ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: This is an extraordinary legacy that has assisted more than 120,000 families that are dealing with breast cancer. The nurses provide that support so that no one feels as though they're alone during what can be a difficult time for cancer sufferers, but also for family members. Of course, all Australians will have been impacted directly or indirectly. We all know someone who has suffered from breast cancer. And indeed, just a month ago, we of course lost Peta Murphy, who was an extraordinarily courageous young woman who passed away aged just 50 as a result of a recurrence of breast cancer that she had overcome once before being elected to Parliament but tragically, came back just a fortnight before her first speech. We also have announced an increase in support using the McGrath Foundation model, because we know that it works. We know that this is a bottom-up approach that has provided support. And we want to see all cancer nurses dealing with different forms of cancer providing that support to cancer sufferers and their families when they need it, where they need it. Importantly around Australia, some 90 per cent of Australians live within 75 kilometres of a McGrath Foundation breast cancer nurse right now - and that is why this is an extremely successful model. The legacy of Jane McGrath continues to go on year after year, and it grows in strength. And today's high tea is the best-attended ever. And we're hoping, of course, that there are more virtual seats taken up by Australians providing that support over the next couple of days.
MARK BUTLER, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE: Thank you, Prime Minister. This is an inspiring day. Almost 20 years after Glenn McGrath and Jane McGrath started this foundation to provide the best possible support and information to women, particularly, and their families dealing with the challenge of breast cancer. As the Prime Minister said, this day just gets bigger and bigger every single year. A few months ago, the Government released the first-ever Australian Cancer Plan. What that plan reminded us all of is that in some areas, with some cancer types, Australians receive the best survival rates in the world. Breast cancer in Australia has about the best survival rates anywhere on the planet. And because of the programs set up by the Jane McGrath Foundation, the journey that patients have is about the best-supported journey anywhere in the world. But the cancer plan reminded us that that's not true for all Australians in all parts of the country, and it's not true for all cancer types. And that's why in November, Glenn McGrath and I were here at the SCG announcing a $166 million comprehensive nursing and navigation program - not just for breast cancer, but for every single cancer type. And at the heart of that program is a decision, a very courageous decision by the McGrath Foundation board and by Glenn and the leadership, to extend their world-leading program supporting breast cancer patients in Australia to supporting patients with all cancer types. As a result of the funding that was announced by the Prime Minister at that time, the Commonwealth-funded nurse numbers will increase by more than two-thirds. And the McGrath Foundation will take the step into all cancers, making sure that their gold standard of nursing support service is available to every single Australian, no matter where they live and no matter their cancer type.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Matt Keogh this morning was talking about the possibility of foreigners from friendly nations, five-eyes nations, Pacific nations, serving in the Australian Defence Force. Would that be something you'd be open to?
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry, that's a matter for Richard Marles to deal with. But what we do is we are looking at increasing interoperability. It is one of the things that AUKUS is looking after, but we want to make sure that our national sovereignty is protected at all times. But we are looking at increased cooperation. We have joint exercises, here in Sydney we hosted for example, Operation Malabar just recently and we continue to engage. One of the discussions that I had with the new New Zealand Prime Minister was increasing interoperability between Australia and New Zealand.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, given the increasing hostility in the Red Sea at the moment, the statement noting yesterday there would be consequences if the Houthi attacks continued. What would those consequences be? And are you open to a greater Australian military contribution in the region?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what we want is for the attacks to end. This is about freedom of navigation and the attacks are completely unacceptable. And that's why you've seen a response by the US led group of which Australia is contributing at the moment in Bahrain. We recently doubled the size of our participants in the headquarters there and we continue to work with our allies, which is why you had such a comprehensive and very strong statement made. And that statement is a clear message to the Houthis and to anyone else who wants to cause damage with the unprovoked attacks that are occurring. This is a threat to global trade and that's why we have responded.
JOURNALIST: Given the complex challenges facing the region, is it vital that the Government focuses on defence recruitment and retention given that the Defence Strategic Review suggested we needed an extra 18,000 ADF personnel?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we are continuing to work through the issues that came through the Defence Strategic Review. That's about investing in our capability and part of that is investing in our personnel so we will continue to engage in that. We're very focused on our national security issues as we go forward. We live in an uncertain time and we know that there are strategic challenges in our region and indeed around the world. If you look at Australia's contribution, not just in the region, but also with the conflict in Ukraine, but also the agreements that we're reaching on our national security, including most recently the very comprehensive national security agreement that we reach with Papua New Guinea, our very near neighbour to our north - that's very much in Australia's interest.
JOURNALIST: If I can get your take on the rediscovery of the baggy green?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's a good thing that Dave Warner has his baggy green back. We know that this is something that can't be bought in a shop, it's got to be earnt. David Warner has earned it. And to be able to wear it in over 100 Test Matches for Australia. This is a wonderful send-off here at the SCG for Dave Warner. And it looks as though, the way the test is going, he certainly will get to bat a second time and I wish him well. And hopefully he gets to wear the baggy green if they bring on some spinners at the end.
JOURNALIST: Just on the Pink Test, it’s grown into one of the biggest sporting fundraisers in the world. What does that say about the generosity of Australians?
PRIME MINISTER: It says that Australians pitch in and Australians help each other. This is about community spirit. And the fantastic thing about the whole McGrath Foundation is that it's risen from the bottom up. It enjoys enormous community support and the fact that hundreds of thousands of Australians have already bought a virtual seat at this test, as well as when you see the sea of pink around the SCG. What that's doing is raising money to make a difference to people's lives, but it's doing something as well. It's raising consciousness of people about breast cancer, but about other forms of cancer as well. Australia is the greatest country on earth, and one of the things that makes it the greatest country on earth is the way that we look after each other. And that spirit is what is exemplified when you look around the SCG today.
JOURNALIST: Just on the breast cancer services. The Australian Institute’s Stephen Long today has argued that the charity is an inefficient way to fund what should be a publicly funded service. Do you agree that it would be more efficient to fully fund breast cancer nurses with taxpayer money rather than rely on charities?
PRIME MINISTER: I agree that this is the bottom up, this is the community having ownership of this, and it is a fantastic model. I'll ask Mark to comment as well, but this is something that has arisen from the tragedy of Jane McGrath and what she went through with Glenn and her family. And out of that tragedy has come a wonderful thing, a wonderful thing of people participating and engaging upstairs, not just people who are contributing financially, but you have the breast cancer nurses themselves participating, along with a number of the people that they are providing care for. I think this is incredibly positive and civil society exists and should be celebrated, not just a matter of government and private sector. This is the community pitching in in a way that is wonderful and is exemplary, in my view.
MINISTER BUTLER: Thank you, Prime Minister. I mean, one of the reasons why we have some of the world's best survival rates in cancer is the quality of our public health and public hospital services. There's no question about that. But the beauty of the McGrath Foundation model is that it grew a model that complements, doesn't seek to replace, complements, the work that our public doctors and nurses have been doing and do so well for cancer patients. Not one single organisation I can recall advised me as we were considering the advice of the Australian Cancer Plan, the government should take over the work that essentially the McGrath Foundation have built up, they've designed, they've built up over almost two decades. Giving it scale, giving it reputation, giving it the sort of fundraising ability we're seeing today to complement the public investment the taxpayers are putting into it that I think would be almost impossible for the government to replicate. So, I think really the really big opportunity was not to seek to take over the work that McGrath has been doing for almost 20 years through some government service, but instead to invite the McGrath Foundation to leverage the work they've done in breast cancer and extend it to all other cancer types. And that's the decision the government has taken. I think it's the right decision.
JOURNALIST: How's the Government planning to build 240,000 homes this year when quite a few economists are suggesting that the limit may be more around 180,000?
PRIME MINSITER: Well, we have a plan to build, or to see, 1.2 million additional dwellings built over the next decade. That is working with state and territory governments, and that will, of course, lift up over a period of time. But we're already seeing state and territory governments in places like NSW with the statements that Chris Minns has already said, with the initiatives that he has put in place, such as at Rosehill, the work that's been done where I've been with Chris Minns around the Hurstville-St George area, looking at places that were dilapidated and not occupied, public housing dwellings, refurbishing them, making them fit for purpose, making sure that we expand social housing numbers, but also, of course, that we have private sector dwellings as well. We know that there have been supply chain issues as a result of global inflation, as a result of the post pandemic. But we need to put shoulder to the wheel, all levels of government, including local government, by having appropriate approvals. An area like Parramatta Road should, in my view, be subject of much higher densities than are there. It's been talked about for a long time. It's in my electorate. I want to see development and dwellings along that corridor and along other corridors that have public transport.
JOURNALIST: Should Usman Khawaja be allowed to wear the dove on his shoe?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think that Usman Khawaja having a dove on a shoe is a positive message of peace. It's not a political message. It doesn't take sides for any religion or any group. It is a positive message that he sought to be able to participate in. And I think that Usman Khawaja is a fantastic cricketer, but also he's a very fine Australian as well. And I wish him and Davey all the best when they open in the second innings.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, when do you anticipate a date to be set before the Dunkley by-election?
PRIME MINISTER: That's a matter for the Speaker, not a matter for me.
JOURNALIST: Just one final one if you're done, do you care to shed any light on the nature of your conversations with Alan Joyce in the months leading up to the Qatar Airways decision?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, this is just an absurdity. The meeting with Alan Joyce has been known about since last September. I've answered questions in Parliament where I say that, and I repeat again now, Qatar was not raised, nor were them what would be at any time, probably 10 to 15 different air services agreements and applications in from different airlines at any time. What Alan Joyce came to see me about, just like the heads of BHP, the heads of the Business Council of Australia and a range of others, was industrial relations legislation that was being discussed at that time. And he saw me, he saw David Pocock, I assume, about the same thing and saw others as well. What's interesting about this is for the Coalition, the fact is that the Coalition sided with Alan Joyce and with Qantas in defending unfair labour practices so that two people doing the same job with the same experience could be paid differently, to undermine enterprise bargaining and to undermine union based agreements. We made it very clear before the election that we would act on this measure in a responsible way so that we don't undermine enterprise bargaining that's so important for productivity. We voted that way and the legislation, I'm pleased to say, was carried eventually in two tranches. The first one the year before last, at the end of 2022, I think it went through. And the last piece of legislation, of course, with the support of the crossbenches in the Senate was carried on the last sitting day. What the Coalition need to explain is why it is that they always side with big business rather than with workers. We make no apologies for the fact that I stood up for workers against the wishes of a range of corporate executives in this country because it's the right thing to do. And I'm pleased also that under our watch we've seen real wages increase for the last two quarters in a row. The Coalition need to stop their nonsense of conspiracy theories and explain why it is that they voted, they voted against the interests of those workers at Qantas who simply wanted a fair crack and a fair go. Thanks very much.