Prime Minister
JOHN STANLEY: Good morning, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, John.
STANLEY: Just on the broader question, a difficult day coming up in South Australia and Kangaroo Island. You were there a few days ago. That's ablaze now and they're saying that, you know, everyone's being evacuated, put onto an oval. That's a real tragedy.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah the fire has broken its containment lines and it’s moving, I understand, towards the airport we flew into this the other day. Brigadier Cantwell who is the head of the joint taskforce that is responsible for ADF both in South Australia and Tasmania, we’re getting advice through from them about ensuring that position is able to be protected today. But it’s going to be a tough day there. It's also going to be a tough day throughout Victoria and New South Wales with the severe to extreme fire forecasts in those areas. And so the message is the same for everyone, to be listening to those instructions, stay safe and get yourself into the position with your family and to listen carefully.
STANLEY: You've gone to Canberra and you've got the ADF involved, although they have been involved from the start. They've ramped up their involvement now with the reserves and the like, so what is your involvement now in terms of trying to make sure that everyone's working together in getting this done?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there are two very specific things we're focused on here. One is, as you say, the ADF’s involvement, the Defence Force's involvement and each and every day we are reviewing their operations, together with the Chief of Defence Force and General Ellwood and his team and ensuring that we're going forward and integrating with what's needed on the ground with the states and territories. The other is the National Bushfire Recovery Agency and the Recovery Fund, which we set up with $2 billion. And we are now working through each and every day further initiatives to deploy that support into the communities where it's needed. Now, yesterday, we announced $60 million that's going directly to 42 councils, which are the areas which are the most affected. The majority of those are currently in New South Wales and there's a further supplementary fund within that amount, which is going to provide additional support above the $1 million for each council for those most affected. I mean, you've got councils like Bega Valley or East Gippsland which are very, very large areas compared to some of the smaller ones. But I should stress to your Queensland listeners, that includes the council areas up in Queensland affected by the fires like Scenic Rim and places like that earlier this year. And so the recovery effort is extending to them as well. We're looking at the health support, I'll have more to say about that very soon, we’ve considered and approved some measures there. We were able to do that at National Security Committee yesterday, which is overseeing the Government's response. But you're right, John, I mean, it is elevated to a different level. Never before has Australia deployed at a federal level to a national bushfire disaster like this, particularly in the call-out of reserves. But in addition to that, the $2 billion recovery fund, which is an initial investment and an additional investment to everything the states and territories and the Commonwealth is already doing.
STANLEY: And that million goes to councils and they can just get the million and then they can just spend it the way they want, generators, whatever it might be they need.
PRIME MINISTER: Whatever they need, because they're on the ground and they know what the needs are and they don’t want to fill out forms. I want the cash getting there. I don't want a lot of paperwork. There is none, there is cash going into accounts. The money goes into the state governments today and they will deploy that to those councils as soon as they can, I'm sure.
STANLEY: You've said you're considering and open to a Royal Commission into the bushfire crisis, that requires the states to be involved. Is a Royal Commission the best way to enquire? Because they take a long time, don’t they?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's the right question, John, and I haven't said we're doing one, I've simply said as people have asked me about this issue and they've been asking me about it now for some time, several weeks, if not months, and I've simply said in response that we've worked with the states and territories about what's the appropriate way to take an inquiry forward, to look at all the issues. Now, no doubt, states are going to be doing part of what they're doing and the Commonwealth will be looking at some of the things that we can be recommending as well. I think more broadly in the public, there is a mood to understand. I mean, we've had significant loss of life here, and that requires, I think, a proper response in determining what has occurred and how we can prepare better in the future. But right now, that's not the discussion. And I wouldn't want people to think that is something that's taking up a lot of time. It certainly isn't at our level. I know it's not at the state level. I spoke to the Premier about these issues during the course of this week, but not to the view of any conclusion, just to nominate the discussion we're going to have to have at some point. But right now, we're going to focus on the response and recovery.
STANLEY: The debate about this though in relation to climate change. Now, you're aware that a lot of people listening to this program, if Alan was doing the program, their view is you're doing too much on climate change, you're doing too much in the renewable energy space. And then you go around the community and you're told you're not doing enough and more needs to be done, you need to ramp up the reduction of emissions. Is that a fair characterisation of the debate and the debate within your own party?
PRIME MINISTER: John, I think in terms of how you characterise the debate nationally I think that's a pretty good, pretty good summary. But what I'd say is that what that means is the policy that we have is a balanced one. It's one that understands the need to take action here but one that balances the economy…
STANLEY: But people listening here are saying you're doing too much and they would be demanding that you, for instance, move ahead with a coal-fired power station, because that's going to provide energy security for us.
PRIME MINISTER: At the last election and the policies we're implementing right now, the action we're taking right now, are the policies I set out before the last election. And so we're acting consistently with that and we're getting on with that. But what we're not doing is getting pushed to and fro around on these issues. We continue to consider our policies carefully here and we understand that we don't want job destroying, economy destroying, economy wrecking targets and goals, which won't change the fact that there have been bushfires or anything like that in Australia. The suggestion that there's any one emissions reduction policy or climate policy that has contributed directly to any of these fire events is just ridiculous and the conflation of those two things, I think, has been very disappointing. I mean, over the last few weeks, John, in particular, there's been a lot of misinformation running around. That has been very disappointing. People have been looking to make political points in many cases. That's disappointing. We're just focussing on the response, the recovery, the work of the defence forces. Today is a very dangerous day. Shane Fitzsimmons and his team are doing an amazing job right across the state, as they always are. They'll be backed in by the defence forces who are ready to go and deploy in areas that, let’s hope, not are affected. But indeed, if they are, we’ve got the Adelaide off the coast there down in southern New South Wales. And that's a fully-fledged port, hospital, with medics and teams and engineering equipment that's ready to move should it be required.
STANLEY: Do you know... politically, is it going be harder for you if you wanted to try and build a coal-fired power station to do this in the present climate? Politically, that would be very difficult.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the Commonwealth doesn't build any. I mean, I think this is also…
STANLEY: Or underwrite or support it?
PRIME MINISTER: We’ll continue with the policies we’ve laid out on this, John. And what we're about is lower power prices and reliable power. That's what we want and what is pleasing is that the most recent ACCC figures have shown that power prices actually have come down as a result of the measures we have been putting in place, in particular holding the big energy companies to account. And I want to thank those energy companies in particular who've been providing some fee relief to those affected by bushfires and I hope more follow their lead.
STANLEY: Just on that climate matter, no one has suggested that climate change is resulting in the forests spontaneously combusting. But do you acknowledge if it's a longer, hotter…
PRIME MINISTER: I think a few have, John. And we know that would be ridiculous.
STANLEY: Well, no one is seriously saying that, but they are saying because of the longer, hotter summers, what fires do start for whatever reasons are actually harder to put out.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, this has been the challenge this season and I've just been seeing that scene when I was up in Taree and Wauchope in the mid coast fires and prior to that what was happening in northern New South Wales, up in Rappville and prior to that up in Canungra earlier in the year. I mean, the fires at the moment have burnt so ravenously in New South Wales, southern New South Wales and Victoria, but we can't forget that there have been other parts of this country ravaged by fire some months ago, many months ago. And I haven't forgotten them. I haven't forgotten the people that I met and stood in the local primary school there at Rappville and the need for their support. I haven’t forgotten the people I met up in Canungra. I haven’t forgotten the people in Taree or those I have met more recently down in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria where our support package is for all of them and all Australians and God forbid, any other areas of the country that are impacted by fire in the next two months or possibly more.
STANLEY: Just in relation to this, if there is an inquiry, things like hazard reduction is an issue people keep rising. That's a matter for the states. Can you do anything to override that and try and get some sort of national approach?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there would have to be cooperation between the states and territories on that, whether it's on planning and building laws or any of these sorts of things. So many of the issues that go to the contributing factors relate to states and territories. I mean, we're not going to have a referendum or rewrite the constitution around this. I mean, we all have our responsibilities. But I do think there's merit in making sure that through consultation with the states and territories that all the relevant issues that need to be looked at here and you've summarized them well, they need to get looked at and whether that's through one inquiry. I think the feedback I’m getting is that would be a sensible thing. But you’re right, John. You've got to make sure. I mean, I would want recommendations, at least in at an interim, to be put in place…
STANLEY: An inquiry rather than a Royal Commission? That’s going to be quicker, isn’t it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, you can do both, John. I mean, there are longer-term issues. There are short-term issues. I want recommendations and we are already working on that on things we can do immediately before COAG in March. We've tasked our people along those lines, and so that'll be a first decision point and then they'll be further reviews, which I think states individually I’m sure will do themselves, which they can respond to. But I think Australians, because of the scale of this particular disaster, will be looking for something more holistic and as I say, that's not the focus right now. Today, there is a severe and extreme fire forecast in Victoria, New South Wales but down the track, that's what the premiers and I, I'm sure, will discuss and find the best way to deal with that comprehensive set of issues.
STANLEY: Are you concerned about these reports this morning that this plane, a 737, may have been shot down by Iran?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I can confirm that we have had similar intelligence that as our partners have on these things. But what I would say is that this is not a deliberate act as far as we can determine. It's not, as best as we can understand.
STANLEY: So as we understand it was an accident?
PRIME MINISTER: It's a terrible accident. But what's important is that the cooperation with the full inquiry into what has occurred there, that the black box can be recovered, obviously that will be important to that inquiry. I mean, this is a terrible tragedy. I spoke to Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau yesterday. 63 Canadians who have lost their lives in that terrible, terrible disaster, many more from many other countries and including from the Ukraine, I believe. I'm talking to the Ukrainian Prime Minister later today. We're looking to do that. I had a message about that last night seeking contact and that inquiry into that is really important, particularly for the families of those who've lost so many people in what is a terrible tragedy.
STANLEY: I know you've got to go. Can you help me with this, because I've got an emailer here saying that you're coming on the program while Alan is on holidays. You'll get an easy run with John. He wants to know whether you’ll come on when Alan comes back in that first week.
PRIME MINISTER: My media program weeks from now is the last thing on my mind, John. But I'll tell you one thing that I'm still focused on and I'd like your listeners to know and that is the drought. These fires are burning and we're dealing with those fires. The drought, I know, continues to ravage, and Shane Stone, who I appointed just before Christmas to head up the National Drought Recovery Agency. Shane, I've been in constant, constant contact with over the break. They're standing up their broader support to connect all the things we're doing in the drought, the financial support and all these things and making sure that’s reaching communities. So that hasn't, while we’ve got these current disasters, I have not forgotten the drought for a second and all those affected by it.
STANLEY: You know Alan will want to talk to you about it when he comes back, so can you do it for me?
PRIME MINISTER: Mate, honestly, I’m not doing media plans on the radio. I’m focused on fires.
STANLEY: Ok, alright, thank you for your time.