ERIC HUTCHINSON:
Welcome, everybody, to Evandale just on the boundary between the electorate of Bass and the electorate of Lyons. I’m pretty excited about this. This has been a culmination of a lot of work by a lot of people – a lot of communities, a lot of individuals – and I won’t go through them all, but I just particularly want to acknowledge Richard Hallett and Mayor Deidre Flint from the Central Highlands, Tim Lyon, Adam Greenhill and all the work that’s been done on the east coast, Marcus McShane, Amy Grubb here locally in the north-west and the other schemes in the Scottsdale region and on the north-west coast of Circular Head.
This is about building infrastructure. This is the Australian Commonwealth Government doing what we said we would do and that is helping our state to help itself. That’s what we’re about. Whether it’s the investment in the Hobart International Airport that was announced earlier this week, whether it’s the irrigation schemes or anybody that’s driving down the Midland Highway, you can see that things are again happening in this state.
It’s not government that does these things; at the end of the day we’ve got to create the environment where the private sector has the confidence to invest. Tasmania has the confidence. There is confidence as demonstrated within the recent Sensis small and medium enterprise survey that shows that this state is leading the nation. And yes, I hope that we can take some of the credit for that but, Prime Minister, particularly, welcome to the electorate. I want to thank you, I want to thank your staff and your ministers, whether it was Minister Hunt, Minister Macfarlane, whether it’s Minster Joyce, but particularly your office and the constructive way that you’ve engaged with Brett and Andrew and I when making representations about a project that is just so vital to our state and one of the natural competitive strengths that this state has which is agriculture. So, thank you very much, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
I’m really pleased to be here with my local members in the electorate of Lyons, with Eric Hutchinson, with Andrew Nikolic and with Brett Whiteley. I’m also pleased to be here with Premier Will Hodgman. This is an important project for Tasmania, but it blazes a trail for the sorts of things that we want to do right around our country.
Prior to the election I said I was determined to be an infrastructure Prime Minister. I said prior to the election that I wanted to help end the ‘dam phobia’ which had afflicted so many aspects of water policy for several decades and this is new economic infrastructure. It involves new dams and water storages here in northern Tasmania and the result of that will be more jobs, more exports, better products and a greater future for the people of Tasmania and Australia.
I think we are on the cusp of an economic revival here in this state. I've said for a long time now that Tasmania is a great place to visit, it's a great place to live, but we want it to be a great place to work as well.
We know that Tasmania has beautiful national parks. We want it to have a strong economy and dynamic businesses as well and that's what this is all about. Measures that the Coalition Government in Canberra is putting in place, complementing the work of the Tasmanian Liberal Government, are helping to bring about this economic revival.
Just in the few months since the Korean Free Trade Agreement was in place, we have seen a surge in cherry exports, we have seen a surge in crayfish exports. We are seeing work on the Midlands Highway, we are beginning the work on the Hobart Airport to put the international back into the Hobart International Airport and now, $60 million from the Federal Government to supplement $30 million from the Tasmanian Government and $27 million from the private sector to make Tranche II of the Tasmanian irrigation project work.
So that's what it's all about. It is about building a stronger economy with more jobs, with more confidence, with more investment, with better products that are going to the wider world. That's what it's all about and I'm very, very proud to be associated with so many good people who have worked for so long and so hard to make this vision a reality and that starts to happen from today.
PREMIER HODGMAN:
Thanks, Prime Minister. Can I on behalf of the State Government acknowledge all present, especially my parliamentary colleagues and you, Prime Minister, and on behalf of the Government with my Deputy and Minister for Primary Industries, Jeremy Rockliff, say how delighted we are to be here on this very important occasion, this tremendous investment in critical infrastructure that will back one of our great competitive strengths and that is our agriculture sector and the fantastic people who work in it.
When the Prime Minister established a Joint Economic Advisory Council that allowed the State Government to participate in a discussion about how we can unlock Tasmania's economic potential, we looked for opportunities such as this where we could partner, not only as governments, but also with the private sector to secure the best possible outcomes.
So when people say to me, “What are you talking about when you say you want to work constructively with the Federal Government?”, it is exactly this sort of thing: delivering strong results, a fantastic partnership between governments but also the private sector who have skin in the game. I do want to acknowledge Chris Oldfield and his team for doing a fantastic job in presenting very sound business cases for irrigation projects around the state, a number of which are already transforming our agriculture sector as we speak with an exciting new set announced today to go ahead as quickly as possible.
We are very serious as a Government about utilising our natural resources in a way that's sustainable, that’s environmentally sound but unlocks our potential. Our fantastic water supply is one of those, but we need to manage it well and need the infrastructure to allow that to happen and to strategically support our agriculture sector so that the farmers can invest, we can create more jobs and we can see Tasmania's economy continue to grow.
There is tremendous confidence in the Tasmanian economy. We are seeing more jobs being created, but we need to maintain the momentum and also look to new opportunities – China being one of those – where we can send our fantastic fresh products into an enormous and growing market.
So again, Prime Minister, I welcome you coming to our state again. I welcome the Federal Government's commitment. I welcome the Federal Government's willingness to work cooperatively with the State Government as well to deliver good outcomes like this because it will help grow our economy and create more jobs for Tasmanians.
QUESTION:
Is there more federal funding to come, because my understanding was that the request was for $110 million from the Federal Government, not $60 million?
PRIME MINISTER:
I’ll ask Will to add to this answer, but I think there are five of six projects that are going ahead at this stage under Tranche II. The final project is awaiting more private sector involvement before it goes ahead. So, there’s $60 million now. There could be more in the future, but what I want to do today is indicate my commitment to Tasmania and my confidence in the economic future of Tasmania, particularly the economic future of Tasmania as a clean, green producer of the best quality food, not just for Australians, but for people all over the world.
PREMIER HODGMAN:
Look, it would be remiss of any good state government not to seek as much as it can from a federal government, but we recognise there are significant fiscal constraints, not only impacting on Tasmania, but also at a national level. Importantly, though, what has been committed today by the Federal Government supporting the $30 million contribution from the State Government, and very importantly, the skin in the game from Tasmania's farmers, will be sufficient to progress these five schemes to ensure Tasmania's water grid is fully connected and we can unlock Tasmania’s agricultural prosperity for the long-term.
PRIME MINISTER:
Any further questions on the irrigation project?
QUESTION:
Are those five schemes definitely going ahead?
PRIME MINISTER:
They are subject to final business cases, but all the preliminary business cases indicate a strong cost-benefit result and that's why this is a very worthwhile investment of taxpayers' money in something which is going to produce long-term economic benefits for this state and for our country. So, yes, they are going ahead subject to those final approvals and as we heard from Chris Oldfield earlier, the first of these new Tranche II projects should be under construction within six to eight months and most of them should be underway within 12 months.
QUESTION:
Can I just ask about the Mersey Hospital? The funding agreement is about to expire. Do you think it's time to rethink the way the hospital is funded?
PRIME MINISTER:
We are continuing to talk to the Tasmanian Government about that.
QUESTION:
Andrew Wilkie has said that he thinks that the services need to be rationalised and that funding could be better spent on the state’s other three hospitals. Do you agree?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, I think it's important that we’ve got good health services right around the state and I think that means the continuation of good strong health services in and around Devonport.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, in light of the news out of the US today, does David Hicks deserve an apology from the Australian Government and is there an avenue for compensation?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't want to comment on the legalities. I want to do two things: first of all, I want to stress that this Government is absolutely relentless in the fight against terrorism – absolutely relentless in the fight against terrorism. We do have a real and, regrettably, a growing terrorist threat and this Government will be ceaseless in our vigilance against it.
QUESTION:
Should Australia have done more to help David Hicks while he was in Guantanamo Bay?
PRIME MINISTER:
We did what was needed but, look, let's not forget that whatever the legalities – and this was essentially a matter for an American court dealing with American law – he was up to no good on his own admission and look, I'm not in the business of apologising for the actions that Australian governments take to protect our country. Not now, not ever.
QUESTION:
So what do you think about that conviction being overturned?
PRIME MINISTER:
This is a matter for the lawyers. I’ll leave it for the lawyers and, if I may say so, I think the important thing is not to fret about an old terrorist threat, it's to focus on the current terrorist threat which is real, which is serious and just last week, thanks to really good work by New South Wales Police, Australian Federal Police and other security agencies, an imminent terrorist attack in Sydney was disrupted. The attack video had already been produced by these people when their would-be attack was disrupted by New South Wales Police.
QUESTION:
So you don't think his conviction should be overturned?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm not in the business of giving legal opinions and I'm certainly not in the business of commenting on legal action in American courts over American laws, I'm just not in that business. What I am in the business of is protecting the Australian community and this Government will be absolutely ceaseless in its vigilance when it comes to protecting the Australian community and giving us the level of safety that we deserve.
QUESTION:
Will those protection measures likely to go beyond the current data retention laws that are proposed?
PRIME MINISTER:
These data retention laws are vital for our safety and it's not just when it comes to terrorist crime; it's when it comes to the whole range of crime that we need these data retention laws. There are very few serious crimes that do not require an investigation and analysis of telecommunications data in their resolution, very few crimes that don't require this kind of thing if they’re to be properly investigated. Without this metadata retention legislation, our police and security agencies will be quite literally flying blind. The last thing we want to do is to give an unfair advantage to criminals and this is why it's critical that the Parliament swiftly pass the metadata retention legislation.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, did you go too far in your comments yesterday directed towards Indonesia with regards to the two Bali Nine members?
PRIME MINISTER:
I was pointing out the depth of the friendship between Australia and Indonesia and the fact that Australia has been there for Indonesia when Indonesia has been in difficulty. That's what I was pointing out – a simple fact. Now, what I've been doing ceaselessly and what the Foreign Minister, what every level of government has been doing in Australia, is saying to the Indonesian Government and people, “Your best interests will be served and your best values will be realised by not going ahead with these executions.” We know that a terrible crime has been committed. Yes, keep these people in jail for a very long time indeed, but don't kill them, because right now they are reformed, they are rehabilitated and they are helping to fight the drug threat in Indonesia inside Indonesia's prison system.
QUESTION:
The Indonesian Foreign Ministry, though, seems to have taken that as a threat. Is that how that was intended, that reference to aid?
PRIME MINISTER:
If I may say so, everyone in this country – everyone in this country, government and media alike – should be focused on what we can best do to ensure that these executions don't go ahead. That's what we should all be doing.
Now, yesterday I was referring to the obvious strength of the relationship between Indonesia and Australia and what we have done for Indonesia in the past, and yes, Indonesia has done a lot for us as well, because that's what friends do for each other. The focus has got to be ensuring that we appeal to the better angels of our natures, the focus has got to be letting Indonesia know that it is in their best interests and it is in accordance with their best values, with the quality of mercy which has just as big a place in Indonesian jurisprudence as it does in Australian jurisprudence, that these executions don't go ahead.
QUESTION:
So it wasn't intended as a threat?
PRIME MINISTER:
It was a reminder of the facts of the depth and the strength of the relationship between Australia and Indonesia and I want that relationship to grow stronger – stronger – in the weeks and months ahead.
QUESTION:
Could you have made your point about a relationship, though, without mentioning the tsunami and aid?
PRIME MINISTER:
It was important that I point out the strength and the depth of the relationship and that's exactly what I was doing.
QUESTION:
Were you advised to step up your language against Indonesia?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm very happy to keep making the same point over and over again and let me finally make the point that all of us are doing what we can to get these two Australians off death row. That's what we are trying to do, and if I may say so, I hope that's your focus too.
QUESTION:
How are negotiations progressing on the RET, especially when it comes to exemptions for the aluminium sector?
PRIME MINISTER:
We are determined to try to ensure that Australian industry gets a fair go. We are also determined to try to ensure that prices to consumers are going down, not up and as currently constituted, the Renewable Energy Target is causing massive pressure on some of our industries, particularly the aluminium industry, and it is driving up prices. That's why it is important this be renegotiated.
I think we've come to the table with a fair offer that will bring certainty to the renewable sector, which will modestly expand the renewable sector, but which won't jeopardise the long-term future of these important industries and which will not put prices up further. So, it's a good offer and let's see if the Labor Party is prepared to junk its alliance with The Greens and actually come to the table and do the right thing by jobs, by consumers and by our future.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, can I just ask about the frozen berry contamination? How confident are you in our quarantine measures on imported products?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, we have a very effective biosecurity system. It's a very effective biosecurity system. We also have a very effective public health system. What I can say is that a National Health Incident Room has been activated to monitor the outbreak of hepatitis as a result of these contaminated imports. The National Health Protection Committee has met to ensure that everything possible is being done. There’s also been an urgent review of our screening and 100 per cent of these sorts of imports are now being screened. As you probably know, we’ve got a high-risk, low-risk categorisation system. If a food import is regarded as high-risk, there is 100 per cent screening; if it's regarded as low-risk, there is surveillance, which is five per cent screening. So, we have moved to 100 per cent screening of these sorts of imports until this matter is resolved in a way which is very protective of the health of the Australian public. So, we've taken firm action because our job is to protect the Australian public.
I should make this point as well, though, and that is that it is the duty of business not to poison its customers. It is the duty of business not to poison its customers and I'm sure all the businesses concerned are urgently reviewing their processes and their procedures to ensure that something like this can never happen again.
Quite possibly, one of the results of this is that we will see fewer imports and more locally-produced product in these sorts of products on the shelves of our supermarkets and shops. Thanks to this marvellous announcement today, thanks to this growth in irrigation and agriculture here in Tasmania, there will be more clean, green Australian produce which will be available for Australian consumers and I think that's the best possible outcome for our country.
Thank you so much.
[ends]