STEPHEN JONES, ASSISTANT TREASURER: And I’m very, very pleased to be here with you today. I want to introduce the Prime Minister to talk to you. We've got an exciting announcement. Absolutely delighted to be with you. Prime Minister, over to you.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks very much. I'm here for two announcements before I go to BlueScope to talk to the workers there about the importance of the steel industry for this electorate. The first job that I have is to pay tribute to Stephen Jones. Stephen Jones has been an extraordinary member for this area, first for Throsby and then for Whitlam. And of course he also has been a fantastic Assistant Treasurer. And just this week we passed legislation, the strongest legislation against scams anywhere in, not just Australia, in the world. That's the commitment that Stephen has brought to undertaking the task representing the people of the Illawarra but also being a fantastic member of the government and I pay tribute to the work that Stephen has done. But in Carol Berry we have found a fantastic replacement. Carol Berry has been a member of the Labor Party for more than two decades now. Carol Berry is someone who will bring that strong commitment to this local community. In particular, she's worked with underprivileged people in this community in the Illawarra. It's fantastic that Carol has been pre-selected unopposed. That says a lot about the standing that Carol has in this local community, the respect and support that she will bring as the Member for Whitlam. And next week we'll have the Whitlam Lecture here in the Illawarra as well. It'll be the second time that I've had the honour of paying tribute to Gough Whitlam and his legacy. But also talking about how the Whitlam experience helps to educate my generation of Labor representatives to continue on the legacy of understanding the responsibility that we have to leave a legacy, to create reforms that change the country for the better. Just as Gough Whitlam changed the country for the better with Medibank before it was abolished by the incoming Liberal government. A key issue at the coming federal election will be the defence and strengthening of Medicare. Urgent Care Clinics, improving bulk billing, where we've tripled the bulk billing incentive, more GP doctors, making sure that we have turned around the neglect that was there under the previous decade of the coalition government. And of course the last time government changed to a coalition government, the incoming government, with Peter Dutton front and centre as Health Minister, sought to introduce a GP tax. Sought to introduce a hospital tax every time people visited an emergency department. Sought as well to cut $50 billion from the public hospital budget -in stark contrast to the additional funding that I announced just a week ago, including substantial funding, a half billion dollars additional just next year to NSW hospitals. This will be front and centre of the next election campaign. Front and centre will be whether people deserve the health care that every Australian is entitled to - that's Labor's view. Peter Dutton's view was that there were too many free services. In addition to that, just this week they have confirmed their opposition to Free TAFE. Now 600,000 Australians have benefited from Free TAFE. We think that's important for blue collar workers as well as for the care sector. And on this Valentine's Day, I can declare that Labor supports, Labor loves blue collar workers and that's why we're supporting jobs and that's why we're supporting steel workers here. Can I also say today that we're announcing $850,000 for the Shellharbour Integrated Child and Family Precinct. This is a vital precinct to deliver services here. The money will be set aside for planning in conjunction with local families to set up a one stop shop for early childhood and family support services right in the middle of Shellharbour. This support's being provided through the government's Precincts and Partnership Program, and it shows how important it is. We are a government for all Australians and we're particularly a government for regional Australians, and that's why today's announcement is important. And that's why Carol Berry being elected as the Member for Whitlam to replace Stephen Jones will be important in taking the Illawarra forward. I introduce to you, Carol Berry, now as of yesterday, the Labor candidate for Whitlam.
CAROL BERRY, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR WHITLAM: Thank you. Obviously I'm feeling very grateful for the support that I've received this morning. It's been a fantastic couple of weeks for me speaking to local branch members in the ALP seeking support for this pre-selection. So I feel very honoured this morning to have been preselected by the ALP. I'm very grateful for the PM being here this morning to support me. Just wanted to also acknowledge the work of Stephen. Stephen's been a very capable MP here in Whitlam for 15 years. He's made an amazing impact here on our region. He's also someone that's gained a lot of respect across the Australian community for all of his work, particularly in his role as Assistant Treasurer. Stephen is someone who has worn his heart on his sleeve. He's someone who has touched millions of Australians, particularly with his compassionate approach to leadership, and I intend to emulate that approach when I hopefully win this election as well. So a bit about me. I'm a local Mum, I've lived in Illawarra for 25 years. My husband's here, we've raised our family here in Illawarra. I'm someone who's given back to our local community, I'm someone who cares about our local community so I've been very actively involved. I've been a soccer mum. I've been on so many sausage sizzles I can barely remember the number. So I'm someone who's really tried to give back. In terms of my professional experience I'm someone who comes with a lot of professional experience. I have been a lawyer. I have worked with both state and federal governments. I've been a local CEO. I was the CEO of the Illawarra Women's Health Centre here in Warilla. I stood up for women's health, I believe very passionately in women's health. I also stood up for women who are escaping domestic violence. I've also been the CEO of the Disability Trust. So, the Disability Trust is one of the largest providers of disability services in Australia and has its head offices here in the Illawarra. So, I'm someone who's given back to our community for decades, I'm very passionate about standing up for this community and I can't wait to get started. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much. Thanks, Carol. We're happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you mentioned Carol came unopposed, but obviously there are a lot of people opposing her selection now. Is the response you would expect Inaudible?
PRIME MINISTER: No, she was unopposed. The entire Labor Party is united behind Carol Berry. It's not surprising that any political party doesn't get 100 per cent of the vote. And the fact that there are people sprouting the same negative, divisive lines that Peter Dutton sprouts every day in Parliament from the song sheet occurs from time to time. But that's fine, that's a democracy. And in a democracy, no political party gets 100 per cent of the vote. But I'll make this point, Carol Berry got 100 per cent of the support here in the Illawarra.
JOURNALIST: Ms Berry has a history with the Greens Party. She's ran as a candidate for Cunningham a number of times and also as the National Secretary she has acted previously. Do you think that will affect her electability prospects in Whitlam which is, I guess, Labor heartland?
PRIME MINISTER: What it shows to me is that Carol realised she joined a minor political party when she was very young. She's been a member of the Labor Party for over 20 years. The Greens don't provide a way forward. The Greens are a party of protest. If you're serious about change, the Labor Party is the vehicle which, as a party of government, promotes that change. Carol Berry has been that for more than two decades.
JOURNALIST: This is the third time in the seat the party has parachuted a candidate in. What is it about the local members that they don't get to pick their own candidates?
PRIME MINISTER: They did. They did, and she was elected unopposed. They did. There's no parachute here. Carol Berry has been elected unopposed. Every single member of the Labor Party in Illawarra participated in that process and she received support and it's not surprising because we haven't brought in a 20-year-old here, we've brought in someone here who has worked for decades and is embedded in this local community. And when Stephen Jones informed me that he decided to go in a different direction in life, I asked him who potential candidates were, and Carol was one of the names that was mentioned right at the top of that list. And quite clearly Carol’s spoken to all of the local members. You can see behind us here, there's a group of Labor Party supporters and there's a group of a small couple of Labor Party opponents spouting the same lines as the Clive Palmer Party and Peter Dutton sprouts from time to time. Yeah that's fine, that's ok. The Labor Party has selected Carol unopposed and that says a lot because very few people get pre-selected unopposed.
JOURNALIST: You're visiting the steelworks today -
PRIME MINISTER: I am indeed.
JOURNALIST: It’s been a big week for Port Kembla and the Australian steel industry with Donald Trump talking tariffs. What words of comfort are you going to give to Illawarra steel workers? And Jim Chalmers has done some modelling about the impact of 25 per cent tariff on the Australian steel industry. Will you be releasing that modelling?
PRIME MINISTER: My message is very clear which is we've got your back - we support blue collar jobs. We support blue collar jobs. We support steelworks here. I've been to the steelworks on I don't know how many times now. I've been going there for three decades. We continue to support jobs in the Illawarra and we support the steelworks and my message to them today is we've got your back.
JOURNALIST: Do you have any further clarity on whether Australia will be exempt from the tariffs?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have put a very strong case. And a strong case and we agreed, myself and President Trump, when we talked we agreed on the words that were used. And in President Trump's own words he said that Australia would be given great consideration for an exemption. We continue to put forward our case, which is a very simple one. Australia has zero tariffs on US goods coming into Australia. I note that this morning there has been a statement about reciprocal tariffs. Well Australia has none on the US. We have a free trade agreement. We support jobs. We support jobs and we support as well, jobs including steel. Turbines are made of steel by the way, and we want them to be made with Illawarra steel and domestic manufacturing as well.
JOURNALIST: The ADF has revealed a Chinese military jet came 30 metres away from a RAAF aircraft and dropped flares over the South China Sea. Is this a step backwards in the diplomatic relationship between Beijing and Canberra? And will you pick up the phone to President Xi?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have made representations through our normal diplomatic channels. We regard this action as unsafe. We've made that clear. We've made it public, as well as in private.
JOURNALIST: Stephen is one of a number of Ministers who will be stepping down at this election. Does it concern you that they are choosing to step down rather than contest?
PRIME MINISTER: No, he's one. Unless you've got some breaking news for me, Stephen is the only Minister who'll be stepping down at this election. And it stands in stark contrast with across the other side of the Parliament, where you have more people retiring from the Coalition from their fifty odd members, which are there. One of the other big differences, of course, is even though they are so unrepresentative of the Australian public in gender, in other areas as well, you have a series of women such as the members for McPherson and Forrest being replaced by blokes. It's business as usual in Peter Dutton's LNP. It's becoming more and more right wing. One of the things that's happening is that women representatives are being replaced by blokes, and progressive representatives in the Liberal Party context are being replaced by more and more extreme right wingers. People who think that the solution to politics is yelling and shouting rather than having a reasoned argument. And that's what we see. I mean, will the last moderate in the Liberal Party turn the lights out? You've had Christopher Pyne go a little while ago, you've had people across the board go, George Brandis, and now you've seen Paul Fletcher, Simon Birmingham. You know, they are becoming a hard right party, which reflects Peter Dutton's leadership, which is hard right leadership. Always looking to divide, never looking to bring Australians together.
JOURNALIST: How far away are you from calling the election date?
PRIME MINISTER: Keep your eye on the white car, and sometime between now and, actually we could have a half Senate election and have an election on September 27th. Any time before then. If there's a Senate and House of Reps election, it has to be before May 17.
JOURNALIST: The offshore wind inquiry has obviously been pushed back and has upset a few people here today. Can you guarantee that will be published before the election?
PRIME MINISTER: You do know we don't control the Senate? We've got 25 votes out of 76 -
JOURNALIST: Can you offer any clarity -
PRIME MINISTER: We’ve got 25 out of 76. I don't think people who are shouting are engaging in the discussion.
JOURNALIST: The United States has released some details about its peace proposal regarding Russia and the Ukraine. Is it basically appeasement of Russia? And will Australia reassess its approach or support for Ukraine Inaudible?
PRIME MINISTER: We have a position of support for Ukraine. That's unchanged.
JOURNALIST: Sorry, just back to that. Is there any way that you can confirm whether the report will be published ahead of the election?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm not a Senator, nor do we control the Senate.
JOURNALIST: Just about aluminium. It was revealed by Peter Navarro, an advisor to the Trump Administration earlier this week that there was some, potentially a verbal deal between Scott Morrison and the previous Trump Administration about limiting aluminium exports. Do you have any further details about what was agreed by the previous government?
PRIME MINISTER: You're speaking about a verbal deal with Scott Morrison. I don't speak on behalf of Scott Morrison, nor will I verbal Scott Morrison. What I know is that Australian steel and aluminium has contributed to the United States economy. Contributed constructively, and our economic relationship is very important. The United States has a trade surplus with Australia. For every dollar of exports that go to the United States, $2 comes back to Australia. And that is just one of the arguments that I put - that it is very clear it is in Australia and the United States interests for us to have free and fair trade between our two countries.
JOURNALIST: Might it hurt the negotiations over an exemption this time around if there was some deal that Australia has walked back on?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I can't comment on a discussion between Scott Morrison and persons unknown. What I can do, is to in 2025, defend Australia's national interest. I've done that, and I was very pleased with the constructive discussion that I had with President Trump, which is now the second constructive discussion that I've had.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you last visited the Win News headquarters five years ago when you were in opposition. Since then there’s been lots of regional media inquiries mostly focused on print. And you did mention before you are a government for regional Australia. What would you do to help regional broadcasters and transmission infrastructure?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have provided additional support for regional broadcasters and regional media. We regard regional media as being very important. Win plays a critical role in this region of the Illawarra. We support the role that Win plays and other regional players, whether it be regional newspapers or regional broadcasters. I'm someone who is a regular visitor to this region. I was in Nowra just a couple of weeks ago, this week I was in Merimbula - all of which are covered of course by your network, very importantly.
JOURNALIST: Just on the commercial broadcast tax, the Communications Minister has heard concerns about that both in government and while in opposition but it is still a real burden on regional broadcasters and, you know, makes it harder for us to go into media, and get paid, basically. Is that something you can look at?
PRIME MINISTER: No, we want to, we will never stop looking at ways in which we can help regional broadcasters, particularly the smaller operators. We recognise the valuable role that you play. Thank you very much.