PRIME MINISTER:
Well it’s great to be here with the member for Brisbane, Trevor Evans. We've had a very good discussion about our approach to cities is going to mean better investment, better outcomes, greater liveability for the people of Brisbane.
You know, for many years federal, state and local governments have tended to pass like ships in the night. They haven't worked together. We are changing that. We are going to work closely together and coordinate with our investments. So we’ve been having a very good discussion with the Lord Mayor this morning about the future of public transport in Brisbane. We talked about the Brisbane Metro project, the cross-river rail project. Later today Paul Fletcher will be meeting with Jackie Trad to discuss the way in which our $10 million commitment to the planning work for the cross-river rail, Brisbane Metro, how they complement each other, how we will support the better public transport outcomes for Brisbane, how that will be done.
It is a good example today of the collaboration we are showing. We are working with state and local government we have two projects here - Brisbane Metro and cross-river rail. They're not competing. They are complementary. It is important to make sure that we get the investment right and the planning right. That’s what we’re here to support.
Graham, did you want to add to that?
LORD MAYOR OF BRISBANE, GRAHAM QUIRK:
Thanks very much, Prime Minister. Welcome to Brisbane, along with Minister Fletcher and Trevor Evans. I just wanted to say that what we have to do in our city is make sure that in representing people, we are not working at cross-purposes. Now clearly, if you were in any other capital city of Australia, the issues of public transport would solely rest with the State Government. We are a more complex situation here because of a factor of history. The fact that Brisbane City Council has been engaged in bus services, which in our city represents 68 per cent of public transport usage. The reality is that both the Brisbane Metro subway system and cross-river rail are necessary projects for our city, as the Prime Minister has indicated. What we need to do is make sure that we are working cooperatively around those. There has never been a negative word that you’ve heard from me about cross-river rail and there won't be, because the reality is that we need that piece of infrastructure as we do need the Brisbane Metro.
The important thing is the coordination of effort to make sure that both bus and rail services are improved in our city. That means that there has to be a single plan as a way forward, it means that we have to have a spirit of cooperation within that, to ensure that the people are the beneficiaries of that cooperation. Thank you, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER:
Very good. Paul, did you want to add to that?
MINISTER FOR URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE:
Look, I'll just briefly add that we had some very constructive discussions with the Lord Mayor this morning. I'm looking forward to meeting with the Deputy Premier Jackie Trad this afternoon. The cross river rail project, the Brisbane Metro project, two very important projects from a Commonwealth point of view. We have announced $10 million funding towards planning for the cross-river rail and we want to make sure that a key element of that is how that project coordinates with Brisbane Metro. So good discussions and I this morning look forward to further discussions with Deputy Premier Trad this afternoon.
PRIME MINISTER:
Trevor, we’re on your patch do you have anything to add?
TREVOR EVANS MP:
No, just to say how wonderful it is to be hosting the Prime Minister here in Brisbane and to see such a great level of collaboration and cooperation between different levels of government.
PRIME MINISTER:
Very good. Thank you, now are there any questions?
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister on cross river rail, are you committed to seeing the whole project delivered, so much funding will you contribute to that?
PRIME MINISTER:
It is clearly an important project, it’s a necessary project as the Lord Mayor said. The important thing is to get the planning right. We have not made a decision about what additional funding would be provided but it is important to get the planning right, to see how innovative financing can be deployed, what value capture can be enabled in terms of getting contributions from the uplift in property values. This is all work that needs to be done.
I know cross-river rail has been talked about for a long time and the people of Brisbane no doubt feel that the project has been around forever. It had been in terms of people talking about it. But the business case was only completed this year and is still being examined by Infrastructure Australia and our Department. There clearly needs to be better coordination with the City Council in terms of Brisbane Metro. We're seeking to provide a constructive role and a partnership role to do that.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
It is important when you're dealing with constrained public resources, you know taxpayers' dollars are scarce; our Budget is in deficit, as you know - it is important to ensure that we can use our taxpayers' dollars as effectively as possible. Where there is the opportunity to secure support from landowners whose property is going to be considerably benefitted from new public transport infrastructure, that's an option to look at. It clearly has greater potential in some areas than others. It is not something to be dogmatic about. But it is something that we need to look at. If you look at another cross-rail, for example, cross-rail in London, a very substantial part of that is being paid for by value capture methods.
JOURNALIST:
So it is not a definite at the moment?
PRIME MINISTER:
It is an issue this study will examine carefully yes.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, three of your Ministers have become involved in serious disputes with senior office holders, statutory public servants. Does your office, your government have problem with receiving frank advice?
PRIME MINISTER:
We value immensely the very frank advice we get from the Australian Public Service.
JOURNALIST
Should there be an investigation as to why the Solicitor-General and the Attorney-General haven't got on? What has led to this dispute?
PRIME MINISTER
I think that was explained by both the Solicitor-General and the Attorney-General. I have to say that I thank the Solicitor-General for his service. I understand why he has made that decision to resign. I think he has made the right decision. It's always regrettable when people don't get on in the workplace. But that's been the case and he has made the right call but I thank him for his work.
JOURNALIST:
Has Senator Brandis been entirely without blame in this situation, though?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, look, I'm not going to pursue the issue other than to say the Solicitor-General has made the right decision and I thank him very much for his service to the Commonwealth.
JOURNALIST:
Has the office –
PRIME MINISTER:
Sorry, please.
JOURNALIST:
How does it feel to be more unpopular –
PRIME MINISTER:
Just speak up a little bit.
JOURNALIST:
How does it feel to be a more unpopular, Prime Minister, than Tony Abbott?
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you very much.
JOURNALIST:
Has the Office of Solicitor-General been damaged at all? Is there a risk that senior lawyers won't want to nominate for this role now?
PRIME MINISTER:
The Office of Solicitor-General is one that is always, it is one of the great offices of the law. You know, you will always find many distinguished lawyers who would be honoured to accept an appointment as Solicitor-General.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, just on a project in Melbourne, why should the South Yarra station be included in the Melbourne Metro project?
PRIME MINISTER:
I have read that report. It is not correct. The position with the Melbourne Metro is that we offered the Victorian Government $10 million to assist in the planning, further planning, and design of that project. And they rejected it. So they have said they don't need any money from the Federal Government for the Melbourne Metro.
MINISTER FLETCHER:
That's right. We also offered them $857 million under the asset recycling initiative. Again, they've said they don't want that.
PRIME MINISTER:
So we've offered money for Melbourne Metro. They've declined it. We've not stipulated any particular route or alignment at all.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, you cited –
PRIME MINISTER:
Sorry. Hang on. Go on.
JOURNALIST:
You're in Queensland all week meeting with MPs. Queensland MPs are pushing for more representation on the front bench. When will Stuart Robert be back on the frontbench?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I have got a very good frontbench but no doubt there will be changes in the future. But it's a very good frontbench and I'm not foreshadowing any changes. I also have got a very talented Party room, including, amongst that talent, is Mr Robert, as you said. But we have an abundance of talent. We have, if you like, we have many more people qualified to serve on the frontbench than we have places. But that is a good problem to have, if you're the Prime Minister.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, when you –
PRIME MINISTER:
Sorry, okay, please.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, when you made your pitch to replace Tony Abbott you cited Newspoll, particularly 30 losing Newspoll’s as a reason to replace him. You just lost another Newspoll today. Surely you can say, at least [Inaudible] the result about why - why are voters believing you're unpopular?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, that's a very long question. The important thing for me, as Prime Minister, and for my Government, is to get on with the job of governing and delivering, and that is what we're doing. We're doing that here, in Brisbane. We're doing it here, in Queensland. We have the highest per capita investment of federal money into infrastructure in any state in Queensland - massive infrastructure investment in Queensland, right across the state.
Now, that's our commitment, and that is our focus - on delivering on our commitments. You know very well here, we're standing in the heart of the City of Brisbane. You know what has been happening with the lawlessness on construction sites here. You've seen the CFMEU shutdown construction sites right across the city. We went to the election with a pledge to restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission. That bill has now passed the House of Representatives. It'll go into the Senate when the Parliament comes back. And we're asking the Senate to vote for it and support it, to restore the rule of law to the building and construction centre in Brisbane, and right around the country.
So our job is getting on with governing. We've promised middle income tax cuts. We've delivered them. They've been passed. We said we would continue to bring down that deficit and reduce the debt we're leaving for our children and grandchildren. We've already achieved $6 billion of savings agreed by the Parliament that the Labor Party had opposed prior to the election. So right across the board we are getting on with the job and governing.
JOURNALIST:
Why don’t voters like you according to this Newspoll -
PRIME MINISTER:
Sorry, you had a question. Sorry, your question.
JOURNALIST:
Graham Quirk is a very popular Lord Mayor. Did you ask for any tips today?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, Graham, give me some tips. Give me some tips.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister -
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think it is a rhetorical question but look can I say, let me, I’ll pay Graham an accolade. The reason Graham has been returned as Mayor and the reason his LNP team have done so well is because they have got on with the job of delivering. They've not been driven by ideology. They’ve not been distracted by politics. They’ve not been distracted by personalities. They've not been distracted by polls. They've got on with the job of delivering for the people of Brisbane. That's what good governments do. That's what my Government is doing.
We are delivering, we are governing, we are delivering the jobs and growth that we promised, and we will continue to do so. There will be distractions, of course - that's in the nature of politics. But we will govern, we will lead, we will deliver. Thank you very much.
[ENDS]