Subject:
workplace reform, Senator Heffernan, road funding, mental health funding
E&OE...
PRIME MINISTER:
Right, any questions?
JOURNALIST:
Senator Heffernan's comments on Julia Gillard can't have helped you to get across your attack on Labor's IR policy?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the question of whether people have children, whether they marry and have children is entirely a matter for them and I do not think it should be a matter of public comment in a political context. It is irrelevant, it's their business and I don't approve of those sort of remarks and I've made that very clear. But as far as the broader issue is concerned, that having been said, her attack on the business community yesterday was bullying in the extreme. She's tried to laugh it off as a joke, it wasn't a joke, she meant exactly what she said and in a nutshell it's revealed the true face of the Labor Party on this issue.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, though, in an interview earlier this morning you made the point that you're conventionally married with children. I mean, why is that even irrelevant, why is that relevant?
PRIME MINISTER:
It was just a statement of a fact, that's all. It's not irrelevant to state the fact. My view is very plain and that is that the social status of an individual, whether they have children or not, should not be a criterion for their being in public office and I said that in that interview this morning, so you should have borne that in mind in asking your question.
JOURNALIST:
Do people who deliberately choose to remain barren know what life's about in your opinion?
PRIME MINISTER:
I am not going to comment on those matters and don't try and get me to do so because I have no intention of doing so. Look, Julia Gillard's life is her business and she has a right to live it according to what she thinks is appropriate and I have never sought ever to draw that kind of thing into the political arena and I've made that very clear and I can't be clearer.
JOURNALIST:
Will you be conveying that to Senator Heffernan?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think I've conveyed it already haven't I?
JOURNALIST:
Have you spoken to him?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I haven't spoken to him because I've been on the road but I will.
JOURNALIST:
PM, you made a serious attack on changes to the unfair dismissal laws...
PRIME MINISTER:
A serious attack?
JOURNALIST:
On Labor's...
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yes, sorry.
JOURNALIST:
...change to the unfair dismissal laws. There have been a series of horror stories from young people about the effect of your changes to unfair dismissal laws on them. Shouldn't that be taken into account, can't you see any need for modification in that area?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I don't see any need for modification in the unfair dismissal area. You have to look at the aggregate outcome of changes like this and the aggregate outcome has been thousands upon thousands of new jobs in small business and an improved disposition by small business to employ people. In my situation you've got to look at the ultimate consequence and the ultimate consequence has been highly beneficial. It has liberated small business, it has removed the nightmare that the old laws represented and has had a very positive effect on jobs.
JOURNALIST:
You've spoken to small business and to local government people here today, what feedback are you seeking from workers in Braddon while you're here?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I run into workers all the time and sometimes more often than others. I mean, yesterday I launched a policy in a company in Sydney and I met close to 70 or 80 workers and I talked to them and I get their views and, I mean, every day offers a new experience.
JOURNALIST:
You've spoken here about the drought and how we should pray for rain or the drought is breaking in some part of the country and the state. The Tasmanian Government yesterday declared part of Tasmania drought affected in a bid to get exceptional circumstances relief for farmers. Will your government look favourably on those applications?
PRIME MINISTER:
We'll look at it as soon as we get it and we haven't got it yet, but as soon as we get it we'll look at it and we'll be sympathetic but we have to get it. I mean, the system works not by the minister saying I've declared a drought affected area. They've got to give us an application, as soon as we get it we'll look at it but we have been very sympathetic and I can't imagine that sympathy won't continue.
JOURNALIST:
You offered a million dollars for and you linked that largely to the drought. The north west was not one of those areas that the Tasmania government...
PRIME MINISTER:
I didn't link it only, it's an element it's not the only reason.
JOURNALIST:
How far do you think it will go to preventing suicide in north west Tasmania?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think it will help a lot because it is a problem in this area and this will improve the mental health services of the whole area and I think it will make a very significant contribution.
JOURNALIST:
Will drought declared affected parts of the state also receive that sort of funding?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we look at each area according to the quality of the application that's been made and the need. I mean, we have a whole country to service and we have made our first announcement and there will be many more made over the months ahead.
JOURNALIST:
Today's release of the figures relating to carbon emissions, I mean, is that a sign that, a weakness in the Opposition's case to set targets.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well the Opposition's case of setting targets is fundamentally flawed because they can't tell us what those targets will entail. I mean, how can you say you've got to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a certain amount by a certain year without knowing the economic consequences? That is putting the cart before the horse, the Opposition is showing its economic inexperience. What it should be doing is working out the consequences and then announcing those consequences along with the target. They realise they're wrong and they've got it the wrong way around because they've now asked Professor Garnaut to give them an assessment which will, what, arrive in the middle of next year. Gee, that's convenient isn't it? They go to the election proclaiming this target and thumping their chest and saying aren't we greener than anybody else, yet they won't know until the middle of next year what the consequence is for jobs in the Australia economy are of the change.
JOURNALIST:
Premier Paul Lennon says that you've been pork barrelling the north and north west of the state at the expense of...
PRIME MINISTER:
Pork barrelling? So in other words providing a million dollars for mental health is pork barrelling?
JOURNALIST:
Well he says it's at the expense of southern roads...
PRIME MINISTER:
So Mr Lennon thinks the people of the north west shouldn't get a million dollars for mental health services? So Mr Lennon, does Mr Lennon want to come up here and tell the people of the north west that a million dollars for mental health is pork barrelling?
JOURNALIST:
I think they're actually supporting you on that.
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, they're supporting me on that?
JOURNALIST:
They are on that one.
PRIME MINISTER:
On that one yes. Isn't that great? Aint that beautiful.
JOURNALIST:
But when it comes to road funding you've passed through a lot of road works up here, they're saying that is at the expense largely of southern roads and particularly you need to look at the Brighton bypass option.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think when an assessment is made in a few months time that the balance, that people will draw a conclusion that it's a fair balance.
JOURNALIST:
Are you prepared to look at the Brighton bypass?
PRIME MINISTER:
We consider any applications that are made consistent with the guidelines for what is federal and what is state. I do remind Mr Lennon that 60 per cent of Tasmania's budget is provided by the Commonwealth already, so I don't think Mr Lennon's in a position to suggest that the Commonwealth has not been fair to Tasmania.
JOURNALIST:
Will you be meeting with Mr Lennon while you're here?
PRIME MINISTER:
No. I saw Mr Lennon a couple of weeks ago in Canberra. If he wants to talk to me about anything he can give me a ring but I'm not planning to meet him while I'm here. That's no disrespect, it's just that our paths are not about to cross.
JOURNALIST:
Sir, last time you were in the north west the Vestas wind turbine factory closed. The state government is now demanding that you look at further expanding the renewable energy targets. What plans do you have on that front?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we don't have plans to do that for the reasons I explained three years ago when the energy white paper was released. The costs involved in the recommendations that Mr Lennon is supporting are not sustainable and that's why we had the policy we did then. Thank you.