Transcript: Julia Gillard Press Conference
Julia Gillard
posted Friday, 13 August 2010
PM: Well can I say it’s fantastic to be in Sydney today in very beautiful weather. I’m joined by Parliamentary Secretary Jason Clare and I’m also joined by some very hardworking Australians. And I’m here today to say in eight days’ time Australians face a choice, a choice between my economic plan for the future or Mr Abbott’s lack of economic plan. During the course of this week I’ve been outlining the elements of my economic plan for the future. Earlier in the week I talked about education, continuing to invest in Australian schools to drive up quality and achievement for Australian school students. Of course, we’ve got a comprehensive reform plan for school education and new investments to drive quality. Mr Abbott’s got a plan for cuts.
And also this week I outlined my attitude to welfare to making sure that people seize the opportunities a strong economy gives them to be able to work. We want to make sure that Australians are not subject to the corrosive effects of aimlessness and welfare, that there are opportunities in our economy to be seized and that Australians do seize those opportunities. And during this week I’ve also reaffirmed my plan to invest in the jobs of the future by investing in the National Broadband Network. I don’t want to see this country export jobs to Singapore, to Korea, to Japan because they have better infrastructure than us. I will build the National Broadband Network; Mr Abbott will not.
And today I am adding to my economic plan by making a new announcement about how we will support apprenticeships. There’s nothing more important to the future skills of our workforce than investing in trade apprenticeships. There’s nothing more important to the future of a young Australian than getting them that that all important apprenticeship, that great start in life. When the global financial crisis threatened, we made the right decisions to keep supporting apprenticeships. And as a result, apprenticeship commencements have come back up to normal within two years. Last time this country faced an economic downturn it took 13 years to get apprenticeship commencements up. But now I want to do more. We know too many young people start a trade apprenticeship and then don’t finish it.
So today I announce that we will provide a new bonus to encourage young Australians to get through that trade apprenticeship, to get through the four years of study and work that gives them that all important certificate. We will add a new bonus of $1,700 bringing to a total the bonus of $5,500 for trade apprentices in skill shortage areas. This means every step of the way a trade apprentice as they complete the first year, the second year, the third year and then get that all important certificate will get new support, new bonuses tax-free. Of course, they can use this money to register the car, to buy new tools, to support them in their continued journey in study and in getting that all important certificate. This is an important measure to help support trade apprentices.
Today I’m also announcing that we will invest in mentoring, we will invest in making sure that older, wiser heads are there for young apprentices to call on. So on the days in which it seems tough to keep renewing your commitment to completing your trade apprenticeship, that person will be there as a source of advice, someone to rely on. I believe in supporting apprenticeships and in eight days’ time Australians will have a choice between my plan to invest in apprenticeships as opposed to Mr Abbott’s plan to cut apprenticeships and funding to them. They’ll have a choice between my plan for a stronger economy and Mr Abbott’s lack of a plan for our economic future. This week has been about skills and training, it’s been about jobs, it’s been about the investments we need to make so Australians have work in the future. It’s been about a strong economic plan for the future of this country. I am very happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: You’ve hammered the Libs about their costings, you’ve got until, you’ve both got until today but Mr Swan I think has conceded that before the last election you didn’t your costings in time for the deadline and announced them in the final week of the campaign, so what’s to stop you from going on a spending splurge next week.
PM: Well we will get our costings in and at the end of the week, at the end of the campaign people will be able to hold me to account for my commitment that we will not add one cent to the Budget bottom line. And let’s be very frank about this. During this campaign very regularly we have released our total costings and our total savings so Australians can monitor what we’re doing. We’ve got 90 per cent of our policies in for costing and we will get the remainder in today by the deadline. Whereas, Mr Abbott has only put in 10 per cent of his policies for costing and is now relying on a dog ate my homework excuse to try and avoid proper scrutiny of the rest of his costings. That’s because Mr Abbott is sitting on a range of policies and plans that are full of black holes and would jeopardise the Budget and bringing in the Budget back to surplus in 2013. He’s hoping to skate through without scrutiny. It’s not good enough. Mr Abbott should get his policies in for costing and if he doesn’t Australians are entitled to assume they’re littered with black holes.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister can you tell us how many places will be lost in the Productivity Places Program to pay for your new apprentice program and how can you tell us that you’re investing in training when all you’re doing is shuffling money from one training program to another?
PM: Well I’m happy to go to the scoreboard on investing in training. We’re a government that has increased funding to vocational education and training by 67 per cent. We are intending to move some money from the Productivity Places Program to support this new initiative but there will continue to be productivity places and what I can say is Mr Abbott is intending to wipe the whole Productivity Places Program away and you know what that would do, that would jeopardise the training of 18,000 apprentices who are in training now. And let’s just go through the record here. I understand today Mr Abbott’s made some statements about education. Well when you get through them, what they add up to is more than $2 billion in cuts. Mr Abbott is moving towards Australian schools and all he wants to do when he gets there is cut things out of schools that they should have. Trades Training Centres, computers, better teaching – he wants to cut the funding for each of these. Yes.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) you were saying it’s time to slow down (inaudible) to take a breath but what are you actually talking about there. Are you talking about cutting immigration? Are you talking about a one child policy? What’s the actual thing that you’re planning to do?
PM: OK, well I’ve made this very clear during the course of the campaign. I believe in a sustainable Australia not a big Australia and that means we’ve got to get a set of policies right, a set of policies about water and our environment, about urban congestion, about planning, about where people want to live in this great continent of ours. I started this campaign by announcing our policy to support the development of affordable housing in regional centres and towns that have got jobs but don’t have enough workers. Tony Burke has become the Minister for Sustainable Population and if the Government is elected we will develop Australia’s first sustainable population policy. We will be guided by three expert committees on demography, sustainability and on productivity, and what I’ve said for the future of immigration is we obviously calibrate immigration targets against the economic performance of the nation. In the future we would also calibrate immigration against our sustainable population policy.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) Chinese workers here and just underscore the fact that employers going to need people from overseas to fill trade shortages in this country?
PM: Well look I believe in training Australians first and I’ve said, and I genuinely believe, it is not acceptable that we live in a country where employers tell us they’re short of skilled workers and seek to import them, whilst at the same time, in many parts of this country we’ve got youth unemployment at more than 20, 25 per cent. It’s not acceptable. I want those young Australians to get a chance. I want them to get a start. I want them to get a good quality education. I want them to get the opportunity of an apprenticeship. That’s what today’s announcement is all about.
JOURNALIST: Will you have discussions with the employer about the 100 Chinese workers he’s employing on this site?
PM: Well, look, what I understand is of course we had Mr Abbott and his friends in government, and for 12 long years they neglected in investing in skills and training. Andrew Robb, the current shadow minister for Finance, admitted as much when he was responsible for training. In the former government, he basically said we knew a skills crisis was coming, we knew a skill shortage was coming and oh well, couldn’t be bothered doing anything about it. And so, because it takes years to train skilled workers, there are shortages now. They are shortages because of the kind of policies that Mr Abbott believes in. And the choice in eight days’ time is do we want to go back to those kind of policies, that kind of under investment, where the only economic plan was to endlessly say well we’re short of skilled workers and we will import them, and to leave young Australians without the opportunity to get a trade and get a chance. Well, I say no to that. I believe with my strong economic plan, with these new investments, we can make a difference to the lives of young Australians.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, earlier in the day you visited a gaming venue. Kevin Rudd once said that he hated pokies and he understood something of their impact on families. Do you hate pokies too?
PM: Look, I understand that people will go to gaming venues and they’ll have a good night out. And some venues and they will blow the family’s pay packet. And for those problem gamblers, we obviously want to extend counselling and support, we want to rectify that kind of behaviour, and we’ve been working with industry to do that. Jenny Macklin, relatively recently, responded to a report we received about problem gambling and some new initiatives to work with the gaming industry.
JOURNALIST: Is it true that the Infrastructure Department is unhappy about the Epping to Parramatta link, and why are, will NSW have to put other projects at risk simply to fulfil your election promise?
PM: Well, look, I make the decisions, I make them with my team. And we’ve made the right decision to build the Parramatta to Epping Rail Link. It’s an important piece of infrastructure connecting two growing economic zones in Sydney. We will make this investment if I’m re-elected on the 21st of August. If Mr Abbott is elected then it will never happen.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) – asked you if your department head was unhappy about it, your Infrastructure head was unhappy about it, and I also asked you if NSW Labor will have to compromise other transport projects to pay for this one.
PM: And I’ve given you the answer. I make the decisions and I’ve made one and we will work with the NSW Government to roll this out. They will provide the first $500 million and we will provide the $2.1 billion.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) unhappy?
PM: Well I haven’t said that. What I’ve said is that I make the decisions, and so the important thing is the decision. It’s been made. It’s the right decision to take pressure off in Sydney to link two major economic zones.
JOURNALIST: Obstetricians are saying that changes to the Medicare safety net are discouraging women from taking up IVF, which has resulted in 1,000 less babies than otherwise would be the case. Do you see that there’s a problem with that policy and would you look at changing that if you are re-elected?
PM: Look, we made some changes here because in our view the high fees being charged by some specialists were making treatments less affordable. To give you just one quick stat there, the top 10 per cent of IVF specialists were paid $4.5 million each by the taxpayers through Medicare in the 2008-09 financial year. Top 10 per cent, $4.5 million each. So we made some changes there, we think they’re the right changes. I do note I don’t understand that Mr Abbott’s got any plans to change that policy.
Journalist: (inaudible)
PM: Well, we, the intended consequence here is to deal with that problems where obviously there were a limited number of IVF specialists, disproportionately earning large amount of money from Medicare.
Journalist: Prime Minister, there’s been some trouble at the Darwin detention centre. A guard was slightly injured and I was just wondering if you were aware of the details, and also, while we’re in Grayndler, if anything will be done about the aircraft noise if you were re-elected.
PM: Well, on the Darwin Detention centre, I’ve been advised about the incident. Of course, you know, people, anybody breaking the law should feel the full force of the law. I’ve got not tolerance for violence. On detention centre management, detention centres are managed through a contract arrangement and it is the provider of detention services who in the first instance has the responsibility for ensuring detention centres work as they should. On airport noise, I could procure Anthony Albanese for you for what may be a 14 to 15 hour lecture on the topic. But perhaps the best summary would be, he has been a very, very persistent local member to assist his community with aircraft noise.
Journalist: Prime Minister, are you still the real Julia, because today seems to be an awful lot like the scripted campaign you said you’d throw away?
PM: Well, we’ve been out and about on this site today, talking to people, talking to young apprentices, and I’ve enjoyed it because I'm here today making a big announcement for the future of the apprenticeship system. I want to see more young people just like these ones, and I want to see them get through their trade apprenticeship. Yes, of course earlier today, I did address a crowd, attended by Labor members and supporters. During the campaign it’s always important to be able to say hello to Labor members and supporters and I enjoyed doing that this morning.
Journalist: On support for apprentices, can the apprentice journalist Mark Latham, apply for this scheme.
PM: (laughs) It’s for trade apprenticeships in which we’re short of skills.
Journalist: Have you given any thought to what your Government would do if there was a double dip recession, overseas and perhaps it flowed down into Australia?
PM: Look I know that Mr Robb’s been musing on this. For, for the Government, we have obviously outlined, through Treasury, our economic forecast for continued growth in the Australian economy. We’re in that position because we acted quickly when the global financial crisis threatened, to support jobs. What I can say to the Australian people, is if some circumstance arose in the future and I am not predicting it, I am not predicting it, but if some circumstance arose in the future, Australians would want a government that had the capacity to make the right decisions and support jobs. I'm standing here today talking about my economic plan, which is the right economic plan to support jobs. Mr Abbott’s got no economic plan, but today, he’s announced a grab-bag full of cut backs to education.
Journalist: Prime Minister, could you tell us when the Infrastructure Department head first found out about the Parramatta to Epping Rail Link and if it’s true that he did find out through the media, how can Australians trust that your infrastructure decisions are rigorous.
PM: I think you’ll find that when we announced that Parramatta to Epping link, Minister Albanese talked about the Infrastructure Australia processes and other processes that had led us to the decision. Ultimately, the responsibility for the decision lies with Government and we made it.
Journalist: Have you spoken to the independent MPs yet, and will you do that for the election in case of a hung Parliament.
PM: Look, no I haven’t and my, my perspective, my energy, my enthusiasm is to keep campaigning every day. There’s eight days until election day and it’s a stark choice. A stark choice between a government that supported jobs and has the better economic plan, versus Mr Abbott who wouldn’t have supported jobs, would have seen this country in recession and has no economic plan for the future.
JOURNALIST: On your campaign tactics this week, it’s been noticeable that you haven’t done so many walk throughs of supermarkets or shopping centres. Is that deliberate or are you targeting more policy specific areas like this?
PM: Well look we’ve been out and about in various ways, but this has been a week where we’ve unveiled some major policies. Absolutely right. Unveiled a major policy in Perth for the future of education, I didn’t do that in a shopping centre walk-through but I did it in front of forty or fifty mums and dads who could ask me questions about it. I outlined a plan for the future of welfare, I am outlining a plan today to further invest in skills and training and getting young Australians a chance. And you know, if we look on the other side of politics, I talked to you about Mr Abbott’s announcements today to cut $2 billion out of education, what he’s talking about is cutting our Computers In Schools program so tens of thousands of kids around the country would miss out. What he’s talking about is cutting our Trades Training Centres program so 1.2 million kids would miss out on the opportunity for a trade education in their school. He’s of course talking about ending our investments in better teaching: the very money which is today enabling the best teachers to be paid more to go to the disadvantaged class rooms that need them the most. Today’s announcement from Mr Abbott is nothing more, nothing less than when it comes to education it’s cut, cut, cut.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) the elephant is back again. How concerned are you that climate change is the one issue that people, is going to lead people not to vote for you?
PM: Well I’ve seen the elephant in a few places, indeed I’ve seen different forms of the elephant in a few places. It looked a bit different in Tasmania than it did in Melbourne and I haven’t seen the elephant today, it might be a third variety. But the policy substance under all of this is as follows: I believe in climate change, I believe it’s real and I want to address it for the future, I want to keep building on the policies and the plans we’ve already put in place. We made record investments in solar and renewable technology. We’ve had a focus on renewable energy through the mandatory renewable energy target. I want to build on that by building the transmission lines that will bring back clean energy to people’s homes. I want to build on that by having no new dirty coal fired power stations. I want build on that by having a cleaner car fleet. I want to build on that by having greener buildings. On the other side of politics Mr Abbott says: it’s absolute crap. And at the same time I will be working for a carbon pollution reduction scheme, building community consensus. Under Mr Abbott, that will never happen.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, do you guarantee that there will no more leaks from Treasury about the costings if the Coalition do submit their policies and also can you guarantee that, that leak initially didn’t come from the Treasurers’ office?
PM: Well look as I understand it, this matter is now being investigated by the Australian Federal Police, I'll leave it in their capable hands. But on the substance, I mean really, really, Mr Robb, Mr Hockey, Mr Abbott are thrashing around looking for any excuse to not put their policies into costings. And why is that? Because they know that they’re littered with black holes - $8 billion black hole in their military superannuation scheme, $800 million black hole in relation to the savings that they’ve claimed for national broadband. Of course we think that many of their big policies are woefully under-costed, that when they were all added up, they are a substantial risk to the Budget. Mr Abbott says he wants to be Prime Minister of this country, he needs to show the responsibility of putting his policies in for costing. If he doesn’t do that, then I think Australians are entitled to conclude they won’t stand up to scrutiny. Yes.
JOURNALIST: How nervous are you that you’re being interviewed by Laurie Oakes the day before the campaign launch?
PM: Not at all.
JOURNALIST: On the Parramatta Epping rail link. If the New South Wales Government hasn’t already put that money aside, are you happy for them to compromise other projects that might have been promised to voters in New South Wales for your promise.
PM: Well look, the New South Wales Government has said it will provide $500 million. Of course, we will enter an agreement that requires the provision of that money. We will enter an agreement that has our money only flowing as the project reaches milestones and gets done. I am determines to build this rail link. If we are elected we will build it. If you look around this country, as a Government, we have engaged with the shape of cities and with infrastructure for the future. My own city of Melbourne, we’re investing in the regional rail link. In Brisbane, I announced during the course of the campaign, our commitment to a major rail project there. If you look around the country, we have been working to meet the needs of addressing congestion in our big cities. That’s the right thing to do and this is the right decision.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minster what will you do if the New South Wales Labor government is no longer there by 2013 or 2014 when this project starts. What are you going to do then? Are you going to stump up this extra money? Or are you banking on the fact that they actually probably won’t be there and won’t deliver it?
PM: Well look, we will enter an intergovernmental agreement with the New South Wales Government, which will be binding on the New South Wales Government, but that’s not the point. That’s not the risk. This decision will be made on the 21st of August. If the Government is re-elected, the rail link will be built. If Mr Abbott is elected, it won’t be and it’s the same as the National Broadband Network. If we’re re-elected, the National Broadband Network will be built. If Mr Abbott is re-elected, it won’t be. It’s the same as getting computers to kids in schools. I will provide them Mr Abbott will not. Trades Training Centres. I will build them, Mr Abbott will not. Investments in better teaching, I will deliver it, Mr Abbott will not. The Trade Completion Bonus we’re talking about today, I will invest in apprenticeships, Mr Abbott will not.
JOURNALIST: Having a reassurance on Rooty Hill on Wednesday, after giving a reassurance on Rooty Hill on Wednesday that Bill Shorten and others wouldn’t be rewarded, do you think it was a good idea to be seen alongside him yesterday in Melbourne?
PM: I was in Mr Shorten’s electorate of Maribyrnong. Yes.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) Tony Abbott made promises today rewards the teachers (inaudible), has he outdone you?
PM: (laughs) Ok, let’s just go through those figures. Love it. Thank you for that question, $425 million, which we are investing in better teaching, Mr Abbott will cut it. What is that money paying for? Well it’s paying today. Paying today for the best teachers to go to the disadvantaged classrooms that need them the most and earn more to do it. What’s that money for? Well it’s backing in our Teach for Australia initiative which has brought high performing graduates into disadvantaged classrooms and those teachers are teaching today. That money is there to make sure that we can have an investment into better quality teaching. $425 million taken away. And then this week, I’ve said we would build on that with our rewards for teachers and our rewards for schools. In, you know, a desperate attempt to try and distract people from the cuts, Mr Abbott today has announced a scheme which in no way overwhelms the cutbacks that he is making in this area. If you vote for Mr Abbott, you will get more than half a billion dollars of cutbacks to quality teaching, that’s the scoreboard, that’s the count and no words from Mr Abbott can cover that up.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister the term moving forward got wheeled out a fair bit this morning, where have you been hiding it the last two weeks?
PM: (laughs) Look every day, I’m moving forward and very much enjoying it. Thank you very much.
Tags: apprenticeships, costings, Gillard, Julia, policy, Teachers, Trade