: Welcome everybody, I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet the Burramattagal people of the Dharug nation. It's terrific to be here with the Prime Minister today announcing this vital Commonwealth contribution to Parramatta Civic Link project funded through the Federal Government's Housing Support Program.
This is a really important project for Parramatta's future and let me explain why. This Civic Link will connect where we are now, the new Parramatta Square with the ancient Parramatta River, connecting Parramatta's past, present and future. It will create a seamless sight line, and along that corridor, we'll be joining up some of Parramatta's most important cultural landmarks. The amazing new public library here at Phive, the refurbished Roxy Theatre, the expanded Riverside Theatre, and, of course, the cranes in the distance, the new Powerhouse Parramatta, the billion dollar cultural project, the biggest cultural investment in New South Wales since the Sydney Opera House. This corridor will also link up Parramatta's new transport system, connecting the train station with the recently opened light rail and the new metro station that will open in 2032.
Now, with all this investment in Parramatta, it's no wonder that our city has become a magnet for business, and I'm so pleased that in the last three years, we've attracted dozens of businesses to Parramatta. CBA, Westpac, Deloitte, QBE, have all come to Parramatta or expanded their presence here. In fact, last year, we reached our target, which is to have 50 per cent of the ASX100 with a presence in Parramatta. That means half of Australia's largest businesses have chosen to have a presence here in Parramatta. That's good for jobs and good for our local small businesses as well.
Now with all this opportunity, it's no wonder that so many people are flocking to live in Parramatta. We have lots of residential construction on the skyline, as you can see. The new ALAND building on Hassall Street, the Coronation Building on Phillip Street, the Meriton complex at 180 George Street. In fact, the statistics just released this month show that Parramatta has the most housing dwelling approvals of any local government area in New South Wales. We're leading the way for new housing in this state. And why is that? Well, part of the reason is because Parramatta is a great place to live, and part of the reason is the Federal Government's commitment to new housing supply, and we have Federal Government contributions to the new housing project at Westmead, the social and affordable housing projects in Carlingford and the new Build to Rent here in the CBD. And Parramatta shows that the Government's strategy of building new housing works, and with all the new residential construction here in the CBD, we've had housing prices in the CBD grow at a lower rate than housing prices right across Australia.
So Prime Minister, thank you for your support for Parramatta, our city is going from strength to strength. We are building new housing with your partnership and also maintaining the best quality of life in Australia. Thanks for being here.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's wonderful to be back here with the fantastic Member for Parramatta, Andrew Charlton. I've been coming to Parramatta for many decades now, and the transformation of this city centre has been quite extraordinary. I worked at Granville for four years. We used to come here for lunch. It looked nothing like this. This has been a great transformation of what is Sydney's second CBD and what is at the heart of Western Sydney.
Now, this is my third visit to Western Sydney in the past few days. We've had major road projects announced in South West Sydney, connecting up Badgerys Creek Airport and the precinct around Bradfield with Liverpool. We have had announcements yesterday about roads in North West Sydney, making sure that people can travel to and from work, making sure that the amenity there in North Western Sydney is keeping up with the growth. And here today, this is such an exciting project, a part of Labor's $32 billion Homes for Australia program. This is the second round of our program that is delivering housing support. That is, how do you build infrastructure that supports new housing? That supports increases in density where appropriate, and that improves the amenity of everyone who lives in a great city like Parramatta? Now, this project will unlock some 10,000 homes. In addition to that - this is a part of today's announcement - throughout New South Wales where we're announcing $182 million as part of that Housing Support Program to unlock an additional 25,000 homes. So it's not just a matter of the number, it's a matter of the quality of life for people who live here and connecting up the light rail with heavy rail, with as well, the Metro West when it opens with this pedestrian corridor, will improve the lifestyle of all who live in Parramatta and all who come to Parramatta. It's an important part of the exciting development that we've seen here.
As Andrew has said, connecting up the centre of the CBD, with the wonderful riverfront. For a long time, we haven't valued our rivers around our cities, and that's why we have a specific urban waterway program to lift up the area around our major capital cities. We have programs like this, improving amenity. Now, additional to this, just a couple of the other announcements that we've got included in this today, is $30 million to construct an intersection design and bridge at Schofields, which will open up 235 homes. $45 million to deliver water and sewage infrastructure in Kempsey, unlocking more than 430 homes. Building Australia's future is about more than bricks and mortar. It's also about the care economy. How we strengthen Medicare, how we make sure that we look after the reform in aged care. How we make child care more accessible through our three day child care guarantee and by building more child care infrastructure with our billion dollar program that we've announced as well. It's about Free TAFE, making sure that people have the skills that they need to contribute to building. And I'll have more to say about our skills agenda later this week. Happy to take questions, if there are any questions on this first.
JOURNALIST: Home Affairs was briefing that Sue Lines would be leading Australia's delegation to the liberation of Auschwitz Memorial. When and why was she removed from this role and will Penny Wong or Mark Dreyfus be taking her place?
PRIME MINISTER: The reports were bizarre and wrong. The reports were wrong. The person leading the delegation to Auschwitz is our Foreign Minister, Penny Wong.
JOURNALIST: Was it ever going to be Sue Lines?
PRIME MINISTER: I have no idea where that came from. Penny Wong, as our Foreign Minister, who of course, has travelled to President Trump's Inauguration is going direct via - there are other meetings in between time. I approve our international travel. Penny Wong will lead the delegation, accompanied by Mark Dreyfus, our Attorney-General.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, in your briefings with the AFP Commissioner, what has he said to you about potentially foreign actors paying or ordering antisemitic attacks?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, one of the things that's important is that the AFP be allowed to do their job along with New South Wales Police. So, the AFP Commissioner has provided more information about the investigations that have occurred. But of course, those investigations are ongoing. I'm reluctant to say anything that compromises those investigations. But it is important that people understand where some of these attacks are coming from, and it would appear, as the AFP Commissioner said yesterday that some of these are being perpetrated by people who don't have a particular issue, aren't motivated by an ideology, but are paid actors. Now, it's unclear who or where the payments are coming from. The AFP Commissioner will continue to do his job as the head of Operation Avalite, and we have cooperation across the board from Commonwealth and state police and intelligence agencies as well.
JOURNALIST: Shouldn't foreign links have actually been investigated months ago? Why have they been done now?
PRIME MINISTER: They are being investigated and have been. The point is that when you have an investigation, sometimes it's a really good idea to not tell the people who you are investigating exactly all of that detail, and that is what's going on here. Nothing more, nothing less.
JOURNALIST: What evidence is there that -?
PRIME MINISTER: I'll leave that to the AFP. I am not going to compromise the investigations. We want to hunt down these perpetrators. We want to see them face the full force of the law. And yesterday, the New South Wales Acting Police Commissioner, in a press conference with myself and Premier Minns, made it clear the number of arrests that have taken place. 40 just here in New South Wales. And that's the point here. This action is ongoing. The reason why more transparency has been made out there - the decision made by the police authorities themselves, to be more transparent - is to make it clear the action which is taking place on the ground, given suggestions by some in order to secure some perceived political advantage, that that wasn't occurring. It is occurring. People are being arrested. They're being charged, and they're still in the clink because they're being denied bail. That's appropriate. We want perpetrators to face the full force of the law for what is criminal activity.
JOURNALIST: Do you need to boost resourcing?
PRIME MINISTER: We have boosted resourcing.
JOURNALIST: Was that before or after you were made aware - or how long have you known about the potential of these foreign actors?
PRIME MINISTER: I announced Operation Avalite some time ago.
JOURNALIST: When will that criminal database be set up, or will that be up and running (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have criminal databases now. That is the point. Everything is being investigated now. These investigations are ongoing, and have been so, since October 7 in particular, but the police do their job. I have confidence in our police forces, whether they be New South Wales, Victoria, both of which have established designated operations to consider these issues. And the AFP and nationally, Operation Avalite is coordinating that. What we will do is put all of the information on a single database so that it can be clear across those jurisdictions, and that is something that the AFP will obviously have authority over.
JOURNALIST: What role do Five Eyes, if any, play in helping those investigations with foreign links?
PRIME MINISTER: Five Eyes are playing a role. These things are ongoing. This isn't something that began yesterday. These things are ongoing, which is why people have been rounded up, arrested, charged, and are currently in jail without bail.
JOURNALIST: Does the AFP know exactly where in the world these actors are coming from? Is Russia a target?
PRIME MINISTER
