PM: The Government's strategy for dealing with the global economic recession is to support jobs, to support small business and to support apprenticeships by investing in infrastructure we need for tomorrow. Supporting jobs today by investing in the infrastructure we need for tomorrow.
And part of that new infrastructure is a National Broadband Network and part of what we need to service that is also the proper skills necessary to lay out this massive infrastructure project for Australia. $43 billion investment, up to 25,000 jobs a year for seven to eight years, work commencing in the second half of this year. This is practical work to make a difference to the impact of the global economic recession on unemployment.
You see through the Government's combined actions our support for jobs today and investment for infrastructure tomorrow will support up to 200,000 jobs and more in the coming years. These are jobs which would be otherwise lost to the Australian economy. Therefore, it's about making a difference and that's what we're on about today.
The other thing I would say about this project here at Central Gippsland Institute TAFE, GippsTAFE, is that this Institute I've been told has been here since 1928, that's a fair old length of time. I'm told that this investment we're making here today of some $16 million is the single largest in this Institute in its long 80 year history. That's because this Institute and TAFE have a huge history under, have a huge future under this Government, a huge future which requires further investment.
The investment here in expanding this TAFE to provide new facilities for the important work which these linesmen are being trained in now but critically new capacity to train so many of those workers who'll be laying out the high speed broadband network nationwide is really important.
So in summary it's this: $16.5 million worth of investment here at this TAFE, GippsTAFE. Part of nearly a billion investment in TAFE infrastructure right across the country creating jobs in building this extra TAFE capacity and on top of that through this particular TAFE institute we're going to add the training capacity necessary to support the rollout of National Broadband Network, that means extra jobs, extra training opportunities for the future, extra apprenticeships, 25,000 a year once the network is being rolled out.
And I conclude by saying this, these are the practical measures which make a difference in dealing with the impact of the global economic recession. The alternative is you sit on your hands and you do nothing and you carp and you complain. That's not our approach, this Government is out there making a difference. Nation building for recovery, nation building to build our long term economic future, nation building in order to lift Australia out of this global recession as rapidly as possible.
Anything you want to add?
GILLARD: I just, if I can add. This is obviously a great TAFE Institute giving people the skills they need for jobs today and jobs of the future. We are investing in TAFE right around the country both through our education investment fund and our special half a billion dollar allocation for TAFE.
Many of the TAFE facilities around the country are doing excellent training but they're doing it in facilities which were built a long time ago and our technical and further education institutions want to train people with the skills they need for tomorrow and to do that they need to do it in 21st century facilities.
So this facility here tells the story of TAFE right around the country, excellent training but new funds, new opportunities are going to make a real difference to the training they can offer for the skills and the jobs of tomorrow. And as the Prime Minister says, there is obviously no better example than the skills we will need for tomorrow than the skills involved in rolling out the National Broadband Network.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister are you aware of the case of Annice Smoel, mother of four, 36-year-old being held in Thailand against her will. Are you aware of that? Is there anything the Government can do about it?
PM: I've just been advised about this case. My understanding is that both the Foreign Minister and the Department of Foreign Affairs are on top of this case, they'll be providing every level of consular assistance that is possible to the family and of course the individual concerned and that advice that I had was as recently as half an hour ago.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) think she's, her friend has confessed to actually stealing the bar mat, she says that she's done nothing yet she's on bail in Thailand for 14 weeks, with her children at home. Will you be looking to hurry that process up a bit?
PM: The sort of consular assistance we provide for Australians in distress overseas is very practical and it is as immediate as possible. And so we take seriously our job to look after the interests of the million or so Australians who at any time are offshore, either working or travelling. This is a big job for the Department of Foreign Affairs to do. Remember we have Australians travelling in hundreds of countries around the world in any given time.
So in this particular case? Our consular officials, guided by the Foreign Minister and the Department of Foreign Affairs, will be in there providing every level of practical consular assistance to them and on top of that dealing directly with the Thai authorities as well in the most practical way possible.
JOURNALIST: You say you're about jobs and energy jobs. What do you say to the boss of a ceramic fuel-cell company who says that your policy on share schemes is going to make it impossible for him to employ people?
PM: Well I haven't seen that particular report but what I would say is that if you are investing in jobs in the future, as we are, by investing in the infrastructure of the future, you've also got to have a strategy to return the Budget to surplus. That means making tough decisions on savings. We've outlined $22 billion worth of savings and-
(Break in audio)
What is the Government's strategy? To support jobs and apprenticeships today by investing in the infrastructure we need for tomorrow. That is to cushion Australia from the impact of the recession.
I mentioned before, Government actions add up to support the 200,000 jobs across our nation which would otherwise be lost. Secondly, you also need to have a strategy to return the Budget to surplus.
That is why we have to take hard decisions on savings, $22 billion worth, which are outlined fully in the Budget, and obviously a number of those will not be popular.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Well what I have learnt in a long time of experience in these matters is let all the facts be established first. That is why the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of the Department and our consular officials in Bangkok will be exploring every practical measure possible to support the individual, to support the family, and to deal directly with the Thai authorities.
It is important to be very methodical about this in order to provide the right level of assistance which gets the best result as quickly as possible.
Sorry, back to you.
JOURNALIST: You say you made the decision, why then has Chris Bowen said the Government is going to consult (inaudible)
PM: Well on the implementation of all of our Budget measures, it follows that there will be implementation arrangements and technical details to be sorted out with affected industry. That is the logical and right course of action.
We have done it on multiple occasions before when we have brought in either new measures which have an effect on the expenditure or on effect on the revenue, and as a consequence, it is the right and logical thing to do and that is what Chris was talking about.
JOURNALIST: It's not the question that you have got it wrong?
PM: I have just said, when we implement hard, tough Budget measures, the right thing to do in the implementation of it is to work on all the implementation detail with affected businesses.
That is the right and responsible course of action. This Government actually believes in working with business. If you want evidence of us working with business, the fact that we are here today is because business have said to us over a long period of time, the national Government needs to invest in two main things for the future. One: infrastructure. Two: training for jobs.
Guess what, this Australian Government is doing that. Our predecessors failed to do so. These are the long term drivers of productivity growth for a whole series of jobs right across the country, also turbo charging long term productivity growth.
That is what we are on about, direct consultation with business, and this Government is proud of it.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what do you think is making MPs stressed?
PM: The matter that you (inaudible) arises from the suicide of a member of parliament, who was from Victoria here, about 10 years ago. The counselling services were established as part of an agreement with all parliamentarians and staff in parliament at that time.
The services that are available now, I am advised, are also available to all staff, working in Parliament as well. That is public servants as well as ministerial staff, and others who are working in the building.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: I understand that as with any large employers, this is my advice, that the department responsible for the parliament in this case, it is probably the joint house department or one of the house departments, has taken this decision to support the needs of a very large workplace.
As I said this arises from a tragic suicide, a decade ago, involving a member of parliament known to us personally. And this was very tough, very hard, and like all workplaces across the country, big ones, including media organisations, the decision taken involving all parliamentarians, all sides of politics, was that this level of support was necessary within the workplace.
(inaudible)
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: My advice is that on the implementation of the arrangements, we will work through all technical details with the affected businesses, as we would in any other measure which affects savings or expenditure within the Budget.
That is what we have done in the past, that is what we will do in the future, nothing changes there.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: On the question of dealing with the implementation of this, can I just say that our job, in taking hard decisions nationally, is to ensure that we are returning the Budget to surplus. We are also advised in the case of these particular arrangements, that they have been particularly used, at one end of the spectrum, to engage in various forms of tax minimisation.
Therefore, under those circumstances, on the best advice of the Treasury, we have acted.
It is a necessary piece of action in order to deal responsibly with bringing the Budget back to surplus. These are hard decisions. I have never said before that these decisions will be popular. They will be hard.
But if you want to invest in infrastructure like this, and support training opportunities for young people like these guys over here, you've got to take a responsible approach to the management of the public investment necessary to support it. Which means, ensuring that you return the Budget to surplus in the medium term, that's our strategy.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Can I just say on Lou Richards, I am a Queenslander, even I know who Lou Richards is. Lou Richards should be up there in the Hall of Fame. End of story. That's my view.
JOURNALIST: You're better on football than Malcolm Turnbull.
PM: Can I just say, I've met Lou, he is a legend, he should be right up there. That is a very simple view, and that is from someone who comes not just north of the Murray but north of the Tweed.
This bloke is an Australian legend and should be treated right. Thanks folks.