PRIME MINISTER KEY: Good morning and welcome. I want to take this opportunity to welcome the Prime Minister to New Zealand. It's the third time that Prime Minister Gillard has been in New Zealand in the last seven or eight months, so you're always a welcome visitor over here, it's great to see you here.
We have one small announcement to make this morning in relation to education. New Zealand and Australia obviously see the critical and crucial importance of education. That's why we're stepping up our investment in the Pacific.
Today we're setting a target of getting over 500,000 more children in the Pacific in education 2021, ensuring that 75 per cent of children in the region can read by the age of 10. Currently we believe there's around about one million children who are currently not involved in formal education in the Pacific.
In relation to New Zealand that will mean that we're making a $145 million investment in education in the Pacific over the next four years, aimed at increasing literacy and numeracy rates and improving education standards and the management of schools. In addition to that, we'll be investing another $122 million for scholarships and training over the same period of time, so $267 million over four years.
New Zealand and Australia are also going to provide three scholarships for postgraduate studies to students in the region to commemorate the Forum's 40th anniversary here today, and I would point out that there are currently 350 scholarships available annually for Pacific students to study in New Zealand within the region.
Finally, just to say that we are looking forward to hosting the Forum over the next 48 hours. We had a good meeting with the leaders last night and at dinner. Today we have an formal opportunity to hear from the UN Secretary-General, obviously from the European President, and an opportunity to speak to Kamalesh Sharma, the Commonwealth Secretary. So it's going to be an interesting and exciting 48 hours, and the chance for the Pacific countries to discuss and debate the issues which are crucially important to them.
So Prime Minister can I pass over to you, and then take any questions.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Thank you very much. Well, first thank you to Prime Minister Key. This is the third time I've been in New Zealand this year, and Prime Minister Key had the opportunity to come to Australia and to address the Australian Parliament, so I think we're creating a new record in terms of visits to each other's nations during the course of one year. That is of course because of the strong bonds between our two countries. It's also a reflection of the year we've both lived through: us with our floods and cyclone, and New Zealand with its devastating earthquake. So the fact that we have been so much in each other's country is in part a reflection of the times we have lived through together, and the way we have supported each other during those difficult times.
I'm looking forward to the discussions at the Pacific Islands Forum, which will commence in earnest today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Key. As I said yesterday, there are four main areas that I will be seeking to discuss while I am here.
One of them is our aid system, and particularly the Cairns Compact about the way in which we deliver aid to the region. We are the biggest donor to the Pacific, as you would expect. It's our region and very important to us, and stability and prosperity in the Pacific is very important to us.
So firstly I'll be focussing on aid, secondly on climate change, given the risk factors that so many of these nations face with rising sea levels. Third, listening, so I can take the voices of the Pacific to meetings like the G20, but fourth, and particularly, education and jobs and opportunity for the future, which is why I'm so pleased to be able to join with the Prime Minister of New Zealand in announcing this initiative that will get half a million kids the education they need for the future.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, has Tony Abbott accepted your invitation to meet bureaucrats today, and when will it be happening?
PM: Tony Abbott has accepted my invitation to be fully briefed, and it will be happening later today as I understand it, in Brisbane. I'm glad that the Leader of the Opposition has accepted this invitation.
Earlier this week, the Leader of the Opposition made a broad statement about working with the Government to ensure that the Government can make the decisions necessary on the transfer and processing of asylum seekers, so he made a very broad offer to work with the Government on legislative changes.
I believe it's also important that the Leader of the Opposition has the facts, and he will be able to get the facts in briefings directly from officials later today.
JOURNALIST: When will you meet the President of Nauru?
PM: The President of Nauru was at the function that the Prime Minister hosted last night.
JOURNALIST: I mean a bilateral meeting.
PM: Look, we're working through the schedule still, but obviously I have plenty of opportunity to see all of the Pacific leaders during the course of the next two days in the various forums and discussions that we'll be in.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, did you speak to him last night? The President of Nauru, did you have a chance to speak to him?
PM: Yes I certainly did. And as I made clear to you yesterday, I haven't come here to talk about questions associated with people-smuggling. That would be premature. We will work through in Australia our response to the High Court case.
JOURNALIST: Was the issue raised or discussed with Richard Marles and members of the Nauru Government?
PM: Look, that's a question you'll have to direct to Parliamentary Secretary Marles.
JOURNALIST: Was the issue discussed between yourself and Prime Minister John Key?
PM: Look, I haven't come here to talk about people-smuggling, so it's not an issue on the agenda between Australia and New Zealand. It would be premature to have discussions with New Zealand or anybody else on these questions. We are going to work through and respond to the High Court case.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, he is a member of your Government. Did it happen, or are you saying you don't know whether or not it happened last night, whether he discussed this issue?
PM: Look, you'll have to ask Richard Marles for details. I wasn't in attendance at the same event. I was in attendance at the event with Prime Minister Key. If you've got a question for Parliamentary Secretary Marles, please feel free to put it to him. But let me make it very clear, I have not come here to discuss questions associated with people-smuggling. I made that clear to you yesterday.
JOURNALIST: Is that what he's come here for?
PM: No one from the Australian Government is here for that purpose. We are here to participate in the Pacific Islands Forum. You would expect Parliamentary Secretary Marles to be here, given he particularly focuses on our work in the Pacific.
JOURNALIST: How much longer until Federal Cabinet agrees on a new border protection policy? Is it going to be days or weeks?
PM: Look, I'm here for the next few days, representing Australia at what is a very important Forum, and the 40th time that this Forum has met. When I return to Australia we'll deal with those issues in due course.
JOURNALIST: Mr Key, can I just ask about the apples situation [inaudible]?
KEY: I think from New Zealand's point of view we fought very hard for access to the Australian market, and both Australia and New Zealand are beneficiaries of the WTO system. We believe in the end that's an impartial system that's been to the mutual benefit of both countries.
From New Zealand's perspective we accept rulings from the WTO and that would be our expectations out of Australia; that's why the Australian Government has acted in the end. There's more to be gained by observing those rules than not, and I think it's been a long-fought dispute, but I think it's one that's now behind us.
JOURNALIST: Could I ask domestically, the Urewera raids charges, where they've been dropped. How does this reflect on the Crown and its initial actions in laying those charges?
KEY: Well I'm not in a position to comment on that. As you're aware, there's still four members that are facing legal action. That matter is before the courts and it wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment on that. The solicitor-general I think is making some comments in relation to the overall process, and I'd refer you to him.
JOURNALIST: Do you think those who have had the charges dropped against them deserve an apology though?
KEY: I'm not in a position even to comment on that. I haven't seen actually that advice, but I would be surprised if that was the case.
JOURNALIST: Howard Broad commented before the [inaudible] disposition that that would be a possibility.
KEY: For an apology?
JOURNALIST: Yes, for an apology from the Crown if the charges were dropped.
KEY: Well look I think it would be taking a step back. The Police were acting in what they believed to be a very serious situation. They are charged with the responsibility of keeping New Zealanders safe, and they have a responsibility to act where they believe that people are at risk. And it's my view that the Police acted because they believed that people were at risk. Now that's not the basis for ruling to come out, in terms of whether information is missing; it's a completely different issue.
But for the primary reason whether there might have been 20 people, and if the Police believe they face information that at least communicates to them there's a risk, then they have to act, and that's why they acted
JOURNALIST: So compensation is also a ‘might be'.
KEY: Well I haven't had any advice on that, but all I can say is I believe that the Police would have acted with the best of intention, because of (inaudible).
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister Gillard, could I just ask about the PNG MOU on asylum seekers. I know you're not here to talk about it, but given that you're meeting with the PNG Prime Minister, are you going to raise the issue given they have an agreement with Australia?
PM: I'll be clear with the Prime Minister and he would have of course heard this news himself, that there was a High Court case last week, and we are responding to it.
JOURNALIST: Can I ask you a quick question about the New South Wales Budget? They've increased their mining royalties. What do you make of that?
PM: Well, what I make of the New South Wales Budget is that the Liberal Premier of New South Wales is not in favour of supporting jobs. I certainly am. That's the difference.
JOURNALIST: Has the Giddings Government mucked up the Tasmanian Forestry Deal?
PM: That is still being worked on in terms of its implementation. The inter-governmental agreement was reached between me and the Premier, and it will be implemented. We always expected along the way that there would be moments where parties to the agreement, to the statement of principles that supported the agreement or affected by the agreement would have their say publicly. We've been seeing that over the last few days, but we will be working through to implement the agreements.
JOURNALIST: So they're still liking it?
PM: Sorry?
JOURNALIST: They're still liking it?
PM: Oh yes, absolutely.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you concerned about Opposition threats to delay the carbon tax legislation again?
PM: Well the carbon tax, carbon pricing legislation will be before the parliament next week. It has sufficient support to go through the parliament and start on the 1st of July next year, as we've been talking about for some time now. I do expect, as we see constantly from the Opposition, that we'll see all sorts of wrecking tactics, but we will work our way through and ensure that the legislation does go through.
Can I say on the question of climate change, being here at the Pacific Islands Forum, I had the opportunity yesterday to meet with the President of Kiribati. Anybody who's in any doubt about the devastating effects of climate change should have a conversation with him. They are living with it every day in a nation that is so at risk from rising sea levels.
We need to act to cut carbon pollution. We need to do that because it's the right thing to do by the environment, but also to secure clean energy jobs. That's what putting a price on carbon is all about. And whatever wrecking tactics the Opposition chooses to play, the legislation will go through and carbon will be priced from the 1st of July next year.
JOURNALIST: Are there any plans to guillotine the debate on carbon tax?
PM: We will work to get the legislation through the Parliament.
JOURNALIST: So does that mean a guillotine potentially?
PM: Well, we'll work to get the legislation through the Parliament. I'm not going to talk now about parliamentary tactics over the weeks to come, clearly I can't do that, but we will work to get the legislation through the Parliament, and everybody in the Parliament knows from the statements that are being made by Parliamentarians that the legislation has sufficient support to go through, and it will.