Subjects: visit to Wagga Wagga; interest rates; medical indemnity insurance; skilled migrants; Kendall airline.
E&OE...........
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
I';m sorry what are you talking about?
JOURNALIST:
Bill Heffernan, Senator Heffernan yesterday [inaudible] an apology. Can we read anything into that?
PRIME MINISTER:
[inaudible] he';s not at this function? No you can';t read anything into that.
JOURNALIST:
Does he have a long term future….
PRIME MINISTER:
Bill Heffernan is a very fine Senator for New South Wales and he';s a very hard working person and Bill makes a great contribution to the Liberal Party and to the Parliament.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I haven't been briefed. It's come down while I've been at meetings so I really can't comment until I know a little more about it.
JOURNALIST:
Will you take up Mr Wales' offer to have a Cabinet meeting in Wagga?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I'll certainly put it on the list of regional centres, cities that have asked. We like to take the Cabinet around and I'll certainly give it serious consideration. We get requests from regional centres, cities around Australia and I can't promise because there's only a limited number of regional cabinet meetings we can have but I'll certainly give it very serious thought because Wagga Wagga is a very big city. It's the largest regional inland city in New South Wales.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think yesterday';s interest rate rise is the first of a series of rises?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look I don';t speculate about future movements. I just remind everybody that the average mortgage around Australia is $150,000 now and interest rates are $500 a month lower on the average mortgage than they were when this government came to office six years ago. Even after yesterday';s rise interest rates are still incredibly low in this country and housing is very affordable and it';s easier for businesses, small businesses and farmers now because interest rates are much lower than they were some years ago.
JOURNALIST:
There';s not a danger of people becoming over-extended?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think that';s needlessly negative talk. I think the Australian economy is very well balanced. If people want to buy their homes we encourage them to do so. We';ve provided them with the climate that';s produced low interest rates and we';ve also provided them with a very effective homebuyers'; grant which has given a marvellous shot in the arm for the housing industry.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, the fact is that people are now going to, officially in Wagga here, people are now going to have to pay more just to get into the high market and I';m just wondering if you feel that that';s a disincentive for people to come and work?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don';t think if you look at the totality of the home market, not only here in Wagga Wagga but around Australia, there are more incentives now than there have been for years. And a quarter of one per cent increase from a historically low base is not going to represent a significant disincentive and I think we have to preserve a sense of proportion. I mean we have interest rates now that have risen a quarter of one per cent off a 30 year low. I mean let';s preserve a sense of proportion.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, you said earlier that it was 25 years was too long between visits to Wagga, when are we going to see you back again?
PRIME MINISTER:-
Well I haven';t left yet.
JOURNALIST:
The health crisis at the moment, we';ve got a doctors shortage, we had in Albury the emergency ward closed at one stage due to the anaesthetists crisis. How are we going to lure more medical professionals to regional areas, particularly Wagga and surrounds?
PRIME MINISTER:-
Well there are a number of things the Government has done over the years to help that. We';ve put a lot of extra money into different programmes that have encouraged more doctors to come to non-metropolitan areas. We do have to do something both at a Federal and a State level about the problem of medical indemnity insurance. The Government has provided some short term stabilisation of that position through the help it';s given to UMP. And we';re looking at medium/longer term responses as well and I will have more to say about that soon.
JOURNALIST:
Is encouraging more skilled migrants a part of that?
PRIME MINISTER:-
Yes. We believe this country can have more skilled migrants, we would like to see fewer new migrants go into Sydney and to the bigger cities but we';d like to see more of them go to regional areas. The opportunity is there if regional areas can attract them for them to benefit. I think we can sustain the increase in the migrant intake that the Government';s announced, it';s got the balance right, the emphasis is on skills and I would certainly like to see more of them go to cities like Wagga Wagga. Everybody would benefit.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister we';ve got 85 skilled migrants working in the city (inaudible) at the moment, at the (inaudible) Meatworks, and yet they';re facing deportation at the moment…
PRIME MINISTER:-
Well are they here illegally?
JOURNALIST:
Well…
PRIME MINISTER:-
Well if facing deportation they would not be here illegally. I';m talking about people who come here legally under the migrant programme. I';m not briefed on that but I';d be surprised if anybody who came here legally was facing deportation, in fact I';d be astounded.
JOURNALIST:
… regional airline carrier Kendall here, this is the home base, can I just ask you what you';re reassurance is there…
PRIME MINISTER:-
Well that matter still continues to be under very active study and consideration and we';re pretty hopeful of getting, there are commercial considerations involved and the Government of course provided quite a bit of assistance to stabilise the situation and I';m positive and optimistic and I know Kay Hull';s been very active on this front.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, (inaudible).
PRIME MINISTER:-
Look I';m used to people protesting, it leaves me pretty untroubled.
[ends]