PRIME MINISTER:
It’s good to be here in Manly for the launch of this National Action Plan. It’s a $100 million plan to try to ensure that we do make it absolutely crystal clear that violence against women and children is never, never, never acceptable. It’s utterly reprehensible and this curse must be banished from our society.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, last night your Carbon Tax Repeal Bill passed through the House of Reps, it looks like it may well pass through the Senate as well. What’s your response to that?
PRIME MINISTER:
The Government’s taking nothing for granted but obviously we’re encouraged by the discussions that we had with Mr Palmer over the last few days. This will be an unambiguous good for our country. This will be a $550 a year bonus for the families of Australia, for the households of Australia and let’s hope it’s finally delivered when the Government and the crossbenchers keep their commitments to the Australian people in a couple of weeks’ time.
QUESTION:
There were apparently some quite jubilant scenes in the House of Reps last night. Is that how you felt as well?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we’re not taking anything for granted. This Bill has got to go to the Senate and I’m optimistic that it will pass but we’re not taking anything for granted – we’re not taking anything at all for granted – I’m just looking forward to the Government and the crossbench senators keeping their commitments to the Australian people.
QUESTION:
Mr Abbott, there are reports that Ricky Muir may go against the Palmer United Party’s votes to repeal the carbon tax because he wants a reinstated motorists scheme. Would you consider bringing that back and do you have confidence in the Palmer United Party to hold it together?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the Automotive Transformation Scheme is in place. It was confirmed in the Budget. There’s $1 billion available to manufacturers and to the auto parts industry over the next five years. So the Automotive Transformation Scheme remains in place.
QUESTION:
PM, would you support a royal commission into ASIC’s handlings of the CommBank fraud scandal?
PRIME MINISTER:
Obviously some terrible things happened and it’s good that the Parliamentary Committee enquiring into this has been able to expose some of the problems. We will carefully consider the recommendations of the Committee. We do obviously have an inquiry into financial governance going on now. We want to get to the bottom of these things and we want to ensure that investors are as safe as they can be in a market economy.
[ends]