E&OE...............................................................................................
Well just before I take any questions can I just say that this morning
has been an opportunity for me to understand the impact on people
in a very direct and personal sense of what happened here a little
over a week ago. It was quite an extraordinary act of God, a natural
occurrence, quite beyond the expectation of, I think, of anybody.
I have to, on behalf of the entire Australian nation, thank the
Police, the Emergency Services, particularly the volunteers, but
all of them the volunteers and the professionals.
I believe Australia's emergency services are the best in the
world. I don't think we handle these situations, I don't
think any people handle them any better than what Australians do
and those marvellous orange uniforms are now becoming part-and-
parcel of the Australian psyche. They are part of Australian folklore,
you see them everywhere whether it's the fires, the Thredbo
disaster, Katherine, Wollongong, Townsville, wherever it may be.
That marvellous co-operative volunteer Australian spirit comes to
the fore and I think it is marvellous that people do sink their
differences at a time like this. You have the odd exception to that
which is distressing, stories of looting which is quite appalling.
People praying on the misery of their fellow country men and women
but overwhelmingly the community has banded together and I think
the spirit of the city of Wollongong and the people of the Illawarra
is to be applauded and I certainly, on behalf of your fellow Australians,
do that.
I want to thank the Mayor. I also want to thank Steve Martin, the
Local Member, for the hospitality, the courtesy they have shown
me today and the way in which they have put their point of view
on behalf of the people they represent. This is an issue above and
beyond politics. This is about Australians helping each other. I
have had a couple of issues raised with me today, obviously there
is concern about insurance. I will, through my appropriate colleagues,
pursue that issue with the Insurance Council. This is not the first
time this issue has arisen, it has arisen on other occasions and
I understand the strength of feelings on that. Obviously I have
to take advice and obviously the companies have a point of view
to put but I want to say that I am very sympathetic to people who
feel that their whole sort of financial future is on the line if
their expectations are not met. But it is something that has to
be examined according to the law. It has also got to be examined,
I hope, from the company's point of view in an understanding
and sympathetic way because this is an extraordinarily unusual occurrence
and to say to an ordinary person, well you just have to cop this
or that, is a bit tough. I think there is an occasion for some give
and take in these sorts of situations and.....
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I will be arranging for the Minister for Finance, John Fahey,
to have a talk to the Insurance Council about this. I did the same
thing when I visited Katherine earlier this year when Katherine
had that same problem. I can't unduly raise expectations, on
the other hand, I am very sympathetic to what has been put to me
this morning and I feel sorry for the people involved. And obviously
the insurance companies have got a point of view to put and that
has got to be listened to by the Government as well. I should also
confirm that the normal additional cash support for people who particularly
have struck circumstances by reason of their job no longer being
there as a result of the damage, and subject to the normal criteria,
that that cash assistance is available through Centrelink. The Mayor
raised with me some concern on his part that there may have been
a doubt that that was available. It is, it applies once again, it
applied in the wake of the Katherine flood and this is over and
above the arrangements that exist between the Federal Government
and the State governments of Australia whereby when you have a disaster
of this magnitude there is a contribution initially by the States
and when it gets above a certain level then the Commonwealth assistance
becomes available. Now, those arrangements, of course, apply in
this particular case. But I wanted to come here today to talk to
the people first and foremost, to express my concern and solidarity
with them on behalf of their fellow Australians. I wanted also to
find out if there were, above and beyond, what the Federal Government
is providing under the normal arrangements, if there were other
things that the Federal Government could do to help. And I certainly
intend to pursue those, the insurance issue, I have confirmed the
arrangement in relation to the cash support and I am quite sure
that the Mayor will have one or two other things that he might want
to put to me and I would be very, very happy to listen because we
want to help, nobody could have anticipated this. I know it has
shaken the community but it has also drawn the community closer
together and it once again demonstrated that that shining Australian
spirit of volunteer co-operation comes through when we have all
got to pitch in and help each other in a time of common challenge.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Look we are prepared to be generous.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, on Friday the Governor-General said the insurance companies
have got a moral duty to pay.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think you have got my views on the situation. I feel very,
very sympathetic in relation to what has occurred and I think the
best and most intelligent thing I can do apart from making statements
is to get my Minister to talk to the insurance party.
JOURNALIST:
You will be urging the Insurance Council to [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well of course I think in a situation like this there has got to
be some give and take and you can't always rely on the strict
letter of the law.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible].. did you have some luck with that?
PRIME MINISTER:
We had some luck, yes. But look every situation is different, I
have said what we are going to do and I am going to ask the Minister
to talk to the Insurance Council.
JOURNALIST:
Have you put a figure on how much the Federal Government is willing
to help out [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER:
No look, I don't think it is sensible on occasions like this
to put figures on things. I have dealt with two specific issues
that are concerning people the insurance and also the Centrelink
cash. I know that the Mayor will have some other views to put to
me, we will have a bit of a private chat in a minute and I [inaudible]
the Federal Government wants to help generously because this is
a very difficult situation. But I am not going to start putting
figures on things, I don't think that's the intelligent
way to go about it. I think what you have got to do is to work out
what is being already provided through the normal arrangements and
if there are other particular concerns that people have, address
them. But not by running around putting figures on it, I think that's
just not the right way to do it.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Carr was talking about a natural disaster relief fund, what is
your reaction to that call? I understand you are going to speak
with him about it this week?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think it is a question of working out what is the best response
in each individual situation. I don't know that that is necessarily
the answer, I think the answer is to have in place some very good
co-operative arrangements which we have had now for years under
governments of both sides of politics and they have worked well.
And then on top of that when particular disasters come along you
look at the circumstances of each particular disaster and decide
what extra help you can give. I frankly think that works better
because there's always going to be something more that you
can do, there's always going to be some additional thing that
a Federal government or a State government can do over and above
the normal arrangements and over and above the tremendous volunteer
efforts of the community. And I want to endorse very warmly to the
Australian community, not just to the people of Illawarra but to
the Australian community, the Lord Mayor's appeal. The Lord
Mayor of the city of Wollongong launched an appeal and I commend
him for that, I commend the Council of the city of Wollongong for
the way in which it has worked and discharged its responsibilities
and, of course, again could I express my heartfelt thanks to the
Police, to the SES workers and all the other volunteers, the local
charities, the Salvation Army and all those great organisations.
It always helps, and to their untiring... and assisting their
fellow country men and women at a time like this. I think they are
magnificent and they do it better than any other group of people
in the world. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no, I think you have more flexibility if you have a basic arrangement
and then over and above that with particular disasters you respond
with particular measures. I think it gives you more flexibility.
Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
Can I ask you [inaudible]?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it depends how political it is. I haven't come here to,
sort of, get into a political on it. I mean I recognise that this
is a community effort, I have people of other political persuasions
with me, I respect that, and they respect my position and I don't
want to turn this into a slanging match between the Liberal Party
and the Labor Party if that is what your question is about.
JOURNALIST:
No.
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh right, I am relieved to hear that.
JOURNALIST:
I would have moved onto it.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah, I am sure you would have, yes.
JOURNALIST:
The Australian Council of State Schools have voiced a concern.....
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh you are asking me about taxation are you?
JOURNALIST:
Yes, how does a GST [inaudible].....
PRIME MINISTER:
Well look, I think our plan is fantastic but I am not going to say
any more in this environment okay.
[ENDS]