PM: Great to be back in Cairns, and great to be back here with Jim Turnour, our Federal Member, but also with my ministerial colleagues, with Martin Ferguson and his responsibility for resources and tourism, Mark Arbib, his responsibility for employment, and also our Senator for North Queensland, Jan McLucas, and also our Parliamentary Secretary, who's responsible for employment services as well, Jason Clare.
We're here for one reason, and that is to keep Cairns working, that's what we're here for. And what I've done this morning since I've been back up here in Far North Queensland is spend time with the local business community, local representatives of Government, as well as the university and others about how we work effectively together in what has been a real challenge for this regional economy and for jobs because of the global economic recession, and the good and positive news for Far North Queensland is that we are all working together to keep Cairns working.
Let's not underestimate the challenge. It's big. Unemployment here is high. Let's not try and gild the lily here. It's a real problem. But you can either just sit around and moan about it and point fingers or you can get on and do something about it, which is what we're seeking to do here. And so what we've done today is gather with the representatives of the chamber of commerce, local government, as well as a range of other institutions here, including Advance Cairns, to make sure that we get this package as right as possible.
It has been really good to see the work which has been undertaken in this jobs forum out here today, in terms of the number of people who have come here in search of employment, with some 400 jobs on offer from the various employment agencies.
Let me go to detail of what we've worked through in a close, cooperative relationship between ourselves as the Australian Government, backed up by our local member Jim, as well as Advance Cairns and others. First and foremost, tourism is crucial up here. One of the asks which has been made of the Australian Government, I think for about the last 10 years, is to do something in terms of the rules that govern landing rights for foreign aircraft coming to Australia. So what the Australian Government will now offer is foreign airlines greater access to our major gateways for flights that first stop over in Cairns, and will offer foreign airlines the chance to provide flights from Cairns to nearby countries such as New Zealand and the Pacific Island countries.
This is an important breakthrough. This is what the local aviation industry and large parts of the tourism industry have been asking of the Australian Government for the better part of a decade, and I would thank my ministerial colleagues, including Anthony Albanese and the Tourism Minister, Martin Ferguson, backed by up by Jim Turnour, the local member, in getting this done. This will represent a big change for the future. We've got to make sure that we get more foreign airlines making use of Cairns. Changing the rules this way makes that easier, and that is why we have done it.
The second thing that we are doing is injecting greater effort into our stimulus strategy here on the ground. Right now, across Far North Queensland, the Australian Government is investing some $460 million in stimulus funding. For the year ahead, when so many businesses are doing it tough, what we are seeking to do is to bring forward as much of that activity as possible, and what the minister responsible, Mark Arbib has done, is reached agreement to bring $60 million worth of funding for social housing forward into the 12-month period starting December this year through to December next year.
The reason we have done that, and it involves more than 100 houses, 140 homes, spread across this Far North Queensland region, is to give our builders confidence about a line of projects, a series of projects for the next 12 months so they've got confidence to keep their workers on, their builders on, to keep their contractors engaged, and to retain their apprentices.
The second thing we're doing is this: on the building the Education Revolution front, we've so far already invested some $48 million up here in this region. What will happen in calendar year 2010 is that you'll see a further roll out of some $260 million worth of building projects in schools across this region. And the reason I am emphasising that today is that if you put that together with the bring forward of social housing, $60 million, knowing that you've got $260 million worth of school projects coming out in the 12 months ahead, it's to give our local builders confidence about the project pipeline which is unfolding.
Underpinning those two measures is an announcement I've confirmed recently of 500 productivity training places for this region as well. These have been designed flexibly to cater for the specific employment needs of this region, so if you've got those operating at one level, as well as apprenticeships, together with the actual work which flows through from the stimulus projects, both for schools and for social housing, we're looking at, frankly, something in the order of $320 million worth of stimulus investment in the construction sector here in this region over the next 12-month period.
Thirdly, with our partners at James Cook University, we've also been looking at how can we help build our university infrastructure, build JCU's university infrastructure, providing jobs for that construction while also providing the facilities which James Cook University needs for the future, to globally brand its expertise in tropical knowledge.
So what we are doing is investing nearly $20 million, $19.5 million, with James Cook University to build the Cairns Institute, which will be a tropical research hub. This is an important step forward for the future.
I am advised that will lead to some 200 jobs directly, as far as construction is concerned, and indirectly. On top of that we're also looking at the long-term reputational standing in Australia and around the world for this great university in the field of tropical research by globally branding James Cook University in this way, by providing them with first-class facilities to accommodate their researchers who, as the Vice-Chancellor said to me currently operate out of various broom closets, large and small. This is an important step forward, creating jobs today while building the infrastructure we need for tomorrow.
Fourthly, we're also very mindful from the submissions we've received from Advance Cairns on behalf of the business community, about the particular problems being encountered by businesses large and small and medium now in terms of their taxation obligations. To assist Cairns small business, the Government will send a specialised Australian Tax Office taskforce to work one-on-one with local businesses in relation to tailoring individual payment arrangements for PAYG, for GST, to deal with the specific circumstances of businesses in the here and now.
In other words, how can we tailor the tax plans of individual businesses who are doing it tough because off the downturn and making it possible for those businesses to deal better with the cash flow problems which they may have because of the crisis.
Finally, looking to the long term, what we are also on about, is how do we work together with the State government, with local government and with Advance Cairns and others on a long-term plan for the better diversification of the Far North Queensland economy? We've heard loud and clear the problems which have occurred through, shall we say, a very large dependence on international tourism. How do we learn from that for the future?
So through the Office of Northern Australia and bringing together expertise from all levels of government we are now working on a long-term plan for this region, properly integrated, properly coordinated, all levels of government, which has one central strategic objective: to diversify this economy for the future. That is what we're seeking to do. That diversification involves, obviously, branches of industry, what the university does in the future, what government does in the future. How do we promote this region's domestic and international tourism in the future, and the great asset that is the Barrier Reef.
To conclude, could I also thank our local priority employment coordinator for the work which he has put in with his team here in Far North Queensland. Keep Cairns Working Centrelink Jobs Expo, I'm told, is about 4,000 people over there at the moment rolling through that expo, 400 jobs currently on offer. Spoke to a lot of people there this morning, keen and busting to find themselves a job or a training program. We spoke to a number of them ourselves, a lot of the employment coordinators and providers out there saying what they have to offer.
This is a very practical application of what have sought to do in areas of higher unemployment across the nation, so the work of our local employment coordinator, I congratulate him, his staff, and the way he's been able to work closely with local industry. And of course he will have access to the local jobs fund in terms of subsequent rounds as well, other projects which become applicable to employment needs heading out into 2010.
So to conclude, this is all about Keeping Cairns Working. Nationally, it's about this: nation building for the future, investing in jobs, small business and apprenticeships today, while building the infrastructure we need for tomorrow, for the future. That's what we're on about, that's what we're doing nationally, that's what we're trying to do in partnership with our friends here in Cairns and Far North Queensland as well. Over to you, folks.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: I've seen some reporting in the British papers about a document, can I just say, between now and when the Copenhagen conference is held, there will be one leak after the other of one document after the other, on one draft of a document after the other, because you've got most of the world's media there, most of the world's politicians going there, and when you've got that cocktail, anything could happen.
The second point I'd say is this. The Danes, quite rightly, have been taking inputs from right across the world, from many different Governments, on landing an agreement at Copenhagen - and we think that's the right way to go for the future. As for the details of this particular document, I'm in no position to comment. But, what we do need is strong, levelled political commitment in order to land a Copenhagen deal. That's where the leaders of the world are trying to take climate change today.
I contrast that with what's happening here in Australia. Not only have the Liberals voted down the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, and voted against action on climate change, they are also a party which, frankly, has now become out of touch with mainstream Australia on climate change.
What we've seen for example from the decision on the Liberal party frontbench by the current Liberal Leader is the extremists taking over the Liberal party. And whether it's on WorkChoices and Senator Abetz and what he's had to say about WorkChoices, whether it's the Leader of the Liberal party himself on climate change- whether it's WorkChoices or climate change, what we have is a party out of touch with mainstream Australia, and what Australia needs to do on the international stage.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: No, I haven't seen the so-called ad. I was asked about it this morning. And my baseline response is this - the banks in Australia operate on the basis of a charter of trust with the Australian people. They had better honour that trust, and that charter of trust, into the future. That's what I'd say to the banks of Australia. And that means acting responsibly, not just as good community and corporate citizens, but acting responsibly in terms of their customers as well. And jacking up interest rates in excess of what the Reserve Bank has determined is, is in my view not acting responsibly in terms of your customers.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what do you make of Mr Abbott's reference to the Copenhagen agreement as being like the Munich agreement?
PM: Well can I say that with the Leader of the Liberal Party making statements like that and bringing about the frontbench changes which he has made, what we have is a clear demonstration of the climate change deniers now running the Liberal party. We're here in Far North Queensland today, the Great Barrier Reef is just out there. Can I just say, when I look at the Great Barrier Reef, and I see this wonderful natural asset for Australia's future, my first question as an Australian is, what can I do to make sure we have that asset for the future, the long term future, for our kids to enjoy, our grandkids to enjoy? And what the scientific reports say to us is unless we act, nationally and globally, to keep temperature increases within two degrees Celsius over time, we imperil that Reef.
We imperil it as a natural asset for Australia. We imperil it as an economic asset for Australia, which currently generates $5 billion in tourism revenue each year, and employs some 60,000 people. Now, my job as Prime Minister of Australia is to look at the evidence, and act. That, I think, is the responsible course of action. But when you've got people who are climate change deniers taking over the Liberal party and saying that the best way forward is simply to sit on our hands, I worry about what happens to our kids and our grandkids and our great natural assets.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Can I just say that what's required in the proper debate for Australia's future is a set of policies on climate change, and alternative policies on climate change. A set of policies on the proper laws for our workplaces, and alternative policies on that. A set of policies which are about how do we maintain activity in this economy through a national stimulus strategy, or an alternative set of policies. I'm up for a debate about our plans for Australia's future, as detailed, and our policies, for example, on climate change, and I would strongly urge the Leader of the Liberal Party just to take a deep breath, calm down, and actually put in the hard yards on developing a policy on climate change. That would be very useful.
JOURNALIST: He also (inaudible) 'Howard's Battlers' into 'Abbott's Army'. Wouldn't you prefer that they'd be 'Kevin's cobbers'?
PM: Can I say for the future what working families across Australia want is a decent set of workplace laws. What Mr Abbott, the current Leader of the Liberal Party has done, is unleash the most hardline, right-wing people in the country on the workplace laws for the future. Let's be very plain about it.
Working families want decent, fair laws for their workplace. Mr Abbott has just appointed Senator Abetz as Shadow Minister for Workplace Laws. This is what Senator Abetz has said. He said that penalty rates are excessive and irrelevant, he said that leave loading is outrageous, illogical, and economically debilitating. Now, what you have with the decision to appoint these individuals to the Liberal party frontbench is a bringing back of the workplace addicts on the one hand, and the climate change deniers on the other. That is what the Liberal party, under its current leader, has done.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: I'd go back to my simple point, is that we have a policy on climate change, nationally and globally. We are out there prosecuting it. I think again what I'd say to the current Leader of the Liberal Party is, rather than all the colourful language, how about doing the hard yards, calming down a bit, and actually delivering a policy on climate change. I think Australia would be better for that.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) reduction targets (inaudible)
PM: Well we've been very clear about our reduction targets and on that, that has been the position of the Liberal Party as well. Five, or 15, or 25, and the conditions have been clearly outlined in the Government's White Paper. We're confident that's the right framework for Australia to take to these negotiations, and the five is a unilateral commitment, the 15 and 25 highly conditional on what the rest of the world does.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Apart from someone's phone going off. Queensland is a fantastic state, it's the state in which I was born. And even these followers from interstate will appreciate the fact that this is an extraordinary place to live. A state of great dynamism, a state with a huge future. So I'd say on Queensland's 150th celebrations, when you look forward to the future, that Queensland is now a core part of Australia's national future, not a marginal part, a core part of Australia's national future. Whether it's on the economy, whether it's in politics, whether it's in social innovation, and it's a contribution of which the whole state should be proud.
Okay folks, anything else?
JOURNALIST: Can I just ask you one more question about the secret deal in Copenhagen (inaudible)
PM: Can I say that when I was recently at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Trinidad, there were 54 countries assembled at that table. And as someone charged by the Chairman of the Commonwealth, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, with chairing the drafting group for the communiqué, bringing together the President of South Africa, the Prime Minister of the Maldives, which is one of the world's lowest-lying countries, as well as engaging with the many, many other Commonwealth countries who were parties of that conference, there was a realisation around that table that we are seriously all in this together. Developed and developing countries. One of the outcomes of course for that particular conference was this, a recommendation that we bring forward what is called fast-start financing support for the world's poorest countries to assist them with the immediate task of adaptation to the impact of climate change. Whether it's in the Indian Ocean or the Caribbean or the Pacific, the small island states are highly vulnerable.
In the Pacific, about 50 per cent of the population of the Pacific Island states live within 1.5 kilometres of the coastline. They are highly exposed, and highly vulnerable. So when you've got practical measures like that which has been foreshadowed by the Commonwealth, and recently embraced in part, in a statement by President Obama, about the need for early financial assistance for the least-developed countries, I believe that's the right approach. But more broadly, the right approach is to get the right outcome for the developed and the developing world, because we live on one planet. We share one atmosphere. We share one environment. And all of our actions affect the others. The Americans affect the rest of the world. The Chinese affect the rest of the world. The Europeans do. The Indians prospectively as well. And all countries are looking to other countries for action, combined action, collective action.
If one country says, oh, by the way, just the world stop, I'm going to hop off for a minute and not do my part, what do you think the response will be from everyone else? They'll say, well just pause for a moment, I'll hop off as well, and wait for someone else to act. So the challenge here is for people to work together. And this is going to be a bumpy process. There'll be all sorts of predictions of success and catastrophe on the outcomes for Copenhagen between now and the conclusion of this conference. What I know for a fact, having been intimately involved in the discussions so far on aspects of the Copenhagen conference, is that it will be very hard. The outcome is highly uncertain. But what we must do as participating states, and in the name of Australia, is give it our every bit of energy to make an outcome, and produce a result for our kids, and for our grandkids.