PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning.
EDDIE MCGUIRE:
Prime Minister - a couple of things - we want to get through the budget and also might want at the end to ask you a little question about how you went last week in the United States.
But first off, can I say to you your budget to me comes across from a political side of things as a beauty in the way that you’ve fixed up, probably, Bill Shorten in some of the elements of it and also you’ve washed out Tony Abbott and his influence in his budgets over the last few years. Is this the resetting of your Government going forward and the setting up of the finances of Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
It’s definitely setting up the finances of Australia Eddie. What it’s also doing is guaranteeing Medicare, it is guaranteeing that the National Disability Insurance Scheme is fully funded and it is also ensuring that school funding, right across Australia, is transparent, consistent needs-based.
Fair, above all, this is a really fair budget and it sets us up for the future.
$75 billion dollars invested in infrastructure. It is a budget for the future, bringing it back into balance, ensuring that we don’t fling a mountain of debt onto the shoulders of our children and grandchildren.
It’s a much stronger budget in terms of budget repair, than the previous one because we’ve recognised there are some savings measures that we can’t get through the Senate. We’ve tried, we can’t do that. We’re raising some additional revenue. As you’ve mentioned, well as others have mentioned, obviously the bank levy and increasing the Medicare levy in 2019 and what that does it set us up for the future with security, opportunity and fairness.
LUKE DARCY:
Prime Minister is it a fair budget for Victoria though? This show broadcasts exclusively to Victoria and Melbourne. We are Melbourne and Melbourne only. And you’ve guaranteed another $5.3 billion for a second airport in Sydney and another rail link. If I’m in Sydney now you’ve got my vote-
PRIME MINISTER:
You’ve already got a second airport of course.
LUKE DARCY:
But we’ve also got a lot of projects here Prime Minister that are underfunded compared to the deal on asset recycling. There’s $1.46 billion that is underfunded that hasn’t been addressed in this budget. We’ve taken a lot of calls this morning saying where’s Victoria’s share? Why does Victoria get dudded compared to Sydney?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, Victoria - we’re delivering into Victoria an additional $1 billion, additional $1 billion in infrastructure funding including the $500 million Regional Rail Package, $30 million to plan for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, and the Regional Rail Package includes $100 million to upgrade the rail line out to Warn Ponds on the Geelong line which I’ve often caught and a $100 million to upgrade the North East rail line and we are also tipping in another $20 million for the upgrade of the Murray Basin Rail which we funded last year.
So there’s a lot underway in Victoria.
We’ve got $500 million at work towards the Monash Freeway upgrade. Another $500 million for the M80 Ring Road. And you know there is the other opportunity for an additional substantial injection of infrastructure money into Victoria if we reach agreement, which I am confident we will, to acquire Victoria’s share of Snowy Hydro. I was talking to Daniel Andrews about that yesterday and we’ve actually discussed it prior to that. So we are open to acquiring Victoria’s share that would be a substantial amount and part of the deal would be as Daniel and I have discussed the proceeds would go into priority infrastructure.
EDDIE MCGUIRE:
We love the, Prime Minister, we love the-
PRIME MINISTER:
Sorry?
EDDIE MCGUIRE:
No, I was going to say love the idea of the Snowy mountains, I think that’s just been a wonderful idea and as it gets executed, sensational, big tick for that one.
Victoria will say though and with good reason that you’re giving the $5 billion for the New South Wales airport and then they get their bit.
What we’re getting is you will sell off an asset and get the money that we own anyway and we’re only getting 10 per cent of infrastructure funding compared to our population of 25 per cent of the country.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well can I say to you though, Eddie, it’s very important to have the projects you see - we are looking at this, we’re putting the money into examine the Melbourne to Tullamarine rail project and if that stacks up that would be ideal for us to invest. We’ve got $10 billion National Rail Fund, we’ve identified, we’ve guaranteed or delivered $1 billion initially of that to Victoria. We can do more in Victoria but what we’ve got to do is find the projects.
I mean the Melbourne Metro you may remember the Victorian Government said they didn’t need our money they had it all fully funded. So it’s identifying the project and you will always find that as big projects come and go as they’re identified, as they’re planned, as they’re built - funding will differ from one state to another. But what we need in Victoria is some great projects where we can play a leading role and ideally take an investment. As you know I prefer us to invest in economic infrastructure rather than just being a dumb ATM.
EDDIE MCGUIRE:
Yep, na, it’s a good point well-made. Prime Minister I think the frustration that comes to Victorians at the moment is that it just seems like Canberra always is telling Victoria what they want and the State Government of Victoria who has been elected by Victorians, as opposed to the Federal Government has been elected by Australians, is never getting, we’re not on the same page. The Victorian Government have a mandate to do things, Federal Government want to do things but want to do it their way. Surely you and Daniel Andrews, two smart intelligent guys who could get this done need to sit down and drive these ideas rather than always be at cross swords with each other?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I’d be very open to doing that. I mean he obviously had a big difference on the East-West Link but you’ve got to remember that was the policy, the contracted project of a duly elected Victorian government - it’s just that they lost the election and the new government came in and decided to cancel it and spent over $1 billion in doing so.
EDDIE MCGUIRE:
Yeah but that’s past history, we’re moving forward.
PRIME MINISTER:
Eddie, look, my approach is practical and pragmatic. I’m not interested in ideology or partisanship for partisanship sake. We are always ready to work with state governments whether they’re Labor or Liberal to achieve a great outcome for the people of any state.
EDDIE MCGUIRE:
Prime Minister I know you’ve got to do - one quick one - what was your response or your reaction to Donald Trump and being in American last week? We see he’s knocked over the FBI Director, James B Comey this morning.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, yes I’ve seen that. Look the meeting - he could not have been – he and Melania Trump, the First Lady could not have been warmer. It was as I said it was more family than formal. They were very generous and hospitable. We got on very, very well as I think people could see. It was a great first meeting and I have to say also it was inspiring to be in the presence of those veterans, the old guys in their 90’s who as teenagers had turned the tide of war in the Pacific in the Battle of the Coral Sea.
LUKE DARCY:
Prime Minister - it’s a big morning for you. We appreciate you taking some time out for us here on Triple M’s Hot Breakfast and good luck with the rest of the day.
EDDIE MCGUIRE:
And a lot to like about it.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ENDS]