PM: It’s great to be back here in the Gladstone region.
I'm here with Chris Trevor, who’s our candidate for Flynn and formerly the Member for Flynn and a good friend of mine, a good friend over many, many years.
And I'm also here with Leanne Donaldson who is our candidate for Hinkler down the road there and she is going to put up a huge fight in order to secure Hinkler for the Australian Labor Party at the next election.
Let me talk a bit about what we're doing here today. When we look to Australia's future, what Australians want is a positive plan for the nation's future.
What they want is a government which knows how to handle the big economic challenges.
We've had some success with that in recent years. We've, together as a nation and the Government, come through the global financial crisis.
We managed together to avoid the global recession and we managed to avoid mass unemployment and we've managed to do so while keeping our triple-A credit rating with low levels of debt and low deficit.
But you know something, none of us can rest on our laurels because we now face new major challenges for Australia's future. And the new challenge is a bit like this.
Right now around the world you see a very slow global economic recovery and you also see the China resources boom coming off. And in regions like this it has big consequences.
Therefore you can either just stand still and wait for stuff to happen or you can get on the front foot and make sure that you are prepared as possible and so what the Australian Government's response to this new economic challenge is, how do we best diversify our economy in the future, grow new jobs and keep our living standards through new sectors of the economy, whether it's in manufacturing, whether it's in agribusiness, whether it's in construction services, financial services, or areas like education services as well.
That's where we're going to see new growth as well. That's where we're going to see new jobs. It's so that we ensure that we don't have all our eggs in one basket.
Now, the Government's policy response has been to launch a new national competitiveness agenda.
I spoke about this at about this at the National Press Club just recently. And it's got a number of pillars.
Number one is about energy prices.
Number two is about getting as much flexibility out of the Fair Work Act as we can.
Number three, business productivity.
Number four, the approval processes for big projects like this one.
Number five is about what we do to make sure we've got the best possible skills levels in our economy.
Number six, about our infrastructure.
Number seven, of course, is small business formation.
On the first one, on energy prices, just recently, in fact just yesterday, I announced the termination of the carbon tax and I announced that Australia would now be moving towards a floating carbon price reducing the carbon price from $26 a tonne down to $6 a tonne.
And what that means for an average Australian family is making sure that that family will be about $380 better off each year in contrast to Mr Abbott's plan which would have those average families $1200 a year worse off when fully implemented. That's a big difference.
Now, it's about making sure that our families are able to have some support in dealing with cost of living pressures but it's also about providing more competitiveness for our businesses by taking some of the pressure off their electricity prices as well.
And, the challenge now for state governments like the Queensland Government is to stop gouging state government profits out of its state power utilities.
Generators, distributors as well as the transmission companies as well, because they are pushing huge price pressures onto consumers and onto business.
That's what responsible action on carbon means.
Today's a pretty special day when we talk about carbon because it's a bit like this.
Six years ago today, then Prime Minister John Howard announced that the Liberal National Party would be implementing an emissions trading scheme.
He made that commitment at the National Press Club in Canberra.
Let me quote what he had to say six years ago today: "This emissions trading scheme will be world class in its coverage and governance. And in the years to come it will provide a model for other nations to follow. Being among the first movers on carbon trading in this region will bring new opportunities and we intend to grasp them."
That's what John Howard said on behalf of the Liberal National Party six years ago today, backed by Mr Abbott, backed by Mr Hockey who are senior members of his ministerial team of the day.
Except, of course, he's walked away backwards from it.
I've got to say this, it's about time Mr Abbott levelled with the Australian people as to why he has walked away from the commitment he gave with John Howard six years ago and instead wants to put in a new carbon plan which lands average Australian families with an extra $1200 bill each year.
It just doesn't make sense.
The other thing about a competitive Australia under our new competitiveness agenda is not just competitive energy prices but competitive infrastructure.
And competitive infrastructure means having a good road system around Australia as well.
That's why we've embarked upon a plan of massive road infrastructure investment by the Australian Government, record investment against any period in Australian economic history and that's why, for example, we're investing in roads like this.
This is the Bruce Highway behind me, and it's being intersected here by the Dawson Highway.
And what we've done as part of practical action on infrastructure is invest $150 million here to bring about this work here to add the Calliope Crossroads.
This is a very necessary piece of road building in order to reduce accidents but as well as to speed up the economic efficiency of the Bruce Highway itself.
There's been a bit of talk about the Bruce Highway today I understand and I understand Mr Abbott has had something to say about it as well. Well here is a basic factual challenge for Mr Abbott.
PM: Well here is a basic factual challenge for Mr Abbott.
The Federal Government's investment in the Bruce Highway under this Government currently stands at an unprecedented $5.7 billion, more than four times that which occurred under the Howard Government. Four times that which occurred under the Howard Government.
And so, Mr Abbott was asked about this today and he said, "Well, the current Government…" – meaning this Government, ours – “…has spent a little bit more than its predecessor."
Well, let me just contrast the figures: $5.7 billion versus $1.3 billion. $5.7 billion versus $1.3 billion.
That strikes me as about 400 per cent more. I don't think it's a little bit more, I think it's 400 per cent more.
And it's about time we had some facts in this debate.
The truth is this Australian Government is investing fundamentally in the road infrastructure needs of Australia and fundamentally, of course, in the future of the Bruce Highway.
And we're proud of what we're doing in this road here.
And so the other thing I'd say to Mr Abbott, who puts himself forward as the alternative Prime Minister of Australia, is this: this is real action on the Bruce Highway behind me.
It's 400 per cent more action than occurred when the other mob had 12 years to fix up the Bruce.
We've put our shoulder to the wheel with a record $5.7 billion investment.
Queenslanders are not mugs, Mr Abbott, they believe what they see with their eyes not just pleasant sounding speeches from politicians promising future investment in the never, never.
Finally, let me just turn to our candidates here. These are two great candidates for the Australian Labor Party in this part of the world.
I've mentioned CT before, he's a very good man. He, in fact, was a part of the team that was elected to the Australian Parliament, as the Member for Flynn, back in 2007.
He's a terrific bloke, always been loyal to me. Also committed, and doing real stuff.
He walked from Gladstone to Brisbane to raise money for leukaemia in 2005. Well done, mate. Walked from Mackay to Gladstone raising money for prostate cancer. This is a bloke who believes in raising money for charity.
He's also been part of a team up here which got folks like us to deliver for the local regional economy.
I've mentioned the $150 million investment here for the Calliope Cross Roads, also a big investment in the Kirkwood Road, other investments including the upgrade to Gladstone Airport Terminal – nearly $5 million.
And for people at Emerald $2.5 million for the Performing Arts Centre revitalisation, $6 million for the Emerald Opal Street Sports Precinct construction.
Finally on schools in this area, I want to make this point.
I have not seen a bigger investment in schools anywhere in Australia than I've seen here.
Over $150 million invested in 92 new classrooms, 113 new school libraries, 28 multipurpose facilities, 8 new science and language centres, 3 new Trades Training Centres, 5,000 more computers into the high schools.
And under our Better Schools Plan, let me make this very plain.
And I’d call upon Mr Newman, the Premier of Queensland, to do this: stop playing politics on the Better Schools Plan and reach an agreement with the Australian Government.
We have a proposed investment of some $3.8 billion into Queensland schools if only Mr Newman would sign up.
What's that mean for a local school here? Gladstone State High School under our plan would receive an additional $12.1 million in public funding over the next 6 years, that's an increase in 56 per cent.
If you're at Emerald High School, that would mean an extra $2.9 million out over the next 6 years – an increase of 51 per cent.
These are big changes for local schools.
So, Mr Abbott's up there standing with Mr Newman, talking about roads today and talking about Queensland's future.
What I've seen from Premier Newman is slash and burn, sacking health workers, sacking hospital workers, sacking public servants, reducing services.
What you get with Campbell Newman is the entree, what you get with Mr Abbott is the main course.
Finally, for Hinkler, it’s really good to have our candidate here and I look forward to getting down to Bundy and other centres in Hinkler not too far from now. Leanne is a good local candidate and we’re going to have good messages for the local community here.
The last thing I'd say before turning it to your questions is this: both these candidates have been speaking to me about the needs of the Bundaberg Port, which has been knocked around a fair bit as a result of recent really bad weather.
We need to do some work down there and I'm going to take that message to Anthony Albanese in terms of what we can do to help the Port get back into normal business.
Over to you, folks.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, will you match Tony Abbott's funding commitment on the Bruce Highway?
PM: I will match Tony Abbott with action.
We have delivered $5.7 billion worth of action.
What we've got from Mr Abbott is a whole pile of rhetoric.
If it was real about the Bruce then for 12 years in office we would have seen more than $1.3 billion.
We are proud of our report, we have a plan for the future for the upgrade of the Bruce and I think it's time Mr Abbott levelled with the Australian people and the Queensland people about his record so far.
Remember, the Transport Spokesman they're standing up with today, Warren Truss, who comes from down the road here, was Transport Minister under Mr Howard when they delivered basically zip - $1.3 billion under their term in Government.
We've got a strong plan and we have a record of delivery and you see it every stretch of the road from up there in Cairns down to the Cooroy to Curra at the other end.
JOURNALIST: Mr Abbott said he's more of a Queenslander than you because of the money he's put forward for the Bruce. Surely that's not the case?
PM: Well if Mr Abbott says he's more of a Queenslander than myself then why did he only invest $1.3 billion when they had 12 years to make a difference? You answer that yourselves.
JOURNALIST: What about the Sunshine Coast in terms of the Bruce Highway? They feel they've been forgotten a bit.
PM: Well I would say the Cooroy to Curra stretch – which I know very well because I grew up on the Sunshine Coast, in Eumundi, and we drove to Cooroy a lot – and it’s been frankly one of the worst fatality zones in the Bruce Highway and of any highway stretch anywhere in Australia.
We have now invested hundreds of millions of dollars into Stage One of the Cooroy to Curra, and with another stage still to come.
Guess what? That's in Warren Truss's electorate. He's the former Transport Minister of the Liberal National Party Government.
We don't really have much of a political prospect of ever winning that seat, but you know what we've done?
We've invested in the upgrade of the Bruce Highway there because we want to see a real change to the Bruce.
It's very easy to use extravagant language; it's very hard to do real things. This is a real project here and we've seen them up and down the Bruce, funded by us, $5.8 billion worth.
JOURNALIST: There appears to have been some branch stacking in Kingsford Smith, you’ve said before that you want to crack down on that sort of thing. Are you going to take any action there?
PM: Well, I am the bloke who is behind national party reform.
Biggest reform the Australian Labor Party has seen in a century is a new system for electing the leader of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party.
And I would draw your attention to it again for the first time in our party's history, 50 per cent of the vote will come from members of the parliamentary party, 50% will come from the tens of thousands of rank and file members of the party right across the nation.
What's that about? It's about dealing with the power of the factions.
No-one's done this before. It's the right thing to do. If there are any irregularities on the ground, the national secretary will take appropriate action.
JOURNALIST: On the emissions trading scheme, your point about the Opposition (inaudible) changing is well made. But your own side itself has also changed a fair bit. Why should you be believed this time around?
PM: My commitment to the people in 2007 was to introduce an emissions trading scheme.
Number two, the Liberals, together with the Greens, voted against it twice and voted it down in the Australian Parliament.
Number three, this emissions trading scheme is the commitment I gave to the Australian people back in 2007: consistency on environmental action.
And I'm proud that we're doing so in a manner which still delivers cost of living pressure relief for Australian families.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what are you going to change to stop the flow of asylum seeker boats and deaths?
PM: Well as I've said before, we have a responsibility to adjust and change our policies on asylum seekers in response to new circumstances.
And we will continue to work methodically through the real possibilities for change, which will have a real effect.
I would say, again, to those who think this is very easy to do, like Mr Abbott, that responding to the challenge that we have is not helped by just coming up with glib, three-word slogans: stop the boats.
The Australian people want to know what the further answer is to this question. How Mr Abbott, would you stop the boats? That's the real question.
On our policies we are looking at this right now globally, in terms of the effectiveness of the Refugee Convention.
We're looking at it regionally in terms of our cooperation with regional States in south-east Asia and the south-west Pacific, hence my visit to Indonesia, discussions I've had recently in Papua New Guinea and elsewhere in order to strengthen our regional cooperation as folk move their way through this region.
Thirdly, we need to also act on the challenge that we face in the refugee determination processes for our country and you will see some statements which have been made today, I believe by the minister responsible, concerning the assessment processes domestically for refugees.
The bottom line is this: Australia so far has had a reasonably generous approach to the assessment of asylum seekers from around the world.
What's happened now under Foreign Minister Bob Carr and others is those criteria are being looked at afresh and we'll have more to say about that in due course.
Action at the global level, the regional level, the national level, that's the correct response to a problem which is not uniquely Australia's.
It is a problem right around the world and I'd much rather have a real response to this problem, rather than pretend to the Australian people that you can fix it like that, because when Mr Abbott says that, frankly he's deluding folks.
JOURNALIST: There was a boy last week in Cairns that was bullied quite badly, had his leg broken. What's your response to bullying?
PM: Bullying, wherever it occurs and in schools, should have zero tolerance by any teacher, by any principal and frankly by the kids themselves.
This can be living hell for a small kid at a school and I would think Australia in 2013, we don't just accept that as normal behaviour by kids. We just don't, it's wrong, it terrifies kids and impedes their ability to make the most of their schooling.
So I'd just say to the Australian community, to all teachers, all principals and kids themselves, if you see some kid being bullied in school and you know when it's happening: the strong and courageous thing to do is to step forward and to stop it or to help stop it and put your arm around the kid and say "I'm with you."
That's what I'd say in response to what you've just said.
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