PM: It's absolutely fantastic to see the way that Australians have been pulling together during the tough times that our nation's been enduring over the last few weeks and obviously the challenges aren't over yet as we face floodwaters in Victoria.
I think as Australians pull together through these tough times they understand that we face some difficult choices in the weeks and months ahead, some difficult choices to make sure that we can rebuild the damage that's been done by floodwaters, the damage to infrastructure that needs to be repaired. As Prime Minister, I am working on making those tough decisions and as I was clear last night with the Australian people, there will be difficult decisions, there will be spending cutbacks and there may also be a levy to support the rebuilding that we need to do. But I'm confident, as a nation, we will pull together, that's an Australian thing to do, a very Australian thing to do, we'll pull together and we'll get through this.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, South Australians already pay a save the River Murray levy and they also pay an emergency services levy. Do you think they're really going to cop another levy?
PM: I think there will be people who don't like some of the decisions that I will have to make, but they are difficult decisions, when I make those decisions I fully expect that there will be some criticism and there will be some complaint, but I'm determined that we make the decisions that are right for the nation and right to rebuild the nation after the devastation that we've seen.
JOURNALIST: Do you think it is fair though for the many people who've already donated generously to the flood appeal to now face another levy?
PM: I'd certainly encourage Australians to keep donating to the flood appeal and people have been doing that in all sorts of ways, whether it's from a humble sausage sizzle or whether it's been some of the huge corporate donations that we've seen into the Premier's relief fund, it's been fantastic and I'm sure Australians are going to continue with that spirit of giving. As a nation we do now face some difficult decisions about how to support rebuilding. As Prime Minister I'm working through and making those decisions now, they're not easy choices, there will be spending cutbacks, there may also be a levy, but I am determined that we will rebuild the damage that's been done.
JOURNALIST: How would you see that levy working?
PM: Well I'm not going to speculate on matters, we will announce them as soon as we are able to. I just wanted to be upfront with the Australian people and so I'm indicating to the Australian people, we've been through a difficult period, it's not over yet in terms of the immediate crisis, we're still battling floodwaters in too many places and then there's the hard work, the months and months and months of recovery and rebuilding to do and in that recovery and rebuilding we will be rebuilding Queensland, making good the damage that's been done by floodwaters. That does mean there'll be spending cutbacks, it may also mean that there will be a levy. When I'm in a position to give people the full range of decisions I certainly will, but I do want Australians to know that as Prime Minister I'm working through what is a hard set of choices now and I will work through them in the interests of the nation and rebuilding the damage done.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister just on a much lighter note, there's a major fundraiser here this week in the town hall, Mike Rann's one of the pantomime characters according to the release here, how do you reckon he'd go dressed as Peter Pan?
PM: I've heard about this fundraiser in the town hall, I've heard that Mike Rann is playing a character in a play, I don't have any inside information as to what that character is but whatever it is, he'll do it extraordinarily well.
JOURNALIST: How much is the levy about returning the Budget to surplus?
PM: Any of these decisions, I want to be clear about this. We've got some tough choices, there'll be some spending cutbacks, there may be a levy and that will be about rebuilding full stop.
Thank you.