PRIME MINISTER:
It’s good to be here in Bourke in the wet. It really is good to be here in Bourke in the wet. It has been phenomenally dry for the last 18 months or so.
In fact Bourke went from flood to drought but obviously today is good soaking rain.
It doesn’t mean that the drought is over but nevertheless it is very encouraging, it is very hopeful, but of course it takes time to recover from a period of very intense drought.
That is why it is still important, whatever might happen with rain in the next few days and weeks, that there be a significant drought position adopted by the Government and that is what will happen.
I want to thank Mark Coulton for his hospitality and the hospitality of his electorate today.
Obviously it was good to be with Di and Phil Ridge just out of town.
I want to particularly thank Barnaby Joyce for the work that he has been doing for some weeks and months now.
Barnaby appreciated late last year that the drought situation was deteriorating and he has been talking to me and to my office now for quite some time and we are very confident that we are close to finalising a drought package which will address the economic and the social needs of the people in those parts of rural and regional Australia that have been so significantly impacted.
This is a government that is determined to stand by the people of Australia in good times and in bad times.
I am confident that we are close to announcing a drought package which is both fair and economically responsible because for the people living in drought affected areas it is really akin to a natural disaster.
So, thanks so much for being with me today and with Barnaby and I might just ask Barnaby to add to those remarks.
AGRICULTURE MINISTER:
Well, first of all thank you very much Prime Minister, I really mean that. People of the western districts appreciate the fact that Muhammad’s come to the mountain and it is really important that you come out and see it.
I know that it is a juxtaposition here because it is pouring with rain and I would like to thank the Mayor of Bourke who was able to assist and has pulled most of the cars out of the way from that woolshed.
I would like to thank all the people who buggered off and left without helping.
What’s really important is that we understand that these are a group of people, the rural community of Australia who put money on the table for our nation. Who have a viable industry that earns export dollars, who are the first industry to drag us out.
We never went into a global financial crisis because of the March 2009 shipping figures for wheat.
So, this is a good industry and these are mums and dads and I want to also thank the empathy of the people in the major cities; in Sydney, in Melbourne and Brisbane because when they do the vox pop on them they get it, they get it straight away, they say, “these people put food on the table, these are decent people, these are mums and dads, these are people who have used their own resources and tried to muscle through this themselves".
It’s important that you have a government that understands it, that’s empathetic, that gets off its backside and goes and has a look.
I would like to thank you Prime Minister for that, I really do.
PRIME MINISTER:
Would you like to say something Mark?
MARK COULTON:
Thank you Prime Minister and Barnaby the Minister for Agriculture.
Thank you for coming and visiting Bourke in the western part of New South Wales. I would also like to thank the farmers and business leaders and community leaders that were there today for the articulate, succinct and powerful message that they managed to present to the Prime Minister.
I am sure that what he has learnt from the people of Bourke today will be very useful in the coming days as the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Barnaby Joyce put together an appropriate package.
So, thank you very much.
PRIME MINISTER:
Ok, do we have any questions?
QUESTION:
Prime Minister have you already got the support of Cabinet for drought assistance measures and will they include new money in this Budget?
PRIME MINISTER:
I am not going to pre-empt the final package that will be announced in a week or so but I am confident that this is a Coalition Government that is deeply in tune with the needs of rural and regional Australia but I want to stress that the final package will be fair but it will be economically responsible.
QUESTION:
What message have you got from the people today?
PRIME MINISTER:
It’s interesting that most of the people who were out here today were people who have been farming this land for generations, they love this country, they love their country, they are totally committed to farming and they think that farming is going to be just as strong a part of Australia’s economic future as it has been of our economic history – and I agree with them.
I think that farming is going to be a very, very significant part of our economic future. At some point in the future we won’t be exporting so much iron ore but by god we want to be exporting plenty of foodstuffs to the growing middle class of Asia. We have got a tremendous opportunity to do so but we have got to keep the farming sector strong to make that happen.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, I was just going to ask you some of the graziers in the area have mentioned that this drought is a little bit different to the last. Not only are people suffering economically but unlike the last drought they are also having to deal with the carbon tax. You did run on the premise of repealing the carbon tax, people have less cash flow, higher expenses – which way forward with that so that people see a bit of easing with their financial traumas?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, it’s good of you to remember that the carbon tax was put there by the former Labor government. The new Government is desperate to take it off as soon as we humanly can. The one person who thinks that a carbon tax is good for you is Bill Shorten because he is still in the political pocket of the Greens and that is the problem. The farmers of Australia need to know who is adding to their problems and it is the Labor Party and the Greens. We are desperate to get rid of the carbon tax and as soon as we humanly can, we will.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, one of the farmers mentioned the banks and that the banks have a responsibility to [inaudible] as well. What is the message that you will be giving the banks?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the message that I give to all sections of Australian society and all parts of our economy is that you have got to act responsibly and you have got to act sensibly in the long term best interests of our country. Plainly when you have got a situation that many farmers are in at the moment there is very little income coming in because of the drought. They can’t leave, they can’t sell and they can’t borrow , and in circumstances like that they do need support from their lenders because if they don’t get sensible support from their lenders, well, obviously there will be a scathing impact. All the indications are though that the financial sector is conscious of this and we will do what we can to ensure that that stays the case.
QUESTION:
What is the priority at the moment is it [inaudible] on the debt side or is it trying to get emergency funding from farm help for fodder and the like? What is the priority?
PRIME MINISTER:
The important thing is to get a sensible package in place which addresses the economic issue, which addresses the social issue and the important thing about a drought package is that it is not about dealing with people in the ordinary course of business it is about helping people to deal with the impact of what is in effect a natural disaster.
QUESTION:
Mr Abbott, just on another issue there are reports that the Indonesian Navy has come out in reports saying Australian ships are in fact frequently going into Indonesian waters. Whereas our Navy has said that it was simply a mistake of navigation – who is correct there?
PRIME MINISTER:
Just two observations; the first is that I am not going to comment on operational matters connected with our border protection operations. The second point I want to make is that Australia deeply respects Indonesia’s sovereignty, deeply respects Indonesia’s sovereignty. We want to work as close as possible with Indonesia to crack down on the scourge of people smuggling which as we all know has cost this country dear because the people smuggling operations got back into business under the former government. We saw more than 50,000 illegal arrivals by boat, we saw $11 billion in border protection budget blow outs, we saw tragically more than a thousand deaths at sea. That must stop. It is stopping. The message I give again to the people smugglers and their customers – the way is closed, don’t get on a boat because you will never get to Australia.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, just in relation to Indonesia, I understand Marty Natalegawa is going to raise his opposition to your border protection policies with John Kerry. Given that, is it time to rethink the strategy as this is becoming a global issue.
PRIME MINISTER:
I am very pleased that the Indonesians and the Americans are engaging in discussions because it is right and proper that two friends of Australia should be talking regularly and deeply with each other. What they actually discuss is entirely a matter for them. I just want to reiterate the point that this Government was elected with a very strong mandate to stop the boats. We are stopping the boats, we have gone almost 60 days without any illegal boat getting to Australia and I should point out that in a comparable period last year there was close to 1,500 illegal arrivals by boat. So, we are determined to stop the boats. We are stopping the boats. We will stop the boats. My message to the people smugglers and their customers – don’t get on a boat because you won’t arrive in Australia.
QUESTION:
Mr Abbott, may I ask you one more question just about the drought? You’re talking about how you will implement a new policy because the former Government took [inaudible] out of the 2013/14 Budget. Can you give us an assurance that this new drought package will stay on the books because the seasons can change quickly and obviously the Government can react much quicker if you have a drought policy on the books.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, there are two points that I would make; the first point is that we need to respond swiftly and sensibly to the current situation. Secondly, we need to develop an effective longer term policy and we have got an Agriculture White Paper process in train. There will be a sensible and effective response to the current situation. That will be out very soon but we will have long term policy guided and shaped by the White Paper process. The fundamental point I make is that for people on the land, drought, severe drought, is akin to a natural disaster and we have arrangements in place to assist people through natural disasters. Secondly, there should be arrangements in place to assist people dealing with very severe and unprecedented drought.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, just another question on Indonesia, there are also reports that Australian intelligence officials helped spy on Indonesians negotiating a trade deal. What is your understanding on that?
PRIME MINISTER:
If I might make two points; the first is that we never comment on operational intelligence matters, that has been the long standing practice of all Australian governments of both political persuasions. I also make the point that we do not use anything that we gather as part of our ordinary security and intelligence operations to the detriment of other countries. We use it for the benefit of our friends. We use it to uphold our values. We use it to protect our citizens and the citizens of other countries and we certainly don’t use it for commercial purposes.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
[ends]