Opening remarks - Federal Cabinet meeting

Transcript
Hobart
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
Prime Minister

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: It's great to be back together in Tasmania. This is my seventh visit to Tasmania so far this year. And today we've been out and about, we've had meetings with the business community, I visited a TAFE, we've been looking at health care, agriculture, manufacturing, social services. Ministers have been meeting with their state counterparts, as well, talking about how we can work in the interests of Tasmanians, but also of course, in the interests of the nation. One of the reasons why we get Cabinet to get out of Canberra is to listen to people on the ground. And I've been here for a couple of days and have had a real opportunity to get out and about and have meet and greets, including I was down at Salamanca after work yesterday with former Premier Bartlett. And we ran into a hens gathering of about twenty-five, they were quite surprised to see the Prime Minister walking past Salamanca Place, but we had a chat with the bride-to-be and many of her friends, and indeed, she did invite me to the wedding. I probably won't be attending, but she had a cardboard cut-out of her future husband there, so he was a part of the exercise as well. But Tasmanians are very welcoming people, and one of the things that we did yesterday afternoon with Julie and Carol and Andrew Wilkie was to talk with people. Myself, Linda, had a bit of a thank you spiel to the volunteers who are out there campaigning for Yes in the referendum. And we know that we're now less than two weeks away but what is happening, the feedback here, like the feedback everywhere, is that when people focus on what the question is, just recognition and then a non-binding advisory committee, a Voice so that we can listen to Indigenous Australians in order to get better results, then people are very receptive to voting Yes in the referendum. And today in a poll we saw an improvement in the position, so it's a matter of having conversations over the next ten days. But continuing to work on our broader priorities as a government as well. We had the Employment White Paper last week, continuing to talk about TAFE Centres of Excellence, I was talking about today at the TAFE. Talking with students who are benefiting from our fee-free TAFE positions being put forward. We're continuing to talk about fixing up the migration system and Clare's doing great work in that area. We're continuing to open Urgent Care Clinics and making a difference there. And we're continuing to engage in the full suite of policy responses that we need. The work that Tony is doing in the legislation that's before the parliament to outlaw wage theft and to make a difference closing loopholes as well so that we lift those living standards up. Right across the board, I think we've got a really positive message. And here in Tasmania, which is a state that has a vibrant agricultural sector can make more things. Ed's been looking at the shipbuilding industry here, the shift to electric shipping will make an enormous difference, as well. As well as the infrastructure investment that Catherine’s presiding over, and the shift with projects like Marinus Link that will make an enormous difference to the Tasmanian economy but also make a difference to the nation. It's been good also to catch up with Labor colleagues as well as colleagues from the government. And it's been good that in Tasmania we do have a Liberal Premier who's supporting a Yes vote in the referendum as well as of course, Bridget Archer is campaigning for a Yes vote, and that's a good thing. But today we have our Cabinet, we've now had the Cabinet meet in every state of Australia since we came to office. And that is a sign that we want to make sure that we get out and about where people are, we listen to people on the ground about their needs. And so I look forward to a constructive discussion and then people have further meetings and activities over today and indeed tomorrow, and that's a good thing. So look forward to a constructive meeting.