PM: Good to be back in Cairns, and good to be back here with Jim, our local member, and also Nicola Roxon, the Health Minister. Last time I was at Cairns Base Hospital I was here to thank the good folk who worked in the emergency department for looking after my wife, Therese. I say to the good people of this hospital and to the local community she's doing just fine. In fact, she had me gardening over the weekend at The Lodge in Canberra, and she's now not only fit and fighting fit but telling me what to do - at least when it comes to the gardening.
We've been doing a lot of work around the country on the National Health and Hospitals Network, which we, as a Government, announced our blueprint on a month or so ago. This National Health and Hospital Network is about delivering better health and better hospital services to working families, pensioners, carers, right across Australia, a Network which is to be funded nationally but run locally through local hospital networks who know best what their local communities need - like here, in Far North Queensland.
Since then, we've also indicated our proposed investment of more than $600 million in creating more than 6,500 new medical training places across the country, with a strong emphasis on the needs of rural and regional Australia.
We've also recently announced a further $436 million investment to ensure that GPs can provide better services for the more than 1.1 million Australians suffering from various forms of diabetes, to assist them with the full range of needs that they have in dealing with that disease and its impact on their lifestyle and their families.
Also, here in Cairns, we're here to mark the Commonwealth's actions on cancer, where we've already contributed $8.3 million to providing a radiation oncology facility here at Cairns Base Hospital, and I'd like to make it clear to the local community here that the first radiation oncology facility for Cairns is on track for its opening in July of next year, when it will start providing local services to cancer patients here in this city. I'm advised that more than 400 cancer patients a year are expected to benefit from this service - local radiation treatments here in Cairns rather than having to travel elsewhere for it.
The other thing I'm glad to announce while here I'm here in Cairns is better access to afterhours GP services for local people as well through a grant of $100,000 under the General Practice Afterhours Program to the Omega Medical Centre.
This afternoon, together with Jim and with Nicola, we'll also be visiting the new dental school at James Cook University. As you know, this is a $50 million investment from the Australian Government. I'm pleased to report that we've had some 66 students enrol last year, some 62 students have now enrolled this year. This is a huge contribution to the needs of the dental workforce in this part of Australia.
Critical, however, to dealing with a range of disease categories is the role of allied health professionals right across the country. Just over nine months ago, when I was here for a consultation with the team from Cairns Base Hospital on the future of the Australian health and hospital system, many here told us about the pressures being faced by allied health professionals.
In fact, when I was here last time the director of allied health raised with us the following: that allied health services outside of metropolitan areas were very, very stretched and we needed to do much more to support allied health professionals working in the bush and provide support to attract them to the bush, and today we return to respond to that need. We've acted when it comes to the needs of the medical workforce, generalists, general practitioners, other forms of specialisation; we've already taken some action in relation to the needs of the nursing workforce for the future; but today we're announcing particular measures that relate to the allied health workforce for the future as well.
As part of our plan to deliver better health and better hospitals services to all Australians, regardless of where they live, the Government will invest funds to double the number of scholarships for allied health students to undertake a clinical placement in a rural area from 100 such scholarships a year to 200 each year, providing 1,000 additional scholarships for allied health students over the decade ahead.
We'll also establish 100 allied health locum placements each year, which will support 1,000 allied health workers over the decade ahead. That's to make it possible, for the first time, for allied health professionals working in regional and rural areas to have a break and to be replaced while they have a break. This has not existed in the past. This is new, and it is part of the consultation that we had here locally with this health community here in Far North Queensland. We listened hard to it and worked out how can we make this work better for the good people of Far North Queensland, but more broadly across the nation.
So, we're taking concrete steps towards ensuring that all Australians can get the health services they need, and where they need them, and when they need them.
I'm told this, as well - in the major cities there are something like 354 allied health professionals per 100,000 people, but in very remote areas, that can be only 64 allied health professionals per 100,000 people. We are determined to start to close this gap. We can't tackle this discrepancy over night, but these are concrete actions in this direction, and these are significant measures.
Can I just conclude on the question of health and hospitals by making some observations about the recent debate as it affects the Leader of the Opposition and the policy of the Liberal Party, as well?
I noticed that Mr Abbott is out there saying today that he is opposed to a referendum to support health reform. Can I be very clear about this: the Government has a clear-cut policy for the future of the health and hospital system. It's called a new National Health and Hospitals Network - funded nationally, run locally.
That's our plan. It's out there in black and white. I haven't seen the alternative plan yet. It seems Mr Abbott hasn't been able to make up his mind whether he supports it or opposes it.
But the second thing is this - we've also said that while we want to negotiate this plan cooperatively with the states and territories at the Council of Australian Governments meeting, if we fail to do so we've also said we'd go to the people and ask them for a mandate to implement our plans. That's our approach - very simple, very clear cut, but I notice Mr Abbott is now saying that he won't necessarily support that, either.
So, in summary, Mr Abbott says he doesn't really, or does he, support our overall health and hospitals plan, the new National Health and Hospitals Network, and now it seems he doesn't support going to the people, should we need to, to ask the people for a mandate to implement this reform if we can't get there cooperatively.
I would say, very bluntly and very plainly, to Mr Abbott - time to be just plain speaking about this: will you or will you not support the Australian Government going to a referendum if we can't reach a cooperative agreement with the states and territories? It's a very simple, basic question.
Finally, folks, this morning, just off Rockhampton, I went with AMSA to inspect the Chinese vessel which is currently off the coast in the Great Barrier Reef area. Here in Far North Queensland I don't need to say how important the Barrier Reef is to the people of this part of Australia, to all Queenslanders and to all Australians. This is an extraordinary natural asset for us all. Secondly, in this part of Australia it's also a very major source of jobs and employment. Therefore, the future of the Great Barrier Reef is of fundamental importance to all Australians, not least those who live in this part of the world.
I was able to spend about an hour or so out there with the crew from AMSA. I was able to speak to some of the surveyors who either had just been onboard the Chinese vessel or who were still onboard the Chinese vessel and obtained their assessments as to the state of affairs there.
As I've said earlier today, there are four practical tasks. One is how do you deal with that oil which has already escaped from the vessel, and that's where the role of the Pacific Recorder, the Australian AMSA vessel, is so critical in terms of constructing a boom around the oil which has so far been released.
Secondly, how do you deal with the challenge of removing the remaining oil from the vessel by a bunkering operation. That, again, is where the Pacific Recorder comes into play, together with other bunkering vessels. That operation is now being planned and preparations for its implementation are well underway.
Thirdly, to establish the facts as to how this was able to occur in the first place, because the penalties which apply here obviously will be subject to the conclusion of investigations. Those investigations are underway.
Fourthly, what, if any, further measures need to be taken in relation to the legal regime governing pilotage and other such measures for the Reef in the future.
I say again what I said earlier today in Rockhampton - from my perspective, as Prime Minister of Australia, it is frankly outrageous that a vessel this size could find itself 12km off course in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef, and it's time we got to the bottom of how this could have occurred and to hold those who are responsible for this accountable.
Over to you, folks.
JOURNALIST: How do you publicly (inaudible)
PM: We have a number of elements still to go. We will work that out with the states and territories, but let's be very clear about what we've put forward so far: a new National Health and Hospitals Network, funded nationally, run locally, a new role for local hospital networks - for example, one here in Far North Queensland.
Second, we've announced our plans for the future of the medical workforce. One of the key findings from consultations here and elsewhere in Australia is there are not enough doctors, and not enough specialists, and not enough GPs. We put our plans for that on the table.
For allied health professionals, we've put our plans on the table again today with the statement that we've just made.
For the treatment of certain chronic diseases, we've made our plans very plain in what we have said for the treatment of diabetes, and we'll be dealing with other major disease categories as well.
There's still some further things to clarify with the states and territories. We'll have further statements to make, but I've got to say there is a very clear blueprint for reform there, and for the first time the Australian Government taking on the exclusive funding responsibility for the primary healthcare system, the dominant funding responsibility for the acute hospital system, and the exclusive funding responsibility for the aged care system. This is a big reform, and if we can achieve it cooperatively, it will be the biggest reform to the health and hospital system since the introduction of Medicare.
JOURNALIST: The Australian this morning is reporting that 80% of your funding for the hospitals network and for the GP Superclinics is going to Labor or key marginal electorates. Is it a case of, you know, supporting-
PM: -The Health and Hospitals fund is determined, its decisions have been determined by an independent panel of experts and that has been deliberated on over a long, long period of time, and where you have major investments, for example in Melbourne, with a $476 million investment in an integrated cancer care centre, it's not just for Melbourne - for the whole of Victoria. That may lie physically within, I don't know, maybe the seat of Melbourne for all I know, but it's there to service the wider needs of the people of Victoria.
Can I also turn to what we're doing, for example, at the Chris O'Brien cancer centre in Sydney? There you have an investment by the Australian Government of some $150 million, not just to service, you know, the people of inner Sydney, but to service the people of the wider metro area of the state and the broader state as well.
The investment we've made into the Garvan Centre in Sydney - again, a significant investment, some $70 or $80 million by us, not just to service the people of inner Sydney, but the wider state as well.
So, can I just say it's very important to put such remarks into their context, and let me just talk about our commitment to rural and regional health services. We've brought about one of the single largest enhancements to incentives for rural doctors in the country's history. This $132 million additional investment from us to provide incentives for GPs and specialists to go out and locate in the bush and to stay in the bush - frankly, that goes to the whole country, and let me say a long, long way from many cities as well.
So, we are proud of our delivery of our services to the whole country, whether it's large cities, small rural towns, or even the most remote indigenous communities, and remember, the measure that we've announced recently for additional GPs and specialists, 6,500 of them, a huge concentration of those going to rural and regional areas. These allied health positions that I've just referred to today are going to rural and regional and remote areas as well.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) in Australia, what population do you mean?
PM: Well, what we've said very plainly is that we have now, for the first time in Australia's history, a Minister who has this as his responsibility, and secondly, his responsibility is to develop for the first time in the country's history a population strategy for Australia. So, it lies within his in tray, his set of responsibilities, to work those levels through for the future. That's why we're doing it. We think it's the rational way to go.
JOURNALIST: Mr Rudd, Tony Abbott's outlined his-
PM: -Sorry, here, then there.
JOURNALIST: You mentioned pilotage (inaudible) on the reef. If there is evidence that this ship has been cutting corners or taking shortcuts and that it's a common practice, would you be pushing for compulsory piloting for the entire length of the reef?
PM: I believe that, first of all, we've got to establish the facts from what occurred in this case. That's why there's a proper investigation underway, and the order of priorities, of course, is to: one, deal with the oil problem now; two, deal with the salvage of the vessel now; three, then deal with the question of how did this vessel end up in its place, and that's the subject of the current investigation, then; four, as I said before, any changes which are necessary for the future.
We have a wide-open mind when it comes to any changes on the question of either pilotage or what is often referred to as the system for providing vessel guidance which currently operates in Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait. Let's see what the experts have to advise.
Can I remind you, also, that the penalties which exist under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Act go to a fine of some $5.5 million under current circumstances. They go to the payment of the costs of any restitution which arises from that, from any damage to the Reef, and furthermore, in the case of any Master of any vessel guilty of any negligence, sentences of up to three years imprisonment. That's what exists under the current Act.
As I said, the Government will be entirely mindful of any advice in terms of further measures which may be necessary, and any further strengthening of the Act which may be necessary, as well.
JOURNALIST: The Premier says to throw the book at them. Would that be your idea?
PM: I believe that, as I said this morning and I'll say it here again, now, it is absolutely outrageous that a vessel this size could find itself 12km off course in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. It is absolutely outrageous. Let us see what the Maritime- the Transport Safety Bureau investigation determines, but my view is the law must be fully and absolutely applied in these circumstances. Australians take the Great Barrier Reef very, very seriously, both now and for the future.
JOURNALIST: The protestors outside about the public housing, what's your take on the concerns that (inaudible)
PM: Two things - if you look right across Australia, and the impact of the global financial crisis and the global recession, two courses of action which were available. One was to say we will do nothing about that, which is an attitude adopted by some countries, or the other is for the Government to step in while the private sector in the last 12-18 months was in retreat. That was the course of action we chose to adopt and that's why we chose to invest in the biggest school modernisation program in the country's history. That's why we chose to invest in the significant expansion in public housing, and when I look at the unemployment rates around Australia and what they would otherwise be in the absence of these direct investments by the Australian Government, they would've gone through the roof.
Up here in Far North Queensland, you've got double-digit unemployment already. If you were to pull out all the work that has gone into the construction sector, for housing and for schools, ask your local tradies, ask your local chambers of commerce what they think the impact would be on the local economy. It would be huge. Chippies, sparkies, subbies, right across the whole building spectrum, whether they are working on social housing programs or whether they're working on school modernisation programs. On the question of location, those decisions on planning are made, of course, by the state government authorities.
JOURNALIST: Would you be happy living next door to a block of public housing here?
PM: Well, I've got to say the place I live in in Brisbane I believe has social housing within a block or two and I've lived there for the last 15 years. These are decisions which are made by local authorities in conjunction with local, with the state government. That's where the planning responsibilities lie.
The question I would put to you is one which simply says the alternative, in terms of an economy which if we had done nothing and generated higher and higher levels of unemployment, the Treasury's advice to us would be that we would now have something in the order of 200,000-300,000 more Australians out of work. Think of the impact here in Far North Queensland were that the case.
I look around the world where governments have not taken this sort of action. How do you think it is that the Australian economy, unique among the major advanced economies of the world, came through the last 18 months without going into recession? Every other major advanced economy went into recession. We're one of the few economies in the advanced world to have grown positively, and that's why our unemployment rate is considerably lower, something like 5.3% or thereabouts, as against what we see - that's the figure nationally - as opposed to what we see right around the world, and frankly, the difference is Government stepping up to the plate and making a difference, and that's what we've done.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) Turnbull?
PM: I've noticed the statement made today by Mr Turnbull. Can I just say this - Malcolm and I have had our differences over the years, but I believe it's very important to be very clear about a person's contribution to public life, so what I would say is that Malcolm has made a big contribution to Australian public life, particularly his work as Minister for the Environment. Secondly, I think what you see with Malcolm is someone who stood up for his principles on the question of policy on the environment and climate change rather than simply running after opinion polls.
So, I'd say to Malcolm I wish him well, I wish his family well for the future, and I'm sure he'll have a further contribution to make to Australian life.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: You know, politics is full of cut and thrust, but can I say again, with Malcolm, he's a bloke who stood up for what he believed in on the question of the environment and water and climate change and I believe he made a difference by standing up for his principles as opposed to just running after the next opinion poll. So, again I'd say I wish him well, I wish his family well, and I'm sure he'll have a continued contribution to make in Australian national life.
And having said that folks, we're already late for the James Cook University dental school. Talk to you later. Thanks.