Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: Well thank you, Scott and I’m pleased to be back here in Blayney with you again. Just over a year ago, we announced the Drought Communities Programme in Blayney, and I know at that time you already had your thoughts organised as to how you might get about that and here we are just over a year ago, back seeing that money put to great work.
Can I also welcome my colleagues who are here with me today and Fiona Simpson, Head of the National Farmers Federation, who has been taking part today in the the National North Queensland flood and our broader drought recovery agency board meeting today. I’ll come to those issues in just a few moments.
But before I say anything further, I just want to address a couple of matters in relation to the Coronavirus issue. I want to confirm that overnight there was a meeting in Beijing where our embassy officials were briefed by Chinese authorities on these matters and arrangements that they are putting in place. The National Security Committee of Cabinet met yesterday afternoon for some period of time to further oversee our response and our broader engagement with matters overseas, particularly in Hubei province, and Wuhan and I’ll say one or two things about that in a second. The National Security Committee will meet again tomorrow to consider some further initiatives that are being worked up as we speak.
Now, I've just spoken just a few minutes ago to Prime Minister Ardern and seeking to work closely with the New Zealand government in supporting both their, and our nationals who have been caught up in this event. Right now, the Australian government through our embassy is looking to deploy, working with the Chinese government, consular officials into Hubei province, into Wuhan, this is essential to assist us as we then consider the further options of the support that we can provide to Australian citizens who are in Wuhan and in Hubei province more broadly. I want to commend, in particular the Chief Medical Officer and all of those in the state and territory governments who are working so closely together to ensure that our response to this virus as it becomes more widespread in China and as we see more cases confirmed, there are prior to this press conference, just 5 cases confirmed in Australia but there are obviously a number of other tests that are being conducted on some other people who have presented. These are being done in a very orderly way. The treatment facilities are in place and I’m advised that, by the Chief Medical Officer, that the capabilities and the treatment platforms that are there are more than meeting the need but we're continuing to provide advice, working with schools, with universities, with the tourism industry and others to ensure that the information is getting to people about this virus and that they're in a position then to seek medical attention in the appropriate way, should they be presenting with any of the symptoms. So this is something that the government is monitoring extremely closely. As I was saying, the National Security Committee is meeting every few days. We’ll meet again on Friday to ensure that we manage this response, we’re working closely with the states and territories and we’ll continue to do that to keep Australians safe but I would encourage Australians to go about their business, to understand and listen to the advice that’s being received and if you’ve had any contact with that area directly, then the steps you need to take are fairly obvious. And for those schools and universities and others, I want to thank you for the way you’ve been cooperating with both state and federal authorities, in getting information out to your students as they prepare to go back to school and back to university a little later, and the appropriate precautions are being taken and I can take some questions on that when we get to questions a little later.
But the reason for being here today. Australia has suffered terrible natural disasters over the last 12 months and it is over the last 12 months that I refer to because it was about this time last year that those devastating floods hit North Queensland, and all year, as it has been the case for many years, drought has continued to ravage our country and in more recent times, where drought has been such a key contributing factor, we've seen these devastating bushfires, and our response to natural disasters encompasses all of these things.
While there's obviously been a lot of focus on the response to the terrible bushfires in recent months, I want to assure all Australians, all Australians who have been devastated and impacted by the terrible drought that has ravaged our country, not for months, but for years and years and years, that you have not left our thoughts and our plans and our responses for a second. You are very much keenly in our focus in ensuring that you continue to get the support that you need to get through this drought, to get to the other side and to rebuild. To rebuild for when the rains come and while we have seen some pleasing rain in very recent times, we know that's not enough to bust the drought even here as you see a green tinge around us. Now, that isn't always the case and we need drought quenching rains and they have not yet come, but it is nice to see kids playing in puddles. We haven't seen that for a while. It's nice to see the dam over there which not that long ago, was bone dry, seeing some water at the bottom of it today. So there is hope, and we’ve got to build for that time of hope and prepare for that time of hope and that's why the drought and flood agency, which convened today in Orange, not far from here, was focussed on the next range of plans that we need to be able to deliver to support drought affected communities right across the country.
And today we are making two specific announcements and I'll ask the Minister Littleproud and Minister Tehan, to go into two of those but the Drought Communities program was one of our first responses to the drought and that was putting a million dollars into councils in drought affected areas right around the country, including right here in Blayney and that was designed to get money into these communities, to put people into work. There are some 18 contractors that worked on projects here in Blayney, 13 businesses, including the one where I announced the original Drought Communities program in Blayney now providing I’m assuming piping and various other materials to this works here and there are many other contractors who've been involved as well. That program has been immensely successful. It will now extend to 180 councils to ensure that important local projects, important local works, bringing communities together, providing them support at one of their most difficult times. So we can see these towns and these regions in these districts survive this awful drought. The other approach, so that's a $47 million dollar extension to that program and I’ll allow Minister Littleproud to run through how that's being extended today.
The other program that we're extending today is the support we're giving to schools, independent schools. To support drought affected families, to keep their kids in school. This is so important. I remember when I went up to Quilpie with David a day or so after I became Prime Minister and one of the issues that was raised by the Tully’s there on that day was, and there was, it was the moment that brought tears to Mrs. Tully's eye and that was what am I going to do about my kids in school and their thoughts for their kids and that is the truth for so many drought affected families living on properties and stations all around the country. School provides that stability. It provides that assurance, it provides that rhythm. My kids went back to school today, and I know how important that is in a family's life and so to ensure that we're directing an additional $10 million dollars in assistance to those schools, they know their students best. They know the families who need the help the most, and that’s how this programme will continue to work. So we’ve doubled that funding, to ensure that parents can have greater confidence about ensuring their kids can stay in school, and they can keep focusing on the very hard tasks that they have, dealing with the drought on their properties. So with that, I'm going to ask David to go a little bit more detail on the DCP programme and then Minister Tehan will speak to the issue of the education programme, and then I’m going to ask Fiona just to say a few words about how the broader drought programme is impacting and supporting and then Andrew Gee, the local member will sum it up. Thank you.
THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES, DROUGHT, RURAL FINANCE, NATURAL DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Well thanks PM and obviously, this is an important step in our suite of measures towards making sure we get as many communities through this drought, because the drought extends past the farm gate into the communities that support them and what you are seeing here is a local example and what we're announcing today with the Drought Communities program is empowering local councils to make those decisions. We want this to be locally led, not Canberra-led and what we are saying is local government knows their communities better than we do. So we're empowering them with a million dollars to go out there and to invest in legacy, infrastructure that will create jobs and leave something for the future.
So it's important that we continue on that, and today we're saying for the first time we're going to Western Australia. This drought has spread like a cancer from the East Coast up in Queensland, right down the East Coast now right across the Nullarbor into Western Australia and in fact, also into the Northern Territory, for the first time those shires are also being recognised for the impact this drought is having on them and their communities and we’ll continue to be agile. This adds to the over $8 billion dollars that the federal government has committed to this drought response and we’ll continue to do more. As we've said with the fire situation, we will continue to do whatever it takes. This is about people, not about money and we'll continue to make sure we invest in these communities because when it does rain they will recover.
Obviously, we took the advice of EY and the EY report. We have put up in a transparent way, up online to make sure that the recommendations that they put forward with respect to some of the changes to the Drought Community Programme are there for all to see and they made a number of recommendations that we've accepted in terms of the simplified model and that goes around the weather, in fact, they’ve become, they’ve recommended that we take now two consecutive years of rain deficiency rather than one in two and they've also recommended that there be a scaling for those populations under a thousand, those shires under a thousand, they should get $500,000 dollars and those above should get $1 million. So we've accepted those recommendations. But in light of that, in light of the harshness of those recommendations, we've allowed for the agricultural employment to also include the downstream employment. So those in the processing sector, in abattoirs, to be included in our total agricultural employment data number, but also reduced that from 17 per cent to 12 per cent and allow and prescribe a defined allowance for the Minister to make a decision, down to 7 per cent. And obviously that takes into a number of accounts around the impacts that this drought is having, but also other natural disasters like fires. So we've tried to make sure that we reached as many communities that need this as we possibly can. But we've got to draw a definite line in the sand about where this program is targeted, because it is ultimately about stimulating the communities that are doing it the hardest from the drought, because they are supported primarily by agriculture and our agricultural pursuits.
So all I can say now is that we'll continue to address the drought through the National Drought Agency and continue to assess our current programs and that's why it's important today that Shane Stone and his agency came together to make that assessment, and they'll be making recommendations on this program and a number of others that the Federal Government’s put out, but also, we made a commitment to bring together the states as well, because they have a role to play in this just as much as we do and back in the last Ministerial Council, Shane Stone was charged with the responsibility of coordinating everyone's response from state and federal to make sure that there wasn't overlaps, that we were getting bang for buck and they were being targeted properly. He'll continue with that work, but I do to the states again, again and again I keep on saying, they can please compliment us with our programs, with complementing this by paying the rates of farmers, and small businesses to these local councils to give them a rate holiday, to take away the crown leasehold, to take away payroll tax. This is an opportunity for states to compliment what the Federal Government's done. This is their opportunity to lead with us to take our hand. This isn't about politics. This is about us all taking a stake in the future of these communities and working together.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks David. Dan.
THE HON. DAN TEHAN MP, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Thanks PM, and before I start on the education package, as someone who represents regional and rural Victoria in the Federal Parliament, can I thank you PM for your leadership that you've shown not only through the bushfires but through the floods and also through drought. There's been an absolute paradigm shift in the way the federal government is reacting to these natural disasters, and it's through your leadership that we're seeing this. So can I thank you on behalf of my communities, and communities right across regional and rural Australia for what you are doing and the leadership that you're showing.
What we're announcing today is an extra $10 million, which builds on the $10 million we announced before Christmas for non-government schools to help them deal with the impact of drought. We were just in Orange an hour ago and I was meeting with one of the local schools there and the person who runs the finances, said to me that they're getting two to three calls now a week from farmers saying that they're struggling to pay the fees and he said that he doesn’t want to say to those parents, to those families, that we can no longer provide schooling for your children because schools, especially in regional and rural areas, are so important to the fabric of those communities and that's why by providing these additional $10 [million], which builds on the $10 [million] we announced before Christmas, we'll be able to provide relief to most schools who have put in to seek assistance through our exceptional circumstances funding. This builds on what we're also doing for child care. I know this will be welcomed across schools right across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia where this funding is being provided and I know that under the Prime Minister's leadership, that the Commonwealth Government will remain there as a supporter, as an assistance for all regional and rural communities as they deal with drought, deal with bushfires, and deal with flood. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Fiona.
FIONA SIMPSON, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL FARMERS FEDERATION: Fiona Simpson, President National Farmers Federation, and a farmer myself from Premer, that’s north east of here, north west probably of here actually and also in the grips of drought. The very first day that the Prime Minister took office, he and I had a conversation about drought. He was going on a tour right then of drought affected Queensland and since then PM, it’s been an ongoing conversation and I wanted to thank you PM and your government for always being open to have the conversation and always listening to what's happening out there in the bush and at the moment drought is really crippling.
I wanted to thank the community for their support of so many communities and so many landholders through many years now in many cases of drought, but it’s really taking its toll. It's getting harder and harder and harder for people to meet their expenses, to meet their commitments, and it’s starting to really cripple families and businesses and communities. So it's important that we keep talking and so NFF is actively engaged in the conversation with the government, with the ministers, with the state governments, and at the recently established Drought Agency as well, where we’ve been meeting today to talk about, not only how we can best get the measures that the government have got on the table to people who need that help, but also what else we need and their needs are immense. Whether you’re talking about families, whether you’re talking about farming businesses, whether you're talking about small businesses in rural and regional communities, communities like Blayney.
And so it's important that we keep having those conversations where we look at what's available now and how we can better deliver that support, and what else is needed. We need to keep having the conversations, funds like the community funds certainly are helping keep communities like Blayney and others, many others, we heard some good stories today from local Mayors who are really putting that million dollars to very good use and we know that that is important, but we also know that that right now as we approach a make or break time again when people are really going to be looking at getting moisture into their soils, to plant their winter crops. They’re really looking at not just keeping cash flow, keeping jobs, supporting employment, but also an eye to what's going to happen when it does rain. Which surely must be closer each day, each and every day.
So it's those things that NFF keeps talking to government about, we need to look at cash flow. We need to look at jobs, both on farms and in small rural and regional communities and we need to look at what's going to happen when it rains again and we recover. So we welcome the conversation, we welcome also the action, and we thank the government for their actions but of course, keep having the conversation about what else we're going to do. And of course how we keep supporting rural and regional Australia and agricultural industry which we know has a very bright future. If we can get there and get there till the next rainfall. So thanks very much.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Fiona. Andrew.
ANDREW GEE MP, MEMBER FOR CALARE: Thanks PM. Well, the effects of these twin disasters and emergencies across the Central West have been absolutely devastating. In terms of the recent bushfires, we've lost about 65 homes, many, many are damaged, in terms of the rural landholders, about 600 are affected. So the recovery process is going to take a long time and it's going to take years and we've been able to get through it because our communities have come together. In the same way that the fires have been devastating, so too has the drought and it's been devastating not only on the farm and at the farm gate, but right throughout our country communities, all of our organisations, our country businesses. It really has been very debilitating and in some parts of our region, while we have had a bit of rain, some haven't caught any at all and the ground is still so dry. It just seems like it's screaming out, and this drought, the drudgery of feeding stock, of worrying about where income is going to come from, how you are going to pay your debts, it just seems to be a ceaseless burden, and PM and Dan and David and Fiona, one of the reasons that we're glad that you're here today is because it sends the message that the rest of Australia is with us. In the same way that, Prime Minister, when you came out with the announcement on the Australian Defence Force, to have those ADF personnel working in our fire hit communities, offered real practical support on the ground, but also sent the message that the rest of Australia is with us and in the same way that you are now out here focussing on the drought, talking about the real issues and delivering practical assistance on the ground. That also sends the message that the rest of Australia is with us on this. And that's something that we really appreciated. So Prime Minister, Dan, David and Fiona, we're really grateful that you came out to see us today and also Mayor Scott Ferguson on your great work and that of your Council on the Drought Communities program. They have done a marvellous job out here putting these projects together, this wonderful hundred thousand dollar project, basically drought proofs this showground. I mean, everyone in this area knows how important it is, I’ve spent many a cold morning out here, watching sport on cold and frosty Saturday and Sunday mornings but it's not just here, you can go to our showgrounds that have received new fencing, our rec grounds. You can go to the Blayney golf club, which has received new decking, all of these projects, make real practical differences on the ground. They improve our community infrastructure, they lift spirits, and they provide an important economic boost for the area as well and you've seen and heard today about the effects that this project has had, in terms of employing local tradies and the economic flow on effects as well. So Scott to you and your team. Congratulations and I think this project in particular highlights the value of drought communities and so I'm really pleased to hear that it's going to be boosted through the announcement today that David's made and also that the education sector is also front and centre as well, because not only is this bushfire recovery going to take years, but getting through the effects of this drought is going to take years as well. And I think we all have to mentally prepare ourselves for the fact that this is going to be a long haul through this. But we've been able to get through it so far by sticking together and our communities have really shown their strength and character and I'm just very grateful to know that the rest of Australia is also behind us as we struggle with these emergencies and disasters. So thanks again PM for coming in today.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you Andrew. Happy to take some questions, but let’s stay on Coronavirus and issues of the announcement, if there are other political issues, I’m sure Scott and Fiona will take their leave.
JOURNALIST: With regards to the councils that are receiving funding today, Orange is one of the councils that approached the Government late last year to ask for an extension and its missed out, why?
THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES, DROUGHT, RURAL FINANCE, NATURAL DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Well, there's been a clear definition of the criteria needed to qualify for this. Originally it was 17 per cent of your workforce had to be in agricultural employment and there was a rainfall deficiency of 12 months in 24. Now there has to be a line in the sand and this is not about anything other than stimulating those economies. Those communities that are hardest hit by this drought. Now, the reality is, is there are some communities that have been impacted far greater than others. Now, we've tried to make sure that there is great transparency in this program. We went to EY to make sure we got the balance right. We use the science around those economic indicators about what drives these local towns and they drew a line, drew a line in the sand around that we've allowed some defined definition around discretion for the Minister to use but ultimately we have to draw the line somewhere. Otherwise, we'll have communities that haven't, really no reliance on the agricultural economic makeup in terms of getting this money and the Australian- this is Australian taxpayers money. We've got to be careful with it and it's got to go to those in most need. We're going to continue to complement this with other programs like building better regions funds that are that are targeted specifically to regional areas that aren’t in drought. So there's a number of, a range of programs that we continue to roll out. This is just one but under each one of these, you have to have a set criteria, a definition around it, to make sure that there is transparency and confidence in the process.
JOURNALIST: Why are you in Orange today then if there’s other communities that are struggling more than what you’re saying, and also really need to be [inaudible]?
THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES, DROUGHT, RURAL FINANCE, NATURAL DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Well, obviously, the drought agency, one of the key components of our drought response is through the Regional Investment Corporation and we as a federal government took the stance that we didn't want them in Canberra, we wanted them in regional Australia and we brought them to Orange but they play an integral part in our drought response. So it was important that we came to the home of the Regional Investment Corporation and that the Agency was able to intertwine with the RIC because there will be a lot more emphasis and we'll be expecting in terms of their results to be ramped up over the coming three to four months. We're putting a lot of opportunity out there. I mean, you as a farmer, you can refinance up to $2 million dollars of your commercial debt from a bank, into the Regional Investment Corporation and pay no interest, no repayments for two years and that, for someone paying around 6 per cent is over $150,000 dollars you are taking out of the big banks pocket and you are putting it back in yours. That is an economic stimulus for those farmers and obviously it is going to be very popular and we'll be saying to the RIC, you have to respond. You have to respond quickly but the banks also have to as well because they have to provide priorities and I've said to the ABA, they need to come up with a protocol to make sure that the banks aren't dragging their feet in allowing us to get this finalised and get that money back into farmers pockets.
JOURNALIST: The NSW Farmers Association has expressed concern about the length of time that it is taking the RIC to process applications, it’s told us today, between 6 and 12 months. What can you do about that, would extra resources be available for the Corporation?
THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES, DROUGHT, RURAL FINANCE, NATURAL DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Well, one of the first challenges we had was that the Opposition wouldn't support the Regional Investment Corporation. In fact, when I became Agriculture Minister in December ‘17, it was until February ‘18 that I was able to get the legislation through the Senate with the help of David Leyonhjelm because the Labour Party blocked it. We then had to get this bank effectively up and going and that takes a lot of expertise. You have to create products. So we've been behind the the eight ball by some 12 months but we are building up the capacity and we are continuing to ramp down the days and the last advice that I got from the CEO, was it's down now to around 65 working days but there is an aspiration to bring that down further. Working with our service partner, Bendigo Bank, but also the commercial banks in which we're taking this debt off because they've been dragging their feet in providing the priorities for mortgages and that delays the time in which we can get the money back out there. So the banks are being constructive in those conversations and we're working as quickly as we can and we will make sure that whatever resources are required will be provided to the RIC. This is an integral part of our drought response because as I said, this is putting about $150,000 dollars back into farmers pockets that’s taking the burden off their cash flow, every year and we'll continue to work through with our products and the next product we’ll also be looking to put out there is for young farmers, because despite all the doom and gloom, the talk that the bush is buggered, it's not, it’s gonna rain and we're gonna make a quid and when we do, we want our young people to get in and we've made a commitment around agri-starter loans and that's the next tranche of funding that we want to put out there, because we want to say to young people, don't give up. There is a future out here. It will rain. You're gonna make a great future, and a great life out here.
JOURNALIST: You mentioned that the state government needs to do more in terms of alleviating the pressure with local government rates but local councils are already cash strapped and they're already under pressure financially. So how could you expect local councils to take that on themselves, shouldn’t the Federal Government-
THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES, DROUGHT, RURAL FINANCE, NATURAL DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: No I’m not-
JOURNALIST: Shouldn’t the federal government help the state government alleviate that?
THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES, DROUGHT, RURAL FINANCE, NATURAL DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Well as I’ve said at the start. We’ve committed over $8 billion dollars across this country in our drought response. We've all signed up under intergovernmental agreement with the states around our responsibilities. We look after farmer welfare, they look after animal welfare, they look after local government. The reality is they have an opportunity to step up now, complement the $8 billion dollars we’ve got out there and do something themselves. South Australia's already done that, they’re paying some of the rates of farmers and small business to the council so the councils still get their money. They've also done something about the payroll tax because what you're going to see is particularly these small towns where you have to meat processers, their drought’s coming, as soon as it rains. The drought's coming because there'll be no stock for them to process and they invariably are some of the largest employers in these towns but state governments are taking payroll tax off them. So you take that out of the system. You put that back into small business’s pocket, you’re keeping employees going. And it's even machinery dealers, I’ve heard in Moree, a machinery dealer having to put off young mechanics because they don't have the work because of the payroll tax they’re paying. We all have a role to play this. The federal government is stumping up and we continue to show that. We haven't stopped even during the fires. We're not only stumping up for the fires, we’re going to stump up for the drought and the reality is we just ask the states also live up to their responsibilities, this would be a real opportunity for them to take our hand, and to make a real difference.
JOURNALIST: Everyone’s talking about water storage, and Orange is down to 20 per cent, we’re three months away from basically shutting down industry unless things improve, what can you say to communities who do not qualify for this funding, still have no water left, and how are you going to fix that situation?
THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES, DROUGHT, RURAL FINANCE, NATURAL DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Well proudly, John Barilaro made a commitment, he and the Premier to the Prime Minister and I that they had a plan for these communities who were running out of water. That's been the state's remit. That's been their responsibility. The federal government has over $3 billion dollars out there in water infrastructure programs and sadly, since 2003, there’s only been 20 dams built in this country, 16 of those have been in Tasmania, because the states are the ones that own the resource, and manage the resource. We want them to build dams. We're not gonna get in their road. Susan Ley’s already taken away the green tape to say, come and take our money. Start building the dams but unfortunately, the states have done three fifths of bugger all and it's time that we actually put some excavators and D8’s in the ground and start digging some holes, particularly when it's dry. So they own the resource, it is illegal for the Prime Minister and I to pick a shovel up in this country and start digging a hole for a dam because of the constitutional requirements that our forefathers put in place but that shouldn’t impede us. The federal government is not walking away from our responsibility, we’re saying we’re there. We're going to be a partner. We're gonna do it and New South Wales has finally said they're going to build two dams as well as look at Mole River, but we need action now and that's what the communities asked for but I'm proud to say that John Barilaro has already put his hand up and said he's going to look after those communities and going to live up to their constitutional requirements and make sure these towns are protected.
JOURNALIST: Has bushfires been a consideration in who has received this funding today in New South Wales, because each of the councils that are getting money, or areas, have been bushfire affected?
THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES, DROUGHT, RURAL FINANCE, NATURAL DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Well all of those, it’s there unfortunately has been a carry-over of disasters, and drought has been one of the factors that have worked in to the fires because it’s built this fuel load, but obviously some of those Shires, the criteria meets on both and they’ve been supported with this because they’re facing a disaster on two fronts. That's what the Commonwealth is saying, we're not just going to be stingy and isolate one to the other, we’re going to say you need all the help you can get, and we’re going to give it to you. The federal government is not taking a backward step on this. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with you. We're going to work our way through that. We're going to empower our local councils who know better than Canberra about how to stimulate their economies. How to rebuild not only their communities but rebuild the lives of those people that have been devastated, all those shires that have been announced have met the criteria.
JOURNALIST: There has been criticism that Western Australia has been neglected. Some farmers are saying that the funding announced today won't be enough to help them. What's your response to that?
THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES, DROUGHT, RURAL FINANCE, NATURAL DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Well, they have been neglected. They've been neglected by the Western Australian government. Let me tell you that in New South Wales, you will get support as a farmer of up to $69,000 dollars, in Queensland, the state government in Queensland will give around $49,000 dollars’ worth of support, in Victoria it's around $25,000 dollars, that's on top of the Australian Commonwealth support to individual farmers, of over $224,000 dollars. So let me just say, the only state that is doing zip, that is not giving one brass razoo to their farmers is Western Australia. So they are being let down. They're being let down by the Western Australian government who couldn't give a rat's about their farmers. In fact, I've visited more farmers than the Western Australian Agriculture Minister has. That's how sad the situation is for those poor people, not only on the farms, but the communities in Western Australia. And we've said to them, stump up, you know, do what the other states are doing. You've got a responsibility in this. We're our hand in our pocket. You haven't done anything. So please, don't hold back. These are people's lives. These are people's businesses, it should be more about politics, less about politics and less about money. Just look after them.
JOURNALIST: Only 5 of the council areas that are eligible for this programme are not in coalition held seats, is that a coincidence?
THE HON. DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP, MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES, DROUGHT, RURAL FINANCE, NATURAL DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Well, you know what? May 18, there was a clear mandate given but the people of Australia and they voted. And invariably in regional areas they voted for the Coalition because we stood for the values and the principles that they respected. They understood that we've been there standing with them, whether it be through drought or fire. I can't, I can't determine where the Australian people will vote. They voted for us and the fact that they're in Coalition seats just is a matter of where the election results fell and where the, where the weather has fallen.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, is it possible to ask another question about, not the drought announcement today?
PRIME MINISTER: Ok.
JOURNALIST: Have you received the advice from the Secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet regarding Bridget McKenzie?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: When will you expect to receive that?
PRIME MINISTER: When he provides it.
JOURNALIST: Do you as of this moment support her being in your Cabinet then?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have a process which I'm following, and she remains in the Cabinet. I initiated that process well over a week ago now, and I’ll wait to receive the report.
JOURNALIST: You have the Education and Water Minister here, is there a reason why you don't have the Agriculture Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: It's not part of her portfolio?
PRIME MINISTER: Not today. We made two announcements, one on the drought community program, which is administered by Minister Littleproud, and the other one is a $10 million announcement, which is administered by the Minister for Education.
JOURNALIST: Did Sport Australia express its concern to government about the administration of this great scheme?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't have any advice on that.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister in the wake of the bushfires. Do you think the states need to lift their game when it comes to removing barriers for volunteer groups to help injured and starving wildlife?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, I've heard that report and if you could pass on any details to us about who has had that concern, then I would be happy to convey that onto the state governments. I mean, look, we've been working very closely with the state governments, whether it's on supporting injured wildlife or it’s supporting Australians who have lost their homes. We're working closely with them as part of the entire recovery effort, the response effort. And I really want to thank the Premiers, particularly in New South Wales and Queensland and Victoria and South Australia, where there's been such a close working relationship and, you know, where there are issues like this that come up, we're in constant engagement with each other. So if there's blockages that have to be removed then, then we'll work together to remove them. I mean, we're working together in good faith when it comes to these natural disasters and I think that's what Australians would expect of all of us and I would want to make sure that wildlife are getting support as much and we also want to make sure that Australians are getting the cash assistance they need and, you know, we're working closely with the charity groups to that, to that end directly. The National Bushfire Recovery Agency working closely with the state governments on issues like clean up. So there's just so much work to do but the point of being here today is to say to those in rural and regional Australia affected by drought, that despite all of those calls on the Commonwealth government, whether it's on bushfires or even still, the floods of a year ago, which I remind all those people up there in North Queensland, we're still working on that recovery too like we promised we would. The drought is something that rolls on and on and as for as long as it's rolling on, we will be there and beyond it, we will be there to help you rebuild your communities, your properties, and to provide for the future.
JOURNALIST: Do you know if Bridget McKenzie declared her membership of the Wangaratta Gun Club on the ministerial register? It’s not on the Senate interests-
PRIME MINISTER: All of these matters are being reviewed by the Secretary.
JOURNALIST: What did you hear from our local farmers today, from what they said to you are they satisfied with the federal government's response to what they're going through?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it was very helpful today to hear how particularly the drought communities program had been so effective. Also, the drought program where we've been running through the charitable organisations, groups like Vinnies and Salvos and others, this has provided much needed cash assistance. I mean, that cash assistance is so much needed in drought affected communities. People are really suffering with their cash flow and that's why we've made the announcement today in particularly in relation to, you know, keeping people's kids in school and so the discussion we had with the flood and drought agency today was really about further measures that may be required and so it was good to test that with both, with farmers. I mean, it was nice to know that the cherry farmers here have had a not too bad season most recently, and that's one bright spot in an otherwise fairly bleak landscape and there are still problems with farmers- being faced by the orchardists with apples and so on. I saw that for a whole range of different reasons down in Batlow last week but their response is, look, they're doing it tough, but they're standing up and they're standing together. They appreciate the support that's come. They appreciate the fact that they're not forgotten. That they are very much front and centre of my focus and my Ministers’ focus on delivering this programme. The rural financial counsellors have been greatly appreciated, but we've still got to get rid of some paperwork. We've still got to reduce some of the blockages to connect people to this support and it's one of the big challenges that the Agency has, is for people in rural and regional communities to know what support is there. There's a lot of support there and we just want to connect them to it and what we found in North Queensland, because a lot of what we've done has been modelled on what worked up in North Queensland. Once people could see that they could connect themselves to support it not only got much needed works underway, but it really lifted morale and-
JOURNALIST: Did you speak to protesters?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: Will the Agency have a regional base, Prime Minister, I know there’s one in Canberra and apparently one opening in Brisbane but will you consider having a base of the agency in regional Australia and if so, where?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, right now we're focussed on delivering the programmes that they have. That's our immediate focus, I mean we’ve got a lot of programs out there, we’ve got to connect people up to those programs and this is an agency that's not going anywhere. This is an agency that will be there for the long haul and ensuring that we're delivering not just the response, not just the relief, but importantly the recovery and the rebuilding that will happen and if you want to know what that recovery looks like and how it’s delivered on the ground, that's what it looks like. Projects, simple, practical solutions to very hard problems and Scott, I want to thank you again for the great work they’ve done over here in Blayney. 11 projects in all. That's so good. Within the space of just over the last year and that story is repeated and there'll be a 180 local government areas around the country which are getting that support, and getting on with it and we thank them very much for their leadership. Thanks everyone.