PRIME MINISTER:
It is great to get together with you and I just want to say thank you to all of you for the campaign you’ve run over the last few weeks.
No one wanted this, it’s unfair on the voters of Western Australia. It’s tragic that the Electoral Commission was responsible for this stuff up, but nevertheless we’ve now got this ballot, we’ve got to do our best.We owe it to the people of Western Australia to do our best and that’s exactly what we’ve done.
I’m really proud of the fact that since the election we’ve committed record school funding the Western Australia, record road funding to Western Australia and we are fighting every day to get rid of the mining tax and to get rid of the carbon tax.
The tragedy is that the Labor Party and the Greens – whatever they say in Perth - in Canberra they are stopping us from getting rid of the carbon tax and getting rid of the mining tax. So that’s our mission to win this by-election on Saturday and then to remove for all time these anti-Western Australia taxes.
So, Johno it’s…
DEFENCE MINISTER:
Well, Tony whilst we’ve got the map, there’s the Swan Valley and Great Northern Highway that we’ve put $3.8 billion into without a mining tax. It opens up the Pilbara, it does good things for not just Western Australian, but the whole of Australia.
PRIME MINISTER:
Exactly right. I mean the Pilbara and the North West Shelf are so incredibly important for our economic progress and Western Australia has been such an economic powerhouse for our country now for so long and that means the roads and the other infrastructure that Western Australia needs, it’s not just for the west, it’s for everyone.
ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION:
Absolutely and PM, look, I’m – you can’t quite see it here – but I’m the Patron Senator for Brand and I know whenever I go down there that people continue to say the cost of living pressures, in particular because of the carbon tax are hurting them. They want a Government and a Senate that has the ability to get rid of the carbon tax, to get rid of the mining tax and deliver on the promises the Government made at the last election.
PRIME MINISTER:
That’s exactly right and I think people haven’t quite figured out just how obstructive the Labor Party in the Senate have been.
They just don’t get it. They’re still in denial about the election result.
Slade, what are you hearing?
SLADE BROCKMAN:
Look, I think people are frustrated to have to go to an election again, Prime Minister, but at the same time I think they have seen the change in Government and the better Government that is delivered to Australia. So I think it’s very important that we get a very strong message back to Canberra from WA.
PRIME MINISTER:
No boat has arrived in Geraldton or indeed anywhere else over the last 100 days
ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION:
No, but look I can tell you the feedback I get on the ground in relation to the boats is, the people are very, very happy we are delivering on what was an election commitment to them.
LINDA REYNOLDS:
Prime Minister, wherever I go people are saying they are so happy that we’ve stopped the boats and they’re also telling us that they want us to deal with cost of living pressure and that includes getting rid of the carbon tax and also they’re very happy about the infrastructure spending and particularly on roads.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that’s right. We want to do the right thing by the people of Western Australia.
[ends]