JULIE COLLINS, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: I’m Julie Collins. I’m the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and, of course, a very proud Tasmanian from down south. It's terrific to be up here, of course, with our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, for yet another visit of his to Tasmania. And to be joined by our Senator for Tasmania, who's almost like a local member here, Anne Urquhart. And it's terrific to be able to be here for this important announcement for Tasmania today that I'm happy to hand over to the Prime Minister to talk about – and I'm happy to answer questions on the detail in terms of my portfolio as Minister for Fisheries.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks very much. It's great to be back here in beautiful Devonport here in the electorate of Braddon. And I'm here for two big reasons. Firstly, that northwest Tasmania needs a champion. And the champion I have long looked to for information of what's happening on the ground here in the Braddon electorate is on my left, Senator Anne Urquhart. Senator Urquhart has been effectively, the local member and local champion, for a long period of time. She's someone who's been so passionate about her local community, coming as she does from – when you arrive at the airport there, the first thing you see is a Simplot sign, which reminds you about her working career and how she was such a strong advocate for workers, firstly by being a delegate and a spokesperson here, but then taking that commitment to her fellow Tasmanians into the political sphere, where she has served so well in the Australian Senate. But we've opened nominations for seats in Tasmania and I am very pleased that Anne Urquhart will be nominating for the electorate of Braddon to be the next Labor Member for Braddon. Anne will fight each and every day for the interests of this local community. She's someone who's passionate about Devonport, about Burnie, about the salmon industry there up on the West Coast. She's someone who I've travelled with throughout these areas to Strahan, right along the coast – Stanley – right through this community. And everywhere I have gone over many years now, everyone knows Anne Urquhart. Everyone respects Anne Urquhart. Whether it's business owners, whether it's local workers, or whether it be community people in the community sector looking after the interests of this electorate. So, she has been a magnificent advocate for 13 years in the Senate. She has made the right decision, as far as I'm concerned, to take that advocacy to the House of Representatives to join the Labor team that we have there. This will maximise our opportunity to win this seat. And I confirm that Braddon will be a target seat for the Australian Labor Party at the next Federal Election because we have a retirement here. There is no sitting member. I don't know the name of the Liberal candidate who's been preselected, but I tell you what, everyone knows the name 'Anne Urquhart'. They know what she stands for, they know her values, they know her courage and they know her fighting capacity. And one of the issues that Anne has fought on is, of course, support for jobs. Support for jobs and support for the salmon industry. It is the backbone of so many regional Tasmanian communities and we're backing that, delivering stability for workers and their families into the future. What we are doing to back that industry is investing $28 million in water quality and environmental conditions at Macquarie Harbour. $21 million to improve oxygenation in Macquarie Harbour, $5 million to expand the Maugean skate breeding program, and $2.5 million on monitoring, compliance and community engagement in Strahan. I've met the people who've made representations, made the effort to come to Canberra. I'll be visiting there over the coming months at the invitation of the Mayor, Shane Pitt, and talking about ensuring that those jobs and that industry can continue. We want jobs and we want sustainability. It's not either-or. It's a matter of how we achieve both. Anne Urquhart is committed to that. And so am I, and so is my Labor Government. And so I'd introduce to you firstly, the new candidate, Senator Anne Urquhart, soon to be the Labor Candidate for Braddon. And then we'll hear from Julie about the specifics of the program and then we're happy to take some questions.
SENATOR ANNE URQUHART, SENATOR FOR TASMANIA: Thank you. Thanks very much, Prime Minister. And can I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging. Can I also extend that acknowledgement to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders here today. And can I acknowledge my good friend Dave Gough? Where are you, Dave? There he is. From Six Rivers Aboriginal Community and all the support crew – which are only part of my support crew, hopefully – around me. I'm honoured and excited about this opportunity. I will work hard. I will work hard to win Braddon for Labor. I was born here, I was raised here and I raised my family here. I've shown I will work hard and make a difference to our community. I started my career, as the Prime Minister said, at the – what was Edgell Birdseye then – factory at Ulverston on the afternoon shift. And the greatest privilege of my life is to represent my community. Some of you here know that my motto is: 'never give up'. Part of my heritage from the Edgell Birdseye factory. Never give up. And I'd like to think there is a bit of that behind the Government's outstanding announcement about Macquarie Harbour here today. I will fight for the best for this region. That's my priority. I’ll fight for good, well paid jobs and manufacturing, access to services including child care, disability and aged care, great education from early childhood to lifelong learning. And for investment in housing and in infrastructure so that we can live, travel and work safely and securely. I have a couple of really important jobs right now as Senator for Tasmania and I am also Chief Government Whip in the Senate. I'll keep working hard on those jobs. When the election is called, it is my intention to resign and nominate as Labor Candidate for Braddon. In due course. I'm sure the Party will go through its own processes to fill the Senate vacancy. Thank you.
MINISTER COLLINS: The $28 million that we're announcing today from the Albanese Labor Government is a significant investment over three years. This is about ensuring that our skate remains here in Tasmania, in Macquarie Harbour. As the Prime Minister has highlighted, over $20 million is for oxygenation and improvement in Macquarie Harbour in terms of the water quality. There's also, of course, the funding for the Maugean skate breeding program which happens at the facility at IMAS in Taroona. This will allow this program certain to be able to continue and we've seen great success with the Maugean skate breeding program to date. And then of course, there's the improved monitoring and compliance to make sure that what we're doing is working and that we are monitoring it carefully when it comes to Macquarie Harbour. This investment shows that we're serious about protecting the Maugean skate. But we're also serious about sustainability and jobs in local communities. It's an announcement that has been warmly welcomed and we look forward to delivering it as part of the next Albanese Labor Government. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: Yes, on the salmon announcement today. When will Tanya Plibersek make her decision about salmon farming on the West coast?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Tanya, of course according to the law has to make a decision and that's been deferred, as you'd be aware. So, what we're doing here is making sure that every step is made to ensure that the industry can continue. We understand the jobs are absolutely critical and we want to provide as much certainty as possible. But we also understand that the Minister must comply with the law, which is why we are undertaking this. What this will do with – we're already seeing increased oxygen levels at Macquarie Harbour. This will further that. We want the industry to continue and we want sustainability to occur.
JOURNALIST: Will it be after the election?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm making the – I've already answered the question, which is that the decision has been deferred because of the already environmental assessments that have been made by the Tasmanian Government and others. And we're working closely to make sure the industry can continue.
JOURNALIST: The Threatened Species Council has pushed back until October 2025. Will that advice be part of Tanya Plibersek considerations when she makes this decision?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course, the decision is based upon the law and the law is outlined very clearly.
JOURNALIST: So, we could be in a scenario where it's after October 2025 that this decision is made, then?
PRIME MINISTER: Then the law will be complied with, the environmental law.
JOURNALIST: How can you protect the salmon industry and Tasmanian jobs while also protecting the skate? How can you do –?
PRIME MINISTER: Through measures like this. That's how you do it. Making sure that – a whole range of industries exist with human activity, and that is what this is about. We want to make sure that our priority is jobs, but also is sustainability. And good environmental protection doesn't mean that nothing occurs – there's no jobs, there's no economic activity, there's no farming. What you do is you make sure that you get those decisions right. You support industry in a way that's sustainable and that's our objective.
JOURNALIST: On Australia-US relations, how will you deal with the trade war between the US and Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: I wasn't aware there was one, so thank you for that announcement. In fact, what we do, we support trade and I note that the US has a trade surplus with Australia. It is in the United States’ interests and also Australia's interest for there to continue to be trade between our two great nations. And I'm confident that that will continue to occur.
JOURNALIST: Elon Musk is expected to play a significant role in Trump's team. Will you push ahead with social media and misinformation bills even if Donald Trump doesn't want you to?
PRIME MINISTER: We decide the policies that Australia puts forward as a sovereign nation.
JOURNALIST: Is today a tactic to win over Braddon?
PRIME MINISTER: A tactic?
JOURNALIST: Yeah, the salmon announcements. Is it a tactic to win over Braddon, off the Coalition?
PRIME MINISTER: It's doing the right thing. Yeah, we want to win Braddon. News flash – Labor wants to win 150 seats and one of them is Braddon. We have the right candidate. We have the right policies. Look, Braddon has benefited from my Government's approach. My Government has seen 1 million jobs created on our watch. We had tax cuts where we delivered for every taxpayer. Under the Coalition, they wanted us to hold an election to stop a whole lot of the workers in Braddon, low and middle income earners, from getting any tax cuts. They opposed our Energy Price Relief Plan. They opposed the Cheaper Medicines plan that has seen people in Australia save now over $1 billion. Now many of those would be right here in Braddon, that has an older demographic than the average demographic around Australia and they have benefited from that. So, yes, we'll be campaigning very strongly in Braddon. But my Government is committed to jobs. That's why we've funded a range of projects, water projects, infrastructure projects, the Marinus Link. That's why we've funded health precincts, including the recent announcement that we made about the Launceston Hospital. That's why we've opened Urgent Care Clinics, including in Tasmania here and more to come. That's why we have Fee Free TAFE benefiting people to have those opportunities. That's why we have taken $3 billion already off student debt but have a plan of reducing student debt by 20 per cent across the board and 100,000 Fee Free TAFE places in every year. That's why we've upgraded the National Broadband Network to overcome that tyranny of distance. All of these policies are aimed at making Australia have an even stronger future. We're building Australia's future and it starts right here in Braddon.
JOURNALIST: Have you spoken to Premier Cook about when the Federal Election will be and potentially moving the date of the WA election?
PRIME MINISTER: No, it's the media that seem to be obsessed by the date of elections. I have read that the election would be in August, September, November, December 7 – has probably passed now – but I was reading that as a date as well. Look, I'm focused on governing, that's what I'm focused on. And I'll leave the speculation to others. I have said repeatedly and I repeat again today, I support four year terms and I wish there was four year fixed terms so that this obsession with dates that begins halfway through a term didn't continue.
JOURNALIST: There are media reports Premier Cook is looking to change the WA election date to avoid any dislike voters might have towards Federal Labor. What do you make of that?
PRIME MINISTER: The media reports every week about election dates. Nothing new in that. As I said, it was going to be August 30, then it was September, then November, then December 7. The election, I've said the whole way through, will be in 2025. It will be called April or before. But I'm focused on governing. And one of the reasons why we should have longer terms as every state and territory government does, is to stop the speculation from, essentially, from the media that seems to occur in the last year of a term once you hit two years through.
JOURNALIST: That doesn't cause you any concern?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I don't know what it is that's causing concern.
JOURNALIST: Peter Dutton believes you won't be able to make majority government at the next election. What do you make of that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Peter Dutton, you know – Peter Dutton has not produced – we are now in the thralls, apparently, of an election campaign perhaps in December. Peter Dutton does not have a single costed policy out there. Not one. He has one policy which is for nuclear energy sometime in the 2040s. No plan for what happens with energy security in the meantime, just a plan for negativity and saying what he’s opposed. He's opposed every cost of living measure that we've put in place. He opposed our tax cuts for every Australian taxpayer. He wants to wind back the industrial relations reform that give workers a fair go. This is a guy who doesn't have a policy plan going forward. And I'm confident about majority Labor Government. That's why I'm here in Braddon. I want Braddon to be one of those seats and I want us to hold the existing seats that we have, Franklin and Lyons. And I want to – we'll also have a very strong candidate in Bass. We'll be announcing that candidate soon as well.
JOURNALIST: On that. Would you like to see Rebecca White run in Lyons?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, look, I'll be having more to say and visiting Lyons electorate in about two hours.
JOURNALIST: The South Australian Government is legislating to effectively ban political donations and boost public funding of candidates. Will your Government take the same approach in its electoral reform bill?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what we'll do is produce legislation that we're talking across the Parliament. We think there needs to be electoral reform. Premier Malinauskas has taken very strong action. What we'll be doing is hopefully getting support for our legislation that we're hoping to advance before the election. It won't take place, it won't take effect, of course – it's too late to take effect for the next election. But we are keen on electoral reform because a system whereby an individual can spend over $100 million as we've seen occur in the last two elections, is one that I think undermines democracy by giving one person a lot of say or a lot of input as well. We do need reform. There has been reform of electoral systems in state and territory governments, in New South Wales, in South Australia, now proposed by Premier Malinauskas and Don Farrell, our Minister, will have more to say about that in coming weeks.
JOURNALIST: Simon Birmingham says you should try to meet with Donald Trump while you're overseas. Have you considered flying past Florida on your way home?
PRIME MINISTER: If you have a look at the map, it's actually not on the way. It's not –
JOURNALIST: But you take my meaning –
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Simon Birmingham does two things. One, he says I do too many trips and secondly, he says I should do more. Simon Birmingham is someone who never has much constructive to say at all. I had a really constructive discussion with President-elect Trump last week. It was a very good beginning to our relationship. Thank you.
JOURNALIST: Just one more, Prime Minister. Is Kevin Rudd the right person to be US Ambassador?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.