Transcript: Julia Gillard, Doorstop Interview , Perth
Julia Gillard
posted Friday, 30 July 2010
E & O E – PROOF ONLY
Subjects: National Broadband Network; WA infrastructure; Australian Labor Party; Border protection; Federal Election campaign.
PM: Can I say it is a very great pleasure to be in beautiful sunny Perth today, and particularly in the electorate of Hasluck with our great local member, Sharryn Jackson, who has joined me. I’m also joined here today by our Minister for Communications, Stephen Conroy. And we’re here to talk about the National Broadband Network. And can I say a very big thank you for showing us around and particularly, for showing us the cable that is the backbone of the National Broadband Network.
Now on 21st of August the nation will make a choice. And that choice is between me as Prime Minister and Mr Abbott. As Prime Minister, I will build the National Broadband Network. Mr Abbott will not. And today, I am here with Stephen Conroy, our Minister, and our local member, Sharryn Jackson, to release the maps for the fibre roll-out of the National Broadband Network. To release the maps of where the super fast broadband by fibre will go. And when you see these maps, what they will show you is that from Albany to Kununurra, from Victor Harbour to Darwin, from Melbourne to Mackay, this technology will transform our nation. And what we’re also announcing today is that the objective for the fibre and super fast broadband has now lifted from 90 per cent of Australian households to 93 per cent of Australian households. But every Australian household and business will be better off with the National Broadband Network; will be able to get the fibre; will be able to get the best of wireless technology or coverage by satellite.
Now what does this mean, the National Broadband Network for the future? Well, it’s actually very simple. It means jobs. 25,000 jobs in construction and this nation’s fair share of the jobs of the future. Now, Mr Abbott says don’t build the National Broadband Network. What that would see is it would see places like Singapore and Korea and Japan get an advantage on this country. Not building the National Broadband Network would effectively export jobs of the future from our country to countries in our region. The better economic plan, my economic plan, is to build the National Broadband Network to support jobs now in construction and to get this nation a fair share of the jobs of the future.
And the National Broadband Network, of course, is centrally about jobs and the strength of our economy. And it’s also about giving our kids a world class education. My plan is to continue to roll our Computers in Schools to kids. Mr Abbott says no to computers for kids in schools, and he also says no to the advantage the National Broadband Network would be for children studying around the country. I simply don’t understand why Mr Abbott thinks it’s a wise idea for children in this nation to get an education not at the same standard as children in Singapore. And to make sure that our kids get a world-class education, they need access to the world-class technology of the National Broadband Network, which will be so much a part of how they study and how they work in the future.
And with our health system, the National Broadband Network will make another transformative difference. It means no matter where you live in this country you will able to get the benefit of specialist advice, have a specialist in one part of the country look at your diagnostic tests, work through with you your health care issues and health care complaints. Whether you live in regional Australia, the east coast or the west costs of our nation, you will be able to use the broadband to stay in touch with the best of health professionals. And it will be linked with our electronic health records. Now, Mr Abbott says no to electronic health records, he says no to the national broadband and in saying no to that, he’s saying no to these possibilities of better health care for the future.
Now the National Broadband Network is about the future but it’s happening around us today. We’ve talked to people today about what’s happening here in Western Australia, and whether it’s in Tasmania where we’ve already got customers live on the National Broadband Network, or Brunswick in Melbourne where I live, where construction will start in a few weeks, or Willunga in South Australia or the Illawarra or Armadale, construction in these places is starting in a few weeks’ time. So in saying no to the National Broadband Network, Mr Abbott is saying down tools on that construction, down tools on those jobs, down tools on a strong economy for the future, down tools on world class health and education. Now the 21st of August is all about a choice, and the choice today couldn’t be clearer. I will build the National Broadband Network. Mr Abbott will not. I’ll turn to our minister for some comments as well. Stephen?
CONROY: Thank you very much Prime Minister and good morning everyone. Firstly, I’d like to thank Visionstream for hosting us here today. Visionstream is Nextgen’s construction partner in the roll out of 6,000 kilometres of backbone optical fibre across regional Australia. And you can see from the map just over there where we’ve already started construction and where, ultimately, that backbone network will be completed and will deliver to. There is no doubt that the National Broadband Network has the potential to end the tyranny of distance once and for all. But this is only a possibility if everyone has access to it. For too long, Australians living in regional and remote Australia have put up with expensive and slow broadband speeds. Under the Gillard Labor Government, every Australian, every Australian will be getting access to the National Broadband Network no matter where they live or choose to work.
The NBN will deliver exciting new applications for businesses, for the delivery of education, for the healthcare system, for sustainable population, for sustainable environment, reducing the carbon footprint and, of course, for entertainment. Already, as the Prime Minister has said, we have live customers in Tasmania today. The roll out has been going for 9 months. It’s on time, on budget and delivered exactly when we committed to deliver to live customers – from the first week of July. So today we mark another step in the delivery of the National Broadband Network with the release of the coverage maps. Australia is a vast country but only around nine per cent of our land mass is actually inhabited. 90 per cent, 90 per cent of our population live in 0.2 per cent of the land mass. So the NBN will deliver affordable, high speed broadband to every house, school, business and hospital in the country.
The Labor Government, as the Prime Minister has said and announced, will exceed our original commitment to reach 90 per cent. We will actually now be reaching 93 per cent of homes, businesses with fibre optics. That’s an extra 300,000 homes to receive the fibre to their premise. As the maps show, over 1,000 – 1,000 cities and towns across regional, rural and metropolitan Australia will get optic fibre. Here in Western Australia that means places like Kalgoorlie, Norseman, Kununurra and Tom Price. It means places like Weipa in Queensland, Cooma in NSW, Port Augusta in South Australia. They are going to get fibre to the home. NBN Co will connect all other premises outside of the fibre footprint with the best new technology in wireless and the best new satellite technology that will deliver speeds 20 times faster than they currently get today.
So the Gillard Labor Government is getting on with building the National Broadband Network. We’re also moving ahead with historic microeconomic reforms within the telecommunications sectors. Last month we saw an important milestone for the National Broadband Network, an historic heads of agreement between NBN Co and Telstra. And this agreement has opened the way for a faster, cheaper, more efficient roll out for the National Broadband Network. But more importantly, the agreement paves the way for the structural separation of Telstra. Wholesale, retail, separated finally after 20 years of policy failure across two governments, we have achieved and are delivering on the structural separation: the holy grail of microeconomic reform in this sector. And this fundamental microeconomic reform will ensure that Australia finally has truly competitive retail service offerings in the marketplace. And if you look at what’s happening in Tasmania right now, you’ll begin to get an idea of how competitive the retail market will become as the National Broadband Network is rolled out across Australia.
So, in communications, the contrast between the Gillard Labor Government and the Abbott Opposition couldn’t be more stark. The choice that Australians will make on 21st of August will have far reaching implications for the country, even if there was no other issue at stake in this election. You can’t vote for Tony Abbott because he is going to shut the National Broadband Network down. Australian cannot afford to take the risk of the Tony Abbott Government while he tries to strangle the National Broadband Network at birth. Australia cannot afford the economic setback this would bring. We can’t afford it economically, we can’t afford it socially and we can’t afford to lose the innovation that will spring from the National Broadband Network as we separate out the retail and the wholesale network. So again, thank you very much to Visionstream for being here today. But just to again demonstrate finally the choice – the stark choice – between the Gillard Government and the Abbott Opposition, I have here from the Liberal Party website this morning their regional communications page. And were’ happy to hand it around, you can go online and look at it. There it is. A blank piece of paper. 18 failed broadband plans in government, two and half years, three shadow ministers – still no idea what they’re going to do about regional telecommunications. There it is, live on their site today. Thank you very much.
JOURNALIST: Cheryl Kernot wants to run as an independent. Would you welcome her return to politics?
PM: Look, Cheryl Kernot as I understand it has indicated she will run for a Senate position in NSW. Of course, I’m supporting our Labor team in NSW.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what do you make of Mark Latham’s comments that Kevin Rudd is a serial leaker, a snake, and have you or someone in your campaign asked Mr Rudd to campaign with Queensland MPs and candidates in Queensland to show a unified front?
PM: Well, I am not going to be diverted by political chatter; politicians and former politicians talking about politicians. My focus now and for the 21st of August, my focus as Prime Minister will be on delivering a strong economy with jobs for Australians and jobs for the future. And that’s what we’re here doing today. And the National Broadband Network is a choice about whether or not we will have jobs of the future in this country, or we’ll sit back – as Mr Abbott wants us to do – and we’ll watch them go to Korea and Japan and Singapore. Whether we’ll have a world class education system or we’ll let our kids fall behind the standards of the world. Whether we’ll have world class health or deny Australians the benefits that broadband will bring. That’s my focus, that’s what the 21st of August is all about. Yes?
JOURNALIST: Following up on that question, did you ask Kevin Rudd or have Labor strategists ask Kevin Rudd to campaign outside of his electorate for Labor?
PM: Look, I am respecting Kevin Rudd’s wishes and Kevin Rudd’s wish is to focus on his electorate of Griffiths. He’s always been a passionate local member. He’s campaigning in his local community, campaigning for re-election as the Member for Griffiths.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) – questions about the Pacific Island Forum. Will Stephen Smith be going next week to represent Australia? What does Australia achieve in the year of leadership of that Forum, and have you been neglecting the region?
PM: The Pacific Island Forum, of course, falls in the caretaker period, so we are making relevant arrangements about attendance at the Pacific Island Forum. I’ll be talking to Stephen Smith, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, today. Obviously in caretaker, Stephen Smith can attend the Forum. When we’ve been in caretaker periods in the past, other Foreign Ministers have attended such forums. On the question of working with the region, of course we’ve been working with the region. Working with the region to provide aid and support.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, will you be meeting with executives of small mining companies during your visit Perth?
PM: I met with executives of mining companies last time I was in Perth, and on the question of a mining tax, can I say this. There is a choice here. I entered a breakthrough agreement with Australia’s biggest miners, and I have met personally with representatives of smaller mining companies. And let’s remember – we’re talking about a tax that doesn’t apply unless the mining company earns $50 million a year or more in profits. Now last time I was in Perth I met with representatives of mining companies. There is a clear process here for people to raise their concerns and have any discussions that they want to have. That’s the process we’ve outlined, led by Don Argus.
But the choice here, the choice here is a very clear one, and standing in Western Australia I think we should outline it. The choice is between implementing the Minerals Resource Rent Tax and delivering benefits that would strengthen our economy, or doing what Mr Abbott wants to do, which is not take the tax our biggest miners have agreed to pay. And what this all means, of course, is I if elected on the 21st of August, I will cut company tax. I will deliver infrastructure to this State of Western Australia. I will deliver benefits to small businesses. I will ensure that hard working Australians get the benefit of increased super. Mr Abbott says instead no super. No infrastructure for this state. No benefits to small business. And he wants to put the company tax rate up so every person in this country when they walk into a shop like Coles or Woolworths pays higher prices. Yes?
JOURNALIST: Was it a mistake not having Andrew Forrest at that deal that you did with the big miners?
PM: Well, when I was last here in Western Australia, Fortescue Metals was represented in that discussion. Yes?
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, have you vetoed plans to have Kevin Rudd campaign (inaudible) in Queensland, and can you win Queensland without his support?
PM: I’ve just said to you I’ve respected Kevin’s wishes to focus on his electorate of Griffith. Yes?
JOURNALIST: There are pictures of you and Tim in the paper this morning arriving at the airport. What is he doing here? Is he just here to spend some private time, are you going to have dinner tonight, or –
PM: You know what? When we’re talking about private time, guess what, I don’t tell you guys. Step number one. Tim is here to spend some time with me on the campaign trail, on the road.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: What a crazy question. You’re obviously referring to media reports today, that yes Tim has had speeding fines. Obviously he has paid the fines, paid the price. Silly thing to do, he acknowledges that.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) – and how do you respond (inaudible)
PM: This program is being rolled out now, on time, on budget, as the Minister has just said. And this project, the National Broadband Network, will pay for itself over and over and over again in the increased prosperity for this country. I want to see Australians have jobs. I want to see the sons and daughter of Australians have the skills they need and a job in the future. That’s what the National Broadband Network is about. Growing our economy, making sure kids in schools get access to learning like kids overseas. And I don’t understand. I simply don’t understand, why Mr Abbott would be saying to Australians it’s okay for your son, your daughter to get a worse education here than they would in Korea. And it’s okay when they’re old enough to go and get a job that jobs have been exported from this country to places like Singapore that have got better infrastructure because we didn’t build the National Broadband Network. I simply don’t think that’s right. I want Australians to have a fair share of the jobs of the future. I want kids learning in schools today to get a world class education. I will not stand by and see our children get an education that goes out the backdoor and slips below the standards of the world. That’s Mr Abbott’s plan. My plan is to build the National Broadband Network.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) the mining tax (inaudible) an issue (inaudible) what’s the deal with (inaudible).
PM: My best case scenario, in Western Australia and around the nation, is that on the 21st of August, Australians choose to move Australia forward. That they reject out of hand not building the National Broadband Network, ripping computers away from kids in school. That they reject out of hand, Mr Abbott’s cuts to health, taking away the GP Superclinics, their ability to get a doctor after hours. That they reject out of hand, Mr Abbott’s cutting down our trade training centres and the ability of kids to get skills they will need to get jobs. What i’m going to ask Australians to do, what I’m asking them to do today, what I’ll be asking them to do every other day of this campaign, is on the 21st of August to move this country forward. There could be no clearer example of that than choosing to build the NBN, choosing prosperity, choosing a strong economy rather than choosing to sit back and wait for our competitors to take the jobs of the future away from this country.
JOURNALIST: Have you tracked down the leaker in your Cabinet yet?
PM: Look I’ve obviously dealt with these questions and made it very clear that if i’m elected as Prime Minister on 21st August I will be running a traditional Cabinet system of Government. That means, if you’re in the room, you have your say, full and frank. Then when you’re out of the room, you respect the confidentiality of Cabinet discussions.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) Tony Abbott (inaudible) disabilities and water today?
PM: What I would say is Mr Abbott’s track record in Government is to cut things. When Minister for Health, he cut health. He’s in this election campaign, saying to Australians, if he is elected Prime Minister he will cut health. In this election campaign, he’s saying if he is elected Prime Minister he will cut education. Of course he’s saying as well, if he is elected Prime Minister, he will increase company tax and prices will go up. There the things Mr Abbott stands for and I think Australians will look back when Mr Abbott wasn’t wandering around making election promises, that he was actually a senior minister of the Howard Government and they’ll say to themselves, ‘what did Mr Abbott do then?’ He was a passionate advocate of WorkChoices. He cut a billion dollars out of health care, he stood by whilst the government did not invest in Australian schools. These are the things that Australia will judge Mr Abbott on.
JOURNALIST: you say that you respect – did you or anyone else ask him to (inaudible) to have a broader campaign in Queensland (inaudible) the ghost on this campaign.
PM: No one from Campaign HQ has done anything other than what I’ve outlined today which is to respect Kevin’s wishes to campaign in the community that he cares passionately about. He wants to be the member for Griffiths. For me, I will not be diverted by a political chatter. My determination, my passion is to see this country move forward and by that I mean delivering the National Broadband Network, insuring we’ve got a strong economy, ensuring Australians have got jobs, ensuring Australians can rely on good schools and decent health care – they’re my objectives.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) when are these regional communities going to get broadband and secondly (inaudible) broadband providers (inaudible)
PM: Well I’ll turn to Stephen but on the question of delivery, we can point to places around this country where people are already live on the National Broadband Network – Tasmania and of course there are places around this country where construction will be happening in a few weeks’ time. I’ll turn to Stephen for more details.
CONROY: In terms of the stage two announcements we made, 19 new centres around Australia, made that just a few weeks ago, we’re anticipating that the negotiations with the local councils will be taking place over the next few months and construction will start in those next 19 centres including places like Geraldton here in Western Australia in the first half of next year. So we are in a consultation phase with local councils to talk about whether or not we should be on this side of the street, whether there’s a hospital there that we should include, a school there that we should include. So those consultations take place through the rest of this year and then the construction will be in the second half of next year. In terms of my understanding of the tendering process, and I don’t follow it closely, I understand all of the tenders have been let for the stage one projects which will be starting soon and no tenders have been let for the next stage. So the tenders have been decided by NBN Co on the first five mainland roll-out sites. So there’s no tendering I understand at this stage in the second stage of roll-out.
JOURNALIST: What do you make of reports that boats are stopping in international waters so that people smugglers can avoid prosecution?
PM: Well what I would say about people smugglers and prosecution is we have focused and I am focused on making sure that people smugglers do get caught and do get prosecuted. We’ve got more assets patrolling our borders than we have ever had before, more days in the air, more at sea. As Prime Minister, I’ve announced an increase in police resources, Australian Federal Police in our region working with our regional partners to catch and prosecute people smugglers. We’ve got people before the courts right now. We’ve got people who have been successfully prosecuted for this evil trade and what I want to achieve as Prime Minister is we take away from people smugglers the product they sell. Mr Abbott talks about stopping the boats at sea even though he knows and senior Liberals have advised him that implementing his slogan is not possible. I want to stop these boats before they leave foreign shores. That’s what my plan about.
JOURNALIST: Kevin Rudd raises [inaudible]
PM: No I wouldn’t support such a move. We’ve made our decisions on how to tackle smoking and one part of that, one part of it, has been an increase in excise because price does matter. Obviously other parts of our approach is, are about providing people with access to health and advice to get them through the process of quitting smoking.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible] Kevin
PM: No that’s not what I said, not what I meant and completely wrong. What I said was, and let me say it again so we get it second time around, what I said was I am and Campaign HQ is respecting Kevin Rudd’s wishes to campaign for re-election as the Member for Griffith. No other request has been made of him.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) Is it a little bit indulgent of Mr Rudd? He has the safest seat in Queenslnad. If the Party thinks he can be a help to win seats shouldn’t he get out there and do a bit of doorknocking?
PM: Mr Rudd is passionate about representing his local community and let me tell you, if you’ve ever talked to Kevin Rudd as I have, and I know Stephen and Sharryn would be able to say this as well, if you have ever talked to Kevin Rudd as I have, he’s never taken a vote for Griffith for granted. Not once, not ever, never has, never will. And he won’t be doing that in this campaign either.
JOURNALIST: Your campaign launch is being held in Brisbane. Why is that? Is it because there are so many marginal seats up there you want to hold onto?
PM: Well there are terrific places right around this country. We’re in a terrific place now in the federal electorate of Hasluck, but we do need to have our campaign launch in one place and so we’ve chosen the beautiful city of Brisbane to do that.
JOURNALIST: Why?
PM: Well, we’ve made a decision – Brisbane’s the place.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) agreement with the WA Government?
PM: We are delivering money for health care in Western Australia. We are directly delivering for health care in Western Australia. More than $300 million. That’s part of our health reforms, part of what we want to see. Standing here in Hasluck, Sharryn Jackson our local member has fought hard, fought hard for investment in the Swan Hospitals. Fought hard for the Super Clinic in midlands and those things are being delivered and that story can be retold right around Western Australia. Of course I want to work with the Premier here, Premier Barnett, to complete our health reform and health investment arrangements. I’ve indicated I am very open to continuing the conversation, but make no mistake, we are investing additional resources in Western Australian healthcare right now.
JOURNALIST: When is the last time you personally spoke to Kevin Rudd?
PM: Look, I’ve answered this question for you before. Obviously I spoke to Kevin Rudd, I’ve spoken to Kevin Rudd about Labor arrangements. He’s now campaigning for election as the member for Griffith.
JOURNALIST: Could you tell us at this stage of the campaign are you surprised at how well Tony Abbott is doing and how well some of his messages are coming through?
PM: Well look I always said that this would be a tough close contest and what we are seeing is a tough close contest and what that reinforces is that there is a real choice here. A real choice and Australian’s have to make it on the 21 August. A real choice as to whether on the 22 August, I am Prime Minister, with my plans for a stronger economy, for the jobs of the future, for better investment in health and education for the continuation of Fair Work or Mr Abbott is Prime Minister, with his plans for increased prices through increased company tax, with his plans to return to the worst aspects of WorkChoices and his cuts to health and education. That’s the choice facing Australians. It’s tough and close and Australians will have to make that. And today, and today we’re talking about a clear aspect of our plan for a strong economy and you just permit me to have one moment on it. When the global financial crisis threatened this country, we made the better economic choice. That was to support Australian jobs. Mr Abbott made the wrong choice. If he’d been Prime Minister, we’d been in recession now with hundreds of thousands of Australians out of work. For the future, we are making the better economic choice. I have the better economic plan, including national broadband and the jobs of the future. Mr Abbott’s economic plan is increase company tax, prices up. Yes?
JOURNALIST: Are you worried though about the continual leaks and Kevin Rudd (inaudible)
PM: Look, I’m not going to be diverted by this but there are things that worry me. What worries me is going back to the worst days of WorkChoices – people losing their penalty rates. That worries me. Mr Abbott’s plan. I’m worried that people who are doing it tough – families, pensioners and others – will go down to the shops and pay increased prices. Mr Abbott’s plan. I am worried that we won’t get a fair share of the jobs of the future because this nation doesn’t build the National Broadband Network. Mr Abbott’s plan. And I’m obviously passionate about making sure every kid, every kid, gets a great education and I am worried by Mr Abbott’s plan to cut back Trades Training Centres so they don’t get a chance at an apprenticeship, to rip computers out of their hands. And I’m worried too that people won’t be able to find a doctor when they need one, won’t have a Super Clinic, won’t have an afterhours hotline. Mr Abbott’s plan. They’re the things that worry me.
JOURNALIST: You have two days in Perth are you going to (inaudible) nut out this health agreement?
PM: Look my understanding is I’ll check this, but I did a little bit earlier in the week see the Deputy Premier of Western Australia over on the east coast, who was acting Premier at the time because Premier Barnett was away on a little spot of leave, so I can’t absolutely verify where the Premier is today but I don’t have a plan to meet with him today. I had the opportunity to talk to him about health care and other matters last time I was here.
Thank you.
Tags: 2010, Economy, Election, Federal