PRIME MINISTER:
This is a great initiative. What you’re seeing here is real enthusiasm from the business community to employ veterans. That's what this is all about. It will improve the recruiting ability of the armed forces as well. We were just talking, Dan and I, with Ben Robert-Smith and the Chief of the Defence Force - nothing is going to reassure a would-be recruit more than knowing that when their time of service comes to an end, they'll have a great job to go to. Nothing will reassure somebody who is in the service that they should keep serving knowing that their service is actually making them more employable for when they leave. So this is a real win-win. The big missing element here has been awareness and that's why raising the profile of this issue of veterans' employment is so important.
We believe that this initiative, this program, is going to really accelerate. It was interesting hearing from Luke from JP Morgan about the success of a similar program in the United States. There is no reason why we can't achieve the same kind of success here.
As you heard me say earlier, in these centenary years of the First World War, we best honour the Diggers of 1916 by supporting the servicemen and women, the veterans and the families of 2016. That's our commitment.
Dan, you are doing a great job with implementing this initiative. This is all part of our commitment to the men and women who keep us free. Dan.
MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS:
Thanks, Prime Minister. We announced this in the Cabinet Room and here we are at Kirribilli implementing. Prime Minister, your commitment to this is clearly demonstrated by that fact -Cabinet Room to Kirribilli - your mark on it the whole way through. That's what's going to be crucial in driving this.
We heard today industry wants to get behind this program. We know through the initiatives we have announced today that Government is also going to lead the way. Can I thank you for your commitment to this? The hard work begins now but I'm absolutely convinced, if we all work together, under your leadership on this program, we are going to get serious, serious results. Thank you for launching this here today at Kirribilli and I look forward to being part of the team that implements this successfully.
PRIME MINISTER:
We are surrounded by some veterans and veterans' representatives who are doing a fantastic job in leading the way, being great role models for their successful transition into civilian employment.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, PTSD is a big hurdle to veterans getting employment in civilian roles. Is that going to be part of this program?
PRIME MINISTER:
Can I say to you, as you know from July 1, anybody who has served even as little as a day in the ADF or is serving in the ADF, of course, as well, will have access to mental health services to deal with PTSD and of course, other issues - alcohol, substance abuse and so forth. Do you want to enlarge on that?
MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS:
Yes, PM. It's an incredibly important initiative which we announced in this year's Budget. If you've served one day, you get free treatment. It doesn't matter where you've served. It's not service-related. You get free treatment for PTSD, for anxiety, for depression, for alcohol and substance abuse. The key message we want to get out to serving defence personnel and veterans who might have concerns in this area is please get the help that you need because the treatment is there and it's free for you.
PRIME MINISTER:
Great.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, there was a story in the Daily Telegraph this morning that Greg Norman, the golfer actually gave you the personal number for Donald Trump. Is this true?
PRIME MINISTER:
Greg Norman is a great Australian. He is a great advocate for strengthening the Australian-American alliance. One of our greatest assets, you know, is the more than million Australians who live overseas and Greg is one of them and he has been a great help. He is an example of what I've often said about the relationship between Australia and the United States. It depends, sure it depends on good relations between leaders and ministers and so forth but above all it is based on millions of people-to-people links, millions of people who are committed to strong ties. Greg is one of those and he's a great Australian and very committed to a very strong relationship. He wants Australia to succeed, America to succeed and, if we both succeed, that'll be good for the world too.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, why didn't your office have Mr Trump's number before the election?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm not going to - in diplomacy and politics, you use lots of networks. All I can say is we have great networks, great connections and Greg Norman is a great Australian.
JOURNALIST:
Was it because you thought Hillary Clinton was going to win?
PRIME MINISTER:
It is interesting. I don't think anyone was more careful than me in staying out of the US election. There were a few other people in politics, particularly in the Opposition ranks, who decided to engage in it. The decision of the United States people is a decision for them. I have congratulated President-elect Donald Trump and we want him to succeed. We do, we want America to be more successful than ever. We want Australia and America to be more successful than ever together.
JOURNALIST:
Is this the form of communication you plan on using with President-elect Trump going forward?
PRIME MINISTER:
We have many means of communicating and connecting. You know - life is full of networks and Australia has a great asset, we have a great asset in all of those Australians who live overseas. That's Ken Allen, you may remember, who was the Consul General in New York set up the organisation Advance which brings together the Australian diaspora. It is a big asset of ours.
JOURNALIST:
There is another story coming out in Canberra today about allegedly a Russian diplomat abusing a young woman there following a car crash and then refusing to take responsibility for it. More broadly speaking perhaps, do you think there is an issue with some countries abusing diplomatic immunity in Canberra?
PRIME MINISTER:
I am not familiar with the particular case you’ve raised with me so I will take that one on notice.
JOURNALIST:
You travel to the APEC conference tonight. Do you think the Trump election will be a big issue at that conference?
PRIME MINISTER:
Everyone will be talking about it there is no doubt about that. The election of a new President in the United States is a momentous decision for the United States and for the whole world so of course it will be a very keen topic of conversation. The focus at APEC will be, just as it was at the G20, on ensuring that we maintain that strong economic growth, ensuring that we maintain a commitment to open markets, to trade. We have seen and Dan's got a very good insight into this representing a regional electorate. We have seen in Australia that thanks to our big export trade deals that we negotiated with China, Korea, Japan and, of course, most recently Singapore, we have seen enormous growth in exports from regional Australia including from parts of Australia which have been hard-hit by the downturn in the mining construction boom.
I know sometimes some people complain that I talk about jobs and growth too much. Let me tell you, that's the key. Our key responsibility in the economic field is ensuring that we maintain strong economic growth, that all Australians and all parts of Australia share in it so that the rising tide does in fact lift all boats, not leave any behind and that one of the great advantages we've had from these big new markets for regional Australia is the exports that it has driven. I don't know if you want to add to that, Dan.
MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS:
Absolutely, Prime Minister. Exports are a key driver of jobs in regional and rural Australia. If we don't keep continuing opening up access to markets, we will see jobs decline, not grow. APEC has always been fundamental in pursuing that. As is our bilateral arrangements with other countries. As is the multilateral agreements that we try and seek through the WTO. Your work in APEC, the relationship you can build with President Trump are all going to be absolutely vital to jobs in regional and rural Australia.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Turnbull – can I ask you a question about terror? Have you heard of any new or increased terror threat in Australia and is there any need for us to be more prepared for a possible attack?
PRIME MINISTER:
The terror alert level is where it has been for some time, we are constantly alert. We have the best security and police services, intelligence services in the world. They work night and day just as our Defence Forces do to keep us safe. We are very keenly alert to the threat of terror but it is an abiding responsibility of government and of the courageous and really professional men and women in our security, police, intelligence services that keep us safe.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, Karl Rove said that the refugee swap deal could be potentially torn up by the Trump Administration. Did you discuss the deal with Mr Trump or has the government discussed it with his advisers?
PRIME MINISTER:
We deal with one Administration at a time. Just one more question.
JOURNALIST:
On the ABCC, are you confident you will have the support to pass it by the end of the year?
PRIME MINISTER:
Sorry?
JOURNALIST:
The ABCC, are you confident you will have the support to pass it?
PRIME MINISTER:
We will be presenting it to the Senate and we look forward to the support of the Senate for this very important legislation. Restoring the rule of law to the construction and building sector is a vitally important economic reform. This is an industry or a sector that employs a million Australians and the rule of law needs to be restored and that will benefit everybody. It will benefit all those who work in that industry, protect them from bullying and thuggery. It will ensure that taxpayers' money is better spent. We know that. It's well understood that the lawlessness in the construction sector, because of these militant unions adds 30 per cent plus to the cost of union projects. This includes big government projects - roads, schools, railways, hospitals and so forth.
Thank you all very much indeed. I'm now heading to the Wayside Chapel.
[ENDS]