PRIME MINISTER:
It’s terrific to be here at the Deakin electorate. It was great to meet with Michael Sukkar, the local Member, meeting the community groups that are the backbone of our society – the service clubs, the church organisations, the sporting organisations, the environmental, the ex-service organisations, the groups that come together to support schools and hospitals. These are the lifeblood of our community and it's good to be able to talk to them and to hear what’s on their mind.
I was a regular visitor to the electorate of Deakin before the election, I've been a regular visitor since the election, and I intend to be a regular visitor as long as I am the Leader of our great Party.
It was nice to see the other day that Melbourne has been rated the world's most liveable city. It is a very liveable city – Melbourne – but it would be a lot more liveable if we got on with building the East West Link. Only Coalition governments in Canberra and in Melbourne will build the East West Link. The East West Link is the missing link in Victoria's transport infrastructure. It is absolutely vital for the great city of Melbourne that we get this done and we get this done as quickly as possible, and it will only happen under a Coalition Government in Canberra and in Spring Street. If you want East West Link, you've got to vote for the Coalition in Canberra and in Spring Street, because whatever Labor says, they will never build the East West Link.
Finally, let me just note that we are coming up to our first anniversary as a Commonwealth Government, and it's very important to be able to say, as you approach your first anniversary, that you are delivering your commitments. We are stopping the boats, we have scrapped the carbon tax, we are cracking on with the roads of the 21st century, particularly the East West Link, and we are bringing the Budget back under control.
Sure, there are a number of contentious measures – necessary, but contentious measures – which are before the Senate, but some $20 billion of Budget savings have already gone through as part of the Appropriations Bills. This is yet another sign that the Government in Canberra is steadily, purposefully, methodically getting on with delivering on its commitments, is providing the competent and trustworthy Government that the Australian people want.
Obviously, I'll take a few questions, but I might ask Michael if he wants to offer any observations on local issues.
MICHAEL SUKKAR:
Thank you, Prime Minister. It was outstanding to have you here today, recognising so many local community groups in the electorate of Deakin.
I said to the community groups that, really, the fabric of our society and the strength of the local Deakin community is really down to them more than anybody else. They put in countless volunteer hours and they are doing that to make our society a better place to live.
So, I want to echo the Prime Minister's comments that one of the huge aspects for this part of the world, in making a better place to live for our people, is building the East West Link. It was something that we spoke about quite significantly before the election; it's something that I think the Deakin community feels very encouraged that we are meeting our commitment – our $3 billion commitment to getting the East West Link built – so it was a fantastic opportunity today to hear from those community groups in relation to those issues and others.
So again, Prime Minister, I want to thank you for your continued dedication to the Deakin electorate. You were a very regular visitor before the election and have maintained that regularity of visiting, so I appreciate it and I look forward to getting the East West Link done.
PRIME MINISTER:
Ok, do we have any questions? Ellen?
QUESTION:
Thank you, Prime Minister. The person that murdered James Foley appears to be a British person. What's your response to that, firstly?
PRIME MINISTER:
The first thing I want to say is that this is a despicable act. The ISIL movement is as near to pure evil as we're ever likely to find and there can be no compromise – no compromise, whatsoever – with groups that are dedicated to the destruction of our way of life and the brutal murder of anyone who falls into their hands.
As for the apparent truth that the murderer was a British citizen, it just goes to show that while these events are taking place far from our shores, they can have ramifications right around the world. It just goes to show that this is not just something that happens elsewhere, it could happen in countries like Australia if we relax our vigilance against terrorism and potential terrorism here on our shores. This is why the Government announced the other day that we were spending an extra $630 million to strengthen our security agencies, to boost protections on our borders, such as biometric screening at airports. This is why we do need new legislation to strengthen the powers of our security agencies to make it easier to detain and jail people who have been involved in terrorist activities overseas, and why we also need legislation to ensure that the police and other security agencies continue to have access to telecommunications data.
I want to stress that the first priority of government is the safety of our community and this Government will never be undersold when it comes to national security. We are determined to do everything we humanly can to keep the Australian people safe and while what we saw in our papers and on our screens over the last 24 hours is truly sickening and utterly evil, it does strengthen our resolve to do what we need to, to keep our community safe and strong.
QUESTION:
Does this have the opportunity to drive a wedge in the Australian community which is a diverse community?
PRIME MINISTER:
Of course it's a diverse community and that's one of the strengths of our society; that people have come here from the four corners of the earth. They have chosen Australia. People have come from many different backgrounds, many different religions and ethnicities, they've chosen Australia because they like the way people live here, they like the protections that we accord people in a country such as this and that will never change. I want to stress that the laws that we are proposing, the changes that we will make, are not targeting any particular community, they are targeting terrorism. That's what they're targeting and everyone who is appalled by terrorism has every reason to support the laws that this Government will introduce.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, will James Foley’s death increase the likelihood of a stronger military response?
PRIME MINISTER:
There’s no doubt that it emphasises the evil of ISIL and it reinforces the need to take effective steps to combat ISIL, but no one in Australia, no one in the United States or in Britain or in France, or any of our like-minded countries is suggesting combat troops on the ground. But, we are talking to each other about what we can reasonably do to save people from these murderous hordes. I don't see that as in any way a military response; I see that as a humanitarian response.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, are you concerned about the terrorist threat from Indonesia, in particular from Jemaah Islamiah, who has been aligned with ISIS?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, Jemaah Islamiah was the inspiration for terrorist attacks that took almost 100 Australian lives. They are part of a global terrorist network and, yes, I do note that Jemaah Islamiah now claims to be aligned with the ISIL movement, and I think that does indicate the potential for increased terrorist activity in our region, but we have very good and strong cooperation with Indonesia. We've had good and strong police and security cooperation with Indonesia, at least since the time of the Bali Bombings and I expect that to continue and grow in the months and years ahead.
QUESTION:
Regarding the GP co-payment, what would be a suitable amount do you think for pensioners to pay?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, let's finish with security issues, and then I’ll go onto other issues.
Is there any other security questions?
QUESTION:
Just quickly, comments from Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, would you get and have you sought similar assurances from the new Indonesian President?
PRIME MINISTER:
I spoke to the incoming President the day his election was confirmed, and I look forward to meeting with him as soon as I humanly can. I've had a very good and close relationship with President Yudhoyono. Successive Australian Prime Ministers have. Obviously, Prime Minister Howard was a particularly close friend to President Yudhoyono and I expect the friendship to continue and hopefully to increase under Jokowi, the new President. I believe that the strength of the relationship is not simply due to the personal respect that Australian and Indonesian leaders have for each other, but it is due to the natural complementarity between the two countries.
QUESTION:
Does the AMA alternative to the GP co-payment [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER:
I haven't had the chance to look at anything that the AMA have said today. Obviously, I've had lots of dialogues with the AMA on lots of subjects over the years, including many, many, many discussions and a close partnership with the AMA as Health Minister. What I welcome is the AMA's commitment in principle to a co-payment because a co-payment is good policy. It's good policy in respect of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and it’s good policy in respect of Medicare as even Bob Hawke accepted some years ago when the Labor Party actually brought in a co-payment for a period. I respect and value Medicare. I think Medicare is an iconic Australian institution and I think if there is a modest co-payment, over time, that will help us to value even more the vital services that we get from Medicare on an everyday basis.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, how much would be a suitable amount for pensioners to pay?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think that $7 is a good amount. It's about the same that pensioners pay for their subsidised drugs under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and if it's fair and reasonable for people, including pensioners, to pay about $7 when they receive their subsidised PBS drugs. I don't think it's unreasonable for a comparable amount to be paid for visits to the GP.
QUESTION:
So there won't be a concession for pensioners or others?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, we are supporting the budget measures. Yes, we're talking to the crossbench about how they can best be implemented, we're talking to the AMA about how they can best be put into effect, but we support the policies that we announced on Budget night.
QUESTION:
You said yesterday that pensioners paid a little under what the rest of the population pay with regards to the PBS and you thought that seemed quite reasonable with regards to a visit to the doctor. Do you stand by that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes.
QUESTION:
Is the Budget crisis over?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the budget crisis started to end with the election of a Government committed to tackling it. The point I made yesterday – let me make it again today – if you've got a fire, you've got an emergency, but the instant the fire brigade turns up the emergency starts to come under control. Now we did have a budget emergency under a Government which was completely indifferent to fiscal responsibility, under a Government that really didn't have a clue when it came to economic management and what we've seen from Wayne Swan and the arguments between Wayne Swan and Martin Ferguson just show that the Labor Party does not have a clue when it comes to economic management and they haven't learnt and they can't learn. They can't learn and they won't learn. That's the problem.
Now, this is a Government that does understand that you've got to live within your means and every day since September last year we have been getting on with the job of budget repair and part of the job of budget repair, Alan, is a modest Medicare co-payment and let's be absolutely crystal clear about this, lots of people pay already to go to the doctor, including the GP. If you're in Canberra, for instance, you'll typically pay a co-payment, that's to say a gap between the Medicare rebate and what the doctor actually charges you in the order of $40. Pensioners, even in Canberra, will usually get bulkbilled and we are suggesting the modest co-payment of $7, which is about the same as pensioners pay for the PBS, but lots of people will pay more, they already pay more because they choose to go to doctors who don't bulk bill.
QUESTION:
Will the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse get the extra time [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER:
We support the Royal Commission – always have, always will. There's a process that has to be gone through for significant additional spending and we're actually going through that process now.
QUESTION:
Do you support it in-principle?
PRIME MINISTER:
I want the Royal Commission to do its job. I want it to have the time and resources that it needs to do its job properly.
QUESTION:
Do you support Jacqui Lambie’s call for national service to be reinstated so that we can head off overseas threats from China?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, China is our friend not our enemy, so I don't support her observations. I certainly want everyone to make a contribution to our country. One of the reasons why the Government is very committed to ensuring that young people don't leave school and go on the Dole is because we want people to start their adult life making a contribution.
QUESTION:
So national service, Prime Minister, do you support that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, the sort of national service that she was proposing – no, we don't. I think everyone should serve their country in one form or another and we saw a whole lot of people here at this morning tea this morning who are serving our country in sports associations, in Scouts associations, in the police force, in service clubs, in religious and charitable groups, and I want everyone to serve our country in the way that seems best to individual Australians.
QUESTION:
Clive Palmer has a record of non-attendance in Parliamentary committee meetings. Do you think he’s pulling his weight as an MP?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'll leave the people to judge.
QUESTION:
Well, within your position, record non-attendance, he's not showing up to these committee meetings, what do you think about it?
PRIME MINISTER:
The best thing that Mr Palmer and the other crossbenchers in the Parliament could do to serve our country and serve the Parliament would be to engage constructively with the Government and pass this Budget so that we get the economic situation under better control.
QUESTION:
Josh Frydenberg nominated you yesterday for the ice bucket challenge. Any comment on whether or not you intend to take that up?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, it's a very good cause, a super cause and I'll be meeting with people who are supporting this cause later on today. I've got to say that I'd probably rather make a modest financial contribution than submit myself to a shower of ice, but it is a great cause and I'm happy to be helpful.
Thank you.
[ends]