: Well, it's great to be here this morning with the Prime Minister and Minister King and Senator Green and Senator Chisholm to talk about the Federal Government's $7.2 billion commitment to upgrading the Bruce Highway. Like many people in this region, I just made my Christmas and New Year holidays driving up and down the Bruce Highway to visit friends and family. So, I know how important this commitment is to upgrading the road and making sure that we are safe when we're travelling either to and from work or to and from visiting our friends and family. I know that Capricornians have been really worried about the state of the roads here, so I'm really encouraged that the Federal Government has taken a really active commitment to make sure that our roads are safe. But for now, I hand over to the Prime Minister.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks so much, Emily, and it's great to be here with Minister King and with Assistant Minister Anthony Chisholm and Nita Green, the Special Envoy as well. Two great Senators for Queensland who spend a lot of their time in regional Queensland. I've driven the length of the Bruce with this bloke, Senator Chisholm, before. So, we've seen every single inch of this Highway, which is why we know that it needs upgrading. And nothing tells the story of neglect of the former Government like the Rockhampton Ring Road. I did the planning work when I was the Infrastructure Minister in the former Labor Government more than a decade ago. But when we came to Office in 2022, there hadn't been a hole dug on this project. It was $700 million underfunded. And you can't actually start a project until it's fully funded because you can't have the contracts to get things done. So, we found the additional $700 million contributed to our budgets. We came here with former Premier Steven Miles and began construction on this project. And today, there are literally hundreds of people directly and indirectly working on this project to get this done. More than $1.2 billion of Commonwealth funding is going into this project here. And yesterday, of course, we announced our $7.2 billion additional funding for the Bruce Highway, bringing the Commonwealth contribution up to above $17 billion. I'm pleased that the discussions I had with the Queensland Premier mean that he's publicly said that they'll put in their Budget, in June, the additional 20 per cent of funding to bring that funding up to the $9 billion that is estimated to be required to make sure that this Highway can be brought up to standard throughout its length, including priority areas, particularly just to the north of here and towards Benaraby. This project will save lives, which is why it's an absolute priority. 41 lives lost on the Bruce Highway last year, two lost already this year. This will save lives. But in addition to that, it is an economy boosting project. The workers behind us here today will receive jobs and economic activity here in Central Queensland while this project is underway. But importantly as well, the Bruce Highway not only is a place where people go to and from work, visit family and friends, it's also an important freight route for the economy of Queensland. It is the artery that drives the Queensland economy, which is why this is such an important economic project as well. I'm very proud that we're doing this and I was disappointed that Angus Taylor, yesterday, refused to back the funding for this project. And yet again we see a Coalition dedicated to saying 'no' at the first instance, just as they have on every single cost of living measure that we have put forward. Just as they have on areas like the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic that I visited here in Rockhampton yesterday. Just one of the 87 that we have up and running. The only policy that they have put forward is, of course, their so called nuclear plan. But the local Senator here, Matt Canavan, belled the cat when he said that it was just a political fix, that nuclear didn't really add up, it wasn't the most cheapest form of energy that could be used and it was just part of a fix to get the Coalition through an election campaign. Well, it's a fix that will cost the Australian economy, because their own figures show that there'll be 40 per cent less energy used under the figures that they've used, which means 40 per cent less economic activity. A potential cost to the national economy of $4 trillion. They want less activity, a smaller economy, less things made here in Queensland and throughout Australia. Well, that's not my Government's approach. My Government's approach - and the next election will be about - making sure that Australians get the cost of living support that they need while building Australia's future. Peter Dutton only has a plan of saying 'no,' a smaller economy with less activity and Australians paying more. His nuclear plan would cost, economists estimate, some $1,200 more for each and every Australian. On that note, I'll hand to Catherine King, the Minister. Then we're happy to take some questions.
CATHERINE KING, MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Thanks, Prime Minister. And it's great to be here with our candidate for Capricornia, Emily Mawson. And of course my colleague, Senator Anthony Chisholm, the Minister for Road Safety. This is right, right in his heart of what he does. And of course, Senator Nita Green. I first want to pay tribute to this fantastic workforce we have behind us, led by Bonney, who the Prime Minister and I met when we came here initially to do the sod turn on this project. The Rockhampton Ring Road is a game changer, not just for the Bruce Highway and for Rockhampton, but for really improving safety. And I'm so proud of the workforce that we have here building this project. These early works, they'll be finished this year and then stage two started for this project, as well. But this is part of the Labor Government's investment in the Bruce Highway. We're already investing just under $10 billion in projects all the way along this Highway. And the announcement we made in Gympie yesterday of an additional $7.2 billion to improve the safety of this road, particularly as we head up towards Cairns, around Mackay, those areas where we know that the road really needs significant attention to make it safer, really making that divider between oncoming traffic and it's a significant investment. Now, the Bruce Highway didn't become like this just suddenly in the two and a half years that Labor's been in office. It is a damning indictment on the Liberal Party, federally, that they have not fixed this road. That they did not invest in the nine years they were in office to actually fix this road. And the fact that when we came to office, a project here at the Rocky Ring Road, where planning started under the Minister for Infrastructure, now Prime Minister, and not a single sod turn and funding shortfall that we then had to make up for. That is the Liberal Party's contribution to the Bruce Highway: underfunding. Very happy to make announcements, but actually failing to deliver. I'm very proud to have been part of this announcement. We know this will make a significant difference not just to road safety, not just to the economy, but also having more people, more locals working in construction, more women working in construction, on the Bruce Highway for years to come. Thanks very much.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much. Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: More than forty lives were lost on the Bruce Highway last year. While this is going to save further lives, some of the families, who have lost loved ones, they have said it is too little, too late. Should these upgrades have been done years ago?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, they should have been. And the planning was done for this project, for example, the Rockhampton Ring Road, when I was the Minister. For three terms after that planning was done - when Kirsten Livermore was the local MP here, the member for Capricornia - nothing happened. We funded - promised, funded, built and opened the Yeppen Floodplain. People who watch Question Time might be aware of the difference between Yeppen, just to the south of here and Yeppoon, which is of course on the coast. The Yeppen Floodplain was a major project. What used to happen was that Rocky would be cut off and the Bruce Highway would be cut every time there was a flood event. We fixed that. We fixed Cooroy to Curra and funded, we put major funding into the Bruce Highway. Previously, the Howard Government had $1.3 billion over 12 years. Whilst I was the Minister, we increased funding by more than five times, in half the time. In half the time. And why projects like the Rocky Ring Road then didn't occur over three terms is, frankly, an indictment on the former government. But upon coming to government, we've fixed the infrastructure budgets, we've made sure that when funding is allocated, it results in something happening. You can't drive on a press release. What you need to do is to drive on a new road. That's what these workers behind us are building.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resigned. Analysts are saying that this was partly due to the 25 per cent tariffs that Donald Trump has promised to impose on Canada. Is this a cautionary tale after your own dealings with the President-elect and what is your strategy to ensure that Australia is not subjected to tariffs?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I've had a positive discussion with President Trump, the incoming President of the United States, as well as being the former President. We were very constructive. We spoke about Australia's relationship with the United States when it comes to defence and national security, but also on the economy. The United States has had a trade surplus with Australia since the Truman Presidency, and therefore it is in the United States interest for us to continue to implement the Free Trade Agreement, which has the support on a bipartisan basis in the Australian Parliament.
JOURNALIST: Have you tried to make further contact with him since that initial phone call to make the case against Australian products being subjected to these tariffs?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I've made the case to President Trump and he publicly said after that conversation, was very positive, as was I about our discussion.
JOURNALIST: PM, Russell Crowe is reportedly selling his stake in the Rabbitohs. As a longtime fan, what do you have to say about that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Russell Crowe has rejected those reports so I take Russell at his word. Russell Crowe has made a great contribution to South Sydney. I'm very upbeat about the coming season, as I always am every January. If you'd asked me any time since 1971, any January, I would have told you that Souths were going to win the comp that year. For 43 years, that was wrong. In 2014 it was right. Ever since then, I have also said, every year, at this point in time as my friend Chis knows, that very confident that Souths will win the comp again this year. And we got the super coach back, a great Queenslander in Wayne Bennett, and he is a great motivator of men and we have the cattle on the field if they get to play this year. Campbell Graham, of course, didn't trouble a blade of grass last year. Latrell was out for a fair bit of the year. Tatola. We were heavily hit by injuries. But I thank you for the question about South Sydney. Given I'm in Queensland I'll stop there because I'm sure there's some Origin supporters there that will throwing things at me from behind. But I'm very confident about about this year being very positive.
JOURNALIST: Attorney-General Dreyfus going to Israel. Who is he intending to meet? Who will he meet? What's the purpose of the trip?
PRIME MINISTER: We have people regularly visit our friends and Mark Dreyfus is visiting. He had - there was previously a scheduled visit that wasn't able to go ahead. So, Mark Dreyfus will be visiting. He'll be there for around about a week and we've publicly put out that announcement.
JOURNALIST: Shouldn't it be you and the Foreign Minister going over there to mend relations with Israel?
PRIME MINISTER: The Foreign Minister has visited Israel already. The Attorney-General is an appropriate person to visit Israel. A range of others have visited Israel in recent times.
JOURNALIST: Just back on Trump, is it appropriate that he's referring to Canada as like a province of America and suggesting that it would be a good idea for Canada to become a state of America? Like, what do you make of this?
PRIME MINISTER: I have no intention of making a running commentary on what the incoming President has to say.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, other premiers are asking for more money after you splashed the cash on the Bruce, why favour Queensland over other states?
PRIME MINISTER: Because the Bruce Highway is a special case. The Pacific Highway has been completely duplicated. The Hume Highway has been completely duplicated. The Bruce Highway has been neglected by Coalition governments for a long period of time because they take Queensland for granted. I don't take Queensland for granted. One of the things that I do as the Prime Minister, just as I did when I was Infrastructure Minister, is fund projects according to national priority and national need. When you have the number of deaths that you've had on the Bruce Highway, then quite clearly the fatality rate on this Highway is three to five times higher than other highways around Australia. That requires special attention. After a decade of neglect under the former Government, which followed more than a decade of neglect under John Howard. I well remember sitting in Parliament and Warren Truss as the Shadow - as the Minister for Transport and Minister for Infrastructure, a Member for Wide Bay, saying that the section of highway that we were on yesterday was the worst section of road for fatalities anywhere in Australia. Well, if only there was something he could have done about it. He was the Minister, he was Deputy Prime Minister, he was the local Member and nothing happened. It took a Labor Government to deliver for Wide Bay and it's taking a Labor Government to deliver for Capricornia like we did with the Yeppen Floodplain project. Like we did with other projects right up and down the Bruce Highway, including - it was under us that projects like the Mackay Ring Road began construction and so many other projects. The southern approach to Cairns and other projects right up and down the Bruce Highway.
JOURNALIST: PM, you've driven the Bruce. What are the main priority areas that need to be fixed?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the priority areas that have been identified are just to the north of here. Is the area around Mackay as well. There are a range of areas that have been identified. Four main priorities initially, but there are others as well. We'll work constructively with the Queensland Government on that. The Queensland Government will have responsibility for the contracting and the overseeing of these projects. That's the way the system works. The other thing we'll do is we'll cap our funding. And the Queensland Premier welcomed that because it provides for some discipline to occur. The Commonwealth doesn't have oversight of the day to day management of projects. We work with state and territory governments. But people who drive, when you drive the Bruce Highway, one of the issues that comes out as well, you know, the area around Ingham, around Innisfail, is that if you have an upgraded section of road and then it immediately afterwards goes to an area that's far more dangerous, then that can cause real problems as well because people have been used to going in a steady way on a safer road and all of a sudden they hit an area that is not safe. The other issue is that of building back better. In a range of areas along the Bruce, you've had areas swept away when there's a flood. And in the past what governments have done is, you know, you build back with the same that was there beforehand, then it gets washed away in the next event. That was what was happening south of here at Yeppen. And the fact that, if you think about it, common sense tells you when Rocky was cut off on the Bruce Highway, it meant like many, many hours - I'm not talking one or two - of disruption and inefficiency and loss of productivity. And so we'll make sure we work constructively. The Minister here will be working and will talk as well with our Queensland senators and with Emily about her priorities. Emily's someone who was born in Murrumba. Her parents are still there. That's where she drove up and around the Bruce and around this area during the recent holiday season. So, we'll talk to people on the ground.
JOURNALIST: So, you've released some modelling on the Coalition energy policies today. Is it time for you to concede that your pledge to reduce electricity prices by $275 by this year, for whatever reasons, that's not going to happen.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, one of the things that we did, of course, was have a $300 Energy Bill Relief. The Queensland Government under Steven Miles had $1,000 additional to that. That was opposed by the Coalition -
JOURNALIST: That's not the question -
PRIME MINISTER: That was the Coalition -
JOURNALIST: $275 -
PRIME MINISTER: I know that, but you get to do the questions, I get to do the answers. That's the way it works. And we have, we have delivered that. That was opposed. Energy prices would have been higher if Peter Dutton was in government, and I'll make this point as well. We had unprecedented intervention to put a cap on coal and gas prices. We did that in partnership with Dominic Perrottet's Liberal Government in New South Wales and with Annastacia Palaszczuk's Labor Government here in Queensland. That was opposed, as well, in the Parliament. We brought Parliament back to make sure that could be done. We have done - at every single stage - what we have done is put in place measures to address cost of living pressures for families, whether it be Energy Price Relief, Cheaper Child Care, Cheaper Medicines, Free TAFE, and a tax cut for every single taxpayer. And to preempt a question which no doubt I'll be asked about election timetables. Peter Dutton was saying in the first half of last year, we should go to an election in order to stop every Australian taxpayer getting a tax cut on July 1. That's how hostile he was to cost of living support. People would have been worse off under Peter Dutton. And if Peter Dutton ever gets his hands on the levers of the economy, they will be worse off.
JOURNALIST: Just to go back to the Trudeau issue. You're an incumbent yourself. Like Canada, there's a cost of living crisis here. How worried are you that the same fate could befall you?
PRIME MINISTER: Justin Trudeau is the leader of a long term Government in Canada. He's a good friend of Australia. He worked closely with both Labor and Coalition Governments. Canada is part of the Five Eyes, along with Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom. We have an important trading relationship with Canada. And I'll say this as well about Justin Trudeau. Every single time there has been a natural disaster in Australia, we have had Canadians on the ground here. Whether it be flooding events, bushfires, and Australians as well, who have got experience helping our Canadian friends when they have had bushfires and other activities. Because of the seasons, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, those skills and indeed that equipment has been welcomed. And I wish Justin Trudeau all the very best in whatever he chooses to do next in his life. I regard him as a personal friend, but he is a great friend of Australia.
JOURNALIST: So, is it fair to say that other states shouldn't expect to see investments of similar size and value to the Bruce Highway?
PRIME MINISTER: Other states are getting infrastructure investment. We have $120 billion infrastructure plan that we're rolling out right around the country. And we're rolling out projects not just in terms of regional roads, but in terms of urban roads. Something that didn't happen previously under governments and over public transport projects as well. So, projects in New South Wales, in Victoria, in WA. I recently was in WA opening the MetroNet project there. That's an important contribution. We'll have more to say about infrastructure as we go forward because Labor Governments are always the governments that build Australia's future. And that is what we will be doing. Thanks very much.
