PRIME MINISTER:
It’s good to be here at the National Australia Bank to help launch their sixth Reconciliation Action Plan.
An important priority for this Government is a fair go for Aboriginal people, as part of a fair go for every Australian.
Yes, we want to secure our borders, we’ve got to fix the Budget, we’ve got to build the future for everyone. Part of building a future for everyone is a fair go for Aboriginal people and the more indigenous people who are employed in ordinary, every-day Australian business, the better for them, the better for us.
Reconciliation is all about building a bigger, bolder, richer us; it’s not them and us, it’s us – the best us we can be.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, Andrew Thomas from Al Jazeera. My colleague Peter Greste, an Australian journalist for Al Jazeera, goes on trial in Egypt later today accused, among other things, of faking reports of terrorism. Is this the right way for Egypt to be treating legitimate journalists?
PRIME MINISTER:
You raise a very, very fair point. My job though is not to make a difficult situation worse and it’s my practice not to comment on particular court cases involving Australians overseas. But I do want to make this point and make it very strongly: a free press is in everyone’s interests. A free press is in the interests of all countries. A free press will help every country, including Egypt, to be better in the months and years ahead and obviously a free press is not compatible with harassing journalists going about their ordinary business.
QUESTION:
PM, would you consider a co-payment, a means testing to help relieve the pressure on the health budget?
PRIME MINISTER:
Obviously the Budget, generally, is under pressure and it’s very important that we do what we can to fix the Budget, as quickly as we can, but we’ve got to do it in ways which are consistent with our pre-election commitments. Don’t forget, I said we were going to be a no surprises, no excuses Government. You might also remember, Michael, that I was the Health Minister in a former government and as the Health Minister in a former government, I used to say that that government was the best friend that Medicare had ever had.
This leopard doesn’t change its spots – I want this Government to be, likewise, the best friend that Medicare has ever had.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, the Immigration Department has inadvertently released nearly 10,000 names and personal details of asylum seekers currently detained in immigration detention in Australia. What effects is this going to have on their asylum claims?
PRIME MINISTER:
I just want to say it shouldn’t have happened. It was an error, it was wrong, it shouldn’t have happened and the Minister has launched a full investigation. He’s retained, as I understand it, KPMG to do it so it’ll be investigated, we’ll get to the bottom of it and it won’t happen again.
QUESTION:
Is there a risk that more asylum seekers could die on Manus Island?
PRIME MINISTER:
We have a Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection up there at the moment to ensure that there is a proper analysis of how it all happened. I want to make two points. The first point is that the Australian authorities in the Centre acted swiftly to secure it and to ensure that the Centre was operational and people were being fed and cared for the very next morning after these very serious disturbances. The second point I want to make is that the Australian Government will not be deterred or intimidated by anyone when it comes to doing what we need to do to protect our borders. We will not be deterred or intimidated by anyone. We will not succumb to pressure, to moral blackmail. We will ensure these camps are run fairly, if necessary firmly, but they will be fair, they will be firm if necessary, because the important thing and the fairest thing you can do for anyone is to stop the boats and to finally stamp out the evil trade of people smuggling which has done so much damage to this country, which has done so much damage to other countries and which has cost so many lives.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, [inaudible] Australian missionary’s been arrested in North Korea – what is the Australian Government doing to help him?
PRIME MINISTER:
Thanks Neil, look, the Australian Government always does what it can to help our citizens in trouble abroad. We always do what we can to help our citizens in trouble abroad. We always offer highly competent consular assistance. I do have this message for Australians abroad – you do have to be careful to obey the laws of the country you're in and not all countries have the same legal system or the same laws as Australia so if you are in another country, be careful to obey their laws. If you're in trouble, the Australian Government is there to do its best to help, but it is important to obey the law.
Thank you.
[ends]