PM: Well, I'm here with the Labor Senate Leader, Chris Evans, a great Western Australian, and I'm here having done a little spot of back-to-school shopping with Peter, with Shelly, April and Hope. Now right around the country families are starting to think about getting the things they need for the kids to go back to school and we've seen today on the shelves here that there are so many items that you need when you're going back to school.
Whether it's the stationery, folders and pens and pencils, whether it's the text books, whether it's the computer equipment, there are all sorts of needs and expenses when kids go back to school.
I understand that preparing for back-to-school can cost a bit of money and I'm here today to remind Australian parents, and particularly parents here in Perth, that they can collect their receipts and at tax time make a claim through the Education Tax Rebate. The Education Tax Rebate enables families to get a refund of almost $400 for what they've spent on back-to-school for their primary school aged child and almost $800 for what they've spent on back-to -school for their secondary school aged child.
This is one way of helping families manage cost of living pressures. Now we will be reminding Australian families in coming days to keep those all important receipts, there will be an advertising campaign, including in newspapers and on television, to remind people to keep their receipts.
We introduced the Education Tax Rebate as a Government, because we want to support families with school costs. We want to see families making those claims. We know that many families haven't made claims even though they're eligible. There are around 1.3 million eligible families, so please this year when you're shopping for back-to-school, keep your receipts and at tax time you will be able to claim the Education Tax Refund.
I'm also here in Perth to meet today with Premier Barnett and we will be talking about the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that will be held in Perth later this year. This is a huge event for Perth and for Western Australia. It's the biggest international event to ever come to Perth, more than 50 countries are involved, around 3000 delegates. This is going to be a very big thing for Western Australia during the course of 2011. So I am looking forward to talking to Premier Barnett about our preparations for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Now many Australian families are of course still enjoying the new year and some holiday time, but right around the country there are Australians who are doing it tough, facing flood waters and trying to recover from the damages that floods bring. So tomorrow I will be visiting Carnarvon to say hello to people who have already seen damage from a flood, and of course, are now facing difficult circumstances again. At the time of the original flood crisis I asked Chris Evans to visit Carnarvon and he did so, I'm now looking forward to getting there myself to be able to talk to people in Carnarvon about how they're managing this crisis and how we can support them during recovery.
I'm very happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, do you have any update on the impact of the Queensland floods on the federal budget and how much money?
PM: The Queensland floods, as we know, are very very widespread and there are many towns that are still battling rising flood waters as others have gone into recovery. This is going to require a lot of investment, it's many many dollars that will need to flow from the Federal Government and the State Government. Money is already flowing, it's flowing through emergency payment s and it's flowing in support of families as they come back to their homes and see the repair task, small businesses and primary producers.
We did of course set up a hotline and that hotline has had around 4000 calls and around 700 claims have already been made. Now we're not going to know the true dimensions of the damage until flood waters recede and we can see what's happened with roads what's happened with bridges, what's happened with vital infrastructure like schools. But I can say we will be working every step of the way with the Queensland Government and to ensure that works I've specifically appointed Joe Ludwig, one of by Cabinet Ministers, a great Queenslander, to lead our efforts working with the Queensland Government and Queensland community for flood recovery.
JOURNALIST: Do you think there'll be a need to put more money into flood affected areas?
PM: Inevitably money will need to flow, absolutely. We need see what the damage is and we need to work with the Queensland Government and local communities in addressing that damage. We really can't put a price tag on it until the flood waters recede and we can see what's underneath, but we will be working with Queensland and that's why I've specifically asked a Queenslander, Joe Ludwig, to do that job.
JOURNALIST: With economists saying the economic impact will be between $6 and $9 billion, is it going to affect the time when the budget returns to surplus?
PM: I'm determined the budget will be back in surplus in 2012/13 as promised. That does mean that we're going to have to make some tough choices and we will to bring the budget back to surplus as well as meeting the needs of Queensland as they recover from this flood crisis, which is so widespread. We are going to be there in partnership with the State Government and local communities as they recover and what's also been a tremendous thing to see is the generosity of Australians towards their fellow Australians who are doing it tough. Right around the country, you know, mums and dads have gone and put in 5, 10, 20, 50 dollars to help out Queenslanders and we're now seeing, you know, our sporting codes like cricket responding, they're going to have a special one day match at the Gabba to fundraise for the Queensland floods. So there's a lot of community generosity as well as work from government.
JOURNALIST: And that's, I think some farmers are calling for a rethink on the timeline for the Murray Darling Basin Plan based on this huge flood. Is that something that's (inaudible)
PM: I think we've got to keep on time and we've got to deal with the water reforms we need for the Murray Darling. We know that there are floods round the country now, but we're also a nation that regularly experiences drought. Indeed there are some farmers in this state, even as other primary producers battle with floodwaters, there are farmers in this state who are still facing drought. So rather than just wait til the next drought hits the Murray Darling, now is the time to get it right for the future, so we will continue in 2011 to pursue our reforms through the Murray Darling Basin Authority. We've got to get this right, we've got to make sure that we've got a healthy river, viable communities as well as food production along the Murray.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, on a disaster of an unnatural kind, you've landed in Perth when there's a Labor Party leadership challenge. The party is struggling in this state there is no issue there, but do you support Eric Ripper?
PM: Well we're seeing plenty of rhetorical flourishes at the start of 2011. The, ultimately who leads the state Labor Party is a matter for the state Labor Party. What I would say is Eric Ripper has been a long term leading Labor figure in this state; he did a lot of good work as a leading member of the former government. He's a good person doing a very tough job as Opposition Leader, but who leads the state Labor Party is a matter for state Labor members.
JOURNALIST: Federal Labor has come under attack for its role in state party stocks, the mining tax obviously a big issue over here. Do you take any responsibility for Mr Ripper's woes at the moment?
PM: These are decisions for state Labor as to who should lead the team.
JOURNALIST: Have you got any advice for him?
PM: Well state Labor will make these decisions; it's not for me to advise on them.
JOURNALIST: Have you spoken to Mr Ripper or Mr Wyatt about the Labor leadership here?
PM: No, I haven't and I believe that state Labor members will work their way through this and they'll make their choice. They're talking about the leader of their team, so they're the people who should make that decision.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minster, just offshore for a moment, in Afghanistan Robert Langdon is reportedly had his death sentence commuted to a 20 year sentence. Are you aware of that and if you are what's your response?
PM: Look, I am aware of that and I've been aware of Mr Langdon's circumstances for a considerable period of time now. Obviously we very much welcome the fact that Mr Langdon will not face the death penalty, we as a government, indeed as a nation, we are opposed to the death penalty, we intercede for Australians around the world who may face the death penalty and register out nation's strong opposition to it. So I am pleased to see that Mr Langdon's sentence has been commuted.
JOURNALIST: When you go to Carnarvon, I guess one of the figures up there that they may be forgotten in the shadow of thee huge floods in Queensland. What message will you have for them and what sort of support can they expect from you?
PM: I'll certainly be saying to the people of Carnarvon that they are on my mind and we want to be working with that community to recover from its floods. The devastation in Queensland is widespread; we're talking about around 20 towns that are battling flood waters, some in recovery, some yet to see to see the peak of the crisis. So this is a widespread, big disaster in Queensland, but as Prime Minister let me assure you, I understand there are flood waters in New South Wales, there are flood waters here and I wanted to personally say to the people of Carnarvon that their circumstances, the problems that they face are on my mind and we want to be working with the people of Carnarvon to help them recover too. They certainly will not be forgotten and through my physical presence tomorrow I will be saying to them that we want to work in partnership with them, as their community works through this crisis.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: We've been in contact with the Government of Western Australia about financial assistance for the people of Carnarvon, particularly for small businesses and primary producers, so some assistance will be flowing and I'll be in a position to advise of the full details of that tomorrow.
JOURNALIST: The day after the Reserve Bank criticised you for spending, you've announced another stimulus here today. Are you worried it may put pressure on interest rates?
PM: This is in the Government's budget, we've offered this Education Tax Refund, we brought it in as a Government because we wanted to support families with cost of living pressures, so this is already fully in the Government's figures with the budget coming to surplus in the 2012/13. It's the right thing to do, to help families get ready for school. There's nothing more important than making sure that kids get a great education, to do that they need the pens, the pencils, the text books, the computer equipment that helps them get that great education. It does cost money and the Education Tax Refund is there to help take a bit of pressure off.
JOURNALIST: Have you had any discussions with Premier Barnett about signing the health deal (inaudible)
PM: Well as it happens I'll be jumping in a car from here and meeting with Premier Barnett to, in the first instance have a talk about the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, so you'll probably see me over there very soon with Premier Barnett.
Thank you.