioned, increasing the number of doctor training places to five and half thousand over the next decade, more than half of which we have committed to being in rural and regional Australia. That wasn't part of a deal, that just part of the right thing to do when we made those investments in the past term of government.
If you look at the question that Mark Metherelll has asked, 'wont' city hospitals feel left out?', I remind all of you and the community that our health reforms mean that for the first time ever we will be taking on 60% of capital infrastructure costs of hospitals across the country, in the city, in rural and regional areas.
What this regional round does and I think this is stealing a word of Rob Oakeshott's, is turbocharge some of the investments that were needed and had been neglected for decades so that when we move to this new system some of those investments are already coming online.
But every city hospital country across the county, every regional hospital across the country will in a number of years for the first time ever have 60 percent of its capital costs met by the Commonwealth and it's a very significant part of the reforms that haven't really been focused on sufficiently for changing the way the Commonwealth will invest in health services across the country.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: We, oh, OK, alright. We've disproportionately favoured WIN and Mark Metherell, but you snuck in at the end.
JOURNALIST: The IMF has said the central bank will need to increase rates if the mining boom continues to stoke the economy. Do you agree with that, and also, what pressure is the Reserve Bank under at the moment in terms of managing this (inaudible)
PM: Well, look the Reserve Bank sets interest rate independently, so I'll leave that for the Reserve Bank, but on the IMF report, what this IMF report is doing is endorsing the Government's economic management strategies. The Government's got a proud record of economic management, particularly steering this nation through the global financial crisis and global recession through the provision of economic stimulus, and the IMF report strongly endorses that.
The Government is now determined to return the budget to surplus three years early. We are engaged, as I said yesterday, in a huge fiscal consolidation task - the biggest fiscal consolidation task since the 1960s to bring the budget to surplus in 2012-13.
The IMF is endorsing bringing the budget to surplus and that fiscal consolidation approach.
Now, of course, is the time to build on that economic strength. We should be proud as Australians that we are emerging from the global financial crisis stronger than any other major advanced economy. Now's the time to build for the future, it's about investing in skills; it's about investing in infrastructure and pivotal to that is our investments in the National Broadband Network. It's about increasing our pool of national savings; and it's also about changing our tax arrangements, particularly in implementing the Minerals Resource Rent Tax.
So, the Government's determined to continue to deliver our strong economic management and those economic reforms.
Thank you.