RYAN OLIVE, RAGLAN STATION: Hello everyone, I’m Ryan Olive and today we're here at Raglan Station, which is our family's farm. We've owned it since 1986. I'd like to welcome the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and our Minister for Ag, Murray Watt And I just like to say thank you for coming. Thanks for taking the time to be here today. And I'll hand over to you.
PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: Thanks very much, Ryan. It's great to be here at Raglan station and to get such a warm welcome and to have a discussion about the opportunities that are here in the beef industry. Obviously there are some challenges as well that we're dealing with as a government because of the biosecurity issues which have been highlighted by the outbreak in Indonesia of FMD, but also LSD. The government has responded to these challenges with the most comprehensive plan that has ever taken place in Australia to ensure that we're protecting our industry. This is an industry that produces billions of dollars of benefit for Australia. If FMD was to gain hold in Australia it potentially would provide up to $80 billion of damage. So this is an issue in which the government has been determined to work with industry, to work with individual farmers, but also with the peak organisations. And I'm very pleased to be here today to hear firsthand off Ryan and some of the organisations about these issues. For Rocky, of course, this is the beef capital of Australia. During the election campaign we came here and committed $6 million to beef week, that will be an important contribution. I'm pleased that we have a great Queenslander in Murray Watt as our ag minister, and Murray has been working in a cooperative way with industry to make sure that the industry is not just protected, but that it grows into the future. This is about jobs. It's about our exports. It's about our economy. And the ag sector produces a great level of value here in Australia. We have enormous opportunities. We have this vast, beautiful island continent of ours, with clean products that we're able to produce – the best in the world. What we need to do is to make sure that we protect it, cherish it and grow it into the future.
MURRAY WATT, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: Thanks very much PM. Well, it's great to be back in Central Queensland, a part of the country I've got to know very well over the last few years. And it's even better to be back as the new Agriculture Minister for our country. It's terrific to have the PM back in CQ. I was thinking this is at least the second time you've been into CQ since the election because, of course, our government had our very first Community Cabinet in Gladstone just down the road a few weeks back. And I know that the PM on election night said to the Australian people that we will be a government for all of Australia and every Australian. And he's backing that up as is our government by getting out on the ground in places like CQ, meeting with cattle producers, meeting with everyone about how we can take these regions forward. Thank you so much, Ryan and your family, for having us here at Raglan station. It's another great example of a family farm that has prospered, has been selling livestock to the world and now supplying literally the meat on the tables at many Australian homes. And it's great to see such good conditions at the moment with good rain, good prices for cattle. And that's why our agriculture industry is doing so well at the moment. The projections for our industry, that over the next 12 months, we're going to see production of over $80 billion, which would be the second highest on record in our country. And we're actually looking at the record amount of exports from agriculture that we've ever seen in this country. So there are good times at the moment in agriculture, including here in CQ, but as the PM said, there's some serious challenges that we're dealing with as well. And I had some really good discussions this morning with Will Wilson from AgForce, and many other ag leaders and training providers and unions in Rocky to talk about workforce shortages, which is a big issue in this part of the world – as it is in every industry in every part of Australia. Of course, that's a lead up to the Jobs and Skills Summit that the PM is convening in September. On the biosecurity challenges that we're facing as well: as the PM said, we have literally the strongest biosecurity response to a threat that our country has ever seen. Our government is doing things that no government has ever done in Australia before. With all of those sanitation foot mats in every international airport in Australia that's receiving flights from Indonesia, we've declared biosecurity zones in every international airport, which give our biosecurity officers more powers to direct passengers to do things, more biosecurity officers, vaccines into Indonesia, there's a whole range of things that no government has ever done before. And that shows that we're taking this seriously and, importantly, that we're going to work hand in hand with industry as we tackle this threat. We're going to do everything we possibly can, in partnership with industry, to keep Foot and Mouth Disease and Lumpy Skin Disease out of the country. But we've also established a taskforce that is ensuring that both we as a federal government, and state and territory governments and industry are fully prepared if the worst were to happen and nd we did have an outbreak here. So the advice of industry has been critical and we look forward to that partnership continuing.
WILL WILSON, AGFORCE: Thank you very much Minister and Prime Minister. We’ve certainly been through this experience in the last month or so with FMD and LSD, as the risk has grown in Indonesia. And, as I've said to you, Minister, every step we take on this is a good step but it's never going to be the last step and we need to continue to evolve. And us as producers now we’re at the cutting edge of what we can do to protect ourselves and we expect the community and we appreciate everything community's doing, the people that are travelling, as well as the people in Australia that are now aware of what the biosecurity threat is. Obviously, from what the Prime Minister and the Minister have said, it's a very valuable industry. And hopefully we can protect it for ourselves as producers and the Australian public. There will be more that we need to do in the future. And part of it is to improve our biosecurity on what we're doing on our properties, as well as what we're doing in the market into the country; looking after the Indonesians, they're very important customer of ours and a very important trading partner of us as a country. I think that it's important that we recognise that in these conversations, because they're the ones that have the threat at the moment, and we need to really care for them. And I think we're making efforts and I applaud the efforts that we're making in country in Indonesia, particularly at the moment. And from us as producers in Australia to them as producers in Indonesia, I think we need to show that we're reaching out to them and caring for them as much as possible, because we're scared of it. But they've got it and we need to show care for them and help them get out of the problem. Their learnings are going to help us be more prepared here. So, like I said to both the Minister and the Prime Minister, every step that we take is a good step. But there will always be another step that we need to take, And the communication with the industry that you've been having, we really appreciate. And hopefully we can continue to make sure that we're anticipating where we need to be tomorrow rather than looking back on what we've done yesterday. So thanks very much.
PRIME MINISTER: Can I thank AgForce and the other peak organisations who've worked hand in hand, not just with the federal government but state governments as well, to make sure that industry is looked after, talking these issues through, making sure there's a coherent, positive response going forward. It's been terrific, mate, so I thank you for it.
JOURNASLIT: What you were saying about next steps and things like that: are there any other steps? Are there other steps that the federal government is considering at the moment? Or is it just very much a watching act situation?
WATT: As Will said, we have said from the very beginning that whenever anyone's got a good, practical idea that will make a difference than we're happy to implement it. And we have continued ratcheting up our response to this threat every week and every day. And industry has been a very good source of those sorts of ideas. What I've been saying so far is that the approach we're taking is three pronged: so more support to Indonesia and other neighbouring countries to help them manage their outbreaks. Secondly, continuing to strengthen the responses on our borders, our airports and our mail centres. And thirdly, establishing that preparedness taskforce to make sure that we are fully prepared as a country if the worst were to happen. I expect that we'll continue to see action on all three of those measures. Only about a week ago, I announced that we would be delivering more vaccines to Indonesia. I'm going to be in Indonesia again myself shortly as part of the G20 conference for Agriculture Ministers from the G20 countries around the world – and there will be further assistance, I'm sure, that will come out of that. One of the other things that we're looking at as well is traceability, and we were just having a good chat with both Will and Ryan about the importance of that. Quite recently, I convened the first meeting of Agriculture Ministers in this country for about nine months, the last government had basically stopped talking to Agriculture Ministers in states and territories. And one of the most important things that came out of that meeting was that, for the first time, we first of all reached agreement on a national biosecurity strategy which I launched last week. But secondly, for the first time, we saw every Agriculture Minister from around the country sign up to doing more on traceability. And what that means for the average person, you might see those animals behind us have got ear tags. Pretty much around the country now, we've got ear tags and other systems in place for cattle. But we haven't had those systems in place for sheep all around the country. The reason that matters is that if you've got those tags in those animals here, is if you were to have an outbreak of a disease it enables you to track down where animals have been and monitor their movements so you can get an outbreak under control much more quickly. Having that kind of national traceability scheme for all cloven hoofed animals, including sheep, is a critical step for biosecurity. And we are closer than we've ever been because of the co-operative approach that our government has taken with industry and with states and territories. So that's just one example. But I'm sure there'll be more to come.
JOURNALIST: We've seen a few fragments coming in in food products here and there over the last few weeks, but thankfully nothing has reached Queensland at this stage. Is this proof that what your government is doing is working?
WATT: I think it is. And I think the most important message that I can continue to give Australians and our overseas customers is that Australia is Foot and Mouth Disease free. Unfortunately, because of the some of the politicisation of this issue over the last few weeks, some unfortunate messages have been given out overseas about our disease status. But we are free of Foot and Mouth Disease, we are free of Lumpy Skin Disease, which would also be devastating to our cattle industry. And that is a credit, not just to the government and our biosecurity officers, but to industry who've really stepped up here as well. So one of the other things we've done in response to the outbreak reaching Bali is that now every single mail item coming in from Indonesia is inspected. And what that's about is addressing the biggest risk of Foot and Mouth Disease getting in, which isn't so much a traveller coming from Bali, even though that is a risk, the biggest risk of this disease coming in is that someone mails in beef jerky, or some other kind of meat product that has live viral fragments in it. So by inspecting every one of those packages at our mail centres, that's another measure we've put in place to reduce that risk of those outbreaks happening.
JOURNALIST: Has the risk of Foot and Mouth Disease heightened or lessened?
WATT: Well, the most recent analysis we had of that was earlier this yea, after the disease reached Indonesia. About a year or so ago, the disease risk was established at being about eight or nine per cent, that we would have an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease happening in Australia over the next five years. That risk has now gone up slightly to just under 12%. So it's a slight increase, but it shows that there is a risk of an outbreak happening here. And that's why we're taking all of these measures, as I say, abroad, at our borders and also in terms of preparedness. I would certainly hope that that risk doesn't continue to go up. But we're going to keep taking steps to make sure that we're kept safe.
JOURNALIST: And the measures at the airports in place at the moment, are they constantly being reviewed to see if they need to be scaled back or increase?
WATT: They are. I wouldn't have thought that the measures at the airport would be scaled back anytime soon. Realistically, with the best will in the world, Indonesia is going to have this outbreak for some time to come and we've been very clear that we stand ready to assist them in any way that we can. But I'm in constant contact with industry and the department and our biosecurity experts about what other measures can be taken. One of the really pleasing things that's happened in the last week is that we arranged for a group of industry leaders from the livestock industry to go and see it for themselves, what's happening at airports. And you might have seen they were incredibly complimentary about the measures that we have in place. There's actually more than 20 touch points in a travel pattern, where someone has some kind of contact about the risk of Foot and Mouth Disease and what they can do. It’s starting with when people booked their tickets and they're getting social media and other things to alert them to the risk. We've now got – when you're travelling to a new district and Telstra tells you you're in a new mobile zone and here's your plan – we're doing that with foot and mouth disease as well. It's called geofencing. It can pick up when people are in a particular area and give them the information that they need. So we're doing all sorts of things that are very innovative, and we'll keep doing more.
JOURNALIST: At last week's Senate inquiry, Senator Matt Canavan said he wasn't convinced enough is being done. Do you think enough is being done or could more be done?
WATT: Well, Matt Canavan says a lot of things and I'll leave people to make their minds up about how accurate the things he says are. But I think it was very clear that the response that was set out by departmental officials at that Senate inquiry is not just nation-leading but world-leading. There's a reason that Australia has such a great international reputation for our biosecurity steps. And it's only got stronger as a result of the measures we’ve put in place. But if Matt's got some ideas, he's got my phone number, I'm very willing to take his call.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on the Bali Bomber who's facing bail: what message is the Indonesian government sending to Australia? And what impact will this have on the families if he is released?
PRIME MINISTER: This will have a devastating impact on the families. They are going through a trauma in memory of their lost loved ones. We lost 88 Australians in that terrorist attack, and it was a barbaric attack. More than 200 people lost their lives. 88 Australian – those 88 Australians were all sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers, mothers. I know in my electorate, the Dulwich Hill sporting club that was up in Bali at that time lost a number of members. There are two sporting facilities in my area named after the Webster's and the Borgias because they were killed. Young people lost their lives, so many people lost their lives. So it's not just the 88 – there are thousands of people who've been impacted by this. And certainly the Australian Government will be conveying diplomatically, very clearly, our view, which is that the further reduction in sentence – there have been reductions before in the past of the original sentence of this person – a further five months is obviously not something that Australia wanted to see happen. And we'll be conveying that and have conveyed that very clearly to the Indonesian government. We will continue to make those representations as we continue to make representations about Australians who remain kept in Indonesian jails.
JOURNALIST: What are you hearing from the Indonesian Government?
PRIME MINISTER: The Indonesian Government have made clear the decision that they've made, they informed us of that decision, and we informed them of our view of that decision. They have a system whereby when anniversaries occur, quite often sentences are reduced and commuted for people. But when it comes to someone who's committed such a heinous crime, a designer and maker of a bomb designed to kill people, to kill and maim, then we have a very strong view. But Indonesia, of course, is a sovereign nation. But we do respectfully put forward our view in the strongest possible terms about this. We do so in a diplomatic way. We do so at the same time as we continue to advocate on a range of issues for Australians in Indonesia at the moment.
JOURNALIST: There will be a lot of families really impacted by this, it's something that impacted everyone across the country. What would your message be to those families that are reeling from this information today?
PRIME MINISTER: I have enormous sympathy for them. I know people who lost loved ones in in Bali at that time. I came to know them twenty years ago. I knew many of the people from Dulwich Hill, not far from where I lived. They were my neighbours and the impact has been devastating on them. So my message is that all Australian sympathies with you at this difficult time, and certainly not with this terrorists to engaged in this abhorrent action.
JOUNRALIST: On the Voice to Parliament trip: would you consider it a success? And was there any opposition to the plan so far?
PRIME MINISTER: I think it was a huge success. And it was a great privilege to be welcomed to the Torres Strait with Linda Burney, the Minister, and we're Senator Nita Green. There was unanimous support for the Voice to Parliament: from the Torres Strait Regional Authority, from the three councils in the Torres Strait and the Northern Peninsula who we met with this morning. We had a women's forum, and it was very positive – the response there to the Voice. We talked about the structure of the Voice. The women's group this morning all want to make sure that women's voices are represented as well. And the general position of the Torres Strait Islanders was that they want to make sure that the voice of a minority within a minority is also able to be heard through those structures. But people are very positive and hopeful. And the messages that I've received is similar to the message I received a Garma and right around the country, which is that Indigenous people want to be heard. They want to close the gap in life expectancy, health, education, housing outcomes. And the way that they see that as being done is by having a sense of ownership over issues that impact directly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. We know that our experience shows on issues like the rangers program, that when people are involved in program and they have that sense of ownership, you will get better outcomes. So the Voice isn't the end in itself. It's a Voice so that we can close the gap and address Indigenous disadvantage, which is something that we need to do, not just on behalf of Indigenous Australians, but on behalf of lifting up the whole nation.
JOURNALIST: Are you planning to visit (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER: We’ll be visiting Western New South Wales in coming months before the end of the year. We'll be continuing to consult right around the country. When we talk at the Jobs and Skills Summit next week, we'll be talking about employment of Indigenous Australians. We had a very low figure yesterday of the unemployment rate of 3.4 per cent. But we know that that rate is far higher in some Indigenous communities. We need to make sure that people aren't left behind, and will continue to consult. Next week, in particular, will be an opportunity to talk with business about Indigenous employment, and how that fits in as well to the Voices that Indigenous people want. One of the issues that was discussed in the Torres Strait was the CDP programme and the need from the community for real jobs that make a real contribution to skills and improving the opportunity in life for Torres Strait Islanders and people in Northern Australia. That is something that we listened to as well. What a Voice would do is enable those voices to be heard in a more regular way and enable people to feel a greater sense of being respected. We're in this country, this beautiful land that we share with people who have the oldest continuous civilization on the planet going back some 60,000 years. That should be a source of enormous pride. And part of what the Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is about is just that. It's about respect, recognising that our history on this island continent didn't start in 1788. It goes back at least 60,000 years. That should be a source of pride. It should also be a source of knowledge, because we know that Indigenous people had knowledge build up over hundreds and thousands of generations of knowledge of how to care for land, how to care for water, how to manage land. We saw after the bushfires just a little while ago, that some of the practices that Indigenous people have been engaged in for a long period of time were being considered as things that that could assist in making a positive contribution. Thanks very much.