Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: It’s great to be out here enjoying Australia Day. Make sure to be sun smart and be conscious of the heat and take a look at the people next to you and make sure they’re OK as well as they’re out enjoying this wonderful day all around the country. And with that, we know that around the country today, particularly down in Victoria and Tasmania, there are Australians fighting bushfires down there today and our thoughts are with you and our support is there with you today on the frontline there. I particularly want to thank the New Zealand Government for the support New Zealand firefighters who are joining in on that fight. The terrain in New Zealand and Tasmania is quite similar and they have particular expertise. I spoke to Will Hodgman about all of this yesterday and we’re being kept up to date. So a difficult Australia Day down in Tassie and of course in Victoria with the other challenges they’re facing there.
But to Richard and Craig, congratulations on becoming our Australians of the Year. This is a story, this is an achievement and they are the first to tell you they were part of a very big team, as they did last night, that was able to perform this miracle up there in Thailand. It showed the best of Australia's expertise, the best of Australia's compassion, the best of Australia’s outward-looking nature and adventurous nature to be there and providing that support. But you know, a strong field, Kurt Fearnley and others, congratulations to the other nominees. You’re all heroes, you’re all absolute champions and you all deserve to be celebrated. And Michelle thank you for the wonderful job you've done over the last 12 months as Australian of the Year. And we look forward to those messages getting out over the next 12 months from our new Australians of the Year. It will be a tag team, it will be a double act. It has worked well once before as they went into partnership up there in Thailand and I know will again.
But this is a great day for Australians to come together. I'm looking forward to the rest of the day and for Australians to come together. As you know, Jenny and I and the girls had a wonderful time with the Ngunnawal people reflecting on the ancient and living history and culture that was there all the way up to this day 231 years ago and how we have gone into a new chapter of that time, and even now in our federation era, a new chapter again bringing the peoples of the world together as you saw recognised this morning. So happy Australia Day.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on that point, we can see on the bridge behind you indigenous activists are marching. They want to see the Australia Day date changed out of respect. For them it’s a day of mourning. What do you say to indigenous Australians who find today a very difficult day, not a day for celebration?
PRIME MINISTER: Well today is not a day for crab-walking away from our history, as you heard me say today. I mean, 1788 26th of January for my ancestors it was a pretty difficult day as well. They came not by choice and in some pretty desperate circumstances. The thing is, Australia is the story of being overcome, to be able to see the better nature of Australians and the values we hold together, all races, all peoples, all cultures, all religions, all languages even. That’s what we actually celebrate today, that we are the great country we are today, despite many of the things we've had to face in the past. So you can't walk away from these things. You've got to come together around these things and that's why I think there is the opportunity for reconciliation, and to tell the stories of all Australia. Not just some. Today I spoke of all the stories of Australia. The ancient stories, the settlement stories, and of course there are the many other stories post-federation, of our Diggers and the service and the sacrifice. So they’re all there to be celebrated in our achievements. But everything else to be remembered because it gives us context, it gives us learnings, it gives us perspective. In my first speech, my maiden speech in the Parliament I said I want our history in full, high-definition colour, all elements of it, so we can appreciate it and understand it.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Nigel Scullion has now told you and announced that he will not be recontesting. It comes after Michael Keenan also announced he’ll be leaving the Parliament. How big a blow is this to your Government, Michael Keenan and Nigel Scullion will not be standing at the next election?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I mean in both cases, both Nigel and Michael had come to me and told me, first in Nigel’s case that he was retiring. Let’s not forget that both of these gentlemen have been serving in the Parliament for a very long time, Nigel in particular, over 20 years of service. He is retiring and it is OK to retire in this country. And in Michael's case, he entered Parliament in 2004. He has served as a Minister, he has served in the Parliament, he has served in his community and has four children. The youngest is an infant. I think in both of these cases - because this is how it has been shared with me by both of these men - about their own personal circumstances. We’ve had members retiring and not standing at the next election from both sides of politics, and it means nothing more than that. This is the time when people go away at the time of the break, they reflect on things, they make choices about their future. Australians are doing that all round the country at the moment. I don't think these cases are any different. Both will continue to serve in their ministerial portfolios. I had them sworn in with the Governor-General and they will continue to perform all of those duties. Both Nigel and Michael have done a great job and I thank them for their service to their country on this Australia Day.
JOURNALIST: Are they jumping off a sinking ship, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I think that’s a… no, I don’t think that’s a very kind way to put it and I don’t think that really does respect the decisions that they’re made.
JOURNALIST: Can you guarantee that no other minister will resign from now until May?
PRIME MINISTER: Well there are none others before me.
JOURNALIST: Can you guarantee that no others...
PRIME MINISTER: Well members make their own decisions about these things. I'm sure Bill Shorten cannot make the same commitment.
JOURNALIST: Are you having any conversations with anyone else at the moment? Are we going to see sort of over the next week or two is it possible that we will see more?
PRIME MINISTER: Look I’m not having any other conversations about those matters. The conversations I’m having are about is an even stronger Australia. My team is focused on a stronger Australia. That guarantees the essential services that Australians rely on, that keeps Australians safe, that keeps Australians together, particularly on a day like today. I'm ensuring that our Government, both now and into the future as we seek re-election, will be able to continue to deliver on our plans for a strong economy that is guaranteeing those essential services that Australians rely on. That's our plan, that’s what we’re focused on. That's what our people are showing up to do. I thank Michael, I thank Nigel, for their service. I would ask the media to respect the decisions they have made and the context of those decisions which is about family and is about personal issues. I respect their choice, I respect Kelly's choice, I respect the members of the Labor Party and the choices that they have made about these things. I don't see any difference between any of those decisions.
JOURNALIST: How can you be sure the Coalition MPs aren’t losing hope of winning?
PRIME MINISTER: Because of their direct conversations with me. And I have had many of them over the break, I've met with many members. I see the reports about Craig Laundy and I catching up today. I caught up with him for about an hour during the week, he was overseas when I was calling many members over the break as you’d expect me to do as the leader, and I said let’s catch up for brekky when you get back and that’s what we did.
JOURNALIST: Did you urge Mr Laundy to recontest his seat of Reid?
PRIME MINISTER: Craig, when we discussed what he was doing back in August of last year, he stepped down from the ministry at that point. And these are matters for Craig and his family and at present he is continuing forward.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned these departures will affect the Government's chances of winning?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: They are both strong performing ministers, describe what their loss will be for the team.
PRIME MINISTER: Well they will continue to serve in their roles up until the next election. But what I will be equally pleased to see those who will come up and refresh behind them. All governments refresh and that’s a process which is going on in three of these seats. During the course of the week I had the opportunity to announce that Warren Mundine is part of the team. Now I don’t know the last time that the national president of a major party has decided to swap sides and say that that party no longer represents working people and they believe that the Liberal Party is the party that does that best for this country and provides the best hope for the future. Now I was greatly pleased to be able to sign up Warren. Warren's signing up to the Liberal Party I think is in direct conflict to the assertions that have been put about these other decisions being made by my colleagues for purely family reasons. So I've got people signing up to be part of my team and I've had people who have had a role in public life. I particularly pleased that Warren has signed up to our team and the contest he is now engaged in in Gilmore.
JOURNALIST: Do you want to say anything about Michael Keenan and...
PRIME MINISTER: I have worked with Michael over a long period of time. In fact Michael and I shared the border protection portfolio responsibilities when we were in opposition and we saw and lived through the horror of those years under Labor’s border protection failures and worked together as we went into the 2013 election and then implementing our policies in government. Michael’s history as a minister, he has served both in our national security agencies. The work he has done to keep Australians safe I commend him for. He has been a great member of the team and more recently he’s worked in human services. He's had a great vision around the way we can use digital technologies and other advances to make sure we have integrity in our social welfare net, but also that it can deliver to support where it needs to be delivered most. So I think he has been driving a very good agenda in digital government
And for Nige, I mean, there's no-one like Nige. There is no replacement for a Nigel Scullion. They broke the mould after Nige. He’s a passionate Territorian who I note is retiring. He's been serving a long time, and he is keen to pass on that mantle now to a new Senator who would seek to represent us out of the Northern Territory, and his passion for indigenous people is unequalled in the Parliament. His work on their practical circumstances, particularly in indigenous procurement policy, that is something that Nigel has championed as Minister. He has delivered real jobs to Indigenous Australians all around the country. As Warren Mundine reminded us this week, it was when his grandfather got a job that that changed the course of his family's life down generations. Nigel has been a champion or jobs for indigenous Australians. I’ve sat in the dust with Nigel in plenty of communities and his empathy and his ability to connect and respect with indigenous Australians is something I thank him for.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can you still guarantee a surplus on April 2?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
JOURNALIST: You mentioned Nigel handing over to a new Senator, who will that Senator be if you’re successful in getting that Senate spot?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we will have a preselection and the CLP are going to decide.
JOURNALIST: Do you think they would have retired if Malcolm Turnbull was still the Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Well you would have to ask them. Circumstances are the ones they reflected on over Christmas which you tend to do. I know Michael has been thinking about this for a long time, a very long time, and that would predate that change over. And Nigel also, Nigel has been in the Parliament through very long time and he has now decided it is the time to move on. And you know how it is with Senators, Senators contest elections and then they can stand down after an election and be replaced by the party. That’s enabled under our Constitution. That is not Nigel's form. Nige is an upfront person who wants to be upfront with the people of the Northern Territory and I think that’s a mark of the integrity and the honesty of the bloke.
JOURNALIST: If Julie Bishop moved out of Curtain, would you support Christian Porter moving into that seat?
PRIME MINISTER: Christian is 100 per cent plus committed to where he is running right now and always will be. He is passionate about his community and he has been running a very strong program for his local community and we will continue to do that. That’s where he’s committed, that’s where he lives, that’s what he is focused on and he is an outstanding Attorney and a key member of my team.
JOURNALIST: Are there any of your other colleagues who might be reflecting and considering leaving at the next election?
PRIME MINISTER: I think there has been the time for that and I respect all members' choices and I would ask you to respect all members' choices too and the reasons for why they are saying they are doing this. As Kelly pointed out, there are plenty of people who try, our political opponents and others, who try and use these circumstances I think for political opportunity and that is disappointing and I encourage people to not endorse the approach by giving that oxygen. I think that would be very disappointing and very discourteous to both of the gentlemen and their families. I mean, Michael's youngest child is an infant for goodness sake, so it's not surprising. Members, Tim Hammond, made the same decision, the same decision and he has only been here for a term, he hadn’t even finished a term. Michael has served many terms as a Western Australian MP, with three young children before that and now a fourth. Add so it comes a time when members really have to make these decisions in the best interests of their family, just like I am sure any of those listening to me would know and indeed all of you would do. So happy Australia Day. It's great to be here in Ngunnawal country celebrating the wonderful country Australia has become. We've got an amazing history and I think we always need to understand the lessons of our history but we should never look down on our achievements as a nation and today is a day for celebrating those achievements. Happy Australia Day. Thank you.
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