Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: Congratulations to Cam Smith for tonight - 400 games.
JOURNALIST: We wondered.
PRIME MINISTER: I know he's up against the Sharks tonight. 400 games. It's hard to imagine how that will ever be topped.
JOURNALIST: It'd be terrible for him to lose it wouldn't it?
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER: Don't draw me on that, don't draw me on it. But he's a he's a marvellous individual and great for the game, great for Queensland. Just one of those icons of Australian sport, I think. Everyone can and celebrate that. Even if he is playing my team.
JOURNALIST: Much like Gallen, really.
PRIME MINISTER: I agree. Paul and Cam; Gals and Cam I think, are one of the great rivalries the game. Anyway. You know me, I can talk football all afternoon. I'm sure you will ask me about other things I'm happy if you go straight to questions to.
JOURNALIST: The invitation for the U.S. state visit; are you going and is this a sign of strengthening relationship between yourself and Donald Trump?
PRIME MINISTER: Now I very much welcome the invitation from President Trump for Jenny and I to travel to Washington. And that will also feed into the United Nations General Assembly leaders week as well. And there'll be opportunity subsequent to meet with many other leaders as well. But this is I think something very significant for Australia. It's about Australians as I said in my remarks. Australia's relationship with the United States could not be stronger. And it could not be stronger at a more important time for Australia. Where we are in our region where things are at in the world today. And so I very much appreciate both the warmth of President Trump's invitation to Jenny and I. But more importantly, the warmth towards Australia that President Trump has demonstrated in making this very generous invitation.
PRIME MINISTER: What do you admire about President Trump?
PRIME MINISTER: He's a strong leader, who says what he's going to do and then goes and does it. I mean, I can always rely on President Trump to follow through on what he says. And in the time I've known him he has demonstrated a real keen interest in and knowledge of Australia and the relationship, that extends back particularly more than a century, in terms of the engagement of our armed forces and their armed services. So, this is a very, very important relationship. He sees, I think, importantly our role in this part of the world. And we are an important partner to the United States.
JOURNALIST: On what issues do you differ and on what issues do you see eye to eye?
PRIME MINISTER: Well I said yesterday when I was on the USS Ronald Reagan, that Australians and Americans I think see the world through very similar eyes and this the President and I share many of those views of the world.
JOURNALIST: Can you see more announcements after this visit to increase the Pacific Step-Up strategy?
PRIME MINISTER: The Pacific Step-Up is incredibly important for Australia in our own right; in our own national interest and is very consistent with the historical position we've taken in the Pacific. We are seen as a partner a family member an ally, a supporter. And a country that very much understands the aspirations of Pacific Island nations peoples. I'm looking forward to going to Tuvalu soon, to be part of the Pacific Island Forum. And talking more about the partnership we have with Pacific Island nations. And I think we have over a long time demonstrated and through the Step-Up shown to other partners in the region, whether it's the United States or France or the United Kingdom or indeed China, is that we're a country that very much gets it when it comes to the Pacific. And we're a trusted partner in the Pacific. We just want the people in the Pacific to live well. To enjoy prosperity, to live past safe and peaceful lives and be sovereign countries in charge of their own futures. And that's our aspiration in the Pacific.
JOURNALIST: Veteran military analyst Derek Warner -
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry one at a time.
JOURNALIST: Just on China, are you conscious of how they view invitations and meetings like this with the US?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we would similarly engage with China. And have in the past and we've had the opportunity briefly to speak with President Xi when I was in Osaka. I'd had similar opportunities earlier gatherings. At APEC in particular as well as a very lengthy meeting with Premier Li Keqiang, last year. And so we maintain our engagement with all the great powers. In terms the United States and significant powers in our region. Our relationship with Indonesia is very important to Australia as we take the trade agreement through the Parliament over the balance of this year. We have a very positive and enthusiastic engagement program that we're running. Whether it's in the trade sphere, whether it's in the strategic sphere. More broadly in economic policy or humanitarian side of things. So Australia was well regarded and well respected and so the invitation from the President I think very much reflects our reputation and I'm just pleased that my Government has been in a position and I think to further strengthen that relationship and this is another great opportunity.
JOURNALIST: Veteran military analyst Derek Warner warns that Australians attack class submarine could be obsolete because it's using the lead acid batteries not lithium ion. Does that worry you?
PRIME MINISTER: Well the latter technology has not yet been proven at sea and we will continue to rely, I think rightly, on the advice of defence and security officials and advisers within our defence forces and the Department of Defence. And that also extends out to our alliance partners as well, who we work closely with through some of these issues. These decisions have not been taken lightly. They've been done after extensive analysis and looking forward to the future. And we're comfortable with those decisions. When it comes to defence procurements there will always be many opinions. And they'll always be ventured. And that's fine. But we'll continue to rely on the advice that has led us to the decisions we've made them and we're making great progress.
JOURNALIST: Trent Zimmerman this morning said that he believes some MPs need take a breath when it comes to constitutional recognition. Can you be more specific about where you stand on those issues? And do you- are you in Ken Wyatt's corner?
PRIME MINISTER: Well Ken and I are of one mind on this and his speech outlined this. I mean, our has not changed when it comes to the issues of constitutional recognition. Ken made that very clear; that issues of the process of a voice were not being considered within the constitutional context. I mean, our position on constitutional recognition goes back to the time of John Howard when John Howard was the first on from his government's level to articulate a view about constitutional recognition and my views have always very much aligned with that. And we've had a very consistent position on that. And so what Ken has said and what I've said should come as no surprise because there's been no change to our position.
JOURNALIST: Traditionally state and federal elections are different ball games. But do you think that the momentum from the Federal election is going to carry into Queensland next October?
PRIME MINISTER: Well next October I would hope to see Deb Frecklington being able to be successful at that election. That's what I'm believing. And I don't want to see Queensland fall behind. Queensland had been falling a bit behind. And I don't want to see that. There has been great delays to projects. There has been frustration in trying to get things moving. And I want to see Queensland move ahead. I have had frustrations, as people know, about the Brisbane Olympic bid. I recall that you know in New South Wales when the Sydney Olympic bid came together you didn't have to coax people out of their cave in New South Wales and state government to get them to go out there and bid, they were out front leading the show. But both the Brisbane City Council and the other coalition of councils here and the Federal Government we're all here at the starting line and I look forward to the State Government joining us soon.
JOURNALIST: What more do they need to do?
PRIME MINISTER: Stump up and lead it.
JOURNALIST: But the council of mayors has said that they would want to lead it so isn't that a bit of a contradiction?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I think for the Olympic Games to be successful they have to work very closely together. With the Olympic movement and the IOC will be looking to see a very strong leadership role being played by the state government. And obviously though they would want to know that it's been strongly supported by the national government which when I met with Dr Bach in Osaka. He left I think very clear about the strong level of support, passion, enthusiasm from my Government to support this. The Government always steps up when it comes to issues of the security infrastructure that needs to be in place and all those sorts of supports, the work that needs to be done on the border and visas and quarantine and all of these sorts of things. And so I've provided all of those obvious assurances. They should never have been in question. And we're working through a process with the south east Queensland mayors all ready when it comes to a range of infrastructure issues and that can more than accommodate any potential issues that arise from further planning on the games. So we're 100 per cent in behind this. And we're just waiting for the Queensland Government to show up.
JOURNALIST: Back to the U.S, the strategy of maintaining a balance between the US and Chinese forces. How long can this last?
PRIME MINISTER: I'd settle this out in the speech I gave to Asia link in Sydney a few weeks ago before I went to the G20. It's one of the - I'd say it's the biggest strategic challenge and management challenge we have in our international relations today. We have I think a very carefully considered and calibrated position on this and we'll continue to follow down the path that I outlined in that presentation. And as I went and did so in Osaka at the G20. We fully respect the comprehensive strategic partnership and warmly welcome it. And celebrate it with the People's Republic of China; our single largest trading partner. And equally with the United States it is an alliance that goes back over a century. And we do see the world through very similar eyes. And we have a deep and abiding friendship and relationship with the United States.
JOURNALIST: Why is it that states should address the issue of treaty and not the Federal Government?
PRIME MINISTER: Because that's where the issue sits constitutionally. It’s just a legal issue.
JOURNALIST: So do you think then that the progress that Ken Wyatt has indicated needs to happen or suggestion that should happen will be dealt with in this term?
PRIME MINISTER: I think Ken and I have been very clear. We would like to be able to progress this.
JOURNALIST: Then what's stopping you?
PRIME MINISTER: I should stress it is my number one priority when it comes to Indigenous Australians is that we have young people committing suicide in remote regional communities. That we haven't got enough kids turning up at school every day and getting the education that could set them up for the future. It's these very practical issues that are my top priority and I know was Ken's top priority. The well-being and welfare of Indigenous Australians. Closing the Gap. Enabling you to advance and realise the same things for their lives as any other Australian. They should be able to have the same expectations as any other Australian. And that's what my government is very focused on. On these issues of recognition, we would hope to make progress and we're doing that in I think in a very good faith way and I think Ken is the first Indigenous cabinet minister and the first Indigenous Minister for Indigenous Australians. That provides a unique opportunity. I am a constitutional conservative on these issues which comes as no surprise - the Liberal, National parties are constitutional conservatives on these issues. But there is a willingness to engage the point on recognition. But there are clear parameters. There are clear guardrails and lines that we've set up and we've been very upfront about that. I'm not going to raise people's expectations on this. I'm going to be very clear about where we are. And provide a space; which we have done for Ken and others to work in that hopefully could see this progress. But we want to see it succeed if it's going to go ahead and that's the opportunity that's there. But where the Liberal and National Party stand I think is quite clear. So I wish Ken and I'm going to work with Ken and support Ken in all of those initiatives and Ken and I very much on the same page.
Thank you very much and all the best to Cam tonight on his 400th game. I'll leave the result to how I'll be watching it tonight as a private matter. But of course I want to see the Sharks to win. There's no doubt about that. But Cam Smith this is not just a Queensland legend. He is a national legend. And I wish him and his family all the best for tonight. It should be a tremendous game and he's had a tremendous career and it just keeps going. Well done Cam.