PM: Well it's great to be here with Bernie Ripoll, the local Member, and here at Redbank State School. And we're here today to talk about the national curriculum. And the Australian Government is proud of the fact that after 110 years of waiting, we have now launched a national curriculum in preschools and kindergartens through to year 10, for right across Australia.
We've done this collaboratively with teachers and with curriculum specialists right across the country. We've got this document now out there for consultation with the public, through until the end of May. The big benefit is this - firstly, the emphasis in this new national curriculum is back to the basics. Back to the basics in spelling and sounding out letters. Back to the basics when it comes to adding up, taking away. Back to the basics when it comes to counting. That's the sort of basic education which the mums and dads of Australia want to make sure is happening. And it's good to see so much of that work being done here, at Redbank, already.
The second thing I'd say is this. This new national curriculum is also absolutely important for the nearly 100,000 Australian kids who change states every year. Think about it, if you're a young person, if you're in primary school or early high school and mum or dad because of work, has to move to another state. The sheer disruption this causes to a young person's education is massive. One of the feedbacks we've got from Australian Defence families is that the single biggest problem they face as families is changing schools, changing states every couple of years, which means their kids' education is being permanently disrupted.
So for 110 years, the nation has failed to deliver a national curriculum. We have now released this national curriculum. We think it's the right direction to go in.
One other thing I'd just say is this: this morning we've been looking at A, B, C's, and it's been great to see how that's been taught in the classroom. And we think this is really important for the future. I notice there's already been some criticism of the new national curriculum. Can I just say this - It seems that our political opponents are into their own A, B, C's. Mr Abbott's A, B, C's, his own political curriculum. What's Mr Abbott's A, B, C? It seems to be A is for Argue, B is for Block, and C is for Criticise. Argue against everything. Block practically everything. And criticise practically everything.
I think it's time we actually got on with the business of national reform, national curriculum reform. And I think it's high time as a nation, we got together to bring about a reform that we've been waiting for, for 110 years. Over to you, folks.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you said that you expected to cop a whacking in the polls, that hasn't happened. Is that still yet to come?
PM: Oh look, I believe the polls will continue to tighten for quite a time to come yet. But the bottom line is this, as I've said yesterday and the day before, the Government needs to do better, needs to deliver more, and get back to the basics. And that is what we're on about with this curriculum, and in schools like this at Redbank.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) the mea culpa?
PM: The key thing is to make sure that the Government is delivering on the ground. And what I want to make sure is happening during our third year in office is that we are delivering. Let me point to one example. One of the literacy programs that we've just seen in the classroom here is funded by the Australian Government. That is, how do you get back to the literacy basics with kids who may not have started so well.
That's part of the practical work that we are already doing on the ground. But through this national curriculum on literacy and numeracy, we're going to get on with it right across the nation as well. So in answer to your question, it's about getting back to the basics. Why I'm here in Redbank today is precisely that, to get back to the basics. What matters to me is what happens in this classrooms. What matters to me is what happens with each kid's ability to pick up how to spell, how to read, how to write, how to count, how to add up, how to take away.
JOURNALIST: When can we expect your health plan to be announced?
PM: Well, we're still working with states and territories on some final details. And that is underway through the Health Minister. Can I say on the question of health, we have needed fundamental health and hospital reform in Australia for more than a decade. We've had more than a decade of wasted time on this. And it's time to get on with the job.
I'd say again, in this wasted decade when we should've been reforming our health system, Mr Abbott was Health Minister for four years and failed to do it. We've been in office now for two years. We intend to get on with the job. We've still got a little more to do.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Well, I've always found that when it comes to dealing with the states, whether it's on a national curriculum, or whether it's on fundamental health and hospital reform, you're always going to cop a bit of stick on the way through. The key thing is to make sure you get it done. What I'm on about is getting it done. National curriculum on the one hand, national health and hospitals reform on the other.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) revenue from the States -
PM: Look there's been a thousand different speculations in there in recent times over what might or might not be in our proposal to reform the health and hospital system for the future. We'll release this in our own good time. We're still tying up some details with states and territories. Again I go back to the point, I notice already the Liberal Party is out there criticising our proposals for national health and hospital reform prior to them actually being released.
Talk about being trigger happy with criticism. Can I just suggest to Mr Abbott and the Liberal Party, take a deep breath and just wait for a policy to be released and then engage in your criticism if you so will. But my fundamental point is this: Mr Abbott was Health Minister for four years, ripped a billion dollars out of the public hospitals of Australia, and didn't reform the health system one bit. We've been in office two years. We intend to get on with the job.
JOURNALIST: Would you be prepared to hold a referendum if needs be?
PM: Our position hasn't changed. What I've said all along is that we will put a reform proposal to the states and territories. And we would hope that they would accept it. If they do not accept it, then of course we stand by our position of then going to the people to seek a mandate for taking over the full funding responsibility of the system. That's what I said prior to the election. That's what I say now.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Well, that's a little way still to go yet. When you're talking about something as big as the health and hospital system, a system where the taxpayer currently spends about $70 billion a year where we have something like 110 million visits to GPs each year by Australians. Where our hospitals deliver 49 million different hospital services to Australians each year. I think what the Australian public want is for us to get it right, absolutely right. I wish we could've done it a bit earlier, but you know something, it's important to get the detail absolutely right. That's what we've been doing.
And folks, having said that, having said that, I'm now due at the memorial service for the Centaur in town, and I've got to go. Thanks very much.