Drought
Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Minister for Regional Services, Sport, Local Government and Decentralisation
Photo: AAP Image
MINISTER LITTLEPROUD: Welcome to Maranoa, and welcome to just west of Quilpie, to Annabel and Stephen Tully’s property here. Welcome particularly the Prime Minister, who has taken time and taken drought on, taken it by the scruff of the neck as soon as he was awarded the leadership of the Liberal party and then became Prime Minister. Drought was the key issue, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Senator Bridget McKenzie and to Major General Day, thank you for coming out and hearing the stories. This is about listening and looking and understanding. To have a Prime Minister who is prepared to come out, to kick the dust, to get an understanding of what these people’s stories are, of real Australian stories in the outback are. This drought, it’s been prolonged in many parts of my electorate in Queensland for close to eight years in some parts. So the resilience and strength that some people like Annabel and Stephen show are the true stories of Australia. I’ll let the Prime Minister speak but this about trying to let him understand some of the investments that we’ve made as a Government around building resilience. Our job as a Government is around farmer welfare, and then building resilience and preparedness, things like dog fencing and investments in write-offs of hay storage are important. But also, can I just make one plea – put the politics aside. Can I say to the Labor State Government, to Annastacia Palaszczuk, can you please, can you please re-think your vegetation management laws, particularly with respect to Mulga. We are seeing farmers out here in the Mulga lands that have lost over 35 per cent of their fodder because of the draconian laws around Mulga’s and vegetation management. This is a land management that has been done sustainably by our farmers for generations. We should trust our farmers to continue to manage the Mulga lands the way they have, but to also maintain their dignity. To be able to make a living to get through this drought. This isn’t our first drought and it won’t be our last, but the Mulga is so important. So to Annastacia Palaszczuk, can I say please, I plead with you, pit politics aside and re-think your vegetation management laws around Mulga. So the Prime Minister, to you, thank you, and I ask you to say a few words.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks David and it’s great to be here with the Deputy PM who was here, not here, but in other drought-affected areas with the previous PM. Our Government under Malcolm Turnbull and today under me is 100 per cent focused on what we need to do as a nation together to ensure there is not just relief from the drought but recovery from the drought. I’m accompanied also today by Major General Stephen Day who I will speak about in a second. I particularly want to say thank you to Annabel and Steve for inviting us to your home today. It’s not just their home today, it’s been their home in the Tully family for five generations. They were here some 10 or 15 years after Burke and Wills went through this strip. This is a long-term generational farming family that we have come to visit today. The reason I wanted to come to Queensland today was because this is an area that has been dealing with drought not for one year, not for two years - for six years. I want to show you something Steve just showed me. This property in 2016, just over there, that's what it looked like. This is successful country when it comes to what they've been running for five generations. This is what we've got to keep in mind because that says hope, that says the future, that says why these communities live here because it is sustainable, it is achievable and it's coming back. What our challenge is, is to ensure that until it comes back, we do everything we can to ensure that these families, that these communities, that these towns get from now until then. So today… Look, I've been in the job a couple of days. Stephen has been in the job just over a week, so he's not too far ahead of me on this. The reason I've asked Major General Day to continue on the work that Malcolm Turnbull asked him to start with the Deputy Prime Minister is because we need a national response to what this drought is. It's not just in New South Wales or Queensland. It's getting in Victoria, isn't it, Bridget?
MINISTER MCKENZIE: Yeah.
PRIME MINISTER: Bridget is from Victoria. It is getting down there into South Australia. We all needto work together. I said the other day that I want to have an even stronger Australia that is keeping Australians together. Now the reason just chatting to some of the families a few minutes ago, that they're able to achieve and show the resilience that they are, not just now but over generations, is because they stay together. We have got to stay together as a country in our support. Governments and the Commonwealth Government have to stay together and work together to ensure that we can give the support that is necessary. We’ve already got a number of very well-targeted initiatives that are out here. Rod’s here, where’s the Mayor? He’s around here somewhere. We’re meeting with the Mayors and other Shire representatives this afternoon. One of the things that Prime Minister
Turnbull announced just recently with the DPM was a million dollars for every single Shire Council that was affected by the drought and what that's about is putting money into potentially even the dog fencing we've been talking about or the road programs that they have or fixing up the local library or anything like that that puts money into these towns and into these areas. We can't make it rain but what we can do is ensure that these local economies and regional economies can get from A to B and when B looks exactly like that. Now Major General Day's job is to bring together and to provide us with a plan. He is listening, then he will plan and then he will act.
That's how we can draw together all of the resources of Commonwealth, state, local governments and the charitable sector, everyone who is out there trying to make a difference to support the situation. That's what Major General Day is doing. That's what he has been tasked with. It is an enormous task. I have to give him the time to be able to form his plans, to get the information and ensure that he can bring back to us what we need to do to make this work. Let me make another comment; yesterday when we announced the ministry, I will ask Michael to speak in a second, we talked about the role that Barnaby Joyce would have. Barnaby will provide a connection point between Major General Day and the Government, out there listening to people, providing that feedback directly. He is not there as the Minister. He is not there to defend government policy. He's there to hear about what the issues are and to be able to be trusted and faithfully relay that back to us so we can make those decisions.
We need someone to be there who people can talk directly to and then they can make sure we know what we need to do, whether it's Major General Day or it’s Michael or it's I or David or the whole team. Anyway, over to you, Michael.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Prime Minister. A lot of people get excited about the Coalition agreement but one of the first orders of business - and I didn't need to tell the Prime Minister, the new Prime Minister, he was already coming out here, he was already making sure that he knew exactly what these people are enduring here out in outback Queensland. Indeed, all throughout New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, parts of Victoria. It's grim out here. But that's why we have got the best people on the ground to do the right job. We've got David Littleproud as the Minister for Agriculture and Waters Resources. We’ve got Major General Stephen Day and Barnaby Joyce is going to be a very vital conduit between drought-stricken communities and Government and making sure that message, as the Prime Minister just said, making sure that message gets through. But what I want to do is I want to implore people in metropolitan areas, wherever they might be, come out and visit these areas. There’s lots to see and do.
These drought-stricken communities more than ever need your help, need your support, need your dollars. Just down the road, the best dinosaur museum I will say anywhere in the world butcertainly anywhere in Australia. Great dinosaur museum. Believe it or not, this used to be part of an inland sea. They found dinosaurs here. Come visit it, come and have a look, spend a bit of money, get a haircut, go and have a coffee, a meal. Spend some money in a petrol station. You'll be greatly accommodated here. Friendliest people anywhere in the bush, friendliest people anywhere in Australia. They need to see you, they need your dollars, they need your support more than ever during these times of drought. Certainly we need these rural economies to stay strong. They will. They also, as well as being the friendliest, they are also the most resilient. They have to be, they really do. The Prime Minister is very, very much on board. As soon as I sat down to talk with the Prime Minister, when he had just been elected as Liberal leader, first order of business was drought. He wanted to know what he could do to help. He has come out here as his first visit as the Prime Minister and I commend him for that. So, thank you, Scott. We will keep helping, as a good government should, side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder, with drought-stricken communities. Not just farmers, it doesn't just stop at the farm gate but all the small businesses. So what I say is come out and visit, have a look and spend a few dollars here.
PRIME MINISTER: Stephen wanted to say a couple of things.
STEPHEN TULLY: I'd just like to say thank you very, very much, Prime Minister, for coming out. For you to come here before you swear in Cabinet is a great priority for drought. I was asked this morning whether you can come with all the solutions. I said I hope not because you don't know the problems yet. So that's quite rewarding as well. I can't wait to sit down and we’ll have a good conversation. I will have some solutions but there's many others out there and I'm sure you will have a good listen to everybody as well. So thank you very much, really appreciate it.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks mate, I really appreciate it, and thanks for having us here. It was great to catch up with Hugo, I enjoyed his class. That was a bit of fun, they got a bit of a surprise.
STEPHEN TULLY: Did you learn anything?
PRIME MINISTER: I can assure you I learn something every day! If you don't have that attitude, you never do. So, questions.
QUESTION: PM, can I just ask you to reflect on the fact that in some parts of Queensland, we haven't seen rain for seven years. That means some kids, seven years old, just a few years younger than your daughters, have never seen water fall from the sky. How does that make you feel as a parent and how does that make you feel as a Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: What upsets me about that is they don't know what that looks like. While it was only a couple of years ago here, they haven't seen yet what has kept their parents here and their families here for long periods of time. They're here basically on faith from what mum and dad have told them about this lifestyle. That's what makes me sad about it. When I was talking to Annabel before, there’s a lot of hardship here, there’s a lot of struggle, they're incredibly resilient people, and they’re not complaining about anything, they're getting on and doing it. Doing a lot. We have looked at innovation, the works they're doing, they're getting on with it, they’re just getting on and doing a lot. We’ve looked at the innovation, looked at the works they’re doing, they’re just getting on with it. But when you talk about your kids, it's another matter altogether.
What we need to do isn't just about dog fencing, and all of that's important, but kids still have to go to school and getting kids to school can't be causing stress and heartbreak for parents. So there's no end, it would seem, at the moment to the issues that we have to sort out and coordinate here and that's why Major General Day's job is so important. It's to work across everything from education to human services to coordinating with the States, to my old department in Treasury and the Tax Office and places like that. It's a whole-of-government response and then working with the States. I think that's what frustrates people. They look at governments going, "Why aren't you talking to each other?" We are going to try and talk to each other a lot better because that's a big part of the solution, all the governments working together. I spoke to Annastacia Palaszczuk before coming out here today. We had a good chat about that. I spoke to Gladys Berejiklian during the course of the week in New South Wales. I was actually talking to Mark McGowan just the other night. They're a long way from the drought but that's where the feed is coming from. There is a lot of connections on how we deal with that. For those kids, I want them to see that pasture again.
QUESTION: Prime Minister, can you tell me whether you believe that the prolonged dry period that people are experiencing out here is associated with human-induced climate change?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't think people out here care one way or the other whether it's that.
QUESTION: I'm asking you.
PRIME MINISTER: But I care what they think.
QUESTION: But I’m also caring about what you think as Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: I don’t think that’s the issue.
STEPHEN TULLY: I'm happy to talk on that.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah sure. The person you should be asking is Steve.
QUESTION: Well actually, you're the person making the policy decisions, so I’m also interested…
PRIME MINISTER: Well let's listen to Steve first.
STEPHEN TULLY: So we’ve got 100 years of records, so there’s two families out here that have 100 years of records. What happens so far still sits within those records. Whether it is climate change or it is not, is completely irrelevant to everybody here. It’s still marginal; you can’t argue any other way. People are hurting now. We need it fixed now. Whether it is, whether it's not is really irrelevant now.
QUESTION: I appreciate that but I want to get a yes or no answer from you. Do you believe it is associated with human-induced climate change?
PRIME MINISTER: You are talking about right here. I mean we’re talking about… climate is changing, everybody knows that. I know what you're trying to ask, OK? I don't think that's part of this debate. That's my point. If people want to have a debate about that, fine. It's not a debate I've participated a lot in in the past because I'm practically interested in the policies that will address what is going on here right and now. I'm interested in getting people's electricity prices down and I'm not terribly interested in engaging in those sorts of debates at this point. I understand the arguments about all that. I understand the positions that are held. But practically, it doesn't help me a lot in terms of working out how you make a human services form which is too long and invasive and takes people a lot of time to fill out. That debate doesn't help that form get filled out any sooner and it certainly doesn't help ensuring that you are keeping dogs out of your pasture lands and things like that. So, I'm going to leave that debate for another day.
QUESTION: Can I clarify something else with you on the drought? The difference between, say, a small business in your own electorate and a farming enterprise like the one we're at now, what do you see is the difference and the reason why somewhere like this is eligible for emergency assistance whereas a business that’s struggling in your own electorate might not have that money?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I’ll give you an example. In my electorate in southern Sydney, you know, I've come from the quarter acre out to 180,000 acres out here - that's a big difference for a start. We had the Kurnell refineries closing down. They were a big employer in my electorate and that was managed over a period of time. Now the people that used work there, because we live in a large city, means that they’ve been able to pick up jobs elsewhere in the city. But these economies and these communities don't have those same sort of options. And these communities are providing the food, they’re providing the wool, they’re providing what Australians need. And, you know, it is different in different parts of the country. As a result of that, I think that means there's a special responsibility here. Not just to ensure that they can be successful - I'm looking at some of the innovation they've been putting on around this property, but this is a way of life that is important to Australia's future. I want to make sure that way of life continues to be preserved as I know Michael and Bridget and my Liberal colleagues feel the same way.
QUESTION: As a former Treasurer, can we expect some actual subsidies from the Federal Government? To date we haven't seen direct subsidies as part of the assistance. As part of the national response, can we expect to see some action?
PRIME MINISTER: There has been significant action when it comes to farm household assistance…
QUESTION: I mean direct subsidies to farmers? Is that on the table?
PRIME MINISTER: We are already providing farm household assistance and Michael and others can speak to other items. There’s a number of things we are doing and we are $1.19 billion in terms of financial assistance that's gone in as part of a drought response over many years now. It has many components. The most recent one was the $70 million-odd that was announced for funding grants directly into local councils to ensure those economies could be sustainable. That's incredibly important. So look, where there is a problem and where we think there is a solution that requires that type of support, then you'll do it. If Major General Day turns up and says, as part of his plan, we need to coordinate financial assistance in this way as opposed to that way, well that's what he is there to tell us and we can respond on that and act on that. I'm not pretending to come here and suggest we have all the answers to all the problems. I got a great text from Barnaby last night on day one, as you expect, he has given me quite a list of things that he reckons. We're already about that.
QUESTION: So there's other options on the table?
PRIME MINSTER: We will look at every option. Let me tell you this, too - the drought package is an ongoing thing. It doesn't sort of get announced one day and then that's it. It goes on as long as the drought goes on. We need the ideas to keep coming as long as the drought goes on and beyond. It's about drought relief and drought recovery as well. Those two things have got to go together. It is a constant work in progress. I mean, that way people deal with the drought here is a constant work in progress. It's a struggle and it's a strain but they're constantly innovating and finding ways to actually go forward every single day. Our response is going to be exactly the same. An enormous amount has already been done under Prime Minister Turnbull and I'm seeking to continue that work by being responsive.
QUESTION: Prime Minister, this morning Tony Abbott did a radio interview and said that the era of the assassin is over. Is that a relief to you?
PRIME MINISTER: I think it's important that the bitterness of years past, not just on our side of politics but on the other side of politics as well. I mean, I've been in this Parliament about the same time as Michael, just a little bit longer, I think, and it's been a pretty tumultuous time. I think Australians would welcome the fact that that period of time is over. And it should be over. Australians expect that of their Parliament and I'm pleased that that's the case. The age of bitterness has come to a close and the age of working together and focusing on the future has come.
QUESTION: He says the job that was on offer was a title without a job. Is he being ungracious in terms of what you offered him?
PRIME MINISTER: Tony and I are continuing to talk about the role he can play and, as a former Prime Minister, I want to use his experience, I want to use his insights in an area I know he is deeply passionate about. Just like Michael and I want to ensure that, as former leader of the National Party, we're using Barnaby's skills and experience as part of our Government. He deserves the respect of a full proposal as to what I see his role as and I'll give him the respect of that and we will keep working that through.
QUESTION: Back to the drought, you're the first Prime Minister since Paul Keating to go from Treasurer to Prime Minister. Given you have held that role, does it make easier now for you to - you know where the money is, that's what I'm trying to say. So is it easy to find money? Secondly, this drought has been going on for seven years. What was the tipping point, the switch, because this only happened in the past six months, so what changed?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I can remember as Treasurer earlier this year, and I remember Michael saying in Cabinet - sorry to breach Cabinet confidence...
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: You're about to. But you're allowed, you're the Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Michael was pushing this had to be put on our agenda and what our response was. That had a big impact on me, Michael, and, as you know, we went through a range of packages that went through the budget. Since then, we've been doing the same thing. I was very involved in that as Treasurer, as Michael knows, and had some pretty strong views about particularly keeping the regional towns and communities going. They're all little economies. No different to the economy of the Cronulla Mall or out here in Quilpie, they’re little economies that support a lot of people. Now the Cronulla Mall gets support from a much bigger customer base than they do in Quilpie. You have got to keep the towns going. The broader farming community around these towns are a huge part. A lot of other things are part of those towns. You have people working at the council everywhere from answering phones to doing accounts to managing programs. You've got people running small businesses. A lot of people and a lot of different jobs depend on money continuing to come through these towns.
QUESTION: What do you know about the illegal fishing boat off far North Queensland coast? How many people are still missing? What do you know about the situation?
PRIME MINISTER: I have spoken to the Home Affairs Minister, Peter Dutton, and he was a designate at that point when I spoke to him - he has been sworn in now, he is in Brisbane - I should say the Gold Coast - attending the Five Eyes meetings with others there. The vessel, as I understand the briefing that has been provided to me, relates to a fishing vessel and, as a result, that doesn't fall into the category of what I often used to refer to as these illegal vessel arrivals so what we're seeing with that is the usual process kicks in and we'll manage that as we've managed the others but it's a reminder to all Australians, we did stop the boats. I had a significant role to play as part of that under the Abbott Government. I have had a significant role to play under the Turnbull Government as the Treasurer. But under my Government, I'll be focusing on all of these things and we can't take the success of our country and the achievements we've had under the Abbott Government and under the Turnbull Government for granted. I mean, these things don't stay fixed. You've got to keep them fixed. You need to continue to apply the same application, the same strength, the
same focus to ensure that we maintain and keep those things in place. So that's a reminder. What we saw today on the coast is a reminder of the need to have strong border protection. That's why Peter Dutton is back there doing that job.
QUESTION: Sorry to interrupt. Are people still missing and what does it say that a boat got that close?
PRIME MINISTER: I've been on a plane for a fair bit of time and I haven't been able to speak to Peter since earlier today. I will be seeking an update later today. I have no doubt about the ability of Peter Dutton to carry on the work which I started many, many years ago and keep the issue right under control.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: I’d just like to… Bridget McKenzie has got a new role as far as regional issues are concerned and I'd like her to talk to that role and what it means with the drought.
MINISTER MCKENZIE: Thanks, Deputy Prime Minister. It is fantastic to be here in Quilpie. And I think, backing up what everyone else has said today is that right now we need local solutions. We have had some rain down south, in New South Wales over the weekend, it's not drought-breaking rain but it will make a difference to those communities going forward. Up here not so lucky. We need to make sure our response as a government is very localised. Making sure Palaszczuk deals with the Mulga issue is a great example of actually applying a local solution instead of assuming that the native vegetation laws that work in Brisbane work out here in Quilpie. We have got five generations of farmers say we can make a fabulous living here, raise a family, and do an honest day work and ensure we can have a continuous business model but you can't keep tying us up in red tape. I would be calling, like we have as a Federal Government, for a local response.
That's why our local councils that are affected by drought, I will be overseeing how they are going to be using the $1 million each provided as part of our response over the recent past and just talking here locally, they've got some really great ideas they are taking them to council tomorrow, so I can't speak about them in detail, but it is going to be a very local response where they will be building those local economies and growing them. It was great to sit down, as Regional Communications Minister, to sit with young Hugo, say g'day to his classroom and hear first-hand the importance of our Government’s investment in initiatives like Sky Muster which means Annabel and Stephen’s kids can stay here on the property for as long as possible before heading off to boarding school and so they can have this love of country, love of place embedded in their lived experience and hopefully return once they finish their education.
Thanks.