PM: I'm here at Mambourin Enterprises, in my electorate in Melbourne's West, in the electorate of Lalor. I'm joined by Jenny Macklin, who's here in her capacity as the Minister overseeing disabilities reform.
We're here today meeting some of the people who benefit from the amazing work that happens here at Mambourin, supporting Australians with disabilities. And we're here to renew our commitment to building a National Disability Insurance Scheme, a great Labor reform. A great Labor reform in the tradition of Medicare to make a difference in the lives of Australians who have a disability and their families and their carers.
This is the kind of great Labor reform which speaks of the Labor vision and the Labor spirit. And after tomorrow's meeting, after tomorrow's ballot, we will unite in the great Labor cause behind the great Labor vision.
My caucus colleagues, Labor members one and all, put themselves forward for public office because they believed in the Labor vision of the future. A stronger and fairer Australia, an economy that offers the benefits of opportunity, an economy that's ready for the future, but also a society that is prepared to extend support to the Australians who need it the most. Tomorrow, we will unite behind that Labor purpose and that Labor vision and we will be getting that Labor vision into a reality for Australians.
I'll turn now to Jenny Macklin and then we'll take questions.
MINISTER MACKLIN: Thanks very much Prime Minister. If I could also first of all thank everyone here at Mambourin for all of the wonderful work that you do for people with disability. We've seen some of the people today, we've heard the choir. If you could see how much we loved listening to them, and what it demonstrates is their desire and capacity to do what they can with the abilities they have and in their case of course to sing with beautiful voices.
We also know that you've created wonderful opportunities for people to learn skills and get to jobs and to be independent to the extent that they can. And we thank you very, very much for that. We know that there are many people here today, like many around Australia, who are campaigning for a National Disability Insurance Scheme. And if I can just say, we have a Prime Minister in Julia Gillard who is going to make sure that Australia takes that next big step in social reform - to deliver a National Disability Insurance Scheme.
People with disabilities, their carers, their families have waited too long - too long, have suffered too much, carried too much of a load because of the poor level of funding for disability services. We know how critical it is to build a new system of disability care and support.
It was a Labor government in the past that built Medicare, and it will be a Labor government, under Julia Gillard, that will build a National Disability Insurance Scheme. She has the determination, but she also has - I think I can say - the negotiating skills and this will be a tough negotiation task to build this scheme. And I know, under her leadership, it will happen.
PM: Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister ahead of tomorrow how are you feeling, are you feeling you still have the momentum?
PM: I'm feeling determined, and I'm feeling determined to deliver our Labor program after tomorrow. We're here today talking about one of the great Labor visions, one of the great visions about being stronger and fairer. In this country today, there are Australians with disabilities who get left behind. We're determined to change that. It's part of our Labor vision of a stronger and fairer country, and that's what we will unite behind following tomorrow's ballot.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, (inaudible)?
PM: Look, I understand that there's been comments from a number of people about the events that you refer to. I haven't got anything to add to that.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, do you believe Kevin Rudd's pledge that you have his unequivocal support if he loses the ballot tomorrow?
PM: I believe Labor, all us will, every one of us, will unite after Monday's ballot. We will unite tomorrow and we will get our shoulders to the wheel delivering Labor's program and plans.
At the end of the day and at the end of what has been a very difficult week, the things that unite us in the Labor Party are far, far stronger than anything else. We all went into public life with a passion for changing this country, for bringing Labor values into the life of this country, for getting the big things done and none of them bigger than a National Disability Insurance Scheme, I am absolutely confident that is what will motivate everyone of us following tomorrow's ballot.
JOURNALIST: Did you (inaudible) Kevin Rudd to dump the CPRS as Maxine McKew accused you of this morning in the paper?
PM: Look I've seen that commentary today and I've had a few things to say over recent days about the events of 2010 and I don't intend to add to them today.
But on climate change and putting a price on carbon, I don't think there could be any Australian who has doubted my determination to get that done in the face of the most ferocious campaign from the Opposition. I have achieved that, Labor has achieved it and because we've achieved it we'll have a stronger and fairer future that will be a clean energy future. The alternative was to see our economy languish behind other economies around the world as they seized the future and we got left behind.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible)
PM: I commented on that yesterday. Anthony Albanese is a great Labor person - I've known him all of my adult life. He made a very sincere and moving declaration about his love of the Labor party and his love of Labor program and ‘fighting Tories' to use his terminology.
That's the kind of spirit that we will see from Labor after tomorrow's ballot - that kind of spirit of coming together, getting the job done, fighting our opponents and winning through for Australians, winning through for them a stronger, fairer future - the jobs of the future, the economy we need in the future, but great reforms for our society too, like this National Disability Insurance Scheme.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, how concerned are you thought that his vote may in fact sway others privately to change their vote (inaudible) ballot?
PM: Look, on tomorrow's ballot I am going to say to you what I have said consistently: I am very confident of the strong support of my colleagues.
JOURNALIST: Given the need for unity, do you think the comments of Wayne Swan and Simon Crean about Kevin Rudd were over the top and will harm that unity in the future?
PM: A lot of claims and a lot of things have been said by all sides over recent days. The important thing is that tomorrow's ballot ends this, there is a result and following that result everyone accepts it and unites and gets on with the job and I am absolutely confident that will happen.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, would another Rudd Government be preferable to electoral defeat?
PM: Look, I've dealt with these matters over recent days too. As I said yesterday to my Labor friends at NSW Country Conference, I am absolutely convinced we can defeat Tony Abbott at the 2013 election. I will be very, very enthusiastic about standing there in the 2013 election and being very clear about the choice, clear about the choice for Australia's future and no better example than the one we're talking about today - we're for a National Disability Insurance Scheme, I'm for getting it done - Mr Abbott describes it as a ‘hope', an ‘aspiration' - something at the bottom of the in-tray that he might find his way to sometime in the future. That's the kind of difference between the government I lead and Mr Abbott. We're for change and managing it for working Australians and their families, he's for pretending he can stand still and say no to everything and he's effectively saying no to a National Disability Insurance Scheme.
JOURNALIST: Kevin Rudd apparently says that he's afraid that the character assassinations will continue even if he does go to the back bench. Is that going to happen?
PM: As I've just said to you repeatedly, I believe we will unite following tomorrow's ballot. I've got great faith in my Labor colleagues - each and every one of them, that the things that drive us to be in Government and to deliver the changes Australia needs will continue to drive us solidly after tomorrow's ballot, I believe we will be united in that purpose absolutely.
That does mean that we will be working together. I do not want to see continued commentary on these kinds of matters after Monday. What people will be talking about after Monday's ballot is our program for reform, our vision for the future and why it is at risk under Tony Abbott.
JOURNALIST: After the spectacle that (inaudible) over the past few days (inaudible)?
PM: By our behaviour which will demonstrate it.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you've said that you're confident that you've got the support of your colleagues but do you have the support of the Australian people given the recent polls?
PM: Look, I dealt with these questions yesterday too and I said government's about doing what's right for the nation's future. You don't look at the opinion polls to work out what you believe in and what the nation needs, you look inside yourself, to your core beliefs, to your core Labor beliefs and then you go and get it done. That's what we will do following Monday's ballot.
JOURNALIST: What are you numbers looking like so far?
PM: As I've answered over here, I've said consistently to you I've got the strong support of my colleagues.
Thank you very much.